Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 608 Newborn Heir Apparent

A light rain fell after the start of autumn, and the temperature dropped sharply.

The fluctuating temperatures have boosted business for clinics throughout the capital.

On this day, Jia Zheng came in person. Jia Lian came out to greet him upon hearing the news. The uncle and nephew exchanged greetings and pleasantries before going inside and taking their seats.

"Knowing that you are busy with official duties, I have never dared to bother you." Jia Zheng said this very politely, but it did not mean that Jia Lian should not take the initiative to visit him.

After returning to the capital, Jia Zheng, as the Vice Censor-in-Chief, held a position of considerable power. However, this depended on who he was being compared to. The current discussion was merely a subtle remark based on seniority, not daring to go too far.

Jia Lian pretended not to understand and smiled, saying, "Second Uncle, I have come to your door today. Do you have any advice to offer?"

The obvious avoidance of the topic made Jia Zheng somewhat uncomfortable, but he had no choice but to nod and say, "Tan Chun's marriage is approaching, and Hanlin Mei intends to send his son to a county after the marriage."

Tan Chun's marriage is none of Jia Lian's business; it's just that it's been delayed until now because Jia Zheng has been away for a long time. The groom isn't exactly a saint either; he's the type who won't act until he sees something tangible.

"Oh, is there anything I can do to help?" Jia Lian asked politely, but Jia Zheng seized the opportunity: "Mei Hanlin hopes to stay in the suburbs of the capital, but it's difficult to get things done with the Ministry of Personnel."

Well, Jia Zheng went to speak with them, but the Ministry of Personnel probably wouldn't give him face. Who does the Ministry of Personnel listen to? Of course, they listen to Lin Ruhai, right? But that doesn't make sense, does it? Lin Ruhai and Jia Zheng have a good relationship.

"How did your uncle respond to this matter?" Jia Lian went straight to Lin Ruhai, the key figure.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zheng sighed and said, "As for Ru Hai's meaning, he shouldn't interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel."

Jia Lian rolled his eyes. What do you mean "it's not good to comment"? It just means he doesn't want to help. Don't you have any self-awareness? He's probably holding a grudge because of Daiyu.

No matter what, they are all family. Even if you don't acknowledge it yourself, others will still consider Tan Chun's husband's family to be from the Jia family.

"In that case, I'll ask around later. I can't guarantee it will work out." Jia Lian hesitated for a moment, but still decided to help.

Although Jia Lian didn't have much contact with Tan Chun, he felt sorry for her, as she had an unreliable father and her marriage had been delayed until now.

"Thank you very much, I thank you on behalf of Hanlin Mei." Jia Zheng was overjoyed.

There are still a few months until the end of the year. If Mei Hanlin seeks a transfer to another post, that will be next year. Unless there are special circumstances, there is still time, so there is no rush.

Jia Lian first wrote a letter to Lin Ruhai, who was still serving the emperor in Rehe, and mentioned the matter. The gist of the letter was that Jia Zheng rarely asked for help, and it was really difficult to refuse. He asked his uncle to handle the matter.

A few days later, Lin Ruhai received the letter and frowned slightly upon reading it. Because of the matter of Daiyu being coveted, Lin Ruhai harbored resentment towards Jia Zheng. Therefore, when Jia Zheng brought up the matter last time, Lin Ruhai had politely declined. Now that Jia Lian had written about it, Lin Ruhai found it difficult to refuse. To be fair, Jia Lian typically avoided interfering in personnel matters, or rather, matters outside his sphere of influence.

However, we shouldn't underestimate Jia Lian's power just because he doesn't get involved. For one thing, a significant portion of Zhang Ting'en's remaining forces are essentially Jia Lian's men. They send gifts during holidays and exchange numerous letters regularly; all of this is compiled by Jia Lian's advisors, and Jia Lian decides whether to accept them.

Jia Lian's true power base was still in the newly established government offices, such as the Research and Development Bureau, which was Jia Lian's private territory, and the Five Cities Garrison Command, which was also implicitly considered Jia Lian's territory.

Lin Ruhai didn't care about connections or territory. As the Grand Secretary, what Lin Ruhai cared about most was Jia Lian's influence in the army.

Especially with the emperor's health deteriorating day by day, Jia Lian's role would be extremely important should anything change happen.

Since Jia Lian had spoken up about this trivial matter, Lin Ruhai naturally had nothing to say and immediately picked up his pen to reply.

Lin Ruhai's reply was somewhat blunt, clearly telling Jia Lian that it was already quite an achievement for Jia Zheng to return to the capital and assume the position of Vice Censor-in-Chief, as he was not a proper Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). As for the matter of Mei Hanlin, Lin Ruhai said he would send someone to inquire about it. He focused most on Daiyu's due date, repeatedly urging that news must be sent immediately once the child was born.

Jia Lian was both amused and exasperated. Even though Jia Min had moved into the Jia family mansion to keep her company, Lin Ruhai was still so worried.

After reading the letter, Jia Lian habitually burned it without leaving any evidence.

Just as the water was boiled and poured, Yuanyang appeared, panting, "Madam Yu is about to give birth!"

Jia Lian got up and went straight to Daiyu's courtyard.
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Jia Lian was genuinely worried about Daiyu's child, after all, they were close relatives, and he was truly afraid.

Preparations were well-established, with a full complement of personnel, including midwives who had received advanced training at the medical branch of the Engineering College. Indeed, in response to the tendency to cling to traditional Chinese medicine, the Engineering College established programs in obstetrics and gynecology and nursing. The nursing program, in particular, was a collaboration with the military medical system. As for the military medical system, Jia Lian himself had emerged from the New Army system.

The so-called engineering college is now a hodgepodge, with science, engineering, accounting, and even medicine.

The establishment of the medical school initially drew considerable criticism, mainly targeting the female doctors, but Jia Lian didn't care at all, and over time they gradually shut up.

At this moment, outside Daiyu's residence, a medical team organized by female doctors has intervened, making the situation seem like a major crisis.

Jia Lian didn't discriminate between Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors; he believed that anyone who could cure illnesses and save lives was a good doctor. Of course, Western medical concepts were still relatively outdated at the time. However, because the Engineering Academy had a medical department, the level of Western medicine in the Great Zhou Dynasty was actually ahead of the West. This was entirely due to the war; Western medicine truly developed primarily for the treatment of external injuries. Before that, its level was quite low.

Jia Min arrived first and saw Jia Lian looking anxious. She stepped forward to comfort him, saying, "Don't worry, the doctor and midwife are all ready. Yu'er has been exercising for many years and is in good health."

Jia Lian nodded, thinking to himself: Can you uproot a willow tree? Oh, how can I let my mind wander like this? I'm not worried about having children, I'm worried about the children themselves, since they are close relatives.

The women of the household arrived one after another, including Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, Lady Xing, Wang Xifeng, Lady You, Qin Keqing, Baoyu's wife, Aunt Zhao, and others.

Wang Xifeng immediately found Jia Lian, took his hand and comforted him, "Don't worry! We've made such thorough preparations, we even have more than a dozen hundred-year-old ginseng roots, and two imperial physicians are waiting outside."

Jia Lian shook his head and said, "If the imperial physician is needed, please do so!" Wang Xifeng was taken aback. You still have the mind to correct my wording? Looks like you're not worried. For some reason, she felt a secret delight.

When it comes to Daiyu having a child, Jia Lian wasn't really worried. Mainly because Daiyu insisted on exercising, was in good health, and was over twenty, which was the most suitable age to have a child.

No more than an hour and a half (three hours) after being taken into the delivery room, a baby cried out. The door opened, and a midwife came out with a big smile, saying, "Congratulations on the safe delivery of your precious mother and child!"

The group of women wanted to go in, but a female doctor in her early thirties stopped them, saying, "Please don't go in yet, it will disturb the mother's rest. Please rest assured, everything is going smoothly." Although Jia Lian was anxious, men were not allowed in the delivery room in this era, so he could only ask, "Is Yu'er alright?"

The female doctor was slightly taken aback and said, "Madam is perfectly fine! Would you like to see the child? Please wait a moment."

Jia Lian said, "No rush, let everyone see first. By the way, don't go in all at once, go in one by one." Actually, Jia Lian was still a little worried, after all, they were close relatives.

After a while, the women went in one by one to see the children, with Jia Lian being the last in line.

Upon entering, Jia Lian did not rush to see the child, but went straight to Daiyu. Seeing that Daiyu was still sleeping and her complexion was only slightly pale, he felt much more at ease.

Looking at the newborn baby, he was sleeping, his face all wrinkled.

Jia She rushed over; he had been having fun outside and had come back after hearing the news.

Jia She pulled Jia Lian aside and said, "This is the grandson of the current Grand Secretary, so I must name him."

Jia Lian didn't argue with him about it, and nodded: "Alright, you get up." Jia She had the wet nurse bring the child over to take a look and then left. Jia Lian stayed behind, sat by the couch, and silently watched Daiyu.

Through the female doctor's account, Jia Lian learned that Daiyu's delivery went smoothly, and upon learning that she had given birth to a son, he immediately fell asleep.

Daiyu slept contentedly, and when she woke up, the first thing she saw was Jia Lian. When their eyes met, Jia Lian smiled, took Daiyu's hand, and said, "Madam, you've had a long day!"

Daiyu's lips curled up slightly: "Bearing children is a wife's duty, how can it be hard?"

Jia Lian's lips twitched. This level of awareness would be enough to get him killed in modern times.

After personally feeding Daiyu a bowl of chicken soup, Daiyu fell asleep again. When Jia Lian came out, it was already late at night.

Jia Lian went straight back to his study, where he was greeted by Xiangling and Qingwen. While they were helping him with his washing and dressing, Jia Lian asked, "How are Xiren and the others?"

Qingwen said with a hint of sourness, "They didn't go to sleep until midnight after all that fuss, and they were all pregnant. I couldn't let them stay up all night with me."

Indeed, the fact that Xiren, Yuanyang, and Siqi all fell ill one after another shows that Jia Lian's efficiency was really low.

Xiangling didn't pay much attention to this. She got up to pour water and came back to see Qingwen wearing only a bodice. She pouted.

She said she wasn't in a hurry, but her actions betrayed her eagerness. Thinking of Xiangling, she went to the next room, not wanting to disturb Qingwen's hard work.

When the news arrived in Rehe, Lin Ruhai laughed heartily. Daiyu had given birth to a son, and her position was instantly secured. How could Wang Xifeng compare to Daiyu?

Fortunately, in the Jia family's inner quarters, Daiyu wasn't one for scheming and usually only managed her own affairs; otherwise, things would have been anything but peaceful. However, one thing was certain: Daiyu's child would definitely receive a noble title, without a doubt.

When Emperor Chenghui learned that Jia Lian had been granted a second wife and a son, he was overjoyed. This was no one's fault but Jia Lian's; his merits were too great, and he had never received a reward.

Considering that Jia Lian's eldest son, Jia Jun, is the first in line to inherit the title of Duke of Rongguo, the status of Daiyu's son cannot be too low; he should at least be a marquis, so that there is room for advancement when Jia Lian makes further contributions in the future.

Emperor Chenghui immediately summoned Lin Ruhai and told him in person, "I congratulate you, Minister Lin! Please take a look at this decree. If you have no objections, I will send someone to deliver it."

Lin Ruhai took the imperial edict, glanced at it, and immediately rose to bow deeply, saying, "Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great favor on behalf of my grandson!"

It's no wonder Lin Ruhai was so generous; Emperor Chenghui bestowed the title of "Marquis of Anguo" upon a newborn child—who could resist that?

As for whether or not one can accept the burden, Lin Ruhai certainly wouldn't object, and in fact, neither would the cabinet nor the entire court.

To be honest, Jia Lian's achievements in pacifying the South China Sea and suppressing Burma have never been definitively established, even after all these years. Granting him a marquisate now is not only a reward for his contributions, but also a sign of respect for Lin Ruhai, the Grand Secretary. Anyone who dares to utter a single word of criticism will be silenced without Lin Ruhai's intervention or the presence of censors; plenty of people will verbally attack them to death.

When the other cabinet ministers learned of this, they all breathed a sigh of relief. To bestow a title upon Jia Lian's son was wonderful. The key was that this son was Lin Ruhai's grandson—brilliant!

When the officials learned of this, they all offered their congratulations to Lin Ruhai. No one gossiped, and they were all filled with envy. After all, their son-in-law was so capable, and his status as the grandson of the Grand Secretary was also an advantage.

There was a tacit understanding between the court and the public: with Jia She gone and Jia Lian inheriting the title, regardless of who became emperor, the title of Duke of Rongguo would be restored. No one could argue against this. If you're so capable, go and conquer the entire Southeast Asia yourself, and incidentally replace Burma with a new king; then no one will complain. If you can't do that, just shut up.

So many people have been sending congratulatory gifts to the Jia family these past few days that Rongning Street is jammed with traffic. Boxes of gifts are being carried in, and Wang Xifeng doesn't dare send them to the central storeroom yet, so she's specially cleared out several courtyards on the north side to use as warehouses for the gifts.

Is it sour or not? Yes, it is, but there's no comparison. Daiyu was Lin Ruhai's daughter, and her son was the grandson of the Grand Secretary. Not counting the Jia family, almost all the officials in the capital had to give her gifts.

It would take time to tally the exact number of people who came to give gifts. So far, those he could remember included two princes, cabinet ministers, officials from the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, and several vice ministers. These were the people Jia Lian personally received. Most of the gift-givers were received by Lin Zhixiao, who accepted the gifts and gift lists. The gift-giving process continued for several days, with more gifts arriving from officials in other regions, continuing intermittently. Gifts from Guangdong arrived in concentrated form two months later, while gifts from Southeast Asia arrived five months later.

The most momentous event was half a month later, when Emperor Chenghui's imperial edict arrived, bestowing upon the newborn child, Jia Rong, the title of Marquis of Anguo.

The news spread throughout the capital in a single day, instantly becoming a hot topic. The so-called practical school of thought, especially Jia Lian's faction, was in an uproar.

The so-called Practical Learning System didn't exist before, but after Jia's Practical Learning was launched, many people spontaneously promoted it.

When the newborn Jia Rong was directly granted the title of Marquis, the officials and scholars who considered themselves disciples of practical learning all wanted to confer the title of Saint upon Jia Lian.

As for whether others acknowledge it or not, I don't care whether you acknowledge it or not!
What do academics say? Of course they don't accept it. What makes Jia Lian think he can do this? Just some fallacious theories?

Official circles also found it unacceptable, with some arguing that Jia Lian could at most be considered a semi-saint, no higher than that.

(End of this chapter)