In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 879 Dreams and Hopes

The prisoners' joy seemed to infect the centurion, who smiled as he watched the cheering prisoners. After they calmed down a bit, he pressed his hands down to signal them to be quiet.

“I know that many of you were once serfs, but…”

The centurion grinned and said, "After leaving this prisoner-of-war camp, you will no longer be serfs! Commander Yang has decided to pardon you. From now on, you will no longer be serfs, but registered citizens, and respectable people!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell silent again. All the prisoners of war stared wide-eyed at the centurion, as if they could not accept the news for a moment.

Wow!

After a brief silence, the prisoners of war erupted in waves of screams!

"Really? We're really not going to be serfs anymore?"

"Is this true?"

"Will I no longer be a serf?"

"Hahahaha! I'm finally free from being a serf!"

"..."

If not for the pressures of life, no one would willingly be inferior, willing to be a lowly slave with no freedom, toiling like cattle and horses all day for just two meals a day.

So when the centurion said that he would no longer be a serf, the prisoners of war present couldn't help but cheer.

Even Xu Sanyang's long-numbed eyes seemed to regain a glimmer of life. His greatest dream had always been to escape his serfdom and gain his own freedom, and at this moment, he seemed to see a glimmer of hope for his dream to come true...

Xu Sanyang couldn't help but raise his head, his breathing slightly rapid, staring intently at the centurion in front of him, his eyes filled with longing.

Among the prisoners of war, someone couldn't help but shout, "General, is this true? We're really not serfs anymore?"

"it is true."

The centurion nodded with a smile: "After you leave the prisoner-of-war camp tomorrow, you can go to the government office in the prefectural city to register your household registration. After registration, you will be subjects of Commander Yang and no longer serfs!"

"That's wonderful! Long live King Yang!"

"Long live Heavenly King Yang! Long live Heavenly King Yang!"

"King Yang is truly a just and upright official! We are finally free from being serfs!"

"Hahaha! I'll never have to be enslaved by others again!"

"Long live King Yang! Long live the Yang Family Army!"

"..."

The prisoners of war shouted "Long live King Yang!" once again, their gratitude towards Yang Zheng reaching its peak.

Hearing the prisoners of war's rousing voices, Xu Sanyang couldn't help but shout along. At that moment, his excitement was the same as everyone else's.

The fundamental reason why he lost enthusiasm for life was actually his status as a serf.

This identity was like a shackle, making his future predictable and leaving him with nothing of his own. It completely robbed him of his passion for life, and he even lost the desire to get married and have children.

And now...

This shackle has finally been broken. No longer a serf, he can do what he wants, plan his future, and even consider getting married and having children so that his bloodline can be passed on...

At this moment, Xu Sanyang thought about many things, filled with anticipation for the future and gratitude for Yang Zheng and the Yang family army.

"Quiet down, everyone!"

The centurion pressed his hands down again, and after everyone quieted down, he continued, "In addition to freeing you from your serf status, Commander Yang has also decided to distribute land to you!"

Land allocation?

The prisoners of war were stunned; they were overwhelmed by the surprises and couldn't immediately grasp what the centurion meant.

The centurion patiently explained to everyone, "Commander Yang said that you were all serfs before and did not own any land. Even if you were released from your serf status, you would not be able to support yourselves. Therefore, Commander Yang has decided to distribute land to you!"

Anyone who leaves the prisoner-of-war camp and registers at the prefectural government office can receive more than 5 mu of farmland. The specific farmland area depends on the number of people in the family: a single person can receive 5 mu, a couple can receive 8 mu, and a family of three can receive 13 mu..."

As the centurion slowly explained the land distribution policy, the eyes of the prisoners of war present widened. To be honest, the mere fact that they were freed from their serf status was enough to surprise and delight them, filling them with gratitude towards the Yang family army and Yang Zheng.

Who would have thought that Yang's army not only freed them from their serf status, but also allocated land to them, allowing them to own their own fields!

The surprises were so numerous and overwhelming that the prisoners of war present felt as if they were dreaming.

"Did I hear that right? King Yang not only wants to free us from our serf status, but also wants to distribute land to us?"

"My goodness! King Yang is so generous!"

"Is this...I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"I never dreamed such a good thing could happen!"

"Yang Tianwang is truly a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering!"

"..."

Many of the prisoners of war present couldn't help but shed tears. As serfs, they longed for a piece of land of their own. When they learned that they had a chance to own a piece of land, they could no longer control their emotions and wept with joy.

"Of course, this land does not belong to you, but to the Yang family army and to King Yang."

The centurion continued, "Simply put, you can cultivate the land you are given, and the crops you grow belong to you. However, the land itself does not belong to you, and you have no right to sell it."

This was a policy implemented by Yang Zheng to prevent land consolidation. Whether in Liangzhou or in Youzhou, which he had just conquered, Yang Zheng implemented the same policy: the land belonged to the government, and the farmers who received the land only had the right to use it, not the right to own it.

The advantage of doing this is that it can prevent the consolidation of land and prevent land from being concentrated in the hands of powerful families, thus preventing a situation where the rich own vast tracts of land while the poor have nowhere to stand.

The people of Liangzhou were quite supportive of this policy, but the prisoners of war on site did not quite understand it.

"General, what do you mean by that? Does that mean the land isn't ours?"

A serf who was relatively close to the centurion asked.

"Correct!"

The centurion nodded: "However, as long as you do not break the law, the land will always belong to you. You and your descendants can continue to cultivate the land. Except for the fact that you cannot sell it, the land is no different from your own."

"I see!"

The prisoners of war suddenly realized that their biggest worry from the beginning was that Yang's army would take back the land; as for selling the land...