Chương 652: Xun Yu reports his results

Zhao Yun and Qin Qiong stood ramrod straight, their armor gleaming.

Cheng Yaojin had melon seeds tucked in his pocket. He would crack one open when no one was looking, and then secretly slip it into Zhang Fei's hand. The two of them, like two mice stealing food, had their cheeks puffed out.

Xue Rengui, Su Dingfang, Xu Da... these men who returned from guarding the border all had dark skin and backs as straight as javelins.

"His Majesty has arrived..."

As the eunuch's high-pitched announcement faded, the hall fell silent instantly; even Cheng Yaojin's cracking of melon seeds stopped.

Liu Ce, dressed in a black dragon robe, slowly walked up the steps and sat down on the dragon throne.

The twelve-tasseled beaded bracelet swayed gently as he glanced at the officials below the steps, his voice steady and calm: "All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After the shouts of thanks were finished, silence returned to the hall.

Liu Ce lightly tapped the imperial desk with his fingertips and got straight to the point: "Five years ago, I and my ministers formulated the 'Two-Five Great Plan for National Revitalization,' with 'simultaneous development of agriculture and industry, revitalization of the nation through science and education, strengthening of the military, and expansion of territory' as its guiding principles. Today, the five-year term has come to an end, and it is time to determine the merits and demerits.

Minister Xun, you will oversee the verification process; you may present your report."

Xun Yu stepped forward in response, bowed respectfully, and slowly unfolded the memorial in his hand. His voice, like a resounding bell, echoed throughout the hall:

"Your subject Xun Yu, having led the eight ministries of the State Administration Commission, the Privy Council, the Censorate, the Supreme Court, the State Planning Commission, and the Imperial Statistical and Audit Office, in verifying the documents of all provinces, prefectures, and counties throughout the empire for three months, now reports to Your Majesty and all officials: The second five-year plan for national rejuvenation of the Han Dynasty, comprising six major projects and thirteen core objectives, has been fully completed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low commotion arose in the hall.

The military officers' eyes lit up instantly, the civil officials' faces lit up with joy, and even the eunuchs standing at the corner of the hall couldn't help but raise their heads and smile.

Xun Yu raised his hand and pressed it down, then continued to speak loudly: "I will list out the six major categories one by one."

"First, border defense and expansion." He gestured to the side, and two eunuchs carried a huge silk map up to the hall, which was then unfurled with a "whoosh" beneath the steps.

The black ink marks on the map outline the borders of the Han Dynasty, which have expanded significantly since five years ago—reaching the North Sea in the north, beyond the Pamir Mountains in the west, to Japan in the east, and to the South China Sea in the south, more than tripling in size.

The ministers below couldn't help but lean forward, marveling at the map.

Zhang Fei, his eyes wide and round, nudged Guan Yu: "Second Brother, look! This North Sea to the north is even bigger than the old Youzhou! I heard the fish there are longer than people, and you can haul in hundreds of pounds in one net!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes showing satisfaction.

Xun Yu continued reading: "At the end of the tenth year of Shenwu's reign, the territory of our Great Han Dynasty stretched from Fusang in the east to the Pamir Mountains in the west, from the North Sea in the north to the Zhanghai Sea in the south, nearly three times larger than in the fifth year of Shenwu's reign."

"Border town system: Yingzhou Province was established on the Japanese islands, with Ping'an Prefecture as its capital; Anxi and Beiting Provinces were established in the Western Regions, with Kucha and Tingzhou as their capitals; Hanhai Province was established in the northern desert, with Yanran Prefecture as its capital; Songmo Province was established in the southern desert and eastern grasslands, with Linhuang Prefecture as its capital; Rinan, Yongchang, and Lancang Provinces were established in the Indochina Peninsula, with Xianglin, Bagan, and Meiping as their capitals.

A total of eight provinces and fifty-six prefectures were established, all of which were governed by appointed officials, and Han laws and customs were implemented without hindrance."

"Thirty-six military garrisons and one hundred and twenty beacon towers have been established along the border, forming a three-tiered defense system..."

At this point, Li Jing, Xue Rengui, Su Dingfang, Xu Da, Qi Jiguang, and other generals stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"The success of expanding our territory is entirely due to Your Majesty's wise decision. We were merely carrying out military orders and dare not claim credit for it."

Liu Ce raised his hand to signal them to return to their posts, and said with a faint smile:

"When generals fight bravely and soldiers are willing to die for their cause, it is a blessing for the nation. Rise, all of you. Your merits will be remembered, and you will be rewarded accordingly. Xun Qing, continue."

"Secondly, the agricultural population is large, and the people are prosperous with ample grain." Xun Yu opened the account book, reciting the figures as if he were reporting his own family's wealth:

"As of the first month of the eleventh year of Shenwu's reign, the national registered population was 80. 62 million, a net increase of more than 12 million compared to the fifth year of Shenwu's reign. Among them, tribes that surrendered after conquering new territories and surrendered people were directly registered, totaling more than 5. 2 million, and not a single one was left homeless..."

"The total cultivated land area in the country is XX billion mu, with an increase of X billion mu in five years. The total grain output is XXX billion shi, and the per capita grain reserves are sufficient to feed everyone..."

He paused, his tone now tinged with satisfaction: "The curved-shaft plow and ox-drawn plows have been popularized in over 80% of the population; the alternating field method and the district field method have spread throughout the north; Champa rice has been promoted throughout the south, and the cultivated land with two harvests a year has reached X billion mu, with the yield per mu in the south increasing by nearly 40% compared to five years ago.

The planting area of cash crops such as cotton, tea, mulberry, and hemp has doubled, and farmers' sideline income accounts for 30%. The problem of 'low grain prices hurting farmers' is basically gone. Farmers have extra money in their hands, their pockets are bulging, and they have a sense of pride."

Liu Ce nodded slightly and interjected, "When the people have surplus grain in their hands and surplus money in their pockets, that is the foundation of a peaceful and prosperous world. Without enough to eat, everything else is meaningless."

"Your Majesty is wise," Xun Yu bowed in response and continued speaking.

Below, Minister of Agriculture Jia Sixie rubbed his hands together, grinning from ear to ear... He had spent the last five years working in the fields every day, getting tanned like an old farmer, but it had all paid off.

Shen Wansan secretly fiddled with his abacus, calculating in his mind: with more grain, commercial taxes and land taxes would be stable, and the national treasury would receive another sum of money.

"Third, the development of various crafts and skills, and the nascent industrial sector. This was the most important part of the Second Five-Year Plan, and the foundation for the unprecedented changes in our Han Dynasty over the past thousand years."

As soon as Xun Yu said this, the hall fell silent for a moment, and even the military officers perked up their ears... Everyone knew that steam engines, trains... these things were His Majesty's most prized possessions.

"In the field of iron smelting: there are 137 iron smelting workshops nationwide, with an annual output of 1, 132, 700 tons of pig iron... exceeding the target of one million tons. Coal-fired iron smelting accounts for 75%, and the price of iron has fallen by 45% compared to five years ago. Ordinary farmers can easily acquire a complete set of iron farm tools, and no longer need several households to share a single hoe."

"Coal mining: Coalfields in northern regions are producing coal on a large scale, with an annual output of 20 million tons. In addition to iron smelting, coal-fired heating and cooking have become widespread in the capital region and provincial capitals and counties. Many fewer trees have been cut down in the mountains of the north, water and soil have been conserved, and people can sleep warmly in winter."

"In terms of building materials: cement plants across the country have started production, and the annual cement production... is being used in roads, bridges, city defenses, and water conservancy projects. It is sturdy and saves money. Flat glass is also being mass-produced. Government offices and wealthy households in the capital area have begun to replace their windows with glass ones, which are a hundred times brighter than paper windows and do not leak wind in winter."