"Wen Ruo, Ziying has come to the Ministry of War?" Hou Xun sat across from Yang Sichang casually, "I think he just came out of your place and went to the Minister's place."
"Well, Ziying is really worried about her life. She has become the Prime Minister of Shuntian, but she is still concerned about military and national affairs." Yang Sichang said calmly.
"Hey, your tone is wrong." Hou Xun and Yang Sichang have been friends for many years, so they naturally didn't care and joked with a smile: "Why, are you jealous?"
"Well, to be honest, a little bit, this guy is obviously a second-grade Jinshi, and now he is promoted faster than Jun Yu, the top scholar, and a fourth-grade official, Ruogu, do you think there is a precedent for this in the Zhou Dynasty?
Huh? I can’t help but make people jealous.”
Yang Sichang said angrily: "The key is that this guy doesn't think he is very good. It seems to be a matter of course. He was here just now, and I was lecturing him, saying you are content. Look at Jun Yu and me, and
It’s so long that I’m so envious that I’m almost drooling. If you’re showing off like this, I’m going to kick people out.”
Hou Xun laughed loudly, "Well, we should have dealt with this kid like this a long time ago. Don't you just get an advantage and act like a good boy. Don't you see that a bunch of classmates in the same year are still struggling?"
"Isn't that what it is? You have to take everyone's emotions into consideration, right?" Yang Sichang curled his lips, "He came to our Ministry of War to do business, and he was so grand. If he didn't train him properly, he really thought that the Ministry of War was run by his family.
"
"Well trained, so that this kid won't be arrogant." Hou Xun said with a smile: "By the way, not to mention, Jun Yong is also watching the politics of the Ministry of War. I heard that he wants to go to Zunhua to check the situation of the Ordnance Bureau's workshop. Sir, Mr.
They all agreed, it’s probably Ziying who came up with the idea for his brother-in-law.”
"Well. Just now he came and talked about the issue of the Ordnance Bureau's workshop, but he didn't say much. He probably wanted to find some advice from the two ministers. Is he trying to cheer for those Shanxi merchants?"
Yang Sichang's face turned gloomy, "I reminded him to pay attention to his identity. You are no longer a martial arts disciple, you are a scholar and civil servant. Don't get too involved with those businessmen, or you will humiliate your identity."
Hou Xun hesitated for a moment, "But the Ordnance Bureau's workshop is indeed somewhat unsustainable. We are weak, and the Household Department is cleaning it up. This kind of workshop that wastes money but is unpopular will definitely not be replaced by the Household Department in the next step."
The Ministry of War will allocate more money. Your Ministry of War will certainly not be able to afford it yourself. I think it is a good thing to find a suitable opportunity to dispose of it. Let those businessmen manage it. Your Ministry of War only serves as an orderer to set requirements on cost, quality, and standards. Why not?
Not for it?"
Hou Xun is in the Ministry of Revenue and is well aware of the current difficulties in the Ministry of Revenue. Huang Ruliang's face is ashen every day in the public house, and he treats everyone he sees as if he owes him thousands of taels of silver.
The foreign ministers were all as silent as a cicada, and the officials were even more like mice meeting cats.
These new officials in the Ministry of Household Affairs naturally kept their tails between their legs, fearing that Lord Shangshu's evil anger would come to them. Fortunately, Huang Ruliang did not target young people like them.
Yang Sichang was silent. Of course he understood this. The Zunhua Iron Factory of the Ministry of Industry and the Ordnance Bureau Workshop of the Ministry of War were both connected together. The Ministry of Industry was also considering handing it over to businessmen to run it, but the Ministry of Industry wanted to
Retain part of the equity, and the Ordnance Bureau Workshop is expected to follow suit.
Glancing at his friend, Yang Sichang suddenly asked: "Ruogu, Ziying has come to see you too?"
Hou Xun was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "Why did he come to me? Who am I? How can I be qualified to ask about such things? But you also know how influential Shanshan businessmen are. They found Mr. Cui through various channels.
Mr. Cui was quite moved, and probably asked Ziying to inquire. I met him, and Ziying also talked to me for a while. "
"Then what do you think?" Yang Sichang was very depressed. Feng Ziying was so pervasive that she could get involved in everything and gained the trust of her superiors. Even if she wanted to compete, she felt she lacked the confidence.
, it seems that this guy is really going to secure the top position of Jinshi in this subject in the fifth year of Yonglong.
"I think it's okay. Businessmen who value profits will definitely strengthen management. In fact, we all know that whether it is the Zunhua Iron Factory or the Ordnance Bureau's workshop, such good conditions have been tortured by a group of people, and what is inside is rotten.
In this way, it is conceivable that the imperial court retains part of the shares. If it is managed by these businessmen, the imperial court can also share the dividends, and at the same time it can supervise the ironworks and workshops to prevent the goods from being exported outside the customs without control, killing two birds with one stone."
Hou Xun's words are not unreasonable, but Yang Sichang does not think that it can be settled once and for all. "If the court officials go to supervise and are bribed by those businessmen, they can also control them. Making profits can also be said to be a loss-making business, and they can also be sold outside the customs."
When it comes to selling to Nanyang, the key is people."
"Wen Ruo, if you want to say that, then anything is possible. We can only say that we should avoid these disadvantages as much as possible and leave it to the officials and censors to play their role. For example, ironworks and workshop supervisors can be handed over to
Let them do the work, lest they look displeased and suspicious of everyone, and the censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate will come to supervise them."
Hou Xun is very tolerant.
Yang Sichang sighed, "That's all it can do. Lord Shangshu can't stand Ziying's sharp tongue. He will definitely be convinced by him."
"It's not a bad thing to be weak. The imperial court only needs to maintain control and supervision. As for making a profit, the imperial court didn't expect this profit at first. It paid more attention to the guarantee of the cost of military weapons." Hou Xun also persuaded: "Ziying came here.
Is that why you are doing this? You are in the Martial Arts Department, so this has nothing to do with you, right?"
"I hope so." Yang Sichang didn't want to talk more about this topic. "Ziying also came to ask about the promotion and adjustment situation of the personnel in Jingying and Datong Town. Their Feng family started in Datong, so they probably wanted to care.
Just give it a try."
"Oh?" Hou Xun didn't care, "Recently, your Military Selection Department has been making intensive adjustments to Jingying, Datong, Xuanfu, and Jizhen?"
"The Beijing camp will definitely need major adjustments, and the army will almost be reorganized. Datong, Xuanfu and Jizhen are also necessary, but we can't talk about major movements." Yang Sichang rubbed his chin, "Datong Town is also necessary.
There are just some sporadic adjustments, including the promotion of a deputy general, and some adjustments to staff generals and guerrillas."
"Zi Ying asked so detailed questions? Why, is it related to the Feng family?" Hou Xun was a little puzzled. The reasoning was specific to individuals. Unless they were close relatives, they would not care so much.
"I'm not sure. You all know about the capital camp. They mainly adhere to the emperor's wishes. The other ones are Datong and Ji Town. Sun Shaozu, the new deputy commander of Datong Town, is said to be a fierce general and has a good reputation in the border areas. But
There were many people who filed lawsuits against him, including General Shi Nai. However, Shi Nai had gone from the Governor's Mansion of the Hou Army half a year earlier. A Wu Xun who had been hanging around in the Governor's Mansion of the Hou Army for many years and had never been out.
It is said that he followed the path of King Shou..."
There was a lot of disdain in Yang Sichang's words, "After all, the Feng family was also born in martial arts, and it is inevitable that they are related to these martial arts. He was probably entrusted by his father to inquire about it. You Shigong, the commander-in-chief of Jizhen, is his father's old subordinate.
, Ji Town also has some adjustments.”
Hou Xun felt that it was not that simple. With Feng Ziying's current status, there was no need to bother Zhou Zhang so much to inquire about the promotion of several generals? But as for what is involved here, it seems impossible to tell.
While Yang Sichang and Hou Xun were wondering about Feng Ziying's intentions, Feng Ziying had already discussed matters related to the Zunhua Ordnance Bureau's workshop with Zhang Huaichang and Xu Dahua.
Last year, the Ministry of Household Affairs allocated 900,000 taels for the Ordnance Bureau's workshop, but the quality of the guns and cannons they produced was unsatisfactory.
But this year, the towns in the west will be abolished and downsized, and they will no longer be equipped to purchase these "advanced weapons" firecrackers and artillery. However, the other border towns are all knowledgeable and probably will not accept it.
Therefore, the batch of guns produced this year can only be used in Jingxiang Town and Huaiyang Town.
It is estimated that the quarrel will be overwhelming again, and Jingxiang Town and Huaiyang Town will definitely not be willing to do so, but in this situation, either hold it, or wait, and the wait will take until the monkey years and months, so it is another endless quarrel.
of bad debts.
"Master Zhang, Master Xu, you two must know better than me the situation in the Zunhua Ordnance Bureau's workshop. The purpose of the Shanshan and Shaanxi merchants is also very simple. They hope that the steel and iron materials produced by the Zunhua Iron Works will be stable again."
The Ordnance Bureau Workshop has always been a big user of Zunhua Iron Works, and they hope to continue. However, the situation of the Ordnance Bureau Workshop in the first half of this year is not optimistic. It is estimated that they will have to negotiate with Jingxiang Town and Xinhua Iron Works.
The establishment of Huaiyang Town was a mess."
Feng Ziying just wanted to connect and build a bridge. Of course, Zunhua's side has the most mature conditions and can quickly form production capabilities. The Ministry of Industry has basically reached an agreement, but the Ministry of War has more interests involved, so there will definitely be some games.
Zhang Huaichang's attitude is much simpler. It is impossible for the Ministry of War to invest any more in this, especially when the Ministry of Household Affairs has made its attitude clear. Then there is no problem in handing over the management rights and part of the equity to the businessmen, but the price must be negotiated. This is also
This can be regarded as recouping part of the losses for the Ministry of War.
Xu Dahua's thoughts were more complicated. The Zunhua Workshop of the Ordnance Bureau was originally the most important asset of the Ministry of War. Now he suddenly wanted to sell it. Although he knew that it was rotten inside and he might not be able to get it when he came here, but he handed it over like this.
He was really unwilling to do so, but firstly, Zhang Huaichang had a clear attitude. Secondly, if he did not pay, the Ministry of Household Affairs would be deprived of food, and the Ministry of War would not be able to bear it at all. Therefore, he must pay it, but he still had to figure out how to calculate it.
He has seen Feng Ziying's methods, and he is very closely entangled with Shanxi businessmen. I'm afraid there are still some disputes here. This guy is not afraid of the censors' attacks. Of course, this guy has a good benefactor - Qiao Yingjia.