Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 486: Xia Shouzhong

Captain Long Jin was also very concerned about Jia Lian's safety. Wei Da sent out all his best hands to keep an eye on the suspects.

Jia Lian was very frugal in his daily life and never went to entertainment venues, which made it more difficult for people with bad intentions.

Although Jia Lian tried to comfort Baochai, he actually cared about her very much. He usually wore soft armor inside when he went out. The problem was that muskets were not something new nowadays.

When going out on a daily basis, Jia Lian no longer rides a horse. Instead, he takes a carriage. Every time he goes out, he has three carriages, leaving others to guess.

In addition to military preparations, Jia Lian also had to focus on construction, and the cement factory should be built first. He didn't have to do it himself, his subordinates could do it, and it wasn't technically difficult, just burning it.

Of course, the quality of cement cannot be compared with that in modern society. Without corresponding equipment, such as ball mills, the cement produced is just not good enough.

It was already the end of February when Xia Shouzhong arrived in Guangzhou. When he saw Jia Lian, he complained: "My ancestor, our family is so old, we can't stand the tossing!"

Because he arrived in secret and the confidentiality work was done well this time, Jia Lian only just found out that the emperor had sent Xia Shouzhong.

"If I don't mess with them, they will mess with the court's wealth." Jia Lian gave a tit-for-tat counterattack to Xia Shouzhong's complaint. We are all working for the emperor, so don't complain.

"Forget it, I can't argue with you. To tell you the truth, before I came, the palace was cleaned up and several eunuchs in charge of seals were arrested. Qiu Shi'an was also reprimanded by His Majesty. Several old men in the clan house have also retired. My family, who was enjoying a leisurely life at the bank, was also sent here." After Xia Shouzhong briefly introduced the situation, Jia Lian felt the emperor's support for him.

"Why didn't anyone from the cabinet come? It shouldn't be, for such a big event." Jia Lian asked curiously. Xia Shouzhong said, "Why didn't they come? Right Censor Fang Song fell ill in Changsha and is being treated there."

"So that's the case. I hope he recovers soon." Jia Lian could only express his concern but he couldn't help.

"This matter is my fault. I insisted on taking the land route, which delayed it for so long. Censor Fang is also sick from exhaustion."

"How can you blame Lord Xia for this? Didn't all the ministers who went south earlier come this way?"

Xia Shouzhong was afraid to take a sea boat, this was his psychological problem. Jia Lian certainly would not hold it against him.

"Okay, I've brought the news, and it's time to get busy. I'm really busy all the time. Let's not talk nonsense anymore. I need manpower. Governor's standard-bearer, give me two hundred."

"General Zhang is out recruiting soldiers and hasn't returned yet. I'll give you 500 men first. Is that enough?"

"enough!"

Xia Shouzhong rested for a night, and early the next morning, he mobilized his men and headed towards the Maritime Customs.

Jia Lian naturally had to accompany them, and this time he got to see the working style of the Dragon Guard. The governor's standard-bearer was in charge of the outer siege, and Jia Lian stood aside to watch the fun.

More than a hundred Dragon Guards first controlled the gate, and the rest rushed in. Standing outside, one could only hear a commotion, scolding, and screaming. When everything calmed down, someone came out to report that Xia Shouzhong, wearing a rough suit and holding an imperial edict, strode in. Jia Lian followed silently and watched his performance.

The Superintendent of the Maritime Customs, the General Manager, the Supervisor, the Assistant Manager and other officials were all arrested. All the accountants were controlled.

Xia Shouzhong took over the mountain and used the Shibosi Yamen to interrogate people, while Jia Lian sent people to check the accounts. Xia Shouzhong was in charge of the matter, but outsiders saw it and thought it was Jia Lian who was in charge.

The matter was so serious that even Wang Ziteng was alarmed. He hurried over to meet the imperial envoy.

"General Wang, the matter involves confidential information. I'm sorry for not informing you in advance." Xia Shouzhong still gave Wang Ziteng face and did not say to his face that he did not trust him, so he did not inform you in advance.

Wang Ziteng was secretly shocked, but his face remained calm. He folded his hands and smiled, "Lord Xia is following orders to investigate the case. I can only cooperate. How can I forgive you?"

While talking, Wang Ziteng secretly glanced at Jia Lian, hoping to get his hint, but Jia Lian pretended not to see it. How should I put it? The main reason is that Wang Ziteng was a little too much.

Although Wang Ziteng encountered a setback, he still seemed to have no qualms and stayed to accompany the police to solve the case, under the euphemism of assisting.

His current position is quite awkward, so he is very careful in doing things. Of course, this does not affect him from stealing things from home.

Xia Shouzhong did not need to personally judge the case. In fact, he was just sitting there waiting for news. The three of them sat together drinking tea and chatting, but each of them was in a different state of mind.

Jia Lian didn't care, since it was Xia Shouzhong who was handling the case, he just had to cooperate. Xia Shouzhong naturally had no pressure, he left after handling the case, while Wang Ziteng was the most frustrated, always worried that he would be the next one.

"How is Governor Jia's plan to set up the navy going?" Xia Shouzhong seemed to be chatting casually, but he actually had a mission.

"I prefer to call it the Navy. The Nanyang Navy should be called the Nanyang Fleet. The school is currently under construction and students are being recruited. It is expected to open in the middle of the year. After studying with British instructors for a year, you will go to the British Royal Navy to study for two years. In this way, after three years, the fleet will be barely enough officers. Time is still a little too tight. Building a navy is by no means a matter of three to five years. My plan is to expel the Spanish and the Dutch and rebuild the Nanyang Xuanwei Division within two terms."

It was indeed a bit ironic to say these in front of Wang Ziteng. Jia Lian had imagined that these were things that Wang Ziteng should do, but he never expected that he would stop after taking just one step.

You can say he is conservative or that he is worried about slander and ridicule, but Jia Lian feels uncomfortable anyway.

"Speaking of the navy, warships are easy to build but naval guns are difficult to cast. Governor Jia, do you have a good way to solve this problem? We can't keep buying naval guns from the British, right?" Wang Ziteng asked tentatively without any expression.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "There is no shortage of iron factories in Guangdong. Why doesn't the governor gather the best craftsmen, give them adequate treatment, and let them imitate the British naval guns? As the saying goes, a big reward will attract brave men. There will always be people willing to come out and give it a try. What if they can make it themselves?"

Wang Ziteng also heard his sarcasm. After serving as the governor for so many years, he still had to buy a naval gun from the British. It was indeed a bit embarrassing. However, Wang Ziteng did the math. The naval guns he cast himself were not as good as the British ones, and the cost was much higher than the purchase. For this reason, Wang Ziteng tried to imitate them for a while, but found that the cost was too high, so he gave up and changed to purchasing.

Jia Lian knew about this operation, so he mocked him. To be honest, Wang Ziteng's behavior is a bit like that of the bald gang. It is better to buy than to make.

Only someone like Jia Lian would think that the most important thing is to have technology in his own hands.

The naval guns made by the R&D Department are no longer copied, but first copied and then surpassed. Today, the naval guns made by the R&D Department are not inferior to those made in Britain in terms of range and power.

The key now is still the rear-loading artillery, which cannot be solved in a short time, and can only be explored bit by bit. After all, Jia Lian is not an expert, he can only give a direction, but does not know the specific process.

This is not like the flying clipper ship. Jia Lian drew a rough sketch and the old craftsman knew how to make it at a glance. The cannon is too difficult to make.

Apart from other things, the problem of ammunition has many unsolvable problems. Generally speaking, new ammunition comes first, and then new weapons. Wang Ziteng said that he didn't understand what Jia Lian said, and smiled and interrupted: "Mr. Xia, is everything okay, Your Majesty?"

Xia Shouzhong had originally enjoyed the show, but was a little disappointed to be singled out. He couldn't help but say something sarcastic: "The saint has dragon energy protecting his body, so he is naturally in good spirits. I heard that the governor fell ill in Annan a few days ago. Please take care of your health?"

Wang Ziteng coughed when he heard this. What should he do? Jia Lian really didn't know the answer and immediately pricked up his ears.

"I followed the doctor's advice and recovered after a while. There's nothing serious going on." Wang Ziteng could only fool him. After all, it was a bit embarrassing to talk about it out loud.

Jia Lian, who didn't get to eat the actual gossip, felt a little regretful. He could only wait for Wang Ziteng to leave before continuing his gossip.

Wang Ziteng was in a difficult position, so he had to use the excuse of having official business to leave first and not accompany Xia Shouzhong. He left a message saying that he would host a banquet for him again after Xia Shouzhong finished his work.

Xia Shouzhong still gave him enough face and personally escorted him out the door. After all, he was the governor and had received a lot of money from others in the past.

After seeing Wang Ziteng off, on the way back, Jia Lian curiously asked, "General Wang was ill in Annan, how come I didn't know?"

Xia Shouzhong rolled his eyes and said, "Long Jinwei also found out about this by accident. He kept this matter very secret."

Jia Lian was impatient with his showing off: "Just get to the point, don't beat around the bush."

The relationship between the two is very subtle. Even if they are not in the same boat, they are at least members of a gang that eats from the same pot.

"After besieging the Annan royal city, in exchange for Wang Ziteng's army not entering the city, the Annan king sent him many young and beautiful women. One of them was deeply loved by him. She was old and had no self-control. In addition, she was not used to the local climate and water, so she naturally fell ill. Wang Ziteng did not trust the local doctors, so he returned to Guangzhou to recuperate, leaving Wang Yi alone in Saigon to be a local emperor."

Jia Lian understood. Isn't it that when people get old, they become more precious and need to be frugal?

"That's not right. If you say that, won't the secret line hidden in the Governor's Mansion be exposed?" Jia Lian was very curious. It was not easy for Long Jinwei to plant people next to Wang Ziteng.

"Nonsense, your eldest brother-in-law and his nephew spread this story when they were drinking and bragging in the capital. He returned when you left the capital and sold official positions on a large scale. There were really many people who bought them. Your eldest brother-in-law is really a piece of shit. He sold officials in Jiaozhi County and Annan. Isn't this a lie? He was clearly a county magistrate, but he insisted on saying he was a governor. He specifically deceived those who didn't know the truth about Annan."

It turned out that it was Wang Ren who leaked the news. Jia Lian was also very emotional. His brother-in-law was born at the wrong time. If he were in modern times, he would definitely be the leader of an online fraud gang.

No, it was my idea to buy and sell official positions, so it’s okay.

"You can't blame my eldest brother-in-law for this. Annan calls itself a small China. It's obviously a county, but it insists on calling it a province. He was telling the truth, but he didn't say the whole story."

Xia Shouzhong gave a thumbs up and said, "You must continue to be so shameless. I really doubt that you were the one who gave him the idea of ​​selling the official position."

Jia Lian was immediately annoyed and said angrily: "How can you slander someone's innocence?"

Xia Shouzhong laughed loudly: "Yes, that's right, if you keep this expression, you will never suffer any loss wherever you go."

After a bunch of jokes, the relationship between the two became closer. They walked slowly along the way, chatting about some more in-depth topics as they walked.

"Before coming, His Majesty instructed us that no one will be killed this time, but we will collect a lot of silver as punishment for the crime. Of the silver collected, the share from the treasury will be left to you. Jia Lian, the emperor's grace is so great!" Xia Shouzhong stopped and turned around, looking at him meaningfully.

Jia Lian showed his feelings and clasped his hands towards the north: "Jia Lian wishes you the best of luck! I will live up to your trust and restore the old system of the Xuanwei Division."

"Although no one will be killed, your official position will definitely be lost. This involves a clan member, and he is the principal offender. Since the principal offender is not killed, the others cannot be killed either." Xia Shouzhong explained patiently.

Jia Lian understood. According to Emperor Chenghui's character, he would definitely give benefits to the royal family members. The reason why the Maritime Customs acted so recklessly was largely because there were many royal family members in it.

"There is another thing. Your Majesty encourages multiple ports for trade. The cabinet worked overtime overnight to issue regulations for this. From now on, it will be difficult for Guangzhou to dominate alone. Even if the Maritime Customs wants to take advantage of both ports, it will also be difficult." Xia Shouzhong still reminded him, but Jia Lian didn't take it seriously.

"Mr. Xia, I am not bragging. When it comes to retaining these foreign businessmen, Jia Lian is confident that other ports cannot compare with me. When I came to Guangzhou, why did I rectify the gangs first? It was to create a relatively better environment. In the future, we will have to expand the exclusive area for sea merchants. Only by providing good services can we make money. After all, there are two most difficult things in the world. One is to let others die, and the other is to take money out of others' pockets. Domestic officials are used to making money sitting on the ground. Expecting them to condescend and provide good services is a waste of time."

"If others say this, we think they are bragging, but if you say this, we believe it. By the way, Xia Gang asked us to bring you good news." Xia Shouzhong mentioned Xia Gang. He is not young anymore, and he expects Jia Lian to take care of Xia Gang in the future. The close relationship between the two of them in private is largely due to Xia Gang's existence.

"Thank you, Brother Xia, for your concern. By the way, there are quite a few members of the Xia family, so there must be some talented people. Why doesn't Lord Xia recommend them to serve as officials?"

Jia Lian asked curiously. After all, given Xia Shouzhong's status, it would not be difficult for him to recommend a few clansmen to serve as officials. But he did not recommend any one. Not only that, he did not accept any members of the Xia family into the Longjinwei.

When talking about this, Xia Shouzhong's face darkened slightly, and his steps slowed down. After walking for a while, he slowly said, "During the flood, not only did the clan not provide relief, but they took the opportunity to seize a few acres of thin land from our family. We couldn't survive, so my parents took us brothers to the capital to beg for food. As a result, the eldest brother fell ill, and my parents sold our house to treat him. Before selling it, they knew who bought our house. In fact, we have helped our parents and brothers a lot during our years in the palace. We don't owe them anything, let alone the Xia family. To put it bluntly, we are kind enough not to settle accounts with the Xia family."

Jia Lian didn't know how to comfort Xia Shouzhong for a moment. He couldn't resonate with this experience.

"My family has a connection with Xia Gang. When I first took charge of the Dragon Guard, His Majesty showed mercy and allowed my family to return to my hometown to worship my ancestors. At that time, both my parents were gone, so my eldest brother pulled a few children to me and asked me to pick one to adopt. After looking around, I asked them what they wanted to do most after going to the capital. Four children, four answers. Guess what they said?"

Xia Shouzhong seemed to be in a good mood, and indeed he was. After so many years of keeping things in his heart, he finally had a tree hole to pour out.

Jia Lian shook his head: "How can I know what they will say? Besides, I was born into a wealthy family, how can I know what country kids think?"

After Xia Shouzhong heard what he said, he shook his head repeatedly: "As for what you said, it's because I'm old and can't beat you. If you were ten years younger, I would give you a black tiger heart-piercing blow."

This time it was Jia Lian's turn to laugh.

Xia Shouzhong didn't care and continued, "Of the four children, one said he wanted to eat as much meat as he wanted, one said he wanted to eat as much candied haws as he wanted, and one said he wanted to wear new clothes. Only Xia Gang said that it didn't matter what he wanted."

Jia Lian burst into laughter again after hearing this. "Brother Xia, you are quite capable. You are so cunning at such a young age."

"That's right. There is no way for honest people to survive in the palace. We dare not bring an honest child back with us!" Xia Shouzhong felt relieved after he finished speaking.

At this time, a subordinate came hurriedly: "Supervisor, the general office has given in."

(End of this chapter)