Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 333 The sun is shining brightly
The sound of Fei Haixing was as if it was strangled by the throat, disappearing quickly and completely.

At the same time, after the Jining uprising, only some inactive officials were dismissed. This time, the old issues concerning officials in charge of grain transport, prefectures along the river, and the Ministry of Revenue were brought up again.

The first person to fire the report was Gu Ning, the inspector of the canal transport. He wrote an extremely detailed investigation report, which was full of words and exposed the various means used by the canal transport officials to seek personal gain. Some of them allowed local officials to set up temporary banknote gates on the canal, accepted bribes to open the door for merchants, transported private salt on official ships, and made a fortune by himself, causing a large amount of tax revenue to be lost from the country. The spearhead was aimed at Li Sanjiang, who resigned and stayed at home, and impeached 36 officials by name.

If you think that's all, you're totally wrong. Before Emperor Chenghui made a statement on the matter, the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Ning Ke, impeached the Right Assistant Minister of Revenue for abusing his power for personal gain and opening the door for his family members. Over the years, millions of silver were approved, and his family members colluded with merchants to make a lot of money. Coincidentally, this Right Assistant Minister was also on the impeachment list of Censor Gu Ning, and the charge was to cover up the fraud in the grain transport.

Two bomb explosions in succession caused the officialdom in the capital to be no less severe than an eight-magnitude earthquake. Is that the end?

not at all!
The third prince Li Heng then exposed another case. This time, it was revealed that the Chongwenmen tax collector had colluded with Li Ni over the past ten years to illegally release goods into the city and make a lot of money. The people involved included two clan elders and three eunuchs.

Three things, divided into three days, one major impeachment each day.

On the first day, Jia Lian was eating melon with a smile after he learned the news. On the second day, after he learned the news, Jia Lian could hardly laugh. On the third day, after he learned the news, Jia Lian let out a horrified scream!

"I didn't do it!"

Lord Jia is so tough that he answered in the same way even when facing his close ally and uncle Lin Ruhai.

"I believe you, but do others believe you?" Lin Ruhai asked a soul-searching question. Jia Lian fell into a daze, muttering to himself: Snow falls in June, and the sky is bright.

In the face of the drastic earthquake in the officialdom, who still has the time to care about the budget system, audit system, and performance evaluation system?

After thinking everything through, Jia Lian became calm. Too many debts do not worry you, too many lice do not itch.

It's impossible to explain it clearly, and you'd be a fool to waste your time on it.

"Were the three key events premeditated?" Lin Ruhai reminded.

Jia Lian put away his bad mood and sat up to think carefully. Daiyu, who was leading the maid to serve tea, looked at this and that with a solemn expression. She immediately sat down quietly.

"The cabinet officials have clearly seen that His Majesty firmly supports maritime transport, and have also seen that the three governors-general Zhang, Sun, and Li will definitely return to the cabinet. Rather than letting others use this as an excuse and causing the successive governors to be passive, it is better to take the initiative to expose this abscess. Ning Ke is just taking advantage of the situation. The right assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue has always refused to cooperate with his work, so he is killing someone with a borrowed knife. The third thing is His Majesty's usual method, and you can smell it from ten miles away. Gu Ning did not dare to touch the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Clan in his memorial, so His Majesty asked Li Laosan to come forward, which can be regarded as a good intention."

Lin Ruhai agreed with Jia Lian's analysis. To be honest, in terms of understanding the emperor, Lin Ruhai felt that he was not as good as Jia Lian. It was not a problem of ability, but a problem of information acquisition.

"No matter what, the news will spread in the capital and even in the entire Great Zhou officialdom that the Jia family committed murder to protect the maritime transport. At least fifty officials will be arrested this time."

Lin Ruhai reminded Jia Lian again, almost saying, "Be careful when walking next time, and don't ride a horse around just to show off."

Jia Lian nodded, humbly accepting Lin Ruhai's reminder. Lin Ruhai asked again, "Your Majesty, do you really think highly of the Third Prince?"

Facing this question, Jia Lian shook his head: "I really don't know. This is about the crown prince. I dare not listen to or ask a single word, nor do I make any guesses."

"Well, we must never get involved in this kind of thing." Lin Ruhai agreed deeply.

After dinner, Jia Lian was taken to the courtyard by Daiyu for a walk. As they walked, Daiyu asked, "Brother Lian, does His Majesty really think highly of the Third Prince? Tell me in secret."

Jia Lian was very confused and thought, your curiosity is very dangerous.

"I didn't fool my uncle. The emperor is in good health and in his prime. It is a taboo for a minister to care about the selection of the crown prince. In short, even if the king is old, don't bet on the prince easily. Families like the Lin family and the Jia family will be loyal to whoever becomes the emperor, and there will be no problem."

Jia Lian patiently explained to Daiyu. At this age in the original novel, Daiyu must have been living under someone else's roof for several years, right?
It is impossible to say that he was not affected. After returning home and changing his clothes, Jia Lian no longer had the heart to play with his daughter. He left the yard and strolled freely in the Rongguo Mansion, going wherever he wanted.

In most cases, Jia Lian always kept a low profile and tried not to make his presence too strong in the court.

The reality is just the opposite. Whenever there is a big event in the court, Jia Lian is involved, whether actively or passively. Let's talk about whether he is involved or not.

Jia Lian even suspected that it was a problem with his physical condition. Could it be that underneath the halo of the protagonist was a body that invited disasters and misfortunes?
With no one around him and no lantern in his hand, Jia Lian felt like a lonely ghost wandering in the backyard of Rongguo Mansion.

The person walking towards me thought the same thing!

"There's a ghost!" Jia Baoyu screamed and threw himself into Xiren's arms. Sheyue trembled so much that she almost dropped the lantern in her hand and screamed, "Help!"

Xiren was also frightened and couldn't move. The three of them huddled together, trembling.

Jia Lian stepped forward and shouted, "Shut up! A gentleman does not talk about strange things. Baoyu, have you read so many books that you have gone to a dog's stomach?"

After seeing that it was Jia Lian, the three of them were relieved. However, Baoyu, who was still frightened, was still complaining: "Second Brother Lian is standing on the road without a lantern. It's the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Who wouldn't be afraid?"

Jia Lian stepped forward and said angrily: "We are Confucian scholars. We have a righteous spirit in our hearts. Why should we fear ghosts and gods?"

"It's getting late. I'm going back. Goodbye, Second Brother Lian." Baoyu didn't dare to argue. He pulled Musk Moon and ran away. Xiren hurriedly chased after him.

After running a few steps, Xiren came back and thrust the lantern into Jia Lian's hand, saying, "Second Master Lian, hold the lantern and watch your step."

After Xiren caught up with Baoyu, Baoyu was still complaining: "Sister Xiren, why did you give him the lantern?" This sentence fully exposed Baoyu's true thoughts.

Xiren thought Baoyu's question was too silly, so she patiently explained: "Mr. Lian is now a fourth-rank official, and the Jia family will rely on him in the future. The old ancestor mentioned Mr. Lian in front of others, saying that he is the Qilin son of the Jia family and the pillar of the Rongguo Mansion in the future. Isn't it right to respect Mr. Lian?"

Xiren sent Baoyu there and returned to Lady Jia's courtyard to report back. Seeing that she was in a bad mood, Lady Jia did not ask any more questions and turned to give instructions to Yuanyang.

Later, Yuanyang found Xiren and asked what happened before. Xiren told him the truth, and Yuanyang did not exaggerate. Jia Mu could not help but mutter: "It's not good to be without your own people." After three consecutive days of stormy waves, the Zhongyuan Festival holiday followed. I don't know if the time was deliberately chosen. Anyway, it was a normal day off, and everyone seemed to take it lightly.

During the Zhongyuan Festival, Jia Zhen dragged his thin body but looked very energetic while presiding over the ceremony. Jia Lian in the crowd looked at Jia Zhen and knew that he was full of energy.

Fortunately, the activity was about to end. After yawning several times, Jia Zhen announced the end and hurried back.

After a busy morning, Jia Lian had no mood to have the banquet in the East Palace, and he made the excuse that he was tired and wanted to go back to rest.

Jia Rong followed him on the pretext of seeing him off, and when they were alone he said, "Second uncle, the one in Xuanzhen Temple is not feeling well now. It is said that he took a long time to recover after pressing a dent with his finger."

Jia Lian looked back carefully, then asked in a low voice: "What are the daily dietary requirements of the person in Xuanzhen Temple?"

"He eats all kinds of meat and fish, and eats a golden pill every day. After eating, he strips naked like crazy and runs fast in the peach forest in the backyard. Last year, he ran fast in the peach forest naked in the middle of winter, shouting that he wanted to avoid the cold and heat, and that he would attain enlightenment. Last time I went to deliver silver, there were more than a dozen Qian cultivators mixed together, and they looked very ugly. Fortunately, there are no houses around Xuanzhen Temple, so I am not afraid of being seen."

Jia Rong said this with gritted teeth. If this matter were to get out, it would be a huge scandal, the kind that the East Palace could not bear.

"Ask the family guards to guard the surroundings! Don't let any irrelevant people go up there. Wait patiently for him to leave. Don't keep anyone else." After Jia Lian gave the instructions quietly, Jia Rong nodded vigorously.

In any case, at this moment, the Jia family must not have such a scandal, otherwise Jia Lian will definitely be implicated. Even if the emperor protects Jia Lian, he will definitely be sent away.

After leaving the East Mansion, Jia Lian slowed down his pace. He finally understood that the reason why the East Mansion was in such a mess was not only because of Jia Jing and Jia Zhen, but also because of Jia Rong.

This family of three generations, father and son, is a mess. Not to mention Jia Jing and Jia Zhen, although Jia Rong was given the skill of making money by Jia Lian, they are both in the same line of "chaos".

Last time, Youshi hinted subtly that the land would become very barren after Qin Keqing came into the family.

At this stage, Jia Rong and Jia Lian share the same interests, and Jia Lian has never had any bad intentions.

Jia Rong had some evil thoughts, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. What he was thinking was whether he should take advantage of a quiet night after autumn to tell Xuan Zhen about it and burn all the mess inside.

As for Jia Rong's own disorder, he could be self-tolerant. There was one thing Jia Rong had never dared to tell anyone. He could not do it every time he faced Qin Keqing. But he could always burst out with great passion when facing his father's woman. At the beginning, Jia Zhen coveted Qin Keqing, and although Jia Rong was angry, he was a little excited in his heart. Unfortunately, he was suppressed by Jia Lian later, and Jia Zhen did not dare to take risks, lest the financial resources of the East Palace be cut off.

In the original novel, Jia Jing's affair has not been exposed for a long time. It may not be that others don't know about it, but no one is willing to take the risk of doing this unprofitable thing.

The situation is very different now. Jia Lian has brought the signs of reviving the Jia family, but also brought a lot of enemies. Although the level of these enemies is not high, who can guarantee it?
For many things, officials have not yet reached that level of responsibility and have no idea of ​​the inside story.

As for the three recent scandals, the top brass knew that it had nothing to do with Jia Lian, but they could not stop the people below from spreading rumors, and the top brass fanned the flames and did some unprofitable business.

It's all about struggles for interests here. There's no question of injustice or not. Since you've stepped into this battlefield, you're destined to be dragged down by a hidden vortex one day in the future.

While Jia Lian experienced the benefits of power, he also felt that he was helpless.

On the way, Jia Lian was intercepted by Lai Dajie. Lai Shangrong's affairs were handled completely according to Jia Lian's wishes. Now he is a minor official in Changping County, and the matter of donating money to become an official has been suspended.

"Master Lian, the old lady wants to see you."

Jia Lian asked curiously, "Why are you the one who invited us?"

Lai Dajia said respectfully, "I took the initiative to ask for this job. The head of the family asked me to come and thank Master Lian."

Jia Lian found this strange and asked as he walked away, "What did Lai Da say?"

"The head of the family said that the officialdom is too complicated. If you donate money rashly and end up with a real job, you will definitely be hated. It is better to understand the mystery first, and then seek a small official position. The head of the family also said that the second master knows the tricks, and what he said is actually for Shang Rong's good, not to shirk his efforts. Second Master Lian is very hardworking, and the Lai family should know how to be grateful."

After hearing these words, Jia Lian really admired the Lai couple. They were masters at flattery.

Let me ask you, do they sound nice or not?

When Jia Lian arrived at Grandmother Jia's place, she stepped forward to pay her respects. Grandmother Jia stood up and helped him to stop him from bowing. She said kindly, "My dear grandson, your father has been pestering Grandmother recently, insisting on giving him a maid. First he fell in love with Xiren, then Yuanyang. If you didn't agree, he would refuse to leave. In the end, he was only satisfied when Qiutong was given to him."

Jia Lian was a little confused. Jia She was really awesome. The question was, did you come here to cause trouble just to get the maid? Qiu Tong was not a good name. She was not very old now, was she? How could an old man do that?

"Grandma, don't worry. I will try to persuade her when I get back." Jia Lian continued to pretend to be a good person.

Grandmother Jia held Jia Lian's hand, with a picture of a peaceful family happiness, and said with a smile: "Speaking of maids, my good grandson has never asked grandmother for them. How about this, Yuanyang and Xiren are both thirteen years old, take them away if you like them."

It would be strange if Jia Lian agreed to this in front of Wang Xifeng. Seeing Yuanyang and Xiren standing behind Jia's mother with their heads bowed and silent, Jia Lian wanted to say, "I want both."

In fact, what Jia Lian said was: "Thank you, grandmother. My grandson is already married. Feng'er is a good wife, and my grandson has no shortage of people to use. Let's just leave it alone."

Without waiting for Lady Jia to continue, Jia Lian hurriedly said, "I'll go to the East Cross Courtyard to see my father and give him some advice."

Jia Lian left in a hurry, and Grandmother Jia stood there a little confused. Why would he leave so easily?
Wang Xifeng's fingernails were digging into her flesh. When she saw Jia Lian leaving, she quickly apologized and hurriedly followed him.

Jia Lian deliberately slowed down his pace, waited for Wang Xifeng to catch up, took her hand and said, "Hold on! Just know that I support you no matter what."

Wang Xifeng nodded vigorously: "Okay, I will endure it! I won't cause trouble for my husband!"

(End of this chapter)