Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 381 Ning Ke: I've become a joke
The summer in the capital is dry and hot. After exercising in the morning, Jia Lian, who was sweating all over, rested for a while with his bare chest. After the sweat dried, he walked into the yard and poured a bucket of water on himself.

While helping Jia Lian change his clothes, Xiren wiped her saliva several times. The visual impact of the strong man made her legs weak.

Xiren, who has the bed-climbing gene, couldn't help but think that now the second grandmother and two concubines are all pregnant, and if she missed this time window, she didn't know how long she would have to wait.

The Xue family did not live in the Jia Mansion when they arrived in the capital, which surprised Jia Lian a little. Well, it must be Xue Pan's intention. This bastard is becoming more and more mature.

"Mr. Bao from the Central Courtyard made a fuss several times, wanting to go to the Lin family to see Miss Lin, and to the Xue family to see Miss Baochai. Mr. Zheng beat him with a stick and he became quiet."

Hearing the news about Baoyu from Xiren's mouth, and in a gloating tone, Jia Lian felt like he was in a dream.

Xiangling, who was tying Jia Lian's belt, said disdainfully: "Why mention him? He has not finished studying the Four Books in several years. What a waste! He will not spoil my interest."

Jia Lian couldn't help but be curious, so he raised his hand and rubbed Xiangling's head: "Where does the anger come from?"

Xiren explained tactfully, "A few days ago, Master Bao came to our house to play. He met Xiangling on the way and went to ask for someone from Second Madam."

Tsk tsk tsk, Jia Lian exclaimed, how old is Baoyu, and he's already thinking about his maid?
"What did Second Madam say?" Jia Lian remained calm. Xiangling said, "Second Madam told him to ask Master for the person, and he stopped pestering me."

Xiren continued, "I heard from the gossips of the maids in the middle courtyard that many of the maids serving Madam Wang asked Master Bao to hug them and eat their rouge."

Jia Lian was a little curious. Xiren had been kidnapped by him, so who was the maidservant in front of Baoyu now? Could it be Sheyue? It couldn't be Yuanyang, right?
It's easy to find out, but Jia Lian doesn't intend to ask.

When at home, Jia Lian would still go and sit with Grandmother Jia every day to show his filial piety.

As usual, he walked alone in the Jia Mansion, keeping the two sides close to each other, and soon he arrived at the courtyard on the west side of the central courtyard.

It happened that Jia Baoyu was seen going to school reluctantly, with his servant Mingyan by his side.

When he met Jia Lian, Baoyu subconsciously shrank his neck and said, "Hello, Second Brother Lian." After getting a slight nod, Baoyu quickly ran away. The most terrifying person in the Jia family is not his father, but Jia Lian.

Watching the two men's backs, Jia Lian couldn't help but sigh. They were all young masters of the Jia family, but Baoyu had eight maids and eight servants around him, and how many people were there around him?

No wonder people say that Master Lian of the Jia family does not have the airs of a master.

Jia Lian also deeply reflected on this issue, and finally came to the conclusion that because of time travel, there is always a layer of separation between him and others. He has to act outside, but it is more comfortable to be alone at home.

When Jia Mu saw Jia Lian, she was very enthusiastic and held his hand while sitting beside him to talk. Jia Lian could feel that Jia Mu's enthusiasm was real, because now she needed Jia Lian to set off her status.

The ladies around him showered him with compliments, and Jia Lian kept listening with a professional smile, appearing to be very patient, and would occasionally say something to coax Lady Jia.

After sitting for half an hour, just when he was about to find an excuse to leave, the maid came in and said, "Grandpa, someone from the palace is here to call for Master Lian."

After hearing this, Jia Lian stood up and said goodbye. Grandmother Jia did not want to keep him and asked Wang Xifeng to go back and rest as well and not to overwork herself.

The person who received the eunuch Quanfu was Zhou Rui, who had become much more honest now. He tried to please Quanfu, serving him tea and smiling, but in return he got a rather cold response.

Zhou Rui secretly laughed at himself. If he hadn't come to convey Jia Lian, how would he have the chance to meet and talk to Eunuch Quan, who was always by the emperor's side?

Just as he was thinking about it, Jia Lian appeared. Quanfu immediately stood up with a smile on his face and took the initiative to salute: "Master Jia, the emperor summoned me, and I am honored to deliver the message."

Jia Lian was always polite to the eunuchs, so he quickly responded with a serious face: "You are so polite! I appreciate it!" After taking a look at the tea, Jia Lian asked: "Have you rested? It's not good to keep His Majesty waiting."

Quanfu naturally had nothing to say, and quickly asked Jia Lian to go first. Jia Lian politely walked ahead and waited under the pillar in the front yard, then quietly put something into Quanfu's hand.

Emperor Chenghui in the Qianqing Palace was having a headache. Ning Ke's memorial had been submitted for two days, but the emperor had not yet made a reply. He had read it over and over again several times, but still could not make up his mind.

The salt business was too complicated. Emperor Chenghui knew very well how the Kaizhong Law was corrupted. This matter involved not only the salt road, but also many royal relatives. For example, the Queen's Zhou family occupied a nest in the Changlu Salt Field. The salt in this place could not be bought with a salt permit. The Changlu Salt Field could not buy salt with a salt permit now. In Lianghuai, the salt permit could still be used, provided that the relationship with the salt merchants was strong enough. Using the salt permit to subscribe to a small salt field, countless people from top to bottom made a fortune from this.

It is not impossible to reject Ning Ke’s memorial, but isn’t this because we are worried about undermining his enthusiasm?

The salt business certainly needs to be rectified, but the time seems not right now. After much thought, I decided to ask Jia Lian, who knows how to manage finances.

Jia Lian entered the palace and was about to pay his respects, but Emperor Chenghui interrupted him and said, "No need to pay your respects! Have you rested well these days?"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern!" Jia Lian did not shirk his courtesy and continued to salute, but Qiu Shian reached out his hand in time to stop him.

After pretending to be so serious, Jia Lian stood up and walked forward: "Your Majesty has summoned me, do you have any orders?"

Emperor Chenghui laughed when he heard this: "Why, don't you think the vacation is too short?"

Jia Lian pretended not to feel the emperor's ridicule and smiled: "Taking a vacation won't prevent me from helping your majesty."

Anyone can see that Jia Lian's words are not sincere at all. But he said it anyway, to highlight the truth!
Emperor Chenghui was amused, raised his hand and nodded, saying: "I am still worried that Jia Qing is young and hot-tempered, and complains that I have not rewarded him for his merits, and he is holding a grudge!"

These words were said in a light-hearted tone, but Jia Lian did not dare to think that the emperor was joking at all.

"I was too soft-hearted. I should have killed all those insects at that time." Jia Lian spoke directly from his heart. This was what he thought. No matter how good he was at observing people's words and expressions, he could not see the problem.

Emperor Chenghui didn't care what he said, and asked curiously: "Why did you suddenly show weakness?"

"Your Majesty, this is not my fault. It's all because of those people who were spineless. I deliberately humiliated them, but they didn't dare to resist. Killing people also requires a legitimate reason. They gave in, so I had no choice but to let them go."

These were Jia Lian’s real thoughts at the time, and they were very convincing when expressed.

"As for you, you left Datong and they changed their confession the moment you left. Lin Ruhai didn't know what to do, so he sent someone to deliver the report 800 miles away in an emergency. The ministers in the cabinet are all my relatives and friends, and I am also in a dilemma."

Emperor Chenghui explained patiently, and Jia Lian was really moved after listening to it. Tears came to his eyes without any effort. He raised his hand to wipe the corners of his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I was reckless and caused trouble for you!" This attitude made Emperor Chenghui very satisfied. As a minister, he knew that the emperor was in trouble and was willing to protect him. This was enough.

As for killing a few officials who abandoned the city and fled, is that considered a big deal?
"I will note your contribution and make up for it later. I called you here today for another matter. Take a look at this first." Emperor Chenghui felt that the time had come and took out Ning Ke's memorial and handed it to Jia Lian.

Although he already knew the inside story, Jia Lian still took it and read it carefully. As he read it, his expression gradually became solemn, and it seemed that he was thinking about the problem.

Seeing Jia Lian looking up after reading it, Emperor Chenghui took the initiative to ask: "How is it?"

Jia Lian thought for a moment and said, "Minister Ning is a loyal minister. The salt business really needs to be rectified. I think Minister Ning really wants to lower the salt price, but he is a little impatient!"

Emperor Chenghui felt that Jia Lian's words really touched the heart. He always felt that something was wrong. After Jia Lian pointed it out, he was sure that the time was not right.

"In your opinion, what should we do most urgently?" Emperor Chenghui felt that all the doubts in his heart had dissipated, and his tone became much more relaxed.

"The most important thing right now is to reorganize the defense of the three borders! The second is to rectify the military preparations of the Beijing camp. Although the Xishan camp performed well in this battle, it still exposed problems such as insufficient firepower output and insufficient mobility. The essence of rectifying the salt business is still to rectify the administration of officials. Your Majesty has already been promoting this. This matter cannot be rushed. We should first establish a stable environment and proceed step by step. In my humble opinion, the Beijing camp is enough to deter Liaodong. The day when the three governors return to the cabinet is the time to start rectifying the salt business."

Well, Emperor Chenghui nodded implicitly. Although the young Jia Lian sometimes acted on impulse, his suggestions were always able to grasp the crux of the problem.

I originally thought that Jia Lian would judge Ning Ke and find something else to attract attention because of the Tongzhou granary fire, but I didn't expect that Jia Lian didn't mention the Tongzhou fire at all, and didn't say a word about Ning Ke.

This is a loyal minister who can understand the emperor's feelings. After all, the emperor promoted Ning Ke to be the Minister of Revenue because he wanted to find a minister who can and dares to do things.

If Jia Lian had made a fuss about the fire in Tongzhou, there would be nothing wrong with it, but it would give the emperor the impression that he was out of touch with the overall situation.

Seeing the satisfied expression on Emperor Chenghui's face, Jia Lian brought up the old matter again: "The money and grain needed to settle the aftermath of the three frontiers is not a small number. I think that the debt repayment can be put on the agenda."

When Emperor Chenghui heard this, his expression was slightly shocked: "Well, that makes sense! Speaking of which, the Jia family still owes the Ministry of Revenue 50,000 taels. Counting the interest over the years, can they pay it back?"

Jia Lian looked at the emperor speechlessly, and this expression amused Emperor Chenghui, who laughed out loud without disguising: "Hahaha!"

Every time Emperor Chenghui saw Jia Lian being humiliated, he would be in a very good mood.

"As a minister, it is my duty to share the worries of Your Majesty. I will pay off the money owed by the Jia family according to the bank interest." Jia Lian knew that the emperor needed someone to take the lead. If the Jia family took the lead, the nobles would have to follow suit. It just so happened that Jia Lian made a lot of money from the military this time, so he could fill the hole without touching the family's money. Of course, he still had to tell his family about this matter. He couldn't do good deeds without leaving a name.

Just when the emperor and his minister were talking about something interesting, the eunuch came in and announced that Minister Ning wanted to see him.

People really can't stand being nagged. They keep saying "Ning Ke, Ning Ke".

Why did Ning Ke come here at this time? Of course there was a reason.

Ning Ke soon learned about Jia Lian's being found, and immediately thought of Lin Ruhai. What if Jia Lian was trying to deceive Ning Ke in order to get Lin Ruhai into the cabinet?

After thinking about it, Ning Ke picked up a report awaiting approval. Isn't this a ready-made excuse?
Emperor Chenghui was in a good mood and didn't think much about it. He immediately let Ning Ke in. Jia Lian stood aside and kept his mouth shut.

After Ning Ke entered and greeted him, he took out a report and said, "Your Majesty, the Shenji Battalion was in a hurry to go on this expedition, and a lot of money was not paid in advance. After returning, all the expenses were sorted out and reported for approval. I am unable to make a decision after reading it, and I am afraid that the soldiers will be disappointed, so I specially request to see you."

What does this mean? The Shenji Battalion went out to fight, and the personnel, equipment, logistics, and war damage compensation all cost money. Now the report from the Shenji Battalion has come in, and the amount is a bit exaggerated and hard to decide.

Emperor Chenghui did not say anything, but motioned Qiu Shian to hand over the report, which he then opened and read carefully.

Ning Ke clasped his hands towards Jia Lian, observing his expression. Jia Lian smiled back, and Ning Ke came over to stand with him and whispered, "Did you have a good rest, Master Jia?"

"Thank you Minister Ning for your concern. I had a good rest."

The conversation between the two was not loud, but Emperor Chenghui could still hear it. He couldn't help but look up and found that Ningke had a somewhat fake smile. He shook his head slightly, then lowered his head to read the report and silently gave it a score.

Putting aside other things, in terms of human character, I would rather be far inferior to Jia Lian.

There were two major expenses for the Shenjiying in this war. One was the consumption of ammunition and the other was the replenishment of equipment. General Yang reported a cost of 200,000 yuan, including bullets, artillery shells, and rockets.

When the cannon goes off, there will be a fortune of gold. Two hundred thousand yuan may seem a bit much, but it is not too exaggerated. It should give people some extra money.

Another big expense was the expedition fee and war damage compensation. When the ordinary officers and soldiers of the Shenji Battalion were stationed in the capital, their food, clothing and equipment were provided by the court, and their monthly salary was five silver dollars. The expedition fee was ten silver dollars per person per month. Including the scale of 13,000 auxiliary troops, the Shenji Battalion reported a 100,000 tael of silver for the expedition (the auxiliary troops cost less), and a 70,000 silver dollar pension, which is 100,000 silver dollars.

Adding up all the miscellaneous items, the total amount was reported to be 50,000 silver dollars, totaling 350,000 yuan.

The report has the seal of the Ministry of War on it, which means that the Ministry of War approved it very quickly and had no intention of blocking it. Emperor Chenghui knew that the Shenjiying was closer to the troops directly under the emperor, and reporting to the Ministry of War was a respect and procedure. It was normal for the Ministry of War to flatter. Ning Ke brought this to ask for instructions, although he didn't say it explicitly, he was actually hinting that he felt that the report was too much.

After reading it, Emperor Chenghui asked expressionlessly, "Jia Lian, the Shenjiying reported an expenditure of 350,000 silver dollars. Do you think it is too much or too little?"

Jia Lian raised his finger and pointed at his nose: "Your Majesty, are you asking me?"

Emperor Chenghui knew he was going to do something weird, and nodded with a smile: "Yes! How much did you say?"

Jia Lian was not polite at all: "Then I am asking for too much. Three hundred and fifty thousand yuan is not too much, but too little. It should be four hundred thousand yuan!"

Emperor Chenghui found this interesting and couldn't help but lean forward and ask, "Why is the report too little?"

Jia Lian said, "The soldiers in the Shenji Camp are too honest and report whatever they spend. If I were a humble official, I would report an extra 50,000 yuan and the Ministry of Revenue would cut the amount by 50,000 yuan. This way, both sides would have an explanation and save face."

Emperor Chenghui laughed loudly and said, "Well said! Minister Ning, please approve the 350,000 yuan first. I will allocate 100,000 yuan from the inner treasury to reward the Shenji Camp."

Ningke..., I feel like a joke!
(End of this chapter)