Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 38 Unambitious
  It feels good to have Li Heng disappear from sight as the tool to deliver information to Emperor Chenghui.

From the bottom of his heart, Jia Lian didn't want to get involved too much with the royal family, especially these ambitious princes.

I can't see that annoying selfish guy anymore, I feel better!
  In fact, some things are just good if you know them well, but if you have to say them out, then you have ulterior motives.

Li Heng was clever and thought he could use this matter to manipulate Jia Lian.

I never thought that even if Jia Lian didn't do this, the emperor and the empress would think it was stupid for him to do this.

Looking at this matter from the perspective of the emperor and the empress, it is nothing more than Jia Lian passing the message through Li Heng. I do this just because I don’t want to be implicated in the cause and effect, and I don’t want to take credit for this. When the time comes, the matter of minting coins will become the emperor's decision. Doesn't this show that His Majesty is wise?
  Jia Lian couldn't handle this matter at all, and the only one who could handle it was the emperor, so it became more and more obvious that Jia Lian was smart and the third child was stupid.

The two things were caught together, and you can imagine the anger in her heart. The queen did not do anything to show her love for Li Heng.

The weather was getting colder, so Jia Lian got up early on the day of the government examination.

This time, there were more people seeing her off, including Mrs. Jia, Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Wang and other women, but none of the men in the family showed up.

Compared with the attention paid during the county examination, Jia Lian pretended not to know that Jia She and Jia Zheng did not show up.

What do you think about this matter? The delicate balance of the Jia family may be broken because of Jia Lian's "competition".

Jia Zheng and Jia Zhu didn't show up, probably because they were afraid of being upset and didn't even bother to save face. Jia Lian felt that the reason why Jia She didn't show up was because of his worthless face. Oh, according to Mrs. Xing, Jia She went out to dinner again last night.

Jia Lian thanked everyone one by one for getting up early and got into the carriage to go to the examination room.

The entry inspection this time was stricter than last time, but there was no special treatment from Magistrate Wang.

Jia Lian, who has experienced some career in the house, is much more calm than the last time, mainly because he is well prepared (he has more money). It is a rare opportunity for government officials to make money. As long as they have enough money, the service will definitely be excellent. Although no one deliberately makes it difficult for those who have good fortune to give up, it is certain that they will look unhappy.

Candidates like Jia Lian, who has a lot of money to pave the way, are naturally the most popular. If possible, the government officials are even willing to do the questions for him.

This exam was much more comfortable. With the power of money, there was no need to go to the dry toilet. The yamen servants went directly to the toilet. There were also yamen servants waiting on me when I was washing up. In the three days before and after, Jia Lian poured in one hundred taels of silver and successfully completed the exam. Not only was he energetic when he came out, but he was not as depressed as he showed after being so tired in the county exam.

The next day the list was published, but Jia Lian was not in the mood to look at it anymore, but Xiao An just went to stare at it.

The results came out, and seemingly coincidentally, Jia Lian came in fourth again this time.

After receiving the news, Jia Mu clasped her hands together and said repeatedly: "Ancestors bless you." Then she ordered a drink to be served to celebrate.

Mrs. Wang's smile seemed forced no matter what, so she turned around and left the matter to Aunt Zhao and Li Wan, citing chest tightness.

Li Wan said that it was inconvenient to have a big belly, so he left the matter to Aunt Zhao who also had a big belly.

Jia Zheng excused himself from going home at the Yamen because he was busy with official business, while Jia Zhu sent someone to take the message and meet with classmates to discuss writing skills.

Jia She, who came back excitedly and planned to show off, found that there was no one in Rongxi Hall who could show off. Jia Lian went back to rest on the pretext of feeling unwell. The celebration ended before it even started. Aunt Zhao, who had finally obtained the right to perform the work once, also failed. She took twenty taels of silver for the service and did not return it to Gongzhong.

This incident was so embarrassing that Jia Mu fell ill. The men in the family did not show up to visit all at once, but one came every once in a while. The first person to come was Jia Lian. After all, he had the ear of Guixiang, the god of retribution. After learning that Jia's mother was ill, he showed up as soon as possible.

Jia Mu, who was lying on the bed, seemed to have a bad look on her face, but in fact she spoke with great energy. When Jia Lian knelt down to say hello, Jia Mu stood up and sat down, holding Jia Lian's hand and saying in tears: "My dear grandson, don't blame grandma."

This may sound a bit meaningless, but in fact Jia Lian understands it. When Jia Lian did not make progress before, it was completely understandable that Jia's mother would prefer the second wife for the future of the Jia family. After all, these three reasons were enough for the Wang family, Jia Zhu, and Yuanchun.

Jia Lian's sudden rise did disrupt the delicate balance of the Jia family.

"Grandma, don't think so. You have worked hard to maintain the situation of the Jia family. No one else knows it, but your grandson sees it and remembers it in his heart. At any time, grandma is the cornerstone of the stability of the Jia family. You can rest assured. Please cultivate yourself and get well soon. Everyone is looking forward to it." Jia Lian's "sincere" words made Jia's mother burst into tears.

What Jia's mother was worried about was that once Jia Lian succeeded in the imperial examination, the contradiction between the big and two bedrooms in the family would not be balanced, and there would be a quarrel that would not end. At present, it seems that Jia Lian is still in awe of his grandmother.

After a moment or so, Jia Lian said goodbye and came out, met Jia Zhu and his wife, and quickly stepped forward and hugged each other to greet them. Jia Zhu returned the greeting, but Li Wan turned slightly sideways and did not receive the full ceremony. After a few words of greeting, Jia Lian left and Jia Zhu and his wife entered.

Jia's mother treated the young couple quite kindly, but when speaking to Li Wan, she just said, "My granddaughter-in-law is heavy, so don't salute." After staying for a while, the young couple left. On the way back, Jia Zhu complained: "You haven't entered school yet."

Li Wan looked around and whispered: "Husband, it's better to pretend you don't know anything about the big house."

Jia Zhu hummed bitterly and said nothing more. Li Wan couldn't help but secretly think that the second room took advantage of the Wang family's influence to occupy Rongxi Hall. Relying on outsiders is not a long-term solution, you have to rely on yourself, so he said: "Next year, when my husband is named on the provincial examination, why not be proud and proud?"

The confident Jia Zhu smiled happily and said lightly: "I'm afraid some people won't even be qualified for the provincial examination."

Jia Zhu, a scholar at the age of fourteen, was quite proud of this.

Jia Lian had no intention of fighting overtly or covertly with these people. He was one step closer to having the right to speak in the Jia family, so how could he care about so much. The key is the next step, the college examination in November. When Jia Lian returned to the courtyard, he met Jia Rong who was waiting here. This guy came to bring a message: "Second Uncle Lian, my father asked me to invite you to a banquet." Jia Lian responded with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Zhen, for your kindness. , I am concentrating on preparing for the year-end college examination, and after the college examination is over, I will treat Brother Zhen and you to a banquet."

Jia Rong said with regret: "That's it, that's a pity. Early this morning, You went to the kitchen to keep an eye on it and let people prepare it."

"Thank you, sister-in-law. Say hello to me." Jia Lian smiled and dismissed Jia Rong. He planned not to go anywhere during this period.

As luck would have it, when school was over the next day, I met Zhang Ting'en's old housekeeper at the gate of the academy. It turned out that Zhang Ting'en had invited him.

Jia Lian thought to himself, in recent times, Zhang Ting'en has been beaten and killed by the civil and military officials of the entire court. Why is he not afraid of hurting himself?

Now that he has the status of teacher and student, Jia Lian cannot shirk it. The main reason is that the King of Beijing made a fuss, and the performance art of setting up a stall to sell furniture in front of his house was very effective. Emperor Chenghui could only make Zhang Tingen slow down the pace of debt collection. It can only be said that Emperor Chenghui's move to collect debt this time hit a snag, but he will definitely not give up.

In a word, the time has not yet come!
  Only when I saw Zhang Ting'en did I know that this gentleman had been injured and was recovering at home.

It seems serious with a bandage on the head, but in fact it is just a small opening on the forehead, which will only heal in a few days.

After the ceremony, Zhang Ting'en motioned for Jia Lian to sit down. Jia Lian shook his head and said, "I'd better stand and talk."

Zhang Ting'en was surprised when he heard this and said, "Why did you say that?" Jia Lian said quietly, "Seeing that the situation was not good, he ran away."

Zhang Tingen laughed loudly when he heard the hahaha. He was out of breath and banged his hands on the table. It took him a while to recover and said: "You brat, the water in the capital is deep. Don't tell the truth to anyone in the future." , I’m afraid you’ll be tricked to death.”

Jia Lian shook his head: "Sir, you are worrying too much. I only study for fame, so I can work as an official to find a way out in the future!"

Zhang Ting'en sighed deeply after hearing this: "A young man can see the general trend clearly, but why can't adults see it clearly?"

Jia Lian did not answer, but asked: "Students can clearly see that this job is not easy to do. If you are not careful, you will be doomed and your body will be broken into pieces. Why can't you, sir, see clearly?"

"Am I someone who can't see clearly?" After asking a rhetorical question, Zhang Ting'en was stunned. He seemed to have thought of something, but he couldn't explain it clearly in words. Can you say it is your own ambition? Do you really dare to say that you are not selfish?
  The more he thought about it, the more confused his mind became. Zhang Ting'an sighed: "Eating the emperor's salary and being loyal to the emperor is a matter of loyalty to the emperor! You treat me like a soldier of the country."

Jia Lian listened without saying a word and stood there laughing. Zhang Ting'en knew that he didn't agree with this in his heart. He smiled and waved his hand and said: "Okay, regarding the minting of coins, I know your starting point is for my own good. Compared with clearing the debt, This matter is much easier to do, and there is a buffer time. I don’t want my Zhang Ting’en to be conceited and knowledgeable, and when it comes to state affairs, he is not as reliable as his own students.”

"You are an old scalper who doesn't wait for the whip to work hard. The students think that today is an impatient person. You can't act in accordance with his wishes. There is no room for advancement or retreat." Jia Lian's mind is very simple. He has no plans. Relying on the power of the four princes and eight princes, there is a high-ranking imperial teacher in the court. In the future, he will be an official in the court, and he will be able to move forward and retreat more easily.

Zhang Ting'en nodded and said: "I understand. Now that the national treasury is empty, this is the reason why Your Majesty is worried. What do you have in mind?"

Jia Lian lowered his head and thought for a while and said: "This matter must not be rushed. Let's do it step by step. The Emperor is still there, which is a hidden danger. I thought it could be done in three steps. This court does not rely on moral articles. It relies on It’s the military, a violent institution. No matter how anxious your Majesty is, you must first control the capital. This time it’s the financial issue, and finally it’s the administration and the gentry.”

While talking, Jia Lian saw the door curtain of the inner room move slightly, and was suddenly startled. He looked quietly and saw the tip of a boot on the ground, flashing away. Is this someone eavesdropping? Who is eavesdropping?
  "I didn't expect that at such a young age, you could see such a long-term view." Zhang Ting'en, who was thoughtful, did not notice the change in his expression.

Jia Lian calmed down and said casually: "Students always like to read history books. When I am in Jia's house, I look around and see what I see and hear. It is not difficult to figure out the clues with a little thought. If nothing else, students are also considered to be well-dressed and well-dressed. Food, it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Students cannot eat the food in the academy cafeteria. People are like this, how can they be willing to give up eating what they are used to?"

Zhang Ting'en said: "That's right, you didn't read this book in vain."

"Thank you sir, the Jia family has no useful people in the east and west houses, but they are unwilling to reduce their own expenses. If they can't make ends meet, they will naturally resort to any means. If you don't mention this, is there anything else that you have to do with your summons?" Jia Lian sighed after feeling for a while. , suddenly smiled to test, Zhang Tingen shook his head and said with a smile: "There is nothing else, just this one thing. Why, do you think of other things?"

"I was thinking, sir, he wants to test my writing knowledge." Jia Lian pretended to be disappointed. Zhang Ting'en suddenly paused, and said with a somewhat embarrassed smile: "Speaking of which, I am not qualified to be a teacher."

"I can't blame you for this, it's just a coincidence. I have the will to work hard, and I will do my best to receive this blessing. Students in the provincial examination next year can't say they are sure, but there is a 70% chance of winning in the college examination at the end of the year." Jia Lian Be very careful when speaking. You don’t dare to talk nonsense anymore. You must keep a guard on your mouth.

"Old Master Fang sent someone to tell you that you have improved very quickly in your articles, and you are even more outstanding in arithmetic. If you are lucky, you are sure to take the provincial examination next year. Since you mentioned this today, I will give you a few questions. You take it back and do it."

Zhang Ting'en said hello, and the maid came out from behind the curtain to place pens and ink. Jia Lian saw that the maid's eyebrows were stretched and her eyes were springy. He looked at the embroidered shoes under her feet and thought to himself: Teacher's health seems to be very difficult to recover. Even at such an old age, I don’t know how to exercise restraint.

Zhang Ting'en really didn't pay attention to Jia Lian's actions. He stood up and wrote ten questions, handed it to Jia Lian and said: "Take it back and show it to me after you finish it. Since I have the title of teacher and student, you don't mind that I am in a bad situation now. Naturally, teachers should be concerned about students’ studies.”

Jia Lian sighed after hearing the pretense: "It's a pity that sir is the Minister of the Ministry of Husbandry. If he were the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, he would still be able to take care of the provincial examination."

Zhang Tingen laughed loudly after hearing this, raised his finger and pointed at Jia Lian and said, "Shuzi, if you are opportunistic, it's better to make more fuss."

"Yes, yes, yes," Jia Lian agreed repeatedly, bowed, folded his hands and left. After going out, I looked around and saw that there was no one waiting to watch. It was getting late, so Jia Lian didn't stay long and signaled the coachman to go home.

Behind the curtain in the inner room, Emperor Chenghui walked out. When Zhang Ting'en stood up to salute, Emperor Chenghui raised his hand to stop him: "No need to be polite!"

Zhang Ting'en thanked Emperor Chenghui, but Emperor Chenghui smiled and said: "Ningrong's second mansion, Jia Jingjia pardoning Jia Zheng and Jia Zhen, all together are not as clear as a child can see clearly." Zhang Ting'en smiled and said: "What your Majesty said is extremely Yes, although Jia Lian is young, he does not think about the wealth in front of him, but wants to be an official in the future for peace of mind. He is also unambitious."

"You don't have to speak for him. I don't care about a doll. Not to mention, he helped me come up with ideas." Emperor Chenghui said this, but he firmly remembered the doll Jia Lian in his heart. You are the only one. Still want to work as an official? Have you asked me?
  (End of this chapter)