Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 139 In Chaotic Times, Severe Measures Are Used: Liu Bei Forcefully Reforms Land Policies (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
One said, "If you keep looking, I'll kill you," while the other replied, "You can't kill me."

Listening to the conversation between Gu Yue and Dian Wei, which was beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans, Liu Bei knew that the two were a perfect match.

This kind of thinking is beyond the comprehension of ordinary men and women. Men would be scared away by Gu Yue, and women would be scared away by Dian Wei.

Only these two, who look fierce but are actually kind-hearted and cultured, can match the mindset of someone with a fierce appearance.

"Wenwei, take Gu Yue to collect the double iron axes." Liu Bei directly entrusted the task of collecting weapons to Dian Wei.

Since they are a good match, they need to be given opportunities to be alone together to increase their understanding of each other so that things can naturally progress to a conclusion.

Dian Wei was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding: "My lord, those iron axes are very heavy, she can't lift them, let's get a lighter one instead."

Gu Yue immediately flew into a rage upon hearing this: "Those are the double iron axes that my royal uncle gave me, why won't you give them to me?"

"You've misunderstood, you really can't lift it." Dian Wei grinned.

"Are you trying to rob me?" Gu Yue raised his voice, staring fiercely at Dian Wei.

Wenwei, you idiot!
Liu Bei rubbed his forehead and could only chime in, "Gu Yue, Wenwei won't steal your double iron axes."

"Wenwei's weapon is a pair of iron halberds. Although I have not measured their exact weight, some people in the army say, 'In the Yongzhou army, there is Dian Jun, who carries a pair of halberds weighing eighty catties.'"

"The double iron axes I promised you, although not as heavy as the double iron halberds, are still quite substantial."

Gu Yue's expression changed, clearly stunned by the claim of "lifting a pair of halberds weighing eighty catties".

Although the Han dynasty jin differed from the standard used in later periods, it was still equivalent to forty jin after conversion.

The endurance and explosive power required to carry such heavy double iron halberds as weapons are unimaginable.

"Hmph!" Gu Yue's tone was noticeably lower: "Whether we can take it or not, we'll only know after we try."

"Wenwei, since Gu Yue wants to try, let her try. If it doesn't work out, we can find another one," Liu Bei reminded Dian Wei with a double meaning.

Dian Wei finally realized what Liu Bei meant and understood his implied meaning. He quickly responded and led Gu Yue to the military camp.

Liu Bei rubbed his head again.

Wenwei, if you still can't handle this, you might as well not get married.

Looking back at Chen Dao, who seemed pleased, Liu Bei asked with a smile, "Uncle, would you like me to find you a good match?"

Chen Dao had only been watching the drama unfold with amusement, but when suddenly asked about it, he quickly composed himself and said, "Thank you for your kindness, my lord, but I don't want to get married right now."

Don't want to marry?
Is it because I haven't met the right person yet?

When asked about marriage, almost all of Liu Bei's entourage, including Liu Bei himself, exclaimed, "A true man only worries about not having achieved fame and success; why should he worry about not having a wife?"

When they met someone they liked, they all changed their stance: "A real man should establish a family before building a career. How can he be without a wife?"

In summary, it can be said in one sentence: If you meet a good person, start a family first; if you meet a benefactor, establish a career first; if you don't have a benefactor, become self-reliant first; if you don't have a good person, cultivate yourself first.

Any other reason given for not marrying is empty rhetoric.

With Guan Yu continuing as acting governor of Yongzhou, Liu Bei had more time to handle other matters.

It was late in the autumn harvest season, and Liu Bei, wanting to learn about the specifics of farming, took Chen Dao and others and rode out of the city.

The investigation revealed that this year's harvest was poor due to the collusion between local powerful bandits and rebel forces led by Han Sui.

The basic prerequisite for living and working in peace and contentment is avoiding war.

Although it is somewhat regrettable, fortunately, Liu Bei swiftly eliminated the rebels and bandits, and as long as there are no natural disasters next year, there will be a good harvest.

Upon arriving in Huaili, Liu Bei first met with Xu Huang, the Right Colonel of the Army, and instructed Xu Huang to assist Shi Sunrui, the Prefect of Jingzhao, in deploying post station troops in the area from Chang'an to Wuguan, in order to prevent conflicts between the Nanyang people who were seeking refuge in Guanzhong and the people of Guanzhong.

Afterwards, Liu Bei went to Lantian County.

Lantian County has excellent agricultural conditions and was a key development county in Liu Bei's five-year plan.

Upon learning of Liu Bei's arrival, Lan Tianling She Yuan hurriedly put down his work and came out of the city to see Liu Bei. He intended to invite Liu Bei into the city to rest, but Liu Bei shook his head and said:

"Wenxiong, you can take me for a walk in the fields. I don't need to wear my official robes then."

Upon hearing this, She Yuan immediately understood Liu Bei's meaning.

If he wore official robes, the officials and common people would be terrified upon seeing him, and Liu Bei would not be able to see the true situation.

"I will obey the Emperor's wishes."

She Yuan did not hesitate, took off his official robes and had his attendants take them back, and then walked with Liu Bei and others into the fields.

As they walked, he briefed Liu Bei on the progress and ideas regarding the autumn harvest and winter storage in Lantian County.

She Yuan, who was born in Fufeng, had a good understanding of the agricultural situation in Guanzhong, and he was quite detailed in discussing matters such as autumn harvest and winter storage.

Unlike pedantic scholars who only knew how to study books but were ignorant of agriculture, Liu Bei, although extremely well-read, also understood farming and could clearly distinguish whether what She Yuan said was empty theory or a summary of practical experience.

As they walked, they came across a group of people chatting idly on a field ridge. Liu Bei told She Yuan and the others not to follow, but to quietly approach and listen in.

"After working hard for half a year, we only harvested this little bit of grain. After paying the land rent, my family doesn't have enough to eat. We'll have to borrow money from the farmers next year."

"It's good enough that you can lend me money. Look at me, I've already mortgaged everything I could. If I borrow any more money, I'll have to mortgage my daughter to be a maid."

"Sigh, I don't know if I can make it through next year. If the harvest is bad next year, I won't have anything left to mortgage."

"Everyone says that Liu Yongzhou is benevolent and righteous, but benevolence and righteousness are not for us. Only those who cultivate the official land can enjoy benevolence and righteousness."

"What can we do? A few years ago, we started farming the government's land because we couldn't make a living farming the government's land."

"If you ask me, farming government land won't be good for more than a few years. After Liu Yongzhou is transferred elsewhere, the new one might be even more corrupt than the officials from a few years ago. At least farming private farmland allows me to borrow money to survive, but farming government land would mean I'd starve to death."

"I heard that the prefectural government issued a notice that anyone who participates in the prefectural government's water conservancy construction will receive a thousand coins per month. I don't know if it's true."

"Are you stupid? You actually believe this? Even if Liu Yongzhou is benevolent, would he really give away so much money for nothing? That's a thousand coins! I'd rather borrow from the dealer; at least I can survive."

Listening to the chatter of the crowd, Liu Bei guessed their identities. These were tenant farmers who had abandoned their official lands and rented private lands from powerful families a few years ago because of the corruption of officials and the continuous increase in exorbitant taxes.

The "official land" that people are talking about is not actually the land owned by the government, but rather the land that the government has assessed and taxed, and which, according to the contract, belongs to the farmers as their private land.

Corrupt officials wanted to make money, so on the one hand, they forced farmers to borrow money to make a living by imposing exorbitant taxes, and on the other hand, they accepted money from powerful bandits to make these fields recorded as abandoned fields that no one cultivated in the state government's documents.

In this way, corrupt officials can become extremely wealthy, and powerful thieves can successfully seize land and gain a group of tenants who will voluntarily rent the land.

Although Liu Bei cracked down on powerful bandits in Yongzhou and killed more than eighty people who had rebelled, he only asked the remaining powerful bandits who had not participated in the rebellion to pay taxes and cancel their slave status. He did not give much consideration to the interests of these tenant farmers.

Wool comes from sheep.

When powerful bandits pay more taxes, they inevitably exploit the tenant farmers, and those who have been stripped of their slave status simply become tenant farmers themselves and continue to be exploited.

After listening for a while, Liu Bei changed from a silent listener to an intervener: "You are now tenant farmers, not slave farmers. Don't you know how to renegotiate the land rent with the farmers?"

Upon hearing this, everyone laughed.

"You're talking nonsense. The land belongs to the farmer, so the rent is definitely set by the farmer. What right do we have to talk about it?"

"You look unfamiliar. You're not from this county, are you? Which family are you related to? Do you think you can negotiate the rent yourself when you rent land to farm?"

"You're obviously well-fed and well-read, so don't believe those grand principles in books. Even Liu Yongzhou isn't as insightful as you."

"Hey, he meant well, so don't laugh at him. Just treat it as a way to pass the time."

Hearing the laughter of the crowd, Liu Bei was not angry. He pretended to be proud and said, "Who said that Liu Yongzhou doesn't think that way? My aunt's son's sister married the official in the prefecture. She told me when she came home a few days ago that Liu Yongzhou is now an imperial uncle and his pursuits are different."

"Recently, the Imperial Uncle has been visiting various places, often disguising himself as a farmer to understand the situation. After returning, he scolded the wealthy households in each place, saying that these people are not human. Tenant farmers are human beings, not cattle or horses. How can they be treated like cattle and horses and oppressed?"

"Uncle is going to establish a rule that requires every large household to reserve enough grain for the tenants when collecting land rent. Any surplus grain will be divided 30/70, with the tenants receiving 30% and the large household receiving 70%."

“My aunt’s son’s older sister rushed home to tell me and other relatives and friends not to rush to pay this year’s land rent, but to wait until the rules of the Imperial Uncle are set before paying. That’s why I came to Lantian County to pass on a message to some of my relatives and friends.”

"And it's also true that anyone who participates in the state's water conservancy construction can earn a thousand coins a month. My aunt's son was among the first to sign up, and he earned a lot!"

“The Imperial Uncle certainly wouldn’t give money away for nothing. But the Imperial Uncle doesn’t lack money; what he lacks is fame. He wants to be remembered in history. Whether it’s banning slave farmers in Yongzhou or spending money to build water conservancy projects, he wants to ensure that no one in Yongzhou goes hungry, so that people will remember the Imperial Uncle for thousands of years to come.”

"That's why the Imperial Uncle is so angry with the wealthy landlords who oppress the tenant farmers. They're blocking the Imperial Uncle from making a name for himself in history. The Imperial Uncle wants fame, so he spends money. Those of us who don't have money will help the Imperial Uncle make a name for himself and earn money from him. Is such a simple principle so hard to understand?"

"It's like if you want to get married and I act as your matchmaker, you have to pay me, right? And how much to pay me depends on the amount, right? If you pay too little, I definitely won't be happy, but if you pay a lot, I'll definitely introduce you to the best one. Doesn't that make sense?"

Hearing Liu Bei's words, which were rough but reasonable, everyone was astonished.

After a long pause, someone asked breathlessly, "Your eldest aunt's son's elder sister really married the governor? Is the Imperial Uncle really going to establish this rule?"

Liu Bei feigned even greater smugness: "Why do you think I went to all this trouble to tell you this? It's because my aunt's son's older sister said that it was because the Imperial Uncle was afraid that wealthy families would conceal the truth and spread rumors after the decrees were issued, so he hired someone to spread the word in advance, for five hundred coins a month!"

"I was wondering why the Imperial Uncle would spend five hundred coins to hire someone to spread the word. But when I heard you doubt that the claim that 'anyone who participates in the construction of the state's water conservancy projects can receive a thousand coins per month' was false, I understood. It's been more than two months and you still don't believe it. There must be some wealthy people hiding this and spreading rumors."

Liu Bei answered all of the questions raised by the crowd.

All the decrees of Yongzhou originated from Liu Bei; if Liu Bei said they existed, then they existed.

Listening to Liu Bei's eloquent and confident words, seemingly unconcerned about being exposed, the crowd, though still harboring doubts, largely believed him.

Seeing this, Liu Bei added, "If you don't believe me, just ask someone who works in the county. The magistrates of other counties may not know, but the magistrate of Lantian definitely does. The magistrate of Lantian is the person the Imperial Uncle trusts the most."

"I reckon the decree will be issued soon. You can go back and tell your relatives and friends about it. If the decree issued by the Imperial Uncle is one that doesn't investigate past cases, then what you've submitted won't be returned."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone was alarmed and, no longer bothering to chat, hurried home.

Whether Liu Bei's words were true or false, for tenant farmers who had to borrow money to survive after paying their land rent, it was better to believe it was true than not.

If it's true, then I won't need to borrow money; even if it's false, there's no loss.

Liu Bei's voice was quite loud, and the archers who were standing not far away heard it clearly.

This method, which requires large tenants to reserve basic food supplies for their tenants and only allow them to receive 70% of any surplus food, is unheard of in the past.

"Uncle, if that's the case, it might displease the powerful families, and what if..." She Yuan didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear:
Big players will rebel!

Liu Bei sneered and said disdainfully, "What can I do if I'm dissatisfied? Right now, I am the one with the most power, the most wealth, and the best fighter among all the counties in Yongzhou."

“I have power, money, and soldiers. They must listen to my reasoning; if they refuse to listen, then I can only watch as the tenants rebel and kill the landlords, and then the law will not punish the masses.”

A chill ran down his spine as he watched the rescue.

Can we sit idly by and watch our tenants rebel and kill the powerful, and then not punish the masses?

Then the wealthy man's death would have been in vain.

She Yuan knew very well that Liu Bei would not kill a group of oppressed tenants forced to rebel for the sake of a dead wealthy household; on the contrary, he would be pleased to see it happen.

It's even possible that the people who led the tenants in rebellion were arranged by Liu Bei.

"I will issue an order to the state shortly and issue this decree immediately." Liu Bei said with a composed expression, "Whether they are tenant farmers, slaves, wandering households, or refugees, as long as they were born in Yongzhou, they are citizens of Yongzhou. Now that the world is in chaos, severe punishments must be used. All citizens of Yongzhou must abide by the laws of Yongzhou, and wealthy families are no exception."

She Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he dared not be negligent, so he hurriedly replied, "I will obey the orders of the Imperial Uncle."

Following the issuance of the state decree, the counties of the four prefectures of Yongzhou successively received the decree, requiring officials of all prefectures and counties to send people to the countryside to promote the new agricultural policies.

This period coincided with the time when tenant farmers in various counties had harvested their grain but had not yet paid their rent. Although some timid people still dutifully paid their land rent, the bolder ones banded together to resist paying it.

Anyway, the grain is at home; if they have the ability, they can come and collect it.

Moreover, ten days after the new agricultural policies were issued, Liu Bei ordered the provincial government to issue another decree.

"The prefectural government signed a new contract with the self-cultivating farmers of Yongzhou. Regardless of the harvest, taxes will be levied on the farmers' basic food needs, with the tax rate being five parts for the prefectural government and five parts for the farmers."

At the same time, news was released.

"The state government has discovered that some powerful local families colluded with officials to embezzle fertile land and forge land deeds. The investigation will be carried out gradually in the near future. Anyone who actively cooperates with the state government to sign new deeds with tenants can be regarded as making amends for their crimes and will not be punished in the past."

(End of this chapter)