Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms as Lu Bu: I Have a Pseudo-Apocalypse System

The tribal leaders below the stage looked at each other in bewilderment. A few of the bolder ones wanted to say some harsh words, but when they saw Mengdu's bloody head, they swallowed their words back.

An elderly tribal chief stepped forward and cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, our tribes in the south have lived in these mountains for generations, making a living by hunting, herding, and fishing. You Han people want us to farm and pay taxes, but we don't know how."

Lü Bu said, "If you don't know how, you can learn. The court will send agricultural officials to teach you farming and craftsmen to teach you blacksmithing and weaving. As long as you are willing to learn, your lives will definitely be better than they are now. As for taxes, they will be waived for the first three years. After that, each mu will only yield one dou of grain, half the amount of the Han people. Only after ten years will you be treated the same as the Han people and pay the same taxes."

The chief then asked, "And what about our children? Are they able to go to school?"

Lü Bu said, "Yes, schools will be set up in every prefecture and county, and children of barbarians can also attend. Those who do well can participate in the imperial examinations and become officials."

The leader's eyes lit up, and he knelt down, kowtowing: "Your Majesty is wise; we are willing to surrender!"

With him taking the lead, the other leaders also knelt down. The four prefectures of Nanzhong were thus pacified.

Meanwhile, other efforts to quell the rebellion are also progressing smoothly.

Hou Cheng decisively defeated the Qiang and Hu allied forces in Liangzhou, beheading more than 3,000.

Ma Chao, using his formidable reputation as the "Splendid Ma Chao," summoned the leaders of the various Qiang tribes and explained the advantages and disadvantages to them.

When the tribes saw that Ma Chao had personally intervened and heard that Lü Bu had slaughtered Mengdu in the south, they all submitted to him.

Wei Xu defeated the Xianbei Murong and Yuwen tribes in Liaodong, beheading more than 2,000 and capturing more than 3,000.

The various Xianbei tribes sent envoys to surrender, expressing their willingness to accept the rule of the Han Dynasty.

Hao Meng and Song Xian joined forces to suppress the Yue tribes, beheading over 5,000 and capturing over 10,000. The various Yue tribes surrendered without resistance.

By the end of 398 AD, the country was completely pacified.

The barbarian tribes on all sides of the border all submitted to the emperor.

On the sixteenth day of the first month of the 399th year of the Han calendar (198 AD), after the Lantern Festival, Lü Bu convened a grand court assembly in the Taiji Hall.

All the civil and military officials gathered, the atmosphere solemn. Lü Bu sat on the dragon throne, looked around at the assembled officials, and slowly began to speak.

"The realm is now at peace, and all directions submit. I have pondered this for a long time and believe that for the Han Dynasty to enjoy lasting stability, war alone is not enough; we must change things at their root. Today, I have summoned you all here to discuss several important matters."

Jia Xu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."

Lü Bu said, "First, the administrative divisions. I intend to abolish all the fiefdoms within the Han territory and convert them into prefectures and counties. As for the fiefdoms held by members of the Liu clan, except for Liu Xie, the King of Hanzhong, who will retain his title, all the others will be demoted to commoners. What do you all think?"

The hall was immediately filled with discussion.

The abolition of fiefdoms meant that the last vestige of dignity for the Liu imperial family would be stripped away. These privileges, granted through ancestral inheritance, vanished without a trace.

Although the Han Dynasty did not fall and Lü Bu continued the Han lineage, the imperial family had changed, and the Lü clan replaced the Han. It was reasonable that the Liu family's legacy was abolished. Lü Bu could not possibly support these remnants of the previous dynasty who had made no contribution to the new dynasty.

Jia Xu pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, although this matter is somewhat heartless, it is beneficial to the country. With numerous fiefdoms, each governing its own affairs, it is difficult for the court to issue decrees. After abolishing them, the world will be unified, making governance easier. I second this proposal."

Guo Jia added, "I second that opinion. The incompetence of the Liu family's descendants has led to chaos throughout the land. Your Majesty's decision to retain the title of King of Hanzhong is already the epitome of benevolence and righteousness."

Lu Bu nodded: "Alright, then it's settled."

"The second matter is education," Lü Bu continued. "I intend to establish government-run schools in all the prefectures and counties of the empire. Private schools will be set up in villages to teach literacy; township schools will be set up to teach arithmetic, classics, and history; county schools will be set up to teach classics, laws, and politics; prefecture schools will be set up to teach the way of governing the country; state schools will be set up to train specialized talents; and the Imperial Academy will be set up in the capital to train the pillars of the nation."

Minister of Rites Ju Shou stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, establishing schools and cultivating talent is a good thing. However, the amount of money and grain required is considerable, and the local areas may find it difficult to bear."

Lü Bu said, "I have a divinely bestowed granary, so there is no shortage of money and provisions. The court will allocate funds to implement this in stages. We will start with Sili and then extend it to all other provinces. Within three years, we will ensure that all school-age children in the land have access to education."

Ju Shou bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Thirdly, environmental sanitation," Lü Bu said. "I have discovered that most people in the land drink unboiled water and do not wash their hands before meals or after using the toilet, resulting in many illnesses. I intend to promote drinking hot water and frequent handwashing before meals and after using the toilet. Public toilets must be built in all prefectures, counties, towns, and cities, and urination and defecation indiscriminately must be strictly prohibited. Each township and village should be equipped with at least one barefoot doctor to provide medical care and medicine to the people. The Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Rites will jointly be responsible for developing a plan."

Minister of Works Zuo Feng said, "Your Majesty, the construction of public toilets and the promotion of barefoot doctors will require a considerable amount of money."

Lü Bu said, "The imperial court will allocate funds, starting with a pilot program in the capital, then expanding to the prefectural capitals, and finally to the counties and villages. We'll proceed step by step; there's no rush."

"Fourthly, commercial policy," Lü Bu said. "All merchants throughout the land will be exempt from all exorbitant taxes and levies, with only a one-tenth commercial tax levied. Trade and circulation will be encouraged, and all merchants, whether traveling or stationary, will be treated equally. However, merchants and their children will be barred from participating in the imperial examinations or holding official positions. Furthermore, the business activities of family members of officials at all levels must be strictly restricted. The parents, spouses, and children of officials of the sixth rank and above are strictly prohibited from engaging in business. Those who violate this rule will be stripped of their rank and title and will never be employed again."

Minister of Revenue Chen Gongdao said, "Your Majesty, it is an ancient rule that merchants are not allowed to hold office. However, restricting officials' family members from engaging in business may lead to some people secretly manipulating the system."

Lü Bu said, "Therefore, the fifth matter is that I want to expand the Censorate to supervise officials throughout the land. Anyone who dares to engage in business in secret will be severely punished if discovered. This matter will be handled by Shi Sunrui, the Grand Secretary and concurrently the Censor-in-Chief."

Shi Sunrui stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your subject receives the decree."

"The sixth point is industrial development," Lü Bu said. "All prefectures and counties should encourage innovation and invention. Any new agricultural tools, looms, ships, vehicles, or weapons should be submitted to the court for review. Those that are deemed to have practical value will be rewarded with gold and titles. The Ministry of Works will establish a special agency to oversee this matter. Papermaking, mining, glass, cement, and steel are key industries supported by the court, and all prefectures and counties should vigorously develop them."

Zuo Feng cupped his hands and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Seventh, land policy." Lü Bu slowed his speech. "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king. All land in the land, including mountains, forests, and ponds, shall belong to the state. No individual may hold more than one hundred mu of land. Excess land originally held by local powerful landowners shall be repurchased by the local government at the official price and redistributed to landless people. Private buying and selling of land is strictly prohibited, and violators shall be severely punished. What do you all think?"

The hall erupted in chaos once again.

Private land ownership has been a common practice since the Spring and Autumn Period. Wang Mang's New Policies attempted to implement it, but failed.

Now that the land is to be nationalized, how can those powerful clans who have owned thousands of acres of fertile land for generations be willing to accept it?