Lian Erye in the Red Mansion

Lin Ruhai was perhaps tired from talking too much, so he instructed his steward, Lin Youquan, to continue the conversation.

Lin Youquan bowed to Jia Lian before saying, "Your Excellency has just returned to the capital and may not yet know that a major upheaval occurred in the Yangzhou salt administration at the end of last year!"

Since our master left his post in Yangzhou, the imperial court quickly dispatched a new salt commissioner.

Who would have thought that the entire Jiangnan salt administration was only about 10% less than when our lord was in office!

That's not all. The imperial court probably knows that when a new official takes office, it's difficult to take care of the overall situation, and some oversights are common.

But who would have thought that last year's salt tax in Jiangnan would be a full 30% less!

His Majesty was furious and ordered that An Zhiyuan, the Salt Commissioner of Yangzhou, be escorted to the capital for interrogation...

Who would have thought that An Zhiyuan would fall ill and die on the way to the capital?

"Did he die from the illness?"

Jia Lian was somewhat surprised; what a coincidence!

However, what did this have to do with him? He didn't quite understand why Lin Ruhai wanted to tell him about this.

"That's right. The news just reached the capital a few days ago. Because it concerns the salt administration, someone came specifically to inform our master."

Our master speculates that although there is no news from the court yet, it is only because the court is currently on leave.

However, this matter cannot be kept secret and will definitely cause a stir at the grand court meeting at the beginning of the year.

At that time, I fear the entire officialdom of Yangzhou will be engulfed in a bloody storm.

Jia Lian nodded in agreement. Lin Ruhai, having been in officialdom for over twenty years, naturally possessed excellent political acumen.

Salt tax was one of the most important taxes levied by the imperial court, and it was of paramount importance as it concerned the nation's strength.

Although the abilities of each salt tax official varied and the salt tax policies differed, the court would naturally not agree to a sudden reduction of 30%.

If the salt commissioner could have explained things clearly, that would have been fine. But instead, he died on the way back to the capital?

I'm afraid anyone with even a little bit of skepticism would suspect something fishy about this.

In addition, Jia Lian had some understanding of Emperor Ningkang's temperament.

Unless it is truly a coincidence, Emperor Ningkang will likely unleash a massacre.

"I agree with my uncle's speculation."

If there's more to this story, the imperial court probably won't let it go easily.

At that time, the officialdom in Yangzhou will naturally be shaken up.

I just don't know what my uncle's intention was in telling me this.

Jia Lian was focused on military achievements and titles, and paid little attention to the civil service group that governed the country.

Although he felt it was a big deal, it didn't really concern him, or even Lin Ruhai.

After all, Lin Ruhai had already left the company, so it was impossible to blame Lin Ruhai for the poor performance of the replacement.

The key point is, wasn't he talking to Lin Ruhai about Daiyu? What was Lin Ruhai's purpose in suddenly bringing this up?

Lin Youquan continued, "Our master said that once this matter blows up, the imperial court will most likely send an imperial envoy to the south to investigate..."

When Lin Youquan finished speaking, Lin Ruhai waved his hand slightly to stop him, then looked at Jia Lian and said solemnly, "If that's really the case, I hope you will take the initiative to accept this job."

Jia Lian's brows furrowed involuntarily.

He naturally understood what Lin Ruhai meant.

After all, the imperial court was thousands of miles away from Yangzhou. If it did not trust the officials in Yangzhou, it would naturally send people down to supervise, which is not hard to understand.

What Jia Lian couldn't understand was why Lin Ruhai was so concerned about this matter and insisted that he take on the task.

Lin Ruhai seemed oblivious to Jia Lian's confusion.

"Although the final decision on who to send to investigate this case should be made by the officials of the court, given His Majesty's trust in you, and with my help, as long as you are willing to take the initiative to share His Majesty's burdens, I believe His Majesty will not refuse."

After hearing Lin Ruhai's explanation, Jia Lian roughly understood.

Jia Lian was promoted to marquis by Emperor Ningkang, which alone was enough to let people in the court and the public know that he was deeply favored by Emperor Ningkang.

In addition, Lin Ruhai had served as the Salt Commissioner of Yangzhou for so many years, so he was naturally very familiar with the salt administration in Jiangnan.

Given his relationship with Lin Ruhai, if he were to personally request permission from Emperor Ningkang, the emperor would have a very high probability of granting his request.

After all, he was going to investigate a case, not to govern a region. As a marquis, he was more than qualified.

"May I be so bold as to ask, Uncle, why do you insist that I take on this task?"

Jia Lian believed that Lin Ruhai, being so ill, would definitely not make a decision lightly.

There must be a reason why he did this.

Lin Ruhai smiled slightly and said, "His Majesty has granted me permission to return to my hometown due to old age and illness, so I have decided to set off for Jiangnan after the start of the new year."

If you take on this task, you can escort me back south. What, you're unwilling?"

Although Lin Ruhai spoke in a gentle tone, his last rhetorical question was enough to show that he was serious.

He hadn't forgotten what Lin Ruhai had said before; this was his last request.

Therefore, he quickly cupped his hands and said, "Of course, I am willing to escort my uncle south..."

However, I think that given my uncle's current condition, it would be best for him to stay in Beijing and recuperate.

Even if I'm homesick, it's not too late to head south after I've fully recovered.

Everyone knows that patients cannot withstand the arduous journey of travel.

Jia Lian didn't understand why Lin Ruhai was in such a hurry to return to Jiangnan.

Lin Ruhai had anticipated Jia Lian's response. "I know in my heart that my illness has no chance of being cured."

If I had stayed in the capital, I might have lived a few more days...

But have you ever thought about it? I only have one child, Yu'er. If I die in the capital, all the funeral arrangements will fall on Yu'er's shoulders. How will she, at such a young age, cope with that?

I know what you're trying to say. With you here, we can naturally help Yu'er.

But you already hold two positions, and it's hard to guarantee that His Majesty won't entrust you with other important tasks in the future.

What if you can't get away at that time?

Jia Lian fell silent.

He was beginning to understand what Lin Ruhai meant.

Lin Ruhai probably knew his time was up and didn't want to die far from home, so he wanted to return to Suzhou.

However, they were worried that Daiyu alone would not be able to handle his funeral arrangements, so they wanted to take this opportunity to send Jia Lian south with them.

So whether he went west on his journey or died in Suzhou, as long as Jia Lian was in Jiangnan, Daiyu would surely have someone to rely on.

This is the simplest meaning. Considering that Lin Ruhai had just discussed Daiyu's marriage with him, and then suddenly brought up this condition, it is likely that he was testing him.

After all, if he couldn't bear to leave the comfort of the capital and was unwilling to accompany Daiyu to Suzhou, then his sincerity towards Daiyu would be questionable.

As expected, seeing Jia Lian remain silent, Lin Ruhai asked calmly, "If you are unwilling, I will not force you."

"It's just a pity for Yu'er; she'll have to carry my coffin back to our hometown alone in the future."

Jia Lian smiled bitterly to himself, cupped his hands and said, "Uncle, you flatter me. I am willing to follow your arrangements."

If the court does indeed intend to select someone to oversee this case, I will do my utmost to petition His Majesty for this assignment.

Lin Ruhai immediately nodded and smiled, "That's right, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

You don't need to worry too much. I've worked in the salt administration for a few years, so I have a good understanding of the salt administration in Jiangnan.

Sword Comes

If I can successfully return to Jiangnan, I will be there to help you and help you quickly establish a foothold.

What could Jia Lian say? He could only nod. He sighed inwardly, wondering if he was destined to be a laborer. Why was he always being conscripted?

Last year it was Princess Zhaoyang, and now that she's finally returned to the capital, she's being forced to go to Jiangnan by Lin Ruhai...

He could only secretly grumble to himself, but as long as things went smoothly with Daiyu, it would be worth it, even if it meant making several more trips to Jiangnan, let alone the next one.

Another point.

If Lin Ruhai were to truly die, Jia Lian would be genuinely worried about Daiyu escorting his coffin back to her hometown alone.

So, Lin Ruhai wasn't really forcing him.

"Alright, I'm tired today too. As for your matter with Yu'er, there's no rush. We can deal with it later."

By the way, you should also tell the old lady about this beforehand. After all, she is Yu'er's maternal grandmother, and she has doted on Yu'er over the years.

Jia Lian nodded in agreement, and then Lin Ruhai told him to go back first, citing that Jia Lian was newly granted the title of Rongjue and should be busy.

Jia Lian also stood up, bowed, and took his leave, but then said, "Uncle, would you like to visit Lin Daiyu again?"

The Lin family was a family of scholars and poets, and Lin Ruhai specifically requested that he marry Daiyu with the etiquette due to a noble concubine, which shows that Lin Ruhai valued marriage etiquette.

Traditionally, when two families arrange a marriage, it's considered inappropriate for the man and woman to meet. Presumably, Lin Ruhai didn't want Jia Lian to visit Daiyu too frequently afterward.

Therefore, Jia Lian thought he should take this opportunity to talk to Daiyu again today.

Lin Ruhai was slightly taken aback, then nodded, and Jia Lian took his leave and went to the backyard.

After Jia Lian left, Lin Ruhai shook his head, seemingly having seen through Jia Lian's thoughts.

The old steward standing nearby smiled and said, "Seeing how much the Marquis cares for the young lady, the master has finally fulfilled a wish."

Lin Ruhai smiled upon hearing this, seemingly quite satisfied with Jia Lian, but then Lin Youquan advised, "Master, are you really determined to set off to return home after the New Year?"

This old servant believes that you, sir, should first recuperate in the capital. As the Marquis just said…”

Lin Ruhai stopped the old steward from trying to persuade him.

He had thought this through carefully, so there was nothing for him to hesitate about.

The salt administration in Jiangnan was the most important career he ever had. Emperor Ningkang even made an exception and transferred him back to the central government, appointing him to the Imperial Archives.

As the official in charge of the seal of a major central government office, commonly known as the "Nine Ministers," this resume is enough to make him famous in history.

For civil officials like him, what they care about most is leaving their mark on history.

This is also the ultimate dream of those high-ranking officials of the second or third rank: to one day enter the cabinet, or at least be ranked among the Nine Ministers.

Emperor Ningkang treated him very well, so this can be considered his last act of service to Emperor Ningkang.

With his understanding of the salt administration in Yangzhou, and with the young and capable Jia Lian as his sharpest weapon, he was confident that he could handle this matter well for Emperor Ningkang.

That's just one point; there's another.

Although he had agreed to give Daiyu to Jia Lian, he was still somewhat unwilling.

He also wanted to see if Jia Lian's feelings for Daiyu were as sincere as he claimed.

Although he knew from Daiyu's feedback that Jia Lian had taken good care of Daiyu in the Jia family all these years, he hadn't actually seen it with his own eyes.

If Jia Lian can travel south with them this time, he will have enough opportunity to give Jia Lian one last chance to test him.

Even if he was overthinking it, it wasn't a big deal.

Sending Jia Lian to accompany Daiyu on her trip south would give the two children more opportunities to spend time alone and cultivate a deeper bond.

Lin Ruhai did not believe that the title of a concubine was enough to secure Daiyu's position in the Duke's mansion.

Only a deeper and more sincere affection for Jia Lian can truly protect Yu'er.

This can be considered his good intention.