Chapter 4983: Counterattack
Fang Jun's face remained as usual and he said confidently: "Your Majesty clearly understands that I agree very much with the assignment of 'Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi' to allow more talented ministers to work together on state affairs. But Su Dingfang is the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. , is stationed in Huating Town, far away from the Central Government. Not only does he have a poor understanding of the Central Government's national policies, but it is also inconvenient to communicate with him. He should not appear on this list. ”
His words were calm and his expression was calm, but anyone could hear the dissatisfaction in it.
You are the emperor. If you want to remove me from my position as prime minister, I have nothing to say. But if you want to promote my subordinates to appease my emotions, there is no need for you.
There was silence in the hall. Everyone was silent and pursed their lips to control their bodies. If they couldn't help but cough at this time, they might become the target of public criticism...
Everyone knew that there was a gap in the relationship between His Majesty and Fang Jun, and that they were no longer as close as before, but they did not expect that it had intensified to such an extent. His Majesty suddenly revoked the powers of the ministers and assistants, and Fang Jun even expressed his dissatisfaction in public.
Li Chengqian's expression remained unchanged, he picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea. This scene was already expected, and Liu Ji stepped forward to deal with Fang Jun's anger.
Liu Ji straightened his back and said: "The words of the Taiwei are wrong. The land territory of the empire is vast, and the sea territory is even more vast. With the prosperity of maritime trade and the growth of the navy, the weight of the sea territory has become more and more prominent, but above the court, There are only a few ministers who are familiar with maritime affairs, so people like Su Dingfang, who travel to the sea all year round and manage maritime trade, are naturally needed to consult and counsel.”
After a pause, he looked directly at Fang Jun and said with a smile: "The mission given to Su Dingfang to 'Pingzhangshi' is out of caution and thoroughness in state affairs. There is no personal reason. The Taiwei probably misunderstood."
Do you think that because your status as prime minister and assistant was revoked, Su Dingfang was promoted to appease your emotions? Haha, you are thinking too much.
The words contained a strong sense of sarcasm.
The strength of the military caused His Majesty to have a strong sense of crisis, and he had to fully support the civilian officials to confront it. With His Majesty's support, what did he have to fear?
Especially after eliminating the power of the prime minister and assistants, he, Zhongshu Ling, is truly the head of the prime ministers and assistants. The prime minister who does his duty will naturally repay His Majesty with a tough attitude - you are right to support me.
Do Li Ji and Fang Jun still dare to rebel?
Fang Jun glanced at Liu Ji indifferently, pondered for a moment, and said: "In that case, why not remove Su Dingfang from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy and transfer him back to Chang'an to prepare for His Majesty's consultation at any time? The scale of maritime trade at present has reached the limit of national power. , the next step is to stabilize the route and consolidate In the market stage, the navy's strategic intention should also change from being proactive and courageous in pioneering to reorganizing and training, and reducing troops. After all, the scale of the navy is too large, and millions of military expenditures are wasted every year. I am afraid it will drag down the navy. National wealth ”
Liu Ji was immediately dissatisfied and glared angrily: "The Taiwei wants to use the navy to control the center?"
At present, all states and counties in the empire are actively carrying out infrastructure construction. Roads, water conservancy, city walls, etc. have set off a wave of construction frenzy. The national power is booming, and every day it becomes stronger. The reason why such unprecedented construction is supported is the continuous influx of wealth from the sea into the country.
Every year, the shipping department of Huating Town collects mountains and seas of taxes that are transferred to the capital and rushed into the national treasury. The gold, silver and copper that the navy digs out mineral deposits in overseas countries and transports them back to the country are even more countless. The royal internal funds are so full as never before that His Majesty is not even allowed to Do not build a silver warehouse in Tai Chi Palace to store these gold and silver...
Especially with the sea trade craze set off by the "Dong Datang Company" overseas, the Kaiyuan Tongbao cast by new technologies unscrupulously harvested all wealth.
Family members who have focused on land for generations have devoted themselves to this gluttonous feast that shocked the past and the present. They never thought that the barren sea would one day become a huge cornucopia, and the routes opened up were channels for transporting wealth. , earning money that far exceeds the output of the land ten times or a hundred times.
If the Navy were to downsize its troops, reduce its size, or even reduce routes and restrict maritime trade at this time, the consequences would be simply disastrous.
Not to mention whether those aristocratic families whose powers have been reduced and can only rely on sea trade to appease them will become so angry that the world will be at war again. It is unacceptable that the infrastructure design and construction that is currently in full swing has to be suspended and terminated. .
Fang Jun frowned, with a slightly confused look on his face: "Zhongshu Ling is the prime minister of the empire. He is responsible for photographing Bai Kui and handling government affairs. Could it be that he doesn't know that the current sea trade seems to be a raging fire, but in fact it is full of dangers?"
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Liu Ji was choked and very angry. He did not understand the details of sea trade, but did he not want to know? Above the sea is the navy's world, but they are very wary of his Zhongshu Ling, and even if they want to understand, they have no chance to understand.
Fang Jun sighed and continued: "I am not using the navy to control the center, but it is actually the navy at the moment that is struggling."
He turned around and saluted Li Chengqian: "In order to protect the safety of the routes and ensure the smooth overseas trade of the imperial caravans, the navy has been maintaining extremely high-intensity cruising, investing huge manpower, material resources, and ordnance to continuously eliminate pirates entrenched in the ocean. The effect was remarkable for a time, but pirates were like scabies. It was not easy to eradicate them. The navy was so powerful that they could not fight hard. They broke into pieces, sometimes lurking on islands and reefs, and frequently attacked routes and harassed caravans, making the navy overwhelmed. What's more, the navies of many foreign countries were also mixed with pirates, and there was a huge hidden under the bustling scene. Due to the crisis, it is urgent to train the navy, adjust strategies, and enhance combat power. Otherwise, it will be too late to regret when the bandits become more powerful and sea trade suffers heavy losses.”
All the prime ministers and ministers in the political hall looked at each other in confusion, not knowing whether what Fang Jun said was true or not. However, almost all of the people present were involved in maritime trade at home, more or less, but they did not dare to gamble, in case it really happened. If the situation deteriorates, everyone will suffer heavy losses.
Having said that, the navy is currently under the control of Fang Jun. He can command like a mountain on the sea and follow his words. As for whether there are "pirates" or not, isn't it Fang Jun who has the final say?
Everyone looked at His Majesty.
You use the political hall to suppress Fang Jun, and Fang Jun uses sea trade to counterattack...
Li Ji glanced at Fang Jun and sighed without trace. He was still young and too angry. What could he do if he took a step back under such circumstances?
The tip of the needle may not be the most appropriate way.
Li Chengqian was still drinking tea slowly, seeming to be thinking, but more like being distracted.
Liu Jie was a little embarrassed.
Fang Jun's speech was not only a counterattack with sea trade, but also an excuse for the navy's previous attack on Shirov Port on its own initiative. Pirates were everywhere and there were many dangers. The navy was facing disaster every moment while floating on the sea. , how can every counterattack and every attack be reported to the center in advance?
It wasn't that the navy didn't obey the emperor's orders, but that the situation was dangerous and they couldn't help themselves.
If you want the navy to obey orders at all times, that's fine, but if it delays fighter planes and causes huge losses in maritime trade, it is not the navy's responsibility.
Does Your Majesty dare to issue such an order?
In Liu Jie's opinion, he definitely wouldn't dare.
Because if you issue such an order now, tomorrow a merchant ship will be robbed by pirates due to delays in central orders...
In the final analysis, Fang Jun has the final say whether the sea is in chaos or not.
What if something dangerous happens not only on the sea, but also in the Western Region?
Does it also require the Anxi Protectorate to report first, then request an order, and then send troops to repel the invading enemies?
Where is the Hanhai Protectorate?
Where is the Anton Protectorate?
Following Fang Jun's speech, the prime ministers and political officials in the political hall all understood the fact that the military has become unique and has independent authority to a certain extent. If the empire's vast territory is to be safe and stable, the military must be This kind of authority.
Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous.
Liu Ji had not been able to receive his Majesty's hint, so he had to bite the bullet and said: "The ocean is vast, and it is extremely difficult for the navy to maintain the stability of thousands of miles of sea territory. The merits of all soldiers cannot be ignored. Maritime trade is extremely important to the empire, and we should do our best. We will work hard to overcome the difficulties, ensure the safety of the routes, and continuously enhance the influence of the empire. In this way, it is even more necessary for Su Dingfang to sit in the East China Sea and deter other countries."
They still insisted that Su Dingfang be stationed in Huating Town and control the navy, but the meaning was completely different.
To a certain extent, the representative political hall granted the navy the authority to start the war on its own...
Fang Jun smiled slightly: "Zhongshu Ling has a profound understanding of righteousness and outstanding ability. I admire him for being able to consider everything in such a comprehensive way."
*****
In the political hall, His Majesty's counterattack seemed to be just a little bit, and it died down after Fang Jun's counterattack. However, in fact, the power of the political hall has expanded unprecedentedly, and the power of Fang Jun and Li Ji has plummeted. One is declining, the other is increasing. For the military The crackdown has begun to bear fruit.
Immediately, the news in the political hall spread, and the government and the public were in an uproar.
More people may not have seen the tit-for-tat and invisible struggle between imperial power and military power, but they have seen the many prime ministers who were added to the political hall. The post of "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Zhangshi" swept Chang'an instantly, and the court There was a lot of discussion in the hall and in the streets for a while.
In the eyes of ordinary people, "prime minister" means the pinnacle of power, "one person is less than ten thousand people". Whoever holds this position is not a momentary hero and a giant with power over the government and the opposition?
As a result, in addition to the two prime ministers Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong, there are six more prime ministers...
I wonder if the eight prime ministers in the court would fight because of insufficient meals provided by the imperial kitchen at noon?
……
"Your Majesty's move will not only enhance the power of the political hall, but also decentralize power among the prime ministers. No one can dominate the family and will not pose a threat to the imperial power... It is very clever."
In the yamen of the Ministry of War, Fang Jun was sitting on the floor by the window drinking tea. Cui Dunli was talking in a low voice. Liu Rengui was boiling water on the side, silently observing Cui Dunli's expression and behavior, and secretly admired him in his heart. Although he was given the power of prime minister, Cui Dunli was not at all complacent. Instead, he was worried. He analyzed the intention of his majesty's move and was worried about Fang Jun's situation.