After Xu Guan, the left minister of the Ministry of War, returned to the headquarters of the Ministry of War, he informed the Minister of War, Li Huan, of the request of Zhao Yuanzuo, King of Nanliang.
As soon as the 130,000 sets of weapons and equipment were mentioned, the stubborn old man Li Huan, Minister of the Ministry of War, couldn't help but fall silent.
After all, this incident started because of him. If he had not personally gone to Chui Gong Hall and asked the Emperor of Wei to intervene, the relationship between the Ministry of War and the Smelting Bureau would not be in the current situation.
But the problem is that Li Huan had to leave at that time. After all, in his opinion, if he had turned a blind eye to the Smelting Bureau that had developed a new process, the smelting situation would gradually occupy the resources that belonged to the Bingzhu Bureau and eventually replace Bingzhu.
Bureau.
But having said that, Li Huan actually did not ask for new technology from the Smelting Bureau at that time. He just hoped that the Bingzhu Bureau could maintain its current situation. But to his surprise, Emperor Wei not only protected the Bingzhu Bureau, but even
, forcibly ordered the Smelting Bureau to teach the new technology to the Bingzhu Bureau.
This move made many officials in the Ministry of War greatly relieved. After all, Emperor Wei's move meant that His Majesty still valued the Bing Zhu Bureau.
However, no one expected that the reaction from the Smelting Bureau would be so great, and His Highness Prince Su quit the military casting industry without saying a word.
This made Li Huan have other thoughts.
He had some doubts: Emperor Wei, are you really helping the military department?
No one in Li Huan dared to reveal this speculation. After all, once such a thing was leaked, it would be despised by the government and the public: Your Majesty has protected your military department to this extent, what else do you, Li Huan, want?
I believe that most people will have this idea.
However, in Li Huan's view, Emperor Wei's "action" of "helping" the Ministry of War was a bit too big, and it was obvious that it touched the back of His Highness Prince Su.
The new technology that had been developed so hard within the bureau had to be handed over to another department for no reason. His Royal Highness Prince Su and the people from the Smelting and Manufacturing Bureau were furious. This is reasonable. After all, even if this kind of thing falls to their Ministry of War
I'm afraid the reaction will be the same in my body.
But the question is, is Emperor Wei really willing to anger His Highness King Su just to help the Ministry of War, or is there... something hidden behind it?
If there is something else hidden...that would be very bad.
Recalling that in Chui Gong Hall, Emperor Wei comforted himself with a smile, Li Huan sighed secretly.
He has been in contact with this scheming emperor for more than ten years. He has a general understanding of his majesty's character. Therefore, he cannot believe that his majesty would go to such an extent in order to protect his military department.
Do you want to test it out?
Li Huan stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Yes, there is a way to test Emperor Wei's true intentions.
After pondering for a while, Li Huan went to Chuigong Hall in person again.
When Li Huan came to the Chui Gong Hall in the palace, Emperor Wei was, as always, reviewing seals and seals with three ministers in the palace.
"Your Majesty, Lord Li (Wan), Minister of War, would like to see you."
A young eunuch reported to Emperor Wei.
…
Emperor Wei was stunned for a moment. Then a faint smile appeared on his face: "He is declared to be in the palace."
"yes."
Not long after, Li Huan stepped into the palace, kowtowed to the ground and said: "Your Majesty, Li Huan, I kowtow to you."
Emperor Wei put down the brush in his hand and asked with a strange smile: "Li Aiqing, could it be that that scoundrel Hongrun has caused some trouble for me again?"
"Ah?" Li Huan felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, and quickly told the truth: "I am not here for His Highness King Su, but for the new army of King Nanliang..."
"The new army." Emperor Wei pondered for a while and asked, "Is there any problem?"
"Reporting to your majesty, Mr. Xu Guan, the left minister of our Ministry of War, has led the King of Nanliang to the Yushui military camp outside the city half a day ago..." Li Huan told Emperor Wei of the arrangements of the Ministry of War in detail, and Emperor Wei nodded repeatedly.
.
"Isn't this a good arrangement?"
"Having said that." Li Huan paused and said hesitantly: "But the King of Nanliang asked our Ministry of War to deliver the weapons and equipment of the 50,000 new troops as soon as possible..."
A smile flashed in Emperor Wei's eyes, and he said calmly: "This request is reasonable, and I will not deny it."
It’s not a question of whether Your Majesty allows it or not...
Li Huan smiled bitterly in his heart and said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, I also know that the request of the King of Nanliang is reasonable, but it is only six months before the end of the year, and I want to deliver it to the King of Nanliang within these six months.
For 50,000 sets of weapons and equipment, the Military Casting Bureau must work day and night... But as a result, the replacement of equipment for the Sixth Battalion of the garrison may be delayed..."
At this point, he cupped his hands and begged bravely: "I believe that due to the situation of military construction, it will be difficult to complete 130,000 sets of equipment before the end of the year. Therefore, I boldly ask your Majesty to provide funds within a time limit..."
Is this old boy... testing me?
Emperor Wei looked at Li Huan's expression carefully, and after thinking for a moment, he said calmly: "Well... it is indeed a bit difficult to forge thirteen sets of weapons and equipment in half a year... Let's do this, King of Nanliang
The equipment of the new army cannot be delayed. As for the sixth garrison battalion, Li Aiqing might as well send someone to inform the generals that there is nothing wrong with delaying it until next year."
Your Majesty, did you agree?
Li Huan was very surprised when he heard this. After all, Emperor Wei's relenting meant that Emperor Wei was indeed on the side of their military department.
However, when Li Huan thought about it carefully, he felt something was wrong.
The Ministry of War sent people to negotiate with the generals stationed in the sixth battalion? If that was the case, then those generals would not have sent people to overthrow the headquarters compound of their Ministry of War?
This doesn’t change anything at all!
Gritting his teeth secretly, Li Huan had no choice but to bite the bullet and said again: "Your Majesty is generous, but I feel that this move may not be appropriate."
"Huh? Isn't this Li Aiqing's request? Why does Li Aiqing think it's inappropriate again?" Emperor Wei looked at Li Huan with a half-smile, and said with a smile: "Li Aiqing, what do you want?"
What do you want? After hearing this sentence, even though Emperor Wei's tone was very calm, it was like thunder in Li Wan's ears, causing him to kneel to the ground subconsciously.
Gritting his teeth, he begged: "I...I beg your Majesty to ask the Smelting Bureau to come forward to help."
This old boy...
Emperor Wei secretly snorted, but with a troubled look on his face, he frowned and said: "I'm afraid this won't be easy to handle... A few days ago, I asked Hongrun's Smelting Bureau to hand over new technology to your Ministry of War.
And reprimanded him severely... This bad boy has such a bad temper. He has always been...
Therefore, if one's own things are not good, one always cares about other people's... But having said that, a few days ago, at Li Aiqing's request, I ordered the Metallurgical Bureau to withdraw from this matter. However, today Li Aiqing came to implore me again, hoping that the Metallurgical Bureau would come forward.
Xiangbang...Li Aiqing, are you teasing me?"
"I...I don't dare!" Li Huan kowtowed to the ground and said quickly: "It's just that I didn't think carefully at the time." After that, he hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and said: "I was confused at the time and mistakenly thought that I was serious.
His Royal Highness wants to seize the power of our army, so... I am guilty!"
…
Emperor Wei looked at Li Huan indifferently, and after a while he said calmly: "The cause of this matter is Hongrun, so I don't blame you... However, Hongrun's personality is similar to mine. Once he makes a decision, he will
It won't change overnight... Do you understand?"
"I understand..." Li Huan felt very complicated.
After all, Emperor Wei's words imply that since he stopped the Smelting Bureau from seizing the power of the Weapon Casting Bureau, he will not order the Smelting Bureau to intervene in this matter again. Changing orders every day is a taboo for any king.
Does this mean that Emperor Wei is on the side of the Ministry of War?
Li Huan couldn't tell, because Emperor Wei's attitude made him unpredictable.
But it is undeniable that Emperor Wei has already said this, and Li Huan has no face to plead anymore.
As for the purpose of this trip to test Emperor Wei's true intentions, it also failed.
Emperor Wei's attitude made Li Huan unpredictable.
"Is there anything else, Li Aiqing?"
Li Huan shook his head. He soon came to his senses, bowed and said, "I have nothing to report, so I will retire."
"Hmm."
Emperor Wei nodded and watched Li Huan leave Chui Gong Hall.
Hey! This old boy is quite cunning... Are you testing me?
Emperor Wei had a faint smile on his lips and asked lightly: "Tong Xian, what is that scoundrel Hongrun doing recently?"
The great eunuch Tong Xian was a confidant of Emperor Wei and knew many secrets that others did not know. No, when he heard this, he whispered with a strange expression: "I heard that His Majesty, Prince Su, recently intervened in his gambling game between the Smelting Bureau and the Bingzhu Bureau.
, I lost my temper, so I don’t go out much recently.
In addition to visiting Prince Li, the Metallurgical Bureau would visit Prince Su's Mansion or go to a waterside pavilion... In addition, the people of the Metallurgical Bureau were also full of resentment towards the Military Casting Bureau and the Ministry of War. No, the Secretary of the Metallurgical Bureau
A wooden sign was also hung outside, informing the Ministry of War and dogs not to enter."
The Ministry of War and dogs are not allowed inside? Ha!
Emperor Wei shook his head in joy, and then asked thoughtfully: "Is the crowd angry?"
"Yes." Tong Xian lowered his head and said in a low voice: "I heard that Li Jin, the former Prime Minister of the Japanese Military Casting Bureau, asked to see His Royal Highness Prince Su, but not only did he not meet His Royal Highness, he was also kicked out by Wang Fu, the Prime Minister of the Smelting Bureau.
…”
That bad boy, have you guessed it? Or should I say, it's Lao Liu...
Emperor Wei frowned slightly, maybe because he felt that there was a big difference between the truth he understood personally and the truth told by others.
Not to mention the Chui Gong Hall, let's say that Li Huan returned to the headquarters of the Ministry of War in confusion and met Xu Guan, the left minister who had been waiting for a long time.
"What did your Majesty say?" Xu Guan asked anxiously.
Li Huan shook his head, frowned and said, "Your Majesty said that he protected our Ministry of War once and would not do it a second time." With that, he told Xu Guan the conversation he had with Emperor Wei in Chui Gong Hall.
After hearing this, Xu Guan said thoughtfully: "Your Majesty, does it mean that the Ministry of War should resolve the conflict with His Highness King Su on its own?"
"I'm afraid that's the case." Li Huan nodded and said with a heavy heart: "It seems that I have to go to the Smelting Bureau in person tomorrow."
After hearing this, Xu Guan looked strange and said: "Negotiate with His Highness Prince Su? I'm afraid the result will not be satisfactory."
"..."
Li Huan remained silent.
He has dealt with King Su Zhao Hongrun many times, how could he not know this truth?
But the problem is that only the Manufacturing Bureau has the ability to resolve the current embarrassing situation of the Ministry of War.
Of course, the premise is that the Ministry of War must pay a sufficient price.
It was enough to make King Su forget the huge price of resentment in his heart.