Rumyantsev Jr. also seemed to be aware of Grand Duke Konstantin's anxiety. The Second Lord of the Navy, who was sitting at the head of the rostrum, gave Grand Duke Konstantin a very indescribable smile in the audience, and then declared categorically:
"Silence! This inquiry meeting begins."
Suddenly, the noisy auditorium was filled with solemnity. Whether it was the noisy onlookers who were watching the excitement without taking it too seriously, the various chess-playing parties with ulterior motives, or Grand Duke Constantine and Li Xiao, they all held their breath and waited for the battle to begin.
As the host, Rumyantsev slowly began to talk nonsense, nothing more than the importance of this meeting, thank God and the emperor, thank everyone. He spoke for more than ten minutes, and then he handed over the right to speak without saying anything:
"Colonel Yerofi Vasilyevich Fedinov, as the initiator of this questioning meeting, what matters do you have to question Grand Duke Andrei Konstantinovich? Please explain them one by one.
"
Yerofi Vasilyevich Fedinov was naturally the black gunner secretly hired by Grand Duke Constantine. As a designer of the Russian Navy, although he did not have any particularly noteworthy achievements, he had the advantage of being senior.
From the era of Catherine the Great to the era of Nicholas I, he worked his way from a second lieutenant's drafting assistant to a designer and builder. Already over 65 years old, he still wanted to go one step further.
If you can become the chief architect of a major general before the age of 70, your pension will be greatly increased, and you will also be able to arrange better positions for your sons, disciples, and grandchildren, so that they will not have to start from scratch like you.
Suffering through these years.
But what leaves Yelofe speechless is that although the current chief designer, Major General Litmanin, is 75 years old, he has been lying on the hospital bed panting for many years, but he refuses to lose his temper. Not only does he refuse to lose his temper, but he also relies on having
Menshikov backed up and held on to some key positions, leaving them, chief designer assistants who were also over sixty years old, to just look forward to it dryly. It was really annoying and hateful!
But this time, Yeluofei felt that his fortune had turned around and climbed onto the ship of Grand Duke Constantine. With the support of this Grand Duke, he should be able to get what he wanted. Well, as long as he can do what the Grand Duke said, he will definitely
OK!
Ye Luofei glanced at Li Xiao opposite him, and to tell the truth, he didn't take Li Xiao seriously. A little kid with no hair on his face knew anything about shipbuilding. He thought he was still working in the shipyard at his age.
The masters are learning how to swing a sledgehammer.
Shipbuilding is a manual craftsmanship, and without someone who has taught it through words and deeds for ten or eight years, you simply can't get into it!
Anyway, Ye Luofei didn't pay attention to Li Xiao at all, thinking that he was just a boastful showman. Does he know how to build a ship just by publishing an article in a newspaper? Isn't this nonsense!
Not only did Ye Luofei not take Li Xiao seriously, but he also deeply despised those academic schools that had only emerged in the past ten years - teaching shipbuilding in the classroom? Are you kidding, doing arithmetic, drawing pictures, and tinkering with some strange symbols and formulas?
Can you build a good ship with just gadgets? Isn’t this nonsense!
Ye Luofei felt that he could refute Li Xiao in less than five minutes and make him run away in panic within ten minutes. It would be a real win for an experienced shipbuilder like him to deal with a little brat.
Not martial!
Yelofey, who stood up, noticed the concerned look in Grand Duke Constantine's eyes. He immediately responded with a respectful look that said, "You can rest assured that I will do my job." Then he spoke with confidence:
"As the Assistant to the Chief Designer of the Navy, I have noticed that Grand Duke Andrei Konstantinovich has recently published a series of bizarre and bizarre statements in relevant newspapers and magazines in the name of author A."
"The nonsense about shipbuilding technology and nonsense about naval tactics... These ridiculous remarks have no factual basis and are just to attract attention... They have had an extremely bad impact on the navy. Therefore, I implore His Excellency the Second Lord of the Admiralty to clear up the source of these ridiculous lies."
, punish the makers of these lies, so that naval construction will no longer be interfered with by mistakes!"
Young Rumyantsev replied angrily: "This minister has already learned your opinion." Then he turned to Li Xiao and asked extremely sternly: "His Excellency the Grand Duke Andrei Konstantinovich, what do you think about Fedino?"
Colonel Husband’s accusation, do you have anything to say?”
Li Xiao stood up calmly and was not affected by Rumyantsev's oppressive questioning at all. He asked easily: "Your Excellency, Minister, I don't understand something? Isn't this a question meeting today? Or is this here today?
Court martial?”
Young Rumyantsev looked at him coldly and replied: "Of course it is a question meeting, but..."
Li Xiao immediately interrupted him: "Since it's an interrogation meeting? How can I accuse you? Have I committed a crime? Am I being interrogated?"
Little Rumyantsev really didn't expect that Li Xiao was so strong and dared to interrupt him, so he was naturally very unhappy. But the problem is that there is nothing wrong with Li Xiao's statement. Today is just a questioning meeting, not a court.
He could only say dullly: "Your Majesty, the Grand Duke, what you said makes sense. Colonel Fedinov, please correct your previous statement. If you want to accuse Grand Duke Andrei Konstantinovich, please contact us."
The military court filed a lawsuit request. Today is an interrogation meeting, you can only initiate interrogations!"
Yerofi responded with a muffled yes, and had no choice but to say: "His Excellency, Grand Duke Andrei Konstantinovich, do you admit that you have published numerous absurd and bizarre theories before, including
A considerable amount is involved in naval shipbuilding and design?”
Li Xiao responded calmly: "I don't know what you are referring to by your strange talk? As the Grand Duke of the Empire, and as a naval officer who is always concerned about naval construction and development, is there any problem in discussing the direction of naval construction?"
Ye Luofei said bitterly: "You are not discussing, but talking nonsense..."
Li Xiao added: "Let's not talk about whether my opinion is nonsense. I just ask you, do I have the right to talk nonsense?"
Yeluofei was stunned. He always believed that he was an expert in shipbuilding and an authority. Other laymen and people with lower status than him should naturally listen to him. But the problem was that he could think about this concept himself, but
It's really not allowed to speak out. Even in the closed and conservative Russia, you can't stop others from talking, right? What's more, you want to stop the mouth of an imperial prince. It would be too arrogant to speak out.
.
"Of course not!" Yeluofei didn't dare to take the blame. Even if that was what he was thinking, he didn't dare to say it openly.
"In that case," Li Xiao sneered, "What remarks have I made, and what does it have to do with you? If you think it's wrong, you can just ignore it. What are you going to do with all the effort today?"