Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 678 The Pinnacle of a Minister
Jia Lian was summoned to the palace to meet the emperor again!
"If you were to become the Grand Secretary, what would be your top priority?" Li Yuan asked decisively, having already made up his mind.

"Statistics! Comprehensive statistics. Only by understanding the size of the court's population, land holdings, and state-owned industries can we make overall plans and focus our efforts." Jia Lian's answer surprised Li Yuan. He had expected to hear platitudes, such as loyalty and wholeheartedly assisting His Majesty. Unexpectedly, Jia Lian skipped the platitudes and got straight to the point.

However, this matter is not easy to handle. Even though Li Yuan has lived in the deep palace for a long time, he knows that it is really difficult to investigate things such as population and land.

“This is not a good matter! You previously said that the policy of 'equalizing land tax and poll tax' should be implemented so that gentry and commoners could pay taxes together, but in the end, the burden was still shifted to the people by the gentry and commoners. It is a contradiction.” Li Yuan was not joking, but rather expressing his doubts after agreeing with Jia Lian’s statement.

"Your Majesty does not intend to investigate thoroughly; you merely want a rough figure, one that can be roughly estimated. The key is to establish a system to strengthen the importance of statistics as a reference for governing the country."

Jia Lian also spoke frankly, saying that he had no intention of implementing the land tax system, which required gentry to pay taxes in the same way, because Emperor Chenghui had tried it before but it was not carried out.

Forced implementation is not impossible, but it would turn into something like what happened during the Yongzheng era, where the government collected money, but the burden still fell on the common people.

"I understand what you mean, but I'm worried it might cause some trouble." Li Yuan still had doubts, after all, this was no small matter.

Taking a county as an example, there are very few people who live off the government. There are only six or seven people, such as the county magistrate, the county assistant, the county lieutenant, and the registrar. The rest are all temporary workers, local oxen and horses supported by the county's finances.

Since they are cattle and horses, it's normal to feed them hay. These cattle and horses also need to support their families, so the hay provided by the county government is naturally not enough. What to do?

You can only reach downwards!

Because of the system of visiting officials, it was common for the county magistrate, the highest-ranking official in a county, to stay for a few years before leaving. Who stayed in the local area? Of course, it was the laborers and the local gentry and landlords.

To what extent would these landlords go for their own benefit?

To give another example, the imperial court required all officials to speak the official language, but many officials were unwilling to do so, stubbornly insisting on speaking their native dialects. Their reasoning was quite compelling: if they couldn't speak their local dialect after retirement, they would be ridiculed. Whether laziness was a factor in this is unknown, but during the reign of Emperor Chenghui, several officials were dismissed for not speaking the official language.

These two things may seem unrelated, but they are not. The officials' families and relatives still need to remain in the local area.

Now that I've explained it this way, everyone should be able to understand.

From another perspective, if a unified written language were adopted, people in two neighboring counties might not be able to communicate.

Thanks to the reign of Emperor Chenghui, which mandated that schools across the country must use Mandarin for instruction and imposed strict Mandarin proficiency requirements on public officials, the situation improved considerably.

Otherwise, if outsiders were appointed to official posts, it would be difficult for them to communicate clearly, let alone gain the obedience of their subordinates. Those who served as yamen runners, unable to speak or understand official language, would also struggle to comprehend orders.

All this talk isn't just idle chatter; it's to emphasize a fact: the statistical data of each county is actually not in the hands of the county magistrate, but rather in the hands of the local gentry.

This is why various data statistics could only be conducted in the early days of the People's Republic of China.

In the early years of a nation's founding, there is often a long period of turmoil, with the imperial army being powerful and local forces being in a state of absolute weakness. Even if there were manipulations in the statistical process, they dared not go too far.

This is a time of peace, a peace that has lasted for over a hundred years. The local gentry are deeply entrenched, their influence deeply entrenched. If we want to initiate a survey, where would we find the data? The old records in the county government might just be burned to the ground. Once they're burned, without any evidence, how can we determine who owns the land?

Landlords have money, power, and people; how can ordinary people fight against them? Even county magistrates find it difficult to exert their influence when they arrive in the local area.

Jia Lian wanted to conduct the statistics partly to explain things to Li Yuan, but more importantly, he hoped to use this opportunity to get some people to step forward so he could use the hammer to whack-a-mole.

After all, given Jia Lian's consistent style, with the newspapers spreading the word, it's safe to say that at least half of the local gentry knew about it, if not everyone did.

If half the population can be subdued, the remaining half, under the influence of the other half, will be able to keep about 80% from openly rebelling. As for the remaining 20% ​​of landlords who are oblivious to their own mortality, we won't hesitate to use them as a sacrifice. In short, this matter is unlikely to be implemented by anyone else, but it's a different story when Jia Lian, who likes to send troops to suppress rebellions, does it.

Don't believe me? If you don't believe me, go ask the gentry in Jiangnan. After being tormented by Jia Lian a few times, do they hate him or are they afraid of him?
Therefore, a nationwide survey may not be able to completely uncover the truth about land annexation and population concealment, but it can provide an opportunity to suppress those who have emerged on their own through violent means and appropriately alleviate social conflicts at the grassroots level.

Li Yuan naturally didn't think as deeply as Jia Lian, but this matter was definitely a good thing for the court, and it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

If this opportunity can be used to build a capable team that can work at the grassroots level in various places, it would be of great benefit to the imperial court.

There was no rush, and Li Yuan did not ask Jia Lian how he planned to govern after becoming the Grand Secretary.

"Go then, for you must not be absent from the grand court assembly on the first day of the lunar month!"

Jia Lian took his leave, walking along the road with a heavy heart. Governing a country is no simple matter, and to be honest, he really had no confidence.

This is not something that can be accomplished simply by brute force.

Fortunately, Jia Lian learned a lot during his two lifetimes in officialdom. Most importantly, he learned not to reason, but to apply the principles of physics.

On the first day of the second lunar month, Jia Lian was woken up on time as usual during the court assembly. Since the death of his grandmother, Jia Lian had been sleeping alone recently, which was a good way for him to recover.

Once a man is over thirty, no matter how much supplement he takes, his physical condition will always decline.

Jia Lian has a good foundation and still has a strong ability to recover even now, but he can't withstand being surrounded by demons.

So, for many years, Jia Lian's side remained the same old people. He didn't even give the new maids a second glance.

Before leaving, dressed neatly, Jia Lian glanced back at the Jia Mansion in the morning light, but the Grand View Garden was not there.

Being born into such a family, there are many things that are hard to explain in a few words.

During the grand court assembly, Jia Lian stood in the first row, not speaking to anyone, but resting with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

When the time came, three whips cracked, and the emperor made his entrance.

After the loyal ministers paid their respects, Hu Min stepped forward and, instead of going through the motions of saying, "If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is dismissed," directly produced an imperial edict!
"The imperial decree states: The position of Grand Secretary has been vacant for a long time, and I have pondered this matter for a long time..."

Standing in the first row, Li Qing's spirits jolted when he heard the beginning, and his body trembled slightly. Was the highest realm he had been pursuing all along about to arrive?
Hu Min's voice echoed in the hall: "Minister Jia Lian..."

Upon hearing the name Jia Lian, Li Qing's mind went completely blank, leaving him in a state of confusion. He couldn't hear anything after that; his head was buzzing. Hu Min's voice was distinctive, not shrill, but rather had a neutral quality, like a news anchor.

"It is hoped that all members of the Cabinet will work together with one heart and one mind to create a new era of prosperity. So be it!"

After the imperial edict was read, Hu Min stepped back and stood to Li Yuan's side. He watched as the assembled officials bowed their heads to listen to the decree and then answered in unison, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

As the collective voices echoed through the hall, Li Qing, in the first row, suddenly stumbled forward and collapsed to the ground. Chaos erupted instantly within the hall!
Li Yuan was slightly taken aback by what he saw, but it took him a while to regain his composure. This was something he really hadn't expected.

"Silence! Back off, no standing in a circle!" Fang Song stepped forward and shouted loudly. Everyone stood still and shut their mouths.

"Someone, help Grand Secretary Li lie down properly and don't move him easily. Quickly go and call the imperial physician." Hu Min came out to handle the situation, while Li Yuan watched silently.

Silence returned to the main hall. Jia Lian calmly looked at Li Qing lying on his back, his face contorted. Had he been provoked?
At this moment, Jia Lian did not feel much pleasure; instead, he recalled the past events at Qingyun Academy.

Back then, Li Qing seemed so ambitious, like a sword sheathed, its edge hidden. He harbored great aspirations and was just waiting for his opportunity!

However, Fang Shaobai's true colors were immediately revealed, allowing Jia Lian to see clearly that while he still possessed vigor, he had lost his unwavering ambition.

He is willing to compromise and make concessions to any possible party for the sake of his so-called ambitions, because he has lost all sense of right and wrong.

A person whose sense of right and wrong wavers will only be able to climb the official ladder by any means necessary, and the interests of the court and the people must give way to personal gain.

Jia Lian did not consider himself much more noble than Li Qing, but he always had a clear sense of right and wrong, which he had to uphold.

If Jia Lian had handled the situation back then, he certainly wouldn't have expelled anyone; at most, he would have given everyone a slap on the wrist.

Unfortunately, Li Qing was about to make a comeback, and his allegiance was severely skewed. In order to cultivate an image of integrity and incorruptibility, and to avoid bowing to the nobility, he chose to side with one side regardless of right or wrong.

This fully demonstrates Li Qing's inner urgency at the time, which was far from the calm and composed demeanor he appeared to be on the surface.

The imperial physician arrived, quickly diagnosed the patient, and then swiftly inserted silver needles. Everyone held their breath, awaiting the results.

After an incense stick had burned, Li Qing opened his tightly closed eyes and looked around blankly. What happened to me? Memories suddenly flooded back, and Li Qing painfully closed his eyes again.

He tried to struggle to get up, but he couldn't muster any strength.

"Your Excellency, don't move!" the imperial physician quickly reminded him. He had finally managed to save the man, so he shouldn't be moved and leave, or he would be blamed.

Two eunuchs carried the board over, carefully lifted it up, and took it to the Imperial Medical Bureau for further treatment.

Everyone turned their attention away, and the hall returned to normal. After the imperial physician stepped forward and quietly reported Li Qing's condition, Li Yuan sighed helplessly, "Treat him diligently!"

After the imperial physician left, Hu Min stepped forward again: "Imperial Edict: Grand Secretary Li is unable to perform his duties, and the cabinet cannot be left vacant. Xiong Fang and Wei Rui are hereby appointed to fill the cabinet positions, and the candidates for the next Grand Secretary will be discussed later."

Despite his illness, Li Qing remained a Grand Secretary, but he was no longer able to govern, leading to a significant change in the cabinet's situation.

"Do any of you have anything to report? If not, the court is adjourned!" Hu Min shouted. No one came forward to report, as the unspoken rule that only minor matters were reported at the grand court session remained unchanged.

With such a huge scandal today, who has the mind to flaunt trivial matters? Everyone is focused on how to maximize their own interests after the political changes.

Back in the cabinet, the clerks who had been waiting there beforehand, having received prior notice, respectfully inquired: "Grand Secretary Jia, according to protocol, your office will be moved to the Jia-character room."

The first-class office is the default office for the prime minister, but Jia Lian had no intention of making a fuss about it. He smiled and said, "Moving there would be too much trouble. There's no need to go through all that trouble. This is fine."

The clerks were stunned. These men were usually not very useful, doing mostly menial tasks; the relocation was just a way for them to prove their worth. They felt uneasy about not having to work anymore, fearing they would lose their jobs.

"This is really difficult for me, and the other adults don't dare to move into the Jia-class houses either," the clerk said, trying to persuade Jia Lian not to make things difficult for them.

"I like the current house. You can change the plaque with the character '甲' (jia), and send over the relevant documents. Oh, and summon all the gentlemen to the council chamber." Finally, Jia Lian used his power as the Grand Secretary to summon the cabinet ministers.

Xiong Fang and Wei Rui's offices were nearby, so they weren't in a hurry to move immediately. Instead, they gathered in the meeting room first.

Jia Lian didn't want to be the last one to go, but thinking that he shouldn't break the rules and make things difficult for others, he silently drank a cup of tea in his office and waited for the clerk to come and inform him before getting up and leaving.

Some situations may seem unimportant, but when you're actually in that position, you have to navigate those situations.

Everything must follow rules. Ignoring rules may seem like a minor problem, but when there are many people without rules, chaos will inevitably ensue. Once chaos sets in, everything becomes difficult to manage.

From a small family or a class to an entire country, rules are essential.

Upon entering the cabinet meeting room, all the cabinet ministers were present. Jia Lian stood at the head of the room, and after receiving greetings from the other cabinet ministers, he slowly returned the greeting with his hands clasped.

How to describe the mood? Anyone in this position would experience intense emotional fluctuations, unless they were a robot, in which case they wouldn't be immune to emotional changes.

Jia Lian had been trying to control himself, but he couldn't help but feel short of breath. It took him a while to slowly sit down and cough once.

"Gentlemen, it is a relief that Grand Secretary Li has fallen ill unexpectedly. However, the affairs of the court cannot be left unattended, and His Majesty has appointed two new colleagues to the cabinet."

As they spoke, Xiong Fang and Wei Rui stood up and clasped their hands in greeting.

Jia Lian raised his hand to gesture for everyone to sit down and quiet down before continuing: "Let's make some work adjustments. I will be in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, while Chancellor Fang will be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites. Chancellor Yue will be in charge of the Ministry of War, Chancellor Xiong will be in charge of the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review, and Chancellor Wei will be in charge of the Ministry of Works. If you all have no objections, the recorder will compile the information and submit it to the Emperor!"

After speaking, Jia Lian looked around and, seeing that no one had any objections, instructed the cabinet recorder to transcribe the meeting minutes, keeping one copy for filing and affixing the seal to present it to the emperor.

(End of this chapter)