I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Lu Yuan opened the urgent report, his gaze landing on the words "300,000 mu".

If all this land were truly returned to the people, it would be a lifeline for tens of thousands of households.

While it's easy to produce land deeds, there are still many hurdles to overcome, such as how to cancel old debts, whether tenants dare to accept them, and whether new deeds can be included in the official register.

He circled the two items, "deed verification" and "debt cancellation," and handed them over to He Shen for expedited processing. Then he turned to the appendix.

On the day the urgent report was sent, seventy-six large boxes were placed all the way to the street corner in front of the Shen Clan Ancestral Hall in Runan.

Shen Chongli personally opened the first box lid.

The eldest clan elder, leaning on his cane, stood across the box, his eyes fixed on the stacks of land deeds.

This includes the estate he acquired when he got married, as well as the food and shelter his children and grandchildren will have for decades to come.

He could still endure it last night, but when he saw his family's wealth being brought out, his legs wouldn't obey him anymore.

"Chongli, 300,000 mu, not a single mu left?"

Shen Chongli placed the Crown Prince's edict in front of him.

"You will take the blame for not returning the box on behalf of the entire clan. I will take the box back immediately."

The elder's outstretched hand froze, and his cane finally moved aside.

Shen Chongli pulled out the inventory list and waved it at the crowd that filled the long street.

"By order of the Crown Prince, the 300,000 mu of land under the name of the Shen family shall be returned to the farmers according to the verified register! First, verify the original owners and settle any outstanding debts. The remaining land shall be distributed by the government to landless tenants in accordance with regulations, and the imperial court shall exempt them from land taxes for three years!"

After he finished speaking, he thought that at least someone would ask how many acres he would be entitled to.

As a result, the tenant at the very front immediately knelt down.

The crowd pushed and shoved, and even the men who usually scrambled to carry goods for copper coins hid their hands in their pockets, afraid of being given a land deed.

Shen Chongli's smile froze on his face.

No one wants the money, and no one accepts the land offered.

The Shen family's reputation over the years has been more effective than that of bandits blocking the road!

"Sir, I, a humble citizen, acknowledge the rent arrears!"

An elderly farmer, missing two fingers, lay on the ground, pushing a half-full bag of grain forward.

"Please, please stop making us put our fingerprints on your documents!"

The steward recognized him and called out "Zhang Mancang" from the roster. The old farmer, however, clutched the half-sack of grain tightly.

His name is Mancang, but his house has never even had a full grain storage basket.

Twelve years ago, the Shen family also sent seeds.

"They said they wouldn't charge money, but they'd add a bushel after the autumn harvest. The following year, they'd add three bushels, and after that, even the ancestral land would be used to fill it up."

At the end, Zhang Mancang quickly admitted his mistake again.

He's not here to dredge up old grievances.

He only wanted to pay this year's rent and leave enough food for his wife to get through the winter.

Shen Chongli did not urge anyone to affix their seals again, but instead ordered the accountant to bring out the old IOU.

He borrowed two shi of grain, and after twelve years he collected twenty-one shi, but in the end he still owed nine shi and six dou.

The county official who followed him flipped to the last page, and his pen stopped.

The clan elder, however, extended his cane and pressed it against the IOU, saying, "The ancestral land can be returned, but old debts must be settled. The clan doesn't just live off the wind!"

Shen Chongli abruptly snatched the paper away.

"You ate two shi (a unit of dry measure) and now you've eaten twenty-one shi, and you're still not full? Is your granary leaking?"

Some of the onlookers couldn't help but laugh out loud before quickly covering their mouths.

The elder was so angry that his cane trembled, but he didn't dare to block him any further.

Shen Chongli had the county officials verify the grain repayment receipts, cleared the old debts in public, and returned the original IOUs to Zhang Mancang.

Two new contracts were written together; one was entered into the official register, and the other was given to the landowner. In addition, tax exemption documents were registered for each household.

After everything is handed over, the government will then hand it over to the Shen family.

Only then is the process completely complete.

When Zhang Mancang accepted the contract, he only dared to hold onto one corner.

Eight mu and seven fen.

The crooked elm tree at the edge of the field was also written on it.

Twelve years ago, he handed over the ancestral contract under that very tree.

Now that the official seal has been affixed, it's still the same piece of land, but the surname has been changed back to Zhang.

He gripped the contract, moved his mouth for a while, and then suddenly stepped aside to make way.

"Next household! Hurry up, the county seal is on!"

This time, without the person in charge shouting, the people behind pushed their way forward on their own.

Before the new contract was even finished, the Qian family's carriage blocked the intersection.

When Master Qian got out of the car, he kicked over the footstool.

Even the most dignified person couldn't bring himself to scold the butler who came to greet him; he only asked where Shen Chongli was.

The head of the Zhou family followed closely behind, clutching several rent collection notices in his sleeve.

The land Zhang Mancang reclaimed was separated from his estate only by a ditch.

When the news spread, his tenants were already asking: both families suffered from disaster and sold their land, so why could the Shen family return it, but the Zhou family couldn't?

More than 30 landlords arrived one after another, and the originally designated deed verification office was so crowded that it was difficult to find a place to stand.

Shen Chongli had already returned to his residence with his accountant to check the remaining records, and did not come out to greet anyone.

The group of wealthy and powerful men then rushed to the Shen residence.

"Brother Shen, if you want to accumulate good karma, why use us as stepping stones?"

Master Qian pounded on the door knocker, "Today you give us land, tomorrow the tenants will plunder our granaries. Who will bear this debt?"

The door was only slightly ajar.

The butler stood in the doorway and relayed the exact words.

"My husband said, if you want to live, you have to return the land to the people!"

The Zhou family head's expression changed first, and he grabbed Qian Yuanwai's arm.

"Your order is indeed true. Perhaps we should first send a letter to inquire about the capital's opinion?"

Master Qian did not answer, but turned his head to look in the direction of the ancestral hall.

When Zhang Mancang showed the old IOUs to his fellow villagers, his face was beaming with smiles.

But Master Qian found it offensive.

Nearly half of the Qian family's land was acquired by borrowing grain to pay off debts during years of famine.

If interest is calculated according to the Shen family's method, the grain in his warehouse probably won't last much longer.

More than thirty families came today. The original intention was to persuade the Shen family to wait a few more days and collect the autumn rent first.

However, the word "survival" has already blocked all room for negotiation.

He sneered as he pulled his sleeves back.

"Consort Shen is still in the palace, and Shen Chongshan is in the capital. Who is the Shen family afraid of? I think they are deliberately using the word 'fate' to intimidate people."

"Are you saying the land is fake?"

The Zhou family head frowned.

He had seen the official contract with his own eyes, so he dared not believe just a single statement.

"The contract is real, but people may not have the ability to keep it."

Master Qian spoke faster and faster, as if he had seen through everything.

"Those poor bastards have no cattle or grain. Can they eat with just a land deed? When they need money, they can buy the land back at half price."

Upon hearing this, many people fell silent.

Returning land to the people means forcing each household to relinquish their rights.

Then, relying on its vast wealth, it swallowed up the entire city of Runan!

Some people immediately shook their heads, while others, remembering their own family's account books, pursed their lips even tighter.

They had heard about the recent grievances suffered by the Shen family, but still believed that with the Imperial Concubine in charge, the worst that could happen was a fine.

But no one wanted to believe that the Crown Prince would actually dare to turn all the land of the aristocratic families upside down.

That evening, instead of food and wine, the long table in the Qian family mansion was set out with a list of guards that could be mobilized from various villages.

The Zhou family head remained standing, saying, "My men came to report that the government officials have been stamping the documents the whole time. The Shen family's actions don't seem fake!"

"Then wait until he finishes issuing all the remaining deeds, and until your tenants come to claim their land!"

Master Qian slammed his land register onto the table, roaring in frustration, "Why should I hand over the property of four generations of my Qian family with just a few words?"

Just as someone was about to dissuade them, their eyes fell on the rent collection notice they had brought.

The two estates that were still paying rent this morning have now stopped.

The Zhou family head held the few thin sheets of paper, but still did not reach out to touch the guards' roster.

But Master Qian couldn't wait any longer.

The image of the tenants laughing around Tian Qi during the day kept flashing before his eyes.

The man who used to be too ashamed to even straighten his back in front of him dared to ask from across the carriage today, "When will the Qian family return the land?"

He grabbed the teacup and smashed it to pieces.

"Since old man Shen wants to cut off our lineage, then let's make sure the Shen family is completely wiped out in Runan!"

"Tonight, we'll gather our elite guards and massacre the Shen residence!"