Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

"Cousin Su."

"Your humble servant is here."

Zhang Su, a second-class Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), is currently studying at the Hanlin Academy, therefore he can be addressed as a subject.

Facing Zhang Su, Jia Lian's expression relaxed considerably.

"I have long been aware of my cousin's talent."

Whether he stayed in the Hanlin Academy to compile history or was sent to serve as a local official, it would be a waste of his talents.

I have a troublesome but important task here that I would like to entrust to my cousin Su. What do you think?

Zhang Su said, "Please speak plainly, Your Majesty, and I will serve you with utmost loyalty!"

"I intend to establish a special science college in the Imperial Academy, which will include subjects that were not originally part of Confucianism, such as mathematics and calendar, and will also add subjects such as astronomy, geography, firearms, and naval navigation."

The Academy of Sciences aims to select and cultivate talents of all kinds who are not studying Confucian classics for the imperial court. Therefore, neither the hiring of teachers nor the recruitment of students need to follow the previous standards.

Anyone who has made significant achievements in a particular field can be hired as a lecturer in the Faculty of Science. Any young person who is interested in or has talent in the above subjects can enter the Faculty of Science to study.

This is a tedious and laborious task, and it may not be accomplished if entrusted to someone else. Only by entrusting it to someone capable of taking on the responsibility and whom I trust can it be done well.

Therefore, I wish to appoint my cousin Su as the Vice Dean of the Imperial Academy and concurrently the Dean of the College of Science, holding the rank of Fourth Grade, and giving him full authority to prepare for the establishment of the College of Science.

Establishing new academic disciplines was a plan Jia Lian had long ago.

However, it is important to remember that one should not rush things, especially matters of state.

If a new science and technology university were to be built, regardless of the public's acceptance, he would only be in power for a short time. If too many new and complicated "government offices" were to be created, it would not only make the government bureaucracy bloated, but there would also not be enough people to support these offices in a short period of time.

In the end, it will most likely turn out to be a mess, losing credibility.

Therefore, it would be better to let someone as young and energetic as Zhang Su pilot the program within the existing framework first. It wouldn't be too late to separate it from the Imperial Academy once the College of Science has achieved significant results.

The Zhang family was somewhat surprised when they heard what Jia Lian said, especially when he said that Jia Lian wanted Zhang Su to serve as the vice dean of the Imperial Academy.

It should be noted that the Imperial Academy was the second-highest institution of learning after the Imperial College, and one of the two highest-ranking institutions of learning publicly run by the imperial court.

Its president and vice president are all highly respected individuals.

Although Zhang Su is a scholar who passed the imperial examinations through proper channels, he is still young. Would it be too hasty for him to be appointed as the vice president of the Imperial Academy directly?

However, considering that he was not to teach classics and history, but to run a so-called science college, and that he was the current emperor's cousin and was appointed by him, it makes sense.

The key point is that he's a fourth-rank official!

This was a leap of several ranks in one go, saving ten years of official career, so the Zhang family couldn't help but be tempted by Zhang Su.

Zhang Su himself wasn't that surprised.

How could he not care when his cousin, whom he had watched grow up, became emperor?

He also studied in depth the national policies implemented by Jia Lian after he became regent, and had a certain understanding of Jia Lian's grand ideas on governing the country.

Therefore, it's not surprising that Jia Lian would value these less popular subjects. Instead, he asked, "Your Majesty, if I manage to run this Academy of Science well, what will become of its students in the future?"

Studying classics, history, philosophy, and literature provided a safety net for passing the imperial examinations, so everyone was willing to study them.

What is the purpose of entering the Faculty of Science? It can't be just for personal preference.

Jia Lian smiled and said, "From now on, every year, I will select and transfer some outstanding students from the Academy of Science to serve in the National Bank, the General Administration of Customs, and the Department of Commerce."

Zhang Su understood, and solemnly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to run this Academy of Sciences well, and to recruit talents from all fields to serve Your Majesty!"

Now that Zhang Su was certain that Jia Lian was training specialized personnel for his newly established government offices, what reason did he have to hesitate?

He even thought that if Jia Lian truly selected officials from the Academy of Sciences every year, it wouldn't be long before the common people and local governments followed suit and opened their own schools.

After all, if the superiors have a certain preference, those below will follow suit even more fervently.

Becoming an official is the dream of countless people across the land!

Upon hearing Zhang Su's reply, Jia Lian knew that he understood what he meant.

"I will have the Ministry of Personnel issue the official appointment notice. You will take office immediately upon receiving the appointment."

"Any method that can help you quickly establish a science college, including the imperial gazette, is permitted. If you have any questions, you may directly consult me ​​at the Southern Study."

After saying this, Jia Lian ignored Zhang Su and looked at his rebellious cousin Zhang Tao.

Faced with Jia Lian's ambiguous smile, Zhang Tao shrank back.

He hadn't forgotten how he used to "oppose" Jia Lian.

Your Majesty, he won't retaliate against me, will he...?

"Zhang Tao".

"This humble citizen is here..."

"Your two elder brothers, one a scholar and the other a warrior, I will reward them both. As for you, tell me, what should I reward you with?"

Jia Lian wore a malicious smile. His words seemed to imply that he was neither good at literature nor martial arts, putting Jia Lian in a difficult position.

Zhang Tao's face flushed slightly, and he opened his mouth but remained silent.

This startled Zhang Song, who immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, perhaps we should just let him go."

He's still young and doesn't understand things yet. Let Rongchen guide him for a few more years..."

Seeing Jia Lian wave his hand, the old man also advised, "I know His Majesty means well and wants to help the Zhang family..."

However, too much of a good thing can be bad.

My Zhang family is already attracting too much attention...

The old man sighed.

Zhang Leng and Zhang Song were stunned for a moment, then felt a chill in their hearts.

Previously, I was so focused on securing a future for the younger generation that I overlooked this point.

Yes, the Zhang family is currently at its peak.

As the saying goes, wealth and status breed envy. And my own family is considered part of the family through marriage.

If everyone holds a high position, they will likely be attacked by others.

Jia Lian was taken aback by the old man's words, and thought to himself that it made sense, not to mention the old man's prestige in the army.

For example, the eldest uncle commands troops in a region, while the second uncle holds a high-ranking position in the central government.

Now Zhang Han and Zhang Su are rising stars, truly a thriving scene...

In some dynasties, the power of maternal relatives in this situation could have become too great to control!

But does Jia Lian care?

He doesn't care.

Especially since the old man brought up this potential problem himself, it's even less likely that he would suppress the Zhang family because of it.

So he stopped teasing Zhang Tao and said with a smile, "The Imperial Guards are short of personnel. Would you be willing to take up a post in the palace?"

Although Zhang Tao had been quite resentful of himself for some reason, Jia Lian actually quite liked this impetuous young man.

Thinking about bringing him into the palace to be my bodyguard wouldn't be bad.

Anyway, he admired his grandfather and wanted to join the army. However, he was disliked by his grandfather because of his physical disadvantage (he was short).

Joining the army is no longer an option for him, and the Zhang family wouldn't allow it either.

It's still possible to train him to be a military officer in the future.

"I……"

Zhang Tao didn't really want to enter the palace.

Although he knew that the lowest rank for a Dragon Guard was the fifth rank, it was a meteoric rise.

Because what he really wanted was to achieve glory through his own abilities, just like his grandfather.

Unfortunately, his family doesn't support him... They used to, but now that he's almost of age and still isn't growing taller, even his grandfather is advising him to be realistic about his abilities...

Zhang Song shouted, "What are you all standing there for? His Majesty has shown you the grace to enter the palace, why aren't you kowtowing and thanking His Majesty for his great favor?!"

The stern shout from his father made Zhang Tao tremble, and he subconsciously kowtowed: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty, long live the Emperor..."

Jia Lian chuckled and waved for the three of them to stand up.

The three Zhang brothers stood aside, looking at each other in bewilderment.

Are all three brothers in my family now extremely successful?

My second brother is a fourth-rank official, I am a fifth-rank official, and my eldest brother is a sixth-rank official?

This is just the beginning...

As expected, Grandpa was the wisest. If he hadn't favored Cousin Lian back then, our family wouldn't be so fortunate today.

In Zhang Tao's heart, he had long since forgotten his resentment towards Jia Lian. He thought that if he followed Jia Lian and had his protection, he could become a high-ranking official and have a pretty good life.

……

When the Imperial Guards cleared Ningrong Street, the Jia family, like the Zhang family, prepared to go out and greet them.

However, before they could kneel down by the roadside, Dai Quan rode up on horseback and reined in his horse, saying, "His Majesty has decreed that he has returned today only to escort the Imperial Consort and others into the palace. You need not greet him, and you must not approach or disturb him without permission."

"His Majesty will host a banquet at the Grand View Pavilion this evening, and will summon you there."

After receiving the imperial decree, Jia Zheng and the others tried to get some information out of Dai Quan, but Dai Quan didn't even dismount his horse; he simply delivered the message and rode back home.

So Jia Zheng and the others had no choice but to retreat to the front of the Rongguo Mansion, kneel down in front of the gate, and watch from afar as the imperial carriage stopped at the entrance of the "Pingliao Prince's Mansion". Then Jia Lian took Baochai's hand and walked down into the mansion.

In the study, Daiyu was idly looking at a collection of poems when she was surprised to hear that Jia Lian had returned.

"He came back alone?"

Daiyu thought to herself that times had changed. Jia Lian was now the emperor, and his every move attracted the attention of millions of people. There was absolutely no way he could return as quietly as before.

"I don't know. The palace guards have already secured all the streets in front and behind, and the master and mistresses are all preparing to go out to greet them."

Upon hearing this, Daiyu immediately put down her poetry collection.

Just as I stepped onto the veranda, I saw a commotion outside the courtyard, and several messenger women hurriedly ran inside.

Seeing this, Zijuan stopped and asked, "What happened?"

The old women replied, "Just now, a eunuch came to deliver an imperial decree, saying that the Emperor has returned and that the ladies and young women should not go out to greet him, but wait in their respective chambers for an audience."

We went in to deliver a message.

After the old women finished giving their instructions, they took a detour into the Grand View Garden.

Daiyu, who had been standing on the corridor without moving, turned around and went back to the president's office after hearing this.

Jia Lian, leading Baochai, originally intended to go directly into the Grand View Garden.

Upon reaching the courtyard where the main study was located, he saw Zijuan and the others kneeling to greet him. He stopped and asked, "Is your master inside?"

"Your Majesty, our Empress is handling affairs in the Chief Executive's Hall."

Jia Lian and Baochao exchanged a glance, and Baochai smiled and said, "Now Your Majesty can rest assured. I knew that as long as it concerns Your Majesty, Sister Lin would definitely take it to heart."

Even this late afternoon, she's not idle.

Jia Lian nodded and then went up to the hall.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor is here..."

Before entering the hall, I could vaguely hear Xiao Xueyan's nervous but deliberately low voice.

When he entered the room, he quickly stepped away from Daiyu.

"Oh, so busy?"

Seeing Daiyu sitting at her desk, sketching something with a brush, Jia Lian released Baochai's hand and teased her as he walked forward.

Daiyu looked up, seemingly only then noticing him. She put down her brush, rose slowly and gracefully, and gave a curtsy: "This concubine greets Your Majesty."

Jia Lian lifted Daiyu's slender arm in advance and laughed, "Why are you being so polite with me... Wait, since you're here and heard I'm back, why didn't you come to greet me?"

Daiyu retorted, "Didn't you issue the imperial decree preventing anyone from welcoming you?"

Jia Lian stared intently at Daiyu, who met his gaze head-on, showing no sign of yielding.

Jia Lian then tapped Daiyu on the forehead.

He told his men not to come out to greet him, simply because he didn't want to make a scene or be surrounded by people.

This girl is something else; she didn't even budge from the doorway. She's the kind of person who "strictly follows" imperial orders.

"Just keep being lazy."

Jia Lian laughed and scolded, then went over to look at Daiyu's "homework".

Daiyu covered her head and glared at Jia Lian with a face full of resentment.

Seeing Baochai laughing behind her, she quickly went up to her and hugged her arm, saying, "Sister Bao, you be the judge. He himself wouldn't let anyone greet him, and I followed his orders, but he's still unhappy."

Baochao smiled and patted Daiyu's head.

Looking at Daiyu, who was feigning grievance but was actually being coquettish and playful, he secretly admired Daiyu's carefree nature.

When Jia Lian became emperor, countless people trembled in his presence, fearing to make a single mistake or utter a single wrong word.

Only she continued to treat it with the same attitude as before.

From this perspective alone, one could say that Daiyu was of noble character and unafraid of imperial power. Alternatively, one could say that Jia Lian treated her differently, allowing her to do as she pleased in his presence.

Baochai dragged Daiyu to Jia Lian's side, and also looked down at the table.

There are quite a few account books related to the business, and many of them are still open, which shows that Daiyu was not lazy.

"Your older sister Bao went to the Commerce Department, and you're managing the business all by yourself. Is it difficult?"

Upon hearing Jia Lian's question, Daiyu released Baochai's arm and tossed a strand of hair aside, saying, "What's so difficult about that?"

After saying that, she glanced at Jia Lian, then smiled and hugged Baochai, saying, "Besides, even if I am not very capable and cannot do these things well, I still have Sister Bao, right?"

She is your female prime minister, a woman of extraordinary talent.

Although he had to go to the business department on business every day, he would only come back in the evenings and casually teach me a few things, which benefited me immensely.

Seeing that Daiyu was getting happier and happier as she talked and laughed, Baochai couldn't help but raise her hand and tap her forehead.

Jia Lian also said, "You're still so good at making things up. It seems that these things in the business are really not difficult for you."

Daiyu dodged Baochai's attack, and upon hearing this, proudly raised her head, the meaning of which was self-evident.

That's true.

Previously, because Baochai was someone who liked to suffer, she was too lazy to care.

Due to the recent funeral of Emperor Ningkang, some affairs had piled up, and Baochai also had to go to the Ministry of Commerce every day.

She didn't want to exhaust Baochai, so she's been working harder these past few days.

Despite her usual laziness, she is incredibly efficient when she gets serious.

In just a few days, the business affairs that Baochai hadn't had time to sort out were sorted out.

That's why she had time to sit in the hall and leisurely read poetry collections.

Jia Lian was absolutely delighted by Daiyu's proud and charming demeanor.

Having not seen her for several days, he gave a wink to Hu Yuanyao, who was now serving as a female official.

Then he walked up to Daiyu, hugged her tightly, and laughed, "I never realized my Yu'er was so capable. Come, let your husband reward you."

After saying that, he went to kiss Daiyu's little face.

Daiyu was startled and quickly looked around. But she only saw the backs of several maids leaving in a line.

Realizing she had fallen into a trap, she quickly looked to Baochai for help.

Baochai was powerless to save her; not only did she not help, she also turned around and tried to leave with the maids.

So she could only complain directly: "You're already the emperor, and you're still like this."

Who would hug and kiss someone the moment they meet them...?

Jia Lian had always wanted to tease Daiyu, but he failed several times.

Hearing this, he couldn't continue laughing, but he did catch a glimpse of Baochai's actions.

He quickly grabbed her and whispered, "You two haven't spent time with me in a long time. Today's a rare opportunity, let's get intimate."

Baochai had anticipated this outcome, so she simply kept her head down and remained silent.

Seeing that someone was sharing her embarrassment, Daiyu actually relaxed a bit.

She shook her hand, not caring whether she had shaken off Jia Lian's control or not, and went around to pull Baochai: "You think of this as soon as we meet! Sister Bao, come on, let's ignore him."

Judging from her appearance, she seems to be inclined to form an alliance with Wu against Cao.

Unfortunately, given Baochai's gentle nature, how could she possibly live up to her expectations?

as predicted.

While Baochai remained silent, Jia Lian easily lifted her up in his arms.

Ignoring the shy, playful punches of the lovely girl in his arms, Jia Lian turned back and gave Baochai a look to follow, then carried her to the inner room of his former study.

There, he found his familiar large, round rocking bed, where he could experience long-lost joy. (End of Chapter)