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

Lin Yue nodded firmly: "Exactly! I am confident that I can accomplish this within three months. If I fail, Your Majesty may behead me!"

Lin Yue spoke boastfully without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Although I only know the basics of seaweed alkali extraction, reform is inherently a high-risk endeavor, and hesitation will lead to failure.

If he succeeded, he could mass-produce transparent glass and continue his sweeping reforms. If he failed, he could simply be killed by interest groups or beheaded by Zhu Di as an apology.

Either it benefits the country and its people, or it's a matter of sacrificing oneself for the cause, or it's a matter of dragging those rent-seeking classes down with it. No matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation!

Lin Yue continued loudly, "Crystal is rare and hard to come by, while transparent glass can be mass-produced. It can be used in telescopes, stargazing windows, and military equipment in the future, and its value far exceeds that of ordinary glass!"

If this policy is implemented, the national treasury will gradually become full, which will greatly benefit the affairs of the state.

Zhu Di nodded slightly, thinking it wasn't a big deal: "Alright! I approve!"

Emperor Yongle immediately ordered: "The Ministry of Works shall allocate another hundred craftsmen and ten official kilns to support this effort. The Taicang Treasury shall first allocate five thousand taels of silver as funding. You may choose any official land along the coast to build factories. You must produce the finished products as soon as possible. I want to see with my own eyes what the quality of this crystal glass is."

The official factory system was actually very common in the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, he vigorously promoted the policy of parallel development of government factories and military farms. The government handicraft industry system spread throughout the country, with five systems, including the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Household Department, in charge of seven major categories such as construction, military equipment, and kiln and metallurgy.

The rotating craftsmen and the resident craftsmen each had their own duties. In the twenty-sixth year of the Hongwu reign alone, there were more than 230,000 registered rotating craftsmen and resident craftsmen.

Faced with the vast territory and sparse population of the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang consistently attempted to forcefully control core means of production through the state, and to directly provide supplies to the court and the army using a strict household registration system. He also promoted water conservancy projects everywhere, striving to accelerate the recovery of the Chinese people's livelihood as much as possible.

Lin Yuegang bowed to express his gratitude, but Zhu Di raised his hand to stop him, abruptly changing the subject to the matter of tax exemption for scholars.

"Boyan, there is something I need to discuss with you."

I have taken note of your previous advocacy for tax exemption for scholars and officials.

But this matter is far too significant to be acted upon lightly; it requires careful consideration and cannot be rushed.

Seeing Lin Yue's brows furrow slightly, Zhu Di slowly added.

"After all, according to the ancestral system of our Great Ming Dynasty, students are exempt from corvée labor and two adult males in their families, and officials are exempt from corvée labor except for paying rent and taxes. This is the way of encouraging scholars and treating the virtuous and talented as established by Emperor Taizu Gao.

Alas, scholars across the land have spent ten years studying diligently, all they seek is this dignity and comfort. If it were suddenly abolished, wouldn't it chill the hearts of all scholars?

The imperial examination system is the foundation for selecting officials in our Great Ming Dynasty. If we lose the hearts of the scholars, the court will have no successors, and who will assist this country?

Zhu Di rambled on about various things, including the current political situation.

"Furthermore, the Jingnan Campaign has not been over for long. Although the north and south are gradually becoming more stable, the devastation of people's livelihood and the abandonment of fields have not been fully recovered, just as the Taizu Emperor needed to recuperate after establishing the country."

If the gentry and scholars are involved now, it is hard to guarantee that unrest will not occur. If chaos breaks out in the gentry-populated areas of Jiangnan, it will only delay the important affairs of the nation, and the losses will outweigh the gains.

Zhu Di's gaze swept over Lin Yue, and he said earnestly, "Boyan, I know you are wholeheartedly devoted to the country, but governing the world is like navigating through a thousand waves. You must assess the situation and act accordingly, and not rush headlong into things."

"Now, in the imperial court, the meritorious officials who fought in the Jingnan Rebellion need to be appeased, the border defenses need to be strengthened, and your proposed transparent Liulichang is an even more urgent matter. With so many things piling up at once, it's making things even more difficult..."

After saying much, Zhu Di softened his tone and reassured her.

"You are upright and outspoken, which are your strengths, but as a politician, you need to know when to advance and when to retreat."

I am not setting this matter aside, but rather delaying it as appropriate. Once the Liulichang project has yielded positive results, the people's livelihood has improved, and the foundation of the court is more stable, I will discuss the reform methods in detail with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, and gradually rectify the drawbacks.

As for the present... let's focus on running Liulichang and the treasure shipyard well, and not let impatience cause us to lose our composure."

Zhu Di's words were undeniably sincere and earnest, citing ancestral rules as evidence and discussing the difficult situation of the time.

But in the end, it's nothing more than trying to delay the tax exemption process.

Perhaps something had happened recently, and Zhu Di still had reservations, unwilling to cross this sensitive red line at this moment.

Lin Yue could understand Zhu Di's difficulties, but that didn't mean he wanted to support Zhu Di.

He made all those grand promises a few days ago, which prevented him from even putting on his usual scathing remarks. It turns out he was just faking it all. Today, he'll have to have a proper talk with Zhu Di about the way of being a ruler.

Censors, activate!

Lin Yue's expression turned solemn, and he immediately stepped forward and said loudly.

"Your Majesty is mistaken!"

The Analects says that we should not worry about scarcity but about inequality. Nowadays, gentry and officials are exempt from taxes and hide countless fields, while the common people are burdened with heavy taxes. If this is not stopped in time, I fear that in the future the rich will own vast tracts of land while the poor will have nowhere to stand!

Moreover, Your Majesty previously promised to rectify the situation, but now you want to postpone it. Wouldn't that be a breach of trust with your subjects?

Zhu Di's face darkened: "When have I ever broken my promise? I only said to postpone it."

Lin Yue showed no fear and immediately retorted angrily.

"Emperor Taizu Gao used severe punishments to crack down on powerful clans and clean up officialdom, which led to the reign of Emperor Hongwu. Emperor Wu of Han implemented the system of calculating and reporting wealth to expel those who annexed land, which gave him the strength to attack the Xiongnu in the north and expand the territory!"

The current exemption of officials and scholars from taxes is tantamount to condoning corruption and eroding the national treasury. If Your Majesty continues to delay, wouldn't that tarnish the laws of Emperor Taizu and make it difficult to continue the achievements of Emperor Wu of Han?

He became more and more agitated as he spoke: "Your Majesty seized the throne in the Jingnan Campaign and established the empire with thunderous force. Why didn't you say 'delay' at that time?"

Your Majesty often says that you should follow the way of a sage ruler, but how can a sage ruler be a cowardly and timid person?

Without changing the tax exemption privilege, the foundation of fiscal revenue will not be solid. Changes in government factories, treasure ship construction, and maritime expansion are all interconnected. If we do not take swift and decisive measures, how can we achieve the great cause of the past twenty years?

"I urge you with my life: if this matter is not handled today, it will surely cause disaster tomorrow. How can Your Majesty abandon the foundation of the Ming Dynasty for the sake of momentary concerns?"

"Outrageous!" Zhu Di was immediately enraged. "I have already said that it is only a temporary postponement, not that it will not be done!"

Removing tax exemptions and replacing them with cash and grain payments requires a full national treasury to sustain. The court has just emerged from the Jingnan Rebellion, the people's livelihood has not yet recovered, and the national treasury is empty. What am I supposed to use to pay these payments?

Lin Yue sneered and shouted, "The Ming Dynasty is rich in the world, how could it be poor?"

The gentry and powerful families of Jiangnan are numerous, with countless individuals possessing wealth in the tens of millions. Even if we were to randomly identify two notorious criminals who concealed land and engaged in embezzlement and other corrupt practices, the proceeds from their confiscation would be enough to support their expenses for several years. Why does Your Majesty hesitate to act?

Lin Yue thought for a moment and then said, "If we can't bear to be lenient internally, then we should be aggressive externally!"

Japanese pirates have repeatedly raided the coast, and their land is rich in gold and silver. Our Celestial Empire can take it.

Annam is arrogant and domineering. Your Majesty can denounce its usurpation and seize its riches.

"The Joseon Kingdom pays tribute every year and is extremely wealthy. Your Majesty only needs to send a naval force to demonstrate the might of the Ming Dynasty and compel them to offer gold and tribute, and wealth and provisions will flow in abundantly!"