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

Upon seeing Lin Yue enter, Zhu Di smiled and raised his hand. On the table was a small glass bottle, the liquid inside of which was yellowish.

"Boyan, come and take a look," Zhu Di said, holding the bottle with a tone full of approval.

"This is a perfume from the West that was just presented as tribute by the Fujian Provincial Governor. This perfume is indeed much more refreshing than our Ming Dynasty's ambergris and musk!"

It's not pungent; instead, it has a subtle, sweet floral and fruity flavor.

Emperor Yongle picked up the bottle and handed it to Lin Yue.

"I think it looks good, so I'll reward you with a bottle. It'll be elegant to use it every day."

During the Ming Dynasty, emperors often bestowed precious spices such as agarwood and sandalwood upon their officials. After Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean during the Yongle reign, the frequency of such bestowals increased even more, as he brought back exotic treasures and a large number of perfumes from overseas vassal states.

Lin Yue reached out and took it, gazing at the clear, unclouded liquid inside. Suddenly, a little bit of knowledge that a certain member of the "Lao" generation had mentioned flashed through his mind.

The ancient methods of incense making in the Western region aim for a rich and lasting fragrance. Natural ingredients are used as the base, often with animal and plant oils, to create a gentle, non-greasy scent that is soothing to the skin.

And what could be more gentle on the skin than something made by humankind itself?

Some top-tier perfumes contain human body oil, which is used to enhance their mild and fragrant effects. The higher the quality of the perfume, the higher the concentration of human body oil.

Lin Yue looked at the pale yellow perfume bottle in her hand, and the more she looked, the more something seemed off.

So he looked up and advised, "Your Majesty, this Western perfume may seem elegant, but it is actually extremely malevolent. It must not be used, much less given to others!"

The smile on Zhu Di's face vanished instantly, and his brows furrowed slightly.

What does Lin Yue mean by this? Can't he even reward someone with perfume? Even if he's an official in charge of remonstrance, isn't this meddling too much?

The Yongle Emperor looked displeased and rebuked him, "Nonsense! Western artifacts may be strange, but how could they harbor evil? Do you have any evidence to support your claim?"

"Although I have no concrete evidence, I do know the secrets of the ancient Western method of incense making!" Lin Yue bowed and urgently remonstrated.

"In order to make the fragrance last longer and be more concentrated, the perfume makers there often use corpse oil as a raw material and blend it with herbal essential oils. This is how they achieve such a concentrated yet non-greasy texture, and the fragrance lasts for more than a day."

Applying such filthy substances to one's body is utterly against human ethics. Your Majesty, whose body is of immeasurable value and who is the sovereign and father of the nation, how can you use such wicked things!

Zhu Di clearly didn't believe him, raising an eyebrow and retorting, "Based solely on your word, you claim this fine perfume is so...filthy? Do you have any concrete evidence?"

"Your Majesty, please take a look!" Lin Yue said firmly, picking up the glass bottle.

"If this Western perfume were made from human flesh, it would surely produce three signs."

Firstly, it has a texture like solidified fat, appearing thick and heavy, but after application it is refreshing and non-sticky. This is because the corpse oil is blended with essential oils, resulting in a texture different from ordinary animal and plant oils.

Secondly, it is flammable. If a small amount is placed on a fire, it will ignite, and the aroma will be stronger when it burns. It does not have the burnt smell of ordinary oils and is even more fragrant.

Thirdly, although the fragrance lasts a long time, if a small amount is poured onto the table, it will leave a pale yellow oily stain that is difficult to wipe off after the fragrance dissipates.

Zhu Di's expression gradually became serious, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the back of his hand.

He had just applied some perfume there, and while it had seemed novel and elegant, it now felt strangely eerie, with a lingering, peculiar sensation.

Emperor Yongle looked down at the glass bottle on the table and found that the perfume inside was indeed pale yellow like solidified fat, much like some kind of rich and creamy substance refined by fire.

At first, he didn't believe Lin Yue's words.

These exotic items from the West have traveled across the ocean. Although they come from barbarian tribes, they are still precious offerings. How could they be made with such filthy ingredients?

However, Zhu Di was not an emperor who had enjoyed a long period of peace. He was a veteran general who had fought on many battlefields. He had followed the founding emperor in raising troops since the Hongwu era, fighting against the Mongols in the north and suppressing rebellious forces in the south. He had seen countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

If soldiers who die on the battlefield are not buried in time and are exposed to the sun, the fat from their bodies will slowly seep out, forming a pale yellow, thick substance with a putrid smell mixed with the stench of blood, and... occasionally, a faint fragrance.

For the human sense of smell, fragrance and stench are actually of the same origin; the smell of jasmine tea is actually diluted feces.

A strange sense of familiarity welled up in his heart, and the more he looked at the perfume, the more irritating it became.

A few drops of perfume that had accidentally dripped from the corner of the table had condensed into faint yellow stains, just like the traces of corpse oil I remembered seeing on the battlefield.

Zhu Di's heart sank. This ruthless man who had killed countless people felt his stomach churn and a strong feeling of nausea rose in his throat.

"What you said...may have some merit." Zhu Di remained silent for a moment, forcibly suppressing his discomfort, and said in a deep voice.

Seeing this, Lin Yue quickly added, "Your Majesty, the barbarians of the West are not yet civilized. They do not know human ethics and morality. They only seek the effect of making things and do not care about their filth."

Such perfumes made from filthy substances are inauspicious, not to mention their use; even keeping them in the palace would be disastrous, lest they taint the imperial fortune. They should be destroyed immediately. Furthermore, an edict should be issued to the Fujian Provincial Governor and all coastal prefectures, prohibiting the submission of such filthy items as tribute!

Zhu Di slowly nodded, his eyes no longer showing any of the previous interest, only deep disgust: "Granted. Issue my decree that from now on, all such oils and incense products from the West shall not be allowed to be presented as tribute."

However, despite this, Emperor Yongle still instinctively wanted to verify the facts from multiple perspectives. Although Lin Yue's words made some sense and the various characteristics matched, the matter concerned the tribute paid by vassal states and rumors from overseas, and could not be concluded based on just one side of the story.

He thought to himself, "I'll have the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate this later to see if that's really the case."

Zhu Di never listened to one side or believed one side. Even if he had a conclusion in his mind, he still needed solid evidence to prove it. This was a good habit he had developed over the years of leading his teammates to failure.

Other emperors had some capable subordinates or outstanding civil officials, but Emperor Yongle had none.

His subordinates who had contributed to the Jingnan Campaign were all destined to become generals, but apart from his son, Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han, none of them were capable of leading an army independently.

Zhu Di waved his hand, his tone tinged with impatience: "Men, take this thing away."

The eunuch hurriedly stepped forward, carefully carrying the glass bottle as he withdrew.

Zhu Di watched their retreating figures, then rubbed his temples again; the nausea still lingered.

If these Western barbarians really use such a despicable method to make incense, I'll find a way to get back at them later. They're disgusting people who have disgusted me.

With the perfume matter settled, Lin Yue saw that the time was right and immediately spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I happened to meet Shen Sen, a descendant of Shen Wansan, whose family owns a glass workshop."

The old method of using lead resulted in opaque glass. I have improved this by refining alkali from seaweed, which can produce crystal-clear glass. I propose a joint venture between the government and private sector, with the Shen family providing the craftsmen and kilns, and the government providing the land and capital for supervision.

This item will aid navigation, strengthen the military, and increase tax revenue; we humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

Zhu Di raised an eyebrow: "As clear as crystal?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di raised an eyebrow, a keen eye for money flashing in his eyes. In the first year of the Yongle reign, the country was still relatively short of funds.

"You mean, this glass can be made as clear as crystal?"