Du Wei's mood at the moment was so weird. Prince Chen's actions were really unexpected. How could he have such a skill at this time?
What does he want to do? Push himself onto the stove to be roasted?
If you support the finance minister, you will offend the military. If you support the military expansion, you will offend the finance minister.
Just when everyone in the hall was staring at Du Wei, Du Wei suddenly smiled. He slowly stood up and had just sat down.
"Your Highness." Du Wei smiled lightly, but there was something cunning in his eyes: "Everyone sitting here is an important minister of the empire. I am just a frontier lord. I am young, what can I do?
Gao Jian? But..."
When he said this, he paused for a moment as if on purpose, and then laughed in a low voice: "I saw that the Prime Minister was sitting steadily... Lord Robschael, it seems that he is already confident. Your Highness, why are we
Why don't you listen to the Prime Minister's advice? With his rich experience, maybe there is a better way."
With just two words, he kicked the ball to the old prime minister who looked like he was staying away.
Although this hot potato was thrown to old Robschel, it seemed that the old prime minister was not very angry. His eyes, which were half closed and half-squinted, finally opened slowly and seemed to have looked at Du Wei.
At one glance, there was no dissatisfaction in his eyes, but instead a hint of appreciation flashed through his eyes.
Hmm... This young boy, with such an honor and favor, knows how not to push for the limelight and keep a low profile... It seems that he is indeed a good candidate... However, Your Highness the Regent, the candidate you have chosen is too young.
Got some.
That's all...let me finally make a little contribution to the Augustinian Dynasty.
When Prince Chen heard Du Wei's words, he also smiled slightly and couldn't help but feel a little satisfied in his eyes.
However, this is indeed a temptation, and it is also a test. If Du Wei really listens to his words, he dares to speak out and comment on who is right and who is wrong between the Minister of Finance and the number one military boss... That is a stupid performance!
No matter how prominent you are, or how talented you are...in this circle, what matters is qualifications!
Even if you are right and you are smart, if you are not qualified enough to talk about some people or things, you should never talk about them! Because you can’t afford to talk about them!
Take retreat to advance... It seems that this boy has practiced well in the northwest for more than a year.
Originally, I saw that Du Wei was young, but as soon as he came in, he was arranged by the regent to sit in the most sensitive "lower left first" position. Even though everyone knew that this young Duke was very popular, but such "
After all, "Rising" still made some old guys dissatisfied, and it was inevitable that there would be some imbalance. Fortunately, Du Wei did not say anything boldly, and pushed the old prime minister down so smoothly. Others listened. But they did not blame Du Wei.
Cunning, but at the same time a thought came into my mind:
This young boy talks and does things, and he is still on the road!
"Well, then please tell me what you mean, Prime Minister." The Prince Regent smiled and looked at the old Robschel who had been dozing off.
The old prime minister coughed a few times at first. He had spent a lifetime in officialdom. After decades of Emperor Augustine VI's reign, he was also born into a big family. He gradually reached the position of prime minister with his qualifications, experience, and family power.
.
Emperor Augustine VI was not an easy-to-serve monarch. It was not an easy job to assist this emperor who loved great achievements. Often, the ministers were unable to satisfy the monarch's transitional vanity, excessive waste of national power, and some unrealistic demands, which led to trouble in the end.
They all ended disastrously. For example, the previous finance minister...
However, this Robescher's position as prime minister has always been as stable as Mount Tai! The number of bosses in various departments of the empire changed during the reign of Emperor Augustine VI, and this old Robescher
Well, my butt is sitting in the position of prime minister, and I have been sitting there for twenty years!
More importantly, he is not the kind of person who blindly flatters the monarch or slanders ministers. He is always smart enough to find a breakthrough in conflicts. He uses skillful political skills to soften all kinds of sharp contradictions. He is not the kind of person who just wants to satisfy himself.
The emperor who was so happy with his achievements was just the kind of mediocre person who hugged the emperor's lap. In fact, in the imperial officialdom, the evaluation of the old prime minister's reputation was quite good.
"The Prime Minister didn't speak just now. We thought you were asleep." Prince Chen said another appropriately "beating" sentence.
The old prime minister smiled, and he stood up reluctantly. His old body looked even more frail, but at this moment, his smile showed the calmness of an old politician!
"Your Highness." Robschel said with a smile: "Please forgive my silence just now... However, I have just been thinking about two issues."
"What's the problem?"
The old man raised two fingers: "One means 'urgent' and the other means 'slow'."
He calmly turned around and bowed to the Chancellor of Finance and General Hughes: "In my opinion, what both of you said is reasonable. So-called national affairs, whether it is finance or military affairs, there is nothing wrong between the two of them."
Or wrong, but although there is no right or wrong in the matter itself, there is a distinction between urgency and slowness."
As soon as the old man spoke, after all, he had been the prime minister for twenty years. Although he had gradually become dormant in recent years, he still had this weight. As soon as he spoke, the heavyweights below did not speak, but listened quietly to the old man.
words.
"Let's talk about the Chancellor's suggestion first...the issue of the combat effectiveness of the empire's local garrison. Well, we must understand that some things can be cut through quickly! But some things cannot be solved in a day or two! The local garrison's
The problem of redundancy has been a headache for the empire for decades or even generations. It is true that the combat effectiveness is low. It is true that the numbers are too huge. It is even more true that military expenditures are too wasteful."
He glanced at Old General Hughes who seemed to be about to argue, and before the other party could speak, he said: "Hughes, my old friend, don't refute these questions yet, because they are indeed facts. Of course...
I also don’t agree with operating on the huge local garrison now. After all, now is not a good time! We are facing many problems. The empire is not yet stable. More importantly, the vast territory of the empire also requires a large number of troops.
Military guarding. This problem needs to be solved slowly. Even if we want to disarmament, it will be a long process."
Old Hughes looked a little complicated, shook his head, and finally said nothing.
"Next... Let's talk about the situation of the Storm Legion in the north. It is an urgent matter! There is no need to delay. The lack of military strength is an undeniable fact." Robschel looked at the finance minister again: "Okay, Munez, you also
There is no need to refute it. I think your idea, which is to 'move the local garrison to the north', is a very stupid idea. The combat effectiveness of the Storm Legion in the north is second to none among the Empire's main battle legions! If even they have
I can't stop those damn monsters... Oh, I'm sorry, Your Majesty. My words were a bit rude and I lost my identity..."
He said it calmly, but Du Wei's eyes suddenly lit up!
Because in what the old guy just said, his title to Prince Chen seemed to be habitually wrong. Or it was intentional... His title unknowingly changed from His Highness to His Highness.
"Your Majesty"!
Prince Chen seems to be unaware of this title, maybe...
"If even the Storm Legion can't stop those monsters, then what reason do we have to believe that the local garrison can do better than the brave Storm Legion? Munez, my old friend. You understand you
Regarding financial concerns, in fact, I agree with your point of view, but you must understand... To the south of the Storm Legion is the vast land in the north of the empire! If the north is in chaos, then next year... No. You don't have to wait until next year, this spring
The financial revenue will be greatly affected! Therefore, since you are worried about financial issues, then you need to consider more. If we do not inject fresh and reliable combat power into the Northern Storm Legion, once our northern barrier is lost... then,
The north is in chaos. The loss of fiscal revenue will be even greater! Gentlemen, this is a difficult problem! I can't think of any perfect solution, but we may be able to weigh the pros and cons and then choose a more important and 'urgent' problem to solve.
, as for other disadvantages, we might as well tolerate them for a while."
Du Wei couldn't help but sigh in his heart after hearing this...
Watertight, watertight... Is this the experience of an old politician who has spent his entire life in officialdom? Being so soft and hard, but not offending all parties... He clearly blamed the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Military Affairs at the same time, but at the same time supported
He talked to two people... and finally expressed his position tactfully.
Such words are definitely not something that can be achieved by just relying on intelligence. What is needed is experience! What is also needed is status and qualifications! Among so many people in the venue, perhaps Du Wei is more popular than this old man now.
He has a lot of energy, but if he says such words, he is afraid that he will anger the two big bosses. Even if others dare not refute him face to face because of Prince Chen, they will probably mock him in their hearts as "I don't know how high the sky is."
Only this old prime minister, with his twenty years of influence and prestige, could say something. Even if he accused the minister of finance and the military boss, the two old guys could only accept it and could not refute it.
For any other person, there is absolutely no prestige and qualifications based on the old prime minister!
"So, you agree with the expansion of the army?" the regent said with a smile.
"No, Your Highness, I don't agree with 'army expansion', but I think we can make some adjustments appropriately. My suggestion is that we should take this matter in three steps! As for the first step, we can start with
Royal City Guards, mobilize two divisions to go north immediately! The second step can be carried out at the same time as the first step, which is to order the Southern Army stationed in the southern swamp to deploy a division to supplement the Royal City Guards! As for the third step,
The step is to recruit new soldiers! However, these recruited new soldiers are used to supplement the Southern Army. And, what I mean is that this recruitment must be carried out according to the combat effectiveness standards of the main army, and the number is not two divisions.
But four! At the same time... I suggest that we cut some of the military expenditures for the local garrison next year, and we can make some adjustments."
Prince Chen thought for a while and murmured: "Deploying two divisions of the Royal Guards to go north...Prime Minister, is this approach a bit risky? Northwest..."
When the sensitive topic of "Northwest" was mentioned, everyone fell silent, especially General Hughes, the military boss, whose face was even more ugly. After all, he was the one who promoted Lu Gao of the Northwest Army. This is almost
An indelible stain on his political career.
Although, in Du Wei's view, these are not his fault. After all, Chishui Duan, the disciple of the Witch King of the Snow Mountain, is really not an ordinary person! With such strong strength and intelligence, he can stand out no matter what!
This military veteran cannot be entirely blamed.
"So, I think this is a decision that requires courage." The old prime minister's gentle words seemed to carry a heavy weight.
"A decision that requires courage..." Prince Chen nodded, and after a while, he seemed to smile: "Well, yes, this does require courage. However, my Augustine family has never lacked courage! Wang Chengjin
Even if the Guards has lost two divisions, are they afraid of the northwest? What's more... in the short term, I think we will still have a world-famous Tulip Duke sitting in the northwest!"