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

Zhu Di's expression turned grave. He slammed his hand on the table and asked, "According to you, neither option is feasible, and the corruption of the court by wealthy merchants seems inevitable. What strategy should my Great Ming Dynasty employ to break this deadlock?"

Lin Yuezhen said, "Your Majesty, while the officials in the court may have thoughts of embezzlement, once they have entered the halls of power, they will certainly not be willing to be appendages of merchants."

Once their positions were secured, their hearts were with the Ming Dynasty. They were first and foremost ministers of the Ming, and only secondly, old friends and businessmen.

Once one holds a high position, one's official hat is tied to the fate of the nation, and one should naturally prioritize the court; this is human nature and the fundamental principle of the relationship between ruler and subject.

This is a lie. In reality, it's a matter of self-interest. If you were an official in the Ming Dynasty, you certainly wouldn't want to be the grandson of a wealthy merchant. Even if you were to engage in collusion between officials and merchants, you would definitely want to be the father of the wealthy merchant.

"The most important task in governing is not to investigate individual selfishness, but to build a solid system of defenses so that the court can always hold the reins of economic and military power."

Lin Yue raised her eyes, her gaze intense.

"I request that the government take charge of the industry while private enterprises supplement it as the policy of the Ming Dynasty. Salt, iron, grain transport, and coin minting are the lifeblood of the country. We should follow the old system of the Han, Tang and Song dynasties, set up special departments to directly manage them, and strictly prohibit merchants from getting involved. Ordinary trades such as textiles and porcelain can be allowed to circulate, but strict laws and heavy taxes should be established so that the profits go to the national treasury."

In this way, wealthy merchants cannot monopolize the foundation of the nation, and the imperial court holds economic power. What need is there to fear from petty villains stirring up trouble?

"In governing the court, the number of candidates from poor families should be expanded for the imperial examinations, and the system of mutual collusion should be strictly investigated. Officials should be evaluated and promoted or demoted every three years. Anyone who colludes with merchants or engages in favoritism and malpractice should be severely punished in accordance with the Hongwu Law to serve as a warning to others. In this way, even if officials are courted, they will not dare to openly betray their sovereign."

Zhu Di felt there was some truth to what he said: "That makes sense. So, how exactly should we do it?"

Lin Yue said loudly, "Naturally, we should first establish the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner's Office to oversee the production and sale of salt and iron throughout the country, with the government collecting and selling the goods to prevent smuggling. Then we should reorganize the grain transport system, establish a Grand Canal Transport Commissioner to manage the waterways, warehouses, and transportation, prohibit merchants from monopolizing the trade, and ensure the smooth flow of grain from the south to the north."

If funds and provisions are secured, the military pay system will be reformed, and an inner treasury for military pay will be established, with payments going directly to military garrisons monthly, and civil officials will not be allowed to handle them.

With these three things accomplished, the imperial court will be well-governed and its policies effective. Even if merchants possess immense wealth, they will find it difficult to shake the foundations of the Ming Dynasty!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di felt there was some truth to it. He paced back and forth in front of the palace and said in a deep voice.

"What you say is very detailed, but putting it into practice is by no means easy."

Not long after I ascended the throne, many of the princes in the north have made unusual moves, especially the Prince of Ning.

In the past, during the Jingnan Rebellion, the three guards under his command, the Doyan, were brave and had many secret connections with officials in various places. If I were to implement state monopolies on salt and iron and regulate the grain transport system now, it would inevitably infringe upon the vested interests of the princes and the gentry in Jiangnan, and I fear it would cause chaos.

Just like the policy you mentioned before regarding exempting scholars from taxes, I originally intended to implement it, but the gentry of Jiangnan jointly resisted, saying it would shake the foundation of the country, and the vassal kings of the north were also eyeing it covetously. I had no choice but to temporarily shelve it.”

There's a lot of resistance, it's very difficult? That's good, he wouldn't do something if it weren't difficult.

Forced reforms despite numerous obstacles led to rebellions by the vassal kings, clashes between officials and wealthy merchants, and ultimately, Lin Yue was forced to be beheaded as an apology—how wonderful that sounds!

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue immediately chose to refute it sternly.

"Your Majesty ascended the throne with the power of the Jingnan Campaign. How can a great ruler who hesitates to make decisive decisions bring order to the world?"

The Prince of Ning's guards had long been disbanded, and the three guards of Duoyan had all been transferred to the command. He was just a lone figure, and even if he had rebellious intentions, it would be like throwing an egg against a rock!

Now that Zhu Gaochi, the Prince of Han, has been newly appointed, Your Majesty can send him to Beiping to oversee military affairs in the north. His former troops from the Jingnan Campaign are all battle-hardened soldiers, and they should be able to intimidate the other vassal states.

At this time, His Majesty issued an edict to re-enfeoff him as Prince Ning, thus distancing him from his former subordinates, and dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to closely monitor him. Even if he harbored rebellious intentions, he would be powerless to do anything about it!

Wow, that's a great plan! How come he didn't think of that?

Having the second son in charge of Beiping was indeed a very effective tactic. No matter how much the Prince of Ning had his own ideas, he certainly couldn't defeat his eldest son, Zhu Gaoxu.

However, given the gravity of the matter, Zhu Di hesitated and was unable to make a decision immediately.

Seeing this, Lin Yue went on to talk about the rise and fall of dynasties, peddling a lot of anxiety to Emperor Yongle.

These days he has also figured it out. Zhu Di was an emperor who particularly wanted to establish merits. He was just as ambitious as Emperor Yang of Sui. The only difference between the two was that Emperor Yongle was more cautious, more intelligent, and more capable in battle.

Lin Yuezhen said, "The worries of the vassal kings are nothing more than minor ailments; the fundamental rise and fall of a dynasty lies in its population and land."

As the world enjoys peace for a long time and the population grows, the amount of land available becomes limited, and the per capita land area decreases day by day. Once natural disasters or man-made calamities strike, famine will inevitably occur across thousands of miles.

Land annexation only hastens its demise. Even if the drawbacks of annexation are eliminated, the population will increase daily while the amount of land will not increase, eventually leading to landless refugees everywhere.

When people have no food, chaos ensues; this is an eternal truth!

If Your Majesty does not act decisively and forge ahead with unprecedented determination, the lifespan of the Ming Dynasty may not be long.

If Your Majesty cannot eradicate this harmful parasite, what will future rulers be like? Are we to refrain from doing what we can today, and repeat the mistakes of the Southern Song Dynasty that led to the downfall of the nation and the world?

With the number of barbarian peoples increasing daily, it may not just be a matter of national subjugation, but also the danger of extinction!

Your Majesty, I urge you to be resolute and vigorously promote reforms for the sake of future generations. If such reforms prove impossible, Your Majesty may behead me to appease public anger.

As expected, Zhu Di was enraged again after Lin Yue's sarcastic remarks.

Zhu Di slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Insolence! I am the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty. Why should I need your head to appease the public's anger?"

He suddenly stood up, his dragon robe billowing, turned around, and when he turned back to speak, his face was full of murderous intent.

"I raised an army to quell the rebellion of the Jianwen Emperor, wiped out his rebellious faction, and stormed into Nanjing. What do I have to fear from rumors and gossip? If you dare to speak frankly, I dare to act!"

Zhu Di took a deep breath and loudly issued the order.

"By imperial decree, Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han shall immediately take up his fief in Beiping, oversee all military affairs in the north, and manage the Liaodong Regional Military Commission. If any prince in the north makes any unusual moves, execute him first and report later!"

Ji Gang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ordered his elite troops to closely monitor Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, investigating his correspondence and whether he was colluding with his former subordinates. Any sign of rebellion was to be immediately dealt with.

Lin Yue was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately raised his arms and shouted, as if he were celebrating in the dead of winter.

"Your Majesty is wise! Now that the threat of the vassal kings has been quelled, why not expand the government-run workshops, allowing the Songjiang weaving workshops to produce more cotton cloth and the Zunhua iron mines to refine steel, and also establish an arms bureau to specialize in manufacturing cannons and muskets..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Di interrupted him sharply: "Enough! Guards, drag him out!"

Two guards stepped forward and dragged Lin Yue away.

Lin Yue struggled and shouted, "Your Majesty! Only by establishing workshops can we collect more taxes, and only by developing mines can we strengthen our military. These are the foundations of a strong nation!"

Zhu Di, however, kept his eyes closed and waved his hand, letting the guards drag him out of the palace.

At this moment, Emperor Yongle was helpless.

He thought that by starting reforms and basically disregarding ancestral rules, he had already shown great courage. But no matter what the matter was, compared to Lin Yue, he seemed so conservative.