Emperor of the Red Chamber

Chapter 161 Two important officials jointly remonstrated
After Yuanchun and Jia Zhu chatted alone for a while, they reunited with Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang.

Grandmother Jia said to Yuanchun, "When the late emperor was in power, he not only issued an edict to allow the concubines' families to visit the palace every month, but also allowed the concubines to return to their parents' homes to visit their parents. For this reason, several concubines' parents' homes built gardens at that time. I wonder when the current emperor will issue such an edict. We will definitely build a beautiful garden to welcome you to visit your parents."

During the reign of Emperor Chengtai, there were indeed cases of concubines returning home to visit their families.

At that time, Emperor Jing'an and Empress Dowager Wang believed that the family members of concubines were restricted by the state system and etiquette to visit the emperor, so they were generous and allowed concubines whose families had large houses and separate courtyards to stay in to return home to visit their families.

For this reason, the families of Empress He, Concubine Du and other concubines spent huge amounts of money to build gardens for their relatives to visit.

After Yuan Qingbai ascended the throne, he did not issue such an edict.

Both Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang hoped for this decree.

If Queen Yuanchun could return to Rongguo Mansion to visit her relatives, it would bring great honor to Rongguo Mansion, and Grandmother Jia also likes such excitement.

Furthermore, today, when Lady Jia saw that Yuanzhao Garden was very beautiful, she felt envious and also wanted to build a garden.

Yuanchun said, "Your Majesty has allowed the Empress's family to visit her once a month, which is already a great favor. Now he has also allowed us to visit and play in Yuanzhao Garden, which is even more of a favor. How can we ask for more? Besides, Your Majesty has been on the throne for less than a year. Even if you have this intention, it is not convenient for you to issue this decree so soon. I actually hope that Your Majesty will not issue this decree."

As she spoke, Yuanchun picked up the teacup and took two sips of tea.

Grandmother Jia couldn't wait to ask, "Could it be that the Queen is unwilling to return home?"

Yuanchun said, "No, it's just that the visit will cause a lot of trouble for His Majesty. How much money will it cost to build a garden for this? It will also require the efforts of my old lady, father, mother, and brother. This matter is bound to attract attention. I have just told Brother Zhu that our family is now in a prosperous period, and we must be low-key and cautious in the future."

Jia Zhu agreed with what he heard and admired Yuanchun's increasing maturity and stability.

Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang also knew that what Yuanchun said made sense, so they stopped talking.

……

……

On this day, everyone from Rongguo Mansion entered Yuanzhao Garden in the morning, stayed in the "Natural Painting" for an hour, and left at noon. Yuanchun did not hold a banquet.

It is not convenient for the concubines' families to stay in Yuanzhao Garden for a long time, and now the national mourning period has not yet ended and the year has not yet been completed, so it is not convenient to hold a public banquet.

When leaving Yuanzhao Garden, Zhen Baofen was nostalgic and really jealous of Yuanchun, but she also knew that she had no fate and no chance to become Yuan Qingbai's concubine.

but……

"I will help my third sister to succeed in the selection. If my third sister can be favored by the emperor and even be made a concubine, it will be beneficial to our Zhen family and to me as well."

Zhen Baofen was thinking silently in her heart.

The Jiangnan Zhen family had already begun preparations for Zhen Baozhi's talent show.

Zhen Baozhi is the third daughter of Zhen Yingjia and the third sister of Zhen Baofen and Zhen Baofang.

In a little over a year, when Yuan Qingbai's 27-month mourning period is over, a beauty contest will inevitably be held to enrich the inadequate harem.

The four girls, Lin Daiyu, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun and a group of maids, did not dare to talk much when they were in Yuanzhao Garden. But when they returned to Rongguo Mansion, they started chattering and talking heatedly.

Xue Baochai, who lives in the Lixiang Courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion, wants to be the first to find out what happened when everyone in the Rongguo Mansion entered the Yuanzhao Garden today and find out the news about Yuan Qingbai.

But as Xue Baochai grew older, she became more steady and reserved. She knew that if she was eager to find out, she would be laughed at, so she did not rush to the inner house of Rongguo Mansion.

Seeing the maids discussing, Zhen Baofen smiled and said, "Why doesn't Bao come? She is a very lucky girl. She will be the emperor's concubine in the future. She will be able to enjoy such a grand and beautiful garden in the future."

There was a sour taste in these words, but Lin Daiyu and Sanchun could not see it. If Xue Baochai were here, she would definitely be able to see it.

Lin Daiyu hadn't thought about this at first, but when she heard Zhen Baofen say this, she couldn't help feeling jealous.

It’s not that she was greedy for the splendor of Yuanzhao Garden, but that she had always been competitive with Xue Baochai.

Why would Xue Baochai be able to live in such a garden in the future?

And where will she go in the future?
Her parents are both gone, and she lives in Rongguo Mansion. Although her parents left a lot of inheritance, most of it went to Rongguo Mansion. Her loving mother, Jia, is already old. If her mother is still alive when she gets married, her situation may be better. If her mother is dead, wouldn't her situation be worrying?
Who will she marry in the future?

At this moment, Lin Daiyu felt sour and sad.

Tanchun was also sad.

Tanchun did not have the intention to compete with Xue Baochai, but she wanted to live in Yuanzhao Garden, wanted to live in the palace, and she wanted to become Yuan Qingbai's concubine!
She is no longer the little girl that Yuan Qingbai first met many years ago, and she has become interested in matters between men and women.

She also discovered that she had secretly admired Yuan Qingbai, both as a person and as a man of power and nobility...

She is Jia Zheng's illegitimate daughter. Her biological mother, Aunt Zhao, was born into a family of servants and was rude and ignorant. Her younger brother, Jia Huan, did not look like a capable person, and both mother and son were disliked.

She had lofty ambitions and longed to get out of her predicament and become a superior person. But she also knew that this was an unreasonable thought. There was already an older girl in Rongguo Mansion who became the queen. Could it be possible that she, the third daughter of Jia Zheng's concubine, could enter the harem?

……

……

Yuan Qingbai had planned to go to "Natural Painting" today to accompany Yuanchun to meet everyone in Rongguo Mansion. He wanted to give Yuanchun a favor, and also wanted to take the opportunity to meet Lin Daiyu, Sanchun and other golden hairpins.

Unexpectedly, he was tripped up by something today...

Today, two important ministers presented their names together to meet the emperor.

One is Jiang Mingzhi and the other is Song Jiahan.

Song Jiahan needs no introduction. He is the Minister of Works and the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. He is the "first minister of remonstration" in the current Great Zhou Dynasty. Recently, Prince Zhongshun impeached him at an enlarged meeting in front of the emperor, but Yuan Qingbai protected him.

Jiang Mingzhi is no ordinary person.

Jiang Mingzhi is over seventy years old this year.

He passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, served as a Hanlin scholar, worked in the Southern Study, and served successively as the academician of Shuntian, lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, circuit inspector of Zhili, governor of Guizhou, governor of Yunnan, governor-general of Yunnan and Guizhou and concurrently governor of Yunnan.

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In the fifth year of Chengtai, he was convicted for mistakenly including a secret decree in his memorial and was dismissed from the post of governor-general, but continued to serve as governor.

In the first month of the sixth year of Chengtai, Li Wei, the newly appointed governor of Yunnan, petitioned for the dismissal of Jiang Mingzhi on the grounds of tolerating his subordinates and neglecting his duties. He was ordered to stay in Yunnan for trial and would be dealt with separately after the facts were verified.

After that, Jiang Mingzhi lived in Kunming for three years, focusing on studying and writing.

After Yuan Qingbai ascended the throne, considering that Jiang Mingzhi was honest and upright, he specially ordered him to return to the capital, appointed him as the Minister of Rites and the Chief Academician of the Imperial College, and appointed him as the Chief Master of the Shangshufang, in charge of the prince's studies.

Jiang Mingzhi had such qualifications that even Yuan Qingbai would show respect when he saw him. He was respecting both an outstanding and loyal old minister and his son's teacher.

However, today, Jiang Mingzhi and Song Jiahan submitted plaques to the emperor and gave advice to Yuan Qingbai in person, hoping that Yuan Qingbai would stop his troops in the northwest.

The reason was that the Great Zhou had been stationing troops in the west for a long time in order to conquer the Dzungar Khanate, which cost a lot of money and food and also caused many deaths. After Yuan Qingbai ascended the throne, he also ordered the two armies in the west to be on guard and not to take the initiative to attack. In the eyes of Jiang Mingzhi and Song Jiahan, this was a waste of money and food and a waste of national strength.

Moreover, it is not easy to destroy the Dzungar Khanate. Even if it can be destroyed, the Great Zhou will have to mobilize the entire country, spend a huge amount of money and food, and there is a fear that it will fall into civil strife.

So the Western troops should be stopped!

Yuan Qingbai knew that in the past year since he ascended the throne, the court had always been critical of his decision to move west. Some people thought that the Great Zhou should fight a quick battle, while others thought that the Western troops should be withdrawn...

Yuan Qingbai doesn't care much about these criticisms.

Jiang Mingzhi and Song Jiahan have both made remonstrances today, so Yuan Qingbai needs to pay attention.

After listening to the advice of the two men, Yuan Qingbai felt depressed. After all, they were both important ministers whom he respected, but they opposed him on the war in the west.

Although he was depressed, Yuan Qingbai was rational. He knew that the two important ministers' advice was not out of selfish motives and that their advice made sense.

"Mr. Song, I remember that during the time of the previous emperor, when Zang Danjin of Qinghai rebelled, you strongly advised to 'withdraw the troops from the west'. But what was the result? Shengzu and the previous emperor ordered me to be the General of Fuyuan to suppress the rebellion of Zang Danjin and protect the territory of our Great Zhou. From this point of view, your advice in the past was unwise? Now I am following the will of Shengzu and the previous emperor and sending troops to the northwest, but you are advising me to 'withdraw the troops from the west'. Don't you feel guilty?"

Yuan Qingbai deliberately stared at Song Jiahan and questioned him sternly.

Song Jiahan bowed and replied, "I was indeed foolish in this matter, so I dare not speak lightly to advise against the withdrawal of the western troops. Today, I dare to speak to the emperor, which is the result of my careful consideration. I think that the situation in the northwest is different from that in Qinghai in the past. There is no need to continue to spend huge amounts of money and sacrifice soldiers. It is really difficult for our Great Zhou to destroy the Junggar and recover the northwest. It is better to withdraw the western troops first and wait until the time is right before launching the expedition."

Yuan Qingbai asked in a deep voice: "Oh? When is the time you mentioned to be ripe?"

Song Jiahan said: "The population and economy of Junggar are far inferior to our Great Zhou. The longer our Great Zhou confronts them, the more disadvantageous it will be. After a few years, when our Great Zhou is strong enough and Junggar has weakened, we can destroy them in one fell swoop."

Yuan Qingbai smiled playfully when he heard this.

Thinking back then, he had said similar words in front of Emperor Jing'an and Emperor Chengtai, and what he said was more detailed than what Song Jiahan said now.

And today, Song Jiahan said these words to him.

Instead of being angry, Yuan Qingbai felt relieved.

The fact that Song Jiahan could say this shows that he has gained some knowledge in military affairs after the lessons he learned back then.

Yuan Qingbai didn't want to waste any more words. He stared at Jiang Mingzhi and Song Jiahan and said solemnly, "The reason why I delayed the Northwest War is because I have been making careful preparations. One of the preparations is to form and train the Dragon Cavalry Battalion and the Jianrui Battalion. In a few days, I want to review these two armies. You two can go with me for the review. I think after the review, you two will most likely not insist on withdrawing the Western troops."

Jiang Mingzhi and Song Jiahan looked at each other.

They had known about the Dragon Cavalry Battalion and the Jianrui Battalion for a long time, but had never investigated them in depth. Now, hearing the implicit meaning in the emperor's words, could it be that these two armies are really formidable?

(End of this chapter)