Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 273 Let's suffer for Master Lin

Hangzhou Xingzhongshu Province Office,

Prime Minister Zhao Deyong was holding the urgent report from Suzhou, his brows furrowed, his face gloomy and terrifying, without any of his usual friendly character.

Qian Shiyuan, the Vice-Chancellor of the lower level, worked in cooperation with Zhao Deyong. He had been active in the officialdom of Jiangsu and Zhejiang for many years and understood Zhao Deyong's character best.

When Zhao Deyong lost his expressionless state, it meant that something big had happened.

"What's wrong with Suzhou? Isn't it enough to change the method of providing relief?"

"Come and take a look."

When Qian Shiyuan received the urgent report, he could no longer remain calm.

"The disaster of destroying the dikes and flooding the fields was actually stopped. Their plan to set the warehouse on fire was also predicted by someone, and the opposite happened. This... there must be a master behind this Cao Gang."

Qian Shiyuan's expression was stern, "Could it be that Marquis Anjing knows everything about Suzhou and has already made preparations?"

Zhao Deyong's eyebrows showed a faint "川" character and said, "Marquis Anjing is not a god, how can he predict the future? If he is not in Suzhou, how can he know everything about Suzhou?"

"If he is in Suzhou, who is on the boat now, and who is going to greet him?"

Qian Shiyuan shook his head bitterly, "Then I can't think of anyone else manipulating these things behind the scenes. The reform and relief policy was a temporary solution we came up with, and it was not our original plan. Even so, after the fields were flooded, they were quickly stabilized, and there was even grain right at the dock."

"Who would believe that such an achievement could be made by a small Cao Gang?"

After taking a few deep breaths, Qian Shiyuan continued, "Now that there is this fire dragon burning the warehouse, the people have no trust in the government and will not sell their land. The people are just waiting for Marquis Anjing to come and administer justice, but if Marquis Anjing comes and follows the clues to investigate, how should we deal with it?"

Qian Shiyuan could not sit still in his chair. He paced back and forth in the hall, with beads of sweat on his forehead.

There were problems left by Prefect Zhu, and someone could be framed for the flood that broke through the dam. Then the plan was changed to include both relief and relief. It was a thorough plan.

Before Yue Ling arrived in Suzhou, the conversion from rice to mulberry had already been completed.

As for Yue Ling's expertise, in addition to leading troops in battle, he is also good at disaster relief. When he arrives and helps provide relief to the disaster victims who are short of food, it will also give him a share of his political achievements.

Now all parties benefit and everyone is happy.

But now, the situation has completely reversed and Yue Ling is about to arrive in Suzhou.

He set out on the mission under the imperial order, and it was foreseeable that he would stir up trouble after taking office in the officialdom of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Now, the matter of whitewashing the officialdom of Jiangsu and Zhejiang was imminent.

"The only option is to cut off the arm."

Zhao Deyong exhaled slowly, "Catch Sun Yicai, and then let the Xu family give up a pawn to prove that Sun Yicai conspired with them, and make the charges before An Jinghou arrives in Suzhou."

"After all, Sun Yicai was an accountant before. It's understandable that he framed Prefect Zhu because he was blinded by greed."

"You should handle this matter yourself, and make sure you don't neglect anything."

Qian Shiyuan sighed helplessly, "It's the only way."

"We were unable to convert the fields this year, so the people of Jiangsu and Zhejiang are all out of money, and we have no more tributes from the imperial court to the capital. If we kill a few more people who work for us, it's hard to say whether the people below will be loyal to us in the future."

Zhao Deyong frowned and said, "Originally, when Marquis Anjing came, he should have lived a quiet life for a while. You can't blame me if you want to."

"The respect from the palace and the capital cannot be lacking, and the suffering can only be felt by the people below."

"Send this plague god away, and everything will be fine."

……

Suzhou,

After the warehouse burning incident, the public anger that had just subsided was ignited again.

Every day, people went to the government office to make trouble, but in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of his predecessor, Sun Yicai did not even open the door, stayed inside the office all day, and hid in the office.

Only a few clerks were left outside to deal with the situation and inform the people that the fire in the granary would be thoroughly investigated.

Now, even if the granary caught fire accidentally due to poor supervision, the people would not agree, and a scapegoat must be put forward to quell public anger.

But Sun Yicai is a foreigner and has little roots in Suzhou, let alone loyal followers, so how could he find such a candidate?

We have to wait for the reply from Hangzhou before making any decision.

Meanwhile, at the Caoyun Guild Hall, disaster relief efforts were still in full swing.

The fire dragon burning the warehouse seemed to have no effect on the Cao Gang at all. The relief grain that the people had been worried about began to be distributed continuously on the second day.

In order to make it more convenient to obtain food, several more food-collecting points were set up in places other than Xuanmu Mountain, which made things go even more smoothly.

As for the destroyed granary of the Caoyun Guild Hall, the common people who had benefited from the Caoyun Gang came to repair it spontaneously. Within a few days, the ruins were cleared and the stakes were set up.

As they worked, everyone cursed Sun Yicai, which made them work more vigorously.

When the wooden stakes were hammered in, it was like shaking the corrupt officials into the ground.

"My Lord, we are running low on food now. The food we have in stock is probably not enough to last another two days."

The manager of the Caoyun Guild Hall came into the room and informed Yue Ling.

It is not yet the time for autumn harvest, and the remaining grain in various prefectures has run out. Now is the most difficult time for Yue Ling.

But it doesn't mean there is no way out, there is still a way out.

The granaries in Suzhou Prefecture should not have been exhausted, and there are many wealthy families in Suzhou. After the flood, many of them were not severely affected. The Xu family already had a large amount of grain in order to buy land. If they could take out their grain and use it to help the victims, the current problem would be easily solved.

However, Yue Ling is currently unable to investigate cases, control the government office, or negotiate with wealthy families, so this avenue has to be put on hold for the time being.

The other way is to borrow food.

There is no grain available in Cangzhou, and Yue Ling is not familiar with other prefectures and towns in Jiangnan. It seems that the only person he is most familiar with is Lin Ruhai in Yangzhou.

Moreover, Yangzhou and Suzhou are not far away, so it is very convenient to transport grain by water.

“It seems that I can only ask Lord Lin for help again.” Yue Ling sighed softly.

Previously, Lin Ruhai had found a group of salt households and officials who were proficient in salt laws. Now they are all well settled in the Cangzhou Salt Transport Bureau. It can be said that Yue Ling accepted Lin Ruhai's favor and gave him some explanation.

If he asks me now, I'm sure Lin Ruhai won't be able to refuse.

Yangzhou was a thoroughfare connecting the country and a strategic point between the north and the south. Thanks to the salt merchants whose rise and fall did not follow the dynasties, it became the largest city at that time.

Considering Yangzhou's grain reserves and the importance of the Salt Inspector in the local area, it would not be a big deal to lend out more than 100,000 shi of grain to solve the urgent problem.

When Yue Ling takes office, we will pay him back more.

Ask yourself, Yue Ling took such good care of Lin Daiyu that she was safe and sound during her travels by boat and carriage. Isn't this a great achievement?
Why didn’t Lin Ruhai accept the favor?

After thinking it through, Yue Ling made up his mind.

"I have already figured out the problem of food shortage. You can go down and take care of it."

After sitting at the desk, Yue Ling picked up his pen and began to write a letter.

It seemed that all the previous official dealings with Lin Ruhai were also done through Lin Daiyu, and Lin Ruhai never said much.

As for the last time that Lin Daiyu wrote a resignation letter on someone else's behalf, Lin Ruhai probably wouldn't have thought too much about it.

"Brother, I heard that you have governed Yangzhou well and have achieved a harmonious political situation. I am by your side and the emperor has praised you highly. You are truly a role model for us."

"Now I want to follow his example and go to Suzhou to tidy up the area. Unexpectedly, before I arrived, a flood occurred. The rivers overflowed. Natural disasters and man-made disasters are still unknown, but the people are already exhausted and their houses are in ruins."

"I have been unable to sleep and have lost my appetite. I now dare to borrow 100,000 dan of grain from you to help the victims. Yangzhou is rich and prosperous, and you care about the people. This amount is not too much, so I hope you will not sit idly by."

"If my brother can help me generously, I will be grateful and will never forget it."

"Daiyu is by my side and is taking good care of herself. I will continue to take good care of her in the future to repay my brother's kindness."

"Good news."

After folding the letter, Yue Ling raised his brows slightly.

Calling Lin Ruhai brother was the proper custom in the Qin Palace, but considering his closeness with Lin Daiyu, it was still a little strange to call him brother.

However, Lin Ruhai was unaware of these things. It would be strange if he didn't call me brother. "The Marquis has a man who calls himself Su Si and wants to see him. He says he is an old acquaintance of the Marquis."

Hearing the report, Yue Ling knew that the hidden trick he had planted before had taken effect.

In today's Suzhou City, what Yue Ling cares about most is the prefectural government office. No matter what the situation is inside, Yue Ling has different plans for it.

Putting down the paper and pen, Yue Ling called out, "Let him in."

Soon, a manager came in with a man wearing coarse linen clothes, who looked like a disaster victim.

Yue Ling said: "You are quite alert. You disguised yourself before coming here. You are a promising person."

Su Si smiled awkwardly, "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Marquis. Compared to you, this is just a little cleverness."

The clerk's survival instinct to flatter was triggered. Yue Ling waved his hand and said, "Let's talk business. What do you have to do to get the job done by taking the risk to come here to find me?"

Yue Ling exchanged glances with the steward, who then handed over a bowl of water for Su Si to drink.

Su Si wiped his mouth with his sleeve and replied, "Recently, Sun Yicai has been staying at home. He has no foundation and his reputation is not good. I think he will be expelled. What's worse, the chancellors can't be used. So we have to do the work."

"Didn't the Marquis say that he wanted to meet this Lord Sun?"

"Now he is indulging in sensual pleasures all day long, and has given up on himself. I think this is the best time for you to go see him."

Yue Ling nodded slightly, "That's right. Bring me some clerk's clothes, and I'll follow you into the government office in disguise."

……

Beijing, Qianqing Palace,

Emperor Longyou was as busy as ever, dealing with memorials sent from all directions.

The flood season is also the busiest time for the emperor. If the weather is good and the harvest is good, the people can be prosperous and the national treasury does not need to allocate funds for disaster relief, which is a good thing.

But if it happened to be a disaster year, the already empty treasury would have to allocate silver, and the court would naturally be in a difficult situation.

Not long ago, Hangzhou switched from growing rice to growing mulberry trees, sold 500,000 rolls of silk, and increased the treasury revenue by one million taels.

One million taels of silver is already a rare fortune in the eyes of Emperor Longyou. After all, the national treasury cannot afford several million taels now.

Normally, an emperor would renovate his own mausoleum upon ascending the throne, but Emperor Longyou's had not yet started construction. The reason was that there was no money in the national treasury or the imperial purse.

"It's not necessary. I really don't want to fight. Although I started out as a horseman and archer, I've fought many battles in the south and north, but the barbarians have been defeated and the land is now in ruins. I don't know how to mend it."

Xia Shouzhong responded, "Your Majesty has so many wise and capable ministers around him, and Marquis Anjing is his pillar outside. He will surely be able to govern the country in a new way."

Emperor Longyou nodded. "In four years, Yue Ling has made Cangzhou look brand new and free of all its old problems. This is not easy. I heard that the number of people taking the imperial examinations in Cangzhou has reached a new high this year?"

Xia Shouzhong nodded repeatedly, "Four years ago, there were less than a hundred people taking the provincial examination, but this year there are already a thousand. There are even more people taking the martial arts examination in Cangzhou, several times more than the imperial examination."

Emperor Longyou sighed, "You have done a good job in promoting education, but I don't know how many people will make it to the next imperial examination. Let me see what kind of people the children who come out of Yue Ling's rule can be."

"Even if we have some of Yue Ling's abilities and assign them to local areas, the new law should be successful."

Just as Emperor Longyou was expressing his feelings, a eunuch walked into the room.

Xia Shouzhong strode over, asked the reason, and returned to Emperor Longyou.

"Your Majesty, the Zhen family has come to the Imperial City to present gifts."

Emperor Longyou frowned and asked, "What did the Zhen family come to Beijing for?"

"They must have come to mourn the two Jia family members, and to pay their respects to Your Majesty in the palace."

"What about people?"

"Listen to the announcement outside."

Emperor Longyou said, "Please pass it in."

"It is said that Zhen Yinghan of the Zhen family has come to the palace to meet the emperor!"

Soon, a middle-aged man in a Confucian robe, with a gentle and elegant demeanor, bowed in front of the hall and said, "I, Zhen Yinghan, greet Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."

Emperor Longyou raised his hand and said, "No need to be polite. You are also a scholar, so skip the formalities and come forward to talk."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Along with Zhen Yinghan came in, there were several boxes of gifts, which were placed in the hall.

Zhen Yinghan stepped forward, bowed and said, "The Zhen family has been blessed by your majesty, and has achieved today's prosperity. I have specially prepared some small items, all of which are rare and precious. The silk from the south of the Yangtze River is soft and colorful; the exotic fragrance from overseas can calm the mind and calm the spirit; the antiques and jades are all the hard work of skilled craftsmen. These are all presented to your majesty with the sincere hearts of the Zhen family. May your majesty be healthy, your country be stable, and your grace last forever."

Emperor Longyou looked at the wooden boxes filled with treasures and luxuries below and suddenly asked, "How much are these worth in the market?"

Zhen Yinghan was startled by the question and couldn't help wondering, "Could it be that Your Majesty is different from the late emperor and doesn't like these rare things, but only likes yellow and white things?"

"That's not right. My second brother has given a lot of money to the palace."

Zhen Yinghan lost his mind for a moment, but he couldn't lie to the emperor, so he told the truth: "These prices are indeed very high, and only in this way can they be presented to your majesty in the palace. Most of the items are priceless, and if you really count the silver, it should be more than ten thousand taels."

Emperor Longyou said, "Then the Zhen family must have spent a lot of money on this trip to the capital. They should give me one, the Jia family should give me one, and there should be one for my mother, right?"

Zhen Yinghan was unsure of the new emperor's temper, and added: "It's not as expensive as what you gave to Your Majesty, so it doesn't cost much."

Sure enough, after a quick test, we found out that the Zhen family had visited Empress Dowager Sun in the deep palace.

Emperor Longyou narrowed his eyes slightly, while Xia Shouzhong was worried about the Zhen family.

This family far away from the court does have many royal secrets that are difficult to know, and the relationship between Emperor Longyou and Empress Dowager Sun was not harmonious.

After Emperor Longyou ascended the throne, the situation not only did not ease, but became even more severe.

Now, Emperor Longyou visits his parents every morning and evening, but he just pretends to do so outside the Cining Palace. The two of them never see each other again. And the Zhen family is trying to bring bad luck to Emperor Longyou.

Emperor Longyou calmed down and asked, "How is Zhen Yingjia doing in Jiangnan now? He told me that the weaving bureau can send me two million taels this year. I will not withhold this money and put it into the treasury. Now I am still waiting to build warships to quell the banditry along the coast."

"Without the banditry along the coast, wouldn't it be easier to do business overseas?"

When Zhen Yinghan came, he also discussed this matter with Zhen Yingjia. At that time, he said with confidence that there would be no mistakes in this matter. When he met the emperor today, Zhen Yinghan also said the same thing.

"I discussed this with my second brother when I came here, and he said that everything is fine, and we can at least achieve the number that Your Majesty has agreed to this year."

After hearing this, Emperor Longyou smiled.

"Well, the good things done by the Zhen family are all from loyal subjects. You are tired from the journey, so go down and rest. I still have government affairs to deal with."

"Manager Xia, please send him off."

Zhen Yinghan finally breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhen Yinghan walked out of the palace, still feeling uneasy. It was his first time meeting the new emperor, and he had an indescribable weird feeling.

It feels like a chill on the spine and a breeze on the neck.

Taking out a red envelope from his bosom, Zhen Yinghan put it into Xia Shouzhong's hand and said, "This is my first time meeting you, sir. I don't have much to offer as a gift. This small token of my appreciation is a token of my respect."

Xia Shouzhong weighed the heavy red envelope, and a smile appeared on his face, with the flesh on his cheeks trembling. "Master Zhen, why do you have to do this? Although I haven't read many books, I know that there is no reward without merit."

Zhen Yinghan smiled awkwardly, "Please tell me, Your Majesty, whether your Majesty is satisfied with my performance today?"

Xia Shouzhong smiled and said, "Of course I am satisfied. The Zhen family works for the royal family in the southeast, and the silver they pay to the royal family every year is like flowing water. Their loyalty is evident to heaven and earth, so how can they not be satisfied?"

"I have been with your majesty for many years. Your majesty likes people who are honest and do their job well."

Zhen Yinghan nodded and said, "Okay, that's good. Thank you for your advice, eunuch."

After seeing Zhen Yinghan off, Xia Shouzhong turned back to the palace and presented the red envelope to Emperor Longyou.

Emperor Longyou frowned and took a look when he opened the notes. They were all silver bills from Tonghui Silver Bank, and each had a face value of one hundred taels, totaling thirty in total.

The gift money given to Xia Shouzhong was three thousand taels, so how could the gift to the emperor be only tens of thousands of taels?
Emperor Longyou slammed the red envelope on the table and said angrily, "I can't even afford to repair the mausoleum. I have been living frugally all day and cutting down on expenses in the inner palace. Even my queen has been doing needlework with the palace maids, and you guys are giving me gifts of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of taels. You are so generous. How can it be like you are sitting here and I am working for you?"

Emperor Longyou calmed down and closed his eyes for a long time before he sighed: "The pests of the country should be killed together!"

　I have a cold x_x, so I'll be a little lazy and code less
　　
　
(End of this chapter)