Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 568: Advance or retreat
Before Jia Lian's whereabouts were determined, bad news came back from Yunnan.

The inspection team conducted an investigation in Yunnan for more than half a year and submitted a report.

The most important information in the report is that there is a huge difference between the actual output of local copper mines and the copper ingots shipped to the capital.

In addition, a large number of newly minted copper coins were discovered in the three provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan.

This is a clear case of privately minting copper coins! In the eyes of Emperor Chenghui, it is much more serious than any corruption.

This time, the case really involved the Mint, which in turn involved the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Revenue.

The inspector did not dare to delay and quickly sent the information he had found to the capital through the channels of the Dragon Guard.

Thanks to the capture of the governor, the three officials and the general, the local officials were leaderless, so we were able to investigate here smoothly.

The report also contains other previously overlooked news, such as the six county towns conquered by Myanmar. It is not that there were no troops stationed in them, but that there were none.

The so-called 20,000 border troops under the command of the Yunnan General actually had less than 2,000 people. The subsequent defense still mobilized young and strong people from the public. In addition, the Burmese army came from afar and was unable to reach the far end.

It was thanks to Jia Lian's landing in Yangon that the situation of the war was turned around in one fell swoop. Otherwise, if we were not careful, the whole Yunnan might have been destroyed or even fallen.

This is a big deal!
When Emperor Chenghui received the urgent report, he was doing heavy work in Concubine Liang's bedroom. Qiu Shian came to find him urgently, but he did not dare to disturb him. He waited outside for a long time, and only let the eunuch go in to report after he had rested.

Emperor Chenghui came out in disheveled clothes and glared at Qiu Shian, saying, "If it's nothing serious, watch out for your skin."

Of course, this was just a rant, he knew Qiu Shian wouldn't do anything rash.

Sure enough, after reading the urgent report, Emperor Chenghui almost couldn't breathe and fainted immediately.

We quickly called the imperial physician, and after one injection Youyou woke up.

Emperor Chenghui looked at Qiu Shian weakly and said, "Send a copy to the cabinet and let Prime Minister Zhang handle it!"

Qiu Shian did not leave immediately, but asked the imperial physician: "Is the saint's condition all right?"

The imperial physician hesitated for a moment before whispering, "You have worked too hard. You need to rest well. Otherwise, you will inevitably have a relapse."

Qiu Shi'an then left, asking the eunuch to send a copy first, and then he went to Kunning Palace to report the emperor's illness.

Queen Zhou immediately stood up and said, "Go visit His Majesty."

When Empress Zhou arrived, Emperor Chenghui had already sat up and looked better. The imperial physician was preparing medicine by himself and greeted the empress immediately.

Emperor Chenghui felt a little embarrassed when he saw Queen Zhou.

Fortunately, Queen Zhou was only concerned about the emperor's health and did not offer any advice or remonstrance.

The urgent report was copied to the cabinet and immediately attracted attention. Whenever there was a major event, a group of cabinet ministers would sit together to discuss the matter, which was the current cabinet practice.

"Everyone, His Majesty has handed this matter over to the cabinet for handling. Please speak up." Zhang Tingen presided over the meeting. Everyone was silent, or they had not thought it through.

Zhang Ting'en was not in a hurry, and waited slowly, but he was wondering in his heart, why did His Majesty directly hand it over to the cabinet for disposal? This matter involves a lot of people, it shouldn't be.

The most sensitive thing in this matter is the private minting of coins. This is Zhang Tingen's personal judgment. Since the minting of silver coins, Emperor Chenghui has been very strict with the minting of coins. Whenever he finds the private minting of copper coins or the private melting of copper coins to cast copperware, he will definitely watch it personally and crack down on it severely. But this time, he directly transferred it to the cabinet. Is it because your majesty is in poor health and has no energy to deal with it?

It can only be said that Qiu Shian's means of controlling the harem are strict, and it is difficult for news to leak out. However, it is only temporary, and the harem cannot be airtight.

Before anyone could say anything, a few notes came in from outside, saying that the harem had urgently summoned the imperial physician.

The cabinet ministers were all smart people and they knew at a glance that the emperor was ill.

"Let us come up with a charter first and then ask His Majesty for approval." Zhang Tingen reminded the ministers that they could no longer remain silent.

"Everyone will be punished!" Lin Ruhai spoke first, indicating that the matter should be handled in accordance with the law.

"Let's wait a bit and wait until His Majesty has a clear opinion." Li Qing also expressed his opinion.

Yue Qi hesitated for a moment, then agreed with Li Qing's opinion that it would be better for everyone to slow down, so that there would be time to clean up the mess.

Pan Jixun was the most detached. This matter had nothing to do with him, but that didn't mean he had no opinion: "I tend to agree with Prime Minister Lin's point of view."

Zhang Ting'en then made the decision: "Then let's deal with it according to the law and let the inspecting censor handle it."

This is actually a compromise solution. Why? Because the Cabinet has no authority to deal with matters related to the Imperial Household Department.

After Emperor Chenghui drank the medicine and rested for a while, he felt much better. The imperial physician insisted that Emperor Chenghui should rest in bed for three days, so Emperor Chenghui had no choice but to lie down.

Upon learning that Zhang Ting'en wanted to see him, Emperor Chenghui asked about the time and could not help but say, "Usually at this time, the cabinet has already left their posts. State affairs are hard, and it is not easy for you gentlemen either."

Qiu Shian stood aside and whispered, "Saint, the ministers are still waiting to be summoned."

Emperor Chenghui knew what he meant, which was that they should not meet anymore because health was more important, but he didn't say it explicitly.

"The personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be handed over to Li Heng for disposal. You go and tell him that I will not see them." Emperor Chenghui actually wanted to deal with it personally, but he did not have the strength to pick up a pen.

Qiu Shian immediately went out to pass on the message, and at the same time asked the secret guards to get moving and report any slight disturbance immediately.

Because the emperor was still conscious, Qiu Shian was too nervous. He just asked after he came back: "Your Majesty, should we let Jia Buqi take care of the situation and take charge of Shenji Town?"

Qiu Shian was not talking nonsense. He really knew the emperor too well and knew that at this time, Jia Lian must be the person the emperor trusted the most and the pillar that could stabilize the capital.

"Don't make a fuss about nothing. I'm still sober." Emperor Chenghui, who had been a little uneasy before, immediately felt more at ease after being reminded, and his tone became smoother.

Jia Lian did not receive the news until the evening, and Xia Gang sent someone to inform him secretly.

The incident happened in the afternoon, and the news has only just come out now, which can't be considered fast.

It can be seen that after Xia Shouzhong fell ill and was bedridden, his strength was not as good as before.

This is the reality of the eunuch group. After Xia Shouzhong left the core position, although his successor was recommended by him, that was just the way it was.

The world is cold and human nature is indifferent, that's just how it is.

When this happened, Jia Lian was not in a hurry. After explaining something to Wang Xifeng and Daiyu, he quietly left the house and went to the south of the city overnight.

Why go to the south of the city? Jia Lian's men are everywhere here. If anything happens, he can take a shortcut and go straight to the Shenji Town headquarters.

As long as he was in the army and had the magic array in his hand, he was not afraid of anyone making trouble. As for his wife and children, as long as Jia Lian was fine, they would be fine too.

When they passed Chongwen Gate, everything was peaceful. When they reached the south of the city, Jia Lian immediately called Ni Er and asked him to send people to keep a close eye on the city gates to see if there was any movement.

When it comes to gathering information and passing on news, we still have to look to these local tyrants.

In fact, Ni Er could not be blamed for what happened before, he just chose a conservative strategy. At that time, Jia Lian was not in the capital, Li Yuan was in charge of Shuntian Prefecture and Wucheng Bingmasi, Li Yuan delegated power a lot, the power structure in the capital changed, many things were beyond Ni Er's control. Jia Lian punished him, the real intention was that he did not report the matter in time.

The night was peaceful, and Jia Lian, who had not slept much, finally fell asleep peacefully. The next day and the day after, everything continued as normal, and Jia Lian quietly left the south city.

This time, it can't be called a false alarm, it can be regarded as an act. After an important incident, can the information be transmitted in time, can the route be planned well, etc.

What no one knew was that there was another team accompanying Jia Lian, led by adjutant Fan Ping, and the members of the team were all Jia Lian's so-called counselors, or staff officers.

In addition to the staff, there is also an elite armed force derived from the Jia family's guards. There are not many people, only 100 people, scattered in various places in the south of the city. After receiving the news, they are on standby at any time and set off at any time. Their mission is to escort Jia Lian to the military camp. These people were planted by Jia Lian little by little, and the person in charge is an absolutely reliable pillar.

Three days later, the emperor's condition improved, and Jia Lian was given the details of how to deal with the Yunnan matter. The officials were dealt with on the spot by the inspecting censors, and those from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were escorted to the capital to be dealt with by Li Heng.

After hearing the news, Jia Lian happened to be chatting with Daiyu and Baochai, and couldn't help but complain: "I'm afraid these officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will encounter a natural disaster or horse bandits on the way."

Jia Lian didn't really have a premonition, he was just complaining. What he said later came true, which was a real surprise.

Daiyu was very low-key after she got married. She stayed in her own room except for visiting Grandmother Jia. Baochai and Daiyu had a very good relationship. They often visited each other and were together almost all day.

After becoming a noble concubine, Baochai is no longer someone Wang Xifeng can manipulate at will. She is now eligible to share the family property. She has a close relationship with Daiyu. The power of the two is enough to shake Wang Xifeng. It can be seen that Baochai is also a master of struggle. Daiyu and Baochai are more interested in the affairs of the court. When Jia Lian accompanies them, he often mentions some court affairs, which can be regarded as an in-depth communication.

Daiyu, who has read a lot of history books, commented on this matter: "Given your majesty's trust in Brother Lian, you did not let Brother Lian stay in the military camp, which shows that your majesty's health is not a big problem."

Jia Lian agreed with this deeply. His original action was just to prevent trouble before it happens.

Jia Lian still had one year left of this vacation. As March came and he saw the beautiful spring days, he decided to take his wife and children out for a trip.

Unexpectedly, he had just told Wang Xifeng, Daiyu and Baochai that an express horse was rushing to Beijing at an express speed of 600 miles, saying that the mine supervisor of the Yunnan Copper Mine and more than 20 people were escorted to Beijing, but they encountered a mountain flood on the way and all drowned.

Regarding this matter, Jia Lian did not think that he was a jinx. He just reminded himself that when the struggle is at a critical moment and the dog is desperate, many people will die.

Before Jia Lian could digest this information, someone from the palace came and urgently summoned him into the palace.

Emperor Chenghui, who had rested for half a month, has been under close surveillance recently, especially from Empress Zhou, who would come and sit for half a day before leaving.

The unfortunate Concubine Liang was confined to her room and was not allowed to go out. Empress Zhou still had this right.

How to put it, the emperor started to enjoy himself, but Concubine Liang was unrestrained. She wanted to get pregnant as soon as possible, so she kept asking for more, which led to the emperor's deficiency of qi and blood.

After half a month of recuperation, Emperor Chenghui's health finally improved and he was able to get up and walk normally.

Unexpectedly, Li Heng went to the palace to report that more than 20 people under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including the Yunnan Copper Mine Supervisor, had an accident on the road.

Emperor Chenghui immediately sent for Jia Lian, and then stood in the courtyard sneering.

As the executor, Li Heng was made uncomfortable by the emperor's expression. He kept sneering, what did he mean? Could it be that he suspected me of something?

I don't have that ability! In any case, Li Heng is definitely a suspect. At least he was accused of poor execution. No matter what, couldn't they send someone to escort him?

The Dragon Guards also bear some responsibility, and it's a considerable one.

Qiu Shian stood aside, not feeling uneasy, but with a vengeance that made his teeth itch.

Long Jinwei needs to be disciplined, and the harem also needs to be disciplined.

When Qiu Shian was thinking this, Emperor Chenghui spoke first: "Qiu Shian, what did the Dragon Guard say?"

Qiu Shian stepped forward and said, "From your humble opinion, it's time to clean up the palace."

Emperor Chenghui nodded: "Yes, all those who hold the seal in the palace must be replaced. It is up to you to decide whether to replace the stewards below. Long Jinwei, um, how about Xia Shouzhong?"

Qiu Shian replied, "Mr. Xia is in poor health and has been bedridden for half a year without any improvement."

Emperor Chenghui listened in a trance and said, "It seems that this old dog Xia Shouzhong is really old. Pass on my decree that Xia Shouzhong, my stepson, will be promoted to the fifth rank of Yuanwailang."

People are like this. I almost forgot about Xia Shouzhong a while ago, but only remembered him when I needed him. After feeling emotional, I made amends. I can still be considered to be a man of affection and righteousness.

Of course, it is not ruled out that it was done for other eunuchs to see.

Qiu Shian acted quickly and vigorously. Within one day, all the eunuchs in charge of the palace were retired. A group of young eunuchs were promoted. The new eunuch in charge of the Longjinwei was ordered to rectify the situation, mainly targeting the executive department. It is still unclear how effective it will be, so let's not talk about it later.

When Jia Lian arrived, he saw Li Heng standing aside with his head bowed, thinking about something. Before he could come forward to greet him, Emperor Chenghui spoke first: "Buqi is here, come and talk to me, don't bother with that useless person."

Jia Lian smiled and pretended not to hear. He saluted the emperor first and then Li Heng.

After being polite, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty has summoned me, but is there something you want me to do?"

Emperor Chenghui said with a smile, "There are so many things to do. I can't rely on you for everything. If I rely on you, you will be exhausted. Alas, even I am helpless. Even if I entrust you with a few small things, the person in charge will make mistakes."

Jia Lian knew what Emperor Chenghui was referring to, and smiled as he spoke for Li Heng: "Your Majesty, when you do things, you still have to make sure that people listen to you. If people listen to you, that's called authority. If there are few people who listen to you, that's called insufficient authority. If there is insufficient authority, it's often the case that you have the will but not the strength."

When Emperor Chenghui heard this, he couldn't help but stare at Li Heng and said, "You little bastard, did you hear that?"

Li Heng paused for a moment, then quickly bowed and said, "I am listening."

Emperor Chenghui turned to Jia Lian and asked, "How can we establish authority if we don't have enough authority?"

Jia Lian said, "It's easy. The emperor has the will in hand. If things go wrong, severely punish the person who handled it. Follow the person who handled it and punish him all the way. No matter if it's unjust or not, if something goes wrong, he must be held responsible."

Emperor Chenghui turned his head again, glared at Li Heng and said, "You little bastard, did you hear that?"

Li Heng suddenly realized something and said quickly, "I understand!"

Emperor Chenghui said, "Now that you understand, why don't you get back to work for me?"

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please wait."

Emperor Chenghui asked, "What's the matter?"

Jia Lian said: "I suggest that Your Majesty allow the Third Prince to transfer a battalion of officers and soldiers to assist the Third Prince in his work."

"Okay, prepare paper and pen!" Emperor Chenghui agreed readily and quickly wrote a copy of the imperial edict and used a small seal.

Jia Lian stood aside calmly and saw that the emperor had written a letter to transfer a battalion of soldiers to guard the nine gates.

I couldn't help but think that the emperor had full trust in the commander of the Nine Gates, after all, he was a member of the royal family.

When Li Heng received the imperial edict and left the palace, he felt ashamed. At the critical moment, it was Jia Lian who spoke up for him. On the other hand, none of the people around him could be relied on.

It's possible that something went wrong while the prisoner was being escorted to Beijing, and the news leaked from our side.

This also fully illustrates a problem. When something like this happens, don't think about investigating it thoroughly. Just follow the person who did the thing and punish him severely first, and then send someone who is trustworthy and obedient.

The truth of everything is clear. I used to think that Li Yuan was kept in Nanyang and his position as crown prince was secure, but now it seems that this is not necessarily the case. My father has more than one son. My father is not a legitimate son.

Before this, I was still blinded by others.

Thinking of this, Li Heng became less flustered and more calm.

Emperor Chenghui waited for Li Heng to leave, then he smiled at Jia Lian and said, "Third brother, it's still a little short of the right timing."

Jia Lian smiled but said nothing. He would never accept such talk.

Emperor Chenghui nodded at him and said, "You sly fellow! Compared to you, even Marquis Jia En is a loyal and honest man."

Jia Lian said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind!" Well, just take it as a compliment.

"Buqi, tell me, am I too lenient? In many matters, I always think that we are old friends, so I just let him go with a simple gesture." Emperor Chenghui said, feeling emotional and reflecting.

After hearing this, Jia Lian answered decisively: "Your Majesty, benevolence and forgiveness are the ways of saints. Your Majesty's words and deeds are close to saints. These people do not know how to cherish and seek death. What does it have to do with Your Majesty's benevolence and forgiveness?"

Emperor Chenghui felt warm in his heart after hearing this, and felt like he had found a confidant. He could not help but sigh: "The clothes are not as good as the new ones, and the people are not as good as the old ones! But, people are never satisfied! I can only do my best."

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health! Your Majesty should not worry about things that are not related to military affairs." Jia Lian whispered the advice, saying that it would be good for Jia Lian if the emperor lived a few more years.

Emperor Chenghui was walking slowly in the courtyard, and Jia Lian followed closely. After walking a few hundred meters, Emperor Chenghui stopped and said, "Buqi, last year many old friends kept telling me that my reforms were too hasty. Do you think they were too hasty?"

Jia Lian hesitated for a moment and said, "In my humble opinion, we should not leave things to future generations just because we are afraid of trouble. If we keep pushing things back, it will only make the situation worse and worse."

Emperor Chenghui sighed and said, "I just want to slow down for a while and wait until the situation is stable before making any reforms."

Jia Lian took a step forward and said firmly: "If Your Majesty takes one step back, they will take ten steps forward. Reform means progress and no retreat."

The essence of political reform is the redistribution of interests. Isn't that the case when it comes to interests?

(End of this chapter)