Chương 653: reports the results.

At this point, Xun Yu looked at Song Yingxing: "Minister of Works Song Yingxing oversaw the promotion of water-powered and steam-powered machinery. In five years, more than two thousand water-powered iron smelting furnaces, mills, and textile workshops were built nationwide, equivalent to replacing 300, 000 people. The efficiency of core handicraft industries directly doubled... Book printing volume increased fivefold, and paper prices dropped by 70%..."

Song Yingxing quickly stepped forward and bowed: "This is all thanks to Your Majesty's instruction of the law; I dare not take credit for it. It was all done by the craftsmen who worked day and night."

Liu Ce laughed and said, "I only gave a general outline; its implementation depends entirely on you and the craftsmen working day and night to refine it. The Imperial Academy of the Han Dynasty has granted more than one hundred patents in five years, and all twelve top-level craftsmen have been awarded titles. This is what they deserve."

Several officials who were craftsmen in the hall instantly had tears in their eyes... Since the pre-Qin period, "craftsmen" have been considered inferior to others. They have never had such honor, being able to stand with the court officials in the Taiji Hall and be awarded titles based on their skills. They would never have dared to dream of such a thing before. Their ancestors' graves would be emitting auspicious smoke.

Fourth, transportation and commerce are well-developed.

"Land routes: The total length of roads in the country is 100, 000 kilometers, with nearly 10, 000 post stations, achieving post station access to every county... The Luoyang-Changzhi Railway has been in operation for three years, with passenger and freight traffic increasing year by year, and it is several times cheaper than horse-drawn carriages... People along the line have benefited, and the business of inns and taverns along the line has improved by 30%."

Cheng Yaojin whispered to Yuchi Gong, "When I used to take the train to Chang'an, it only took half a day. It was much more comfortable than riding a horse, and I could even lie down and sleep!"

Yuchi Gong rolled his eyes at him: "You were just hitching a ride on the Ministry of Works' vehicle, and you still have the nerve to say that."

"Water transport: With the Grand Canal fully operational, connecting five major water systems with Luoyang as the center, the total length is... The annual transport volume is tens of millions of shi (a unit of dry measure), and the cost of water transport is only 18% of that of land transport. The efficiency of the flow of goods between the north and south has directly tripled. Silk and tea from the south and coal and iron from the north can be exchanged in ten days or so, no longer requiring months of waiting."

"Maritime trade: With the successive completion of various ports, more than a thousand merchant ships enter and leave the ports every year... The annual overseas trade volume... accounts for 12% of the imperial court's annual revenue, which is more than the tax revenue of three provinces."

"Now that all border checkpoints have been removed and commercial taxes are standardized, shops line the four major commercial cities, and private industry and commerce account for 35% of the total output value..."

Shen Wansan lowered his head slightly, concealing the smile on his lips. Five years ago, who could have imagined that maritime merchants could actually support one-tenth of the imperial court's annual revenue?

He initially thought His Majesty's foray into maritime trade was a waste of time, but now he's been thoroughly humiliated, yet he accepts it willingly.

Fifth, improve the administration of officials and the people, and consolidate power to strengthen the foundation.

Xun Yu's tone became serious, and the hall fell silent instantly; even Cheng Yaojin stopped muttering.

"Official System: The system of two prefectures, three courts, and one administration is fully mature. From the drafting of government orders by the administrative prefecture to their implementation by the county government, it takes an average of no more than seven days. The Privy Council is in charge of military affairs, the Censorate is in charge of supervision, and the State Planning Commission is in charge of planning.

The checks and balances of the four powers of administration, military, supervision, and planning have long been the established system..."

"In the past five years, 1, 217 people have passed the imperial examinations, 71% of whom came from humble backgrounds; 65% of the provincial, prefectural and county officials came from the imperial examinations, and the monopoly of aristocratic families in officialdom has been basically broken. The annual assessment and elimination of the bottom-ranked officials have been strictly implemented, and all the mediocre officials who were just going through the motions have been removed.

The level of clean governance is far higher than ever before, and the people no longer have to worry about officials protecting each other when they file a complaint."

"The purge of powerful clans: the second nationwide land reclamation campaign uncovered the hidden lands of powerful clans... all the lands confiscated by the government were distributed to landless farmers. No longer could aristocratic families hide their populations or resist the government, and local government orders reached the villages directly. This is the foundation of our great Han Dynasty."

"Criminal Law: The Great Han Code has been fully implemented, and the power to review death sentences has been returned to His Majesty. The number of death penalty cases nationwide has decreased by 61% compared to five years ago, and theft cases have decreased by 70%. More than 70% of the counties in the country have a policy of not picking up lost items on the road.

People no longer need to lock their doors at night, are not afraid of losing things, and do not have to worry about their homes being burglarized when they go out to visit relatives."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Ce remained calm, showing neither joy nor anger... The trouble caused by the powerful clans was something he had long ago decided to resolve, and today's outcome was within his expectations.

Minister of Justice Cheng Yu yawned and whispered to the person next to him:

"There are fewer and fewer prisoners, and we in the Ministry of Justice are so idle that we're just sitting around all day drinking tea and reading newspapers. If this continues, I'll have to apply for a transfer to the Ministry of Works, at least I can get some work done with the machines."

Xun Yu heard this, turned around and glared at him. Cheng Yu quickly shut up, pretended to be serious, and looked up at the top of the palace.

"Sixth, culture, education, medical services, and improving people's livelihood."

"Education: There are 50, 000 students enrolled in universities across the country. Graduates have gone on to work in workshops and prefectures and counties, becoming highly sought-after. Prefectural and county schools have achieved full coverage, and township schools have a coverage rate of 85%... Six-year compulsory education has been fully implemented in all provinces of the Central Plains, with an enrollment rate of 72% for school-age children.

The number of literate people in the country has reached 19%, exceeding the target of 15%."

"In the past, children from poor families had to beg and plead if they wanted to go to school. Now there are schools in the county that provide meals and tuition. As long as they are willing to learn, they can move up in their education. We no longer need to sell land to support our children's education."

Minister of Rites Guan Ning stepped forward and bowed, saying, "The continuity of our cultural heritage and the gradual enlightenment of the people are all thanks to Your Majesty."

Cai Yong stood in the ranks of civil officials, stroking his beard and nodding slightly... He spent every day teaching at the university, watching batches of students graduate, and felt more gratified than anyone else.

"Medical affairs: County-level hospitals are fully covered, with five to eight doctors assigned to each county, and a basic grassroots epidemic prevention system has been initially established. Variolation has been promoted throughout the country, and the incidence of smallpox has dropped by 92%. There will no longer be a time when every family mourns when smallpox breaks out, and villages will no longer need to bury so many small graves.

The average life expectancy of the people has increased from fifty to fifty-nine years. The direct reporting system for epidemics has also been established, and an outbreak can be controlled within thirty days. There will never be a time when a plague kills half the city."

The officials below nodded in agreement... The elderly and children in their families had all been vaccinated against smallpox, so they no longer had to live in fear. This was more practical than anything else.

"Seventh, military preparedness and national defense, with well-trained soldiers and strong armor." Xun Yu raised his voice, and the entire military officer squad instantly straightened their backs and stood up even straighter. Even Cheng Yaojin put away his joking face.

"The total military strength of the country is 1, 183, 000, including 100, 000 central imperial guards and 1, 080, 000 in the five war zones. The soldiers are all from good families, well-trained, and have strong combat capabilities."

"Armaments: The entire army is equipped with standardized firearms and artillery, greatly enhancing its ability to attack fortified positions. The more than 200, 000 cavalrymen each have three horses, equipped with lances, composite bows, champion repeating crossbows, and firearms, making them unparalleled in the world. The navy has more than 600 warships... It has firmly guarded both inland rivers and coastal areas, and pirates run away at the sight of it."