Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 324 Double Standards!

When Pan Jixun came in and saw Wang Gang and Lord Mao, he felt disgusted, but his face remained calm.

Lin Ruhai hurriedly saluted, this is the elder. The other two saluted together, and Pan Jixun clasped his hands in return.

"Brother Ruhai, to avoid a big mess, order the release of the man. This is what I mean, and so do the cabinet members." Pan Jixun was very direct. He knew very well that Lin Ruhai would not listen to his orders willingly, so he had to involve the entire cabinet instead of wasting personal relationships. In short, it was public to public.

Since it was a public matter and no personal relationships were involved, Lin Ruhai had nothing to worry about.

"Prime Minister Pan, when will criminals who commit murder and arson be released directly? No wonder, those who commit murder and arson will get a golden belt, while those who build bridges and roads will leave no corpses." Lin Ruhai understood the sarcasm.

"Brother Ruhai, the officials are all scholars, and their behavior was a bit violent because of their righteous indignation. Why do you have to keep focusing on such a small matter? Be more open-minded." Wang Gang felt that this was an opportunity, so he quickly stood up and spoke. If this matter were to be spread, his prestige would surely increase greatly, and Lin Ruhai's prestige would surely decrease greatly. Whether Lin Ruhai agreed or not, he would not lose out.

When Pan Jixun heard this, he was shocked. This bastard is doing more harm than good. No matter what, Jia Lian is Lin Ruhai's nephew and a fourth-rank imperial inspector. He has the power to supervise officials in the capital and the power to enforce the law. Catching a group of officials who set fire is Jia Lian's job. Even Lin Ruhai cannot interfere with Jia Lian's work in a simple and rude way.

The ministers in the cabinet saw it very clearly, so Pan Jixun came here to talk it over and explain the pros and cons.

Before Lin Ruhai could lose his temper, the alert Pan Jixun opened his mouth and scolded him: "Shut up! As the Minister of Justice, is it right for you to break the law and shield criminals? How can a fool like you be the Minister of Justice? Besides, when I am speaking, do you have the right to interrupt? Go back and wait for me to impeach you!" Aren't you trying to take this opportunity to gain fame? Okay, I'll help you!

Mao Lun, the Minister of Dali Temple, almost laughed out loud. All the cabinet ministers had to speak nicely to Lin Ruhai and expected him to mediate, but you, on the contrary, are using the cabinet ministers to put pressure on Lin Ruhai, right?

Mao Lun felt ashamed that such a smart person was one of his competitors. It was an unfair victory.

Actually, Wang Gang was not that bad, but he was a little impatient. After all, no matter how he calculated it, the chance to enter the cabinet would never fall on the head of the Minister of Justice. Isn't it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? He was a little impatient!
After being scolded, Wang Gang reacted immediately. Although his face turned red and his neck became a little thicker, he finally gritted his teeth and endured it, and hurriedly folded his hands; "I'll take my leave!"

Mao Lun also knew that staying might not be a good thing, so he quickly clasped his hands and said goodbye.

After seeing that there were no more outsiders, Pan Jixun sat down and whispered, "Brother Ruhai, I know you are reluctant, but this matter could easily get out of control if we are not careful."

Lin Ruhai was slightly stunned: "What do you mean?" Pan Jixun continued very patiently: "I have read Jia Lian's memorial, which talks about restoring the old system of Taizu. The most common excuse used by these officials is that the ancestral system cannot be changed. With just this one sentence, your good nephew has taken the moral high ground. If it really gets out of hand, the matter is bound to be out of control. Could it be that Brother Ruhai hopes to restore the old system of Longjinwei?"

Lin Ruhai was silent!

How do you say it?

There is such a department that can bypass the Inspectorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Dali Temple when handling cases, and even show the results of the case directly to the emperor without informing them.

If someone doesn't understand, compared to modern society, there is a department that handles cases directly bypassing the public security, procuratorate and courts, and conducts trials and convictions.

Therefore, the Jinyiwei during the reigns of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di was a bug in the system, a special case based on Zhu Yuanzhang's conquest of the world and Zhu Di's Jingnan Campaign.

This department can exist in the short term. After all, the ascension of a new emperor is a special period, and there are a large number of opposition forces, which requires an absolutely powerful department.

Over time, there were fewer voices opposing the emperor, but as a powerful department that was the executor, there were naturally many voices of opposition.

Everything is excessive or insufficient. A wise emperor will definitely use powerful departments to calm the anger of his opponents.

Don't say that when the cunning rabbit is used up, the running dog is cooked. Those who can be cruel officials must have a lot of shit on their butts, which can never be cleaned up. Although they are not good birds, how can dogs have human rights?
When you choose to be a cruel official, you should be aware that you will be slaughtered one day. It is only a matter of time.

Of course, Lin Ruhai could not accept the restoration of the old system of Long Jinwei. When Long Jinwei was weakened, Lin Ruhai's ancestors also contributed their efforts, as did the ancestors of the Jia family.

So does Jia Lian really want to restore the old system? Of course not! Jia Lian is just barking like a dog! Emperor Chenghui won't take it seriously! You can think about it, but don't dream about it.

Believe it or not, as long as Emperor Chenghui dares to take Jia Lian's memorial seriously, officials all over the world will rise up in opposition, and Jia Lian, the instigator, will definitely pretend to be dumb.

In the final analysis, this was a struggle among civil officials, because some people did not follow the rules, could not discuss the matter objectively, and directly wielded the moral stick to make personal attacks on Lin Ruhai. This led to Jia Lian's memorial!
But then again, isn't it that in the process of competing for interests, people are accusing each other of names and beating each other up? In the process of communication, labeling is the most effective and convenient means of memory.

Calling people treacherous and flattering in this era is essentially the same as calling them angry young people, five-cent party members, American cents, little-pinks, and little-fairies on the modern Internet.

Throughout history, any struggle for interests has always been so simple and unpretentious.

To put it bluntly, the root cause of this matter is the cabinet addition. If Lin Ruhai wants to join the cabinet, he must pass the emperor's approval.

If you want to get the emperor's approval, you must be manipulated by the ministers. If there is an opportunity, you must do it. If there is no opportunity, you must create an opportunity. Even if you don't hesitate to spread rumors and slander.

For a long time, the civil officials who were used to talking nonsense had always said that everything should be kept intact. They also tacitly agreed to a rule that they would not overturn the table. After a long time, everyone forgot about it and could still overturn the table.

Who could have thought that Jia Lian was so sinister? He came up and said, "I'm going to fight and overturn the table." The crowd was so angry that they fell into Jia Lian's trap.

This matter, speaking of it, is because these officials are used to double standards. It is really the kind of thing that I can break the rules, hundreds of people go to block the door, and even beat you up to vent my anger. (There was a case of the commander of the Jinyiwei in the Ming Dynasty being beaten to death by a group of people in the court) But you must abide by the rules.

Jia Lian rubbed his hands and said, "If you want to accuse me of double standards and conspiracy, then I won't be sleepy anymore."

It is because he knows clearly the moral character of this group of people that Jia Lian can set traps and bury them in a targeted, reasonable and legal manner.

"Brother Ruhai, please release him first. I will go and convince the cabinet members with your memorial. If they fail to do so, I will resign." Seeing that Lin Ruhai was wavering, Pan Jixun added fuel to the fire.

Lin Ruhai finally spoke: "That's it!" Pan Jixun was overjoyed and struck while the iron was hot: "I'll go with you!"

The two of them went to Wucheng Bingmasi together and found Jia Lian's office. Zhuzi at the door was about to speak, but was stopped by Lin Ruhai's eyes.

Inside the house, Jia Lian looked very happy, leaning on the recliner, tapping his feet, swaying slightly, clapping his hands, and humming a tune: "The ends of the earth, the corners of the sea, looking for a soulmate. The little sister sings, the man plays the piano..." Lin Ruhai and Pan Jixun looked at each other, exchanged glances, and shook their heads at the same time, indicating that they had never heard of this song. The boy looked very proud. Nonsense, how could he not be proud? A group of officials who are used to being high and mighty, how could they be the opponents of the old officials at the grassroots level for many years. The officials who really work hard at the grassroots level can see through it at a glance.

Jia Lian didn't intend to make things too awkward, but he didn't expect that this group of people had been path-dependent for too long, and it was just a means of preventing unexpected events, but it really came to nothing.

Lin Ruhai pushed open the door, and Jia Lian said with his eyes closed: "Zhu Zi, if someone comes to ask for someone, just say come early tomorrow morning, fifty taels each. If you want to leave early, you have to pay extra!"

Lin Ruhai thought he was hallucinating. Pan Jixun, who came in shortly afterwards, also had a ferocious look on his face and was on the verge of losing control.

"Fifty taels each. The floor of the Wucheng Bingmasi must be inlaid with gold. Otherwise, I will feel guilty and have nightmares tonight if I charge this price!" Lin Ruhai said with gritted teeth.

Jia Lian opened his eyes and quickly stood up and said, "Hey, Prime Minister Pan, Lord General, what news has brought you?"

Lin Ruhai already knew Jia Lian's plan, so he naturally refused to comply with his wishes: "Stop talking nonsense and let him go!"

Jia Lian was unhappy when he heard this, and his eyes narrowed. "Why, you two adults want to force me to do a strong order? It's so hot, and they blocked the door and set it on fire. Not to mention the cost of repairing the door, the brothers of the Five Cities Army and Horse Division have come here and sweated for nothing. Today, I'm making this clear. Unless there is an imperial decree, no one can do anything!"

Lin Ruhai was so angry that his fists hardened. Just as he was about to teach Jia Lian a lesson as an elder, Pan Jixun said, "Ten taels each. I'll pay for it. Let them go!"

Jia Lian sighed: "It must be Master Pan, otherwise it would never be this price!"

Lin Ruhai finally got angry and reached out to take off his shoes. Jia Lian quickly held him down and said, "Uncle, calm down, calm down!"

Lin Ruhai roared: "When working, call them by their positions!"

Jia Lian, who was hit in the face by the boomerang, said angrily: "Alright, I'll go and release him now. Really, the higher the rank, the more powerful the person!"

Jia Lian stood at the door of the training class. When everyone was glaring at him, Jia Lian said calmly, "Eyes can't kill! I'm not afraid! Since you all gathered to cause trouble with malicious intent, thinking that the law doesn't punish the masses, you should be prepared to be caught. Even if this lawsuit goes to the Golden Palace, I'm not afraid. There is solid evidence of arson and attacking me. As the Imperial Censor of the Capital, my job is to arrest illegal officials in the Capital. By the way, you all have another crime, attacking court officials and attacking the court's confidentiality department."

These words left everyone speechless. Although they all knew that they had fallen into Jia Lian's trap, they could not wash themselves clean even if they jumped into the Yellow River.

Jia Lian said something that they could not deny, that is, he was malicious! Everyone went there with the mentality of at least being scolded by Jia Lian.

"Mr. Jia, stop talking nonsense! You can kill me or chop me up." Someone shouted in the crowd very firmly. Jia Lian smiled and said, "My dear, you said that. Come on, drag him out and beat him up!"

The soldiers of the Wucheng Bingmasi rushed in, and surprisingly no one stopped them. When the person shouting was dragged out smoothly, he kept shouting: "Jia Lian, I'm not afraid of you. If you have the guts, kill me."

Well, that's some progress, nothing too harsh was said.

To be honest, Jia Lian was quite disappointed. There were more than a hundred people, but only one person stood up and made a strong statement! But it was not disappointing, because at least one person stood up.

"Hmph! A bunch of cowards!" Jia Lian said lightly and turned away.

At the gate, the guy who was dragged here was not beaten, but was released instead. Zhuzi said with a gentle expression: "You can go now."

The gentleman said angrily: "What do you mean? Do you look down on Liu? Although I am the same age as Jia Lian, I don't want to associate with him."

At this time, Jia Lian came over, looked at him with sympathy, and said with his hands folded: "Brother Liu Nian has not changed his original intention. I admire you. Please go back. In the future, ask why for everything and don't be impulsive."

"I, Liu Xia..." Liu Xia, who passed the imperial examination in the same year, seemed to have thought of something and spoke incoherently.

Jia Lian smiled, stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "The root of the problem is that some people have become officials and are used to being superior to others. They don't even accept what others say, let alone accept supervision."

Liu Xia was a top-ranked Jinshi. She understood Jia Lian's meaning immediately. After considering everyone's previous actions and remarks, she blushed and clasped her hands to Jia Lian: "Liu Xia, goodbye. Don't expect me to appreciate your kindness!"

After watching Liu Xia see him off, Jia Lian returned to his office, where Lin Ruhai and Pan Jixun had taken over his room, drinking tea and playing chess.

Lin Ruhai looked back and asked: "Have they all been released?"

Jia Lian shook his head and asked, "I haven't paid yet!"

Pan Jixun smiled and said, "Let me write you an IOU!"

This cabinet minister was really an interesting person. Without saying anything, he started to write an IOU. Lin Ruhai quickly stopped him and said, "It's not Brother Pan's turn to pay for this."

Lin Ruhai stood up and said, "I'll go there. If there's anything, we need to make it clear in person! You keep blocking the gate of the government office. This trend must not be allowed to continue!"

Lin Ruhai said as he came to the door of the training class. Everyone got excited when they saw him. For a moment, it was as noisy as a vegetable market. Lin Ruhai shouted loudly: "Silence! Anyone who speaks will stay here overnight!"

"Yes!" Everyone responded, and the scene returned to silence.

"The Research and Development Department is an official department of the imperial court, and Jia Lian is a fourth-rank imperial inspector of the capital. Who gave you the power to block a fourth-rank official? Who gave you the power to set fire to a place?"

Everyone was quiet, some lowered their heads and said nothing, some looked up and glared, and some watched secretly.

"Are you not convinced? Do you think you can break the law just because you have more people? I don't want to say much about what happened today. After you go back, think carefully about what you did. Don't think you can do whatever you want under the banner of justice. You can do this, and others can do this too. Since the national laws have been established, they should be obeyed! Everyone wants to be above the national laws and others, which is tantamount to undermining the foundation of the court. Everyone, just do as you like." Lin Ruhai left after saying this.

After a commotion, the crowd saw that there was no one with a weapon guarding the door. The brave ones came out to see that everything was fine, and immediately walked out quickly, and the others quickly followed.

(End of this chapter)