The first thousand and forty-four chapters are unprecedented
Being far stronger than other grain merchants is the only reason why Zhili Grain Company can stabilize grain prices and push grain prices in Zhili Fourth Road in the direction the empire wants to see!
They have more food reserves than you, and they also have more cash than you do. What can you do?
Even if the Zhili Grain Company uses commercial methods openly, other grain merchants cannot play with it.
The success of the Zhili Grain Company also directly promoted the establishment of the Datang Grain Corporation and the establishment of the provincial grain companies under its jurisdiction. The Tang Dynasty was about to usher in an era when the government directly controlled grain prices, and it was still in a certain way.
Operations should be carried out using mild business methods rather than simple and crude administrative orders.
Regarding this situation, Li Xuan also breathed a sigh of relief. When he promoted the establishment of a grain company, to be honest, he was still a little worried. The methods he adopted were actually some imitated measures. Of course, the specific details were different.
The same, but essentially the same, which is to directly use the strong power of the country to maintain price stability, especially the crucial food price, while maintaining market freedom as much as possible.
In later generations, China is definitely the leader of all countries in the world in this regard. Regardless of various economic crises and housing prices rising to the sky, the prices of basic living supplies remain stable, even if there are inevitable increases.
, but the level of increase is also in line with the overall economic development.
And more importantly, while maintaining food price stability, the authorities did not take some coercive or excessive measures, but adopted market measures.
Li Xuan originally thought that it would be difficult to replicate such a policy in the Tang Dynasty. After all, the economic system of the Tang Dynasty was far from as complete as that of later modern countries. It would be very difficult to rely solely on commercial means to maintain price stability.
difficulty.
However, he was very satisfied with the performance of Datang Grain Corporation.
Datang Grain Corporation performed well and played its intended role, so Li Xuan did not need to take some mandatory administrative measures to stabilize prices.
Although the effects of compulsory administrative measures are equally outstanding, they are a double-edged sword for the empire itself, and have a certain negative impact on the current industrial and commercial development promoted by the Tang Empire.
Li Xuan, who was in a good mood, promoted several officials responsible for this aspect of affairs after the Lantern Festival. The director of the Agricultural Products Department of the Ministry of State-owned Enterprises, who was specifically responsible for the affairs, would be outsourced after a while if nothing else happened.
On earth, he served as chief envoy of a certain province.
After putting aside the food issue, Li Xuan once again shifted the focus of his work from domestic affairs to military affairs.
In recent months, although Li Xuan has maintained his attention on military issues, he only listened to the briefings and basically did not interfere too much in the work of the army and navy generals.
However, now that the Liaodong Campaign has reached a critical moment, and the preliminary work of the Nanyang Strategy has also begun, it is necessary for Li Xuan to pay personal attention.
To this end, he convened an enlarged military meeting in front of the emperor in the late first month of the first lunar month, in which senior generals from the army, navy, Guards, and Datang armies gathered together.
Many senior generals, dressed in general uniforms, entered the largest and most important conference room in the royal courtyard one after another. This huge conference room was different from ordinary halls. It was a room with an area of more than two hundred meters.
There is a huge rectangular table in the middle of the square-meter conference room, and more than thirty chairs are placed around the rectangular table.
However, there is no chair directly in front of the rectangular table, because there is an independent office chair in front, which is Li Xuan's special seat.
On both sides, there are about a dozen chairs placed with their backs against the walls and huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows. These chairs are for those who are observing the meeting.
The windows in the conference room are not narrow windows or traditional Chinese sliding doors, but large glass windows. Almost two-thirds of the entire wall is covered with glass windows.
These glasses are architectural glass produced by the glass company invested by the Royal Assets Division. Although limited by technology, each piece of glass is not large, but when put together with a frame, it is still possible to make such large-area glass windows.
of effect.
Large expanses of glass windows meant that even if it was a bit dark today, the conference room would still be extremely bright without the need to light a large number of candles.
These senior generals entered the conference room one after another, and then began to talk in twos and threes, and many of them had serious expressions. When talking to each other, they did not forget to cast hostile looks at the generals of other military services.
When everyone was talking, there were also clear circles. There were many generals from the army, more than twenty, occupying a large space. A dozen people from the navy chose to sit by the window, while the generals from the Guards
At least, there were only four people, and they stood aside muttering something. There were also observers from the Hanlin Academy, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of the Navy scattered around.
The people from each organization were clearly divided, and no one tried to talk to people from other organizations, because everyone present knew the importance of today's meeting, and the various factions present were all enemies of each other.
Even if they are not enemies, they still have conflicts of interest.
But today, they all represent their respective institutions, factions, and personal relationships, which are worthless in today's situation.
For example, Lieutenant General Lei Wan actually has a good personal relationship with Vice Admiral Song Binglin, the chief of the Naval Staff and the former commander of the Second Fleet, and they have even agreed to become his children's in-laws.
But today, it was as if the two of them didn't know each other. After entering this conference room, they didn't even talk to each other, and they didn't even nod to each other.
A personal relationship is a personal relationship, but wait a minute, the two sides may be facing each other, each competing for interests on behalf of the Navy and Army, and the losing side will probably not be in a good situation, at least within the military service, there will definitely be dissatisfaction.
Why do these people look so serious and guarded?
That's because the military budget for the eight years of Xuanping has not yet been finalized. Although a meeting was held at the end of last year when the fiscal budget for the eight years of Xuanping was formulated, at that time, the Holy Emperor only allocated part of the military expenditures.
However, about one-third of the military expenditure has been withheld and has not been distributed.
Today, a very important topic is to discuss the distribution of the remaining one-third of military spending.
How to distribute it is a big problem.
It is not only an issue of military expenditure, but also involves the future development direction of the Tang Empire's military strategy.
As the Liaodong Campaign progresses, even though the Liaodong Campaign is still ongoing, everyone knows that it is only a matter of time to capture Liaodong, and it is estimated that it will not take long, ranging from two to three months to a year and a half.
, Liaodong side can probably be won.
And next, what will happen to the huge military power of the Tang Empire?
Horses roaming Nanshan, doing nothing?
Impossible, this is an army that costs more than 20 million taels of silver every year. If you don't fight, it will be a loss!
Moreover, many senior generals knew that the Holy Emperor, the Eternal Holy King, was a man with huge ambitions. This ambition could even be said to be unprecedented and unprecedented.
The Holy Emperor wants to conquer the world!
But how to conquer it specifically, where to fight first? How to fight?
This will not only affect the future empire's strategy, but also affect the distribution of interests among the military services.
Attacking Nanyang first is good. The navy will be happy. Attacking Nanyang means expanding the fleet and the marines, which will increase military expenditures, but the army will not be happy.
If we attack the north, where the Tatars are the main force, the army will definitely be applauding and celebrating. If we attack the north, the army will definitely expand its army and prepare more cavalry, but the navy will be very disappointed.
Because military spending is limited, if the Army gets too much, the Navy gets too little!
In addition to military expenditures, another very important point is that war means military exploits, and military exploits means promotion and title. Even if it is not for oneself to seek promotion and title, there are a lot of soldiers waiting for promotion and wealth.
As a military leader, if you don't strive for promotion opportunities for your subordinates, you will become a Mao boss. Retire as soon as possible and go home to have your baby!
The generals of the army and navy are tit for tat, but the Guards are as stable as a mountain. The funding for the Guards does not come from military expenses, but directly from the royal family's funds. It was determined at the end of last year.
Besides, the great Eternal Saint King, who is greater than the sun, even if he abolishes the army and navy, he will not lose a copper coin from the Guards!
If nothing else, just because their name is "Guards".
Several officials in the Hanlin Academy, such as Li Daobing, the leader of Hantong, who came to listen as usual, the chief of the Army Section, the Chief of the Navy Section, and the cabinet ministers of the Army Department, the Navy Department, etc., were all sitting separately. , and didn’t say anything, anyway, they were just here today to listen, um, no, they were just watching the show by the way.
What show to watch? Naturally, it’s to watch the army and navy engage in a strategic battle!
This kind of scene can usually only be seen at the end of the year or the beginning of the year, because the end of the year or the beginning of the year is the time for allocating military expenditures. The army and navy will stage a big show of rivalry every year. If it gets too big, sometimes it will even lead to full-scale military action.
So today, all the generals who came to the meeting, regardless of the army, navy or Guards, were not allowed to carry sabers, um, crutches, walking sticks and the like.
Well, there is a new rule this year. Before entering the venue, there cannot be any metal belt buckles on the belt!
Because in the middle of last year, during a joint meeting between the Army and the Navy, a colonel and senior operational staff officer of the Operations Department of the Army Privy Council was so angry by the Navy generals that he untied his belt and whipped him on the spot. As a result, he was severely beaten. The person who suffered minor injuries and hit someone was fined one year's salary.
It can be seen from this that in official affairs, the army and navy are already in a state of incompatibility!
When the scheduled time arrived, everyone who was supposed to come arrived. It didn't take long for an official from the Secretariat to walk into the conference room with brisk steps, and then whispered to the many big guys in the conference room: "Everyone. Sir, the Holy Driver is coming soon!"
At this time, the many generals in the conference room stood in a predetermined order.
As soon as they stood up, they heard someone at the door singing: "Your Majesty is here!"