Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Then redevelop and be able to start with a better spirit.

Wei Hongjun said, "Mr. Deng, I think we should convene a national agricultural conference as soon as possible. Call in all the provincial and municipal officials in charge of agriculture to help cool things down. At the same time, we should discuss the specific regulations for water conservancy projects. We can't just rush into it all because of water conservancy projects. We must follow a scientific, planned, and step-by-step approach. Furthermore, we can't let water conservancy projects affect normal agricultural production. What do you think?"

"I agree."

Deng Zhihui nodded.

We should cool everyone down so that everyone can calm down.

After finishing the work discussion, Wei Hongjun began to talk about Gao Gang's problem, saying, "Mr. Deng, you know about the Secretariat."

"Everyone knows it now." "What do you think?"

Wei Hongjun wanted to hear Deng Zhihui's thoughts. Deng Zhihui said, "The Central Committee's emphasis on Party leadership and opposition to 'decentralization' is correct. However, the Central Committee has also consistently emphasized that Party committees are Party committees, and administrative departments are administrative departments. The Party Central Committee has previously announced discipline: Party committees issue documents to their subordinate Party committees, and administrative departments issue documents to their subordinate administrative departments. There is a difference between the two. The Secretariat requires the various State Council ministries to submit daily work reports to the Secretariat. This is treating the State Council as a Party committee department like the Organization Department or the Propaganda Department. If the State Council becomes an agency under the Secretariat, then where does the Politburo and the Central Committee fit in?"

"Besides, I don't trust Comrade Gao Gang and Comrade Rao Shushi when it comes to rural work."

In the end, Deng Zhihui directly expressed his thoughts.

Deng Zhihui didn't trust Gao Gang and Rao Shushi when it came to rural work. Although Gao Gang had performed well and achieved significant results during the Northeast Land Reform Movement, the rural areas of Northeast China were a relatively unique region in China.

Gao Gang was also responsible for rural work in Northeast China.

As for Rao Shushi, Deng Zhihui and he had worked together in East China. Rao Shushi was quite capable. Especially in the complex situation in East China, he was very successful in dealing with rural landlords, rich peasants, middle peasants, and the urban bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie.

After effectively dividing people into different social classes, the policy was also very effective. It stabilized all classes and prevented them from becoming enemies.

It can be said that Rao Shushi made contributions in East China.

But today's countryside is no longer what it once was. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China on May 1948, 5, rural China has undergone tremendous changes. The land reform movement, the introduction of mutual aid groups, and now many provinces have begun to establish primary cooperatives. Even provinces like Shanxi, Hebei, Guangdong, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Northeast China have a significant presence of advanced cooperatives.

Moreover, less than a year after the free market for agricultural and sideline products was liberalized, the Ministry of Rural Affairs also formulated a plan for the development of rural industry and commerce.

Deng Zhihui didn't want any accidents to happen at this time.

In particular, they didn't want Gao Gang and Rao Shushi to interfere. Gao Gang was too strong and capable of causing trouble. Rao Shushi was no ordinary man either, having risen through the ranks of the New Fourth Army and eventually becoming Secretary of the East China Bureau. Deng Zhihui had witnessed this process firsthand.

Wei Hongjun nodded.

Deng Zhihui thought so, and the situation became much easier. As long as Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui were of one mind, then no matter how much Gao Gang struggled, he would not be able to interfere with rural work. So Wei Hongjun did not hide his opinion and said, "Comrade Gao Gang's current approach is extremely inappropriate and has problems with organizational procedures. However, since this concerns the relationship between the Secretariat and the State Council, I think we should wait for the Premier's attitude. With so much work to do at this stage, I think we should focus more on our work."

Deng Zhihui understood Wei Hongjun's meaning. He didn't want to be the first to stand out.

If possible, Deng Zhihui really didn't want to get bogged down in these matters; he just wanted to work diligently. But Deng Zhihui had participated in the revolution for thirty years and had experienced many things. He had witnessed the massacres during the Great Revolution and the various anti-counterrevolutionary campaigns during the Agrarian Revolution. So, he understood that this was unavoidable.

If Gao Gang had been young, like when he was around 30 years old in the Central Soviet Area, and had interfered with the State Council's work, he would have gotten into trouble. However, he had experienced a lot in the past 30 years and was not as impulsive as he was in his youth.

So after thinking for a while, he slowly nodded.

As long as Gao Gang didn't directly affect the current rural work, there was really no need for Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui to intervene in this matter. Because above them were three members of the Politburo Standing Committee: the Premier, Chen Yun, and Marshal Nie.

Comrade Wu Hao’s attitude is the most important.

He is the Premier of the State Council and the First Secretary of the State Council Party Leadership Group.

After reaching a consensus, the two men put the matter aside and returned to discussing work. Their current concern was the summer harvest. This year marked the large-scale promotion of improved varieties, along with a major effort to develop water conservancy projects and accumulate fertilizer. Changes in grain production would directly impact the next steps in rural development.

Wei Hongjun and Deng Zhihui decided to be patient, and other State Council leaders shared the same view.

Just when everyone wanted to observe how the Prime Minister would respond, a conflict broke out at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' working meeting.

Chapter 961: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Working Conference

Ministry of Foreign Affairs working conference.

It can be said to be a Ministry of Foreign Affairs executive meeting, and of course it can also be said to be a Ministry of Foreign Affairs Party Leadership Group meeting, but it is not entirely a Party Leadership Group meeting or a Ministry of Foreign Affairs executive meeting. The emergence of this Ministry of Foreign Affairs executive meeting is related to Chen Shuai.

Chen Shuai was promoted to the central government to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

But the Prime Minister has always been directly in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the only department in the State Council that does not have a Vice Premier in charge.

If the cadres have any questions to tell the Premier, we will discuss them together and then submit our opinions to the Premier.

This saves everyone from having to give their opinions to the Prime Minister one by one. This is the origin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' working group meeting.

However, since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' work retreats were primarily attended by members of the Ministry's Party Leadership Group or prominent officials, they gradually began to be confused with the Ministry's executive meetings and Party Leadership Group meetings. Because work retreats aren't formal meetings, they offer a more relaxed atmosphere for discussing certain issues. Consequently, over the past two years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has preferred work retreats to Party Leadership Group and executive meetings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has achieved remarkable success in the past two years, particularly with increased engagement with European countries.

Therefore, diplomatic work is becoming more and more important.

That day, the Premier presided over a meeting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Secretariat's affairs did indeed worry the Premier. However, he was merely annoyed; the Premier didn't really care. While each State Council member had their own turf, the Secretariat's actions directly impacted everyone's interests. As long as the Premier pushed back, the senior officials in the State Council would support him, leaving the Secretariat with virtually no leverage. However, the Premier wasn't one to resort to tough tactics, so he intended to withhold support, respond, or even address the Secretariat's requests.

The Secretariat was allowed to act recklessly, ignoring their demands. Ultimately, the Secretariat is not the Politburo. No matter how much Gao Gang rhetorically claims, the Secretariat cannot replace the Politburo. As long as the State Council refuses to respond, the Secretariat will have no recourse against it. Of course, the Premier didn't intervene immediately because, given the specific circumstances, he preferred to first assess the Chairman's stance.

The situation was handled differently depending on the chairman's attitude, so we should just handle it as if nothing had happened.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' working conference was scheduled for 2 p.m.

Because the Premier has to coordinate with the Chairman's work schedule. The Chairman prefers to work at night, so to accommodate the Chairman, the Premier also adjusts his rest schedule. Among the current central leadership, Comrade Xiuyang, the Premier, and Gao Gang all follow the Chairman's work and rest schedules, as they frequently need to discuss issues with him.

Therefore, the Prime Minister currently rests in the morning and starts working in the afternoon.

The meeting was to discuss relations with Britain and France, primarily how to establish diplomatic relations. Following the 1954 exchanges between China and France, a French government delegation was about to visit China. Therefore, at this meeting, the Premier made arrangements for their reception and negotiations. After the arrangements were made, the Premier sought feedback from the delegation. Zhang Wentian, Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided the Premier with his suggestions.

"Negotiations with Europe and the United States, including how to receive the French delegation, were handled by Comrades Wu Xiuquan and Qiao Guanhua, with the Protocol Department responsible for the specific reception matters. The Prime Minister should be setting the broad policy direction, not overseeing every matter, big or small. If he were to oversee every matter, how would the cadres below him do their work?"

Zhang Wentian was dissatisfied with the Premier's detailed work arrangements.

Every detail was spelled out, and the cadres below were to do what they were supposed to do. For example, when it came to how to receive the French delegation, the Premier could have simply laid out a general direction and assigned the Department of Protocol to handle it. Or he could have handed it off to officials like Wu Xiuquan and Qiao Guanhua, letting them handle the specifics. But the Premier had already considered every aspect of the reception, laying out each and every detail at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meeting. Even the amount of wine and dishes for the reception were personally planned by the Premier. But if the Premier had already figured it out, what was the point of having so many officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? What was the point of having the Department of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? The Premier was essentially doing the work of many officials and the Department of Protocol.

Zhang Wentian is a scholar with a strong temper. If he doesn't like something, he will speak up.

After the Yan'an Rectification Movement, many former Soviet-educated cadres, or those close to them, have generally kept a low profile. Wang Ming, of course, is not to be mentioned. Kang Sheng has also been cautious over the years, rarely participating in central government affairs. Even when the Central Committee stripped him of his Politburo membership, he didn't utter a single complaint. Consider the Premier's current work: he consults the Chairman on almost every matter, and all his work is based on the Chairman's ideas. Even when a plan just formulated by the State Council was presented to the Chairman, if the Chairman expressed even the slightest objection, the Premier would immediately return and revise the plan. In this respect, no other State Council cadre is as obedient as the Premier. Many cadres, if they have a disagreement with the Chairman about their work, will discuss it with him. They will never change a plan just because the Chairman disagrees.

Wang Jiaxiang, who strongly supported Chairman Mao during the Agrarian Revolution, also maintained a low profile. He was sent to the Soviet Union as China's first ambassador. He maintained a low profile in this position, essentially serving as a messenger between China and the Soviet Union, rarely making decisions on his own.

Zhang Wentian was the only one who was different. While working in Northeast China, he simply followed the right path. He performed admirably in organization, propaganda, and even the land reform movement. He never backed down when he disagreed with Chen Yun, Peng Zhen, and others. Later, he replaced Wang Jiaxiang as ambassador to the Soviet Union. Upon arriving in the USSR, he quickly criticized the work of the Chinese Embassy. He believed the embassy was too passive, failing to fulfill its intended role and acting like an isolated island. Zhang Wentian believed the embassy should strengthen political education and propaganda, and actively establish ties with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.

Zhang Wentian's criticism was quite harsh at the time.

Wang Jiaxiang believed that Zhang Wentian was targeting him, so he sued Zhang Wentian when he returned to China.

This is Zhang Wentian.

After the Zunyi Conference, he was the Party's top leader. He subsequently served as a member of the Politburo at the Seventh National Congress, and at the Eighth National Congress, he was merely a member of the Central Committee. Currently, he holds only the position of Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. It can be said that since the Zunyi Conference, his position within the Party has been gradually marginalized, from a central leader to an ordinary cadre. Some central leaders dislike him, including the Chairman, who has some opinions about him. This is well known.

If it were any other cadre, having been "disdained" by several high-level central leaders, he would have been honest and handled things in a low-key manner long ago.

But he doesn't seem to mind it at all. He never tolerates problems. He criticizes when necessary, including the Premier. This was the case at today's Foreign Ministry seminar. Zhang Wentian was dissatisfied with the Premier's approach. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently strong, with highly educated, experienced, and capable officials.

But the Prime Minister's work arrangements were so detailed, with everything stipulated. This made it difficult for Zhang Wentian and his colleagues to do their work.

Because the Premier was so overseeing the details, some officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs simply pushed their work wherever possible. Ji Pengfei was a typical example. Whenever something came up, he would directly tell his subordinates and ask for the Premier's opinion. Only after the Premier's approval did he take action.

"Premier, you're involved in too many things, big and small. But when you're involved in too many small things, the big things get lost. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so many important matters every day, and every time we need your approval, it takes three or four days to get it. Even if I were to go to you in person, I'd have to wait in line. So many leaders of ministries and commissions under the State Council line up in long lines outside the Prime Minister's Office every day, waiting for your approval. Many of us are so busy with our work, but it takes us hours just to get your approval."

Zhang Wentian originally just wanted to make a report, or perhaps advise the Prime Minister.

But the more he talked, the angrier he got. Zhang Wentian, the Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, had to wait for hours every time he sought the Premier's approval on important matters. Sometimes, he couldn't even see the Premier that day. If the Premier was busy with important matters, Zhang Wentian wouldn't say anything.

But the Prime Minister only deals with trivial matters.

When meeting with a cadre to discuss work, it's sufficient to discuss key priorities. Specific work arrangements can be left to lower-level cadres. However, when the Premier meets with a cadre, he discusses every aspect. These conversations can last for an hour, ultimately delaying a significant amount of important work.

There are also some democrats and foreign representatives.

Despite his busy schedule, these people would request meetings with the Premier, and he would always agree. Furthermore, the Premier had an excellent memory and was well-informed about the pro-democracy figures and foreign guests. Therefore, they all felt that the Premier respected them and had a very good impression of him. However, while these matters were handled, other matters that needed to be addressed were not. Therefore, some officials familiar with the Premier's daily routine would wait for him at the bathroom door, just after waking up to use the restroom. This was because getting the Premier's approval on documents was simply too difficult.

"Prime Minister, you're being too pragmatic, trying to pick up both watermelons and sesame seeds, but in the end, you can't pick up either. When doing work, you should grab the watermelon and discard the sesame seeds. Besides, every department has people. The officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are all very capable. You're interfering in everything and making it difficult for others to do their work."

Zhang Wentian spoke incessantly, saying everything he needed to say, making the meeting awkward.

However, Zhang Wentian did express the thoughts of many officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Premier's single-handed approach to all matters, big and small, is both a strength and a weakness. The strength is obvious: the Premier knows everything about the families of his subordinates. This kind of concern warms the hearts of the cadres.

But the disadvantages are more obvious.

He can't really work freely. The Prime Minister even has to check the punctuation in articles written by his press secretary, Yang Gang. How can he do his job?

Just like during the Long March, Marshal Liu had numerous complaints about the Premier. At the time, Marshal Liu was the Chief of the General Staff of the Military Commission, and he complained to others, "Comrade Wu Hao is too involved. He even interferes with things that I, the Chief of Staff, do." He carried a notebook with him, keeping track of everything, even the number of donkeys and foals he carried on his luggage, and he was involved in every detail. He was so exhausted that he would fall asleep while writing, leaving his handwriting in a messy mess, leaving people to guess what the words were. But he still had to write telegrams himself.

The relationship between the Prime Minister and Zhang Wentian is still very good.

Zhang Wentian's wife, Liu Ying, is currently Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs. Originally, given Liu Ying's qualifications and rank, she was nominated for Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, because Zhang Wentian was Executive Vice Minister, the Premier appointed Liu Ying as Assistant Minister, a position not much different from Vice Minister.

It is precisely because of their good relationship, even a personal friendship, that Zhang Wentian was able to criticize the Prime Minister's work style so directly.

But at this time the Prime Minister couldn't help but think too much.

Gao Gang and Zhang Wentian had a close relationship. They worked closely together in Northeast China and performed exceptionally well during its liberation. Gao Gang proposed to the Central Committee that Zhang Wentian be appointed Deputy Secretary of the Northeast Bureau, though the Central Committee did not approve. This, however, demonstrates Gao Gang's appreciation for Zhang Wentian's abilities.

Later, when Zhang Wentian returned from the Soviet Union to serve as Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gao Gang personally went to the airport to greet Zhang Wentian. Zhang Wentian himself also spoke highly of Gao Gang's abilities.

Therefore, Zhang Wentian and Gao Gang usually have close contacts.

Gao Gang had just made his move when Zhang Wentian spoke at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' briefing, a connection that couldn't help but arise. Amidst the silence, Chen Shuai suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Comrade Zhang Wentian is right. Premier, you need to change this habit. Even if you don't think about work, you still have to think about your health. You can't let work ruin your health."

Chen Shuai has a cheerful personality, so he works well with a scholar like Zhang Wentian.

In particular, Zhang Wentian was good at writing and theory, which allowed Chen Shuai to learn a lot from Zhang Wentian during his first diplomatic work. Therefore, he immediately came out to laugh.

"Yes, health is important."

Zhang Hanfu also nodded.

After Chen Shuai and Zhang Hanfu said this, the atmosphere of the meeting immediately became much better.

Zhang Wentian also realized that his remarks were a bit too aggressive, so he said, "That's right. The Prime Minister is involved in every detail, and his health is affected. If you intervene less, the various departments will take charge."

The Prime Minister then spoke, very modestly: "Is work the purpose of life? We sit in this position to serve the people and to work hard. Any decision we make, even the slightest mistake, can cause unpredictable losses. What does health have to do with it?"

Zhang Wentian was dissatisfied with the Prime Minister's answer.

He truly felt that the Premier's working style was wrong. The Premier was not just any official; he was the Premier of the State Council, the highest administrative body in charge. Even a county magistrate couldn't handle everything himself, let alone the Premier of the State Council.

You work hard, but what about your efficiency?

The Prime Minister should fully mobilize the subjective initiative of these officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rather than suppress it. But just as Zhang Wentian was about to continue, Liu Ying said, "But you are the Premier of the State Council, and there is still a lot of work waiting for you to handle. You can't ignore your own health."

Liu Ying is very familiar with the Prime Minister and his wife, having worked with them in their early years.

Zhang Wentian privately complained to Liu Ying about the Premier's work style. Liu Ying had advised Zhang Wentian at the time, stating that the Premier's work style had always been this way. When Xiang Zhongfa was General Secretary, the Premier was the de facto leader of central government affairs, not Xiang Zhongfa. Hunan affairs were originally handled by Li Weihan and Li Lisan, but the Premier also took charge, even single-handedly overseeing the transfer of Hunan cadres. The Premier had always been accustomed to taking charge of everything. During the White Terror, the Premier personally oversaw the dismantling of certain agencies and the relocation of certain radio stations. He also personally directed the relocation of others. He single-handedly arranged everything, from central government matters to provincial affairs.

During the White Terror, the Premier's work style endeared him to many officials below him because he was very responsible. When things went wrong, he didn't just run away. Instead, he took care of everyone in danger, protecting many. Therefore, many officials were grateful to the Premier.

But after becoming Premier of the State Council, his working style had many drawbacks. However, Liu Ying knew that this had been the Premier's working style for decades, so it was useless to dissuade him. He said this to ease the tension Zhang Wentian had just caused.

The Prime Minister waved his hand and said, "Work is important, work is important."