The Red Mansions Across the Four Seas

Chapter 502 Calling Jia Min Back to the Dynasty
After waiting for three months, Lu Dashi was finally allowed to meet the emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

I have been a bachelor for more than 20 years, and I can't remember how many times I have met the first emperor and the emperor here.

Still in the period of the first emperor, he was one of the few people who could often go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to meet the emperor.

Unexpectedly, it is difficult to see the emperor once now.

Walking in the palace, every house and palace, every road, and even every plant and tree here are so familiar.

However, coming here now, it seems so strange.

Most of the guards in the palace have changed, and many of them are new faces.Many of the eunuchs are also newcomers.Ladies and gentlemen, there are also many people I don't know.

Even Dai Quan, who was walking in front of him, seemed strange.

His hair was graying a lot, his figure seemed to be bent, his steps were staggering, and his expression was gloomy.Even if she wanted to ask him a few words, her words flickered, talking about him from left to right.

Since the crown prince supervised the country, everything has changed.

"Master Lu, go in."

Dai Quan stepped aside, and Master Lu went in.Then I saw a person leaning on the dragon bed.

It looked like he was about 70 or [-] years old, his body was skinny and skinny, his face had been lost, and only the movement of his eyes seemed to prove that he was still a living person.

Is this still the emperor?You're only in your fifties this year?
"The old minister kowtowed to the emperor, long live my emperor."

"Scholar Lu, get up, there is no need to be formal, there is no such thing as long live, I don't know if I will die someday."

Although Emperor Yuanheng looked sluggish, he spoke clearly.

"Your Majesty will live forever, and it won't be long before he will be as healthy as ever."

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. Tell me, how is the current government?"

"Well, everything is normal in the government."

Is it normal?I see how nothing is normal these days.

"Is it normal? Why haven't you come to see me for so long? Don't you also expect me to die early?"

"Damn the old minister, I don't dare to have such a heart. It's really because I'm afraid of disturbing the emperor's rest, so..."

"Forget it, you don't need to talk about it. Where is Wang Ziteng now?"

"It's still in Jiujiang."

"What happened to those houses?"

"There is no movement. Since the prince left, it has been much quieter."

"Do you still ask for money now?"

"This, in addition to the normal payment, only twice this year."

"Twice this year? How much are they?"

"One time is 30 taels, and the other time is 35 vehicles."

"Have you given them all?"

"It's all given."

"What are the titles of these two times?"

"A soldier has been in a foreign country for a long time, and he will settle down and buy a property for the soldier."

"Hmph, they've been there for over a hundred years, or are they still in another place? Could it be that they still want to return to their original place?"

Madam Lu fell silent.

Now he, the chief scholar, is actually just a name. Not to mention that the other great scholars are always hindering him, and he has no authority with the prince.

He had asked three times to retire and return home, but the crown prince refused to allow him on the pretext that he was a veteran of the emperor.

Now, he wanted to speak to the emperor, but when he saw the emperor like this, he couldn't speak.

"Dai Quan, have Xia Bingzhong and Qiu Shi'an ever returned?"

"Both of them are back."

"Since you're back, why don't you come to see me?"

"Your Majesty, they..."

Dai Quan knelt down.

"What's wrong with them, don't they even want to see me?"

"emperor……."

Dai Quan just kowtowed.

"What the hell happened? Tell me!"

Yuan Heng seemed to want to stand up, but he couldn't stand up in the end.

Physician Wang at the side rushed to help, so he didn't fall down.

"The two of them have already been executed."

"Ambush? What did you do?"

"Go out of the palace privately."

"What is going out of the palace without permission? Didn't I tell them to go? Who is so bold that they dare to kill them?"

"This, this...."

"Forget it, you don't need to say, it's the prince, right? Bachelor of Lu University, isn't it?"

Lu Dashi didn't say anything, it was a tacit agreement.

For a while, the emperor didn't speak, and closed his eyes.

After a full cup of tea, Yuan Heng opened his eyes.

"Pass down my oral order to call for fellow cultivators to come and see me."

"emperor……."

"what happened?"

"Xiu Tonggui is now in prison."

"Prisoned, what did he do?"

"Corruption and breaking the law, accepting bribes."

"Xiu Tonggui will accept bribes? A joke. Liu Changfeng is not in the position of admiral of the Nine Gates, is he?"

"Liu Changfeng has served as the chief envoy of Jiangsu half a year ago."

"Where's Ji Mingluan?"

"He has returned home."

"Water soluble?"

"Go to various places to inspect military training affairs."

"How about the military training in various places?"

"Are you stepping up your practice?"

"How are you practicing?"

"They all practice according to the system of the Ministry of War."

"Drilling according to the system of the Ministry of War? Didn't I tell you to practice according to Jia Min's system?"

Bachelor Lu was speechless again.

"Where is Jia Min now?"

"There has been no news for a long time. It is said that he is now doing business in Beihai."

"The decree is to call Jia Min back to the court and serve as the right servant of the Ministry of War to train the soldiers and horses of the whole country."

"Your Majesty, this..."

"Go and tell the prince, just say that I said it. Doesn't he even want Jiangshan?"

"The minister obeys the order."

"Where is Chang'an now?"

"Still training in Xishan."

"Call Chang'an to see me. Okay, you go down. Dai Quan stays."

Bachelor Lu withdrew.

"Doctor Wang, you should go out too."

Doctor Wang went out, only Yuan Heng and Dai Quan were left in the house.

"Dai Quan, are you still my man?"

"Your Majesty, this slave is so heartbroken that I swear allegiance to the Emperor to the death."

"Pen and ink serve."

Dai Quan prepared the paper and pen, picked up a small case, put it on the dragon bed, spread the paper, and handed the pen to Yuan Heng.

Yuan Heng took the pen, but didn't hold it at first, and dropped it on the paper.I picked it up with difficulty.Dai Quan changed a piece of paper, Yuan Heng's pen hand trembled, and finally began to write.

There are not many words written, only a few lines.By the time I finished writing, my head was already sweating.

"Cover my calligraphy."

Dai Quan took out the emperor's calligraphy and covered it, and was about to hand the paper to the emperor.

"Dai Quan, you put this letter away, and don't let anyone else know about it except yourself. After a hundred years, you don't want to stay in the palace anymore. Go out of the palace and give this letter to Ji Mingluan. Know what to do."

"Old slave obeys the order."

"Okay, you go down too and ask Imperial Doctor Wang to come in."

Bachelor Lu left the Hall of Mental Cultivation and returned to the Military Aircraft Department.After a while, the prince came.

Now the prince comes to the military plane almost every day to handle various government affairs.

The prince went into his office and asked Lu Dashi to go in.

"Scholar of Lu University, how is the father's dragon body?"

"It seems to be better today, but it's still very weak."

"Did Emperor Father ask about the imperial mausoleum? Are you satisfied with the mausoleum?"

"I didn't ask this question, I just asked something else."

"Oh, what did you ask?"

It stands to reason that the crown prince shouldn't inquire about these things. If the emperor wants to tell him something, he will naturally call him to say it, and there is no need to pretend to be someone else.

However, Bachelor Lu still told the truth.

"The emperor asked the old minister to convey to His Highness that Jia Min was called back to the court to serve as the right servant of the Ministry of War, responsible for training the world's soldiers and horses."

"Scholar Lu, what does the emperor mean by this? There are many civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty, and they are all loyal, filial and virtuous people. Why use Jia Min, a rebellious person?"

"The emperor asked me to tell His Highness..."

"What are you talking about? It's okay to say, a Bachelor of Lu University."

"The emperor said, if Jia Min is not used, will His Highness not even want Jiangshan Sheji?"

Pa, the prince slapped the table, stood up angrily, and turned around in the room.

After turning around ten times, I sat down.

"Hmph, Jia Min is just a young and frivolous person. With good luck, he won two battles. Do you think that there is no one in the world? Without him, my family's century-old foundation will be lost? It is also the father who is seriously ill and was raped by a traitor. He is only a young man, so he will be the right servant of the Ministry of War. There are so many people talking, how can I convince them?"

"Besides, the order has now been issued, and drills are in full swing everywhere. A few days ago, the Ministry of War reported that 50 troops have been added this year. If Jia Min is asked to practice, how much money will it cost according to his method? Father The emperor's mausoleum is beyond the means, and you know that, how can there be so much money for Jia Min to squander?"

"this……."

"Scholar Lu, I know what the father means. He is worried about the rebellion of the San Francisco. Others have said the same. However, it has been more than 100 years. If they want to rebel, they have already rebelled. After I supervised the country, the San Francisco Repeatedly submitted the form to express surrender. This year, some troops will be demobilized, and the two requests for money are not just for the placement of soldiers?"

"Now the three princes and their families are hostages in the imperial capital. Song Kuan and the others feel like brothers and sisters with me. How can they turn against each other? When the time is right in the future, once the San Francisco withdraws, we can rest easy."

"But this is the emperor's will, after all..."

"Okay, let's discuss it tomorrow morning. If the ministers agree, call Jia Min back to the court. If they don't agree, the matter will be dropped. After all, the father is not in good health, and he may not be careful in doing things. If the father regrets it in the future , and want to take back the order and change it day and night, but it’s not good. Lu University, what do you think?”

"It's all up to His Highness to decide. Your Highness, the old minister is not in good health recently, and I want to take three days off. I hope His Highness will allow you."

"If this is indeed the case with the University of Lu, you can rest at home for three days. However, you should not mention the matter of returning to your hometown. Now there are many things that the Palace relies on the University of Lu. In the future, I want the University to leave a good story about the elders of the three dynasties. Woolen cloth."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your great kindness, the old minister. I can only do my best and die. The old minister resigns."

In the early morning of the next day, the prince brought up the matter of calling Jia Min back to the court, and asked all the ministers to discuss it.

Li Yuan, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, came out to object, saying that the training of soldiers and horses in various places has been very effective, and 50 soldiers and horses have been added.Jia Min's military training cost a lot, and the court could not afford it.

Wu Shangshu from the Ministry of Industry objected, saying that Jia Min is now missing and only heard that he is doing business in Beihai.Jia Min has been deprived of his fame, and now he is entering an official position as a businessman, which is not in accordance with the etiquette system, and he is afraid that he will be ridiculed by the world.

Luo Hanlin, the former Minister of the Imperial Academy, the minister of the household department, and the acting secretary of the household department, Luo Hanlin, seconded the proposal.

Three academicians from the Military Aircraft Department seconded the proposal, and Yin Jiayucun from Shuntian Prefecture seconded the proposal.

The other ministers remained silent, and none of them came out to support.

So the prince shelved the discussion and waited until his father's body recovered.

(End of this chapter)