It seems like it's been a long time since we've had such a debate.
Xu Churen has managed to maintain a harmonious atmosphere within the Political Affairs Hall over the past few years. The most direct reason for this is that the Censorate and the Privy Council have been too harsh on the Political Affairs Hall, causing the entire Political Affairs Hall to unite as one.
While working together is certainly a good thing, in terms of the power structure in politics, it is not permissible for the emperor for the government offices to band together.
When people recall the political changes in the early autumn of the eighth year of the Jingkang era, they gleaned another person's ambition from this point, pointing directly to Shi Ziming as the biggest winner behind the scenes.
The emperor slammed his fist on the table in anger: "What kind of behavior is this!"
The ministers were greatly alarmed and bowed deeply, saying, "We deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
Silence fell instantly, and Zhao Huan's sharp gaze swept over everyone.
"Lord Xu, tell me, what's going on here?"
Xu Churen stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this year's steel allocation is already close to saturation."
“Saturation?” Zhao Huan raised his eyebrows slightly. “What about the people? There’s not enough for them to buy.”
"Your Majesty, if the court suddenly purchases large quantities of steel from the people, it will cause the price of steel to skyrocket, which is not advisable."
"Then what do you suggest?" The emperor's face had darkened, like a storm cloud gathering.
"Your Majesty, I believe that we should not take it by force."
Yu Yunwen quickly replied, "Your Majesty, sending more people can expedite the work. Furthermore, suspending the construction of the West Ward is perfectly sufficient."
Upon hearing this, Xu Churen was completely taken aback.
Xifang is an area that was redeveloped in the western part of the new city of Tokyo. Both the maritime and land Silk Roads have been opened up, and more and more people from Central Asia are coming to Tokyo.
In order to achieve unified management, the imperial court built the West Ward, which means the western trading market.
“No!” Xu Churen said, “Your Majesty, the Western Warehouse is of paramount importance, as it concerns the Song Dynasty’s foreign trade.”
Tang Ke quickly added, “Your Majesty, what Minister Xu said is quite right. The Great Song is becoming increasingly powerful, and the various departments of the Ministry of Commerce have trade needs with Southeast Asia, Chinla, India, and even the barbarian tribes in the Northwest, as well as the Talas region. Various places are also willing to send caravans to increasingly interact with the Great Song. This is a sign that Your Majesty’s divine might is spreading far and wide, and the world is submitting to you. This must not be interrupted at will.”
The ministers of the State Affairs Hall all said in unison, "This concerns the fate of the nation; Your Majesty, please reconsider."
Zhao Huan was quite disdainful. What nonsense about the fate of the nation! Could a mere Western Ward determine the fate of my Great Song Dynasty?
The fate of my Great Song Dynasty is determined by ministers who govern well and by elite troops and strong generals!
Zhao Huan really wanted to give the people in the Council of State a good scolding, but that would seem too biased and would dampen their enthusiasm.
They never realized the importance of the train.
But we can't blame them for this, after all, they were people from ancient times, and trains at that stage were still very primitive.
"Do any of you gentlemen have a brilliant plan?"
The ministers remained silent, which angered Zhao Huan.
The emperor said coldly, "Since no one is speaking, I will make my stance clear first: this railway will definitely be built! Anyone who dares to obstruct my construction of the train will have their head taken!"
The ministers felt a chill in their hearts, then heard the emperor say, "Eight years of new policies have brought about the current prosperity of the Song Dynasty, all thanks to the efforts of you ministers."
Upon hearing the emperor's softened tone, the ministers all said, "Your Majesty is wise."
"You are all my trusted advisors. You believe in me, which is why you are willing to follow me to change the world!"
At this point, some ministers began to shed tears, recalling the trials and tribulations of the past eight years, which had been truly difficult, causing them sleepless nights and loss of appetite.
"We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty's trust; we will serve you to the death!"
These guys are all actors; they can shed tears so easily.
"Since you trust me, I am now going to build a train. This is the future of the Song Dynasty and concerns the livelihood of all people. How about you all trust me one more time?"
Xu Churen sighed inwardly; the emperor had said both good and bad things to him.
What else can they say?
Zhao Huan added, "I don't care what methods you use, but on the premise of ensuring that steel prices remain unchanged, you must provide the Railway Bureau with sufficient steel without fail."
Before the ministers could speak, the emperor continued, "The future of the Song Dynasty rests on your shoulders."
The emperor's words may seem subtle to the average person, but these ministers had been with the emperor for eight years and could easily discern his true meaning.
I am now determined to build a train. You must do everything in your power to build it for me. I will not listen to any nonsense. If anyone fails to do so, I will hold them accountable!
Xu Churen said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly accomplish it."
"Very well, I trust Minister Xu the most in his work."
Yu Yunwen said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to establish another Iron and Steel Bureau to share the burden with Minister Xu."
Xu Churen's eyelids twitched, and the other ministers' eyes all started darting around.
You, Yu Yunwen, are something else!
You've already filed a complaint, made yourself a loyal subject before the emperor, and now you're going to arrest the Iron and Steel Bureau as well.
Obviously, the Iron and Steel Bureau was experiencing a shortage of steel, and the matter had reached the Emperor's ears. This was the perfect opportunity to add another Iron and Steel Bureau.
Thus, the emperor agreed, and the Council of State Affairs couldn't say anything, since the matter hadn't been handled well and the steel supply was insufficient.
It's perfectly reasonable to set up a preparatory office.
You can't just refuse to let us add another one because your government affairs office hasn't done its job well, can you?
Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan nodded immediately: "I am very pleased that Minister Yu has such a mind. I will entrust this matter to Minister Yu."
"I obey the decree!"
This is a game of musical chairs, seemingly all for the benefit of the Council of State, but in reality, it's a division of power.
Some have speculated that this power struggle might be related to the future heir apparent.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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