Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 482 Establishing Rules

When you arrive at a new place and want to get into the state as quickly as possible, you naturally have to familiarize yourself with the situation first and can't just get started.

Jia Lian also realized that he was getting anxious, mainly because he brought his habits from the capital to Guangzhou.

When he was in the capital, he had his people both officially and on the ground, and he was familiar with the situation, so naturally he was always successful. But it was different in Guangzhou.

After leaving the dock, Jia Lian went straight to the Guangzhou Supervisory Office of the Dragon Guard. The power of this agency is not big, but it is not small either, because it has to submit a report on local public opinion every month.

The man was stopped at the door. After Jia Lian revealed his identity, he was invited in. Before he reached the central hall, a eunuch ran out to greet him.

Eunuchs served as the eyes and ears of the emperor in most cases during the Zhou Dynasty. But don't underestimate this middle-aged eunuch in front of you. It is not easy for him to have worked in Guangzhou for ten years.

"The governor is here, and Wei Da is sorry for not coming to greet him. Please forgive me!" The middle-aged eunuch Wei Da looked at Jia Lian as he came forward to greet him. He was in Guangzhou, and he knew almost all the news in the capital. That's why he came out to greet him. If it was an ordinary governor, he might not have given you this face.

"You are too polite, my Lord Supervisor. I am an uninvited guest, sorry for the rudeness!" Jia Lian's greatest strength is that no matter your status, he always treats you as a normal person. Don't underestimate this point. When dealing with people, affinity is extremely useful.

After the politeness, they went inside and sat down. When the servants served tea, Jia Lian got straight to the point: "I'm here to ask for help!"

Wei Da showed a suspicious expression: "How can we help? Please tell me clearly, Lord Jia!"

"I'm new here, so I don't know enough about the local situation. Long Jinwei has been stationed in Guangzhou for a long time, and the people and things in the local area cannot be hidden from your eyes. Jia Mou came here for help."

Hearing that Jia Lian was only here to ask for information, Wei Da felt much more relieved. He knew he could still help with this.

"I wonder what kind of information Lord Jia needs?" Wei Da asked specifically.

"As long as it's information about important folk figures in Guangzhou city, we want it." Jia Lian didn't beat around the bush and made his request directly.

"That's not difficult. It just takes time to sort it out, and Lord Jia has to wait two days." Although he didn't understand why Jia Lian wanted the information, Wei Da did not refuse and agreed.

Seeing that things were going very smoothly, Jia Lian thanked him and said goodbye. In fact, he had a letter from Xia Shouzhong hidden in his sleeve. If things did not go smoothly and Wei Da did not cooperate, he would show it to him.

This thing is certainly useful, but if you use it you will owe Xia Shouzhong a favor, and the favor must be repaid.

While waiting, Jia Lian would get up every morning and wander around the streets in plain clothes. Even if he encountered something, he would just ask someone to write it down but never take any action.

In the afternoon, I dealt with official documents. I don’t know if the people were too busy, but there was no one to file a complaint at the government gate. Well, people these days are really afraid of lawsuits.

Many times, if you don't file a lawsuit and suffer a little loss, the matter will be over. But if you really file a lawsuit, you will not be able to get over it.

Three days later, Jia Lian had traveled around Guangzhou City. Wei Da sent someone to bring him information about various local folk figures.

Guilds, gangs, gentry, etc., as long as they do not hold official positions, I dare not say that they are all caught in one fell swoop, but they are basically included.

After comparing the information he had collected and sorted out in the market, Jia Lian found that the information was quite detailed. For example, in the previous incident of Lao Cai, after comparing the information, it is not difficult to see that on the surface, the fish market was controlled by the local gang, but in fact, it was backed by several local families and monopolized the local fishery. Fishermen had to pay a fee when they went out to sea to fish and returned to the port. If you don't pay, your boat will have no place to dock, and you won't be able to sell the fish. You may even encounter pirates and lose your life if you want to go out to sea.

When I was in school, the political textbook mentioned folk guilds. However, after real experience, I found that the description in the textbook was still too general.

The freight docks were similar, also controlled by the guilds, and the workers on the docks had to hand over half of their daily income to the guilds, the gangs, and the bosses below.

It can be said that there is exploitation at all levels. Even a small gang leader can bully honest people who are working.

There are four major gangs in the city, namely the Qinglong Gang, the Haijiao Gang, the Wuyang Gang, and the Giant Shark Gang.

It can be said that every industry in the city is controlled by gangs. The first two gangs control the docks everywhere, and the last two gangs have infiltrated the people's livelihood in the city. They are behind the businessmen, workers, and the lower classes. Behind the four major gangs, there are also the support of local gentry and local officials at all levels.

Using gangs to manage the grassroots and some gray areas has never changed throughout history.

After spending several days studying the information and visiting various people in person, Jia Lian's story finally came to an end.

By launching activities to crack down on gangsters and eliminate evil, we can open up the situation in one fell swoop. This does not require careful consideration, but is a kind of path dependence.

A new official has three things to do when he takes office. After arriving at a place, he wants to make good use of the situation, maintain public security, and improve hygiene. This is a mature routine in modern society.

Jia Lian's three weapons are military reorganization, public security, and environmental sanitation.

Don't think it's old-fashioned, but it's really useful.

Ten days after taking office, Jia Lian, who had been silent for a long time, finally issued his first decree. The three officials in the city, the prefect of Guangzhou, and the general Qi Yun went to the governor's office for a meeting.

In the middle was Jia Lian's seat, with two rows of official chairs arranged in an "eight" shape, and a coffee table between the two people.

After the officials attending the meeting arrived one after another, they asked each other for information, but it turned out that no one knew why today's meeting was held.

Qi Yun couldn't help but complain that Lord Jia had done a very good job of keeping the secret, and no news had leaked out beforehand.

Mei Ping, the provincial governor, had a good relationship with him and quietly replied, "I don't believe you didn't send someone to keep an eye on him."

Qi Yun's face suddenly changed, and he looked around in panic: "Brother, don't talk nonsense, it will kill people."

In fact, not to mention Qi Yun, people from other government offices have also been keeping an eye on Jia Lian. When Lord Jia went out for a stroll on the first day, everyone knew the news.

I was very worried at that time. It might not be a good thing to meet a governor who liked to travel incognito and wander around the streets.

Jia Lian also knew that someone was following him, and they also knew that Jia Lian knew that someone would definitely be watching the governor's every move.

Don’t say that you have already received the money. Many things are like this. If they don’t intend to do anything with you, they should still be on guard against you, right?
As a result, Jia Lian was just wandering around aimlessly, not caring about anything at all, and it was the same whether he had met her or not.

Before everyone could really feel at ease, Jia Lian's meeting notice arrived. This time, everyone was still worried. It was hard to say who the new official would cut with his first blow. No one would believe that Jia Lian would do nothing when he arrived at the place. Those who really thought so were mentally retarded.

"The governor has arrived!" Someone shouted from behind the door, and all the officials stood up. Jia Lian walked in with a square step, smiling and clasping his hands together: "Everyone is here. I am sorry for being late!"

When everyone saw Jia Lian's attitude, they felt a little relieved, but they couldn't relax yet. They all had to cheer up and see where Governor Jia's first move would fall.

Everyone responded with greetings and said it was not necessary. After Jia Lian sat down, everyone took their seats in turn.

"I know that everyone has been watching me lately, to see which of the three fires this new official will start? General Qi, what do you think?"

Qi Yun was called, smiled and stood up, folded his hands: "I am ashamed that I failed to satisfy the governor."

"General Qi, there is no need to do this. The situation in Guangzhou is rather special and you have your own difficulties. I understand. Please sit down. There are still things that will require General Qi's help."

Jia Lian still had a smile on his face and motioned Qi Yun to sit down. Qi Yun did not expect it to be so easy, and quickly said, "If your Excellency has given me an order, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

"Don't say that, it's all for the court." Jia Lian officially said this and waited until Qi Yun sat down before continuing.

"I have been wandering around the city for a while these days and have seen some good things and some bad things. Generally speaking, under your governance, Guangzhou's business is booming and as long as the people are willing to work hard, they can always have something to eat. This is the good side!" Jia Lian stopped here and looked around.

Wherever Jia Lian's eyes went, everyone avoided his gaze guiltily and no one dared to look him in the face.

"Let's talk about the bad things! When I was in the capital, I also encountered similar things. The people's voices were controlled by some local gangs. I won't talk about the brothels and actors, let's talk about the docks. The fishermen who work hard at sea fishing have to pay for going out to sea and for docking. The porters on the dock have to pay a share of money to enter the dock to work, and they have to pay to more than one place. It is true that as long as people work honestly, there will be endless work to do. As long as you are honest, you will definitely be bullied by others. May I ask you, gentlemen, is this reasonable? Is it fair? People who work honestly can only start with food and drink if they want to save some money for their coffins. The money saved from the gaps between their teeth cannot meet diseases or disasters. Once they meet, there are many families that are broken up and killed."

No one expected that Jia Lian's words would turn out to be these. Everyone present was a little confused. If you were to point at a certain official and scold him, it would be more targeted. You are catching them all in one fell swoop.

No one present can escape because this is the current situation in the city.

Isn't it the purpose of becoming an official to be superior to others? In the morning, you may be a farmer, and in the evening, you may be in the emperor's palace.

If it weren't for this, why would we bother studying and becoming officials?
I am an official, but I cannot abuse my power. What's the point of being an official?

Of course it's not that bad. This is making a fuss about people's livelihood. Everyone is punished together, and no one is targeted.

"Well, what instructions does your Excellency have? We are all listening." The one who stood up and spoke was the Governor of Guangzhou. He was a bad man and was a provincial capital, which was only slightly better than Shuntian Prefecture.

It was a good idea for him to speak out at this time. He was the youngest official present, and he couldn't afford to offend anyone. He could only bite the bullet and take the blame.

Jia Lian's face was stern this time. He pointed at the prefect and said, "Sir Shen, don't be anxious. I haven't finished speaking yet."

Prefect Shen quickly apologized: "It's my fault! Just scold me!"

"Sit down!" Jia Lian shouted sternly. Prefect Shen was speechless and sat down silently.

Jia Lian then looked around again, and after the five of them looked at each other, they continued.

"Since I took office, I have been adhering to your majesty's concept of loving the people. I have always thought more about the people at the bottom of society, so that they can eat more at every meal, which will not hinder my prosperity and wealth. I say this to myself and to you all. Your majesty's various actions since he took office have all been full of the concept of loving the people. I hope you can understand your majesty's intentions and not just think about your own promotion and wealth. You should think more about your majesty in the Forbidden City. If he worries less every day, it will be a filial piety from you all."

The stick of loyalty was raised, and no one dared to show their teeth. Only after the officials were smothered with words could they continue.

"I have a plan here. Everyone, please take a good look at it now. Remember, keep it confidential. Especially General Qi, I will need your subordinates next. Don't force me to transfer troops from other places."

An official came out and presented a handwritten plan for a highly targeted crackdown on organized crime and evil, targeting the four major local gangs.

All the officials received the plan and read it on the spot. After reading it, they were surprised and happy.

What is surprising is that among the targets are the black gloves supporting them behind the scenes. What is good is that they are simply targeting local gangs with the purpose of improving the public security environment and cracking down on crime.

After Jia Lian and the others finished reading, they continued to press: "These things should be your responsibility. However, I don't care what happened in the past. From now on, you must follow my rules."

To be honest, everyone has complicated feelings, because these gangs send their monthly tributes on time. If they are defeated, who will send you money in the future?

Fortunately, Jia Lian did not take action against the guild, but he emphasized in the plan that anyone involved in a murder case should be investigated thoroughly, no matter who the person is.

"Governor, what should we do if it involves the Governor's Office?" There are always people who are unwilling and want to struggle.

Jia Lian took a look and saw that it was the governor who was speaking. According to Wei Da's information, one of his concubines' younger brothers was in the tea guild. If tea from other places wanted to be graded and sold to foreigners, it had to be approved by the local guild. Otherwise, if you brought the tea here, they would burn it.

This kind of thing has happened before, and people have actually died.

The item about murder that Jia Lian added to his plan was aimed at the case of his cheap brother-in-law, the governor.

"For cases involving the Governor's Office, our standard-bearers will come forward to arrest the suspects. The Governor does not need to worry about it. It is your own business, so handle it quickly. Don't make a scene later."

This is a very impolite statement, but I'm still giving him face and giving you a chance to handle it yourself, otherwise I'll have to take action and there'll be no room for maneuver.

These words are not just spoken to the governor alone, but to everyone present here.

After you go back, wipe your butt quickly and clean it up, don't get involved.

It was not until now that everyone understood the purpose of Jia Lian's meeting.

To put it bluntly, it can be summed up in three words: “set rules.”

From now on, the province will follow Jia Lian’s rules.

(End of this chapter)