Xian Sun of the Ning Mansion of the Red Chamber

Chapter 11 Yuanchun seals concubines, monarchs and ministers seek salt

Capital City, Rongguo Mansion.

At this moment in the Rongqing Hall, the luxuriously dressed Jia Mu was sitting on the soft couch on the high platform, shaking the handkerchief in her hand, feeling that today's gutter stove was overheated, and she was sweating out of thin air. The emerald, agate, emerald and green prayer beads were also thrown aside.

Speaking of the past two years, the court has been involved in the Jia family several times, and the old lady didn't want to pay attention to these trivial matters, but a few juniors still didn't live up to it. For some reason, she devoted herself to cultivating the Tao, but she had to worry about the old woman who was over [-] years old. Thinking of this, the old lady felt agitated.

Seeing this, the mandarin ducks at the side hurriedly offered a cup of hot tea, but the old lady pushed it away and said angrily, "I'm not thirsty, so I'll send someone to the front yard to inquire, do you have any letters from your master?"

Immediately, a servant girl lifted the curtain and walked out in response.

Under the hall, all the family members of the Rong Mansion are also here, even Grandma You of the East Mansion and Jia Rong's newly adopted daughter-in-law, Qin Shi, are also sitting in the hall together, everyone's face is full of anxiety.

Even Wang Xifeng, nicknamed "Feng Lazi" and "Shabby Household Son" on weekdays, is very cute at the moment.

There are only two exceptions, one is Li Wan, the grandson-in-law of the Rong Mansion, who is pure-hearted and ascetic, and she is willing to suffer loneliness, and the other is Jia Xichun, the withdrawn and cold-hearted young lady of the Dong Mansion.

In the Rongxi Hall in the east main courtyard, Jia Amnesty, Jia Zhen, and Jia Lian were all dressed in court clothes, and Jia Rong and Jia Qiang were also gathered together.

At this moment, someone from outside said: "Gentlemen, the old lady sent someone to ask, is there any news from Mr. Zheng?"

Jia Lian got up and replied: "I went back to the old lady, and said that there is no news from the palace. I have received it here. Let her know in the morning."

Sitting in the hall, Jia Zhen ordered: "Rong'er, go to the door to meet him. If anyone comes back to report, bring him here directly."

Jia Rong took the order and took Jia Qiang along.

It didn't take long before I heard someone shouting outside the door of the instrument: "I'm back! I'm back!"

The three left the hall immediately, seeing Jia Rong and Lai Da running over together, Jia Lian hurriedly asked, "Quickly, what's going on?"

Lai Da reported: "Master Zheng asked the servants to come back to report the good news. He said that our eldest aunt was conferred the title of Zhaoyi by the emperor, and she was given the job of a servant in the imperial study. Now Mr. Zheng is going to court to thank you."

After listening, everyone was overjoyed, and Jia Zhen said again: "Go to Xiyuan and report to the old lady."

After hearing the reply, Jia's mother and everyone in Rongqing hall were relieved, and the whole hall became lively.

Jia Mu asked again through the screen: "Your master didn't say that we women need to enter the palace to thank you?"

Lai Dao Dao: "I've said it, but you don't need to thank your Majesty if you have an oral order, and Mr. Zheng just went to kowtow outside the Linjing Hall."

When Lai Da left, Wang Xifeng, who wanted to speak first, said happily: "Old Ancestor, my son may have his heart in his stomach at this moment, our eldest girl is now conferred Zhaoyi, and has been accepted by the Holy Grace again." Attendant of the Imperial Study Room, it looks like you are not far away from Concubine Feng, and you will be happy when the time comes!"

After finishing speaking, he turned to Mrs. Wang at the side to express his congratulations.

Jia Zheng's wife and Mrs. Wang are naturally smiling, and everyone is more pleasing to the eye.

On the soft collapse, Jia's mother pointed at Wang Xifeng and scolded with a smile: "Everyone knows that you are a poor family, and you dare to talk nonsense about such things!" But she was very happy in her heart.

Zhaoyi is the head of the nine concubines, isn't she just one step away from Concubine Feng?

Only then did Mrs. Wang say to Jia Mu: "A few days ago, a letter came from Yangzhou, saying that Daiyu had gone north by boat. It would not be a few days, but she should arrive."

"Really!" Before Jiamu could speak, Wang Xifeng leaned to Jiamu's side and said playfully, "Look at what I said. When you are happy, I have never met Sister Daiyu. Woolen cloth!"

Tanchun and the sisters in the hall were also happy when they heard this.

Mother Jia was full of glory, she hugged Wang Xifeng in her arms and said with a smile: "Yes yes yes! You are the one who can speak nicely!"

He also heard Mrs. Wang say to Jiamu and Youshi: "It is said that Yinger, the second son of Mr. Dongfu, is also on board."

Mother Jia was startled when she heard this.

The You family was originally Jia Zhen's continuation, and it was only four or five years since he started his career, and he had never seen Jia Ying. It took him a long time to remember this incident, and he wondered: "I heard that there is another person of the same generation in the mansion , far away in southern Xinjiang, but now they are back."

As for the juniors in Jia's No. [-] middle school, they don't know who they are talking about.

Wang Xifeng felt strange, she had been a student for a long time, so she didn't know that there was someone called Yinger in the East Mansion, so she immediately asked: "Old ancestor, who is Yinger, and why hasn't my granddaughter-in-law seen her before?"

Jia's mother sighed immediately: "Oh, I'm also a miserable person. I lost my parents when I was young, and grew up alone in southern Xinjiang. Of course you have never seen it before. Don't call out Yinger one by one. He is with you. He is of the same generation, one or two years younger than Lian'er, he is the second in his room, and there is a brother above him who died early."

Then he said to the two daughters-in-laws of Wang, Xing, and You: "Speaking of which, the mansion sent someone to pick him up in southern Xinjiang, but his grandfather was reluctant and insisted on keeping him. Him, it's good to come back now, it's good to come back!"

Then he ordered: "Daughter-in-law Zhen, since this is the case, you should also go back and prepare. The child has come back once when he grows up, so don't be contemptuous now."

You Shi hurriedly got up and said, "My grandson and daughter-in-law know."

At this moment, Jia Mu looked around the room, feeling that something was missing, and said, "Where is Baoyu? Why didn't you see him?"

Everyone knew that Baoyu was the old lady's darling, and that she took care of her even more closely than his wife Wang, so no one neglected Baoyu's whereabouts.

At that moment Yuanyang replied: "Old lady, the second master ordered Baoyu to go to Xueli's grandfather yesterday, and he hasn't come back yet."

When Baoyu was not around, Jia's mother always felt empty and said, "Forget it, you are all gone too. When Baoyu comes back, let him come to see me."

Only then did the crowd disperse, and a group of sisters went to visit the garden by themselves. Wang Xifeng went back to the courtyard to deal with foreign affairs, while Li Wan devoted himself to his son Jia Lan and returned early.

Inside the Linjing Hall.

Emperor Jiade, who had finally lost the weight of the mountain on his head, ignored Jia Zheng, who was thanking him outside the hall, and was sitting on the couch watching the memorial that had just been reported.

However, the one who accompanied him was not Dai Quan, the inner minister, but Fu Donglai, who had recently returned to the imperial court, who was awarded the Minister of the Household Department and the Bachelor of Dongge University.

After reading the memorial in his hand, Emperor Jiade closed it lightly, and asked Fu Donglai who was beside him: "Fuchen, what do you think about the excerpt played by Feng Yankuan?"

Fu Donglai, who is over fifty years old, does not look old at all, but looks energetic.

Hearing Emperor Jiade's inquiry, Fu Donglai replied seriously: "Return to Your Majesty, I have no idea."

"Oh?"

Emperor Jiade was a little surprised by this answer from his confidant, and smiled slightly: "Aren't you worried?"

Fu Donglai said calmly: "Your Majesty, I don't worry!"

"Because he is Feng Hengshi? In the early years, I heard the late emperor mention him a lot. After all, he reprimanded him more and praised him less."

Fu Donglai didn't argue too much, he just said: "Your Majesty, Feng Hengshi is the only one in this world who was reprimanded and degraded by the late emperor, and still got the title from the late emperor himself."

For Fu Donglai, Emperor Xuanlong was the luckiest thing in his life. Although he had some opinions about some things in Xuanlong's later period, it did not hinder Emperor Xuanlong's position in his heart, especially Emperor Xuanlong's vision of seeing people was very accurate , Hengshi, Hengshi, only with an indomitable perseverance, the two courtiers are rarely able to match.

What's more, Feng Hengshi was originally the person he strongly recommended, and he regarded him as the right-hand man of the future New Deal, and he was not allowed to have doubts about Feng Hengshi at this moment.

Seeing his confidant and beloved minister so firm, Emperor Jiade hesitated a bit.

In the case of Yuezhou minister being killed, it can be said that some people slapped Jiade in the face nakedly. Who is Qi Benzhong?Those were the courtiers who were loyal to him when he was still in the hidden mansion, and those people even dared to kill him.

Emperor Jiade originally wanted to save his face with a thunderbolt, but he thought about the involvement involved, thinking that he had endured humiliation for so many years, and now that the situation is improving, he must not spoil the hard-won situation because of the anger in his heart .

Only then did Fu Shi's opinion be adopted and Feng Yankuan was sent to Huguang.

"I just hope that you, Feng Hengshi, don't disappoint me. I won't be stingy with a pavilion, otherwise, I'd better go back to Nanjing." Emperor Jiade said in his heart.

He picked up another memorial in his hand, and said to Fu Donglai: "Look, Aiqing, this is a note that was delivered urgently from Yangzhou just now, saying that this year's salt tax may not be able to collect the amount required by the court. Yes, the Yangzhou Salt Administration Office reported that several ships of illegal salt were seized in Jiangning a few days ago, do you know how many there are?"

Speaking of this, Emperor Jiade slapped the table angrily and said: "A total of 90 shi! The illicit salt of 90 shi is converted into nearly 100 million taels of silver, while the salt quota given by the court to the Yangzhou Salt Administration is only 300 million taels , that is the salt tax for the entire Jiangning region!"

Emperor Jiade's expression was agitated, full of anger: "This is still found, and those who slipped through the net? How many!"

"Okay! The Emperor Taishang said he had no money for the funeral, and the Ministry of Finance said there was no money to be allocated, and Nuoda's court could not even come up with 300 million military expenses!" As he said, he pointed at Fu Dong. The booklet in Lai's hand said: "It's good for them. One smuggling is more than one million taels. How can I tolerate it!"

"And that Lin Ruhai, what is he doing in Yangzhou to let these people get away with it?"

When Emperor Jiade's mood gradually calmed down, Fu Donglai closed the memorial and said: "These salt merchants should be killed, but your Majesty need not be angry. According to Weichen, this is a good thing! As for Lin Ruhai, since ancient times the two The salt merchants in Huai are the most difficult to deal with, and with the collusion of interests of all parties, patrolling salt is not easy, Lin Ruhai was able to collect nearly 200 million taels of salt tax in Jiangning alone, which is quite a feat."

Emperor Jiade didn't seem to hear Fu Donglai's intercession for Lin Ruhai. He just looked at Fu Donglai and asked, "A good thing? You mean the court is using this to intervene?"

Fu Donglai nodded and said: "Your Majesty is wise, this is what I mean, just like the case of Qi Benzhong played by Feng Hengshi, since the incident happened, the court might as well use this to intervene and send capable ministers to deal with this matter. Merchants, all of them confiscated their family assets, and used this as a breakthrough to completely rectify the Jiangnan salt administration."

After speaking, he glanced at Emperor Xuanlong again and said, "In this way, not only will the problem of military expenses be solved, but the court will also be able to increase part of the salt tax revenue every year in the future."

Emperor Jiade was moved intentionally, and asked: "Who is it appropriate to send?"

Fu Donglai replied: "Yangzhou Salt Inspection Censor Lin Ruhai!"

"He is competent? I think you might as well choose another good minister."

Fu Donglai replied: "Your Majesty, in terms of familiarity with the Jiangnan Salt Administration, I am afraid that no one in the court can compare with Lin Ruhai. He has served as the Yangzhou Salt Administration for many years. Moreover, Jiangnan must be behind the smuggling of salt tickets." Corruption in the officialdom, if the imperial court rashly sends high officials there, it may make those corrupt officials of the salt merchants feel vigilant, but it will not be as convenient as Lin Ruhai."

After hearing this, Emperor Jiade didn't understand the purpose, he just said: "Leave aside the issue of candidates, let me think about it later, since it is necessary to rectify Jiangnan's salt administration, the cabinet must come up with a charter, you can do it. There is no need to let the other few know, report directly to me."

Emperor Jiade still has concerns about the current cabinet members.

Fu Donglai saw that Emperor Jiade still had doubts about Lin Ruhai, so he didn't say much, but respectfully knelt down and asked to leave.

　About Yuanchun Concubine:
　　In the original book, Yuan Chun was directly named a concubine.The author believes that everything needs a process, especially in the harem with strict etiquette, it is impossible for an ordinary beautiful woman or female official to reach the sky in one step.

　　The other is to make changes according to the needs of the follow-up complex.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)