Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

Textile machine?

Although Jiang Mengxuan firmly believed that the improved spinning machine Shen Lang mentioned would definitely achieve the spinning efficiency he described and bring about a huge change to the textile industry of Da Chu.

But what she wanted more was a Gatling gun.

Ever since witnessing the power of the Gatling gun that night, Jiang Mengxuan has dreamed of building a Gatling gun army and then leading it to sweep across the entire continent.

As for textile machines and such, I'm really not that interested.

Seeing that Jiang Mengxuan was not interested, Shen Lang immediately guessed what she was thinking.

"Your Majesty, I know you desire powerful weaponry, but this textile machine..."

However, it is the foundation for the mass production and qualitative leap of military products. You should never underestimate this small item.

It possesses the formidable potential to unleash powerful military might.

Jiang Mengxuan's eyes lit up: "What do you mean?"

"Your Majesty, take the Gatling gun as an example. Do you know how much it costs to manufacture just one?"

"I do not know."

"A Gatling gun, I estimate the initial cost to be 750 taels of silver."

If standardized assembly line operations are established in the future, even if prices decrease, it will still require 260 taels of silver.

But this is only the cost of an unloaded gun; there's also the cost of ammunition replenishment, mechanical maintenance, and a whole host of other logistical support.

The price of a Gatling gun, from its manufacture to the end of its lifespan, is roughly four hundred taels of silver.

May I ask Your Majesty, without sufficient economic and financial support, how do you intend to maintain the complete operation of this military-industrial complex?

This is just one type of weapon. Once war breaks out, multiple types of weaponry will be needed in combination, and the financial investment required is far beyond what the current treasury can afford.

If Your Majesty does not implement economic reforms and increase productivity, then this military research and development will not be able to be sustained for long.

"I am not exaggerating, but given the current economic productivity of the Great Chu, even if I were to build a revamped army of over ten thousand men right now, I still wouldn't be able to afford to support it."

Jiang Mengxuan was shocked to hear this: "With the strength of our Great Chu, you can't even support an army of 10,000? Shen Lang, you're exaggerating."

Shen Lang calmly replied, "This is by no means alarmist. Your Majesty, please think carefully. Isn't it true that in every battle with foreign enemies..."

Regardless of victory or defeat, the ones who suffer the most are always the farmers who toil in the fields from dawn till dusk.

Every war results in a large number of people becoming slaves or even being unregistered and becoming undocumented.

Because they were responsible for supplying almost all the provisions needed for the war.

If this approach doesn't change, the military-industrial reform will ultimately fail.

Jiang Mengxuan fell silent, because Shen Lang really saw the problem too clearly.

This is actually the limitation of a small-scale peasant economy; it cannot withstand any setbacks.

Even a natural disaster can bankrupt countless farmers, let alone a large-scale war.

For example, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Han army won the Battle of Mobei, but at a very heavy cost.

Five hundred thousand local soldiers and millions of civilians transported supplies over thousands of miles, all to ensure the smooth operation of the 130,000 Han cavalry in their campaign against the Xiongnu—a necessary logistical support measure.

As a result, despite such massive logistical support that nearly shook the very foundations of the nation, the Han army achieved victory in the decisive battle in the northern desert, but a staggering 110,000 warhorses still starved or died from exhaustion.

Furthermore, Emperor Wu's reign can be described as one of relentless militarism. Although this led to the origin of a nation's name, the cost was that it nearly dragged the entire Han Empire into an abyss of despair.

Ultimately, this is the drawback of a small-scale farming economy: it has too little ability to withstand risks and cannot withstand any headwinds.

Another point worth mentioning is "Brother Gaizhang," who is called "the larger Emperor Wu of Han" by Ma Yao's fans. They say that he didn't engage in militarism, which is blatant nonsense.

How did the White Lotus Rebellion happen in the later years of Emperor Gaozong? Don't Ma Yao's fans have any idea? It was a large-scale catastrophe caused by the collapse of the imperial court's finances.

If we really have to thank someone, we have to thank his son, Emperor Jiaqing. If it weren't for him withstanding the pressure and quelling the peasant uprising that swept across seven southern provinces, the Ma dynasty would have died prematurely.

As for the claim that Heshen had hundreds of millions of taels of silver... I advise everyone to be realistic. The silver, calligraphy, paintings, and antiques confiscated from Heshen's home were worth a total of more than 930 million taels of silver.

This amount of silver was barely enough to get a beating from Vietnam during Gai Zhanglong's reign.

After Shen Lang said that, Jiang Mengxuan immediately realized what he meant and couldn't help but ask, "If the current economic structure is changed, will the people no longer have to suffer?"

Shen Lang shook his head: "No matter how military developments and evolutions occur in the future, the first to be affected by the outbreak of war will inevitably be the ordinary people."

The purpose of our reforms and the development of new weapons is ultimately to deter neighboring countries.

Of course, if the economic reforms are successful, even if a large-scale war breaks out, the pressure on ordinary people will be much less than it is now.

So Your Majesty, do you still think of this spinning machine as a toy?

"As long as the people are prosperous, the nation's strength will naturally increase, and its ability to withstand disasters will not be as fragile as it is now."

"Shen Lang, what do you plan to do? Tell me."

The entirely new concept had a tremendous impact on Jiang Mengxuan.

She perked up and began to listen carefully to Shen Lang's plan.

“Your Majesty, this is what I’m thinking. Once the factory is completed, I will produce a batch of hand-operated textile machines as soon as possible and transfer them to Your Majesty’s name.”

"Why give it to me?"

"Your Majesty can use these textile machines to establish your own royal textile factory."

Then they purchased large quantities of cotton from cotton farmers throughout the Great Chu and signed long-term cooperation agreements with them.

"Cotton? You mean, we're going to use cotton to spin yarn and weave cloth?"

Shen Lang was taken aback, only then realizing that the Great Chu's current understanding of cotton was limited to making quilts, cotton clothes, and for ornamental purposes. Commoners mostly used hemp for clothing, while the rich mostly used silk or wool.

With the cotton market completely empty, isn't this the perfect time to seize business opportunities?

"Yes, Your Majesty, while cotton fabric is not as comfortable as silk, it's not far off, and even has its own advantages."

"As long as Your Majesty can open up this market, I can't guarantee much more, but a net income of one million taels of gold per year is definitely achievable."

"A million taels of gold?"

Even Jiang Mengxuan, as the ruler of a country, was taken aback when she heard this number.

His own treasury only had 50,000 taels of gold at his disposal each year. If he succeeded, that would be a full twenty times more in income. Wouldn't that be...?

Little did people know that cotton also had significant military applications, but Shen Lang didn't explicitly state this because it involved too many things, such as the guncotton needed for cartridge primers...

"Very well, I will allow you to build these textile machines first. As for the cotton supply, I will send people to various places to negotiate with them."

"Yes……"

Shen Lang responded, then looked up and said something.

"But I have a condition: Your Majesty's Royal Trading Company must receive at least 30% of the profits."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mengxuan narrowed her eyes.

You, Shen Lang, after saying all that, weren't you just doing it for your own benefit?

But have you ever thought that if you were to marry me, would you still need those bonuses?

What's mine is yours, isn't it? Why distinguish between us?

"I'm afraid I can't agree to 30%, I can only promise you 20%."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shen Lang was overjoyed. This way, he could have a steady stream of income, and once he finished this busy period, he could make money while lying down.

"Ugh."

Jiang Mengxuan sighed helplessly. Judging from Shen Lang's appearance, she could tell that he was simply greedy for money.

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, please take a look. These are the design drawings for the steam equipment and the structural diagrams for the steelmaking furnace..."

After reviewing the industrial equipment blueprints provided by Shen Lang and listening to his description of its functions, Jiang Mengxuan remained deeply moved.

The boy in front of her was so focused and earnest that she felt a moment of disorientation.

Only after Shen Lang finished speaking did Jiang Mengxuan gently part her lips and ask, "There's a lot I don't quite understand about what you're saying, but I believe you can handle it well."

But I still have a question: are you truly not afraid of offending the entire aristocratic family and suffering the backlash? Before you came,

Zeng Qian has strongly suggested to me that you be removed from the list of potential sons-in-law; he's practically trying to kill you. Aren't you worried at all?

Shen Lang said nonchalantly, "As long as His Majesty is willing to fully support me, what does it matter if I offend the entire officialdom of the Great Chu?"

Jiang Mengxuan: "But what if one day I can't withstand the pressure anymore? What will you do then?"

Shen Lang immediately replied, "Then this humble servant will leave Your Majesty and the Great Chu without hesitation, without the slightest regret."

Jiang Mengxuan: "..."

That sentence is tantamount to killing the conversation.

Jiang Mengxuan never expected that someone would actually say such a thing in front of a king: "If you don't support me, then I will immediately start running away."

Shen Lang, this guy...

It simply defies common sense.

Jiang Mengxuan really wanted to crack open his head to see what was inside. Couldn't he say something nice to fool her? He was too blunt.

"Your Majesty, there are two martial arts practitioners outside the palace who claim to be your fellow disciples. They say they have important matters to discuss with Your Majesty."

At this moment, Shu Yue's voice rang out from outside the hall, easing the awkward situation.