Chapter 170: Publicity Must Be in Place

Shi Liangdi finished speaking.

Zhang Tang stood up first, his expression solemn, and said: 'Your Majesty is sage and bright; the key to this land reform is to let the people know its benefits, and we should focus on publicity so that after land distribution the people can live stable and prosperous lives.'

Wei Xiang nodded slightly and added: 'We also need to clarify the harms of landlords and corrupt gentry annexing land, and combine this with the oppression of peasants by landlords in White-Haired Girl, so that the people can understand more easily.'

Xu Wei thought for a moment and suggested: 'In terms of publicity, we can post more notices, detailing the reform's specifics, and arrange personnel to explain in market streets and alleys.'

Sima Qian stroked his beard, his eyes firm, and said: 'The pen must not be neglected either; we scholars can write articles expounding the importance of land reform for the long-term stability and peace of the Great Han, and spread it widely through Great Han Media.'

Liu Xiaojun, who had already been attending court discussions, was much calmer than Shi Liangdi; her eyes were bright, and she spoke unhurriedly: 'We can make use of the Great Han Women's Daily, starting from a women's perspective, to speak of the positive impact of land reform on families, attracting more public attention.'

Jin Fu also rose to his feet, speaking steadily: 'Your Majesty, I wish to go deep among the people, to answer their questions and dispel doubts, ensuring the reform proceeds smoothly.'

Shi Liangdi listened to everyone's remarks, her heart full of admiration, and she gathered courage to say: 'Your Majesty, when I performed in White-Haired Girl, I interacted with many ordinary people, understood their thoughts, and I also wish to contribute to the publicity for the reform.'

Liu Ju looked at everyone and nodded satisfactorily, saying:

'Good, then let all of you esteemed officials jointly promote this.'

The next day, in the Yanjing region, under the strong publicity of Great Han Media's Yanjing Daily, the vigorous campaign against landlords and corrupt gentry was formally launched.

The newspaper detailed the long-standing misdeeds of landlords and corrupt gentry who seized land and oppressed the people, juxtaposing them with the plot of White-Haired Girl, arousing public anger.

Upon hearing the news, the landlords and corrupt gentry all jumped out to oppose, attempting to thwart the reform.

However, the people, deeply influenced by White-Haired Girl, looked forward to the land reform and actively responded to the imperial court's call.

They spontaneously organized themselves, cooperating with imperial court officials, to investigate and reclaim the land of the landlords and corrupt gentry.

'These landlords and corrupt gentry are just like the tyrants in White-Haired Girl; now the imperial court is standing up for us, and we will surely take the land back!'

As publicity against the landlords and corrupt gentry in the streets continued to expand.

Shi Liangdi, on the one hand, deeply knew that, thanks to her successful portrayal of Xi'er, she enjoyed considerable fame and influence among the people, while land reform concerned the vital interests of the Great Han's populace.

Therefore, after the meeting ended, she proactively sought out Liu Ju and firmly said: 'Your Majesty, I wish to do my utmost for the land reform; I want, through publicity, to let more people understand and support the reform.'

Liu Ju looked at Shi Liangdi, his eyes full of approval and trust, and nodded in agreement.

Shi Liangdi first, following Liu Ju's suggestion, had the staff of the Great Han Daily organize a 'fan meeting'.

As soon as the news of the meeting was released by Great Han Media's newspapers, it instantly caused a sensation throughout the Great Han.

Fans came from all directions and gathered at the designated venue.

Before dawn, the venue already had long queues forming, the crowd filled with excited whispers and anticipatory gazes.

Some fans stayed up all night to secure a front-row spot; others carefully prepared gifts, hoping to personally present them to their beloved 'Xi'er'.

At the venue entrance, colorful ribbons and exquisite lanterns were displayed, while the staff of Great Han Media bustled about, maintaining order on site.

On both sides of the entrance, huge display boards showed splendid stills of Shi Liangdi from White-Haired Girl, prompting fans to stop and take commemorative photos.

Upon entering the venue, the stage was constructed grandly and magnificently, surrounded by gorgeous lights and flowers, as if the whole space had been decorated into a dreamlike world.

When Shi Liangdi appeared on stage amidst the crowd's escort, the venue instantly erupted with deafening cheers and applause.

Shi Liangdi's eyes smiled as she waved to the fans.

She wore simple yet clean attire, accompanied only by a few attendants, putting on no airs.

She stood at the center of the stage, cleared her throat, and spoke loudly: 'Villagers, everyone knows me; I am Shi Liangdi, the actress who played Xi'er. Now the imperial court is implementing land reform, which is a major matter concerning the future livelihood of us ordinary people. Just as in White-Haired Girl, Xi'er's family suffered greatly from the landlords' seizure of land; now the imperial court wishes to change this situation, returning the land to everyone so that we may all live good lives.'

Besides the fans, the surrounding villagers also gathered around, listening attentively.

After hearing her, everyone nodded and began to discuss in low voices.

At the same time, Shi Liangdi also used her connections with folk artists to organize a special street performance.

She invited artists skilled in storytelling and singing opera, incorporating land reform content into the performance.

The artists vividly recounted the misdeeds of the landlords and corrupt gentry, as well as the wonderful life the people would enjoy after land reform.

Shi Liangdi also personally took the stage, performing another classic segment of Xi'er, then shifted her tone and said: 'Villagers, Xi'er's misfortune stemmed from unequal land; now the imperial court is standing up for us, implementing land reform, and we must certainly support it.'

The audience below watched, their blood boiling, and they all expressed willingness to cooperate with the imperial court's reform measures.

To expand the publicity reach, Shi Liangdi also leveraged the power of Great Han Media.

She collaborated with the Great Han Women's Daily, publishing an article on land reform, using her own personal experience and insights to explain to broad female readers the importance of land reform for families.

Upon publication, the article sparked a strong response among women; many female readers wrote letters to the newspaper, saying they would support their husbands' participation in land reform to secure a better life for their families.

Thanks to Shi Liangdi's unremitting efforts, public approval of the land reform grew ever higher.

Everyone shifted from initial doubt and watchfulness to active cooperation, morale soaring.

Soon, large amounts of the seized land were successfully reclaimed.

Liu Ju understood that the Equal Field System concerned the foundations of the state and people's livelihood; after repeatedly discussing with the multitude of ministers in the imperial court, he finalized a detailed implementation plan.

He first ordered a comprehensive land survey of the entire country, dispatching professional measurement teams to go into every commandery and county, every village.

These teams were led by experienced officials, equipped with advanced surveying tools, ensuring the land data were precise and error-free.

To prevent the landlords and corrupt gentry from covertly obstructing, Liu Ju arranged for censors to accompany and supervise the teams; if anyone was found interfering with the survey, they would be severely punished without leniency.

After the survey was completed, Liu Ju, based on population size, land fertility, and other factors, formulated a strict allocation standard.

For farmers with little or no land, priority was given to allocating high-quality farmland, ensuring they had enough land to sustain their livelihood.

At the same time, farmers were encouraged to reclaim wasteland, with a promise that the reclaimed land would belong to them, and taxes would be reduced or exempted for a certain period.

To ensure the policy's smooth implementation, Liu Ju required local governments to establish dedicated Equal Field System implementation agencies, responsible for registering records, distributing land contracts, and so on.

During the pilot implementation in Yanjing, Liu Ju personally went to the site to oversee.

He patiently explained the benefits of the Equal Field System to the villagers: 'Villagers, the Equal Field System simply means that everyone will have land to farm; thereafter life will get better and better. You need no longer suffer the landlords' extortion; the grain you grow will be yours.'

The villagers listened attentively, their eyes full of anticipation.

When the land distribution plan was announced, the people's response was fervently extraordinary.

The farmers who received land contracts were moved to tears, their eyes brimming; an old farmer with white hair trembled as he clutched the contract, his voice choking: 'In my lifetime I never dreamed I could own my own land. Your Majesty, sage and bright, this is a lifeline for us poor folk!'

The youngsters, meanwhile, cheered and leapt about, spreading the word: 'From now on we too can rely on our own land to live well, never again having to look at others' faces!'

Everyone then planted their own markers on the newly allocated land, planning their future farming schemes.

With land, our family can raise some livestock; our life will surely become prosperous.

Yes, we must work hard; we cannot let down His Majesty's good intentions.

The people held the land contracts in their hands, their faces beaming with happy smiles.

The land reform achieved an initial victory in the Yanjing region.