Minister's Wife
Chapter 44
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On the other side,
He Shen was sitting in front of Qianlong,
He was talking to him about the construction of the bank in detail.
Qianlong had long been satisfied with his performance as the Minister of Cloth.
At this moment, when he heard He Shen mention the "bank",
Qianlong did not feel that he was full of nonsense,
On the contrary, he began to understand it seriously.
When He Shen finished speaking in front of him,
Qianlong had already slapped the table in amazement.
"My beloved minister's mind is really flexible to be able to come up with such a method. Good, good, good. Why don't you go back and write a detailed account and hand it over first? I'll take a look again."
He Shen bowed and agreed.
In later generations, the ticket account rose in Shanxi,
It later collapsed at the end of the Qing dynasty. The Qing government built an official ticket account, and due to the economic crisis,
The credibility of the ticket account was not as good as before, so it went bankrupt one after another.
What He Shen wanted to do was to establish an official ticket account in advance.
At the same time, he wanted to form a more stable relationship,
So that the ticket account would not be like in history,
It would only flourish for a while,
It would quickly disappear.
And from a more macro national level.
With a stable national bank, it could also better develop the national economy and improve the national strength.
So whether it was out of selfish desire or out of a slightly greater sentiment.
He Shen was interested in establishing a national bank,
Supporting the ticket account,
He was determined to get it.
This was a process that had to go through in history,
And what he wanted to do..,
Was to try to advance this stage in a reasonable way.
"Go." Qianlong said in a low voice, with a lingering excitement on his face.
Qianlong hoped that he could make more and better achievements than his father, but achievements were not so easy to achieve.
Now, He Shen had given him a way out. How could Qianlong not take it?
He wanted nothing more than to chase He Shen back so that he could write a report in one night.
However, Qianlong also knew that this kind of memorial could not be easily written, so he did not rush He Shen. He even said, "We will allow you to take a few days off."
He Shen's heart skipped a beat, but he wasn't thinking about writing the memorial. He was thinking about Daiyu.
He didn't show it on his face. He bowed and thanked Qianlong before leaving.
After he left, the more Qianlong thought about it, the more excited he became, so much so that he couldn't even sleep. He ordered the little eunuch by his side to grind an ink stick. That very night, he summoned a scholar from the Hanlin Academy to write an imperial edict, and then handed it over to the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers for approval.
Qianlong was decisive in his actions. Ordinary people could not stop him.
The next day, although the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet had many doubts and even felt that it was not in accordance with the rules, he still issued the imperial edict in the end.
He Shen was sitting at home when he received such good news.
He was promoted again.
And this time, it was even more remarkable. Qianlong had conferred him the position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
How high was this position?
In the Ming Dynasty, it was a third-rank official. In the Qing Dynasty, it was a second-rank official.
He Shen spent only a few years of effort to sit in the second-rank official position.
Where was the most obvious difference?
Even his mansion, in the future, would dare to call it a mansion.
He Shen respectfully received the imperial edict and thanked the Grand Secretary for his kindness.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
In history, He Shen's road to promotion was also very fast.
Almost every month or two, Qianlong felt uncomfortable if he wasn't promoted. In the end, he was given the position of Minister of Internal Affairs, a second-rank official.
At this time, He Shen was still very young.
He was still twenty-six.
In history, Qianlong was indeed an absurd emperor. But for the current He Shen, it was exactly what he wanted.
If everything was done according to etiquette, He Shen definitely wouldn't be able to reach this step.
Just the age alone was enough to firmly suppress him.
When the imperial edict was issued that day, it naturally set off a huge uproar. But this uproar had just started, and then it sank again.
The most talked about in the capital was just how powerful He Shen was, how he received the Emperor's appreciation, and how he could be used as a role model for all scholars in the world.
Even Lin Ruhai, Jia Yucun, and the others received the letter and wrote to congratulate him.
Of course, that was all in the future.
At this time, He Shen was in his mansion, peacefully writing his memorial.
Halfway through, he pretended to be fidgety and uneasy, threw down the brush and ink, and stepped out of the door.
Qianlong had been paying attention to the movements on the other side, so naturally, he was also watched. Although there was no evil intention, He Shen still found out early on.
Thus, He Shen's feigned fidgety and uneasy behavior was reported to Qianlong.
"He's a bit hot-tempered. He fell and went out. After all, he's still a young man. He can't do great things." That person said to Qianlong.
However, Qianlong laughed and looked at that person with a reproachful gaze. "You can't say that. It's already not easy for him to reach this step at such a young age.
In the past, no one has ever said those words that he said. Just this point alone, no matter how angry he is, he's worthy of it.
How can there be a perfect person in the world who is young, has the ability to be astute, and has a calm and steady attitude? "
Qianlong shook his head. "I'm afraid he's transformed from a demon."
That person then restrained his emotions and nodded. "Your Majesty is wise. I didn't think of these at all."
Hearing this, Qianlong laughed. Then, he waved his hand and sent that person away.
"You don't have to care about what he does. If he holds it in too much, he might do something that young people like to do."
Qianlong wouldn't take such a small matter to make things difficult for an official he admired.
Even if He Shen went out and went straight to a brothel or gambling den, no matter how unhappy he was, he would still fight with someone.
However, He Shen went straight to the outskirts of the city.
Today, the person who accompanied He Shen was Steward Liu's son, Liu Quan.
This person was a bit older than He Shen. He wasn't tall, but his limbs were strong and he was very capable. He spoke more than Steward Liu, but he never made a mistake.
In history, this person was indeed He Shen's loyal servant.
The carriage swayed all the way up the mountain and finally stopped outside a Taoist temple.
The two words "Quiet" were written on the plaque of the Taoist temple. Just like these two words, the inside and outside of the Taoist temple were quiet and there was no noise to disturb them.
He Shen got off the carriage and stepped into the temple.
Liu Quan followed closely behind.
At this time, a Taoist child and a manservant stopped He Shen: "The Taoist priest won't be seeing any guests today."
Liu Quan's face darkened. He was about to speak, but He Shen raised his hand and stopped Liu Quan. Liu Quan lowered his head and shut his mouth.
"Then let's wait for a while," He Shen said.
However, the manservant looked at He Shen and suddenly his face changed. It was unknown what he thought of.
After about half an hour, the manservant looked at He Shen over and over again, as if he was trying to determine He Shen's identity.
Finally, the manservant bowed and asked timidly: "Are you the Assistant Minister?"
He was young, his whole body was imposing, and he was extraordinarily handsome. The manservant felt that he had seen him before.
After all, he used to accompany Second Old Master and sent him to court. He had seen Second Old Master's colleagues a few times.
His identity seemed to be on the verge of being revealed.
He Shen obviously knew which family the manservant belonged to. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come here.
However, he still pretended to be puzzled. He looked the manservant up and down and nodded: "Which family do you belong to?"
The manservant hurriedly said: "I serve the Second Old Master of Rongguo Province. I had the honor of meeting the Assistant Minister once before."
After saying this, the manservant smiled fawningly.
Most of the servants in Rongguo Province ran amok. However, in front of nobles, they all acted the same. No one dared to act rashly.
The manservant pushed the Taoist child: "Go and report this to the Taoist priest."
The manservant was always by Jia Zheng's side because he knew how to read people's faces. At this time, he thought to himself: Second Old Master likes to deal with scholars the most.
This Assistant Minister is the top scorer of this year's imperial examination. He is very impressive.
He has just been favored by the Second Old Master and is now in the limelight.
Second Old Master should be happy to deal with him.
The Little Taoist staggered a little from the push, but he didn't dare to complain. He hurriedly turned around and obediently went to report the news.
Not long after, the Little Taoist came out.
Jia Zheng and the thin Xuan Tong Daozhang, who was wearing a loose Taoist robe, also came out together with him.
The Xuan Tong Daozhang wanted to smile at He Shen, but He Shen directly avoided him.
The Xuan Tong Daozhang was stunned. Then, he understood something. He hurriedly maintained his posture and didn't look askance.
Jia Zheng walked in front and didn't notice this detail.
Although Jia Zheng and He Shen were officials in the same imperial court, he rarely paid attention to He Shen.
It was all because He Shen's arrogance was too strong. Jia Zheng tried his best to be a good official, but he couldn't do it well. He had interacted with many poor scholars, and had seen many talented people who couldn't get a good scholarly reputation.
He Shen was an exception from the moment he appeared in the imperial court.
He became the Zhuangyuan without any effort.
He didn't see how he could serve the people and the country, so he was promoted all the way.
Jia Zheng didn't want to look him in the eye before, but now he had no choice but to look him in the eye.
With this look, Jia Zheng was stunned.
It turned out that this young Zhuangyuan wasn't as cunning as he thought.
On the contrary, he was born with a handsome face.
He was indeed worthy of the praise of "a handsome face."
He Shen smiled and called out, "Minister Counsellor."
Jia Zheng looked at him and unconsciously bowed, "Assistant Minister." This person's etiquette was appropriate. When he opened his mouth, it was as if he was bathing in the spring breeze.
He was wrong in the past and mistook pearls for fish eyes.
His feelings of regret welled up. This made Jia Zheng look at He Shen more warmly.
Baoyu wasn't young anymore. The two of them were only a few years apart, but how come he couldn't even compare to him?
As Jia Zheng thought about it, he felt a tightness in his chest. He only hated that Lady Wang didn't give birth to a good son.
"Why don't we sit inside and talk?" Xuan Tong Daozhang asked.
"Okay, Assistant Minister, please."
"Minister Counsellor, please." He Shen smiled again and walked in side by side with Jia Zheng.
At first, Jia Zheng felt a little awkward. After all, the other party was really much younger.
But when he thought of the other party's talent, he felt that it was right. It should be measured by talent.
It was a great ability to be able to achieve today's results.
The three of them sat down in the room.
Jia Zheng's mind was full of Xuan Tong Daozhang's title as the Zhuangyuan. He didn't taste the tea, nor did he talk about Confucianism.
He started to chat with He Shen. They talked about the Four Books and Five Classics.
He Shen wasn't afraid.
He Shen was not only a person with a talent for practical work, but also a person who could understand the depth of the situation.
And he just happened to inherit all of these perfectly.
When Jia Zheng said one sentence, he could reply with two sentences.
He Shen's ability to brainwash people was really amazing. In his previous life, he relied on this ability to make his employees very reliable.
Therefore, in just a few minutes, Jia Zheng couldn't help but want to treat He Shen as a confidant.
He Shen secretly sighed that Jia Zheng was really easy to coax.
He really lived up to his name. Jia Zheng, pretending to be righteous.
After they finished talking, Jia Zheng looked at the sky and asked the servant what time it was. Then, he reluctantly bid farewell.
Before he bid farewell, he invited He Shen to Rongguo Province. They drank tea and chatted happily. It should be a happy thing.
He Shen didn't know whether it was a happy thing or not.
But he should be happy to go to Rongguo Province and see how Daiyu was doing.
As soon as Jia Yucun left, Xuan Tong Daozhang's butt seemed to be on fire. He suddenly stood up and said, "If Young Master was coming, why didn't you send a message first? I've neglected Young Master. I feel very uneasy."
Ever since he entered this Taoist temple, He Shen had never set foot here. The two of them only maintained contact through letters.
Xuan Tong Daozhang didn't expect He Shen to suddenly come today. He was momentarily caught off guard. At this moment, he was anxious. He recalled all his actions today and wondered if he had offended He Shen.
"It's fine. I didn't come today for you."
Xuan Tong Daozhang smiled embarrassedly.
He Shen said, "It's good to be like this in the future. You don't have to deliberately cater to me.
Be careful not to reveal your true identity. "
Xuan Tong Daozhang quivered and said, "Yes, yes, yes. Young Master is right."
"I came today to ask Xuan Tong Daozhang for a prescription."
Xuan Tong Daozhang was stunned. He thought to himself, 'Didn't you give me all the prescriptions? Why are you asking me for a prescription?'
But when he saw He Shen's indifferent expression and that he had no intention of changing his mind, Xuan Tong Daozhang boldly guessed that Young Master was probably doing this to deceive others.
Xuan Tong Daozhang showed his usual style and nodded, "Then please wait for a day. Tomorrow, I'll have a Taoist servant send it to Young Master's residence."
He Shen was satisfied. He stood up and walked out.
Xuan Tong Daozhang tried hard to resist the urge to personally send He Shen off. He stood at the door and watched him leave.
It wasn't until He Shen boarded the carriage that Xuan Tong Daozhang sighed in relief.
He hoped that he didn't misunderstand Young Master's intentions today.
On the other hand, Jia Zheng returned home. He was still full of excitement and couldn't calm down.
Because he couldn't control his emotions, he became hot-blooded and decided to teach Baoyu well.
He walked towards Baoyu's courtyard.
Before he entered the door, he heard Baoyu and the servant girl's laughter.
The sound of books being read.
The sound of books being flipped.
These were all things that only existed in dreams.
Jia Zheng raised his eyebrows when his dream was shattered so quickly. He looked angry and said to the servant boy beside him, "Bring me my staff."
The servant boy was stunned and stammered, "Second, Second Master."
"Go."
The servant boy hurriedly went to fetch the staff, but he also quietly told the servant girl.
The servant girl hurriedly went to find Lady Wang and reported it to Mother Jia.
Baoyu was the Matriarch's favorite. If the Second Master beat her, at most, he would be reprimanded. But if he took the rod and did not spread the word, in the end, he would be beaten half to death and chased out of the residence. He would also be branded as an 'evil servant'.
In less than an hour, Baoyu's painful cries could be heard in the courtyard. A group of servant girls were crying beside him, but no one dared to step forward.
Jia Zheng was now the head of the household in Rongguo Province. Other than Mother Jia who could stop him, even Lady Wang could only be scolded by him.
Who would dare to hit him?
After a while, Mother Jia finally arrived.
When she looked again, Baoyu's buttocks were already swollen. He was hugging the bench and gasping for breath.
Mother Jia was so angry that tears fell from her eyes. She pointed at Jia Zheng and scolded him several times.
However, in the end, she didn't do anything. She just hugged Baoyu and called him "sweetheart" and "darling". She took him away to call a doctor.
Lady Wang also couldn't help but cry. However, she didn't dare to refute Jia Zheng. She just secretly wiped her tears and whispered, "Baoyu is still young. Master, when you teach him in the future, please be gentle."
"How can he be young?" Jia Zheng threw the staff in his hand. His mind was replaying the conversation with the young top scorer today. He felt even more furious. "Although you live in the inner residence, you should be well-informed. You should have heard that when the top scorer passed the imperial examination, he was only sixteen years old. He was still young."
"Look at how you protect your son. What do you look like?"
Lady Wang was slightly dumbfounded. She could only bury her head and cry silently.
However, she couldn't help but think of other plans.
That Xue Pan was her nephew. After all, he was closer to her. If he was a good person and could guide Baoyu to study well, that would be good.
What sixteen-year-old top scorer.
Her son might have even greater achievements in the future.
Seeing that Lady Wang didn't say anything, Jia Zheng became even angrier. He looked at Lady Wang left and right and didn't find her pleasing to the eye.
Therefore, the courtyard was noisy that day. It took a long time for them to rest.
In the end, Jia Zheng even went to Concubine Zhao's room. Lady Wang was so angry that she threw a tantrum in her room.
Daiyu also heard about this matter.
It was Ying Ge who told her about it.
After all, Baoyu being beaten was always a big matter in the residence. It alarmed every master and servant from the old madam down.
"Miss, you should go and visit him," Ying Ge said.
Daiyu pursed her lips and fell asleep. "My body isn't feeling well. It's inconvenient for me to go today. It just so happens that there are many people around my cousin today.
I'll go tomorrow. "
Ying Ge opened her mouth. She wanted to say something to persuade her, but in the end, she closed her mouth.
Everyone in the residence knew that Miss Lin wasn't someone who was easy to get close to. If she said anything, it would be difficult for her to gain Miss Lin's favor in the future.
Daiyu tucked in her quilt. She was thinking about how to reject the invitation tomorrow.
The next day.
A servant from Rongguo Province really came to invite He Shen. He Shen naturally wouldn't refuse. He immediately got on the sedan chair and let the servant lead the way to Rongguo Province.
Jia Zheng especially gave instructions to everyone in the residence to show that he valued her.
When Mother Jia heard this, she didn't think it was right. He Shen held a grudge against her. Instead, she praised Jia Zheng for doing a good job.
She was so talented and was already Jia Zheng's colleague at such a young age. They should make friends with her and couldn't neglect her.
Thus, everyone in the residence was curious about this person who caused Baoyu to be beaten up.
Xue Baochai had been in Rongguo Province for a long time. Previously, Baoyu and Daiyu didn't have much to talk to each other, so they would choose some time to talk to Baochai.
Now that she heard Baoyu talking to everyone in such a friendly tone, Baochai couldn't help but take a second look at her.
Daiyu pursed her lips. She really didn't know what to say.
Although she and Baoyu were cousins, they weren't close enough. If she said that, wouldn't it be a little frivolous? Daiyu's gaze quietly swept around, but she didn't see any surprise on the faces of the people around her.
They seemed to be normal.
Daiyu was shocked. She quietly held Ying Ge's arm and prepared to find an excuse to leave.
The girls in her maternal family were all good, but this Baoyu always made her feel afraid for no reason.
At this moment, Baoyu's gaze fell on Ying Ge again. He said, "Ying Ge used to follow Old Ancestor. Now, she's with Sister Lin. Did you take good care of your sister?"
Ying Ge's expression became strange for a moment.
Baoyu shouldn't have asked that.
But Ying Ge still smiled and answered appropriately.
Baoyu's temperament was always capricious. At this time, he was heard saying, "Parrot Brother is not a good name. It is not good. Since it is already by Meimei's side, it should change its name."
Baoyu then looked at Daiyu and said, "Sister Xi Ren also used to serve Old Ancestor. At that time, she was called Zhenzhu. Later, Old Ancestor made the decision to change her name and gave it to me."
Baoyu seemed to like it very much. This small detail was similar to Daiyu's. As he spoke, he smiled even more brightly.
Daiyu only blinked slowly and didn't say anything.
Ying Ge was given to her by Old Ancestor. It was her first time in the Jia Mansion. How could she make the decision to change Ying Ge's name? Other things aside, it wouldn't be good if people misunderstood that she was dissatisfied with Old Ancestor.
But Baoyu was interested. He said, "Ying Ge is too boring and doesn't have much spiritual energy.
Why don't we change it to Zi Juan from now on? "
Baoyu had always been doted on by Old Ancestor. As long as his words didn't involve anything important, he could make the decision.
Ying Ge saw through it clearly. So he smiled and said, "Then I have to thank Second Master for giving me a name."
Ying Ge's words were too formal. When Baoyu heard it, he felt that it was boring and didn't have the mood to continue.
Daiyu then changed the way he addressed her and said, "Zi Juan, I'm a little cold."
Zi Juan met Daiyu's eyes. At first, she was stunned. Then, she understood Daiyu's meaning. She frowned and said, "You were fine before we left. Miss, I'm afraid you don't want to be in the wind anymore."
The others, including Baoyu, became anxious. They hurriedly said, "Why don't you go back and rest first?"




