Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 708 The Development of Future Generations

The trip to Jiangnan exposed another problem: the excessive power of prefects and magistrates. For ordinary people, they could truly decide life and death with a single word, leaving no place for redress.

It's not that there was anything wrong with the old system; it was inherited from the Ming Dynasty, and its biggest feature was that it saved money.

Previously, local affairs were less complicated, and the existing official system was sufficient. However, the situation has changed. New problems have emerged locally, and if officials are bribed, the people have nowhere to seek justice, easily leading to violence and creating new threats to local security. Similar phenomena have occurred in the past, with desperate people turning to banditry in the mountains.

Before boarding his carriage to leave, Jia Lian instructed Lin Ping, who was coming to take over the post: "The economy of Liangjiang is developed, but the people in the area are fickle, and there are many who will take risks. As the governor-general, you must do a good job in maintaining local security. After taking office, I suggest you immediately launch a security rectification campaign."

Jia Lian truly experienced the chaotic era of rapid economic development. At that time, widespread public security problems emerged in the country, and highway robbers were specifically targeted for crackdown.

Lin Ping earnestly indicated that he had remembered, and only then did Jia Lian board the car.

Upon returning to the capital, Jia Lian immediately went to the palace to meet the emperor and report on his work in person.

When the issue of officials in the Suzhou-Songjiang region was raised, Jia Lian emphasized, "The power of prefects and magistrates is too great, and the workload of supervision by superiors is too heavy, making it unrealistic to expect any effective results. I have considered this carefully. In the past, the workload of magistrates was not heavy, but now in economically developed areas, the workload has increased exponentially. I believe that in addition to a magistrate, each county should have at least two assistant magistrates, each in charge of different tasks. In this way, it will be much more difficult for the magistrate to conceal his activities."

Li Yuan deeply agreed with Jia Lian's viewpoint, as he viewed the issue from the perspective of various departments in the capital.

"Previously, only six ministries were needed, but now six are far from sufficient. Some tasks that seemed unimportant before have now become important. In recent years, the capital has added some departments at the vice-ministerial level, and I am thinking that the importance of new departments like the railway bureau is becoming increasingly prominent. There is no need to stick to the six ministries anymore. My dear minister, go back and rest first. I will discuss this matter with the cabinet ministers later and come up with a plan at the imperial meeting. The resistance from the six ministries will definitely be great, and I need to think it over carefully before making a decision."

Li Yuan was not an emperor who liked to lie low. His purpose in delegating power was not because having too much power was too much trouble, but because excessive power would lead to mistakes.

This is how to govern a country. A country's resources are limited, and how to use those resources where they are most needed is a great test of the wisdom of those in power.

The most important job of those in power is to solve problems, not to put on an irresponsible show.

This is probably the biggest difference between the East and the West. Even the most corrupt Chiang Kai-shek regime in the East would still kill Han Fuqu after losing Jinan.

Of course, in terms of responsibility in the governance process, Chiang Kai-shek was not as good as the Beiyang government.

This can be seen from the Yangtze River floods in the early 1930s. The Nationalist government really did almost nothing. The relief efforts were just for show, and in essence, the people were left to fend for themselves.

When people in Shuangqiao, Xuancheng, tried to scramble for rice, the military and police used gunfire to suppress them.

Back home, Daiyu pulled Jia Lian aside and asked about her father and mother's recent situation.

Jia Lian informed him that everything was fine. Before leaving, he even went to the Lin family's house for half a day. Lin Ruhai and Jia Min were both in good health, but Lin Ruhai had some difficulty moving around.

As for the Wang family of Jinling, the two families have maintained contact over the years, as they are relatives. Wang Xifeng is still in charge of these interactions, as Jia Lian is often too busy to deal with the Wang family's affairs.

The main branch of the Wang family in Jinling is now in Annam, with only one branch remaining in Jinling, and their influence is far less than before. As for the Jia family's branch in Jinling, they are very low-key. Outstanding members are usually sent to the capital for their studies, or to Jia Lian's fiefdom in Liaodong, or to overseas.

As the heir to the Duke of Rongguo, Jia Quan, a naval officer, rarely had the chance to return home for a vacation. Upon learning that his father had left court, he immediately came to pay his respects.

When Jia Lian inquired about his recent situation in the army, Jia Quan replied with great interest: "The shipyards in Tianjin are figuring out how to coat warships with copper to increase their defense. The intention is good, but it has too much of an impact on speed, so they only built one experimental ship and then abandoned the project. From what they've said, they'll decide whether to continue based on the progress of steamships. Judging from the trend, sailing warships are destined to become obsolete; their power is too unstable. Steamships are much more reliable. As long as there's fuel, they can keep running. They've also started some new projects over there, using kerosene as a propulsion system, something called internal combustion power."

Jia Lian listened very carefully. There are so many wonderful ideas in this world. As long as you give them a suitable environment, they can create things you can't even imagine.

Jia Lian really hadn't expected this internal combustion engine thing; these tech fanatics were truly daring and willing to do anything.

In general, the companies under the R&D department have always been strongly encouraged in terms of technology. New technologies they develop, as long as they are useful, will definitely be richly rewarded.

Patents must be prioritized; encouraging private technology requires emphasizing patents. However, this issue must be handled cautiously to avoid creating a patent moat similar to that of the Wright brothers that hinders technological development.

This thing is sometimes a double-edged sword. The Japanese have registered a bunch of patents for hydrogen energy, registering all the easy ones, leaving the tough ones to others to tackle, hoping to make a quick buck.

The result was that it backfired; neither China nor the US would play with it anymore, and they went straight to the electric vehicle market.

The national character of this country is utterly unaware of its own limitations. Even as a colony, it dared to bare its teeth at the colonizers, directly breaking the backbone of its development.

The father and son talked a lot. Now Jia Quan has officially become a major general (assistant general) and is in command of a new type of cruiser. He is a rising star in the Navy with practical experience.

Jia Lian could tell from their conversation that Jia Quan was probably no longer interested in politics. His words implied a desire to lead a fleet across the seas.

"Father, the Navy has an idea: to organize a fleet to go to the Ottoman Empire, fly the Ottoman flag, and cripple the Russian navy."

Seeing his son's cautious demeanor, Jia Lian knew the man had ill intentions. "Is this the Navy's idea? Or is this just your personal idea?"
"Tsarist Russia has been coveting control of the Black Sea for a long time, and the Navy's idea is somewhat feasible. Don't overthink it. Focus on training first, and wait for accurate news from Anxi before deciding whether to send troops to help the Ottoman Empire."

Jia Lian didn't dampen Jia Quan's enthusiasm. A navy isn't something that can be built into a combat-ready force overnight; it requires extensive training and real combat experience. The current problem is the lack of an adversary, so they'll create one. The assessment of Tsarist Russia's history of aggression in modern times is truly not unjustified.

Historically, in order to cut off Tsarist Russia's westward expansion, Britain and France personally intervened in the Crimean War and dealt a severe blow to Tsarist Russia.

The situation has changed. Britain and France will certainly not get involved; they would be more interested in seeing how China helps the Ottomans.

Of course, the strength of Britain and France in this timeline cannot be compared with that in history. The British had not yet opened the doors of the Qing Dynasty, nor had they received reparations, nor could they continue to profit from selling opium.

The whole opium trade is absurd. The British went from dumping opium into China to being subjected to anti-dumping measures, which is truly ridiculous.

“Brother Shi has some ideas, but he’s afraid Auntie won’t agree, so he wants Father to put in a good word for him.” Jia Quan suddenly made this request, and Jia Lian was stunned for a moment.

"What are your thoughts?" Jia Lian asked calmly. Jia Quan replied, "Brother Shi said that although developing locally is stable, it's too slow. He's thinking about whether he can station troops in Anxi long-term. He's recently submitted a report volunteering to guard the border in Anxi."

Jia Lian… That bastard, he was just a company commander when he went to Anxi, and now he's a regimental commander! How much faster do you want him to be promoted?
That's not right either; Jia Quan is already a major general. But can the navy and the army be compared?

"He's got his eye on the Ministry of War's plan to establish a special border defense military region in Anxi. What, does he want to be the commander of that region?" Jia Lian was also quite troubled; this was his own son, after all. He just couldn't say it outright.

"This, son doesn't know." Jia Quan noticed Jia Lian's strange expression and quickly shut up to avoid being implicated.

Jia Lian waved his hand: "Never mind, I'll go to the East Mansion tomorrow and see."

The next morning, after Jia Lian woke up, he was washing and dressing with Xi Ren's help when Xiang Ling came in and said, "Master, Master Lan from the second branch of the family has arrived."

Jia Lian hummed in agreement, his mind racing. He hadn't seen Jia Lan for quite some time. The boy had proven himself quite capable; after passing the imperial examination, he served three years in a local post, then excelled in his studies at the Imperial Academy for Officials. Recently, he was rotating through the Six Ministries, receiving high praise from each department. Was he about to be formally appointed to an official position, hence his visit?
Speaking of Jia Lian, we must mention Li Wan. It's said that under Jia Lian's influence, Wang Xifeng's attitude towards Li Wan changed significantly, granting her much more power in managing the household. The problem is that Jia Lan rarely comes to pay his respects to Jia Lian, except during holidays. Could this be due to Lady Wang's influence?

As for the second wife, she now lives in the east courtyard. After Jia Zheng retired, she is quite settled. Lady Wang has grandchildren to take care of, so she doesn't cause too much trouble.

Jia She and Jia Zheng were constantly at odds, and it wasn't until after the old lady's death that he returned to Rongxi Hall. Unfortunately, he also passed away a few years later. His life was a complicated one.

As for Jia Lian's attitude towards the second wife, it has remained largely unchanged. He neither particularly hates nor particularly likes her.

Jia Baoyu never changed. He lived a peaceful life for over ten years. When his parents grew old, he went off to travel. He was truly selfish his whole life.

Jia Lan's feelings were very complicated. He hadn't wanted to see Jia Lian, but his mother kept nagging him, saying that in officialdom, nothing is entirely based on merit. If it weren't for Jia Lian, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to attend the official training program. Was it really because of his outstanding abilities that he could join the training program after only three years of service in a remote area?
Speaking of Jia Lan, he was the eldest son of the Xifu family, adhering to the path of studying and entering politics, and his performance in this era was still outstanding. However, his relationship with his other brothers was poor. Jia Huan was a good-for-nothing, and as for the more promising Jia Quan and Jia Shi, Jia Lan, being a few years older, didn't have much contact with them. In short, they weren't close.

"Jia Lan greets his uncle and pays his respects."

Jia Lian greeted Jia Lan with a smile, gesturing for him to sit down before stating directly, "His Majesty is most concerned with two things: the economy and diplomacy. The economy determines domestic affairs, while diplomacy concerns the nation's face and security. Currently, you are the only member of the Jia family in this generation to hold a political position. I suggest you choose to be sent to a coastal province, serve as a prefect for three years, then be transferred back to work in a ministry, and then be sent to another province for a few years as a provincial treasurer or governor. In this way, you can develop step by step and enter the cabinet at the age of fifty."

Jia Lan blushed deeply after hearing these words, feeling extremely guilty. Her mother was right; Uncle Lian had been watching her all along, but he had never told her.

Previously, I thought I was going back to the capital to attend a training course based on my own abilities, but now it seems that it was arranged by Uncle Lian.

Thinking of this, Jia Lan stood up and bowed solemnly: "Nephew thanks Second Uncle for his care!"

Jia Lian waved his hand and said, "What about your younger brothers? None of them are interested in becoming civil servants. Jia Shi from the East Mansion went to the army, and Jia Quan insisted on going to the navy. Jia Zhi had the worst fate; I arranged for him to go to Donghua Kingdom. Now, only Jia Yin is left in the family, studying for a master's degree at the university in the capital. After graduation, he will most likely work in a technical field."

“My younger brothers each have their own ambitions, and it’s all thanks to my second uncle’s open-mindedness that they are able to do what they like.” Jia Lan was quite eloquent; this was something she had honed through practice.

Jia Lian smiled and shook his head: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Next month, after you graduate from the advanced training course, you should be assigned to Guangdong. Let's stop here for today. I still need to go to the East Mansion."

To be honest, Jia Lian and Jia Lan didn't talk much. Jia Lian supported Jia Lan simply because he thought he was quite capable. Jia Lian didn't expect anything in return; he just hoped he wouldn't turn against him in the future.

However, it's highly unlikely that Jia Lan will betray them. If he did, his reputation would be ruined, and he would have no place to stand between the court and the public.

Jia Lan took his leave, and Jia Lian walked out to the East Mansion. After passing through the courtyard gate and entering the East Mansion, he saw a maid doing needlework at the entrance of the courtyard where You Shi lived.

"Greetings, Second Master Lian. I pay my respects to you." The maid was surprised to see Jia Lian, so she quickly stood up, put down her small basket, and greeted him.

"I've come to see my sister-in-law!" Jia Lian waved casually and walked inside.

As Madam You watched her grandson running wildly in the courtyard, with several maids following behind shouting and yelling, Jia Lian witnessed all of this and couldn't help but frown slightly, recalling the scene when he first met Baoyu.

Jia Shi's wife came from a humble background; she was just a mid-level officer in the Shenji Battalion. In fact, the descendants of the Jia family consistently chose wives from lower social classes, and the women's families were generally of modest means.

(End of this chapter)