Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 666 A Series of Scandals
The main figures in this scandal are a group of monks. There is a temple in the suburbs that is said to be particularly effective in granting wishes for children. Many women in the capital go there to pray for children, and the temple is very popular.

During the summer tax season, the county's tax revenue declined. The county magistrate investigated and learned that many ignorant people had donated land to the temple. Suspecting this was a form of donation, and given that His Majesty was emphasizing the performance evaluation system, the magistrate dared not neglect the matter and dispatched a capable and experienced constable to investigate.

The investigation uncovered a major problem: the temple owned 50,000 mu of land, but had only about thirty monks. This was a blatant case of tax evasion.

In previous years, the county magistrate would have been fine. But this year is different. His Majesty and the cabinet have repeatedly issued strict orders, and the results of the summer tax collection will determine future promotions.

The magistrate's continued investigation uncovered a deeper reason: powerful figures in the capital were seizing land through various illegal means. Many wealthy farmers, unable to bear this, colluded with monks to donate their land in their names to evade taxes. Further investigation revealed another problem: many women who came to the temple seeking children were required to stay for four or five days as a sign of their piety. After returning home, most of these women reported good news.

Upon further investigation, the magistrate discovered that those powerful and wealthy individuals who enjoyed seizing other people's land were unwilling to offend the gods and Buddhas. Upon learning that the land belonged to a temple, they stopped demanding it and instead sent someone else to seize it.

Because of excessive land consolidation, the county's taxable land area has decreased by more than half compared to last year. With ordinary people owning no land, the "land tax reform" has become virtually ineffective.

The imperial court's preferential treatment of the gentry was legally limited, with a maximum tax exemption of 200 mu per gentry member. However, in practice, it was completely distorted, with local officials refusing to comply.

The reason why Henan was able to implement the land tax reform was because Emperor Chenghui took drastic measures, used harsh laws and severe punishments to conduct pilot programs, and strictly enforced the law, which led to its effective implementation.

Originally intended to be promoted nationwide, the promotion was repeatedly delayed due to Zhang Ting'en's illness and Emperor Chenghui's death. Now it has essentially come to nothing, and it is unknown how long it can be implemented in Henan. Perhaps it will simply disappear on its own one day.

The case was not enforced within Zhili Province, and taxes were collected entirely because of the industrial development in the suburbs of Beijing. Tenants could work in factories and construction sites, earn money, and then pay taxes to their families.

One was offering up land, the other was shrouded in mystery over a desire for a son. With these two matters combined, an ordinary county magistrate would surely have backed down. But this magistrate was stubborn and ordered his yamen runners to continue the investigation.

So the constables investigated the temple at night and discovered a shocking scandal. Monks were going into the rooms in the temple's back courtyard, which were meant for monks seeking quiet meditation for their children and relatives, and wouldn't come out until dawn.

This drove the constables crazy, and they rushed back to report.

The county magistrate was nearly driven mad by what he heard; this was a huge scandal.

If this case is brought to light, I don't know how many people I'll offend; if I don't, my career is naturally ruined.

To say that the county magistrate had much of a sense of justice is nonsense; he was more concerned with his own future.

So, for the sake of his personal future, the magistrate gritted his teeth and hardened his heart, ordering the yamen runners to launch a surprise attack that very night.

The result was a resounding success. That very night, they ambushed eight monks in the backyard of a house and captured all thirty-three monks in the temple.

As for the women trapped inside the house, the magistrate pretended not to see them and let them leave.

After raiding the temple, they made quite a haul, seizing 300,000 silver dollars and all the land deeds.

The key point is that the abbot of the temple was a man who liked to keep a diary, a thick one that included nearly a hundred women.

This was quite a shocking scandal. The county magistrate reported the investigation results to Shuntian Prefecture. The previous case involving a nunnery was not yet over, and now there was another case involving a monk.

The Shuntian Prefecture had completely given up on treatment and simply forwarded the case to Crown Prince Li Wan.

Upon reading the memorial, Crown Prince Li Wan was furious and dispatched an eunuch to the county to urge the authorities to close the case as soon as possible and prevent the scandal from spreading.

Li Wan was so angry and eager to close the case as soon as possible because he saw the names and backgrounds of some female relatives in the memorial.

So this time, they skipped the proper procedures and, under the supervision of the eunuchs and with the help of the yamen runners, the thirty-three monks collectively hanged themselves in shame.

Of the money found, the county kept 30,000 yuan as a reward, and the rest was turned over to the imperial treasury. The land was designated as official land for the county.

News of the monks collectively serving Buddha spread, leading to the deaths of children from wealthy families in the city, some of whom either died suddenly or drowned. The mothers of these children, overcome with grief, also followed them in death. Similar tragedies occurred in the homes of some members of the imperial family and relatives of the emperor.

Li Wan strictly ordered that the matter be kept secret from outsiders, and dared not conceal anything when reporting to Emperor Chenghui.

Upon seeing this, the cabinet had nothing to say and quickly forwarded it to the Emperor.

After reading the memorial, Li Yuan lost all interest in arguing with the cabinet. Fortunately, the Crown Prince dealt with the scandal severely and issued the strictest gag order.

For a moment, Li Yuanzhen didn't know how to describe his inner emotions. He had previously given up on severely punishing the official who opened the silver handkerchief, thus complying with the cabinet's wishes.

However, the case of jealousy and rivalry among relatives of the emperor further fueled the anger, leading to a direct ruling that the perpetrators should pay with their lives for murder, and that they should be executed immediately without waiting for the autumn harvest.

As for that county magistrate in the suburbs of Beijing, Li Yuan really wanted to kick him far away, but he was worried about opposition from the cabinet, so he held back for the time being.

The three scandals dealt a significant blow to Li Yuan, but he couldn't find a solution. This was a problem that couldn't be completely eradicated by harsh laws and punishments.

Li Yuan couldn't even find the reason. The three scandals were all different, so where did these people get such audacity?

Unable to understand it, Li Yuan fell into a state of distress. What was once a joyful escape from the summer heat, filled with leisure and play, had now turned into a life devoid of interest. He spent his days hiding in his study, unable to resolve his inner turmoil.

Li Yuan once wondered if he was just unlucky, or if there was something wrong with his governance.

Fortunately, the new emperor was not one to hold grudges and liked to reflect on problems. So those below him didn't suffer any misfortune, but their faces were gloomy every day, and the atmosphere throughout the palace was tense.

The cabinet wanted to offer some words of comfort to the emperor, but Li Yuan wouldn't give them the chance. He told them to speak their minds or get lost. Furthermore, the cabinet had previously rejected Li Yuan's punishment of eight officials, and the tension hadn't eased yet, leaving Lin Ruhai and the others with no way to speak.

Half a month later, Jia Lian arrived in Zhangjiakou to learn about the next step in the plan to build a train line to Rehe. After all, the emperor would be coming here every summer, so it would be better to complete the line.

This plan originally existed, but it was shelved after Emperor Chenghui passed away. Now it's being picked up again.

Of course, there's another important reason: Li Ni, the Prince of Mobei, hopes to build a railway to Kulun. This plan was initiated during the reign of Emperor Chenghui, with initial exploration underway. After completing the railway to Rehe, the next step would be to consider extending it to Kulun. Whether it can be built ultimately depends on funding, as this railway isn't exactly a popular route. Jia Lian worries that even with a public offering to raise funds, it will be difficult to secure the necessary capital.

Jia Lian traveled from Zhangjiakou to Rehe, planning to pay his respects to the emperor, stay for two days, and then return to continue overseeing this year's major project, the Longhai Railway. There were also subsequent railway plans, such as some branch lines within the Jiangnan region. Previously, the Jiangnan gentry were uncooperative and unsuitable for development, but now that they were more compliant, it was time to begin.

In fact, Jia Lian's greatest desire was to build railways in the south, but the complex terrain made construction difficult. Therefore, he had to abandon the idea of ​​a main line and instead focus on building easier-to-construct branch lines. Connecting important land and water routes would also play a significant role in local economic development.

(PS: I watched a documentary about the Japanese left-wing movement. The turbulent times of the 1960s and 70s were so intense that even suppression couldn't extinguish it, but it ultimately vanished due to rapid economic development. It's truly heartbreaking!)
When Jia Lian arrived in Rehe, he met with the cabinet ministers and found that the atmosphere was not right. Everyone was in low spirits and their eyes were filled with unease.

Jia Lian was deeply puzzled by this, thinking to himself, "I've been busy outside in this sweltering heat, running back and forth from Chang'an to Lianyungang, and I've gotten a whole shade darker from the sun. And you guys are still looking so gloomy in the Summer Palace?"

Who are we showing this to? Those we owe you?
Before Jia Lian could complain, Fang Song quickly pulled Jia Lian aside and explained in a low voice what had recently happened.

After hearing these three things, Jia Lian remained silent. While others thought it was an unexpected triple result, Jia Lian sensed a familiar conspiracy.

What a coincidence! Li Yuan had just arrived in Rehe when three scandals erupted in the capital. Crucially, Jia Lian recognized the name of that county magistrate; he was a protégé of the Jia family.

I've been away from home for a while now. I had previously agreed with Fan Ping that I didn't need to report anything until I returned to Beijing.

Therefore, Jia Lian decided to believe that it was all a coincidence.

Jia Lian didn't rush to pay his respects to Li Yuan. Instead, he asked Fang Song to bring over the details of the three reports so that he could quickly understand the situation.

The first two things were not a big deal to Jia Lian, but in the third thing, Jia Lian saw something that others did not see, or rather, saw but pretended to be blind to.

The stalled implementation of the land tax reform, which involved merging the poll tax into a single unit of land, shifted the tax burden onto wealthy and middle-class self-cultivating farmers, a significant problem. This was compounded by the escalating land consolidation. Near the capital, the powerful and wealthy had escalated from cunning acquisition to outright robbery.

Therefore, the land tax reform must be put back on the agenda. Preferential treatment of the gentry is acceptable, but the preferential policies for the gentry must be strictly implemented.

After Jia Lian finished reading, he got up to stretch and discovered that Hu Min was standing at the door, smiling at him.

Jia Lian immediately stepped forward to greet him: "Greetings, Lord Hu. I am Jia Lian. Please forgive me for keeping you waiting."

Hu Min smiled and said, "You're too kind, Grand Secretary Jia. I haven't been waiting long. His Majesty sent me to invite you. Would you like to go now?"

"You're too kind, Jia Lian will be right there."

Hu Min led Jia Lian to see Li Yuan, and Jia Lian was shocked when they met, as Li Yuan's expression was so unpleasant.

Upon seeing Jia Lian, Li Yuan seemed eager and stepped forward to take his hand. Jia Lian took two steps back to greet him, at which point Li Yuan stopped.

After being offered a seat, Jia Lian sat down. Li Yuan immediately said, "You must already know about the three scandals in the capital. I don't understand why these people would choose to cause trouble instead of enjoying their good lives. Is this a coincidence, or is there something I did wrong that led to these scandals happening one after another?"

After a moment's thought, Jia Lian said, "Your Majesty need not blame yourself. Everyone must be responsible for their own actions. They have paid the price for their mistakes, and that is enough. People in the world are all different; they look different and think different. I believe that the late Emperor was benevolent, and some people inevitably lost their sense of awe. It was only because Your Majesty was in Rehe for summer retreat that these cases occurred in a concentrated manner, which is why it happened by chance. In fact, any of the three cases could have been discovered at any time; it was just a matter of sooner or later. What does it have to do with Your Majesty?"

Hearing this, Li Yuan felt much better, and his depression eased somewhat. In the end, he couldn't help but say, "Extravagance and lust lead to moral decline, which must be guarded against!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Lian said solemnly, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, these are all minor matters, and those who should be punished should be punished accordingly. However, there are two major matters hidden in the past that deserve Your Majesty's attention."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan immediately became serious, stood up, and clasped his hands, saying, "Please teach me, sir."

Jia Lian rose to return the greeting, and after sitting down again, he said in a deep voice, "The late emperor piloted the land tax reform in Henan, and it had just begun to show some results when a series of unexpected events occurred, causing the matter to be delayed. I believe that it must be brought up again and the late emperor's policy should be continued. Secondly, there are many powerful and corrupt officials in the capital who act lawlessly and tyrannically. We cannot sit idly by and let this go unchecked, otherwise it will surely cause great harm."

Li Yuan nodded repeatedly upon hearing this: "I sent an inspection team to tour the whole country, but unexpectedly they knew nothing about what was happening right under their noses. It is clear that the officials in the capital are not as capable as they were when you were in charge of the Five Cities Garrison."

Jia Lian said, “Your Majesty flatters me. In the past, I was able to strictly enforce the law entirely because the late Emperor supported me. Now that Your Majesty is in power, you can do the same. With Your Majesty’s support, your subjects are not afraid of offending people. If Your Majesty selects capable officials to take charge and launches a crackdown, the results will be seen in three months at most.”

Li Yuan didn't mention the land tax reform, and Jia Lian didn't press him about it. Such matters would only be addressed spontaneously once the emperor understood and felt the urgency.

In contrast, the continuous scandals and deteriorating public order in the capital were Li Yuan's most pressing problems.

"I intend to send Prime Minister Fang back to the capital to assist the Crown Prince in launching a crackdown. What do you think?" Li Yuan asked, his tone slightly probing.

Jia Lian said, "Without a thorough investigation into the illegal activities of powerful and wealthy individuals, such as land grabbing, the results will be minimal and the effects will be short-lived."

Li Yuan fell silent, and Jia Lian didn't urge him. It wasn't his business anyway, so there was no point in Jia Lian being anxious.

Moreover, Jia Lian had already sensed that Li Yuan harbored a slight suspicion towards him.

This is normal. What emperor doesn't suspect his ministers? The higher the official's rank, the more suspicious they become.

(End of this chapter)