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

Jia Xu frowned and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. Powerful landlords have owned vast tracts of land for generations. If we forcibly buy them back, it may incite a popular uprising."

Lü Bu said, "That's why I said I'd buy back the goods at the official price, not like Wang Mang who forcibly seized them without paying. I have the Heavenly Granted Granary, so I don't lack that little bit of money. As long as the price is fair, most people won't object. If there really is a very small number of people who don't know what's good for them and insist on going against the court, then don't blame me for being impolite."

Guo Jia said, "Your Majesty, I believe this matter should be carried out step by step. We should start with Sili, then extend it to Jizhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Qingzhou, and finally gradually extend it to remote prefectures and counties. The funds and grain for each prefecture and county to repurchase land should be allocated by the imperial court."

Lü Bu nodded: "Fengxiao is right. The cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue will draft a plan for this matter and submit it to me for approval. The repurchase price must be fair, and the people must not be disadvantaged. But one thing must be remembered: the land belongs to the state, and private individuals only have the right to use it, not the right to own it. In the future, no one can expect to form a land monopoly by merging land."

"The eighth principle is equality for all," Lü Bu said. "All people under heaven, regardless of whether they are Han or barbarian, male or female, shall be equal. Women may also study, work, take the imperial examinations, and become officials. However, this matter should not be rushed; it should be implemented gradually. We should start with the capital and then extend it to the prefectures."

Ju Shou hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, there is no precedent for women taking the imperial examinations in ancient times. I fear that scholars throughout the land will not accept this."

Lü Bu said, "The world belongs to all people. Men and women are all human beings, so why can't they be examined together? Ju Shou, let me ask you, are your mother, wife, and daughter all incompetent? If they could study and become officials, bringing honor to their ancestors, wouldn't you feel ashamed?"

Ju Shou was speechless for a moment and returned to the queue.

Lu Bu looked around at his ministers and, seeing that no one objected, said, "Very well, then this matter is settled."

"The ninth matter is transportation construction," Lü Bu said. "I plan to build official roads centered on Luoyang, connecting all counties and prefectures across the country. These roads will be two to four zhang wide, with trees planted on both sides. A post station will be set up every thirty li along the route, providing horses and carriages for travelers to stay overnight and change horses. At the same time, the main waterways of the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Huai River, and Ji River will be dredged, deepening the riverbeds and improving navigation. I will personally oversee the major projects. The Ministry of Works will be responsible for surveying the routes and preparing the materials."

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

"The tenth item is farmland irrigation," Lü Bu said. "The Ministry of Works shall supervise the construction of water conservancy facilities, and all prefectures and counties shall build reservoirs, canals, and waterwheels to irrigate farmland. Where construction is difficult, I shall personally handle the matter. We shall open up mountains and break ground, store water for irrigation, and ensure that the fields throughout the land are protected from drought and flood."

"The eleventh item is the postal system," Lü Bu said. "Improve the postal system throughout the land, establishing one post station every thirty li. Each post station should be equipped with fast horses and carrier pigeons. Official documents and military intelligence from the imperial court can be delivered through the post stations, achieving the effect of urgent delivery over eight hundred li. Each prefecture and county should breed carrier pigeons and establish a carrier pigeon mail system for emergency and rapid communication."

"The twelfth is currency unification," Lü Bu said. "The imperial court will issue Hanli Tongbao coins, round with a square hole, and the reverse side will be inscribed with the year of the Han dynasty. At the same time, large-denomination anti-counterfeiting bills will be issued for use in large transactions. Banks will be established in each prefecture and county to be responsible for exchanging the previous dynasty's currency, issuing loans, and accepting deposits. The banking system will be uniformly managed by the Ministry of Revenue."

"The thirteenth matter is the revision of the law," Lü Bu said. "I intend to implement a strategy with Legalism as its core and Confucianism as its framework. The law will serve as the bottom line for public order and good customs, while also taking into account freedom and equality. Those who commit murder, robbery, rape, or treason will be severely punished without exception. Those who steal, fight, or commit fraud will be punished according to the law. Those who are unfilial, disrespectful to elders, or lack brotherly love will be punished according to propriety. The Censorate will be expanded, and censors will be appointed in each county to supervise official corruption and injustice in law enforcement."

"The fourteenth item is naval construction," Lü Bu said. "The naval commander-in-chief, Huang Zhong, is in charge of building massive warships of 10,000 tons, suitable for long-distance ocean voyages. I want to build a great Han navy that can roam the four seas, in preparation for distant expeditions."

After Lü Bu finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

The court officials were stunned by this series of new policies. Each and every one of them represented an unprecedented transformation. In particular, the nationalization of land, equality for all, and the introduction of imperial examinations for women were truly groundbreaking.

After a long while, Jia Xu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty is wise; we will certainly do our utmost to implement the new policies."

Guo Jia, Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, Shi Sunrui, Ju Shou, Xun You, and others stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, we obey the decree! Long live the Emperor!"

Lü Bu raised his hand: "All of you, rise. The implementation of new policies is not something that can be accomplished overnight. I do not expect it to be done in one fell swoop, but in stages. We will start with the easier ones and then move on to the more difficult ones, beginning with the provinces with better conditions and gradually completing the process. Within five years, I want to see a completely new Han Empire."

The assembled officials replied in unison, "Yes!"

On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head. After half a month of deliberation, the cabinet finally came up with a detailed land reform plan.

Lü Bu summoned the cabinet ministers to his study to review the proposal.

Jia Xu unfolded the document and read aloud: "Your Majesty, we have drafted a three-step plan for land reform. The first step is a thorough survey of land. Officials from each prefecture and county will be dispatched to survey the land village by village and household by household, registering and recording it. All land, whether government-owned or privately owned, will be clearly measured. The second step is to determine quotas. No single person may hold more than one hundred mu of land. Any excess will be repurchased by the government at market price. The repurchase price will be based on the average yield per mu in the area over the previous three years, paid in Hanli Tongbao coins. The third step is redistribution. The land repurchased by the government will be prioritized for allocation to landless or land-poor farmers. Each person will be allocated thirty to fifty mu of land, depending on the local state-owned land reserves; those exceeding fifty mu will not be allocated any more."

Lü Bu nodded: "The plan is feasible, but the repurchase price must be fair, and the people must not be disadvantaged. I have a divinely bestowed granary, and the court is not short of money. In addition, when allocating land, priority should be given to retired soldiers and the families of fallen martyrs."

Chen Gong said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will certainly ensure that these details are implemented properly."

Lü Bu added, "There is one more matter. The powerful clans in various prefectures and counties have owned vast tracts of land for generations. Now that it is to be returned to the court, they will certainly not give up easily. Issue an edict to the commanders of each military region to mobilize troops and be ready to suppress them at any time. But remember, diplomacy first, then force. As long as they obediently accept the buyback, the court will not make things difficult for them. Anyone who dares to lead a disturbance will be killed without mercy."

Zhang Liao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

In March, land reform was first implemented in Sili.

Lü Bu personally oversaw the work in Luoyang, while cabinet ministers were dispatched to various prefectures to supervise the process. The land survey proceeded relatively smoothly, thanks to the presence of the imperial army and Emperor Lü Bu's personal presence, which deterred most local powerful families from openly opposing it.

However, there are also those who are out of touch with reality.

In Hedong Prefecture, Dongyuan County, the powerful Guo family owned over 30,000 mu of fertile land, and some members of the family held official positions in the central government. The clan leader, Guo Yong, believing himself to have powerful backers, refused to accept the local government's land survey and even rallied his clansmen to drive the surveying officials out of the county seat.