Firearms is a money-making business, and everyone in the imperial court has long agreed, but Li Zhi never thought that it was really money-making.
Six hundred thousand dollars?
This is simply more wasteful than eating money directly!
Li Zhi looked at Liu Shi in shock, wondering whether his wife's uncle was deliberately exaggerating to create problems for him, and wanted to take the opportunity to undermine his prestige. Where could he get so much money for him?
As if feeling the probing and suspicious look in Li Zhi's eyes, Liu Shi smiled bitterly and said: "Your Highness has no need to doubt, how dare a humble minister lie about such a major military matter? And this is only for half a year, and it will probably be needed for a whole year.
One million, of course, this is just because the Eastern Expedition is imminent and all armies are in urgent need of replacing firearms. Normally, half would be enough."
Half of it is half a million dollars!
Li Zhi asked curiously: "How were these military resources solved in the past?"
He did not believe that the Ministry of Civil Affairs would allocate such a huge amount of funds to the Ministry of War. As for his father's internal funds, it was even more impossible. No matter how rich the internal funds were, there was no reason to subsidize the money to the Ministry of War.
Liu Shi had been focusing on the Foundry Bureau in the past two years, so he knew the sources of military resources for the Foundry Bureau very well: "Previously, the military resources needed by the Foundry Bureau were always raised by the Duke of Yue, and the bulk of them was from the Youfang family.
Iron factories all over the world provided iron materials to the Foundry Bureau. This part was owed on credit. The iron materials were continuously transported to the capital, and then gradually repaid with the income of the post stations under the Ministry of War. The other part of the copper materials was provided by the Royal Navy overseas.
Public procurement, and the 'Eastern Datang Company' are mining in various countries. Of course, whether it is the Royal Navy or the 'Eastern Datang Company', they all need to pay."
Li Zhi frowned.
Obviously Liu Shi didn't have the guts to lie to him, so this matter would be really difficult.
In the past, the Fangjia Iron Factory directly owed iron materials to the Ministry of War on credit. Now I have almost taken away the position of Minister of the Ministry of War from Fang Jun. Even if I am willing to come to the door in person, will the Fangjia family still owe me the iron materials on credit? As for the royal family
The navy and "Eastern Datang Company" are also directly under Fang Jun's control. It is almost conceivable that this part of the company will be strangled by him from now on.
As long as you serve as the Minister of Military Affairs for one day, you can't expect to continue to get iron and copper materials on credit from the Fangjia Iron Works, the Royal Navy, and the "Eastern Datang Company".
But the question is, where can I raise such a large sum of money?
Is it possible to go to the father to ask for it and ask the father to pay for it from the internal funds?
Not to mention whether his father would break the rules for him, just doing so would further highlight his own incompetence, which made Li Zhi speechless.
Fang Jun has single-handedly developed the Ministry of War into such a state. You have to occupy the magpie's nest and seize power. In the end, you can't do anything well. Instead, you have to drain your father's internal funds to maintain it?
It's so embarrassing...
However, he came to the Ministry of War all the time and relied on his identity as a prince to occupy the position of chief officer of the Ministry of War. However, he was unable to complete the affairs of the Ministry, which eventually led to the foundry bureau reducing or even suspending production, which caused the entire Liaodong garrison to change its uniforms.
In time, it will lead to chaos in the equipment of each army, which is absolutely impossible.
If something like this really breaks out, even if I lose all my face, how can I still boss around in the Ministry of War and win people's hearts in the future?
After thinking for a while, Li Zhi asked: "As far as I know, there is only one iron factory of the Fang family in the Tang Dynasty. The iron factory of the Changsun family was not inferior to the Fang family iron factory in terms of output or quality. Why don't we ask for help?"
How about the iron materials purchased by Changsun's Iron Factory? Is this a rule set by Fang Jun to facilitate him to use his power for personal gain?"
Liu Shi's eyes were strange: "How is this possible? Originally, Fangjia Iron Factory was not willing to supply so much iron material to the Ministry of War. Therefore, Jiangnan Shipyard often slowed down production due to lack of iron material. However, the price of other iron plants was almost
Twice that of the Fangjia Iron Factory, and the Foundry Bureau is responsible for the firearms and equipment of all the armies of the Tang Dynasty, so the Fangjia Iron Factory has no choice but to bite the bullet and supply."
Li Zhiqi said: "Is the price charged by other companies too high? That doesn't matter. I can go to Zhao Guogong and let their iron factory make less money, so that it can supply the needs of the Ministry of War in the future."
Liu Shixin said that His Highness was indeed intelligent, but he lacked experience and was really unfamiliar with world affairs.
He tried to be as tactful as possible and said: "Your Highness has misunderstood. The Ministry of War is the central government office. Apart from the fact that the Fangjia Iron Factory has to take care of the Jiangnan Shipyard, which leads to a slight shortage of production capacity, how can other companies be unwilling to supply it? After all, the Foundry Bureau needs iron materials.
The consumption is huge, even if you make less money, winning by quantity is far better than idle retail. But what His Highness doesn't know is that Fangjia Iron Works has personally improved the smelting method through Yue Guogong, which has greatly improved both cost and quality.
Such a huge leap in quality, even if other ironworks lose money, they still can't match the low price of Fangjia Ironworks, and the quality is even different."
Li Zhi was embarrassed.
In the past few years, he has focused on administrative matters such as paperwork, but has never cared about those specific practices. In his opinion, only by grasping the government affairs well and working hard to learn administration can he strengthen himself. As for those messy things,
There are professional people to do the practical work, so why do you need to intervene yourself?
Right now, it seems that I am indeed a little too ambitious.
Just the improvement of the smelting method can make the cost of iron materials lower and the quality better. Suddenly, the quantity of iron materials smelted in Datang has greatly increased and the cost has been greatly reduced, resulting in iron materials being used more widely and of higher quality.
Even better than before.
The resulting cost savings have led to a sharp increase in usage, indirectly raising taxes.
What seemed like a useless skill made the Tang Dynasty's national power increase intuitively. Even for a long time to come, the smelting industry of the Tang Dynasty completely crushed the surrounding countries, leaving those foreign countries
The barbarians were behind them.
No matter how disdainful Li Zhi was in practical matters, he also knew that smelting, like population and food, represented the most basic national strength. The development of smelting meant that the army could have more and better ordnance, and the people could have more production and living utensils. The Han people
The reason why it has been able to maintain its lead over foreign tribes for thousands of years is precisely because of its leadership in iron smelting technology.
"Okay, I already know it and will give you an answer in a few days."
"Here! Does Your Highness have any further instructions?"
"You should step back first."
"Here."
After driving Liu Shi away, Li Zhi sat alone in the duty room drinking tea, with one head and two heads.
He was not sure whether Liu Shi deliberately created problems for himself to undermine his prestige, but no matter what, whether he could solve the foundry bureau's military resources problem would mean whether he could successfully carry out his plans in the Ministry of War. Once he was in trouble,
Yes, it is certain that the prestige will plummet.
Fang Jun single-handedly founded the foundry bureau, developed firearms, and made it a well-deserved mainstay in the Tang Dynasty's ordnance. However, he quickly picked peaches and usurped their position, but he couldn't even get military supplies. Isn't this a case of superiority and inferiority?
Judgment?
If that's true, then how strong the momentum was when he entered the Ministry of War, and how bad the slander and ridicule he suffered afterwards...
The tea had cooled down, and Li Zhi felt that he was very angry, so he ordered the clerk to pour out the tea leaves and make a new pot, drink more water, and relieve the heat.
As a result, before the new tea was brewed, another scribe came in and said that it was Cui Dunli who wanted to see...
This time, Li Zhi did not dare to be optimistic and thought that he would come to "surrender" sometimes. He just asked not to continue to cause problems for him. The 600,000 yuan of military resources required by a foundry bureau would make him lose his hair in worry. If it happens again,
A problem arises that may keep me awake at night.
But no matter what, it is necessary to see it.
I prayed to God in my heart and said to the scribe: "There is love."
After a moment, Cui Dunli strode in, bowed his hands and saluted: "I have met Your Highness."
Li Zhi had a smile on his face, waved his hand, and said affectionately: "No need to be polite, Minister Cui, come sit down and drink tea with me."
Cui Dunli hesitated for a moment, then responded with a smile: "Then the official has overstepped his bounds."
He came forward and sat across from the desk.
Li Zhi smiled and said: "Where is the talk of overstepping? Now that you and I are working together, apart from the distinction between superior and inferior, we still have the friendship of colleagues, and there is no need to see others. Speaking of which, my father also mentioned it to the king, saying that it is
Cui Yuanli informed the four barbarians of their hypocrisy, repeatedly sent troops to the Turks, established the Ming Dynasty before and after, agreed to the affairs, and had the talent to make them... I have always admired him, and now that my colleagues are officials, I should get closer to them. I am young, and I encountered something unknown.
I still need to ask Cui Shilang for advice, and I hope you will let me know."
"Yuanli" is the name of Cui Dunli...
Hearing Li Zhi's words, Cui Dunli showed sincerity and fear, saying: "Your Majesty works hard at night and day, and yet he still knows that Xiaguan has such a humble reputation. He is really frightened to the extreme. His meager achievements are not worthy of His Highness's praise."
."
At this time, the clerk brought the teapot over, and Li Zhi held the teapot with his own hands and poured tea for Cui Dunli. Cui Dunli was so frightened that Cui Dunli got up in a hurry and even said he didn't dare.
Li Zhi waved his hand casually, asked Cui Dunli to take a seat, and asked with a smile: "Master Cui is here, but there is something wrong?"