Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 312: Combination Punch

The brief time together between father and son passed quickly. Emperor Chenghui stood up to say goodbye and returned to the palace before dark. He would only feel at ease when he was in charge of the Forbidden City.

Not far from the imperial farm, Emperor Chenghui looked back from the car window, and when he came back, he said with resentment: "Can a dying man's words be good?"

The old man won’t live long. After drinking a little bit of alcohol, his breathing becomes like a bellows. It’s hard to say whether he can survive this summer.

It is said that there is no father and son in the royal family. Some scenes from the past still emerged in Emperor Chenghui's mind. That little transparent person who received the least attention tried very hard on everything he had on hand just to make his father look at him more.

Memorials in favor of the cabinet's additions piled up in front of the emperor's desk like snowflakes, while there were also many voices against it, about half and half.

It can only be said that although the power of the five cabinet ministers is great, the positions of the two extra cabinet ministers are more attractive.

For civil servants, entering the cabinet is the pinnacle of life, and whether or not one can become the prime minister is already a matter of metaphysics. If you prevent someone from entering the cabinet, you will really be regarded as a mortal enemy.

This is human nature. Unless the emperor indicates that he will not add additional personnel, any minister who has the opportunity will not give it up.

For example, why did Yuan Shikai's claim to the throne of emperor end in just 83 days? Because anyone could dream of becoming the president, and the emperor was hereditary. Everyone worked hard to overthrow the emperor, and the opportunity for anyone to ascend the presidency appeared, but you became the emperor. Then everyone would turn against you.

Many times, two people who have no grudge against each other become enemies. The reason is very simple: you are blocking their way.

The lively and lively Jia's mother invited a troupe of actors to perform in the mansion. Jia Lian learned from Wang Xifeng that after the full moon, Wang Xifeng was able to go out and her figure had obviously become slightly bigger than before.

"Master, you have lived in the study for so many days, it's time to move back." Before leaving, Wang Xifeng moved closer to his shoulder and gently bumped it, sending a signal.

Although Wang Xifeng recovered well, Jia Lian was still a little worried. After all, the illness in the original book was too serious.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Let me rest for half a month." Although this sounded a bit cowardly, Jia Lian still said it for the sake of Wang Xifeng's health.

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng turned her head and glared at everyone around her. Guixiang and Ping'er quickly lowered their heads, saying they were really sorry and that they had exploited them too much recently.

"There are a lot of things to do today. I will deal with you later." Wang Xifeng said this and went to the front to busy herself. There were many things to do in the mansion, so she dared not slack off. Ping'er hurriedly followed.

Jia Lian, who had a rare chance to relax and rest, did not go out, but just stayed around with his daughter. The child was still too young and it was not convenient for her to go out.

When it was almost lunchtime, Yuanyang came over and said after greeting, "The old lady said it was the Dragon Boat Festival, and Miss Lin has been here for quite some time, so she asked the servant to invite the Second Master to come over to join in the fun."

Jia Lian was a little impatient with this kind of social engagements, but to Grandmother Jia, Jia Lian was now so important that if he didn't go, the holiday banquet would not be so formal.

"Didn't your aunt come?" Jia Lian stood up to change his clothes. Yuanyang stood aside and waited, saying, "Your aunt is not feeling well, and your master is worried about her at home, so he asked the young lady to come alone."

After changing his clothes, Jia Lian went out without anyone by his side. Yuanyang fell behind him, thinking to herself, this master is really a rare master, unlike the second wife, who is always surrounded by people wherever she goes. But even if he goes alone, no one dares to neglect him.

The two sides are not far away and it only takes a short while to get there. It is not like when I lived in the East Courtyard before, which took more than half an hour to get there.

Lady Jia's courtyard was decorated with lights and maids and old women were busy along the way. Dozens of people were surrounding a small group of people to serve them. Personal enjoyment in this era was all created by manpower.

There were still people around Grandmother Jia. She was holding Daiyu's hand and talking to her, kissing her and calling her "my dear". It was very cheesy. One step away from Daiyu was Baoyu, who was drooling.

Baoyu always wanted to get closer, but Daiyu scolded him: "Men and women should not touch each other, stay away."

Grandmother Jia frowned slightly, but she could do nothing about it. She said nothing but said to Baoyu, "You are so grown up now, please pay attention to the rules."

Baoyu felt very aggrieved. The maids in the house never resisted him coming closer, and they allowed him to eat rouge.

"You don't let me get close to Miss Lin, it's all because of this damn stone, I'll smash it." Baoyu suddenly shouted loudly, took off the jade on his chest and wanted to smash it. Xiren behind him was shocked and hugged him quickly, and the maids and old women also rushed over to protect him from throwing it. Mrs. Wang said, "Good Baoyu, don't get angry and hurt yourself." While speaking, she glanced at Daiyu, but didn't dare to say anything.

Daiyu today is no longer the motherless child in the original novel. Her father is only one step away from becoming a minister, and her mother is still in good health. Many people think that the Lin family is not as good as the Jia family in terms of family background, which is probably a misunderstanding. In terms of family background, the Lin family is actually not bad at all. Going back in time, the Lin family was even better than the Jia family. At present, Lin Ruhai is a second-rank official, while Jia Zheng is only a fifth-rank official. Jia She is a first-rank official, but he is just a title without real power.

Just as they were making a fuss, a maid at the door called out, "Master Lian is here!"

Daiyu, who had a look of disgust on her face, immediately smiled and looked towards the door after hearing this.

Jia Lian entered with great strides. Although he was smiling, his aura still overwhelmed the whole place. There was no way. Jia Lian, who was only 18 years old (in lunar years), was now the most dazzling star in the Jia family. He was the top scholar in literature and had led troops to battle many times, and he had never been defeated. Everyone in the capital knew that although Lord Jia was young, he was the most trusted and respected minister in front of the emperor.

"What's wrong? What is Baoyu singing about?" After Jia Lian came in, he took a glance and asked with a smile.

In the past, Baoyu was most afraid of Jia Zheng, but when he took a look at him just now, Baoyu felt that this adopted brother was much scarier than Jia Zheng. He was the kind that made people shiver all over.

"I, I, I didn't make a fuss!" Baoyu stammered, walked behind his mother, and stood with his head down.

Seeing this, Jia Lian smiled slightly, clasped his hands before kneeling down, "Grandson pays his respects to grandmother. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I wish you good health and happiness, and protection from all evil!"

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she smiled brightly and quickly stood up to help him up: "My dear grandson, your words are so pleasant to hear."

Jia Lian took advantage of the situation and stood up, greeting and speaking to all the women in the room one by one. Even to Madam Xing and Aunt Zhao, he was very polite.

(PS: I suddenly thought of the scene in a certain movie about the Red Mansions where Jia Huan was cheating on his wife. I couldn't help but complain. Jia Huan was the master and was treated very well. What he lacked was money, not food. Why is he copying Joy of Life here?)
Naturally, men and women sit at different tables at banquets. Etiquette is not just something to be said for fun, it must be implemented in every detail of life.

Jia Lian found that Jia She did not come as usual. He heard that he had come and found an excuse to leave. His resentment was obvious. Therefore, Jia Zhen sat in the main seat. The pale-faced Jia Zhen repeatedly declined, but was politely pushed to the second seat by Jia Lian. After Jia Lian sat down, the three adult males of the Jia family were gathered together. The combination of these three people was rather strange. Jia Zheng looked around and asked, "Why didn't Baoyu come? He hangs out with women all day long. What a useless thing."

When Jia Zheng talked about his son, Jia Lian just ate the melon with a smile and said nothing. Jia Zhen quickly spoke up to persuade him, "Baoyu is still young, and my little beast hasn't come yet."

Jia Zheng said angrily, "How can that be the same? Rong'er is out there entertaining people for the sake of the family's livelihood."

Jia Lian picked up the cup and said, "Nephew offers a toast to my second uncle!" Only then did Jia Zheng stop cursing and responded with a smile.

After the three of them toasted once, Jia Lian stood up and said, "I'll go toast to grandma! It's a big festival, we should make the old lady happy."

In the evening, Jia Lian watched a play with Jia's mother, and when he stood up to say goodbye, he finished his performance for the day. It was a great success, and the image of filial piety once again won the hearts of the people.

When the couple sat opposite each other, Wang Xifeng enjoyed the maid's pounding on her legs, and she complained disdainfully, "I have never seen Baoyu's expression when sister Daiyu left!"

Jia Lian, listlessly sitting on a recliner in a short suit, took it without much interest. "What does it look like?"

Wang Xifeng scratched her head, unable to find the right adjective, but Guixiang said, "It's just like Laifu in the front yard, when the dog basin was taken away!"

Well, Lai Fu is a dog, a fine dog! He used to be a good hunting dog, but now he has no room to show his abilities. No one in the Jia family of this generation practices martial arts, let alone hunting.

"Don't say that. Baoyu is still young. When I was that age, I wasn't much better." Jia Lian seemed to be very fair. Guixiang said, "You are hiding your shortcomings!" She couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

"After the grandmother passed away, it was not easy for me to have no one to love me." Guixiang added, and Jia Lian felt a little embarrassed. Even in the original novel, Jia Lian chose to be a jerk himself, and no one bullied him.

If we really want to talk about bullying, Wang Xifeng in the original novel is the most rude to Jia Lian, and even so, she only said a few words in private. In fact, Jia Lian's situation in the original novel was mostly caused by Jia She.

Of course, the main reason was his personal failure. Otherwise, given the family background of the Jia family, if Jia Lian had worked a little harder, he wouldn't have had to buy an official position.

Work resumed after the Dragon Boat Festival. Emperor Chenghui issued an edict and the cabinet held a meeting.

The cabinet meeting is an irregular meeting. It is held when there is something to be discussed. It must be held when the emperor orders it to be held, and when the cabinet ministers make suggestions, it depends on the specific circumstances.

Emperor Chenghui did not call Jia Lian this time. Jia Lian, who was happy to be relaxed, stayed in the R&D Department to supervise the R&D progress of Jean Arang and Li Daoxing.

Thanks to the crowds of people, the progress of glass production is quite good. There is still a shortage of supply in the market. The installation team is very busy every day. The R&D department is really making a lot of money and has become the most popular government office.

It's a good thing that Jia Lian, this troublemaker, is in charge of the R&D department, otherwise God knows how many irrelevant people who would be shoved in to eat for free would be there.

At the cabinet meeting, Emperor Chenghui threw out two memorials, one from the Governor-General of Liangjiang and the other from the Governor-General of Huguang, requesting the implementation of the performance evaluation system.

Yes, it was the performance evaluation system that Zhang Juzheng came up with that made it difficult for officials to make a living.

"This matter can be discussed by the cabinet only, and not spread outside." Emperor Chenghui set the tone. The five ministers of the cabinet looked at each other. If this thing was proposed and implemented by the cabinet, would any of these ministers be in any good of it?

How did this come about? In Zhu Yuanzhang's time, officials had to go to work as usual even if they were wearing shackles, and they wrote wills before going to work every day, and there was no rebellion among civil servants. When Zhang Juzheng slightly promoted KPI, officials complained that they were not making a living. The comparison is really interesting. Of course, once Zhu Yuanzhang's high-pressure policy reached Zhu Yunwen, it was like the Yellow River bursting its banks. When Zhu Di succeeded in his rebellion, it would be difficult to return to Zhu Yuanzhang's time.

What about the descendants of the Zhu family in the future? There was never another emperor like Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, and the country's downward trend began to accelerate.

All I can say is that you can't tighten it all the time, nor can you loosen it all the time. You have to loosen it sometimes and tighten it sometimes.

The officials of the imperial court are not college students who can work enthusiastically with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan or more. These people have power in their hands, so they can live as comfortably as they want and slack off at work as much as they can. Everyone is brave enough to get promoted and make money, but everyone hides away when they are on the battlefield to kill the enemy and take responsibility. This is a bit absolute, but it is the majority phenomenon.

Should we implement the performance evaluation system? The cabinet ministers fell into silence, not in deep thought, because the moment Emperor Chenghui opened his mouth, everyone had the answer.

This was a combination of measures from the emperor. First he raised the salaries of officials, then he released additional cabinet members, and finally he introduced the performance evaluation system.

What I meant was, if it weren't for the fact that you ministers are still somewhat useful (able to take the blame), I would have replaced you long ago instead of using the topic of adding cabinet members to criticize you.

The ministers, who were already familiar with Emperor Chenghui's tricks, could do nothing at this moment? If the matter was not approved by the cabinet, the emperor would immediately say that the cabinet would be supplemented with new members. Then he would propose the performance evaluation law. If it still failed, he would replace the person. In short, the cabinet must take the responsibility (take the blame), and the emperor's personal image must not be damaged.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Juzheng's performance evaluation system has many drawbacks. I think it is inappropriate to copy it. The six ministries and nine ministers should be convened to hold a meeting to discuss how to improve it. It would be the best policy to launch it after it is perfected." At this time, only the Prime Minister Kong Zhao could come out to withstand the pressure from the emperor. If you don't come out, it's not impossible. At most, you will lose your prestige and beg for death.

"Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Kong said is absolutely right! I second the opinion!" Liang Daoyuan immediately followed up. On such a major issue of right and wrong, he had to be consistent with the Prime Minister.

Other cabinet ministers seconded the motion. Emperor Chenghui looked at them expressionlessly, knowing that they were unwilling and were looking for excuses to delay.

"Okay, it seems that there is no objection to the implementation of the performance evaluation system. At the next cabinet working meeting, we will discuss how to improve the performance evaluation system." Emperor Chenghui would not give them a chance to regret and made his words final.

As everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, Liang Daoyuan stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have a few memorials here. I have received them for a while, but I don't know whether I should present them to Your Majesty."

Emperor Chenghui's heart sank slightly, knowing that they were going to cause trouble. Emperor Chenghui knew that the implementation of the performance evaluation system would definitely be resisted by officials all over the country. The cabinet knew that it could not resist, but it had to pretend to resist, telling officials all over the country that we resisted but failed.

However, how to resist depends on the reasons each person finds. The general purpose is to delay for a while.

(End of this chapter)