Liu Hong was kind and humble, which made Chen Fan and Li Ying feel flattered.
"What question does Your Majesty have? This old minister will answer without reservation."
Chen Fan spoke first, and Li Ying, who was standing next to him, quickly echoed him.
“I grew up in the fiefdom since childhood. Although I have never traveled far, I have seen the miserable state of many refugees. The people work hard all year round, but they cannot get enough to eat and have no place to stand.”
The powerful and wealthy families owned vast tracts of land, and officials at all levels levied exorbitant taxes, causing untold suffering to the common people. Why has our great Han Dynasty come to this?
"this..."
Chen Fan and Li Ying exchanged a glance, hesitant about whether to answer.
Liu Hong's problem directly points to the core flaws of the Han Dynasty: land annexation and corrupt officialdom. They were not unaware of these problems, but rather powerless to change them.
"The problem Your Majesty mentioned is indeed the most important problem we face right now. However, land annexation has a long history. If the court wants to forcibly take back the land, it may cause instability among powerful families and clans, which may lead to even greater turmoil. This matter can only be dealt with gradually and should not be rushed."
After thinking it over, Chen Fan shared his thoughts.
"The Grand Tutor is right. Now Your Majesty must issue an edict to strictly prohibit the malicious annexation of land!"
Li Ying also expressed his opinion at the appropriate time.
"Corruption is rampant among officials in various regions. If this trend is not stopped, its harm will be no less than that of land annexation. An imperial edict should be issued immediately to investigate official corruption!"
Upon hearing Li Ying's words, Chen Fan was startled and his brow twitched. Suppressing land annexation and punishing corrupt officials were two extremely thorny issues. Both required utmost care, as a single mistake could lead to turmoil. Now, these two matters rested heavily on the shoulders of this young emperor.
Chen Fan couldn't help but glance at Liu Hong with concern.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
