Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 725 Eyes and Ears That Can See a Thousand Miles

In Li Wan's mind, the image of a fair, selfless, kind, and benevolent elder was instantly established!
Is this the reason why Jia Gong remained in power for three dynasties?

My grandfather ruled the country with benevolence, becoming Emperor Renzong; my father ruled with force, becoming Emperor Wuzong. What should I do?

Every emperor starts out wanting to achieve something, especially in a country where a central empire has been formed, and Li Wan was even more eager to make a difference.

"In today's world, the path to national prosperity through trade has become increasingly popular. Your Majesty should broaden your horizons and focus on the world. Your Majesty should not aspire to be the greatest common denominator of one nation, but rather to be the greatest common denominator of the world, a world leader whose rules are recognized and accepted by all nations."

These words stirred Li Wan's blood. "Sir, your expectations of me are so high, yet I have been completely oblivious," he said. This shows how long I have been blindly influenced and misled.

In the past, when people talked about how to govern a country, the advice was always the same: be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from sycophants. A ruler should have a broad vision, and he should use both virtuous ministers and sycophants.

Jia Lian left in the morning, and Shen Lei and Fei Yun met Li Wan in the afternoon.

When the emperor and his ministers faced each other, Li Wan, as always, offered them seats, and then said with a smile, "Master Shen, Master Fei, why the rush?"

The two men looked a little embarrassed. What were they worried about? It was as obvious as a bald man's lice.

"Your Majesty's health is of utmost concern to us, hence our urgency." Shen Lei understood Li Wan well and knew what he liked to hear, so his words were extremely pleasing to the ear.

Li Wan listened with relief and said, "I was anxious because I had some questions, but now that I have understood, I have no more worries!"

Fei Yun was more composed, remaining calm and attentive upon hearing this. Shen Lei, however, said urgently, "Your Majesty, Jia Lian has controlled the court for over a decade; his words cannot be trusted."

Li Wan's smile vanished instantly, a flash of displeasure crossing her eyes, but she still patiently asked Shen Lei, "Master Shen, do you know how Master Jia evaluates you two?"

Shen Lei looked panicked, while Fei Yun remained calm. Li Wan, according to her own understanding, said, "What Master Jia said is that both gentlemen are doing it for my own good. Even if there are some improprieties, they should still be put to good use."

Shen Lei turned pale instantly. Fei Yun was startled and thought to himself: His Majesty actually asked Jia the traitor if we two were usable. It is clear that there has been a rift between us because of what happened before. We must be careful to make amends and not act rashly.

"This is improper of me!" Shen Lei reacted quickly and immediately corrected himself.

Li Wan, remembering their past relationship, wasn't particularly concerned. Her worry that Jia Lian might speak ill of her was understandable. "When I was Crown Prince, both of you served me diligently as regent; I will remember that."

"Regarding the matter of tax reduction and exemption, I have consulted with Master Jia. His opinion is that reductions and exemptions are possible, but not for any particular province. Rather, it should be done gradually, starting with corvée labor and the poll tax, abolishing corvée labor and replacing it with hired labor. Whether for the nation or the localities, large-scale projects can benefit all people by employing hired labor. The exemption of the poll tax is based on the same idea. I wholeheartedly agree! After you two return, please consider this idea and come up with a plan." Li Wan was indeed a kind person; he did not pursue the two teachers' mistakes but let them off lightly.

The two were shocked to hear this, never expecting that Jia Lian was planning such a big thing. He had made no prior announcement, but in just two mornings, he had persuaded His Majesty.

"Isn't this too hasty?" Shen Lei was still used to lecturing the emperor, and didn't know how to be tactful in his words.

Fei Yun understood this very well. The reason why the two of them were able to persuade the emperor and the cabinet when they joined forces was entirely due to the emperor's thirst for power.

Now that the emperor has successfully changed the structure of the cabinet, he is full of confidence and his mindset is completely different. He can no longer treat his students like a teacher used to.

Fei Yun didn't intend to remind Shen Lei, partly because he didn't want to be implicated, and partly because Shen Lei was more trusted by the emperor.

"Your humble servant obeys the decree." Fei Yun's words instantly cleared Shen Lei's eyes. What happened to their agreement to advance and retreat together?
Shen Lei quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Your humble servant has overstepped his bounds!"

Li Wan instantly felt relieved and waved her hand, saying, "It's alright!"

The two had a bad start, but they still had to do things against their will according to the emperor's (Jia Lian's) wishes, which was extremely frustrating.

After taking his leave, Shen Lei said to Fei Yun, "I am very grateful to Brother Fei for speaking up for me just now!"

Fei Yun was a man of deep cunning, and he simply said, "We have been through thick and thin together for many years, why should I thank you?"

Nevertheless, the close working relationship between the two has undergone a subtle change; if Fei Yun had remained silent just now, it wouldn't have caused any change.

But Fei Yun did speak up, which improved his image in Li Wan's mind.

The budget meeting continued the following day. Without Shen Lei and Fei Yun causing trouble, it proceeded smoothly, with various departments arguing heatedly, as if a rain had just fallen.

Jia Lian remained unchanged, sitting motionless, seemingly dozing.

After five consecutive days of meetings, the annual budget was officially released, a result acceptable to all departments.

At the last moment, Li Wan suddenly took the initiative and said, "I wish to abolish the poll tax and corvée labor. What do you all think?"

A deathly silence fell over the scene. The matter was far too serious. Shen Lei and Fei Yun exchanged glances, knowing there was no escaping it.

“Your Majesty, I believe this matter is of great importance and should not be rushed. We must proceed cautiously.” Shen Lei stepped forward to speak, neither opposing nor supporting, consistent with his behavior that day. Seeing Li Wan’s displeasure, Shen Lei sighed inwardly, his expression remaining unchanged: “I believe we can try it for a year and see the results before making a decision.”

Li Wan looked doubtful and was no longer so determined. Fei Yun stood up and said, "This humble subject believes that Brother Shen's words about being a wise and experienced ruler are indeed a feasible approach."

"In that case, let's try it for a year," Li Wan said, making the decision without insisting.

The atmosphere at the scene was momentarily frozen. There was no way around it; the poll tax and corvée labor had been in place for thousands of years, and no dynasty had ever said they would stop. Now, suddenly, it was said to be stopped, and everyone was stunned.

Jia Lian suddenly stood up, drawing everyone's attention. He stepped forward, straightened his clothes, raised his hands to his forehead, and loudly proclaimed to Li Wan, "Your Majesty's benevolent rule is unprecedented in history. This act can be considered the first benevolent rule in all time. On behalf of the millions of people under heaven, this old minister bows deeply to Your Majesty! We thank Your Majesty for your holy grace! And we wish Your Majesty to become the ruler of the world, surpassing three generations!"

Li Wan was surprised, and neither were the court officials. Jia Lian suddenly pulled this stunt, but upon closer examination, it was indeed worth Jia Lian making such a big fuss about. Who would believe it if it were said that it was just a matter of thousands of years of poll tax and corvée labor?

The first to react were the pragmatic departments, who had close ties with Jia Lian and followed his every move. A dozen or so ministers and vice-ministers quickly followed, making everyone else seem left behind. Fortunately, Shen Lei and Fei Yun reacted quickly and caught up immediately.

The dozens of high-ranking officials at the meeting followed Jia Lian, repeating what he had said before. Li Wan, sitting in place, was suddenly filled with excitement and felt elated.

Yes, historical records mention efforts to control floods. Back then, there was certainly no concept of hiring laborers; it must have involved conscripting people for corvée labor and collecting taxes on the population, otherwise there wouldn't have been enough revenue. Looking at it this way, isn't this a governance system that surpasses the achievements of the Three Dynasties? Isn't it the first example of benevolent governance?
In this situation, only someone with a screw loose would jump out and say something stupid like "commoners are also people," even though some people don't really consider commoners as human beings.

Seeing Jia Lian, an old minister, leading the way in paying homage with a grand ceremony—a ceremony reserved only for grand court assemblies—Li Wan felt incredibly pleased.

This state is indescribable; I've never felt so good in my entire life. The feeling is like a dream, like being on a cloud.

This emotional value is off the charts!

From this day forward, if anyone speaks ill of Jia Lian in private, claiming he wields immense power and plots to depose him, Li Wan will slap them across the face on the spot.

Have you ever seen a prime minister who doesn't care about anything? Have you ever seen a prime minister who, in front of all the ministers, takes the lead in giving the highest value to the emperor's benevolent governance?
Loyalty aside, you say he has the power to rebel, so what? What would he gain from rebelling? Would he want to make enemies of the whole world?

(I saw a video online analyzing the logic behind the Zong family's messy affairs, and I wholeheartedly agree. If the younger Zong family were to transfer money normally, and if the illegitimate child caused trouble again, they would be making enemies of everyone. The younger Zong family's actions of breaking the rules first, isolating themselves, and rejecting all external support, including from the government, are truly unprecedentedly brainless. This is because they've watched too many dramas featuring strong female leads, believing that only they can disregard the rules. They subjectively believe that as long as they disregard all rules, they can maximize their interests, completely forgetting that order protects the interests of everyone.)
Jia Lian has now played this card, making it clear to the world that if he acts recklessly, he will be making enemies of the entire world.

This is using the power of order to endorse himself. If anyone later whispers that Jia has rebellious intentions, they are treating the world like fools.

Jia Lian's move was an open strategy, but it also reflected a sense of desperation. The new emperor naturally harbored resentment towards veteran officials. No matter how much you yielded, he wouldn't change his mind.

Shen Lei and Fei Yun still lack experience. They thought that since they had made a move against the cabinet, Jia Lian would not put up any resistance. The next step would be to press them step by step, leaving them with no way to retreat, and in the end, it would likely end in an undignified manner.

In fact, Jia Lian's act of feigning illness followed the same logic, as did Li Wan's nighttime intrusion into the Jia mansion.

Shen Lei and Fei Yun advocated for tax reductions, which was similar. Everyone was playing a game of cunning, but unfortunately, Shen Lei and Fei Yun messed it up.

They could only continue to hold their noses and watch Jia Lian sit in the Grand Secretary's office every day, leisurely drinking tea and reading books, while watching others work like slaves.

When the news spread after the meeting, it shocked the nation. All the newspapers in the capital reprinted an article titled "An Unprecedented Benevolent Rule," praising Li Wan extensively.

The buzz surrounding this news item overshadowed a smaller, more urgent report in a corner of the page: "News from Xi'an and Beijing Transmitted in an Instant." This report detailed the completion of a transmission line from Xi'an to Beijing, enabling all news from Xi'an to reach the capital on the same day. The report also stated that the postal and communications bureau was accelerating the laying of cables, which would soon connect Nanjing, Liaoyang, Wuchang, Chengdu, and other cities. It was projected that the line would be operational nationwide within two years, a feat that would allow for the same-day dissemination of information about events across the country.

The most commendable aspect of wired telegraph was its application on railways. From then on, communication between stations became convenient through telegraph, and the problem of scheduling difficulties was greatly alleviated.

Inside the deep palace, Li Wan stood in a room, watching the eunuch in front of her dripping and translating according to the universal code. Huang Jin wanted to reach out, but Li Wan snatched it away first.

After examining it closely, Li Wan beamed with delight: "It's working! It's working! Hahaha, this is truly clairvoyance and clairaudience!"

Huang Jin then read the contents of the newspaper: "His achievements surpass those of three generations, and he is the most benevolent ruler throughout history. Your humble servant, along with all my colleagues in Shaanxi, respectfully pay homage to the Holy Emperor."

This is a reply from the Governor of Shaanxi!
Next came the governor of Shanxi along the same route, who sent a similar telegram, all praising and extolling the emperor.

Anyone who disagrees with this is really asking for trouble; it's like riding an electric scooter and crashing into a speeding dump truck.

He could be drowned in the spittle of the entire world!
These days, Li Wan is immersed in a wonderful state, even her walking is dancing.

This year was truly a year of continuous good news for Li Wan. After establishing a telegram connection with Xi'an at the beginning of the year, he successively established connections with all the provincial capitals across the country.

Because of the telegram, Jia Lian submitted a memorial to the throne requesting the establishment of a new Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, otherwise the status of the ministry would not be commensurate with its position.

In this era, the department that controlled the telegraph as a means of communication was so powerful that its status changed from a mail carrier to a highly sought-after postal and telecommunications professional.

Speaking of this telegram, everyone can use it, but the cost is ridiculously high, one dollar per word.

We have no choice but to do it this way; the investment is simply too large.

Telegraph service was launched nationwide in the first half of the year, and Li Wan received another pleasant surprise in the second half.

When the summer heat arrived, Li Wan went to Rehe to escape the heat, as was the old custom. In the past, he stayed behind to oversee the country, but now it was his turn to go to escape the heat.

That day, Li Wan was playing with her two beloved concubines when Huang Jin hurriedly entered. Upon seeing this, he did not stop but continued to approach.

Li Wan, embarrassed and ashamed, removed her hand from the warm, smooth area and glared at Huang Jin, saying, "You dog slave, if it's not a big deal, I'll break your legs."

Huang Jin remained completely calm and said, "Prime Minister Jia has arrived!"

Li Wan asked curiously, "Isn't Prime Minister Jia recuperating in the capital? Why is he here? Quickly, bring him in."

Huang Jin smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it is a joyous occasion to have you grace us with your presence!"

Li Wan paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, lead the way. I want to see what joyous occasion it is."

Following Huang Jin out, they saw Jia Lian standing and waiting in the courtyard.

Jia Lian stepped forward and bowed, and Li Wan quickly raised her hand to help him up, saying, "It's so hot, what brings you here all this way, sir?"

"Your Majesty, please follow me. You will see for yourself." Jia Lian gestured for Li Wan to enter. Li Wan followed him into a room, where a table was placed near the window. On the table was an object with an unusual shape.

Jia Lian pointed to the object and said, "Your Majesty, please watch how I operate it."

As he spoke, Jia Lian pressed the device, cranked the handle, and held the receiver to his ear: "Hello, hello, okay, connected! Now please speak, Your Majesty."

He then handed the receiver to Li Wan!

Li Wan held the phone to his ear and heard a voice say, "Your Majesty, this humble subject greets you..."

Suddenly, Li Wan's mind went completely blank!
(End of this chapter)