Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 650 Learn from this experience

Time is running out. I hope Jia Lian will spare Lin Shan's life for my sake. As for the Lin family in Suzhou, they really need to be dealt with properly.

Lin Ruhai didn't bother explaining to the messenger, and wrote him a letter telling him to take the train back and present it to Jia Lian in person.

The grand-nephew was quite happy to receive the letter, and said with a smile, "With this letter from Uncle, we're all set! I doubt Jia Lian would dare to act recklessly!"

Lin Ruhai looked at his grand-nephew as if he were an idiot. So what if he lost face? It was all for the sake of the Lin family so that there would be fewer idiots in the future.

Inside the courtesan's residence, Lin Shan and representatives from the Shen and Wang families were drinking and talking. Everyone had seen the notice and understood its meaning, but alas, they couldn't bear to part with their charitable wealth.

After subtly conveying his meaning, Lin Shan, whose surname he didn't even know, who had been flattered by the two, patted his chest and said, "No rush, let's wait a bit. The messenger who went to the capital to deliver the message will be back soon."

With Lin Shan saying this, the representatives of both families had no choice but to wait patiently.

Both of these families had officials in the imperial court, and they had all sent letters one after another, waiting for replies. They simply decided to wait.

The representatives from the Shen and Wang families were smart enough to quickly send someone home to deliver a message informing them of the news from Jinling. Even with Lin Shan's intervention, they hadn't been able to meet Jia Lian, which was certainly not good news.

Therefore, we need to be prepared for both possibilities. On the one hand, we should stay in Nanjing and wait for news. On the other hand, the enterprises and merchants of both companies should make a statement to the government and not embarrass them too much.

Upon receiving the news, the Shen and Wang families reacted immediately. The local government sent people to cooperate, bribing officials and submitting a figure for tax evasion.

Jia Lian wasn't worried at all. People can run away, but can a company move on the ground? To put it bluntly, even a day of shutdown means losing a lot of money. Besides, a company that big can't be moved in a short time.

Coincidentally, the magistrates of Wuxing and Taicang weren't exactly clever; at most, they were somewhat shrewd and didn't understand the seriousness of the matter. Furthermore, having been fed up by both families, they were too embarrassed to confront them directly. After the two families sent representatives to discuss the matter and presented a generous gift, both magistrates stated that they would simply provide a suitable figure to satisfy the Jinling authorities.

On the tenth day of Jia Lian's stay in Jinling, preliminary reports were gradually being compiled. The two key prefectures in the Jiangnan region, Suzhou and Songjiang, reported a tax arrears of five million taels. Songjiang Prefecture, seemingly having pre-arranged a similar figure, reported the same amount. This included fines; that was all. In contrast, Jinling Prefecture reported ten million taels, a figure pooled together by local large merchants. Taiping Prefecture reported eight million taels, and Xuanzhou Prefecture reported six million taels.

To be honest, when the governor of Jiangnan received the preliminary figures reported by the various prefectures, he was completely stunned. He was speechless at the reckless behavior of the prefects of Suzhou and Songjiang.

Holding the preliminary figures reported by various prefectures, Xiong Fang looked at the silent governor and couldn't help but burst into a curse: "Damn it..."

After ranting for half an hour, Xiong Fang finally stopped, waving the report in his hand and continuing to rant: "Do you know? The whole country is watching Jiangnan Province, and you give me this piece of paper, and then how am I supposed to explain it to the Imperial Envoy? Xuanzhou Prefecture has six million yuan in back taxes and fines, and Suzhou Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture combined don't even have as much as Jinling Prefecture alone. Do you think the Imperial Envoy is a fool?"

The governor of Jiangnan didn't retaliate after being scolded. He only explained when Xiong Fang was thirsty and needed to drink tea: "This humble servant believes that Your Majesty needs someone to do something stupid."

Xiong Fang hummed in agreement and put down her teacup: "Did Suzhou Prefecture dig up your ancestral graves? Or did Songjiang Prefecture throw your child into a well?"

The Governor of Jiangnan smiled slightly and stepped forward, saying, "Suzhou Prefecture can be put aside for now, but we can focus on Songjiang Prefecture first. When you go to see the Imperial Envoy, please tell him that I have already mobilized three thousand troops to Songjiang Prefecture. We will first capture the Prefect of Songjiang, and then capture a few county magistrates and gentry who dared to deceive the imperial decree. Whether or not to kill them after they are captured is entirely up to Your Excellency."

While Xiong Fang hesitated, the Governor of Jiangnan stepped forward and pointed to the report from Taicang County. The report stated that the Wang family would take the lead in imposing an additional fine of 10,000 yuan per year, and other families would naturally not dare to exceed the Wang family, reporting a maximum of 9,500 yuan.

“Very well, Suzhou is the ancestral home of the current Grand Secretary, so we should indeed give him some face. Let’s do it this way. You go to Songjiang Prefecture immediately, and I will go to see the Imperial Envoy.”

After Xiong Fang finished speaking, the Governor of Jiangnan cursed inwardly. He had hoped to take this opportunity to meet the Imperial Envoy and see if he could curry favor with him, but Xiong Fang hadn't given him the chance. "Rank is everything," he thought, "damn it."

"Your Excellency, the Governor of Fujian is a member of the Wang family." The Governor of Jiangnan offered a "kind" reminder, but Xiong Fang waved his hand impatiently, "I can't worry about that now. I doubt he'd dare to cause any trouble!"

After the Governor of Jiangnan left, Xiong Fang didn't rush out. Instead, he immediately wrote a letter and had a trusted confidant deliver it by fast horse to Hangzhou, to be presented in person to Xiao Yifan, the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang. The two were classmates and had a good relationship. In case the Governor of Fujian acted recklessly, the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang could intervene to suppress him. At the same time, he also reminded him that the court was determined to deal with the situation, and Fujian and Zhejiang might be next.

As for why the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang was in Hangzhou instead of Fuzhou, the explanation is simple: Hangzhou is much more comfortable. The only one who would feel uncomfortable is the Governor of Zhejiang.

Xiong Fang was right about one thing: all the governors and viceroys in the country were watching Jiangnan. If they didn't make any noise in Jiangnan, no one would want to cause trouble. Wouldn't it be better if the country were at peace?

Speaking of which, the most anxious person right now is the Governor of Jiangbei. He can't stay in Xuzhou any longer and has already arrived in Yangzhou so he can cross the river at any time. There is also a copy of the relevant official documents for Jiangbei, which has already been issued.

Once the south of the Yangtze River was secured, the north of the Yangtze River was naturally pacified by issuing a proclamation. Once the tough nut of the two rivers was cracked, all the governors and viceroys of the country would naturally be pacified by issuing a proclamation.

Don't think that just because the commercial tax in Jiangnan Province hasn't changed in five years, it's the same in all provinces except Zhili. That's because a large number of state-owned enterprises pay taxes according to regulations, so the problem hasn't become apparent.

This was still the commercial tax; the agricultural tax was even worse. It consisted of only one policy: the land tax was converted into a poll tax, and the gentry were no longer required to pay taxes. This was a crippled policy.

It can only be said that Emperor Chenghui's reforms were imperfect.

Xiong Fang went to see Jia Lian and successfully met him. After presenting his report and reporting on the actions of the Governor of Jiangnan, he said with great concern, "I am from Fuzhou, while the Governor of Fujian comes from the Wang family of Taicang."

Jia Lian didn't respond to his words, but carefully examined the report. According to the report, the prefect of Jinling had worked the hardest, putting considerable pressure on the major industrial and commercial enterprises under his jurisdiction, and thus obtaining the highest number of self-reported figures. Taiping Prefecture and Xuanzhou Prefecture were also passable. Comparing this to the report of the Imperial Guard Commander, it was clear that these two prefects had indeed followed the rules, at least this time, and hadn't dared to create any pretexts to collect money. Based on the Imperial Guard Commander's report, Taiping Prefecture and Xuanzhou Prefecture initiated the city entry fee, hoping to recoup some of their losses.

After carefully reading the report, Jia Lian looked up at Xiong Fang and said, "Issue a supplementary decree: strictly prohibit all prefectures and counties from collecting city entry fees. Those that have already collected them must stop immediately, and past offenses will be overlooked; otherwise, they will be severely punished."

Xiong Fang immediately replied, "This subordinate will release it immediately upon returning!"

Jia Lian added, "I would like to warn the four major private banks' Jinling branches that they should not do anything that would betray their principles for profit, or they should not blame this imperial envoy for turning ruthless."

Xiong Fang didn't quite understand, and cautiously asked, "What does 'seeking profit at the expense of righteousness' mean?" Jia Lian rolled his eyes, and cold sweat broke out on Xiong Fang's forehead. A provincial governor who didn't understand finance? Oh well, it's not his fault.

"This matter will definitely affect the operations of some small and medium-sized businesses. If they are forced to repay their bank loans early, their businesses will collapse, and their assets will be forced to fall into the hands of the banks at a low price. Don't think that banks are doing charity; what they love most is lending money on sunny days and taking it away on rainy days. Warn them that even if the loan is due, they are not allowed to recover a single penny of the loan in the first half of the year. I'm telling you!"

Jia Lian was that domineering, not giving the banks a chance to take advantage of the situation.

Xiong Fang finally understood. He'd be a fool not to. His subordinates were a different story; how could he not understand? The wealthy pretended to be poor, keeping their wealth hidden. They'd go through great lengths to come up with the money, transferring their assets from one hand to the other – that was normal business. Small and medium-sized business owners who relied on large clients were naturally affected, and those with loans were given the opportunity to exploit the situation.

"Should we give those big businesses a warning?" Xiong Fang added another suggestion.

Jia Lian nodded slightly: "If someone complains to you about being poor, tell them that if they don't have money, they shouldn't do business. They'll probably have money then."

Upon returning to the governor's headquarters, Xiong Fang immediately ordered troops to be dispatched to the four major private banks to deliver warning letters and to send official documents to the prefectures and counties below.

The document was worded very harshly, and he wouldn't hesitate to send troops if anyone dared to misbehave.

After being surrounded by government troops, the four major banks were terrified. The leaders quickly came out to negotiate, and after learning of the Governor-General's order, they all said they would definitely comply.

To put it bluntly, despite the power of the Big Four banks, in Nanjing, you really can't afford to offend the Governor-General of Liangjiang. Because he truly has the power to make your business impossible.

Not to mention, there's an even bigger powerful figure behind this. If Jia Lian is angered, he might not be able to continue doing business anywhere in the country, let alone in Liangjiang.

Putting aside other issues, the central bank's withdrawal of its stake and the subsequent revocation of its licenses left the four major private banks in a bind. If they wanted to find partners, wouldn't the central bank have no trouble finding them?
Now, local bullies in each province are seeking to establish their own banks, which means the imperial court has ordered the central bank to stop issuing operating licenses.

While others might not be able to get the central bank to withdraw its shares, no one dares to bet that Jia Lian can't. Even if Jia Lian can't do it, he can still get the central bank to resume issuing licenses.

The competition among the four major banks is already fierce; if a local branch were to join in each province, the internal organs would probably be torn apart.

In recent years, the imperial court has been tightening the scope of financial licenses, and many private money shops have stopped issuing licenses after their expiration.

These are all problems left behind by Li Heng back then, and they haven't been filled in yet.

It can be said that the imperial court was highly vigilant about the chaos in the financial sector.

That's how government officials are; they like to apply a one-size-fits-all approach. The biggest advantage of this is that it reduces responsibility and saves trouble.

The government's resources are limited; they don't have the capacity to handle such detailed matters for you.

Lin Shan received Lin Ruhai's reply, but seeing it was addressed to Jia Lian, he didn't dare open it. He asked his nephew, "Why didn't my elder brother reply to me?"

"My uncle only said he was going to send a letter to Jia Lian, and that was all."

Lin Shan didn't ask any more questions: "Is that so? Well, this letter should be enough to make Jia Lian bow his head. Let's go, let's go out."

These past few days, Lin Shan has been living a very comfortable life by the Qinhuai River, with all his expenses reimbursed by the clan. If it weren't for this letter, Lin Shan would have completely forgotten that he still had important matters to attend to.

He went straight to the Xue family's mansion in Jinling, but was stopped by the guards at the gate. Facing the guns, Lin Shan was not afraid at all and swaggered forward to say: "I am the head of the Lin family of Suzhou. I have a letter from the Grand Secretary to Jia Lian. You all should get out of my way at once."

The Jia family's guards ignored him, rolled their eyes, and said, "Wait!" Then they sent someone inside to report.

Seeing this, Lin Shan became anxious and rushed inside, shouting, "Let's see who dares to stop me!"

He rushed to the side door in three strides, and only then did the four guards react. They swarmed him, pinning him down and twisting his hands behind his back. Lin Shan hadn't expected this and shouted angrily, "Let me go! You wretches! I'll make sure the Grand Secretary exiles you three thousand miles away... Waaaaah!" The guards showed some mercy and didn't go too far, only stuffing a rag into his mouth to stop him from yelling.

Lin Shan's entourage immediately rushed to his aid, but six more guards rushed out from inside the door. This time, they showed no mercy, wielding their rifle butts and smashing the guards. Lin Shan's entourage couldn't withstand the onslaught and were all knocked to the ground.

Fan Ping, Jia Lian's adjutant and chief secretary, came out to take a look and, after understanding the cause and effect of the matter, said calmly, "Intruding into the Imperial Envoy's residence is tantamount to treason. Are the guns in your hands just firewood? Next time something similar happens, just open fire and kill without mercy. Your soft-heartedness may very well harm the Lord. This time, we'll let it go, but the group on duty will be fined one month's salary. Do you accept that?"

The team leader and the guards in charge showed no sign of dissatisfaction, instead saying, "We accept the punishment and promise to be ruthless next time!"

Lin Shan was terrified. The head of the prime minister's family was no big deal to him.

"Where is the messenger?" Fan Ping asked after finishing his business.

The guard captain pointed at Lin Shan: "It's him. He claims to be the patriarch of the Lin family in Suzhou. He has a letter from the Grand Secretary to you, and he insists on barging in."

Fan Ping glanced at Lin Shan, seeing the terror in his eyes and his trembling body, and said calmly, "Find the letter!"

The guards stepped forward to search them and found the letter Lin Ruhai had given to Jia Lian. Fan Ping held the letter and said, "Keep an eye on them and wait for the master to decide what to do."

Fan Ping entered to deliver the letter. Jia Lian received it and, upon examining the handwriting, confirmed it was indeed Lin Ruhai's. He immediately opened it and found only one sentence: "Exile that bastard three thousand miles away, so the Lin family will learn their lesson!"

(End of this chapter)