The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Marquis Baoling has already gone to the Beijing garrison and will not be able to return anytime soon.

However, Marquis Zhongjing made it clear that everyone shares the same fate, and if needed, the historians would never refuse and would certainly not be stingy when it was time to lend a hand.

The Second Master could only offer a wry smile in thanks; the headaches that were causing him remained.

Debt collection is no easy job!

In particular, it is even more difficult to collect debts from imperial relatives, nobles and important officials.

It is no exaggeration to say that if even the slightest mishap occurs during the debt collection process, it could trigger a severe upheaval in the court.

For example, if a member of the royal family who is already very old faints or dies because he can't stand the debt collectors coming to his door, who is responsible?

As a cunning strategist, Jia Huan naturally had to come up with bad ideas; otherwise, why would he be allowed to attend the meeting?

"My lord, the imperial decree has already been issued, and there's no way to refuse the debt collection task. We have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it!"

These words immediately created a somber atmosphere in the study.

The Second Master Zheng's gaze swept over him with a cold look. He didn't want to hear these words. Jia Huan really knew how to bring up the most awkward topics.

The others didn't react much. Jia Huan was telling the truth, and besides, this was the Rong Mansion. Even if they wanted to teach Jia Huan a lesson for his reckless words, it wasn't their place to do it.

"In my opinion, there's still room for maneuver in this matter!"

These words pleased the Second Master Zheng and the others, and they all looked at him with bright eyes.

"What we need now is enough money to cope with the current predicament. If you can get a reasonable amount from the debt collectors and then use other reasons to refuse the debt collection task, things will be much easier!"

Jia Huan said calmly, "It's only three to five million taels of silver. It seems like a lot, but if you divide it up, it's nothing!"

"How do you say this?"

Jia Rong couldn't help but ask curiously, "Could it be that asking every official who owes money for a little something is too troublesome?"

"That's not necessary!"

Jia Huan chuckled and said, "Just list the top twenty people on that debt list. If you handle it properly, each family will only owe a few hundred thousand taels. Surely they can come up with that much?

At this point, he sneered, "If you're really so stingy, then just tell the Emperor directly!"

"When you go to collect the debt, clearly tell them whether they will honestly repay the national treasury tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver owed, or continue to stubbornly resist despite the current dissatisfaction?"

"I reckon even the Emperor Emeritus approved of this debt collection, otherwise the current imperial edict wouldn't have been issued so quickly. Master has powerful backers!"

After his analysis, everyone present was greatly encouraged, realizing that it was indeed true.

At this moment, the way Marquis Zhongjing looked at Jia Huan changed.

This kid is absolutely a prodigy! Brother Cunzhou is really lucky.

The idea was a bit bad, and it was clearly exploiting loopholes, but its feasibility was undeniable.

As long as those debtors cooperate, the trouble that Master Zheng and the four major families of Jinling are facing can be easily resolved, and they may even receive a good evaluation from the current emperor and the retired emperor.

Even the two marquises of the Shi family, who were known for their poverty, could easily come up with 150,000 taels of silver.

Which of those wealthy individuals on the list of debtors wasn't richer than the Shi family?

Jia Huan knew that the imperial relatives on the list were either the owners of the largest pawnshop in the capital, major shareholders of well-known gambling dens and brothels, or the behind-the-scenes bosses of the capital's largest pawnshop.

That is to say, he had quite a few thugs under his command, and they were quite capable, which is why he knew these inside stories.

If this gets out, the royal family will definitely lose face; it would be a huge joke.

Pawnshops are relatively easy to deal with, as they directly deal with high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants.

It's a loan service specifically for the wealthy. If Madam Wang knew about it, she'd probably be green with envy.

But gambling dens, brothels, and gambling dens are the source of all evil.

To put it simply, the beggar gangs, debt collectors, and various criminal organizations in the capital are all supported by the businesses owned by these imperial relatives.

Unexpected, isn't it? Ironic, isn't it?

I don't know if people are aware of these things nowadays, but Jia Huan probably is!

As for those nobles, with the current high and volatile grain prices, which one of them hasn't made a fortune? Their short-term profits are all calculated in units of at least 100,000 taels.

Moreover, as long as the White Lotus Rebellion in Ludi is not quelled, such profits can be sustained for a long time. No one knows whether this is because the White Lotus Rebellion has been going on for so long.

If this news gets out, how can these noble families expect to fare well?

Although Master Zheng was unaware of these inside stories, he was a top-tier military officer's son and naturally had some understanding of the situation of various families in the capital.

Judging from his sudden surge of confidence, he was clearly very confident that he could carry out Jia Huan's terrible idea.

That’s good!

If we don't let Master Zheng run into obstacles and suffer a bit, he won't feel too much urgency.

That's right. Although the idea came from Jia Huan and was quite feasible, he didn't have much faith in Master Zheng's ability to execute it. The key issue was that Master Zheng lacked any sense of authority.

The reason it's a bad idea is because he didn't mention the human element involved.

Even the Ning and Rong mansions, when they were repaying the national treasury's debts, didn't they also have a lot of resistance in their hearts?

The reason is simply that the money borrowed from the national treasury was ultimately used to entertain the retired emperor who was traveling south. Why should they be expected to repay the money?

This idea is very real, and other noble families probably think the same way.

As for the imperial relatives, the entire Great Qian Empire belongs to them. What's wrong with taking some silver from the national treasury to spend? They would be perfectly justified even if the emperor himself were to do so.

With this mindset, and given that Master Zheng Er is not exactly a strong character, how could he possibly expect a good outcome if he took the initiative to collect debts? He would be lucky if he didn't get beaten up.

Let alone spending tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, they wouldn't even be willing to part with a few thousand taels.

This is the raw truth of human nature. At this moment, Master Zheng, who was turning from worry to joy, obviously did not know that his debt collection journey would be anything but easy.

It might end up being a disgraceful mess. Otherwise, why would the current emperor only start the debt collection process at this critical juncture, initially having princes and dukes as the presiding officials, only to have it turn out so poorly?

There's no other reason; everyone knows that debt collection is not a good job and is quite hated.

If there were no other way, who would be willing to do such a thing?

Chapter 135 The Message Dispute (Please Subscribe)

"Master, I'm going to find someone to discuss something. Why are you coming with me?"

That morning, Master Zheng Er was in high spirits and ready to go out, but if you looked closely, you could see a hint of unease on his face.

He's planning to embark on a debt collection journey, and the current emperor is watching closely, so he can't afford to be too negligent.

Just as they stepped out of the side gate, they saw Jia Huan waiting there, followed by a group of strong and burly men.

Half of them were servants from the Rong family who looked somewhat familiar.

These guys were all people Jia Huan went directly to the head steward Lai Da, saying that the master was going out on business and needed a group of guards by his side, and asked him to make arrangements.

Lai Da wouldn't ask Master Zheng Er for the reason, which allowed him to trick a group of people into coming.

"Sir, although you're here to discuss things, you still have to be wary of some unreasonable people!"

Jia Huan smiled and said, "I'll take some men and follow from a distance. It would be best if nothing happens. But if anything unexpected does occur, we can intervene in time to help!"

He spoke eloquently, but in reality, he knew that a fight was most likely to break out.

In modern times, even normal debt collection often results in physical altercations with unreasonable and domineering individuals, let alone in the current agricultural monarchy era.

For the slightest gain, people are willing to draw their knives and kill several people; there are some things we must be wary of.

After a moment's thought, the Second Master Zheng nodded and said slowly, "Alright then, don't be ridiculous!"

As he was about to get up and leave, he noticed Jia Huan standing still and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Aren't you leaving?"

"Master, I've informed Brother Bao, and he's waiting!"

Jia Huan said with a smile, "If Lan-ge'er weren't still so young, I would have invited him as well!"

"Let's all the men in our household go out and see what's happening!"

Damn, isn't this a perfect opportunity to educate Jia Baoyu?

He doesn't admit that he's cheating people; he just says it's normal real-world education.

Let Jia Baoyu see for himself how hard Master Zheng works to earn money.

Stop calling me a stupid idiot and a parasite. If you're so capable, go earn your own money and support yourself. Everyone has their difficulties, why be so mean to each other?

Jia Baoyu was already over nine years old at this time, which was not considered young in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Those well-known geniuses have already shone brightly in elementary education, and someone like Jia Baoyu is truly rare, yet the old lady and Lady Wang still do their best to protect him.

While they might be wary of the auspicious signs of birth, they also had high expectations for Jia Baoyu's future, even to the point of being blindly optimistic.

It seems that if Jia Baoyu put in just a little effort, he could easily become not only a scholar or a provincial graduate, but also the top scholar in the imperial examination.

To say they have no taboos at all, judging from the way they raise Jia Baoyu, it's as if they're ruining him.

Regardless of their intentions, Jia Baoyu should at least have basic survival skills and practical abilities, otherwise it would be difficult for him to support himself.

Even if the old lady and Lady Wang left him mountains of gold and silver, given Jia Baoyu's current state, he wouldn't be able to keep it, and might even squander it all in a short time.

In his previous life, Jia Huan didn't watch the entire classic TV series "Dream of the Red Chamber," but he did watch the beginning and the end.

He had a very bad feeling about Jia Baoyu. He didn't become a monk because he had grasped some Buddhist principles; rather, he became a monk because he couldn't stand the impoverished life.