Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 700 Use magic to defeat magic

Distant memories resurfaced, and after sitting alone in his study for a while, Jia Lian suddenly decided to go out of town on the summer vacation to clear his mind.

The Mantou Nunnery is still in the same place, but the gate has been renovated. The greedy old nun has been dead for several years, and the current abbess is the young nun from back then.

It's said that the money for the renovation was saved up by the old nun, but I don't know if that's true.

Jia Lian's security arrangements were the same as when he went out to work; he did not bring any family members with him.

Many things can only be savored slowly by oneself.

Jia Lian didn't enter the temple gate, but went straight around to the back mountain.

This hilltop used to have few trees, only a small peach grove behind the courtyard. Later, trees were continuously planted, and the hilltop became green again.

The hills surrounding Beijing are all pretty much the same; they were all bare until recently, when trees were planted again, bringing them back to life.

In the last thirty years, the capital has developed far too rapidly. Jia Lian once considered demolishing the outer city walls, but later abandoned the idea. At worst, he would keep the old city and forcibly relocate some industries outside the city.

Only some small private workshops remain in the city now; the large government-owned enterprises have all moved out of the city.

The industrial areas outside the city were mainly located to the west and south, while the northern part of the capital was still an agricultural area, and the eastern part was a traditional commercial area.

The area within the ancient city walls could hardly support the city's rapid development, so it could only continue to expand outwards; Tongzhou is almost included in the urban area now.

Since stepping onto this mountain, the hustle and bustle of the world has faded away. This is another world. The back mountain is so quiet that you can only hear the wind and the chirping of insects.

A cement pool was built at the spring, with a floor and a dozen meters of steps, and a fence was built around it with cement pillars.

Sitting on the railing, looking up at the sky, I could see the blue sky because of the wind.

The arrival of the Grand Secretary naturally alarmed the local residents.

Miaoyu, dressed in a black robe, came out with two attendants carrying trays. One tray held a kettle for boiling water, and the other held tea leaves and teaware.

The guards were all old men, so they naturally didn't stop Miaoyu and let her come forward.

Jia Lian stood up and nodded slightly: "Sorry to bother you!"

"It's been ten years since you last visited this place, sir. I'm truly sorry for the intrusion." Miaoyu's tone lost its usual flatness and became more undulating.

Jia Lian couldn't help but smile wryly: "It really is! You're still the same, you haven't changed at all."

Time seemed to have left no trace on Miaoyu, but Jia Lian knew very well that he had changed and was at least a little fatter than before.

Living a life of luxury and ease almost inevitably leads to weight gain as one gets older.

Miaoyu smiled but didn't say anything. She lowered her head and used the charcoal fire to boil water. She sat quietly, watching the fire in front of her, and slowly brought the water to a boil.

Jia Lian remained silent, simply emptying his mind and quietly watching Miaoyu brew tea. He felt a rare peace within himself, and all worldly concerns were left behind.

"Please!" Miaoyu picked up a cup of tea and handed it to Jia Lian. He took it, took a sip, then another, and finished the cup in three sips. Although he didn't understand tea culture, this whole process was indeed relaxing.

Miaoyu refilled the teacup, and this time Jia Lian wasn't in a hurry to drink it. Instead, he smiled and asked, "How have you been?"

Ever since Miaoyu moved in, the Jia family's offerings have never ceased. After entering the inner palace, Jia Lian, due to his many affairs, rarely paid attention to this place. Occasionally, when he had free time, he would only want to sleep and rest at home.

And then there's the thing, how should I put it, Jia Lian seems somewhat resistant to coming here. Perhaps it's because, as an ordinary person, he doesn't want to defile this pure land, even though this so-called pure land was built with the Jia family's money.

"Everything is fine, but I heard from the servants that the prices of food, clothing, and daily necessities are all going up. Master Rong has been very considerate and has more than doubled the amount of silver he's giving us. I'm very curious, why is that?"

Miaoyu spoke slowly and deliberately. She wasn't enjoying all of this with a clear conscience; she had just gotten used to it over the years and occasionally felt curious about the outside world.

When asked about this, Jia Lian thought for a moment before answering: "The matter of rising prices is indeed quite complicated. Simply put, there is more money in the market, so the price of goods has increased. Specifically, this means that the national economy is on the rise, the court can collect more taxes, merchants can earn more money, and ordinary people can earn an extra thirty or fifty coins a day. There is a professional term for this: inflation. From the country's perspective, moderate inflation is a good thing."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that." Whether Miaoyu understood or not is unknown, but she certainly seemed very happy, and this exchange was also intentional.

"There's not much to say about what's going on outside. I worry about it every day. It's rare to have a peaceful day here. Let's talk about you instead," Jia Lian changed the subject.

Miaoyu smiled slightly and said, "Me? There doesn't seem to be much to say. I live the same life every day. It's quite boring, but I don't want to stop."

Jia Lian could understand Miaoyu's feelings; people often become sentimental after they are free from the pressures of survival.

Because of her birth, Miaoyu could only stay here, at least during the reign of Emperor Chenghui. Now that Emperor Qianzheng is in power, Miaoyu has grown accustomed to the monotonous repetition of the same old routine.

“I think things are different now. You can definitely go out and see the world. Hmm, take the train to Jiangnan. Don’t rush. Get off at each station along the way and explore. This country is so big, there are so many places to see. There’s no need to stay in this small place your whole life.”

Upon hearing these words, Miaoyu's eyes sparkled with a lively light. For a moment, she was lost in thought and seemed a little absent-minded. It took her a while to come back to her senses and say, "I want to go back to Suzhou for a visit."

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Then let's go!"

Miaoyu rose gracefully and bowed solemnly: "Thank you, Brother Jia!"

Instead of addressing him as "Master," Jia Lian addressed him as "Brother Jia." Upon hearing this, Jia Lian couldn't help but smile slightly, as if he were seeing a bird escape from its cage and soar into the sky.

"Are the people around you reliable?" Jia Lian asked bluntly. In this era of rapid economic development, life on the road is not always safe.

Miaoyu showed a joyful expression, tilted her head and thought for a moment: "They used to be quite reliable!" Jia Lian smiled: "Never mind, you pack your luggage today, and someone will come tomorrow. Just tell them where you want to go."

A relaxing day passed, and before the sun set, Jia Lian took his leave.

The next day, a group of people arrived at Miaoyu's place, half men and half women. Except for the man leading the group, who was a bit older, the others were all in their early twenties.

After these people arrived, they took over the itinerary arrangements; Miaoyu only needed to tell them where she wanted to go.

Jia Lian returned to normal, but work had to continue, and the issue of the White Lotus Sect still needed to be addressed.

The White Lotus sect, though both in its homeland and in Anxi, are completely different concepts.

After carefully reading the report sent back by the Mixed Brigade, Jia Lian was quite moved. The former King of Xining had gained a foothold quickly with the help of the White Lotus Sect, but it was also because of these people that countless conflicts were created among the people, forcing the King of Xining to take the use of force to suppress the local unrest.

Anxi was sparsely populated and vast, making military suppression ineffective. The Prince of Xining could only adopt a tactic of consolidating his forces and holding key locations. When the court changed his title to Prince of Anxi, he fell ill, which accelerated the pace of consolidation. It is possible that he also severed ties with the northern route, sought help from the Russians, and was wary of the court's infiltration.

Unfortunately, this ulterior motive vanished with the death of the King of Anxi. Later, after the independent towns marched north and invaded Anxi, the King of Anxi's three sons lost their royal titles under the Enfeoffment Edict.

The consequences of this change are severe. That is to say, as time goes by and generation after generation changes, the title of Duke of Anxi will be downgraded to Marquis of Anxi, and will no longer be hereditary.

Managing Anxi was not a worthwhile deal for the imperial court, but from the perspective of national strategic security, it was a necessity.

Otherwise, merely hoping to cultivate the Ottoman Empire would hardly have a significant effect on restraining Tsarist Russia.

The White Lotus sect in Anxi did indeed play a role in assisting the government in stabilizing the region. At least in Dushanbe, where there were the largest number of local immigrants, the effect was the best.

It truly achieved the effect of taking root and flourishing.

In contrast, the situation is much worse in Bishkek and Almaty to the north. Bishkek is somewhat better, while Almaty feels like it needs to start all over again.

At this stage, without the incentive of economic benefits, relying solely on the court's financial and logistical support can only be a gradual and incremental approach. It is essential to intensify efforts to weaken the power of the Marquis of Anxi; the initial investment of millions of immigrants is crucial to establishing a foundation for long-term stability and prosperity in Anxi.

Therefore, it is essential to integrate the garrison in the Marquis of Anxi's fiefdom into the unified command system of the entire Anxi region. Increasing the number of troops to force the Marquis of Anxi to submit is imperative.

Thinking of this, Jia Lian got up and went to the Imperial Study. Li Yuan, who was reading government reports, saw Jia Lian come in and bow, and stood up to indicate that he did not need to be so polite.

After Jia Lian explained the current situation in Anxi in detail, Li Yuan couldn't help but sigh, "Anxi is still too far away, and the geographical environment is extremely harsh. The inconvenient transportation makes it easy for separatists to establish their own regimes. Now the court has opened up the northern route from Xin Province to Anxi and is implementing a policy of granting favors. I fear that the Marquis of Anxi may harbor rebellious intentions. If Anxi is lost, Xin Province will be shaken. If something happens to Xin Province, Shaanxi and Gansu will be in turmoil."

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Your Majesty's leadership is far-sighted and insightful. In my humble opinion, we should increase the number of troops stationed here, so as to not only intimidate the local area but also divide the Marquis of Anxi's forces and make them work for the court."

Li Yuan nodded: "Then we will form a new independent Second Division to reinforce Anxi. Fortunately, the railway has now been extended to Yumen, otherwise the pressure on logistics and personnel transportation would be even greater."

Jia Lian said, "The strategy of allowing the sons of exiled officials to join the army is correct. This way, we can recruit enough soldiers nearby in the new province, and at the same time, we can replenish our food supplies. The court's job is to replenish its military equipment, which will reduce the pressure on us much."

Li Yuan said, "It's settled then. Have someone draft a proposal and arrange for it to be carried out as soon as possible."

Jia Lian didn't leave immediately, but instead told Li Yuan about the White Lotus Sect. Li Yuan chuckled coldly, "These people have always disrespected the court, but I never expected them to turn around like this in Anxi."

Jia Lian said, “In times of peace and prosperity, these people have lost their fertile ground for survival. Going to Anxi, however, has given them an opportunity to develop. The local conflicts are not only ethnic but also religious. When Chinese people go to Anxi, they certainly cannot accept the local beliefs, which gives the White Lotus Sect an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Now that the sect has grown too powerful, it is too costly to suppress it by force. My suggestion is to use incentives to divide and weaken them. At the same time, we should also use the White Lotus Sect to resist the erosion of local beliefs.”

Yes, use magic to defeat magic.

Li Yuan didn't have much experience in this matter, but trusting Jia Lian, he said, "In that case, let's give them a legal identity."

When a nation is powerful, the emperor is naturally very confident, believing that these people can't cause any major trouble. Since they are useful for pacifying the border, then let them be.

The long-term stability of Anxi depends on how to strengthen its ties with the mainland, especially by developing the local economy in a way that suits local conditions and learning to generate its own economic benefits.

As for the officials and their families exiled to the new province, giving their children a chance to enter politics or the military was truly a mercy from the imperial court. Otherwise, they would have been stuck in the new province for the rest of their lives.

After saying all this, Li Yuan suddenly paused, and Jia Lian waited patiently.

"I wish to travel to Jiangnan. What do you think?" Li Yuan asked hesitantly. Jia Lian smiled slightly and replied, "The whole country belongs to Your Majesty. What's wrong with going to Jiangnan?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan's face lit up with joy, and he said, "Wasn't I worried that my ministers would complain about the waste of resources and manpower?"

Jia Lian laughed and said, "Times are different now. When Your Majesty travels, there is no need to pave the road with yellow earth or have a large entourage. A special train is all that is needed, and you can arrive in two days. The cost is not much. However, the local governments will face considerable pressure in terms of hospitality. Your Majesty's private treasury is ample, so there is no need to make things difficult for the local governments."

Li Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and waved his hand happily, saying, "That's exactly what I meant. Spend the imperial treasury's money and go wherever you want. Speaking of which, I was also thinking of stopping the tribute from various regions."

Hearing his excitement, Jia Lian quickly stopped him: "It's okay to reduce the quantity of tribute, but it absolutely cannot be stopped. A token amount each year is sufficient. There's no need for local officials to get involved; the merchants only need to coordinate with the Imperial Household Department."

Li Yuan knew the intricacies of the matter and immediately nodded, saying, "That's true. However, if we do that, local officials might harbor resentment and become lax in their duties."

Jia Lian said, "Your Majesty is considerate of the local people. If local officials harbor resentment and neglect their duties because of this, even if they are transferred to another place, they may not be able to be diligent in their duties and love the people."

Li Yuan nodded: "That's true. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish! Let's leave it at that. The tribute should still be handled by the local government. There's no need to create unnecessary trouble."

Since Li Yuan had said so, Jia Lian couldn't very well retract his statement, so he immediately said, "If Your Majesty truly understands the sentiments of the local people, even the most sage rulers of old would not have been more compassionate."

"Really? Hahaha!" Li Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter.

The practice of offering tribute is a double-edged sword. From a commercial perspective, products sent to the imperial palace are the best form of advertising. However, from the perspective of the local people, if local officials use this as leverage to impose excessive levies, it can be disastrous.

(End of this chapter)