As expected, the candidates for the new Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet caused a stir. When the three candidates were announced, the impeachment memorials appeared.
Their main targets were naturally the Minister of Revenue Zhang Xueyan and the Imperial Censorate of the Left Imperial Censor Chen Feicheng.
Why do you blow your head so hard?
This also had something to do with the position of the two people. After all, Chen Yu was not the only one.
Drought-Infested disease?
II
As for Zhang Xueyan, there were many problems with the Ministry of Revenue. If they wanted to find her, they would be able to find her.
There was no need to mention Minister of Works Ceng Shengwu. Basically, no one paid any attention to him. Everyone could tell that Ceng Shengwu was here to accompany them.
However, he was still young, and the benefits of showing his face this time were self-evident.
With this recommendation, Ceng Shengwu had completely entered the ranks of the Reserve Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.
Zhu Yijun didn't care about the commotion outside. Although it was a public recommendation, the higher-ups knew that it was just a game between Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing.
If there wasn't a big problem, there wouldn't be anyone who was removed during the public election process.
While there was a commotion outside, Zhu Yijun met a person in the Imperial Palace. This person was the famous Pan Jixun in both of his lives.
In this era, many people might not think much of Pan Jixun, but in the future, Pan Jixun's name would definitely be remembered in history.
Zhu Yijun was naturally curious about this famous person. Knowing that he was here, he naturally wanted to meet him.
Pan Jixun had mixed feelings about this trip to the capital.
From the bottom of his heart, Pan Jixun did not want to go to the capital this time. In this chaotic time, it was easy to be involved in all kinds of disturbances, especially with his sensitive position. A little carelessness would make him the target of attack.
In addition, Pan Jixun heard about the fight in the cabinet, so he didn't want to get involved.
However, the emperor still valued him very much. This could be clearly felt from the house that was prepared for him and the people that were arranged for him.
On one hand, there was the sense of duty to be loyal to the Emperor. On the other hand, there was the entanglement in his heart. Pan Jixun's mood was naturally complicated.
Of course, he was also a little worried. After all, the young Son of Heaven's temperament was unstable!
Entering the Hall of Literary Splendor, Pan Jixun bowed and said, "This subject, the Minister of War, Pan Jixun, greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
Zhu Yijun looked at Pan Jixun with a smile and said, "You don't have to be so polite. We have been waiting for you for a long time. Today, you are finally here!" As he said this, Zhu Yijun said to Chen Ju, "Sit!" After Pan Jixun sat down, Zhu Yijun said, "Did you have a smooth journey?"
"Your Majesty, everything went smoothly for me!" Pan Jixun replied respectfully.
Although Zhu Yijun was talking to Pan Jixun, he was also sizing Pan Jixun up. Pan Jixun was in his forties and had a dignified appearance. His facial features were regular and he looked like a scholar. He fit the image of a Daming civil official.
"You have had a rough journey. We originally didn't want you to take up the post so quickly, but the Armory Department and the Armory Department really need you!"
Zhu Yijun smiled as he took out a booklet and said to Pan Jixun, "This is a document that we have written. It details the arrangements of the Armory Department and the Armory Department. You can take a look. If there is anything inappropriate, you can raise it with us."
"In addition, there are some things over at the Armory Department that you need to take over as soon as possible."
Regarding the Armory Department, Zhu Yijun mainly didn't want to throw any more money at it.
After all, Zhu Yijun had previously thrown his own money at the Armory Department. Now that the Armory Department could use it, there was naturally no need for Zhu Yijun to spend money from the palace treasury.
Although Zhu Yijun had some savings over the years, he still had to spend it sparingly!
Disregarding everything else, just the shipyard alone would probably cost several hundred thousand taels of silver.
Whether it was building the shipyard or feeding the people and horses, they all required money. Once the shipyard was built and ships started, it would be an even bigger expense.
As for the Imperial Navy, although there were five thousand people, the equipment and pay for these five thousand people was not a small amount.
This part of the money needed to be paid from the national treasury, but Zhu Yijun knew his own affairs. The few million taels of silver in the national treasury was really not something he could do with.
Hearing Zhu Yijun's words, Pan Jixun was slightly taken aback. Armory Department?
Of course he knew what the Armory Department did, but what did it have to do with the Armory Department?
However, Pan Jixun knew that he couldn't ask this, so he smiled and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty!"
Zhu Yijun extended his hand and handed the document he had written to Chen Ju and had Chen Ju pass it to Pan Jixun.
On this, Zhu Yijun wrote a few things from the future, such as assembly lines and hydraulic presses. Of course, this was only a preliminary idea. The specifics still needed Pan Jixun to figure it out himself.
Apart from these, there were also some things related to the system, such as the numbering system for firearms. Every part had to be assigned to an individual.
Later on, Zhu Yijun wrote detailed examples about the treatment of craftsmen.
In this era, craftsmen valued their secret skills very much, and they were basically passed down from one generation to the next.
However, there were many problems with this kind of succession system, and Zhu Yijun was going to spend some time to get rid of them.
However, now was not the time. However, it was very urgent to improve the treatment of craftsmen.
Inside, Zhu Yijun talked about the reward system and the project team's claim system.
He could let the master craftsmen claim some key technical research and public relations, and set up rewards.
At the same time, Zhu Yijun also comprehensively improved the treatment of the craftsmen. From a guaranteed salary to a piecework salary, Zhu Yijun listed all of them as examples.
Zhu Yijun also wrote a standard problem. There was only one requirement, and that was that every part must be replaceable.
Standardization and assembly lines were the only guarantee to improve efficiency and quality. Although they wouldn't be able to produce high-quality products, they would be able to produce qualified products.
For mass-produced ordnance products, qualified products were the most important.
With the hydraulic punching machine, Zhu Yijun believed that Pan Jixun would definitely be able to do it.
Sitting on the stool, Pan Jixun looked at the conditions listed by Zhu Yijun. The expression on his face was very interesting. Sometimes he sighed, and sometimes he was excited.
As someone who had presided over the flood control, Pan Jixun naturally knew the functions and benefits of these things.
After a while, Pan Jixun finished reading the conditions, bowed and said, "Your Majesty is indeed a great talent!"
Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said with a smile, "Take the things. If there's anything that doesn't work, you can modify it as you see fit. However, there's one thing. You can't cut the salary of the craftsmen.
I will get the Ministry of Revenue to give them money and grain every month, and I will also strictly prohibit embezzlement of grain. "
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I understand!" Pan Jixun hurriedly bowed and replied.
Because of this condition, the ruler and the minister seemed to have become much closer, and their conversation also became less distant.
Pan Jixun talked about many of his suggestions and ideas, while Zhu Yijun checked on the gaps and made up for any mistakes. The two of them talked until noon before they finished.
Zhu Yijun hosted a banquet, and after eating, Pan Jixun left the palace.
However, when he left the palace, Chen Ju followed beside Pan Jixun.
"Minister Pan, I'll bring you to the Military Bureau to take a look!"
Chen Ju sat in the carriage with Pan Jixun, and said to Pan Jixun with a smile, "The Imperial Majesty asked me to take over from Minister Pan because I have been in the Military Bureau for eight years."
Pan Jixun was stunned. Looking at Chen Ju's appearance, it seemed like he had deep feelings for the Military Bureau!
However, the Military Bureau was not a good yamen, and it was not a place that eunuchs were willing to go to.
More importantly, looking at Chen Ju's appearance, he was obviously very favored. How could he have been in the Military Bureau for eight years?
Although Pan Jixun had doubts in his heart, he did not ask. He knew that when he arrived at the Military Bureau, the answer would definitely be revealed.
As expected, when they arrived at the Military Bureau, Pan Jixun was shocked by the scene in front of him.
This was not a small Military Bureau!
There were dozens of tall furnaces, carriages coming and going, and the figures of craftsmen could be seen everywhere.
Looking at a horse pulling a cannon carriage past him, Pan Jixun's jaw almost dropped.
"When I came here in the past, this place was still a wasteland."
"The Imperial Majesty was willing to spend money, so I stayed here with these people, leveling the land, building the furnaces, smelting iron and steel, and when the iron and steel were done, I started researching on cannons and improving the muskets."
"I believe that Milord has heard of muskets, but the Imperial Majesty said that muskets have too many flaws, and wanted us to develop a new type of musket."
"The Imperial Majesty said that the muskets used in our Daming were obtained from the Hongyi during the Jiajing period. After so many years, the Hongyi must have made better muskets.
Of course, our Daming must use the best, so the Imperial Majesty hoped that we could make better muskets. "
"Supposedly, it is a kind of musket made from flint. There is no need to light a fire, and it is very powerful."
"However, I was unable to make it, but I hope that Minister Pan can make it."
Pan Jixun looked at Chen Ju and listened to his emotional words. In a low voice, he said, "Didn't you say that the internal court would send a guard eunuch over?
Why don't I write to the Emperor and let Eunuch Chen be the guard eunuch? "
In reality, Pan Jixun really did have this idea. At first, he didn't feel it, but seeing the situation here, he really wanted to keep Chen Ju.
He had come to the capital in the dark and didn't know anything about the Ordnance Department.
If he had a professional like Chen Ju, it would be perfect. In any case, the internal court was going to send someone over, so he might as well choose Chen Ju.
To say nothing of anything else, there would definitely not be a situation where a layman would command an expert. Looking at Chen Ju's appearance, he seemed to be even more experienced than him.
Pan Jixun didn't wait for Chen Ju's reply. He directly said, "I will write to the Emperor!"
Chen Ju was a eunuch, so there were some things he couldn't say. However, Pan Jixun was a civil official, so he didn't have such concerns.
After seeing Chen Ju's abilities, he wouldn't be stupid enough to let Chen Ju go and get a eunuch who didn't know anything.
Having governed the river for so many years, Pan Jixun knew very well how important it was to have a reliable person.