Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 233 Baoyu: What? I'm going to vomit!

Matters were discussed in the Imperial Study, of course not in the Prince of Qin's Palace. They were all his trusted ministers, so they could say whatever they wanted.

Emperor Longyou did intend to carry out the evil plan that Dongfang Zhi had just mentioned, but it went against the ideas of sages after all. If he really did so, he would be cursed by some self-righteous scholars.

Emperor Longyou was not afraid of being scolded, but now was not the time to fall out with those sour Confucian scholars.

"This plan won't work. Our navy is not our strong point. We are not strong enough to suppress the Japanese along the coast. How can we deter the Japanese? We need to think long and hard."

"Lord An, do you have any ideas?"

An Jingzhong pondered for a while and replied, "Now there are several temples being rebuilt in the capital, and the Jiangnan area is full of people worshipping Buddha. The temples themselves occupy large tracts of land and do not pay taxes. In addition, they have incense money that is enough to support several times the expenses. Why not..."

Before An Jingzhong could finish his words, he saw people around him looking at him in astonishment.

An Jingzhong was also a veteran in the officialdom, and he could see what was in their eyes at a glance.

Good fellow, you are going to return to your hometown to enjoy your old age, but you are sending us to destroy Buddhism? The words of the saints cannot be violated, so you just destroy the Buddha's temple?
An Jingzhong said helplessly: "What are you thinking? I mean, let them take the lead and donate some money, so that they can get through the difficult time of winter."

"Oh I got it."

Everyone smiled and responded.

Emperor Longyou nodded, "That's a good idea. It shouldn't be a problem for the Buddhist temples and Taoist temples, as well as the aristocratic families in the city, to donate some silver."

"Then I will build warships and fight against Japan. No, I will eliminate the Japanese pirates and protect the sea routes."

Looking at the others, Emperor Longyou asked again: "Is there any other way?"

Zhao Gongjin, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, responded, "I wonder if your Majesty thinks that changing rice fields to mulberry fields is feasible? If your Majesty is determined to open up the sea, silk will be the first priority, but if there is not enough silk, there will be no goods to sell. If rice fields are changed to mulberry fields, the income per acre can be multiplied several times, which is also beneficial to the people."

Emperor Longyou frowned and asked, "Originally it was rice fields, but now it has been replaced by mulberry fields. Where will the people get their food from?"

Zhao Gongjin replied, "We should transfer them from the neighboring counties."

Emperor Longyou asked again: "What should we do if there are too many mulberry trees and the price of silk is too low, and the people don't make any money?"

"Then the government will set a unified price for purchases?"

Emperor Longyou nodded and said, "Then we can try it out in a few counties and prefectures. If there are no mistakes, we can promote it to a few more places."

After discussing a few more important matters of the court, it was almost noon. Originally, there was nothing more to ask, and the four of them were about to leave, but were kept by Emperor Longyou.

After signaling to Xia Shouzhong, he brought out a brocade plate with four bright white bricks stacked on it.

Emperor Longyou smiled and said, "This is Yue Ling's idea. He made salt in Cangzhou and improved the process. The sea salt he made tastes pretty good. This salt brick is a gift from me to you, my dear ministers."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The four of them looked at each other and all knew what this meant.

It seems that things are going to change in the capital again.

The four of them left together. Emperor Longyou picked up the documents on the table and sighed, "The Lianghuai Salt Fields account for half of the salt administration in the country, while the Shanxi merchants own Sichuan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, the capital, Liaodong and other places. The salt tax they pay each year is less than 30% of the Lianghuai Salt Fields. It's time to punish them."

"Allow Yue Ling to be given salt trading territory and be allowed to issue salt permits to sell salt in places like the capital, Liaodong, and other places to compete with the Shanxi merchants."

Thinking of Yue Ling's little thoughts, Emperor Longyou laughed again and said, "He sent me salt bricks, saying that he wanted me to taste the taste of Cangzhou salt, but he sent several carriages instead. Even if I feed the entire palace, it will take several years. He just wants me to help him open up sales channels."

"Well, I'll help him again. Anyway, the salt he produces is indeed fine."

Summoning Xia Shouzhong to his side again, Emperor Longyou said, "Put the salt brick with the inscription 'Serving the people and ensuring peace and prosperity' in the stone steps leading to the Hall of Supreme Harmony so that all officials can see it."

"The rest of the salt bricks will be distributed to the noble families and families of honor in the capital. If there are any left, we will give some to the ordinary people in the outer cities."

"The slaves obey the order."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Jiamu Courtyard,
Salt bricks were widely distributed in the city, and the Jia family, as the head of the four kings and eight dukes, was no exception. They were given an extra brick, which demonstrated the royal favor.

Jia Baoyu had the porridge made with the imperial salt bricks in the morning, and he felt so refreshed that he started walking in square steps and went outside.

He couldn't go to the garden now, and there was a conflict with Sanchun, so he had no choice but to go to the outer room and find some friends to have fun outside the mansion.

Before he even walked through the second gate, Jia Baoyu saw an acquaintance.

I saw Shi Xiangyun, wearing a red dress with her skirt swaying like a big red butterfly, walking towards the door excitedly.

Jia Baoyu, who had not been happy with his sisters for a long time, couldn't help smiling when he saw Shi Xiangyun coming, and he no longer had any intention of leaving.

"Sister Yun, you finally came to my house. It's been a while since I last saw you. How come you only came to see me once after I got beaten a while ago, and never came again after that?"

"Do you know that I had a quarrel with the third girl and come to comfort me?"

The last time Shi Xiangyun came to the Jia family was when she heard that Grandmother Jia was ill, so she came to visit as a descendant of the Shi family, and seeing Baoyu was just a side job.

Baoyu now says that she came to reconcile Tanchun and Baoyu, which is even more ridiculous. How could Shi Xiangyun know so many things about this courtyard?

Shi Xiangyun took a step back and asked, "Did you have an argument?"

Baoyu pouted his lips and said with dissatisfaction: "The third girl only knows how to talk nonsense. She wants me to study economics and pass the imperial examination. It's really unpleasant to hear." Shi Xiangyun curled her lips helplessly. In her opinion, if Tanchun was a man, he would have taken the imperial examination herself long ago.

"What kind of argument is this? She means well. Come with me to meet her and talk it out. Everything will be fine."

Baoyu thought about it. They were all sisters, and it was just a minor conflict. She didn't need to hold a grudge against her forever. "Well, it won't hurt to give her a chance."

Changing the subject, Baoyu said, "Sister Yun, did your family receive the salt bricks bestowed by the emperor? The taste of that salt is really exquisite, worthy of being used by the emperor, it must be of the best quality. I feel like my appetite has improved, and I ate a few more bowls for no reason."

Shi Xiangyun covered her mouth and smiled, "Oh, eating more is a good thing, as long as you like it."

Baoyu was puzzled and didn't know how Shi Xiangyun would respond to this question.

Shi Xiangyun was in a hurry and walked quickly, so Baoyu noticed that she was holding something in her hand.

"Sister Yun, what are you holding in your hand? Let me see."

Shi Xiangyun stopped walking, her eyebrows curved, "Do you really want to see it? Don't regret it after you see it."

"Regret? Sister Yun, you are really weird today. What could I regret?"

Shi Xiangyun nodded perfunctorily and handed over the thing in her hand.

Baoyu took it and found that it was a court newspaper, the latest one of today.

On the first page was one of the names he was most familiar with.

"Marquis Anjing is in charge of the salt administration in Cangzhou. He created the new Changlu salt as the imperial choice. Today, Your Majesty bestowed it on the officials and the favored people. It is like a blessing from heaven."

"..."

"Rumor has it that Changlu salt will be sold in the capital soon. Please look for the Feng brand in the five cities."

After seeing this message, Baoyu felt as if he was struck by lightning. When he came to his senses, he held his throat.

"Ugh, this salt was actually made by Yue Ling. I'm going to go back and vomit. I'll come back to accompany my sister another day."

Seeing Baoyu's embarrassed back as he left, Shi Xiangyun burst into laughter.

"The Marquis doesn't even care about you, yet you're still competing with him. It's really funny."

Shi Xiangyun put away the official newspaper and looked at the poem in the bottom corner. She thought to herself, "If you knew that the Marquis had literary talent and that you couldn't even match his last bit of talent, wouldn't you be so angry that you would lie on your bed and not be able to get off?"

Shaking her head, Shi Xiangyun walked back into the yard.

Shi Xiangyun was also a poor girl who had lost her father and mother. When Lady Jia heard that she was being treated harshly in her mansion, she brought her to her mansion and raised her by her side, only returning to the Shi mansion once in a while.

But later, the Jia family was involved in misfortune, and the women of the Shi family saw that Shi Xiangyun and Lin Daiyu were getting along well and could go to the Anjing Marquis Mansion without any obstacles, so they no longer allowed her to live in the Rongguo Mansion.

Shi Xiangyun's treatment in the Shi family also improved a bit. She no longer had to do needlework with the servants until late at night. She really looked like the eldest lady of the Shi family.

She had an impetuous personality and was even more undisciplined. She would go out of the house and show up in public just like a man, and everyone in the Shi family was used to it.

But her sisters in the Jia family, the three sisters, were truly kept in the boudoir and were not allowed to go out.

"Third sister, look what I brought."

The three young ladies and their maids who were drinking tea in the room all gathered together when they heard Shi Xiangyun's voice.

They all knew little about the outside world, and every time Shi Xiangyun came, she always brought them some unexpected surprises.

Tanchun took the thing from Xiangyun's hand, looked it up and down, and realized it was a reward.

The first page records some of Yue Ling’s deeds in Cangzhou, and at the end there is a poem written by Yue Ling titled "Ode to Chrysanthemum".

"The frosty wind blows and all flowers wither, but the chrysanthemums stand on the branches and become more red. No matter how cold the tide is, I still smile proudly towards the clouds."

Tanchun read it carefully and said, "Such a romantic person can actually recite poetry. It's really..."

"What is it really?"

Shi Xiangyun was puzzled.

Tanchun's cheeks flushed, and she said, "Sister Lin is so lucky. She loves poetry the most. It's such a good life to have someone who understands poetry by her side, and they can relate to each other."

Shi Xiangyun nodded, "It is indeed enviable."

Tanchun took the newspaper with a smile and said to Shi Xiangyun, "Sister Yun, I want this newspaper."

Tanchun loves books and calligraphy the most, and this is something all the sisters in the room know.

Shi Xiangyun waved her hand and said casually, "If you want it, take it. I'll give it to you. I don't want to take it away. I know you will admire people like the Marquis. When Sister Lin comes back, you can ask her to ask the Marquis to write a handwritten painting for you. It must not be difficult."

After that, Shi Xiangyun took Yingchun and Xichun to the room to play chess. Tanchun avoided being seen and cut out the poem from the court newspaper and put it into her own book.

Then, he smiled knowingly.

(End of this chapter)