The Red Chamber begins with a bastard

Chapter 398 Shipyard
The imperial edict from Emperor Qiansheng arrived earlier than expected. On the seventh day when Lin Ruhai's coffin was kept in the temple, Jia Huan and Lin Daiyu were preparing to leave for Suzhou when the imperial envoy who delivered the edict arrived in a hurry. It is estimated that he had traveled all the way south on horseback, otherwise it would not have been possible for him to arrive so quickly.

Jia Huan quickly ordered people to set up an incense table. Lin Daiyu, dressed in plain clothes and with a white silk tied around her waist, knelt down in front of the incense table. The imperial messenger was a young eunuch who took out the imperial edict and read it out on the spot: "The Emperor, by the order of Heaven and Mandate, decrees that Lin Ruhai, the governor of Yingtian..."

The imperial edicts issued by the emperor usually begin with "Zhao Yue, Zhi Yue, and Chi Yue", each with its own significance. Among them, "Chi Yue" means admonition and warning, but please don't misunderstand, because it is a good thing, which means that the person who receives the edict will be promoted. "Chi Yue" is just to warn you not to be arrogant, keep working hard, guard against arrogance and impatience, and make persistent efforts.

That's right, this imperial edict from Emperor Qiansheng was to commend Lin Ruhai for his achievements, and he posthumously conferred him the title of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, the rank of Special Advancement Doctor Ronglu, the posthumous title of Wendi, and granted him ten mu (about one thousand acres) of fertile land, five hundred gold coins, and three thousand silver coins.

Zuodu Yushi was a second-rank civil official, and the special promotion of Ronglu doctor was a first-rank official. The posthumous title "Wen Ding" ranked fifth among the civil posthumous titles, which was a special honor for civil officials after their death. Therefore, the posthumous title bestowed upon Lin Ruhai by Emperor Qiansheng was very high, not to mention that he also granted him ten mu of good land, five hundred gold and three thousand silver coins, which was the utmost honor and favor.

Lin Daiyu has always cared little about fame, wealth and money, but the emperor's posthumous title was undoubtedly an affirmation of her father, so she was very happy and thanked the emperor for his grace.

The young eunuch handed the imperial edict to Lin Daiyu and could not help but take a few more glances at her. He thought, such a charming and beautiful woman is rare. She seems to be better than those noble ladies in the palace. It's a pity that she is born a little weak.

Seeing the eunuch's eyes rolling around, Jia Huan didn't know what he was up to. He couldn't help but feel a little scared. He stepped forward and said with a smile: "You must have been tired from the journey. Please go to the living room to rest for a while. The mansion has prepared a banquet. I hope you will do me a favor."

The young eunuch immediately understood what he meant. He had finally come out of the palace and traveled a long way, so he naturally wanted to make as much money as possible. He laughed and said, "No, no, you are too polite, sir. It would be disrespectful to refuse."

At that moment, Jia Huan led the young eunuch into the living room, and Lin Daiyu, who had received the order, returned to the back house.

Although I have never heard that Emperor Qiansheng was lustful, I still have to take precautions. Lin Daiyu is a beauty who could bring disaster to the world. If this eunuch goes back to the palace and brags about her, it will be bad. As the saying goes, if the emperor wants his subjects to die, the subjects must die too. If the emperor wants his subjects' women, who dares not give them to him? It's okay if you don't give them to him, just give me your head. After that, I'll take your women.

Jia Huan led the eunuch into the living room and treated him to fine tea and wine. He also had the attendants who came with him taken away and treated them well.

Seeing Jia Huan's good manners, the eunuch asked, "What is this gentleman's name? Is he a relative of the Lin family?"

Jia Huan replied: "I am Jia Huan, the nephew of Master Lin."

The eunuch blurted out: "So you are Jia Huan!"

"Hey, has the father-in-law heard of me too?"

The eunuch smiled and said, "I have heard of your great name for a long time. Hehe, I used to serve the Seventh Prince, and was transferred to the palace to serve the noble in recent years."

Jia Huan suddenly realized that this eunuch was originally serving the Seventh Prince Xu Wenhou. He hurriedly bowed and said, "So that's how it is. May I know what your name is, sir?"

"I dare not. Master Huan San, just call me Li Jinzhong." The eunuch smiled and bowed in return.

"Li Jinzhong? This name sounds familiar." Jia Huan thought to himself and said, "It turns out to be Eunuch Li. I haven't seen you for many years. Is the Seventh Prince doing well?"

Jia Huan exchanged pleasantries with Eunuch Li, treated him to good food and wine for a few days, and finally gave him enough benefits. Only then did the eunuch leave contentedly and return to the capital to report.

As soon as Li Jinzhong left, the official appointment from the court came down, and it really approved what Lin Ruhai had requested before his death. The Dulong Island Inspection Office was established, and matchmaker Qin Hongyu was appointed as the inspector, stationed on Dulong Island. Her duties were to check illegal ships coming and going and maintain law and order in the surrounding waters.

Qin Hongyu was overjoyed when she received the official appointment from the court, and the heavy stone in her heart fell to the ground. She set up a table of wine and food in a restaurant in Yangzhou City to express her gratitude to Jia Huan. Jia Huan also happily attended the banquet with Tiehu and Shitou.

"I never thought that I, Qin Hongyu, would be able to eat public food in this life. Come on, let's toast to the Third Master." Qin Hongyu raised her wine bowl generously, and her subordinates Chounu and other pirate leaders also stood up and raised their bowls to toast him.

Jia Huan drank the wine in one gulp and said solemnly, "Congratulations, everyone. But I have to say this in advance. This is the opportunity that Lord Lin fought for for you to clean up your name and get ashore. I hope you will cherish it. If you go back to your old ways, you will not only fail Lord Lin's kindness, but the court will also not tolerate you. When the time comes, it will be too late to regret."

Qin Hongyu cupped her hands and said, "Don't worry, Third Master Huan, if you can live a peaceful life, who would want to live on the edge of a knife?"

Jia Huan nodded and raised his glass again. Everyone toasted back and forth, and both the host and the guests were having a great time.

After the banquet, Jia Huan kept Qin Hongyu and asked, "Inspector Qin has many brothers under his command. How do you plan to manage Dulong Island?"

Qin Hongyu didn't expect Jia Huan to keep her here and ask this question. She was a little surprised and answered, "There is already a small amount of arable land on Dulong Island. If we cultivate it, it should be no problem to double the amount. In addition, the court will also allocate some salary, so it should be no problem to support everyone."

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "I took it for granted."

Qin Hongyu raised her eyebrows slightly and said with a cupped hand, "What do you think, Third Master Huan?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "The conditions on the island are terrible. It is unlikely that we can fill our stomachs by farming. What if we encounter a famine?"

Qin Hongyu was silent for a moment. It was true. The island was surrounded by the sea, and the soil quality was not as good as inland. Irrigation was also a problem, and the crop yield was low. There were also unpredictable storms. Sometimes after a storm, there was basically nothing left in the fields. The food was completely dependent on the weather. "We can also fish!" Qin Hongyu added.

Jia Huan nodded and said, "Fishing is a good idea, but it is unlikely to make the islanders rich."

"Get rich?" Qin Hongyu looked at Jia Huan in disbelief.

Jia Huan exclaimed, "Have you never thought about this question?"

Qin Hongyu couldn't help feeling embarrassed, she really hadn't thought about it, or rather, her goal was to ensure that her people had enough food and clothing and could live freely and peacefully on the island.

Jia Huan laughed and said, "Then you are not qualified to be the head of the family. I just forbid you to be pirates, but I don't forbid you to make money."

"How can you get rich if you don't become a pirate?" Qin Hongyu asked subconsciously.

Shitou spit out a mouthful of old wine, and Tiehu couldn't help but twitch his mouth. Qin Hongyu glared at the two of them and said, "What are you two laughing at? What did I say wrong?"

"Inspector Qin, please be patient and watch your words. You are an official now, not a bandit, so don't call me aunt all the time." Jia Huan reminded.

Qin Hongyu coughed awkwardly and said with a bow, "I have always been a straightforward person. If you have something to say, please speak directly, Mr. Huan San. Don't beat around the bush, or I will have to guess and get confused."

"Does Mr. Qin want his brothers to live a good life?" Jia Huan said with a smile.

Qin Hongyu rolled her eyes and said, "Nonsense, who doesn't want to live a good life?"

Jia Huan tapped the table and said, "That's easy. Dulong Island has a natural harbor, so doing trade is naturally the most profitable."

Qin Hongyu asked doubtfully, "Mr. Huan San means - smuggling?"

The Jin Dynasty did not allow free trade, only limited tribute trade, and severely cracked down on smuggling. However, it was precisely because of this that the profits from smuggling were greater, causing many people to take risks.

Jia Huan waved his hand and said, "Of course not. What's the difference between this and Gu Sanmazi selling illegal salt? We can't do anything illegal."

Qin Hongyu frowned and said, "If it's not smuggling, then what is it? Do you have a way to get the court to allow legitimate trade?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "I am just a scholar. How can I have such great power to change the national policy? In fact, the location of Dulong Island can be used as a shipyard in addition to maritime trade."

Qin Hongyu was disappointed when she heard this and shook her head, saying, "It's not that easy to build a shipyard. First of all, you need to invest a lot of money and have a lot of skilled craftsmen. After the boats are built, they have to be sold. Dulong Island doesn't have these conditions."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "You don't have it, but I do!"

Qin Hongyu's heart moved, and she asked, "What do you mean?"

Tiehu and Shitou couldn't help but look at each other. The Third Master had never told them about his idea of ​​opening a shipyard.

Jia Huan took out a booklet from his bosom, handed it to Qin Hongyu and said, "This is a plan I wrote... it's a plan. Take it back and have a look. If you think it's feasible, we can continue the discussion.

Qin Hongyu could recognize the words, so she took the plan, opened it and flipped through it. She found that many of the words on it were strange, but after thinking about it carefully, she seemed to understand them.

Jia Huan picked up the teacup and took a sip, then smiled and said, "The terrain of Dulong Island is suitable for building a shipyard. If it can be built, it will definitely ensure the jobs of the hundreds of people under your command."

Qin Hongyu was greatly moved when she heard this, and hesitated, "The question is, will the government allow it?"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "If you pay the tax honestly, there's no way the government will disapprove. Don't worry, I can take care of this. I can also get the funds. You just need to provide the venue and manpower, and I can also help you open up sales channels in the future."

Qin Hongyu said doubtfully, "Really? Why is Mr. Huan San so eager to help me? Could it be that he has some improper thoughts about me?"

Jia Huan spit out a mouthful of tea and coughed violently: "Ahem, Mr. Qin, you're overthinking it. I own 80% of the shares in the shipyard."

Qin Hongyu couldn't help but feel embarrassed, but she also breathed a sigh of relief and shook her head, "It's 80% impossible, at most 50-50."

(End of this chapter)