The sixth year of Long'an, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The spring is cold and cold.

This is the Lantern Festival, but the most powerful Yanyuan Yamen in Yangzhou Prefecture does not have much of a festive atmosphere.

Even the chief official of the Yanyuan and his family members were not in the Yamen.

At noon, the sun brought a little warmth. The Yanyuan Yamen gate to the west of Wenhe River opened, and several carriages, escorted by a team of saltmen, slowly drove across the Wenjin Bridge.

The journey was uneventful. After leaving the city, we boarded the boat from the pier and headed southwest.

Half an hour later, the passenger ship docked at a newly built pier.

After four or five carriages disembarked one after another, Jia Qiang helped Lin Ruhai and stepped out of the boat.

The pier was filled with people standing respectfully, half of them men and half of them women.

Jia Qiang supported Lin Ruhai and stood on the dock. She smiled at the carriage with eight treasure hairpins and said: "Aunt Lin, you and your aunt, Baoqin, Chu'er, Xiangling and the others are going to take a look at the surrounding Jing'er and the egrets."

, wild ducks and those birds. I went to the workshop with my uncle and uncle to have a look..."

After the carriage became quiet for a while, a voice came out: "Well, you go about your business, why do you need to tell me?"

Obviously, he was dissatisfied that he could not go together.

Jia Qiang laughed and refused to give in. How can a man spoil a woman?

He replied: "You go first, I will accompany my uncle and uncle around and then I will quickly go to find you!"

Lin Ruhai: "..."

There was a cold snort in the car, but with a slight smile, and several chuckles came out.

When Lin Ruhai heard this, he shook his head helplessly, but there was no dissatisfaction in his eyes when he looked at Jia Qiang.

Jia Qiang's domineering behavior in Yangzhou Mansion was even a bit unscrupulous.

The old fox of the Qi family, even in front of him, the master of the Yangzhou Salt Academy, his momentum was not at a loss.

Indeed, with the experience of being an old friend with the Supreme Emperor, who in the world can treat him casually without any evidence?

However, facing Jia Qiang, the "good minister" appointed by the Supreme Emperor, Qi Taizhong was also afraid of "fighting fire with fire" and gave in three points.

Jia Qiang, a half-grown young man in the eyes of everyone, repeatedly ate meat in front of Qi Taizhong, who was feared by all the salt academy masters...

Such a young man should have disowned all his relatives and be lawless.

He indeed once made such a fuss in the Duke's Mansion...

But in front of the people he cares about, he can behave like a normal young man, being humble and gentle...

This is the best, this is the best...

After Li Jing and a group of athletic women escorted Daiyu and others to view the scenery, Jia Qiang continued to support Lin Ruhai and visit the workshops on the island.

Lin Ruhai thought to herself that she was not a pure Confucian official, but she saw two rows of wooden rails laid in front of the door of a house made of tall boulders. After entering the house, she saw something like a huge door frame standing at the door, and she couldn't help but curiously asked

: "Brother Qiang, these are..."

Jia Qiang smiled and explained: "This is a track. There are special wheels placed on it and pulled by horses. This can greatly increase the transportation capacity and reduce the workload of workers. This one is a gantry crane, and the one above is a pulley.

Using the turntable winch to pull the goods in the warehouse can be more easily transported to the wheeled vehicle. This will improve the efficiency of transportation and prevent the servants from being too tired. The main work on the island is

Technical, not coolie."

When Lin Ruhai heard this, he was amazed and said with a smile: "Although it's still very rough and not as good as a general serving as a prisoner in the imperial court, it's still quite interesting."

Jia Qiang smiled and said: "The great craftsmen in the general prison are all the best craftsmen in the world. How can my small workshop be as good as it is? However, it cannot be matched elsewhere. But in weaving and dyeing, it is hard to say. .”

Lin Ruhai read books thoroughly and knew the principle of "not knowing is not knowing", and he did not try to understand what the top level of a craft was.

Because he knew that it couldn't be explained in a few words.

After Lin Ruhai looked around for a week, he looked at Jia Qiang and said with a smile: "It seems that you are very confident in the weaving and dyeing methods you have discovered, but your aunt also said that the colors of the silk fabrics you asked to bring back to Beijing as gifts for various families are all different. It's brighter and brighter than what's sold on the market. With this, you don't have to worry about what gifts to give to each house after you go back. But this time, it will cost you a lot."

Jia Qiang shook her head and said with a smile: "My own weaving and dyeing is nothing. Besides, the purpose of gold and silver wealth is to use it. If it is left in the warehouse, it is just a pile of useless waste. If I can help my uncle and uncle go to Beijing, Then contact old friends and relatives as soon as possible, even if it costs ten times more, it is still worth it."

Lin Ruhai laughed and cursed when he heard this: "You blatantly asked me to bribe the noble families? Don't you know that the emperor and Ban Shanggong want to take action on them the most?"

Jia Qiang laughed and said: "It's impossible to attack them all, but to attack those powerful families with high positions, wealth and wealth. The remaining empty shells are about to decline or are declining, but the shadow of the ancestors is still there, and there is still some remaining strength. The aristocratic family can be coaxed and used. None of the losers in the Jia family even want to be an official. They only want to enjoy life at home, but they can intervene in the appointment of some officials in the court, relying on some incense left by their ancestors. Favor? Of course, it’s not convenient for my great-uncle to do these things, so it’s up to me.”

Of course Lin Ruhai understands these principles, he is different from Han Bin.

Han Bin came from a truly poor family, and he was able to reach this stage thanks to his innate talent and his pure and strong passion for loyalty and filial piety.

Han Bin also has friends and allies, but most of his allies and friends are just like him.

It is precisely this kind of people who can support Dayan's backbone.

However, even Han Bin himself understood the truth that toughness could not last forever. He was determined to sacrifice his whole life in exchange for the long-term destiny of the country of Yan, and to wipe away the dirt of Shen Ke for the common people of the country.

Therefore, he will not make false sacrifices with any powerful family members.

Be fierce and forthright and move forward indomitably!

Only with such courage can the rotten stench of silence in the officialdom be cleansed away!

Of course, the consequence would be to die with the enemy, and there would be no second outcome.

Lin Ruhai admired him, respected him, and was willing to help him.

But Lin Ruhai can't do what Han Bin is like because he himself is a son of aristocratic family.

He still has concerns in the world. No matter how harsh and straightforward it is to put it, the safety of the country, the country, and the country may not be much more serious than the safety of the Lin family...

Therefore, even if he wanted to maintain the survival of the Lin family, he would not be able to disown all his relatives like Han Bin, and would always choose to live in harmony with others.

It's just as Jia Qiang said, he can't do these things himself, the emperor and Han Bin don't allow it, and he has no biological children...

When Jia Qiang appears at this time, how can she not be valued and liked by him?

but……

"After all, I have wronged you. In order to live a more comfortable life, you don't kneel down with others, and you don't even want to be an official. You wanted to hide behind the scenes and control the situation in order to protect yourself. This is not for you. It’s a difficult thing. I don’t want fate to play tricks on people, and when it comes to this point, I have to let you go out and show your face..."

At this point, Lin Ruhai felt pity for her, but couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It is also interesting to apply "show one's face" to a young man.

Jia Qiang smiled and said: "What I originally thought was indeed too beautiful. How can there be such a comfortable thing in this world? As for whether to kneel or not... How can it be as good as everyone wants, but I want to be clear of guilt! With the promise of the Supreme Emperor, no one except the Lord of Heaven and Earth can be his master.

Who else dares to make me kneel down?"

Lin Ruhai shook his head and said: "It's still a matter of time... Kneel, kneel on the body and kneel in the heart. Kneeling on the body does not matter for a moment, as long as you don't kneel in the heart. In fact, if you really want to be more relaxed, it is better to accept the title than not. Even if you take the test

Foreign officials do not need to kneel when they are elected, but when they meet nobles such as the prince of the clan, the prince of the county, or even the duke of the town and the duke of the state, they still have to kneel as a state ceremony? Instead, the lintel of your family's duke should be included in the clan mansion.

, with the virtue of being a fellow countryman, and with the grace of the Supreme Emperor, you can truly meet noble people without kneeling down."

Hearing this, Jia Qiang nodded slowly and said, "Now, I have no choice but to think about it this way... My aunt, don't worry about me being unhappy. If you try another route, maybe it will be more exciting along the way."

Lin Ruhai said happily: "If you think so, I can go back to Beijing with peace of mind. I just want to remind you that you should pay attention to handling the relationship with Xifu and don't make it too tense. It is not good for anyone to make a fuss. Especially for you.

Old lady from Shangxi Prefecture, I can make some concessions when appropriate. I don’t want you to be wronged. You can take a step forward first and then take a half step back. You can control this yourself."

Jia Qiang nodded thoughtfully...

…

"Brother Qiang is here! Look, what is Sister Lin holding?"

After Jia Qiang finished talking with Lin Ruhai, she saw that he was tired, so she hurriedly helped him to the guest room on the island to rest, while he went to Bailu Lake to find girls.

As soon as she appeared, before she could reach her, Bao Qin's sharp eyes spotted her early, and she waved and cheered happily.

Jia Qiang smiled after hearing this, and walked up to her in a few steps. She saw Daiyu, who was wearing a silver fox light red feather gauze cloak, holding a white puppy without any trace of color in her arms.

Seeing Jia Qiang coming over, although she didn't say anything, in her starry eyes, there was more silence than sound:

I want it!

Jia Qiang hesitated for a moment and said: "This dog is... very unclean. Is there any disease..."

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment suddenly appeared in Daiyu's eyes, but she understood that this was not because Jia Qiang was stingy, but because she was really worried.

Moreover, she had never raised a cat or dog before. Most of the ladies' houses had a few imitating parrots hanging in them, which was a big deal. There was absolutely no chance of cats or dogs appearing.

One is that it smells bad if kept in the house, and the other is that it is worried about hurting people.

But when she saw this cute puppy, Daiyu's heart almost melted.

Seeing her like this, Jia Qiang thought for a while and said: "In this case, I will take two dog slaves back to Beijing this time and let one of them train the puppy in the Lin Mansion. He will bathe it and feed it cooked food every day.

When Miss Qianjin raises it, she will not be afraid of it secretly eating feces and contracting serious diseases. After all, dogs love to eat that..."

Daiyu's face turned dark when she heard this, she silently handed the bag in her hand to Li Jing who was beside her, and then walked towards Jia Qiang.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Jia Qiang turned around and ran away. Daiyu's angry voice came from behind: "Brother Qiang, stop here, I won't spare you today!"

Jia Qiang laughed, but didn't hesitate. It doesn't matter if you have a dog, just don't get too close.

In an era without vaccines, he did not dare to be careless.

Besides, this white dog looks cute, but the dogs on the island are all mountain dogs specially found by the Qi family. They can fight wolves and pigs when they grow up. Without blood improvement, they cannot be raised as pet dogs.
To be continued...