Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 335 Intelligence System
Wealth is an important criterion for measuring whether a person's mind is clear.

To put it another way, whether the amount of wealth matches the social status!
Jia Lian is very clear-headed in this regard. How can money be as important as social status?
In the Zhou Dynasty, you can only be rich if you have status. If you are rich but not have status, you are just a fat pig and can be chopped down on the chopping board at any time.

The King of Dongping took the initiative to give up Shanhaiguan, not because Shanhaiguan was unimportant, but because it was too important. With the few Dongping cavalry in his hands, if he refused to give up Shanhaiguan, he would be a thorn in the eyes of Emperor Chenghui. However, giving up Shanhaiguan meant that the channel for obtaining a large amount of wealth was cut off. No matter how rich the products of Liaodong were, they would be a pile of waste if there was no channel to sell them.

Now it seems that the goods from Liaodong can reach the capital, which shows that the channel of Shanhaiguan has been opened. There should have been some channels in the capital, but the outbreak of the Chongwenmen tax supervision case caused the channels to be damaged.

Bribery also depends on the person. Some people rely on their status and dare to accept any amount of money.

If you think about it carefully, it is not difficult to come up with a major case that is close to the truth. Some time ago, a large number of goods from Liaodong were transported to Beijing, and the original channels were broken, resulting in a backlog of goods.

In the capital, whose goods are not dared to be touched? People who are familiar with the details of the capital can easily find the Jia family's shop. I didn't dare to approach it before, because there was a Jia Lian in the Jia family who didn't play by the rules. Now the situation is urgent, I have to test it. If I can't bribe Jia Lian, can't I bribe Jia Rong?

"Let's go back! Come to me if you have any problems." After sorting out his thoughts, Jia Lian was no longer in a hurry. He told Jia Yun and went back to work.

Ni Er also gave instructions to send people to keep an eye on Xuanzhen Temple and the fake nun.

If it is really discovered that Jia Jing is still connected with the Zhen family through the fake nun, the so-called uncle will not be taken care of anymore and it will just be a matter of fire.

After the idea of ​​taking precautions was born, Jia Lian was thinking about how to plan. If he was going to kill, he had to kill them all without leaving any hidden dangers.

Thinking that there might be an undercover agent in Long Jinwei, Jia Lian couldn't help but sigh. Undercover agents were inevitable, but the scary thing was that they could suppress the news, which showed that they were in a high position.

The leader who is responsible for keeping an eye on the Zhen family must be at least a deputy commander, right? There aren't many deputy commanders under the Dragon Guard. There are only four deputy commanders in the North and South Yamen combined.

Is he Qiu Shian's man or Xia Shouzhong's man?

Jia Lian prefers to deal with Xia Shouzhong rather than Qiu Shian, so he might as well give him a reminder.

Xia Gang, who was still at work, received a letter with only an address in it. At a glance, Xia Gang knew who was looking for him.

At the sisters' home in the south of the city, Jia Lian was telling Ni Er to buy several houses in the east and south of the city and put them in Ni Er's name. They needed someone to maintain them on a daily basis and they were just for backup. The money was naturally the sisters' account.

Nowadays, wherever Ni Er goes, people call him "Uncle Ni". He knows very well how this happened. Without Jia Lian's protection, he would be thrown into the canal to feed turtles in three days at most.

Naturally, I would do my best to carry out what Jia Lian had asked me to do, and then I would just submit the address. The people below were easy to arrange.

The purpose of buying a house is naturally not to hide a beautiful woman, but some things are not convenient to do openly and need to be done in a secret place.

The purpose of not restricting or even indulging Ni Er's development is very clear, which is for intelligence. This thing is not that high-end, there are many local snakes, so intelligence will naturally be obtained.

After Ni Er left, Jia Lian called Zhuzi over to ask him, "Among the family guards, is there anyone who is good at gathering intelligence?"

Zhuzi shook his head: "Second Master, I don't know. Go back and ask my father. He knows." Jia Lian waved his hand helplessly: "Go and ask."

It is time to establish my own intelligence system in the capital. It was unnecessary before, but as my personal status rises and I have more and more enemies, I have no choice but to do it.

Regarding intelligence, Jia Lian's limited knowledge comes from movies and TV dramas, and he doesn't know whether they are reliable or not, so he should ask professionals.

Not long after Zhuzi left, Xia Gang arrived in a very inconspicuous two-person sedan and entered the yard directly through the side door.

After Jia Lian welcomed him in, he dismissed everyone and asked in a low voice, "Who is in charge of the intelligence officer of Longjinwei?"

Xia Gang was startled by such an abrupt question. He looked at Jia Lian suspiciously and asked, "Why do you think of asking this?"

Jia Lian didn't elaborate, but waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about it. If you know, you can say it. If you can't say it, don't force it."

Xia Gang fell into silence. He hesitated for a long time, then nodded slightly and said, "Tian Xingda, the commander of the Southern Court, is a minister of the Qiandi Palace. He is responsible for managing undercover agents and is under the jurisdiction of the Secret Guard. My uncle is actually in charge of the Northern Court, and he also has a spy department and subordinates who do the work of stalking and gathering intelligence. You know, the Dragon Guard does have the power to arrest people in the capital, but he does not have the power to deal with them after arresting them. Did you find anything wrong? Please let me know in time."

Xia Gang's judgment was reasonable. Jia Lian controlled the Five Cities Military Division, and was in charge of the security, sanitation, and fire prevention of the capital. He had thousands of people under him, all of whom were local tyrants. Although these people were not professional, they were numerous and directly contacted all kinds of people in the capital. If there was any disturbance, Jia Lian would know it faster than anyone else.

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, didn't the Dragon Guard and the Imperial Horse Supervisor, who thought they had everything under control, suffer a great loss? If Jia Lian hadn't come to their rescue in time, the throne might have been taken by someone else.

How did Jia Lian provide reinforcements in time? Of course, the information was timely. The people of Longjinwei still have limitations. At least their identities cannot be exposed, and the transmission of information is not as convenient as that of Wucheng Bingmasi.

There was one thing Xia Gang couldn't say. The Southern Yamen Commander Tian Xingda didn't make a living by his skills, but by his seniority and loyalty.

Once, Xia Shouzhong got drunk and complained that Qiu Shi'an and Tian Xingda were only good at showing their loyalty in front of His Majesty, but were not good at getting things done.

Xia Gang knew very well that Jia Lian and Xia Shouzhong had a tacit understanding between them, and they were at the level of quasi-allies, so he said everything he could to further deepen his relationship with Jia Lian, which was a personal connection.

"Did your uncle send anyone to keep an eye on the Zhen family?" Jia Lian asked directly.

"I actually know about this. My uncle said that they had arranged surveillance before. After the New Year's Eve, Qiu Shian asked to remove the surveillance, saying that his people had already infiltrated the Zhen family and there was no need to alarm them."

Jia Lian understood and subconsciously said, "The status between the governor and Qiu Daban is not equal."

Xia Gang thought this was a joke, but he still patiently explained, "My uncle controls the Northern Yamen and the Imperial Horse Administration. What's wrong with bowing to Qiu Daban?"

"I understand. Eating alone will make you die of overeating!" Jia Lian agreed deeply. Qiu Shian and Xia Shouzhong also had a tacit understanding between them.

"You know nothing. Qiu Daban is very sensible. The two of them cooperate happily and do not infringe on each other. Why do we have to fight to a conclusion and let someone else continue the fight? Is it interesting?"

Jia Lian nodded: "Whether you want to tell the Governor about what happened today is up to you. In short, everything must be kept confidential." "Thank you very much. If you have any important news in the future, remember to keep each other informed." Xia Gang felt that the matter was not small, so he did not stay any longer and said goodbye with his hands clasped.

It was half an hour later when Zhuzi came back and reported from outside the door: "Second Master, my father is here."

Rules are something that people should follow. Even though this is not the Jia Mansion, Zhang San and his son have always followed the rules.

Jia Lian said Zhang San came in to talk. After meeting, Zhang San finished the greeting and immediately reported: "Second Master, when the old master was here, there were dozens of people who manipulated the news. At that time, they were all under the management of Lai Da. Later, Master She was incompetent, and Second Master Zheng was a seedling of learning. The old master was too old to manage the affairs, so he placed them in Liaodong. Second Master Zheng has been in charge for many years and has not taken care of them much."

I said how could the Jia family not have someone engaged in intelligence work? Jia Daishan saw clearly that Jia She and Jia Zheng could not carry the banner of continued glory for the Jia family, so he adopted a conservative strategy. As for Jia Jing, in Jia Daishan's view, he was just a nephew and not someone who could make a name for himself, so he simply placed the relevant personnel in a remote place.

"Can you contact them?" Jia Lian still wanted to know how these people were doing and whether they could continue to be used. If nothing else, their experience was very useful.

Zhang San was silent for a long time before he said, "I was the one who escorted them to Liaodong back then. I can go to Liaodong to reminisce about the past."

Jia Lian pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "Okay, you go to Tianjin and borrow the navy's ship to go to Liaodong. The ground in Liaodong is unstable, so bring more people with you. Safety is the first priority."

Zhang San asked: "Second Master, what will you say when you see them?"

Jia Lian answered straightforwardly: "Ask them if they are willing to return to the capital. If they are willing, they can come back with you and I will be responsible for their placement."

As he spoke, Jia Lian asked Ruyan to fetch three thousand taels of silver notes, and handed them to Zhang San, saying, "One thousand taels is for travel expenses, and the rest is for their resettlement expenses."

Zhang San took the banknote and said goodbye very straightforwardly. Jia Lian fell back on the kang, and Ruyan, who was beside him, quickly supported him and put his head on his legs. Well, don't ask why I know that Jia Lian likes to use his legs as a pillow, I just know.

Jia Lian never thought about holding the power of the world because he was too suicidal.

At this stage, we must promote the Great Zhou to contact the West as much as possible and grasp the trends of the West. The Great Zhou delegation has been sent out, and the French delegation has taken the initiative to come to the door, which are all good things.

But this is far from enough, we need to speed up.

The Great Zhou’s top leaders’ understanding of the West is still at a one-sided stage.

A big reason why the West was able to defeat China in modern times was the fertile environment created by constant wars.

War gave rise to advances in weapons and tactics, and the wealth plundered through colonial wars became the basis for the birth of capitalism.

Xia Shouzhong, who had been very busy recently, was somewhat surprised to learn that Xia Gang came to ask for a meeting.

After meeting, he asked impatiently: "Don't you know I'm very busy recently? Have you caused me any trouble?"

Xia Shouzhong is a rootless person. Although Xia Gang is his nephew, he is valued more than his own son.

Xia Gang told him about Jia Lian's invitation to a secret meeting. Xia Shouzhong couldn't help but frowned and said, "This kid is very cunning. He must know something but won't say it." He slowed down his tone and said slowly, "Don't bother yourself with Qiu Shian's affairs, so as not to get in trouble. I didn't see Nan Ya. I always took a detour when I passed by. As for Jia Lian, keep in touch with him in the future. This little bastard is quite a loyal person!"

When he returned home in the evening, he saw Jia Rong waiting at the door. Jia Lian smiled and greeted him calmly: "Rong'er, what are you waiting for?"

"There is something I can't make up my mind about, so I came to ask my second uncle for advice." Jia Rong stated his purpose. Jia Lian guessed that Jia Yun did not tell him the content of their conversation.

I don’t know if she wanted to show who has the authority in the backyard of the Jia family, but recently Wang Xifeng has not stayed at Grandmother Jia’s house very late, and they haven’t had much chance to have dinner together.

The girl was brought by Wang Xifeng, and only Guixiang came out to greet them. Jia Lian motioned Jia Rong to wait a moment, and after changing clothes, he came out to greet them, and the two went to the study.

The study in the west wing is a semi-restricted area, and only a handful of people can enter.

After Xiren was arranged to come in, she didn't have to listen to a lot of noise. Xiangling was gentle and not jealous, and the two of them got along well after a while.

Seeing Jia Lian coming, Xiangling hurried out to greet him, while Xiren lagged behind, feeling a little annoyed. From the time she met Lady Jia to this place, Xiren had been feeling uneasy and wanted to find someone to lean on before she could feel at ease.

"Go make some tea, I have something to talk about." Jia Lian touched Xiangling's head out of habit. Xiangling squinted her eyes, showing a comfortable expression, and went to work diligently. Xiren quickly followed.

After entering, Jia Lian sat down and motioned Jia Rong to sit down as well, but Jia Rong chose to stand and said, "Second uncle, the business in Liaodong originally had very good business, and suddenly came to us to entrust us with sales. I thought that it was a pie in the sky, and it would be easy to hit someone and cause trouble. But then I thought that the goods in Liaodong are in short supply, and I can make a lot of money if I get them, so I feel a little reluctant. Oh, there is one more thing. The Third Prince asked his nephew to tell Second Uncle that his people have got the job of Chongwenmen Tax Supervisor. With the combination of the two, the business of Liaodong goods in the inner city is like picking up money."

Jia Lian looked at Jia Rong calmly and asked, "Your father was unable to do business in Liaodong even though his leg was broken. Do you think you can do it?"

Jia Rong shook his head decisively: "Of course I can't do this. They came here for my second uncle. The reason why the Jia family's business is successful now is because of my second uncle's protection. Otherwise, it wouldn't be that big."

"Well, when it comes to the business of southern goods, the Xue family still feels that having the protection of the Wang family is not enough, and they have to bring in the Jia family to feel at ease. In this regard, Xue Pan is better than you." Jia Lian pointed out bluntly.

Jia Rong immediately understood that Jia Lian was unwilling to get involved in the business in Liaodong, but he was still a little unwilling and hesitated to speak.

Jia Lian further explained: "When my grandfather was in charge of the Beijing camp, he only bought several thousand acres of farmland in Liaodong, and did not make full use of Liaodong's benefits. After my grandfather left, the Liaodong trade route was directly cut off. Why? People are no longer interested in him. The Prince of Dongping has been managing the situation for many years, so he is so kind to let the Jia family share a piece of the pie? If he had walked a little slower on the eve of the New Year, the Shenji Camp would have killed him."

At this point, Jia Rong would be a complete fool if he didn't understand. Although he was unwilling, he nodded and said, "In that case, nephew will go back."

After Jia Rong finished speaking, he said goodbye and went back. Xiangling came in soon with empty hands. Xiren was holding a cup of tea and put it down gently.

"Second Master, come and see what the servant has written." Xiangling did not shy away from Xiren's presence. She put Jia Lian on a chair and then sat on her legs, leaning against the human cushion.

Xiren was stunned. Is he so outrageous?
(End of this chapter)