Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 294 Compensation is coming
Jia Lian no longer cared about the affairs of the Shi brothers, and that was how it happened. However, Jia She continued to curse for several days before he stopped, and Jia Zheng's face was dark for several days as he was quite frightened by Baoyu.

By the middle of February, the political situation had gradually stabilized. As the Prince of Dongping and the Prince of Xining submitted memorials to plead guilty one after another, Emperor Chenghui was very magnanimous and issued an edict to appease them and ask them to guard the border well.

Later, the Prince of Xining requested an imperial decree to move his capital to Dihua, the Prince of Dongping requested an imperial decree to station his capital in Liaoyang, and the Dongping cavalry to withdraw from Shanhaiguan. Emperor Chenghui readily accepted their request and approved it.

After a huge storm, the situation returned to stability as the two princes made huge compromises one after another.

Jia Lian, who played a huge role in Li Ni's rebellion, seemed to be forgotten. Jia Lian was at home at ease. It was the end of February, and Jia Lian was about to get moldy at home when Yuanyang, the most capable maidservant in front of Jia's mother, came.

"Greetings, Second Master. The old ancestor invites you." Yuanyang is the type of woman who doesn't impress at first glance, but becomes more charming after a few more glances.

"Grandma, what do you want me to do?" Jia Lian asked casually. The main reason was that Jia Lian had not been as frequent as before recently, and he only went to pay his respects every now and then.

No one said Jia Lian was unfilial, it was just that the people and things in Rongguo Mansion were too difficult to sort out. As for the Shi brothers' affairs, Jia Lian's presence made Grandmother Jia embarrassed.

"The Shi family has sent a letter. The old ancestor was very happy after reading it, so he came to invite the second master specially." Yuanyang said whatever she knew in front of Jia Lian. One can only say that she is smart.

Jia Lian got up and went out, Yuanyang lagged behind half a step. When they arrived outside Jia's mother's courtyard, they saw Baoyu carrying his schoolbag and looking back reluctantly every few steps, which meant he was unwilling to go to school.

Jia Lian felt it was a pity that he didn't roll on the ground. Baoyu, who didn't appear in some chapters, had grown a little taller, and was followed by a servant named Mingyan.

When meeting Jia Lian, Baoyu first stared at Yuanyang and spoke: "Sister Yuanyang..., hello, Brother Lian." By the time he reacted and changed his words, it was too late, Jia Lian had already held a grudge against him.

"Where did Baoyu go to the clan school? What did he learn?" Jia Lian asked seriously. Baoyu wanted to run away, but he didn't have the courage. If Jia Lian went to Jia Zheng to complain, he would really be beaten.

"I have learned "Youxue Qionglin", "Thousand Character Classic" and "Three Character Classic". Baoyu answered cautiously.

Jia Lian had no intention of letting him go and was determined to strengthen him: "No, it's not possible. When I was your age, I could recite the Four Books and Five Classics by heart. I'm going to tell Uncle Zheng later to ask a good teacher to teach you. Jia Dairu is still not good enough. He is not serious in class and is just wasting time."

"Brother Lian, I'm going to school first." Baoyu didn't dare to stay any longer. Who knows what else he would say that would be even more terrifying. After quickly walking around Jia Lian, Baoyu started to jog. Run quickly.

Jia Lian watched him run away and said to himself, Baoyu will never change, so it doesn't matter.

As usual, a group of ladies gathered around Grandmother Jia, and Wang Xifeng was also sitting nearby. After Jia Lian entered the room, he greeted Grandmother Jia first, and then said directly to Wang Xifeng, "It's only these few days, don't run around if you have nothing to do. Life at home can't go on without you, but life in the mansion can go on just fine without you."

This is not a good thing to say, but unfortunately no one dares to confront him. Jia Lian loves his wife, and other women are even envious of him.

Only Lady Jia and Lady Wang felt unhappy! After all, the only two elders in the mansion who could suppress Wang Xifeng were these two elders.

Before Mrs. Wang could speak, Grandmother Jia spoke first: "It's my fault, it's my fault. I'm old and confused. Feng'er, go back and rest quickly. Having a baby is a big deal."

Jia Lian turned around and clasped his hands to greet his grandmother, saying, "Grandmother, don't blame me for speaking harshly. It's really the doctor who said the time is coming soon."

Grandmother Jia quickly smiled and said, "My dear grandson, there is no need to explain. This family cannot do without Feng'er. We are used to her. I feel uneasy if I don't see her for a day." After saying that, Grandmother Jia quickly changed the subject: "Just now, the Shi family sent a letter saying that Shi Ding got the job of governor of Guangxi, and Shi Nai was appointed as a doctor in the Ministry of War. The Shi family sent a gift, saying that they were ashamed to see my dear grandson, and they will definitely make up for it with another generous gift in the future."

Jia Lian then remembered that the matter of the Shi brothers had not been resolved until now, which was indeed a low priority. Before the two princes of the East and the West were dealt with, Emperor Chenghui could not take care of anything else. Now that the two princes and the emperor have reached a compromise, he finally has the energy to deal with the brothers' affairs. Speaking of which, Emperor Chenghui still uses the same old tricks, giving a slap in the face and then a sweet date. The emperor's mind is too skilled. If nothing unexpected happens, Jia Lian will also end his self-reflection, and the compensation should be in place.

"So that's what happened. I had forgotten about it." Jia Lian was not pretending. The Shi brothers were of no use to him, so it was normal for them to be forgotten.

Just when Grandmother Jia felt that they could not continue chatting that day, a maid came in and said, "Grandma, someone is coming from the palace."

Grandmother Jia quickly stood up and went out to greet them. Several women were muttering, "I'm afraid it's not a letter from the Concubine Yuan."

"I heard that the little princess is very much favored by His Majesty, and she goes to see Concubine Yuan every day to hug her."

"Giving birth to a princess is such a blessing, it would be even better if Concubine Yuan gave birth to a prince."

As the group arrived in the courtyard, the eunuch who came out from behind the rockery smiled after seeing what was ahead: "Oh, the young master is here, that's great, no need to make another trip, His Majesty has summoned you, hurry up and follow me."

The person who came was Qiu Shi'an. He smiled and nodded hurriedly at Lady Jia to show that he had done his duty. Then he took Jia Lian's hand and walked out, looking very anxious.

Everyone at the scene fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of breathing floating in the air. It took a long time for the two people to recover after they walked away.

"Feng'er, don't panic. Your Majesty summoned you urgently. I'm afraid it's urgent." Jia's mother finally spoke to ease the atmosphere. Wang Xifeng just smiled and said, "Granddaughter-in-law, save it. Granddaughter-in-law will go back and rest."

Wang Xifeng went back slowly, and Jia's mother said to her from behind: "From now on, stay at home and rest well, don't run back and forth."

Grandmother Jia felt bitter, all because of the Shi brothers' failure to live up to expectations, which made her, as a grandmother, lose face in front of her grandchildren. She was angry, looked at Madam Wang who was keeping her head down and thinking of Wang Ziteng, she had to turn her eyes to Madam Xing and said, "You are an old lady, why didn't you remind everyone?"

Mrs. Xing..., I... I live in the East Courtyard, and I don't see Wang Xifeng as much as you do. As long as they have me in their eyes, how can it be your turn to bully me?
After arriving at the front yard, Qiu Shian let go of his hand and whispered, "Young Master, you have been feeling unwell these days, right?"

An old silver coin! Jia Lian smiled, but cursed in his heart. He waved his hand easily: "No, it's just a one-year fine, right? I don't need the money!"

"I will never forget your life-saving grace that night." Qiu Shi'an rarely said this, but Jia Lian did not relax at all; "Jia is deeply grateful to your majesty, and it is not worth mentioning what I have done."

The more he said this, the more Qiu Shian believed that Jia Lian was holding back a lot of anger. It was not Jia Lian's fault, anyone would be holding back a lot of anger.

Qiu Shian didn't say anything more. After all, he was the most trusted person around the emperor, and it was rare for him to bow his head and say a word.

Everything in the capital returned to normal, and Jia Lian dared to go out on horseback. Qiu Shian rode in a sedan chair as usual, and a group of dozens of people rushed to the palace. They got off the horse at the Xihua Gate, and Jia Lian followed them in. When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chenghui did not concentrate on his work as usual, and did not want him to wait for a while, but put down his pen directly.

Jia Lian rushed forward to pay his respects, but Emperor Chenghui waved his hand and said, "No thanks!"

Jia Lian stood up straight, bowed his head and stood solemnly. Emperor Chenghui looked at him, slowly stood up and walked to him, walked around Jia Lian twice before asking, "Are you feeling resentful?"

"That's impossible! I still have the foundation to be a minister."

"Alright, stop pretending. Who wouldn't have some resentment in their heart? I'm not going to explain. You should figure it out slowly by yourself, and then you can get around this bend."

Emperor Chenghui said this, turned around and sat down behind the table, tapped the table lightly and said, "The candidate for the Nine Gates Commander has not been decided yet. I think you can do it. What do you think?"

Jia Lian was startled when he heard this, and he looked up at Emperor Chenghui and asked, "Your Majesty, are you serious?"

Emperor Chenghui nodded, and Jia Lian hesitated for a moment before saying, "I can't do it."

"Oh, why can't I do it?" Emperor Chenghui showed a curious expression. He thought that Jia Lian would be happy if he promoted him.

"Your Majesty, I have too many part-time jobs and have become very hated. The command of the Nine Gates is too important and I have never even considered it." Jia Lian tried to refuse sincerely and wholeheartedly.

"I understand. I have considered this for a long time, but this position is too important. I can't find a suitable candidate in a short time, so you are the only one left. Don't refuse in a hurry. I will tell you why you are the one."

When Jia Lian heard this, he had no choice but to shut up and stand still to listen to what the emperor said.

"There are nine regiments under the Nine Gates Command. If a real fight breaks out, none of them will be able to fight. It would be a joke to expect them to defend the inner city. The Shenji Battalion defeated the Jianrui Battalion with a smaller force. It shows that you have a way of training and leading soldiers. I plan to reorganize the Imperial Horse Guard and the Nine Gates and Nine Regiments. The old and weak will be eliminated from the original Nine Gates and Nine Regiments, and the Imperial Horse Guard will draw personnel to supplement them. How about you train the Nine Regiments? In the future, I really don't want to see the rebels easily breaking through the Nine Gates."

Having said that, Jia Lian really couldn't delay any longer, but he still had to talk about it.

"Your Majesty, I am not in a position to command the Nine Battalions. May I ask what identity I have to command the Nine Battalions?" Jia Lian naturally had to make a request.

The rank is too low, which is undoubtedly a problem. Emperor Chenghui had obviously considered this issue beforehand, and said very straightforwardly: "Wang Xingjian can't be beaten in vain, so he will be sent to a third-rank provincial inspector. In the Inspectorate, you will be assigned a special fourth-rank patrol inspector, with the scope of authority covering the capital and Shuntian Prefecture. This is a civil position, and the military position is a third-rank deputy general, temporarily in charge of the Nine Gates, and when the time is right, you can change people. In the case of the patrol censor, you recommend someone to take over as the head censor. As for the other part-time jobs, since they are part-time jobs, then you can do them part-time. In a word, you must train the Nine Gates and Nine Standards for me."

This is a forced approach! Actually, it is not a forced approach. Jia Lian has made enough contributions. His only shortcoming is that he is young.

"Okay, let's do as your majesty wishes." Jia Lian finally agreed, and Emperor Chenghui secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He was really worried that this guy would lose his temper, which would not end well. The emperor would be known as mean and ungrateful, which would be unpleasant. Emperor Chenghui cared a lot about his reputation, otherwise he would not allow the little loyal prince to take the initiative.

Jia Lian was now unsure of how many part-time jobs he had, so he asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, which salary is being fined for one year?"

Emperor Chenghui was amused when he heard this question. Right, which one should be punished? Xiangxiang couldn't help laughing and said, "Let's punish the Ministry of War! The acting commander of the Nine Gates is directly under my direct jurisdiction. The Ministry of Personnel needs to go through a process. I have already informed the Inspectorate of the formalities in advance, so they should all be done. The Ministry of War can't control you as the acting commander of the Nine Gates. This is considered an extra salary." As he spoke, Emperor Chenghui couldn't help laughing again.

"There is one thing I need to clarify. Is that fourth-rank inspector a real vacancy?" Jia Lian asked specifically to avoid making a mistake in the future.

"It's said to be a special position, do you take it seriously? There is no suitable fourth-rank vacancy in the capital's civil service, and the deputy censor-in-chief is a third-rank vacancy, which is not suitable for you. It means that you are actually in charge of the Five Cities Military Department. The job in the Imperial Study does not come with a salary. It was a temporary job at the beginning. How about giving you a real position? It's just a matter of a word from me." Emperor Chenghui had a joking look on his face. Jia Lian shook his head a little embarrassedly: "No! I dare not accept it!"

"You are sensible! I have specially allowed you to go and see the little princess. You missed the full moon, so remember to give her a gift as compensation!"

Jia Lian tactfully said goodbye. Since the emperor had spoken, he had to visit Yuanchun.

Jia Lian asked the eunuch to lead the way, and when he arrived at Yuanchun's place, he unexpectedly found Empress Zhou there. Jia Lian hurriedly greeted her, but Empress Zhou politely said no need to greet her.

He pulled Jia Lian aside and talked for a few words. When he mentioned his uncle-in-law, he couldn't help but complain a little, saying that he deserved to be dismissed from office and he couldn't blame anyone else.

The commotion in the capital was too big this time, and Emperor Chenghui seized the opportunity to purge many people, including a group of civil officials surrounding Li Laoer, some from the Fang faction, some for other reasons that could not be determined, and the cannon fodder uncle.

After this incident, Li Laoer has become much more honest. He has been keeping a low profile recently, going to work and coming home from get off work as usual every day, and he doesn't dare to go out for fun at night.

Queen Zhou mentioned Li Laosan again, saying that he also mentioned Jia Lian.

Jia Lian said that it was not suitable for him to go out recently and he would visit him another day.

After Queen Zhou got up and said goodbye, the palace maid and the wet nurse carried the child in, and Jia Lian was finally able to face Yuanchun alone.

"This is a full-moon gift for my niece!" Fortunately, he had a jade pendant of good quality on him. Jia Lian took it off and handed it over, and also stuffed a thousand-yuan silver note into his pocket. That was all he had.

"You're too polite, Brother Lian! Is everything okay at home? Feng'er's due date is coming soon, right?" Yuanchun responded to Jia Lian cautiously. She knew that there were a lot of troubles in the Rongguo Mansion and the two of them could not get close.

"Everything is fine at home. Feng'er will only take ten days or half a month." Jia Lian kept a distance of three steps and stood even when he was offered a seat.

In response, Yuanchun said, "That's good." Seeing that the conversation was running out, Jia Lian stood up and left. Yuanchun saw him off to the door.

After leaving the palace, Jia Lian went directly to the Ministry of Personnel, where Liang Daoyuan was waiting anxiously at the door.

When he saw Jia Lian, he said, "The formalities have been completed. Just sign and take it away!"

This guy, you’re not even allowed to enter the Ministry of Personnel, right?
(End of this chapter)