Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Hall of Mental Cultivation, East Warm Pavilion

Nowadays, the Empress Dowager spends more time here than in Changchun Palace. Although the heavy workload has left her with a few more white hairs, her eyes have become brighter, sharper and more sparkling. It seems that the more tired she is, the happier she is, and the more hard work she does, the more satisfied she is.

Jia Cong also holds great power. Although he is not the same type of person as her, he can understand her situation. This is why later generations say that power is an aphrodisiac and power makes people younger.

"I haven't seen you for a few days. You look more and more beautiful than ever before. No wonder people call you the most beautiful woman in the world." Jia Cong greeted them with a smile.

The Empress Dowager smiled and spat, "You have no respect for age. You are an old woman, and you cannot compare with a young girl."

Jia Cong said hurriedly: "Mother, what you said is wrong. You have already experienced the beauty of young girls, but your current beauty is beyond their reach."

The Empress Dowager laughed and said, "Don't use the same flowery words you used to please Ruyi and the others to please me."

"I don't dare."

"You know why I called you into the palace without me telling you. What's the grain tax fraud case?" said the Empress Dowager.

Jia Cong sighed and said, "I only found out about this last night, and it was discussed in the court today. It seems that the governor Bao found out about the grain tax fraud from somewhere, and he actually impeached Cong and Chen Guojiu, as well as a large number of officials.

That would be fine, but because the amount involved in the case was too huge, it could be called the largest case since the founding of the country, so the government and the public were shocked, and the scholars were furious, calling Cong the world's number one corrupt official. It was really like a disaster coming from the sky while one was at home, and there was no way to defend himself. "

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly and asked, "How much stolen goods are involved in the case?"

"According to Lao Bao's report, the amount of grain lost in the grain transport and embezzled in government warehouses over the years is no less than 15 million shi," said Jia Cong.

"So many?" The Empress Dowager was also surprised.

Jia Cong sighed, "When I first heard this, I was also shocked. No wonder the government and the people are so indignant. These are the people's hard-earned money. Isn't this the way to destroy the country?
In order to calm the public anger and appease the world, Cong has rewarded Lao Bao in the court and ordered the three judicial officials to investigate the case strictly, starting from Erchen's house. If it is indeed stolen goods, compensation should be paid. "

The Empress Dowager glanced at him and said thoughtfully, "Your decision is reasonable, but I am afraid that there are too many people involved, and that it will damage the reputation of the court and cause instability among the people."

Jia Cong knew that she was secretly pleading for the Chen family, so he said, "Mother, you are right. This is also what I am worried about. This case is extremely heinous. If we really punish them, I don't know how many people will be killed. It will also cause a devastating blow to the reputation of the court. I am afraid that the scholars and people all over the world will think that all crows are black. Who will pay taxes in the future?"

The Empress Dowager nodded and said, "You are very worried. How should we deal with it?"

Jia Cong said: "Since this case involves the emperor's uncle and his son, neither the queen mother nor his son can come forward. You can issue an edict in the name of the emperor, saying that the court is in the spirit of punishing past crimes and preventing future ones, curing the disease and saving lives. Within three months, if the officials involved in the case can voluntarily return the stolen money and property in full, or if they don't have enough money, they can use their farms and mansions to pay for it, then they will be treated leniently; if they are stubborn and hope to get away with it, they will be punished more severely.

Cong is the first to be punished. He should plead guilty and pay compensation. I think many people will follow suit. Then we can catch a few more examples and kill them. This way, public opinion can be calmed, the deficit in the granary can be recovered, and the court can also clarify the administration and regain the trust of the people. It can be said that we kill three birds with one stone."

The Empress Dowager was speechless by Jia Cong's method of hurting himself first and then others. After a slight pause, she said, "If you return the stolen money, the amount will be considerable."

Jia Cong sighed, "Who said it wasn't? It's more than 1.8 million silver. The wine shop's business was not good to begin with, and now this has happened. Several years of profit have been lost."

Then he said with a smirk, "If your majesty has enough money, I will lend you 1.8 million silver coins to avoid the hardship of starving you."

The Empress Dowager laughed in anger and spat, "You bastard, you dare to ask for money from me? I don't do business, how can I lend you money? Look at what's valuable in my palace, sell it and return the stolen money."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Mother, please calm down. I really have nowhere else to go, so I resorted to this desperate measure. You don't want to see Yan'er go hungry with me, do you?"

"Bah, you're still talking nonsense. If you treat Yan'er badly, I won't forgive you." The Empress Dowager rolled her eyes at him and sighed, "You've already given up so much, what about the Prince's family... Sigh."

Jia Cong sneered in his heart, I am showing mercy by not killing anyone, do you still want to get away with it and deny your responsibility?
Yin sighed and said, "Mother, what you are worried about is that I think the prince's uncle is the same as me. The servants in the mansion acted on their own and relied on the master's name to do whatever they wanted, causing such a big disaster for the family.

Although they could not save their heads, their master could not avoid the blame for not managing his subordinates well, and he did gain benefits, so he was lucky not to be punished. Returning the stolen goods was a matter of course and was unavoidable.

Fortunately, the prince's family is wealthy, so even though it's a bit hard, I'll just take it after gritting my teeth. It's easier than Cong at least."

The words were full of threats, praise, excuses, and reasoning. The Empress Dowager had prepared no words to use, so she could only say calmly, "What you said makes sense."

Jia Cong bowed and said, "My Queen Mother, you are too kind. I was once favored by the late Emperor and appointed to be in charge of the Imperial Guard. I was also favored by my Queen Mother and entrusted with the government. I know that the laws of the country are as heavy as a mountain and are not merciful.

There is no place or person outside the law in the world, so I voluntarily plead guilty and accept punishment. I dare not shirk responsibility or make excuses, for I am afraid that if the power of the law is destroyed, the country will no longer be a country and I will fail the grace of God. "

These words are very serious. Although they are directed at Chen, they are actually aimed at Chen. The subtext is that I have confessed my crime and returned the money. How dare you deny it when you commit a crime intentionally? Don't force me to kill someone.

The Empress Dowager was furious. How dare this brat! How dare he teach her a lesson in front of her! But she could only endure it and could not say a word of objection, because what Jia Cong said were all great principles. Not only could she not object, but she had to express her appreciation "sincerely".

Yin forced a smile and said, "It is a blessing for the country and the court that you are so selfless."

"Thank you, mother, for the gold medal. I will definitely handle this case well and let the world know that the Great Wu Law is effective."

"Well, thank you for your hard work. Go ahead."

"My son, please retire."

Jia Cong bowed and left, feeling somewhat disappointed with the Empress Dowager. He had thought that she would be as wise and intelligent as Empress Wu Zetian, but now it seemed that she still had the inherent shortcomings of a woman, being greedy for small gains and losing sight of greater principles, only caring about her own family and forgetting about the country.

If it were an ordinary woman, it might be an advantage, but in her position it was a fatal weakness, enough to mislead the country and the people.

If you want to be a politician, you must first learn to be cold and restrain your human emotions so that you can make rational judgments.

Jia Cong is just a novice in the political arena, but his several years of military career have forged a will of steel. In addition, having lived two lives, his knowledge and vision are naturally far superior to those of ordinary people, which enables him to make the right choices at critical moments.

Although the Empress Dowager was a man of great talent, she could not overcome the weaknesses of human nature. Jia Cong shook his head secretly and made up his mind that the country must not be handed over to her hands!

Three days later, more than a hundred carts loaded with silver winter melons, silver ingots, gold bricks and gold bars paraded through the streets. Because there were so much gold and silver, the boxes could not be closed, so they were just tied with ropes and transported to the Ministry of Revenue along Zhuque Street.

Passersby were so shocked that their eyes dropped to the ground, and they all asked what was going on. If it was tax silver from the south, it didn't seem like it, because tax silver was in neat and tidy silver ingots, not so varied.

Someone pointed out, "Look at those escorting warriors. They are all carrying muskets. They are clearly new soldiers. Who do you think can mobilize the new soldiers?"

"You mean... Prince Jing, a thousand years old?"

"Need I say more? Haven't you heard that the court is investigating a major case, saying that the grain tax is in deficit, and even Prince Jing and Uncle Chen have been impeached. This must be the recovered stolen money." "Hey, I didn't expect that His Royal Highness Prince Jing and Uncle Chen would do such a thing."

"You know nothing. The prince is a very wealthy man with many servants. It is normal for his servants to be mixed.

It is not uncommon for the stewards below to accept some stolen grain for the sake of small profits. It is rare that the prince is strict in managing the family and will correct his mistakes when he knows them. If you were the prince, would you be willing to pay the money?"

"Hehe, then I will definitely consider it. If I don't pay, who can do anything to me?"

"I heard that the prince is actually innocent and was implicated by the steward. Uncle Chen is the culprit. Without his instructions, how many stewards dared to intercept the grain? Don't you want your heads?"

"I've heard that, too. There is such a saying. No wonder the grain stores like Zufeng and Gao Yitai always sell at a lower price than others. It turns out that they are doing a business with no capital cost."

"Even His Royal Highness Prince Jing has returned the money openly, so the other officials will not dare to delay, right? It would be very difficult to recover such a huge loss if it were not for the regent Prince Jing." An old man sighed.

"You are right. How can the prince's lifelong reputation be tarnished by a slave?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I would believe anyone who says he is greedy for the country's money and grain, except Prince Jing, who would never believe me even if you beat me to death.

"The prince took the initiative to accept the new law several years ago, and the taxes he paid to the court every year are mountains of gold and silver. How could such a man do something sneaky? Could it be that the prince is short of this little money?" Someone sneered.

Everyone laughed and said, "That's right, it's impossible."

Liu Xianglian was sitting in a street tavern in casual clothes, listening to the discussion. Seeing that the secret agent was guiding the public opinion in a good direction, he nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, someone at the next table sighed, "What's the point of losing the watermelon and gaining the sesame seeds? This little money is just a drop in the bucket and can't even be considered a temporary solution."

Everyone was surprised to hear his words. Seeing that he was dressed in tattered clothes, looked bleak and looked like a down-and-out person, yet he dared to speak so shamelessly, they laughed at him, "Brother, this is like the Dragon King yawning. Do you know how much this 'little bit of silver' is?" Then they pointed to the silver transport carts that were coming in an endless stream outside the door.

The man seemed not to notice the mockery. He slowly put a salted peanut into his mouth, chewed it twice, and slurped a glass of wine before saying, "It's only one or two million silver coins. It's nothing compared to the profits from the grain transport."

When everyone saw that he only had a plate of salted peanuts and a plate of braised tofu in front of him, and yet he was so arrogant, they all laughed and said, "If you change your clothes and say you are the governor of the Grand Canal, we will believe you too."

Hearing this, the man slammed the table and said sternly: "I am a man, don't compare me with those corrupt officials."

"Bah! I flatter you, you are such a fool! Where did you come from, you wild creature? How dare you come to this city and act so wild!" Everyone was also angry and gathered around him, ready to teach him a lesson.

The man was not afraid at all. He did not even raise his head. He sneered and drank his wine. He said a few words: "You are an ignorant fool. I am not worthy of discussing this with you."

"Hey! This kid is looking for trouble. Today I'll let you know that a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake." A man rolled up his sleeves and was about to grab and beat him.

"Wait a minute." Seeing that the man was well-spoken and seemed to be an extraordinary person, Liu Xianglian hurriedly stood up to persuade him: "Please calm down, this brother is a foreigner who doesn't understand the rules of the capital. Maybe he is unlucky and unhappy, so his words may be offensive. I hope you will forgive me. I will apologize to you on his behalf. Store, today's bill is all on me."

Seeing that Liu Xianglian had an extraordinary bearing, was wealthy, and spoke politely, everyone smiled and thanked him, then sat down and ignored him.

"Brother, how about I share a table with you?" Liu Xianglian walked up to the man and said with a smile.

The man nodded and said, "Please sit down."

"Shopkeeper, please serve a few more dishes to the table." Liu Xianglian greeted him and said with a smile, "Brother, your speech and behavior are not like those of an ordinary person. May I know your name and where is your immortal land?"

"My surname is Lu, my courtesy name is Cheng'an, and I am from Raozhou Prefecture in Jiangxi. I dare not ask for your advice..."

"My name is Liu Xianglian, and my ancestral home is in Shenjing."

Lu Chengan exchanged a few pleasantries and said, "Thank you, Brother Liu, for your righteous words just now."

"It's just a trivial matter, not worth mentioning." Liu Xianglian waved his hand and said, "Just now I heard you talk about the canal transportation, and you were quite angry. Is there any drawback in it?"

Lu Chengan sighed and said sadly: "It's more than just a drawback. Don't you see that the Poyang Lake is a land of fish and rice, but now the people can't even get enough food and clothes in a good year. If it's a disaster year... Alas, a harsh government is more ferocious than a tiger!"

Liu Xianglian was surprised and said, "How could this be? Didn't the court's new law greatly reduce the burden on the people?"

Lu Chengan shook his head and said, "The new law only governs the land tax, but not the grain tax. The grain tax must be paid, and the people's lives are hard."

Liu Xianglian was surprised: "The imperial court only collects 4 to 5 million shi of grain a year, which is shared by eight provinces including Nanjing, Anhui, Shandong, and Zhejiang. On average, each province only collects a few hundred thousand shi, and there are many fertile fields in the south. How can they not afford it?"

Lu Chengan shook his head and said, "Brother, you only see the amount collected by the court, but you don't know the situation below. Let's put it this way, if we want to transport 4 million shi of grain to the capital, we will have to waste at least 12 to 16 million shi of grain!

All these have to be paid by the people. Officials exploit and villagers oppress, year after year, over and over again, the people can no longer bear the heavy burden, I am afraid that in the long run, they will become a problem like Chen Sheng and Wu Guang.

Liu Xianglian was shocked and said, "This... is there such a thing... The grain transport wastes more than 10 million shi of grain every year? My God... Why did you go to the capital?"

"The local government officials are protecting each other, so we can only go to the capital to seek help!" Lu Cheng'an said.

"However, the world is dark and gloomy. I went to the Censorate to file a complaint, saying that I had violated the law and was first flogged 50 times. I accepted it because it was the law. But after the beating, they said that the grain transport had its own laws and it was not their responsibility. They asked me to go to the Ministry of Public Administration to file a complaint in Beijing.

I went to the Ministry of Public Security, but they said I had complained too much and gave me fifty strokes of the cane. My buttocks were swollen like a hill and my money bag was empty. It took me a month to recover.

Tomorrow I will go to Chengtian Gate and beat the drum to file a complaint with the emperor! Even if I am beaten to death, I will not be able to swallow this anger!"

Seeing his courage to face death, Liu Xianglian was somewhat impressed and advised with a smile: "Beat the drum to report to the emperor, and start with thirty strokes of the cane. This is not the same as flogging. Although you are a brave man, I am afraid that it will be inconvenient for your buttocks..."

Lu Chengan glared and waved his hand, saying, "Brother, there is no need to persuade me. If I don't succeed, I will die."

Liu Xianglian said, "Brother, you misunderstood. What I meant is, if there is a way to get through to the heavens without causing pain, wouldn't that be better?"

Lu Chengan asked suspiciously: "Brother, what do you mean..."

"Why not report it directly to Prince Jing?" Liu Xianglian asked in a low voice.

Lu Chengan was overjoyed. Prince Jing was now the regent and a general, in charge of all the troops in the country. His authority was almost equal to that of the emperor. If he wanted to manage it, there was nothing he couldn't do. (End of this chapter)