The Red Mansions

Chapter 249 I Came to Find Sister Lin
"Speaking of which, Yangzhou's patrol salt censor is still your in-law?"

Li Zan put down the teacup in his hand and asked.

Jia Heng nodded and said, "It's the son-in-law of the old matriarch of the West Mansion."

Li Zan's face was silent when he heard the words, and after a while, he said slowly: "The Salt Affairs can mobilize the whole body, it's not easy to do it arbitrarily, we need to send high officials from the imperial court to sit in the Huaiyang area, so as to promote the advantages and disadvantages of the revolution."

Jia Heng said: "What Elder Ge said is very true. Those salt merchants, salt field officials, and even local county officials who have been passively affected by their pockets may not sit still and wait for death."

He has nothing to say, maybe there are local generals, armed and smuggled.

Li Zan was not used to seeing Jia Heng's straight-forward approach to the point. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "On the side of the cabinet, Mr. Yang and Mr. Han are mainly promoting this matter. The two Mr. They are all seasoned and resourceful people who seek the country, and if they work together, they should be able to succeed in one fell swoop."

Yang Guochang is in charge of the Ministry of Households, and the salt tax is naturally dominated by him. Han Huang is in charge of the Ministry of Officials.

However, Li Zan, Minister of the Ministry of War, had to face the northern border affairs. After a lot of open and secret struggles, Emperor Chongping had already favored Li Zan to lead the border affairs and defense. The northern border affairs also required the cooperation of the whole party. Overspill.

In fact, if this cabinet minister was not dispatched from the central government to sit outside, otherwise, according to the political tacit agreement that whoever manages the border affairs is equal to who takes over the position of "chief assistant", it may cause a new round of party disputes.

When Jia Heng heard Li Zan's words, he heard the implication of "I can't help you".

My heart became more and more dignified.

Based on his current impression of the Ministry of Households, Yang Guochang who doesn't stick to the pan, Qi Kun who works hard, Liang Yuan who is full of fat... expect these people to succeed in rectifying the salt affairs?

If you add Han Huang and others from the Zhejiang Party, you don't know whether you want to pick peaches or make trouble, and rectify the salt affairs in Lianghuai and Huaihe Rivers. It is almost impossible to accomplish this.

"Regardless of success or failure, these salt merchants will never let Daiyu's father go." Jia Heng's eyes were deep, and his thoughts turned.

He probably already knew why Lin Ruhai passed away in his prime. If he wanted to profit from the salt industry, no one would be able to do it without the courage to kill everyone from top to bottom!
"Financial difficulties are the four words of increasing income and reducing expenditure. However, raiding the house can only relieve the temporary difficulty, and the salt tax is the long-term solution for the long-term flow of water. No, this is not a small water, but a waterfall... Otherwise, it will blindly impose heavy taxes on the people. There are many civil upheavals in various provinces, and people are exhausted from running up and down, and arresting local prefectures and counties with corrupt officials is like fighting a fire with salaries. At the very least, we need to arrange something secretly, try our best to save Daiyu's father's life, and pave the way for me to intervene in the reform of salt tax in the future, but I will meet Daiyu when I go back, and get online with her father first."

Afterwards, the two sat and chatted for a while, the twilight was falling, and Jia Heng also left with a solemn heart, intending to go back to the house to find Daiyu and ask about the situation in Yangzhou.

Rongguofu

As the night fell, the Rongqing Hall was brightly lit, and there were endless laughter.

Mrs. Wang, Li Wan, and Sister Feng were sitting impressively, chatting with Jia Mu to relieve boredom. Daiyu and Tanchun held a copybook of Ouyang Xun to observe and discuss. Xiangyun and a maid played Jiulianhuan. Dudu's round apple face is full of seriousness.

Yingchun played Go with the eldest maid Siqi, while the little girl Xiuju propped up her cheeks with one hand and served tea.

Baoyu sat sideways on the embroidered pier beside Daiyu, and whispered to Daiyu for nothing to say.

Daiyu stabs Baoyu with bitter words from time to time, but Baoyu never tires of it and talks with a smile.

Because there was a quarrel a month ago, Daiyu was worried that there would be another quarrel, but she treated Baoyu as usual.

Sister Feng smiled and said: "Old ancestor, our family sent people to go to Suzhou tomorrow to buy an opera troupe, and it is cheaper to listen to operas."

Jia's mother smiled and said, "A set of theater troupes can't be sold for three to five thousand taels. Even if you just made a fortune, you can't spend too much."

When everyone heard this, they all laughed.

This refers to the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver recovered from Lai Da, Shan Daliang, Wu Xindeng and other villainous servants under Jia Heng's guidance the day before yesterday, and now all are under the control of Sister Feng.

These few families were eventually sent to the village to farm, because they knew a lot about the Jia family, and it was impossible to let them leave the house.

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Old Ancestor, if you leak some from your fingers, it's enough for us. Where can I go?"

Jia Mu smiled and said, "You're just thinking about my self-esteem. That's not okay. In the future, it will be used for Baoyu's marriage and for a few maids in the house to come out of the cabinet."

When everyone heard the words, they all laughed, and looked at Baoyu, Daiyu, and Tanchun in unison.

There was a kind of simple and honest smile on Baoyu's round face, while Daiyu and Tanchun, who were looking at the copybook, looked at each other, each a bit shy.

Jia Mu looked at Mrs. Wang at the side and said, "Is Uncle Baoyu coming back soon?"

Mrs. Wang was holding a teacup, and when she heard the words, she put it on a small table beside her, smiled and said, "A while ago, Baoyu's cousin sent someone, saying that a letter came from the north, and that Uncle Baoyu was in the northwest. After checking three sides, it is estimated that it will be returned by the end of this month, and my sister-in-law also said that it is just a matter of time to make preparations for Baoyu's uncle's birth in early November."

The person Mrs. Wang calls her sister-in-law is naturally Wang Ziteng's wife Zhao, who is also the wife of Gaoming.

When everyone heard the words, the expressions on their faces were either happy or surprised.

Over the years, Wang Ziteng has become more and more official, and even served as the Jiedu Envoy of the Beijing Camp, which was previously an official position held by the Daihua government of the Ningfu.

When Jia's mother heard this, the smile on her face stagnated, but she felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. She smiled lightly and said, "Girl Feng, then you have to prepare for Aunt Baoyu's birth ceremony."

Sister Feng was delighted, but she didn't notice Jiamu's "delicate" thoughts, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the old lady, I have already made all the preparations. This time I heard from my cousin Wang Yi that my uncle came back this time. It seems to be of great use, and it may not be certain to join the cabinet next year."

Entering the cabinet means being a cabinet scholar. This is Wang Ziteng's eldest son Wang Yi's imagination, because the minister of rites, He Juncheng, has already submitted his official memorial and is still in the stage of three requests and three resignations. The cabinet is bound to have a replacement. How much of the goods are the same is now the focus of heated discussions in Shenjing.

Wang Yi and a few young masters in Beijing were chatting nonsense at the wine table, and someone made a remark on Wang Yi, and uncle might not have a chance.

The speaker is unintentional, but the listener is interested. Since then, Wang Yi has taken his heart. The news in Beijing and China is mixed. Wang Yi can find some sporadic approval. When he came to Xifu last time as a child, he used it to show off to Sister Feng. .

As soon as Sister Feng said this, everyone was attracted by the word "entering the cabinet".

Mrs. Wang said pleasantly: "It's amazing, if you enter the cabinet, you will be a bachelor."

Because in the past few months, someone in Dongfu has become more and more powerful, and Mrs. Wang has not lost her knowledge of "replenishing" officialdom.

Li Wan said with a smile: "I remember that there were five Grand Scholars in the dynasty. It has been many years. This seems to be another addition?"

Because Li Wan's father, Li Shouzhong, had sacrificed wine for Jinling Guozijian, Li Wan also had some understanding of the affairs of the court.

Sister Feng said with a smile: "We can't talk about things in the hall, but I'm thinking about my uncle. He was a first-rank military officer, and now he's pretty much the same."

I couldn't help but feel joy in my heart. If her uncle Wang Ziteng is really useful, she can also take advantage of the power. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the man in the East Mansion is, she won't be able to borrow too much. How can she have her own relatives behind her to support her? Emboldened.

Baoyu was talking to Daiyu at the side. Hearing this, he also smiled and lifted up a moonlit face in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and asked: "Old ancestor, uncle is coming back?"

Jia Mu smiled and said, "Yes, it should be the end of this month. When your uncle comes over, you can go and see your cousins."

Even if Wang Ziteng is intimidating again, he actually took advantage of his own family to lead the army in the Beijing camp, and now he has been promoted step by step, but it is not easy to reveal the slightest.

Baoyu responded with a light smile.

Although I don't like to socialize, I can take this opportunity not to go to that school.

Sister Feng smiled and asked, "How are you doing in school these two days?"

Baoyu was thinking about the school, when he heard the question, his face looked downcast, and he said: "Those masters are full of words, just like old monks chanting scriptures. They listen to the head, and they don't know what's interesting."

Mother Jia, Mrs. Wang, and Sister Feng: "..."

Xiangyun put down the Jiu Lianhuan in his hand, and said with a smile: "Brother Ai (second), just wait for Brother Heng to come over and say this?"

Perhaps in the past few months, Jia Heng did not go to the west mansion. Baoyu forgot the pain when his scar healed, and returned to the state of having fun. Shut up, the words of a sage, you can think about it in a different place, and compare your heart with your heart."

Daiyu's starry eyes flickered under her smoky eyebrows, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and said softly: "Second brother Bao has improved more and more recently, and I have quoted all the words of the sage. I have not seen this school." Go for nothing."

The implication is that Baoyu actually knows to use the words of the sage to gag people's mouths.

Tanchun glanced at Daiyu, a suspicion flashed in her heart, although she still stabbed her second brother as usual, why did she faintly feel that something was wrong?

Seems to be speaking for Brother Heng?
When Baoyu saw Daiyu accosting her, he was more delighted and said with a smile, "Sister Lin, you don't know, the school..."

At this moment, the woman outside Rongqing Hall said, "Old lady, Master Heng is here."

Baoyu: "..."

As if being strangled by the neck, Baoyu blocked the second half of the words in his mouth, his lips moved.

Even if the scar is healed and the pain is forgotten, I only dare to say a few words behind my back, who would dare to say it face to face?
When everyone heard this, their expressions became strange, and they wanted to laugh but it wasn't funny.

"Love (second) brother..."

However, Xiangyun giggled and laughed so hard that everyone was infected by it and laughed together.

Daiyu was also holding a pink handkerchief, covered her mouth and smiled coquettishly, but looked out of the screen with her bright starry eyes.

Brother Heng, she hasn't seen her for a while.

Mrs. Wang's complexion is ugly, her Baoyu is being bullied by that Uncle Heng now!
And this Xiangyun, why didn't the historian come to pick him up?
Thinking of this, I felt aggrieved, smiled lightly, and said with a sarcasm, "Baoyu is more afraid of brother Heng now than seeing the master."

The tone of the words was wrong, and no one answered for a while.

It was still Sister Feng who sensed that the atmosphere was turning into awkwardness, and smiled lightly: "Old lady, Brother Heng hasn't come for a while."

Jia Mu looked puzzled for a moment, then said softly: "Maybe there is something wrong."

Because Jia Heng was reading Donglu's materials in the study room at home recently, he hadn't been to the mansion for more than half a month. It's not that Jia's mother didn't invite her, but Jia Heng refused all of them because she was busy with official duties.

While speaking, Jia Heng had already entered the Rongqing Hall from outside the screen, and Jia Mu, who rushed up to the first place, arched her hands and saluted, and sat down on a chair beside her to meet her eyes. Jia Heng stretched out his hand to take the teacup, and thanked him.

Jia Mu laughed and said, "Brother Heng, why are you so free today?"

Everyone, hearing the words, cast their gazes over, while Tanchun was also hesitant to speak.

Jia Heng took a sip, nodded at Mother Jia, then turned her tender eyes to Daiyu, and said, "I'm here to find Sister Lin."

Jiamu, Sister Feng, Li Wan, Baoyu: "..."

Daiyu, Tanchun, Xiangyun: "???"

Daiyu looked at Jia Heng with starry eyes, blinked, smoothed the circles and ripples in her heart, and said softly, "Brother Heng, is there something wrong?"

Jia Heng nodded, and said softly, "Sister, have you been writing letters with Uncle Lin recently?"

Daiyu nodded, cut off the autumn water, and said softly: "I have sent three letters, one at the beginning of the month, and one letter from my father, so that the family will be fine, and I will not worry about it."

As she spoke, Daiyu's eye circles turned red.

When Baoyu heard the words, he looked confused and said to himself, what letter?
He said softly, "When did Sister Lin write the letter to her family? Why... I don't know."

Sister Feng laughed and said, "Sister Lin was thinking about home, so she wrote a letter home and sent a hand-woven scarf to Aunt Lin's father."

When everyone heard the words, they all cast a pair of eyes of pity or surprise.

Because Daiyu didn't make a fuss about what she did, now that Sister Feng exposed it, everyone looked at Daiyu differently.

Father and daughter have been separated for a few years, and they didn't talk about it when they were young, and they could still say they were ignorant, but this is all grown up, and they don't even write a letter from home, so they can't justify it.

Jia's mother sighed and said, "Yu'er is a filial person. It's a pity that their father and daughter are so far apart, and they haven't seen each other for several years."

Xiang Yun said enviously: "The beacon fire lasts for three months, and the family letter is worth ten thousand gold. Yangzhou is thousands of miles away. I don't know how uncle Lin will be happy when he sees the letter."

Listening to everyone's conversation at this moment, Daiyu raised her foggy eyes, looked at the young man opposite, and met a pair of gentle eyes, she quickly lowered her eyelashes, and her heart couldn't help but miss a beat.

Jia Heng said: "Then, sister Lin will write another letter, and I have a letter to deliver along with it."

Daiyu suddenly heard this, her delicate body trembled slightly, and she didn't know what to think of, her pink cheeks were a little hot, she lifted her face with a cut of autumn water, and looked quietly at Jia Heng.

Tanchun also raised his clear eyes and looked at the boy opposite him without moving for a moment.

Jia Heng said: "There is something hidden in it, I will discuss it with my sister later."

Daiyu nodded and said "En".

Mother Jia frowned, smiled and said, "You two, what's the point of selling this? Brother Heng, I can't talk about it now, I'm very worried when I see it."

Sister Feng also laughed and said: "If it's not a secret, I should tell my ancestors about it, so as not to make people worry about it."

Facing a pair of curious or dignified eyes.

Jia Heng was silent for a while, pondered for a moment, and said: "This matter will be reported by the General Secretary tomorrow. Uncle Lin went to the capital to rectify the salt affairs. The cabinet is planning this matter."

"Salt affairs?" Everyone in Rongqing Hall looked at each other in blank dismay.

(End of this chapter)