novelden Chapter 325 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 39
Chapter 325 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 39
The Bai family patriarch was granted the title of Marquis of Yuan'an. The Bai family had connections with the Lin family and had raised Lin Yitang and Lin Jingya, so they were specially granted the title of Marquis. However, the title of Marquis of Yuan'an could not be inherited.
Lin Jingya cultivated excellent seedlings. During his tenure as an official, he governed effectively, worked diligently, and was honest and upright. He was a rare talent.
The emperor transferred him to the Ministry of Revenue as the Left Vice Minister, a third-rank official position, and bestowed upon him the title of Marquis Jiayi, a meteoric rise to power.
Lin Jingya established himself in the court through his own abilities. Apart from a few powerful families, no one dared to offend the Lin family. Don't forget the concubines in the Lin family's harem, who raised the emperor's only son.
(The privately established noble titles, from highest to lowest, are: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron)
In Yongning Palace, Lin Yitang reported to the Emperor and the Empress that Qiu Ci had been granted special permission to marry from Yongning Palace, with an additional dowry.
In the main hall, Lian Yun handed over a red veil, which Lin Yitang carefully covered Qiu Ci with.
"A match made in heaven, both talented and beautiful, Qiu Ci, may you two live in harmony and work together for your country." Lin Yitang held Qiu Ci's hand tightly.
"This servant bids farewell to Your Majesty!" Qiu Ci choked with sobs. After getting married, she had already confirmed that she would never return to the palace.
Qiu Ci had many things to say, but in the end she only said this: perhaps staying in the palace would have been better for her future. But she and her lover were childhood sweethearts. If her family hadn't been poor and sold her into the palace, she might have married him long ago.
Lin Yitang lingered in the main hall for a while, and only returned to the inner room after Qiu Ci's sedan chair was out of sight.
As soon as she sat down, Lin Yitang asked, "Qiu Ci isn't serving me, did they send someone else?"
They are referring, of course, to the three women who managed the harem: the Empress, Consort Zhang, and Consort Miao.
“This morning, before dawn, someone came. Huan’er, who serves the Empress, brought a young palace maid. Would Lady Lin like to see her?” Lian Yun explained.
"Hmph! They can't wait!" Lin Yitang sneered. The Empress had been inciting the court officials to take her Zhao Xu away and raise him.
The Emperor was initially quite resolute, saying he would not allow others to support Zhao Xu, but the Cao family of the previous dynasty frequently submitted memorials, and the Emperor was easily swayed. After only half a year of insistence, he began to waver again.
"Chengyue, keep an eye on that person. What do you think of Kexin and Tongxin, the new recruits from Lianyun? Are they any good?"
"Don't worry, Madam Lin. Kexin and Tongxin are both fine for now. It's just that Kexin is a bit too honest. She seems like a good girl, but they've only been here a short time, so I can't make any rash judgments."
She nodded slightly. She understood what Lianyun meant. Then let Kexin take over Qiuci's job. Qiuci was a second-class palace maid, and her work was easy.
"Then let her learn from Cheng Yue!" Lin Yitang said, and Cheng Yue naturally agreed.
……
In the imperial court, Lin Jingya belonged to Han Qi's faction and was suppressed and driven out of Bianjing. Now, only three years later, Lin Jingya has been transferred back to Bianjing by his own ability, leaving his enemies somewhat at a loss.
The promotion was too fast; they thought it would take at least seven or eight years for Han Qi's faction to be transferred back to Bianjing.
Lin Jingya never befriended ministers, maintaining an image of a lone official. The Emperor already admired Lin Jingya; otherwise, how could he have risen from a seventh-rank official to a third-rank official in just five years? Some ministers spend their entire lives trying to reach the third rank. The third rank is the pinnacle for an ordinary official; going higher requires luck.
That day, the court officials were saying that, for the sake of the prince's status, Zhao Xu should be handed over to the empress for upbringing.
Lin Jingya sneered. These ministers have nothing better to do than keep an eye on the Emperor's harem.
He walked directly to the right and shouted, "I have important news to report!"
The Emperor raised his eyes and glanced at Lin Jingya. Could it be that Lin Jingya was going to oppose the Empress raising the prince? Well, Lin was his own sister, and he wasn't going to stand by her side.
"Speak!" came the emperor's authoritative voice.
"The weather is cold. Every time I go out, I think of the people of the world and wish there was a way to help them stay warm during the winter. A few days ago, my wife mentioned that the sheep raised by the Tatars can survive the winter safely."
"I thought about it again. Sheep can survive because they are made entirely of wool. If we could make clothes from sheep wool, that would be wonderful."
"I had an idea and recruited several craftsmen. After a month and a half of experimentation, we finally wove the clothes. Wearing the clothes, you would be drenched in sweat in less than a quarter of an hour. Moreover, wool is considered waste in Tatars and can be bought in piles for five coins."
After Lin Jingya finished speaking, the court fell silent. The Emperor stood up excitedly, his voice tinged with urgency: "Is there such a thing?"
"Put the sample on the carriage!" Lin Jingya replied calmly.
"Good, good, this is great news!" the official laughed.
Before the ministers could react, their political enemies immediately objected: "The Tatars are strong and powerful, and they are unreasonable and domineering. Even if it's trash they don't want, they won't sell it to us."
"This minister is truly ignorant," Lin Jingya said with a mocking smile.
“The Tatars are powerful, but they are short of resources. Every winter they have to come out to burn, kill, and plunder. Wouldn’t it be better to control the Tatars by exchanging goods? After all, not everyone likes war. When one person gets used to stability, one after another will get used to stability. In the long run, how many people will still like war?” Lin Jingya said slowly.
"Hmph, you only think the good side of things. If the Tatars had resources that they could acquire openly and legally, wouldn't they be even stronger? If they then gathered their forces and launched a full-scale attack, how many more people of our Great Song would suffer?" the political enemy retorted.
"Then the Emperor needs to discuss this carefully, and then send out soldiers to severely punish smugglers. List some items that can be exchanged, such as tea, porcelain, and silk, and sell them to the Tatars at a price several times higher. This way, our Great Song Dynasty can not only replenish the national treasury, but also curb the flow of important materials such as iron and salt into the Tatars. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?" Lin Jingya slowly explained this plan.
As soon as Lin Jingya finished speaking, the ministers began to discuss among themselves. Everyone knew that if this matter could be accomplished, it would be a momentous event that would go down in history!
The emperor stroked his beard, completely convinced by Lin Jingya. He glanced at the noisy ministers and gave Zhang Maoze a look.
Zhang Maoze shouted in a low voice, "Silence! Silence!"
"Very well, let Minister Lin submit a memorial on this matter!"
Zhang Maoze received another look and immediately shouted, "Dismiss the court!"