Dream of the Red Chamber: I can upgrade my entries!

Chapter 121 The house is filled with gold and silver, and the Jia family members are dazzled!

"Sister Feng, Zhu'er's wife."

"You should take a look too."

Jia She and Jia Zheng reviewed the account books under the Rongguo Mansion's name and then handed them to Wang Xifeng and Li Wan.

'rustle!'

The two women's eyes widened the moment they opened the account book. The property confiscated from Wu Jinzhong, the head of Rongguo Mansion, exceeded 800,000 taels, and the other headmen's property totaled more than 300,000 taels. And this was only the West Mansion; the East Mansion must have even more.

"Brother Yan."

"How to arrange it is up to you."

Jia Zhen's face was all wrinkled with smiles. The total amount of 1.6 million taels of silver confiscated from the imperial estates below was enough to make him unable to resist.

"We are the same."

Jia She and Jia Zheng exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

As things stand, Jia Yan is the most suitable person to act as the middleman, and everyone agrees on this.

"All valuables, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings were converted into gold and silver, amounting to 1.55 million taels in the Western Treasury and 2 million taels in the Eastern Treasury."

"The Lai family's assets amounted to 4.8 million taels, which were divided into 2 million taels each for the West Mansion and the East Mansion, and I took 800,000 taels."

"Uncle She, Uncle Zheng, Elder Brother, do you have any objections?"

"No."

Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen dared not say anything. They would have been willing to give even 1.8 million taels of silver, let alone 800,000 taels. Everyone knew that they had to cling to the powerful Zhuge Liang, and besides, the 800,000 taels was just a stipend for the servants.

"Next come the fields and houses."

After glancing at the group, Jia Yan continued, "I've looked at them. The land deeds are for places ranging from one courtyard to three courtyards, as well as some shops along the street. In recent years, the population of the eight households has exceeded one thousand, all crammed into Ningrong Street. It doesn't make sense."

“The two governments should do some good deeds, such as taking stock of which clans have large populations and cannot accommodate all the houses, and then allocating these courtyards to them.”

"The shops along the street are rented to clansmen and relatives to open grain, oil and rice shops, restaurants and grocery stores. The products produced in the village can be sold by our own family members in the future. It is always better to sell them cheaply than to let them fall into the hands of others."

"Great!"

Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen had no objection to this.

They wouldn't want to run shops, that kind of low-class work. All the land deeds combined amount to no more than two hundred, not too many, not too few. Three courtyards don't suit their status, so naturally they look down on these mansions.

It would be better to go along with it and distribute these mansions to the clansmen. In the future, the eight branches of the Jia family will become more and more prosperous, surrounding the two mansions and sticking together for warmth. Which family in the capital would dare to look down on them?

"Now let's talk about the land. The Ning family owns 130 hectares, the Rong family owns 90 hectares, and the Lai family owns 50 hectares."

"After selling all of these, we'll move to Xishan."

'what? '

Upon hearing this, everyone present became somewhat unsettled.

"Brother Yan."

“These are all top-quality, irrigated lands; one mu (unit of land area) can sell for at least twelve taels.”

"What kind of land is that over in the Western Hills? Can it compare to this land?"

Wang Xifeng blurted out that the foundation of aristocratic families is nothing more than land, and who would be willing to sell such prime land?

"Second brother."

Jia Zhen was also somewhat reluctant. The Western Hills were remote and had thin soil, with only the Wuding River for irrigation. If the fields were moved there, the future output might not even reach half of what it was now.

"hehe."

Looking around at everyone, Jia Yan sneered, "270 hectares, which is equivalent to 27000 mu, are all distributed in Tongzhou, Tianjin, and Miyun."

"In the 30th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming Dynasty had a total of over 1161 million hectares of cultivated land. Now, apart from the military households' garrison farming, the Ming Dynasty has about 400 hectares of cultivated land."

"Beizhili has been renamed Hebei Province by the Ministry of Revenue. All the guard posts under the jurisdiction of Jizhou have been abolished, military households have been converted to civilian households, and all military land has been distributed."

"The Marquis of Zhenguo is currently in Baoding, in charge of disbanding the remaining garrisons. All newly established prefectures and counties will be subject to the land tax reform, and the taxes and grain will be supervised by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and directly collected by the Imperial Household Department. Apart from Henan and Southern Zhili (Jiangnan), Hebei has the most arable land among the two capitals and thirteen provinces in the country."

“Tongzhou, Tianjin, and Miyun are all located at the foot of the capital. At the beginning of the founding of the country, only the royal estates could be distributed in these places. The royal estates of the founding line were all near the Lüliang Mountains, and the Yuan line did not receive any estates.”

What do you think is the reason?

"If we don't change them now, we won't need to change them when the land is surveyed later; we can just send them up directly."

Boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was shocked, and the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

"Yan-ge'er".

Jia She frowned, looking puzzled.

“Southern and Northern Zhili will inevitably be the key targets of rectification. We are well aware of how much land the gentry and wealthy families have hidden.”

"Don't bring bad luck upon the Jia family, or I won't be able to protect you either."

“The Western Hills stretch for nearly 200 li from north to south and 130 li from east to west. It was formerly known as the Little Qingliang Mountain. To the east of the Little Western Hills are layers of mountains, lakes, and abundant springs. With the mountains and waters complementing each other, the Central Plains dynasties have built palaces and villas here since the Liao and Jin dynasties.”

"In the future, with the overpopulation of the capital region, Xishan will inevitably become a coveted destination for noble families and wealthy merchants."

"If these 270 hectares are exchanged for the foot of the Western Hills, they will be equivalent to at least 40,000 mu of farmland. With them, even if the Ning and Rong mansions and the imperial estates are taken back in the future, the Jia family can at least ensure the wealth and prosperity of the main branch."

"Furthermore, the Jia family ancestral hall and Xishan Academy are both located here. We can also move the ancestral graves from Tiekan Temple here on an auspicious day. This will be the foundation of the Jia family, keeping them outside the court and unaffected by the turmoil, while still allowing them to monitor the capital at all times."

With a calm expression, Jia Yan added.

Immediately, everyone present fell into deep thought. Moving everything of the Jia family to the Western Hills was no small matter.

“Cunzhou, Zhenge’er.”

“These things were all agreed upon by Brother Jing.”

Jia She remembered something and gave instructions to Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen.

"Then it's settled."

Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen replied without hesitation.

"The proceeds from the 40,000 mu of farmland in Xishan will be divided into three parts, with one part going to Ningguo Prefecture and the other part to Rongguo Prefecture."

"The remaining amount will be used for the expenses of Xishan Academy and Jia Family School."

"The Ning and Rong prefectures each contributed 200,000 taels of silver to cover the expenses of relocating ancestral halls and tombs and constructing Xishan Academy."

"The other four million taels of silver from the Western and Eastern Prefectures will be sealed and kept in custody by the Marquis of Wu's Mansion for unforeseen circumstances."

"Uncle She, Uncle Zheng, Elder Brother, do you have any objections?"

With piercing eyes, Jia Yan spoke in a deep voice.

"No."

Jia She and Jia Zheng readily agreed.

"If my second brother is willing to keep it, that would be the best."

Jia Zhen was heartbroken, but he still managed a smile.

In this way, only two million taels actually ended up in the hands of the Ningguo Mansion, one million five hundred and fifty thousand taels in the hands of the Rongguo Mansion, and the Wuhou Mansion received four million eight hundred thousand taels. As for how these four million taels would be used in the future, they had no idea.

"Yan-ge'er".

"Do you have someone in mind to manage the 40,000 mu of land in Xishan?"

"There are so many other things, none of which are simple."

Jia Zheng asked Jia Yan for his opinion, since the entire family and two households were incompetent and that Jia Yan was the only one who could handle these matters.

"Second brother."

"Why not let Jia Huang and Jia Heng do it?"

Jia Zhen's mind stirred, and he brought up those Jia family members from before.

"Big brother."

“Those mansions will be handed over to the clansmen. If they are truly talented, they can simply rent some shops from the mansions.”

"If even the servants of the two mansions are so unscrupulous, what chance do you have of a blood relative doing such a thing? Would you take him to the authorities?" "In the end, all you'll get in the mansion is the title of a righteous and upright official?"

With a sneer, Jia Yan said sarcastically.

"Inappropriate, inappropriate!"

Jia She and Jia Zheng directly rejected Jia Zhen's proposal.

"Cough cough."

"I didn't think well enough."

Jia Zhen felt ashamed and quickly shut his mouth.

"How is Jiao Da?"

Jia Yan's eyes lit up as he thought of someone.

"Jiao Da?"

Jia She and Jia Zheng were slightly taken aback, unable to recall who it was.

"Uncle She, Uncle Zheng."

"Jiao Da was originally my great-grandfather's personal guard. In his youth, he followed my great-grandfather through thick and thin and made great contributions."

"Because of his excessive drinking and indiscreet speech, I put him in the stable."

Jia Zhen quickly offered an explanation.

"How old must the former Duke Ning's personal guards be now?"

Upon hearing this, Jia She and Jia Zheng immediately inquired about Jiao Da's age.

"They're in their eighties or nineties."

"Ouch!!!"

Everyone present was astonished. How could he survive so long, especially since he had fought on the battlefield?

"Uncle She and Uncle Zheng are unaware of this."

Just then, Jia Yan said frankly, "Jiao Da followed the late Duke Ningguo on three or four military campaigns since he was a child. He once carried the dying Duke Ningguo out of a pile of corpses. When there was no food, he went hungry to steal food for the Duke Ningguo. When there was no water, he drank horse urine himself and gave the Duke Ningguo half a bowl of water he obtained. It can be said that he saved the Duke Ningguo's life."

'? ? ? '

Jia She, Jia Zheng, Wang Xifeng, and Li Wan couldn't help but look at Jia Zhen. Instead of taking good care of him out of consideration for their past relationship, they put him in the stable to look after the livestock. If word got out, people would say that the Jia family was cold-blooded and heartless.

Facing the gazes of everyone, Jia Zhen had no choice but to suffer in silence. Jiao Da, relying on past merits and favors, even dared to curse him. Jia Zhen was powerless to do anything about it and could only endure it, arranging for him to stay in the stable, which was a helpless measure.

"Yizhen said that Jiao Da is eighty or ninety years old, how can he still manage these things?"

Jia She spoke, and everyone else looked at Jia Yan.

"Jiao Da is not without offspring."

"The reason I put him in charge of 40,000 mu of land is because of this."

"Given Jiao Da's merits and the goodwill he has accumulated over the years, if his family were to live in the mansion, how could they be inferior to the Lai family?"

"But he didn't do that. He just did some work in the mansion, while his family tended the fields in the suburbs of the capital."

“Let Jiao Da take charge of this matter. He has children and grandchildren who can act as managers. The Jiao family is trustworthy.”

"Can!"

Jiao Da was honest and simple, and Jia She, Jia Zheng, and Jia Zhen had nothing to say about him.

"Uncle She, Uncle Zheng, and Second Brother."

"I still have some miscellaneous matters to attend to at the manor, so I'll take my leave now."

Seeing that everything was arranged, Jia Zhen couldn't wait to leave.

"Yan-ge'er".

"Brother Zhen has always indulged in sensual pleasures; this time he's reaped such a great harvest..."

Jia She hesitated to speak, clearly harboring some reservations about Jia Zhen.

"It doesn't matter."

Waving his hand dismissively, Jia Yan said, "I have already written to Father that half of these two million taels will be used as my sister's dowry, and will be managed by Father."

"The remaining million taels are up to Brother Zhen. Although Rong and his wife manage the East Mansion's expenses, if they squander all of this, it will be none of our business how the East Mansion lives."

'That's good!'

Hearing this, Jia She, Jia Zheng, and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Xifeng and Li Wan were filled with envy. A dowry of one million taels was more extravagant than even a princess's wedding.

"Second brother."

"Now that the rooms have been allocated, the second room still has Baoyu, Huan-ge'er, and Tanchun."

"I think we should divide this 1.55 million taels among ourselves first."

“The eldest son’s family will take 500,000 taels, the second son’s family will take 500,000 taels, and the remaining 550,000 taels will be deposited into the public funds.”

"The eight imperial estates are each managed in half by the eldest and second sons, and the profits from the Xishan estate are first used for public purposes."

Jia She quickly replied.

"Brother Yi."

Jia Zheng knew his thoughts. The Rongguo Mansion was thriving, and in the next generation, Jia Lian and Jia Lan would inherit the first and second branches of the family respectively. Jia Baoyu, Jia Huan, and Jia Cong would all be dividing the family property, and Yingchun and Tanchun would be getting married. All of these places required money.

"Alright, Feng-ge'er, you and Zhu'er's wife go and handle it together."

"It's my father-in-law/master!"

Wang Xifeng and Li Wan left gracefully, leaving only three figures in the hall.

"Yan-ge'er".

Jia She said seriously, "Now that everyone has left, you should tell us about your future plans."

"The Marquis of Zhenguo, the Marquis of Liguo, and the Marquis of Xiuguo rushed to Baoding, Shaanxi, and Guizhou respectively."

“You and His Majesty are making a huge move. You intend to use this as an excuse to abolish all the guard posts in the Northwest, Hebei and Southwest regions.”

"Have you ever considered that such a commotion would not only affect the military, but also the civilian government?"

"2000 million military households and over 400 million hectares of military farmland—who wouldn't covet such a tempting prize?"

'? ? ? '

Jia Zheng stared at Jia Yan in disbelief.

"Uncle She, the sky won't fall down."

Jia Yan put down his teacup and said calmly, "In the Northwest, we have Yang Jishan, Zhang Ji, Zhao Tengye, Sun Yanliang, and Wang Senluo to look after us."

“Yan Qian, the third-class earl of the Jiangyin Marquis’s Mansion, was transferred to Hebei as a general and stationed in Baoding, commanding 50,000 Hebei guards.”

"In Guizhou, Earl Zhang Guangsi of Qingjiang went to Miao territory first to raise 50,000 Miao soldiers. The Earl of Zhongzhen's mansion will naturally not stand idly by. Uncle Hou has an imperial edict in hand and can raise 50,000 Guizhou garrison troops on his own."

"When the three provinces were governed by the regulations, the southwest, northwest, and areas north of the Yellow River were all within their jurisdiction."

"The retired emperor was involved too?"

Jia She immediately realized the key point: this was not only a scheme by Jia Yan and Emperor Yongping, but also supported by Emperor Shunkang. No wonder they could bypass the court and start directly from the local level, and even achieve considerable success.

“I know what Uncle She is worried about.”

Jia Yan smiled, a playful look in his eyes: "Let's leave Guangdong, Huguang, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Henan, Southern Zhili, and Fujian as they are for now."

"Once the Liaodong matter is settled, I will be free to go south and wipe the Donglin Academy clean."

"As long as you know the number!"

Jia She gave him a deep look, without saying much, while Jia Zheng was already stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

PS：一进四合院通常占地面积在200至500平方米，二进四合院：600至1200平方米，三进四合院：1200至2000平方米，一亩地折合666平方米。

(End of this chapter)