Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 648 A Chance to Save Oneself

Across the river, the world's number one military force, Shenji Town, is stationed and conducting exercises, while on the river surface, the cannons of the fleet are exposed with their gun doors open.

This scene brought back many people's dead memories!

Jia Lian is still the same ruthless killer; his cruelty has never changed, he's just hidden it, and over time everyone has forgotten about it.

This entrance mode works very well; even if warships on the river suddenly open fire, no one doubts that such a thing could not happen.

This is the advantage of a carefully crafted persona: a loyal minister who kills without hesitation, a ruthless person who will stop at nothing to fulfill the emperor's orders.

At this moment, it became tangible.

No one dared to run, because there was nowhere to escape; no one dared to resist, because everyone knew the difference between losing one person and losing the whole family.

The ship finally docked, and after the gangplank was lowered, the guards were the first to disembark.

A group of burly men, all over 1.8 meters tall, with revolvers at their waists and rifles slung over their shoulders, their faces expressionless.

The hard-soled leather boots made a neat, clacking sound as they stepped on the ground.

The guards stood in two rows, and Jia Lian came out of the cabin, disembarking slowly with his hands behind his back.

Once you have a firm footing, take three steps forward and stand still.

"Xiong Fang greets Your Excellency the Imperial Envoy!" Xiong Fang, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, stepped forward first, followed by local officials who paid their respects.

Jia Lian did not answer immediately, nor did he return the greeting. Instead, he waited a while, allowing these people to bow for a bit longer, before speaking: "No need!"

After everyone stood up straight, Jia Lian strode forward, and the crowd automatically parted to make way for him, with Xiong Fang following closely behind.

Upon arriving at the dock, Jia Lian sat down without ceremony and turned to look at the officials, saying, "His Majesty gave me instructions before I was ordered to go south this time."

As he spoke, Jia Lian stood up, and everyone bowed slightly to show their respect.

Jia Lian clasped his hands towards the north and said, "His Majesty said that the late Emperor was benevolent and kind, and he admired him. Therefore, officials will not be executed unless they are plotting treason. You should all be grateful for His Majesty's grace!"

A single opening line brought everyone's souls back to life; after all, it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death.

"Your Majesty's kindness has moved us to tears," the officials said in unison.

After showing off his power at the dock, Jia Lian got up and boarded his carriage, accompanied only by Xiong Fang, while the Governor of Jiangnan and others followed in another carriage.

"Lord Xiong, His Majesty is very disappointed in you." When no one else was around, Jia Lian spoke much more directly.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Fang stood up, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the north, and said, "Your humble servant is ashamed!" At this moment, Xiong Fang was overjoyed. If he wanted to punish him, he wouldn't have done it with just a few words.

This means there's still a chance to save him. As for how to proceed, that depends on Lord Jia's decision.

After gesturing for Xiong Fang to sit down, Jia Lian said calmly, "You were promoted by Grand Secretary Sun, so you're practically an outsider. I already reminded you when I came to Pukou last time, but unfortunately you overthought things and got it wrong."

"Your Excellency is right. I will do my utmost to comply with your orders!" Xiong Fang knew very well that Jia Lian was the one who could decide his fate. Why should he bow his head?

"You must be able to see the whole story clearly. Do you know what His Majesty is truly dissatisfied with?" Jia Lian asked expressionlessly.

Xiong Fang lowered his head and thought for a moment: "The officials in Jiangnan receive salaries from the imperial court, yet they cannot stand on the side of the court; instead, they favor local merchants. The taxes they evade come from both the national treasury and the imperial treasury."

This statement undoubtedly downplays the problem of official corruption, instead using a more palatable term.

Jia Lian neither took it to heart nor agreed, but instead asked, "This imperial envoy has been ordered to go south to rectify commercial taxes. Lord Xiong, how do you think we should cooperate?"

Xiong Fang immediately perked up, raising his voice slightly: "All prefectures and counties must conduct thorough investigations, make up for the outstanding commercial taxes, and impose corresponding fines. Those with egregious offenses will be severely punished! To prevent this matter from causing local unrest, we must first rectify the officialdom of Jiangnan and eliminate the corrupt officials."

Jia Lian looked at him with a half-smile and said, "Has Lord Xiong ever considered the possibility of collusion between officials and merchants, where taxes and fines that should be paid are shifted to the common people? And what if that happens?"

Xiong Fang took a deep breath, knowing this was a crucial moment; if she didn't answer well, she might be the first to be dealt with.

"What the Imperial Envoy says is absolutely right. Such things are bound to happen. There are many large families in Jiangnan, with officials and merchants within them. They are all one family. To prevent this from happening, we must first control public opinion. We should send more people to the countryside to explain the purpose of the Imperial Envoy's trip to the people, assuring them that this matter will not involve them. If any gentry try to shift commercial taxes, they can report it to the government. When the court finds the facts to be true, they will be rewarded accordingly."

After listening to Xiong Fang's explanation, Jia Lian nodded in approval and said, "The idea is good, but the problem is that local families have been operating for many years and their influence is deeply entrenched in the local area. Even so, it is difficult to guarantee the effect."

Xiong Fang was stunned. What Jia Lian said was true. Even if the public opinion was well-managed and everyone knew about it, it would still be difficult to guarantee that the local people would not be harmed by the transfer of blame.

"What do you think, sir?" Xiong Fang asked cautiously.

Jia Lian said calmly, "First, govern the officials, then control public opinion. These two points are fine. Let's do it for now. Whether it's done well or poorly, we'll see the results before we speak."

Xiong Fang was relieved to hear this; at least his official position was safe and he wouldn't be made an example of.

When the carriage arrived at the headquarters, Jia Lian got out and, accompanied by Xiong Fang, went to the main hall.

At this moment, only Jia Lian was sitting; everyone else was standing in front of him.

Facing a group of officials from Jiangnan, Jia Lian raised his hand and pointed a few times, saying, "The commercial tax in Jiangnan has hardly changed in five years. You have all deceived the emperor!"

In an instant, everyone knelt down, even Xiong Fang knelt down without the slightest hesitation.

"In accordance with the principles of learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones and curing the disease to save the patient, everyone should think carefully about how to recover the losses of the court and the imperial treasury after returning home. I hope that you will not force me to mobilize troops across the river and massacre the south of the Yangtze River. I trust that you can handle this matter well. That's all for now. I'm going to my office to rest for a while."

As he spoke, Jia Lian stood up and walked inside, with Xiong Fang and the others following behind: "Respectfully seeing off the Imperial Envoy!"

After Jia Lian disappeared, Xiong Fang turned to the officials and said, “You have all seen what happened. Although His Majesty is angry, he is still willing to give you a chance to save yourselves. When you go back, you should think carefully about what to do, especially the heads of your respective departments. You must think twice before you act. If you do things well, you will still have a chance to survive. If you mess things up, Lord Jia will mobilize troops across the river.”

After the officials withdrew, Xiong Fang left behind the governor and the provincial administration commissioner. When only the three of them remained, Xiong Fang said, "What I said earlier was all empty talk. Now I'll tell you the truth."

Both men tensed instantly, listening intently. "Lord Jia, out of respect for Prime Minister Sun, is giving this governor a chance. This governor, out of consideration for our past relationship, is giving you both a chance. There are three crucial points to this matter; do not make a mistake. First, conduct thorough public awareness campaigns beforehand, informing the people of the entire province of the cause and purpose of this tax investigation, to prevent panic and unrest. Second, investigate the local tax situation; those who owe taxes must pay, and those who are fined must be fined. Absolutely no embezzlement is permitted; even a single penny pocketed will cost you your head if it ruins this governor's plans. Third, collusion between officials and gentry is strictly prohibited. Any attempt to shift the burden of taxes or fines onto the people under false pretenses will be met with swift and decisive execution."

This is something that would be very difficult for one person to handle alone. It is necessary to involve the governor and the provincial treasurer. Only when the three of them agree on the idea can other matters be implemented.

They're all officials; for their own benefit, they'll put everything else aside.

The key issue is that this matter is far too serious. Sending an imperial envoy is a minor matter, but specifically sending Jia Lian as the imperial envoy means that it is a matter of life and death.

Thinking of the warships still at the dock and Shenji Town on the other side of the river, all their ulterior motives had to be put away. No one would risk their own interests for the sake of others.

Even if such people existed, they couldn't be these three. If they were truly that stupid, they wouldn't have had the chance to get to where they are today.

Of course, there's also a probability factor involved. Xiong Fang doesn't care; these two are truly hopeless idiots, so he'll just start by targeting them.

Jia Lian makes it sound so easy, saying he won't kill anyone unless they're accused of treason. But when the time comes, he'll just slap a treason charge on you and kill you anyway.
Others might not understand, but Xiong Fang saw it clearly. As for evidence, how many of those things couldn't be fabricated?
"We are fortunate to have this opportunity to save ourselves, all thanks to the Governor's kindness. I will certainly do as you ask." The Governor immediately expressed his opinion, followed by the Provincial Treasurer.

Xiong Fang looked at the two without speaking, and after a while said, "You'd better watch yourselves!"

After dismissing the two provincial officials, Xiong Fang hurried to the office and saw Jia Lian sitting inside drinking tea. He quickly came in to pay his respects.

After announcing the arrangements, Jia Lian put down his book and looked at Xiong Fang, saying, "Send out your men and keep a close watch to prevent any mishaps."

After saying this, Jia Lian got up and went out, boarding the waiting carriage. He did not stay at the governor's residence, but instead moved into a garden that had been arranged beforehand.

The garden belonged to the Xue family. Baochai had already arrived and settled in. After welcoming Jia Lian in, she casually asked how the job was going.

After Jia Lian changed his clothes, he lay comfortably on the chair, and Ying'er lifted his feet and placed them in front of him, covering him with a small quilt.

Jia Lian was already numb to this level of enjoyment; you couldn't refuse him.

"His Majesty is very dissatisfied with the officials in Jiangnan, but he doesn't want to be accused of killing without warning, so he used me to give the officials in Jiangnan a chance to examine themselves and save themselves. In terms of benevolence, the current emperor is not as kind as the late emperor." In front of Baochai, Jia Lian finally told the truth.

Upon hearing this, Baochai immediately warned Ying'er: "You are not allowed to go out and show off, or you will be punished with the most severe family discipline."

Ying'er gave a wronged "oh," and Jia Lian looked at Baochai speechlessly: "Why don't you ask where these things come from?"

Ying'er was secretly delighted, and Baochai didn't mind at all. Instead, she felt a warm glow in her heart and sat down next to Jia Lian, saying, "I asked, and you didn't hide it from me. That makes me happier than anything else."

Jia Lian smiled and said nothing more.

An uproar broke out in Jinling City. The gleaming warships on the river were visible to everyone.

In those days, there were no secrets in officialdom. Everyone already knew that Jia Lian had gone south as an imperial envoy.

In reality, it was the role of trains that truly had a huge impact on the gentry and merchants of Jiangnan, transporting more than 10,000 people over 3,000 li in just seven days.

Those who knew the situation were terrified. Not only did they lack the courage to rebel, but even those who did were scared to death by the speed at which troops were being mobilized.

After the news spread throughout Jiangnan, it slowly took hold. Whether some harbored wishful thinking is unknown, but most of the family leaders knew in their hearts that they shouldn't try to be clever.

The imperial court is serious this time; otherwise, they wouldn't have deployed such a large force on the opposite bank of the river.

The next day, Jia Lian got up very late, not getting out of bed until the sun was high in the sky.

When people drink tea and have breakfast in the hall, there are newly published newspapers on the table, which they read while they eat.

There are no official newspapers in Jinling City, but there are quite a few newspapers in private hands. Look at this stack of at least ten newspapers; the ink on them is not even dry yet, they were all printed overnight.

Every newspaper featured the rectification of commercial taxes as its headline, explaining the reasons for Imperial Envoy Jia Lian's southward journey, emphasizing the mission of officials at all levels, and warning them against creating pretexts to collect taxes.

This is what can be seen in the newspapers, but what Jia Lian can't actually see. Last night, the governor's troops surrounded all the newspaper offices, forcing them to publish the same article and to print more copies to be distributed to all prefectures and counties after dawn. The hardest-hit areas are the counties under the jurisdiction of Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture.

In the Jiangnan region, many people are literate, and local newspapers, as a medium, easily conveyed the government's intentions.

Residents in the city are easy to deal with, but the rural areas below are the difficult ones.

How to completely control public opinion is a real test of the abilities of officials at all levels.

After reading the newspaper, Jia Lian was fairly satisfied. Bringing in outside help would have been far too troublesome. The key issue was that a single misstep could have caused a major disaster.

Should we really send troops to suppress them? Jia Lian didn't want to do that.

The reason is simple: the Jiangnan region is where private capital is most active.

In Jia Lian's long-term plan, the Jiangnan region and the Guangdong and Guangxi regions were the key areas for cultivating the new class. The coastal provinces were certainly ahead in terms of economy and were also key areas for cultivating the new class.

Jia Lian couldn't see what the future held, so the most important thing now was to cultivate as many capitalists as possible as quickly as possible.

Without these people, it would be unrealistic for China to rapidly develop industrialization.

State capital in state-owned enterprises is unhealthy and destined to form monopolies.

Private capital was the competitor that Jia Lian found for state-run capital; only competition could generate high-quality industrial revolution results.

Therefore, everyone can see that although Jia Lian made a big show of it, he was not in a hurry in actual operation.

Give local officials a chance to see how they perform, try to avoid killing anyone, and complete the appointment smoothly.

Of course, it's impossible to avoid bloodshed. This world is never short of people who value money over their lives, nor is it short of self-righteous fools.

As local governments mobilized, a clandestine force also took action. Jiangnan had always been one of the regions with the most Imperial Guards spies, and the Imperial Guards of each prefecture and county, upon receiving orders, also began their operations. Their mission was to gather intelligence and monitor the actions of officials at all levels.

(End of this chapter)