Red Mansion Huacai

Chapter 53 Li Weijian plans a way out
Mrs. Wang frowned and sat upright, twirling her Buddhist beads and saying nothing.Because of Jia Zhu's death and the birth of her youngest son Baoyu, she disliked her daughter-in-law Li Wan very much, and even her grandson Jia Lan was not welcomed by her.

The crooked Li Weijian was naturally not welcomed by Mrs. Wang either.Therefore, Li Weijian only saw Mrs. Wang once during the many days he had been in Rongguo Mansion.

Mrs. Wang originally thought that Brother Jian was just a sour scholar who came to Beijing to take the exam, and the exam was based on practical knowledge. Even if he won the imperial examination, he would be a humble official who would hang out with the craftsmen.I never thought that Brother Jian would become successful out of nowhere!
A 20% shareholding in the water company would earn more than [-] taels per year, which is several times more than the annual income of Ningrong and Rongfu together.

Mrs. Wang originally did not want to have anything to do with Li Wan, or even the Li family. However, the population in the mansion increased, the annual income did not increase, and the expenses became more and more extravagant.In the first month of the first month, Wang Xifeng borrowed a sum of money. Mrs. Wang recognized the huge profit, so she encouraged her niece Wang Xifeng to lend money to increase income.

Originally, Wang Xifeng had already made plans, but Ni Er happened to mess up at this moment!Unable to find reliable manpower, the money lending issue should be put on hold for the time being. The expenses of the Rongguo Mansion cannot be put on hold.The moon was shining brightly, and the aunt and nephew had discussed it several times, but they still couldn't find a solution.

Then suddenly I heard that Brother Jian had become rich!
Holding back the disgust in her heart, Mrs. Wang thought for a while and then said: "I can't get involved in this matter. If I get involved, it would be like our family is bullying others because of their seniority. You have secretly found Brother Zhu's daughter-in-law, and then you can talk to her about it." Brother Jian had a hard time discussing it, and whether it succeeds or fails, we have to take into account the relationship between relatives."

Wang Xifeng responded, feeling slightly cold in her heart.She is now in charge of the house, and all the offending words come from her mouth. In fact, it is Mrs. Wang who is in charge of the house. How can she be in charge?
She is also a strong person, and this time she has the power to carry out the orders. She is used to being surrounded by people who nod and bow, and flatter her. How can she bear to be empty in the future and let the servants and the mother-in-law in the house talk behind their backs?
As soon as Mrs. Wang pushed her away, Wang Xifeng said goodbye and could only make secret plans on the way back.At this moment, she was secretly glad. Fortunately, she had never offended her elder sister-in-law openly, otherwise it would have been difficult for her to open her mouth this time.

After passing through the hall, Ping'er, who was walking beside him, whispered: "Grandma, I think that Fourth Master Jian is round on the outside and square on the inside. He is not easy to get along with. Grandma must be easy to negotiate with, and don't make troubles that end up getting hurt later." Kinship.”

"Huh?" Wang Xifeng paused, then walked forward slowly and said, "Yes, you have met Brother Jian twice. Tell me, what is Brother Jian's character like?"

"It's hard to say -" Ping'er thought to himself: "Looking at the kind-faced man, he has a pair of very sparkling eyes. Privately, the women all said good things about Mr. Jian. I asked about it, but it turned out that it was Mr. Jian. Hong Yu, the maid next to Fourth Master, will always give the person in charge a few coins every now and then, no matter if she is fetching food or other items."

Wang Xifeng was startled, and suddenly anger arose in her heart: "The surnamed Li has broken the rules! Those servants and mothers-in-law are very unruly in the past, and they have benefited from him. If the other masters come to drive him, it will be Don’t you have to give up some money?”

Ping'er was speechless for a while, he hesitated to speak, and finally said: "Grandma forgot, what you ordered a few days ago... I guess Fourth Master Jian is also helpless." After a pause, he added: "Auntie's side My son is equally happy and noble, and the money he gave away is more than the ruby."

Wang Xifeng snorted angrily: "I'll tell you later, madam, you must punish such a mother-in-law who doesn't know her duty! You continue."

"Yes," Ping'er agreed, and then said: "Fourth Master Jian doesn't care about small things, but when big things happen... Grandma is thinking about Uncle Xue from my concubine's house, and the two from Dongfu. It's a good thing. ?”

Wang Xifeng paused for a moment, and when he was about to get up again, he was silent for a long time.Yes, it can be seen from this that Li Weijian is difficult to deal with, and he must be discussed carefully.

....................................

For three consecutive days, Li Weijian left early and returned late.He first met with King Zhongyong again, explained some key points of the water company, and then asked King Zhongyong for permission to visit various workshops in the inner palace.

Li Weijian had already gained fame, and this time he was able to offer suggestions and meritorious service. King Zhongyong did his best, and even sent a chief to accompany him, leading Li Weijian to visit the inner workshop all over.

After visiting, Li Weijian had a rough idea. At this time, there was no shortage of top craftsmen in Dashun. The workshop was far from the factories of later generations and was more like a handicraft workshop.Apart from other things, the heavy boring machine alone requires four strong mules to push the millstone, which is connected to the crankshaft connecting rod to drive the boring machine.

The cutting head of the boring machine is made of quenched and carbonized high-carbon steel, and the cannon bore is made of wrought iron on the inside and gray iron on the outside. Otherwise, it would be impossible to drill out the cannon bore.

Li Weijian thought to himself that at this time, Dashun's metallurgical technology was probably slightly behind Xiyi's, but the metal processing technology was quite different.

Because he had some confidence in his heart, he had to build a steam engine that could provide stable power first, so that he could further promote the technological revolution.

On this day, Li Weijian and Yan Fengzhen went to the Military Academy of the Outer City again. The two of them left the drawings before. Chief Chen couldn't make an estimate and only said he would quote the price in three days.

Wu Zhaosong has been transferred to the household department, and the Military Academy has not transferred a new doctor yet, so the two of them dealt directly with Chief Chen.

It can be said that Yan Fengzhen's rifled bed was for the country and the people, and the internal government took care of all the expenses.As long as it is built and verified, it will have the benefits of Yan Fengzhen.

But for Li Weijian's pair of expansion steam engines, Manager Chen thought about it and finally quoted a sky-high price.

"400 taels? That's too bad! That's the price for road robbery, right?" Yan Fengzhen went crazy when he heard it. 400 taels, his monthly salary for a year is not even that much.

The old boss Chen said: "Master Li, this machine is all made of brass, so the cost of casting is naturally high. Furthermore, all items must be re-molded according to the dimensions provided by Master Li. Next The official calculated it and found out that it would take twenty craftsmen two months."

"That's also—"

Li Weijian stopped the frustrated Yan Fenzhen and said with a smile: "Money is not the problem, there is only one thing. It must be built well, no matter the cost."

A slight smile appeared on Mr. Chen's dull face: "Young Master Li said this, I will definitely do my best. However, this building can definitely be built. Whether it can be run or not is beyond my control."

"It doesn't matter. Send someone to let me know when it's finished, and I'll assemble it myself."

Chief Chen cupped his hands and said: "Master Li is very happy. There is another matter that I have to say first. This sale will cost a lot, so I have to pay half of the silver as a deposit first."

"It's easy to talk about." Li Weijian waved his hand and took the 200 taels of silver notes.

Yan Fengzhen on the side looked at it with eyes burning, and said with bared teeth: "Resurrection has really made a fortune."

Li Weijian laughed twice: "If you don't need money, you can make it. It's a good day. I'll treat Brother Jing Wen to a drink. You can choose any place."

"Resurrection is quite loyal -" the topic changed, and Yan Fengzhen suddenly became nervous: "-I heard that the food and wine of Jinxiangyuan are quite special."

Li Weijian blinked and thought to himself, why does Jinxiangyuan sound so familiar?Yes, it seems that Xue Pan invited me to Jinxiang Courtyard a few days ago.

He immediately looked at her sideways in a teasing way, and looked at Yan Fengzhen with a blushing face: "Uh... Actually Liuquan residence is fine."

Li Weijian smiled: "It's Jinxiangyuan, but we have to talk about it another day. I just remembered that I have to go home early today."

Yan Fengzhen nodded in agreement.His upbringing was strict, and he spent most of his monthly money on practical learning and creation. He had just started eating meat, and when he heard someone mention the wonders of Jinxiangyuan, he had the idea of ​​​​finding out.

The two of them stopped talking and returned before noon.On the way, Yan Fenzhen said that his father, Yan Xiyao, was strict about his entry into officialdom and asked for a favor from the emperor in private. If Yan Fenzhen had any merit this time, he would be granted the title of Xujue.Li Weijian thought to himself, Yan Xiyao, this old fox, is indeed a genius!It was evident that Yan Fengzhen was not good at official communication, which blocked his official career, and instead sought to transform himself into a nobleman to ensure his future wealth.

Yan Fengzhen slandered a few words, and then suddenly said: "Have you ever heard of the resurrection? Chen Duxian has crossed the Yellow River and will enter Beijing soon. I heard that the saint issued repeated edicts to urge us, but it was unexpected that our Chen Duxian left. Don't be hasty, don't be slow. Tsk tsk, I've spent more than three months on this journey."

Chen Hongmou is coming to Beijing?
Yan Fengzhen said again: "After the resurrection, I will climb up to Chen Duxian... No, it's Prime Minister Chen. His future is bound to be limitless. He is really enviable."

"Huh?" Li Weijian looked at him with a smile and said, "Why do I insist on climbing up to Prime Minister Chen?"

Yan Fengzhen wondered: "Fu Sheng has such a practical academic foundation and is good at practical work. How can he express his ambitions if he doesn't follow the path of Prime Minister Chen?"

Li Weijian only smiled and shook his head: "Brother Jing Wen thinks too much."

Clinging to Chen Hongmou?That is asking for death.

Who is Chen Hongmou?To put it bluntly, it is the sharpest knife in the hands of a saint, used to re-divide the world.The so-called reforms in the past dynasties are nothing more than a redistribution of interests. Blocking people's wealth is like killing their parents. This kind of work is the most dangerous.

Let’s look at Wang Anshi and Zhang Juzheng. Did the reformers in the past dynasties have a good ending?Li Weijian is eager to join him now. He may have been successful for more than ten years, but as long as Chen Hongmou falls, he will have to follow suit.

Afterwards, he counterattacked. How could Li Weijian's body and bones withstand it?
Furthermore, the path taken by Li Weijian is different from that of Chen Hongmou.One is to cut the cake again, and the other is to make the cake bigger. I'm afraid it won't look good if it is mixed together.

Today, the political reform in the DPRK has not yet started, but it is roughly divided into two parties, the old and the new.The new party can actually be called the imperial party, while the old party represents the interests of a wide range of gentry and nobles.

Li Weijian promoted the industrial revolution, and the beneficiaries were by no means ordinary people. The first to benefit were these nobles and gentry!Because, how could he, Li Weijian, stand on the opposite side of these people?
Of course, the saint hated these nobles, so Li Weijian just didn't get involved with them, but those gentry could be friends with them.

Fortunately, Wu Zhaosong pointed out three ways to make progress some time ago, but this is not the case. Li Weijian is still struggling with how to swing left and right in the reform.But this time there is no need. All you have to do is sneak into the Ministry of Internal Affairs and secretly build machines. The gentry who benefit will naturally promote the industrial process.

Yan Fengzhen, who was in the same car, didn't believe it: "If Fusheng said this, I'm afraid there is no way out, right? Oh, and it seems that Rifusheng can't follow the path of Chen Xiang."

Li Weijian smiled and said, "How about we make a bet?"

"What are you gambling?"

"If I lose, I'll treat Brother Jing Wen to a banquet for a month, at any place I choose."

"Okay."

"Don't worry, if Brother Jingwen loses, just don't have sex for three months."

"You——" Yan Fengzhen was furious: "Li Fusheng, you are not a human being!"

"Gamble or not?"

Yan Fengzhen gritted his teeth and said bitterly: "It's a gamble!"

Li Weijian was immediately overjoyed, thinking that by cheating Yan Fenzhen once, his father's debt would be repaid by his son.

That day, I sent Yan Fenzhen off first, and then Li Weijian returned to his small courtyard.He was in such a hurry to come back because yesterday he sent Hongyu to invite his eldest sister Li Wan to come to the small courtyard for a drink today.

Firstly, he hadn't seen her for many days, and secondly, he had passed a post in the inner palace under Li Wan's name, which was a small way of repaying Li Wan for his previous care.

The eldest sister didn't know what to think. The monthly salary was obviously the same as Jia's mother, and there was some land subsidy, but she was frugal in food and clothing.Think about it, now that you have this share, eldest sister Li Wan will no longer need to be so frugal in the future, right?

After returning the carriage to the corner gate, Li Weijian and Wu Haiping walked across the aisle to the gate of the small courtyard. Wu Haiping then handed Li Weijian the robe he was wearing, which contained 200 taels of silver barley.

After giving Wu Haiping a few instructions to wait in the front yard tomorrow morning, Li Weijian entered with his robe in hand, and Hongyu greeted him early.

"Fourth Master, yo, what are you talking about?" She hurried over to pick her up.

The 200 taels of silver converted into twelve kilograms was an odd amount. Li Weijian deliberately made a mistake and handed it to Hongyu without revealing it. Hongyu sank as soon as he took it: "Damn, why is it so heavy?"

Li Weijian said urgently: "The 200 taels of silver that I just exchanged will be used for household expenses. I'll go and get them for Qingwen to keep."

"Hey." Hong Yu's face was happy, and she quickly walked a few steps into the house.

The white and silvery barley grains poured out from the sack and immediately covered half of the table.Xiangling came over to help Li Weijian scrub, while the other maids guarded the silver barley, all smiling.

Qingwen put the silver barley grains into the box and said with a smile: "I said before that the silver was not worth spending. Now the Fourth Master has brought back 200 taels, which is enough for two or three months." It’s chewed and wrapped.”

Li Weijian sat down with his big horse and Jin Dao. Xiu Ying hurriedly served warm tea. He fiddled with the bowl and took a sip and said, "Have you ever said hello to the kitchen?"

Hongyu said: "Don't worry, Fourth Master, I have already greeted Sister-in-law Liu. I gave up a couple of silver, and Sister-in-law Liu promised without any hesitation, promising that today's banquet will be in line with Fourth Master's wishes."

"That's good."

While they were talking, it was Shenshi time. Outside, Suyun called the door and Hongyu came out to welcome him. She happily replied: "Fourth master, grandma is here with her brother."

　Second update, please follow up on the reading ~ Everyone seems to be reading books recently, and the reading is falling out.Please read, please read~ Thank you, thank you.Promise to update ten times on the day of release~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)