Looking back at the official document system, Ariometo is undoubtedly the master of this system. The mature official document system has improved administrative efficiency to a certain extent, or it can be said to be a reasonable evolution after the abolition of the prime minister.
In the early days, it was relatively common to go to court to discuss affairs, but as time went by, the regular meetings that used to be held every day became less and less.
However, under the influence of the cabinet system and the complete official document system, even the two emperors Jiajing and Wanli, who were accustomed to not going to court, were able to control the government. Governance by official documents can be said to be one of the characteristics of the Ming Dynasty.
The same is true today. Zhu Shiyan has never liked to convene a group of people to discuss matters together. He believes that this is very inefficient.
Therefore, although the cabinet is accustomed to meeting on its own to discuss every now and then, imperial meetings are not common, and may only occur three to five times a year.
However, now that the new emperor has succeeded to the throne, a royal meeting to clarify the interests of all parties and finalize national policies is obviously indispensable.
It can be said that the dignitaries and businessmen of the entire empire are always paying attention, and how the general direction of the policy changes is really important to them.
For example, in a clothing factory, the factory owner has to do everything possible to obtain all kinds of information to clearly arrange the production plan - when will the Ministry of War place an order? Should I wait in vain during this period or should I take other private orders first? If you accept other orders from the private sector, what is the maximum quantity you can accept?
If you don't get it right, you will have to wait for several months or more than half a year in vain. If the entire factory does not start work, it will undoubtedly suffer huge losses; if it does start work, the total number of orders received will be too many, and there will be no spare capacity to pick up orders from the military. Order.
As for whether we need to temporarily recruit more workers or purchase new machines, these cannot be done randomly. Workers need to be paid, and machines need to be assembled and maintained.
This is the value of information, and the powerful are often the ones who have first-hand information. Even if they are sitting at home, all kinds of people will come to send money, just hoping to ask for some useful information.
Wenyuan Pavilion was once used as a place for storing books and cabinet affairs. Now its secondary function has been changed to holding meetings, and they are basically high-level meetings.
Today's imperial meeting will be held in the conference hall here.
"Your Majesty has arrived."
The car carrying Zhu Lingjing slowly stopped in front of Wenyuan Pavilion, and the shuttle bus carrying the rest of the entourage also stopped immediately behind.
The sergeant in uniform who was leading the car got out of the car and came over. He reached out to open the car door and stepped aside.
At 10:03 a.m. on September 24, the thirty-eighth year of Zhichang, the meeting started later than planned because the emperor was a little late.
Zhou Changfeng and others followed Zhu Lingjing about three or four steps away. Also accompanying him were Fang Shujun and Su Yiyi.
A group of square tables are neatly arranged in the spacious and bright hall, with one row on the left and one on the right. The imperial desk and throne are placed separately in the middle.
The tables and chairs here are all made of nanmu and carved with exquisite patterns; there are no large ceiling fans on the ceiling, instead there are two central air-conditioning outlets at the front and rear.
The first feeling I felt when I walked in here was that it was cool. There was still some residual heat in Nanjing in early autumn, but with the help of the air conditioner, the indoor temperature was controlled at just 26°C.
It is known that more than ten people participated in the meeting, including Prime Minister Gao Qingkui, Defense Minister Lin Xi, Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Shenhua, Finance Minister Li Guangyuan, representing the imperial court, President Chen Jieli and Vice President Ma Mingli representing the Consultative Yuan, On behalf of the army, the Governor-General Wu Weihuan and the Governor-General Tongzhi of the Army, Navy and Air Force Office of the Governor-General's Office.
The huge hall gathered the most core people of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhou Changfeng, who was used to seeing big scenes of war, couldn't help but beat his heart faster - the invisible aura here was completely different from the crisis-ridden battlefield.
More than ten people present stood up, turned around slightly, and then bowed together and saluted, "I have met Your Majesty."
The emperor sat down and then asked everyone to sit down. However, Zhou Changfeng and the other two people had nowhere to sit. They stood side by side a few steps behind the emperor's right.
Everyone here is a busy person and has no extra time to waste, so it is impossible to be unprepared for the meeting, otherwise it will be very easy to fall into endless quibbles.
Prior to this, the relevant agenda had been arranged long ago, and the specific topics were listed one by one on paper. During the meeting, the topic was not allowed to change unless necessary.
The first topic was the simplest and most direct, regarding the posthumous title and burial of the crown prince. The Crown Prince died young, and the Supreme Emperor insisted on posthumously proclaiming him emperor and burying him directly in the existing mausoleum.
Naturally, Zhu Lingjing could not have any objections, and the ministers all agreed. The Crown Prince's hard work and dedication over the years were obvious to all, and the nominal posthumous title was appropriate both emotionally and rationally. It just required the construction of an additional mausoleum.
In many cases, the construction of a mausoleum begins as soon as the new emperor takes the throne. The construction of Zhu Shiyan's mausoleum started relatively late. It was only started about ten years ago and was completed in more than half a year with the help of construction machinery.
What makes people sad is that it is not him who will be buried later, but his son.
The role of this issue now seems to be to familiarize everyone with the atmosphere? After unanimous agreement, the imperial meeting that had not been held for a long time became a little more relaxed.
Next, Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Shenhua stood up and explained the recent world situation.
"On August 27, special envoys from Britain, France, and Russia gathered in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss measures to jointly restrict Germany. The specific content is not yet known, but it is likely to focus more on preparations for a military alliance."
"On the fourth day of this month, a small border war broke out between Italy and Austria. The former returned with a huge defeat and reported more than 400 casualties in a low-key manner. However, according to reports from our embassy in Vienna, it actually suffered thousands of losses, including several cannons and cars. .”
"On the ninth day of this month, the Russian Duma passed an amendment to the General Mobilization Law, aiming to further refine the recruitment and speed up the recruitment process; at the same time, they also expanded their army and established 15 new infantry divisions."
"On the 18th, in accordance with the presidential decree, the United States added an 8,000-ton floating dock and ten large submarines based on the already implemented second Vinson Act."
After he finished speaking, Chen Jieli, the president of the Consultative Yuan, asked: "Has the German side responded in the past two days? At least there was no news the day before yesterday."
"There is no official external news, and they have been silent." Yu Shenhua replied.
Afterwards, Prime Minister Gao Qingkui stood up, glanced around the dozen or so people present, and said:
"Your Majesty, everyone, the current situation is becoming increasingly tense and cannot be optimistic."
"In Europe, countries such as Germany and Austria and Britain, France and Russia are bound to start a war. Twenty years ago, both sides were exhausted and unable to fight anymore. Now, naturally, they cannot live in peace for a long time after recuperation."
"Here in our country, the British are planning to dispatch a large army to intimidate and restrict the pace of our army. The Dutch are following us closely and are doing their best to organize defenses."
"But no matter what, Britain's priority is Europe, and the Netherlands has declined to a state of disgrace. Even if the two join forces to resist, there will be some trouble, but there is nothing to be afraid of."
"In contrast, the United States, which seems to be staying out of the situation on the other side of the ocean, is what we must be wary of. After the naval treaty expires, the Americans' shipbuilding plan is huge."
"It is foreseeable that in a year and a half at the latest, its Pacific Fleet will be on par with our entire navy."
"Once a war breaks out in Europe, it will not end in the short term. It will become long-term, widespread, and serious."
"The United States is still doing business with both sides, but it is impossible to sit back and watch what happens in Western Europe. In other words, if the war goes against Britain and France, the United States is very likely to join the war across the ocean like it did in the European war.
"This period is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for the country to attack the Nanyang region. If the military goes smoothly and the diplomatic methods are appropriate, the British are very likely to make a wise retreat."
"Accordingly, the negotiating conditions should be to suspend the southward movement to ensure the safety of Australia."
"Based on these inferences, the general strategy envisaged by the cabinet is to step up preparations for war. Our country must complete preparations as soon as possible to cope with the most dangerous war, and use diplomatic means both soft and hard. There is also a slight possibility that the British side will take the initiative to retreat. Naturally, everyone is happy."
"At the same time, if war breaks out in Europe, after waiting for a while, we can consider taking the opportunity to send troops (South Asia)."
After he finished speaking like this, he turned his head and looked in the direction of the emperor, cupped his hands and said: "The above is what I expected, please make your decision."
The military department didn't even say anything, what a fool!
Zhu Lingjing, who was leaning on the back of the chair, looked very relaxed and at ease, as if she regarded this place as her own home.
Well, strictly speaking, this is indeed her home. Zhou Changfeng on the side thought so.
She waved the folding fan in her hand and said slowly: "The summary is very comprehensive. So, what does Duke Wei think?"
Wu Weihuan immediately stood up and muttered: "This analysis is indeed correct, but it is not rigorous. Wait and see what happens after the war in Europe? Wait and wait? Wait and wait for how long? This point must be made clear, otherwise it will just be empty talk."
This question should not be answered by Gao Qingkui. Faced with such a concrete rhetorical question, Lin Xi, a minister of the National Defense Cabinet, stood up to answer.
"Of course we have to wait until the battle situation becomes clear." Lin Xi smiled bitterly and continued: "Although these words are vague, I think everyone should be able to understand."
God knows what the war will be like! We don’t have the ability to predict the future.
The extremely fearful French built a long and solid Maginot Line on the border. The French Army is also known as the strongest in Europe.
After the war broke out, where should the Germans go? None of this is known.
If the Germans were held back by their defensive lines, they would have to launch a brutal and slow attack that saw back and forth around the border. So at least for the British, the scale of such a war is controllable and can be dealt with calmly.
As a result, they still have time to take care of the Far East.
This is not difficult to understand, and everyone present naturally understands it, but Zhu Lingjing is not satisfied with Lin Xi's words.
"You are all aware of such vague words, but maybe I didn't understand it?" She said calmly.
In order to communicate efficiently, Lin Xi definitely doesn't have time to explain in detail. To put it bluntly, it is the classic words used by leaders - first this way, then that way.
"Uh... Chen..."
"No need to explain this, let's continue the discussion."
Lin Xi, who was quite embarrassed by the rebuke, was speechless for a moment and was about to explain in detail, but Zhu Lingjing directly waved his hand and ordered to skip this episode.
Tsk! This woman's words are still the same as before... making people feel uncomfortable all over.
Zhou Changfeng, who was standing right behind her, felt a little awkward and couldn't help but recall his previous conversations with her.
"We have considered it carefully," Wu Weihuan ignored the awkward atmosphere at the scene and said bluntly: "When you can't predict how the war will develop, there is no need to wait and see. The best time is right at the beginning."
His words immediately attracted everyone's attention, except for a few other military personnel - the governors of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion remained calm.
Wu Weihuan avoided the eyes of others and turned directly to look at the emperor.
"We can't predict. Do the British have a way? Take action immediately when the war has just started and it is still unclear. It is expected that they will not dare to divide their troops for support and can only respond with a conservative attitude."
"After that, no matter how the war in Europe changes, the time left is enough for our army to make great progress."
"Besides, we are not optimistic about the French defense. The Governor's Office has conducted several deductions, and the French army often shows its decline in three or four months. I agree with this result."
The highest level of war is to "command" the enemy, and the second level is to predict the enemy's prediction.
Compared with the conservative ideas of the cabinet, the military plan is undoubtedly much bolder.
Just take advantage of the fight just starting in front of the British house, and make trouble in the backyard. In this way, the British can only pinch their noses and admit it, otherwise they will lose sight of one thing.
"But you didn't take into account the variable of the United States." Lin Xi frowned and said: "We have long known that Britain and the United States are negotiating a secret agreement. It is still unknown whether it is a mutual defense agreement. If it is, how can our military simultaneously To deal with two major navies?”
"Is your assumption consistent with what your cabinet said before?" Wu Weihuan was a little annoyed. He asked back: "If Britain and the United States jointly defend Nanyang, what difference does it make to wait and see the war in Europe before sending troops?"
"If the war in Europe becomes tense, the United States may not honor the agreement..."
"It's ridiculously childish and ridiculous! It doesn't have any courage at all."
Zhou Changfeng was distracted for a moment, recalling the time required for the mobilization of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. When he came back to his senses, he found that the atmosphere at the scene was not very good.
Uh...how come the traditional custom of opposing civil and military forces can still be seen today?
Although there is no conflict between the army and the navy in the co-authorship, there is a civil-military opposition with Chinese characteristics, right?
Regarding the analysis just stated by both parties, purely objectively speaking, Zhou Changfeng more recognized the idea of the military department.
It's not that it's not good to strike later, but it's obviously better to take the initiative in this situation.
As for the mutual defense agreement between the United Kingdom and the United States, in his impression, it seemed that it was only settled 40 years later in history. Before that, it could be said that Britain and the United States were still playing their own games.
What's more, although the Americans are also preparing for war, they are not to a high degree. Especially the army, with its small number and poor equipment, the M2A2 light tank can be called a tin can.
When the war started in Europe, the Germans indirectly helped to share most of the attention. What's so scary about this situation? Just do it!
Zhu Lingjing, who looked normal, smiled lightly, then knocked on the imperial desk and said calmly: "This is not a place for quarreling."
(End of chapter)
