Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 455

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony,

The six ministries reported today's court affairs as usual, but the atmosphere in front of the palace, which seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds, did not dissipate for a long time.

Not only were the officials cautious in their wording when reporting, but Emperor Longyou's response was also a little bland.

The weather has been good recently, and droughts are not uncommon in some places during the midsummer. The national treasury has once again allocated funds for disaster relief.

As for border defense, the northern barbarians are injured but are still struggling to survive, and pose no threat to the south of the Great Wall.

After unifying the various tribes, the Jianzhou Jurchens began a several-year period of recuperation and the nine borders were generally stable.

The stable situation gave Emperor Longyou the opportunity to initiate reforms. The severe punishment of the Jia family was not only a warning to others, but also a prelude to everything.

All the officials present could see it clearly.

As expected, after completing the routine court meeting, Emperor Longyou announced another important event.

Walking slowly down the white marble steps, Emperor Longyou walked among the officials and sighed, "I worry about the exhaustion of the reform of the old and new policies. Whenever a new law is implemented, it does not achieve results even in the capital and the three prefectures."

"But when I read the Cangzhou report again, the government that was recast by Duke Dingguo did quite a lot. What is the difference between the two?"

The official in front of the palace was about to answer with a bow, but Emperor Longyou waved his hand and said, "You don't have to rush to answer me. I have already made up my mind."

"I am bent over my desk, reading memorials and visiting officials. I often hear that although the governors of local areas have been given a hundred miles, they are troubled by the control of clerks and busy with the complicated affairs in the hall at the beginning of their tenure. They have to condescend to hire guests and curry favor with clerks in order to barely do their work."

"Isn't this like I appointed officials, but they are strangled by others? How can the government's orders be implemented outside the city?"

"This is not my original intention in appointing you, and it is actually a major flaw in the way our dynasty selects officials!"

Old ministers such as Dongfang Zhi seemed to have expected this and could not help but nod slightly.

As for other officials, they sensed something uneasy in Emperor Longyou's words, and their facial expressions became more subtle.

Emperor Longyou was not in a hurry to draw a conclusion, but quoted classics in front of all the officials to mobilize their emotions. "The Book of Shang says: 'Only the virtuous should be appointed to office, and only the right people should be appointed to the posts.' It also says: 'High achievements are achieved only with ambition, and great success is achieved only with diligence.' However, the way officials are selected nowadays is gradually becoming a form of literary writing based on the Four Books, showing off their skills."

"It is true that speaking on behalf of the sages can clarify principles, correct one's mind, and cultivate moral conduct. However, they are bound by chapters and sentences, and imprisoned by procedures, so that the world's talented people have spent their whole lives studying the classics, but they still do not know the difficulties of farming, the ingenuity of construction, and the practical affairs of criminal law and money. Once they are released from their duties and given to the people, they are at a loss, like a blind man walking on the road or a deaf man listening to a sound. How can they not rely on others and be controlled by others?"

"This is what is called 'what you learn is not what you use, and what you use is not what you learn'. Isn't this the complete loss of the meaning of the Zhou Li Kaogong?"

Every word that Emperor Longyou said hit the nail on the head, as if he was conducting a policy discussion with all the officials in the court, and the core issues were revealed without leaving any trace.

Even the content of the current imperial examinations cannot correspond to the positions that students hold, so that the imperial examinations are just a formality and cannot truly select capable officials to govern the country.

This is the crux of the problem, but it is also the country's intractable disease.

The faces of the scholars in front of the hall all changed. Even the recorder's pen trembled unconsciously, wondering whether he should record the truth.

What followed was Emperor Longyou's drastic reforms. It seemed that all ancestral laws and cultural constraints no longer existed.

"In the past, when Guanzi governed Qi, he attached great importance to the four classes of people, with scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans each performing their duties. When Zhuge Wuhou governed Shu, he also said, 'Focus on farming and cultivating grain, close the borders and rest the people.' Zhu Xi advocated the study of things to gain knowledge and to explore the principles of all things. These are the great ways of sages to apply knowledge to the world! I have seen books such as "The Complete Book of Agricultural Administration" and "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature" on the market. Although they are classified as miscellaneous articles, they are all practical studies that benefit the country and the people. Why do we only value empty articles when selecting scholars, and despise the skills of various craftsmen and the labor of farming?"

As a pragmatic minister, his eyes lit up when he heard this and he nodded continuously.

The scholarly and aristocratic families, however, felt a chill down their spines and refused to respond.

But the Emperor Longyou's amazing performance was far from over. "If this continues, officials will be controlled by clerks, power will be transferred to lower levels, government orders will be blocked, and people's livelihood will be in decline. Clerks will stick to their jobs for generations, and the situation will become 'officials in name only, but officials in reality'. This is really a pest to the foundation of the country!"

After a pause, all officials bowed consciously.
Emperor Longyou added: "Duke Dingguo, the Ministry of Rites, and the Hanlin Academy have discussed this matter and drafted a rule for me. I am not in a hurry for results, and I hope to see some improvement in the next spring examination."

Everyone in the hall prostrated themselves, and Yue Ling responded by accepting the order.

The words and deeds of Emperor Longyou in the court were quickly reported in the imperial court, causing an uproar...

……

Inner Palace, Kunning Palace,

The queen looked at the haggard Jia Yuanchun in front of her and couldn't help feeling a little pity for her.

Although the Jia family did many wrong things, the Queen repeatedly issued severe punishments to Jia Yuanchun, but she did not intentionally target her. Instead, she wanted her to be able to control the family.

Of course, the Queen could also understand how difficult it was for Jia Yuanchun.

If there is an elder like Grandmother Jia in the family who is stubborn and self-willed, no matter how much Jia Yuanchun advises, it will be difficult to be effective.

The blame for today's disaster does not lie entirely with Jia Yuanchun, but she shaved her head first, which is really pitiful.

The Queen sighed, shook her head and said, "What do you want to do with your behavior? Why do you have to do this? Even if you have committed a serious fault, you still need to wait for His Majesty to punish you, but you must take care of your body."

Jia Yuanchun's voice was hoarse as she whispered, "I know that I have committed a grave sin. I do not ask for my life, but only for the dignity of the royal family. I will admit my sin and accept the punishment, and I will not lose the teachings of the empress."

The queen still shook her head. "The Jia family's affairs cannot be reversed. You should be prepared. However, your life does not have to be tied to the Jia family."

"In the palace, you have no selfish motives and are considerate of others. I have seen it all and will plead with His Majesty for you. Now that you have shaved your head, you will naturally have to go to the cold palace. You will certainly not be able to escape the charge of not respecting the rules of the inner palace."

Hearing the Queen speaking of the matter so lightly and as if there was still room for maneuver, Jia Yuanchun was completely confused.

Last night's incident was a commotion in which the soldiers and officials ransacked the house. If not for the death penalty, the punishment would be exile a thousand miles away. Moreover, today is the morning court session, and His Majesty should have announced the crimes of the Jia family in court. How come the Queen said it was not a serious matter?

With scarlet eyes, Jia Yuanchun looked at the Queen, full of confusion.

The queen seemed not to want to explain it too clearly to her, so she slowly said, "You should go back to the palace and wait for the emperor's order. You must not commit suicide and bring shame to the royal family." "You know, there are many people in the palace, and even your every move will be spread out. If you commit suicide, if it is spread out, it means that His Majesty forced you to death, wouldn't it tarnish His Majesty's good name?"

Jia Yuanchun shook her head repeatedly, "I dare not, I dare not."

The queen nodded, "That's it, as long as you know what's going on, go down."

"Thank you, Queen."

The two nuns, one big and one small, left the palace. Not long after, Emperor Longyou arrived as promised and came to Kunning Palace.

The empress took off the outer robe for Emperor Longyou, and with her arms hanging down to relax, she asked considerately, "Your Majesty, are there any ministers in the court who oppose the reform today?"

Emperor Longyou smiled and shook his head, "No, for a moment they seemed to be intimidated and had no idea where to start their argument. In fact, I did not point the finger at them, and they were reluctant to stand up and speak for the lower-level clerks."

"Before this, I have also intimidated the nobles. If those civil servants continue to abuse their power, not only will I not bring up the past, but even these nobles will not tolerate it."

The Queen smiled and said, "Then Yue Ling's strategy of weakening the nobles and the civil officials is quite practical."

Emperor Longyou shook his head. "Everything has to be done in moderation. If both sides suffer losses, it doesn't mean one side will gain while the other side will lose. Then everything will be fine. However, Yue Ling will definitely face troubles next. Even if I intend to do this and point out a way, the people below will definitely shirk their responsibilities, especially the Hanlin scholars who are selected for the imperial examinations. They will definitely compete with him with the Four Books and Five Classics. It will depend on how Yue Ling deals with those corrupt scholars next."

"This is really a headache for me. Although I can use thunder and lightning, it will also cause a thousand ripples, which is not safe."

The Queen came to the side of Emperor Longyou and served him tea. "Your Majesty, rest assured. Yue Ling is not a reckless man. He will think carefully before taking any action. Just wait and see what he does. At the very least, you can ask Mr. Dongfang and Minister Huangfu for help."

Emperor Longyou smiled and said, "Then you really underestimated Yue Ling."

As he spoke, Emperor Longyou took out a document from his sleeve. It was densely written with words that he had preached in front of the hall today.

Emperor Longyou's speech was so awe-inspiring, but it was also something he had rehearsed many times.

Even though he was considered a Confucian general and had read all kinds of classics, he was not able to express himself eloquently.

The Queen took the document and read it through. She really thought it was a good article and was easy to read. She sighed and said, "If Yue Ling had time, Your Majesty should appoint him as the Crown Prince's Guardian."

Emperor Longyou stroked his beard and laughed, "You are really making things difficult for him. He is really overwhelmed right now. Not only are he dealing with the government affairs, but he is also busy with the mansion. I am afraid that he has already gone to the Dali Temple to pick up the girls from the Jia family and bring them back to the mansion."

The Queen smacked her lips and said, "A good man, but he is so lustful and prefers young girls who are under the age of 18. It's really shameless. And, there is one more thing. Your Majesty, don't you find it weird?"

This unreasonable remark made Emperor Longyou quite puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

The Queen shook her head and said, "Yue Ling is also at an age of vigor and vitality. There are more beautiful women in the palace than in the inner palace. Why hasn't any woman given birth to a child for him? Is it possible that he has some unspeakable secret, or that he has lost control and his health is not good?"

"Yue Ling is irreplaceable to Your Majesty. How can you care more about him? If he is really troubled by this matter, Your Majesty can solve it, which is more valuable than rewarding him with any amount of gold. Isn't it a timely help?"

Emperor Longyou twitched his lips. He really hadn't thought about it so much. He nodded awkwardly and said, "The queen is right. I was negligent. Yue Ling is both civil and military. Even if she can't raise a prince, she can raise the younger generation well. She is also a treasure of Dachang. Now she can't even give birth to a son. It's really not right."

"I will now summon the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital to come to the mansion to see Yue Ling. He needs to go frequently."

Emperor Longyou was about to leave, but the empress stopped him and asked, "Your Majesty, we just talked about the girls from the Jia family. There is also the Consort Xiande in the palace. Have you forgotten?"

Speaking of Jia Yuanchun, Emperor Longyou's expression became a little complicated. "I used her, not that she did anything wrong. As for her tonsure, I have also heard about it, so let her go. Find a place for her to stay in the palace or among the temples, so that she can have some peace and quiet."

The queen also breathed a sigh of relief, "That's great."

……

"Isn't this bad?"

Lin Daiyu was sitting at the table, while Qin Keqing was standing beside her, looking stiff, with her hands folded in front of her, as if she was admitting her mistake.

"What's wrong with that? You were able to speak in front of everyone just now, so why can't you speak now that there are only two of us?"

Lin Daiyu was full of righteousness and insisted on listening to the complete knowledge that Qin Keqing had just told her in front of the temple before determining her guilt.

It seems very reasonable, but it also makes no sense.

Qin Keqing guessed that Lin Daiyu was just beginning to become curious about what was going on in the bedroom, and when she saw Lin Daiyu rubbing her hands from time to time, she became even more suspicious.

"Could it be that Miss Lin and the Master have made some progress? Miss Lin has always maintained her innocence, but was she really coaxed into bed by the Master? No wonder the Master has not seen me these past few days."

But looking at Lin Daiyu's figure and her walking posture, Qin Keqing gave up the idea again. "If they really had sex, even if the master treated her gently, Miss Lin's body would definitely not be able to bear it. It's almost as if Xueyan was fine the next day."

"You must be just beginning to explore the art of sex, right? Do you want me to teach you a little more so that you won't be too unfamiliar with it?"

Qin Keqing nodded repeatedly, feeling somewhat confident, and deliberately kept the secret, saying, "Miss Lin, you don't actually need to learn these things, nor do you need to know too much. Just being like this is enough."

Lin Daiyu's eyes widened in surprise, "What nonsense are you talking about for no reason?"

Qin Keqing shook her head leisurely, and indeed resumed her lecturer's demeanor, "Because Miss Lin is a pure person, spotless and flawless, the master enjoys this adjustment... the process of raising Miss Lin, so it's just right to be unfamiliar with her. It would be wrong to be too familiar with her."

"Let me ask you, if there is a piece of paper full of words, does the girl still want to leave any more words on it?"

Lin Daiyu frowned slightly, feeling that what Qin Keqing said made some sense, but also felt that it was a twisted logic.

After a moment's silence, she suddenly regained her consciousness and said with a red face, "Okay, you just teased me in front of them, and now you are teasing me in front of me. Do you really think I won't punish you?"

"Besides, when did I ever say I wanted to learn those shameful things! Bah, bah, bah, Sister Ke'er, I will not forgive you today!"

After saying that, Lin Daiyu jumped down from her chair and ran around the room after Qin Keqing...

(End of this chapter)