After listening to Zhu Jingyuan's words, the old emperor nodded gently again to express his agreement, and then asked a new question:

"Jingyuan, don't you support the royal family consortium's transfer of interests and nurturing the development and growth of private capital and industry?"

Zhu Jingyuan is even more helpless. Can your focus be more normal, and can you put it on the construction of battleships:

"I do support the royal family in nurturing private industries, but the royal consortium's method of directly cutting off the meat and selling it is absolutely inappropriate.

"Because private manufacturers do not have sufficient capabilities and capital, it is impossible to normally redeem large-scale properties sold by the consortium, unless the royal family significantly lowers the transfer price.

"This will definitely breed huge amounts of corruption, and the scale of the consortium is too large, making it difficult for the top management of the consortium to conduct in-depth and comprehensive supervision.

"What corrupt transactions ultimately lose is the vitality of the entire industry and the industrial production capacity of the entire country."

After the old emperor was stunned for three seconds, he nodded slightly in agreement again:

"That makes sense, Jingyuan, how do you think this nurturing process should be realized?"

Zhu Jingyuan was speechless. Where did this topic go? We are here to discuss whether to build a dreadnought, not economic reform.

Could you please take a look at where this place is? This is Wuying Palace, not Wenhua Palace.

No, we have to find a way to bring the topic back.

Zhu Jingyuan pondered for a moment and quickly thought up his answer:

"Sun Chen believes that after a certain industry is opened to the private sector, the consortium must continue to retain the industry in the related industry.

“And we must become a benchmark for the corresponding industry and the formulation and defender of industry rules.

“At the same time, private manufacturers are guided to start from the periphery of the industry and start from sub-classifications with relatively low technical thresholds.

"Let private manufacturers develop stably at this stage, continuously improve their technical level, and inject vitality into the development of the industry.

“In this process, the royal consortium can gradually hand over products and accessories other than the key core links of the industry to these private manufacturers for completion.

"For example, in the construction of warships, the standards for ordinary cables, pipes, non-supportive steel, and living materials can be listed for bidding, and private manufacturers can take orders.

"The consortium concentrates manpower and material resources to develop higher power density power systems, larger caliber and more powerful artillery and ammunition, more powerful defensive armor and stronger support steel, better observation and calculation equipment, etc.

wait.

"We must continue to explore better overall warship designs, more flexible and efficient combat command systems, faster and more economical ship construction methods, etc., focusing on such core and key links.

"In the future, the royal consortium will abandon its large and comprehensive business model and transform into a high-end, core, key, and basic imperial backbone enterprise.

“In this process, marginal industries and non-performing assets will be abandoned, overall operating costs will be reduced, and profit margins and production efficiency will be improved.

“Invest more funds and strength into new industrial projects and into industries that are difficult for private manufacturers to afford.

“For example, large-scale mining and refining of mineral resources, construction of railways and highways with higher carrying capacity and speed, design and manufacturing of large flying machines, etc.

"This kind of industrial reform can start from our shipyards and from the construction of this new warship."

After Zhu Jingyuan finished speaking, he bowed solemnly to the old emperor and made a gesture of request.

When the old emperor listened to Zhu Jingyuan speak again, he couldn't help but nod his head, feeling that what his grandson said was very reasonable.

The key is that his thinking is completely different from that of ordinary children and courtiers. He seems to be looking at problems from a broader and longer-term perspective, just like Emperor Shizu.

In particular, the old emperor was very interested in the planning of the royal consortium as the core and private manufacturers as the periphery.

In short, the more I watch, the more satisfied I become, except for the new battleships that I can’t let go of:

"Okay, you can refer to your thoughts on the reform of the consortium. As for the subsequent design and construction of new warships, I will make my own decision, and you don't need to interfere anymore."

Zhu Jingyuan is particularly helpless now. You always agree with the ideas I propose, but you refuse to agree to my request.

What decision can you make on your side? What is more important than a dreadnought in this era?

It can’t be an aircraft carrier, right? Zhu Cixiang, a senior, didn’t even keep the design of tanks and aircraft, so it’s definitely impossible to keep the aircraft carrier design.

None of the key aircraft are in shape right now, and they are still one big version away from the aircraft carrier.

Thinking about the airplane, Zhu Jingyuan suddenly realized that he had the airplane design patent and could use it:

"Grandpa Huang, when I talk about the design and construction of warships, my grandson can pay for it himself. Just treat it as grandson paying to place an order for a new ship, and finally give it to the navy for testing and use.

"I implore Grandpa Huang to allow the consortium to arrange manpower to cooperate and complete the design and construction of this new warship."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

This idea is too wild. Are you going to spend your own money to build ships for the navy?

Are you trying to slap someone in the face? Does the Navy want you this little money? Does the imperial court want you this little money?

The key point is that you, an ordinary grandson of the emperor, cannot have so much money.

Ordinary officials did not dare to speak, but the old emperor had no worries and asked with wide eyes:

"A new battleship with four main guns may have a displacement of more than 20,000 metric tons and cost at least 300,000 Ming Dynasty gold coins, which is 15 million silver dollars. Where did you get so much money?"

Zhu Jingyuan rubbed his neck and said loudly with a straight face:

"I used my future prince's annuity and the invention patent of flying machines as collateral to borrow 300,000 gold notes from the royal consortium to build ships.

"After the ship is designed and built, if it is really useful and the navy and royal consortium want to build it, they will have to pay the money themselves.

"In addition, the design patent for this kind of ship must be mine. Any similar ships built or exported in the future will be given a share of my share."

Now everyone in the audience was even more shocked. Zhu Jingyuan's idea was too outrageous.

This idea is comparable to applying for a patent for an aircraft carrier. Even if the patent office registers it for you, can you build it? Who will you sell it to?

However, things like warships can indeed be sold at this time, and even blueprints can be sold.

Japan's Kongo-class battlecruisers were built by buying a finished ship from the UK, plus a set of drawings, and buying materials to build three of them.

But Zhu Jingyuan's real idea is not to really get the patent for the dreadnought. The users of this thing are all countries, and there is no way to trade and authorize it normally.

Zhu Jingyuan actually just used a simple provoking method.

As an eldest child, I have put all my future income into consideration. Can't your court and navy be more open-minded?

When word got out about this incident, who had the ugly face?

Everyone had already realized this problem just now, so when Zhu Jingyuan talked about it again, Cao Zhenyong, the representative of the Military Aircraft Department, immediately stood up to dissuade him:

"Your Highness, Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable. Your Highness cannot be asked to personally pay for the construction of the warship."

Minister of Industry Zou Bingtai, Minister of Military Aircraft Cao Zhenyong, Prince Zhu Jianyan, and everyone present all looked at the old emperor.

But the old emperor's thinking never seemed to be on the same page as ordinary people.

He forgot about the money itself and asked Zhu Jingyuan with great interest:

"Grandson, what are you talking about? You have a patent for flying machines?"

Zhu Jingyuan's mood was very complicated. We were talking about the boat. Why did you get on the plane again?

Zhu Jingyuan really couldn't figure out what the old man was thinking, but he couldn't help but answer when he asked:

"We are preparing experiments. There is a high probability that they will be successful. Once successful, we will get a patent."

The old emperor instantly lost interest:

"In other words, it hasn't been successful yet. Let's wait until it is successful. That's it for today..."

Zhu Jingyuan was stunned:

"Grandpa, wait a minute, what about my boat?"

The old emperor answered naturally:

"Didn't I tell you to wait until the flying machine experiment is successful? Let's break up the meeting."

After speaking, he turned and looked at the followers beside him:

"Send me to the consortium headquarters, and at the same time notify the consortium's big bosses to go to the consortium headquarters conference room for a meeting immediately."
Chapter completed!