Munitions Empire

It was not without difficulty that the chatter of those below had subsided, and the truly influential Ministers stepped forward. Representing the civil service faction, Zhang Ming complained about the lack of funding, which was the biggest issue faced by Zheng Country at the time.

Zheng Country had just suffered a defeat to the Shireck Empire, ceded Dongwan Island, and paid a considerable sum in reparations. The national treasury was now depleted, and there was no substantial amount of money left for the procurement of military supplies.

Zheng Tong had taken it upon himself to purchase weapons from Shireck, which had all but drained the remaining funds in the treasury.

At this point, what was keeping Zheng Country afloat was almost solely the tax revenue from the coastal cities.

What they did not know was that it was actually the Great Tang Group that was keeping Zheng Country's economy blood transfused, to prevent it from being partitioned by others before the Great Tang Group was ready.

In fact, for the Great Tang Group to throw Zheng Country into chaos right now would be easy: all they needed to do was to cut off the financial aid, and Zheng Country would not be able to sustain itself.

However, doing so was of no benefit to the Great Tang Group, for they did not have sufficient military strength to take immediate, full control over Zheng Country.

Once Zheng Country fell into chaos, Qi Country to the north and Chu Country to the south would both seize the opportunity to invade. Ultimately, the Great Tang Group might end up with just a third of Zheng Country's territory, while Qi Country and Chu Country gobbled up the rest.

Qi Country and Chu Country were no pushovers, and even if they were, they were still harder compared to Zheng Country. The Tang Group, from top to bottom, knew which was easier to pinch.

"Your Majesty! While I, too, strongly support the procurement of weapons to strengthen our national defense, the national treasury is empty, and we simply cannot conjure up that much money," Zhang Ming did not express his opposition to the military preparations but instead talked directly about the financial issue.

Zheng Tong's expression turned sour; as the King, he was also aware of how weak his nation was and that he couldn't afford any more aggressive maneuvers.

Weapons from Shireck were indeed somewhat cheaper compared to those from the Great Tang Group. However, even so, new rifles and cannons were extremely costly, and when summed up, they amounted to a significant sum that left Zheng Tong gasping for breath.

"Then, according to the Prime Minister, are we to continue to passively take hits and remain incapable of fighting back?" With no better solutions of his own, Zheng Tong could only draw out his question to Zhang Ming in a prolonged tone.

Zhang Ming looked down and offered a suggestion that had been repeatedly discussed earlier: "Therefore, your servant supports the initial restoration of tax collection, stabilization of the national treasury, development of the local economy, and thereafter, accumulation of wealth before planning to strengthen the military."

"But... is there enough time?" Zheng Tong furrowed his brows, stood up, and looked down at Zhang Ming: "Does the Prime Minister really think that the Shireckians, Qi Country, Chu Country, and that damned Great Tang Group, would wait for us to develop for ten years before they come troubling Zheng Country again?"

"The situation now is like an arrow on the bowstring, a bone stuck in the throat! By the time we've painstakingly saved up a few tens of thousands of Gold Coins, the enemies will come and plunder! What then?" Zheng Tong stared at Zhang Ming, waiting for a response.

To Zheng Tong's surprise, Zhang Ming laughed and retorted, "Your Majesty! The old servant does not oppose your command to expand the military preparations; it's simply that the treasury is empty, we have no funds! If Your Majesty had the money... then with just one command, we could proceed freely, and your servants would not object."

No matter how justified you are or how coherent your reasoning, being dismissed with a single phrase of 'no money' was a deeply frustrating experience for Zheng Tong.

He snorted coldly, no longer wishing to trouble Zhang Ming, but rather turned his gaze to Li Jun at his side. On the matter of military expansion, Li Jun stood with Zheng Tong, and after facing a setback, Zheng Tong naturally sought his ally Li Jun to regain face.

Li Jun originally had no good solutions either, for he could not create money out of thin air. But just yesterday, someone had given him an answer.

Thus, Li Jun smiled confidently and responded to Zheng Tong, "Since the Prime Minister has said that as long as we can raise the funds, he supports our plan, then that's settled."

After speaking, he gave a slightly stunned Zhang Ming a nod of acknowledgement, looking as if he had an ace up his sleeve, possessing an air of a sage from beyond the world.

At that moment, he seemed more of a civil official than the Prime Minister Zhang Ming himself, his posture emitting the aura of elegance. Atop his head, at that moment, seemed to be a halo of wisdom.

"..." Zhang Ming stared at Li Jun for a long while, speechless, waiting for him to present his clever solution.

Li Jun was not foolish, and he addressed Zheng Tong directly, "Your servant introduces a young man to Your Majesty, who might... have a good solution."

"A young man? A young person? Good! Then let's leave it here for today, Li Jun, you stay behind. Bring that young person you mentioned... to see me." Zheng Tong glanced at Zhang Ming with a smirk and nodded in approval of Li Jun's recommendation, then turned and left the hall.

...

When Zheng Tong saw the young man before him, the phrase "extraordinary bearing" flashed into his mind. The youth standing before him had an erect posture and, though unattractive, exuded a sense of trustworthiness.

Zheng Tong considered himself someone who appreciated beauty, and it wasn't often that he could overlook someone's appearance and pay attention to their temperament instead. The young man before him certainly fit that rare category.

"The Great General mentioned that you have a solution," Zheng Tong straightforwardly asked after sizing up the young man for a while. He knew that the other party was aware of his problem, so he didn't need to elaborate.

The young man nodded slightly and responded, "Indeed, I do have a solution, and it's a comprehensive one to resolve Your Majesty's issue."

"Oh? Let's hear it! If your solution works, I can promote you and grant you peerage, as well as gold and treasure, allowing you to have beautiful wives and concubines, and wield power!" Zheng Tong immediately offered promotion and rewards, sparing no expense.

Resting a hand over the dandelion ring on his other hand, the young man began to outline his strategy without any reserve—he was originally tasked with delivering poison to the state of Zheng Country, and it was time to administer it. There was no reason to hold anything back.

He spoke confidently, "What Your Majesty seeks is nothing more than a wealthy country and a strong military. In my view, wealth sustains the military, and military strength protects the country. These two are complementary and should not be considered separately."

"Makes sense," Zheng Tong nodded faintly, but he wasn't yet persuaded by the other's words; he wanted concrete solutions, not analysis. He could get that kind of talk from any Minister in a day's time without having to bring in someone else.

The young man, not handsome but with a notable presence, continued, "The crux of the problem in Zheng Country right now is simply lacking money and manpower."

"Firstly, Your Majesty may not be aware that spending money on guns and cannons is ultimately not a long-term strategy. Shireck's arms may be of good quality, but they are expensive. You might save and scrimp to buy one gun, one cannon, but what impact does that have on the entire country?" After saying this, he glanced at Zheng Tong, who was indeed nodding in agreement.

He went on, "So, Your Majesty, why could Zheng Country manufacture its own flintlock guns and muzzle-loading cannons before, but now not make its own bolt-action rifles and breech-loading cannons?"
Your adventure continues at empire

"Sir, you may not know, but we don't have the equipment to make these new weapons," Li Jun quickly responded.

"If that's the case, why not discreetly find some businessmen, promise them benefits, and have them raise civilian capital to buy new equipment and manufacture new weapons? Home-produced will always be cheaper than buying from others," the young man retorted.

"But we urgently need the guns and cannons," Li Jun asked knowingly, for he had naturally gone over the script with the young man beforehand. Zheng Tong was indeed concerned about this point and widened his eyes, waiting for the follow-up answer.

"Buy fewer, then raise funds among the civilians to set up factories and organize production to achieve industrialization, producing more materials! This process would require the employment of civilian laborers and the hiring of craftsmen and apprentices—doesn't this precisely solve the problem of livelihood?" The young man spoke undeniable truths, so his words were irrefutable.

Upon hearing this counterargument, Zheng Tong's eyes lit up: if factories could be established, then of course craftsmen and laborers would be needed, which was part of stabilizing the situation.

Before he could fully articulate his own concerns, the young man continued, "Once there is production, there will be taxation; with factory investment and business activities, there will be uncountable wealth. Your Majesty, with so many opportunities for embezzlement and graft, would those local officials and civil officers still oppose your plan?"

This question from the young man precisely addressed Zheng Tong's most vexing issue! No longer trying to appear inscrutable, Zheng Tong clapped his hands and laughed out loud, "Brilliant! With this, they'll have a share of the profits and won't obstruct the plan anymore! Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

"Eventually, you'll be able to manufacture your own guns and cannons and build large ships. With more taxes, you can naturally maintain a larger military! Then, won't a wealthy country with a strong military be easily within reach?" The young man posed yet another question, making Zheng Tong all smiles.

"But..." After the burst of elation, Zheng Tong remembered the biggest issue and, furrowing his brows, looked to the young man, hoping to get the final answer, "So, sir... how do we convince these greedy businessmen and the noble landlords to actually invest their money in these ventures?"

"Your Majesty! It's the prospect of making a profit, of course! Your Majesty can give the Great General an order, allowing him to procure certain items and, in private, promise to give priority to domestic products... promise them substantial gains, even sign contracts with them..."

"Good! But... but purchasing still requires real money..." Zheng Tong became perplexed again.

A cold light shone in the young man's eyes and, lowering his voice, he responded, "Your Majesty, when those factories can produce guns and cannons, and smelt copper and iron... With taxes and the military at your command, could General Li's sword not be sharp?"

Zheng Tong swallowed hard, as if he could see a broad and easy path unfolding before him.