Southern Daily.
Everyone's pupils contracted. When did this thing appear? Wasn't it supposed to be the All Under Heaven Daily?
Then they saw Guo Jia's mark on two newspapers.
The editor-in-chief of the Northern Daily was Empress Cai Yan of the Eastern Palace.
The editor-in-chief of the Southern Daily is Lady Li Mingzhu.
Holy crap!
Everyone's eyes lit up. This couldn't be more obvious. The Emperor was playing a grand game, creating the illusion of a North-South divide.
Jia Xu instantly understood that these two newspapers were probably more than just newspapers; they likely contained a deeper meaning.
He couldn't help but sigh, "Everyone says I'm a cunning old fox, but my lord is the real ruthless one. He's turned this palace intrigue into an open battle. These two empresses will fight tooth and nail for their sons!"
"So that's how it is!"
Hearing Jia Xu's words, everyone was both amused and exasperated. His words, though crude, were not without merit; their lord's move was probably indeed a ploy to slack off.
If the two empresses were allowed to cause trouble in the inner palace, the emperor would probably have a headache. Now, by giving them a task, they've immediately started to get busy with their work.
Shifting the blame eastward!
That's awesome, my lord!
Xu You sighed and said with a wry smile, "To be honest, I think the problem His Majesty is worried about now is not which prince will become the crown prince in the future, but how many crown princes are needed."
After our lord sweeps through the Western Regions, the next step will be the Frostwest Empire further west, then the Great West Empire even further away, and there are probably some countries at sea as well.
One crown prince is not enough!
Forehead!
Upon hearing this, everyone was left speechless, both amused and exasperated. Although the Crown Prince couldn't calculate it that way, there was a certain quirk to it. With such a vast territory, the Emperor could easily accommodate any number of his sons.
Guo Jia's eyes lit up, and he laughed, "In that case, the most urgent task is to find concubines for the Emperor, otherwise there won't be enough princes to go around in the future."
"Yes, that makes sense!"
Everyone burst into laughter; it seemed they would have to discuss this matter with the Emperor Emeritus.
Inside the palace, Cao Cao, the man spoken of by the aristocratic families, was at this moment respectfully reporting on his work.
"Your Majesty, I have conducted a thorough investigation of the land holdings of the powerful families in the south. In the areas we have currently occupied, we have recovered more than 40 million mu of land," Cao Cao said angrily.
Holy crap!
Upon hearing this enormous figure, Lin Yi couldn't help but swear; there was just too much land involved.
Looking at the stacks of data in his hand, which vividly illustrated the problem, he felt a chill run down his spine. This damned aristocratic family was simply outrageous.
No wonder Li Anlan has been keeping a close eye on Northern Liang; he's terrified of poverty.
How many people are in this powerful family, yet they own over 40 million acres of land? They're practically a bunch of lunatics.
Seeing Cao Cao's furious expression, Lin Yi couldn't help but nod and praised, " Mengde did a good job this time. As expected of the future prime minister I value, you've given me a huge surprise right from the start!"
The recovery of over 40 million mu of land is a tremendous achievement, as it will provide Great Liang with countless grains.
This guy truly lives up to his reputation as the nemesis of powerful families.
Cao Mengde has always harbored deep resentment towards powerful clans, and this time he has finally found the right person to employ. This fellow is now a capable minister in times of peace, meticulous in his work, even calculating land ownership down to the millimeter; he is definitely a pragmatic and talented individual.
"Serving Your Majesty is my honor. Besides, the powerful families in the south have already been wiped out by Zhang Liao and his men. I was merely conducting a general survey!" Cao Cao said in a deep voice.
He dared not accept this credit. If it weren't for his lord's hundreds of thousands of troops sweeping across the south, it would have been really difficult for him to reclaim these lands, since those people were not to be trifled with.
Lin Yi nodded slightly and smiled, "Merit deserves reward. Now that you have just joined the Great Liang, I will first appoint you as the Ministry of Revenue, Principal Third Rank official. When you achieve further merit, I will make you Prime Minister!"
Prime Minister Cao, you are the talent that has nurtured the Great Wei. It's a bit of a waste of your abilities to make you a mere Attendant.
Jia Xu is a lazy bum; we should give him an easy job and let Aman take over. That way, we can find him something to do, otherwise the wives of the Great Liang people will be in danger.
Prime Minister!
Cao Mengde couldn't help but gasp. The Emperor's move was absolutely extravagant; he was trying to elevate him to the top in one fell swoop.
That's some serious promotion speed!
He exclaimed excitedly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, Cao Mengde will not let you down!"
"Hmm, not bad!"
A hint of a smile flashed in Lin Yi's eyes. He casually picked up some documents and handed them to him, saying in a deep voice, " Mengde, these recovered lands are yours to handle. Distribute some of the seized land to the people, and treat the rest as state-owned land!"
He didn't intend to allocate all the land of the Southern aristocratic families to the common people; giving them a portion would suffice. Land consolidation often begins with the swallowing up of the common people.
Often, they cannot hold onto their land; the power struggles and temptations of various interests can cause them to lose it.
Rather than that, it would be better to keep it in the hands of the royal family and rent it to the common people at a low price in the future. This would not only ensure that the people have enough to eat, but also increase the grain reserves significantly.
With a military force of over one million, the Great Liang needed to establish military settlements to ensure food supplies and alleviate the burden on the people.
In the event of an occasional natural disaster, it can be dealt with immediately, preventing the impact on ordinary people. This is definitely a win-win situation.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Cao Cao accepted the documents and agreed.
To be honest, he initially thought the Emperor was going to accept it all, but he didn't expect him to actually give away a portion. The Emperor is truly a wise ruler.
Looking at Cao Cao's cynical and resentful expression, Lin Yi felt somewhat out of place. After all, he was used to seeing Cao Cao as a cunning and arrogant villain, and now he had suddenly become a benevolent official who loved the people like his own children, which made him feel a little uncomfortable.
Fortunately, he is quite capable, so he can be entrusted with important tasks, especially in dealing with powerful families.
Lin Yi took a book from the dragon table and tossed it to Cao Mengde below, saying in a deep voice, " Mengde, the northern aristocratic families are also making moves and have repeatedly tested my bottom line. Go and tell them my bottom line, let them know what they can and cannot take!"
This is the " Aristocratic Clan Administration Law " that you proposed last time. I have already given you my approval; just handle it according to the law!
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Cao Cao was overjoyed and quickly accepted it.
He had only been thinking about this before, but he never expected that his lord would actually agree. This was wonderful!
With this, no one will dare to oppose me anymore, unless they want to die or defy the laws of the Great Liang.
This is the " Aristocratic Clan Administration Law," specifically for managing noble families.
Lin Yi nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "The northern aristocratic families are different from those in the south. They have contributed to the Great Liang to some extent. Tell them that I will not take their land for nothing."
I'll give them two choices: either I'll pay for it, or I'll give them a completely new way to make money, which will definitely be better than farming.
But if you refuse to hand over the land, then sorry, that would clearly be nostalgia for the old dynasty!