Even though they still knew nothing about the specific details of the steam locomotive, since the Minister of Works had already made a clear promise and His Majesty attached so much importance to this project, they believed that this steam locomotive must be something extraordinary.
If I continue to question him, His Majesty and the princes in the Royal Affairs Office might suspect me of ulterior motives or objections to His Majesty's decisions. This would not only damage my reputation, but also affect my position in the court and even cause me to lose His Majesty's trust, which is extremely dangerous in officialdom.
Chu Fan asked Shen Congwen seriously, "My dear Shen, this is only the first batch of silver shipped back from Japan. And what will I do with this 10 million taels of silver?
Ten million taels of silver can bring such a huge improvement to all aspects of Wei State. Then, after the second and third batches of silver are shipped back, Wei State's national strength will be further enhanced. So, ministers, do you have any questions about Wei State's strategy towards Japan?"
At this point, if the ministers in the court still couldn't understand the situation His Majesty had laid out, then all their years of hard work in the officialdom would have been in vain. Even if they were still in the court now, they might be replaced by others in the near future.
It should be noted that the Wei Kingdom is now in a stage of rapid development. Any hesitation or doubt may lead to missed opportunities. At this time, the ministers in the court are more keen on fighting for power, and the open and covert struggles between them have become more intense.
Because they knew very well that it was absolutely impossible to allow a stupid person to occupy an important position, as that would seriously affect the overall development and future destiny of the Wei State.
In fact, the struggle for power and loyalty to the country are not mutually exclusive. The key lies in whether the emperor, the leader of the country, can provide proper guidance and balance, so that the ministers can contribute to the prosperity of the country while pursuing their personal interests.
Only when this positive cycle is achieved will the ministers in the court have the motivation to conscientiously perform their duties and government affairs.
Although Chu Fan may not have fully understood this, his actions were in line with this principle. He not only showed his subjects that following him would bring them tangible benefits, but also made them deeply understand that only when the State of Wei developed as a whole could they personally gain more benefits and rewards.
Shen Congwen was the first to speak out in support: "Your Majesty is extremely wise. I, an old minister, have no more doubts. Under your wise leadership, the State of Wei will surely become increasingly powerful and prosperous."
Other ministers also responded, expressing their support and trust in Chu Fan's decision. They were full of confidence in Chu Fan's decision.
Chu Fan nodded with satisfaction. He knew very well that these ministers were all smart people, but as long as they understood his good intentions and were willing to contribute to the future of Wei, that would be enough.
Chu Fan continued, "Since everyone no longer has doubts about my decision, today's morning court session ends here. Ministers, please return to your respective posts and do your best to live up to my expectations of you."
After hearing Chu Fan's words, the ministers all stood up and respectfully bowed to him. They then left the Haotian Hall in an orderly manner and returned to their respective offices to contribute to the development of the Wei Kingdom. After all, His Majesty had just ordered them to return to their posts. If anyone returned home without permission at this time, they would likely be accused of disrespect by those with ulterior motives, and their official positions and family reputations might even be affected.
Don't underestimate this tiny detail; many important figures have stumbled over such insignificant details, leading to their careers being ruined. Therefore, every minister was extremely cautious and returned to their own offices to handle government affairs, not daring to slack off in the slightest. They were afraid of losing the big picture due to a small mistake, which would eventually make the gains more than the losses outweigh the losses.
When they left the Haotian Palace, the princes from the Royal Government Affairs Office, Prime Minister Cao Mengde, and the six ministers walked side by side, enthusiastically discussing what had happened at the morning court that day.
Normally, it's difficult for a country's top officials to achieve such harmonious coexistence. After all, if all the powerful officials in the court get along harmoniously, the emperor's power is likely to be weakened. Therefore, many emperors would place the powerful officials' sworn enemies in positions of mutual restraint, fearing that their own power would be divided among the ministers.
Therefore, although the powerful officials in many countries are loyal subjects of the same country, it is impossible for them to be so harmonious with each other, and there are inevitably conflicts of interest and struggles for power.
However, this situation did not arise in the Wei Kingdom. After all, Chu Fan was not an emperor who feared being stripped of his imperial power. Furthermore, the Imperial Government Affairs Office was a truly remarkable institution. While its officials were ministers of the Wei Kingdom, they were also princes within the imperial family. They would not allow imperial power to fall into the hands of others. Therefore, under their mediation, the powerful officials not only coexisted harmoniously, but also worked together to contribute to the prosperity and stability of the Wei Kingdom, forming a unique political ecosystem.
Moreover, after more than a year of running-in and cooperation, Chu Fan has successfully integrated these powerful officials into his own interest group. Therefore, even if there were any grievances between them in the past, now driven by common interests, they have chosen to put aside their past conflicts and work together for the prosperity of Wei.
The formation of this tacit understanding embodies the emperor's remarkable political wisdom. Guided by a shared goal, past disputes gradually faded, replaced by a shared vision and unwavering faith in the nation's future. Their cooperation not only did not undermine imperial authority, but also forged a powerful synergy, working together to propel the Wei Kingdom steadily forward.
Of course, as to why Chu Fan had created such a harmonious situation, it actually didn't matter. No matter what His Majesty had originally thought, the court officials and the people only knew what they had gained.
Now, in the eyes of the court ministers and the general public of Wei, Chu Fan, the emperor of Wei, is such a person who is good at balancing power and a far-sighted ruler.
As for what His Majesty is thinking in his heart, does it even matter?
They were more concerned about how the State of Wei, under Chu Fan's rule, gradually emerged from the plight of internal and external troubles and moved towards prosperity. Later generations would only see in history books how the State of Wei, under the leadership of Emperor Chu Fan, overcame numerous difficulties and ultimately achieved national prosperity and people's happiness.
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