The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Chapter 228 Everyone Has Their Own Plans (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Hearing someone call his name, Jia Huan turned around and couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

"Sister Yuanyang, is there something you need?"

Yuanyang hurried over, her forehead already damp with sweat. She stood before Jia Huan and solemnly said, "The old lady asked me to convey a message: she hopes that Huan-ge'er will not forget his origins!"

After saying that, he smiled apologetically and turned to leave.

Jia Huan stood there, watching Yuanyang's departing figure, a disdainful smirk on his lips.

Is it that it has sensed something and wants to continue binding itself to someone else?

It's too late, old lady!

Jia Huan turned around and left the Rong Mansion with an air of nonchalance.

There was no banquet today, but I'm going to the Lin residence tomorrow.

The most eye-catching event in the capital recently is undoubtedly the imperial concubine's visit to her family!

Even if those concubines and their families reacted, they wouldn't be able to stop it.

Just like an arms race, once it starts, it can't be stopped. It's a matter of face, and money can't measure it.

Since the Lunar New Year, as if by prior arrangement, every now and then a concubine would visit her family, causing a sensation in the capital.

It can be said that most of the attention of the people in the capital was drawn there, and naturally they paid less attention to things outside the capital.

In the past two years, things may have turned around for the better. No major disasters have occurred in the capital, the north, and most parts of the south. The whole country is in a state of peace and tranquility.

In addition, the retired emperor was old and frail, and his power was constantly slipping away.

It can be said that this is the most comfortable time he has ever been since he ascended the throne.

Although the national treasury is still tight and has little silver reserves, private treasuries are now very prosperous.

His gaze naturally turned to the border region.

It is said that the Great Qian Dynasty was established on the corpse of the former Ming Dynasty, and should have inherited all of the former Ming's territory, but unfortunately it did not.

The territory of the Great Qian Dynasty was basically only within the Great Wall; the land outside the Great Wall was not reclaimed.

Since the time of Emperor Taizu, there has been a desire to expand outwards, but unfortunately, for various reasons, it has not been successful.

The founding period was mainly about quelling internal strife and restoring production. The north had suffered terribly in the late Ming Dynasty, and the south had also suffered heavy losses from the Qing army's burning, killing, and looting.

It can be said that during the founding period of the Great Qian Dynasty, everything was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt, while also guarding against the rise of various ambitious individuals.

By the time of the retired emperor, the situation was quite good.

The retired emperor in his early years was undoubtedly a wise ruler, achieving considerable success both domestically and internationally.

Otherwise, how could the second-generation military leaders of Ning and Rong prefectures possibly obey orders obediently?

Even the founding nobles could not completely board the Emperor Emeritus's chariot!

Even knowing the many complexities behind the deposed crown prince incident, the nobility group lacked the courage to make any significant moves.

Everything was developing in a positive direction; the Great Qian border army was even able to suppress the nomadic cavalry outside the Great Wall and was expanding rapidly in imitation of its predecessors.

But just then, the crown prince and a group of princes grew up.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the retired emperor's indulgence sparked a fierce struggle for the throne.

Anyone who has read history knows that prolonged struggles for succession are the most draining on a nation's strength.

The retired emperor, perhaps enjoying his past achievements, gradually lost his former ambition and aspirations, and began to indulge in pleasure.

He made seven trips to the south of the Yangtze River over ten years, and that's when it happened.

Even Yang Guang, the second emperor of the Sui Dynasty, who loved to travel around, was never this crazy.

The amount of money spent during this period was in the tens of millions!

The Qianlong Empire's treasury could not withstand such depletion, and it quickly lost its advantage in the border regions, forced to adopt a defensive posture and revert to its previous state.

Then came the deposed crown prince's rebellion, and the retired emperor, seriously ill, hastily passed the throne to the current emperor.

Having served as a puppet emperor for twenty years, he now holds most of the power in the court and naturally wants to make a difference; otherwise, history would not have a high opinion of him.

Sure enough, while officials and commoners in the capital were captivated by the grand spectacle of the imperial concubines' visit to their families, the northwestern border region took the lead in making its move.

Of course, given Jia Huan's current status, he wouldn't be able to hear such confidential information.

I mentioned this very quietly yesterday when the two marquises of the Shi family hosted a banquet.

Jia Huan immediately realized that the emperor intended to make a difference in military affairs.

"If you are confident in your own abilities or those of your family members, then hurry up and send someone to the frontier to earn some military merits. Now is a great opportunity to do so!"

Even if someone wants to achieve great things now, it's impossible for them to directly order the border troops to march out of the Great Wall. That would be out of the question, as the court officials would not agree to it.

At present, the most we can do is send trusted generals to the frontier to initiate small-scale probing battles.

Such a battle is similar to a scout war during a clash between two armies.

It was a stage to showcase personal bravery and strength, and a place to accumulate battle merits and improve combat experience.

It all depends on when the current emperor can completely persuade his court officials to start a large-scale expansion war; otherwise, the initial small-scale scouting campaigns may continue for one or two years.

Compared to a large-scale military campaign, this amount of time is naturally not very long.

But for an individual, it is a rare opportunity to accumulate merit.

Since the two marquises of the Shi family were so accommodating, Jia Huan naturally wouldn't hide anything and revealed his thoughts.

As the saying goes, those involved are often blinded by their own interests. The two historians didn't pay much attention at first, but since they held certain positions in the army, they were able to gather a lot of information.

I only brought it up as a topic, but I never expected it to have such a positive impact.

The Shi family was large and had many members, and quite a few of their sons served in the military.

As for whether or not to send people to the frontier to accumulate military merits, we still need to go back and discuss it carefully.

After all, weapons have no eyes, and while accumulating military merits at the border, one must also face considerable risks.

The Great Qian Dynasty has been established for a century, and it can be said that it has enjoyed a long period of peace. The situation of the descendants of the Shi family and the descendants of the Jia family is actually quite similar. There are many mediocre people, and few outstanding ones or have no way to stand out.

Jia Huan, however, was quite optimistic, believing it was good that the current emperor had lofty ambitions.

Only a constantly changing political landscape can allow rising stars to emerge rapidly, rather than climbing the ranks step by step according to outdated officialdom rules.

That's right, he's already got his eye on it!

Of course, due to age, one should not attempt to appear in public before turning fifteen.

Jia Cong is naturally the best choice!

This is also the main reason why he went to see Wang Xifeng today; it was a rare opportunity.

He naturally had a comprehensive plan for raising Jia Cong, whom he had grown up with since childhood.

First, one must leave the General's Mansion and become a member of a collateral branch of the Jia family in the capital, just like him.

In connection with the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber, both Master She and Jia Lian have connections to Ping'an Prefecture.

As for the specific situation in Ping'an Prefecture, it is not mentioned in the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber. Jia Huan is not very familiar with it either, and it is not appropriate for him to ask the two historians.

Jia Huan was unaware that shortly after he left the Rong Mansion, the news of Wang Xifeng's pregnancy spread rapidly and soon reached the ears of the old lady and Lady Wang.

Although Jia Huan spoke softly, Wang Xifeng still had maids serving her.

Given the Rong family's track record of having a son, how could they possibly keep such a bombshell news a secret once they heard it, especially since Wang Xifeng hadn't specifically instructed them to keep it a secret?

After all, she still needed to take the invitation from the mansion to the Imperial Hospital to invite the familiar Physician Wang to come and make a diagnosis.

The old lady was naturally very happy to hear the news, as she still believed in the saying "many children, many blessings".

Of course, the premise is that they are born of the principal wife; as for those born of concubines, no matter how many there are, they will not be of any interest to her.

With Yuanyang, their go-between, by their side, nothing, big or small, could be kept secret from the household. Once Physician Wang made the diagnosis, the old lady planned to summon Wang Xifeng for a thorough dressing-down.

After all, childbirth is a dangerous job that cannot tolerate the slightest mistake!

Moreover, this is the eldest direct descendant of the main branch of the family, so it's impossible not to pay attention to him!

If she wants to remain the most honored person in the mansion for a long time, the first and second wives must maintain a balance.

It can only be said that Wang Xifeng's pregnancy at this time was perfectly timed!

If he had a legitimate son, Jia Lian would be able to completely settle his mind and focus all his attention on officialdom.

Once Jia Lian becomes a high-ranking official of the third rank or above, he will be able to maintain a balance with the second branch of the family.

Recently, Madam Wang has been behaving too arrogantly, and people are no longer as respectful and obedient to her. This is not a good sign!

On the other side, Madam Wang's smile froze upon receiving the news, and the handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a pretzel.

Beside her, Zhou Rui's wife was beaming with joy, saying happily, "Madam, it's perfect timing to take back the power to manage the inner household while Second Madam Lian is pregnant!"

Seeing Madam Wang's puzzled expression, she reminded her, "Madam, the public treasury is quite wealthy right now!"

Madam Wang suddenly realized, and a greedy look flashed in her eyes.

Yes, the government was quite wealthy at that time. Even after supporting the bulk of the construction costs of the provincial residence, the government still had more than 200,000 taels of silver.

She didn't care about the public funds; they were meant to support the household's public expenditures.