Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

"And what about resettling displaced people to cultivate the land?"

"There are always problems with the Jingjie system!"

"There are capable ministers and efficient officials,"

"Promises to displaced people and newcomers,"

"As long as they are willing to clear the land,"

“After the land is cultivated, a land deed will be issued.”

"But this capable and efficient official was transferred away,"

"Those newly reclaimed wastelands,"

"Immediately, powerful figures came to seize it."

“If this continues, what poor people will be willing to reclaim wasteland?”

"When His Majesty was stationed in Jingzhou and Xiangyang,"

"It has already been discovered."

"Large tracts of wasteland there,"

"Actually, it already has an owner."

"Landlords seized land and obtained land deeds,"

"Because we couldn't recruit enough tenants,"

"It's just been left there abandoned."

"We'll come out and take it back once someone has finished cultivating it."

"His Majesty left with the army,"

"The landlords of Jingxiang have started using the same old tricks again."

"The various prefectures and counties of Nanyang and Xiangyang,"

“I specifically sent someone to ask,”

"We received thousands of lawsuits last year alone,"

"They all came with land deeds to fight land disputes."

"The prefect and county magistrate were having a terrible headache dealing with these land disputes."

“A lot of that land was allocated to the soldiers.”

"The powerful and influential even dare to fight over the land of soldiers!"

The ministers' expressions changed upon hearing this.

They sensed that the emperor might resort to force.

Moreover, the methods will be more intense.

Because what was robbed were all fields given as rewards to the soldiers.

"Li Hanzhang!" Zhao Yuan called out.

"Chen is here!"

Li Hanzhang quickly stood up.

He wasn't used to the conference table yet.

Zhao Yuan raised his hand and said, "Sit down and talk."

"Yes."

Li Hanzhang quickly sat down again.

Zhao Yuan said, "You are the Minister of Personnel, so select three officials who are strong in governing the people."

"Go and serve as the prefect of Nanyang, Xiangyang and Jingzhou."

"Whether it involves reclaimed land by soldiers or displaced people,"

"All records shall be based on the fish-scale register issued after His Majesty took command of Xiangyang."

"If officials collude with powerful local figures to seize farmland from the people,"

"Regardless of how much was seized,"

"Officials and powerful clans were all exiled to the Northwest."

Xu Fuyan, Minister of Justice, said, "Your Majesty, shall we establish a new rule?"

"Those who embezzle more than a certain number of acres will be exiled."

"How many acres will be seized, resulting in fines and imprisonment?"

"Otherwise, the local area will be in chaos,"

"Officials may take the opportunity to frame and extort money from landlords."

"In chaotic times, harsh measures are necessary."

"This year, all will be exiled,"

"We'll be a little more lenient next year," Zhao Yuan said.

"Yes!"

Xu Fuyan and Li Hanzhang accepted the order together.

Zhao Yuan then said, "Issue government orders to officials in various regions."

"Land disputes involving displaced people and soldiers,"

"When judging cases, we should favor them,"

"We cannot allow landlords to seize the land. Chen Dong!"

"Your subject is here," Chen Dong replied.

Zhao Yuan said, "Sixty more censors will be added."

“Select upright individuals from among the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to serve in this position.”

"Dispatch more imperial censors to inspect prefectures and counties throughout the country,"

"The main task is to inspect land disputes."

"Once it is discovered that officials are colluding with powerful local magnates to seize land,"

"At best, he will be dismissed from office and put to no further use."

"In severe cases, exile to the Northwest!"

"Yes!"

Chen Dong was eager to try.

From last year to this year,

Provinces are resettling displaced people on a large scale.

They also distributed unclaimed land to them.

Starting in the second half of last year,

Land disputes have surged.

Many landlords did not intend to seize land.

Rather, they fled during the war.

Once the situation stabilized, he returned to his hometown.

They discovered that their land had been allocated to displaced people.

Even some of the ancestral homes of landlords,

They were all occupied by refugees.

In this situation, they would naturally have to file a lawsuit.

But in normal land disputes...

Lawsuits involving the seizure of farmland,

When they're all mixed together, they're hard to tell apart.

Or perhaps they colluded with officials.

They deliberately made it difficult for local officials to discern the truth.

From a national perspective

Zhao Yuan had no choice but to make a decisive move.

Those landlords who lost their land,

Just accept your bad luck.

Anyway, they have some disposable income.

Moreover, they also have local connections.

You can get some back, more or less.

Alternatively, they could go and reclaim wasteland.

Zhao Yuan continued, "The problems in Jingzhou and Xiangyang are not limited to these."

"The gentry and merchants there,"

Why can't I become very rich?

"Is the only option to focus on exploiting farmers?"

"I had someone collect materials from the Tang Dynasty."

"Special products of the Jingxiang region,"

"There are tea, lacquerware, silkworms, and citrus fruits."

"As for mining, metallurgy, bamboo weaving, and papermaking, their scale is too small,"

"It can be ignored."

"Tea cannot enrich the people of Jingzhou and Xiangyang,"

"It's caused by the old Song Dynasty tea-making methods,"

"Especially Cai Jing's tea ceremony."

"The merchants of Jingzhou and Xiangyang were never wealthy,"

"Jingxiang doesn't produce many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations)."

"They can't get the tea permit at all,"

"We can only tolerate price gouging by tea merchants from other regions,"

"The only way to make money from tea is through smuggling."

Chapter 1888 How to Govern the People

"Smuggling can make a small amount of money,"

"Once it gets big enough,"

"It will inevitably be reported by tea merchants from other places who have obtained tea permits,"

"This provoked a severe crackdown from the former Song Dynasty court."

"Let's talk about lacquerware. The lacquerware from Xiangyang in the Tang Dynasty was unparalleled in the world,"

"It relies on the style, and there's even a special name for it: 'Xiangyang'."

"After the Five Dynasties period, Xiangyang's cultural heritage declined."