Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 540 I really want to bury you all here!
Jia Lian knew Emperor Chenghui too well. He couldn't even bear to take action against the civil servants who had committed many evil deeds, let alone members of the royal family and relatives by marriage.
So, don’t talk about severe punishment or anything like that. The world has always been like this, and some people always enjoy privileges.

It’s not that Jia Lian doesn’t want to deal with those bastards, but he can’t count on Emperor Chenghui. When Li Heng comes to power in the future, he will definitely be able to deal with those bastards.

After the mortgaged land was reclaimed, large iron and coal mines were discovered. Is this reasonable?
After the list of dishonest persons was released, those who did not repay their debts were usually relatives, so it was very difficult for them to borrow money again. Besides, all the officials involved in this bad debt were dismissed.

Whether he will come out in the future is a matter for the future. After all, this is a centralized dynasty and everything depends on the emperor's word.

It can only be said that Jia Lian's approach was really in line with Emperor Chenghui's wishes. After solving the problem of bad debts, he focused on dealing with the license issue.

It is not too late to mend the fence after the sheep have been lost. After consultation with the cabinet, Emperor Chenghui decided that the Royal Central Bank would no longer act arbitrarily. A business license not only required a 20% mortgage, but also had to be reviewed by the Ministry of Revenue before the Central Bank approved the issuance of the license. The entire process must be supervised by the Imperial Censor. If there was a problem in any link, the person in charge of that link would be held accountable. If there was no problem, they would all be held accountable.

Jia Lian, who was far away in Suzhou, had a lag in obtaining information from the capital.

Jia Lian has seen through the local "wise men" thoroughly. Even though they clearly have no cards in their hands, they are still driven by inertia and refuse to surrender.

Then let's do it again! Let them face the reality little by little.

Zhang Ting'en's letter mentioned what happened in the central bank, and asked Jia Lian to go to Jinling to inspect the bank headquartered in Jinling. The cabinet's official document was delivered later. As for what Jia Lian did in Jiangnan, Zhang Ting'en reminded him that there were too many people involved and the interests were too great, so he must pay attention to his personal safety.

Jia Lian wrote back to thank his mentor for his concern and said he would pay attention to it.

Lin Ruhai's letter implicitly expressed that the relationship between him and the Lin family was very distant and they did not have much interest in each other, so he did not want to affect Jia Lian's important affairs for the sake of his face.

Jia Lian didn't believe a word of this. How could people in this era get rid of the influence of their clans? Finally, it seemed like a casual remark: Don't forget the original agreement. Daiyu is already an old girl.

In fact, over the years, Jia Lian and Daiyu exchanged letters at a frequency of one per month, and they never stopped even when they were in Borneo.

Jia Lian also wrote back to Lin Ruhai, saying that he came to Jiangnan mainly to rectify the administration of officials and might do some other things as well.

What happened? Jia Lian did not explain it in the letter. After writing the reply, he formally submitted an investigation report to Emperor Chenghui, explaining the imbalance between the current business situation in various parts of Jiangnan and the current taxation mechanism. It clarified the fact that the commercial tax was collected by local government, which led to a large amount of commercial tax loss in the private sector and was also an important reason for the corruption of local officials. Therefore, Jia Lian once again suggested the establishment of a full-time tax collection department, which was directly responsible to the cabinet.

Instead of the current situation where local officials have too much power and insufficient supervision, corruption is almost inevitable.

Giving the power of supervision to local gentry is tantamount to seeking the skin of a tiger.

Jia Lian also stated in his report that this is an inevitable result of social development. Times are constantly changing, and the system must also be adjusted accordingly.

The tranquility of Suzhou's early morning was once again broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.

The locals were no longer so surprised, and they watched the excitement with a mood of eating melons. The ordinary people understood clearly that the imperial envoy had no intention of plundering the people. Every time he took action, it was either against officials, gentry and powerful people.

Soldiers posted notices all over the city and sent clerks to post notices in the countryside. The core message was that the victims of the Song family's evil deeds on the list should go to the government office to receive compensation. If they were not on the list, they could go to the government office to sue the officials, but they needed to provide evidence. The government would not admit to empty talk.

It is unknown how much wealth the government confiscated from the Song family's case, but it is rare that the government has made large-scale compensation for the first time.

The notice of compensation attracted nearly a hundred victims to the government. The cases had been investigated and the amount of land occupied would be returned. The victims would also be compensated double the profits of the past few years. The families of the victims also received compensation. This action gave the people of Suzhou strong confidence. A large number of petitions were sent to the government, all of which were from the lower-class people and ordinary citizens who were oppressed and wronged.

Jia Lian personally sat in the yamen to try cases. On the first day, he tried eight cases, all of which were cases of gentry colluding with clerks to oppress the people and seize people's property.

Because when trying a case with insufficient evidence, Jia Lian said to the gentry, "I don't care whether he has evidence or not. I only know that you are strong and he is weak, and he is taking a huge risk to sue you. So, I will rule that you lose this case. If you are not satisfied, you can appeal to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice in the capital. If you are still not satisfied, you can go and beat the drum to report your case."

This group of gentry were usually accustomed to bullying the weak, and when they fell into Jia Lian's hands, they also tasted the feeling of being bullied by the strong.

Jia Lian didn't care what the gentry thought, he just wanted to dampen the arrogance of these gentry.

After this case, Jia Lian gained a new nickname in the circle of officials and gentry, "Imperial Envoy".

After eight cases on the first day, a wave of complaints spread inside and outside Suzhou. Of course, Jia Lian was not so easy to deceive. For example, when a scoundrel in the suburbs colluded with clerks to sue a gentry, Jia Lian felt that there was something wrong with this guy, so he immediately arrested him and sent people to investigate on the spot. After discovering that it was indeed a false accusation, the scoundrel and the clerk he bribed were exiled to Southeast Asia.

This case made many people sober up instantly. Jia Lian went to court for half a month and overturned more than 200 old cases. He also overturned some old cases of his predecessor and wrote a bad review for the previous prefect. Interestingly, the cases overturned by Jia Lian were particularly smooth when they were executed. It seems that the local gentry now have only one thought: the Jia family should leave as soon as they have had enough fun. Go somewhere else and stop harming the local gentry in Suzhou.

Jia Lian certainly would not leave immediately, as he had to wait until the autumn tax was collected. Other officials in the government office were not placed under house arrest, so normal affairs were not affected. However, dozens of clerks were implicated in the case, and after their clerk qualifications were revoked, they were sentenced to exile to Southeast Asia.

Jia Lian's behavior in Suzhou spread throughout the entire Jiangnan Province, and a magical thing happened. This year's autumn taxes were completed quickly and well by all prefectures, and tax revenues increased significantly compared with previous years.

As for the tax revenue in Suzhou, it was even more incredible. Compared with previous years, it doubled. As expected, during the tax collection period, there were several cases of gentry colluding with clerks to evade taxes. Jia Lian was not polite at all and took them all down. For the gentry, they had to pay a fine or be exiled. As for the clerks, Jia Lian was not polite at all and exiled them directly.

"Thank you for the invitation. I'm in Suzhou and just got off the plane." After writing this on the paper, Jia Lian put down his pen with a smile. He wanted to tear up the paper, but decided to keep it and give future generations a surprise.

I hope that in the future, Suzhou will have an airport.

As time entered the twelfth lunar month, the tax collection task of the entire Jiangnan Province had achieved excellent results, and Jia Lian's trip to Suzhou was about to end.

However, before the end, Jia Lian made a list and sent invitations to the local gentry in Suzhou, inviting them to dinner.

None of the invited gentry was happy. Instead, they were full of sorrow. During this period, the gentry were tortured to death. Although Jia Lian followed the rules of preferential treatment for gentry, Jia Lian's preferential treatment was like this: as long as there was no murder, they would not be deprived of their honors, beheaded or exiled. Fines must be paid, occupied land must be returned, and compensation must be paid to the victims. The polder that was prohibited by the court from occupying lakes and rivers must also be returned.

Let me ask you, were the gentry nervous when they received Jia Lian’s invitation?

There's no point in panicking, you still have to attend the banquet obediently.

Thus, more than 800 gentry and wealthy merchants in Suzhou gathered together for the dinner hosted by Lord Jia. The venue was a piece of wasteland in the wild. There was no food or wine, not even a sip of water, but everyone received a signed account book at the sign-in area.

The account book records clearly which official was bribed in a certain year and month, which clerk was instructed to make fraudulent transactions, how much tax was underpaid, how much should be paid, and how much was fined according to the rules.

This is what Suzhou has gained from the audit in the past month. We can only say that we have found part of it, and more has not been found. But how can we say it? Time is running out, and there is not much point in continuing the investigation. Jia Lian can't stay here forever, right?
The atmosphere at the scene was extremely depressing, and everyone's expressions were very interesting. Some had sad faces, some were cursing under their breath, and some were pretending to be calm.

You know, such an account book reveals their underwear. You are so stupid and wise, are you worthy of it?
When Jia Lian showed up with his men, there was a commotion at the scene. No one came forward to greet them. Jia Lian, the target of public criticism, walked up to a step similar to a podium without hurrying. Holding a megaphone in his hand, Jia Lian began to speak: "I have always heard people say that Suzhou has borne too many taxes, and the local elders can hardly bear it. Regarding this statement, this imperial envoy has only one opinion, which is selfish and nonsense. If the Suzhou gentry are capable, they can lead the people in a rebellion. As long as the rebellion succeeds, you won't have to pay so much tax. I know you are not convinced, so I ask you, are you willing to move to the north?"

Facing Jia Lian's question, some unconvinced wise men stood up and retorted: "Why would a good Suzhou person move to the north?"

"Okay, that's a good question. Then I would like to ask this fellow countryman, when the people in the north are suffering from the war, how can you feel at ease?" Jia Lian asked back slowly.

"When foreign enemies invade from the north, the imperial court will send troops to repel them. As a member of the imperial court, how can I not feel at ease?" The answer of this local wise man was already a forced one.

"Yes, you can't just consider yourself a member of the court when the court sends troops. When you are asked to pay taxes according to the law, you are unwilling to take responsibility."

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became extremely quiet because of Jia Lian's words. Some people were still respectful and lowered their heads, while others were angry and lowered their heads. Some people, although they could not find the right words to refute, still glared at Jia Lian. But no one stood up and continued to debate with Jia Lian.

"Do you know what I was thinking when I was checking the accounts? To be honest, I was thinking of sending all the people in Shenji Town to Suzhou, arresting all the local gentry who enjoyed the security protection provided by the court but were unwilling to work for the court, and throwing them to Southeast Asia to feed mosquitoes. What do you want me to do?"

The scene was still quiet, with only the wild wind blowing on my face, chilling me to the bones.

Finally, someone stood up, clasped his hands to Jia Lian, and raised the account book in his hand and said, "Your Excellency, I am Shen Boda. Excuse me, is this the only account book?"

This is a good question. Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Jia Lian, waiting for his answer, or rather, the judgment of fate.

To be honest, no one was convinced, but what could they say? What if this bastard harmed them? Even if he was dismissed from office, what could they do to him?
Do you really think you can kill a nobleman by impeachment? It's funny. The Great Zhou is not the Great Ming. Even if it is the Great Ming, the top nobles cannot be put to death by civil officials.

Now Jia Lian has the evidence in his hand and has called everyone here. Isn't it just to understand the local situation? Isn't it just for money?

Those who have read the history of the Northern Wei Dynasty all remembered one thing: there was an official in the local area who was so corrupt that the local gentry could not stand it, so they raised funds to help him get promoted and transferred so that he could cause trouble elsewhere.

Jia Lian is more terrifying than that corrupt guy. This guy's attitude towards the gentry has a thick criminal record. No matter where he goes, he spares no effort to harm the gentry.

We all can't do anything about him, it's so infuriating!

Jia Lian looked at Uncle Shen who stood up to speak. He was the first to kneel down, very smoothly. He went to see Jia Lian at night and knelt on the ground at that time, begging Lord Jia to spare him.

Considering that Uncle Shen had no involvement in any murder, Jia Lian showed leniency and said that he would let him go as long as he cooperated.

Subsequently, more and more gentry used Shen Yan's relationship to visit Jia Lian at night. They all had the same purpose: to beg for mercy.

These people have one thing in common: they are all in the top ten in terms of reputation in Suzhou. Jia Lian would not meet anyone who is not in the top ten.

Of course, they all went to meet separately, at different times. For this, Shen Yan also collected a huge sum of hard work money, and Jia Lian generously let him accept it with peace of mind.

After Uncle Shen stood up, a number of local opinion leaders stood up one after another and raised the same question: is this the only account? Everyone has accepted this account, and Lord Jia has brought up another one, one after another. Who can stand your lack of control?

After someone stood up, the atmosphere at the scene became heated. Hundreds of gentry surrounded a group of opinion leaders. Although they did not speak, they stood behind them and gave full support.

Jia Lian sneered and shook his head slightly. Fan Ping beside him immediately took out a whistle and blew it hard.

The sharp whistle sounded far away, and the soldiers less than 200 meters away reacted quickly and lined up neatly from all directions. The guards behind Jia Lian also stood in front of Jia Lian with rifles in hand. Fan Ping raised the loudspeaker and shouted: "How dare you threaten the imperial envoy? Today I will let you know what kind of Shenji Battalion is that once faced the grassland cavalry and remained unmoved!"

"Everyone, put on your bayonets!" Fan Ping gave the order, and all the soldiers skillfully drew out their bayonets and pressed them on, and with a swish, they aimed at the local gentry.

At this moment, everyone panicked, and the opinion leaders quickly waved their hands and said, "Your Excellency, please talk nicely. Please talk nicely."

Jia Lian raised his hand and snatched the megaphone from Fan Ping's hand: "Everyone stop, stand at attention, and rest."

At Jia Lian's command, the soldiers surrounding them from all directions stopped in an orderly manner, stood at attention, and rested, no longer pointing their spears at the local celebrities.

Jia Lian continued to move forward, holding up a loud speaker and shouting: "I really want to arrest all of you, every one of you, and torture them like Li Zicheng! Let's see who is tougher, your bones or the imperial envoy's knife."

Uncle Shen stood up again and clasped his hands: "My Lord, please stop talking. Just tell us what you want us to do and we'll proceed."

Jia Lian then waved his hand, and the officers and soldiers around him retreated twenty steps, and the atmosphere eased a lot.

"Paying taxes according to the law is the duty of every gentry. You enjoy the privileges granted by the court and have the obligation to safeguard the interests of the court. You know this simple truth very well. But you only want others to bear the obligations while you only enjoy the privileges. You are really a bunch of bastards."

This time, no one came out to refute this scolding. Even though some people were furious, they dared not show their teeth. Their necks are not as hard as blades!

"Ah, this place is beautiful, I really want to bury you all here." Seeing that no one came forward, Jia Lian sighed and said something very sincerely that scared people out of their wits.

Oh my god! Some people couldn't stand steadily and collapsed to the ground, and some people felt hot in their crotch.

All in all, it was extremely ugly.

After a commotion, several opinion leaders were very calm. Uncle Shen came out again, and his tone was much more relaxed: "Your Excellency, please stop. You don't want Suzhou to be in chaos."

Jia Lian gave him a sharp look, then raised his trumpet and shouted, "Listen carefully, everyone, make an account, and hand in the money to the government office within three days. The previous things will be written off. If you get into my hands again, humph! Everyone, this is all Jia has to say. Take care of yourselves."

After saying this, Jia Lian turned around and left, followed by the guards, and the soldiers also withdrew.

Everyone at the scene collapsed on the ground as if they had been given a chance to live. Many people who had just been holding on did not care about the dirt on the ground.

"Brother Shen, do we really have to pay such a large sum of money?" Someone came over and asked. Uncle Shen looked at him silently for a long time.

(End of this chapter)