Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 447 It's confirmed that this child has a serious illness
The two of them stayed together for the entire afternoon before they finally took a break. Old Lady You asked when dinner would be served. She lifted the corner of the curtain and took a look. She found that her second sister had already gotten up. She had a rosy face and was sitting in front of the mirror, putting her hair in a bun.

There was a banknote on the dressing table. When the second sister saw my mother coming in, she pushed it towards me and said, "Let me buy a pair of red candles to light at night."

Old Lady You wanted to take a look at the inner room behind the curtain, but she didn't dare to do so. She didn't rush to get the banknotes and asked in a low voice, "Are you resting?"

The second sister whispered, "He has only slept for less than half an hour. Let him sleep a little longer."

Old Lady You took out the banknote and saw that it was a fifty-yuan note. She said to herself, "What kind of red candle costs fifty silver dollars?"

The third sister was standing at the opposite door and watching. She was not a money-lover, but she loved handsome men. Jia Lian could satisfy her preference. He was handsome and heroic.

Old Lady You came over to talk to her: "Are you feeling sad?"

The third sister snorted, lifted the curtain and went back into the room.

Old Lady You stood at the door and said, "Marrying a man means providing clothes and food. That's called reality. He's a busy man, how can he have the time to play with you?"

The third sister didn't say anything inside, so Old Lady You left, thinking in her heart, "I don't know how much money Mr. Jia gave to the second sister to settle down. He has always been generous, so it must be a lot. I will find time to ask her later. I can still count on her to subsidize the family expenses in the future."

In the evening, another table was ordered. Only the second sister and Jia Lian ate in front of a pair of lit red candles. Old Lady You and the third sister ate the leftovers from lunch in another room, muttering to themselves, "This is called being frugal and managing the household."

Jia Lian stood up and was also quite curious, and asked his second sister casually: "Your mother is willing to give up such a beautiful girl."

The second sister whispered, "What's that? In Hexi, you could pick any virgin girl for five taels of silver. A Hu girl could be taken home with a feast."

Jia Lian was surprised and asked, "Isn't that possible?" This price was too arbitrary.

"General Wang led troops in the Western Regions and sent back many Hu concubines. Only those who were good-looking and had no odor were worth a few dollars. If you take ordinary-looking ones home, you have to spend food to support them."

After hearing what You Erjie said, Jia Lian understood what was going on. It was all Wang Ziteng's fault. He had killed too many Hu girls in the Western Regions and sent too many Hu girls back, which destroyed the industry's ecology.

"Hexi Hu Ji is worthless. If a poor man has some money in his pocket and cannot afford a Han girl, he will marry a Hu Ji."

When Jia Lian heard her discuss the price of a person so coldly, his heart trembled slightly.

I remember when I was in Zhangjiakou, I saw many people selling their children in the market. It wasn't that the parents were cruel, but they really couldn't support their children and wanted to find a way to make a living.

Not to mention this era, even in modern times, in some war-torn areas, women are still commodities, and most of them are organ donors.

The phenomenon of cannibalism has always existed. It's just that a certain country protects its people very well, making many people think that everything is taken for granted.

I'm really lucky to be able to wear Jia Lian's clothes. If I were Jia Qiang, Jia Zhen would stare at my butt all day long. I would break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. I might as well just hit my head against the wall and die.

After a night of wind and rain, the ground was covered with withered flowers.

Early in the morning, after Jia Lian left, Old Lady You immediately went into her second sister's room and looked around. Her second sister, who was still lying on the kang, sat up and looked at her calmly.

Old Lady You laughed awkwardly: "Let me see what's not cleaned up!"

You Erjie opened the drawer of the dressing table, took out a banknote, put it in front of her and said, "From now on, every month's expenses will be on me. This is this month's."

Old Lady You took it and took a look. It turned out to be a hundred taels. She immediately smiled and put it away, saying, "I'm doing this for your own good!"

You Erjie didn't say anything. No matter how she behaved, she refused to show off her wealth. Only then did You Lao Niang leave angrily and let the maid come in to serve your second sister.

You Erjie took a look at the box and saw an envelope at the bottom. The money for watercolor and one thousand taels of silver given by Jia Lian for settling down were all kept at the bottom of the box and locked. She was protecting her mother from this.

As for the monthly expenses, Jia Lian would send them on time, so the second sister didn't have to use her savings.

The maid came in and the second sister asked her to go out and continue lying down until noon.

While she was still washing and combing her hair, a servant came to the door with something in his hand, saying that it was a gift from Jia Lian to her second sister.

The startled You Lao Niang and Third Sister came out. Second Sister refused to let them take the heavy box and went back to the house. Third Sister and Lao Niang followed in.

The second sister opened the box and took a look. Her heart suddenly twitched. The box was extremely delicately made. There were three layers of drawers in total. The top layer contained three gold hairpins, the middle layer contained three gold locks, and the bottom layer contained bracelets, rings, and earrings. The bracelets were a pair of gold and a pair of jade. The rings were a ruby, a green jadeite, and a pearl. There were also three types of earrings, each a pair.

Old Lady You exclaimed: "This must be over a thousand taels, what a huge sum of money."

Actually, Jia Lian didn't spend a penny. He brought back all the money from the war and kept it quietly. He used it to reward the maids every now and then. This time, he spent some time to buy an agarwood box. It looks very high-end. These are just a small part. There are still a lot of things in Jia Lian's box, all of which were stolen from the thieves.

It's very troublesome to sell these things, it's better to give them away.

At this moment, You Erjie was completely devoted to Jia Lian. She put away her box and said to her mother, "My master said that if we have a child in the future, we should give him the surname You to continue the family line."

Hearing this, Old Lady You became jealous and wished she were 20 years younger. Third Sister also felt a little uncomfortable. If she were bolder, she would also have such jewelry.

Jia Lian was naturally not stingy when giving gifts. In this era, there was no need to worry at all. He could just hand in 8,000 yuan a month working outside, and the women at home would create a grassland for others to gallop on.

Jia Lian worked during the day, and after get off work he did not go to You's house, but returned to his own room. Suddenly, he felt guilty, opened the box, took out three gold hairpins, and called Xiangling to give her one.

"I see you don't have any jewelry, take this and wear it." Xiangling accepted it happily. Her mother has been in poor health recently and she has to go take care of her all the time, so she felt a little embarrassed. She moved closer and rubbed against it: "If you are not feeling well, I won't be back tonight! Just focus on Xiren!"

This was something Jia Lian had not expected. Xiangling went there happily. Jia Lian thought about it and realized that it was true that the only person in the family who could be openly jealous was Wang Xifeng.

Thinking of her plump figure after having two children, Jia Lian couldn't help feeling agitated. He put away the remaining gold hairpins and went to the main room.

After having dinner with Wang Xifeng in the evening, Jia Lian had no intention of moving. He sat there and drank tea leisurely.

Seeing that he didn't leave, didn't play with his daughter, and didn't hold his son, Wang Xifeng couldn't help asking, "What's the matter?"

Jia Lian raised his hand and slid it behind her. Wang Xifeng suddenly tensed up. Jia Lian smiled and said, "Why, there is no place for me in this room?" Wang Xifeng finally understood what he meant. Her eyes suddenly turned red and she gently twisted her waist and said, "Then I'll have someone tell me tomorrow if there's anything to do. Go to bed early tonight."

Then she thought about the fact that she hadn't had any contact with Jia Lian for several months, and her eyes rolled suddenly. She called Ping'er and whispered some instructions to her.

After the courtyard door was locked, Jia Lian realized Ping'er was there too. The two of them showed no moral ethics and oppressed her severely until midnight before letting her go.

The next day, Jia Lian got up with a shaky step, and he reflected on himself three times a day: [I have consumed too much energy recently, so I will start to abstain from sex today! ]

Unexpectedly, the plan did not change quickly enough. When he was off duty, he met Guixiang on the way, and she looked at him with resentment.

Fortunately, no big deal happened, and even if there was a big deal, Jia Lian was unwilling to get involved.

The next day, Jia Lian continued to walk unsteadily to the Royal Military Academy for the tactical class. When he saw Li Yuan head-on, his heart skipped a beat.

"Mr. Jia!" Li Yuan's attitude was truly impeccable.

Jia Lian quickly stepped aside and folded his arms, "Greetings, Second Prince. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Li Yuan said: "I have been walking in the farmhouses in the suburbs these days, and I just came back yesterday. This time I know how hard life is!"

Jia Lian responded casually: "Your Highness is smart!"

Unexpectedly, Li Yuan said: "It's not easy to be a gentry either!"

Jia Lian...???
Li Yuan was still talking to himself: "The county magistrates of each county give all the taxes to the gentry. In good years, it's OK, but in bad years, the gentry have to pay a large sum of money to collect the taxes."

Jia Lian was shocked when he heard this. Is this how you go down to the grassroots level?

Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "There is drought in many places in the northwest this year. Although the court has provided relief, it can only solve the crisis temporarily. Your Highness, maybe you can take the initiative to volunteer to go and see the relief situation?"

What do you mean? Wait until you go and see the living conditions of the victims before you say that “it’s not easy for the gentry either”.

Li Yuan was a very soft-hearted person. After listening to Jia Lian's words, he thought about it seriously and said, "That's good. Father has too many things to worry about. As a son, I should share his worries." Then he clasped his hands towards Jia Lian and said, "Thank you, Lord Jia, for reminding me. I will go to the palace now."

Emperor Chenghui was shocked to learn that Li Yuan was going to Shaanxi and Gansu. It's already the end of the year, and your trip to Shaanxi and Gansu will delay the New Year.

Emperor Chenghui, who had always been patient with Li Yuan, asked him patiently this time: "Why do you have this thought?"

Li Yuan explained the whole story clearly, and started from the original problem.

After Emperor Chenghui understood, he was mixed with sadness and joy. He was sad because the child might have some serious illness as how could he say such nonsense as "it's not easy for a gentry either". But he was happy because he was willing to go and see him first.

Li Yuan saw that Emperor Chenghui had a gloomy expression, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, "Father, there is something I don't understand!"

Emperor Chenghui put aside his complicated feelings and smiled: "Ask!"

Li Yuan said seriously, "Master Jia can grow green vegetables in winter, why is he unwilling to promote this? When I go out, local officials and gentry often complain that Master Jia only knows how to benefit himself by growing winter vegetables, but is unwilling to benefit the people."

When Emperor Chenghui heard what he said, he almost vomited blood.

It was confirmed that the child was indeed seriously ill.

"Second brother, as the sage said, 'You know the facts but not the reasons behind them', that's what he was talking about." Emperor Chenghui suppressed his disappointment and still gave Li Yuan enough patience.

After hearing these words, Li Yuan looked ashamed and quickly bowed and folded his hands: "I am stupid and have disappointed you, father."

Emperor Chenghui sighed and said, "Don't listen to one side of the story. You only heard that Jia Lian's winter vegetables made money, but you didn't know that Jia Lian had to pay 1 million taels of land rent to the treasury every year. You didn't see that the county magistrate and the gentry complained because they were jealous and Jia Lian treated the farmers in the farm well. In contrast, they seemed to be inferior gentry. Don't rush to Shaanxi and Gansu. Take a look below. Don't alarm the county magistrate and the local gentry this time. I will let Long Jinwei escort you to the countryside in plain clothes. Take a good look at what it means to be a gentry. It's not easy."

As for Li Yuan, Jia Lian was more concerned with killing him than burying him, mainly because the kid's brain was indeed not very flexible.

In comparison, Li Heng is much more flexible. He runs a newspaper and has seen all kinds of strange things.

Li Heng came to be the emperor's student on a daily basis. When he saw Li Yuan, who looked serious, on the way, he quickly stopped to greet him. Li Yuan was a little distracted and didn't see him. He only realized it when he heard his voice and quickly responded with a greeting: "Excuse me!"

Li Heng was a little curious. Who was so powerful that Li Yuangan looked dazed? Could it be that his father had dealt a heavy blow to him?
When Li Heng arrived, Emperor Chenghui thought of Li Yuan and asked him, "Third brother, you have been to Jiangnan. Do you think that the gentry below will really lose money if they help the county magistrate collect taxes?"

Li Heng laughed out loud: "Father, whose foolish child would think like that? Speak out and make your son happy."

Emperor Chenghui's face darkened immediately: "Answer truthfully, no frivolous smiles are allowed."

Li Heng sneered, "I don't know about other places, but I do know something about the areas around the capital and the two Jiangs. Let's talk about the counties around the capital first. In good years, it's better. In bad years, any gentry who can leave a bite of life-saving bran for the tenants are conscientious gentry. Jiangnan has developed industry and commerce, and labor is valuable. The people don't rely entirely on the land to survive. If there is no natural disaster that destroys the crops, most of them can live better than the people in the suburbs of Beijing. Speaking of the gentry suffering losses for the court's money and grain, I really don't agree. As far as I know, for every penny the gentry gives to the court, most of them will collect three cents first. This is also conscientious. The more ruthless ones will collect five cents, and the more ruthless ones can collect seven or eight cents. The gentry takes 70% of the extra money, and the county magistrate takes 30%."

Emperor Chenghui was silent after hearing his words. Was this the character of the gentry in the Great Zhou under his rule?
Seeing the emperor silent, Li Heng hesitated a little, not knowing whether he should continue speaking. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "There are even more cruel ones!"

Emperor Chenghui finally couldn't remain silent any longer: "Oh, how can it be more cruel?"

Li Heng said, "I heard from Jia Lian that when the Yunyang uprising broke out, the governor collected taxes for the next five years in advance in order to suppress the rebellion. Even so, the uprising was still not suppressed."

Jia Lian was not present. If he had been, he would have told him where they had just arrived and that they would be collected ninety-nine years in advance.

Emperor Chenghui was a little dazed. He actually knew about this matter and was very angry at the time. The governor was later exiled to the new province and asked to collect taxes from Mo Sha.

"In governing a country, the administration of officials comes first!" Emperor Chenghui said these words in a heavy voice.

"Father, your majesty is wise. This is why the Former Han Dynasty moved local tyrants to Bashang. However, the Former Han Dynasty was eventually usurped by Wang Mang. Although Emperor Guangwu was wise and powerful and rebuilt China, he was unable to suppress the local gentry and ultimately chose to rule the country together with them. This is a lesson for future generations!"

Li Heng spoke very fluently. His recent reading of history books was finally putting them to good use.

(End of this chapter)