The Red Mansions

Chapter 1619 Li Zan: Then follow the King Wei's wishes

Chapter 1619 Li Zan: Then follow the King Wei’s wishes…

Han Dynasty, the first year of Jianxing, the first day of October

With the rebellion in Bashu of the Han Dynasty put down, the threat of barbarians in the northwest was resolved, and the Han Dynasty court temporarily entered a period of peace.

The people of the entire Shenjing city were discussing this war.

It can be said that the resolution of this internal and external troubles greatly shook the opposition forces that had been secretly criticizing King Wei.

Nan'an County Prince's Mansion, backyard, waterside pavilion——

Yan Yiliu was wearing a green dress, her three thousand lush green hair was tied into an exquisite bun, and her face, which was somewhat delicate and innocent, seemed to be covered with a layer of rosy red halo. She was holding a fishing rod in her hand and fishing.

After the failure of the attempt of the King of Wei and the King of Liang to force the emperor to abdicate, the two kings were demoted to commoners, the King of Wei was imprisoned, and Yan Yilu returned to the Prince of Nan'an's Mansion.

It can be said that she has completely drawn a line between herself and the King of Wei, and the only thing left is a letter of divorce.

"Miss, Miss, something terrible has happened." At this moment, a maid hurriedly ran into the octagonal pavilion with double eaves and hooked corners and said to Yan Yiliu.

When Yan Yiliu looked back, he suddenly felt the fishing rod in his hand sink. He lifted the rod suddenly, and suddenly a "splashing" sound was heard. In the sparkling waves, a goldfish could be seen shining in the sunlight.

Yan Yiliu turned her pretty face and took the goldfish off the hook, saying, "Something bad has happened."

The maid whispered, "Miss, it's being said outside that the Duke of Liao quelled the Shu Rebellion in Sichuan, and the King of Wei...he died in the chaos."

Yan Yiliu paused for a moment while holding the fish in his hand. Then, with a nonchalant expression on his face, he put the goldfish in his hand into the bucket beside him.

"Oh."

"Miss, my uncle..."

Yan Yiliu said coldly: "That man is no longer my son-in-law."

One is different and two are wide, and each is happy.

Yan Yiliu remained silent for a while, and said, "Okay, don't delay my fishing any longer."

The maid was stunned for a moment, then left the backyard without saying anything else.

Yan Yiliu sighed softly and looked at the float floating on the lake. For some reason, he no longer had the urge to continue fishing.

He got up and went to the backyard, where Concubine Nan'an was in the hall, coaxing her grandson.

After the Prince of Nan'an was stripped of his title, this old concubine undoubtedly became much more honest and obedient.

But when she saw Jia Heng being named a prince and becoming more and more prosperous outside, the old concubine felt unwilling.

The Nan'an Concubine came closer, her eyes sparkling like water, and she was surprised and asked, "Yi Liu, why do you look so bad?"

Yan Yiliu came closer, her beautiful eyes shining like water under her emerald eyebrows, and said, "Madam, it's nothing."

Nan'an Concubine said: "Yi Liu, I just heard from people outside that the King of Wei seems to be in Sichuan..."

When Yan Yiliu heard this, her flawless face suddenly changed, and she said, "Old lady, other people's affairs have nothing to do with us. We don't need to care about them."

Hearing this, Concubine Nan'an sighed softly and said, "A day of marriage means a hundred days of grace. Yi Liu is a person who values ​​friendship and loyalty. How can you not be attached to the love between husband and wife in your heart?"

As the saying goes, there is hate only when there is love.

If there is no love, how can there be hate?

As Yan Yiliu spoke, she gently pursed her slightly pink lips, and her face, which was innocent yet heroic, seemed to be covered with a hint of melancholy.

Nan'an Concubine said: "No matter what, after the remains of the King of Wei are sent to the capital, you should also go there and pay your respects properly, so as not to betray the love between husband and wife."

"Yeah." Yan Yiliu responded softly, and said, "Old lady, I'll go back first."

Concubine Nan'an nodded, her eyes kind and peaceful, and said, "Go."

This child is just like her father, with a stubborn temper. However, since Liu is still young and has no children, she should remarry.

The Yan family doesn't have any chastity arches.

But who in the city of Shenjing dares to marry her?

……

……

Wuying Palace, Military Affairs Office

Li Zan, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, was discussing the establishment of prefectures and counties in Liaodong with Qi Kun, the Second Prime Minister of the Cabinet, Zhao Yi, Liu Zheng, the cabinet ministers, and Shi Jie, the military minister.

The Jiannu in Liaodong were pacified, but that did not mean that all subsequent post-war affairs in Liaodong were over. Immigrating to the border, setting up prefectures and counties, accepting the original Eight Banners soldiers, and how to treat the Jurchen herdsmen were all things that needed to be taken into account.

There are millions of Jurchens in Liaodong. These people must be properly settled and integrated into the Han Dynasty, otherwise they will trigger new rebellions.

Li Zan pondered for a moment and said, "In the east of Liaodong, we should encourage Manchus to intermarry with Han people, let the Manchus learn the Han language and writing, send garrisons to Liaodong to cultivate land, and build beacons to guard against border affairs."

Qi Kun nodded and said, "What Yuanfu said is very true. We can't do it the same way as before. The Liaodong Nuzhen chieftains are all leading their tribes in Liaodong. They are accumulating strength and will rebel again when we are busy with internal affairs in the Central Plains."

Shi Jie said, "In the whole Liaodong area, our Han Dynasty has set up prefectures and counties, and we will use civil and military forces to defend Liaodong. We will not repeat the past events in Liaodong."

Li Zan said: "In recent years, the national policy of equalizing the land tax has been implemented throughout the country. According to the fish scale books reported to the Ministry of Revenue by prefectures and counties across the country, the population of local counties has skyrocketed, and the number of civilians has increased. This cabinet believes that the people of Qi and Lu can be conscripted to settle in the border areas."

Shi Jie said: "Immigration to settle the border and pacify the border should be a national policy that needs to be adhered to."

Li Zan was silent for a moment, then said, "After Bashu is pacified, the issue of changing the native system to Han Chinese should also be put on the agenda."

Upon hearing this, Qi Kun and Shi Jie didn't say anything else, but just nodded.

Li Zan paused, and asked in surprise: "Where is Prince Wei? Has Prince Wei entered the palace? Prince Wei is familiar with military affairs, so he should also come to the palace to discuss matters together."

Shi Jie said: "Prince, I have already sent someone to Ningguo Mansion to inform Prince Wei. I think he should be on the way."

After a while, a eunuch's voice was heard from outside, saying loudly: "His Royal Highness Prince Wei has arrived."

Qi Kun said: "The King of Wei is here."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a black and red satin python robe coming out from outside. He had a resolute face and sharp eyes.

"Prince Wei." Qi Kun came forward and said with a smile on his face.

Jia Heng exchanged greetings and said, "Lord Li, Lord Qi, sorry for the long wait."

Li Zan was surprised and said, "I was just discussing the Liaodong affairs with Qi Gelao. The Prince of Wei was the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Campaign. He also mentioned the various matters concerning the Liaodong Campaign after the Liaodong Campaign. I wonder what the situation is like?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "I have already mentioned this in my memorial. Lord Li, have there been any new incidents recently?"

"That's not the case. It's just that Liaodong has just been conquered, and there are millions of Jurchens in Liaodong. It's not easy for our Han Dynasty to govern Liaodong and set up prefectures and counties." Li Zan said.

Jia Heng nodded and agreed, saying, "What the Prime Minister said is correct. We need to select capable and smart officials to supervise the Liaodong area."

Li Zan had a blank expression on his face and asked, "Does the King of Wei have any suggestions for action?"

Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "I think we can set up a governor's office in Shenyang, and let the governor of Liaoning govern the former Shenyang, Tieling and other garrison areas. At the same time, the eight banners of the Jurchens will be organized and governed, and a system of co-management by our Han officials and banner owners will be set up. A governor of Jilin will be set up, and civil officials will be used to educate and govern the Haixi and wild Jurchen areas."

To put it bluntly, it means exercising iron-fisted control over places like the former Shengjing, where the Jianzhou Jurchens had the strongest influence, and using civil servants to educate and nurture places like Heilongjiang and Jilin.

As for Heilongjiang, since it has always been a cold and harsh place, even if immigrants were to settle in the border area, it is unlikely that too many Han people would go there. It would be inappropriate to set up a set of bureaucratic institutions.

Upon hearing this, Li Zan nodded and said, "Establishing a governor to govern all prefectures and counties is indeed the way to structure the economy."

Jia Heng said: "The candidate for the Governor of Liaoning should also be carefully selected. Only someone who is both intelligent and brave can be qualified for the position."

The person who could serve as the first Governor-General of Liaoning must be someone who could command the army on horseback and herd the people on foot.

While Jia Heng was speaking, he stared at Li Zan, calmed himself down, and said, "Lord Li, I thought that the former military minister Wang Ziteng, now the general of Xuanhua, could take on this position. What do you think, Lord Li?"

When Li Zan heard this, a dark color appeared under his thin eyebrows and his eyes were covered with it, and he was shocked.

Is Jia Ziyu planning to further place his confidants among the local governors?

Li Zan said, "Prince Wei, Wang Ziteng is the general in Xuanhua, but he has no real achievements. If we rashly appoint him as the governor of Liaoning, will he be able to control the situation in Liaodong?"

Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Wang Ziteng was a mature and steady man during the previous battle to pacify Liao. Although I had a conflict with him over the matter in the Beijing camp, I have seen his actions over the years and found that he has completely lost his impetuousness."

This statement cleared the suspicion that he was placing his cronies in positions of power. The candidates he recommended were all out of impartiality.

Li Zan was silent for a moment, then said, "Prince Wei, Zou Jing, the former commander of the Beiping Jinglüe Anfu Division, is a serious and intelligent person. It is most appropriate for him to be the governor of Liaodong and to win over the people and maintain their power."

Jia Heng's eyes sparkled under his sword-like brows, and he said, "Zou Jing has been lingering in this bitter cold land for a long time, and has been away from home for five or six years. He should be transferred to the capital to show the court's sympathy."

Li Zan asked, "Prince Wei, should we send someone to ask Zou Jing for his opinion? If so, what if he is willing to go to Liaodong?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment.

Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat tense, Qi Kun tried to smooth things over and said with a smile, "Lord Li, what the King of Wei said is not without reason. Minister Zou is a civil official, and Liaodong is full of tigers and wolves. He may not be able to take on such an important task."

At this moment, the Minister of Works Zhao Yi was also echoing.

Liu Zheng's lips moved, but he eventually swallowed his words of agreement.

Jia Heng said, "Lord Li, let's just settle this."

Since Li Zan believed that he was placing his confidants in positions of power, no matter how noble and upright he was, he would not be able to win Li Zan's approval, and the newly conquered land of Liaodong should also be taken into his possession.

As for Wang Ziteng's ability, when Wang Ziteng was the deputy envoy of the Beijing Camp, his performance was mediocre but also considered decent.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said, "Mr. Li, let's take this opportunity to discuss the selection of the Governor of Sichuan."

Li Zan was surprised and asked, "Does the Prince of Wei have a favorite candidate in mind?"

At this moment, there was a hint of anger in the voice of the Prime Minister of the Cabinet.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said in a loud voice: "Sichuan is in chaos, and we need an iron-fisted minister to serve as the governor of Sichuan to eliminate the influence of the Gao family in Sichuan and guard against local military and political leaders who are colluding with each other and deceiving their superiors and subordinates."

Li Zan's heart moved slightly, his eyes condensed like dew, he looked at the young man in the python robe and asked, "What does the King of Wei have to say?"

Jia Heng thought for a moment and said, "Shi Ding, the governor of Henan, has governed Henan for many years, investigated rebellions and brought peace to the country, and has done his job with sincerity. I think he should be the governor of Sichuan."

Li Zan was surprised and asked, "Shi Ding? If I remember correctly, Shi Ding and Wang Ziteng are both relatives of the King of Wei."

Jia Heng said, "Lord Li, I recommend people who are virtuous without avoiding relatives. During the reign of Emperor Shizong Xian, I did this without any reservations. I recommended Shi Ding as the governor of Henan, and Emperor Shizong Xian used him. After a few years, Shi Ding became very successful in Henan."

Li Zan was silent for a moment, then said, "Once Marquis Zhongjing leaves, the post of Henan governor will be vacant. Who will take over?"

Jia Heng said, "Henan has been in chaos for several years, but it has returned to peace. We should look for civil officials to pacify Henan. I remember when Emperor Shizong Xian was alive, I said that after the chaos in the Central Plains, I would select military meritorious officials to pacify Henan. Now that the situation in Henan is stable, I will select civil officials to take over, spread culture and education, and govern the people."

As he said before, he has always been public-spirited, loyal to the country, and has no selfish thoughts in what he says and does.

Li Zan frowned, a hint of suspicion rising in his heart.

As Jia Heng spoke, he turned his head to look at Qi Kun standing beside him, and said in a deep voice: "Henan Provincial Governor Peng Ye has worked diligently during his tenure in Henan. It is only natural that he should be transferred to the post of Henan Governor."

Peng Ye was originally the Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief, and was considered a capable general of the Qi Party. Now that he recommended Peng Ye, it could be considered as a gesture of goodwill to the Qi Party.

We should not simply view the civil service group as an enemy, but should also win over those who should be won over.

All we can say is that things change. Back then, he and the leader of the Qi Party, Yang Guochang, had constant conflicts. Unexpectedly, in the end, after going around in circles, he still got in touch with the Qi Party.

All we can say is that in politics there are no eternal enemies or eternal friends, only eternal interests.

Qi Kun heard this and continued, "After the governance of Henan over the past few years, Henan has been thriving. People leave their doors unlocked at night and do not pick up things on the road. It is time to find civil officials to govern Henan and follow the state's system of using civil officials to govern the people."

Li Zan's expression was as serene as the mysterious water, but his heart was shrouded in a layer of gloom.

Didn't Qi Kun know that Prince Wei was forming cliques? How could he be in cahoots with Prince Wei?

Jia Heng asked, "What does Lord Li think?"

As for the candidate for the Henan Provincial Governor, it was Meng Jinwen, the former prefect of Henan and current Deputy Provincial Governor of Henan.

Fu Qiufang's brother Fu Shi can also go from Xinyang Prefecture to Henan Prefecture. The so-called movement means that the entire related chain will move.

However, the number of people under his command was small, so he could only control the majority, that is, the selection of governors-general of various provinces.

Before all the governors and governors-general in the country were his students and old friends, he would have to consider the objections from the governors and governors-general in the country.

Li Zan was silent for a moment, then said indifferently, "Then let's follow King Wei's wishes."

It was obvious that Prince Wei wanted to monopolize power, so there was no need for him to confront him head-on now.

Jia Heng nodded, said nothing more, said goodbye, left Wuying Palace, and returned to Ningguo Mansion.

Li Zan watched the young man in the python robe leave, his face gloomy and indescribable.

……

……

Ningguo Mansion

The weather was originally gloomy with dark clouds, but suddenly the wind and clouds changed suddenly, and a bleak autumn rain could be seen falling, covering the entire sky and earth. The world was vast and dark.

After Jia Heng finished bathing and changing his clothes, he returned to the backyard and looked at Qin Keqing.

At this moment, Qin Keqing was teasing a child, and a faint blush could be seen on her plump, bright face.

Jia Heng said, "Keqing."

Qin Keqing's jade-like face seemed to be covered with a layer of blushing charm, and there seemed to be a faint smile on the corner of her mouth. She said, "My husband, you are back."

"Daddy~" Jia Fu raised her delicate and pretty face, looked at her father intently, called him, and a hint of joy appeared in her eyes.

Third Sister You smiled and said, "Fuer, wait a minute, you have to call me father."

Jia Heng came forward, picked up Jia Fu's delicate body, smiled, and said, "Fu'er, let Daddy take a look to see if you have gained weight."

Jiafu snorted and said, "Daddy, I'm a lot heavier, but I'm also a lot taller."

Jia Heng sat down, his eyes warm, like the sun, and asked, "Have you missed your father these days at home?"

Jia Fu said: "I miss him every day, but Daddy doesn't come every day."

Jia Heng smiled, pinched Fu'er's rosy cheeks, and whispered, "Daddy is busy with things outside, and he has finally had some free time these two days."

Jia Fu called out sweetly, "Daddy."

Jia Heng smiled gently and pinched his daughter's rosy and chubby face. His eyes were full of doting and affection beneath his sword-like brows.

Qin Keqing's face, which was becoming more and more gentle and charming, was looking at the young man in the python robe with a bright smile, and said, "My husband, Fu'er is studying and learning calligraphy now. When you have time, you can teach her more."

But in the end, I sighed quietly in my heart.

She still hasn't felt any movement in her belly yet, and she wants to have a boy.

Jia Heng asked with a smile: "Keqing, what are you thinking about? Why are you so absent-minded?"

Qin Keqing's beautiful eyes sparkled like water under her dark blue eyebrows. She said, "I didn't think about anything. I was thinking that in the blink of an eye, Fu'er is this old, but she is already several years older."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, his expression a little dazed, and said, "Yes."

From the sixteenth year of Chongping, when Fu'er was born, to now, when Fu'er is five years old, the time he has actually spent with Fu'er is actually very limited, and he has not really witnessed Fu'er's growth.

I have to say, it is undoubtedly a pity.

When you are busy with world affairs in the future, you will not be able to take care of them.

Qin Keqing said, "My dear, Jingqing's wife seems to be pregnant." I want to take Fu'er to my father's place in the next two days. My dear, please come with me."

"Is Jing Qing going to be a father?" Jia Heng nodded and said softly, "It's a good opportunity to reunite with my father-in-law."

Qin Keqing's beautiful eyes were soft and sparkling under her emerald eyebrows. She whispered, "What's going on?"

In fact, in the backyard, people just talk about these trivial matters.

After playing with his daughter Fu'er for a while, Jia Heng did not linger in the hall for long. He got up, left the backyard, and went to the Grand View Garden, intending to see Daiyu.

During this period, Daiyu was also treated much colder.