Chapter 371: New Outlook of the Ministry of Rites (VII)
The young man entered the meeting room and saluted when he saw Huo Chong. Huo Chong shook hands with everyone one by one. When several tall Shandong guys came to Huo Chong, the people next to them introduced them, "These guys are from the Ministry of Rites."
Huo Chong looked at the young people with satisfaction. In the summary report of the exercise headquarters, these young people withstood the pressure when faced with difficult choices and made great contributions to the successful completion of the operation.
This meeting was certainly not just a simple handshake, a meeting, or a meal. Huo Chong had called these people together for a seminar.
The young people were obviously a little reserved, and they were trembling when reading the manuscript. After the routine process was completed, Huo Chong asked: "Let me ask everyone a question, what made you make such a decision. Who can tell me about it?"
No one responded to the young soldiers who dared to directly scold the drill officer during the drill, showing their violent side. After a moment of silence, Li Hao, the logistics director who decided to organize a suicide squad to raid the enemy headquarters, replied embarrassedly: "Your Majesty, at that time, I felt that there was nothing to be afraid of if the battle was like that. Besides, it was just an exercise, and no one would really die."
After these words were spoken, many young people showed the same shyness as Li Hao.
Huo Chong could understand these people's feelings. The military's view on the exercise was not particularly positive. After all, there would be casualties in the exercise. Just like this time, 200 officers and soldiers were injured, and more than 20 people suffered serious injuries such as fractures.
Exercises are not marching in formation. For example, troops are asked to attack a mountain, even though there are no real enemies on the mountain. The enemies are replaced by straw men who can climb the mountain and follow the command to climb the mountain. All officers and soldiers have to run and jump. Injuries are inevitable. It is very lucky that no one died.
But this is very different from a real war, and it is also the reason why many older brothers mock young people for playing house.
Seeing that no one continued to answer, Huo Chong patted the table and said, "Comrades, if you don't dare to fight to the death in the exercise, will you dare to fight to the death on the real battlefield? I don't really believe in that kind of thing. I am very satisfied with the mental state you showed in the exercise. I hope that comrades can maintain this state in future wars. Sweat more in peacetime and bleed less in war!"
Seeing that Huo Chong did not blame them for such a big truth, the young soldiers were moved.
Huo Chong began to ask about some of the issues he was concerned about. The main theme was of course to recognize the performance of the young soldiers, but some of the problems that emerged during the exercise also needed to be discussed.
Huo Chong said all this at the beginning, "The relationship between comrades lies in this. Whether it is praise or criticism, what is the purpose? If the purpose is to find problems and solve them, rather than personal accusations. This is healthy and progressive. Especially the new relationship between officers and soldiers that each branch of the Chinese Army's Etiquette Department should strive to build. Our unity is based on the unity of officers and soldiers. If it is under the old system, people are turned into ghosts. Soldiers are regarded as consumables for officers to get promoted and make money, and it becomes a general's success and thousands of bones are broken. We are no different from the Qing Dynasty. There is no difference with the previous armies. Everyone has learned the concepts of the Ministry of Rites, and will continue to study them in depth in the future. As for what comrades have to do, it is how to turn these concepts into executable content and popularize and implement them in the army. This is what it means to be learned and skilled. There are still many problems in this regard in this exercise. I am not blaming the comrades for causing these problems. This needs to be understood by everyone. Those who fail to implement the concepts of the Ministry of Rites will use such tricks to cover them up."
After all, they are young people, and they are full of vigor. Someone immediately asked this sharp question, "Your Majesty, how can you tell whether the concept has been implemented?"
Qian Qing was shocked when he heard this, and then he looked at the senior officers present at the meeting. Some of them looked unhappy.
Huo Chong decisively faced this sharp question, "For example, if someone directly accuses you, saying that nothing happened originally, but you made a fuss and caused trouble. This involves a logical relationship. If you are the cause, let me give you an example, if you messed around in military training and got injured. You are the cause, and a large number of people injured are the result. Of course you have responsibility and must take responsibility. If the original training was unreasonable, and you adjusted the training model, which triggered doubts within the army about the previous injuries, you are not the cause. At this time, this must be made clear. The bad results are there, but what caused the bad results cannot be decided by a few people. The branch of the Ministry of Rites must make a judgment. If one or a few people can make a judgment, then existing factors such as qualifications will play a decisive role. If it is a meeting of the Ministry of Rites, it is completely different if it is discussed on the basis of science and democracy. This is what comrades must pay attention to."
Qian Qing sighed silently. She had actually heard some people say that Huo Chong wanted to replace his old brother with the Ministry of Rites. Although she felt that this was not unreasonable, Qian Qing still felt that things might not turn out that way.
However, Huo Chong's words undoubtedly made things clear. In the past, the platoon leader listened to the company commander, the company commander listened to the battalion commander, and the battalion commander listened to the regiment commander. As the saying goes, a higher rank can crush a lower rank. Qian Qing was able to suppress this bunch of useless guys because of his status, power, and prestige.
Now that the role of the Ministry of Rites has been emphasized and given so much power, it is no longer just the old brothers who can cover the sky with one hand in the army because of their seniority. Looking at the current situation, many people will be very unhappy.
However, Qian Qing knew Huo Chong's character best. Once a decision was made, it would be carried out until there was a clear result. No one could object. Moreover, Huo Chong brought his old brothers to the military academy for further study and began to fully expand the Ministry of Rites. This change was impossible to stop.
The young people didn't seem to have thought of this, and Huo Chong's words brightened their faces. It can be seen that they probably did encounter a lot of problems in the army, and they might not have solutions to the problems.
Huo Chong continued, "So, I want to emphasize it again. Science is the foundation. This is not a question of official position or seniority. If someone wants to use the Ministry of Rites to discuss and talk about the senior people, it also proves that their purpose is not to solve the problem, but to fight people. As long as it is not based on science, it will be a big fight. The Ministry of Rites will never turn a blind eye to such things, and will never let them go. Comrades must remember this. Fighting people is human nature. If you can't solve the problem, then solve the person who raised the problem. This is a choice that everyone will make. This choice runs counter to the Ministry of Rites's idea of liberating the Chinese people. It must be hit! Comrades, remember this very clearly!"
When the old brothers heard that the young people had the opportunity to put forward their own opinions through the Ministry of Rites, and even compete with the old brothers, their faces were very ugly. After Huo Chong repeatedly emphasized that the young people should not think of seizing power through the Ministry of Rites, the old brothers' faces became relaxed. Some of the old brothers regained their gradually developed "dignity" in the face of the young boys.
As a result, the atmosphere became strangely quiet. Everyone was thinking about what Huo Chong said, and no one asked any questions. Until the logistics director Li Hao, who was about thirty years old, not too old, and in the middle of the age range, asked again: "Your Majesty, there must be something to fight for. I don't think the comrades would just get bored and get angry."
"Yes! Yes!" Huo Chong praised. Huo Chong thought this question was very well asked. He wanted to explain it, but he felt that it was not good enough, so he stood up and walked to the blackboard, and wrote the two words "capital" and "resources" in large letters.
"The key to everything is to control capital. The army relies on funding, so the power to decide on resource allocation in the army is the greatest capital. How many troops to form, what weapons the troops use, what they eat, what they wear, and what they use. This is my power. Even if someone else is responsible for this matter, it is my power to appoint the person in charge. When arriving at each unit, everyone wants to have the best food, the most food, and the best equipment. Others take on the most complicated and difficult work, and your own unit does the most outstanding tasks. This is human nature, and it is not surprising to think this way. This is also the focus of the contradiction."
Young people don't know much, they haven't reached this stage yet, so they are a little confused. But they can understand. The old guys' faces are not happy again, and Qian Qing sighs in her heart. She knows that Huo Chong doesn't tolerate any sand in his eyes, but when it comes to this point, many people are afraid that they really can't sleep.
"The Ministry of Rites must first admit that it is normal for anyone to have such thoughts. It must not be considered abnormal to have such thoughts. The philosophy of the Ministry of Rites is that such thoughts cannot become the practice of our Chinese Army, and every unit must not face work with such a way of thinking! If such thoughts become the norm in the army, the honest and good people will be exhausted first, and die miserably. When these honest and good people die miserably, what will the remaining people, even the good people, think when they see such a situation?"
Huo Chong had long wanted to severely punish his old brothers. After all, although these guys were not necessarily bad people, they would choose the direction that was most beneficial to them. If they were not severely punished at this time and made to understand that such an idea would never become a reality, then the bad things that happened in previous dynasties would happen. After all, the founding tragedies of previous dynasties were all caused in this way.
"For example! Comrades, don't you think that your performance in this exercise was impeccable and flawless? I ask you, comrades, do any of you think so? If so, raise your hands!"
No young people raised their hands. Even those who felt they had no problems did not dare to raise their hands in such an environment.
Seeing that everyone had a minimum of rationality, Huo Chong continued, "If someone keeps harping on these problems, the spirit shown in this exercise will be completely denied! If such a thing happens, what do comrades think? What do those who did not participate in this exercise think? There must be people who will do the same as you next time. However, after two more strikes, who the hell would still fight so hard for the fourth time! Are you crazy? Are you stupid? Therefore, deciding what is right in the general direction is the point of contention. I say it again, fighting bravely and daringly is the foundation of our Chinese army, and no one can shake it. Even if it is because of the losses suffered by fighting bravely and daringly, improvements can only make fighting bravely and daringly more efficient, rather than denying it! This is the rule I set! This is the direction of my Chinese army!"
After the decisive words were spoken in a decisive tone, some of the young soldiers jumped up and shouted loudly: "Long live His Majesty!"
The young soldiers who also felt Huo Chong's full agreement stood up and shouted together, "Long live His Majesty."
Huo Chong knew that the young people who shouted "Long live His Majesty" didn't really care whether he lived long or not. What they cared about was being truly recognized.
Amid the roar of applause, Huo Chong was certain that, at least in the minds of these young people, the traditional combat methods of large plains, large troop groups, and platoons of guns and artillery that the old-school people were used to had begun to waver. Among the young soldiers who were recognized, at least some of them would no longer insist on these old-school practices.
Waving to the young people, with more enthusiastic and passionate cheers, Huo Chong expected that among these young people, there would be breakthroughs that would break the old pattern. They would be the leaders of the new era of the Chinese Army.
At the top, news always spreads very quickly. For example, Weber heard about this symposium at noon on the third day after the symposium.
The reason why language has become a tool for human beings is that language itself has very strong conceptual nature.
The person who delivered the message to Weber did not tell the whole story from beginning to end. If he really wanted to tell the whole story, it would take at least several times longer than the meeting.
"Minister Wei, His Majesty wants to recruit young people. At the symposium, His Majesty's meaning could not be clearer." The visitor was a man of literary origin, and in just a few words he explained everything that the symposium represented.
Weber only asked a few questions. How young were the soldiers? Were they loyal to Huo Chong? These were not within Weber's consideration. What Weber cared about was the content that could prove this conclusion.
The scholar told Weber some of Huo Chong's words, but Weber felt that they were not reliable and asked about the context. After a conversation of 20 to 30 sentences, Weber also agreed with the latest news.
Everything should be reciprocated. Weber sighed, "The person you recommended last time is not good enough. Change him."
"Why? That child is very smart." The scholar was very puzzled.
"He is very smart and has some logic. But that brother didn't understand. Your Majesty's latest play made it very clear that only those with some abilities could become officials under the circumstances at the time. But becoming an official does not mean that one has the corresponding abilities. This brother is not capable enough."
The scholar couldn't help but frowned slightly, trying to understand what Weber meant. However, after thinking for a while, he still frowned and asked, "Is it so difficult to enter the Ministry of Rites? As the introducer of Wei Shangshu to join the Ministry of Rites, is there anyone who dares to stop him?"
"This is where your majesty is wise. If you want to be a civil servant, as long as you pass the exam and answer the questions correctly, and remember, never use "I don't know" as an excuse, you can be a civil servant. The Ministry of Rites has nothing to do with officials. You must be a worker, peasant or soldier, be able to work, be willing to work, and want to know how to work. You must be willing to obey discipline and follow orders. You must also be willing to learn and take responsibility. Only then can you become a member of the Ministry of Rites. This brother is good in every way, except that he has never worked."
"But he passed the civil service exam, how can he still go to the fields!" The scholar couldn't help but show a little anger.
Because of this anger, Weber took note of this scholar in his heart. This was obviously the reaction of someone who didn't understand the Huaxia Dynasty. This person was unreliable! However, Weber was not angry, but patiently said: "This is the problem. Everything is inferior except reading. This is his idea. This idea will never work in the Ministry of Rites. You should find someone who is willing to work."
"Isn't serving the court also working?" The scholar was very unhappy.
"Working for the court will earn you salaries and benefits. Does the court owe us anything?"
After hearing what Weber said, the scholars had to restrain themselves. Yes, the court treated civil servants well. If you don't want to be a civil servant, you can go home and farm. Too many people wanted to enter the court system through examinations.
The morale was crushed, and the scholar quickly regained his humble attitude, "Please give me some more advice, Minister Wei."
"I am also learning from your Majesty. There is nothing much to teach you. Your Majesty wants people who can do practical things. They are not afraid of making mistakes. They are afraid of those who can't do anything but think they can command others because they have read some books of sages. The reason why our Chinese court is so prosperous is because those who can do things have reached these positions. Whatever ability you have, do whatever job you have!"
The scholar could not help but feel a little angry, "Minister Wei, does reading the books of sages make me useless in the eyes of the court?"
"How could that be?" Weber shook his head repeatedly. "Your Majesty's handwriting has been getting better and better over the years, but it's still not as good as everyone else's. But if everyone thinks that Your Majesty has never read the books of sages because of this, then you are greatly mistaken. So your statement that reading the books of sages makes one a useless person is obviously wrong."
"That……"
"Those who only know how to read books of sages are useless in the eyes of the court." Weber gave the final answer straightforwardly.
The scholar came out from Weber's place, unbuttoning his collar with his hands in a huff, and finally managed to catch his breath.
Waver's words were calm and composed, with the condescending attitude that only a person in a high position could have. But the result was really unpleasant.
The literati also didn't know how to send their children to the Ministry of Rites, which was currently regarded as the best way to achieve success, and they really couldn't find a solution.
The last one muttered angrily, "When a craftsman is in power, this is what happens! If the people under him are not craftsmen, they will be looked down upon by the craftsmen!"
Undoubtedly, this "craftsman" is Huo Chong, who is famous for his superb craftsmanship and for making things like glass fire. However, no matter how angry the literati are, it is the craftsman Huo Chong who is in power now. With great power in hand, Weber can decide the direction and fate of the Chinese court and the entire China in the direction he expects.
A scholar is simply powerless to resist.
