Prince Su Shu was sitting in the car. He looked at the scholars riding in various vehicles to go to Gongyuan to take the exam.
October 10th is another annual imperial examination day.
The empire's vast territory and complex bureaucracy required a large number of officials.
The annual imperial examination only admits more than 200 Jinshi at one time.
The empire can still absorb this number of officials without redundant officials.
The empire's public funds consisted of huge amounts of silver coins, and the salaries of officials were only a small sum compared to the empire's taxes.
The empire only needs to pay a small price to incorporate the vast majority of talents into the system, which is very important to the stability of the empire.
If Prince Su Shu has no mission, he will go to Gongyuan to supervise the examination, which represents the empire's respect for these potential Jinshi.
He now went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive representatives from the two vassal states of Wu and Gui on behalf of the empire.
The representatives of Wu and Gui apparently came to the empire and wanted the empire to mediate the conflicts between the two countries.
Most people can see what they really mean. Mediation is fake, but testing is real.
The task of Prince Su Shu is to clearly convey the empire's attitude to the representatives of the two countries without causing resentment to his father.
He took on this task yesterday and consulted his father's attitude.
My father's attitude is vague, but there is still a certain bias.
The empire's most important task now is to restore economic vitality and complete industrial transformation.
If the vassal country does not engage in anger and resentment, the empire is not prepared to intervene.
When Prince Su Shu learned about his father's attitude, he was ready to set rules for these vassal countries.
He arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by car. Chu Sheng, the cabinet minister in charge of foreign affairs, and Li Zhiheng, the minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, came out from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to greet him.
Prince Su Shu waited until the two ministers had met and said, "My father asked me to handle this matter. You, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will test the other party's requirements first."
He simply and clearly assigned the task to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his attitude was very obvious. He was personally responsible for this matter.
Chu Sheng frowned, but did not say any words to refute.
Prince Su Shu's attitude today is a bit strange, and it is different from his previous statements to the outside world.
If something goes wrong, there must be something evil. He, as an official responsible for diplomacy, does not want to get involved in the troubles of the royal family.
Li Zhiheng, Minister of Foreign Affairs, simply accepted the task.
This situation is an extremely troublesome matter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Prince Su Shu is willing to take over this matter, which is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants.
Only by getting rid of the trouble can the Ministry of Foreign Affairs do what it needs to do more attentively.
Prince Su Shu was waiting for the arrival of representatives from the two countries in the reception room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He actually didn't have to come so early, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has some confidential information that is not allowed to be taken out.
Prince Su Shu must understand these confidential information if he wants to achieve his unspeakable purpose.
While he was looking through the confidential information related to the vassal state, representatives of Wu and Gui met at the Beijing Railway Station.
When Wu Guo Cabinet Minister Zhu Dahu saw Gui Guo Cabinet Minister Zhao Youkun, he snorted coldly and said nothing.
As an official who has been working in the diplomatic field all year round, Zhu Dahu knows that there are absolutely no coincidences or unnecessary behaviors when it comes to diplomatic work.
He was able to meet Zhao Youkun at the train station, which shows that the empire did this deliberately.
He didn't know why the empire did this, so he could only speculate in his mind.
He didn't understand the reason why the empire did this until he got into the car and prepared to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the empire.
Zhu Dahu was not thinking, but thinking about whether this trip could achieve Wu State's goal.
He left his important work in Wu State and came all the way to the empire. Of course, he had an important purpose.
The Gui Kingdom formed an alliance and prepared to encircle and suppress the Wu Kingdom.
Of course, Wu State could not sit still and wait for death. He also contacted the enemy countries of the Gui State Alliance.
Even if a military alliance cannot be reached, basic trust must be reached with these countries.
Zhu Dahu gave up this important mission and came to the empire because the smell of gunpowder in Europe was too strong.
All European countries are engaged in an arms race because European countries naturally distrust each other.
Once an arms race starts, it cannot be stopped.
As the first country to start an arms race, Wu State's domestic industry and economy have been firmly tied to military success.
If the arms race stops, Wu's economy will collapse and Wu's royal family will be overthrown by angry people.
If the arms race continues, war is inevitable.
The confidence or hatred brought by war must be used to maintain the operation of the huge military industry.
If the arms race continues and a war does not break out, Wu's economy will be dragged down, the people in the country will revolt, and Wu's powerful people will lose everything.
Not only Wu State, but also various European countries have more or less started an arms race.
Insightful people in various countries all know that a war sweeping across the vassal states is inevitable.
But there is one problem. As long as it is not resolved, no country will dare to start a war without authorization.
It was because of the last conflict between Wu and Gui that the empire was directly leaked.
The Wu State, which originally had the upper hand, was directly frightened by the empire's powerful chariot corps.
Not only did the State of Wu not gain any benefit, but the King of Wu was deposed, and the State of Wu also had to compensate the State of Gui with hundreds of thousands of taels of silver coins.
All the major vassal states were afraid of the reappearance of the Battle of Wu and Gui.
Although all countries have signed the Jianye Convention, they will not use poison gas bombs, thermite bombs, and white phosphorus bombs, such inhumane weapons of mass destruction, on the battlefield.
Under normal circumstances, the empire should not intervene in wars between vassal states.
But without understanding the true attitude of the empire, no one dares to start a war.
The empire really wants to intervene in the war, and the reason is really easy to find.
Once the war started, an alliance formed by several countries fought fiercely.
If the empire suddenly intervenes in the war, no country can bear this situation.
Once the war starts, they will bet everything and invest in this war. As long as there is no winner in the war, all countries will be losers.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Wu State contacted its allies, and many countries proposed to understand the attitude of the empire, and they would truly form an alliance.
It wasn't just Wu and its quasi-allies who wanted to test the empire's attitude.
The main city of Guangxi is a multinational alliance. They are not forming an alliance for fun, but jointly coping with the economic crisis and carving up European territory.
This alliance also wants to know the empire's clear attitude towards the vassal states.
Wu Guo and Gui Guo, two countries with enmity, united to put on a big show.
Zhu Dahu, the cabinet minister of the State of Wu, did not dare to underestimate the officials of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
These people were all his seniors. Before he went to the State of Wu, he was just a minor official in the Ministry of Rites with no hope of promotion.
There are many officials in the Imperial Foreign Office who are more powerful than him.
The empire asked him to meet with Gui Guo official Zhao Youkun.
Zhu Dahu couldn't figure out the reason at first, but now that he thought about it, it was probably that the empire had an insight into the thoughts of these vassal states.
When he thought of this possibility, his nervousness immediately relaxed.
This is indeed possible.
As the official in charge of Wu's diplomacy, Zhu Dahu also often dealt with imperial ambassadors.
A glimpse of the leopard shows that the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs is definitely not a loser.
If they can't even grasp the most basic ideas of the major vassal states, they are just treating the officials of the empire as children.
People who think this way are truly hopelessly stupid.
Zhu Dahu found that he was dealing with a group of smart people, and these smart people also wanted to act with him.
He immediately felt much more relaxed. If the officials of the empire could understand the thoughts of the vassal countries, they would definitely give a clear answer.
As long as the empire gives rules and they can dance in shackles, they can feel more at ease and don't have to worry about problems outside the battlefield.
After Zhu Dahu figured out these things, he came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Empire with a relaxed expression.
While waiting in the reception room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he once again saw Gui State Minister Zhao Youkun.
Zhu Dahu once again provoked Zhao Youkun with his eyes, but he didn't react at all.
Li Zhiheng, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, quickly came to the living room.
He said with a smile on his face: "I am Li Zhiheng, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Both of us are important ministers of the vassal country. For some reason, we came all the way to the empire.
I remember that there is no longer any matter between Wu and Gui that requires the intervention of the empire, the suzerain state."
Zhu Dahu listened to Li Zhiheng's words.
He then made it clear that they came to the empire with bad intentions.
When Zhu Dahu heard what Li Zhiheng said, he was 100% sure of his thoughts.
Officials of the Empire's Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not be so stupid as to know nothing about the movements of the vassal countries.
The words of Minister Li Zhiheng holding a gun and a stick showed that their purpose was impure and caused trouble to the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the same time, he also warned them to stop and not cause trouble to His Majesty the Emperor.
Zhu Dahu and Zhao Youkun are both officials who have been in the officialdom for many years. Of course, they understand Li Zhiheng's attitude very well.
But the arrow is on the string and must be fired.
The price they pay now is extremely low. Even if they really anger the empire, it doesn't matter.
If a war is ongoing and the empire chooses to intervene in the war, once this happens, all countries will suffer heavy losses.
Zhu Dahu looked at Minister Li Zhiheng with an unkind look in his eyes. He knew that this Minister was an early diplomat of the empire.
His methods were extremely ruthless, and it was because of him that the small country of Japan was in dire straits, causing domestic turmoil, and was eventually annexed by the empire.
But as the Minister of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he had no way to deal with these vassal states.
The diplomatic process between the vassal state and the suzerain state is almost fixed, and there is not much room for maneuver.
This is also the reason why the status of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been continuously weakened.
The most important thing between the vassal country and the suzerain country is the exchange of science and technology, economy, culture and personnel.
Zhu Dahu had not yet been born, and Zhao Youkun said angrily: "This matter involves the conflict between the two countries, Gui State and Wu State.
I can come to see you because I am giving you face.
You, a little minister, cannot solve this problem.
As a cabinet minister, I am the Marquis of Huaishan of the Gui Kingdom.
The sovereign country must at least send an official of equal status to discuss matters with us."
Zhu Dahu saw that Zhao Youkun was not polite and directly mocked Minister Li Zhiheng.
He immediately realized that as long as he didn't start from reality and add the powerful background of the empire?
In terms of official position and title, he is indeed higher than the Minister of Foreign Affairs in front of him, and there is no need to be humble in front of him.
At the same time, Zhu Dahu also thought that Li Zhiheng, a small minister, could not decide the strategic arrangements of the empire.
Even if he is a cabinet minister, he only conveys the opinions of His Majesty the Emperor and does not have much autonomy.
The key to this matter is the attitude of Emperor Su He.
He thought that Zhao Youkun did this just to get in touch with higher-ranking officials in the empire as soon as possible.
Minister Li Zhiheng is just an executor, he does not have even a little bit of autonomy.
He is not qualified to participate in the Imperial Council and does not understand the strategic direction of the empire.
Their negotiations with Li Zhiheng could only resolve apparent conflicts, but were completely ineffective in testing the empire's attitude.
Zhu Dahu realized this and immediately set up the score.
"Li Shangshu, after all, this involves important matters between the suzerain country and the vassal country.
You, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, are not high enough to talk about these related matters."
When Minister Li Zhiheng heard what the two vassal officials said, his face immediately turned red with anger, but there was nothing he could do.
According to usual experience, officials from the empire will be ranked one or two higher than officials from vassal states, depending on their authority.
Even if it is a magistrate in the empire, as long as he is willing to serve in a vassal country, he will be regarded as a magistrate.
Many officials in the officialdom who lost their chance of promotion would go to vassal states to try their luck, and the two officials in front of him were no exception.
But this was an unspoken rule that could not be touched upon. They really proposed equal treatment, and Li Zhiheng had no room for rebuttal.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The king of a vassal country is treated as a prince. These are princes and kings who are only one level lower than the emperor. They are kings.
The cabinet of a vassal state is also a cabinet. According to official treatment, the status of the cabinet is basically the same.
This is the difference between real status and apparent status.
These two officials were obviously looking for trouble. They really followed the rules. They did not follow the actual situation, but only the situation on the surface. Everything was carried out in accordance with the rules on the surface.
What Minister Li Zhiheng could do was to inform them of their opinions.
He stood up with a red face, stared at the two vassal officials for a moment with bloodshot eyes, then stood up and left the room.
Zhu Dahu and Zhao Youkun, two old rivals, looked at each other.
Surely they know what the consequences will be?
But they have no choice. They come with an unusual purpose, so they can't do things step by step.
Minister Li Zhiheng calmed down his anger and knocked on the door of the room where Prince Su Shu was.
After obtaining permission, he entered the room and saw that Prince Su Shu and cabinet minister Chu Sheng were discussing matters related to the vassal state.
Cabinet Minister Chu Sheng saw that Li Zhiheng, Minister of Foreign Affairs, came to report things so quickly.
As the cabinet minister in charge of foreign affairs, he was surprised by the efficiency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chu Sheng asked in surprise: "Your Ministry of Foreign Affairs resolved the matter so quickly.
These two people are really here to mediate."
Li Zhiheng, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said with a hint of anger: "Master Chu, we haven't started talking about things yet.
These two people prohibited me from discussing with them on the grounds that my status was too low."
When Chu Sheng heard this result, he slapped the table and said angrily: "This is unreasonable."
Prince Su Shu chuckled and said, "They want someone with high status to negotiate. It's time for me to step in."
Cabinet Minister Chu Sheng wanted to take over this matter.
Prince Su Shu waved his hand, he had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, how could he allow the opportunity to slip away.
