The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

The people, armed with hoes, carrying poles, and wooden sticks, gathered from all directions, their eyes bloodshot.

Back when Yuan Shao and Liu Bei fought a major battle in Hanoi, Yuan Tan's requisition of grain was practically a raid on Qingzhou! Meanwhile, Yuan Shang raided Jizhou!

The following year, there was another severe drought and locust plague!

How many people have died because of this? The people have held this grudge for years!

Now, this fallen phoenix has stumbled into this village made up of refugees.

"No...don't come any closer!" Yuan Shang shrank back in fright. "I...I am the King of Wei! How dare you defy me?"

"King Wei?" An old man in the crowd spat. "When you're robbing grain, why don't you think about the fact that you're King Wei!"

Kill those two bastards! Avenge our fallen fellow villagers!

The crowd rushed forward, wielding hoes, carrying poles, and sticks all at once.

The screams and cries ceased almost immediately.

After the crowd dispersed, only two mangled corpses remained on the ground, their features unrecognizable.

Before their deaths, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's eyes were filled with fear and regret.

They regretted starting the rebellion and plundering the people back then, but now it was too late!

They stole the people's life-saving grain back then, and now the people are taking their lives!

The law of cause and effect never fails!

When the news reached the city of Bohai, the generals fell silent for a moment after hearing it.

Yuan Shao's son, who once dominated four provinces, died under the beatings of villagers in the countryside.

It sounds absurd, but upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense.

"Take it," Zhao Yun sighed. "Bury it on the spot."

An order was issued to all prefectures that the ringleaders of the rebellion be executed, and those who were coerced into joining should not be questioned.

Spring plowing has resumed in all townships and counties.

"Here you are."

Suddenly, a messenger arrived on horseback.

"The Grand Commander said that the two should be cast into bronze statues on the border of Jizhou and Qingzhou!"

If they have done good deeds for the people, then let the people offer incense to them!

If they harbor hatred towards the people, then let the people despise them!

"Hmm? Uh-huh?"

The generals were puzzled: What favor did this come from?

"Obey the Grand Commander's orders!"

With the two Yuan brothers suffering from comminuted fractures and reduced to scum, the aristocratic rebellion that swept through Ji and Qing provinces came to a complete end.

After this battle, all the powerful families in Ji and Qing provinces who resisted were executed, and those who remained neutral were silenced. No one dared to challenge the authority of Prince Jin and Li Chang anymore.

The foundation of Hebei has now been firmly established.

But Yuan Shu hadn't even set off yet!

……

The rebellions in Ji and Qing prefectures were quelled in just one or two months.

As the spring breeze sweeps across the fields, spring plowing has already begun in earnest across the country.

The following is an outline of Liu Bei and Li Changding's strategy:

Unclaimed land found by chance was confiscated by the government and distributed to people with little or no land for cultivation according to the number of people in the population!

The initial tax rate is 60%, with the extra 10% going towards the purchase of land use and cultivation rights. After three years, this will increase to 5.5%, and after five years, it will reach 50%!

After all, these newcomers cannot be the same as the ones before them.

Ordinary people only need to register their household registration and receive land deeds, and the land will be cultivated by themselves. They no longer need to pay heavy rent of 70% or 80% to wealthy families.

When the news spread, people from all over flocked to the county government to claim their land. The land that had previously been unclaimed was transformed into neat rows of fields within a month, planted with millet, wheat, beans, and other crops.

He then ordered Zao Zhi to go to Jizhou and Qingzhou to mobilize the soldiers who had been laid off from various units, as well as some surrendered soldiers, and send them to various prefectures to cultivate the land.

Military settlements were set up along the border and key roads, where people both cultivated the land and defended it. This saved them the expense of transporting grain and fodder and strengthened local defenses.

This, combined with the retired soldiers in various villages, combined points and lines to firmly control Jizhou and Qingzhou!

Those aristocratic families who had reported their own clansmen and sided with the imperial court were also rewarded according to their merits.

The land they were granted was quite a lot, but most of it was originally farmland belonging to their clan.

These were once privately owned hidden fields of aristocratic families. After being transferred to the government and then granted as rewards, they became official fields or reward fields bestowed by the imperial court.

Once the status changes, everything becomes worlds apart.

In the past, it was private property; people could hide as much as they wanted and collect as much rent as they wanted.

Now it is a gift from the imperial court, the land is registered, and taxes are paid according to the law. It is no longer a private property that aristocratic families can hold for generations.

These aristocratic families received titles and rewards, appearing glamorous on the surface, but in reality, most of their land rights had long been quietly taken away.

But looking at the corpses of their kinsmen who had rebelled and been executed, no one dared to utter a single word of dissent.

After this battle, most of the millions of people in Ji and Qing prefectures broke free from their dependence on aristocratic families and became registered citizens of the imperial court.

Land, population, and taxes—all have been revitalized!

For the first time, the potential of the two states has been truly mobilized!

……

It wasn't until the end of April that Yuan Shu in Huainan finally finished reorganizing his army and prepared to march north.

The 50,000-strong army had just left Shouchun, and before the vanguard even reached the border of Xuzhou, scouts on horseback were flying back like snowflakes.

"Your Majesty! The rebellions in Ji and Qing provinces have been quelled! Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang have died at the hands of the rioters! All the traitors from the powerful families in each commandery have been executed, and the entire territory of Ji province now belongs to Liu Bei!"

"What?!"

Yuan Shu sat on the imperial carriage, and the honey water in his hand clattered onto the carriage floor, spilling all over him without him noticing.

"Impossible! How long has it been? Are those powerful families just sitting around doing nothing?!"

He originally thought that with Ji and Qing in chaos and Liu Bei in a state of utter distress, he could take advantage of the situation to head north and seize Qing and Yan provinces as if picking peaches.

The rebellion was quelled so soon after the uprising began?

"A bunch of useless trash!" Yuan Shu roared, his face turning ashen with rage, slamming his fist on the carriage shaft.

"A family that has been operating in Hebei for decades can't even mobilize a single commoner!"

Back when Yuan Shao was in power, everyone acted like they owned the place, but now they can't even stir up a ripple! They can't even hold onto their own territory; they've all just served as stepping stones for Liu Bei!

Despite the criticism, there's no point in going north anymore.

Liu Bei has quelled the internal rebellion and his military campaigns are at their peak. If we were to run into him at this time, we would not come out unscathed.

Yuan Shu gritted his teeth and forced out, "Order the army to temporarily garrison Xuzhou. Probe again! See what Liu Bei will do next."

While Yuan Shu was still reeling from his shock and anger, the powerful families of Runan and Huainan under his rule were already in a panic.

The fate of the Ji and Qing families was like a heavy stone weighing on their hearts.

I used to think that Liu Bei was far away in Hebei and couldn't possibly govern Huainan.

Judging from the speed at which he quelled the rebellion and the ruthlessness with which he surveyed the land, who knows when he might march south?

If they really attack, and just like they did with the powerful families of Ji Province, they will clear out their hidden fields, confiscate their private property, and distribute the land. Wouldn't all the wealth they have accumulated over the past few centuries be lost?

In each fortified village, the elders of the powerful families gathered overnight to discuss matters.

"No, we can't just sit here and wait to die like those idiots in Hebei."

"No matter how incompetent Yuan Shu is, he's still our leader. If he loses, none of us will escape unscathed."

"If necessary, each family should contribute some grain and soldiers to help Yuan Shu. Only if he secures his hold on Yu Province and Huainan can we protect our family's assets."

The powerful families who had previously been outwardly allied with Yuan Shu but inwardly stagnant, hiding their grain and troops, are now taking the initiative to send grain and money to Shouchun to support the army's preparations for war.

They knew perfectly well that no matter how bad Yuan Shu was, he was still following the path of sharing power with powerful clans!

Liu Bei is coming, and he intends to wipe out the powerful clans. Faced with two evils, one must choose the lesser; naturally, it's clear which side to choose!