Chapter 113 Secret Discussion on Ammunition Manufacturing
"Master, Yan Shangshu is here."
As soon as Ye Hongyi left, Fang Fu came in to report.
Yan Lanfeng?
Fang Jue smiled: "Get ready, I will ride with Yan Shangshu to enter the palace."
Fang Fu went down to prepare his carriage and horses, while Fang Jue walked out of the village entrance and met Yan Lanfeng who was getting off the sedan chair.
"Young Master..."
Yan Lanfeng saw the gift and smiled when he saw Fang Jue. This was his God of Wealth.
The fireworks bureau has been under construction for a long time, and it has started to make profits in the past half month. This money is simply good news to the Ministry of Household Affairs.
With money, he, the treasury gatekeeper, can be tough.
"Master Yan, I heard that you have been very proud of yourself recently, and you feel windy when you walk," Fang Jue said with a smile.
I say this because Yushitai has nothing to do and has already impeached him.
It is said that Yan Lanfeng is frivolous, lacks the demeanor of a minister, and is rude.
The Ministry of Rites also agreed.
"Tch...a bunch of rotten scholars who only know what they are talking about. They are full of benevolence, justice and morality...it is true that they can do practical things for the country." Yan Lanfeng said proudly.
He doesn't pay attention to those impeachments at all.
Officials at this level don't care about impeaching the emperor unless they accuse him of being unfilial and disloyal.
Fang Jue nodded: "Shang Shu Yan has understood it thoroughly."
"I have long realized that when I was the minister in my first year, there was a drought in Beilizhou and other places, but the Ministry of Revenue could not come up with money to provide disaster relief... In the end, it was the help of Emperor Zun Pavilion that prevented the court from embarrassing itself.
…”
Yan Lanfeng said calmly: "At that time, I understood that no one is useless but a scholar, and only money and food are real!"
As the Minister of Household Affairs, Yan Lanfeng has great responsibilities.
Raising revenue and reducing expenditure is what he has to do every day. He provides money and food for the entire country's affairs, and he still has to calculate every penny.
This is no easier than being the chief minister of the cabinet.
The cabinet only handles government affairs, but the Ministry of Household Affairs has to provide money. If it can't be paid, it won't be Yan Lanfeng's face.
The credibility of the entire country will be hit.
This is also the reason why Fang Jue made Hubu rich first.
Only when the Ministry of Household Affairs is rich can we not be afraid of disasters and famines, and can provide protection for all parts of the country, so that we can carry out follow-up reforms.
"By the way, Master, do you know why Your Majesty called me here?"
Yan Lanfeng said strangely that he was told by the eunuch to come and discuss with Fang Jue.
As for what was being discussed, the internal supervisor didn't say anything because he didn't know either.
Fang Jueze said: "Master Yan, would you mind riding with me?"
"It's really an honor to be able to ride with the young master." Yan Lanfeng smiled, like a douchebag, not caring at all that he was nodding and bowing to a young man.
Not far away, Fang Fu came.
As soon as Dian got into the car and started riding, Fang Jue made a request.
Yan Lanfeng said to his entourage: "You wait here and don't let anyone know where I am going today."
"yes……"
After saying that, Yan Lanfeng and Fang Jue exchanged polite greetings before getting on the carriage first.
Inside the carriage, he could feel the carriage moving slowly, and Yan Lanfeng wanted to look outside to see where the young master was taking him.
Fang Jue stopped him: "Master Yan, it's best not to let anyone know where you and I are going today."
"Want to enter the palace?" Yan Lanfeng understood immediately.
Fang Jue nodded. As expected of the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he had a very bright mind.
"Is it for the musket round? Or the fireworks round?" Yan Lanfeng understood a little bit.
The emperor asked him to come to Fangjiazhuang, probably to use this as a cover to let him enter the palace with Fang Jue.
As for what was being discussed, that was not obvious.
"Don't ask, you will know when you enter the palace."
As the carriage drove into the city, Noriichi changed his clothes.
Not long after, Noriichi also entered the car.
Yan Lanfeng was surprised: "Dian Daxia has come in, who is driving?"
Noriichi shook his head.
Yan Lanfeng peeked through the door curtain slightly and found a very familiar figure from behind.
"Manager Wang?"
When he saw that it was Wang Feng, Yan Lanfeng was shocked. Why should he keep it secret to this extent?
The emperor didn't even send anyone else, he just asked the internal supervisor to come directly, without resorting to anyone else's hands.
With Wang Feng driving the car and being notified of the meeting early in the morning, no one knew who was in the car all the way into the palace.
No patrol camp of the Forbidden Army is qualified to inspect. Every time Wang Feng shows a gold medal, he can pass without any worries.
"Young Master, Shangshu Yan is here." Wang Feng said in a low voice.
Dianyi got off the bus first, followed by Fang Jue and Yan Lanfeng.
"Where is this?" Yan Lanfeng was extremely surprised. This was not the Fengtian Palace, nor any part of the Imperial Study Room or the Yangju Palace.
"Back to Yan Shangshu, this is the East Palace, please." Wang Feng led the way.
Those guarding the entrance to the palace were not the imperial army, but a group of tall men wearing masks.
Each one wore a black dragon-headed mask, and was covered in heavy armor with only his eyes exposed.
"Black Dragon Rider?" Dian's eyes flashed, and he rubbed his hands, feeling a little itchy.
"East Palace?" Yan Lanfeng was really surprised.
The emperor summoned himself and others in the East Palace, which had never happened before.
The East Palace is the prince's residence, but there is no prince in this dynasty, so the East Palace has been idle until now. No one knows what it looks like.
After it was built, this place was never mentioned.
"Let's go, Lord Yan." Fang Jue patted Yan Lanfeng on the shoulder.
Only then did Yan Lanfeng come to his senses, and walked up the long stone steps side by side with Fang Jue.
But Dianyi consciously stood at the foot of the stone steps of the East Palace and did not go up.
He knew that these black dragonriders appeared here, probably to keep it secret, and also to guard against him, the fourth master in the world.
"I'm pretty respectable..." Dianyi smiled and sat down on the carriage casually.
…
In the East Palace, the emperor was wearing regular clothes, the same outfit he wore when he went to Fangjiazhuang incognito.
"Chen Fangjue/Yan Lanfeng, see your majesty..."
The two of them bowed slightly.
The emperor didn't sit down either. This is the prince's seat and it's not appropriate for him to sit there.
"My dearest ministers, we are all private. Today we are discussing matters in private and it is not convenient to make them public, so we are here."
The two of them bowed.
To be honest, Fang Jue did not expect that the emperor would choose to meet here.
But think about it, within the entire imperial city, this is probably the safest place.
Without the prince, the East Palace would be empty. No one would have thought that the emperor would meet the two of them secretly here.
"Young Master, Yan Qing, do you know why I secretly summoned you two here?"
Fang Jue said: "Maybe it's for the Musket Bureau?"
Yan Lanfeng did not pretend to be stupid at this moment: "Need assistance from the Ministry of Household Affairs?"
Then there is only one thing.
Xiao Pingsi smiled at the two of them and liked that they didn't pretend to be stupid. This was not a court.
"Master Yan, it's a matter of muskets and ammunition." Fang Jue said.
Yan Lanfeng nodded: "This should be a matter for the Fireworks Bureau. Your Majesty summons the ministers, but what kind of cooperation do you need from the Fireworks Bureau?"
"Exactly."
Xiao Pingsi said solemnly: "Young Master has stated many times that the most important thing about a musket is to control the ammunition. Therefore, the manufacturing of ammunition must be careful and careful, and it cannot be made known to everyone."
"Your Majesty, do you want to manufacture the muskets and ammunition separately, with the Fireworks Bureau responsible for the ammunition part?" Yan Lanfeng looked at Fang Jue in surprise.
Young Master, Your Majesty is guarding you. What do you say?
Fang Jue smiled lightly: "This is what I suggested to Your Majesty."
"I see, Young Master is really thoughtful." Yan Lanfeng was somewhat impressed.
He suddenly understood.
The Fireworks Bureau was established not just to sell fireworks and make money for the Ministry of Accounts.
The most important thing is to provide cover for the Musket Bureau.
Who would have thought that a fireworks bureau could be used as ammunition for muskets?
A factory that sells toys can actually manufacture arms... This can provide cover.
Moreover, Yan Lanfeng could also imagine that the young master deliberately separated the bullets just to appease His Majesty.
"My intention with the Young Master is to let the Fireworks Bureau set up a second factory, in the name of manufacturing fireworks, but actually manufacturing ammunition for muskets."
"It also needs to be kept secret externally, and internal employees should not be allowed to know what they are making."
"The materials, proportions and final packaging required for the ammunition all require different people to operate and are completely confidential from each other."
"The person responsible for final packaging cannot leave the factory."
The emperor gave some details that he had thought about.
He looked at the two of them and said, "Dear ladies, may I have anything to add?"
It was impossible for the emperor to discuss this kind of matter with others, so naturally he could only brainstorm ideas at this time.
It is unacceptable to be stubborn, and Xiao Pingsi knows this very well.
"Your Majesty has thought thoroughly, and I have nothing to add." Yan Lanfeng said with a smile.
Fang Jue said: "Your Majesty is thoughtful, but I think that important positions in the entire fireworks factory should not be allowed to go out without permission."
"If you go out, you need to send Xuanjian Division secret agents to follow you for protection and surveillance."
"Those who know the formula, even if they don't know it completely, are not allowed to leave the factory. A barracks can be built for them to live in, and their families are allowed to take them there... But the whole family is not allowed to go out. The Ministry of Household Affairs is responsible for purchasing it as needed."
Fang Jue said something, and both the emperor and Yan Lanfeng nodded.
Yan Lanfeng echoed: "Young Master is right. After all, it is an important weapon of the country and cannot be leaked at all."
The emperor thought elsewhere:
"The Musketeers Bureau also needs to be kept secret like this."