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

Zhu Di stared at Lin Yue, his anger gradually subsiding, replaced by a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

He pointed at Lin Yue, then shook his head and chuckled after a long while: "You brat, you really have nothing to fear! Confiscating property and waging war, you talk about it so lightly!"

"And all of these things you mentioned cost money. The shipyards haven't even built them yet, let alone the Ming Dynasty's navy. That's utter nonsense."

Lin Yue bowed and said, "I am not speaking lightly; it is a matter of the world, like rowing against the current, where one either advances or retreats!"

If Your Majesty wishes to achieve a great and lasting legacy by abolishing land taxes throughout the land, you must possess the courage to burn your boats and make a desperate stand. How can you hesitate and falter because of some minor difficulties?

"Enough, enough," Zhu Di said, losing his temper from being pestered, and waved him away.

"I'm too lazy to argue with you. Go and run your Liulichang business, and stop making a racket here!"

Before Lin Yue could continue speaking, Zhu Di silenced him and took him away, with two burly eunuchs flanking him from both sides.

......

Once again, Lin Yue arrived on the streets of Nanjing.

With nothing else to do, Lin Yue decided to head straight to the Longjiangguan Shipyard to check on the situation of the Shipyard Academy.

As soon as they stepped into the shipyard, they heard cheers from Wu Fu and Huangfu Gui, who were busy working around a huge machine.

Wu Fu was the chief craftsman at the treasure shipyard, responsible for building the keel of the treasure ship.

Lin Yue looked up and saw a huge creature that was at least two zhang tall.

The airbag is made of three layers of Suzhou silk sewn together, coated with tung oil on the outside, and has a frame woven from southern bamboo strips underneath. It is just big enough to accommodate two people, and the outside is wrapped with copper sheets, which is probably for fireproofing.

The entire stove resembles an oversized hand warmer, seemingly an improved version of a Ming Dynasty hand warmer.

"Scholar Lin, you've finally arrived!" Wu Fu hurriedly stepped forward to report as Lin Yue approached.

"Your idea about hot air balloons is truly feasible! We sealed the silk with tung oil, and the balloon stopped leaking air. Yesterday, during the test flight, it rose more than 50 feet!"

Huangfugui added, "The only problem was controlling the heat. We later switched to a smaller charcoal stove and added a fireproof mesh, and now it's finally stable!"

Zheng He walked over from a short distance away and exclaimed, "This hot air balloon is a wonderful thing. It can be used for maritime reconnaissance, allowing us to observe ocean currents and spot enemy ships from a high vantage point. It is truly a powerful tool."

Lin Yue circled the hot air balloon, marveling, "I just mentioned it casually, and you guys actually finished it so quickly."

This is indeed the allure of power. What is power? Power is having a dream you had yesterday, and having someone make it come true the next day.

Even a modern person would need at least a month to research hot air balloons on their own, but with the backing of the imperial court and the gathering of skilled craftsmen from all over the country, the Treasure Shipyard could assemble something that could be made to fly in just a few days.

Lin Yue turned to look at Zheng He, his eyes already gleaming with eager anticipation.

"Is this hot air balloon still usable? Take me up there for a spin and see what Nanjing looks like."

"Absolutely not!" Wu Fu hurriedly stopped him. "Although I have already conducted a test flight, the winds are strong at high altitudes, and there may be danger. Why should a scholar of such noble character risk his life?"

"Hey, there's no such thing as noble or not noble, it's just about going up to the sky to see the scenery."

Seeing Lin Yue's insistence, Wu Fu looked to Zheng He for help, but Zheng He awkwardly looked away.

The reason is simple: Zheng He also wanted to go to heaven and see the world.

There's nothing else to it, I'm just curious, you know?

This navigator, who would later make seven voyages to the Western Ocean and lead the world's largest fleet as far as the east coast of Africa, was himself extremely curious.

Zheng He's curiosity about the ocean naturally extended to his curiosity about the sky.

Seeing that Zheng He remained silent, Lin Yue turned to him and extended an invitation.

"Would Eunuch Zheng like to experience it together? It will be useful for navigating the treasure ship in the future, and we'll need to know what the aerial view is like."

Zheng He pretended to ponder for a moment, then decisively and readily agreed: "That's fine too."

Ignoring the craftsman's advice, the two stepped into the rattan hanging basket.

Helpless, Wu Fu could only instruct the craftsmen to secure the ropes on the ground and light the charcoal stove. As the charcoal fire in the stove grew stronger, hot air flowed into the air bladder, and the silk air bladder slowly inflated, causing the hanging basket to tremble slightly.

The warmth from the burning charcoal fire wafted through the vines, and the hot air balloon slowly rose into the air. At first, it swayed slightly, but after rising several meters high, it gradually became stable.

Lin Yue looked down and saw the four layers of city walls of Ming Nanjing. The palace stood majestically at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain, and the Imperial Road inside Hongwu Gate ran from north to south, with government offices lined up on both sides.

The outer Qinhuai River, like a green ribbon, winds around the capital, with boats on the river like ants, coming and going in an endless stream.

"From this vantage point, everything is clearly visible! Scholar Lin is truly a genius, able to explain the method of using hot air balloons." Zheng He's hand, which was holding the basket, trembled slightly, and his eyes were full of admiration as he spoke loudly.

Lin Yue humbly replied, "Knowing how to make hot air balloons is nothing special; it's just like releasing sky lanterns."

"The Kongming lantern has existed since ancient times and is mostly used by the people to pray for blessings. Everyone knows that it can rise into the sky, but no one has ever thought of enlarging and improving it so that it can carry people to soar into the sky!"

Ordinary people, bound by old methods, regard it merely as a trivial matter, but Scholar Lin was able to see through its principles, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Such pioneering thinking is truly rare; how can he not be called a prodigy?

Lin Yue peered down and saw the craftsmen on the ground still holding the rope. He immediately shouted, "Wu Fu! Huangfu Gui! Extend the rope further! This height isn't enough; I need to see further!"

The sound carried by the wind. Wu Fu and Huangfu Gui exchanged a glance, their faces showing difficulty. They had already risen several feet high, did they really still have to lower the rope?

Hearing the repeated urging from Scholar Lin and Eunuch Zheng in the hanging basket, the two had no choice but to grit their teeth and nod, slowly loosening the hemp rope wrapped around the winch once again.

The hot air balloon, aided by the hot air currents and wind, climbed several more feet.

Lin Yue felt his vision suddenly broaden, and the people under his feet appeared even smaller and more exquisite.

Zhongshan Mountain, verdant and dark, stretches to the horizon; Xuanwu Lake, vast and misty, is nestled among the city walls; and the outline of Yuejiang Tower is faintly visible in the distance.

Lin Yue leaned forward, looking down at the figures gradually shrinking in size, and laughed heartily: "Hahaha, truly a vast and boundless vista!"

Although Zheng He did not shout like Lin Yue, he could not hide the gleam in his eyes and kept nodding in admiration, clearly amazed by the view from the air.

Just then, with a crisp "crack," the rope securing the hot air balloon snapped!

The basket jolted violently, and after losing its traction, it drifted rapidly towards Nanjing City with the help of the wind.

Lin Yue's expression changed, and Zheng He also gripped the edge of the basket tightly. The two looked at each other and saw fear in each other's eyes.

Damn it, it's too big! The hot air balloon has lost its traction.

The out-of-control hot air balloon hurtled straight toward the heart of Beijing!

On the outskirts of Nanjing, an old farmer hunched over, hoeing rapeseed on the ridge of a field. His dark yellow back was soaked with sweat, and his coarse cloth jacket fluttered in the wind.

"Is it getting dark?"

Suddenly, the light above his head dimmed, and he instinctively straightened up to wipe his sweat. He glanced up and was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"My goodness, what is that?!"