Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 369 A strange combination of circumstances
Since ancient times, civil and military officials have followed different paths. The Jia family was a noble family that rose to prominence through military prowess and was once very powerful—known as the Jia family of half the court. Naturally, they looked down on civil officials from top to bottom.

They felt that this country and its people were built with the help of Emperor Taizong, and how dare a bunch of poor and weak people piss on their heads?

This arrogant attitude has been passed down, and even though the Ning and Rong mansions are now showing signs of decline, and the wise people in charge of the mansions know that things are different now, such rhetoric still prevails.

Although Tan Chun and Xi Chun were intelligent, they were still unmarried young ladies who had grown up in a wealthy family and knew very little about the affairs of the court. Naturally, they did not know what Li Tangfu was capable of.

Baochai and Daiyu are quite different. The latter comes from a scholarly family and, through her upbringing, naturally knows that Li Tangfu, who was able to enter the cabinet through river engineering, must be someone of great ability. The former, on the other hand, wholeheartedly hopes that Chen Siyuan will have a bright future. Knowing that Chen Siyuan was not favored by his teacher after the autumn examination, she spared no effort to search around and find a good teacher for Chen Siyuan.

Upon investigation, Li Tangfu naturally came into Baochai's view. Knowing that he was a capable official in the court, Baochai was overjoyed to learn that Chen Siyuan had accepted Li Tangfu's invitation.

Hongyu nodded in agreement, and Baochai's smile grew even wider. Tanchun seemed to be deep in thought, while Xichun, being younger, pressed Baochai for answers.

Fearing that the matter would become public, Baochai tried to cover it up with vague words. Daiyu, however, couldn't stand it and briefly mentioned Li Tangfu's resume, which immediately drew a gasp from Xichun, who exclaimed, "I wonder why Brother Yuan was invited. If he gains the favor of Grand Secretary Li, won't he rise to prominence in the future?"

Tan Chun laughed and said, "There are countless talented people in the world, but very few are as capable as Brother Yuan. Even without this opportunity, Brother Yuan will eventually pass the imperial examination and the court will recognize his abilities sooner or later."

Xi Chun clasped her hands in praise, Baochai smiled with pursed lips, but Daiyu, though smiling, didn't seem to care much. Little Xi Chun was very puzzled, so while Baochai was talking to Tan Chun, she leaned over and whispered, "It seems that Brother Yuan is about to be promoted by Grand Secretary Li, so why doesn't Sister Lin care at all?"

Daiyu laughed and said, "As the saying goes, one must be strong to forge iron. It's certainly a good thing that Grand Secretary Li invited us, but we shouldn't be so excited before we've received a definite answer. Besides, the political landscape is full of ups and downs; what is a blessing today may turn into a disaster tomorrow."

Xi Chun then suppressed her smile and seemed lost in thought.

A short while later, the second young lady Yingchun, Xing Xiuyan, Baoqin, and Xiangyun came to join in the congratulations, presenting various gifts. After a round of laughter and merriment, Xiangyun urged Daiyu to open the brocade box.

"Brother Yuan's gift shows the most heartfelt sentiment. Sister Lin, please open the brocade box and show us what it's like."

Daiyu said reproachfully, "Look at you all, it's my birthday, but Yun'er is more concerned than I am."

Xing Xiuyan smoothed things over, saying, "It's no wonder Xiangyun didn't receive a gift. I was also wondering what kind of congratulatory gift Sister Lin got."

Hearing this, Daiyu couldn't help but laugh. In truth, she herself was also wondering what Chen Siyuan was up to this time.

After Baoqin and Yingchun urged her a couple of times, Daiyu took out the brocade box and unfolded it, revealing a piece of jade containing a tortoise and crane symbolizing longevity.

Below is a jade turtle, and above it stands a lifelike white crane. The entire piece of jade is about the size of a palm; if it were any larger, it could probably be carved into a jade cabbage.

When the tortoise and crane symbolizing longevity appeared, everyone praised it, saying that Chen Siyuan had given a good omen. Xiangyun, however, was somewhat disappointed, saying that Chen Siyuan had run out of ideas and had only given an ordinary item this time.

Daiyu, however, was captivated by the jade pendant, holding it and gazing at it with delight. Baochai, who was handing over her handkerchief, pondered for a moment and then roughly guessed Daiyu's thoughts.

Daiyu had always been in poor health, and it was only after Chen Siyuan entered the mansion and continuously sent her cordyceps to help her recover that her condition began to improve. Chen Siyuan's gift of a tortoise and crane ornament, intended to wish Daiyu a long and healthy life, naturally suited her wishes perfectly.

After a lively chatter among the sisters, seeing Daiyu yawning listlessly, they tactfully excused themselves and left. Daiyu saw her sisters off before finally settling down on the bed for a short nap, feeling drowsy.

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The sedan curtain was lifted, revealing a high-ranking official in a red robe with a solemn expression, his eyes subtly revealing approval. His words were naturally full of encouragement:

“Shuliang, go back and carefully consider this matter, and then supplement the Burma section in detail. If this matter is handled well, it will greatly benefit you.”

Chen Siyuan bowed respectfully to the ground and said, "This student will remember the instructions of the Junior Minister."

The man inside frowned slightly and said unhappily, "Why is Shuliang being so distant? Although Grand Secretary Li was joking just now, I took it seriously."

Chen Siyuan raised an eyebrow and quickly bowed, saying, "Yes, my esteemed teacher."

The person inside chuckled, gave a few more brief instructions, then lowered the curtain and ordered the sedan chair to be lifted. Chen Siyuan bowed and watched the sedan chair depart. Only after it left the alley did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief and straighten up.

Two gatekeepers in front of Li's residence looked on with smiles and came up to offer their congratulations. Qingyu, completely bewildered, led his horse over to find them.

Chen Siyuan snapped out of his daze, quickly found some loose silver to tip the man, then pulled on the reins and took his leave. Once outside the alley, Qingyu couldn't help but ask, "Sir, you look so worried, is something wrong?"

Chen Siyuan said with a worried look, "It's nothing, it's just that I've taken on a teacher."

Qingyu hesitated, but seeing Chen Siyuan's displeased expression, he held back and led his horse ahead. Chen Siyuan sat on his horse, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. With the invitation from the Prince of Yanping, the "Records of the Four Continents" had indeed caught Li Tangfu's eye.

During this visit, I took the opportunity to become a disciple of Li Tangfu. However, although he was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in two examinations, he was obsessed with river engineering and showed no intention of helping me out.

Just as he was feeling disheartened and pondering another way out, Liao Shiwei, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, happened to visit. Upon learning that the "Records of the Four Continents" was written by Chen Siyuan, the Junior Minister became very enthusiastic and talked to Chen Siyuan for a long time about the "Records of the Four Continents," especially asking about the situation in Burma.

Before the final test, Li Ge Lao urged Chen Siyuan to take him under his wing.

Chen Siyuan wanted to curse right now! Who was Liao Shiwei? He was known as Liao the Black-Faced! He was a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and had served in the Censorate and prefectures. In the late years of the Emperor's reign, he was punished for causing hardship and waste of resources by going south of the Yangtze River. He was demoted to county magistrate after being flogged in court.

He did not expect that the peaceful and clean administration of Shanghai would catch the eye of the then-Chief Minister Qian, and he rose rapidly through the ranks in just over a decade, becoming the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue three years ago.

Having traveled through various prefectures and counties, this man should have been more restrained. However, upon returning to the imperial court, he immediately criticized the emperor for his aggressive military campaigns, which angered the emperor so much that he stormed off.

Liao Shiwei is good in every way, but he is too troublesome and has offended too many people. Chen Siyuan still wants his beautiful wife and concubines to live a peaceful life. If he follows such a teacher, he will have enemies around before he even passes the imperial examination.

Having a teacher is worse than not having one at all; what's the point?
There was no turning back now. Chen Siyuan sat on his horse, pondering for a long time, unable to discern the pros and cons. On the bright side, his teacher's wife was also a woman of noble birth, so a matchmaker for their marriage was now in place.

Considering the impact on those around him, Prince Yanping is cynical and lazy, so he probably wouldn't care who his teacher is; the Jia family is a noble family, but now they are declining in power, so they probably wouldn't comment; but as for Jia Yucun, since his marriage to Daiyu was arranged long ago, and now Jia Yucun is the Minister of War, it's best to mention this matter.

The matter was sudden. Chen Siyuan glanced at the time and guessed that Jia Yucun had already left the yamen, but he didn't know if he had been kept behind by the Emperor for an audience. After a moment's thought, he simply turned his horse and headed straight for Xinglong Street.

Two streets away from Xinglong Street, they heard someone shouting from the side intersection, "Is that Chen Xiaolian in person?"

Chen Siyuan reined in his horse and saw a familiar-looking guard from the Prince's residence urging his horse towards him. Upon arriving at the location, he dismounted and bowed, saying, "I was originally planning to go to the Rongguo Mansion to invite Chen Xiaolian, but I didn't expect to run into you on the way. Chen Xiaolian, His Highness invites you to the mansion for a chat. Please come in."

Chen Siyuan was shocked and knew that something urgent had happened. He immediately agreed and followed the guard on horseback to the Prince of Yanping's residence.

Having lingered too long at Grand Secretary Li's residence, it was nearly noon when they arrived at the Prince's mansion. The servant Qingyu took care of the horses, and Chen Siyuan, accompanied by a eunuch, strode quickly to the back. Passing through two palace gates on the east side, they soon arrived at a dining hall. Inside, they saw Prince Yanping looking worriedly at several high-ranking officials of the inner court. Chen Siyuan stepped forward to greet him, and Prince Yanping's eyes lit up. He casually pointed and said, "Chen Shuliang is full of clever ideas. Now that the inner court is facing difficulties, you can just tell him." Turning his head, he ordered, "Bring him a chair."

Officials in the inner court are promoted without taking the imperial examinations, but in the past two years, some inner court officials have been transferred to the imperial court. Among them, four people have all become high-ranking officials. How could Chen Siyuan dare to sit down? After a few polite refusals, which made Prince Yanping impatient, he finally sat down on one side of the chair.

Immediately, a court official from the Imperial Household Department stood up and said, "Last year, due to disaster relief and the suppression of rebellions, the Imperial Treasury was insufficient. His Majesty had no choice but to allocate 500,000 taels of silver from the Imperial Household Department to supplement the funds. As you know, the Imperial Household Department operates in a tightly interconnected manner. Without these 500,000 taels, not only would the Imperial Household Department's money exchange be in trouble, but even Wan Ke Lai would be in some difficulty. I wonder if you have any way to raise a sum of money that can at least give the Imperial Household Department a six-month reprieve?"

Six months later, after the summer and autumn harvests, the Imperial Household Department will be able to recover.

As Chen Siyuan was pondering this, another physician from the Imperial Household Department said, "In addition, the agreement we made with the British to trade pig iron in India, although it was only implemented for two years, has had a huge impact on the ironworks of our Da Shun. The Leting Ironworks has reduced its production by 20%, and countless private iron shops in Foshan, Sichuan and other places have gone bankrupt."

The Emperor was having a terrible headache from the commotion in the court, and he also intended for my inner court to accept iron ore from the British.

Chen Siyuan wasn't in a hurry to talk about what had happened before. After the doctor finished speaking, he immediately asked in surprise, "As far as I know, the iron material from Sindhu is of excellent quality and is mostly used in military equipment. Does it have such a big impact on the common people?"

Another deputy prime minister of the inner court said with a wry smile: "Xiaolian doesn't know that since the time of the emperor, the military equipment made by the government-run workshops has become increasingly unusable, so the right to purchase it was given to the inner court. Although the inner court has ironworks, it has no iron workshops, so it has no choice but to purchase from the people."

Comparing prices and quality, over 30% of the armaments produced each year were purchased from Foshan. However, due to the exceptional quality of the toxic iron used in this project, purchases from Foshan have gradually ceased in the past two years.

Chen Siyuan nodded, seemingly lost in thought. At that moment, a eunuch brought over fragrant tea, which Chen Siyuan accepted and took a sip.

Raising money is easy; at worst, we can issue bonds. With the name of the Imperial Household Department, as long as we promise a 10% interest rate, the wealthy families in the capital will flock to us.

However, the toxic iron material had squeezed out the share of local iron materials in Da Shun... Chen Siyuan couldn't help but laugh and cry. Ten million catties sounded like a lot, but it was less than 60,000 tons when converted. Such a small amount of iron material had squeezed out iron shops in Foshan and other places to the point of bankruptcy, which showed how poor the industrial base was in those days.

The iron from Sindhu is of excellent quality, making it the best choice for forging weapons. Furthermore, a contract has already been signed with the British, which cannot be easily changed. The current solution is to expand the application of iron, but unfortunately, the people are still quite poor; otherwise, with a slight price reduction, this limited supply of iron would have been exhausted long ago.

After grumbling for a while, Chen Siyuan started thinking about serious matters. Nowadays, whether it's the Grand Canal or sea transport, the Great Shun Dynasty has to go through the section from Tianjin to Tongzhou. Only after the ships reach Tongzhou will they be transferred to land transport. When he first came to the capital, he asked around and found that it was more than forty li from Tongzhou to the capital. Because of the heavy traffic of carriages and horses, this official road needs to be repaired every two years.

Chen Siyuan was not an engineering student, and even if he knew the principle of the steam engine, he could not build a usable one. However, he vaguely remembered that the Westerners also used horse-drawn carriages on tracks, which were wooden tracks. If a narrow-gauge railway were built next to the official road between Tongzhou and the capital, and the various horse-drawn carriages were modified, wouldn't there be a place to consume the iron?

This would require the Imperial Household Department to absorb the pig iron from the private sector, but the department was short of funds... This necessitated the issuance of further bonds. As for repayment, would there be a shortage of funds once the railway was completed?
After careful consideration, Chen Siyuan had a general idea of ​​his chances of winning, but he needed to carefully weigh the costs in silver and iron. Besides, the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind; he couldn't just give an immediate answer when King Yanping asked for his advice, could he?
Once this precedent is set, I'm afraid that, given King Yanping's personality, he'll come to me every few days to ask for advice.

He pretended to frown and ponder for the duration of a full cup of tea before raising his eyes and bowing to everyone, saying, "I am aware of the difficulties you gentlemen have mentioned, and I have some ideas in mind, but I still need to think about it carefully. If Your Highness is not in a hurry, may I have the opportunity to go back and consider it in detail?"

Several high-ranking officials from the inner court exchanged glances, then looked at Prince Yanping, who was propping his elbow up and frowning. Prince Yanping raised an eyebrow and immediately laughed, "What did I tell you? Shuliang is indeed full of clever ideas... uh... capable of planning and making decisions, even more so than Tao Zhu, hahaha. No rush, no rush, just give me an answer within three days."

Several high-ranking officials in the inner court already knew that the ideas for Wan Ke Lai and the money shop originated from Chen Siyuan. Although they were very suspicious at the moment, they all smiled and got up to congratulate him.

King Yanping smiled and replied with a few words, then instructed, "In that case, let's discuss this further after Shuliang brings the strategy. Come, see everyone off on my behalf."

Ding Daolong came to see him off with a smile, and Chen Siyuan got up to leave. However, King Yanping stopped him, saying, "You stay here. I have something else to say."

Chen Siyuan had no choice but to cup his hands in greeting and sit down again. After Ding Daolong saw off the high-ranking official from the Imperial Household Department, Prince Yanping stared at Chen Siyuan with amusement for a long time before saying, "I heard that you asked for the hand in marriage with the second daughter of the Jia family a few days ago?"

Chen Siyuan remained calm and said, "That's right."

King Yanping pondered for a moment and said, "It's fine to form a marriage alliance, but as for other matters... we must not get too involved."

The words were simple yet profound. Chen Siyuan suddenly understood. The Dowager Consort was seriously ill, and he had heard that the Emperor's health was also not good. Judging from the tone of Yanping Prince, it seemed that the Emperor was unable to hold back his anger and was already thinking about settling accounts.

Chen Siyuan dared not be negligent and quickly stood up to respectfully accept the offer. After a moment's thought, he then recounted how he had been forced to become an apprentice of Liao Shiwei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Siyuan secretly observed the expression of Prince Yanping, only to find that he was completely unconcerned. Then he heard Prince Yanping say, "This man is a hypocrite who sells his integrity and claims to be a loyal minister. If it weren't for the fact that my brother thinks he still has some talent, he would have been banished to a remote place long ago."

He paused, then suddenly changed the subject, saying, "However, there is one advantage to him taking you as his disciple..."

Chen Siyuan was puzzled and looked up at Prince Yanping. Prince Yanping said, "Liao Shiwei comes from the Liao family of Changzhou. He also has a cousin, Liao Shijie, who was just appointed Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou a few days ago."

Liao Shijie was a figure closely associated with the current emperor. It is said that he was highly regarded by the emperor when he was a prefect in his early years. After the emperor ascended the throne, Liao Shijie was promoted from a fourth-rank prefect to a first-rank official in just over ten years, which shows how much favor he received.

When he was the governor of Huguang, he quelled the Miao rebellion twice, proving himself to be both a scholar and a warrior.

Chen Siyuan's mind raced. The southwest was unstable. Myanmar had only recently experienced a dynastic change and was eager to make progress, so it had launched many attacks on southern Yunnan.

The Great Shun was not the Great Qing. After pacifying the Northwest, the various tribes in the southern and northern deserts had long since scattered. Furthermore, due to the benefits of maritime trade, the navy fought against the Western barbarians for years. Its scale and tactics were unparalleled in the region, so small foreign states naturally did not take it seriously.

First, the Prince of Nan'an rushed to southern Yunnan, and then Liao Shijie was stationed in the southwest. It looks like a major war is about to break out in the southwest.

Composing himself and recalling the advice given by Prince Yanping, Chen Siyuan solemnly thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness."

King Yanping smiled without saying a word and waved his hand, signaling him to step back.

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At nightfall.

When the maid Yunxiang called out, Xiangling and Hongyu, who were doing needlework in the side room, rushed out to greet her. From a distance, they could smell the smell of alcohol on Chen Siyuan. The two of them escorted Chen Siyuan inside, one fetching water and the other taking off his clothes.

Xiangling said, "Why is it taking you so long to return, sir? Miss Lin started the banquet in the afternoon, which was delayed by half an hour. She only started the banquet after seeing that you hadn't returned."

After leaving the Prince's Mansion, Chen Siyuan went to Xinglong Street again, where Jia Yucun invited him to stay for dinner and drink half a pot of wine. Now a little tipsy, he smiled and avoided answering, asking instead, "Was Lin Daiyu's baby-giving banquet lively?"

Hongyu turned back, put down the basin of water, and laughed, "It's quite lively. The eldest and second mistresses only made a brief appearance. They said that since they are all young ladies, it would be awkward for them to stay."

After the two grandmothers left, they played drinking games and pitch-pot. My sister Xiangling and I also went over and played some card games.

Xiangling said, "Stop talking! Miss Lin gave me two silver coins worth four qian each, and I lost them all while playing cards."

(End of this chapter)