Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 384 Forced to Work

It was obvious that the constitutionalism had become a thorn in the heart of Emperor Chenghui. Jia Lian's trickery failed, and Emperor Chenghui said coldly: "Establishing a constitution in England is a heinous act! I want to expel this person!"

Jia Lian had a headache. He couldn't get over it, right? He had no choice but to continue: "Your Majesty, don't be angry. Western countries are thousands of miles away, and their national conditions are different. Our dynasty only needs to take strict precautions and reduce the contact between these people and our people, and there will be no problem. Our dynasty has your Majesty working hard to govern, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. Even if foreigners want to deceive people, it will be difficult. The former Ming Dynasty allowed foreigners to preach, let alone our dynasty?"

Emperor Chenghui also knew that he should not act on impulse. The people who came were envoys, not officials of his own country, much less a vassal state. England was the most powerful country in the West, and it was unwise to make enemies for no reason. Moreover, it would be a great disgrace to be said that the current dynasty was not as broad-minded as the previous Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chenghui still hoped to leave a good reputation in history books.

"Qing Jia needs to come up with a reliable countermeasure for this matter." Emperor Chenghui began to assign tasks. Many people asked for this kind of opportunity to give advice in person, but Jia Lian was not very willing to do it.

Seeing Jia Lian's hesitation, Emperor Chenghui said angrily: "You are lazy again, you bastard! I will ask you to guard Shanhaiguan later!"

The emperor was playing rogue, so Jia Lian had no choice but to accept it. Besides, he was a little worried about leaving the matter to someone else.

"I understand. I will go back and sort out the strategy." Jia Lian received the task, and Emperor Chenghui smiled. He thought: This guy is a genius, but he is too lazy. He is a typical lazy donkey who will not work hard unless he is given a hard task. Alas, they are all sons of nobles. Other sons of nobles are trying their best to help me, but they are not capable enough. They are more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish things. This capable guy is a little lazy. As the saying goes: No one is perfect.

Emperor Chenghui overlooked another perspective. If Jia Lian was capable and worked hard and had enough military power in his hands, the emperor would start to have wild thoughts again.

"Well, the third brother is working in the Honglu Temple, so you should also take the job of the Honglu Temple Junior Official." Emperor Chenghui added more burden to Jia Lian, and Jia Lian almost cried: "Your Majesty, I have too many part-time jobs."

Emperor Chenghui was furious when he heard this: "Don't I know how many part-time jobs you have? With so many part-time jobs, which one do you work for seriously? Only the R&D Department is concerned."

Jia Lian reluctantly took over and made a final resistance: "If Your Majesty does not take back the gold medal, I must resign from my post as the commander of the Left Army."

"That is a temporary assignment. If you want to serve as a permanent official, even if I agree to it, the Ministry of War and the Cabinet cannot agree to it."

Jia Lian returned to the meeting room first, where a quarrel was going on again, but this time the topic was different - public land.

The Great Zhou's military system was a recruitment system. In order to prevent the army's food and wages from being controlled by civil officials, Taizu established a public land system. Each military town had a corresponding number of public fields based on the actual size of its personnel. The land belonged to the court, and the output was shared by the military town.

How did the discussion of receiving the British delegation end up on public land? The reason was simple: the cost of receiving the delegation.

Who should pay for this? Liang Daoyuan advocated that the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Treasury share the burden, but Guo Yan stood up to refute that the money should be paid by the Ministry of Revenue and that the Imperial Treasury should not be asked to pay for everything.

Although the emperor's absence did not stop Guo Yan from flattering him, he was still very clear-headed and knew that once he lost the emperor's support, he would definitely not be able to keep his position as a cabinet minister.

This was the result of Guo Yan taking shortcuts. Because of taking shortcuts, the civil servants were very disdainful of him. So what if he is a minister? I won’t buy it.

Guo Yan deliberately cultivated his followers, but most civil officials were proud of their "arrogance" and refused to join his camp. Some officials did not care about "literary pride" as long as they could get promoted. Such people were a minority in the court. They could get promoted quickly by following Guo Yan, but the ceiling was not high. Guo Yan had no choice but to work hard to climb up. When he became the second assistant, he could manage the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. Only then could he easily promote his own people, so Guo Yan and Liang Daoyuan naturally did not get along. It was the nature that he had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

The consequence of opposing for the sake of opposing is that the issue goes further and further. Guo Yan directly brought up the case of the governor and the provincial governor of Shanxi, and lied with open eyes, accusing the two of not only embezzling public land in the military town, but also allowing local gentry to collude with military town officials to embezzle public land in the military town, adding shovel after shovel of soil to dig up the grave of Sino-French relations.

Why did they keep targeting the governor and the provincial governor of Shanxi? Isn't this a coincidence? The teacher of the governor of Shanxi was Liang Daoyuan, and the teacher of the provincial governor was Kong Zhao.

Let’s put it this way, anyone who could enter the cabinet had at least served as a chief examiner, and Guo Yan had also served as the chief examiner of the provincial examination.

Guo Yan was also very smart. He did not mention the names of officials from Datong and Yunzhou, which was equivalent to not interfering in the case.

In fact, the emperor had already determined the case of the two Shanxi officials and handed down the verdict. Guo Yan was just making trouble by holding on to it.

Jia Lian came in and interrupted their quarrel. After looking at them, he walked silently to his seat and began to write the rules for receiving the delegation.

The previous rules for receiving diplomatic envoys were old rules, so Jia Lian had to make careful preparations, establish his own new rules and use them in the future, which would be considered a contribution to the court's diplomacy.

The four ministers did not know what Jia Lian had talked about with the emperor, and they accepted the task. Emperor Chenghui did not show "Journey to the West" to the ministers. It was a painstaking move to hand Jia Lian over to discuss. It depends on whether Jia Lian can understand the emperor's intention and share the emperor's worries.

Jia Lian certainly knew that what Emperor Chenghui feared most was "constitutionalism", and this matter must be reflected in the reception rules.

Supplement to the rules and regulations on foreign affairs reception.

Epidemic prevention and isolation. There is a precedent of the Black Death in the West. In order to prevent the plague from entering, visitors must wait in the isolation area for half a month, and only after there are no problems can follow-up arrangements be made.

To demonstrate the country's prestige, a guard of honor was set up for foreign envoys to review, which demonstrated the military and national power of the dynasty.

Etiquette teaching, specialized personnel teach foreign envoys, tell them to say what should be said in this dynasty and not to say what should not be said.

Appendix: The returning members of the diplomatic missions of this dynasty will receive training together. (Specific training details are to be determined.)
When giving back state gifts, we should give a 10% premium based on the value of the gifts brought by the envoy. Do not pursue vanity.

Reception expenses are a necessary part of receiving foreign envoys, but they should not be extravagant or wasteful. Instead, corresponding standards should be set based on the value of the gifts brought by the envoys.

Jia Lian had considered that the Honglu Temple system was too old and there were many things that could be modified. But the things that needed to be changed the most were the above.

The main point of these supplementary details is that you can suffer a little loss, but not too big a loss.

Jia Lian wrote very quickly. Not long after Emperor Chenghui returned, and before it was decided how to pay for the reception, Jia Lian raised his hand to express his desire to speak.

"What suggestions does Lord Jia have?" Seeing Jia Lian raise his hand, Kong Zhao's heart beat faster. Every time this bastard spoke, it was never good.

Jia Lian held up the paper in his hand and said, "The set from the Honglu Temple is too old, so I wrote some supplementary details about the regulations for receiving foreign envoys."

Without waiting for Kong Zhao to speak, Emperor Chenghui spoke in tacit understanding: "Show it to me, let me see it." The cabinet ministers originally wanted to take a look first, but as soon as the emperor opened his mouth, they all shut up. They felt itchy in their hearts as if they were being scratched by dozens of cats' paws, and at the same time a little uneasy.

After receiving it, Emperor Chenghui read it quickly and couldn't help but curl up his lips. He was indeed a top scholar. It was just that the text was too plain. It was just plain, easy to understand and not easy to make mistakes.

The emperor saw through it and passed it to Kong Zhao. The Prime Minister looked at it and found no major problems, so he breathed a sigh of relief. However, he was also complaining in his heart, saying that he was a top scholar, but this writing was too embarrassing.

Liang Daoyuan took it and read it. He also felt that there was nothing wrong with it. He couldn't help but complain: "Master Jia was a top scholar, why is his writing always so simple?"

Jia Lian retorted angrily: "Second Minister, you have been an official for many years. Don't you know that the simpler and clearer the rules are, the easier it is to enforce them? Rules and regulations are for people to see and enforce. How can the officials and the people below understand them clearly? If there are problems in the future, who will be blamed? If you don't understand such a simple truth, I don't know how Liang Xiang can be a second minister. Please ask for your bones to be retired, so as not to leave behind careless nonsense and bring shame to the court."

Liang Daoyuan was most proud of his literary talent. He did not expect that he could not refute Jia Lian's criticism. When he was so angry that his face turned red, Guo Yan added: "Master Jia is right. Official documents should be simple and plain to avoid misunderstandings. This is the admonition of the Emperor Taizu!"

Unfortunately, Jia Lian did not continue to attack. After looking at Guo Yan calmly, he sat down silently.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit stalemate and the reception fee was difficult to decide, Pan Jixun stood up and said, "Regarding the fee, we can stick to the old system."

Emperor Chenghui pointed at the supplementary rules and said, "Read it first!"

Guo Yan snatched the supplementary details, read them carefully, and after making sure that he had not misunderstood them, he passed them to Pan Jixun.

After reading it, Pan Jixun quietly placed it on the tray in the eunuch's hand.

Seeing that no one spoke, Jia Lian spoke up, "The last time we received the French delegation, most of the expenses were paid from the imperial treasury. In my opinion, this is not an honor, but a shame for all officials. We officials cannot share the worries of Your Majesty, and we have to let Your Majesty spend the imperial treasury to serve the country. Let me ask you, are you willing to pay out of your own pockets to serve the country?"

"How rude of you!" Liang Daoyuan slammed the table and pointed at Jia Lian. Everyone knows why he said he was rude, because Jia Lian used the word "you all", which is a derogatory term.

Jia Lian sneered twice and said in unison: "Prime Minister Liang, guess what happened to the last colleague who pointed at a subordinate?"

Without waiting for Liang Daoyuan to answer, Pan Jixun shouted angrily: "Stop arguing, don't mix personal grudges into official business. The expenses required for receiving the delegation will follow the old system. It's just a return gift, please pay for it, Your Majesty."

To smooth things over and be harmonious is Pan Jixun's usual style, to blend in with the world.

Jia Lian didn't say anything after hearing this, he just looked at Kong Zhao with a smile, the look in his eyes was so disgusting.

Kong Zhao felt very uncomfortable being looked at. He knew very well what Jia Lian meant. As the Prime Minister, why did he have such a sense of existence?
"Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Pan said is absolutely right. I think it is feasible." Kong Zhao stood up to support Pan Jixun. That was two votes. Guo Yan wanted to oppose it, but considering that Liang Daoyuan would definitely oppose it, he gave up quietly.

Jia Lian stood up and said, "My dear ministers, how to return gifts to foreign envoys is the duty of the cabinet. The salaries of officials are the blood and sweat of the people, and that's what they do. Whether Your Majesty is willing to add luster to the return gift is Your Majesty's business, and it's not a reason for you to make the decision for Your Majesty at will."

This one sentence captured the hearts of all four cabinet ministers. Jia Lian's bravery left the Zhongshu Sheren who were recording the scene dumbfounded, and their men kept recording this wonderful battle.

But the power of this sentence is too destructive. No official dares to wear the hat of making decisions for His Majesty.

The four ministers chose silence. Silence, silence. Silence was like the curse silently drawn in their hearts at noon.

"Jia Lian, sit down!" Emperor Chenghui shouted harshly, and Jia Lian sat down obediently.

The four cabinet ministers had been ridiculed by Jia Lian more than once or twice, and they had long been numb to it.

Kong Zhao took the lead and stood up, saluting to the emperor: "Your Majesty, we are guilty of not being able to share your worries!" X4.

Emperor Chenghui looked down at these cabinet ministers, and he was numb. It was the same every time. He knew he was guilty, but he shouldn't have done that, right? He felt that I couldn't do without the assistance of officials, right?
"Okay, everyone sit down. Jia Lian is fully responsible for the mission of receiving the foreign envoys this time. Well, you can temporarily hold the title of Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple. The Honglu Temple will make a budget for the required expenses and submit it for review. After approval, the Ministry of Revenue will allocate funds as soon as possible. Don't delay important matters. Whoever loses face for the court will be picked up by me. After the meeting is adjourned, the cabinet will draft the appointment and submit it! Adjourned!"

Emperor Chenghui stood up and left with an unhappy look on his face. He really didn't want to continue seeing the faces of the cabinet ministers.

Emperor Chenghui was not comfortable with the issue of the imperial treasury. He did not know what these officials were thinking, but they always asked for the imperial treasury whenever there was something to do.

Emperor Chenghui was not a stingy person. When it came to military and national affairs, the money from the treasury was always flowing out like water. The emperor was really generous with the money that needed to be spent.

From suppressing the rebellion in the Western Regions to the invasion of bandits in the Northwest grasslands, the emperor has spent a lot of money. But these civil servants have become accustomed to it, and they even spend money on such a small matter!
In fact, Emperor Chenghui was also very clear that the root cause of always asking for the imperial treasury was still the original intention of the civil service group, which was that it would be best not to have the so-called imperial treasury.

The original intention was good, but the problem was that it could not be realized. Every emperor would hold on to the treasury, otherwise if something really happened, the Ministry of Revenue’s treasury would be empty, which would be really frustrating.

The reason why Jia Lian got angry was because Emperor Chenghui was not a stingy emperor, so he jumped up and attacked him in the face.

Guo Yan was very polite. As a cabinet minister, it was impossible for him to attack Liang Daoyuan. He could attack Liang Daoyuan but not the entire cabinet.

As a member of the imperial party, Guo Yan felt that he was being outdone and was very angry.

After Emperor Chenghui left, Kong Zhao glanced at Jia Lian and said, "How about I dictate and Lord Jia write it down?"

Jia Lian refused bluntly: "It's embarrassing to write an appointment document for myself, and it's even more embarrassing to write a temporary job."

Kong Zhao was also amused by this. As an old hand, he knew that many things could not be counted on. Quarrels in cabinet meetings were routine operations. As long as no fatal blows were taken, the matter would be over.

However, it would probably be a battle of life and death between Liang Daoyuan and Guo Yan.

(End of this chapter)