Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 430: Government-run? Privately-run?
The emperor wanted to establish a military academy. The official explanation was that the world was so big, but China was trapped in a corner and had to defend itself. The reason why the previous Ming Dynasty fell was that its military preparations were lax, and it could neither maintain domestic stability nor resist foreign aggression. This dynasty inherited the mandate of heaven and gained the world. It is important to know that even though a country is big, it will fall if it loves war, and it will be in trouble if it forgets war. Therefore, the Royal Military Academy was established to improve military preparations.

I can only say that this is a good time. The invasion of the grassland tribes happened a year ago. Although the civil service group opposed it, they are now in a state of turmoil over the examination system, and even if they object, it will not cause any waves. From the official statement, the main focus is on one thing, not targeting any party, and simply rectifying the military equipment, which is defensive in nature.

Emperor Chenghui had big ideas. He not only established the Royal Military Academy, but also the Royal Naval School. As for the establishment of the Naval School, the reason was very good. The dynasty had thousands of miles of sea borders, but there was no defense.

However, the idea of ​​the naval school needs to be developed more slowly. The Great Zhou has no experience in how to form a navy, and it needs envoys to hire teachers from the West to combine opinions from all parties and then make a unified plan.

Jia Lian naturally enthusiastically agreed with this matter, but he really didn't understand it, so he didn't get involved in the affairs of the Naval School and focused on increasing production capacity.

What production capacity? Of course, steel.

Currently the largest steel producing area is in Zunhua. Jia Lian went there under the banner of the R&D Department. After an on-site investigation, he found that the official steel mills were poorly managed and full of corruption.

The current production capacity is far from enough to supply the R&D department with the production of rifles. How can this be possible?

Mingming was warmly welcomed by Zunhua and served with fine wine and delicious food. After returning to the capital, Jia Lian proposed to Emperor Chenghui that changes needed to be made at the Zunhua Ironworks.

Emperor Chenghui was also troubled by this suggestion. There were many official industries, and almost none of them did not make losses. Only Jia Lian's R&D department and the factories under it could be self-sufficient.

Now that the Beijing military is undergoing a reform, not to mention the three towns of Xishan, Nanyuan and Tongzhou, the new equipment of Jiumen Town and the Imperial Stables is far from enough.

Every time Yue Qi came to report, he would mention that the towns were short of more than 80% of their new equipment, and he hoped that the emperor would urge Jia Lian.

So, does the R&D Department have any inventory? Yes, but not much, and it cannot meet the needs of any town. This is also the purpose of Jia Lian's trip to Zunhua.

Emperor Chenghui asked Jia Lian how to change it. Jia Lian suggested that if it is government-run, it must focus on the administration of officials and rectify the atmosphere. It can also be auctioned to private merchants to run. It is absolutely not necessary to have government supervision and business operation. If you want to take care of both ends, you are destined to take care of neither end. Of course, if it is privately run, it must first meet the needs of the government before it can flow into the market. Jia Lian also said that if it is a meeting, the result will definitely be government supervision and business operation. It is not that the wisdom of the adults is not as good as Jia Lian, but that they are used to the government's way of doing things and want to have both ends in everything.

Emperor Chenghui was unable to make a decision for a while, so he called all the cabinet ministers to a meeting to discuss the matter.

The matter was proposed by Jia Lian, so Jia Lian must attend the meeting.

After Jia Lian introduced the situation at the meeting, Emperor Chenghui asked the cabinet ministers what to do.

Then the cabinet ministers spoke enthusiastically about this. Among the five cabinet ministers, Zhang Tingen did not express his opinion. Lin Ruhai felt that military production must be government-run. Pan Jixun advocated private operation, believing that government-run operation would remain the same as it is now, without any changes. Guo Yan and Ning Ke had similar attitudes, both advocating government supervision and business operation. The reasons were also very sufficient. Guo Yan started from the perspective of personnel. How should the current officials be placed in a private iron factory? Ning Ke's point of view was that a private iron factory would inevitably breed inferior goods, and the integrity of the merchants could not be trusted. To avoid losses and ensure quality, government supervision and business operation is the best policy.

Jia Lian's conclusion on government supervision and business operation was not revealed before the meeting, so Zhang Tingen finally felt that government supervision and business operation was a good idea.

Emperor Chenghui looked at Jia Lian, meaning, you're right, what should we do?
Jia Lian sighed, stood up and said, "I oppose government supervision of business!"

There was one thing Jia Lian couldn't do anything about. The most typical example of government supervision of business was during the Westernization Movement.

When the ministers saw Jia Lian stand up to oppose, they all subconsciously showed seriousness.

Jia Lian's record at the cabinet meeting was brilliant. If you don't believe me, go to Tongzhou Wharf and the Grand Canal. Because the grain was transported by sea, the canal is still in turmoil. However, the two most violent areas, Jiang and Liang, were suppressed by Sun Huazhen. Shandong and Hebei had not recovered from the Jining Incident, so they could not cause any trouble. As for the Governor of the Grand Canal, he kept his tail between his legs.

Everyone knows what Jia Lian did regarding the sea shipping issue.

When no one dared to question Jia Lian, everyone's attention turned to Zhang Tingen. It could only be him.

"Tell me your reasoning!" Zhang Tingen didn't care. He was indeed curious about why Jia Lian objected.

"How should the government supervise the business? Who has the final say? Private merchants put up their capital to buy the market, but they want officials to make decisions? What kind of logic is this? Just one statement can scare away many merchants. By then, the price will not go up during the auction. If something goes wrong, the price will be too low, which will make it cheaper for the merchants. Maybe by then, the government supervision of business will become a thorough investigation of whether officials have abused their power for personal gain in transactions, colluding with officials and businessmen, and harming the public interest for their own benefit."

Everyone was stunned by Jia Lian's words. It made sense.

Guo Yan asked in return: "How to ensure the quality of private schools?"

Jia Lian sneered at him and said, "Prime Minister Guo, how dare merchants fool the government? Fair trade is the greatest favor the government can give to merchants."

Ning Ke also asked: "How do we make sure that the product quality is good? There must be a standard, right?"

Jia Lian asked in return: "Does Prime Minister Ning know how to make steel or iron? Anyway, I don't know. I always trust the craftsmen below. If they say it's good, then it's good."

No one comes out to fight anymore!

Lin Ruhai: "Then let's do it government-run. At worst, we can appoint a special censor to strengthen the audit."

Pan Jixun: "It's better to run it privately."

The question came back again, whether it was government-run or privately run. After Emperor Chenghui and Zhang Tingen exchanged glances, Zhang Tingen said, "The cabinet will vote!"

The voting results came out quickly, two to two, Lin Ruhai and Guo Yan voted for the government-run school, while Pan Jixun and Ning Ke voted for the private school. Zhang Tingen's vote would decide the outcome.

Zhang Tingen didn't rush to vote, but asked: "Jia Lian, which one do you think is better?"

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Actually, it's all fine. As long as the students can produce steel of acceptable quality and sufficient output."

Emperor Chenghui cursed silently in his heart: Slippery.

I'm not being cunning. In fact, everything can be done. The key lies in the person who does the work.

It's not that there were no private ironworks in the Great Zhou Dynasty. For example, Sugang was very famous, but its reputation was earned by private ironworks. The official ironworks in Jiangning was no better than the Zunhua Ironworks.

Zhang Tingen knew Jia Lian, so he knew that Jia Lian was telling the truth.

After thinking for a long time, Zhang Tingen finally said, "Then let the people do it! One thing must be made clear. The value of the Zunhua Iron Works must be strictly audited in advance, and the official iron works must not suffer losses."

There is a modern term for this statement: loss of state-owned assets.

After the matter was settled, Guo Yan raised a new question: "How to deal with the existing officials?"

Zhang Ting'en glared at him fiercely: "Investigate! Those with problems will be dismissed, and those without problems will be replaced."

Lin Ruhai said: "This will inevitably lead to the suspension of production at the ironworks. How will the R&D department meet the shortage of raw materials?"

This was not an objection, but a patch-up for Jia Lian. Jia Lian was also responsible for the delay in the military equipment, and Lin Ruhai exempted Jia Lian from responsibility in advance.

Jia Lian said calmly, "Before, Zunhua Iron Works could not meet the demand, and the R&D Department already had a precedent of purchasing from outside. At most, we can increase the amount of purchases. To put it bluntly, the steel purchased from Liangjiang and shipped to the capital is cheaper than that from Zunhua Iron Works, and the quality is better. If it were not for the court's rigid regulations that the production capacity of Zunhua Iron Works must be absorbed, the R&D Department would not have been delayed until today and failed to meet the military's needs." Guo Yan asked in a gloomy way, "After the Zunhua Iron Works was privately run, will Lord Jia start the R&D Department to be privately run?"

Jia Lian said rudely: "I do want to do this, do you dare to agree?"

Guo Yan didn't mean to trick Jia Lian, he just wanted to set a trap for him so that he could have something to say in the future. Unexpectedly, Jia Lian was so cunning that he threw the words back at him, hitting him in the face.

Guo Yan shut up in dismay, complaining in his heart: He is so young, yet so cunning, and full of evil spirit.

There is one thing that Jia Lian sees very clearly: in this era, it is definitely impossible to run an official enterprise successfully.

How can a company be successful if a group of officials who don't understand technology or business lead its development?

Although he said it didn't matter whether it was government-run or privately-run, deep down, Jia Lian still preferred it to be privately-run.

Although capitalists are all hanging street lamps, they have also actually promoted the great development of social productivity and enhanced the country's comprehensive strength.

We should not only look at one side of things. Fantasies that are divorced from reality are either cults or utopias.

The day after the meeting, a group of businessmen came to the door of the R&D Department, all of whom came for orders from the Department.

In contrast, the Zunhua Ironworks was in mourning. To avoid any trouble, the cabinet urgently dispatched the Xishan Camp to Zunhua, opened the warehouses to give grain to the workers, and required that production should not be stopped.

At least give people something to eat, so that people won’t panic and the craftsmen won’t rebel.

The matter was confirmed, and after it was published in the newspaper, people in Beijing were talking about it.

In any case, merchants were very optimistic about the prospects of the official Zunhua Iron Works. For a time, merchants from the capital gathered to inquire about how to promote the private operation of the Zunhua Iron Works.

Jia Lian was busy dealing with merchants who came to grab orders, and the method he adopted was very simple: bidding.

All the businessmen received the tender documents, and after reading them they complained bitterly in front of others. But in fact, when they returned to their residences, they were all ready to fight for orders and outcompete their peers.

Jia Lian's new idea once again sparked heated discussions in the capital.

Emperor Chenghui complained privately: This guy always comes up with some new tricks, let's wait and see.

The bidding results were very smooth. A total of three companies received orders from the R&D Department. This batch of steel will be used to produce new equipment needed by the military.

Judging from the unit price, the price is much lower than that of Zunhua Iron and Steel Plant, and the merchants can also make a little profit, so it is a win-win situation.

With the raw materials, the factory of the R&D Department fully utilized its production capacity and started working in full swing.

When Jia Lian reported, he stated that it would be correct to have all the troops stationed in Beijing replaced within the year.

At the same time, Jia Lian's technical school also opened. The first batch of 120 students were recruited from the public. The course lasted four years, with two years of cultural courses and two years of practical courses.

Under the premise that excellent craftsmen can become officials, the technical school's enrollment was relatively smooth. Jia Lian was still cautious and did not let go of the recruitment. He wanted to give it a try first to test the waters.

This technical school finally gained official status and existed as a subordinate department of the Research and Development Department.

When it came to implementation, Jia Lian proposed it, and the higher-ups turned a blind eye, no one objected, and it was passed smoothly. Jia Lian was also the principal, and the vice-principal was an unsuccessful technical official in the Ministry of Industry.

A bunch of officials who are good at technology have signed up to be teachers. Well, let me tell you, they are all part-time and can get an extra salary. It's not easy to be an official in Beijing!

No one noticed that a group of people centered around technical professionals had emerged. The common feature of these officials was that they were good at technology.

This hilltop is still very small, but its cohesion is very strong. It can be regarded as one of Jia Lian's bases.

After nearly a month of preparation, the auction of the Zunhua Iron Works was officially launched. On the day of the auction, Wang Xifeng also entered the delivery room.

Following a loud cry, the midwife came out and congratulated him: "Congratulations, it's a boy."

The West Mansion had a new generation, and Grandmother Jia was very excited. She said repeatedly: "The Jia Mansion has a new generation, and it will prosper and last forever."

Li Wan stood aside, expressionless, and no one knew what she was thinking.

After Wang Xifeng came in, she did not ignore Li Wan, which was quite good. Therefore, Li Wan felt very complicated.

Seeing that the first house was thriving, and the second house's master was sent away, he only wrote once a month. Mrs. Wang often complained, but it was no use. She wanted to follow Jia Zheng to take office, but didn't she fail to do so?
As for Li Wan, a widow, in the original novel, all her thoughts were on Jia Lan. However, in this time and space, since she has some of the power of the housekeeper, her resentment is not as strong.

Jia She said he would do the naming of his son, to which Jia Lian replied, "You can do it if you want."

Jia She went back to look through the books and finally chose a name, Quan! Jia Quan.

Jia Lian had nothing to say about this pronunciation. Just call him Jia Quan, as long as you are happy.

Well, this generation, a single name, with the grass radical.

Jia Lian was very happy to have a son, but not particularly happy. However, Wang Xifeng entered a completely new state.

If Wang Xifeng was a crab before, she was also missing two claws. Now that she has a son, the claws have grown.

Let’s put it this way, when facing Jia Lian, Wang Xifeng also feels that she is capable of fighting, unlike before when she was unilaterally suppressed.

After Wang Xifeng gave birth to a son, Guixiang and Ping'er gave birth to daughters one month later.

After Jia Lian had three more children, he once again felt the heavy burden of this large family.

The enrollment of the military academy was basically carried out according to Jia Lian's plan. First of all, the cultural subjects had to be passed. Even those who were recommended for admission had to have good cultural knowledge.

In the first phase, there are not many recommended people, only fifty places, and the remaining one hundred and fifty people all have to take the exam.

As the military academy began to recruit students, the military examination system that had continued to this day was discontinued. Existing military examination candidates retained their status, and if they wanted to make a difference in the army, they had to apply to the military academy.

(End of this chapter)