Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 379: Three Years Later, I’m Finally Back

Some people are like this. Once they come to power, nothing will stop them from making money.

Jia Lian had long been numb to this.
But even the eunuchs who were busy making money couldn't stand it anymore. He is truly a talented person.

There was no need for Jia Lian to say anything, Xiao Guizi would definitely complain, and given Emperor Chenghui's character, he would not stop until he had killed a few people.

Jia Lian was in a hurry when he came, but he was not in a hurry when he returned. He walked slowly, 60 li (30 kilometers) a day, which was still fast in that era.

It was seven days later when we returned to Zhangjiakou. Some of the people who had fled had returned and the city had regained some vitality.

The half-burned government office was empty and the officials had not yet been replaced. The two teams of troops left behind in the Xishan camp were barely able to maintain public order in the city.

After the Shenji Camp entered the city, they maintained a discipline of not disturbing the people. This was mainly because the soldiers made a lot of money, the military pay from the court was paid in full, and there was also a wave of profit from the sharing of the spoils.

Before it got dark, Jia Lian wandered around the city and found that there were already merchants trading grain, and the prices were naturally very high.

In other words, there was no rice among the grain sold, otherwise Jia Lian would want to kill people again.

The Shenji Camp had no shortage of food, especially meat. They had looted too much dried meat from the grassland tribes. Even horse meat jerky was disliked as being too sour and no one ate it.

The little bit of food that the Korchin and Lindan tribes snatched basically all went to the Shenji Camp. If the Xishan Camp had not taken half of it, there would have been more left.

After resting for one night, it took another seven days for the Shenji Camp to finally see the city walls of the capital. This expedition lasted nearly two months, and it was already midsummer in the capital.

After entering the city, Jia Lian was brought into the palace by the eunuchs waiting at the city gate. Emperor Chenghui frowned frequently because of the smell on Jia Lian.

Seeing Jia Lian rising from the ground after paying homage, Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but ask, "How many days have you not washed?"

"Your Majesty, including today, it has been exactly half a month." Jia Lian answered respectfully, presenting the gold medal with both hands. Emperor Chenghui looked at him with disdain and said, "Keep the gold medal!"

Jia Lian had not expected this. He was stunned for a moment and then simply put it close to his body.

Emperor Chenghui originally wanted to scold Jia Lian severely, but after seeing his expression, he really couldn't bear to do it.

The handsome and elegant Jia Zhuangyuan now had an untidy beard and tangled hair, and his face and clothes were covered in dust.

"Why did you think of killing so many people in one breath?" Emperor Chenghui asked gently without any intention of scolding anyone!
"I actually wanted to take down all those officials at once! But I thought about my family, including the elderly and children, and I couldn't lose my job, so I restrained myself a little."

After hearing Jia Lian's answer, Emperor Chenghui became angry again and sneered, "Why, I still want to praise you for being decisive?"

"That's not the case, it's just..." Jia Lian said, and told them that after Lin Ruhai arrived, all the officials changed their statements. When Jia Lian asked them to write the materials, they all honestly confessed how many vacancies they had eaten, that the army was insufficient, and that the combat effectiveness was insufficient, so they did not dare to fight. In front of Lin Ruhai, they changed their statement and said that they did not fight because they were worried that the gate of Shanxi would be lost.

In contrast, the officials who lost their lands deserved to die, while the officials in Datong and Yunzhou did not lose their cities and were credited with merit.

Of course, there were some truths in the confessions, such as insufficient manpower, training and equipment, which were not entirely the fault of local officials.

According to Jia Lian's interrogation results, it's hard to say for others, but the prefect of Datong and the general are definitely worthy of beheading. As for other officials, you say they are excusable, they are also part of the corruption chain.

The problem is that in today's Zhou Dynasty, there are very few officials who are not corrupt.

Heshen in the TV series said that the victims of the disaster were not human beings, and then someone dared to say that Heshen was right.

I just can't understand these people's train of thought. If you were a disaster victim, would you be willing to eat bran?
How many people can be saved by this? It is a big problem for the officials to execute the decision. Those who can cheer for Heshen are those who have not been affected. If such people become officials, they will also be desperate to make money.

According to the logic of this kind of people, shouldn’t we applaud the problems exposed by the Red X Club? They are all official institutions!

Qiu Shi'an came in and served tea. Emperor Chenghui calmed himself down and asked Jia Lian to sit down. He slowly told him about the expedition and at the same time compared it with Jia Lian's memorial.

Jia Lian moistened his throat with a cup of tea and began to speak slowly. Emperor Chenghui listened patiently and asked questions from time to time.

Almost an hour later, Jia Lian finally finished his speech, which was mixed with a lot of personal judgments and private opinions.

"According to what you said, the tribes on the grassland will not move south again for the time being?" Emperor Chenghui felt relieved after hearing this and finally confirmed it.

"It can only be said that there is no possibility of a large-scale invasion to the south. I cannot guarantee that a small number of troops will come in to rob. If they don't rob enough, the tribes on the grassland will have trouble making ends meet, so they will still come to rob. In previous years, large-scale invasions to the south from the grassland were often chosen in autumn when the grass was long and the horses were fat. This year, it was chosen in early summer, which shows that the situation on the grassland is difficult. In my humble opinion, after the internal strife, there should be grassland tribes that take the initiative to visit, either surrender and seek asylum, or request trade. Although Li Ni has escaped, it will be difficult for the grassland tribes to unify their commands without three to five years."

Qiu Shian appeared again, bringing in a few young eunuchs and carrying away a basket of memorials. Jia Lian took a look and Emperor Chenghui asked with a smile, "Do you want to see them? They are all impeachments against you for killing ministers without authorization."

Jia Lian was not embarrassed at all, and even laughed happily: "I have been prepared for this matter. It would be strange if no one impeached me."

Seeing that Jia Lian was in a good mood, Emperor Chenghui felt relieved. What he was most worried about was that Jia Lian would hold a grudge and would not work hard in the future.

"That's all for today. I'll give you ten days off."

"Why only ten days?" Jia Lian asked in surprise, without even addressing the person, which showed how genuine his reaction was.

"Stop talking nonsense and get out of here!" Emperor Chenghui was very rude and did not explain. Jia Lian left without saying a word.

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, he had to go to the Ministry of War and hand in the assignment as the temporary commander-in-chief of the Left Army. Only after he completely handed over the military power was his job done and he could go home.

Jia Lian didn't know that after he left the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Chenghui called the four cabinet ministers who stayed behind to hold a small meeting.

"In Shanhaiguan, Xuanli's attitude has changed a lot. I plan to order Jia Lian to lead the Shenji Camp to Shanhaiguan in ten days. Then I will transfer Xuanli back to the capital and let Jia Lian reorganize the Shanhaiguan garrison."

Emperor Chenghui started off by stating the topic clearly.

This time it was Pan Jixun who spoke first, and asked carefully: "Jia Lian is capable enough, but can his position and prestige keep him in control?"

Without the Emperor Chenghui having to answer, Kong Zhao took over: "The temporary commander of the Left Army is just a title. Li Xiang is qualified for everything, but Xuanli still pretends to obey but secretly disobeys."

Liang Daoyuan also stood up and echoed: "I have also read Li Xiang's report. Xuanli has been hinting that Li Xiang should return to the capital as soon as possible. He should not have been selected as the general of Shanhaiguan in the first place." Guo Yan also followed up with a sentence: "If this continues, I am afraid that he will stop listening to the orders!"

This is a bit far-fetched. Is Xuanli raising the enemy to protect himself? The strength of the King of Dongping is far superior to that of the Shanhaiguan garrison.

Kong Zhao said: "Your Majesty, the weather is hot now, it is not appropriate to mobilize troops. It is better to wait until autumn, when the vitality of the Shenji Camp is fully restored, and then discuss this matter."

Emperor Chenghui did not speak immediately after hearing this. He thought for a long time before saying, "In this case, Prime Minister Li will have to work hard for several more months."

Pan Jixun and Guo Yan looked at each other and thought silently, "Li Chi may not want to return to Beijing at this time."

It is obvious that the performance of the Northwest military garrisons in this military operation can be said to have completely disappointed the emperor and the cabinet. But what can be said, as a cabinet minister, his subordinates must be able to do things. Without their own power, their voices in the cabinet are not loud. Li Chi has been an official in the south for a long time, and it is difficult for him to be involved in this matter. Isn't it good to live a leisurely life in Shanhaiguan? Why come back to wade into the muddy water?
Besides, when dealing with the three parties, the cabinet ministers must of course strive to seize the power of disposal in their own hands, so that they can do their best to protect their own people.

You see, the emperor wants to rectify the administration of officials, and the cabinet ministers want to protect their own people.

Contradictions are always everywhere, and it was decided that Li Chi would stay in Liaodong to contain Xuanli.

"Jia Lian has already killed a group of officials from the three border towns. The remaining officials can be spared the death penalty, but they will not be able to escape punishment while alive." Liang Daoyuan set an anchor and set a standard as soon as he opened his mouth.

Emperor Chenghui was accustomed to this kind of tug-of-war between contradictions and cooperation. Although he was very dissatisfied with Liang Daoyuan's preemptive move, he still accepted that his minimum standard was not to kill.

"The governor and provincial governor of Shanxi did nothing during the invasion of bandits. I intend to confiscate their property and dismiss them from office! The prefects of Datong and Yunzhou will be demoted to commoners! Exiled to Lingnan!" Emperor Chenghui knew what it meant to live a life worse than death. The reason for this punishment was very sufficient, and it was also aimed at Liang Daoyuan. He was the Minister of Personnel, and the positions of governor and provincial governor had a lot to do with him. At least one crime of not knowing people well was taken.

Don't you want to be the first to attack and set the tone? Okay, just bear with it from now on. Who said you have to kill people?

Emperor Chenghui decided the fate of four officials as soon as he came to power, which was a severe blow to the cabinet.

Kong Zhao glanced at Liang Daoyuan calmly. He knew his difficulties, but he still disliked his behavior of taking the initiative without discussing it with him beforehand.

All officials from Zhangjiakou to Datong were held accountable this time. Emperor Chenghui took an unusual approach and first dealt with the two chief officials in Shanxi, catching the cabinet off guard.

You still can't refute it. The emperor's authority is not mentioned, and the reasons are sufficient. For almost two months, Shanxi really did nothing.

Oh, he did make some progress. He organized several fund-raising activities and raised 100,000 taels of silver. However, after Jia Lian arrived in Datong, he had less than a month's supply of food and grass for the garrison, let alone refugee relief.

Interestingly, no one mentioned Jia Lian's guilt. It was a deal, the cabinet would not trouble Jia Lian, and Emperor Chenghui agreed not to kill him this time.

It can only be said that Emperor Chenghui realized a problem. If the emperor is too authoritarian, the cabinet may be helpless next time. If the cabinet needs to adjust and take responsibility, it must have power.

But anyway, the emperor delegated power not for the current cabinet, but for the future cabinet.

After this incident, Emperor Chenghui's style changed and he gradually changed his past practices.

When Jia Lian returned home, he was given a grand welcome. All the people in the Jia family who had a certain status, except Jia Jing, came out to welcome Jia Lian home.

Jia Lian secretly despised Jia Jing because he didn't see him. In the original novel, Jia Jing didn't want to delay his practice and didn't go home for Qin Keqing's funeral. Later, when the family worshipped their ancestors, he came back to preside over it.

Didn’t we agree to escape from the mundane world?

Jia Lian smelled too strong, so the welcoming ceremony hosted by Grandmother Jia was warm and short, and Jia Lian took a bath first after returning home.

When a person leaned against the bathtub, he began to review in his mind that he did not take a bath not because he had no conditions, but because he did it on purpose. He did not want to disgust the emperor, but wanted the emperor to see his embarrassed side.

Jia Lian was really tired after the journey, and fell asleep in the bathtub not long after. He didn't notice Wang Xifeng and others coming in to help him take a bath, and woke up in a daze after taking a bath. He went back to the study and fell asleep as soon as he lay down. He didn't snore much on normal days, but this time he snored loudly.

When I woke up, it was already the next afternoon, and every muscle in my body was sore.

Jia Lian, who was lying there, really didn't move at all. It was either because he had no strength or he didn't want to move.

I lay there with my eyes open for almost half an hour, and only got up when I couldn't hold it anymore.

Seeing that the person who came in and served him was Xiren, Jia Lian was quite surprised: "Why is it you?"

Xiren's eyes quickly swept down, her face flushed, and she whispered, "Grandma and aunts, you are not feeling well. Xiangling caught a cold the night before yesterday!"

Jia Lian nodded and let Xiren help him clean up. Then he dressed in his home clothes and ate his first meal after returning home. Xiren talked about the welcoming banquet prepared last night.

"Master She and Master Zhen were both drunk. Master Rong left a message, asking them to let me know when Master wakes up. The Xue family has arrived in the capital. The old lady went back home early last night to rest, and the second grandma and the aunts didn't stay for long."

While drinking the light millet porridge, Jia Lian was silently thinking about what he should do in the future.

If some jobs can be quit, you should quit them. Even if the emperor does not allow it, you should just keep a title like the commander of the Nine Gates.

In the future, I will focus on two things: one is the research and development department, and the other is to develop a new discipline and establish a new school of thought.

While Jia Lian was resting at home, something far-reaching happened in faraway Guangzhou.

A huge fleet appeared off the coast of Guangzhou, and the Humen Fort immediately started moving, with all the artillery pieces loaded.

The drinking boat was carrying a trembling naval officer and an interpreter. When they approached the fleet, they found that the people on the bow deck were wearing the clothes of the Great Zhou Dynasty and they were all excited and crazy.

Guo Songtao lay on the edge of the boat, looking at the city of Guangzhou in front of him with tears in his eyes, and murmured excitedly: "It's been three years, and I'm finally back."

On another warship, the Nelson, which was flying the British flag, the chief and deputy chief of the British delegation put down their binoculars with serious expressions.

"The fort in front of us is extremely solid. Even if we use all our shells, we can't destroy it. We can only find another place to dock and attack the fort in a roundabout way."

"Okay, Sassoon, we are an embassy, ​​not a war. The premise of the British Empire's invincibility at sea is that the Eastern powers have not intervened in the sea. Otherwise, with the Eastern powers' vast territory, population, and astonishing trade surplus, it would not be difficult to build a strong navy. So, put away your arrogance. The Royal Navy is not a bodyguard for you opium dealers."

(End of this chapter)