Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 645 Chief Examiner of the Imperial Examination

When Li Dong from Xuzhou received the appointment, he thought he had misread it. In this peaceful and prosperous era, it is very difficult to be promoted beyond one's rank. To go directly from prefect to governor is to skip a rank.

Unaware of the situation, Li Dong quickly dispatched his trusted followers to the capital to ask Jia Lian in person what was going on, otherwise he would feel uneasy.

Despite his unease, Li Dong packed his bags and prepared to take up his post. As for the matter of his successor, it was none of his concern.

This incident sent shockwaves through the entire bureaucratic system of Jiangbei Province, equivalent to an earthquake of magnitude 8. In the civil service system, the last official to be able to skip ranks in recent years was Jia Lian.

The saying "It's easy to get a position if you have connections in the court" has been brought up again by countless officials.

Lin Ping from Dengzhou remained calm after receiving the appointment. He had been working hard and steadily in Dengzhou all these years, and this was the day he had been waiting for.

Only the cabinet probably knew very well that this was not just a small act of "willfulness" by the emperor.

In fact, Jia Lian was the most surprised one. He had worked his way up step by step, and they had all skipped a level.

It seems my understanding of Emperor Li Yuan is still incomplete!
You might think Li Yuan was eager to seize power, but he still knew to test the waters. The timing was clever; having seen this precedent, Li Yuan would face much less resistance from the cabinet if he wanted to promote younger officials. This is good, though. The bureaucratic system of the court has always been flawed, prioritizing seniority over ability. While this may not completely change things in the future, at least exceptions will be allowed.

Looking at it this way, Li Yuan was a pretty good emperor.

The new emperor lacks prestige, and how to gradually build authority and regain imperial power in the face of the veteran ministers left by the late emperor is a matter that requires great strategy.

Li Yuan seized the opportunity very skillfully, taking advantage of the approaching end of his cabinet term to indulge in a moment of recklessness.

The cabinet was unwilling to embarrass the emperor at this critical juncture, so they reluctantly endured it.

It can only be said that Li Yuan's ups and downs over the years have not been in vain.

On the day before the Lunar New Year, Jia Rong represented the Jia family in ancestral worship. Even Jia She and Jia Zheng did not compete for the position of presiding over the ceremony.

Everyone knows that Jia Rong has Jia Lian's unwavering support, and everyone knows that without Jia Lian, the Jia family would have fallen into ruin like many other noble families.

On New Year's Eve, Jia Lian went to bed early and got up early. At dawn, he arrived outside the palace gate and lined up to wait to enter.

Emperor Li Yuan attached great importance to the court assembly on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and all the officials were required to submit congratulatory memorials. Jia Lian also submitted one.

The cabinet members lined up at the front of the hall, with Jia Lian in the second row, no longer a mere lackey.

After the grand court assembly, Li Yuan hosted a banquet. Jia Lian was dozing off in his seat. He had gotten up in the early hours of the morning, and it was not easy to sleep while standing in front. Now, facing a table full of cold dishes, he had no appetite at all.

None of the officials touched their chopsticks; everyone made the same choice: to pack the food up, take it home, and reheat it before eating.

There was one exception on this day: officials could take the palace tableware home as a keepsake. For lower-ranking officials, this was a small but significant perk.

Li Yuan and his cabinet ministers were able to eat hot food, but this banquet was not for eating; rather, it was a gathering for communication between the emperor and his ministers.

Lin Ruhai and his entourage barely ate any food or drank much wine, but they did offer plenty of celebratory remarks to the emperor.

There wasn't much to say about the first day of the Lunar New Year. But on the second day, when Daiyu returned to her parents' home, Jia Lian went with her. Wang Xifeng also wanted to return, but unfortunately, the Wang family in the capital had no elders left.

Jia Lian also allowed the concubines and maids below to return to their parents' homes. Among them, Xiren was the happiest, with two maids and a cart full of bags following her.

Back home, his parents were overjoyed, and his elder brother and sister-in-law greeted him warmly. The Hua family was doing very well; his younger brother was able to study at an engineering college, and his elder brother had found a job in the government office.

All of this was only possible because Xiren had influence with Master Lian.

The emotional support from her family was so strong that Xiren was happy all day before returning home.

In contrast, when Daiyu returned to her parents' home, even with Jia Lian accompanying her, the atmosphere was still rather awkward.

Lin Ruhai found his son-in-law increasingly unpleasant to look at.

When they sat down in the hall to drink tea and talk, their tone was not very polite.

"What do you want to do? Just wait a few years and become the Grand Secretary, won't you? What's wrong with keeping a low profile for the next few years and suffering some losses?"

The father-in-law spoke bluntly, and Jia Lian naturally retorted in kind: "It was with the support of the late emperor that I was able to lay the foundation, and through the development of industry and commerce, I was able to greatly alleviate the country's financial difficulties. As the Grand Secretary, why doesn't Your Excellency think more about the future of the country? Are you always trying to use your son-in-law's achievements to curry favor with others, just to smoothly succeed to the position of Grand Secretary? Or is it just to get those parasites from the Lin family in Suzhou to say a few good words for Your Excellency? If you have forgotten how they behaved in Yangzhou, your son-in-law can go through the trouble of reminding you a few times, so that you don't forget who your own people are."

Jia Lian launched into a barrage of rebuttals, causing Lin Ruhai's face to flush red with anger. His fingers trembled as he retorted, "Nonsense! I'm doing this for your own good. Don't you know who owns this world? Or are you just pretending to be ignorant?"

Jia Lian chuckled coldly and said, "The world belongs to all people. Isn't that what Lord Taishan meant? Unfortunately, in my heart, the gentry do not represent all people. They are nothing more than leeches that suck the blood of all people."

Seeing the calm look on Jia Lian's cold face, Lin Ruhai instantly suppressed his anger and said indifferently, "You don't care about your reputation after death, but you don't care about what happens after you die?"

Jia Lian snorted twice: "Your Majesty, there's no need to worry about me. When I rule the world, they'll be the ones to worry. Especially the Lin family, a bunch of fools, so self-righteous."

Lin Ruhai wasn't angry at such a comment. Instead, he nodded seriously: "That's right, those idiots in the Lin family really need to be taught a lesson. I'll deal with them later; you don't need to lift a finger."

Jia Lian said, "That would be best!"

After a brief exchange between the father-in-law and son-in-law, everything went back to normal as if nothing had happened.

Inside the room, Jia Min looked at Daiyu with great concern and said, "Won't a fight break out outside?"

Daiyu said, "Father has changed! He's so hesitant and indecisive. He might as well not be the chief minister anymore."

Jia Min raised her hand and touched Daiyu's face, saying, "It seems your younger brother is not going to be able to study. He will have to rely on Lian'er to raise him in the future."

The two talked for a while, their conversation seemingly rambling on and on, until Jia Min finally sighed and said, "Your father knows in his heart that he can't beat your husband! He just refuses to admit defeat!"

Daiyu nodded: "Father is a civil official, and without the Emperor's support, it's difficult for him to achieve anything. Although Lian-ge also has his own selfish motives, the country comes first, and family second. The Emperor and Lian-ge have been through thick and thin together in Southeast Asia! I've heard Lian-ge say that His Majesty is probably wary of him, but he hides it very well. After all, back in Southeast Asia, His Majesty witnessed the fighting power of the new army firsthand. Having spent several years in Southeast Asia, His Majesty knows very well who has the final say there. Lian-ge's idea is that the worst outcome is for the Jia family to be granted a fiefdom in Southeast Asia."

Upon hearing this, Jia Min sneered a few times: "Your father is indeed inferior to Lian'er, and by a great extent. He actually expects that bunch of good-for-nothings from the Lin family to rely on him. It's laughable."

The first month of the lunar calendar is all about celebrating the New Year. On the eighth day of the first month, the oxen and horses would go to the government office to pay their respects before continuing their New Year celebrations. After the Lantern Festival, the festive atmosphere gradually faded, only slowly returning at the end of the month.

On the sixteenth day of the first month, Li Yuan suddenly issued an imperial edict, confirming that Jia Lian, a candidate minister of the Grand Secretariat, would serve as the chief examiner for the long-delayed provincial examination! Fang Song, one of the three Grand Secretaries, and Wan Qiang, the Minister of Rites, would be the deputy chief examiners. Because the chief examiner for the provincial examination had always been decided by the emperor, even if the officials wanted to cause trouble, they had to be mindful of the emperor's tyranny.

The sudden appointment of the chief examiner for the imperial examination completely disrupted Jia Lian's New Year celebrations.

It's truly like sitting at home and having something happen to you out of nowhere.

Jia Lian, who didn't care about the matter, reluctantly changed his clothes and went out to the palace to express his gratitude.

Jia Lian had served as the chief examiner for the provincial examinations, but not for the metropolitan examinations. This shows Li Yuan's intention in giving him this qualification.

When Jia Lian met the emperor, he naturally bowed deeply in gratitude. Li Yuan personally helped him up, saying, "Sir, there is no need to thank me. I have witnessed everything you have done since you entered officialdom. Those who talk about loyalty to the emperor and serving the country all day long have done less for the country than you have."

Jia Lian quickly said, "Your Majesty, you must not do this. In this world, only Your Majesty is indispensable; all others are insignificant."

Li Yuan was in a good mood. He smiled and gestured for tea to be served. He then asked in a low voice, "Sir, do you have any advice for me on the essay questions for the provincial examination?"

Jia Lian said solemnly, "Your Majesty, secrets can lead to disaster. This matter can only be known to Your Majesty."

Li Yuan smiled without saying a word. After Jia Lian took his leave, Li Yuan seemed to be deep in thought.

"Hu Min, should I obey your advice, sir?" This seemingly casual question was actually quite crucial.

Hu Min knelt down and said, "How dare this servant presume to fathom the Emperor's thoughts?"

Li Yuan waved his hand: "Get up! You're so scared!"

On the thirtieth day of the first lunar month, Jia Lian entered the examination hall. Fang Song and Wan Qiang had already arrived. After watching the examination hall being locked, the three of them walked inside together.

After the servants served tea, the three of them sat down and chatted with laughter.

"A cabinet minister serving as Jia Gong's deputy is a first in our dynasty." Wan Qiang's opening remarks were full of sarcasm, with the words "sow discord" written all over his face.

Fang Song retorted bluntly, "Minister Wan, don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. Buqi could have entered the cabinet long ago, but he made way for me to avoid suspicion."

Jia Lian chuckled and said, "Minister Wan isn't just talking nonsense; he's saying it on purpose."

Wan Qiang's face turned pale from being bullied, so he simply closed his eyes and mouth and pretended to be a statue!
Fang Song wouldn't let him off the hook, and said to Jia Lian, "Buqi's self-cultivation skills have been perfected. The Buqi who was once so spirited and threw a teacup at the Grand Secretary during the Imperial Cabinet meeting is gone forever."

Jia Lian smiled and explained, "That's different. Back then, smashing Kong Zhao was for official business, but now the argument is a private matter. They shouldn't be confused. Speaking of which, Minister Wan's open provocation is truly the act of a petty person."

The two of them acted as if Wan Qiang didn't exist, which was infuriating. Wan Qiang, however, was a ruthless man; he just sat there motionless, saying whatever he wanted, but if he uttered a single word, he'd admit defeat.

Wan Qiang's intentions were perfectly clear to Jia Lian and Fang Song. They were just hoping that Jia Lian would be provoked and make a move. They were willing to risk being beaten up to ruin Jia Lian's good deed.

Fang Song suddenly had a whimsical thought: "By the way, I wonder, is it better to be a hypocrite or a true villain?"

Without hesitation, Jia Lian replied, "Naturally, a hypocrite is a cut above the rest. Judging by actions, not intentions, there are no good people when it comes to intentions. A hypocrite can pretend for a lifetime, and that makes him a true gentleman. Even if he pretends openly, he is still willing to accept the constraints of the rules and acknowledges them. In contrast, a true villain ignores the rules, wears his evil on his sleeve, and is the root of chaos in the world."

Even Wan Qiang, who has a thick skin, couldn't stand it when he heard this. He got up, snorted, and quickly left to go back to his office.

Jia Lian watched his retreating figure and said, "Believe it or not, if he had successfully provoked me and made me beat him up, the people outside would say he was a hero who upheld morality."

Fang Song nodded: "Of course! If we're to say anything, after we lose the qualification of chief examiner for the provincial examination, we should be able to join the cabinet."

Jia Lian pondered for a moment: "It's hard to say!"

The story of the three bickering quickly spread among the examiners; there was no secret about it at all.

Subconsciously, the other examiners split into two groups, one surrounding Wan Qiang and the other surrounding Jia Fang and his companion. Unsurprisingly, Wan Qiang had more people around him.

Wan Qiang wasn't afraid of Jia Lian beating him up, nor was he afraid of losing his position as deputy chief examiner. The examiners surrounding him were secretly hoping that Jia Lian would lose his temper and cause some trouble.

Unfortunately, Jia Lian didn't care about any of this, and even asked his subordinates not to act impulsively, thus missing such an important opportunity to accumulate experience.

With Jia Lian keeping them in check, the subordinates didn't cause any trouble. Seeing this, the people on the other side didn't dare to provoke them either, since this seniority was still very important, and no one wanted to lose it.

On the second day of the second lunar month, the dragon raises its head. In the chill of the early morning, Jia Lian, dressed in official robes, was followed by Fang Song and Wan Qiang, who seemed completely unaffected.

"Open the Dragon Gate!" Jia Lian commanded, and the heavy gate slowly opened, creaking and groaning, as if it hadn't been oiled in a long time.

[It's only been a short time since last year's Enco tournament; this gate hasn't been maintained at all before.]

Thinking of this, Jia Lian sighed inwardly and did not create any unnecessary trouble or take advantage of the situation.

One by one, the candidates entered. Jia Lian, who was sitting at the door, watched them come in one by one until the last candidate entered and the door closed. Only then did Jia Lian get up and go back.

The imperial examination had established rules, and Jia Lian only needed to read them out; he was just there to gain experience anyway.

After the three imperial examinations, Jia Lian rarely offered his opinions, but simply made a routine inspection of each session.

When the final results came out, Jia Lian didn't say anything; he left the decision to his subordinates.

Li Yuan has been paying close attention to Jia Lian's every move these days. Apart from arguing with Wan Qiang on the first day, Jia Lian has not made any other obvious moves, and everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.

Li Yuan was very satisfied with this, but at the same time, he silently sentenced Wan Qiang, who had taken the initiative to provoke trouble, to death.

Don't think it's just empty talk. It's true that this is aimed at Jia Lian, but it's also aimed at me.

Li Yuan is quite magnanimous, but it depends on the situation.

Jia Lian was not without regrets. The candidates for this year's imperial examination were all quite old, and he hadn't been able to find a suitable husband for Qiao Jie.

(End of this chapter)