Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 549 Going South Again

After hearing this, Jia Lian sighed and stood still to avoid going forward and embarrassing everyone.

"The Xing family has almost been ruined a long time ago. If it weren't for Brother Lian'er's help, my brother's family would have to rely on aid to survive. My brother thought about it and decided to repay the favor! Besides, the girl volunteered!"

Mrs. Xing's reasons seemed very sufficient, but Wang Xifeng thought it was nonsense. My master was kind and helped me find a decent job. You let your daughter be a maid. Is this repaying a favor? This is ruining my master's reputation.

Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You're just thinking about putting someone next to me. I have nothing to say if the old lady puts someone next to me. Are you qualified?

Jia Lian didn't want to listen any more, so he turned around and left, wandering around aimlessly, believing that Wang Xifeng could handle it.

After waiting for about an hour, when Jia Lian came back, there was a maid named Yuanyang beside Wang Xifeng. Jia Lian smiled, chatted with her for a while, and then left.

There were some things he really had no good solution for.

It's not that I can't refuse firmly, it's just that keeping the couple is much better than refusing.

In the past half month since he came back, Jia Lian had not rested for a single day. At this moment, he went straight back to the study. Ping'er was packing her luggage. When she saw Jia Lian come in, she put down her work and said, "I don't know what Madam Xing is thinking. She insisted on forcing the girl from her brother's family to come here. The eldest master also agreed, which made Second Madam very embarrassed."

Jia Lian smiled but said nothing. He raised his hand and gently slapped Ping'er's fleshy part. He had something to say but instead of saying it directly, he had to beat around the bush.

Ping'er turned her head to see that there was no one around, then she whispered, "Master, it would be bad if the children saw this, so Quan'er will follow suit later."

Jia Lian was speechless at the look of someone saying one thing and thinking another. Could that look in your eyes be a little more charming and seductive?

"How about you and Guixiang come with me to the south?" Jia Lian's answer was a little off topic. Ping'er shook her head and said, "How can the Second Madam handle the work without help?"

Jia Lian said nothing more and leaned back in the recliner to rest for a while. Ping'er also said nothing more and lowered her head to continue cleaning up.

After a while, Yuanyang came in, followed by two maids, who helped carry a box in.

This box contains all of Yuanyang’s belongings.

According to Jia's mother, it would be inappropriate for Jia Lian to go down this time without a maid by his side, as it would be a loss of status and no one would take care of him. Jia's mother forced the maid to come, and Jia Lian could only accept it.

Jia Lian opened his eyes, looked at it, nodded and closed his eyes again. Ping'er took Yuanyang to the next room to settle down first. No one knew what the two were whispering about, and they didn't come out for a long time.

On this last night, Jia Lian finally had some free time and it was quite comfortable to sleep alone.

Jia Lian got up before dawn in the early morning. While he was washing and getting ready, Qiaojie was watching him with red eyes.

Jia Lian walked forward, squatted down, and told Qiaojie in a level-headed manner to take good care of her younger brothers and sisters and not to let anyone bully them.

Qiaojie nodded seriously and wiped away her tears. Although she knew her father was running around for the whole family, she still felt reluctant to let him go.

The servants outside were already carrying the luggage. Jia Lian came out to take a look and found that all the luggage had been carried out and loaded onto the car. Only Wang Xifeng and others were left waiting in the yard.

Don't wake up the three little ones because they haven't woken up yet.

Jia Lian looked at everyone and smiled: "Let's go!"

The family members did not see him off for a long time. They just stopped at the door. Jia Lian turned around and waved on horseback, letting the horse go slowly away.

Wow..., there was a crying sound behind me, so clear and tight.

Yuanyang in the carriage hugged the bundle in his hand tightly, leaned against his box, and watched the Jia Mansion disappear. The carriage was shaking, and Yuanyang, who had gotten up early, felt a little sleepy. He lay on the box and fell asleep with his bundle as a pillow. Because he had said goodbye in advance, no one was seeing him off this time. Lin Ruhai was waiting at the Ten-mile Pavilion, which was surrounded by a curtain.

Jia Lian dismounted and came over to greet him. Lin Ruhai took his hand and said, "Three years, at most."

Jia Lian glanced at the pavilion before answering, "Maybe it won't take three years! I'm in the south, and my uncle is in the capital. Let's pay attention to the development of industry, which represents the future. The Western world is speeding on the fast track of industrialization, and we must not be left behind."

Lin Ruhai was silent for a moment: "I'll try my best!" Jia Lian smiled and stepped into the pavilion: "I really want to leave, but I have to say that I have a mission given by the times and I have to travel far away."

When they arrived in Tongzhou, there was someone waiting for Jia Lian who surprised him, and that was Li Heng.

The fellow stepped forward with a beaming face and said, "My father specially asked me to come and see Brother Buqi off!"

Jia Lian clasped his hands and said, "Please tell His Majesty that Jia Lian will never let His Majesty down."

This time they went south, they still boarded the ship in Tianjin and traveled by sea, but they were not in such a hurry. They planned to stop at the shore once every three days for supplies, and Jia Lian also got off the ship to take a look around along the way.

The purpose of this selection is naturally to see how the coastal cities have changed.

For example, in Tianjin, because the Guanwai River flows into the Bohai Sea, several wool textile factories were opened here. The extensive use of steam engines brought bustling vitality to the city.

Today, textile mills simply spin wool; the reason for this choice is the concern that the north will reduce its grain-growing area in order to grow cotton.

Despite his urgency, Jia Lian was still cautious. The textile industry affected countless families, and without industrialization developing to a certain extent, Jia Lian did not dare to break the pattern of men farming and women weaving.

But anyway, it was natural for Jia Lian to use wool to control the grassland.

Standing on the dock, looking at Jia Lian in the distance, I hope that next time I come back, there will be two more railway tracks here, which will transport coal from the Kailuan Coal Mine continuously.

The rails are already there, so how far is it for steam locomotives to appear?
As the grain transport was changed from imperial court to sea transportation, the Tianjin port became busier and the ports along the way also gained new vitality.

The dispute in the court over whether to abolish the Governor of Grain Transport and set up a Governor of Rivers to manage the world's rivers will naturally become particularly fierce after the New Year.

The canal transport has been eliminated, and the canal workers along the river have to seek new livelihoods.

Jia Lian, who was sitting at the bow of the boat, couldn't help but shake his head slightly when he thought of this. There was nothing he could do about it. Jia Lian had experienced a similar situation in another time and space.

It's easy to say that we should start over again, but outsiders cannot understand the hardships involved.

This is the course of history, to break the old and establish the new, a price must be paid, it just depends on who bears the cost.

Jia Lian had heard a lot of news before that many canal workers chose to cross the sea and start a new life in Liaodong.

The current level of development in Northeast China is very low, and the most important factor is the lack of population.

Previously, the population of Liaodong was only three million, which was a drop in the bucket in the vast Liaodong area.

The population in Jiangbei, Shandong is attracted by the development of Liaodong, and the population in Henan and Sichuan is migrating to Shaanxi and Gansu. These are things that are happening.

In the south, the population of Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian will go overseas, and the population of Jiangxi and Hunan will move south. These are foreseeable events.

It is not a matter of discussion who will bear the dust of the times, but the Eastern Empire has truly taken steps towards the ocean. Europe is about to face a storm that will drag all countries into it. The window of time is too rare, and if you miss it, you will be a sinner for all eternity.

With an extra cloak on her body, Jia Lian knew it was Yuanyang without turning around. After the girl boarded the ship, she recovered and adapted after being seasick for a few days. Her vitality was too strong. Later, she always took good care of Jia Lian, but Jia Lian felt that being on the ship was too reckless for her, so he always remained restrained.

Jia Lian did not look back, but raised his hand and patted the hand on his shoulder. A ship appeared and disappeared in the wind and waves on the sea. The sailor on the high ground shouted loudly: "Sir, the clipper ship!"

In Guangzhou city, the clipper brought back good news: Lord Jia, respected by the people of the province, is back!

Although Jia Lian did not do much and only did his job, after the news spread in the city, there was laughter everywhere.

In the past, only a small number of people benefited from the prosperity of maritime trade. After Jia Lian took office, all the people could feel that there were fewer taxes, the market was more prosperous, and their lives were obviously getting better.

What ordinary people are most sensitive to is their daily income, market prices, children's schooling, etc. When these are improving, life naturally becomes more promising. Of course, there are some other changes that ordinary people do not feel clearly, such as changes in land prices, house prices, and rents.

For people from wealthy families, the biggest change was the change in the provincial examination. Jia's practical learning was actually added to the content of the imperial examination. A certain Jia dared to be compared with a saint.

It is tolerable, and we have to continue to tolerate it, because the court has not said anything and has even issued a document agreeing to launch a pilot program.

In the past, officials had to be proficient in mathematics. Nowadays, in Guangdong and Guangxi, officials not only have to be proficient in mathematics, but also in practical sciences.

How should I put it? For the officials of Guangdong and Guangxi, the pressure caused by Jia Lian, the acting governor, is not that great under normal circumstances. However, once the term of office is up and they give evaluations to the court, the role of the governor's evaluation is infinitely magnified.

Who wouldn't want to continue to climb up the career ladder? Losing the chance to move up because of the governor's low evaluation would be more painful than killing them.

Therefore, no matter what they think in their hearts, officials must teach themselves practical knowledge and master certain practical content so that they can be useful when they have the opportunity to talk with their superiors.

Of course, there was also the fear of backstabbing by colleagues, who would say that XXX was ignorant of practical learning and opposed practical learning, which was against the Governor. What about the word "代"? No one would have used "代" at that time.

There is a strange phenomenon in the officialdom of Guangdong and Guangxi. Many officials do not say that they are members of the Jia Party, and they get angry with anyone who mentions the Jia Party. How could Lord Jia form a party?
However, these officials always talked about practical learning. They were not members of the Jia Party, but they were believers in practical learning.

With Jia Lian's return instead of staying in the capital, this trend will naturally become more and more serious in the officialdom of Guangdong and Guangxi.

Different people may look at the same thing from different perspectives, and the conclusions they draw may be completely different and have nothing to do with each other.

Before Jia Lian arrived, the clipper ship reported its itinerary every day. On the day it arrived in Guangzhou, the dock was crowded with people who came to welcome Jia Lian.

Jia Lian felt very complicated when he got off the boat. From the perspective of conscience, he really didn't do much, but the people still recognized him.

I can only say that, most of the time, the people’s demands are really not high, and even such humble demands are ignored in most cases.

At the dock, Jia Lian bowed to all directions to thank the local elders and villagers who came to welcome the boat.

Yuanyang, who was still on the boat, was so shocked by the scene that she could hardly move. After a while, she put on her veil, stepped off the boat in small steps, and quickly got into the four-wheeled carriage waiting at the dock.

After getting on the car, Yuanyang apologized for being rude when she saw Baochai.

Baochai has met Yuanyang and knows that she is the most indispensable person around Grandmother Jia. Now she is placed next to Jia Lian, which shows Grandmother Jia's attitude.

Baochai couldn't help but express a little sadness for her aunt, not much, really not much, just a little! Then she greeted Yuanyang warmly.

After thanking the elders and fellow villagers, Jia Lian exchanged greetings with the officials and finally got on the carriage. He saw Yuanyang sitting next to Ying'er without any expression.

The carriage started slowly, and Lord Jia returned to his loyal governor's residence. Jia Lian was not in a hurry to remove the title of acting governor.

After getting off the car and thanking all the officials again, everyone left tactfully so as not to disturb Jia Lian's rest. There was no need to rush to welcome him.

When Jia Lian entered the inner courtyard, his third sisters, Xiren, Qingwen and Siqi were all waiting in line, and the anticipation in their eyes could be felt.

"Thank you for your hard work, Master!"

The beautiful Jia Lian and Alexander.

Let’s not talk about small things anymore. As there is no important official business, Governor Jia wants to rest for three days.

Although he said he was taking a rest, the next morning he was still leaning on a recliner, listening to his adjutant Fan Ping's report on what important matters needed to be dealt with recently and how he would have to spend half a day processing official documents.

Jia Lian is not unaware of how to be an official easily, but there are some things that cannot be delegated to others.

Now every decision made here can affect the entire province, or even two provinces.

The latest news from Nanyang is that the negotiation teams from the Netherlands and Ottoman Türkiye have arrived in Guangzhou and are staying in the business district of the dock.

Without Jia Lian, even the officials in Guangdong would not dare to make a decision easily, let alone send them to the capital.

There is the latest news that Jia Lian does not know either, that is, an imperial edict has been sent south, and upon the recommendation of the cabinet and approval of His Majesty, a special Nanyang Minister is appointed for Nanyang affairs, and the first candidate is Li Yuan. The authority of the Nanyang Minister is that he can make decisions on all Nanyang affairs.

The reason why Jia Lian didn't know about this matter was naturally because the emperor did not bring it up. Only after Jia Lian left did Emperor Chenghui make up his mind, convene a cabinet meeting, and make the appointment.

The term of office of the Nanyang Minister is five years, which means that Li Yuan has no chance of returning to the capital for at least the next five years.

When this incident happened, the capital was in an uproar and many officials expressed their dissatisfaction, but the emperor still insisted on his own opinion and suppressed all voices.

Interestingly, many fence-sitters began to move closer to Li Yuan, but Li Yuan acted very indifferent. He was still the same as before, staying in the palace every day except going to get off work and coming home, and not going anywhere else.

After three days, Jia Lian reviewed all the relevant Nanyang documents and finally had time to meet with two groups of envoys.

The first person to be received was Ibrahim, an envoy from the Ottoman Empire. Jia Lian's little knowledge about the Ottoman Empire told him that the Ottoman Empire should also be on the eve of change at this moment.

To this end, Jia Lian took a positive attitude and warmly received Ibrahim and others. During the conversation, Jia Lian said that there is a long-term prospect of friendly development between the two countries, and he personally welcomes the arrival of the delegation and is willing to promote the rapid development of friendly relations between the two countries.

Ibrahim and others were extremely excited by Jia Lian's reaction. Along the way, they had seen many Europeans' faces, especially the British, who were guarding against the delegation as if they were thieves.

After arriving in Guangzhou, they were forced to stay again. Although the local officials' responses were polite, they were obviously discouraging.

Now that we have finally received a positive response, we are naturally excited.

Jia Lian informed the delegation that he would write to the emperor to promote the development of relations between the two countries, and would send a fleet to escort the delegation north.

Well, Jia Lian’s backyard naturally received a valuable gift, including two dancers wearing veils and nose rings.

Seeing their uneasy looks, Jia Lian tried his best to smile and asked Baochai to make proper arrangements. Then he wrote a secret letter and sent it to the capital. The details about the gifts in the secret letter were very detailed, and it was copied directly from the gift list. How could it not be detailed?

The next to receive the Dutch delegation, this time Jia Lian was very straightforward and severely rebuked them for taking advantage of Li Yuan's kindness. A mere representative of the East India Company dared to represent the country and wanted to go to the capital? Are you worthy? If you want to talk, go back to Jakarta to talk, otherwise, go to war. Since ancient times, Nanyang has been the sphere of influence of Dongda, and the official inscription erected by the Ming Dynasty is still there.

The Netherlands is just a tiny country, occupying Java and wearing a crown like a monkey!

Jia Lian rudely told them to get out, arranged for a fleet to escort them back to Jakarta, and warned them that if they disobeyed him on the way, they would be sunk directly.

Jia Lian then wrote a letter to Li Yuan, stating his attitude and scope of the negotiations.

The negotiations with the Dutch East India Company did not rise to the level of relations between the two countries, but were limited to the transfer and acceptance of power in Southeast Asia.

In principle, the Dutch official armed forces and civilian armed forces must withdraw unconditionally from Southeast Asia, but civilian merchant ships are allowed to retain self-defense weapons for the sake of trade security.

All negotiations must be based on this basis. At the same time, a time limit is set. The end of March is the deadline and there must be results. Otherwise, the South China Sea Fleet will arrive in Java and expel them by force.

In the letter, Jia Lian also expounded on his views on protecting trade routes.

As the only seller in the world trade today, maintaining the safety of shipping routes within the region is an inevitable choice from the perspective of its own interests.

Jia Lian also talked about the risk of turmoil in Europe, and repeatedly warned Li Yuan that the next ten years would be an excellent window of opportunity to stabilize the rule of Nanyang. It is necessary to seize this window of opportunity, immigrate a large number of people, build fortresses, and firmly control the waterway of the Strait of Malacca.

Jia Lian did not mention what Li Yuan's future would be like. This was not something Jia Lian could say.

In short, it was all about official business. Of course, Jia Lian also said that he would arrive in Nanyang in a few months to inspect the progress.

(End of this chapter)