Chapter 93 You're being too calm, aren't you? "I need to help Third Brother pick out more..."
Jia Lian spent the night at a restaurant opposite the North Camp and only headed back the next day.
Mu Chuan has already entered the palace. In short, as long as the emperor knows, it's not a big deal.
"Your Majesty! The Rongguo Mansion is trying to harm me."
After asking the question, the emperor laughed: "Qiao Yue, Qiao Yue. You've heard about the eunuchs and the Embroidered Uniform Guards I ordered to investigate the Rongguo Mansion's assets a few times. I'm asking you, how much did the Embroidered Uniform Guards say the Rongguo Mansion had?"
Oops, I misunderstood, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Although the Rongguo Mansion intended to deceive him, they succeeded in doing so, albeit in a different way.
The Rongguo Mansion deserves to die!
The emperor laughed again: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has investigated everything. If the title is stripped, the Rongguo Mansion will still have at least 2.2 million taels of silver. If their property is confiscated, it will probably exceed 2.5 million taels of silver."
Mu Chuan knew quite a bit about the great achievements of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and there was also Li Chengwu, who, although holding only a nominal title, could still find out some of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's little secrets.
In short, the Embroidered Uniform Guard said it was 2.5 million taels of silver, so even if the Rongguo Mansion were demolished and the bricks sold, it wouldn't exceed 2.6 million taels of silver.
"Your Majesty," Mu Chuan said in a muffled voice, "it seems that the Rongguo Mansion is not a good place at all. It only has two branches of the family, and they have already started fighting among themselves before they have even separated."
The emperor had been told about Miss Lin several times by his favorite minister, and now he had developed a conditioned reflex to it.
"Don't worry, your future wife will definitely not be from the Rongguo Mansion. I've arranged everything for you."
Although that's not what he meant, His Majesty is truly a good emperor.
"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and I am willing to share your burdens and solve your problems."
The emperor suddenly sighed: "The four kings and eight dukes have made great contributions. Back then, they followed the founding emperor and were the first to enter the capital, laying the foundation for the immortal achievements of our Great Wei. But after several generations, they have become a chronic and intractable disease of our Great Wei. I..."
Mu Chuan repeated, "Your Majesty, I am willing to share your burdens and solve your problems!"
Mu Chuan's appearance, demeanor, calm and resolute tone not only enhanced the credibility of his words, but also, coupled with his robust physique, made him irresistible to any emperor.
"Qiao Yue!" The Emperor emerged from behind his desk, tiptoed, and patted him on the shoulder. "Of the five major camps of the Capital Garrison, although the Central Camp has the most officers and soldiers, I trust you the most. Qi Wenfeng has been the General of the Central Camp for ten years."
The fact that the emperor specifically mentioned this decade is quite intriguing.
One cannot become the Grand General of the Capital Garrison without being loyal enough, but after ten years, this General Qi had probably developed some private relationships with the four kings and eight dukes, so the emperor was afraid that he would leak the news.
“General Qi may be somewhat arrogant, but I can tell he is loyal and sincere, not feigning it,” Mu Chuan immediately replied.
The emperor chuckled twice, but then he saw Qiao Yue suddenly pause, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Your Majesty," Mu Chuan said with a sudden realization, "A few days ago, I went to see Miss Lin. According to Miss Lin, the Rongguo Mansion wanted to act as a middleman and asked me to establish a kinship with the Prince of Dong'an. They said they could help me improve my social standing and that I could address the Prince of Dong'an's descendants as brothers. So that's what they were planning."
The emperor's face turned red with anger, and he shouted three times, "I underestimated them! Qiao Yue didn't agree? But why didn't he tell me?"
"What's there to agree to? It's not like I don't have ancestors. My father always lit the first incense stick of the New Year. My family is first in ancestral worship, and I even have a separate family genealogy. It's just that I'm thinking that if I say it now, it would be putting Miss Lin in the middle. I'll teach them a lesson when she marries into the family."
It wasn't that the emperor didn't believe him; it was obvious that Qiao Yue didn't take them seriously and felt insulted. He was just angry and spoke without thinking.
“Very good. The Prince of Dong’an’s family can’t even afford to maintain their own residence, and they are not qualified to attend court. Qiao Yue, what kind of status do you have? Don’t associate with these impoverished people.”
The emperor was definitely going to deal with the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, but it wasn't good to say too much before things were settled. He changed the subject: "The hostage from Beili is coming soon."
Mu Chuan thought for a moment, finding the names of the Northern Li people really difficult to pronounce: "But is the son of Chief Hua Azan named... Cuoge Na?"
The emperor nodded and said, "It is indeed this person. The Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial have already prepared the procedures. You will go and take a look when the time comes."
This was clearly meant to intimidate them. Mu Chuan grinned and cracked his knuckles: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will make sure they behave."
"Qiao Yue is quite intimidating." The emperor chuckled. "If this man is to stay in the capital for an extended period, we will need to find him a suitable wife. However, this is a very important matter. She must be able to keep him in check, have her own ideas, and be capable. Qiao Yue has been in Beili for many years, so please help me think about this."
Mu Chuan thought for a moment: "I think there's no need to rush. Let's wait until he arrives and see what he likes. After all, we need to find someone he likes, and besides, there's a dowry to go with. If all else fails..."
He lowered his voice: "Let Cuoge die in the capital, and let his wife take the children back. His Majesty will send troops to protect them."
Sending troops is definitely necessary, but without Cuoge, things won't be so easy.
The Emperor pondered for a moment: "This is a last resort, but it's a matter of more than ten years from now. Let's see how things go with Chogna first. Since he is Hua Azan's least favored son, I think he also harbors resentment."
After discussing the important matters, Mu Chuan left the palace. The emperor thought for a moment and said, "This person was proposed by Qiao Yue. Now that he has arrived obediently, Qiao Yue should be rewarded."
The emperor instructed the eunuchs to prepare things, and also summoned Bai Zhong to the northern camp, along with a few words that the emperor himself could not say to his ministers.
Mu Chuan returned to the Northern Camp and first went to find Zhong Jun.
"The grand martial arts competition we talked about last time seems to have another purpose now," Mu Chuan said with a smile. "His Majesty is probably worried that other camps might leak the news, so the job of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes is going to fall into my hands."
Zhong Jun chuckled and said, "Congratulations, Third Uncle. Confiscating property is the best job you can do."
He continued, "Since Uncle says so, I have to change my plan. Originally it was just a grand martial arts competition, but now I have to hint to His Majesty that we need to train the troops. It's not a good thing that the Beijing Garrison hasn't seen bloodshed for many years."
Seeing his eager expression, Mu Chuan sighed, "It's a pity that there's still more than a month until the Dragon Boat Festival. I need to win the championship first."
Zhong Jun rolled his eyes subtly: "If Third Uncle doesn't win, who will? Don't worry, Third Uncle, if you don't get first place, I'll eat the dragon boat."
As the two were chatting and laughing, Bai Zhong arrived with some things.
Zhong Jun went out from the back of the barracks, and his men brought Bai Zhong in.
Mu Chuan bowed and said, "Eunuch Bai."
Bai Zhong, who is not yet thirty, smiled with wrinkles: "It's been a while since I've had a proper conversation with an adult."
Isn't the meaning obvious? Mu Chuan invited him to sit down and then instructed his men to prepare a feast: "We have plenty of time today, so please have a meal before you go back, Father-in-law."
"This is His Majesty's reward to you, sir." Bai Zhong first got down to business, then chatted for a bit, congratulating Mu Chuan on his upcoming marriage, and then the banquet began.
After two cups of wine, Bai Zhong, emboldened by the alcohol, began to speak. After all, the emperor's request for him to tell Mu Chuan was a bit too intimate, and he needed to find an excuse to say it.
"My lord, His Majesty knows roughly how much wealth these nobles in the capital possess."
After saying that, Bai Zhong felt that the beginning was not good, as it sounded like a warning to the Earl of Zhongyong.
"Ahem, the Rongguo Mansion's lifestyle is definitely not acceptable." Bai Zhong, no longer bothering to feign drunkenness, said, "Just calculate how much silver the Rongguo Mansion has spent over the years. They are too extravagant and love to show off, and they even want to demonstrate against His Majesty. If His Majesty doesn't punish them, who will he punish?"
Mu Chuan offered wine and food, simply listening. He probably understood that these words were an order from the emperor.
Otherwise, why would a eunuch who comes to deliver a reward not be in a hurry to return to the palace, but want to stay for a meal and wine? Is he crazy?
"You are His Majesty's favorite minister and have just been granted a title. You must have accumulated some wealth in the next few years. With extra money, you should acquire more land, houses, shops, and so on. This is the foundation for the long-term stability of your family. As for extravagance, appearance, gold, silver, jade, and so on, that's enough. There's no need to pay too much attention to it."
Mu Chuan bowed towards the direction of the palace, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch."
Seeing his actions, Bai Zhong knew he understood. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Also, don't keep all the family members around. Otherwise, they'll be ruined. They should be given jobs if possible."
After saying that, Bai Zhong went on to talk about how many servants and how much land several famous princes in the capital owned, and how many servants the princes and princesses in the palace had.
In short, not counting Mu Chuan's private assets, what he has on the surface is still some distance from what Bai Zhong hinted at.
Another example is the Rongguo Mansion, where Jia Baoyu had over forty servants serving him, which would be quite outrageous even in the palace.
In addition to the more than a thousand servants of the Rongguo Mansion, if we add the Ningguo Mansion next door, which is about to cease to exist, the number of servants in the entire Jia family is probably close to that of the imperial palace, which is unprecedented in the capital.
Mu Chuan couldn't help but sigh: "How dare they?"
Bai Zhong shrugged and said, "Don't even mention the adults, I want to know too. How dare they?"
Taking advantage of running errands, Jia Lian spent a peaceful day away from home before returning.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw Wang Xifeng looking sickly, with a headband on her head, her hair messy and uncombed, and no jewelry on her back. She was leaning against the soft couch with her eyes closed, resting.
Jia Lian was startled: "What's wrong with you?"
When Wang Xifeng opened her eyes and saw that look in her eyes, Jia Lian was no longer worried; she was just faking illness.
Wang Xifeng exclaimed, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips, "Things are about to get messy, Second Master. Be careful, the Old Madam has been sending people to look for you three times a day—"
Before she could finish speaking, Ping'er's voice came from the outer room: "Someone from the old lady's room has come. She said she saw that Second Master has returned and wants him to come over."
Wang Xifeng sneered: "What did I say?"
Jia Lian looked anxious and hurriedly asked, "What happened? Didn't you find out anything? Where's Yuanyang?"
“Yuanyang probably knows, but she didn’t say it,” Wang Xifeng said thoughtfully. “Last night, the old lady kept the eldest master and the second master to talk, but she called them out after less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. I guess she wanted to wait for you to come back before she told you.”
"What could possibly be wrong?"
Wang Xifeng sneered: "What else could it be? It's Lin Daiyu's dowry. Yesterday, people from the palace came and spoke to the old lady. You saw what they said; they inventoried the items in front of you, and they were definitely not satisfied."
Wang Xifeng opened her eyes and glanced at Jia Lian with disdain: "You'd better hurry up, or you'll keep the master and master waiting for you. Even if it's not your fault, you'll still get a beating."
Jia Lian was so flustered that he simply didn't wash up and just went through the night in his dirty state.
He waited in the side room for a while, but didn't even see Yuanyang. He was only led back inside by a maid when the two masters came.
Before they could even exchange greetings, Grandmother Jia instructed the maids to leave and told Yuanyang to stand guard outside. Then she handed them a list: "This is the dowry ordered by Her Majesty the Empress. Take a look."
The three men of the Jia family huddled together, and after reading only two lines, Jia She exploded dramatically: "Why?!"
Because Grandmother Jia spent a whole day compiling this list, there was actually a time lag involved. Jia She thought that this meant his message to Jia Lian was beginning to bear fruit.
He also thought that the Marquis of Zhongyong was indeed worthy of being from the military camp; he was efficient and decisive in his work, without any delays.
Jia Zheng did read half a page obediently, but Jia She's commotion made him unable to continue reading. Even that half page was enough to shock people.
His face flushed crimson, and his beard trembled: "They said they were raising an orphan girl, but now they want to drain the Rongguo Mansion dry? Clearly, good deeds shouldn't be done!"
Now Jia She's shock was quite natural: "Raising an orphan girl? You really think she depends on you for food and clothing? Her Lin family—"
Grandmother Jia threw a teacup at her: "All you ever do is argue! The Empress gave us a list, and if we can't gather enough people, we'll use your heads to fill it out!"
Jia She looked at his mother and then at his younger brother. He finally understood why his mother disliked him; she couldn't pretend to be stupid.
The room fell silent. This was exactly what Jia She had hoped for. He sneered and waited for Grandmother Jia's instructions.
Jia Lian, being a junior, would be even less likely to speak.
Jia Zheng looked at his mother, then at his elder brother: "Those silver...those things..."
How could he possibly hold back? Jia She sneered at Grandmother Jia twice: "Now I understand. You let such a fool live in the main house because he can pretend to be stupid, right? No wonder some people in the mansion say he's a hypocrite. If you don't let him know, he'll really pretend not to know."
Grandmother Jia took a deep breath, her expression furrowed: "What's the point of saying all this now! If we can't get through this, even the empresses in the palace can't save us!"
"And the empress in the palace?" Jia She sneered as usual. Jia Zheng went to calculate the bill again, trembling. Jia Lian shrank back, hoping no one would see him.
Seeing that her two sons remained silent, Grandmother Jia said angrily, "You two good-for-nothings! The best we can do now is to reduce the number of servants."
“Mother,” Jia Zheng called out anxiously, “Our family has always bought people, never sold them.”
Jia She let out another cold laugh, and Grandmother Jia angrily said, "If you can't speak properly, then get out of here!"
Jia She turned and left, but Grandmother Jia threw a teacup at him, yelling, "You get back here right now!"
"Hehe." Jia She chuckled twice, then fell silent, watching the mother and son perform.
“There’s no way… there’s really no way.” Grandmother Jia’s eyes were red and her voice was trembling with sobs. “We are kind-hearted, but these servants…” she stammered. “I heard that when the government raided the Lai family’s place, they seized no less than 500,000 taels of silver and valuables. We, as their masters, are so generous, but these servants don’t know what’s good for them.”
Just as Jia She was about to suggest starting with the stewards of the second branch, he suddenly remembered his family's hypocritical pride and said sadly, "The servants of the second branch have been stewards for so many years, and they have to serve their masters during festivals. It's time to let them rest."
Grandmother Jia was furious again, because Jia She's tone sounded not sad at all, but sarcastic.
But in fact, Grandmother Jia thought so too. The servants of the second branch of the family were all in lucrative positions. If she really brought down a few, there would only be cheers, no one would feel sorry for her. So she also planned to start with the second branch of the family.
Besides, the people from the second wife's family who punished her back then gained control of the household in the same way. This is just retribution.
Grandmother Jia's long sigh already contained a hint of joy: "Let's make a list first. After serving you for so many years, even if you've made some minor mistakes, there's no need to be too harsh. After all, only those who do nothing don't make mistakes. If... you can let them go."
The matter was almost settled, but Jia She was somewhat dissatisfied. He had felt wronged for decades and always felt that things shouldn't be so peaceful.
But then he thought again, this hasn't even started yet. That stupid woman from the second wife has a vicious heart that even vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers can't suppress. How could she start laying off servants so easily?
Let's start with her.
Jia She sighed: "People often say that wealth doesn't last three generations. Our family has already done very well. We've gotten through this hurdle, learned a lesson, and developed a sense of awe so that we can pass on our wealth to future generations."
Grandmother Jia had nothing left to throw away: "Don't let this get out of the way!"
After the three men from the Jia family left, Grandmother Jia summoned Yuanyang and asked, "How much silver has Lian Er's family received?"
Yuanyang hesitated for a moment: "It should be over a thousand taels."
"Hmph." Grandmother Jia sneered, "How can Yu'er's dowry be decided by her? Go and tell her that after breakfast tomorrow... go to Rongxi Hall and call over the maids under my name. Make sure they are all tidy up and have Yu'er look at them one by one."
"I understand," Yuanyang replied meekly. "I'll go and give the order right away."
Grandmother Jia hummed again, and Yuanyang continued, "It should be the old lady who personally selects the people, after all, they are the people the old lady cherishes. It's just that Second Mistress Lian has set a bad precedent, and these people will probably offer money. However, we only look at the people, not the money. If we really accept the money, it can be used as a dowry for Miss Lin, so that she can gain some face in her husband's family."
Grandmother Jia was satisfied and said with a smile, "Go ahead."
The next morning, after Lin Daiyu had breakfast, she was invited to the main hall of the Rongguo Mansion—Rongxi Hall.
Thinking back to how her second aunt had tricked her several times, both openly and subtly, when she first came in, Lin Daiyu couldn't quite describe how she felt now.
In short, thanks to Third Brother, now no one can trick her anymore.
A chair was placed at the doorway, and Grandmother Jia pulled her to sit down. The courtyard below was already full of people.
Grandmother Jia laughed and said, "Today I'll teach you how to choose people. Don't be shy, doesn't the steward know the servants? There's no need to distinguish between men and women when it comes to servants."
This isn't shyness; it's fear of forgetting. After all, Third Brother said he needs as many strong men as possible, and families with good health should take as many as they can.
Lin Daiyu said hesitantly, "I'm afraid I won't remember. Tell them to prepare paper and pen."
Grandmother Jia chuckled twice, quite pleased with Lin Daiyu's performance.
Before long, servants brought over a desk and paper and pens. Lin Daiyu sat behind the desk and smiled at Grandmother Jia: "I'm ready."
Grandmother Jia said, "Let's talk about the Huang family first—"
Upon hearing that the Huang family was there, Yuanyang quickly called for people to go over.
“She was originally my maidservant. Granny Huang has passed away. She had three sons, and now they have all started their own families. If someone wanted to cause trouble, they could just send Huang Da’s family as part of the dowry, leaving Huang Er and Huang San behind. That would definitely cause trouble in the future. So, if you want to send a dowry, the whole family has to go with you.”
As the Huang family members bowed, Lin Daiyu looked at them one by one. This family must not have any important jobs; they were all burly and thick-waisted, and they seemed unable to stand up straight. With such manners, they must not have served their masters before.
Looking at it this way, Grandmother didn't have good intentions either... cough, anyway, Third Brother only said he wanted more sturdy male offspring.
Lin Daiyu multitasks, taking advantage of Grandmother Jia's advanced age and poor eyesight, and openly keeps track of the number of people.
The Huang family: three brothers, totaling twenty-nine people, fifteen of whom are men, all of whom are large-bodied and round-bellied, and are suspected of not having any official duties.
"Thank you, Third Brother," Lin Daiyu thought to herself. She had been practicing her cursive script for a while to send him the poem "Man Jiang Hong." She had memorized the details, and her writing was so small, cursive, and wild that probably no one but herself could recognize it.
“This place is quite good.” Lin Daiyu nodded and smiled. “Since she is my maternal grandmother’s maid, and she comes from the Shi family and has been in the Rongguo Mansion for many years, she is knowledgeable and experienced. She can be put to use right away and will not need much instruction.”
It's not fair to say that Grandmother Jia felt guilty; it's more accurate to say she was overjoyed.
She was glad that Lin Daiyu hadn't been taught housekeeping in her early years, as she knew nothing and relied entirely on her own words.
But Grandmother Jia couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She actually wanted to use the Huang family to highlight the Liu family. The Liu family was shrewd and capable, and they were the ones she really wanted to send to the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion as spies.
Besides, if she were so easily satisfied, how would Yuanyang collect the money?
Thinking about it, Grandmother Jia's face hardened, and she said sternly, "You've only seen one house, and as the mistress, you can't show your joy in front of the servants. What did I teach you before? You have to keep them guessing about your thoughts."
Lin Daiyu suddenly realized that this meant she could look at all the servants in the Rongguo Mansion as long as she didn't say she was satisfied.
Lin Daiyu nodded, sat up straight, and said calmly, "Then let's look at the next one."
Grandmother Jia was satisfied: "Next one... let me see, the Liu family."
As Lin Daiyu took notes, she instructed, "Tell them to walk a few steps so I can see." She suddenly remembered that she would have to pull the cart herself to get to Pingnan Town, and that she couldn't do it if she had bad legs.
Grandmother Jia was even more pleased. She nodded to Lin Daiyu and said softly, "That's how it should be, so they don't know what you're up to."
Lin Daiyu jotted down a couple more notes and smiled, "I'll only be looking around this morning, I don't know how many houses I'll be able to see. Miss Song invited me to go boating on the lake tomorrow, I need to prepare some things this afternoon."
Grandmother Jia was taken aback. If you remove the parts she didn't like, then all that's left is: if she has to watch for many days, wouldn't that make it easier for Yuanyang to collect money?
This is truly her dear granddaughter.
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