Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

After the meeting, Zhu Biao stood up, with a hint of relief in his tone: "My dear ministers, this meeting ends here. I quite agree with Lord Ouyang's reorganization plan. I hope that you will fully cooperate and jointly promote this reform."

Everyone responded in unison: "We will obey your majesty's orders!"

Zhu Biao nodded, with a hint of deep meaning in his eyes. He knew that this reform would not only greatly improve the combat effectiveness of the Ming army, but also completely change the power structure in the court. As for the officials of the Huaixi Party, although they were dissatisfied, they could only endure it temporarily.

After the meeting, Ouyang Lun walked out of the hall and looked up at the sky in the distance, with a deep look in his eyes. He knew that this reform had just begun and there was still a long way to go. But he believed that as long as he firmly grasped Zhu Biao's trust, no matter how hard the Huaixi Party struggled, it would not be able to shake his position.

At the same time, officials of the Huaixi Party gathered together, talking in low voices with gloomy faces.

"Ouyang Lun is trying to completely cut off our roots!" A tall and thin official said with gritted teeth, his voice filled with suppressed anger, "The reorganization plan he proposed is clearly intended to uproot our Huaixi Party's influence in the army!"

"Yes!" another slightly fat official echoed, his face livid, "He not only wants to reorganize the army, but also set up a military academy to train his own generals. In this way, won't all of our Huaixi Party's old members in the army be marginalized?"

"Humph, Ouyang Lun's move is really vicious!" An elderly official snorted coldly, with a hint of viciousness in his eyes. "He is using the name of reform to completely kick our Huaixi Party out of the army. In this way, his power in the army will be unmatched. How can our Huaixi Party gain a foothold in the court?"

"But now he is the general of the military cabinet, and he has the full support of His Majesty. We are powerless to refute him!" A young official said helplessly, with a hint of despair in his tone. "At today's meeting, His Majesty has clearly expressed his support for his plan. If we oppose it again, I am afraid it will only cause His Majesty's dissatisfaction."

"Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?" The tall and thin official growled unwillingly, "If Ouyang Lun's plan succeeds, our Huaixi Party's influence in the army will be wiped out! By then, our position in the court will plummet!"

"Of course we can't just sit there and wait for death!" The older official's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he lowered his voice and said, "Although Ouyang Lun is extremely powerful, he is not invincible. Our Huaixi Party has been operating in the court for many years. How can we be easily overthrown by him?"

"What you mean is..." The slightly fat official asked in a low voice with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

The older official sneered, with a sinister tone in his voice: "Although Ouyang Lun's plan seems perfect, it is not easy to implement. The reorganization of the army involves many aspects, and the slightest mistake will cause chaos. We only need to create some trouble in secret to prevent his plan from going smoothly. By then, His Majesty will naturally lose patience with him."

"But if His Majesty finds out that we are the ones who are interfering, won't we be courting death?" the young official asked worriedly.

"Humph, we won't do it ourselves." The older official narrowed his eyes, with a hint of cunning in his tone, "How could those generals and local guards in the army who are dependent on us be willing to let Ouyang Lun seize power? We just need to secretly incite them and let them create some resistance during the reorganization process. By then, Ouyang Lun will naturally be in a state of panic, and we can reap the benefits."

"Great idea!" The tall and thin official's eyes flashed with excitement, and he praised in a low voice, "This way, we don't have to show up in person, and we can also hinder Ouyang Lun's plan. As long as his reforms fail, His Majesty will naturally reconsider our opinion."

"However, we must proceed with caution in this matter." The older official reminded in a serious tone, "Ouyang Lun is a very shrewd person. If he notices our actions, it will probably cause greater trouble. Therefore, we must act in secret and must not let him catch us."

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison, with a hint of ruthlessness in their eyes.

"Also," the older official continued, "we cannot completely rely on our old military men. Since Ouyang Lun dared to propose such a radical reform plan, he must have been prepared to deal with it. We must find more allies in the court, especially those officials who are dissatisfied with Ouyang Lun. As long as we can unite, there may be a chance to turn the tables."

"But who in the court dares to openly oppose Ouyang Lun now?" The slightly fat official said helplessly, "He is the person that His Majesty trusts the most, and he has tremendous power. Who dares to go against him?"

"Humph, there are quite a few people in the court who are dissatisfied with Ouyang Lun." The older official sneered, with a hint of confidence in his tone, "Those officials who were suppressed by him have long been resentful in their hearts. As long as we incite them a little, they will naturally stand on our side."

"Okay!" The tall and thin official nodded, a hint of cruelty flashed in his eyes, "In this case, we will act separately. On the one hand, we will create resistance in the army, and on the other hand, we will look for allies in the court. No matter what, we can't let Ouyang Lun's plan succeed!"

"Yes!" everyone answered in unison, with determination written all over their faces.

The Huaixi Party's discussions were very quiet. In addition, the officials who were discussing were quite far away from Ouyang Lun and Zhu Biao. Therefore, apart from feeling that the meeting room was a bit noisy, the two of them did not hear clearly the specific content of the discussions.

The atmosphere in the conference room was originally solemn and dignified because of Ouyang Lun's reorganization plan. Although the officials of the Huaixi Party were dissatisfied, they only dared to discuss it in a low voice. However, at this moment, Qi Tai suddenly stood up, looked directly at Ouyang Lun, and said in a firm and powerful tone: "Lord Ouyang, I have a few questions. May I ask you?"

His loud voice instantly broke the silence in the conference room. Everyone looked at Qi Tai, their eyes full of surprise and confusion. Even Zhu Biao was slightly stunned, and then showed an interested look, obviously surprised by Qi Tai's courage.

Ouyang Lun looked calm, smiled slightly, raised his hand and said: "General Qi, you can say whatever you want, I will answer it myself." Qi Tai nodded, his tone was steady but with a hint of doubt: "Lord Ouyang's reorganization plan, I think there are three inappropriate points, please explain it to me."

"First of all," Qi Tai said with a sharp look in his eyes, "Lord Ouyang's reorganization plan involves the entire army. It is large-scale and involves a wide range of issues. The Ming army has always been based on local garrisons. Generals and soldiers from all over the country have long been accustomed to the existing organization and command system. If such a large-scale reorganization is carried out rashly, it may cause turmoil in the army and even lead to command chaos. I would like to ask, how does Lord Ouyang ensure the smooth progress of the reorganization process?"

As soon as Qi Tai finished speaking, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly tensed. Although the officials of the Huaixi Party did not dare to speak, a trace of gloating flashed in their eyes. They knew that Qi Tai's questioning directly pointed to the core issue of the reorganization plan. If Ouyang Lun could not give a convincing answer, the implementation of the reorganization plan would face huge resistance.

However, Ouyang Lun looked calm and smiled slightly. His tone was calm but with a hint of unquestionable firmness: "General Qi's concerns are not unreasonable, but it is precisely because of this that I have proposed a phased implementation strategy. The reorganization plan cannot be achieved overnight, but is divided into three stages: the first stage is to pilot it in the capital and border areas to accumulate experience; the second stage is to gradually promote it to major military regions across the country; the third stage is to finally complete the reorganization of the entire army. Each stage will be strictly evaluated and adjusted to ensure the smooth progress of the reorganization process."

He paused and continued, "In addition, I have ordered people to develop a detailed reorganization manual, which clearly defines the responsibilities and powers of commanders at all levels to ensure that there will be no command confusion during the reorganization process. If General Qi is interested, he can check it out at any time after the meeting."

Qi Tai frowned slightly when he heard this, but he did not give up. He continued to ask: "Even if the reorganization process goes smoothly, such a large-scale reform will inevitably require huge military expenditures. Although the Ming Dynasty has been strong in recent years, the military expenditure is already huge. If the burden is increased, it may cause a financial crisis. I would like to ask, how does Lord Ouyang solve the military expenditure problem?"

Ouyang Lun still looked calm, with a hint of confidence in his tone: "I have already considered General Qi's concerns. Although the reorganization plan requires a certain amount of military funding, in the long run, it will greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of our Ming army and reduce unnecessary losses. In addition, I have discussed with the Ministry of Revenue and will ensure the smooth implementation of the reorganization plan by optimizing military expenditure allocation and cutting redundant expenses."

He smiled slightly, with a hint of ridicule in his tone: "General Qi, do you think that I will propose a plan that is impossible to achieve?"

Qi Tai's face changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He took a deep breath and continued, "Even if the military expenditure issue is resolved, I still have one last question. The reorganization of the army involves the interests of generals and soldiers at all levels, especially those generals in local garrisons, who have long been accustomed to the existing power structure. If the reorganization plan is implemented, it will inevitably affect their interests and cause resistance. I would like to ask, how will Lord Ouyang deal with these potential resistances?"

Ouyang Lun's eyes flashed with a hint of depth when he heard this, and his tone was calm but with a hint of majesty: "General Qi is right, but it is precisely because of this that I have proposed the principle of 'reward according to merit'. The reorganization plan is not to deprive the generals and soldiers of their interests, but to ensure that every general and soldier can get the due rewards in the reform through a strict assessment and promotion mechanism. Those generals who are capable and have made contributions will not only not be marginalized, but will get more opportunities and resources."

He paused, and said with a hint of deep meaning: "As for those generals who resist the reform, I believe that they will eventually understand that the reform is for the future of the Ming army. If anyone insists on obstructing it, then they are the enemy of the court, and I will deal with them according to the law."

Ouyang Lun's answer was clear and logical, and every sentence went straight to the core of the problem. Although Qi Tai still had doubts in his heart, he could not raise any more questions. He was silent for a moment, and finally nodded, with a hint of respect and helplessness in his tone: "Lord Ouyang is thoughtful, and I admire you."

Seeing this, Zhu Biao smiled with satisfaction. He nodded, with a hint of approval in his tone: "I am quite satisfied with Brother-in-law Ouyang's answer. General Qi's questioning is also very insightful. I hope that all of you can be as brave as General Qi and raise questions to jointly promote this reform."

There was a sudden chorus of agreement in the conference room. Although the officials of the Huaixi Party were dissatisfied, they could only suppress their emotions and nodded silently.

Although Qi Tai's questions were answered one by one by Ouyang Lun, he did not give up. He frowned, obviously not completely convinced by Ouyang Lun's answer. Just as he was about to continue asking, Ouyang Lun suddenly smiled slightly, looked at Qi Tai with a sharp gaze, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "General Qi, there is one thing I don't understand, I would like to ask you a question."

Qi Tai was stunned, obviously not expecting Ouyang Lun to suddenly turn the tables. He nodded subconsciously: "Master Ouyang, please speak."

Ouyang Lun looked calm, and his tone was calm but sharp: "General Qi just questioned the feasibility of the reorganization plan, military expenditures, and the resistance of the generals. Every word hit the nail on the head. But I want to ask, as a member of the military cabinet, why didn't General Qi raise these questions at the beginning of the plan, but suddenly raised the issue in front of Your Majesty and his colleagues? Could it be that General Qi is only busy working hard and is indifferent to the affairs of the court?"

As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere in the conference room suddenly froze. Everyone held their breath and looked at Qi Tai. Qi Tai's face instantly turned red, obviously touched by Ouyang Lun's words. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to refute for a moment.

Seeing this, Ouyang Lun raised his lips slightly and continued, "If General Qi really wanted to help the court, why didn't he make suggestions when the draft plan was submitted? Now that the reorganization plan has been approved by His Majesty, General Qi is making irresponsible remarks here. Is he trying to show off his talents or is he deliberately obstructing the court's plan?"

Qi Tai's face turned from red to white, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead. He gritted his teeth and managed to squeeze out a sentence: "I am just worried that the reorganization plan may be implemented hastily, and there may be problems..."

"Not appropriate?" Ouyang Lun sneered, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, "If General Qi was really worried about it, why didn't he bring it up when he first drafted the plan? Now that the reorganization plan has been approved by His Majesty, General Qi is talking about it here. Is he questioning His Majesty's decision?"

Qi Tai was shocked when he heard this, and his face turned pale. He quickly knelt down and kowtowed to Zhu Biao: "Your Majesty, I have no such intention! I just..."

Zhu Biao waved his hand, with a hint of displeasure in his tone: "Lord Qi, I know you care about the court, but Lord Ouyang's reorganization plan has been discussed by many parties, and I have personally reviewed it. If you have any doubts, you should raise them when the plan is first drafted, instead of disrupting the court discussion now."

Qi Tai lowered his head, his voice trembling: "I admit my guilt, Your Majesty, please punish me." (End of this chapter)