Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 39 Crooked Thoughts

I really didn't eavesdrop on purpose just now. It was just a coincidence. The emperor arrived on the front foot and Jia Lian followed on the back foot. Emperor Chenghui, who didn't want to see Jia Lian, simply stepped aside for now. How can I put it, the idea of ​​minting coins is a good one. Don't you want to come over and use it yourself? There was no reward or anything, and he looked a little confused.

"Although Jia Lian is young, he is a sensible person. It is better to stay in the capital and drift with the tide than to go out and be at ease. But there is something wrong with it. It means floating in the sea on a boat." Zhang Ting'en is a very dedicated teacher, and he is always giving lessons at noon. Jia Lian reached a high level.

"It's too early to say this. The four kings and eight princes plus the big and small dignitaries are just embarrassing you? Yesterday, more than a dozen nobles went to Xiyuan to ask for an audience with the Supreme Emperor. They just wanted to cry for poverty. These people, some Counting one by one, if you are not doing well, your family will have no less than 10,000 acres of land. If you are doing well, it is common for your family to have 100,000 acres of land. Just like this, you still have to cry for poverty."

Emperor Chenghui's face turned gloomy at the sight, but the matter was put on hold. The commotion was too ugly. It was not the eunuch next to the Supreme Emperor who came to send a message, just three words: "Slow down."

"If I don't stop, the outside world will spread rumors that I am unfilial!" As he spoke, Emperor Chenghui looked up to the sky and kept this account firmly in his heart. The four princes and eight princes still need some time to polish. The leader is the King of Beijing, the representative of the backbone is the Jia family, and the rising one is the Wang family.

Sooner or later, press all the buttons one by one.

"Your Majesty, you can prepare the coinage quietly and keep it secret. When the border troops enter the capital with the power of defeating the rebellion, they can launch silver coins in the name of reward, and use the capital as a pilot to promote it first and see how it works. Ministry of Industry ,Unreliable!"

Zhang Tingen thought deeply about this matter. If silver coins combined with copper coins are used as legal tender in the future, the annual seigniorage tax alone can earn at least 3 million. In addition, combined with the recovery of fire consumption, at least another 3 million can be saved, which is 6 million taels inside and outside. income.

The temptation is too great to resist. If it were the Supreme Emperor, he might also allow private coinage, but Emperor Chenghui would definitely not allow it.

"I see that Jia Lian's pamphlet emphasizes anti-counterfeiting, and he also drew a sketch at the end, which shows that he has considered it very carefully. Such a talent must be used by me." This is a showdown for Emperor Chenghui, and Jia Lian will definitely not be able to escape. His five-finger mountain. He must betray Jia's family in the future, and this ideological work depends on Zhang Ting'en.

Zhang Ting'en also saw the sketch, which is a sawtooth with a round edge. This idea is really good. There is also an idea of ​​using silver plate to stamp it into shape in one go. I don't know if it can be made with the current level of craftsmen, so I have to prepare in advance. It's best to find out by trial and error. If it doesn't work, you can only use the old method, casting!

Emperor Chenghui asked the eunuchs around him to go to the Banking Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and learn about the manufacturing process in detail. Craftsmen can make silver plates, but the difficulty is to stamp them in one go. The first is the mold, and the second is the stamping equipment that cannot be solved.

At present, when physics has not made great progress, making hydraulic presses can only leave craftsmen to fumble and rub their hands.

Emperor Chenghui came here today to discuss the minting of coins, and the person he trusts most now is Zhang Ting'en.

"Will he have a solution to the idea proposed by Jia Lian?" Emperor Chenghui asked hesitantly. After hearing this, Zhang Ting'en couldn't help but secretly cursed in his heart. If he met a useful one, he would really squeeze it to death.

"Let me ask someone to ask him. If it doesn't work, just open the mold and pour it." Zhang Ting'en didn't have any good solution, so he could only deal with it.

"That's all we can do. Let's make some samples first. With such huge profits, the most important thing is to impose strict punishments."

"Your Majesty is aware that as long as the profit is great enough, there will be people who will do the business of beheading."

Jia Lian on the carriage thought silently, whether he had talked nonsense before. Thinking about it carefully, it was really not a big deal. He just mentioned that the Emperor was still there. This should not have much impact. This incident also reminded Jia Lian that he must be more careful when speaking in the future, even when facing Zhang Tingen, he must be more cautious.

I hope the emperor will see that he has come up with the idea of ​​seigniorage and will be more lenient with him when dealing with the Jia family in the future.

As for the worry that "there are intact eggs under the overturned nest", Jia Lian can't worry about it for the time being. People in this era are most afraid of not being useful. What? The emperor's lackey? No matter how many people want to be the emperor's dog, they have no chance.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather gradually gets cooler. Jia Lian's life rhythm has not changed much. Without Li Heng hanging around, life in the academy has become easier. Born into a top-notch person, he didn't offend others, and others generally didn't like him. Even if the senior students in the academy were bullied, it wouldn't be Jia Lian's fault.

Perhaps out of guilt for Jia Lian, Zhang Tingen frequently asked Jia Lian questions and spent a lot of time correcting Jia Lian's articles. Old Master Fang in the academy had the deepest experience and lamented the rapid improvement of Jia Lian's craftsmanship.

Before the college examination, Jia Lian went to Zhang Ting'en every now and then to ask for advice. Occasionally, Zhang Ting'en would mention a few things about the court. Jia Lian took the opportunity to read the imperial newspaper several times. The latest news is that before the winter solstice, Wang Ziteng commanded an army of 100,000 and launched a three-way siege against the rebels in the Western Regions. Wang Ziteng did not rush to advance quickly, but chose to move forward steadily, pushing forward bit by bit to compress the living space of the rebels. According to the Di newspaper, after a month of fighting, the rebels have been besieged in their lair. Within a radius of ten miles.

The rebels took advantage of the terrain, and Wang Ziteng was not in a hurry to launch a general attack. Instead, he commanded his troops to prepare for a long-term siege. Judging from the number of rebels, there are at least 60,000 to 70,000 people, half of whom are old, weak, women and children. With so many people trapped, food is not the most important issue, water source is.

Judging from the Di newspaper, the battle is going very smoothly, and the counterinsurgency is expected to be completed by the middle of next year at the earliest.

When reading the Di newspaper, Jia Lian's mind naturally came to the map of the mountains and rivers of the Western Regions. This can be said to be an unexpected and huge surprise. I thought the plug-in with photographic memory was very powerful, but I never thought there was such a plug-in.

After repeated experiments with this plug-in, we came up with an applicable scope, which is a map, and it is still three-dimensional.

This is very cool, but it's a pity that Jia Lian has no intention of leading troops to fight, and the plug-in seems a bit useless at this stage.

On the day before the winter solstice, Mrs. Jia, who likes liveliness, was organizing a banquet again. She kept talking, but Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Xing and Aunt Zhou were tired. Li Wan, who was in charge of the housekeeper, was pregnant and could not do many things. Aunt Zhao was also pregnant. , the same can only be raised.

Jia Lian rarely rested at home for a day, so he hid in the east courtyard without moving. The Rongguo Mansion was bustling with lanterns and colorful decorations, and a theater troupe was invited to perform for three days. A stage was set up in the house, and after lunch the gongs and operas started to sing, and it was very lively. Even if you are hiding in the east cross courtyard, you can still hear the sound of silk and bamboo.

Guixiang wanted to join in the fun, but Jia Lian didn't like the fun and could only stay by her side to chat.

"I heard from the maid next to the eldest lady that Mrs. Wang, the second roommate, complained privately that there is only a theater troupe. It's not like the Jia family can't afford the money, so why not raise a theater troupe? Whenever you want to listen to a play, you can listen to the play, like now Those who go out to invite you back always feel that they are not worthy of the Jia family's face."

Jia Lian was leaning on the recliner, with a quilt underneath him and a fur blanket covering him. There was a brazier beside him, and the cinnamon spell was in his ears. "Hmph!" Jia Lian hummed comfortably, not wanting to move at all, his eyelids kept falling down.

Before falling asleep, Jia Lian said: "If you want to listen to the play, go and don't disturb me while I sleep."

"How can I go if the second master doesn't go?" Guixiang was very tempted, but she was also afraid that there would be no one around to take care of Jia Lian, so it was best to go together.

"It's a rare day to relax at home. Stop hanging around and go play."

Guixiang is only two years older than Jia Lian. She is officially lively and active at this age, but she usually pretends to be mature. Now that he got Jia Lian's approval, he stood up happily. Just as he was about to jog, he slowed down, slipped out of the door in small steps, put down the curtain and ran away.

Before reaching the stage, I saw the maid Si Qi next to Yingchun waving from a distance. Guixiang ran over happily. Si Qi pulled her aside and whispered: "Sister Guixiang, someone was telling a joke about the second master just now. "

Guixiang's eyebrows instantly stood up, like a cat with hairy hair. She looked around and saw that no one was around, and asked in a low voice: "Who are they and what did they say?" Si Qi also followed and looked around before whispering: " They are not those old pious women who rely on their elders. They say that Sister Guixiang is still a young girl, and the second master is afraid that she will not be able to do it. Another one said that maybe the second master does not like Sister Guixiang and turns around in front of his ancestors. Talk and put some good-looking things around the second master."

Guixiang's hands and feet suddenly trembled, and she bit tightly, which meant that the person was no longer in front of her. If she was really in front of her, she could kill him with one bite.

But just think about it, the so-called old pious women are just the old people who came to marry Jia Mu. None of the women who competed with Jia Mu back then can be seen now, which shows that Jia Mu also has a kind-hearted personality. The only ones who are left are the cronies of the past. When they get older, they will receive a monthly salary from Jia's house. The original intention is to allow them to live a stable life.

However, these people are relying on their old age and always fanning the wind in the Hall of Rongxi to light the will-o'-the-wisp. When they are old and have Jia Mu as their backer, no one dares to care about them. It's not a big deal to bully a little maid like Guixiang.

As Jia Lian's full-time informant, Guixiang naturally cannot take such rumors lightly. After all, some people are really capable of inserting people around Jia Lian.

"Thank you, Sister Si Qi. Please listen to it again and tell me later."

Guixiang said as she took out a handful of dried fruits from her sleeves and gave it to Si Qi, then turned and returned to Dongkuoyuan.

Jia Lian was sleeping in Xiangxiang. He was pushed awake by someone and his face looked very ugly. When he saw clearly that it was Guixiang, he asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to the theater? This face is as dark as if it was smeared with ink." Yes, who offended our sister Guixiang."

Guixiang looked back and saw that there was no one at the door, and then she spoke in a low voice. After briefly explaining the matter, Jia Lian's sleepiness disappeared. With a smile on his face, this matter is probably not that simple.

"What do you think?" Jia Lian asked lightly. Guixiang must have a more comprehensive idea about this kind of thing.

"Speaking of which, no one mentioned this before. It was because the second brother was so powerful. Uncle Zhu was still a scholar, and all the pretty people wanted to sneak into Uncle Zhu's house. Now that the second brother is successful in studying, someone started to take action. I just want to distract the second master. If something goes wrong during the hospital exam, I'm afraid someone will get his wish."

Jia Lian nodded after hearing this and said: "It makes sense! In the east courtyard, all the pretty people are moved to the main room. If I hadn't kept a close eye on you, you would have suffered from the misfortune of being old and dishonest. Maybe, someone I wish I could focus on the bed."

As he spoke, Jia Lian stood up. Guixiang immediately fetched a copper basin and hot water, helped him wash up, and then combed his hair.

After being dressed neatly and checking in the mirror, Guixiang took a cloak and put it on Jia Lian. Suddenly her cheeks turned red and she said: "Second Master, you really have a maid you like. Let's take her in without any hindrance. No one will tell lies." Shenzhai Compound Among the men here, there are not a few who have children under the age of fourteen."

Jia Lian laughed loudly after hearing this. Guixiang didn't seem to care, but she still felt a knot in her heart. Why did the second master look down on her? This should be what she is struggling with, now she is pretending to be generous.

Jia Lian stopped smiling, kept Guixiang, and took a deep breath of daughter's fragrance in the crook of his neck. When Guixiang's body became soft, he let go and laughed: "It smells good! It smells good! You know it in your heart, and I know it in my heart. You can't come back as a scholar, let alone the Rongxi Hall, even in this Dongguo Courtyard, there are people who dare to look down on your second master."

Her body was weak and her eyes were blurred. Guixiang, who was smooth and silky, was a little dazed, but she still nodded: "I understand."

Jia Lian said again: "Let's go to the theater." As he walked forward, Guixiang hurriedly followed. When he went out, he found Xiao An alone dozing in front of the stove in the corridor. Guixiang stepped forward and patted him awake, asking him to follow.

Approaching the stage, the sound of silk and bamboo became clearer and clearer. After turning around a rockery, the stage appeared in sight. Someone was singing on the stage. Jia Mu was in the middle, and on the left and right were Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Xing.

As he got closer, Jia Lian noticed that Aunt Zhao, Aunt Zhou, and Li Wan were all sitting in the back row. In the third row were Jia She's two aunts, together with Baoyu's wet nurse and several other wives. There was also Youshi from Dongfu in the first row, and the scene was really lively.

Coincidentally, after the opera was finished on the stage, Jia Lian also arrived. The maid next to Jia Mu lowered her head to speak. After hearing this, Jia Mu looked back, suddenly smiled happily, waved to Jia Lian and said, "I am a filial and good boy." Grandson, I knew you would come back to watch the theater with grandma."

Jia Lian stepped forward with a smile, bowed and said: "This is what a grandson should do, and he does not deserve the praise of a grandma."

Everyone turned to see Jia Lian step forward to salute one by one. Except for Mrs. Wang who sat still and accepted Jia Lian's salute, everyone else stood up and turned sideways, not daring to accept his full salute.

Jia Lian didn't care about this and sat down next to Jia Mu with a smile. When Jia Mu held Jia Lian's hand and spoke, the wet nurse appeared holding Jia Baoyu. When the big-faced Bao saw Jia Mu, she shouted in a baby voice: "Old ancestor, Ancestor, give me a hug."

Jia Lian glanced quietly and found Mrs. Wang's face with some undisguised pride.

(End of this chapter)