Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 106 Distribution of Benefits
  This day Lin Ruhai called Jia Cong into the room.

"Brother Cong, if you hadn't invited Divine Doctor Ye this time, my uncle might not have been able to escape this disaster. You have made a great contribution, so tell me, what do you want?" Lin Ruhai said with a smile.

Jia Cong saw that he was a different person than when he first met. He was full of energy and spoke clearly. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "My uncle has entrusted him with the pearl in his palm. This is the greatest reward. How dare Cong ask for anything more."

As he spoke, he looked at Lin Ruhai, fearing that he would be left alone after he recovered, which would be a big loss.

Lin Ruhai, who had been in the officialdom for many years, didn't know what he was thinking. She glared at him angrily and said, "Yu'er is indeed right. You are used to judging others by your own heart. Could it be that I was like that?" And the untrustworthy villain?"

Jia Cong hurriedly apologized and said with a smile: "How can that be possible? My uncle is so glorious and noble in character. Cong Jian never dares to have such disrespectful intentions."

"However, making Yu'er an equal wife has wronged her, but I can't let you marry me empty-handed." Lin Ruhai twirled his beard and smiled.

As expected, these court officials are not economical. Jia Cong complained in his heart and smiled harmlessly: "I hope my uncle will make it clear that as my uncle, I don't care about ordinary betrothal gifts."

Lin Ruhai hummed, a child can be taught, no wonder the Holy One likes him too, and said with a smile: "You kid is very quick-thinking, so how about you do something for me and treat it as a betrothal gift? Wait until you get married. I will also prepare a heavy dowry for you, how about it?"

Jia Cong thought to himself, can I say no?

"Please give me your uncle's orders. Cong will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Lin Ruhai said: "I heard from Lao Xu that you are quite knowledgeable about salt affairs, and you also talked about contradictions very well. Can you help me clear up my doubts?"

Jia Cong has also been thinking about this issue these days and said: "Then Cong will just talk about my humble opinion and ask my uncle to correct me."

As he spoke, he picked up a plate of delicate mille-feuille pastries on the table and said: "Cong has thought about it repeatedly in the past few days and feels that the difficulty of the salt law is ultimately due to the intertwined interest groups that cannot and cannot be moved. When it comes to reforming the salt affairs, It’s nothing more than a matter of interest redistribution.”

"Interest groups? This statement is quite new. Yes, interest groups are indeed the fundamental problem."

Lin Ruhai nodded slowly and praised: "You have put your heart into it. Reforming the Salt Law is ultimately about taking the fat out of the mouths of certain interest groups and handing it over to the court. As the saying goes, cutting off people's financial paths is like killing people. Parents, who is willing to spit out the fat in his mouth, this is the difficulty."

Jia Cong said: "Suppose this plate of snacks is the salt profit of the entire Lianghuai River. This is the profit of the salt merchants." He took out three snacks and placed them on the table.

"This is salt class." He took out another snack.

"This is the benefit of the governors of the provinces of Huaihe and Huaihe and the yamen of the prefectures." Another snack was placed.

"This is the advantage of Yanzheng Yamen." Jia Cong did not hesitate and took out another snack.

"This is the benefit of the Jinling Zhen family."

"This is the benefit of the salt people."

"This is the advantage of the salt owl."

"After all, the salt benefit is nothing more than these seven portions." Jia Cong placed the snack representing the salt class in the middle, and the other six portions were placed around it.

Lin Ruhai nodded: "That's true. If we want to reform, where do you think we should start?" After all, Jia Cong has studied history and knows that one of the most important reasons for the failure of reform in ancient times was that he often wanted to complete the work in one battle. Eliminating all stubborn diseases at once will inevitably touch the interests of a large number of interest groups. How can we not be counterattacked?
  The more thorough the reform, the greater the counterattack, and the unlucky those who promote the reform will be. Moreover, many reforms themselves have many loopholes and flaws, and it is hard to blame anyone for opposing them.

Yin said: "Today's salt method is like a piece of clothing. It has been worn for decades. Although it is full of holes, it can still cover up the shame and wind. It is good to throw it away and make a new one. , but I'm afraid that I can't do it.

Therefore, Cong thought that for the present plan, he should first sew and mend the clothes and wear them for now. When he has enough money, it will not be too late to change into new clothes. "

A thunderbolt sounded in Lin Ruhai's mind. Jia Cong's clothing theory provided him with a new idea and pulled him out of the dead end he had been in before. Yes, why give it up completely? It's okay to do some tracing. As long as it can increase the salt lessons, what does it matter?
  "Brother Cong, keep talking."

Seeing that Lin Ruhai agreed with the preface, Jia Cong became more confident and said: "The so-called innovation of the salt method is nothing more than taking some pastries from around here and putting them on the salt course in the middle. From my point of view, now the Zhen family , the interests of the local government and the Yanzheng Yamen cannot be touched."

Lin Ruhai's face sank like water, and many thoughts went through his mind, and he said: "Tell me your reasoning."

"Yes. The Zhen family has a special relationship with the Emperor. When the Emperor is here, let alone his uncle, even the Holy One cannot touch him," Jia Cong said.

Lin Ruhai nodded slightly, the old lady of the Zhen family was the royal nanny and was really not easy to move.

"Local government officials are local snakes everywhere. It is absolutely impossible for them to just watch the salt merchants make a fortune in their own territory without losing any benefits themselves. If their interests are not guaranteed, they will inevitably find clever excuses and use various exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes to obtain benefits. Interfering with the salt administration will cause instability in the salt industry.”

Lin Ruhai nodded. Local officials were indeed virtuous. They would dare to take advantage of the fire, not to mention letting them watch the fat meat without being able to eat it.

"No matter how much profit there is from the Yanzheng Yamen, I can't touch it. Although my uncle is honest and clean, but none of the people below are using the salt profit to buy houses, land, and keep beautiful maids. If their wealth is cut off, who will still take that money?" How many royal salaries are there to work for my uncle?

As the saying goes, the emperor has no shortage of hungry soldiers. No matter how good the new law is, it still needs the people below to implement it. If the people who enforce the law are dissatisfied, the law will definitely become a piece of paper. "

Lin Ruhai sighed and said: "Brother Cong is worthy of being personally enlightened by my father-in-law. He is a young man who is precocious and wise. He sees things accurately and speaks directly to people's hearts. You are right. These three benefits cannot be touched now."

Jia Cong chuckled, it was strange that a middle school boy could know this.

"Of the remaining three, the benefits of the salt people can be tampered with, and there will be no consequences. However, although these Kuhaha people are large in number, they will benefit the least. Even if they are tampered with, they will only be a bare bone. How can there be any oil or water to tamper with them? The gain is not worth the loss, so it is not advisable to move.”

"If there is abundant oil and water, only the salt merchants and the salt lords have an advantage." Lin Ruhai said: "But the salt merchants are not willing to move, and the salt lords keep restraining them."

Jia Cong nodded: "Cong also knows that the eight major salt merchants have deep roots and have friends with high-ranking officials in the court. The officials regard business as a source of profit, and the merchants regard officials as talismans. The officials and businessmen collude, stick to the rules, and resist reform.

There was a slight disturbance in Yangzhou, and when we arrived at the court there was a violent storm, which must have given the Lord a headache. Therefore, in addition to increasing salt classes, the salt law reform must also ensure one thing. If this is not guaranteed, more salt classes will be in vain. "

"What's the matter?" Lin Ruhai asked hurriedly.

"Stability! Stability is everything, and stability is the real overall situation!" Jia Cong directly brought out the theory that has been honed for generations.

This statement was so shocking that Lin Ruhai trembled all over, his eyes widened, and he felt suddenly enlightened!
  In the past, I had only vaguely thought of this level. Although I took some measures, I took two steps forward and one step back, just for fear of provoking a popular uprising, but it was not as profound and enlightening as what Brother Cong said.

(End of this chapter)