"Hebei is stable, my heart is at ease."
He seemed to be speaking to Deng Yu, yet also as if he were talking to himself, sighing, "The nation is still exhausted to this day."
"Ever since I unified the nation, I have successively reformed the bureaucracy, dismissed officials, reduced the military, freed slaves, and repaired water resources, all with the intention of quickly restoring the country."
"Yet disasters persist, people are panicked, and unable to protect themselves."
As he spoke, Liu Xiu paused and looked at Deng Yu, "Zhong Hua, you possess extraordinary talent. Do you have a strategy to save the multitude under the Great Han from peril?"
Deng Yu had been listening carefully to every word Liu Xiu said, and he already had a guess in his heart, but when he heard the last question, his expression involuntarily changed slightly.
All policies have been discussed... except one.
Land measurement!
This was the answer that Deng Yu instantly confirmed, yet inexplicably found difficult to express.
What is land measurement?
Land measurement involves surveying land and checking the population.
Although Liu Xiu's past measures weakened the power of great families, they did not compare to the strength of land measurement.
Ask all the great families in the land today, who has not annexed land or concealed people?
If land measurement is implemented, great families will inevitably have to yield the concealed lands and people, reducing their power by decades.
And Deng Yu himself was also from a great family in Nanyang!
In fact, Deng Yu was not a person greedy for wealth or attached to power.
On the contrary, over the years, he had become increasingly like a second Gu Xiao, similarly uninterested in political struggles.
But perhaps because of his great family background, Deng Yu inexplicably felt some resistance to land measurement.
Although he understood that with the transformation of slaves to commoners across the land, those lands previously untended were clearly insufficient.
Land measurement could definitely solve this problem.
But he just didn't want to say it out loud.
This feeling of conflict might be because he didn't want the Deng clan of Nanyang to bear the reputation of offending others, or perhaps for other reasons.
He remained silent like this.
Liu Xiu had been watching Deng Yu and, seeing his prolonged silence, guessed his thoughts, and a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
This was one of the reasons he preferred Gu Xiao more.
Among the current court officials, only Gu Xiao could truly align with him.
"Recall that during the chaos of Wang Mang's reign, land was in disarray. Since my restoration of the Great Han, I should carry out land measurement to relieve the people's exhaustion."
He suddenly broke the silence, staring intently at Deng Yu, "What does Zhong Hua think?"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Deng Yu took a deep breath and said gravely, "But right now, the Grand Commandant has just settled in Hebei, and if news from the court reaches there in full, it will certainly cause a stir."
"If land measurement is implemented at this time, I'm afraid it will cause opposition from the gentry."
He wasn't intentionally unsupportive, but genuinely worried.
When Liu Xiu spoke the words "land measurement," the entanglement in his heart dissipated, and he began to think about the follow-up to this matter!
"Hmph!"
Liu Xiu sneered disdainfully, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, "I do not wish to raise arms and fight again, not because I am incapable of wielding the sword."
"But for the people of the world to recover and thrive."
"If they are unwilling to give the people a way to live, then they cannot blame me!"
Liu Xiu's tone was unusually cold, and he had long had thoughts in this regard.
But Liu Xiu also understood.
Land measurement would certainly provoke opposition from great families across the land.
Though Liu Xiu did not fear them, he truly did not want to trouble the people again at such a time.
But Gu Xiao's recent letter reminded him.
The world has already changed!
The clans today are not the clans of the chaotic times; they no longer dare wield knives as they once did!
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Deng Yu took a deep breath and bowed to Liu Xiu, "I am willing to support Your Majesty!"
He had felt Liu Xiu's resolve.
"Good!"
A faint smile appeared on Liu Xiu's face as he looked at Deng Yu, "Zhong Hua, I command you to immediately go to Nanyang... as soon as my decree is issued."
"See if anyone dares to deceive me!"
Deng Yu bowed his head and nodded directly without much hesitation, bestowing a formal salutation:
"Understood!"...
——————
"The thirteenth year of Jianwu, autumn.
At that time, disasters frequently occurred without cessation, and the people were trapped in distress, their exhaustion spread across the four seas.
The emperor said compassionately: "Today the land suffers many hardships, disasters frequently occur, and the people struggle to live. I ponder deeply, only the matter of land measurement can be the critical path to save the people, relieving them from their plight."
Hence decrees were sent to the prefectures and counties, ordering them to verify the number of mu and examine the household registrations thoroughly to ensure accuracy without concealment.
Furthermore, officials holding two thousand stone ranks and above were ordered to investigate any unfair actions in this matter, and if any injustice was found, they were to be severely punished in order to maintain the law and stabilize the common people."
—— "Han Book: Chronicle of Emperor Guangwu of Later Han"