Chương 691: Summary of Plan 35

"My handsome beard is drawn too!" Zhang Fei laughed.

"It looks very imposing! Only the eyes are drawn too small; my eyes are actually quite big!"

The civil officials nodded in agreement. Xun Yu stroked his beard and laughed, "You princesses have excellent painting skills! This realistic style is truly lifelike... like looking in a mirror. It's much better than the impressionistic paintings of those painters."

Everyone praised them, making the six girls blush and lower their heads, smiling shyly.

Zhang Fei suddenly noticed Guo Jia in the painting and pointed at him, laughing:

"Hey? Why are Bong-hyo's eyes so dark? He looks like he just woke up! Did the princesses put that on on purpose?"

Upon inspection, everyone noticed that Guo Jia's portrait indeed featured faint dark circles under his eyes, making him appear remarkably lifelike, as if he had been working overtime late into the night.

Guo Jia was stunned, then looked at the Fifth Princess Liu Ran, who stuck out her tongue and hid behind the First Princess, only showing half of her head.

Liu Ce laughed heartily and patted Guo Jia on the shoulder:

"Fong-hsiang, from now on, drink less and stay up less late. Look, the children have all remembered it. Go to bed earlier at night from now on, so the princesses won't draw dark circles under your eyes anymore."

Guo Jia shook his head helplessly, then smiled as well.

After viewing the painting, it was getting late, and the sunset painted half the sky red.

Liu Ce waved his hand: "Let's go! I'll treat everyone to dinner! The banquet will be held in the side hall, we'll eat and chat! We won't leave until we're drunk! No one is allowed to refuse today!"

"Good! Thank you, Your Majesty!" The crowd responded in unison, following Liu Ce noisily toward the side hall, their footsteps clattering on the stone slabs.

At the banquet, everyone drank freely, reminiscing about their days in Youzhou, talking about embarrassing incidents during their military service, the hardships of conquering the country, and the good life they have now.

Zhang Fei and Cheng Yaojin had a drinking contest, getting so drunk their faces were red, and they started playing drinking games with their sleeves rolled up...

The civil officials chatted about state affairs, occasionally clinking glasses, their expressions animated as they discussed the matter...

The young military officers surrounded Zhou Yu, asking him about interesting things overseas. Their eyes lit up as they listened, wishing they could go to sea with him.

The six princesses also gathered at a table, chattering about painting, occasionally glancing over here, laughing together.

The palace was brightly lit, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses and laughter that drifted far and wide, even attracting the attention of the eunuchs standing near the palace walls.

On this day, there was no formality between the emperor and his ministers, only the lively atmosphere of old brothers and family, just like back in Youzhou.

The painting was later restored and hung in the most prominent place in the Imperial Study, so that it could be seen as soon as one entered the room.

When Liu Ce got tired of working, he would look up and see the familiar faces in the painting. He felt full of energy, which was more effective than drinking ten bowls of ginseng soup.

..................

On the first day of the first month of the sixteenth year of Shenwu, Luoyang had just experienced a light snowfall. After the snow, the sun shone brightly, making the glazed tiles sparkle.

Today is the grand court assembly for the final review of the Three-Five Plan. The scale is higher than in previous years, and even the imperial guards outside the palace have changed into brand-new armor.

All the provincial governors rushed back to the capital, and even the colonial officials stationed in Ceylon, Java, and Luzon returned by steamship. They were all dark-skinned and had a rough, sea-breathed air about them, as if they were completely different people.

The officials, dressed in court robes and wearing jade pendants, stood in two rows, their eyes gleaming... Everyone knew that today they were going to reveal their true wealth, the wealth of the Han Dynasty over the past five years, revealing it clearly.

Among the civil officials, Minister Xun Yu held four thick volumes of verification records. His beard and hair were whiter than they had been five years ago, but his back remained ramrod straight.

Beside him stood the heads of the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites... each holding account books and maps, their expressions solemn, even their breathing was soft.

Among the military generals, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Xu Da, and Xue Rengui were all dressed in court robes with gold fish pouches hanging from their waists, exuding a dignified and composed air. At the end of the line, Zhou Yu wore a scarlet naval official robe, his posture as upright as a pine tree, and his brows carried the sharpness of the ocean wind. He stood out among the generals, his skin still dark, but his spirit and energy were more abundant than anyone else's.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

As the eunuch's announcement faded, Liu Ce, dressed in a black robe with twelve dragon symbols, slowly ascended the steps and took his seat.

His twelve-tasseled beaded necklace trembled slightly as his gaze swept over the officials below the steps, his voice steady and resonant:

"All of you, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the shouts of welcome were finished, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; even breathing became softer.

Liu Ce lightly tapped the imperial desk with his fingertips, getting straight to the point without uttering a single word of pretense:

"Five years ago, I and my ministers formulated the Three-Five Great Plan for National Revitalization, using steam power as the means, provinces as the foundation, sea power as the wings, and science and education as the soul. Today, the five-year period has come to an end, and the merits and demerits should be made clear to the world."

Xun Qing, you are in charge of the verification; you shall then present your findings to the emperor.

Xun Yu stepped forward in response, bowed deeply to the imperial steps, and when he stood up again, the memorial in his hand was slowly unfolded.

His voice was strong and powerful, each word clearly resonating in the ears of everyone in the hall:

"Your subject Xun Yu, having led the Eight Ministries, the Censorate, the Supreme Court, the State Planning Commission, the Imperial Statistical and Audit Office, the provincial governments, and the Colonial Affairs Bureau, has spent four months verifying the documents of all prefectures, counties, border towns, and coastal areas. We now report to Your Majesty and all officials: The six major projects of the Great Han's third five-year national rejuvenation plan... have been fully completed!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an uncontrollable commotion broke out in the hall.

The military officers' eyes gleamed, and they clenched their fists... The civil officials gripped their official tablets tightly...

Even the eunuchs couldn't help but look up... Five years ago, when he said "steam-powered, pioneering all ages," many people thought it was just an imperial grand plan, a pie in the sky.

It has actually come to fruition, and even exceeded expectations!

Xun Yu raised his hand slightly to press down, and after the hall quieted down, he continued to speak loudly: "Your subject will report on each of the six major categories one by one."

"First, territorial governance, with provinces as one." He gestured to the side, and four eunuchs together carried a huge silk map up to the hall, where it was unfurled with a "whoosh" beneath the steps.

The borders of the Han Dynasty, outlined by dark ink lines on the map, have expanded far westward and southward compared to five years ago. Even overseas, five red strongholds are marked, like five nails firmly driven into the nautical chart, piercing the eye.

The ministers below couldn't help but lean forward, staring intently at the map, their eyes burning with desire, as if they wanted to see right through it.

"The eight provinces of Anxi, Beiting, Hanhai, Songmo, Yingzhou, Rinan, Yongchang, and Lancang have been completely transformed into inland areas."

All prefectures and counties were staffed by officials appointed by the central government. The Han Dynasty law, the equal-field system, and the tax system were exactly the same as those in the interior. Tribal hereditary system and the old system of private armies were abolished, and there were no more local officials in charge of the army and the people.

Overseas, there were five stable colonial outposts in Luzon, Java, Langya, Canglan, and Ceylon, each overseen by a colonial administration. These outposts housed a total of 97, 000 military and civilian personnel, and were equipped with schools, clinics, and government offices, much like county-level administrative centers in the interior of China.

"Immigration to the Borders: Over the past five years, a total of 120, 000 households of farmers and demobilized soldiers from the interior have been relocated, amounting to more than 600, 000 people. In areas such as the Hetao region, Liaodong, and the Red River Delta, the proportion of Han Chinese has exceeded 65%; the proportion of self-cultivating farmers in the border regions has risen from 38% to 76%, and the foundation for tribal rebellions has been eliminated.

There were only two small-scale tribal uprisings in the past five years, both of which were quelled within three months, and there have been no major disturbances since then."

At this point, Xun Yu paused and looked at Lu Bing: "Lu Bing has made outstanding contributions. Those who obstructed the reform, concealed land, or privately possessed weapons and armor will all be severely punished according to the law, without any leniency."