"Uh~!"
Upon hearing Liu Hong's remarks, Cao Song and the others were stunned.
It's not that Liu Hong's remarks were particularly shocking.
During this period, the idea of having many children was still the mainstream, and anyone with the means would definitely have as many children as possible.
What surprised Cao Song and others was that Liu Hong, as the emperor, clearly had dozens of concubines in his harem and could have had many more.
However, to this day, there is only one eldest son. What was his mindset when he said, "Many children, many blessings"?
"Hmm? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Noticing that everyone was staring at him strangely, Liu Hong's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
"Ahem~!"
Cao Song coughed lightly, then said slowly and deliberately, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, the superiors set an example for the inferiors. You only have one prince now."
Those young people who admire you so much will surely follow suit and refuse to have more children..."
"Stop!"
Before Cao Song could finish speaking, Liu Hong quickly interrupted him.
Since Chen Fan stopped attending court due to old age, Cao Song took over the task of promoting the creation of civil servants.
Whenever he had the chance, Cao Song would say a few words, which made Liu Hong not want to see him anymore.
It wasn't that Liu Hong didn't want to have children; he just wanted to wait until his eldest son was older and his status was more secure before considering it.
However, it seems that there is no time to lose right now.
After pondering for a moment, Liu Hong finally spoke: "What Minister Cao said makes sense. I will do my best!"
"Your Majesty is wise!!"
No sooner had Liu Hong finished speaking than Cao Song immediately followed up with his flattery.
For Cao Song, who had already tied the Cao family to the imperial family, the more offspring the emperor had, the more stable the succession would be. If the emperor's lineage was stable, the Cao family would naturally be stable as well.
Yang Ci, Hua Tuo, and the others also showed joy on their faces.
"In that case, the Ministry of Rites should spread the word that the world is vast and needs more descendants to explore it, and that we, the younger generation, have an unshirkable duty to strive to live on!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!!"
Yang Ci also happily cupped his hands in agreement.
In an instant, the atmosphere inside Deyang Palace became harmonious.
After laughing, Liu Hong said, "Of course, if we want to encourage young people to have more children, just shouting slogans won't work. The imperial court and government also need to come up with corresponding policies!"
“Your Majesty is right. May I ask what Your Majesty’s decision is?” Cao Song asked.
"This is what I think: First, for families that already have two sons, the local government should build them an additional house."
Those who have three sons will be awarded one hundred silver coins in addition to a house.
In addition to the above rewards, the imperial court will cover the children's tuition and medical care for those who have four children. If they wish to immigrate, the imperial court will allocate them a permanent piece of land overseas.
Those who have five or more sons will have all their expenses covered by the imperial court and government, and will be granted honorary titles…
Liu Hong spoke at length, leaving everyone speechless.
Good heavens, with the Emperor's reward system, you don't need to do anything else; just having children is enough to make you rich.
Regardless of what others thought, Cao Song, the Minister of Revenue, was already heartbroken and silently calculating the costs of the emperor's policies.
Finally, Cao Song breathed a sigh of relief.
On the surface, the emperor's policy seemed like a grand undertaking, but in reality, the cost was only one hundred silver coins per person, along with non-profit resources such as housing, healthcare, and education, as well as land acquired overseas.
Indeed, for the Han Dynasty at this time, those overseas lands were simply given away for free. As long as the Han Dynasty had enough population, it could take them over and make them its own at any time.
What we are paying now is just a drop in the ocean compared to the future demographic dividend.
After figuring out the profit margins, Cao Song's face was filled with smiles.
Seeing Cao Song's changing expression, Liu Hong shook his head helplessly, then glanced at everyone.
"Alright, that's all for now. The Ministry of Revenue and the Medical College should start organizing the Women and Children's Hospital as soon as possible."
The Ministry of Rites must also take action and strive to clearly announce those policies to every citizen as quickly as possible!
"Your humble servants obey!"
Cao Song and the others respectfully agreed, then bowed and withdrew.
After the others left, Liu Hong chuckled and then walked towards Weiyang Palace.
Inside Weiyang Palace, Song Yue was holding Liu Cheng, who was five months old, and rocking him back and forth, making Liu Cheng laugh non-stop.
Liu Cheng's laughter echoed throughout the palace, making the empty, deep palace feel less cold.
In fact, according to the old regulations, after the imperial concubines gave birth to princes and princesses, they had to be handed over to special wet nurses to raise them, and they could not take care of them themselves.
However, there was nothing he could do. Liu Hong was not one to follow old rules, so naturally he wouldn't let Song Yue and her son be separated.
In addition, Song Yue's personality and upbringing ensured that the prince would not go astray as he grew up with her.
As soon as he entered the palace, Liu Hong heard his son's clear laughter, and a warm smile appeared on his face.
Stopping the palace maids from bowing, Liu Hong tiptoed over.
Song Yue, who was busy comforting her son, did not notice Liu Hong's approach.
Perhaps it was related to Liu Hong's favoritism, or perhaps it was related to her own personality.
In this deep palace, Song Yue was not like the other concubines, who were full of a sense of crisis and vigilance.
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