Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 440 Let’s Just Talk About Benefits
When Baochai returned to her residence, she met Aunt Xue and Xue Pan. The three of them were living in the Jia Mansion, but they had to let Baochai deliver the letter, which was quite embarrassing.

"What did Second Brother Lian say?" Before Baochai came back, Xue Pan was like an ant on hot pan, paced around in circles. When he saw her come back, he couldn't wait to ask.

Baochai glanced at her brother, then turned to Aunt Xue and said, "I came back before Second Brother Lian finished reading the letter and just said a few words. Isn't it too utilitarian for my uncle to do this?"

What this means is that Xue Pan followed Wang Ziteng. Although it was not considered poaching, he could not escape the suspicion of using people for his own benefit and not for his own benefit.

After hearing this, Xue Pan knew that Jia Lian had received the letter and his attitude was acceptable, so he waved his hand and said, "You don't understand. The Jia and Wang families are originally a relationship of interest. Unfortunately, the marriage is between the second branch, and none of the old and the young are up to the task. Although my uncle got to power with the help of the Jia family, he also gave back to the Jia family afterwards. With the vision of Second Brother Lian, he can see it clearly."

Baochai disagreed with Xue Pan's words, but she didn't argue. The two of them understood the problem from different angles. In Baochai's view, Jia Lian still valued feelings and family affection. Otherwise, with his current status, the old lady would have to obey if he asked the second house to move out of the middle courtyard. Not doing so was to protect the old lady's face. The Xue family talked about interests with Jia Lian, and there was really not much they could offer.

So, what Baochai meant was that Wang Ziteng and Jia Lian talked about interests, but the Xue family cannot just talk about interests.

"Brother, you should go there in person tomorrow to get a reply." Baochai's words made Xue Pan shake his head. He used to be afraid of his uncle, but now he is most afraid of Brother Lian. It is better not to make him unhappy. Thinking this in his heart, Xue Pan said, "Sister, you have more face, so you should go."

Baochai still refused to let him go and continued to persuade him: "Brother, go and admit your mistake and say that you will no longer sell opium. Brother Lian will naturally not hold it against you."

Xue Pan still shook his head. After being arrested, he was fined so much money. To redeem his status as an imperial merchant was another sum of money. If he didn't sell opium, how could he make his money back? However, he had thought about it. He would do wholesale business in Songjiang. The opium would not cross the Yangtze River, so there was no risk of being discovered by Jia Lian.

Xue Pan can be said to be mature, but also immature. Maturity means only caring about interests, and immaturity is because he did not see Jia Lian clearly.

The next day, Baochai came to Jia Lian again, under the pretext of asking for a reply. Jia Lian, who had just finished his shift, met her in the study.

"I've read the letter. What Wang Taiwei said can be handled impartially. Let Xue Pan act as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and go through the procedures at the R&D Department. There are many troops waiting for equipment. If you want to get it in advance, you need to add 20% of the fee. This way, I can give an explanation to my superiors and subordinates. I won't write a reply. You can just take the message directly. It's getting late. I won't keep you any longer."

Jia Lian came straight to the point and made his point clear. Baochai took note of it silently and left sadly. Obviously, Xue Pan's failure to admit his mistake had serious consequences.

Aren't you only concerned with profit? Then let's settle the accounts clearly.

So, does the status of a relative play a role? Of course, but not much. If you want cheap equipment, you have to wait in line. If you want to get it in advance, you have to pay a premium.

The reason I can give you the opportunity to get it in advance at a premium is because we are relatives.

After Xue Baochai returned, she told the whole story truthfully, then went back to her room to rest in a listless manner.

After hearing this, Xue Pan's face changed from gloomy to bright. He stamped his feet angrily, then asked his mother to pack up and move back to the Xue family tomorrow. The wedding date would be in September, so they would have to prepare for the wedding in these two months.

The next day, Xue Pan left the household chores to Aunt Xue and Baochai, and went to the Research and Development Department early in the morning, holding a list and asking to see Jia Lian.

Unexpectedly, Jia Lian was not there, but went to the military academy. However, Jia Lian had explained that if Xue Pan was willing to pay more, he could pick up the goods in advance.

The normal selling price of a rifle is fifty yuan. If Xue Pan wants to get it in advance, he needs to pay sixty yuan.

At normal prices, the R&D department has a 40% profit, and after the price increase, it is even more amazing. It's not that Jia Lian is evil-minded. If he doesn't make money, how can he afford to spend on scientific research?
Another point is that Jia Lian wanted to create the impression that even in a government-run workshop, working here is a good job and can also improve the status of craftsmen.

Whether in the workshop age or the industrial age, skilled workers are the most valuable.

Xue Pan had no choice but to accept the reality of the price increase, took away a batch of arms, and in the name of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, quickly loaded them on a ship and headed south along the sea route.

The hottest days of dog days have finally passed, but people are still very uncomfortable due to the heat. Emperor Chenghui still stays in the imperial villa in Xishan. In addition to reviewing memorials as usual every day, he often calls Li Yuan and Li Heng over to let them have some contact and see how he handles state affairs.

Just now, a report came from the cabinet that Xue Pan, who was under Wang Ziteng’s command, had taken away a batch of military supplies.

Emperor Chenghui deliberately did not mention the issue of price increase, but directly asked the two brothers to express their opinions on the matter.

Li Yuan, who didn't know much about Jia Lian, said naturally: "It's understandable that this matter is inappropriate. Although it's a public matter, we still have to consider human feelings."

Although it is not said explicitly, the meaning is obvious, implying that Jia Lian took care of Wang Ziteng. Since the two families are relatives, it is understandable. It is within the normal range, which shows that Jia Lian is also a person who values ​​relationships.

Li Heng had a different opinion. In fact, even if he didn't have one, he would have to argue about it because he couldn't agree with Li Yuan.

"In my opinion, there must be something hidden behind this matter."

Li Heng got extra points, and Emperor Chenghui immediately looked at him with interest and asked, "Why do you think so?"

Li Heng didn't know the truth, so he just tried to explain it away: "Everyone says Jia Lian is domineering, but I've worked with him before and I know he's a very steady and moderate person. Although the Jia and Wang families are relatives, they are not enough to make Jia Lian open the door to convenience. So there must be other reasons that we haven't found out yet."

Emperor Chenghui chuckled, "No need to check. Jia Lian's report to the cabinet clearly stated that Wang Ziteng raised the price by 20% and took the equipment. The Beijing Camp spent the money from the court. How could the chief officers of the various departments be willing to spend more? Just to get the equipment in advance?"

Li Yuan's heart was slightly moved when he heard this, and he asked, "Father, in order to make more money, the R&D Department delayed the equipment installation of the Beijing Battalion. Does the army have any objection?"

"So what if there are objections? The workshop is in Jia Lian's hands, and the Ministry of Works has not allocated a single cent. If Jia Lian doesn't make money, are you going to let so many craftsmen starve? No matter how jealous the Ministry of Works is, no one dares to ask for the workshop to be taken back. Do you know why?"

Li Yuan naturally understood what Emperor Chenghui said. The annual allocation of the Ministry of Revenue was fixed and written in the budget. The Ministry of Works could save a sum of money every year, so naturally it had no face to make a fuss.

“But, wasn’t the equipment for the Beijing Army directly allocated by the imperial court in the past?” Li Yuan still didn’t understand and asked specifically.

Emperor Chenghui said calmly: "Go ask the people in the Beijing camp whether they are willing to spend money to buy the equipment produced by the R&D Department, or use the equipment allocated by the court for free."

Li Yuan was very stubborn and immediately said, "I'll go ask right away." He left immediately and said goodbye. Li Heng was still there, looking at the second brother who was leaving in silence.

Emperor Chenghui even joked: "Third brother, why don't you go and ask?"

Li Heng said, "Father, I once followed Niu Jizong to Liangjiang and stayed in the army for a while. When I was in Nanjing, I went to the Nanjing official warehouse to collect equipment. The scales I received were all scattered armor plates with a lot of rust on them. They needed to be cleaned and polished again, and the officers and soldiers had to string them together themselves before they could be barely used. As for the fire guns, they were even more rusty and exploded after just a few shots. They could only be used to scare the local garrison and make peace. If a real fight broke out, it would definitely delay important matters."

When Emperor Chenghui heard him say this, he sighed and said, "Liangjiang, Prime Minister Sun chopped off many heads in Liangjiang."

Li Heng continued: "The gentry in Liangjiang are cunning and can only be suppressed by Prime Minister Sun's iron fist."

"Oh, what do you think of the gentry?" Emperor Chenghui became interested and wanted to give his son a lesson.

Li Heng did not answer in a hurry this time. Instead, he thought for a long time before saying, "Officials cannot govern local areas without the help of gentry. Gentry are local bosses, and officials are all floating officials. After a short three-year term, officials with poor ability and lazy governance may have been transferred before they have even understood the situation. Liangjiang is rich, and local officials in Liangjiang used to be in great demand at the Ministry of Personnel. Now it is not as good as before."

Emperor Chenghui laughed loudly, slapped his legs a few times before he stopped laughing and said, "This is the reason why I use Prime Minister Sun to rule Liangjiang. I gave him the imperial sword to do things as he saw fit, and Prime Minister Sun will not show mercy when killing people. In other places, we can emphasize the objective difficulties, but Liangjiang, the richest place in the world, has no right to bargain with the court. Jia Lian once said that if the gentry had the ability, they could just rebel."

Li Heng sneered and said, "How can the gentry have the courage to rebel? They have been living a comfortable life and have lost their courage long ago. The local officials hold power, so what if the local gentry do not cooperate? Unfortunately, not every official is Zhang Xiang and Sun Xiang. When it comes to official business, they are ruthless. The court has treated the gentry well enough, and they are still not satisfied, so they should not blame the court for the pain when the knife falls on them!"

Once again feeling that Li Heng was a decisive person, Emperor Chenghui was a little confused. He had been optimistic about Li Yuan and put a lot of effort into cultivating him, but he had indeed neglected Li Heng a little.

Now it seems that Li Yuan is too soft-hearted, lacks independent thinking, and is unable to humble himself and go to the grassroots to understand the situation. On the contrary, Li Heng has been inseparable from the grassroots since he started the newspaper. He has a clearer understanding of the grassroots situation than Li Yuan.

Speaking of which, Li Yuan did make some progress after going to Shuntian Prefecture, but he was still inferior to Li Heng.

Unconsciously, the balance in Emperor Chenghui's heart began to tilt, but he himself had not noticed it yet. Instead, he felt a little guilty towards Li Heng.

People should be compared together to show their differences.

It can be seen that when training the princes, they should be placed directly at the grassroots level and be close to the people. Like Li Yuan, who was in the six ministries at the beginning and stayed in the high-level for a long time, he was destined to be unable to empathize with the grassroots. Over time, he would naturally make jokes like "Why don't you eat meat porridge?"

Emperor Chenghui reflected on himself and felt somewhat regretful, but it was not too late. Li Yuan was like this now, and he knew that he had to go and check what had happened personally.

What a pity, this kid is still too rigid. He doesn't even know to read the report forwarded by the cabinet directly. Jia Lian said it clearly in it.

Li Yuan's way of understanding the problem was very direct. He left Xishan Imperial Manor and rode directly to the capital.

After arriving at the R&D Department but finding it empty, he went to the Military Academy. Just then, Jia Lian was finishing his get out of class, so Li Yuan stepped forward to greet the teacher.

When it comes to etiquette, Jia Lian admires Li Yuan very much. This guy has the ability to seriously acknowledge Jia Lian as the teacher from whom he has received a lesson.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Li Yuan exudes the temperament of a modest gentleman.

The problem is, it is enough to be a modest gentleman on the outside, but you cannot be a gentleman on the inside. How can a person who wants to be an emperor be a gentleman?

Jia Lian turned aside as usual to avoid the full greeting, and then returned the greeting: "Second Prince, what do you want to say to me?"

Li Yuan explained his purpose. Jia Lian was stunned. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Didn't the Second Prince read the report that Jia gave to the Cabinet? Although the R&D Department does not pay taxes and is not controlled by the Ministry of Revenue, its accounts must be clear for easy auditing. The accountant of the R&D Department will submit a summary to the Cabinet every month so that the accounts can be checked at any time."

Li Yuan was stunned. There is such a thing? Wait?
"Hey, I was in a hurry and came here directly. Mr. Jia, just tell me directly, what's going on?"

Jia Lian saw that Li Yuan was not a bad person, but he was not suitable for the system. The key point is that Li Yuan used to think highly of himself. Now he has changed a little, but it is limited.

Jia Lian explained the matter truthfully and said that Wang Ziteng intended to use troops in Annan, so he was given special treatment and allowed to take away the equipment at a higher price.

Li Yuan suddenly realized: "I remember now, the Annan envoy is in the capital, and my father has not met him yet. Could it be that..." The following words chilled the hearts of the vassal states.

Fortunately, Li Yuan was smart and reacted quickly and stopped in time.

Jia Lian still couldn't help but mention it: "Second Prince, you should go to Shaanxi and Gansu to see how the disaster victims there are doing and understand why the disaster victims have almost no ability to resist natural disasters?"

Li Yuan didn't understand what Jia Lian meant, but he asked back: "Is this the homework that Mr. Jia assigned to me?"

Fuck, when did I ever say I was assigning homework to you? Why should I be your teacher?

Jia Lian did not respond to his words, but said calmly: "It is getting late, I have to go off duty. Goodbye!"

Li Yuan was not angry at all. He stood where he was and respectfully watched Jia Lian leave.

This action made Jia Lian feel like a thorn in his side. If you continue like this, I will feel guilty if I set a trap for you in the future.

Li Yuan really took Jia Lian's words seriously. After leaving the military academy, he immediately went to the Inspectorate and found Lin Ruhai to ask him about the disaster situation in Shaanxi and Gansu and why the victims had no ability to resist the disaster.

Lin Ruhai was also dumbfounded. I was just working overtime, so why did the Second Prince still have to wait for me?
"Why does the Second Prince ask this question?" Lin Ruhai asked cautiously. Li Yuan told the truth, starting from Wang Ziteng raising the price to take away the arms, to the end of Jia Lian's question, everything was clear and understandable.

Lin Ruhai understood and hesitated for a moment: "When your Highness is free, go to the rural areas in the suburbs and take a look. If you still don't understand after you come back, I will explain it to you."

(End of this chapter)