Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 167 Jia Jing: It’s useless even if the old lady’s father comes!

……

"Bai Cai, goodbye!"

Xiaoxiao smiled and waved to the boat.

"Hey, bye bye!"

Bai Caier waved her hands weakly.

She already knew that Xiao Xiao had assassinated Ye Xiaoge Lao a few days ago in order to avenge the killing of Jia Rong.

She is very sad.

It's fine if you two young ministers are fighting, but why do you have to drag us into this? We are just making a small rebellion to make a living, we really don't want to assassinate any young ministers or the little emperor.

"Miss."

"Ah."

"Is that woman gone?"

"Ah."

"Why did she come to our ship? Did she discover something?" Xiao Liuzi asked worriedly.

"It's none of your business." Bai Caier waved her hand in annoyance: "Go to work, we want to become the largest salt merchant in Shandong."

Xiao Liuzi was speechless for a moment and reminded her, "Miss, we are the White Lotus rebels. We buy salt just to save money for ourselves, not to do business."

Bai Caier knocked on Xiao Liuzi's head and said earnestly, "Sister will teach you a lesson. Our jobs as Bailian rebels have been taken away by others. We have no choice but to change our careers, otherwise we will starve to death."

"This tells you to go our way, so we'll go your way!"

Xiao Liuzi: “…”

Isn’t this... the officials and the bandits are reversed?
At one point, everyone returned to the White Lotus Sect.

Lady Bai Lian was very satisfied with Bai Cai'er's actions and smiled, "We don't have many businesses in the open, and we have to feed so many people. It's far from enough to just rely on robbing officials and businessmen. This is a great opportunity. You've done a great job. I will send people to fully support you!"

"Thank you, ma'am."

Bai Caier bowed respectfully.

A group of people below followed and shouted: "The Queen is wise."

Wait until everyone leaves.

Lady Bai Lian held Bai Cai'er's hand and sighed, "The world is not easy nowadays, we should prepare early."

Bai Cai'er was suspicious for a moment: "What?"

Nowadays, we can’t talk about the prosperous times with peace and prosperity all over the world, but at least it is the afterglow of the heyday, and the end of the world cannot be seen for the time being.

Lady Bai Lian said, "Yesterday I observed the sky at night and found..."

Bai Caier: "What?"

Lady Bai Lian: "The secret of heaven cannot be revealed."

Bai Caier: “…”

Lady White Lotus: "In short, troubled times are coming soon, and we in the White Lotus Sect need to save up enough money, weapons, food, and salt!"

……

In late January, Jia Jing returned to Beijing.

The first thing to do was naturally to go to the palace to meet the emperor and return the imperial sword.

When Jia Jing entered the imperial study, the emperor had already stood up from the dragon throne, walked down and laughed, "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Jia! Someone, please give him a seat!"

Immediately a young eunuch brought a chair.

Jia Jing didn't dare to sit down and bowed quickly.

"Wei ministers come to see the emperor."

The emperor grabbed him and said with a smile, "You and I are the king and the subject, there is no need for these empty formalities."

"Etiquette cannot be abolished."

Jia Jing insisted on performing the salute.

Seeing this, the emperor no longer insisted and said with a smile: "Forget it, leave it to you."

After saying that, he returned to sit on the dragon throne above.

Jia Jing bowed again.

"I apologize to the Holy Emperor."

The emperor was puzzled and asked, "What crime have you committed?"

Jia Jing said solemnly: "I killed the Yangzhou prefect and others without asking for permission..."

"How can I blame you!" The retired emperor interrupted with a wave of his hand, "Although I was not present during the salt tax reform, I was also very nervous. I was afraid that the two Huai regions would be in turmoil and the salt tax reform would fail. Fortunately, you have withstood the pressure from the officials and gentry in Jiangnan and opened up a path for salt tax reform in the chaos... You have done a great job but no fault!"

Jia Jing was deeply moved by the words of the retired emperor.

"The Holy Emperor has shown me great kindness. I am deeply grateful for this."

The Emperor smiled and said, "I should be grateful to you. The Ministry of Revenue has calculated that with this item, the court can earn an extra 3 million taels of silver per year. This has finally relieved some of the pressure."

This was within Jia Jing's expectations.

According to his estimate, he could earn an additional 4 to 5 million silver in tax each year, and the Ministry of Revenue reported 3 million, which was reasonable.

If everyone can make money, things won't be too difficult.

"My dear minister, you have made great contributions this time. Just tell me what reward you want." The emperor looked at Jia Jing and said with a smile.

Jia Jing bowed again and said: "I was able to obtain this salt tax law entirely thanks to the advice of the Supreme Emperor. I really don't dare to take credit for it."

The Emperor said, "Lord Jia, there is no need to refuse. If you do not receive a reward for your meritorious service, how will the people of the world view me? I must promote you to a higher position to show my great favor."

It is actually not easy to get a promotion.

Jia Jing was already the Prince's Grand Tutor, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, and the Minister of War. It could be said that he was in the highest position among high-ranking officials. There were only one or two people in the entire court who could match him.

So, advance to a higher rank.

"Your ancestors were dukes, and your father, Jia Daihua, inherited a first-class general. But you are only a second-class general, which is really unworthy of your status as a minister."

"I confer upon you the title of Marquis of Huai'an, and allow it to be hereditary for two generations before you are demoted to a lower rank!"

Jia Jing was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I kowtow to thank you for your grace!"

Become a marquis and be appointed as prime minister!

He did it all!
Moreover, the title was reduced after being inherited for two generations, which means that the eldest grandson Jia Rong and Jia Rong's eldest son are now marquises!
……

Jia Zhen, who was meditating at Xuanzhen Temple, seemed to sense something and muttered to himself, "I am indeed redundant!"

"Have you completed the golden elixir?"

"Replying to Master, it's almost done."

"Well, add more fuel to the fire!"

"I obey, little one!"

"Plus the fire!"

"Boom! Bang!"

"Oh no! The furnace exploded!"

"Master, are you okay?"

A group of servants helped Jia Zhen up.

Jia Zhen wiped the ashes off his face, not caring about his burnt hair, and hurriedly looked at the furnace and said, "I'm fine. Come and check my golden elixir. Is it ready?"

"My Lord...it seems like it didn't work."

"hateful!"

Jia Zhen was so angry that he beat his feet and stamped his chest!

"Just a little bit closer!"

"Come again!"

"I must cultivate the golden elixir!"

……

After finishing the business here, the emperor took a sip of tea and suddenly smiled and said, "I seem to have heard that the emperor has taken a fancy to one of your daughters. Does Lord Jia know about this?"

Jia Jing bowed and said, "I have heard some things, but my daughter has a serious illness, so I am afraid that she is not lucky enough to be blessed."

It doesn’t matter whether there is a real chronic disease or not.

The key is attitude.

The emperor was obviously very satisfied with Jia Jing's attitude. He was not old yet and was not ready to hand over power.

If Jia Jing moves towards that side now, he will have to consider other things!

The emperor and his minister then had a very pleasant conversation. The emperor gave a banquet in Anjing Hall, and Jia Jing did not leave until after noon.

……

After Jia Jing left.

The emperor rubbed his forehead and said to the eunuch beside him: "Dai Quan is back, right? Go and ask him to come see me!"

The young eunuch took the order and left.

Soon Dai Quan arrived in the hall and kowtowed, saying, "Your servant greets the Supreme Emperor."

The emperor looked a little gloomy and said, "I heard that your trip to Jiangnan this time was somewhat troublesome?"

Dai Quan wept and kowtowed, saying, "I have failed the Holy Emperor's trust and deserve death."

The emperor waved his hand: "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Dai Quan approached the emperor and whispered, "When I went to Jiangnan this time, I found that the six major salt merchants had already received the news from other places and moved their property out to sea in advance."

The emperor snorted coldly.

It was obvious that someone didn't want him to get the money!
"Have you found out who leaked the information?"

Dai Quan said cautiously: "We are still investigating, but I have discovered one more thing."

The Emperor: “What?”

Dai Quan said: "It seems that the son of Prime Minister Ye is also secretly looking for the salt merchant's property."

"Ah!"

The emperor sneered: "Everyone eats well, but I just spend a little money and they are so anxious!"

"Send someone to keep a close eye on him! If there's any sign of trouble, arrest him immediately!"

Anyone who dares to touch his money will die!
It doesn’t even matter for the elder’s face!
"The slave obeys the order."

Dai Quan did not have a very good intelligence system outside the palace, so he did not know that Ye Xiaoge Lao had temporarily become a living dead.

"Your Majesty, should we start construction of the Ascension Pavilion now?"

The Emperor: "Is there enough money?"

Dai Quan: "I brought one million taels of silver. Lord Jia sent a warrant to the Lianghuai Coast Guard to arrest the escaped salt merchants. It should only be a matter of time before we catch them. Lord Jia also said that if the silver is really not enough, we can use part of the salt tax to pay for it..."

The emperor was very happy!
Lord Jia is indeed my right-hand man and the pillar of the country!
"That's right!"

"Start work on a certain day!"

"This slave takes the order."

……

After leaving the palace, Jia Jing returned home.

Ningguo Mansion had already received the news and the main gate was wide open.

The two stone lions at the door are majestic.

The personal soldiers and servants stood in two neat rows.

"Welcome back, Master!"

Everyone was half bent over, and their voices were in unison.

Jia Jing waved his hand: "Everyone, go down, no need to do all these things!"

Everyone was busy and dispersed.

Jia Jing returned to his study, took a short rest, and called the servant in: "Go to the West Mansion immediately and invite the eldest brother, the second brother, and the old lady!"

"Yes!"

The servant received the order and went to the West Palace.

Recently, under the leadership of the old lady, the West Mansion has been holding banquets and music all day long, and has invited one opera troupe after another, and Grandmother Jia's face is full of smiles.

Everyone knew that Jia Jing was returning home today. Grandmother Jia even got up early, preparing for Jia Jing's visit to her. In the afternoon, someone finally showed up, but he didn't come to visit her, but to invite her to the East Palace.

Grandmother Jia was a little unhappy for a moment.

Not to mention that she is an elder!
Isn't their West Mansion lower than the East Mansion now? Jia Jing still looked so superior, which was a bit inappropriate.

Grandmother Jia waved her hands and said, "Go back and tell Jing'er that I am feeling a little unwell these past two days, so I won't go to see him!"

The servant smiled and said, "I will definitely pass on what the old lady said."

Grandmother Jia waved her hand and said, "Go down."

Grandmother Jia dared to refuse Jia Jing's invitation, but Jia She and Jia Zheng did not have the courage to do so. They obediently followed the servant to Jia Jing's study in Ningguo Mansion.

At this time, the servant came over and replied to Grandmother Jia's words. Jia Jing smiled faintly after hearing it: "Since the old lady is not in good health, there is no need to come. You can rest in the backyard in the future!"

Jia She understood what Jia Jing meant and said with a smile: "Brother Jing is right. The old lady should have lived out her days in retirement."

Jia Zheng wanted to say something, but after seeing Jia Jing's stern gaze, he didn't dare to open his mouth.

There was a pause.

Jia Jing said, "I'll ask you two brothers to talk about a few things."

"First, don't spread any more news about Yuanchun. I will use my connections to get her out of the palace later."

When these words were spoken, Jia She and Jia Zheng were all shocked.

Jia She is better off, after all, Yuanchun has little to do with him. Even if Yuanchun cannot become the empress, at most she will be suppressed by the East Palace, which is better than being suppressed by the Second House.

Jia Zheng couldn't stand it anymore, and said stubbornly: "Brother, this is inappropriate, isn't it? It's a great joy that Yuanchun is favored by the emperor. The emperor's grace is so great, how can you..."

"Confused!"

Jia Jing interrupted Jia Zheng without any hesitation and sneered, "You are such a blockhead that you don't even know how to handle the officialdom, and yet you dare to get involved in the affairs of the palace? Do you want to drag your whole family to be buried with you?"

Jia She laughed and said, "Did you hear that, second brother? Forget about being an official. You can't even manage your family properly. Have you forgotten that you were impeached for not managing your family properly?"

Jia Zheng ignored Jia She's sarcasm and said to Jia Jing, "Brother, this is different. Yuanchun has been smart since she was a child. I believe she can definitely gain a foothold in the palace. Besides, you are Yuanchun's uncle. If Yuanchun enters the palace, won't you help her?"

"I'm just helping her!" Jia Jing was too lazy to say more to Jia Zheng, and waved his hand, "I'm ordering you, not asking you. Whether you understand or not, from now on, whoever dares to mention Yuanchun will be punished according to my family rules!"

Jia Zheng: "Brother..."

Jia Jing: "Go!"

"Remember to move out of the main courtyard today. That's not a place for you to live!"

Jia Zheng: "..."

Brother, why are you being unreasonable?
Jia She was overjoyed and said hurriedly: "Brother Jing is fair in his conduct. I admire you!"

Jia Jing nodded and smiled at Jia She: "Remember, you are the heir of the Rongguo Mansion. I am the only one in our Jia Mansion who can make you move out of the main hall. No one else has this right!"

Jia She nodded hurriedly: "Thank you for your advice, brother. I understand!"

After saying this, he looked at Jia Zheng who was standing aside and looked a little indignant: "Second brother, did you hear that? Go back and move out of the main hall immediately. Who are you? Are you worthy of living there? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by outsiders?"

Jia Zheng's face turned red and purple after being told such things. He felt very uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do. Finally, he gritted his teeth and went out.

He plans to go see his mother.

Please ask my mother for justice!
Jia She glanced at Jia Zheng as he left and said with a smile, "Brother Jing, my second brother has probably gone to complain to the old lady again. He is only capable of this, and is just like his son Baoyu."

Jia Jing said casually: "Let him go!"

"Don't even mention the old lady, even if her father came, it would be useless!"

Jia She: "..."

Wow, brother, you are so domineering!

Jia She felt like he couldn't help but kneel down.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Jia's grandmother's courtyard.

"Mother!"

Jia Zheng came with a look of grievance on his face.

Grandmother Jia had been waiting to see what Jia Jing was going to do. Seeing her son about to cry, she flew into a rage and stood up, saying, "What's wrong? Did Jing'er bully you? Tell me and I'll take care of it for you!"

Jia Zheng said with a sad face: "Mother, Brother Jing does not agree with Yuanchun's matter, and he said that he would take Yuanchun out of the palace in a few days."

"what!"

Grandmother Jia was furious and slammed the table.

……

(End of this chapter)