Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 485 They are more afraid

The cabinet ministers all had blank expressions on their faces, having long been numb to similar situations.

Can it be stopped? It cannot be stopped. As long as there is a conflict of interest, they will definitely attack each other.

Fortunately, the current emperor has enough prestige to keep the situation under control, otherwise he would have started fighting long ago.

"Everyone knows the benefits of the trading hall. All procedures are more transparent and under public scrutiny, reducing the space for private manipulation. Here I want to mention the Maritime Customs Office. Although it is not a big government office, it has a lot of style. In particular, the Guangzhou Maritime Customs Office has relied on the relatively concentrated benefits of Western trade in recent years to collude with local merchants and make a fortune. It is the loss of the national treasury and the internal money, and the profit of the profiteers and corrupt officials. I have asked Xia Shouzhong to go to Guangzhou in person to deal with this matter. The cabinet should also send someone."

Emperor Chenghui came up with a storm of words, and the cabinet officials endured it silently, and no one dared to refute.

Everyone was thinking about Jia Lian. Why was this bastard always in trouble wherever he went?

"There is another thing. Since the opening of the five ports to trade, except for Guangzhou and Xiamen, the Maritime Customs Offices in other places have been in name only, and there are basically no Western merchants coming to trade. The formation of this phenomenon is mainly due to the fact that during the time of the previous emperor, Fang Baiyi believed that centralized management would facilitate the collection of taxes, so he restricted the authority of the Maritime Customs Offices in various places. Now it seems that this move is not advisable. Too much concentration means that one company dominates, which means that some people can disregard the interests of the court and use the power in their hands to make huge profits. I have decided that the Ningbo Maritime Customs Office, Songjiang Maritime Customs Office, and Tianjin Maritime Customs Office must play a role in diverting traffic. The volume of our country's foreign trade is not increasing, but decreasing. The cabinet should discuss this matter and come up with a charter."

The cabinet had no objection and expressed its obedience.

Emperor Chenghui emphasized again: "Jia Lian has a heavy responsibility. The establishment of the Nanyang Naval Academy and the building of the Nanyang Navy are not achievements that can be accomplished overnight. I want to warn you all that people who don't work will cause trouble for those who work and hold them back. Such people should not be used. You all need to open your eyes and don't use the wrong people. It is said that Jia Lian is too nosy and can't tolerate others. In my opinion, Jia Qing is still too soft."

Emperor Chenghui was furious when he thought about the millions of taels of silver that were swallowed up by corrupt officials of the Maritime Customs and local profiteers every year. He knew that there must be something fishy going on, but it was acceptable for people to get some benefits within a certain range. He just didn't expect that these guys were so bold and reckless as to go to such an extent.

The news of this cabinet meeting spread quickly and caused a huge response in the cabinet. The Maritime Customs Office was a special department, which was a cooperation department between the cabinet and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. One was responsible for collecting the silver from the national treasury, and the other was responsible for collecting the silver from the inner treasury.

It is unknown what happened to the previous heads of the Maritime Customs, but the current head of the Maritime Customs is destined to have a bad end.

For the first time, Zhang Tingen sternly requested all cabinet ministers to keep the content of this meeting strictly confidential and not tell anyone. Once the news leaked, regardless of whether it was spread by the cabinet or not, he would take the lead in resigning, and the entire cabinet would have to leave together.

After the New Year, Guangzhou was still bustling, but Jia Lian led his men to Huangpu Island, accompanied by General Qi Yun.

This guy kept advising: "Sir, when you go out next time, it's better to bring more people with you."

Jia Lian is actually very afraid of death, but what can he say? There are some things that cannot be avoided, and he has to go forward even if there is danger.

"Mr. Jim, what do you think of this place as a naval school?" Jia Lian turned around and asked a foreigner. This man was a major in the English Navy. According to the friendly agreement between the two countries, Churchill sent a group of 20 instructors headed by him to assist in running the school. Jia Lian's treatment was also very good, with the highest monthly salary of 500 silver dollars and the lowest of 200 silver dollars. Of course, this was not the most attractive thing for them. What really attracted them was Jia Lian's statement that after serving for five years, they could officially join the Great Zhou Navy and become their own people.

The common characteristic of these British people is that they come from ordinary families, and there is little room for them to continue to rise in the British Navy. Which general in the Royal Navy does not have a title?
The British, who originally had a filter, were shocked by what they saw and heard in the city after arriving in Da Zhou. Compared with London and Guangzhou, Guangzhou at this time was a paradise.

Especially in terms of food, the food of the British can only be fed to pigs here. Of course, this is an exaggeration. They have never been to the countryside and don’t know that there are many poor people in this country who eat dirt.

"Your Excellency's choice of site is very good. I really hope that the school will be built soon. I can't wait to train those boys." Jim answered excitedly. Jia Lian gave him the rank of admiral of the navy. He was a major in the Royal Navy and now he is a general. With this experience, even if he returns to China in the future, there will be a certain room for advancement.

After deciding on the site, Jia Lian naturally had to start construction and recruit students. Because learning the navy from the British, many commands had to be translated, and there were also teaching materials, etc., and there were a lot of things to do.

Another important thing is Wang Ziteng's shipyard, which Jia Lian has not officially taken over yet. Wang Ziteng used the excuse that there are still three ships under construction and will hand them over after they are completed.

Jia Lian disagreed with this. He said the shipyard was also part of the navy. Since it had to be transferred, it had to be done as soon as possible. If it was delayed, many things would become unclear.

In addition, the matter of the trading hall also had a great impact on Wang Ziteng. Previously, the Wang family had close relations with various guilds. However, this time, facing Jia Lian, Wang Ziteng did not take any action, and watched Jia Lian being tormented.

It is impossible to say that the Wang family had no objection, but they were suppressed by Wang Ziteng. Because Jia Lian left some room for maneuver, he did not touch the foreign trade quota that belonged to the Wang family.

As long as this trade quota is maintained, with Wang Ziteng's title as governor, the economy can earn one million silver dollars every year, and the trade between Jiaozhi County and the mainland can also be profitable. The key is still immigration.

At first, Wang Ziteng thought that some local small and medium-sized families could still be trusted. After Wang Yi had been in Jiaozhi County for a while, he found that the locals spoke dialects and could not be trusted. So, large-scale immigration was launched again. However, the focus was not on the surrounding areas of Guangzhou, but on other areas. Now almost every ship going to Jiaozhi County has to carry hundreds of immigrants.

Recently, because of Jia Lian's actions in Guangzhou, many people drove their boats there. Wang Yi didn't know whether he should thank Jia Lian or curse him.

Recently, Wang Yi has been planning to use Saigon as a transit station for maritime trade in order to share some of the benefits of foreign trade.

Jia Lian didn't know about this, and even if he knew, he couldn't do anything about it.

In fact, Jia Lian had a longer-term vision. He originally thought that after Wang Ziteng took over Saigon, he would continue to develop southward. Now it seems that he is quite satisfied.

Jia Lian guessed that he might be afraid of working in vain and making wedding clothes for others.

In contrast, Jia Lian did not say that his goal was the stars and the sea. Knowing that the next few hundred years belonged to the ocean, he naturally had to seize the key points in Southeast Asia. The lifeline of maritime transportation could not be controlled by others. He had to seize Southeast Asia and control it before the British completely took over India.

After leaving Huangpu Island, Jia Lian took a boat to the shipyard. It was not like what Wang Ziteng said. There were three ships under construction. There were ten docks in total, and none of them were idle.

There are many workers busy at work in each dock. It can be seen that Wang Ziteng has put a lot of effort and investment into this. No wonder he is reluctant to give up.

Upon learning that Jia Lian had arrived, the director of the shipyard came and he was also a member of the Wang family.

"Wang Li greets the Governor. Your Excellency came so suddenly that I am sorry for not being able to welcome you in person." He said polite words with his hands folded, but his tone was completely different.

Jia Lian nodded gently without saying a single polite word. To be honest, as for the so-called hidden money, Jia Lian was most suspicious of the Wang family.

Without Wang Li's guidance, Jia Lian walked straight in and looked at each dock. After an hour, he confirmed that ten ships were under construction, seven of which were imitations of the British third-class battleships. The only thing he didn't know was where the guns came from. He would have to go to the local foundry in Guangzhou tomorrow to check. "When will these ships be completed?" Jia Lian finally spoke up. Wang Li, who had followed him all the way, was very unhappy, but he still answered truthfully: "In another six months, all will be delivered."

"From what I have seen, there should be more than a thousand craftsmen. Will all of them stay here in the future?" Jia Lian didn't know how to answer Wang Li's question.

This group of craftsmen was the best group of craftsmen Wang Ziteng found after searching all over the country. At that time, he was the governor and the commander of the navy, so it was very convenient for him to transfer people. Now he has no right to transfer people from all over the country. It is not easy to get these two thousand craftsmen again. In the shipbuilding industry, the most important thing is the craftsmen.

"I don't know. This matter needs to be decided by the Governor." Wang Li had to change his target.

Jia Lian did not give him any breathing space, but said to him very impolitely: "Please tell Wang Taiwei that even if he goes to Jiaozhi in the future, as the Duke of Jiaozhi, his most valuable identity is still an official appointed by the court. A local leader. If he loses this identity, he will be labeled a traitor if he is not careful. Jiaozhi County is only the size of a palm, why do we need so many warships? Can we afford to maintain them? And these craftsmen can play the greatest role if they stay. If they go to Jiaozhi County, they can only be ship repairmen at most."

Wang Li was still not convinced, but Jia Lian's tone was stern and he did not dare to act rashly. He could only bow his head and admit it, saying that he would convey the message truthfully.

Jia Lian pulled out a blueprint from his sleeve and said, "Call the best craftsman here!"

Wang Li was still a little reluctant, but the accompanying Zhuzi had already touched his waist, which was hung with a revolver. After this thing appeared, the only troops equipped with it were the Night Army of the Shenji Camp and the Jia family's family generals. Now all the troops in the Beijing Camp are still waiting for equipment, and the Wang family can only watch from afar, waiting in line for three years. Three years later, Wang Ziteng was no longer the governor.

The biggest disadvantage of a revolver firing paper shell ammunition is not its airtightness, but the need to constantly move the hammer. Now that I have mastered the technique, it only takes a few seconds to quickly use up all the bullets.

Wang Li looked at Zhuzi's unfriendly eyes and the murderous intent contained in them, swallowed a few times, turned around and called for help.

Zhuzi snorted heavily: "You don't know how to appreciate my kindness!"

Jia Lian smiled. There were some things he couldn't tell Zhuzi. Wang Ziteng was not short-sighted, nor did he fail to see the importance of Nanyang. He just didn't want to be the target of public criticism. Another thing was that he wanted to take over the entire Annan. As long as he had this goal in mind, Jia Lian would not make things too difficult for him. Although Annan was not a big place, it was always a place where changes in the situation were frequent. As long as Wang Ziteng didn't claim to be king, everything would be fine. Of course, the day before yesterday was the day when the Great Zhou could remain strong. Perhaps, in the future, it would be renamed the Chinese Empire. This name sounds quite inspiring.

Jia Lian cannot make any major decisions now, so he can only wait until he enters the cabinet before he can mention changing the country's name. In fact, Jia Lian made some changes to the signature of the contract with Britain and France, and all of them were written as: The Great Zhou Empire of China. It would be natural to remove the two words "Great Zhou" in the future.

Wang Li came with a white-bearded craftsman. When he saw Jia Lian, he wanted to kowtow, but Jia Lian stopped him: "In front of this official, elders do not need to be polite."

"My Lord, what do you want me to do?" The old man asked him carefully. Jia Lian did not avoid Wang Li. He took out the blueprint and said, "Look at this boat. Can it be built?"

The old man took the blueprint, examined it carefully, and nodded, saying, "It should be possible to build it. We just need to try it a few more times. But sir, I'm afraid this ship is not up to the task."

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Master, you have a good eye. Guess where the captain of this ship is?"

The old man looked at it carefully again before answering, "Fast! Your Excellency wants to make it fast! If three people take turns to steer the boat, the speed can exceed twice the speed of the current speedboat."

Jia Lian smiled and said, "You see, this is professionalism."

"Let's build one first and see. Go to the governor's office to withdraw the required funds." Jia Lian said with a smile, then left after leaving the blueprint.

The fastest ship in the sailing age was naturally the clipper, which was designed for speed. It was not impossible to build it larger, but the significance was not obvious. Today's warships pursue large cannon calibers and the number of cannons.

After leaving the shipyard, Jia Lian returned to the governor's office, and Wang Yi also hurried to the governor's headquarters.

In fact, the two yamen were not far apart, just separated by a street. However, after Jia Lian took office, Jia Lian and Wang Ziteng never took the initiative to meet, whether for official or private matters.

This is a tacit understanding, but also acting.

Of course, it also means that people with different ideals cannot work together, but this is Jia Lian's personal understanding. When Wang Ziteng put more energy into his fiefdom, the two of them went their separate ways.

Wang Li told Wang Ziteng about Jia Lian's visit to the shipyard. Even though Wang Ziteng was exposed, he was not embarrassed at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Let's see it. We can at least delay it for half a year. But what he said makes sense. Without the status of a court official, I really can't control the situation in Jiaozhi. I didn't consider it enough at the beginning."

When Baochai saw Jia Lian coming back, she stepped forward to help him change clothes. Seeing her do it herself, Jia Lian felt very happy. The temperature in the south is high, and people wear less. The more plump Baochai is, the more she moves, and she will bring out some reverie curves.

Baochai understood this and secretly rejoiced. She really didn't do it consciously, it was all unintentional. After doing it many times, it became intentional.

In the past, when Jia Lian attacked her, she would hide for fear of being seen by the maids. Now, she no longer hides, but just twists her waist slightly to show that she has dodged, but not escaped. In addition, Baochai secretly tightens the waist of her clothes herself, so that even if the movement is not big, it can bring out some curves.

The flood season came as usual, and Baochai couldn't help feeling a little anxious. Fortunately, the women in the backyard, whether it was the third sister or the maids, did not make any noise, which relieved Baochai's anxiety a lot.

"I recently asked a local cook to make a tonic soup. The master is busy with work, so drink more at night."

Since there is no way to stop Jia Lian from reveling every night, I can only make some soup to nourish him.

Ying'er sighed in her heart, saying that she was now on the same level as Siqi. She was even worse than Qingwen and Xiren.

Jia Lian was not polite. After changing his clothes, he sat down at the table first, drank a bowl of delicious soup, and then started eating. Southern dishes are relatively light and not greasy, mainly to prevent getting angry.

"Is there anything going on at home recently?" Jia Lian picked up his chopsticks slowly and asked about the affairs of the inner house.

Baochai shook her head and said, "The family guards have checked the whereabouts of the local servants who were left behind, and have also asked the Dragon Guard to check. Well, speaking of it, I have been worried recently, fearing that there will be problems with the food and drink."

Jia Lian smiled and comforted her: "Don't think too much, the so-called hidden flower is just to scare people. If something really happens to me, there will be a lot of people in Guangzhou! They are more scared than me!"

(End of this chapter)