Red Mansion Royal Cat

Chapter 509 Pulling One Group and Beating Another

At the beginning of the eleventh year of Yuanyou, Daxia's national strength seemed to have developed to a level of strength that surprised everyone.

The industrial zone north of the capital was further expanded. With the continuous financial support from the Ministry of Households, the scale of the industrial zone nearly doubled, forming a complete industrial system with a full production chain including mining, smelting, manufacturing, transportation, etc.

The railway tracks were laid from the industrial area all the way to the Beijing Railway Station, and began to extend towards Jinling and Datong.

The imperial court achieved a rare unity of opinion on the issue of laying railways. Under the rapid and efficient execution, the Ministry of Works took the lead and jointly established the Railway Transportation Bureau with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, recruiting more than 300,000 workers.

The huge construction team increased the speed of railway laying by several times, and the production of rails in the industrial zone almost failed to keep up with the speed of consumption.

"This is a piece of fresh fat meat, and everyone wants to rush over to take a bite. But I'm afraid no one would have thought that this meat is made of steel and can easily break teeth!"

Jia Cong flipped through the documents in his hand and chuckled.

The Railway Transportation Bureau is nominally under the Ministry of Works, but the real person in power is Jia Cong, who is under house arrest by the old saint.

The emperor stripped Marquis Yongfeng of his title, but his mansion still existed, and even the power to establish a government office was not taken back.

Qiao Jin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, still serves part-time as the Chief Clerk of the Yongfeng Marquis's Palace, with the same rank as the Chief Clerk of the Prince's Palace.

No matter how violent the turmoil in the court was, and no matter how many impeachments against Jia Cong were increasing day by day, it could not disturb Lord Qiao's visits to Rongguo Mansion.

Every official document from the Railway Transportation Bureau needs to be sent to the Rongguo Mansion, and after being reviewed by Jia Cong, it must be stamped with the seal of Marquis Yongfeng. This is the rule, a rule established by Jia Cong.

The official document sent by Qiao Jin today is particularly interesting. Someone submitted a memorial, advising the emperor to allow businessmen to build railways and generate revenue from them.

As this unknown person said, railways benefit the country and the people, but too much money is needed to build them. If the court only invests, the finances will be tight, and the construction time span will be too long...

The "benevolent" merchants of the dynasty have money on hand and are willing to help the court share its worries and solve its problems. At that time, all that is needed is to allow the merchants to charge transportation fees, just like the grain transport, in order to recover the silver spent on building the railway.

"This man deserves to be killed!"

Jia Cong sneered repeatedly and stretched his hands to the railway. Did he really think that he, Jia Cong, didn't know what would happen if businessmen got involved in the railway?

What a mess the grain transport system is. If the maritime ban had not been lifted, the harm caused by the grain transport system to the imperial court would definitely be no less than that caused by the White Lotus Sect, which would rebel against whoever sat on the throne.

Qiao Jin still couldn't understand it. Isn't it good for businessmen to pay for the construction of railways on behalf of the court?
"Mr. Third, I think that if this policy is implemented, the pressure on the Ministry of Revenue can indeed be greatly relieved. It's just that we let them operate and charge some fees. Is there any problem?"

Jia Cong uttered two words: Cao Gang!
The Cao Gang, the cancer that had plagued the country for a hundred years, was finally eradicated by suppressing rebels.

If the railway is controlled by this group of people, there might be a new railway gang and a new road gang.

Besides, the railway will be the court’s strategic means of transportation, how can it be controlled by businessmen!
Qiao Jin was also familiar with local affairs and was not a short-sighted person. After Jia Cong's reminder, he immediately figured out the key.

He couldn't help but feel a chill on his back, and his eyes narrowed: "It was a close call, I almost fell into these people's trap! Third Master, I will go and ask to see His Majesty..."

Jia Cong raised his hand to stop them: "Don't worry, the big fish hasn't surfaced yet, we have plenty of time to fish slowly."

The situation in the court can be said to have reached a strange critical period. Everyone is waiting for a reshuffle of court forces.

Even the Prime Minister of the Cabinet feels that he is overwhelmed, which shows that the central government's control over the court is not as strong as it seems.

After the emperor lost his prime minister Wei Qinghe, the old man, there was always a lot of unnecessary resistance in the implementation of many policies.

And he, Jia Cong, is the sharp sword drawn by the emperor.

The Yongfeng Marquis Mansion was established to serve as a second line of insurance to ensure the thorough implementation of the Emperor's new policies.

Jia Cong pondered for a long time, and said to Qiao Jin: "I will write a secret letter, and Mr. Qiao will take it to the palace to present it to His Majesty. Now that I have been stripped of my official title, our mansion should keep a low profile, but official business cannot be stopped. Mr. Qiao's official rank is still too low, which is not conducive to official exchanges..."

……

When, when, when...

At the hour of Xu, the sky had already become completely dark.

After Jia Lian returned home, he didn't even have time to change out of his official robes, and hurried to the east wing.

"Third brother, the fight started again!"

Tons tons tons~
Mr. Lian drank all the water in the teapot in one breath, then wiped his mouth with it and told Jia Cong about a strange thing that happened outside the Qinzheng Hall that evening.

It turned out that this afternoon, the emperor suddenly summoned people from the six ministries and five temples and held a small court meeting in the Qinzheng Hall.

During the court meeting, the emperor first readjusted the powers of the six ministries and five temples, separating the Railway Transportation Department from the Ministry of Industry to form the Ministry of Railways.

Subsequently, Qiao Jin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was promoted to Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Railways, temporarily taking full charge of all official duties including railway planning and construction.

Immediately afterwards, an imperial edict was issued, with the Ministry of Railways taking the lead and jointly organizing a meeting to solicit investment for the construction of five railways: Beijing to Jinzhou, Beijing to Chang'an, Beijing to Wuchang, Wuchang to Guangzhou, and Chang'an to Xining.

Of course, this investment promotion did not mean that the court allowed merchants to build railways themselves, but that the court would pay and the major chambers of commerce would bid. The court would hire the chamber of commerce that offered a suitable price and give them the opportunity to earn money from the court.

There is also another clause: as long as the quality of the railways built is excellent and completed on schedule, the imperial court will grant these chambers of commerce the right to use the railways to transport goods first and give them more favorable transportation prices.

There was also a name written on the imperial edict, Jia Cong.

"Your Majesty asked you to take charge of this matter, which has caused a lot of trouble. They went to the palace to make trouble. Prince Zhongshun started first, and then your Ministry of Works followed suit. There was also Qiao Jin. It was a mess outside the Qinzheng Palace. When His Majesty sent people out to check, there were more than a dozen people lying on the ground... Tell me, isn't it just a matter of setting up an organization to attract investment? It's not a serious official position. Why do they have to do this?"

When it comes to economics, Mr. Lian is really not very proficient.

But Jia Cong knew clearly in his heart that these people were probably not here for some bidding matter, nor were they against the emperor releasing him. To put it bluntly, they were eyeing the big fat piece of meat called railways.

No matter who the emperor appoints to take charge of this matter, as long as it is not one of their own, they will oppose whoever is in office.

Jia Cong scratched his head. This was actually a good thing. The more violent the commotion, the more obvious it would be that people were watching the railway.

So……

"Brother, I have something to trouble you."

"You said."

After thinking for a while, Jia Cong said to his second brother, "I told my uncle before the New Year that Sister Bao should work in the Ministry of Revenue. This is just right. Second brother, go to the He family and tell Minister He. I will have someone recommend Sister Bao to work in the Ministry of Revenue as a deputy minister of the Ministry of Revenue to participate in this investment promotion conference."

what?
Master Lian asked doubtfully, "Will the Xue family be excluded from the investment promotion conference? I was thinking of letting the Xue family make a profit."

Jia Cong shook his head: "No need. This time, no matter whether it is the Xue family or our family, we must not get involved. This is my attempt. Railway construction cannot be completed overnight. Our family does not have the energy. Besides, I don't know how many people will be watching our family."

The most difficult part of railway construction is not the technology, but the huge profits involved. Jia Cong was not sure that the people in his family would be as honest as water.

Instead of wasting this energy, it is better to give up your interests, win over some forces, and then fight against those who are not on good terms with you.

The development of industrial strength will promote the infrastructure of Daxia to enter a high stage of development, which requires huge investment of funds and personnel. It is indeed difficult to support it relying solely on the court.

If the court could win over a group of obedient businessmen, it could save a lot of money and manpower investment.

At worst, I can just reward you with some "establishment" when the time comes. After all, the end of the universe is establishment.

The public-private partnership model seems to have a future...

Jia Cong felt that this method was more and more feasible, so he began to plan for the establishment of state-owned enterprises and corporate joint ventures affiliated with the royal family and the court.

……

The writing of the plan consumed a great deal of Jia Cong's energy. Fortunately, the emperor was very reliable. He not only approved Baochai's employment in the Ministry of Revenue, but also brought out Liu Ke, the King of Zhongshun, who was always playing with his bird and beating people.

The Thirteenth Prince sat miserably in the front hall of the Rongguo Mansion, looking at Jia Cong with resentment.

"I say, can't you take a break? My niece is about to reach the age of 15, why don't you prepare for the ceremony?"

Jia Cong rolled his eyes and said, "If it weren't for me, you would have been hung on a tree branch in the Dragon Head Palace by the old saint, suffering the baptism of late spring cold."

This guy really can't sit idle. In less than half a month, he beat up nearly twenty court officials.

The reasons for beating people were varied and bizarre. For example, yesterday, Old Thirteen beat Fan Jin, the Censor of the Criminal Department, because he did not get out of bed to greet him after seeing him. The old wounds were compounded and he vomited three liters of blood and fainted.

The most important thing is that this guy went to Fan Jin's house specifically to vent his anger...

Poor Fan Jishizhong, the broken bones in his chest that had just been fixed by the doctor were broken again. Not to mention saluting people, it would be a relief if he could get out of bed and move a few steps within half a year.

"I didn't expect His Majesty would ask you to help me. This is really not my fault. I also want to reflect on myself seriously at home. The old man also arranged homework for me. He said that I have to copy the Analects and the Book of Rites. I have to send my homework to the palace every few days. He will correct it."

Who isn't a miserable person? Take me, Jia Cong, the top six champions... Alas, I can't mention sad things anymore. When I do, I will shed tears of bitterness.

He is fourteen already. Not only is he busy with official duties every day, he also has to do homework!

The more Jia Cong thought about it, the sadder he felt. He and Old Thirteen glared at each other. The two were almost holding hands and seeing each other in tears, but they were speechless and choked with emotion.

Under Jia Cong's guidance, Old Thirteen reached a consensus with him.

This is all the fault of the emperor. He is so unkind that he not only employs child laborers, but also exploits his own brother...

After complaining about the emperor's "harshness", the two of them finally had no choice but to compromise.

"Master Thirteen, five railways will require at least five chambers of commerce to undertake. You are familiar with the Beijing Chamber of Commerce, so you can think of a way to have them take over the line from Beijing to Chang'an. This line is extremely important. As long as this line is completed as soon as possible, the long-term stability of the west will be guaranteed."

Liu Ke slapped his thigh and said, "This is a simple matter. I will ask someone to tell those families in the capital. They will have to accept the deal even if they don't want to. Then my family will take the lead..."

"No, Master Thirteen, none of us should get involved in this matter. It's not easy to make money like this, and it's easy to get into trouble."

Jia Cong quickly waved his hands. It was indeed easy to make money by taking on business from the court, but the risks were also extremely high.

The corruption itself is enough to give you a headache.

Jia Cong didn't want his anti-corruption campaign to affect his own people. Would he investigate or not? If the investigation eventually implicated Old Thirteen, the emperor would probably be so depressed that he would die.

"Oh, it hurts me to see that I can't make any money!"

Liu Ke was depressed and beat his chest, but he was a smart man after all. He knew that Jia Cong was doing this for his own good, so he nodded and said, "Okay, my family will not get involved in this matter. When the time comes, I will ask my fourth brother to give me the title of imperial envoy, and take my three guillotines with me to satisfy my desire... ahem, go and help my fourth brother supervise these merchants."

Jia Cong ignored the Thirteenth Master who was playing Justice Bao again, and continued, "This is a huge business that is difficult to measure. Although everyone knows the difficulty and risks involved, it will definitely attract wealthy merchants from all over Daxia to the capital. Master Thirteen, this is a rare opportunity. I want to form a business team that belongs to our court. I need to win over some people who can be won over. You have good vision and strong ability. Please help me with the decision when the time comes."

After putting on a tall hat, Old Thirteen immediately looked up to the sky at a 45-degree angle with pride.

"Oh, you have indeed seen my true ability. Don't worry, leave this matter to me. I will definitely help you choose the most suitable person when the time comes!"

……

The emperor's imperial edict to set up a railway investment promotion conference was quickly spread to every corner of Daxia through the official reports. The chambers of commerce near the capital had already rushed to the capital, bringing with them boxes of gold and silver.

They also thought of using silver to pave the way, which is an old rule and tradition passed down from generation to generation.

Jia Cong ignored the merchants who kept delivering invitations to the Rongguo Mansion. He now finally had some free time to prepare for Sister Lin's coming-of-age ceremony on February 12.

Of course, the gifts had been prepared long ago. What worried Jia Cong the most now were the elders from the Gusu Lin family who came to Beijing, especially the wives and girls in that circle.

The Lin family of Gusu has been a family of marquises for five generations, and the Lin Ruhai branch is not the only one.

People from all eight branches of the Lin family came over. There were more than ten young wives and girls in that yard alone. They all covered their mouths and giggled, staring at Jia Cong from head to toe.

The old lady was talking to an old woman from the Lin family. She looked at Jia Cong, whose way was blocked by a yard full of young wives and girls outside the door, and laughed cheerfully.

"My grandson is simply the reincarnation of Monkey King. He always causes trouble for me. His originally good title of Marquis of the State is gone, and now he doesn't even have a proper official title. This girl Yu'er is really wronged."

Monthly ticket recommendation ticket

　Thanks to Schrödinger's Cat for the reward.

　　There are some things that cannot be written in this part, so I can only delete some of them...

　　That’s all for tonight. I’ll continue tomorrow. Good night.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)