Chapter Forty-One: Keep Drinking, Keep Dancing

Li Mi rose to his feet, bowed deeply, and replied, "Your Highness is wise. These influential families bully the common people and exploit the land in times of peace, yet remain duplicitous and fickle when war strikes. They truly deserve to be punished severely."

Liu Chen’s expression softened slightly. Looking at Li Mi with newfound admiration, he praised, "It brings me great comfort to see that you possess such a keen sense of righteousness. Effective today, all land in Hanzhong shall be resurveyed and redistributed according to population. Would you be willing to assist me by serving as the Governor of Hanzhong?"

"I am willing to serve with the loyalty of a dog or a horse."

Li Mi bowed low, his voice resolute.

"That is excellent."

There was a trace of subtle complexity in Liu Chen's tone. After all, the man before him was a disciple of Qiao Zhou, and he could not be certain if Li Mi shared the same political stance as his mentor, who had famously advocated for surrender to Wei.

"Your Highness, although Li Hu has been executed, the Cong people hold significant power in the regions of Hanzhong and Wudu. Li Hu commanded great prestige among them; I believe this matter cannot be ignored," Li Mi cautioned, his brow furrowed with concern.

Liu Chen explained calmly, "Governor Li, have no fear. General of the Left Jiang Wei and General of the Left Xiao Wei Liao Hua will be stationed in Hanzhong. General Jiang will remain here for the time being to pacify the Cong people, register them into the household accounts, and integrate them as ordinary citizens."

He had already made the necessary arrangements. Stationing Jiang Wei in Hanzhong was specifically intended to deal with the Cong people, who lived in the mountains and fought bravely but were now left leaderless. He believed that with the capabilities of Jiang Wei and Liao Hua, this issue would be resolved in no time.

"Your Highness is truly sagacious!"

Li Mi was overjoyed, a great weight lifting from his heart.

Liu Chen turned his attention to the representatives of the other powerful families gathered in the hall. A trace of disdain flickered across his face as he raised his cup and said, "Gentlemen, please, continue your drinking, continue your songs and dances."

But who among them had the heart for revelry now? The guests sat pale and restless, as if on pins and needles, calculating how much land and wealth they would need to surrender to preserve their lives. After barely enduring for another hour, they hurriedly offered their excuses and departed.

Deep into the night, candles flickered within the Governor’s office. Liu Chen sat at his desk, meticulously reviewing the confiscation lists from the Zhang and Li estates. Jiang Wei stood solemnly to one side, dried blood still staining his silver armor.

"General, what is the report?" Liu Chen asked without looking up.

Jiang Wei cupped his hands and reported, "Your Highness, twelve granaries were seized from the Zhang estate, containing approximately thirty thousand shi of grain. While the Li estate was not as wealthy, it concealed hundreds of fine iron weapons and a register of able-bodied Cong men. In total, three hundred and seventy-six unregistered dependents were discovered across both households."

Liu Chen slammed the bamboo slip onto the desk and sneered, "So much for their claim of 'too many family members to support'! That old scoundrel Zhang Yong deserved his fate!"

Outside, the night was as dark as ink. The commotion in Hanzhong City had gradually subsided, but the air remained thick with tension. Li Mi walked in softly, holding a newly compiled household register.

"Your Highness, this is my preliminary organization of the Hanzhong census. Based on today’s confiscations, there are likely thousands of unregistered individuals in Hanzhong alone."

Liu Chen took the bamboo slip, his fingers tracing the dense rows of names. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Does Minister Li understand what these unregistered individuals signify?"

Li Mi pondered for a moment and sighed, "It means a loss of tax revenue for the imperial court and a shortage of military manpower."

"And more than that." Liu Chen stood up, walked to the hanging map, and said with a heavy sigh, "If Hanzhong is like this, what of the rest of Yi Province? One hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand? The court's official records count nine hundred and forty thousand people, but it now appears the true number far exceeds that!"

Jiang Wei frowned, "Your Highness, if that is the case, we are not just facing the influential families of Hanzhong, but the entire landed gentry of Yi Province."

"Exactly. That is why I chose Hanzhong as the starting point—to kill the chicken to scare the monkey!" Liu Chen’s eyes burned with resolve.

Li Mi suddenly knelt and said solemnly, "Your Highness, I have something to say, though I do not know if I should."

"Speak freely."

"My teacher, Qiao Zhou, is the foremost scholar in Chengdu. If word of this reaches Chengdu, it may cause a great upheaval in the capital..."

A complex look crossed Liu Chen’s eyes. He knew Qiao Zhou well—the Confucian scholar who advocated surrender to Wei, Li Mi’s mentor. He feared that pleas for help from the Hanzhong families were already on their way to Chengdu.

"Minister Li," Liu Chen leaned down to help Li Mi up, his voice sincere and comforting. "I understand your predicament. But the state of our nation is such that if we do not root out these deep-seated evils, the Great Han will surely perish. As the Governor of Hanzhong, you must put the people first. Besides, Qiao Zhou has little faith in our Liu family’s reign; he believes the North is the true successor!"

Li Mi looked up, meeting Liu Chen’s steady gaze, and spoke with gravity, "Without Your Highness, I would have believed the Central Plains destined to win. But now that Your Highness has emerged, forcing Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu to surrender and defeating Zhong Hui, the outcome is no longer certain."

"Minister Li," Liu Chen looked him directly in the eyes, his tone firm. "Since you mention your teacher, I ask you this: if you must choose between your master and your country, what will you do?"

Beads of sweat formed on Li Mi's forehead. The candles in the hall crackled, as if counting down the seconds. After a long silence, he bowed deeply and said, "I... am willing to follow Your Highness, root out these evils, and revitalize the Great Han."

A genuine smile finally appeared on Liu Chen’s face. He helped Li Mi up and reassured him, "With your assistance, the new reforms in Hanzhong will surely succeed. From this day forward, you are the Governor of Hanzhong, with full authority over land surveying and population registration."

Three days later, the plaza in front of the Governor's office was bustling with activity. Jiang Wei led his soldiers to maintain order, while Li Mi and his clerks registered the dependents handed over by each family.

"The Wang clan, sixty-three dependents surrendered..."

"The Zhao clan, forty-eight dependents surrendered..."

As the names were called out, the crowd of commoners grew. Many farmers, hidden by influential families for years, stood in the sunlight for the first time, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Father, are we truly free?" a thin, small boy asked, tugging at his father’s sleeve.

"The King is benevolent! The Zhang family occupied our land for ten years, and today it is finally returned to us." The middle-aged man’s eyes turned red; he knelt in the direction of the Governor's office and wept uncontrollably.

His words were cut off by the sound of hooves. A troop of riders galloped up, led by Liu Chen. The people spontaneously cleared a path, kneeling and kowtowing one after another.

Liu Chen reined in his horse and scanned the crowd. In just three days, the families of Hanzhong had surrendered over eight hundred households of hidden dependents, far exceeding expectations. But this was only the beginning. He knew well that these families would certainly be holding something back.

"My fellow countrymen," Liu Chen’s voice rang out, carrying across the entire plaza. "From this day on, you are no longer the private property of anyone. I shall distribute land according to the population—twenty mu for every person, to be held by your families forever!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the plaza. Some wept with joy, others shouted "Long live the King," while many more stood stunned, as if they could not believe their ears.

Yet, outside the jubilant crowd, several figures in luxurious attire quietly retreated. They slipped into the alleys and soon vanished.

That night, in a secret chamber within the Yang family estate in Hanzhong, several heads of households gathered, their faces dark.

"That brat Liu Chen, he goes too far! My Wang family’s century-old foundation, half of it snatched away by him just like that!" Wang Jun, head of the Wang clan, slammed his fist onto the table.

The head of the Yang clan sneered with disdain, "Why the rush? I have already sent men at full gallop to deliver letters to Chengdu. Master Qiao Zhou’s students and associates fill the imperial court; do you think they will sit idly by?"

"But Liu Chen is, after all, the son of the Emperor..." someone hesitated.

"So what?" A glint of malice flashed in the Yang clan head's eyes. "Zhong Hui almost reached Chengdu; I fear this world will fall into the hands of the North sooner or later. As for the Liu family... humph, their time is short."