Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Jia Lian actually quite wanted to bring Li Wan into his harem.

After all, she was one of the twelve beauties in the official register, a woman whom I had spent a great deal of effort to win over.

Unfortunately, once a woman has her own son, she is no longer so easily devoted to a man.

He asked Li Wan what she thought, and in the end, Li Wan decided to stay in the Rongguo Mansion and wait to become the future Grand Madam of the Duke's Mansion.

Jia Lian did not insist on this, but after experiencing her unique peach-shaped buttocks again, he asked her to spend more time visiting her two cousins ​​in the palace.

As for Aunt Li, compared to Li Wan, she was merely a bonus.

The imperial carriage did not linger at Yongshou Palace. When it passed Kunning Palace, it noticed several sedan chairs parked at its entrance.

So they got off the carriage and entered Kunning Palace.

Sure enough, there were quite a few people inside, including not only Baochai and Daiyu, but also Princess Zhaoyang.

Perhaps sensing Jia Lian's surprise, Princess Zhaoyang stood up and explained, "I have important business to attend to and would like to go to the South Study to find you."

Seeing that you weren't here, I figured you were probably with your sister-in-law.

Sure enough, you came by yourself without me even having to send anyone to look for you.

Leading Jia Lian to the seat of honor, Feng Jie glanced at Princess Zhaoyang with a somewhat puzzled expression.

Although her current status is no less than his, the pressure he put on her back then was so immense that it is still vivid in her memory.

She always felt that this woman was not simple.

For example, she suddenly came to visit me today, and kept calling me "Emperor's Sister-in-law".

If it were her, she knew she absolutely couldn't do it.

Just as she finished tidying up the palace, she invited Baochai and a few others over for tea and a chat.

To avoid the awkwardness of entertaining Princess Zhaoyang alone, she sent Baochai and Daiyu over instead.

Anyway, Baochai is now working under him, and with Baochai mediating between them, their interactions won't be too awkward.

"Since you have important business to discuss with him, then you can talk here. We'll have to excuse ourselves."

As she spoke, Sister Feng gestured for Daiyu and Baochai to leave.

Once they were alone in the hall, Princess Zhaoyang remained silent, pretending to sip her tea while occasionally glancing at Jia Lian with a mocking look.

Jia Lian then took the initiative to ask, "Didn't you say you wanted to see me about something important?"

"No rush."

Princess Zhaoyang put down her teacup and said with a smile, "I heard that my royal brother bestowed the title of ten concubines on the throne last night. Congratulations!"

Faced with Princess Zhaoyang's congratulations, even the thick-skinned Jia Lian felt a little guilty and said, "Since we're going to let them enter the palace, we have to give them some status. Let's just settle it all at once."

"That makes sense..."

Princess Zhaoyang nodded in agreement with an air of seriousness.

Suddenly, she leaned down and asked in a low voice, "I'm just curious, if I were to move into this harem, what rank would you, my brother, intend to bestow upon me?"

Faced with this unexpected question, Jia Lian took the hand of the woman in front of him and looked at her earnestly:

"If you wish, I can make you a queen."

In Jia Lian's heart, on the one hand, he didn't want to let down Sister Feng.

On the other hand, he also knew how much Princess Zhaoyang had sacrificed for him.

In his heart, Princess Zhaoyang was absolutely qualified to be his empress.

He didn't lie to her about this.

Moreover, there was no need for it, because he was quite certain that Princess Zhaoyang would not allow him to do so.

Having gone through so many hardships and trials, they had long since developed a strong understanding of each other.

As expected, Princess Zhaoyang smiled with satisfaction upon hearing Jia Lian's unwavering reply.

She pulled her hand away, shaking her head in feigned disgust: "Then forget it, I don't want to get scolded along with you."

Princess Zhaoyang, seeing Jia Lian so smug about bestowing so many titles upon his concubines, couldn't help but question him.

She never intended to interfere in the harem.

After all, as the late emperor's daughter, it was too much of an eyesore for the censors and officials to openly move into the inner palace.

So she had already thought it through.

As the eldest princess, she commanded the imperial guards and helped Jia Lian protect the imperial city and the imperial clan.

If you have time, you can also do other things.

In this way, she could stay by Jia Lian's side, wield power, and assist him.

If Jia Lian can truly achieve the accomplishments he predicted in the future, he himself will surely be able to claim some credit for them.

Such clear historical facts are enough to wash away the illicit affair between the two of them.

So he put aside these trivial matters and said with a serious expression, "I have come to see my brother today because I have important business to discuss."

The princes and nobles have asked me to plead with you on their behalf.

They were a large group of members of the imperial family who wanted to deposit the silver from their own treasuries into the national bank established by Prince Bei Jing.

Jia Lian raised an eyebrow: "That's a good thing."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "They have conditions."

They said that the annual interest rate of only one percent was too low, and it was safer to keep the money in their own vault.

Therefore, I would like to ask my elder brother to raise the interest rate a little higher...

Jia Lian subconsciously said, "Since you think one percent is too low, then let's save it for five years."

As agreed upon by Shui Rong and me, the interest rate is 3% annually for a five-year term.

Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyang asked with some confusion, "With such high interest rates every year, aren't you worried that the imperial court won't be able to repay it in five years, Your Majesty?"

Princess Zhaoyang was, after all, a person of this era.

The way national banks operate is very different from that of private money shops.

Not only do they not charge money for holding other people's money and providing deposit services, but they also offer interest, and at such a high rate?

Even Princess Zhaoyang was worried that if too many people deposited money, what would happen if the court couldn't pay the interest?

However, on the other hand, if it weren't for the high interest rates offered by the national bank...

Those misers and tightwads of the royal family will no longer set their sights on the national bank.

Seeing that Jia Lian only smiled and did not answer, Princess Zhaoyang knew that Jia Lian had his own plans, so she said no more, only saying:

"What the old princes mean is that they are family with you, my brother, so naturally they should be different from those merchants and common people."

In short, they want their elder brother to give them a higher interest rate.

They said they would accept the terms offered by Your Majesty if they were satisfied.

They collectively deposited their money at the national bank.

I also want you, Your Majesty, to think this through carefully.

With so many of them, if they really wanted to save it, it wouldn't be a small amount.

Jia Lian finally understood.

Royals, by nature, feel superior and want special privileges in everything they do.

As for why they would target the national bank, Jia Lian was not surprised at all.

The current dynasty implemented a policy of keeping members of the imperial clan under house arrest.

Those who lived frugally were better off, as they were able to make a comfortable living thanks to the annual stipends from the imperial court and the palace's holiday rewards.

But for those who love to show off, it's always a case of spending more than they earn.

Therefore, members of the royal family always like to find ways to make money.

As long as it doesn't cross the line, the imperial court usually doesn't interfere much out of respect for the royal family.

Now that the national bank has been established, many people have immediately seen the potential for profit.

Although the interest rates offered by the national bank were lower than those offered by private lenders, lending was a gray industry that was explicitly prohibited by the imperial court.

Secondly, lending also carries risks, and there is a possibility of losing the principal.

If people find out, it will damage your reputation.

If the silver sitting idle in the treasury were deposited in the national bank run by the imperial court, it would earn a considerable amount of interest each year, which would be a good source of income.

They had been observing for a long time, and only decided to take action after confirming that the national bank set up by Jia Lian was not a scam.

However, they all wanted to gain higher returns than ordinary people.

They had spoken to Shui Rong about it, but Shui Rong was too busy and couldn't easily agree to such an unreasonable request, so he just told them to go find Jia Lian.

They were too embarrassed to come to Jia Lian directly, so they sent Princess Zhaoyang ahead of them.

After all, Princess Zhaoyang still held the position of Deputy Director of the Imperial Clan Court, and she had a good relationship with Jia Lian...

Having understood the thoughts of the imperial family members, Jia Lian smiled and said:

"Tell them that I had Shui Rong set up this national bank with the intention of regulating the minting and issuance of coins, allowing the court to participate in and maintain the normal circulation of silver coins among the people, and providing convenience for people to deposit and exchange silver coins."

It has now attracted countless people to deposit money in the national bank.

Therefore, the imperial court would welcome them if they were willing to deposit their treasury silver into the national bank.

If they are not at ease, the imperial court will not force them.

As for wanting higher interest rates...

I shouldn't have agreed, but considering our shared ancestry, I'll give them some benefits.

For deposits under one thousand taels of silver, forget it; follow the rules of the national bank. Deposit whatever amount is allowed.

For amounts exceeding one thousand taels, I can grant them an additional ten percent on top of the original interest rate.

For amounts exceeding ten thousand taels, an additional 20% applies.

For amounts over 100,000 taels, the increase is 40%!

Specifically, I will inform WaterSoluble.

"Just have them discuss it with Shuizhong later."

Although the number of members of the imperial family was much smaller compared to ordinary merchants and common people.

However, most of them possessed considerable wealth.

This coincides with Jia Lian's original intention when he established the national bank: to attract silver deposits from all over the country.

Therefore, if possible, Jia Lian would naturally hope to bring this batch of silver to the imperial court.

As for the royal family wanting some special privileges, that's not out of the question.

"Large-denomination certificates of deposit" should indeed offer higher returns.

This is something I overlooked before.

Even more so.

For the emperor, the imperial clan was both a support and a hindrance to his rule.

If most members of the royal family had handed over their assets to the national bank.

Therefore, in the future, when there are matters or policies that require the support of the royal family, the likelihood of the royal family opposing them will be reduced.

After all, he controlled the family fortune.

Although Jia Lian would not have used this point to threaten them without them breaking the law, it did not prevent them from having concerns when making a decision.

Since Jia Lian came to power, every decree he issued was done with great care and caution, or was first tested on a trial basis.

He was deeply afraid of repeating the mistakes of Emperor Ningkang.

But this does not mean he will be afraid of obstacles and stand still.

His philosophy is that haste makes waste.

Therefore, many of the small things he did in the early stages were to clear obstacles for his larger plans and to build more supporters for himself.

When the support far outweighs the opposition, then fully implement the policies you want to carry out. In that case, under the overwhelming trend, those dissenting voices will simply be silenced.

After hearing Jia Lian's reply, Princess Zhaoyang thought for a moment and said, "Although it didn't meet their expectations, I think they will probably agree."

Jia Lian smiled, seemingly not caring much.

As long as he doesn't rush to expand outwards, the resources left to him by Emperor Ningkang after so many years of diligent governance will be sufficient.

Not to mention, he himself has done so much open source work.

Therefore, if members of the royal family are greedy and try to bargain with him, they will ultimately be the ones who suffer.

But will things really turn out exactly as Jia Lian predicted?

Within just a few days, the Minister of War and others rushed to the Southern Study.

"Your Majesty, according to the news sent back by the Military Intelligence Bureau from Fusang Kingdom..."

At the urging of the Dutch envoy, the Kingdom of Fusang (Japan) attempted to once again amass a large army to attack Korea.

Upon hearing the Ministry of War's words, Jia Lian slammed the urgent memorial in his hand heavily onto the table.

"That's not all."

Unwilling to accept defeat, the Netherlands has amassed thousands of troops at sea, intending to invade Ryukyu Island once again.

The Fujian governor, Yan Ge, submitted a memorial to the imperial court requesting that it send troops to support him.

It seems that the two sides have already clashed again on the island.

"What do you suggest I do?"

Because the imperial court did not pay any attention to Ryukyu Island, the Dutch occupied Ryukyu last year with very few troops.

Later, under Jia Lian's strict orders, the Fujian governor organized several thousand troops to cross the sea and easily reclaimed Ryukyu.

It's unclear whether this action offended the status of the maritime hegemon.

In just six months, they regrouped their forces and began to eye Ryukyu with hostility.

Ding Yu, Vice Minister of War and Director of the Military Intelligence Bureau, said: "Your Majesty, according to reports from our spies who have infiltrated Japan, the Toyotomi clan has gathered no fewer than 100,000 troops this time."

More than at the beginning of last year.

If attacked, North Korea would certainly be unable to resist.

The King of Joseon is now young, and military and political power has fallen into the hands of others; they are probably unaware of this matter.

We urge Your Majesty to make a swift decision on how our dynasty should respond.

The Military Intelligence Bureau was a department established by order of Jia Lian, dedicated to spying on foreign intelligence.

In fact, the imperial court had similar departments in the past, mainly the Qing History Division of the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonies.

However, these two were mainly responsible for diplomatic etiquette, and as for spying on foreign military intelligence... aside from paying some attention to the Tatars, they were basically useless.

Dissatisfied with the status quo, Jia Lian simply gathered the personnel responsible for related matters from the two departments and added this department to the Ministry of War to perform its duties.

As expected, it was effective.

In just six months, they have already obtained such an important piece of information from Japan.

Just as Jia Lian was about to speak, Fan Chengju, the Minister of War, said, "I would like to report to Your Majesty."

Since the Netherlands first contacted Japan and instigated Japan to invade Korea, it then sent troops again to threaten the Ryukyu Islands.

Clearly, they wanted to prevent our dynasty from being able to serve both ends, forcing our dynasty to agree to cede Ryukyu to them.

In my humble opinion, this matter must be handled with utmost care.

Upon hearing this, Ding Yu angrily retorted, "Why do you say such things, Minister?"

The Netherlands has repeatedly failed to learn its lesson and has even dared to invade our territory. What is there to be cautious about?

But we'll have to resort to arms!

Fan Chengju remained calm: "Lord Ding, please calm down."

In my opinion, although the Netherlands has powerful firearms, not much inferior to those of our dynasty, it is, after all, located in the West.

The fact that they were able to gather several thousand troops this time must be their limit.

Since both that country and our dynasty are powerful nations, there is no need for a life-or-death struggle.

In my opinion, compared to the Netherlands' desire for an island, Japan is the one with the most treacherous ambitions.

North Korea is adjacent to Liaodong, China.

Although a Protectorate had been established in Liaodong, it had only been in place for a short time and its control over the entire Liaodong region was limited.

Liaodong covers a vast area.

If Japan were to seize control of Korea and then invade Liaodong, the consequences would be disastrous.

Therefore, what this monastery means is that, compared to the Netherlands, which at most only controlled Ryukyu, we should focus more of our efforts on Korea and Liaodong.

do not forget.

Since the Netherlands was able to ally with Japan and instigate them to invade Korea again, it's entirely possible they were secretly plotting with the Tatars to invade our Central Plains.

Upon hearing Fan Chengju's last words, even the radical Ding Yu fell silent.

The Tatars have always been the number one enemy of the Great Wei.

It has remained unchanged for nearly a century.

Throughout history, every dynasty has harbored deep resentment towards this thorn in its side.

Although I acknowledge that Fan Chengju's statement has some merit.

However, he will not support it.

Because he knew very well that Fan Chengju's words clearly implied an intention to abandon Ryukyu, a point that Jia Lian would not agree to. (End of Chapter)