Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 456: A new force taking shape at the grand court
Neither side was able to convince the other, so naturally they went their separate ways. Fortunately, neither of them was the type to be either-or, so there was no unpleasant scene.

Jia Min packed her luggage and prepared to return to her parents' home, and Daiyu naturally followed her. Jia Lian came alone, and brought two with him when he left.

When Jia's mother saw Jia Min, she exclaimed, "It's almost New Year's Day, why did your master ask you to come back?"

Jia Min smiled and explained, "It's just two days. It won't interfere with the New Year."

The main reason was that they were close, so neither side needed to carry too much luggage. Even so, Jia Min and Daiyu each brought four boxes, and a dozen maids and servants.

The Governor-General's wife's appearance cannot be too bad.

Jia Min asked about family matters, mainly concerned about Baoyu. After learning about Jia Lian's arrangements for Baoyu, she couldn't help but praise: "That's exactly what should be done!"

Mrs. Wang stood by with a forced smile on her face. Although she thought that Jia Lian was right and did the right thing, and Jia Min also agreed with him, she just felt uncomfortable.

When Baoyu learned that Daiyu was coming, he ran over as fast as he could. Daiyu covered her face with a fan and hid behind her mother.

Baoyu suddenly felt as if he had lost his parents. Such a beautiful sister was not willing to let him take a good look at her.

"Sister, why are you so distant?" Baoyu came forward with a drooling face and spoke. Daiyu said calmly, "We are normal relatives. Men and women should still maintain strict separation. How can you say we are distant?"

The implication is that you are no longer a child and can no longer be as indifferent as before.

"Sister Baochai has never done that." Baoyu said this unconsciously. Daiyu's face suddenly changed and she turned and left.

Don't talk about cousins. If you really want to be specific, Baoyu is also a stranger. How can a lady from a noble family look down on strangers?
Although the etiquette is hateful, it is the rule now. To be honest, Baochai's behavior may not seem like a big deal to modern people, but the people in ancient times who were particular about etiquette would really not be able to stand it.

Of course, this set of rules is only strictly enforced in wealthy families, and ordinary families don't have so many requirements.

Jia Min remained calm, but in her heart she was thinking, "I didn't see you covering your face when you met Jia Lian. You have been raised to this age in vain!"

Jia Lian sent the person off and left without following suit to receive them.

Upon learning that Baoyu had pestered Daiyu several times but had not been able to see her, Jia Lian felt very emotional and flapped his wings a little harder like a little butterfly.

In fact, young men like Baoyu are quite common in wealthy families. It all depends on their upbringing.

Jia Lian had no intention of caring about the affairs of Baoyu and Daiyu. It was the end of the year and he couldn't just stay at home and not go out.

So, the next day, I had to go to give New Year gifts to Zhang Tingen. For other families, Lin Zhixiao could just go, but for Zhang Tingen's family, I had to go in person.

It was a coincidence, but not really a coincidence. Wu Anzhong came to Beijing and Zhang Tingen became the prime minister. The people below flattered him, and Wu Anzhong was promoted from a seventh-rank county magistrate of a Zhong County to a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel.

After the two met, Jia Lian mocked him rudely: "It's really easy to be an official if you have someone in the court!"

Wu Anzhong's joy at reuniting with his old friend was not dampened by these words. He retorted, "You are already a fourth-rank official! You are temporarily assigned a second-rank official seal, and you still have the nerve to criticize me?"

Jia Lian wanted to retort, what is my contribution, what is your contribution, but he didn't say the words. After all, if there is any contribution, it should be attributed to you.

Without this background, there would be no chance for her to catch the emperor's eye, let alone get promoted and make money.

If you are really an ordinary Jinshi and meet a shitty boss, all your credit will be his. You have to do your job well and cannot refuse to take the blame, otherwise people will definitely put the blame on you.

The two chatted for a while, each talking about what happened in recent years. Wu Anzhong did quite well. He was in Jiangbei Province, and he was outstanding in the imperial examination, and he was a stable sixth-rank official. But he didn't expect to return to Beijing and join the Ministry of Personnel.

After serving as a local official for several years, Wu Anzhong has changed a lot, and he also expressed his concerns about the local situation.

"It's okay when the weather is good, but when there is a minor disaster or a shortage of food, it's really terrible. There are many gentry below who are not like human beings. I am just a county magistrate, a local parent, but they want to control me. They really don't know how to live or die." Wu Anzhong was full of emotion when he spoke. Since Jia Lian didn't ask, he didn't elaborate. Zhang Tingen happened to appear and interrupted their conversation.

After Zhang Ting'en greeted the two, he asked, "What is the relationship between Anzhong and the Qixia County Magistrate?"

"He's not from the same state, and I don't usually see him. I just know there's this guy. What's the matter?"

When Zhang Tingen talked about Tong Yang's case, Wu Anzhong also sighed: "This kind of case can still be investigated clearly, but some can't be investigated at all. When I first took office, the people rarely took the initiative to sue. Later, a local rogue colluded with petty officials to bully orphans and widows, thinking of getting both money and people. The victim was forced to go to court to file a complaint. I dealt with the rogue and the petty official, and also rectified the officials of the six departments. After the trial of this case, many people soon came to file complaints, and the situation was finally opened up."

Jia Lian joked, "When you left, didn't the people give you an umbrella?"

Wu Anzhong smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I left quietly, leaving the city gate early in the morning before daybreak. Guess what?"

Jia Lian didn't say anything, and Zhang Tingen didn't say anything either. They just looked at him.

Wu Anzhong sighed and rubbed his nose: "The roadside was full of people, just watching quietly. At that time, I felt... "

Jia Lian couldn't help but say, "The people have sharp eyes. They know best whether an official is good or not. What's funny is that an official like Tong Yang can also get an Outstanding Award."

Wu Anzhong glanced at Jia Lian calmly and said, "The Ministry of Personnel does have big problems. We must rectify them after the New Year. Although Liang Daoyuan is gone, the bad habits are still there. Officials protect each other, form cliques, and pretend to be in harmony with the world. After the task of promoting the three major laws nationwide is completed, the inspection team will be retained as a permanent institution, and it will keep an eye on these officials in the future."

Wu Anzhong clapped his hands and cheered, Jia Lian smiled but said nothing. What he was thinking was that the people in the inspection team were also human beings.

If we trace back to the root of all problems, aren’t they human problems?
Of course, the existence of such an institution will indeed play a role for local officials in the future, preventing them from being too unscrupulous.

It should be noted that county magistrates and prefects, who are close to the people, have great power, so great that they can decide the life and death of the people under their rule.

What would happen if there was no supervision over this right?
The court has the Inspectorate as a supervisory body, but how should we say it? It depends on the person. At present, Lin Ruhai is the second assistant of the cabinet and the left censor-in-chief, which fully illustrates the emperor's attitude.

Some officials behave like human beings, while others do not. No matter whether you behave like a human being or not, the system must force you to behave like a human being when it comes to superficial matters.

Of course, Jia Lian just watched these things, and if he didn't encounter them, he would just pretend he didn't know. The country is too big, there are too many people, and there are too many officials, so how can we take care of everything?

As long as he did his job well and was worthy of the salary, Jia Lian thought it was enough. Without staying at Zhang's house for dinner, Jia Lian took the initiative to say goodbye. Zhang Tingen expressed his understanding, after all, it was the end of the year and there were many things to do.

At the door of his house, he met Jian Renda, who was in plain clothes. After exchanging glances, the two walked to a secluded place to talk.

"We have investigated Pan Youan's case. When he was working as a clerk for a merchant, he did take some paper back for his own use. However, the merchant was a stingy person and used this as an excuse to embezzle his wages. Pan Youan made a fuss for a while but nothing happened. Now that he has a position in the military department, he went to ask for his original wages, and he wanted three times the original amount. His words were not pleasant to hear at the time, but young people can understand. The East City Censor Gu handled it too roughly, mainly because there is always a gap between him and this humble official."

Jian Renda spoke very clearly and in a polite manner, and he had no intention of taking the opportunity to spread rumors.

After Jia Lian listened to this and paused for a moment, he asked him, "Let's investigate more carefully to see if the people behind him have any intention of coveting the Bingmasi."

This sentence frightened Jian Renda so much that he broke into a cold sweat and cried out, "He dares?" But after thinking about it carefully, why wouldn't he dare? The Bingmasi Yamen is now a popular place, who wouldn't be jealous?

To put it bluntly, I can't afford to offend Lord Jia. Taking a step back, what if he is just testing me?

"What does your Excellency mean?" Jian Renda asked in a low voice with greater caution.

"No matter whether this happened or not, Lao Gu dealt with Pan Youan without even saying goodbye. This is disrespect for his superiors. After the New Year, you should submit a report and ask him to find another job."

Jia Lian's attitude was very clear: such a person must not be kept alive. To be honest, if he didn't beat him to death, he would be too soft-hearted.

"I understand!" Jian Renda didn't expect it at first, but after Jia Lian's reminder, he immediately felt that he must take it seriously.

There is another advantage to this matter. Dongcheng is a very lucrative area. Normally, the job of a city inspector is to leave after three years. Lao Gu has not even served three years yet, so it is not too much to let him leave early.

"Who is this replacement?" Jian Renda asked carefully again. Jia Lian waved his hand and said, "Pay attention to your eating manners!"

"I understand! I will go see Pan Youan right away and wish him a happy new year." Jian Renda took the initiative to take on the task, then said goodbye and left without even entering the door.

When Jia Lian returned to the gate of the courtyard, he saw Si Qi wandering around, and felt deeply moved. She was a good girl who dared to love and hate. If he could help her, he would help her.

"Second Master!" Si Qi's eyes were sharp, and she immediately trotted forward. Jia Lian smiled and said, "Go back and prepare for the New Year. Just go out and tell Yingchun first."

Si Qi was immediately delighted and thanked Jia Lian again and again. Just as she was about to leave, Jia Lian stopped her and handed her a fifty-liang note: "Give it to Pan Youan and tell him it's from me. Tell him to prepare well for the provincial examination."

Si Qi was stunned for a moment and didn't dare to take it. Jia Lian pushed it into her hand and said, "I will most likely be the chief examiner for the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination this year."

After saying that, Jia Lian left. Si Qi stood there, stunned. This thing that fell from the sky was not a pie in the sky, but rather enormous wealth.

Speaking of which, Si Qi went back to Yingchun to ask for leave to go out. Yingchun specifically asked her how things were going. After all, without Yingchun's nod, she wouldn't dare to trouble Jia Lian about Pan Youan's matter.

Si Qi explained in detail, and Yingchun was happy for her. She clapped her hands and said, "I knew that Second Brother is a very good person. You should go quickly, and don't come back too late, or people will gossip about you."

Si Qi left the Jia Mansion and went straight to the Pan family in the north of the city. The Pan family, which was able to support a scholar, had some financial resources, but they could not make ends meet with just one person studying.

Pan Youan saw Si Qi coming and wanted to let her in. Si Qi insisted on standing at the door to talk, so Pan Youan gave up.

After the explanation, Pan Youan was surprised and delighted. This was such good luck. In his excitement, he reached out to hold Si Qi's hand, but when she dodged him, he smiled and said, "Excuse me! Don't be angry, sister!"

Si Qi said, "Although I am a servant, the Second Master and Second Miss of the Jia family have never looked down on me. You should study hard, and when you pass the provincial examination, remember to invite a matchmaker to come to your house."

After saying that, he turned around and left without staying any longer. Pan Youan stood there, stroking his chin and thinking for a while, is this the so-called good fortune? Who would have thought that he could get in touch with Mr. Jia?
As soon as Si Qi left, Jian Renda, who had been standing aside and watching for a while, came forward. When Pan Youan saw him, he hurried forward to greet him.

Jian Renda had never understood why Jia Lian took care of a scholar who had nothing to do with him. Now he understood that there was a reason.

"Why was that person standing at the door and talking just now?" Jian Renda asked casually, but Pan Youan immediately replied, "My cousin is serving the second young lady of the Jia family."

At this time, we must raise the banner of the Jia family, otherwise Jian Renda may not take it seriously.

Jian Renda remained calm after hearing this, muttering to himself, "This guy is not very good. If it were me, I would definitely not say it out loud. After all, this involves the young lady of the Jia family, and you will cause misunderstandings."

"It's best not to tell anyone about what happened between you and her." Jian Renda warned, and Pan Youan finally reacted and quickly promised not to tell anyone.

Jian Renda left some New Year's goods and told him to go back to work after the New Year as he had other plans, and then left.

On the way back, I was still thinking that this guy was a bit frivolous and not very useful. Should I remind Lord Jia?
Jian Renda's impression was that Yingchun must have asked Jia Lian to take care of Pan Youan, so he did not doubt that Jia Lian coveted the beauty of his cousin. After all, a maid in a mansion could have had sex with him if she was interested. Would she want to commit suicide? Maybe she was just half-hearted.

During the Chinese New Year holidays, everything was normal and there was no major disturbance.

There was a grand court meeting on New Year's Day, and Jia Lian had to stand on duty again. This time he deliberately found a corner to stand in order not to embarrass others.

However, what he did not expect was that while he was standing in the corner, a dozen technical bureaucrats stood beside him silently and consciously, forming a force.

This force may not seem like much now, but its advantage lies in the fact that it is made up of young people, the oldest of whom is only thirty-six or thirty-seven years old.

Among these people, Jia Lian is a natural leader both in terms of official position and prestige.

The characteristics of these people are not obvious at ordinary times, but when you really want to do something, you will find that you really can't do it without them.

Don't say that technocrats don't have tempers, they just don't like to care. In the past, in the government, in order to have a stable job, there was no future.

Now that I'm involved with Jia Lian, I realize that I can get promoted and make money, and even if I don't have a temper, I have to have one.

In addition to these technical bureaucrats, there were three or four officials from Qingyun Academy, all standing near Jia Lian. If you don't look, you won't know. If you count, there are about 20 people.

If we have to point out a shortcoming, it is that these people's official positions are not high, and the fourth rank is the highest.

(End of this chapter)