Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 626 Disgusting

It can only be said that Jia Lian's efforts were not in vain, and it also shows that the internal divisions within Confucianism in the middle and later periods created a favorable environment.

The reason why later generations lamented the Ming dynasty and hated the Qing dynasty is probably related to this. The Qing dynasty used its butcher's knife to stifle the freedom of thought of a nation.

Once the mind is restricted to freedom, cognition is confined to a limited scope.

In this sense, the Manchu rulers were guilty of the greatest crimes.

At the latest cabinet meeting, Li Yuan expressed his dissatisfaction with the cabinet's procrastination very directly.

"The cabinet should expedite the process of incorporating practical knowledge into the imperial examinations; it cannot be delayed indefinitely."

Before the meeting adjourned, Li Yuan made a comment and then got up to leave.

The cabinet ministers saw him off with solemn expressions.

As the Grand Secretary, Lin Ruhai undoubtedly bears the greatest pressure when the cabinet is criticized.

Li Qing was under the silent gaze of Lin Ruhai for a long time, and the cabinet minister in charge of the Ministry of Rites was undoubtedly under considerable pressure.

"I'll go to the Ministry of Rites right now!" Li Qing had to agree, even if it was difficult. Delaying wouldn't work; otherwise, he'd be the first to suffer. Li Qing wouldn't jeopardize his own future for the benefit of his colleagues.

Where does the pressure on the cabinet come from? It comes from the interests of bureaucrats at all levels.

The question of whether the imperial examination was fair is self-evident; officials at all levels had plenty of ways to cheat, the only question was whether it would be exposed.

The current system of vested interests in the imperial examination system is already very mature from top to bottom, and any attempt to change it will inevitably harm those who have already benefited.

Therefore, it was not the cabinet that opposed the reform of the imperial examination system, but rather those from the Ministry of Rites down to the lowest-ranking county magistrates.

Once practical knowledge is incorporated, many things become less secure. This is because many people in this chain of interests themselves lack genuine understanding of practical knowledge.

Lin Ruhai didn't say anything, but after returning to his office, he thought about it for a long time and finally came to the conclusion that the emperor was deliberately causing trouble, or that it was a conflict between an emperor who wanted to achieve something and a cabinet that wanted stability.

This is a very frustrating situation. During the reign of Emperor Seihui, the main task of the current cabinet was to maintain stability.

After Lin Ruhai was promoted to Grand Secretary, Emperor Chenghui had little motivation for change. If the emperor sought stability in everything, how could he expect the cabinet to bring about change?
When a conflict arises between the cabinet and the emperor, either the cabinet is changed or the emperor is replaced.

How to get along with an ambitious and enterprising emperor was a question that Lin Ruhai, the chief minister, had to answer.

Lin Ruhai immediately thought of Jia Lian, and his relationship with this son-in-law changed almost at the same time he became the Grand Secretary.

At first, Jia Lian deliberately kept his distance, but later he repeatedly opposed the cabinet, and now the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law is not so harmonious.

Without a doubt, Jia Lian belonged to the radical reformist faction and came up with many new ideas. Most of the new things during the reign of Emperor Chenghui were created by Jia Lian.

The results were quite good, but due to problems with the distribution of profits, Lin Ruhai saw Jia Lian's group as fraught with danger. Jia Lian himself, and even the Jia family, were in constant danger of collapse.

Especially after the new emperor ascended the throne, Lin Ruhai was very worried about Jia Lian. If the new emperor Li Yuan showed even the slightest dissatisfaction with Jia Lian, he would be attacked with the most ferocious and fierce attacks.

Reality surprised Lin Ruhai greatly. During the transition between the old and new emperors, Jia Lian behaved very steadily and smoothly, becoming a minister relied upon by the new emperor, Li Yuan.

Furthermore, Li Yuan also intended to use Jia Lian's practical theories to challenge the existing imperial examination system.

Before finishing his shift, Lin Ruhai sent someone to inform Jia Lian to go to the Lin residence after his shift.

Jia Lian was not surprised when he received the notification. If Lin Ruhai did not contact him by this time, he would not be qualified to sit in the position of Grand Secretary. At that time, Jia Lian would take the lead in overthrowing Lin.

After finishing his shift, Jia Lian sent someone home to inform his family, and then he himself arrived at the Lin residence with his entourage.

Lin Ruhai had already returned home, and the steward was waiting at the door. As soon as Jia Lian arrived, he was led into the study.

"Just how far do you want to go?" Lin Ruhai asked impatiently after Jia Lian sat down.

Jia Lian smiled and asked in return, "What does Prime Minister Lin think of the current state of affairs in the court?"

Lin Ruhai hadn't expected him to ask such a question. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Overall, the country is stable and the court is basically at peace."

Lin Ruhai didn't pay much attention to Jia Lian's title, but he was definitely uncomfortable with it.

“My view is exactly the opposite. Whether inside or outside, there are undercurrents and crises lurking everywhere,” Jia Lian retorted Lin Ruhai’s view without any politeness.

Lin Ruhai was not angry. Instead, he calmly said, "I would like to hear the details!"

Jia Lian said, “First, let’s talk about the external situation. The European powers have already seen the power of the Industrial Revolution, and various countries are successively entering the industrialization stage. At present, Europe is engaged in a war that is like raising a venomous insect, which will greatly promote the progress of European military theory and technology. If we remain unchanged, after the war ends in twenty years, Europe will not have difficulty catching up with or even surpassing us militarily. At that time, the powers with rich war experience will inevitably compete with us for the countries around Southeast Asia in order to seek a larger market. At that time, as long as we lose a single battle, all the achievements of the late emperor’s reforms will be in vain.”

Lin Ruhai listened with a solemn expression, but still retorted, "You're exaggerating! Our Celestial Empire is a great nation with a vast territory. Even if we lose the ocean, it won't endanger our very foundation."

Jia Lian retorted sharply, “No, once the South Seas are lost, internal conflicts are bound to erupt. At that time, factional strife within the court will be fierce, a zero-sum game. The common people, destitute, will rise up in rebellion, with uprisings erupting everywhere. It is foreseeable that foreign enemies will take the opportunity to land, as evidenced by historical records. I am not exaggerating. In fact, Prime Minister Lin is well aware that the late emperor's new policies did not address the root of the internal problems; they were merely superficial. The late emperor alleviated internal conflicts through external expansion, and this is absolutely certain.”

Lin Ruhai was speechless after being rebuked. How could he not know the problems within the Zhou Empire? It was precisely because he knew them all too well that he dared not touch them.

"Do you think your reforms will succeed with the support of the new emperor? You're sorely mistaken! Once your fundamental interests are threatened, everyone will unite to completely overthrow you. At that time, everything, including the achievements of the late emperor's reforms and your own efforts, will be swallowed up. You will be gone, the Jia family will be gone, and everything will be gone."

Lin Ruhai, in a fit of anger, suddenly raised his voice considerably, and his eyes widened.

Jia Lian smiled faintly: "A bunch of skeletons from a tomb. In my opinion, even if they unite, they are nothing but a rabble, mere chickens and dogs."

Lin Ruhai sensed something amiss, stood up in alarm, and pointed at Jia Lian, his hand trembling slightly. "What exactly do you mean?" he asked. Jia Lian remained seated, as steady as a mountain. "Father-in-law," he replied, "do you really think I haven't considered the consequences of all the hard work I've done over the years? If anyone truly wanted to endanger the Jia family's safety, they would be the first to die. Father-in-law has been too comfortable in the position of Grand Secretary, and has lost his sensitivity to reality. He's only concerned with stability, afraid to do this or that. Back when Father-in-law was the Salt Commissioner, his character flaws were already glaringly obvious. My mentor was the same; the two of us served as Grand Secretary for nearly thirty years, and the Salt Commissioner's office remains fundamentally unchanged, only the personnel have changed. The officials of the entire country are the same; apart from the change in personnel, nothing has changed."

These words didn't have much of an impact on Lin Ruhai. Instead, he earnestly advised, "Buqi, this is how the world has always been. I'm getting old, and I'm already quite content to be sitting in the position of Grand Secretary. I just want to work steadily until His Majesty hints that I should retire. I hope you can understand that I'm saying all this for your own good."

Jia Lian dismissed Lin Ruhai's words as nonsense, and stood up with a smile, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect: "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together! This humble son-in-law takes his leave!"

Just before he left, Lin Ruhai's voice rang out behind him: "Don't bother seeing me out!"

Jia Lian left in a hurry, and Jia Min entered the study, looking at Lin Ruhai and saying, "Why can't we talk things out properly among ourselves? Why make things so awkward?"

Lin Ruhai shook his head with a wry smile: "Madam, Buqi and I must stand on opposite sides. This is good for him and good for me. No matter who falls in the future, there will always be someone else standing up."

Jia Min instantly understood and sighed, "More than a thousand years have passed, and it hasn't changed at all."

Lin Ruhai said, "Let's not talk about these things. His Majesty is not an easy person to deal with. As the chief minister, I can only do my best to stabilize the situation and prevent it from becoming chaotic."

When Jia Lian returned home, he went straight to Daiyu's place. Daiyu, who was reading, put down her book and got up to personally help Jia Lian change his clothes.

"Is Father alright? Did you two have a fight?" Daiyu was still the one who understood Jia Lian best.

"There was no argument. It may seem like they have different political views, but in reality, the old man is hedging his bets on both sides. The Jia and Lin families can't both fall together. His Majesty is a restless and capable man, so it's hard to say what will happen in the future."

Jia Lian, of course, saw through Lin Ruhai's hidden thoughts and made it clear to Daiyu, not to comfort her.

After giving birth, Daiyu became a bit plumper. Compared to her previous slender figure, she presented a completely different image.

"A letter has arrived from the Wang family. Sister Feng asked me to persuade you to be lenient with them," Daiyu whispered at the dinner table.

Jia Lian shook his head: "No, the Wang family makes money in a very unscrupulous way. I don't want to be complicit in their corruption and leave a bad name in the history books of the future."

Daiyu was taken aback by Jia Lian's idea and was stunned for a moment before saying, "Isn't it a bit much?"

Jia Lian didn't explain much. It's hard for people to believe things they haven't seen before, and it's normal for Daiyu to be skeptical.

"Tell Feng'er later to stay out of the Wang family's business. It's true that Annam is the Wang family's fiefdom now, but the court can take it back with just a word. As long as I'm here, the Wang family's fiefdom will remain; if I'm not here, the Wang family will most likely be gone, and they can forget about any good things like fiefdoms."

Daiyu said, "You should go and tell her yourself. I'm afraid she'll misunderstand if I tell her."

Jia Lian nodded: "Alright, I'll personally write a letter to the Wang family, to give them some advice, and to make one last effort."

As Jia Lian rose in rank, he had less time to care for his children. Fortunately, he was mindful of this. When Qiao Jie brought her younger siblings to pay their respects in the morning, Jia Lian spoke carefully with each of them and even knelt down to hug them one by one, letting them feel his love.

An hour after Jia Lian left for work, Daiyu finally got up lazily, constantly complaining to Zijuan, "You talk so nicely, good sister, good sister, why did you hide so far away last night?"

Zijuan didn't argue, but simply said, "Your voice is hoarse from shouting, save your breath, don't hurt your voice."

I'll bite you to death!

All I can say is that having a child really changes you; you become much more unrestrained. Before, I would even stuff a handkerchief in my mouth.

In the cabinet, Li Qing got up early, met with Lin Ruhai, and reported on the situation at the Ministry of Rites.

"Currently, the most vehement opposition comes from the provincial education commissioners, prefectural officials, and county officials. The Ministry of Rites also opposes overly radical reforms. After I forcefully suppressed their opposition, they agreed to implement it first in the provincial examinations, which still has a few months to prepare. In this way, the education officials at all levels will not be caught off guard."

Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "Let everyone discuss it. If it's acceptable, then submit it to the Emperor."

Li Qing said, "There's no need for that. They're too busy hiding to even think about it."

After a long silence, Lin Ruhai nodded: "Then it is up to you and me to sign and submit it!"

Li Qing took out a prepared document from his sleeve and handed it over. Lin Ruhai took it and read it carefully. Finding no traps, he picked up his pen and signed his opinion.

After the document was presented to the Emperor, Li Yuan was very dissatisfied and thought, "They're still dragging their feet! But the cabinet must have done its best."

"Prime Minister Li, please go back first. I'll think about it carefully." Li Yuan agreed without hesitation, though he was unwilling, but he didn't have a good way to retaliate. After all, things had already come to this point, which was quite remarkable.

Li Qing did not expect the emperor to be dissatisfied. Without arguing, he took his leave and returned to the cabinet to explain the situation. Lin Ruhai was also very worried.

This emperor is over thirty years old, why does he still like to cause trouble so much?

Li Yuan had someone summon Jia Lian, and after Jia Lian arrived, he showed him the latest draft of the memorial.

"Being emperor is no fun at all; my words don't even get approved by the cabinet," Li Yuan said, seemingly complaining, yet not quite.

After quickly reading through the document, Jia Lian said calmly, "Your Majesty could first replace the Minister of Personnel, and then replace the Minister of Rites. Observe the reactions of the officials before making a decision!"

Li Yuan was slightly taken aback, then looked thoughtful, picked up the document and waved it in his hand: "What about this? And what about the imperial examination?"

"This memorial can be approved first, and the special imperial examination should also be held, after all, it is His Majesty's way of bestowing favor upon all scholars in the land. However, I believe that a general amnesty is unnecessary. His Majesty can grant special pardons to certain individuals, so that everyone can see who is superior and who is inferior." Jia Lian suggested with extreme composure, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.

"I am still not reconciled!" Li Yuan stated his thoughts very directly.

Jia Lian had no choice but to give a clear answer this time. The emperor was really something; he couldn't swallow this insult, especially since it was the first measure he had introduced after ascending the throne.

"Your Majesty can draft the palace examination questions in advance to assess the academic foundation of the candidates. Those who perform well can directly observe the administration of the Six Ministries, while those who fail will be required to improve their weaknesses and pass the examination before going to the Six Ministries to observe the administration and await further arrangements." When it comes to being disgusting, Jia Lian has a real knack for it.

(End of this chapter)