Chương 517: Just do it!

"Abolish all checkpoints and commercial taxes, and implement a unified national market. Encourage commercial development and protect the legitimate rights and interests of merchants. The days of collecting taxes at every checkpoint are gone forever!"

Shen Wansan's eyes lit up. Unifying the currency, establishing banks, and abolishing checkpoints were all boon for merchants.

In the past, doing business involved paying more than a dozen taxes along the way, but now it's much better, with smooth sailing all the way.

...

After Liu Ce finished speaking, he walked back to the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall once more, his voice filled with a do-or-die determination:

"That concludes the contents of the first five-year plan of the Great Han Dynasty."

"I know that many people think I'm being delusional. They think it's impossible to accomplish so much in five years."

"However, I tell you: as long as we are united in purpose and work together with one heart, there is nothing we cannot accomplish!"

He stood up, his voice booming through the sky, causing dust to fall from the palace beams.

"Five years from now, I will ensure that every citizen of the Han Dynasty has enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and a decent house to live in..."

"Five years from now, I will make the roads of the Han Dynasty accessible in all directions, and the river transport unimpeded."

"Five years from now, I will make the iron production of the Han Dynasty surpass that of any previous dynasty."

"Five years from now, I will make the Han army invincible, and no one will dare to invade."

"Five years from now, I will let the whole world know: how proud it is to be a citizen of Han!"

"Establish a National Planning Commission, with myself as its director! Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui will serve as deputy directors, responsible for the formulation, implementation, and supervision of the plan."

Seventy percent of the imperial court's revenue will be used entirely for the Five-Year Plan! All plans will be broken down to the year, the month, and the individual! Anyone who dares to embezzle, engage in corruption, or enrich themselves by taking more than one thousand coins will be beheaded!

"My beloved ministers, the rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. I and you were born in a chaotic era, but were fortunate enough to unify the world. This is our good fortune, and even more so, our responsibility."

"I wish to work together with you all to build a powerful Han Dynasty, a peaceful Han Dynasty, a Han Dynasty that future generations will forever remember!"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.

That silence wasn't from fear, but from being deeply moved.

Then, Xun Yu was the first to kneel down and loudly proclaim:

"Your subject, Xun Yu, is willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and devotion! I swear to complete the First Five-Year Plan to the death!"

Immediately afterwards, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Xue Rengui, Su Dingfang, Song Yingxing... all the civil and military officials knelt down in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

"We, your humble servants, are willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and devotion! We swear to complete the First Five-Year Plan to the death!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

The shouts resounded throughout the Deyang Palace, extending beyond the palace walls and spreading throughout the entire city of Luoyang.

Hearing the shouts from the palace, the people outside the city cheered along with the crowd, their cheers rising in waves and lasting for a long time.

Liu Ce stood before the dragon throne, gazing at the dense crowd below and the bright sunshine outside the window, his heart filled with boundless hope.

At this moment, he was no longer the prefect of Zhuo County... the Prince of Yan... but a true emperor, an emperor who would lead the country to prosperity.

In the first year of the Shenwu era, the first five-year plan of the Han Dynasty was officially launched.

Outside the window, the sunlight shone brightly, illuminating the glazed tiles of Deyang Hall, making them gleam like a coiled golden dragon.

In the distance, the people of Luoyang were unaware that at today's court assembly, their emperor had already planned out a wonderful five years for them.

Five years is neither a long nor a short time.

But for this empire, which has just been reborn from the flames of war, these five years will be the most crucial five years, five years that will determine the fate of the Han Dynasty for the next hundred years.

At this moment, Liu Ce, standing in front of the dragon throne, had only one thought in his mind: Just do it!

...

After the court session ended, the aftershocks of the officials shouting "Long live the Emperor!" still lingered on the golden brick floor of Deyang Hall.

The lingering sound seemed to bounce back and forth between the beams of the palace, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

Liu Ce did not immediately leave the court. He left Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Song Yingxing, Tian Feng, and Lu Bing to continue the discussion in a side hall.

The side hall was much smaller than the main hall, but it was decorated more exquisitely. A huge map of the Han Dynasty's territory hung on the wall, with mountains, rivers, prefectures, cities and towns marked densely.

As the others dispersed, Cheng Yaojin glanced back and thought to himself: those who were left behind will probably have to do extra work.

The charcoal fire in the side hall was burning brightly, and the warmth from the heating made people's faces glow red.

Liu Ce sat in the main seat, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Xuanling," Liu Ce put down his teacup and turned to Fang Xuanling, "The National Planning Commission should immediately set up offices and break down all the tasks of the First Five-Year Plan into various departments, provinces, and counties."

Report your progress to me on the 15th of each month. Don't wait until the end of the year to settle accounts; by then, it'll be too late. What I need isn't "almost" or "approximately," but accuracy down to the single digit.

"Which department is slow, which place is dragging its feet—I want to know. Anyone who dares to falsify or conceal information will be investigated by Jia Xu's men, impeached by Yang Biao's men, and my sword will fall."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Fang Xuanling bowed and said, then paused and frowned.

"However, the implementation of the Equal Field System and the Emancipation of Slaves will inevitably face great resistance at the local level. Many provincial and county officials are themselves from powerful families, with deep-rooted connections to those powerful clans.

They might outwardly comply while secretly engaging in underhanded tactics, delaying, shirking responsibility, or even sabotaging the operation.

Liu Ce nodded; he had expected this.

Those powerful families have been operating in the area for hundreds of years, deeply entrenched and influential, so much so that a single move by them can have far-reaching consequences.

He looked at Tian Feng, his eyes flashing with daggers: "Therefore, the Censorate will immediately form one hundred inspection teams, each led by you personally, to be dispatched to provinces, prefectures, and counties throughout the country. Each inspection team will be staffed with ten Imperial Guards and fifty soldiers."

"Anyone who dares to obstruct the new policies will be executed first and reported later! No need to report, no need to ask for instructions, Tian Feng, you have the final say. I don't want anyone alive, I just want things done. I want those who are hiding in the shadows to know that the price of outwardly complying but inwardly disobeying is greater than outright rebellion."

Tian Feng straightened his back, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and said in a firm and powerful voice, "Your Majesty, I obey! Rest assured, my old bones are Your Majesty's blade. Anyone who dares to obstruct the new policies will have their head chopped off. My blade is no duller than it was when I fought the Yellow Turbans."

This minister, who was hailed as "upright and incorruptible," has now become the sharpest knife in the new policies.

Liu Ce patted him on the shoulder: "Tian Feng, you are my most trusted advisor. When you go to your post, you can act on your own initiative in some matters without having to ask for permission for everything. You are given the authority to act first and report later. But remember, don't go blinded by bloodshed. You must spare the prisoners who should be spared and let them write their self-criticisms in the Gongdelin."

Tian Feng grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what I'm doing. I'll keep a detailed record of who deserves to be killed, imprisoned, and exiled. When the time comes, what will be sent back will not only be the heads of the traitors, but also their confessions."