Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 337 New Errand

Jia Rong has grown a little crooked. He was crooked to begin with, but now the angle of his crookedness has changed.

Forget it, just watch what happens in other people’s homes.

There is also the Xue family. Although Xue Pan has matured a lot, Aunt Xue's words still carry a lot of weight.

The image of the graceful widow in her thirties emerged in Jia Lian's mind, and he shook his head helplessly. A bystander could not make decisions for other people's family affairs.

It was originally a roundabout relative, why bother yourself? Being able to make money with Xue Pan is very righteous.

Unfortunately, the child didn’t see it clearly as he only looked at it for a short while.

The East Palace is full of eyes, so Jia Lian dare not act rashly.

The three women in the house did not rest and were waiting for Jia Lian to come back.

After chatting for a while, Jia Lian washed up, changed his clothes and went to the study. After a while, Ping'er came in and said, "The gate to the courtyard is bolted!"

Jia Lian, who was holding a book, was a little surprised that Guixiang didn't come to join in the fun?
Jia Lian laid down his book, and Ping'er tidied him up. After a while, he lay aside and whispered, "Sister Guixiang said that the second wife gave birth to the eldest daughter, and we are probably in trouble."

"Don't think too much. Whether you can get pregnant depends entirely on fate." Jia Lian's comfort was unconvincing.

"I think, Master is not that kind of playboy, his body is drained, so it can only be our problem." Ping'er was a little crazy. Jia Lian found that comforting her was ineffective, so he simply used physical comfort.

When a woman is fulfilled, she will not feel insecure!

There is absolutely no need for modern people to envy ancient people. No matter how well-behaved a woman is, she cannot be as quiet as a man who encourages her.

A man must be able to make a lot of money, be tolerant, provide emotional value, and give women freedom. Even a father may not be able to meet these conditions. Those who can meet them must be liars, who are either here to cheat money or to cheat on women. They are just here to make money, why pretend to be independent and free.

In this era, men and women are all dead souls under the scythe of capital.

In the side room behind the curtain, separated by a wall, Xiangling had already gotten used to it and slept soundly, while Xiren, who had not yet adapted, was tormented by the whimpering noise until the second half of the night.

I didn't dare get up even though I had the urge to pee. I could only wait until the noise stopped, then quietly got down and took care of it. Then I went back to the kang. This time I didn't think too much and fell asleep as soon as I fell down.

When Xiren woke up, she found that there was no one around her. Looking at the time, she panicked and got up quickly to help Jia Lian wash and dress.

When she lifted the curtain, she saw Xiangling wiping the desk. Jia Lian was long gone. Xiangling pointed to the breakfast on the chair and said, "It's too mushy to eat because it's cold. I brought two meat buns for my sister."

Xiren, who was not scolded, stepped forward and asked anxiously, "Who served Master Lian?"

"With Aunt Guixiang and Sister Ping'er serving us, no one else can stretch out their hands or get close to us." Xiangling continued to wipe the table. Xiren felt uncomfortable. Was she talking to me?
Xiangling usually doesn't have a companion, but with Xiren by her side, she talks more: "Aunt Guixiang and Sister Ping'er are both worried that they are not pregnant. Be careful when you see them. Sister Ping'er has a good temper and won't curse anyone, but Sister Guixiang is a hot-tempered person. If you provoke her, she might scratch your face."

Xiren is already numb. This family is so weird. As long as she doesn't get close to Mr. Lian, everything will be fine, right? Then why did the old lady ask me to come here?
Thinking of Lady Jia, Xiren also felt a little headache and she had to find time to go there.

After two days, Xiren discovered a problem: no one envied her, they just simply ignored her.

Whether you really don't hate or you dare not hate is another matter, but you really feel the ignoring.

Xiren was a little worried. Xiangling looked a little dazed, but she was actually very smart, and every word she said was a hint at her.

Anyway, it was much more relaxing here than with the old lady. No one would wake her up if she slept in. This was the first time Xiren slept in since she entered the Jia Mansion.

Xiangling saw her staring blankly at the buns, and continued to remind her, "It was Sister Ping'er last night. When Aunt Guixiang comes later, remember to plug your ears with cotton before you go to sleep."

Xiren..., is this environment really suitable for girls?

"Then what about us from now on?" Xiren asked cautiously. Xiangling turned around and looked at her calmly: "Just wait! It all depends on what Master wants."

…………

Emperor Chenghui didn't make things too bloody this time. He didn't chop off any heads, but just gave a dozen white silks.

The Dragon Guard was not idle during the house-confiscation matter. If the Dragon Guard was not needed for such a small matter, there would be no need for this unit to exist.

After another round of purge, officials in Beijing have become much more honest. In previous years, one would have to pay at least two thousand taels to get a seventh-rank vacancy in the Ministry of Personnel, but now everything is handled impartially and according to the rules.

How should I put it? The Ministry of Personnel is just not efficient. I guess it's because they haven't received any money, so the people below are not motivated.

Long Jinwei once again demonstrated his presence. After a report was handed over, Emperor Chenghui convened a cabinet meeting.

Jia Lian was once again invited by the eunuchs to sit in on the meeting. When the bigwigs walked into the meeting room and saw Jia Lian, they faced his greetings with numb expressions and aching hearts.

Emperor Chenghui was the last one to come in. After all the ministers paid their respects to him, Emperor Chenghui started scolding people without waiting for Qiu Shian to open his mouth to announce the meeting.

"What's going on with the Ministry of Personnel? Isn't it enough for the officials of the Ministry of Personnel to make enough money if 300 officials were dismissed in the Li Rebellion case? There are more than 200 vacancies in various places. If they drag their feet, do they have to wait until next year to fill the vacancies? Prime Minister Liang, can this Shangshu still do his job? If not, he should step down and let someone more capable do his job."

Liang Daoyuan felt as if he was struck by a bolt from the blue. His body tilted and swayed several times, and he had to hold on to a chair before he could stand steadily.

Liang Daoyuan, who knew Emperor Chenghui's temper well, did not make any excuses, but simply said: "Your Majesty, I am guilty. I have been too busy recently and neglected to manage and rectify the Ministry of Personnel."

Emperor Chenghui looked at him calmly without saying anything. He waited for at least a minute. When Liang Daoyuan was sweating profusely, he spoke: "One month to fill the gap."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!" Liang Daoyuan understood and did not intend to change him. He just thought that the officials in the Ministry of Personnel were too greedy and would not work unless they were paid. Emperor Chenghui knew very well whether the officials were greedy or not, but everything should be done in moderation. If they were too greedy and delayed the work, they would be punished.

The performance evaluation system will be implemented starting next year, and efficiency will be important in work. There is nothing wrong with taking money to do things. If there are problems with officials recommended by the Ministry of Personnel, one or two is not a big deal, but if there are more, they will definitely be held jointly responsible.

Today's meeting started like thunder, and after frightening Liang Daoyuan, Emperor Chenghui returned to normal, and Qiu Shian came forward to announce the content of the meeting.

Budget, audit, and performance appraisal are the top priorities of the annual work. Liang Daoyuan, Guo Yan, and Pan Jixun are responsible for urging each of them, and Kong Zhao is in charge of the overall work. The extra Li Chi was not idle either, and he walked from north to south to see how the navy construction was going. The navy was built last year, and the court wanted to see success. It couldn't give money and approve policies without seeing any results.

Emperor Chenghui did not let them choose, but directly appointed them. The three cabinet ministers had an additional job in addition to their original duties.

The cabinet ministers had no choice but to accept the task. Emperor Chenghui gave orders, and if they were not done well, the emperor would be dissatisfied and would be punished.

Finally, Emperor Chenghui issued another personnel appointment: "Jia Lian, as the Imperial Censor of Jingji Road, will inspect on behalf of the emperor and supervise the execution of tasks by various officials. If there are any corruption during the inspection, he will be given the power to arrest them first and correct the procedures later. This card is a proof!"

In front of all the ministers, the gold medal that had been taken back was taken out again, and Qiu Shian held it in both hands and handed it to Jia Lian.

Jia Lian, helpless, also took it with both hands and raised it in front of his forehead: "I obey your command!"

Emperor Chenghui looked at Jia Lian's ugly face after he was forcibly conscripted, and couldn't help but feel happy. He said in a relaxed tone: "I know you don't want to take the job. If you have any objections, you'd better put them away and do your job well. If you don't do the job well and I am not satisfied, you can go to the navy to catch fish."

[Winter is coming soon, the Bohai Sea is frozen, and no fish can be caught.] Jia Lian could only refute in his mind that this scene was a mockery of the emperor, and perhaps he was really driven to the Bohai Sea to catch fish.

The cabinet officials knew that the emperor was serious this time and would not tolerate them procrastinating.

Jia Lian also knew that Emperor Chenghui couldn't stand him having too much free time. Could it be that he had been slacking off too much recently and the emperor couldn't stand it anymore?
I'm in charge of two departments, and my work performance is not bad. What's wrong with slacking off? Don't I just like to delegate power?
"Your Majesty, I have something to report." Jia Lian certainly had to find people to work like slaves. There were so many tasks that one person could not finish them.

"Approved!" Emperor Chenghui sat back in his chair, very satisfied that Jia Lian finally started to work.

"As the supervisor of the three tasks for the year, I only have two eyes and cannot keep track of them all. At the same time, in order to avoid private transfers, at least six people are required to be stationed at different locations, with two people in a group supervising each other. Your Majesty, it is not that I am lazy, but I am responsible for too many things at the moment, especially the R&D Department. Now that the results are about to come out, I dare not neglect it."

Speaking of the R&D Department, Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but ask, "What new tricks are they doing? I heard a few days ago that the R&D Department opened a noodle stand. Is that reasonable?"

When Jia Lian heard this, he quickly explained: "Your Majesty, this is what happened. The chef in the canteen added alkaline flour when kneading the dough and found that the steamed buns tasted great. There are many craftsmen in the R&D department, and even more family members. It is difficult for a family to support themselves with that little salary. That's why I came up with the idea of ​​letting some family members open a noodle stall to earn some extra money to supplement the family expenses."

"What nonsense! Who among the many workshops in the capital doesn't know how well the R&D Department treats them? They are all struggling to make a living, and other craftsmen have to beg for food." The one who jumped out to fight back against Jia Lian was Li Chi, who was about to be sent out to inspect the naval forces in various places. He would have to stay outside for the whole year and spend the new year outside. He was in a bad mood and had no place to vent, so he directed it at Jia Lian.

"Lord Li, what you said is wrong. The craftsmen in the Research and Development Department are divided into eight levels. The highest-ranking craftsman only makes eight silver dollars a month, and the lowest apprentice makes only five hundred coins a month. They do such heavy work every day, how can the salary be high?" Jia Lian retorted rudely. Li Chi was stunned. He really didn't know these specific figures. He just heard from his subordinates that the salary in the Research and Development Department was too high, and the craftsmen in other government-run workshops had no intention of working.

Li Chi didn't understand, so he could only look for someone who knew about it. He turned to Pan Jixun and asked, "Prime Minister Pan, do you think this salary is high?"

Pan Jixun didn't expect to be dragged into this, and he retorted angrily, "Whether the R&D department's treatment is good or not is the R&D department's own business. What does it have to do with me? What does it have to do with you?"

Li Chi didn't expect Pan Jixun to not give him face. What about the promised internal unity? In a hurry, he said, "There are so many official workshops in the Ministry of Industry, with tens of thousands of craftsmen. If they are all paid according to the standards of the R&D Department, how much money is that? Isn't Prime Minister Pan worried that the craftsmen under the Ministry of Industry will not work hard and delay the important matters of the court?"

Of course Pan Jixun didn't buy his trick. He thought, "You are competing with Jia Lian, and you dragged me into this. We'll settle the score later." So he sneered and said, "The Ministry of Works' affairs are none of your business."

Li Chi almost vomited a mouthful of blood. He sat back with a thud, leaned back, and fainted from anger.

No one knew whether this scene was fake, but Emperor Chenghui was still very responsible and called for the imperial physician. Soon the imperial physician came in and signaled for the person to be carried away. After a busy period of work, the meeting could not continue.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Emperor Chenghui asked. Jia Lian immediately asked, "Where is the person I want?"

Emperor Chenghui was very upset. Why is there still your trouble? He changed his mind and said, "Go find Lin Ruhai and borrow the people from the inspection team. It's not appropriate to set up a special department for such a small matter."

Jia Lian immediately said, "Your Majesty, none of the three tasks can be accomplished overnight. We should set up a temporary department. I suggest that officials below the seventh rank be selected and those with good performance be directly added to the inspection team."

At this time, Guo Yan stood up and said, "Your Majesty, this year's spring examination was interrupted. I beg you to make up for it. Some candidates have lived in the capital for three years. If it is delayed any further, there may be criticism."

Emperor Chenghui glanced at Guo Yan and said, "The examination will be held in February next year, so there is plenty of time. For now, Mr. Guo should focus on the implementation of the examination system in the capital. If Mr. Guo is not competent, I can replace him with someone else." Guo Yan dared not say that he was not competent. The consequence would definitely be that he would be kicked out of the cabinet. He would not be dismissed, but he would definitely be demoted. After all, he was promoted by the emperor.

Guo Yan quickly bowed and said, "I understand, and I will live up to your majesty's trust."

[Oh, I feel so bitter. The exam is a humiliating job, why did it fall on me? If there was a joint exam, maybe I could have avoided it.]

Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, Guo Yan lowered his head, admitted his mistake, and sat back.

Emperor Chenghui looked back at Jia Lian and said, "People, go to the Ministry of Personnel and find six suitable people. Um, name them a special temporary inspection team. Do a good job. If the work below is not done well, the special temporary inspection team will also be responsible."

Jia Lian turned around and said, "Please cooperate with the Ministry of Personnel!"

Liang Daoyuan stared at her with fiery eyes for a few seconds before avoiding her sight. Just because he would not be beaten in this situation did not mean that he would not be beaten when he went out.

This bastard is different from others. He really doesn't want to work and doesn't respect the power that comes with his position.

You can't compare people. Others would do anything to get promoted and gain power, but he was lucky. The position the emperor forced upon him was still the power to work in the cabinet.

Where can I go to seek justice?

Liang Daoyuan looked at Prime Minister Kong Zhao helplessly. The old man stood with his hands hanging down. If one didn't know better, one would think that he had gone too far with his concubine last night and could fall asleep while standing now.

(End of this chapter)