Chương 554: Divine Martial Six Years, Plan 15 Completed

The people, young and old, with smiles on their faces, followed the procession toward Luoyang.

Some people sang as they walked, while others played the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), creating a festive atmosphere.

An old carpenter, pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with tools, said to his apprentice as he walked:

"Back in Luoyang, we squeezed into a small, dilapidated courtyard. We didn't even have a place to work; we could only make do under the eaves."

Now that we're going to Luoyang, the imperial court has allocated us a large courtyard. We can open a large workshop and take on more apprentices! Finally, our skills will have a place to be put to use!

Aunt Wang, who sells breakfast, pushed her food cart and said with a smile:

"I've already rented a stall in the East Market of Luoyang. I'll be selling spicy soup and steamed buns there from now on. I've heard Luoyang is huge; business there will definitely be ten times better than in Luoyang! My son will finally be able to get married!"

The children ran and played in the line, holding candied hawthorns in their hands, excitedly shouting, "Going to our new home! Going to our new home! Our new home is so big!"

Liu Ce's carriage was at the front, followed by Empress Cai Yan and the concubines, and then the civil and military officials and their families.

The procession was vast and impressive.

The procession entered Mingde Gate and slowly drove north along Zhuque Avenue.

The streets were packed with people who had already moved there, waving colorful flags and flowers, and shouting, "Long live His Majesty! Long live the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Ce opened the carriage window and waved to the people.

Looking at the bustling city of Luoyang and the happy smiles of the people, he was filled with emotion.

The carriage stopped in front of Chengtian Gate. Liu Ce stepped down from the carriage and, accompanied by his civil and military officials, slowly walked into the imperial city and ascended the Taiji Hall.

......

Liu Ce sat on the dragon throne, looking at the civil and military officials below, at the bright sunshine outside the hall, and at the cloudless blue sky. He slowly spoke, his voice firm and powerful, echoing throughout the hall:

"Today, the Great Han Dynasty officially moves its capital to Luoyang!"

"From now on, I will work with you all to continue to reduce taxes and levies, allow the people to rest and recuperate, develop water conservancy, promote agriculture and sericulture, popularize education, and rectify official corruption."

"I want every person in the Han Dynasty to have food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over their head, and the opportunity to study!"

"I will make the might of the Han Dynasty known throughout the world, so that all the barbarian tribes will come to pay tribute!"

"I will create an unprecedented golden age, a glorious Han Dynasty that future generations will forever remember!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

All the civil and military officials knelt down in unison, bowing deeply, their voices resounding through the heavens and echoing throughout the entire capital city of Luoyang...

...

On the first day of the first month of the sixth year of Shenwu, in the Taiji Hall of the Imperial City of Luoyang.

Outside the palace, the north wind whipped up heavy snowflakes, blanketing the capital city of Luoyang in a silvery white.

The roof tiles were covered with half a foot of snow, and the icicles under the eaves were more than a foot long, glistening in the sunlight.

The copper bells on the eaves tinkled in the wind, their clear and melodious sound unable to suppress the subtle restlessness inside the hall.

The finest silver charcoal burned in the gilded bronze incense burner, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. Civil and military officials stood solemnly in their respective ranks according to the order of the two government offices, three courts, and one department, forming a neat square formation. Each person had their own place, no longer crowding around as before.

Everyone's face was filled with barely concealed excitement. Five years ago, when His Majesty solemnly announced the First Five-Year Plan at the coronation ceremony, some people in the court whispered among themselves, thinking it was a pipe dream. Today, the time to hand in the results has finally arrived.

Liu Ce, sitting on the dragon throne, wore a black dragon robe with twelve imperial symbols, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrests.

His gaze swept over the assembled officials below, finally settling on Xun Yu at the very front, and he slightly raised his hand.

Xun Yu took a deep breath, straightened his official robes, and slowly stepped out of the ranks, holding a thick scroll of memorials in his hand.

His boots made a crisp sound as they stepped on the gold brick floor, each step steady and powerful.

The entire hall fell silent instantly; everyone held their breath.

"Your Majesty!" His voice was steady and resonant, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"From the first year of the Shenwu reign to the present, five years have passed in the blink of an eye. We, your humble servants, have been working tirelessly day and night to implement the Five-Year Plan, as ordered by Your Majesty. Today, all ministries and departments have completed their verification. Your humble servant, Xun Yu, on behalf of the State Council, respectfully reports the overall results to Your Majesty!"

He unfolded the memorial, the yellowed Xuan paper covered with dense black characters, the culmination of five years of painstaking effort.

He paused, then said, word by word, "For the past five years, our Great Han has quelled the remnants of chaos and rebuilt the order of the world. At the beginning of the founding of the nation, the registered population was about 48 million, and the number of unregistered households, slaves, and refugees was countless; Today, the registered population has reached 63. 12 million, and the actual total population has exceeded 68 million! The national arable land area has increased from 500 million mu to 1.

08 billion mu, more than doubling; the total grain output is 15. 6 billion shi, with an average of 240 shi per capita, enough for the entire nation to live comfortably for more than ten years without hunger or cold!

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Even the ministers who had personally participated in the changes over the past five years felt their scalps tingle when they heard the total figures.

A young manager in the back row couldn't help but mutter "Oh my god," and was glared at by his boss. He quickly lowered his head, but still couldn't help but smile.

Five years, from semi-ruins to prosperity, what kind of speed is that?

"First, report on the achievements in politics and people's livelihood!" Xun Yu turned to the side, his gaze fixed on the Ministry of Revenue.

"Please welcome Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan."

Shen Wansan stepped forward, holding a thick household register. In the past five years, he had traveled all over the country, gone through ten pairs of boots, and lost a lot of weight, but he was in better spirits than he was five years ago.

"Your Majesty, I, Shen Wansan, respectfully report this!" He bowed deeply, his voice hoarse.

"The new policy of equal land distribution and tax exemption has been fully implemented throughout the country without any omissions. Whenever I go to a place, I personally measure the land and watch it being distributed to the people before I feel at ease."

"Over the past five years, the imperial court has recovered 280 million mu of unclaimed wasteland and land abandoned due to war, and confiscated 170 million mu of excess land from powerful families, totaling 450 million mu, all of which have been distributed to landless peasants. Every mu of land is documented, and every peasant has land to cultivate.

I personally witnessed many people kneeling on the ground and crying for a long time when they received their land deeds, saying, 'Finally, I have my own land in this lifetime.'"

"The policy of paying one-thirtieth of the taxes is strictly enforced. Dozens of exorbitant taxes from the previous dynasty have all been abolished. Now, the common people only pay this one tax; there are no other miscellaneous taxes."

The farmers' actual burden decreased by 90% compared to the first year of the Chuping era, and in those five years, not a single person went bankrupt due to tax payments. Previously, every tax season, farmers would sell their children; now, they are smiling.

"Since the implementation of the Emancipation Edict, a total of 8. 12 million private slaves have been freed, and all of them have been granted land and become commoners. Anyone who resists the powerful and wealthy is dealt with according to the law."

Four years ago, a powerful local tyrant in Jingzhou harbored over two hundred slaves and even dared to assault a local agricultural official. He was punished by the local government according to the law, all his land was confiscated, and his entire family was exiled three thousand li away. After this story spread, no one dared to disobey anymore. When the slaves received their freedom certificates, they wept bitterly.