si-mexico Chapter 228 Meeting in the Imperial Study
Chapter 228 Meeting in the Imperial Study
Long Chuqing stood by the bed, a chill running through her, and she couldn't help but rub her arms.
"No, it's too cold... Feng'er, it's too cold, let's go tomorrow!"
Before she could finish speaking, she turned around and lay back down in bed.
"Hmph..." Feng Yu snorted coldly.
The next day, the palace
An urgent secret report has recently arrived from the border, stating that the enemy country has recently made some moves, which may lead to another war. It is hoped that the court will make preparations as soon as possible.
This news caused great concern among the officials, leading to two opposing views in the court.
Some ministers advocated a counterattack to safeguard the interests and dignity of the dynasty.
There are also voices opposing the war and advocating for peace, who believe that restraint should be maintained and that war should be avoided if possible.
The morning court session ended amidst much noise and commotion.
The atmosphere in the Imperial Study was heavy at that time.
Minister of War Lu, Minister of Works Han, Minister of Revenue He, Prime Minister Xiao Han, Prime Minister Ye, and several other ministers participated in this emergency meeting.
They knew this was different from their usual minor squabbles.
Prime Minister Ye reported: "Your Majesty, our dynasty is currently at a crucial moment of vigorously developing its economy. I believe that it is not appropriate to advocate war at this time. Instead, we should send envoys to the north to convey our dynasty's friendly and peaceful stance and determination."
Xiao Han said with a serious expression, "Prime Minister, the enemy country has been making frequent moves this time. They have personally torn up the treaty of peaceful coexistence and have repeatedly invaded our borders. Do you still think they are trustworthy?"
"Although our dynasty has always advocated the principle of valuing peace and striving to resolve disputes through peaceful coexistence, it now appears that enemy countries regard our friendly attitude as weakness and vulnerability, and have repeatedly provoked us and taken advantage of our situation."
"Now their provocations are becoming more and more frequent, clearly because they believe that our country's bottom line can be trampled on at will."
“We should re-examine the current situation. If we continue to be as tolerant and yielding as before, and show weakness and goodwill, wouldn’t we be looked down upon by the enemy and be seen as weak and easily bullied?”
Minister of War Lu nodded in agreement: "I think Your Highness is right. Given the current situation, we have no more time to consider other things and should prioritize the border issue."
Minister of Revenue He sighed, "But wars are always costly and exhausting for the people. If war breaks out, the people will suffer terribly and live in misery!" He shook his head helplessly.
Lord Lu continued, “Everyone here knows the cruelty of war. But if we do not send troops to resist foreign enemies, and if our country is not safe, we will not only lose our livelihood, but we may also become slaves that the enemy can trample on at will.”
"Faced with the current grim situation, we have no choice but to fight back in order to safeguard the interests and dignity of our country's territory."
"Besides, there's nothing to be afraid of the Northerners. Do you think we, the sons of China, are afraid of them?" Lord Lu said with an imposing air.
The group exchanged glances, their faces filled with helplessness. Given their current situation, there was clearly no better solution than to fight back.
Emperor Sukang, seated on the dragon throne, spoke: "What Prince Qin and Minister Lu said earlier is not without reason. The Northern Expedition is becoming increasingly rampant, and we cannot continue to indulge them and let them continue to provoke us."
"The Prime Minister and Minister He's concerns are understandable. Our dynasty is developing in a positive direction, and if war breaks out now, it will definitely have an impact."
"The situation is dire right now, and it is not the time to prioritize finances. Only when the country is restored to stability can we focus on governing the country and helping the people."
He looked at the Minister of Revenue below and said, "Minister He, the Ministry of Revenue also needs to make good reserves of supplies to ensure that there are enough food and weapons on the battlefield if war breaks out in the future."
Minister of Revenue He replied, "As you command, I will certainly make the necessary preparations in terms of supplies."
Emperor Sukang turned his gaze to the Minister of Works beside him. When Minister Han met Emperor Sukang's gaze, he lowered his eyes guiltily.
Lord Han looked worried and unsure how to explain the bottleneck the manufacturing department had encountered.
The current situation is dire, yet we are unable to produce high-quality weapons. If this matter is brought up in the Imperial Study, he will inevitably be impeached by his colleagues, and his official position will likely be in jeopardy.
Thinking of this, his body trembled slightly.
"Minister Han," Emperor Sukang began, "How is the weaponry project progressing? You still need to put in more effort to manufacture high-quality weapons as soon as possible and put them into service in the army."
Now that the Ministry of War and the Prince are aware that the weapons made with the new technology cannot be improved, this matter can no longer be concealed.
If I report this matter to His Majesty now, at most I will lose my official position. If it leads to more serious consequences, it will be a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of my family.
Lord Han had no choice but to step forward, cup his hands in greeting, and report: "Your Majesty, the newly forged batch of weapons..."
He looked up at Emperor Sukang and continued, "None of them have been well improved; they are still prone to breaking after being hit hard, just like before."
After saying this, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Lord Han," the Minister of Revenue said slowly, "With so many people in the Ministry of Works, is there not a single capable person who can't even forge a sturdy and durable sword?"
Lord Han secretly rolled his eyes, knowing that this old scoundrel would stand up and challenge him.
He had a lot of headaches because he frequently went to the Ministry of Revenue to withdraw money, which caused some unpleasantness between the two. Now he had the opportunity.
Other ministers chimed in, "Indeed! These swords are crucial life-saving weapons for our soldiers on the battlefield. If they are not sturdy enough, how can our soldiers fight the enemy with all their might and ensure their safety?"
"Are we going to send our soldiers to their deaths on the battlefield with substandard weapons?"
"Lord Yu, what are you saying?" Lord Han was slightly annoyed after hearing this: "Even if the Ministry of Works hasn't produced any better weapons yet, they're not as bad as you make them out to be!"
"If the new process is not ideal, then we can continue to forge using the old process. This will at least solve the current predicament. We can continue to research new processes when things are more peaceful in the future."
"Hmph..." Lord Yu snorted coldly: "According to you, then anyone can become the Minister of Works."
Lord He chimed in, "Alas, they are so diligent when it comes to applying for funding, but they can't produce anything. I wonder if the money has been used where it should have been."
"You, you, you all..." Lord Han's face turned red with anger after hearing these words. He pointed angrily at Lord Yu and Lord He, "Are you trying to say that I have embezzled money?"
"Alas, I never said that..."
Looking at the noisy scene below, Emperor Sukang sighed, rubbing his forehead; he only felt a headache coming on.