Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 388: All Afraid of Trouble

Jia Lian did not expect that he would soon meet Xue Baochai. She appeared with Yingchun and Tanchun, and they came to see Qiaojie together.

The three little girls came early in the morning and surrounded Qiaojie and played with her.

Jia Lian sat aside holding a teacup, seemingly bored, but in fact his eyes kept glancing at the three little girls.

Yingchun is the oldest and is already in junior high school. According to the etiquette of that era, a thirteen-year-old girl can find a husband.

Jia She, as the biological father, mentioned this to Jia Lian once, but Jia Lian dismissed him with a sentence: "Father, don't worry. I have my own arrangements."

Jia She didn't say anything at the time, and had no intention of fighting against the patriarchal authority. He just asked Jia Lian for a thousand yuan bill and left with a smile.

Speaking of Jia She, this useless father, the only good thing about him is that he can be given silver.

In fact, Jia Lian was very clear that many nobles had their eyes on Yingchun and had often approached Jia She to tell her about it. However, Jia She always declined, saying that Jia Lian loved his sister very much and as a father he had no right to interfere.

Jia She is not stupid. What can he like about a bastard? The Jia family's reputation? Come on, if it weren't for Jia Lian's rise, the Jia family would be a shabby house in the wind and rain.

My eyes fell on Baochai. Compared with her previous immaturity, Baochai has now grown up. She is at the age of 16 as described in a poem by a SP named Du. She is graceful and elegant, with a kind heart and a refined temperament.

Jia Lian did not have too many thoughts, but he was just lamenting how old Yuanchun was when she entered the palace? Aunt Xue expected to send her to the palace when she was only thirteen years old.

The chirping of the birds and the chirping of Qiaojie were accompanied by a few happy "ahhhh" cries. Jia Lian felt relaxed and wanted to curl up in the recliner like a cat enjoying the warm sun in winter. He fell asleep again in a daze. When he opened his eyes, he found that the room was very quiet. Only Xiren was sitting beside him, with a prop that seemed to always appear on her legs, a small basket.

"Have they all left?" I looked at my pocket watch and realized that I had only slept for half an hour. I felt more energetic than when I woke up last night.

"Second Madam took the young lady to see the old ancestor. The two concubines went to rest. Second Young Lady and her friends went back to play mahjong. They said they wanted to fight for 300 rounds. Xiangling was also dragged away."

Xiren explained the situation in a very clear and organized manner. Jia Lian couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you go out and play?"

"The master may not care about others outside, but he must stay by your side at home, otherwise it would be a neglect of the servants."

Jia Lian was stunned. He really didn’t know how to describe Xiren. Was this the result of being brainwashed by Lady Jia?

"Feng'er, why are you taking the child around in such hot weather?" Jia Lian complained casually, mainly out of concern for the child.

Just as he was talking, Jia Rong came in and said, "Second Uncle, do you have any sour plum soup? Come and have a sip."

Jia Lian smiled when he saw him and said, "It's so hot today, why are you here?"

Xiren took a pot of sour plum soup from the straw cage beside her, poured two bowls over, and seemed to have fire in her eyes.

Jia Rong took the bowl and drank it, then he exhaled a breath of comfort. He put the bowl down and took the towel handed to him by another maid. He wiped the sweat off his body and sat down and said, "This is nothing. My nephew just came back from the tobacco fields outside the city this morning. The tobacco farmers who work there are really hot. They are all sweaty, like they were fished out of the fields."

Jia Lian knew that he was showing off his achievements. Jia Lian basically didn't ask about the production of cigarettes, but Jia Rong didn't dare to neglect it. He had to report to him no matter what happened. When Jia Lian was not at home, he would report to Fengjie. From his appearance, he didn't have the consciousness of being the grandson of Ningguo Mansion.

"Is the East Mansion all right? How are Brother Zhen and Sister-in-law?" Jia Lian asked politely. Jia Rong's expression was a little strange, but after a flash, he smiled and said, "My father is still the same. He doesn't have good legs and feet in rainy weather, but it doesn't stop him from going out to have fun. He was caught twice by the Dragon Guard for smoking opium in a brothel, but he didn't make things difficult for him. Youshi is also very good. She stays at home to take care of the children all day."

When Jia Lian heard the words "smoking opium", his brows slightly frowned: "Is it easy to buy opium now?"

Jia Rong hesitated for a moment before whispering, "My nephew was just about to say this. Didn't the court issue a ban on opium? The opium dealers in the capital are no longer so upright, and they are hiding their heads and showing their tails. When I was leaving the city today, I passed by a farmland. There was no food planted on it, but a kind of thing with extremely bright flowers. I don't know who the farm belongs to, but I saw a steward from the second prince's house from a distance."

Jia Lian was stunned. How could this be related to the Second Prince? He was not short of money, right? Could it be that the people below were using his name to grow opium and make huge profits?

After the imperial court issued the ban on smoking, the specific implementation was left to the lower-level government officials, and there was no special enforcement agency. Because it seemed that no one took it seriously, the harm of this thing had not spread widely.

Otherwise, how could Wang Ziteng dare to sell all the seized opium?

Jia Lian was very annoyed. Well, I am vigorously promoting the ban on smoking, but you guys are planting it yourself.

After thinking for a while, Jia Lian told Jia Rong: "Don't worry about this matter, and don't tell anyone else."

Jia Rong nodded to show that he understood, and then stood up to say goodbye. Jia Lian saw him out. When he was about to turn back, Wang Xifeng came back, sitting in a sedan chair, carried by two sturdy women, and two followed by umbrellas. There was also a line of women following behind. What a grand and majestic scene.

When Wang Xifeng saw Jia Lian, she said, "Now that Rong'er is here, all the business of the two mansions depends on him. He has worked so hard."

Jia Lian reached out to take Qiaojie. The girl was fast asleep. After he put her down inside, Wang Xifeng said from behind, "Uncle Lin has returned to the capital. He went to the palace to see the emperor. He sent the housekeeper to tell you the news."

Lin Ruhai finally finished handling the cases of the Northwest Border Defense. During this period, the court arranged many officials to take up their posts. Lin Ruhai did not spend much time handling the cases, but he spent a lot of time on providing relief, resettling the people, and rebuilding institutions in Zhangjiakou and other places. In contrast, Li Chi, the cabinet minister, has been staying in Shanhaiguan and has not returned.

Jia Lian knew the intention of the imperial court. Wasn't it to find a way to sow discord among the guards of Shanhaiguan? The way this matter was handled seemed very slow and indecisive to Jia Lian.

According to Jia Lian's idea, he should act swiftly and decisively and directly order Xuanli to be transferred away. A snake cannot survive without a head, so wouldn't the rest of the people be at his mercy?

However, the cabinet advocated not to act rashly, and Emperor Chenghui also held the same opinion, so they were unable to take advantage of the great victory in the northwest to solve the problem of the general garrisoning Shanhaiguan in one fell swoop.

Jia Lian also knew that it was not that the emperor did not want to, but that the reorganization of the Beijing Camp had not been completed. The emperor and the cabinet were unwilling to take risks, and Jia Lian had nothing to say. The latest news was that because the Shenji Camp's results were too dazzling, the three major camps and even the Imperial Horse Administration were asking for new equipment, and they were even poaching people from the Shenji Camp.

According to investigation, more than 30 low-ranking officers have been lured away by the three camps with the promise of promotion. Commander Yang reported this once. Jia Lian meant that if the sky is going to rain and the mother is going to get married, what's the point of keeping those who can't be kept?

Jia Lian repeatedly reminded him that it was okay to poach low-ranking officers, as he could just promote and train new ones. He was not allowed to touch any of the staff officers, or he would turn against them if he found out.

To put it more seriously, 30% or even more of the combat effectiveness of the Shenji Battalion comes from the General Staff Office. The funny thing is that when all the major battalions came to recruit people, only Old Sun from the Xishan Battalion wanted to borrow a general staff, but was rejected by General Yang. It can be seen that the people in the other two battalions did not realize the importance of general staff, but simply thought that having new equipment and new tactics was enough.

Upon learning that Lin Ruhai had returned, Jia Lian quickly packed up and went to Lin's house to wait.

After giving birth to her son, Jia Min's whole spirit and energy were completely different. She seemed full of hope for life and looked radiant.

When facing Jia Lian, Jia Min had mixed feelings, but she still warmly invited Jia Lian to sit down and have tea.

As soon as Jia Lian sat down, Daiyu appeared gracefully with a small round fan in her hand: "Hello, Brother Lian!"

Jia Lian stood up to return the greeting, and compared the Daiyu in the TV series with the Daiyu in front of him, there was a sense of time confusion. The fairy was a little more lively and a little less sentimental, no longer the thorny flower in the TV series.

"How is Miss Lin?" Actually, there is no need to ask this question. You can tell by looking at Daiyu's fleshy figure. Subconsciously, I compared her with Baochai. One is independent and detached, while the other is peaceful and prosperous. As the saying goes, spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums each have their own strengths.

"I'm fine. Brother Lian has been busy with state affairs outside and has lost a lot of weight."

After chatting with the mother and daughter for a while, Lin Ruhai came in from outside. He frowned slightly, but soon he smiled: "Brother Lian is here! I guess you are waiting here."

Jia Lian stood up to greet him. Jia Min arranged for the servants to help Lin Ruhai wash and change his clothes. After Lin Ruhai came out in a light outfit, he said to Jia Lian, "Sit down and talk."

"After the imperial court issued the ban on opium, there are still people growing opium. It seems that it is related to the second prince!" Jia Lian went straight to the point, just to see what Lin Ruhai's attitude was.

Lin Ruhai didn't expect Jia Lian to make such a big move right away. He frowned and whispered, "What trouble!"

Jia Lian waited very patiently. After a while, Lin Ruhai looked up and said, "It would be safest to find someone to quietly and anonymously submit articles to several newspapers to expose the truth. The Third Prince is in charge of the Minsheng Daily. How do you think we should deal with it?" This was a test question, and Lin Ruhai wanted to see how Jia Lian would respond.

Jia Lian said without hesitation: "Submit a report as well. I want to see how the Third Prince will deal with this matter. Through this incident, we can see the stance of the newspapers in the capital."

Lin Ruhai sneered, "You wishful thinking. Which newspaper would directly publish such trouble? To put it nicely, the newspaper is exposing it to speak for the people. To put it bluntly, who would do something that has no benefit?"

Jia Lian shook his head indifferently: "Long Jinwei has many eyes and ears in the capital. Even if no newspaper publishes it, as long as the news reaches your majesty's ears, it will be fine."

The two of them settled the matter in just a few words, which shows that Jia Lian had fully considered this issue before. As an old hand, Lin Ruhai found the optimal solution in an instant.

Jia Min didn't quite understand. She blinked her eyes and looked at her uncle and nephew who seemed to have a tacit understanding. Then she looked at Daiyu standing aside and staring at Jia Lian. She felt both relieved and a little sad.

"The results of the trip to Datong can only be described as mediocre. The officials added by the Ministry of Personnel are quite mixed, probably the result of the elders' collusion. In my opinion, when Prime Minister Zhang and others return to the court, there will not be many people who can be used."

Jia Lian understood Lin Ruhai's intention very well. With so many vacancies, the cabinet elders would naturally fight for every one they could. Liang Daoyuan was also the Minister of Personnel, so he did not dare to eat alone. Moreover, the list of the Ministry of Personnel was not decided by Liang Daoyuan alone. The two assistant ministers had to go through it first. Officials above the fourth rank did not need to ask Liang Daoyuan for permission, and they could make the decision.

"How many people did uncle arrange?" Jia Lian asked with a smile. Lin Ruhai was in Datong, and he dared not arrange officials without his approval. Do you think he would impeach someone for abusing power?

"The person who became the Shanxi Provincial Surveillance Commissioner was a classmate recommended by me! The governor and the provincial governor were appointed by His Majesty." Lin Ruhai was very straightforward in his explanation. He had arranged one person for this trip.

From this we can see that the emperor was very dissatisfied with Shanxi and had many ideas about it.

Shanxi today is not the Shanxi of today, with convenient railway and high-speed transportation. Shanxi is the most suitable place to be a local emperor behind closed doors. Ning Ke's successor did nothing in Shanxi, and was definitely judged by the emperor as an incompetent minister. The mountains and rivers, the difficult roads, led to the failure to transport grain to Datong in time. The Yanmen Pass Ancient Road has been there for many years, has it ever delayed transportation?

This kind of explanation is very unconvincing.

Lin Ruhai said directly: "The governor of Shanxi was arrested more than a year after taking office, and he has been crying out for injustice. The governor packed his bags and went home to retire. I think he has made enough money. By the way, I called you here to ask what are the most important things on His Majesty's mind at the moment, so that I can be prepared."

Jia Lian was well prepared, and he gave the answer as soon as Lin Ruhai asked: "The invasion of bandits seems to be a bad thing, and it has indeed caused great damage, but from your majesty's point of view, after a successful victory, it is a good thing. Your majesty has been interested in rectifying the military leaders of the border army for a long time. Taking this opportunity, Datong and other military towns can replace a group of people and civil servants as a handle for the next step of dealing with Shanxi. The second is the preparation of the Beijing camp, hurry up to change the equipment, and learn the new tactics of the Shenji Camp. There are now three eunuchs stationed in the R&D Department to supervise the production of new equipment. Of course, the silver is also very generous. The last is Liaodong!"

Lin Ruhai listened thoughtfully, and soon smiled knowingly: "I understand! I thought the so-called English Mission was a big deal, but now it seems to be just icing on the cake."

Jia Lian was a little unhappy after hearing this, with a helpless expression, and said slowly, "Your Majesty always thinks that you must first stabilize the country before you can resist foreign aggression!" After saying that, a bald head appeared in Jia Lian's mind.

Lin Ruhai tried to comfort him: "Foreign affairs can still bring glory to your majesty. Your majesty asked you to go, which shows that he still attaches great importance to it."

Jia Lian twisted his mouth and said, "Your Majesty has no suitable minister who understands the West, so he asked me to go."

As Lin Ruhai had expected, the matter of growing opium was exactly as it was expected. After the anonymous letter of complaint was sent out, not a single newspaper published it.

Even for the Minsheng Daily, after Li Heng knew about this, he chose to meet Li Yuan with the anonymous letter. The two brothers sat opposite each other for an hour before Li Heng left.

Jia Lian didn’t know the follow-up news for the time being. The next day after meeting Lin Ruhai, he got up and returned to Tianjin.

(End of this chapter)