Jia Lian and Jia Rong's faces suddenly turned red at Shi Zhongkui's words.

Half of it is ashamed, and the other half is angry.

The Lai family's garden is valued at 400,000 taels, and together with the Lai family's 170,000 taels of silver, there is at least 100,000 taels, which was obtained through embezzlement in the past year.

In other words, the accumulation of the first two generations of the Lai family over 40 to 50 years was actually only 60,000 to 77,000 taels of silver.

It can be said that the first two generations of heads of the Lai family were indeed loyal.

If Grandma Lai had not died, the Jia family would really have to consider the achievements of the first two generations of the Lai family, and there would still be several generations of people who would have scruples about serving the Jia family.

At least Jia's mother and Jia Zheng would most likely treat Lai's family lightly, spare them, and drive them away instead of ransacking their homes.

Shi Zhongkui thought about it carefully, then suddenly shook his head and asked, "Do you know why Lai Da and Lai Er are so rampant?"

Jia Lian and Jia Rong certainly thought about it, and even the whole family sat in Rongxi Hall all night last night to deal with the Lai family's affairs.

In the end, it was Jia She who said, "Lai Shangrong should not have been given the favor to be returned as a slave in the first place," which was unanimously approved by everyone.

Although the descendants of slaves were freed from slavery, although it was indeed a favor to the Lai family, it also meant that the Jia family restricted Lai Da, and Lai Er had fewer means.

Moreover, the Lai family hopes in their hearts that Lai Da, as a father, and Aunt Lai, as a grandmother, will of course want to leave a better family fortune to their descendants.

When he got rich and felt that his family lacked status, he would naturally want to help Lai Shangrong find an official position.

But the Lai family are just servants, so they can only target the Jia family.

Of course, this also has a lot to do with the fact that the Jia family looks glamorous but is actually in decline, and the fact that Jia Zheng is the head of the family is not justified.

The master is strong and shrewd, and the people below him are naturally honest.

It's a pity that Jia Zheng's fifth-rank official was a gift from the Supreme Emperor. Jia Jing was a Jinshi, but he was forced to become a Taoist priest.

In other words, there is not even a serious official in the Jia family.

There were constant secret fights at home. Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Wang, and Wang Xifeng in the inner house were all trying to get money out of their own pockets. Naturally, the people below followed suit.

And even if Mrs. Wang and others want to make money, they will definitely need help.

After hearing this, Shi Zhongkui smiled and said, "If the upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked, I am talking about your Jia family."

Jia Lian and Jia Rong almost hid their faces in shame and left, but Shi Zhongkui reminded them, "Go back and tell Mr. Zheng now, and write a letter of apology for delaying Concubine Yuan's wedding.

Your Majesty will be happy to see the results. The Emperor is worried about what other nobles will think, so he probably will not punish the Jia family.

But they can only use the excuse of embezzling 100,000 taels of silver from the Jia family to seize the Lai family. At the same time, they will kill the Lai family who built the garden yourself."

Of course, Jia Lian and Jia Rong did whatever Shi Zhongkui said.

Moreover, if Lai's house was confiscated, all the losses would be recovered.

Returning to the Rongguo Mansion, Jia She and Jia Zheng listened to Jia Lian and Jia Rong's replies. They hesitated for a long time at first, but thinking that Shi Zhongkui was smarter than them and there was no reason to harm themselves, they helped him one after another.

In the end, he followed Shi Zhongkui's advice and wrote a letter to accuse him.

After reading the memorial, the emperor smiled and said to Xia Shouzhong, who was waiting on the side, "You can tell at a glance that it was my Liu Yuanlang who came up with the idea, otherwise no one in the Jia family would have such a crooked idea."

He casually threw the memorial on the imperial case, thought for a moment and said to Xia Shouzhong, "I ordered to reprimand Jia Zheng and pardon Jia Zhen. Jia Zhen only covets pleasure, which leads to things that violate ethics in the Jia family."

Then he frowned and asked, "What about Jia Lian and Jia Rong?"

Xia Shouzhong was stunned, and secretly thought that he wanted to use Lai Er to make his mother angry to death, and take the opportunity to help Jia Lian and Jia Rong become the leader?

Without time to think about it, Xia Shouzhong said cautiously, "Your Majesty, Jia Rong can be said to be a complete playboy, but this person is extremely filial, and it can even be said that he is too filial."

The emperor laughed after hearing this, knowing that Xia Shouzhong was talking about Qin Keqing.

After feeling ridiculous, he suddenly picked up a book on the imperial examination table and wanted to smack it on Xia Shouzhong's head.

But out of the corner of his eye he saw "Han Feizi", and he could only put down the book, laughed and cursed, "If you keep talking nonsense, go to the Huanyi Bureau and stay there for three to five months."

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly knelt on the ground and continued, "I heard that Duke Liu Yuan was quite close to Brother Rong of Ningguo Mansion.

As for Jia Lian, since the engagement of the second girl of the Rongguo Mansion to Liu Yuan Gong, he has changed his previous image of a lustful and hungry ghost.

Not only have I become much more honest at home, but I have also become much more cautious in making friends abroad, and I am no longer willing to make friends with everyone."

Xia Shouzhong actually didn't tell the truth. Since Jia Lian and Xue Pan made money from Babao Wine, they went out to drink flower wine every two days.

There is even no brothel or restaurant in the entire capital that they don't know about and haven't been to.

What the emperor was most willing to hear was not whether Jia Lian had become decent or honest, but the last words of "not everyone wants to be friends with".

In the past, the four kings, the Eight Dukes, and Prince Jia Xue supported each other, and even joined forces with each other. The one who had the headache was the emperor.

Now that Jia Lian's attitude and stance have changed drastically because of Shi Zhongkui, the emperor is certainly satisfied.

"It is decreed that Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong will be crowned in the Ningguo Mansion, and Jia Lian will be crowned in the Rongguo Mansion. In view of the merits of the two Ning Rongs, I will grant Jia Lian a special favor, and Jia Rong will not be demoted."

But after he finished speaking, the emperor thought for a moment and then said, "The imperial edict will wait for now. You can go and call my Liu Yuan Lang to study with me."

Xia Shouzhong hurriedly responded, knelt down and took three steps back, and then hurriedly left the palace.

While sitting on the sedan chair, I was thinking about how much money I would need from the Jia family for benefits, and I was thinking that Shi Zhongkui had really figured out the emperor's thoughts.

The first step was to destroy Concubine Yuan's eunuch, and the second step was to publicly say that something had happened to the Jia family, and Concubine Yuan could not return home to visit her relatives.

If it were another dynasty, Shi Zhongkui and the Jia family would definitely be unlucky.

But the result is that the Jia family can be rich and prosperous for decades without being downgraded and inheriting the title.

Shi Zhongkui himself was called by the emperor to accompany him to study.

I said I was reading, but actually I just wanted to hear his opinions.

This treatment is no worse than that of cabinet ministers.

------

When Shi Zhongkui heard that Xia Shouzhong came to his door, he had no choice but to ask someone to help him put on his official robe and followed Xia Shouzhong to the palace.

After entering the palace, he naturally wanted to know from Xia Shouzhong why the emperor was looking for him.

Xia Shouzhong touched the stack of banknotes in his hand and saw that it was five hundred taels. His face lit up and he said, "Your Majesty is dissatisfied with the unethical behavior of a slave in the Jia family who angered his own mother to death.

I plan to let Lian Er and Brother Rong attack the prince, and they will not be demoted.

It's just that although His Majesty has this intention, he must have some concerns in his heart, so we asked our family to invite Duke Liu Yuan to the palace to study with His Majesty."

Shi Zhongkui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and thought that the five hundred taels of silver were worth it.

Otherwise, even if Xia Shouzhong was willing to say it, he would not say it in such detail.

After thinking for a while, he sent another five hundred taels of silver note over, "Why hasn't there been any news from the saint recently?"

Xia Shouzhong was startled and looked around, but his hand took the bank note without any delay.

Seeing that there was no one around for dozens of meters, he lowered his head and whispered as he walked, "I heard that the saint is worried about the health of old concubine Zhen, but he cannot pray for the old concubine with the dignity of a saint.

I had no choice but to order several heavenly masters to preside over the prayers while I fasted in the palace."

Shi Zhongkui didn't believe in the idea of ​​"fasting in the palace" at all. Needless to say, the Supreme Emperor must have become obsessed with Taoism recently.

Then he thought that it was no wonder that so many things had happened to the Jia family recently, but there was no response from the Dragon Head Palace.

It is no wonder that the emperor changed his previous cautious approach and actually went beyond the Supreme Emperor and intervened in the succession of the Jia family title.

However, inheriting the title without being downgraded can indeed win over the nobles from various families and reassure them.

After all, when Lai Er was angry with his mother to death, the Jia family did lack discipline and failed to educate their servants.

Furthermore, Yuanchun was unable to return home to visit his relatives, so it would be a serious sin to really care about him.

Now that Jia She's title has not been taken away, and his title has not been demoted to his legitimate son Jia Lian, it is a gift to the entire Jia family.

Of course, Shi Zhongkui was also sure that the emperor would not seize the title of Rongguofu.

The emperor punished the Jia family by beating Jia She and Jia Zhen, who had always had an ambiguous attitude and was more interested in leaning towards the Supreme Emperor.

Using Jia Lian and Jia Rong to win over the rest of the Jia family, he also wanted to show favor to the entire noble class. It can be said that he killed three birds with one stone.

If the emperor still intends to take advantage of the plague that broke out in the grassland last winter, and when the snow melts in the spring this year, the grassland tribes will definitely move south to fight a victorious battle, which will indeed consolidate his power.

However, the emperor thought well, but he ignored the sinister and vicious nature of people's hearts.

In terms of military power, it has always been the emperor's weakest link.

At least 7 or 8 of the generals in charge of the army are members of the Supreme Emperor. Aren't these people worried that the emperor will replace them after he truly takes power?

Once there is such concern, it is possible to let the grassland army enter the customs.

If someone were to intimidate the capital, or even attack the city, it would not be impossible for the Supreme Emperor to regain power and rule.

After the emperor heard Shi Zhongkui's worries, his face turned red within a few seconds.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingers turned white and veins popped out on the back of his hands.

After a while, I suppressed my anger, took several deep breaths, and my expression gradually became normal.

But the coldness in his eyes made even Shi Zhongkui feel a little hairy.

The supremacy of imperial power is not just for fun.

Even if modern people say they despise authority, those who dare to talk nonsense when facing powerful people are either madmen or fools.
To be continued...