The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 110

Jia Lian was born with a pair of expressive eyes. Although they were a bit dark and he looked thin, what kind of person was the Emperor Emeritus?

He had seen his share of storms in his youth.

This child clearly got sunburned; there's some peeling skin on his chin.

As for what's on hand...

A hint of amusement flashed in the Emperor Emeritus's eyes. "I heard that you took two servants to the Li family and extorted money from them?"

"……Yes!"

Sweat beaded on Jia Lian's forehead. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty received a letter from home and, in a moment of anger, went to Li Haimu, the head of the Li family, to demand an explanation."

Weren't you afraid back then?

The Emperor Emeritus's eyes were always smiling.

Through Jia Lian, he seemed to see Jia Daishan from back then.

He was the kind of guy who dared to take on a whole group all by himself, even when he was separated from his parents and brothers.

They were so young back then!
"I'm not afraid! Under the clear blue sky, they wouldn't dare do anything to me."

Although his aunt had written to warn him to be careful, it was still outrageous that a small Li family, so far away in Jiangnan, dared to treat the Jia family like that.

Jia Lian said, "Even if they want to scheme against me, my uncle can't just ignore me."

"Haha, you're so honest."

What did Jia Daishan say back then?
Dare to hit him?
Just wait for his older brother to lead his men and wipe them out!

"Someone, please have a seat!"

The Emperor Emeritus was in a good mood. "Come, tell me and the Emperor, how were those three hundred catties of salt made? You just arrived in Yangzhou and your uncle threw you into the salt field. Didn't he ever think of slacking off?"

National affairs are a serious matter that must be handled with rigor.

The retired emperor still supported the idea of ​​taking over several islands of Japan without firing a single shot.

But even with strong support, he still needs to consult with several ministers and thoroughly discuss the matter before it can be approved.

At that time, I don't know how much brainpower I'll have to put in.

So now, he just wants to relax.

While we're at it, let's listen carefully and see if that salt... is as good as Lin Ruhai described in his memorial.

"minister……"

The Emperor and Lord Dong watched him fidget for a while, his ear tips turning even darker than before. They were speechless, but also a little amused.

"I wanted to slack off, but I was afraid that my uncle would look down on my aunt because of me."

Jia Lian had no choice but to express his predicament: "Jiangnan is too far from home. If he treats my aunt badly, she won't even have anyone to complain to."

"Haha, so you're just going to work obediently?"

"Three hundred catties of salt, I think, once it's finished, that's enough."

Who knew that we'd end up having to do experiments?
"Then tell me how you first made salt, and how you made salt later, and what the advantages and disadvantages of each method are."

"Yes!"

He knows this question.

Jia Lian began to talk incessantly, and when he got excited, he even started gesturing with his hands.

Their conversation made Lord Dong, who was waiting to discuss Japan, very anxious. He tried several times to bring up the Emperor and steer the conversation back on track, but the Emperor, like the retired Emperor, was watching Jia Lian with great interest, waiting for him to speak.

oops~
No wonder he's the emperor; he's managed to stay under the emperor emeritus until now.

As expected, he was not as good as him.

Dong Xiaoquan admonished himself to learn the emperor's art of cultivating his inner strength, but little did he know that the more he listened, the more wrong it seemed.

Although he was an official in the capital, he knew that in some remote and impoverished areas, people had a major problem getting salt.

Salt is classified into different grades, with the lowest grade being cheap but slightly toxic.

This is also the main reason why people in those areas generally have short lifespans.

However, none of them could solve this problem.

Each year, the salt produced by salt fields in different regions is limited in quantity and quality. Naturally, those with money buy good salt, while those without money buy inferior salt.

It's impossible for the state to ban slightly toxic salt; if it were banned, many people would have no salt to eat.

People can die if they can't get salt.

"Wait, wait a minute~"

Dong Xiaoquan finally couldn't help but interject, "Lord Jia," he knew this young man had bought a fifth-rank official position last year, "talk is cheap, can you demonstrate it to the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor on the spot?"

"sure!"

Jia Lian's eyes gleamed. "If you don't believe me, sir, you can go and buy the worst kinds of salt right now."

My uncle said he wasn't afraid of hard work, but he was afraid that the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor would only ask a few questions and then send him home.

Although salt is a small commodity, it affects countless households. Even if there is no reward for accomplishing this, his name will surely be recorded in history books a hundred years from now.

Although he sees himself as a playboy, Jia Lian is not the kind of person who does nothing but try to flirt with his concubines.

So, the palace servants of Shou Kang Palace sprang into action, and the emperor, supporting the retired emperor, watched the young man work.

They were very knowledgeable and knew a little about the process of refining salt. Jia Lian's method really worked. It could save a lot of firewood for boiling salt and also save a lot of manpower. This alone was enough to make it popular.

Not to mention Lin Ruhai and his newly found salt-drying site.

If it's successfully completed, then the price of salt can be brought down.

Ordinary people can afford better quality salt.

The retired emperor paid great attention to this.

After all, this was an experiment conducted in his palace.

Time moved slowly forward with their excellent patience, but in the capital, the news of the Jia family killing thirty Japanese pirates who colluded with the Li family and capturing Li Haifeng alive was spreading like wildfire.

bang~
The Prince of Jin kicked over a chair, yelling, "A bunch of idiots!"

How dare they try to kidnap people in Tianjin? Who do they think they are?

Li Haifeng's actions not only ruined his own family, but also unintentionally helped the emperor expand the war effort.

"What are we people in Jiangnan doing, doing this important thing?"

He paced back and forth in the room, saying, "Find someone unrelated to me and find a way to get to the Shuntian Prefecture prison to make Li Haifeng shut his mouth. Even if the main branch of the Li family is gone, he still has three relatives and friends."

"……Yes!"

The servants went off to do their errands.

"Somebody come!"

"The slave is here."

"Investigate again for me why Jia She and Jia Zhen are picking up people one after another. Did they receive any information before they went to pick up people? Who gave them the information? Find out everything for me."

He couldn't eat or sleep until he found out the truth.

The Jia family is clearly in a bad state, so why are they acting so quickly this time?
"And Jia Jing! Go and investigate whether he has been dishonest at Taixuan Temple."

The Prince of Jin circled around again, "Right, the most important thing is Lin Ruhai. He's been in Jiangnan long enough. Let's have our people in Jiangnan cause him trouble."

With Lin Ruhai around, it's highly unlikely that there will be any problems with the salt tax.

If he were the emperor, he would also give him an important position.

But he was not the emperor.

He doesn't need stability in the court.

"Stable" means he has absolutely no chance.

He needs an opportunity.

"Write to my uncle and ask him to come up with some ideas for me."

His uncle was a local tyrant in Jiangnan.

His uncle had a better chance and more effective methods to deal with Lin Ruhai.

"Yes!"

Another servant hurriedly left.

At this moment, Wu Rubao rushed in from outside. "Your Highness, I have received news that Jia Lian has entered the palace and has been summoned by the Emperor Emeritus for almost an hour." What?
The Prince of Jin turned around abruptly, his eyes filled with malice. "Do you know why he came to the palace?"

"This servant has not yet found it."

Wu Rubao had no choice; he had started investigating as soon as he received the news.

I thought it was just a small matter, but I didn't expect that he would still be in the palace. "However, the Jia family seems to be very calm. He has been in the palace for so long, but he is not worried at all, and he has not sent anyone to the palace to inquire."

Prince Jin: “…”

"Your Highness, do you think we should discuss this with the Dowager Consort?"

Wu Rubao's original intention was to ask Consort Zhen to help inquire, but Prince Jin couldn't wait any longer. "I will go and see for myself."

His mother was overly cautious her whole life.

If she had made a fuss back then, or even said a few good words for him, the throne wouldn't have been thrown away by her father so easily.

"Someone, prepare a car!"

As he shouted for help, he hurried out himself.

Wu Rubao sighed and could only turn back dejectedly.

In recent years, as the emperor's position has become more and more secure, their princes have become increasingly difficult to serve.

But his whole family was with the prince, so he...

He silently went to the God of Wealth Gambling House.

Nothing in this world is reliable, but money is the only exception.

At this time, it wasn't just Prince Jin who was angry, feeling that the Jia family was different; others with some influence couldn't help but re-examine the Jia family and reconsider their relationship with them.

Jia Min's return signifies Lin Ruhai's stance.

Although he was considered one of the retired emperor's men, the emperor clearly still valued him.

With Lin Ruhai as a powerful ally, the Jia family... seems to be able to maintain their relationship as before.

In any case, we must not offend them.

The sight of thirty corpses in Shuntian Prefecture finally calmed down those who had harbored some unsettling thoughts.

"master!"

While Wang Ziteng waited anxiously, a servant from the Wang family hurriedly came in to report, "It has been found out that, in addition to Li Haifeng, a Japanese was indeed captured alive."

"What about the dead? What about their wounds..."

Wang Ziteng didn't care about the living Japanese; he cared about the dead. "Were they all killed in a single blow, or were they killed after a fierce battle, outnumbered and outmatched?"

"It's because they outnumber each other."

The servant honestly replied, "Many of them have bruises all over their bodies." He paused for a moment, then added, "But that's probably not the point. I've heard that a lot of the goods in Li Haifeng's caravan are now in our son-in-law's hands."

Jia Lian is the son-in-law of the Wang family.

"I have also heard that those Japanese pirates landed at Tongzhou Wharf."

His eyes lit up. "Do you think we should remind our son-in-law to seize the Japanese pirates' ships as soon as possible?"

Wang Ziteng: "..."

He nodded slowly. "Where is Jia Lian now? Send someone over and tell him that I want to see him."

He broke his leg, and his second brother almost lost his life.

As the son-in-law of the Wang family, Jia Lian couldn't just ignore it.

"Oh, and also go see Feng'er and your great-aunt."

The Jia family has split up.

When he received the news, Wang Ziteng stayed in his room for three days. He couldn't make a decision because both his sons and daughters were equally dear to him.

Of course, if we really have to compare, the younger sister is closer, and the niece is less so.

However, his younger sister had her own ideas, and there were many things that he, as her older brother, could only discuss with her.

But it's different with my niece.

His third brother had passed away long ago, and Feng'er grew up in his family, so he only needed to give instructions for many things.

"Yes!"

“Tell the old lady that I know about her grievances, but Feng’er is not an outsider. They, aunt and niece, should support each other in the Jia family and not be laughed at by outsiders.”

"Yes!"

"Go!"

Wang Ziteng closed his eyes, waiting for his nephew-in-law to come over.

But after a while, instead of the niece's husband, the sister's husband arrived.

He was very unhappy with Jia Zheng.

This is truly a man who has a handsome appearance but is actually completely useless.

Why didn't Lian'er come?

Wang Jin lowered his head. "My uncle went to the palace. My aunt said it might take a long time. I went to see my aunt, and coincidentally, Master Zheng was there too. He insisted on coming to see you, Master, and I had no choice."

Wang Ziteng: "..."

So angry!

He didn't want to talk to that bookworm at all.

Every time he speaks, Wang Ziteng feels like he's about to get so angry he won't be able to eat a meal.

That idiot, if you tell him to go east, he'll tell you to go west. But if you actually tell him to go west, he doesn't know what to say anymore.

When she was little, she looked quite lively, so how did she turn out like this?
Wang Ziteng had a toothache and a stomachache. "Never mind, please go ahead!"

Even if you don't respect the monks, respect the Buddha.

For the sake of my sister and three children, I'll let them meet!
"Big brother!"

After drinking half a cup of tea, his brother-in-law finally let him in.

Jia Zheng's expression was not good.

"sit down!"

Wang Ziteng pounded his leg. "You know my leg isn't very convenient." He sighed. "I asked Lian'er to come over because I wanted to ask him about things in Jiangnan. You're an elder, you don't need to run around like this for him."

"Lian'er is in Jiangnan, with her brother-in-law Lin, and she's been doing very well."

Jia Zheng said, "But over here..." He hesitated for a moment, "Last night I received news that they had killed Japanese pirates. My sister-in-law from the East Mansion asked me to accompany her to Shuntian Prefecture."

what?
Wang Ziteng's previously languid body suddenly straightened up. "What are you going to do?"

The Jia family split up mainly because Shen forced them to do so.

The old lady of the Jia family used to dote on the second branch of the family so much, yet she never bothered to do anything about it.

Wang Ziteng is now paying special attention to Shen Ning.

"Should Lord Dong deal with this matter severely?"

"more than!"

Seeing his brother-in-law's urgency, Jia Zheng became less anxious. "My sister-in-law is very generous." He picked up his teacup, blew on the tea leaves, took a sip, and then said, "She! She actually used this opportunity to offer Lord Dong a plan to deal with the Japanese pirates."

Wang Ziteng: "..."

He had been so eager to get Jia Zheng to talk that he almost wanted to pry his mouth open.

now……

"A strategy to subdue the Japanese pirates?" Wang Ziteng frowned. "She and Jia Jing of the Taixuan Temple still exchange quite a few letters, don't they?"

He knew of Jia Jing's abilities.

"It shouldn't have anything to do with my older brother."

Jia Zheng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Such a big matter, how could my elder brother use her to say such things to Lord Dong?"

If it's the eldest brother's idea, then we should give it to him!
If you don't give it to him, you can give it to Pearl!

What can we do with the Shen family?
"My sister-in-law said it was her strategy for dealing with the Japanese pirates. She came up with it in a fit of anger when she heard that the Japanese pirates had attacked my sister and the others."

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