Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 318 Wang Ziteng's No-cost Business
After reading more than ten pages carefully, Jia Lian looked up at the emperor and found that he was seriously reviewing memorials. It was true that he was diligent in his work.

"Have you finished reading?" Emperor Chenghui noticed Jia Lian's gaze, put down the pen in his hand, and blew away the ink.

"It's not a big problem. The key to the budget lies in the review. The review should be divided into two levels. The cabinet is the first review and your majesty is the final review. The specific review standards should be based on the expenditures of various departments in previous years, and each department should be reviewed one by one. In this case, we need to increase manpower and form a professional review team." Jia Lian's suggestion was very implicit. He couldn't just say directly that even if your majesty had three heads and six arms, he couldn't finish so much work.

"Yes, human power is limited! Do you know why there is not much resistance to the introduction of the budget system?" Emperor Chenghui suddenly changed his mind and Jia Lian was unable to react for a moment.

"I don't know!" This is Jia Lian's attitude of answering questions truthfully.

"I told the cabinet that some of the bad accounts of the past can be settled if possible and bygones be bygones. Do you know why I did so?" Seeing Jia Lian like this, Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but act as a teacher.

"I still don't know." Jia Lian had some guesses this time, but he didn't say it out loud. He probably hoped that the next period of time would be a smooth transition period.

"The court's finances are improving, so we shouldn't over-press our officials. But some accounts must be kept."

Jia Lian nodded, understanding the emperor's meaning. Some things can be investigated or not, depending on the emperor's words. For example, the title of the Jia family can be downgraded at the time of inheritance if the emperor says so.

In order to maintain the stability of the court, some people were treated leniently, but the evidence was kept and used when needed. It seems that Jia has a lot of old accounts.

These words came from the bottom of his heart, but they were also a warning. The implication was, don't jump, I can deal with you at any time.

Emperor Chenghui did not mention any budget issues afterwards, and Jia Lian did not volunteer either, as he already had enough things to do.

However, Emperor Chenghui did not intend to let Jia Lian go, and pushed a memorial to him: "Look at this!"

Jia Lian took it and read it carefully. After reading it, he frowned suddenly: "Big and small Jinchuan?"

Emperor Chenghui nodded and said, "That's right. The governor-general and the governor of Sichuan sent out troops without reporting to the court, which led to a disastrous defeat. This is the secret report from the Dragon Guards. The local report is here."

It was another memorial, and Jia Lian took it and read it without hesitation. After reading it, he put it down and said, "They deceived their superiors and concealed the truth from their subordinates, and only reported good news but not bad news. According to this memorial, His Majesty should celebrate their success."

"More than half of our 30,000-strong army were killed, and a large amount of military equipment was abandoned. Yet they still have the nerve to ask for credit. They think I'm a fool. Look, what have Fang Baiyi promoted?" Emperor Chenghui gritted his teeth. If these two were in front of him, he would probably just beat them up.

"How does your majesty plan to deal with this?" Jia Lian was simply curious. Emperor Chenghui looked at him in surprise: "Don't you want to go?"

"No, the mountains are high and the roads are long. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to stay in the capital?" Jia Lian refused very straightforwardly. Emperor Chenghui was amused when he heard it: "Lazy guy!"

"Your Majesty, I am innocent. I just don't want to leave home." Jia Lian quickly explained. He couldn't bear the nickname of lazybones.

"Just treat you as Gu's family. I have ordered Niu Jizong in Nanjing to make preparations and lead 5,000 troops from his own army along the west river into Sichuan. Another team of Long Jinwei will follow. When they get there, they will capture the two thieves and escort them back to Beijing for questioning. Long Jinwei reported that the terrain of Jinchuan is dangerous, with many blockhouses, and it is difficult to attack from a high position. The original artillery is too heavy, and a lighter artillery is needed. Some time ago, the R&D Department took out a new bronze field artillery weighing 1,000 kilograms, which is good. Go back and transfer 20 guns, and have Long Jinwei send them to Nanjing to meet Niu Jizong."

Jia Lian was slightly surprised when he heard this. I only produced 20 new field guns in total. I originally planned to replace them with the Shenjiying. I never thought that the emperor knew everything. Thinking that this is the capital, it is not surprising that the Dragon Guards are everywhere.

"Your Majesty, the new artillery is a small matter, but the new propellant is the key. Ordinary propellant bags of the same weight cannot achieve the designed effect. This must be made clear first." Jia Lian hurriedly filled in the last link to avoid being blamed.

"Oh, what's the matter with the new propellant? I didn't see you report it." Emperor Chenghui's expression changed quickly and became serious in an instant.

Jia Lian guessed that even the Dragon Guards didn't understand these things, so he didn't write them clearly in the secret report.

"Well, it is an upgraded version of black gunpowder. I call it chestnut gunpowder. In my opinion, there is not much room for improvement if we want to make a breakthrough based on black gunpowder in the future." Jia Lian did not mention the raw materials and purification process, let alone the fact that it BOOMed several times during the research and development process, injuring more than a dozen people. He just praised his achievements directly. The emperor liked to hear this.

"You mean, this kind of gunpowder can't be produced anywhere else?" Emperor Chenghui understood and asked directly.

Jia Lian shook his head: "That may not be the case. It's just a conclusion based on the current situation. Isn't this in China? It's hard to say about the Western countries. They value the navy, and artillery is the most important weapon of the navy. The birth of any kind of firearm is first with more advanced propellants, and then with more powerful weapons. In this regard, in the long run, China will definitely not be able to compare with Western countries."

"Bullshit, how is our great Celestial Empire inferior to the Western barbarians? If you don't explain it clearly today, don't even think about leaving this hall." Emperor Chenghui was extremely concerned about his face, and Jia Lian's words really made him unhappy.

"Your Majesty, I know you don't like to hear this, but I can't lie in front of you, right?" Jia Lian's face was serious. Emperor Chenghui's discomfort faded a little, but he still said with a dark face: "Speak clearly!"

"This is a problem with the Western system. Western inventors create advanced weapons, and not only do they keep them secret, but the country has relevant laws to protect the interests of inventors. Once something is created, it belongs to the inventor. If others want it, they have to spend money to buy it. In particular, those who develop advanced weapons have a high social status in Western countries, and the monarchs of various countries are willing to protect these scientific and technological talents. On the other hand, in my Great Zhou, who has a high status? Officials who have passed the imperial examination. To put it bluntly, the things that the craftsmen have worked hard to make, even if they take them for free, they have taken them, and they have no way to protect their own interests. It has been like this for a long time, and it is not a blessing for the country. The Great Zhou has a long coastline, and the Western countries have not been forced to the point of being penniless. If one day they really have no money to buy things, these pirates will definitely drive big ships to rob them openly."

The viewpoints were a mixture of old and new. Emperor Chenghui heard what Jia Lian emphasized again, and at the same time he was hinting that businessmen should be treated well. Apart from other things, the treatment of craftsmen in the Great Zhou Dynasty was not high, and Emperor Chenghui knew it well.

An emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty once wrote in a poem: "All things are inferior, only reading is superior." This is not wrong, but it is a big mistake to only read Confucian books.

(PS: On my first day of primary school, my father told me this poem seriously, saying that it was the first lesson the teacher taught everyone on his first day of private school when he was a child.)
Behind the development of anything, there are interests as the driving force. In the past, education was valued because studying can really change one's destiny. Now, although university graduates still work as slaves, they are at least high-level slaves. The slaves who drive screws in the workshop and move bricks on the construction site are low-level slaves. Damn, slaves are also divided into levels, just like the middle class discriminating against the lower class. Little do they know that we are all proletarians. Whenever there is a little unrest in society, the so-called middle class are the first to suffer. I'm talking about you, the 35-year-old IT man who was fired.

After listening to Jia Lian's words, Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Jia Lian was not in a hurry and stood quietly aside waiting.

"I also know that Taizu's kindness to craftsmen must have a deeper meaning, but it is not as clear as you say. In my opinion, the time is not right yet. There are more important things waiting to be done, and we should not make unnecessary trouble." Well, Emperor Chenghui still did not want to easily touch the stable framework of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. This was determined by the imperial power thinking.

Jia Lian was not in a hurry, as he would have no problems in his life anyway.

"You go and get busy. Well, grant official positions to the craftsmen who develop new gunpowder, and report the list as soon as possible." Emperor Chenghui still partially accepted Jia Lian's opinion. The enthusiasm of the craftsmen should be encouraged.

Apart from other things, Jia Lian did a good job in the Ministry of Industry and the Research and Development Department. The power of the new fire gun was fully demonstrated in the Li Ni case. Emperor Chenghui knew this very well, so he made this statement.

The advancement of military technology, especially the emergence of thermal weapons, has changed the pattern of warfare, and the personal bravery of military generals has been greatly weakened.

Jia Lian returned to the R&D Department and immediately arranged for the warehouse staff to contact Long Jinwei. Due to the emperor's attention, Xia Shouzhong also went to the R&D Department in person.

Seeing Jia Lian, Xia Shouzhong sat down without any politeness, picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. After drinking it, he wiped his sweat and said, "It's a shame for my brothers to have to travel long distances in this weather."

Jia Lian did not respond to this, but asked: "Can Niu Jizong leave Liangjiang? Doesn't Lord Sun have some weapons in his hands to control the situation?"

"General Yue has sent 3,000 men to Nanjing to fill the gap. Let me tell you something. Recently, there is a lot of opium circulating in the market. You have a good relationship with General Sun of the Tianjin Navy, right?" Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Xia Shouzhong spoke more directly. He almost asked directly, is that your man?

"Don't even mention the navy. After Wang Ziteng took office as the commander-in-chief of the navy, he submitted a memorial to the emperor, on the grounds that Your Majesty was building up the navy, to bring the nation's navy under the jurisdiction of the Navy Control Office. It's good enough that the Ministry of War didn't rebel." Jia Lian complained. This happened at the beginning of the year, during the purge of the Li traitor case. Jia Lian was strolling around Zhangjiakou, and the Ministry of War was trembling in fear and didn't dare to resist.

Now that the storm has basically passed, the Ministry of War has to get back on its feet, and it has been making a fuss about this matter recently.

Xia Shouzhong nodded after listening to this. He didn't believe Jia Lian's words at all. Even if Wang Ziteng was fighting for power and profit, could he still snatch Jia Lian's men?
Anyway, the news has been passed on, and it depends on how Jia Lian handles it.

"Don't say I didn't remind you, Sun Shaozu has come to Beijing." Xia Shouzhong pointed out again. Jia Lian was stunned for a moment: "I didn't know!"

Just as he finished speaking, Zhuzi came in from the door and said, "Second Master, Vice General Sun from Tianjin is here and is waiting outside for an audience."

Although Sun Shaozu is a nobody, Jia She's behavior in the book is even more so. I have to meet him.

Seeing that Xia Shouzhong was sitting still, Jia Lian nodded and said, "Let him in. By the way, you didn't take his benefits, did you?"

Jia Lian just asked casually, Zhuzi smiled innocently, Jia Lian understood immediately, and kicked him! Zhuzi didn't dodge, he ate for a while before going out.

When Zhuzi went out, he secretly calculated in his mind that he could get fifty silver dollars for one kick, which was a big profit.

Sun Shaozu came in and greeted Xia Shouzhong first. When he looked up, he saw a pair of venomous eyes on Xia Shouzhong's smiling face. He was so scared that he sat down on the ground, his limbs shaking constantly.

I thought to myself: My life is over!
Seeing this, Xia Shouzhong stood up, clasped his hands towards Jia Lian and said, "Boring, I'll go first." The old man strolled away, and Jia Lian watched him go with a serious expression.

Looking back at Sun Shaozu who was lying on the ground, Jia Lian was so angry that he stood up and started kicking him hard. He stopped only when his head was covered in sweat.

"Look at what you and your son have done. The money and goods you make from trading to Japan is not enough for you to earn, right?" Jia Lian went straight to the point.

Sun Shaozu sensed a chance and quickly knelt down and said, "Sir, this is not the work of father and son. It was really a job ordered by the commander of the navy. A few days ago, the imperial censor who went to the capital was discovered during his secret visit, and we found out that someone was targeting Taiwei Wang."

Jia Lian was not willing to believe his lies, so he exposed him immediately: "When I went to Tianjin, I knew that someone was smuggling opium. Without the help of the navy, there would be no smuggling. Why don't you tell the truth to me? Come on, take him out and bury him alive!" Sun Shaozu was so scared when he heard the word "bury alive" that he quickly explained: "Sir, listen to me, the smuggling in the past was the White Lotus Sect colluding with the former general, and it had nothing to do with my father and me. The opium today is really delivered by the Nanyang Navy, and the person who delivered it is Wang Taiwei's most trusted advisor."

"Tell me, who were the things given to? How did they get in? Is the Chongwenmen tax card just a decoration?" Jia Lian asked coldly, warning Sun Shaozu not to make up stories.

"Sir, it's true. The large ship of the Nanyang Navy was sent to the dock, and the ship of the Tianjin Navy went through the Baihe River and sent it to the canal dock. The other sections of the route are not our responsibility, but we, father and son, have to bear the blame. So, I have come to Beijing specially to ask you, sir, to save our lives." Sun Shaozu almost cried as he spoke. It was really too terrible.

Jia Lian understood now that Xia Shouzhong only spoke briefly and it seemed that Long Jinwei had detailed information. This damn eunuch only spoke half of his words.

"Speak, tell me everything you know." Jia Lian finally calmed down and sat down to ask questions.

Sun Shaozu then told everything he knew clearly.

Wang Ziteng did it, or he instructed his subordinates to do it. He cracked down on smuggling and seized a lot of opium, but he did not destroy it and directly let the navy ship transport it northward.

As far as Sun Shaozu knows, one ship was shipped from Guangzhou, one ship was shipped from Songjiang Wharf, half a ship was shipped from Dengzhou Wharf, and half a ship was shipped from Tianjin.

Wang Ziteng's business is a no-cost business, no wonder so many people hate him. I guess Wang Ziteng is now focusing on Annan.

(End of this chapter)