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

Seeing that I could get it for free...

Oh no, it's that the plan to distribute the weapons fell through, and Lü Lin was naturally quite dissatisfied.

Since Shen Lang couldn't gain any advantage from the situation, everyone decided to focus their attention back on the Empress.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider. If the entire Chu army were equipped with the new weapons, the borders of the Great Chu would be impregnable, and there would be no more foreign enemies to invade."

Jiang Mengxuan said calmly, "Since I am the ruler of a country, I am naturally pleased to see the military might of my Great Chu strong, but what Shen Xuanwei said is also true."

The arsenal was built with immense effort and resources by me and Shen Xuanwei, and the equipment inside also required a tremendous amount of time and money.

This didn't cost the imperial court a single penny. To be honest, I myself am already heavily in debt. If I were to replace the equipment of the entire army of one million men for free, it would be a huge waste.

"That factory will go bankrupt in just a few days, so I'm truly sorry, but I can't do anything about it. Let's discuss this matter again later."

At this moment, how wise it was that Shen Lang insisted on making the arsenal his private property.

If any of the six ministries had been involved, the current situation would not have been resolved so easily.

"It turns out that Shen Lang had already seen through this, and thus set up the plan in advance."

Thinking of this, he glanced at Shen Lang again, his eyes filled with admiration.

Seeing that the Empress was unwilling to budge, Lü Lin had no choice but to retreat to his official post.

Just when Shen Lang thought the matter was over, Lin Yu, the Minister of Revenue, jumped out: "Your Majesty, because cotton cloth has squeezed out the silk business..."

"Your Majesty, please prioritize the well-being of the nation and refrain from profiting at the expense of the people. Please shut down your textile mill."

Upon hearing this, all the officials immediately began to echo him as if their mothers had died.

Jiang Mengxuan and Shen Lang both had gloomy faces.

"Looks like they're after me."

At almost the same time, such thoughts filled the minds of Shen Lang and Jiang Mengxuan.

Jiang Mengxuan glanced at Ye Mo's empty seat.

Ye Mo is currently holding a family ancestral rites and is unable to attend court, so this issue cannot be presented to him for the time being.

But the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace right now, which resembled a funeral hall, was so oppressive that the Empress was on the verge of going mad.

Just then, Shen Lang spoke up.

"My lords, please stop wailing. This won't solve the problem."

How about this, tomorrow I'll take everyone to visit the industrial zone outside Nanjing.

After the tour, we can discuss whether to close the textile factory, shall we?

After saying that, he gave the Empress a determined look.

Although Jiang Mengxuan did not understand his intention, she still agreed.

"Very well, tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), I request that all of you proceed to the Jinling Industrial Zone. I want you to know what kind of empire I intend to create."

After the Empress stood up and said these words, no one raised any further objections.

……

The next day at dawn, the officials arrived early at the Jinling Industrial Zone.

Looking at the factory buildings constructed of cement and concrete, and the towering chimneys billowing white smoke, everyone was speechless with awe at the sight.

Li Youcai, the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Works, especially, stood on the cement road that stretched as far as the eye could see and couldn't help but sigh:

"How much silver must have been spent on such a smooth and seamless road? The quality of this road is much better than that of paved roads made of loess or even bluestone slabs!"

I just don't know how much money they have. If the price is right, perhaps we could replace all the roads in my Great Chu with this kind of road."

Just then, the Empress's carriage arrived late, and the officials immediately lined up and bowed to greet it.

Since the army's triumphant return, marking the first time in over two hundred years since the Chu Kingdom moved its capital to Jinling that it had expanded its territory, the attitudes of the civil and military officials towards the Empress have undergone subtle changes.

Jiang Mengxuan naturally noticed this as well. Although she didn't say anything, she became even more determined to continue developing according to the planned strategy.

Shen Lang played a crucial role in this; without him, he might never have seen the day when he could finally seize imperial power.

Looking at the husband she had chosen sitting across from her, Jiang Mengxuan had thought a lot these past few days.

It seems that everything has gone smoothly since he came into her life.

With the treasury full, there's no longer a need to be beholden to the Six Ministries.

The newly established army not only consolidated imperial power but also provided the means to circumvent the threat posed by the palace.

With relations with the Prime Minister's mansion easing, there's no longer a need to think about how to kill the other party or prevent being killed by them.

More importantly, the strategic plan is progressing steadily. As long as we persevere, the rise of the State of Chu is only a matter of time.

She was very grateful that someone had quietly come to her side when she needed help and guidance the most.

Jiang Mengxuan gave Shen Lang a faint smile and then subtly shifted her gaze to the memorial.

Jiang Mengxuan only closed the memorial after the carriage stopped at the factory gate and a commotion arose outside.

"Hmm? Have we arrived?"

Shen Lang jolted awake from his daze and glanced out the window to confirm his current location.

Jiang Mengxuan said softly, "Yes, we've arrived. Do you want to rest a little longer?"

"No need to rest anymore. This carriage isn't very comfortable. I'll get you a four-wheeled carriage in a few days."

Yawning, Shen Lang stepped off the carriage before the Empress.

Jiang Mengxuan shook her head and then followed.

"See Your Majesty!"

All the officials immediately bowed to the Empress.

As for why Shen Lang was inside the imperial carriage, everyone ignored it.

After all, given the current situation, it's pretty clear that even a blind man would know that Shen Lang is the only candidate for the emperor's son-in-law.

"No need for formalities. The reason I have summoned you all here today is to show you just how deep the foundation of our Great Chu's national strength truly is. You may follow Shen Xuanwei's instructions in everything."

"As ordered!"

At this moment, none of the officials dared to disobey. They all accepted the order and, led by Shen Lang, entered the factory gate.

Shen Lang first led the group to the workshop where textile machines were assembled, and pointed to the busy workers in front of them, introducing them as follows: "Gentlemen, this is the workshop of your ruthless textile assembly plant."

I'm sure everyone has a question in their mind: how could a mere few hundred textile machines in the Royal Textile Factory bring about such a dramatic change to the entire textile industry of the Great Chu?

Now, let me reveal the answer to you. Please come with me on a tour. Welcome to the Industrial Age!

Looking at the hundreds of metal textile machines being assembled in front of him, the officials immediately frowned.

Many of their families were in the textile industry and were eager to know how efficient these new machines would be.

When Shen Lang led them to an experimental workshop, they were all so amazed that they could hardly speak after watching the textile machine being visibly formed under the operation of a skilled female worker.

Too fast, really too fast.

Many people who witnessed the efficiency of the weaving and the speed of the spinning yarn were speechless.

After carefully examining a piece of finished cotton fabric for a while, the fabric was smooth and clean, and its quality was definitely top-notch.

Finally, Li Youcai couldn't help but ask, "Shen Xuanwei, may I ask how much cloth such a spinning machine can weave in a day?"

Shen Lang pondered for a moment and said, "A qualified textile worker can guarantee about twenty bolts of cloth a day."

boom--

Upon hearing this, Li Youcai and the officials behind him felt their legs go weak and almost collapsed to the ground.

"Twenty horses, for one day?"

Li Youcai wiped the sweat from his forehead and watched as the warp and weft threads in the female worker's hands gradually took shape. He felt an urge to vomit blood.

No wonder! No wonder His Majesty's mere factory has driven the entire traditional textile industry to the brink of collapse.

This is only a few hundred machines. If there were thousands or tens of thousands of such textile machines, wouldn't traditional hand-weaving workshops completely collapse?

He didn't dare to think about it any more.

Because it was so terrifying, this dream loom, personally named by the Empress, was enough to completely change the traditional hand-weaving pattern of the Great Chu.

A skilled and experienced spinner, relying on a traditional spinning machine, can only weave a maximum of 8-10 bolts of cloth per month, which is less than half a day's output of a dream loom.

The gap is so large that it cannot be reversed by human effort alone.

Looking at this group of country bumpkins who had never seen the world, Shen Lang simply snorted inwardly.

Do you think this is the limit of the textile industry?

You're overthinking it. You'll be surprised when the steam-powered textile machine is invented.

This is just the beginning, a transition.