Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian
Chapter 348 The angle of flattery is important
Chapter 348 The angle of flattery is important
The conversation between the father and son now seems quite appropriate, with some signs of mutual understanding between them.
"Third brother, the garrison troops of the Nine Gates are performing poorly, and Li Shisan is stubborn and self-willed. Who should replace him?" When Emperor Chenghui suddenly asked such a question, Jia Lian broke out in cold sweat on the back of his spine. He was so scared!
Even though he was frightened, Jia Lian did not dare to look at Li Heng. Emperor Chenghui was looking down at him and he continued to stand with his head lowered and his hands hanging.
If Li Heng can't even get through this level, there's no point in rescuing him.
In fact, Li Heng's heart was also stimulated to beat faster suddenly, and he instantly went crazy. At the critical moment, Li Heng pinched his thigh hard with the hand in his sleeve, and then he calmed down.
Fortunately, he had been thinking about this question all the way, so after a brief pause, he was able to raise his head and calmly answer: "I think that Li Shisan has done nothing wrong. What he lacks is just experience. Why not let him take some time to go to the West Mountain Camp and learn how to train troops from General Sun. With time, he will surely be able to play a big role."
After this answer, Jia Lian's tense body relaxed. Li Heng did not make any mistakes before the life-threatening question, and his performance was excellent.
For the position of the commander of the Nine Gates, no emperor would care about ability, but loyalty. Even Jia Lian, a "loyal" minister, would not interfere with the work of the Nine Gates garrison.
Li Shisan confronted Jia Lian, his nominal superior, in public. Who gave him the courage? Who was he? Who was fooling a fool?
"Well, the Third Brother's suggestion is feasible. I will consider it. However, Li Shisan contradicted Jia Lian in public. If he is wrong, he should be punished. I will punish him for one year. Jia Lian, are you satisfied?"
Jia Lian felt like a boomerang had hit him in the face. Li Shisan was born into a royal family, but his disadvantage was that he was not a legitimate child. From his father's side, he was Li Heng's cousin.
It's just that his father died early, and children born out of wedlock were not valued at home. However, he was quite hardworking and was considered a talent in the royal family.
"Your Majesty, you worry too much. I wish I could quit my job immediately and rest at home for a few days." Jia Lian looked up and answered with a smile, not serious at all.
Emperor Chenghui also got used to this guy's way of laughing and joking in front of the emperor, and found him more likable than those serious ministers.
"Okay, that's it. We'll continue the review tomorrow and the Ministry of War shouldn't join in the fun!" Emperor Chenghui waved his hand, motioning the two to leave, and they withdrew together.
In the end, Emperor Chenghui still gave an attitude. Judging from the result, it was not too light or too heavy, a punishment similar to ten strokes of the cane. The people in the Ministry of War would definitely feel ashamed, and the narrow-minded people would still hate Jia Lian, and Li Shisan would definitely put the blame on Jia Lian. They couldn't hate the Third Prince, right? This was the emperor's review of the Beijing camp, and the Third Prince's chances of ascending to the top were greatly increased. It was too late to curry favor with him.
Nothing can be accomplished overnight, and Jia Lian was not in a hurry to push for changes in the Ministry of War. It can even be said that Emperor Chenghui was more anxious than Jia Lian.
After the two of them left, Emperor Chenghui said to himself in front of Qiu Shian: "The officials of the Ministry of War don't know about military affairs, how ridiculous!"
This matter was caused by the Emperor Retired. In the early years, the Minister of War and the two Vice Ministers were all high-ranking military officials. However, these soldiers were not clean when they were corrupt and their work was too rough. They were caught with real evidence and impeached. They were all dismissed and replaced by civil officials. In the next 20 years, there were no military officers in the Ministry of War. This is like some large companies in the lighthouse, the CEO is Indian, and soon all the middle and senior management are Indian. Civil officials are not good at fighting, and they are all high-level skilled workers in terms of ostracizing people.
There is no need for official documents for this matter. Just send a eunuch to the Ministry of War and the Nine Gates Control Office to convey the oral order.
To be honest, Minister Zheng was also very nervous. He was so excited yesterday that he forgot about Jia Lian's glorious military achievements. He had just dealt with the Dali Temple not long ago, and the three main officers had all gone home to enjoy their old life.
Minister Zheng, who didn't sleep well that night, regretted being too impulsive. He was also thinking that he must be nicer today, so as not to completely anger the other party and become their enemy.
Jia Lian is a very strange person. Fortunately, the one who stood in front yesterday was Li Shisan. As Jia Lian's subordinate, he was more guilty of contradicting his superior.
When he got up early in the morning and arrived at the yamen, the eunuchs were already waiting there. Minister Zheng's heart trembled and he thought to himself: It's going to be bad!
Fortunately, the oral instruction delivered by the eunuch was not that serious. It merely pointed out that since one did not know how to train the troops, one should not make unfounded arguments. There was no need for the Ministry of War to send anyone to review the troops.
The wording was relatively mild, not too harsh. Minister Zheng was glad that he had escaped danger. It was thanks to Li Shisan who stood in front of him yesterday, otherwise he would have been in real trouble.
He quickly sent people to inquire about Li Shisan's news. Soon the news came back. The eunuch conveyed an oral order, punishing him for one year, temporarily retaining his original position to see the results, and ordered him to go to Xishan to agree to learn military training.
This punishment is much heavier, but it is not serious. Fortunately, he is the emperor's nephew, otherwise he would have been killed.
Because of this incident, another rumor spread that Jia Lian specifically targeted his colleagues and only those who were blood relatives to Your Majesty could escape disaster.
Most of the soldiers in Nanyuan and Tongzhou camps were veterans, many of whom had experienced the Shandong battlefield. The review process was uneventful, and there was nothing wrong with the existing equipment.
It is normal that the Zhou army, which mainly used matchlock guns, could not use the line-up shooting tactic, after all, burning matchlocks were unsafe. Line tactics required soldiers to be arranged in a dense formation with elbows touching elbows to achieve the maximum firepower density. This was possible with flintlock guns, but it was self-harming with matchlock guns, which was too unsafe.
The matchlock musket cannot be equipped with a bayonet, so the infantry behind is needed to hold the line. The cavalry tactics are still to protect the two wings and pursue when winning.
From watching the drills, Jia Lian knew that the armies of the three camps still attached the greatest importance to the combined output of rapid-fire cannons + muskets. The disadvantage was that the artillery had insufficient range.
(PS: I only realized after watching Gustav’s popular science video that the muzzle velocity of a Minié-loaded rifle is actually lower than that of a smoothbore rifle, and the tactical changes are not significant. I am ashamed, ashamed.)
As expected, the army’s equipment depends on the needs, and if it can cope with the situation, it must be makeshift.
In times of peace, military expenses must be taken care of first, and they should be saved wherever possible.
There are indeed some troubles around the Great Zhou, but they are not big, and it is not time to replace all the equipment with new ones. At present, the rifled guns made by Jia Lian are only actively requested by Wang Ziteng. Other armies want them, but they are scared when asked about the price. If you submit a report to ask for money, not only will the Ministry of Revenue spit in your face, but the Ministry of War will also be difficult to get through. Even if you can get the money, can you count on the kindness of the masters in the Ministry of War?
Although the R&D department is still producing new rifles, the staff has been reduced a lot, and the entire R&D department mainly relies on glass to make money. The new rifles now made are mainly to train skilled craftsmen and develop new percussion cap guns. Jia Lian did not make breech-loading rifles in one step. The obstacle was not the quality of steel, but the processing technology.
In addition, muzzle-loading rifles are sufficient for the time being. Even if Jia Lian develops advanced rifles, the court does not have the internal motivation to replace all of them.
In short, the accumulation of technology, the craftsmen must not be wasted. Spend money to support them, they can always be used.
Thanks to Wang Ziteng's large-scale purchase, otherwise, except for the Shenji Battalion, other armies would only think about the new rifles but would not take action. Unless they get it for free!
The pace of life and work in the Great Zhou was very slow. After entering October, it was rare that there was no trouble. In western Sichuan, Xia Shouzhong sent someone to deliver news before the end of the year. The matter was basically investigated. During the process of changing the chieftain system, local officials colluded with gentry and occupied local land and minerals. Officials even threatened and extorted the chieftains.
Xia Shouzhong also emphasized that local officials were at fault and the governor had accepted bribes, but local chieftains were also unruly and had long been rebellious.
Another New Year's Eve is approaching. Before Jia Lian went out to work that day, he couldn't help feeling dazed. Has an entire year already passed?
Looking at the snowflakes falling sparsely from the sky, the gloomy sky made it difficult to see far, and I felt depressed and thought something was going to happen.
After the last inspection, Li Heng's job changed a few days ago. He was now an advisor to the Ministry of War. This was not an observation, but a certain amount of real power. He could participate in any matter in the Ministry of War. He could do small things on his own initiative, but he had to discuss major matters with Li Chi, the cabinet minister who was temporarily in charge of the Ministry of War. It can be understood that Li Chi was originally in charge of all matters in the Ministry of War, but now half of the power has been taken away by Li Heng.
Li Heng's treatment changed, and the treatment of the second prince Li Yuan also changed. On the same day, Li Yuan was appointed as the counselor of the Ministry of Revenue. The power in the hands of Ning Ke, the Minister of Revenue, was also divided. Jia Lian muttered to himself on horseback that the emperor was playing a balancing game again. I have to admire his clever tactics, but how can I say it? An emperor can play tactics, but he should not be obsessed with them.
The most basic thing for an emperor to do when governing a country is to distribute the benefits of the world, and he must do his best to take care of the people at the bottom.
As far as we can see so far, Emperor Chenghui has done a good job in this regard. In every area where taxes are reduced or exempted, he will send inspection teams to supervise whether local officials are colluding with gentry to do anything wrong.
In the three months before the New Year, the Inspectorate became the busiest department. Three newly established inspection teams were sent out to the southwest, northwest, and along the canal.
It is generally difficult for people in the capital to feel the changes brought about by the inspection team, but Jia Lian felt it, mainly because of the contributions of the Five Cities Military Department and the special inspection team.
The price of rice has been stable and declining since winter. This is very gratifying!
For this purpose, Jia Lian specially submitted a memorial yesterday as a congratulatory message to His Majesty at the end of the year.
Every year before the New Year, a congratulatory letter is written. Of course, you can choose not to write one, but the emperor may not remember who wrote it, but those who didn't write it will definitely be remembered.
Emperor Chenghui was also very busy at the end of the year. The two legitimate princes were ordered around all the time. Li Yuan was ordered to supervise the implementation of the three major policies, while Li Heng visited the various troops in the capital on behalf of the emperor.
All the ministers could see that the two princes were now on par with each other.
Using the excuse of inspecting the gunpowder workshop, Jia Lian went out of Xizhimen and headed for the gunpowder workshop. At the end of the year, the craftsmen had already had a holiday, so Lord Jia did not go into the workshop, but went to a nearby farm.
Behind the two-meter-high rammed earth wall is a three-acre glass greenhouse filled with vegetables.
This thing is not a private use of public resources. The glass was paid for, but it was the cost price. The greenhouse looks a bit like a wooden house, with a mud wall on one side and a slanted glass facing the sun on the other side, and a fire channel on the side. I can only say that we should never underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. After Jia Lian proposed the idea, the craftsmen quickly implemented it and built a greenhouse. In order to keep warm, not only fire was burned, but also straw mats were used to cover it.
Of course, this is just a pilot project. If it is done well, it will be expanded next year, and it will be a huge source of income. In order to keep it secret, Jia Lian transferred dozens of family members to the farm. Not to mention ten or eight years, at least three years of income should be earned, right? In fact, there are similar greenhouses in the palace, but they can't compare with Jia Lian's glass greenhouse.
Others may ignore such a great benefit, but the emperor must not be left out.
Jia Lian personally delivered the newly harvested cucumbers and eggplants into a cart and brought them to the palace.
In the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chenghui, who rarely read congratulatory messages in previous years, specially selected many congratulatory messages from ministers and read them this year.
Overall, I am very satisfied. I don't know what other abilities the ministers have, but they are really good at writing articles to praise the emperor.
Phrases like "his achievements surpass those of Taizu, and are on par with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors" are heard quite frequently, which shows that the ministers have good vision.
After reading for a whole morning, Emperor Chenghui was in a good mood. He flipped through the book again and suddenly remembered to ask, "Where is Jia Lian's congratulatory letter?"
Qiu Shian was prepared and quickly replied: "Here, I put it in a separate place."
Emperor Chenghui took it and opened it impatiently.
Emperor Chenghui was very impressed by this. Jia Lian objectively summarized the key points and achievements of the court's administration last year.
It also provided evidence of the remarkable achievements of the administration, that is, the prices of goods in the capital, mainly grain prices, have fallen to varying degrees compared with the same period last year.
Jia Lian pointed out that the fundamental reason for the decline in prices without the influence of the court's decrees was that the court's policies were good and His Majesty's decisions were wise and powerful, surpassing the rule of the three dynasties of Yao and Shun.
They are all praising the emperor. This is the first time I have seen Jia Lian do this. He speaks directly with data, without any empty talk, and his flattery is well-founded and based on reasons.
"You are quite knowledgeable, you rascal!" Emperor Chenghui seemed a little drunk. Thinking about the previous congratulatory letters, he couldn't help but complain: "Comparing goods is a waste!"
The following paragraph is full of adjectives. Don't take it too seriously. Everyone exaggerates like this.
At this time, the eunuch came to report that Jia Lian had sent a cart of cucumbers and eggplants to the palace.
After hearing this, Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but ask curiously: "Qiu Shian, don't the palace have vegetables? Go and see what this fellow sent."
A cart couldn't hold much, just six baskets in total. After a while, Qiu Shian came back with the eunuchs, two of them carrying a large basket each.
Qiu Shian was pleasantly surprised and said, "Sir, the vegetables Jia Lian sent are wilted and look rare."
Emperor Chenghui had no idea what was going on, so he asked Qiu Shian to get some of the food produced in the palace for comparison, only to find that the food sent by Jia Lian was indeed much more lively and larger in size.
Qiu Shian was amazed: "It's strange, how did this guy grow such juicy plants?"
Emperor Chenghui looked at Qiu Shian and said, "Where is he? Ask him!"
Qiu Shian slapped his thigh and said, "Hey! Lord Jia sent him to the palace gate and went back. I didn't have time to ask. I am guilty."
Emperor Chenghui said with a smile: "It's the end of the year, and we are all very busy. It's nothing serious to make such a small mistake!"
Emperor Chenghui was in a good mood and had no intention of pursuing the matter. Instead, he was thinking about how to reward Jia Lian. In the past year that was about to pass, this kid had done a really great job.
(End of this chapter)
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