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

During the Ming Dynasty, the Hanlin Lecturer was an official under the Hanlin Academy, with a rank of sixth grade. His core responsibilities were to lecture on classics and history, compile books, and oversee the compilation of national history.

In the early years of the Yongle reign, the Hanlin Academy held a prestigious position, serving not only as a training ground for talented civil officials but also as the primary selection ground for cabinet ministers.

Lin Yue was taken aback upon hearing this, his face full of surprise. He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, are you going to speak so directly now? Isn't that against the rules?"

"According to the rites and regulations of the Ming Dynasty, when a Hanlin official gives a lecture to His Majesty, he must first draft a lecture text, which will explain the meaning of the classics and the implications for governing the country. After the ministers of the cabinet have made their comments, the text will be presented to His Majesty for his review. The Ministry of Rites must also select an auspicious day for the report before the lecture can begin."

"I am completely unprepared today, and in my haste, I fear I will be unable to fully elucidate the Sage's profound meaning. If my words are careless and I disgrace my duty as a lecturer, I will fail to live up to Your Majesty's high expectations!"

Zhu Di frowned, immediately discerning the deeper political implications.

The Hanlin Academy lecturer had to write lecture notes and have them reviewed by the cabinet ministers in advance. How come he didn't know this? It seems someone is tired of living.

The investigation has reached him; what audacity! We must have the Discipline Inspection Commission thoroughly investigate this matter!

Zhu Di was slightly annoyed, and his tone became much more serious: "Stop with these empty formalities!"

I want you to speak today, so speak. You, Lin Yue, are usually the most talkative person, even knowing everything about those remote corners of the world overseas.

Today, you may display the style of your court audience, speaking freely and without being bound by Confucian doctrines or rules.

There were strict regulations for giving lectures to the emperor. Although the practice of holding three monthly lectures and daily lectures did not form during the Yongle period, there was an unspoken rule of reviewing the lecture notes in advance.

It's actually quite normal. Civil officials, of course, have to seize every opportunity to control the emperor's access to information.

Let alone the Yongle Emperor being secretly plotted against by civil officials, even if you were the savior of the nation, you could still be blocked from both inside and outside by bureaucrats if you weren't careful.

That's right, we're talking about Zhu Di's father, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

Seeing that Emperor Yongle was adamant, Lin Yue stopped refusing. After thinking it over, he realized that he still had a lot to say.

Why don't we talk about the historical cycle? Emperors would definitely love to hear that.

Lin Yue said loudly, "Since Your Majesty has given the order, I will dare to speak frankly and talk about the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history."

Throughout history, no dynasty has ever lasted for thousands of years.

Qin unified the six kingdoms, a truly mighty and powerful dynasty, yet it only lasted for two generations. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rallied the people to their cause, and Qin's rule lasted no more than fifteen years. Its oppressive rule was more ferocious than a tiger, and the people died in misery.

The Han dynasty lasted for over four hundred years. First, the power of the empress's relatives and eunuchs alternated, and then the Yellow Turban Rebellion shook the foundation. In the end, the country collapsed due to the chaos caused by the empress's relatives and eunuchs and the separatist rule of powerful clans.

The Tang Dynasty was at its zenith, with the reigns of Zhenguan and Kaiyuan shining brightly throughout history. However, the Huang Chao Rebellion severely weakened the Tang Dynasty, which lasted for 289 years. In reality, it perished due to the separatist rule of regional warlords and the chaos caused by eunuchs.

The Song Dynasty emphasized civil administration over military affairs, resulting in economic prosperity and immense wealth. Its civil administration was unparalleled in history. However, it was repeatedly bullied by foreign tribes and was eventually destroyed by the Mongols. The combined reign of the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties lasted 319 years, which can be attributed to its emphasis on civil administration over military affairs and its neglect of national defense.

The Yuan dynasty unified the four seas, its territory vast beyond compare in history. The Red Turban Rebellion swept through the land, and the dynasty lasted only a little over ninety years. Its demise was due to oppressive rule, a contradictory system, land annexation, rampant corruption, chaotic succession, excessive issuance of paper money, and the uncontrolled monopoly on salt and iron.

Lin Yue spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic, succinctly recounting the timelines of succession and the reasons for the decline of each dynasty.

Zhu Di's initially casual expression gradually faded, and his brows furrowed more and more tightly.

The hall was so quiet that even Zheng He, who was standing to the side, dared not speak.

Seeing that Zhu Di remained silent, Lin Yue pressed his advantage and asked in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, our Great Ming Dynasty has only existed for a little over thirty years since the founding of the country by Emperor Taizu Gao. Compared with all previous dynasties, it is still in its youth."

"Your Majesty, what do you think of the fate of our Great Ming Dynasty compared to previous dynasties?"

Zhu Di opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. After a long while, he let out a long sigh, his tone filled with a sense of melancholy.

"It's because you, Lin Boyan, dare to speak your mind. Your question is truly piercing."

Every dynasty has its cycles of rise and fall, so why should my Great Ming be an exception? Is it destined to last only three hundred years before repeating the same mistakes?

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue simply shook his head slowly without replying.

He thought to himself, "That's a mistake. Emperor Yongle is still too optimistic."

The Ming Dynasty couldn't last three hundred years. During the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, it suffered from a series of severe droughts, locust plagues, and floods. Coupled with a major epidemic in the capital, the city lost its military strength. Beset by internal and external troubles, the once mighty dynasty collapsed in an instant, a truly tragic event.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yue looked up at Zhu Di and asked again.

"Your Majesty, I have just recounted the stories of dynasties that fell throughout history. I wonder what Your Majesty believes is the most fundamental reason for the demise of a dynasty?"

Zhu Di pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"In my opinion, the primary problem is that the ruler is not wise. If a foolish ruler is indulging in wine and women and neglecting state affairs, the court will naturally fall into chaos."

Secondly, there was corruption in the court. Civil officials formed cliques, engaged in corruption, and plundered the people's wealth. When the people had no means of livelihood, they would harbor resentment.

Furthermore, military officers were cowardly and lacked combat effectiveness, leading to either the country's demise due to foreign invasions or its inability to suppress internal rebellions.

Another possibility is that powerful nobles became arrogant and domineering, regional warlords carved up the country, the imperial court lost control of the army, and the nation disintegrated and perished.

Emperor Yongle rattled off a long list of reasons, all of which were common problems in previous dynasties.

Lin Yue gently shook his head and said bluntly, "What Your Majesty has said are merely the outward signs of the dynasty's demise, nothing more than minor details after the deep-seated problems have become irreversible."

Zhu Di was taken aback by this, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Oh? These are just minor details of the dynasty's demise. Then tell me, what is the real reason beyond the surface?"

Lin Yue spoke with certainty, his gaze intense.

"The most important issue is the annexation of land, leaving the poor with nowhere to stand."

At the beginning of a dynasty, after years of war and devastation, the monarch would often implement policies of recuperation and restoration, and distribute land equally so that the people could live in peace and prosperity.

However, as time went on, powerful nobles, landlords, and gentry used their power to seize and plunder large amounts of land, causing the rich to own vast tracts of land while the common people lost their livelihoods and had nowhere else to turn, which led to their uprising.

This is the root cause of peasant uprisings throughout history, including Chen Sheng and Wu Guang in the Qin Dynasty, the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the Han Dynasty, Huang Chao in the Tang Dynasty, and the Red Turban Rebellion in the Yuan Dynasty.

Lin Yue thought for a moment and decided to go into more detail.

"When the people have land to cultivate, they can live and work in peace and contentment. The court can also collect taxes according to the land, and the national treasury will be full. But as time goes on, the powerful, the gentry and the landlords will use their power to seize and plunder."

For example, the tax exemption system for scholars in the Ming Dynasty would inevitably lead to a large number of gentry and landlords using methods such as donations and fraudulent transfers to seize large amounts of farmland from the people...