Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 569 Taking office
A group of carriages and horses left the south of the city. A masked woman on horseback kept looking back. When they reached the Shili Pavilion, they did not see the person they were going to meet, so the woman ordered, "Take a break! Take one last look at the capital."

The woman went up to the Shili Pavilion, looked back to the north, saw faint smoke and dust rising, and instantly stretched her neck.

A cavalry team came galloping and arrived in front of the pavilion. Jia Lian, who was in the lead, dismounted, threw the whip to his followers, and strode forward.

"Sorry, I'm late." Jia Lian stepped forward and clasped his hands. The woman bowed slightly and said, "It's not late, but you came to see me off. Aren't you afraid of being implicated?"

Jia Lian laughed: "Although your identity is unknown, I don't take your identity to heart."

The woman smiled and walked out of the pavilion: "Let's walk a few steps forward together."

"Okay!" Jia Lian said very straightforwardly. This was the last time they met, and there might not be a next time. He hoped to satisfy his last bit of curiosity.

"Twenty-five years ago, the then-retired emperor was on a southern tour and stayed at the Zhen family. He had sex with a woman after drinking. Later, the woman gave birth to a daughter, and died of postpartum hemorrhage. Later, a young female Taoist priest took the daughter away. Later, the female Taoist priest told her apprentice that her mother did not die of postpartum hemorrhage, but was forced to drink poison. Because her mother was the daughter-in-law of the Zhen family, it brought shame to the Zhen family! Do you know? Later, the daughter always thought that she was the illegitimate daughter of the Zhen family. Only recently did I find out that there was another truth."

When Jia Lian heard this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. There is a lot of cruelty in this world, hidden under absurdity.

"In life, too many obsessions will only make you suffer. Do you want to confirm the truth? Or do you want to do something else?" Jia Lian asked with a smile, actually trying to comfort her.

"We each have our own opinion. The truth is not important. We are going to the Western Regions to carve out a niche for ourselves and be our own master." Before leaving, Zhen Huan spoke a lot.

"If you want to accomplish great things, organization is the first priority. The more people there are, the more it tests the organization's execution ability." At this time, Jia Lian had already guessed who Zhen Huan was, but he had no intention of taking credit for it.

I just think that it is not necessarily a bad thing for her to go to a place like the Western Regions. People still need to have faith. The lower the level, the more they need faith, and it supports them and keeps them from collapsing.

"Organization? It's a very new word, but very vivid. Thanks for the reminder! Well, let's say goodbye now." Zhen Huan got on the carriage and waved goodbye.

Jia Lian watched the group of people go away, smiled slightly and waved.

What happened in Yunnan caused quite a stir in the capital.

In the Imperial Clan Court, except for the Grand Clan Chief, almost all the others were replaced, and in the Imperial Household Court, nearly half of the people were replaced. No one was killed in either place, but it was different in the Dragon Guard and the harem. For three consecutive days, carriages were transporting bodies out of the city before dawn. They were buried in a random pit dug on the mass grave.

The cabinet was also busy. The Inspectorate launched an investigation into dozens of officials from six ministries.

Fang Song, the evil dog, held the imperial decree of the cabinet and invited more than a hundred officials to have tea. Then the cabinet issued a decree, reiterating that it was forbidden for the people to destroy money and cast tools. Once discovered, they would be punished for treason.

The Ministry of Revenue was the hardest hit in this large-scale investigation, and the officials involved were mainly related to the fire consumption. Why didn't the officials of the Ministry of Revenue report earlier that local officials collected too much silver in taxes?
Is this a serious dereliction of duty, or is there another reason? Just follow this line and investigate further.

It can only be said that Jia Lian grasped the point very accurately. The emperor might be more lenient on other matters, but when it comes to silver coins and copper coins, the emperor really cannot tolerate these two things.

The reason is actually very simple. There will only be more and more rentiers. When they cannot obtain benefits from the outside to satisfy their appetite, they can only exploit internally madly.

It is not just a problem of land annexation, but also a problem of upward channels. It is just that land annexation is more prominent in agricultural civilization.

The rotten flesh will continue to grow, and whether the ruler has enough courage to keep cutting off the rotten flesh is the key to whether a regime can continue for a long time.

Jia Lian, feeling that the emperor had become a little slack, did not have high hopes for this matter and decided to just do whatever he could.

Fortunately, we have now entered the ocean and have an external channel to divert conflicts.

Emperor Chenghui summoned Jia Lian to the palace again. When they met, he asked directly, "Buqi, which department do you want to be the minister of?"

The subtext is that it is unrealistic to enter the cabinet, and the title of Duke of Rong is waiting to be inherited. In the past, it was already outrageous for the Jia family to have two dukes in one family, and there probably was no third duke.

It's not impossible to be a prince of a different surname, but he won't be able to stay in the capital and will have to go overseas.

Jia Lian looked at the smiling face of Emperor Chenghui and couldn't help but sigh in his heart that this emperor was really good.

There is really nothing to say about my own people.

"The Ministry of Works, I guess. I have something to say to Your Majesty." Jia Lian gave the answer first and then turned to the conditions.

Emperor Chenghui nodded: "The weather is pleasant, and the breeze is blowing. It's perfect for going out for a walk."

Jia Lian nodded, changed into casual clothes, followed Emperor Chenghui out of the palace, and disappeared into the streets.

"These days, I have reread the Salt and Iron Discussions and have gained some insights!" Jia Lian said slowly without taking a step.

Emperor Chenghui looked around at the bustling East Market and asked casually, "What do you understand?"

"Sang Hongyang's three questions reminded me of what Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty said: the Yuan Dynasty fell because of its tolerance! I have come to the conclusion that the country should always take matters related to the national economy and people's livelihood into its own hands. Our situation is quite different from that of the West. The West is based on commerce, while ours is based on farming. Western merchants can manipulate national politics, but our merchants seem unable to do so, but in fact they are not. Take the Ming Dynasty as an example. Officials' families were not only involved in politics, but also in farming, industry and commerce. Each family is essentially a smaller version of the aristocratic family, so there is a saying that the imperial power does not extend below the county level."

Jia Lian paused as he spoke and looked at Emperor Chenghui's expression.

Emperor Chenghui nodded slightly, approving Jia Lian's statement. The maturity of the imperial examination system had the effect of dividing the old aristocratic families into smaller units of gentry families, a transformation of the Enfeoffment Order.

Emperor Chenghui also studied history and knew about the situation in the Yuan Dynasty, where too much power was delegated to the lower levels. Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to reverse this, but he did not solve the fundamental problem.

In the final analysis, it is the rentier class that is growing. When you are at the top, you will definitely want to leave everything you have to your descendants. Why should outsiders enjoy the remaining benefits you leave behind? It can only be said that the aristocratic families have always existed, but the way they exist has changed and become more hidden.

What is the difference between those officials and gentry in the Ming Dynasty who shouted about morality and those in modern society who claim to have carried out educational reform but are actually doing the work of passing on the legacy from father to son?

When the upward channel becomes more and more crowded, a system is needed to clear it. What if the system is made by these people?
Well, I'm talking about the United States, India, Europe, Japan, and the Philippines.

"The reason why I strongly advocate external expansion is because of this reason. The people inside have been suffering unspeakably and have reached the limit of their patience. If we continue to oppress them, they will definitely become the next Huang Chao and Li Zicheng. Frankly speaking, I am afraid! I am afraid that my descendants will die without a burial place, and the bones of the nobles will be trampled on the streets, and the inner treasury will be burned to ashes! This is not an exaggeration, but something that will definitely happen in the future."

Emperor Chenghui remained silent. He knew that Jia Lian said the most sincere words. Otherwise, it was impossible for a minister to say such words after announcing the prosperity of the era in front of the emperor. It was too taboo.

Isn’t Jia Lian worried that Emperor Chenghui will get angry and demote him to the frontier?
I'm really not afraid! Although the capital is closer to the center of power, it is also closer to danger.

The Forbidden City has existed for so many years, but the people inside have been replaced by one batch after another.

"Buqi, people can't see that far. Everything happening right now is very urgent. Do you understand?" Emperor Chenghui finally spoke, looking at Jia Lian with a complicated look.

This young minister had a vision that penetrated the future and presented it to us in simple and plain language.

But what if he saw it? Emperor Chenghui could not and would not harm the interests of the royal family, nor would he make enemies with the officials and gentry of the world, because they were in the same group.

"I know, that's why we have to go out and rob. While expanding our living space, we should use the wealth we rob to strengthen ourselves, instead of using the wealth for personal and family extravagant life. Internally, we must control some industries related to the foundation of the country in the hands of the court. At the same time, we must do a good job of taxation, otherwise the day when the national finances are exhausted, the people will rise up. Furthermore, we must ensure the existence of upward channels and replace a batch of fresh blood from time to time. Otherwise, our dynasty will only last for 300 years, not much longer than the Song and Ming dynasties."

Jia Lian was not worried that Emperor Chenghui would not understand, because the emperor was one of the people who understood the current situation of the country best. Of course, if another emperor came, that might not be the case. This is probably the biggest drawback of the family monarchy. All officials are workers, so how can they care about the interests of their bosses? In the rising stage, they can make money together, but in the stagnant stage, they start to think about how to put more money in their own pockets and provide a good future for their children and grandchildren.

Human society has always been like this.

"I know that I have only done a little bit, and there are still many things left to do, so that the country will be prosperous. Unfortunately, I am a little powerless, and I can only do my best to do the things in front of me. You go to the Ministry of Works, and do what you want to do boldly. I can't do anything else, but I can be a little ruthless and a little hard-earned, and I can still do it."

Emperor Chenghui finally gave Jia Lian a promise, implying that he should go ahead and do it.

The emperor has just promised, how long it will be valid is hard to say. Based on Jia Lian's understanding of Emperor Chenghui, even if it expires, he will at most replace himself, which will not be too extreme.

Jia Lian is just an ordinary person, and there is only so much he can do. After all, isn't he also trying to gain more benefits for future generations?
In your lifetime, try to save as much wealth as possible, and let your descendants squander it. In this era, such a wealthy family is likely to produce some prodigal sons.

At that time, the biggest threat to the Jia family will not be their own kind, but imperial power.

There is one thing Jia Lian always keeps in mind: imperial power is really a man-eating tiger, and it has a huge appetite.

As a rentier, Jia Lian may be able to live with a clear conscience, but what about his descendants?
Emperor Chenghui was right. In one’s lifetime, one can only deal with things according to the present situation. This is a saying that will last for thousands of years.

People have changed, everything has changed.

This may be the helplessness of wise rulers throughout the ages, which is why there is a market for the art of longevity.

Jia Lian was not disappointed by not being able to enter the cabinet. The next day, Jia Lian was officially appointed as the Minister of Works, and concurrently in charge of the Research and Development Department and the Honglu Temple.

It is understandable that he is in charge of the Research and Development Department, but what about the Honglu Temple? It is very simple. Jia Lian must be in charge of the Honglu Temple in order to make money by selling arms.

As for the media attack on Jia Lian, it had stopped long ago. When Fang Song launched a large-scale investigation, those people were no longer in the mood to deal with Jia Lian.

Of course, the more important reason is that Jia Lian failed to enter the cabinet. This can also be publicized as a victory, and the theory of winning is everywhere.

Pan Jixun resigned from the Ministry of Works and took over the Ministry of Justice. The emperor did not treat him badly.

As for Li Qing, because Jia Lian also took charge of the Honglu Temple, some of his power as a cabinet minister was taken away.

Emperor Chenghui was also not idle. After adjusting the power structure, he announced that the cabinet ministers would no longer hold the position of Shangshu. The chief minister would be in charge of the overall affairs, and the four cabinet ministers would be in charge of their own affairs. Except for major military affairs, they would no longer interfere in the specific affairs of the departments, but only formulate policies in the general direction.

This adjustment can be seen as an emperor's decentralization and centralization of power. In the cabinet, because cabinet ministers no longer serve as heads of specific departments, the power of Prime Minister Zhang Tingen has actually increased, but the power of other cabinet ministers has been reduced.

This move sent a strong signal that the emperor's health might really be deteriorating rapidly.

As a most special minister, Jia Lian actually holds more power than any other cabinet minister except the prime minister in this adjustment.

This is to train Jia Lian as the next cabinet prime minister, so the atmosphere in the court changed soon. The articles criticizing the Yin-Yang Jia Lian in the Beijing media were like branches bare after the rain in late autumn. Of course, these people will not turn around and praise Jia Lian. It will take time, and they will not appear until Jia Lian really sits in that position.

Now there is a question. Considering Jia Lian’s age, if he entered the cabinet at the age of 30, how long could he stay in the position of Prime Minister?
For many people, the next step has shifted from how to prevent Jia Lian from entering the cabinet to how to prevent Jia Lian from becoming the prime minister.

Even if you can't stop it, you have to try your best to delay it, otherwise it's too scary. A prime minister in office for twenty years, let alone thirty years, is a very scary thing.

There is no way, Jia Lian is too young. In fact, privately, some people have been spreading rumors that Fang Baiyi will appear next.

Jia Lian didn't care about these things, but he didn't let his guard down either. He had his own information channels and would find these people one by one. When the time was right, he would show no mercy.

After taking office, Jia Lian did not start the Ministry of Construction, but instead adjusted the Research and Development Department. He first let out a rumor that he was going to check the accounts. Some non-technical officials who had appeared at some unknown time resigned voluntarily.

These are the smart ones who know they have to leave. But there are also the stubborn ones who refuse to leave no matter what.

Jia Lian’s method was very simple. He would really check the accounts, and if he found any problems, he would take the people under control and wait for someone to pass on the message.

The eunuch beside Li Heng came to pass on the message, asking Jia Lian to show mercy and let a few of them go.

Jia Lian told Li Heng's closest eunuch that his attitude was very clear: the Research and Development Department would not keep idle people, especially those who did not work but made too many demands.

Although Li Heng was annoyed by this, he still chose to compromise and let those who were under control be more conscious and bow their heads, otherwise no one could save them.

After Li Heng's people compromised, all the gods also compromised. No one was killed, but exile was inevitable.

Jia Lian's tough attitude conveyed a clear message. He had already made it clear in advance that if you don't take it seriously, don't even think about getting away with it.

Many people went to the palace to file complaints, but not only did it not have any effect, but they got themselves implicated, either by being confined to the palace, losing their jobs, or having their salaries fined, and so on.

Li Heng was still a little smart. He endured for a while and waited to see the result before jumping out immediately.

In comparison, some people were not smart enough. This king, that king, this uncle, that cousin, more than a dozen people, all fell into trouble.

The worst was the eldest son of the emperor. His Highness, wouldn't it be nice to just write history books? He insisted on speaking for his wife's family, and was directly named the King of the Western Regions and asked to go to the vassal state immediately.

Before he was enfeoffed, he did not even have the opportunity to bid farewell to the emperor. Instead, when he knelt outside the palace gate, he was scolded by Qiu Shi'an, who was ordered to deliver a message.

[He has no sense of the big picture, and cannot sympathize with the difficulties faced by the emperor, let alone the hardships faced by the people. He only knows how to take, not only for himself, but also for others. If the prince continues to do this, the country will soon be destroyed.]

Many people heard this, and it soon spread throughout the capital. The prince was almost escorted out of the capital by soldiers. A battalion under the Nine Gates Guards was dedicated to escorting the prince to the Western Regions, and they were not allowed to return until he arrived. As for the prince's family, a battalion of the Xishan Camp escorted them to the Western Regions a month later.

This incident caused a huge shock in the capital. What's even more interesting is a rumor that on the way to the Western Regions, the prince kept cursing Li Heng, saying that he was unfaithful and had harmed his brother.

Even if Jia Lian heard something, he pretended not to hear it. After the personnel was rectified, a rule was formulated for the R&D Department that non-technical officials were not allowed to hold full-time positions, and promotions were based on political achievements rather than seniority.

Political achievements include profit creation, technological innovation, etc.

After spending a month cleaning up the Research and Development Department, many officials from the Ministry of Works and the Honglu Temple were transferred away, and they left before Jia Lian could clean up the situation.

Everyone reached a consensus that as long as Emperor Chenghui was in power, they should not touch Jia Lian openly. The slander in secret would not stop.

As for Li Heng, he began to send out signals of easing the situation and took the initiative to speak well of Jia Lian on many occasions.

Jia Lian said nothing, did not comment on anyone, and kept his head down and concentrated on his work.

(End of this chapter)