Shuhan

In Yecheng, the sun shines blazingly on the ancient city walls, covering this vicissitudes of life with a layer of golden gauze.

The streets and alleys in the city are bustling with people coming and going. However, beneath this prosperous appearance, an undercurrent caused by land reclamation is surging.

Liu Feng, this majestic general, is now tasked with implementing land measurement in Yecheng.

He stood tall and straight, wearing black armor, and the silver breastplate on his chest flashed a cold light in the sun.

On the resolute face, the eyes were like cold stars, revealing unquestionable courage and determination.

At his command, the clerks in charge of measuring the fields went deep into the fields like well-trained soldiers and began to measure the land and check the population.

As soon as the news came out, the military officers and nobles who owned large amounts of land suddenly panicked.

They looked at their vast farmland, their hearts filled with anxiety and resentment.

These lands have always been the source of their wealth. Relying on various means, they have evaded taxes for a long time and enjoyed wealth and glory.

Today, the implementation of Dutian is undoubtedly to completely divide their "cheese".

"What should we do? Once the land is measured, how much tax will we have to pay?" An obese noble lord sat in the luxurious hall of his home, sighing constantly, the fat on his face trembling with his movements.

"Yes, it would be great if we didn't have to pay so much tax." A middle-aged man dressed in silk next to him echoed, his eyes revealing cunning and uneasiness.

For a moment, everyone turned their eyes to Liu Feng.

They knew very well that as long as they could persuade Liu Feng to give them a break on the land measurement issue, their own interests would be protected.

Thus, a massive gift-giving campaign quietly began.

One after another, beautifully decorated carriages, loaded with gold, silver, jewelry, and rare antiques, drove towards Liu Feng's mansion.

Everyone who gave gifts had a smile on their face, holding a heavy gift list in their arms, their hearts full of anticipation.

However, their hopes were soon dashed.

In front of the gate of Liu Feng's mansion, the butler stood there with a serious face, rejecting every gift.

"My general said that this land survey is a major event for the court, which concerns the national economy and people's livelihood. We will not accept any gifts from anyone. Please go back."

The butler's voice was firm and powerful, echoing at the door like a huge bell.

Those who gave gifts were either embarrassed or glaring, but they could do nothing but return home in disappointment.

However, they did not give up. All the soldiers and soldiers gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

"Liu Feng is so stubborn, what should we do?" a young general frowned and said anxiously.

"Yes, giving gifts directly won't work. We have to find another way." Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this time, someone suddenly thought of Zhao Ming, a general under Liu Feng.

"Zhao Ming has a close relationship with Liu Feng. Perhaps he can help us to speak for us."

When everyone heard this, they thought this plan was feasible, so they all went to find Zhao Ming.

Zhao Ming, the East Gate Captain who was originally quite prestigious in Yecheng, now looked helpless.

He looked at the soldiers and nobles who were full of expectations, smiled bitterly and said, "Everyone, I understand what you are thinking, but I have tried before and gave gifts to the general, and was rejected as well."

When everyone heard this, they were immediately discouraged, but soon they regained hope.

"What are Liu Feng's preferences? As long as we cater to his preferences, we might still have a chance." someone asked.

Zhao Ming frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Liu Feng likes beautiful women."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes lit up.

"This is easy. We can each select a few beautiful women in our mansions and send them to Liu Feng's mansion as servants, not as gifts. I'm sure he won't refuse." An aristocratic lord said excitedly.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and then went back home and began to carefully select women.

These women, some with graceful figures and some with pretty faces, are all beauties picked out from thousands.

They were carefully dressed up, put on gorgeous clothes, and sent to Liu Feng's mansion.

In front of Liu Feng's mansion, this time, the butler did not refuse.

These women entered the mansion smoothly. When Liu Feng learned about this, he frowned slightly, but did not say anything, and tacitly agreed to their stay.

When the news spread, the military officers and nobles were secretly delighted, thinking that their plan had succeeded.

They all began to think about how to conceal the truth and reduce their losses when measuring the land.

However, Liu Feng had his own plans in mind.

He looked at these beautiful women with a complicated look in his eyes.

He knew very well that behind these women were the conspiracies and intrigues of the military officers and nobles.

But he did not drive them away. Instead, he placed them in his mansion and observed them secretly.

During the process of measuring the land, Liu Feng remained vigorous and resolute, and did not slack off at all because of the arrival of these women.

Under his command, the clerks carefully measured every inch of land and checked every person.

Those military officers and nobles originally thought that Liu Feng would relax his farming policy because of the beauty, but when they saw that Liu Feng was still so tough, they began to feel uneasy again.

"Is it true that Liu Feng is not moved by beauty?" an aristocratic lord asked doubtfully.

"No, since he accepted those women, it means he still has weaknesses. Let's observe him for a while, maybe there is still a chance." Another noble lord comforted.

As the days passed, the farm work proceeded in an orderly manner.

The women in Liu Feng's mansion served Liu Feng carefully every day, but Liu Feng always kept his distance from them.

On the surface, he was friendly to them, but in his heart he was thinking about how to deal with the conspiracy of those military officers and nobles.

One night, Liu Feng was sitting alone in his study, looking at the land measurement account book in his hand with a frown on his face.

At this time, a woman walked in quietly, holding a cup of hot tea in her hand.

She was wearing a light blue dress, and her figure was slender, like a fairy descending from heaven.

"General, it's late at night. Have a cup of hot tea." The woman's voice was soft and sweet, like the sound of nature.

Liu Feng raised his head, looked at the woman in front of him, and nodded slightly. "Thank you."

He took the teacup and took a sip. The woman looked at Liu Feng, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, and then she said, "General, I heard that many generals and nobles were dissatisfied with the land survey this time. They..."

Before the woman finished her words, Liu Feng interrupted her. "I know how to handle this matter, so you don't need to say more."

Liu Feng's voice was calm, but it revealed a sense of majesty.

The woman was startled and quickly lowered her head, saying, "I know I was wrong."

She retreated silently, but was secretly thinking in her heart, what was Liu Feng thinking?
At the critical moment of measuring the land, Liu Feng faced tremendous pressure.

Seeing that Liu Feng was unmoved, the military generals and nobles began to secretly unite and prepare to put even more pressure on Liu Feng.

Liu Feng was also thinking about how to deal with all this, how to properly solve the various problems in the land measurement process without violating the will of the court, so that the people of Yecheng could truly benefit. However, as the land measurement progressed, more and more people in the city could not sit still.

Outside Liu Feng's mansion, a group of people gathered aggressively.

They were dressed in gorgeous clothes, but could not hide the anger and unwillingness on their faces.

These people were all prominent military officers and nobles in Yecheng. In the past, they were powerful and enjoyed wealth and splendor in Yecheng.

Now, Liu Feng's implementation of land measurement touched upon their fundamental interests, and the fact that Liu Feng accepted beauties but did not do anything for them made their resentment burn like a raging fire.

"This Liu Feng is really despicable! He accepted our beauty but refused to make any concessions on the land measurement. He is simply untrustworthy!"

A fat nobleman, with a red face, waved his cane and shouted loudly.

Veins bulged on his forehead and his eyes were as big as bells, as if he wanted to eat Liu Feng alive.

"Yes, we kindly gave him the beauty to enjoy, but he is so ungrateful." A middle-aged man dressed in silk nearby echoed, his eyes revealing cunning and anger.

"No, we can't just let it go like this, we must make him give an explanation."

Everyone nodded, becoming more and more excited.

The servants they brought with them stood by, holding sticks, with fierce looks on their faces, ready to obey their master's orders at any time.

For a moment, outside Liu Feng's mansion, there was chaos with shouting and quarreling.

Liu Feng was in the mansion, and when he heard the noise outside, his brows furrowed. He was wearing black armor, with an upright posture and a stern face.

He has been under tremendous pressure ever since the implementation of the land measurement policy. Now the unrest caused by these military officers and nobles is giving him even more headaches.

He knew very well that the matter of land measurement was related to the rise and fall of the country and the well-being of the people, and he must not be shaken by the obstruction of these people.

"General, those people are making a lot of noise outside. What do you think we should do?" A deputy general hurried in and said anxiously.

Liu Feng sighed slightly and said, "I'll go out and take a look." He walked towards the gate of the mansion with steady steps.

The door of the mansion slowly opened, and Liu Feng appeared in front of everyone.

He looked at the group of people making trouble with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep and powerful voice: "What kind of behavior are you using to make such a noise?"

When everyone saw Liu Feng coming out, they not only did not restrain themselves, but became even more arrogant.

"Liu Feng, you took our beauty but didn't do anything for us. You must give us an explanation today!" someone shouted.

Liu Feng's face darkened, and he said, "I, Liu Feng, have always done things with a clear conscience. Land measurement is a major matter for the court, and it concerns the national economy and people's livelihood. How could I bend the law for personal gain?"

As he spoke, he turned around and signaled the servants around him to send the beauties out.

"I will return these beauties to you now. I, Liu Feng, have never touched them, and I will not change my determination to transfer land because of them." Liu Feng's voice was firm and resolute.

However, the crowd did not buy it.

"Humph, you've already enjoyed this beauty, and now you're pulling up your pants and denying it? Do you think we will believe your lies?"

Someone sneered and said, his words were full of ridicule and disdain.

Liu Feng was furious, but he suppressed his anger and said, "Don't make trouble. I swear to heaven that this is not true."

Seeing how tough Liu Feng was, everyone became even angrier.

They all rushed forward with a clamor, intending to surround Liu Feng.

The servants were also ready to make a move. The atmosphere was extremely tense, like a taut string that could break at any time.

Seeing this, Liu Feng's face turned extremely ugly. He put his hand on the hilt of the sword and shouted: "If you don't retreat, you will be charged with treason!"

His voice was as loud as a bell, echoing in everyone's ears.

However, Liu Feng's warning not only failed to serve as a deterrent, but instead provoked a greater reaction.

"If you want to rebel, then so be it. We have shed blood for the Han Dynasty and for Your Majesty. So what if we enjoy some benefits? Your Majesty cannot cross the river and destroy the bridge!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, emotions reaching a peak.

Liu Feng looked at the group of crazy people in front of him and felt powerless.

He knew very well that these people, relying on their military achievements for the Han Dynasty, were unscrupulously pursuing personal gain. Now that the land measurement had touched upon their interests, they would naturally not give up easily.

Liu Feng took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

He looked at everyone and said, "I will report the matter of measuring the land to His Majesty and then deal with it. But before that, you must stop making trouble, otherwise, don't blame me, Liu Feng, for being rude."

After hearing what Liu Feng said, everyone calmed down a little.

They looked at each other, as if weighing the pros and cons.

After a while, someone said, "Okay, we will wait for you to report the situation to His Majesty. But if you don't give us a satisfactory answer, we will never give up."

After saying this, everyone, along with their servants, gradually dispersed.

Liu Feng looked at their departing backs, feeling mixed emotions.

He knew that the road to land measurement would be full of difficulties and obstacles, but he also understood that he was shouldering the heavy trust of His Majesty and the expectations of the people, and he must not retreat no matter how great the difficulties were.

Liu Feng returned to his mansion and sat alone in the study, lost in thought.

He recalled the things that had happened since he started farming, and felt a lot of emotions in his heart.

This time, we will face tremendous pressure when reporting the situation to His Majesty.

A few days later, the sky of Yecheng was covered with a light haze, as if mourning for the difficult journey that Liu Feng was about to embark on.

Liu Feng was wearing a black suit with a black cloak on the outside. The cloak fluttered gently in the breeze, making his figure look as tall and straight as a pine tree.

He stood in front of the mansion, looked back at the familiar gate, a trace of attachment and worry flashed in his eyes.

I am nostalgic for this place where I have lived for a long time, but I am worried about the unknown challenges that I will face soon.

"General, the carriage and horses are ready." A personal soldier stepped forward and said respectfully.

Liu Feng nodded slightly, turned around and strode towards the carriage.

Although this carriage is not luxurious, it is sturdy and durable. The Han Dynasty logo is printed on the body of the carriage, and it still exudes majesty in the gloomy sky.

Liu Feng boarded the carriage. Inside the carriage were his carefully prepared land measurement report and a thick stack of bamboo slips, each of which carried his hard work and expectations.

The carriage started slowly, and the wheels rolled on the stone road, making a dull sound.

Liu Feng leaned against the wall of the carriage and looked at the streets of Yecheng through the window.

People on the street are busy as usual, and they may not know that a major change that will affect their future lives is being carried out with difficulty.

Outside Yecheng, there are vast fields on both sides of the road.

It was autumn at this time, and the golden wheat waves were undulating in the breeze. It should have been a joyful scene of a good harvest, but Liu Feng was in an extremely heavy mood.

There are many complex conflicts of interest hidden under this piece of land. If the land measurement is to truly benefit the people, there is still a long way to go. (End of this chapter)