The Red Mansions

Chapter 1713 If you want to be a great man, you must establish a great cause. Otherwise, how can you win the support of the people?

Palace Garden, Wuying Hall
As Jia Heng announced several appointments in succession, all the ministers in the palace suddenly fell silent, wondering in their hearts why Xu Kai was so trusted by King Wei?
Xu Kai must have gained the trust of King Wei in his early years, which was the result of his training from a provincial governor to a cabinet minister.

From then on, the Han Cabinet was headed by the Minister of Revenue Lin Ruhai, the Minister of Works Zhao Yi was the second in command, and three cabinet members Liu Zheng, Liu Zhen, and Tan Jie assisted in the cabinet affairs.

Among the six ministries, Li Shouzhong was the Minister of Personnel, Lin Ruhai was the Minister of Revenue, Liu Zheng was the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Punishments was temporarily vacant, and the Minister of War was concurrently held by Prince of Beijing Shui Rong and Duke of England Xie Zaiyi.

While Jia Heng was speaking, his eyes were deep as he looked at Fan Yi and others on the other side.

In addition to Fan Yi, there are also some new faces, all of whom are new talents that Jia Heng has recruited over the years.

While Jia Heng was speaking, he turned his head to look at Xu Guangqi beside him and asked, "Minister Xu, how are the recent improvements on the steam locomotives?"

Even though the steam locomotive has been built, it still needs to be improved. Of course, the railway has been laid first, so it can be said that both sides are proceeding simultaneously to jointly build the Han Dynasty's railway network.

Xu Guangqi remained silent for a moment, nodded, and said, "Your Majesty, the steam locomotive has been improved, but the technology still needs to be improved."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "The technology of steam locomotives needs to be constantly improved."

At this moment, Cabinet Minister Liu Zheng was silent for a moment, and then said, "Your Highness, officials from local prefectures and counties have reported that local people mentioned that the construction of the railway is likely to disturb the mountain gods and cause disasters."

Jia Heng frowned, and a hint of worry appeared in his calm and cold eyes.

This kind of thing is actually not uncommon, because the Qing Dynasty in later generations also caused a lot of opposition because of the construction of railways.

One of the reasons is that it would shake the mountain god and destroy the feng shui.

Jia Heng said: "Let the local government do a good job in preaching and teaching, so that the people will not affect the construction of the railway."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zheng bowed and said yes.

Jia Heng turned to look at Prince Beijing Shui Rong and asked, "Lord Shui, how is the navy going to the southeastern sea to explore the islands? Have you received any latest military intelligence reports?"

Shui Rong said: "The navy has already gone to Australia. There is indeed a piece of land overseas with barren vegetation that can be reclaimed and planted."

Jia Heng nodded, was silent for a moment, and said: "First, let the soldiers build a city on that island, and after a period of time, mark the trade route for merchant ships and civilians to go there."

Shui Rong said: "The Military Affairs Office will be handling this matter soon, but Mu Sheng, who is stationed on the Japanese islands, mentioned that the navy is homesick and has sent a letter asking when to send troops for rotation."

Jia Heng said: "Let the Jiangnan navy sail to the Japanese islands to replace Mu Sheng's troops."

Shui Rong responded with a yes.

After Jia Heng had discussed everything, he stopped talking about other matters and said, "That's all for today. Everyone please go away."

All the civil officials in the hall responded in unison.

……

……

Time flies, and the years fly by.

Two months passed unknowingly, and in the blink of an eye it was late autumn of the fourth year of Qiande. After an autumn rain, the cold became three points stronger.

On this day, a huge convoy arrived outside the city of Shenjing. The leading carriage with a high-shaft was exquisitely decorated, and a large number of servants could be seen surrounding it.

The former Zhejiang governor and current cabinet minister Liu Zhen and his family finally arrived in Shenjing City after nearly a month of travel.

Liu Zhen's granddaughter, Liu Caiying stretched out a slender hand as white as jade and lifted the curtain on one side. Her smart and crystal clear eyes looked at the shops lined up on both sides of the street without blinking, and she felt that everything was new and fresh.

"Grandpa, the Shenjing City is just ahead." Liu Caiying's pretty and charming face was full of curiosity and joy.

Liu Zhen had an old face with deep wrinkles. He twisted the three strands of gray beard under his chin with his hands and said, "I remember that grandpa was the head of the Ministry of Revenue. Now I don't want to return to the capital after more than ten years."

Liu Caiying turned around with a pretty, bright face, full of smiles, and said, "Grandpa, people outside say that the King of Wei is a hero with three heads and six arms."

Liu Zhen nodded and said, "Although the King of Wei is not a supernatural being, he is a man of great talent, strategy, and decision-making, and is incomparable to ordinary people."

In today's court, Prince Wei holds all the power. Although he does not have the title of ruler, he is the ruler in reality.

Liu Caiying said in a charming voice, "However, the scholars in the Southern Province all say that the Prince of Wei has a low moral character. I wonder why?"

Liu Zhen smiled and said, "Prince Wei is a hero of the world, so it is normal for him to be unconcerned about trivial matters."

The carriage rumbled along, rolling over a bluestone road and marching majestically into the city of Shenjing.

"Master, we have arrived at the inn." At this moment, the carriage slowly stopped, and the butler who was driving came closer and spoke.

Liu Zhen smiled and looked at Liu Caiying who was standing beside him, and said, "Caiying, we're here, let's go down."

Liu Caiying hummed softly, then lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage.

In front of the post house, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue had been waiting for a while in front of the post house. They hurried forward and said with a smile, "Lord Liu."

Because Liu Zhen was a cabinet minister and also served as the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, officials from both the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue came out to greet him.

Liu Zhen got off the carriage and was greeted by a group of officials. He said, "Please excuse me for coming to greet you outside. I am really worried."

Among them was Shen Jingfu, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a man in his early forties with a slightly plump face. He came closer and said, "Lord Liu, Lord Lin is currently handling government affairs in the cabinet and will not be here for a while."

Liu Zhen was silent for a moment, then said, "I will go visit Elder Lin in a moment."

Shen Jingfu smiled and said, "Lord Liu, please rest in the inn for a while."

Liu Zhen nodded without saying anything else, and followed Shen Jingfu and officials from the Ministry of Rites to the post station.

While Liu Zhen was greeting officials in Shenjing City, a convoy arrived outside Shenjing City. It was Tan Jie, the former Nanjing Minister of Revenue, who came to Shenjing to take up his post.

After receiving the imperial edict appointing him as the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Tan Jie began to pack his luggage and took a boat to the capital with his family.

Tan Jie was sitting in the carriage at this moment, and his son Tan Qi was sitting beside him. He said, "Father, I have figured out the reason why the King of Wei wanted to transfer you to the capital."

Tan Jie nodded and said, "Tell me about it."

Tan Qi said, "Father, the Prince of Wei just wants to balance the scholars in the north and south. Since the rebellion in the second year of Qiande, the scholars in the south have been terrified. The Prince of Wei has now transferred father to the capital, mainly to appease the scholars in the south and win over the hearts of the scholars in the south."

Tan Jie's eyes were deep and deep under his thick eyebrows. He said in a gentle voice: "The ambition of the King of Wei is not limited to this."

I'm afraid that King Wei is going to do something reckless, change the destiny, and rule the country.

Tan Qi was silent for a moment, then asked, "What does father mean?"

Tan Jie twisted the three strands of beard under his chin with his hands. His eyes flashed fiercely under his sword-like eyebrows. He said in a loud voice: "The Han Dynasty was established for a hundred years, but it was originally a rotten tree. Since the 14th year of Chongping, King Wei came to the government and made ten years of efforts to turn the tide. Only then did this earth-shaking change happen. You and I went all the way north and saw with our own eyes and ears that the official roads were wide and smooth, and merchants were coming in an endless stream. It was a scene of prosperity and peace and prosperity. I heard that there are railways and steam trains being planned. Once completed, it will take only three to five days to travel from Shenjing to Nanjing. This is a world-changing event."

Tan Qi nodded and said gently, "The new learning advocated by King Wei is indeed beneficial to the country and the people."

Tan Jie's heart was filled with lofty ambitions, and he said, "Prince Wei is a man who has the ambition to change the world. This time when I come to the capital, I should build a career."

Tan Qi asked, "Father, what is the King of Wei trying to do? Why is he going through so much trouble?"

Tan Jie looked calm, sighed, and said, "If you want to seek a high position, you should establish a great cause. Otherwise, how can you convince the people?"

It can be said that in the current Han court, any knowledgeable person can see that Prince Wei has the ambition to replace Han and establish his own kingdom, but he is still trying to hide it and seek a legitimate reason.

……

……

Shenjing City, Deloitte Lane, Li Mansion——

Li Shouzhong's beautifully decorated carriage slowly drove in front of a magnificent mansion.

Li Shouzhong set out for the capital much later, but because they traveled by boat all the way, they arrived at almost the same time.

At this moment, Jia Zheng came over to greet him and said, "Brother Li, long time no see."

Li Shouzhong stared at Jia Zheng, whose temples were already graying, and said, "Cun Zhou, long time no see."

It has been more than ten years since Li Shouzhong's daughter married Jia Zheng's son Jia Zhu. As in-laws, the two of them often exchanged letters in the past.

Jia Zheng smiled and invited him, saying, "Brother Li, the old lady has prepared wine and food to welcome you."

Li Shouzhong nodded and whispered, "There will be some atlases of the Southern Province to be delivered later. Please place them in the mansion first."

Jia Zheng then followed Li Shouzhong into the mansion in a hurry.

The two of them sat down, and the servant brought them a cup of fragrant tea and slowly left.

Li Shouzhong asked, "Cun Zhou, what is the current situation in the capital?"

Jia Zheng said in a clear voice: "Since the summer rebellion, the situation in the capital has gradually stabilized. The court, the government offices and the hundreds of departments have all performed their duties, and all government orders have been implemented at a moderate pace."

Li Shouzhong was silent for a moment, then said, "It seems that the political situation is stable and everything is going smoothly."

Jia Zheng nodded, with a flourishing smile on his face, and said, "The old lady is waiting anxiously, you and I will go back to the Jia Mansion first."

Li Shouzhong nodded and didn't say anything else.

Jia Zheng said, "Brother Li, it's getting late. Don't keep the old lady waiting."

Li Shouzhong stood up and followed Jia Zheng towards the mansion.

……

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall——

On Jia's mother's side, her expression paused slightly, and she looked intently at Li Wan who was sitting not far away. An inexplicable feeling of worry surged in her heart.

Well, Li Wan was sitting not far away, with her hair tied up high, and two faint blushes seemed to appear on both sides of her face that was full of gentleness and charm.

Grandmother Jia's old eyes were filled with worry. She said, "Your father will be here soon."

Sister Feng was standing aside, her gorgeous oval face seemed to be smiling brightly, and she said, "It's been a long time since I last saw Uncle Li."

I wonder what kind of expression Li Shibo would have when he found out that his daughter had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.
Grandmother Jia was silent for a moment, then asked, "Where is Heng'er? Hasn't he come back yet? Yuanyang, send someone to the West Mansion to check."

Yuanyang responded quickly and then quickly walked out of the hall.

At this moment, a beautiful and charming young maid came from outside and said softly, "Madam, the King of Wei is here."

After a while, the young man in the python robe came out from outside, with a cold and tough face.

At this moment, everyone in Rongqing Hall cast different looks at the young man in the python robe.

Jia Heng came closer, bowed quickly to Lady Jia, and said, "Greetings, old lady."

Jia Heng was in the side courtyard of the West Mansion. He knew that Li Shouzhong had already rushed to Beijing. He was thinking about one thing in his mind: whether to tell Li Shouzhong that Li Wan was pregnant with his child.

Jia's mother looked at the young man in the python robe with a complicated look under her kind eyebrows and asked, "Heng'er."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then asked, "Madam, has Uncle Li arrived yet?"

Grandmother Jia's kind face showed joy, and she said, "Baoyu's father has gone to greet him."

At this moment, a maid in brown clothes quickly entered Rongqing Hall, looked up at Jia Heng, and said, "Madam, the second master and the master of the Li family are here."

Jia Heng said, "Madam, I'll go and greet her."

Grandmother Jia nodded and whispered, "Go, Heng."

Jia Heng came out of Rongqing Hall and looked at Li Shouzhong who came with Jia Zheng. With a hearty smile on his face, he said, "Uncle Li, how are you?"

Li Shouzhong nodded and said, "I meet the regent king."

Jia Heng smiled, extended his hand to support him, and said, "This is not the court, uncle, there is no need to be so polite."

Then, he extended his hand and said, "The old lady has been waiting in the house for a while. Let's go in and talk."

Li Shouzhong nodded, without saying anything else, and quickly entered the hall with Jia Heng.

At this moment, Jia's mother looked at Li Shouzhong with a smile on her face and said, "You are here."

Li Shouzhong bowed to Lady Jia and said in a hoarse voice, "Shouzhong greets the old lady."

Grandmother Jia had a kind smile on her face and said, "It's been a while since we last saw each other."

At this moment, Li Wan stood up from the side, bowed to Li Shouzhong, and said softly, "My daughter greets my father."

Li Shouzhong nodded, looked Li Wan up and down, with a kind look on his face, and asked, "Wan'er, why don't you see Lan Ge'er?"

It is worth mentioning that Li Shouzhong was a high-ranking official in the Southern Province and had no idea about the news about Li Wan in the capital.

Of course, no one dared to pass on such gossip to the ears of the Governor-General of Liangjiang, so as not to pollute his ears.

Li Wan said softly, "Brother Lan is still in the Imperial College right now. It will take some time before he can come over."

Jia Heng said, "Lang Ge'er failed in the last imperial examination. He is working hard to pass this one."

Li Shouzhong whispered, "Brother Lan is still young. It is not a good idea for him to enter the government too early."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "My uncle is right."

Grandmother Jia smiled and took over the conversation, saying, "Okay, let's have dinner together."

Jia Heng also sat down, toasted with Li Shouzhong, and started to eat.

After the meal, Jia Heng, Jia Zheng and Li Shouzhong went to Mengpo Zhai to chat.

Grandmother Jia originally wanted to call Baoyu to go over with her, but was stopped by Jia Zheng.

Mengpozhai, small study room——

In this way, Li Shouzhong, Jia Zheng and others sat down. Fragrant tea was placed on a lacquered wooden table. When the servants left the study, the aroma wafted in the air, making the room fragrant and pleasant.

Li Shouzhong frowned, looked at the young man in the python robe with burning eyes, and asked, "What should be the most important thing for the Ministry of Personnel to recruit and select people?"

Jia Heng nodded and said, "The best choice is to have both moral integrity and ability. The next best choice is to have ability. The assessment standards for different positions are different. For example, for officials who are close to the people, moral character is the most important, and actions that harm or oppress the people are not allowed to be carried out."

If it is a remote area, there is no need for officials with particularly strong courage.

Li Shouzhong nodded and said, "I understand what Ziyu means."

Flexibly examine the conduct and morality of relevant officials according to their different positions, and employ people according to the time and place.

In fact, in the past, Li Shouzhong acted rigidly and was inflexible, but in the past few years as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, he has honed his skills.

Jia Heng said: "In recent years, local prefecture and county officials have also used their familiarity with new learning as a criterion for selecting capable officials."

Li Shouzhong nodded and said, "It should be so. When I came here earlier, I saw that the official road was clean and spacious, and the railway was laid from north to south. Steam trains traveled along the tracks, carrying a lot of goods."

Jia Heng said in a low voice: "The new learning is the learning that benefits the country and the people. By studying things and seeking knowledge, we can seek the great way to govern the country and benefit the world. By applying it to the people, we can lay the foundation for eternity."

At this moment, Jia Zheng invited the two of them to taste fragrant tea.

The two of them drank the fragrant tea together. Jia Heng's resolute face was slightly smiling as he said, "Uncle, you must have been exhausted from the long journey. You may as well go back and rest early."

It is not appropriate to talk to Li Shouzhong about Li Wan's affairs now. He will wait until some gossip reaches Li Shouzhong's ears and then he will take a look at the situation.

In fact, after he changed his surname to Su, even though he had an affair with Li Wan, it was not as difficult for him to accept as it was at the beginning when the patriarch of the same clan bullied his widow.

Even Jia Zheng turned a blind eye to the fact that his three daughters followed him.

Li Shouzhong stood up, then turned and left.

On this side, Jia Heng and Jia Zheng saw Li Shouzhong off, and then walked along a winding corridor.

"Zi Yu, Lord Tan and Lord Liu have already arrived in the capital," said Jia Zheng.

Jia Heng's face was calm, like a mysterious water, and he said in a gentle voice: "This matter has been reported to the Jinyi Mansion before. I will go visit these two people later."

In fact, it should be Tan and Liu who came to visit Jia Heng, but in order to show his "appeasement" towards the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River, Jia Heng was willing to show an attitude of respect and courtesy.