The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

"Huh?!" Zhu Di was furious.

Despite repeatedly saying that he should be magnanimous and not punish people for their words, Lin Yue, who was always in the ditch, could easily provoke him with his words.

Seeing Zhu Di's fury, Lin Yue was overjoyed.

He straightened his chest and glared angrily at the Yongle Emperor.

There really are people in this world who are not afraid of death. Zhu Di had no choice but to change the subject.

He pointed to the map on the table and said, "Your previous policy of changing the fiefdom, though radical, was not entirely without reason."

I ask you, since you proposed changing the title, you should have considered the difficulties involved.

Relocating princes to new fiefdoms is extremely costly, and the border regions are harsh and cold, so members of the imperial family may not be willing to do so. Therefore, the selection of locations for enfeoffment must be done with great care, and the stipends and expenses of the princes must also be planned.

"Regarding all these matters, do you have any plans?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Yue's eyes.

I wondered what Zhu Di wanted to talk about when he summoned me, but it turned out he was actually seeking my advice!

But it doesn't matter. Since I'm already here, I might as well say a few words and influence the direction of a central empire. That would be quite an achievement.

Lin Ding composed himself and looked at the map on the table, which was marked with the names of the Western Regions, the Northern Desert, and Hami, etc. It was clear that Zhu Di had long planned to expand the territory.

Historically, the King of Malacca (present-day Malacca, Malaysia) was appointed by Zhu Di in October of the first year of the Yongle reign, while Hami and other places were brought under Zhu Di's control in the fourth year of the Yongle reign.

However, Zhu Di's control was more about using trade relations, tribute relations, and stationing troops in key locations, rather than actual territory.

If you don't quite understand, you can look at how the US controls Japan and South Korea.

Lin Yue's mind raced, and he soon came up with an idea.

"What's so difficult about that? If you want the royal family members to go to the far west or overseas, but don't want to spend too much money and supplies, you just need to make them kings in name and in fact."

"As long as His Majesty grants land and titles to kings, everything will be resolved!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell completely silent.

"Let them go west of Samarkand and beyond Malacca in the South Seas. All the lands they conquer will be their hereditary territories, their status above that of the tributary states, their military, political, and financial affairs entirely under their control, and their life and death decisions entirely at their disposal!"

Lin Yue's voice was firm and resonant, with a touch of arrogance. He completely disregarded the atmosphere in the hall and continued to eloquently expound his ideas.

"Your Majesty, think about it. There are quite a few members of the imperial clan now. Apart from the eldest son who inherits the title, the rest can only live on the government's stipend and do nothing all their lives."

"Give them the opportunity to carve out their own territories and become kings, let them go overseas to expand their borders, and all the land they conquer will be theirs. There will be no shortage of royal family members willing to risk their lives to fight them!"

Lin Yue chuckled and said, "They expanded their territory and built their own country, cultivating land, trading, collecting taxes, and raising soldiers all by themselves."

The imperial court said it didn't have to spend a single penny on stipends and rice; on the contrary, it could make them pay taxes on rare treasures and special products every year, thus earning them a profit!

Those distant relatives of the imperial family whom the court couldn't take care of should simply be released to fend for themselves. Whether it's engaging in business or venturing out to make a living, it's all contributing to the Ming Dynasty—a win-win situation!

The eunuchs attending to him knelt down on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the gold bricks, trembling all over, not daring to even breathe.

Do they think they can listen to such talk of granting land and titles of kings? If this gets out, it will shake the world!

Zhu Di was also stunned, staring at Lin Yue in disbelief for a long time.

After ascending the throne, he was very wary of the vassal kings, fearing that he would repeat the mistakes of Jianwen. However, Lin Yue actually asked him to voluntarily divide his territory, even if it was to be granted to a foreign land overseas, which was very difficult for people to accept.

After so many years of unified rule, why are they still resorting to such backward practices as granting fiefdoms and land to nobles? Is the Ming Dynasty some kind of backward slave-owning feudal state?

Seeing that Zhu Di remained silent, Lin Yue felt he had gotten away with it and immediately launched a sarcastic attack on Zhu Di with sharp and biting words.

"What? Your Majesty asked me for advice, but now you dare not implement it?"

Just moments ago, they were thinking of expanding their territory and challenging the ancestral rules established by Emperor Taizu Gao. Now that it's time to get serious, they've fallen silent.

Indeed, after all, Your Majesty yourself was a prince who seized the throne. I'm afraid that members of the imperial family might follow your example, establish their own independent states overseas, and then launch another overseas rebellion.

It's not surprising when you think about it, hahaha!

Lin Yue launched into a tirade, but Zhu Di remained silent.

He clicked his tongue twice, realizing he had been too polite, and decided to keep trying.

"In the end, Your Majesty is still petty and short-sighted. He wants the imperial clan to contribute, but he is also afraid that they will seize power. He is so hesitant and indecisive. He still wants to prove that he is comparable to Emperor Taizong of Tang. What kind of emperor does he want to be?

In my opinion, it would be better to stay in the Central Plains, quietly weaken the power of the regional military governors, and then spend a lot of money to support the imperial family.

No matter how many children the imperial family has, it will take at least a hundred or two hundred years to bankrupt the Ming Dynasty's finances.

Zhu Di's face alternated between pale and flushed, and the veins on his hands, which were gripping the table, bulged, but he still did not get angry. He just stared intently at the map.

Lin Yue found it boring when he didn't respond.

Dude, if you don't get angry after all this, are you Zhu Di some kind of bastard? He's even embarrassed to keep spouting nonsense.

Lin Yue turned his head and looked around the hall. His gaze swept over a figure, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

There stood a tall eunuch, well over seven feet tall, with a waist ten spans wide, distinct features, and ears whiter than his face. Although he was dressed in eunuch's robes, he exuded the fierce air of a military general, and his high nose and deep-set eyes were particularly striking.

"Your Majesty," Lin Yue said, pointing to the tall eunuch, "this gentleman, is he perhaps named Zheng He?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di looked up and nodded: "It is indeed Zheng He."

His original surname was Ma. During the Jingnan Rebellion, he repeatedly made military achievements. I bestowed upon him the surname Zheng and promoted him to the position of eunuch in the Directorate of Palace Attendants.

"Do you recognize him?"

"I've heard a little about it," Lin Yue replied casually.

Zheng He had distinctive physical features and was a meritorious official in the Jingnan Campaign, so it's not surprising that people knew him.

Some say that Zheng He had a high nose and deep-set eyes, and that he had Persian or Western Region ancestry, but it is unknown whether this is true or not.

Zhu Di didn't pay attention to these trivial matters; his attention returned to the main topic, and he asked a question.

"What you said about granting land and titles of kings is shocking and unconventional. Although it can solve the problems of the imperial family and help the Ming Dynasty expand its territory, I have a question!"

If we truly allow vassal kings to carve out their own territories overseas, far removed from the court's control, what if, one day, these kings become too powerful and disobey orders, even turning against the court? Wouldn't the court be wasting its resources and manpower, only to nurture a group of powerful enemies? How would we control them then?

This question hits the nail on the head. Zhu Di himself was a prince who usurped the throne, and he was most wary of princes who were out of control.

The inability to effectively control the vassal kings meant that the court could not obtain sufficient benefits, which was also the main reason why civil officials generally supported the reduction of the power of the vassal kings.

Civil servants do not spontaneously form a civil servant group, as some conspiracy theories suggest.

However, as a product of the bureaucratic class, civil servants instinctively dislike things that cannot provide benefits and that they cannot control.

The opposition of civil officials to Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean, the debate over the maritime ban, and the repeated disbandment and establishment of the Beijing Garrison in the future are all examples of this.

Civil officials are willing to destroy things they cannot control.