Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 198 Before and after departure
Everything should not be taken at face value. The inner story of Zhang Ting'en's supervision of the army was not as simple as Jia Lian saw.

Jia Lian was so busy at work that he didn't think much about it. There are so many things that need to be prepared before going on an expedition.

Even the army and civilians raised more than 30,000 people and more than 5,000 animals. The daily consumption of materials for people to eat and chew horses was staggering.

Before the army entered Nanyang, it was better. They could buy supplies along the way with money, but this was not the norm, because once they entered the Nanyang area, the local area was affected by civil unrest, making it much more difficult to collect supplies.

Yue Qi is a qualified general. Before the team even set off, he had already launched all kinds of imaginable difficulties. Send people south in advance and set up military stations along the way to provide supplies for the army.

Zhang Ting'en was on duty directly in the big account, handling the official affairs of the household department every day. The preparations for the expedition were mainly done by the team below. After seven or eight days of continuous work, it was basically ready, and Jia Lian finally had time to relax.

Before Jia Lian's lazy plan could be implemented, he was called to Zhang Ting'en, where wine and food were prepared.

"You've done a good job recently, and you've been praised by everyone. Today I'll prepare some wine for you as a reward."

These words sounded very comfortable, but in fact Jia Lian felt that something was wrong. Looking at Zhang Tingen's expression, he didn't seem happy.

Jia Lian smiled carefully and picked up the wine bottle to pour wine for the teacher.

Jia Lian nodded: "Seriously!"

"Your Majesty is destined to do whatever you want, so you should act with authority and do whatever you want."

"As a noble and a relative, I have no choice." Jia Lian replied with something that seemed to be okay. In fact, Emperor Chenghui didn't understand it that way. I believe you when you say there is no choice. The rest of the Jia family I also know what you are doing. It’s understandable to place multiple bets, after all, that’s how we play.

The conflict between Zhang Ting'en and Emperor Chenghui was that Zhang believed that the time was not ripe. It would be best to wait until the war in the Western Region is over, the army has taken over, and the Beijing camp is completely under control, before the showdown. King Zhongshun seemed a little impatient to incite the emperor to start as soon as possible.

"The cause of the matter was that His Majesty was dissatisfied with the interference of some old people from Xishan and Zongren Mansion in the bank's business, and decided to become independent and strengthen management. The matter was a good thing, but I thought it was not the right time, and King Zhongshun strongly supported it. As a central bank in name only The person in charge, his thoughts are understandable.”

Jia Lian understood that what Zhang Tingen needed now was not advice, but an audience.

After thinking of this, Jia Lian couldn't help but want to beat King Zhongshun. This man is indeed His Majesty's loyal dog. Jia Lian wants to ask him: Wouldn't it be better to be a dog with peace of mind? You have to jump out and be the master.

After leaving the capital camp, Jia Lian on horseback tried to calm down and think about this seemingly distant matter, but in fact it was of interest.

The old Prince Zhongyi broke things, and the Jia family was cut off, at least on the surface, but other relationships were maintained.

The leader of the imperial guard had a very good attitude. After greeting him with a smile, he said that he had sent someone to inform him and asked Mr. Jia to wait a moment.

Zhang Ting'en seemed to be unhappy with the conversation. After three glasses of wine, he put down his glass and spoke slowly: "The Royal Bank of China will be separated from the Ministry of Accounts and become an independent department directly under the jurisdiction of His Majesty. For this reason, I had a certain dispute with His Majesty. The matter is like this Just dragged it down."

There are three symbols of secular rights: the right to distribute wealth, the right to appoint personnel, and the right to speak in public opinion.

He just came in and saw Qiu Shi'an. After hurriedly coming forward to greet him, Qiu Shi'an said: "Young Master, I will keep your mouth shut later."

Jia Lian nodded again: "I read history books. At the end of each dynasty, emperors lost financial power first, followed by personnel and public opinion. Finance is one of the foundations of monarchy, and it should always be given great importance and firmly grasped."

"Hey, you're overthinking it. I'm just here to say goodbye."

The main reason is that this matter is too big for Jia Lian to get involved in. It was his own suggestion at the beginning, and it has nothing to do with the subsequent development.

Qiu Shian had a look on his face: "Guess I believe it or not" and asked, "Is this true?"

We will swear oath tomorrow and set off the day after tomorrow. Today we have half a day off.

Jia Lian, who had never taken the initiative to see His Majesty, suddenly found himself outside the palace gate and was stopped by the imperial guards.

To be honest, the Jia family was as leaky as a sieve. Emperor Chenghui was also very curious. With his level of family management, he dared to hold the water master.

After waiting for almost an hour, Jia Lian was allowed to enter the palace.

Different children of the same family come from different lineups, fight against each other, and each is their own master. History is full of them.

Emperor Chenghui showed a relaxed smile again and continued to pace forward slowly: "You can say that, I am very relieved."

"Why are you entering the palace?" Emperor Chenghui returned to the topic, Jia Lian said: "I have been favored by you, so I came here to say goodbye."

Jia Lian still did not express any opinions, but listened silently to Zhang Tingen's story.

Jia Lian stepped forward to salute, and Emperor Chenghui waved his hand casually: "No courtesy, you have worked hard these days. Please come with me for a walk."

Jia Lian sat there, silently pouring himself a drink. After his face became hot, he rubbed his face vigorously with both hands.

It seems like not a tael of silver is wasted! In fact, only close officials like Qiu Shian knew the emperor's preferences.

After saying this, the smile on Emperor Chenghui's face disappeared again, and his eyes instantly turned cold: "Are you sincere?" [Isn't that an irony? 】

Jia Yuanchun entered the palace because of the old concubine, and Jia's mother could speak in front of the concubine. Because the old concubine's favorite was Prince Zhongyi, the Jia family helped him a lot, and they formed a good relationship.

This is a normal thing. What is Jia Lian’s identity? There's no way he's qualified to get involved.

In other words, this is what the emperor's favorite should look like. He came carelessly and asked to enter the palace to meet the king.

Any emperor will strive to combine the three.

Zhang Ting'en, who was in a bad mood, became drunk within a short while. He was carried off to rest without even half a kilogram of wine.

Fortunately, the metal currencies currently used are mainly gold and silver. These are not banknotes and can be printed as desired.

The monarch and his ministers were speechless and walked in silence. About a moment later, Emperor Chenghui turned around and said, "Jia Qing also objects to my independence of the central bank?" Emperor Chenghui still liked to carry out surprise attacks so much that Jia Lian shook his head almost instinctively.

The Jia family is not to that extent, but they are too deeply entangled with some people and things in the past, so it is difficult to cut them off.

It seems that Guanzheng Sheren's resume is a good thing for Jia Lian, and the palace guards have adapted to his appearance.

Emperor Chenghui, who greatly alleviated his financial problems, also accelerated the showdown between him and the Supreme Emperor.

Walking to Qianqing Palace with familiarity, it was rare to [encounter] Emperor Chenghui who was walking outside.

At this time, a relaxed smile appeared on Emperor Chenghui's face: "Oh, you, the initiator of the proposal, actually agree with my idea?"

Emperor Chenghui was stunned. This was very different from what he expected. Just when Emperor Chenghui was hesitating, someone rushed over from a distance and shouted: "Your Majesty, I have always been at odds with Jia Lian. Don't listen to his evil words and alienate the emperor and his ministers."

Jia Lian looked stunned. I guessed that you would come in a hurry to prevent me from giving you eye drops. I didn't expect that you would appear in this way.

How arrogant is this person to dare to be so presumptuous? This was the reason why Jia Lian was stunned.

In the eyes of Emperor Chenghui, this meant something incomprehensible. Nothing was done, and a scapegoat was thrown down.

What people say is scary! Poor Jia Qing has seen with his own eyes the dangers of evil in the world.

Jia Lian returned to normal, stood aside silently, lowered his head slightly to show his grievance, and waited for His Majesty's fair judgment.

Emperor Chenghui looked at King Zhongshun who rushed forward, his eyes so cold that they could freeze instantly.

Seeing King Zhongshun shivering in fear and kneeling down with a pitiful look on his face, Emperor Chenghui finally withdrew his cold eyes. After all, he was a loyal dog. "You are so impudent that you don't even look where this is? Someone, get out of here!"

With just such a move, Jia Lian knew the weight of King Zhongshun in the emperor's heart.

Normally, King Zhongshun should not be so rude. Is it because he lost sight of victory when he saw victory in sight, or was it intentional?
What if it was self-destruction? Cold sweat began to break out on Jia Lian's spine.

The only advantage now is that the information about King Zhongshun is poor.

"King Zhongshun has done a lot for me. Jia Qing is important to me. There should be harmony between you two."

Jia Lian thought Emperor Chenghui was farting and didn't believe a word of what he said.

"There is no problem with official matters, but personal relations are impossible. It is impossible to sit together and drink together. I am afraid that I can't help but throw a slap in his face."

Emperor Chenghui looked speechless, and his youthful mood was understandable. King Zhongshun was indeed the cause of Jia Zhu's death.

Who would have thought that Jia Lian would go to the door for Jia Zhu.

"Forget it, I won't force it." Emperor Chenghui could only give up.

Jia Lian thanked the emperor, and Emperor Chenghui asked again: "Is Prime Minister Zhang drunk?"

Jia Lian said: "I am not in a high mood. I must be tired recently. I fell down without even half a kilogram of wine."

Emperor Chenghui looked up at the sky and sighed: "I don't blame him, Zhang Qing is a loyal minister."

"Your Majesty is kind, and I would like to thank you for your kindness as my mentor."

Jia Lian did not stay long and left. When he left, he said something: "The central bank is your majesty's money bag and must not be held in the hands of others. I don't want to talk much, but as a minister, I must not be silent in front of you." Reality."

Emperor Chenghui was stunned for a moment: "I understand."

After Jia Lian retreated and Qiu Shian approached, Emperor Chenghui asked, "He went home?"

"I didn't go to the Yamen after leaving the palace. My slave asked someone to follow me."

"I have violated the rules of the palace, and I must apologize behind closed doors. It seems that I think highly of him. I took his sign. You go to the second son's house again and ask him to get out of the house for me tomorrow and work in the central bank. "

Qiu Shian immediately retreated.

When the oath was taken the next day, the vanguard of a thousand cavalrymen had already left the capital. In the afternoon, the central army set off, and on the next day, the rear army set off.

Zhang Ting'en and Jia Lian's rear army, including infantry, artillery, and cavalry, totaled 3,000 soldiers, 5,000 civilians, and 3,000 livestock.

The rear army temporarily joined the medical officer team, including thirty doctors and one hundred medical staff. This was something Jia Lian had not noticed in advance.

It can be seen that human energy is limited and cannot cover everything.

The army took the central line and headed south, leaving Changxindian and passing through Baoding.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, this line was an important territory for the Zhili Dynasty because of the Beijing-Hankou Line.

During the Beiyang period, the Zhijiang-Anhui War also broke out here.

Jia Lian, who is mainly responsible for military discipline, has a hundred-man team under him, divided into three groups, following the three armies, recording the performance of each army, and summarizing and reporting. Jia Lian was thus freed from the heavy logistical affairs, and others took over the responsibility.

Zhang Ting'en went to Gong Mianjun before departure. When he came back, he was in a high mood, which meant that something good was going to happen.

We set out at about five o'clock in the morning on the first day, and pulled out a nearly five-kilometer march, rolling up smoke and dust. The rear army advanced sixty miles, and stopped at three o'clock in the afternoon to set up camp.

Jia Lian led fifty elite generals to patrol around, and he could deal with those found violating military discipline.

The Zhou army has strict military disciplines, with dozens of rules and regulations. The key is to see whether they can be effectively implemented.

Because it was not far from Beijing, there was no trouble on the first day of march. Jia Lian didn't have a chance to show off either.

Qi Guoyuan was mentioned by Jia Lian in front of the emperor because of his name, and was promoted to the commander of the rear army.

During the march, Jia Lian saw Zhou's artillery for the first time. There were thirty front-mounted cast iron cannons, each weighing two thousand kilograms, and their range was one thousand five hundred meters. There are also fifty breech-loaded rapid-fire cannons (Frang guns), and the muskets can be understood as fixed charges.

Because of its poor air tightness, this type of cannon fired with shotgun shells is invincible within fifty meters.

Jia Lian saw this kind of cannon and felt that these small cannons, which could be fired with new firecrackers, could not raise their heads.

Until the opponent has a weapon with a longer range and sufficient lethality, the combat effectiveness of this kind of gun, protected by a formation of sidecars, cannot be replaced at all.

The Chinese army also has a large number of guns that can fire single-point bullets and shotguns. I haven't seen that thing before.

Judging from the current situation, the Zhou army is semi-firearmed. Equipped with a large number of muskets and various artillery pieces.

The Chinese army's artillery team was equipped with fifty bronze cannons weighing five hundred kilograms and three thousand muskets.

Judging from this situation, the musketry soldiers in the far reaches of the Qi State in the rear army were organized into brigades, with a strength of five hundred. The range of rifled guns could be as long as that of muskets. Combat power is the best in this era.

At night, Jia Lian's back and waist ached all over, and he had to sleep in a tent when camping in the wild. It was really miserable.

Wang Xifeng and Guixiang were both crazy these days, especially Wang Xifeng, and Jia Lian couldn't bear to remind her that it was a safe period.

Before dawn the next day, there was a commotion in the army. Jia Lian forced himself to get up. He first went to see Zhang Ting'en, and then led his generals on a tour to see if there were any omissions in the cleaning process.

In fact, Qi Guoyuan was the hardest worker, going to bed last and getting up earliest. Worried that something might go wrong, he always followed Jia Lian on inspections.

Because Jia Lian held on tightly, he marched for hundreds of miles before stopping to set up camp the next day, and still nothing happened.

On the contrary, after the reports from the front army and the Chinese army were delivered, incidents of disturbing the people occurred. The military judge at the front was unable to deal with it and handed it over to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian immediately came to see Zhang Ting'en and handed over the report from the front: "In just two days, incidents of trampling on civilian fields and stealing local livestock have occurred. The students want to go to the Central Army to see the results of Yue Tongzhi's handling."

Zhang Ting'en, who was tired from the carriage and horseback, was also quite tired and replied feebly: "It's okay to go and have a look. The army is not as good as the capital, so be careful."

Jia Lian set out immediately, taking his generals with him to chase the Chinese army. The distance between the two armies was fifty miles away for the convenience of supply. When approaching Nanyang, it was natural to gather the three armies.

The Chinese army still implemented marching discipline very well. The army did not enter the city and slept in the wild.

Yue Qi was not surprised to see Jia Lian before dark, but went straight to the point: "I have received a report from the Military Justice Department. This is a first offense. Repeat offenses will not be forgiven."

Jia Lian's attitude was firm: "The embankment of a thousand miles was destroyed by an ant nest. The army must deal with it with iron rules. Leave the people to me."

Yue Qi remained silent, staring at Jia Lian, and received an unyielding gaze in response.

(End of this chapter)