The day after the feast of unity, by Kourosh's command, the entire treasury of Azhidahak was put on display in the central square of the camp.
As the thick cloths were pulled back from the carts, a mountain of gold and silver was piled up before the astonished eyes of the soldiers.
Golden goblets, emerald and ruby necklaces, and precious weapons gleamed under the harsh sunlight.
This was the wealth that Azhidahak had accumulated over many years.
And now, according to the tradition of conquerors, it all belonged to Kourosh.
The soldiers, both Persian and Median, stared at this treasure with greedy eyes and bated breath.
They whispered in small groups.
The Persians were waiting for a reward befitting their courage.
The Medes, with apprehension, expected to receive a meager share, if any at all.
This was a moment where loyalties could be made or broken.
But Kourosh, once again, surprised everyone.
He stood on a wooden platform and announced in a clear voice:
"O brave soldiers of Pars and Media! Behold this treasure!"
"This wealth belongs neither to me, nor to the Achaemenid clan."
"This wealth is the result of your courage and your blood that was shed on the plain of Pasargadae!"
He paused and then read a decree that was unprecedented in the history of warfare of that era.
"Half of this treasury will be paid out equally, as a reward, to all the soldiers of this army!"
"Whether Persian or Median, from the commander to the common soldier, from the living to the families of the fallen!"
A cry of joy and disbelief rose from among the soldiers.
The Medes, who had been expecting punishment, looked at each other with eyes wide with astonishment.
This was beyond anything they could have imagined.
An elderly Median soldier said to his Persian friend with a trembling voice:
"Did... did I hear correctly?"
"He is giving a reward to us, to his enemies of yesterday?"
The Persian soldier replied with pride:
"He no longer sees an enemy, brother."
"He only sees the soldiers of his nascent kingdom."
This act broke down the last walls of distrust between the two lands.
Kourosh raised his hand for silence and continued:
"And the other half will be spent on rebuilding Susa and the other devastated cities in Pars, Elam, and Media."
"We have come to build, not to plunder."
"The true wealth of a kingdom lies not in its treasury, but in the welfare and prosperity of its land."
These were no longer just the words of a conqueror.
This was the declaration of a civilization-builder.
This intelligent move not only bought him the absolute loyalty of the soldiers of both lands but also showed the entire world that this young conqueror was different from all the conquerors before him.
He was not seeking wealth; he was seeking to build a magnificent country.
Azhidahak, who was witnessing this scene from afar, for the first time in his life, understood the true meaning of power.
A power that stemmed not from fear, but from forgiveness, wisdom, and legitimacy.