Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 643 It's the end of the year again.
A butterfly fanned out a chaotic era.

The most fitting place for this occasion is the Jiangnan region, especially the south bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Although steam-powered cloth was not as fine as hand-woven cloth, its lower price drove the once-dominant Suzhou-Songjiang cotton cloth out of the northern market. This forced the businesses of Suzhou and Songjiang to keep up with the pace of the Industrial Revolution.

When the train, a symbol of the Industrial Revolution, rolled in, the industry and commerce of Jiangnan were deeply shaken.

Some people went to the capital to ride the rising stock market wave, while others joined together to try to revive the era of local railways and strive to gain dominance.

As the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Xiong Fang was naturally drawn into the situation. He felt obligated to help others, so he secretly crossed the river to meet Jia Lian because he didn't want to lose face by failing.

Unfortunately, not daring to stay overnight, their actions of crossing the Yangtze River before dark inevitably carried a sense of panic and haste.

By the time he reached the dock, it was already dark. Looking back at the fishing lights on the river, Xiong Fang's feelings were indescribable.

When they returned to the camp by car, they learned that many people had come to see them that afternoon, but left their visiting cards after arriving empty-handed.

After looking at these visiting cards, Xiong Fang felt a bit of a headache. He was very hungry but had no appetite for dinner.

Not to mention, the steward reported a new piece of news that sent shockwaves through the Ministry of Personnel.

As a high-ranking official in the imperial court, Xiong Fang naturally understood what the recent series of events in the court meant.
The current cabinet term expires next year, and it's uncertain whether Lin Ruhai will be able to continue serving as the chief minister.

It can only be said that this visit across the river seems a bit rash.

There's no going back in life. Who would have thought that Jia Lian would be so important in the new emperor's eyes? Isn't it said that when the current emperor was confined to Southeast Asia, Jia Lian was neglected?
Clearly, rumors are not to be believed!
I didn't sleep well all night, and when I woke up it was already noon. While I was washing up, the butler came in and stood by, not saying a word.

The elders around him are the most reliable. Xiong Fang finished washing up slowly and made up his mind that he must not get involved in any trouble later.

Having made the trip myself, I've already earned my share of the benefits.

The governor of Jiangnan and the local "elders" had been waiting at the gate for quite some time. Although they were anxious, they had to maintain a calm demeanor.

When the steward came out to announce that only the Governor of Jiangnan was allowed to enter, the expressions of the other gentry changed slightly.

After exchanging greetings and serving tea in the study, the butler withdrew, closing the door behind him.

After the Governor of Jiangnan conveyed the collective wishes of the gentry, Xiong Fang smiled and said, "The idea is good, but the railway bureau has not responded for a long time. What can I do? I should go back and appease the local elders and be more patient. By the way, we should pay more attention to the changes in the Ministry of Personnel in the capital."

Having received considerable tributes on a regular basis, Xiong Fang felt he owed nothing after relaying the report expressing local wishes to the railway bureau through official channels. However, given the significant risks ahead, he felt he had done his utmost to remind the governor of Jiangnan.

The governor of Jiangnan was quite a character; upon hearing the last part, he suddenly stood up and said, "This subordinate understands!"

Xiong Fang picked up his teacup: "Have some tea!"

The Governor of Jiangnan said, "I have troubled you for a long time. I shall take my leave now!"

Officials always prioritize their own positions, and they are naturally unwilling to take risks if anything threatens their fundamental interests.

The events in Beijing weren't news; it's just that the outcome was only recently decided, and Xiong Fang, being well-informed, knew about it in advance.

The gentry, having failed to find their target, left helplessly. They only had real influence in the local area; their official influence was limited and not as great as they had imagined.

Of course, it also depends on the opponent; this time, the opponent is a bit too strong.

They could only grumble inwardly and curse the gentry who took the benefits but did nothing. What they would think and do after hitting a wall was another story.

These people may seem powerful when united, but in reality, they can quickly divide themselves up once there are benefits to be had.

The key is how tightly the emperor holds onto military power!

Li Yuan had to be grateful for the military force left behind by Emperor Chenghui; otherwise, he might not have been able to control the cabinet alone. He was destined to be caught in a delicate tug-of-war.

It’s so realistic!

High-level political struggles are never child's play; they are all about strength, and simplicity and brute force are the essence.

I can kill you at Xuanwu Gate, who's going to outsmart you?
Even with only eight hundred elite troops, when facing life-or-death situations, they can fight like eight hundred men.

Even a cornered beast will fight back, and a rabbit will bite when cornered; there's no need for so many twists and turns.

People who love to argue will behave themselves after being beaten up by thugs.

When faced with literary inquisitions, which gentry rose up in rebellion? It was the Li Dingguo group, the "rebels" of the late Ming Dynasty, who fought to the end.

It can only be said that although the Qing Dynasty was reactionary, it was also a unique mirror that revealed the true nature of a certain class.

Jia Lian showed no fear in dealing with these people. The railway in Jiangnan must be built, the plan must be finalized as soon as possible, and control must be firmly grasped.

Some people think they can reap the rewards with their silver tongues, but have they asked Jia about the bayonet in his hand?

Knowing that Xiong Fang was intelligent, Jia Lian did not linger in Pukou. Instead, he wrote a letter and sent it across the river to formally inform the Governor-General of Liangjiang and the Governor of Jiangnan that the construction of a straight railway in Jiangnan was out of the question before the railway school was completed, let alone any idea of ​​local self-construction and self-operation.

After leaving a letter, Jia Lian set off back to the capital. This southern tour was not only about the railway school, but also about supporting the railway bureau.

On the way back, Jia Lian discussed the construction plan for the railway school with the railway vice minister.

It was already December when I returned to the capital. With the Lunar New Year approaching, all the government offices in the capital were preparing for the holiday, and year-end summaries were being carried out in an orderly manner. Everything seemed normal and peaceful.

In reality, they were fighting fiercely behind the scenes for the vacant positions in the Ministry of Personnel.

No one will back down at a time like this. If you back down, the next opportunity will be a long time coming. Everyone who has a chance is doing everything they can to seize it.

When Jia Lian returned to the capital, he was also affected by this incident.

Having endured years of being caught in the middle in Shuntian Prefecture, Jia Yucun left the Lin family mansion with Lin Ruhai's words still lingering in his mind: "It's better to beg Buqi than to beg me." Jia Yucun couldn't help but secretly regret that he had grown closer to Lin Ruhai over the years. Although he hadn't neglected his daily etiquette, he wasn't as close to Jia Lian as he used to be.

Who would have thought that Jia Lian could influence the appointment of key officials in the Ministry of Personnel?
In fact, Lin Ruhai had only recently realized that after the list of additional personnel for the Ministry of Personnel was submitted, the emperor directly approved the list of those below the third rank, but the selection of two vice ministers and one minister was still undecided. He simply asked the cabinet to add some more people as candidates.

The appointment and removal of officials in the Ministry of Personnel has always been a fiercely contested battleground. Lin Ruhai had always maintained strict control over it, and everything went smoothly during the reign of Emperor Chenghui. However, after Li Yuan ascended the throne, he faced numerous difficulties.

Although Li Yuan did not say it explicitly, Lin Ruhai keenly sensed that Li Yuan was not satisfied with, or rather, did not agree with, the regents left by the late emperor.

After hitting a wall, look around and the answer will naturally come to mind.

Eager to seize the opportunity, Jia Yucun departed in the darkness by carriage. The lantern outside the window swayed slightly, its light filtering through the glass and casting flickering shadows on his face.

Jia Yucun is getting old. If he doesn't seize this opportunity to advance, he will never have the chance to enter the cabinet in his lifetime.

Becoming a Grand Secretary is the highest aspiration for every scholar; only by sitting in this position can one truly lead the court's policies and major decisions.

Especially in this era of change, the names of cabinet ministers are of even greater significance.

The reforms that began with Emperor Chenghui were destined to have a profound impact on later generations. Anyone in officialdom knows that reform is the most difficult undertaking.

Emperor Chenghui's reforms can be seen as setting aside existing problems, bypassing them, and taking a new path, thus ushering in a golden age.

Jia Yucun also saw that after the new emperor ascended the throne, he had a desire to reach new heights, which is why he was so eager to take another step forward and formally enter the sights of the new emperor, Li Yuan.

Even back home, Jia Lian had no time to relax. With the year-end approaching, there was a lot to do, and he had to review various summaries.

Before he could finish his work, Jia Lian had to go to the palace to report on the results of his southern tour.

"The original plan was to travel west by boat and then return by car from Hankou, but after seeing the problems in Jiangnan, I decided to return to Beijing ahead of schedule."

Jia Lian selectively told the truth, and Li Yuan listened very carefully, a habit he had developed in the past.

Although the gentleman speaks frankly, he uses very little nonsense; one must listen attentively and think deeply.

"The gentry across the land are all much the same, but those in Jiangnan wield greater influence due to the region's developed economy. Back then, because of the difficulty in collecting commercial and industrial taxes, I went to Suzhou. With the support of the late Emperor and the cooperation of Chancellor Sun, we thoroughly reformed the commercial and industrial taxes in Jiangnan. Now, having returned south, I find that for every policy, there is a countermeasure. Tax revenue in Jiangnan has stagnated, which is abnormal. Taxes are not being collected, yet the court's annual expenditures are constantly increasing; this will lead to serious problems in the long run."

Instead of addressing the ambitions of the Jiangnan gentry regarding the railway, Jia Lian took a different approach to discussing the situation in Jiangnan.

Li Yuan listened attentively and didn't rush to ask for a solution, as he couldn't always wait for his teacher to give him the answer.

"Let's discuss this matter after the Ministry of Revenue submits its year-end summary report. The most urgent task is to supplement the Ministry of Personnel with additional officials. The Cabinet has submitted a list; please take a look before making a decision."

Li Yuan handed over a list, but Jia Lian raised his hand to stop him without hesitation: "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Li Yuan paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "Sir, please speak frankly."

Jia Lian said earnestly, "Your Majesty should try not to be influenced by your ministers when it comes to employing people."

Li Yuan smiled slightly and said, "I have learned a lot!"

Jia Lian, citing the many tasks at the end of the year in various government offices, rose to take his leave. Li Yuan saw him to the door and then turned back, smiling at Hu Min, and said, "The cabinet ministers wish they could stuff the list into my mouth and arrange the personnel according to their list. But you, sir, refuse to even glance at the list, instead letting me decide for myself. What a difference!"

Hu Min laughed and said, "Your Majesty, Jia Gong was the lowest-ranking official among the ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor by the late emperor."

Li Yuan sighed and said, "Regarding the military reform, you only sent a short letter, mentioning the main points. As for the Shandong matter, you didn't say a word, intending not to affect my opinion on the matter."

Hu Min remained silent this time, and Li Yuan stayed alone for a while before sending Hu Min to the cabinet to convey a message: with the year-end approaching, personnel issues should be temporarily put on hold and discussed again after the New Year.

Not only was there no result on the cabinet's recommended list, but they also had to wait until the New Year. Lin Ruhai felt bitter inside, and Li Qing and the others were also in a bad mood.

What does this mean? It means that the emperor did not trust the cabinet in personnel matters, or rather, his level of trust in it was not high.

Jia Lian didn't have time to think about all that; he was incredibly busy. He was in charge of too many departments, and each department needed to hold meetings and do year-end summaries.

The first stop was the Ministry of Works, where there was actually the least work. This year's main tasks were focused on the temple, river repairs, and road construction. Luckily, the projects went smoothly without any problems.

Officials privately felt that this year had been exceptionally smooth, probably due to Jia Lian's move to the Ministry of Works. Departments that were previously difficult to deal with were now much easier to approach, and local issues that used to cause a lot of trouble seemed to have lessened considerably. It was quite remarkable! It seemed that Lord Jia was indeed a man of great fortune!

The Ministry of Works had 300,000 yuan left in its account. The Left Vice Minister asked Jia Lian whether they should give a small gift at the end of the year.

All the officials turned their attention to Jia Lian, waiting for him to speak.

"We have seafood and freshly slaughtered pork being delivered from Dengzhou. Send someone to stake out the train station to prevent it from being robbed by other government offices. I'll write a note later and send someone to purchase vegetables from the royal winter vegetable base to distribute as New Year's goods. My message is simple: officials shouldn't seek special treatment. Everyone, from top to bottom, should be taken care of to avoid gossip. Keep 50,000 yuan of the remaining funds in the accounts for reserve, and distribute the rest as subsidies. The accounts must be clear. We don't want any scandals like someone getting caught in an audit right after the New Year."

"Sir, what if the goods are stolen on the railway?" the Left Vice Minister asked again.

Jia Lian laughed and said, "I personally wrote to the prefect of Dengzhou to request the goods. The railway bureau is one of our own. I'm already being kind by not robbing other people's goods. Who would dare to rob ours?"

Everyone burst into laughter, and the Right Vice Minister then asked, "Where did Dengzhou get so much pork?"

Jia Lian explained, "Dengzhou is by the sea, and the soybean meal produced outside the pass is excellent feed for pigs. In recent years, Prefect Lin has been developing the pig farming industry in Dengzhou. To curry favor with Dengzhou Prefecture, the Prince of Dongping's Mansion outside the pass has been giving away soybean meal at half price. Of course, this good thing has only lasted for the past few years. After these few years, this good thing probably won't happen again."

Everyone listened and smiled without saying a word, knowing exactly what was going on.

The Prince of Dongping's mansion was short of people, so it naturally prioritized people from within the Great Wall. Dengzhou was by the sea and had no shortage of ships, so the Prince of Dongping's mansion mainly came from Dengzhou.

The meeting lasted all day. When Jia Lian returned home, Wang Xifeng told him that there were too many people delivering New Year's gifts, and the house was overflowing with them.

As he spoke, he handed Jia Lian a stack of gift lists. The top one was from the Prince of Dongping's mansion. They didn't send gold or silver; instead, they sent local products like ginseng, bear paws, tiger bones, and flying dragon.

Highlighting the criminal law of a modern society!

(End of this chapter)