Chapter 4853: Debate before the Emperor

Chapter 4853: Debate before the Emperor
The first snow fell heavily across the Guanzhong area, covering the glazed tiles on the palace roofs. The withered flowers and trees looked desolate and bleak. The eunuchs and palace maids were sweeping the alleys in the snow. They had just swept away the fallen snow on the bluestone ground in front, but a thin layer of snow appeared on the back.

When winter came, the imperial study had its floor heating re-laid, and the east wall was demolished and the windows removed, replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Sitting on the mat in front of the window, one could enjoy the view of the garden outside the window, and Li Chengqian liked it very much.

As a result, she spent more time in the imperial study, causing complaints from the concubines in the palace...

The heating on the ground was just right, the air was warm but not dry, and it was very comfortable.

Fang Jun, dressed in a purple official robe, sat cross-legged in front of a small stove, boiling water and making tea with great concentration. Li Chengqian knelt behind a low table and sipped his tea slowly. Li Ji held a teacup in his hand, frowned, and looked at the falling snow outside the window in a daze. Ma Zhou was flipping through a thick file at the side.

After reading the battle report sent by the Admiral Su Dingfang from the Guangzhou Governor's Office, Liu Li threw it hard on the low table in front of him, his hair and beard disheveled, his eyes glaring, and he angrily said, "Lawless! A mere admiral of the navy dared to start a war and openly go to war with a big country like the Arab Empire, and even forced them to sign such a humiliating contract. Do they still have the law in their eyes?"

Yang Zhou won a great victory in the battle of Shilafu Port, and then sent the battle report back to Guangzhou. Su Dingfang then submitted the battle report to the capital. After going around the vast sea, it finally reached Li Chengqian's desk several months later. After reading it, Liu Li was shocked and surprised.

They were surprised that the navy was able to completely annihilate the navy of Shirov Port and dominate the entire Persian Gulf, and they were also shocked by the navy's arrogance and its willingness to start wars. If all the armies in the country followed suit, wouldn't the central government be useless?
Ma Zhou also put down the file in his hand, pinched his brows, and said: "After all, the navy is different from other armies. Yang Zhou is in the Persian Gulf, which is more than 20,000 miles away from Chang'an. He should be given the power to make decisions on the spot. Otherwise, he will report all the time and ask for instructions on everything, which may delay the battle opportunity."

Liu Li said angrily, "That's true, but it's fine for other things. The Arab Empire has a vast territory, hundreds of millions of people, and is powerful. It is a powerful country that can compete with the Tang Dynasty. Going to war with it is likely to drag the empire into the war. Can such a thing be decided on the spot? If everyone follows suit, what's the point of us, the prime minister?"

Ma Zhou smiled and said nothing more.

In fact, he also felt that the navy had gone too far this time...

Seeing that His Majesty was drinking tea without saying anything, Liu Li looked at Fang Jun and glared at him, "What do you say, Duke Yue?"

Fang Junzheng took the boiled tea off the stove and said disapprovingly, "I am neither the admiral of the navy nor a participant in the war. What does it have to do with me? Zhongshu Ling, you are at least an important official of the empire. You should pay attention to self-cultivation and stop making a fuss all day long. Do you know what cunning is? A man who remains calm even when facing a catastrophe is called a real man. You still need to learn."

As he spoke, he poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and praised: "This tea is good, it tastes especially good when brewed."

This is a white tea that was recently developed by the tea craftsmen at home, using natural withering as the main process...

Li Ji handed over the teacup: "Give me a cup."

Fang Jun then filled his cup with wine. Li Ji took a sip, tasted it, and nodded, saying, "It's really good. Sidao, why don't you have a drink?"

Liu Li was very angry. He ignored Li Ji and angrily said to Fang Jun: "I don't need you to teach me how to do things!"

Fang Jun rolled his eyes: "You are the one who wants to provoke me, okay? I am just making tea here and you have to ask me, but what does this have to do with me?"

"You are the one who organized and founded the navy. All of them are your people. The entire navy is your lackeys who obey your orders. If it's not your business, who else can it be?"

"The full name of the navy is 'The Imperial Navy of the Tang Dynasty'. In name, it is your Majesty's private army, and all personnel appointments and dismissals must be approved by your Majesty. You say that they are my lackeys, minions, and where do you put your Majesty?"

"Since it is your Majesty's private army, you have your trusted minions steal the positions of the navy. Where do you put your Majesty?"

"In the navy, from officers to soldiers, everyone fought bravely and fearlessly, and no one deserted the battlefield. During training, they worked diligently and honestly, and there was no scandal of corruption or dereliction of duty. They all performed their duties and served loyally. Is there anyone who was incompetent? They have won the recognition of Your Majesty with their loyalty and performance. Why are you, a civil servant, complaining here and meddling in other people's business?"

……

The two of them exchanged sharp words, arguing back and forth for a while.

Li Chengqian drank his tea leisurely and did not say anything to stop them. He was used to seeing the two quarreling with each other. In fact, it was a pleasure for him as an emperor to see the civil and military officials criticize and supervise each other. He did not have the civil and military strategies of Emperor Taizong. If the ministers gathered together in harmony, that would be what he was most worried about...

Li Ji glanced at Li Chengqian, sighed helplessly, put down his teacup and knocked on the low table: "Now we are talking about the contract signed between the navy and Shiluofu Port. Don't go off topic. If you like to quarrel, why not go to Pingkangfang and find a brothel to have a good quarrel later? Let's express ourselves freely and without reservation, so as not to be embarrassed in front of His Majesty."

Li Chengqian laughed when he heard this, "It's fine if he goes somewhere else, I don't care, but he can't go to Pingkangfang. Erlang has now become the number one enemy of the collective boycott of all the brothels in Pingkangfang. Every time he goes there, there will be a fight. If they start fighting during the quarrel, I'm afraid the Minister of the Central Secretariat will suffer."

Li Ji and Ma Zhou couldn't help laughing when they thought of Fang Jun's past. This man was indeed the "greatest enemy of Pingkangfang".

Liu Li also found it funny and said, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. If you can't win, you will still run away. Although I am a civil servant, I usually exercise my body, so I am not slow at running."

Li Chengqian also laughed: "When my father was alive, he said that Erlang was 'unintelligent'. Others who went to Pingkangfang would sleep with prostitutes and indulge in amorous activities, but Erlang didn't stare at the singing girls there, but instead picked fights. One day, all the families in Pingkangfang will unite to boycott him and 'not allow him to enter', haha!"

The atmosphere in the imperial study eased.

Liu Li did not continue to dwell on the issue of the navy starting a war without authorization. He also knew that as long as His Majesty was still alive, it would be impossible for anyone else to interfere in the navy. That was his compensation and reward to Fang Jun, and it was also his evidence to the world that he continued to trust Fang Jun.

No matter what they do, Fang Jun is there to back them up, and no one can do anything about it.

He pointed to the contract that stated that the Arab Empire would pay compensation to the Tang Dynasty for the death of merchants, soldiers killed in battle, and damaged warships. "Three hundred thousand gold coins is indeed a considerable sum, but why is it allowed to be paid in installments? This contract was signed by the Governor of Shiloh Port, and his position was granted by the Caliph. Once the Caliph transfers or dismisses him, won't this contract be worthless?"

He pulled out another battle report: "This is Yang Zhou's private battle report. Why did he agree to sell the Thunder Bomb to the Arab Empire? What if he uses it in the war with us? What if he reverses the formula of gunpowder from it?"

Li Chengqian remained silent. His Majesty the Emperor had recently studied the Doctrine of the Mean and felt that it was in line with his personality and philosophy of life. "Being impartial, neither too much nor too little" was indeed the criterion for all things in the world. As long as this was achieved, nothing was impossible.

So he didn't care about the navy "starting a war without authorization" and "private negotiations", nor did he care about Liu Li's aggressiveness and roaring in front of the emperor. He just watched quietly and waited until he was needed to make a decision, and then he would make a decision, instead of interfering...

Fang Jun was calm in the face of the aggressive questioning: "I will answer your first question first. First of all, the Governor of Shiloh Port cannot come up with 300,000 gold coins. If he is not allowed to pay in installments, then the money will not be available at all. The war must continue. Not only will we not be able to get compensation, but we will continue to suffer more losses. Secondly, payment in installments is not a bad thing. The Minister of the Central Secretariat should have seen that there is a clause in the contract to pay "interest", right? Ten years later, we will get a huge sum of 600,000 gold coins. Thirdly, the Minister of the Central Secretariat can try to terminate this clause, and you will see how many people in the court and the public criticize you..."

The aristocratic families cannot be subdued by simply suppressing or weakening them. Their thousands of years of foundation are not rootless and the interests of each other are intertwined. Jin Renwen's caravan represents the interests of many aristocratic families, and they will target anyone who dares to prevent them from making money.

The Minister of the Secretariat is not good enough either.

Liu Li finally understood why Jin Renwen was involved and shut up decisively. He was not Li Ji, let alone Fang Jun, and he could not withstand the impeachment and criticism from the civil and military officials in the court...

Fang Jun poured a cup of tea for Liu Li and continued, "As for the second question, whether the sale of 'Sky-shaking Bombs' is a military matter, you have no jurisdiction over it even if you are the Minister of the Central Secretariat. However, I can answer it out of respect for you. The formula of 'gunpowder' is not some cosmic mystery that cannot be understood. Now that the world knows the power of Tang Dynasty firearms, how could there not be people trying to develop and imitate it? Whether it is leaked internally or developed by outsiders, the barbarians will definitely master the formula of gunpowder one day."

Li Chengqian, who had always been playing deep and thoughtful, could no longer sit still and asked in surprise, "Is it really like that?"

Fang Jun nodded and said seriously, "I'm not lying, but don't worry, Your Majesty. Even if those foreign nations have invented gunpowder, our gunpowder research and development will definitely be at the forefront of the world and will be the best in terms of performance, power, and output."

Liu Li asked hurriedly: "Don't the Hu people also have muskets and cannons? Even if the gunpowder performance is insufficient, it is still a huge hidden danger!"

Fang Jun smiled and said, "If gunpowder can keep the foreign tribes ahead for a hundred years, then muskets and cannons can keep them ahead for five hundred years."

Compared to the gunpowder formula of "charcoal, saltpeter and sulfur", the smelting technology for making guns and cannons is the real black technology. The Hu people cannot learn it even if they watch it, and they cannot smelt it even if they learn it.