Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5078: What did you quit?
When the news of Fang Jun's resignation came out, His Majesty's edict was sent to the Secretariat, and the most disappointed person was Liu Li.

Although Fang Jun resigned from the post of "Pushe", he could still participate in the affairs of the Military Affairs Council and the Political Affairs Hall...

Although he lost the title of "Puye", the position of "Tong Zhongshu Menxia" was retained. Therefore, as long as Fang Jun sat in the Council of State, even if he did nothing and said nothing, he could still influence the situation in the Council of State.

After all, that’s Fang Jun!
What's more, although the "Pushe" has resigned, the "Taiwei" is still there, and he is still the first person in the court...

So what did you quit?!
However, he also understood the relationship between Your Majesty and Fang Jun. Even if Fang Jun really resigned from all his official positions and was free from official duties, Your Majesty would definitely not approve it.

So he focused his attention on the separation of the "Foundry Bureau" from the Ministry of War.

He waved to Pei Zaixi who was standing by, and the latter came closer and asked respectfully, "What do you want, Prime Minister?"

Liu Li fluttered his teacup in his hand and asked, "What do you think of the Foundry?"

Pei Zaixi smiled bitterly and said, "My opinion is very simple. It is a stepping stone for promotion!"

The influence of the "Foundry Bureau" has long been deeply rooted in all aspects of the Tang Dynasty. The research and development and manufacturing of various military weapons have made the Tang Dynasty the best in the world, not to mention the unrivaled firearms that look down on the sky. In addition, the agricultural tools have monopolized almost all markets. More than 80% of the hundreds of millions of farmers in the Tang Dynasty use agricultural tools made by the "blacksmith furnaces" set up by the "Foundry Bureau" in various places...

The monopoly of both the military and civilian sectors will have a negative impact on politics.

A large number of low-level officials used the "Foundry" platform to get promoted and make money, and countless people were jealous and tried to intervene to get a piece of the pie.

However, although Fang Jun resigned as the Minister of War, his successor Cui Dunli followed his orders and obeyed his orders, resulting in the "Foundry Bureau" being firmly controlled by Fang Jun. Liu Shi was even more submissive to Fang Jun, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to enter.

Although Liu Shi, who has been in charge of the "Foundry Bureau" for all these years, has not been promoted, he has accumulated a lot of qualifications and achievements. This time the "Foundry Bureau" is separated from the Ministry of War and is nominally directly under the control of Your Majesty, which is bound to lead to the rise of the "Foundry Bureau". The day when Liu Shi will be promoted is not far away, and he will surely be promoted several levels and rise rapidly.

Who wouldn’t be jealous when working in the officialdom?
Liu Li looked at his Secretary of the Central Secretariat and asked with a smile, "I heard that the Secretary and the Grand Commandant have a good relationship?"

Pei Zaixi hurriedly said, "Who is the general? How dare I talk about friendship? It's just that the general is approachable and has given me some advice in the past."

Liu Li smiled. These two guys are both cunning.

He had been thinking of asking Pei Jae-hee to use Fang Jun's connections to get him a job at the "Foundry" so that he could get some experience and some experience. But when he saw Pei Jae-hee politely refused without waiting for him to speak, he gave up the idea.

In his heart, he also blamed Li Chengqian for not being tough enough. How could a huge company like the "Foundry" be left to Fang Jun to control alone?

If His Majesty is in charge personally, I might be able to intervene and use the "Foundry Bureau" to train some officials who are good at industry...

*****
The Ministry of War Yamen.

In the spacious duty room belonging to the Minister of War, a group of officials gathered together to discuss the separation of the "Foundry Bureau" from the Ministry of War.

Unexpectedly, the separation of such a huge entity from the Ministry of War would inevitably lead to a decrease in the Ministry's authority. However, almost all officials in the Ministry of War did not feel frustrated because of this. Instead, they felt a sense of relief...

Liu Shi sighed: "Since I took charge of the Foundry Bureau, I seem to be thriving and powerful, but in fact, I feel like I am under a lot of pressure. The Foundry Bureau has become a huge organization, covering a wide range of fields. I don't know how many people make things difficult for me and attack me every day. If I am not careful, I will offend people. In the past few years, I have offended countless people."

In the final analysis, the current scale of the "Foundry" and the interests involved have encountered too much prying and coveting. As the director, on the one hand, he must ensure the interests of the "Foundry" and act in accordance with established regulations; on the other hand, he must face pressure from various government offices, the army and even the powerful. The Ministry of War can no longer shelter it from the wind and rain.

Cui Dunli nodded and said, "Given the size of the Foundry, it is only a matter of time before it is separated from the Ministry of War. Rather than becoming a political tool in the hands of others in the future, it is better for the Grand Commandant to continue to control it now."

The current "Foundry" is already a behemoth, and its potential in the future will be limitless. Who can be willing to allow such a huge industry to be under the overall management of the Ministry of War for a long time?

The Ministry of War alone cannot defend this gold mountain.

And this Jinshan Mountain should not be guarded by the Ministry of War...

Fang Jun took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and said with a smile: "I thought that suggesting this to Your Majesty would cause dissatisfaction among you. After all, that is the Foundry Bureau. With one bureau in hand, the three provinces, six ministries, and nine temples will all come to you for help. The Ministry of War will almost become the head of the six ministries."

Liu Rengui smiled bitterly and said, "Before I came to the capital, I also thought so. But after I joined the Ministry of War, I realized how hard it is to be the target of public criticism! Even though those people smile and humble themselves when they need us, they are actually envious and jealous in their hearts. They wish we could make some mistakes or cause trouble so that they can laugh at us and take a piece of our flesh... It's not a good thing."

This is actually only half the story. Many times, even if you have resources, you cannot necessarily make many connections. You may offend people inadvertently by deciding who you give resources to and who you don't give them to, or who you give more and who you give less.

In the officialdom, how many people can keep themselves clean and stay aloof from worldly affairs?
When you offend too many people, your career will naturally be hindered.

Right Vice Minister Guo Fushan also stroked his beard and sighed: "No matter how powerful the Ministry of War is, it is only one of the six ministries. In a few years, I am afraid that it will not be able to protect the industry of the Foundry. Looking around, there are people coveting it from all directions. As the saying goes, we are not afraid of thieves stealing, but we are afraid of thieves thinking about it!"

Everybody started laughing.

This is the truth. No matter how powerful the Ministry of War is, it is only one of the Six Ministries, and is even ranked after the Ministry of Personnel, Household and Li. Its authority is restricted and it is constrained everywhere.

For example, if the three provinces issue a document, how can we not obey it?
However, the three provinces also restrict each other and have their own interests. The Ministry of War is in the middle and is inevitably caught in the middle...

Fang Jun took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and looked at Liu Shi: "Over the years, the doctor has worked hard for the Foundry Bureau, and even missed several promotion opportunities because of it. He has made great contributions. This time, the Foundry Bureau has been separated from the Ministry of War and is independent of the six ministries. I wonder if the doctor is willing to work with me to create greater glory?"

Liu Shi immediately stood up, bowed to the ground, and said: "The Grand Commandant is a rare talent with lofty ambitions. It is a great honor to be able to follow in his footsteps!"

Fang Jun nodded and said, "Youcheng, Junior Minister of the Foundry, Grand Master of the Imperial Court, Commandant of the Light Vehicles... I hope you will continue to work hard and never forget your original aspirations!"

Liu Shi was very excited: "Thank you for your kindness, General. I will follow your lead!"

"Shangshu Youcheng" must be an honorary title, but the official rank is the fourth grade, the same rank as the vice minister of the Ministry of War; Shaoqing of the Foundry means that in the entire foundry, he is second only to Fang Jun and above everyone else; Taizhong Daifu is a civil official, and Qingche Duwei is a honorary rank. For a civil official to obtain this honorary rank without any military merits can be said to be a quick rise to heaven.

After committing suicide, he could call himself a "high-ranking official of the court."

The people around were also a little jealous.

After Liu Shi took his seat, Cui Dunli asked with concern, "Will resigning from the post of Pushe have any impact on the Taiwei?"

"No effect."

Fang Jun drank tea leisurely. "If I wasn't afraid of angering His Majesty, I would even resign the position of Taiwei. Although I seem to be the first rank official and the most important person in the court, I am actually of little use. With my merits and qualifications, I am not enough to intimidate those Zhenguan meritorious officials and founding heroes, so the title of Taiwei is of little use. The position of Pushe does not affect other things except spending energy to sit in the office of Shangshu Province every day and deal with those mundane affairs."

Cui Dunli thought about it and realized that it was true.

Do you really think that a title of "Grand Marshal" can intimidate those military elders?
Changsun Wuji first served as "Sikong" and then as "Situ". He was able to overwhelm the court and dominate the government. Was it because of his official position?

Relying on the prestige of "the first meritorious minister of Zhenguan"!

The title of "Grand Commander" which has no real power is useless in itself. Instead, Fang Jun's qualifications of "third rank of Tongzhongshu Menxia" and "participating in Henan political affairs" can play a greater role...

Liu Shi calmed down and asked humbly, "I wonder what advice the Grand Commandant has on the operation of the Foundry after it was separated from the Ministry of War?"

He has never been a technical official, his strength lies in management. In the past, the development direction of the Foundry was controlled by Fang Jun, and he followed closely, and it will certainly be the same in the future.

Fang Jun advised: "I know that not only the foundry has a lot of doubts about the R&D expenses, but even the Ministry of War has some complaints about it, but you don't need to worry about it. Not only should we maintain the previous R&D trends, but we should also increase investment in steelmaking and alloys, improve the treatment of those old craftsmen, and stimulate their enthusiasm. In addition, we must also make great efforts in welding technology and don't be stingy with R&D costs. If one day our navy can sail across the oceans with ironclad ships, it will be worth it no matter how much we spend now!"

He didn't know when the world's first iron ship was built, but even if electric welding was not yet available, current welding technology could theoretically support the construction of iron ships. Casting welding, forging welding, brazing and other processes were not difficult to master.

When everyone present heard that iron ships were going to be built in the future, they were all shocked. Liu Rengui looked puzzled: "Iron ships? Wouldn't they sink as soon as they were launched into the water?"

Others thought the same way. Wood itself can float on the water, so a ship built with it can naturally travel thousands of miles. However, iron is too heavy and will sink when it comes into contact with water. How can a ship be built with iron?

But everyone knows that Fang Jun has the ability to turn stone into gold. Since there is such a saying, it is naturally not aimless.