Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 183 Your Majesty! Science is the primary productive force!
"This glass is so clear!"

Standing before the upright glazed tile, Emperor Wanli's eyes widened, and he quickly summoned Feng Bao.

"Come, come, Feng Banban, stand opposite me. Can you see me clearly?"

Seeing the emperor's excitement, Feng Bao quickly stepped forward, stood behind the glass panel, looked up at the emperor, and then immediately lowered his head and said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, this glass plate is so clear that it seems as if it doesn't exist at all!"

"Hey, I see you clearly too!"

Emperor Wanli was so excited that his chubby face turned red, and he even began to like the Western Hills.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

We are used to seeing red walls and yellow tiles in the Forbidden City, as well as the orderly palace gardens.

Seeing these novel things again in Xishan was truly astonishing.

Even the Wanli Emperor, who was accustomed to seeing rare treasures, couldn't help but be amazed by the crystal-clear glass.

Most importantly, this float glass process can be mass-produced!

Relying on the production line of Xishan Liulichang, the output of dozens of people can even far exceed that of the Royal Liulichang!
Fortunately, Emperor Wanli was not so absurd as to think of using this glass to build a crystal palace.

Instead, he squinted and asked Zhang Yunxiu.

"Shiyuan, give me a hint: how much silver can this thing actually make?"

Clearly, silver was the emperor's favorite.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu had no reaction yet, but the chief eunuch Feng Bao was the first to be startled. He quickly dismissed his attendants, fearing that others would find out that the emperor was talking about making money.

After thinking it over for a while, Zhang Yunxiu spoke to the Wanli Emperor.

"This matter is difficult to explain verbally. I would like to ask Your Majesty to go to the inner treasury of Liulichang to find out the truth."

After a few steps, the group went straight to the inner warehouse of Liulichang.

Unlocking the door and pushing open the windows, the warehouse was filled with a dazzling array of glass artifacts, almost blinding the Wanli Emperor.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the various glass products neatly arranged and categorized on the wooden shelf, which had all kinds of shapes and styles.

From glass wine cups to glass incense burners, and even glass vases imitating Western styles, the variety is endless.

In the corner, there were also many small items, such as hairpins, dice, and jacks.

It can be said that almost every type of glass product on the market can be found in this warehouse.

"Be good~"

Emperor Wanli couldn't help but sigh, and he asked Feng Bao, who was beside him, "What are you doing?"

"Feng Banban, do we have that many pieces of glass in our inner treasury?"

Feng Bao glanced at it, then lowered his head and said.

"Your Majesty, last year foreign envoys came to the capital to pay tribute and presented many exquisite glass treasures, each one of which was extremely beautiful and varied. However, the sheer quantity here, under Magistrate Zhang, is something I have never seen before in my life."

His answer was skillful, preserving the royal family's face while also describing the established facts.

Zhang Yunxiu added from the side, "Your Majesty, this is not my territory alone. Your Majesty is the major shareholder of Xishan. I am merely managing Xishan on your behalf."

If we must say who it is, it should be His Majesty.

The ownership of Xishan must be clarified, at least on the surface.

"Yes, yes, yes~"

Emperor Wanli was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"I almost forgot, these items are also mine. I even have a share in them!"

At that moment, Emperor Wanli suddenly felt that the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver he had spent didn't seem so painful anymore.

Walking a few more steps into the warehouse, the Wanli Emperor was drawn to several items displayed on a table. The most eye-catching of them all was the "Aida".

The lens was several sizes larger than a copper coin, and so clear that the scenery behind it was perfectly visible.

The entire body is wrapped in gold thread, and there is even a handle with a bit.

Emperor Wanli recognized it at first glance as a specially made damask treasured in the palace.

It has two mirrors and two handles, and can even "come together as one and split into two," a design that is absolutely not available for sale outside.

In the past, the eyeglasses made in the Ming Dynasty were all monocles, and were often extremely cloudy. Only some elderly officials with serious eye diseases would use them.

Those specially made tassels are priceless treasures; even in the West, you can't find many good ones.

Of the dozen or so pairs of arabesques treasured in the palace, the best are the ten pairs presented to Zhu Di by Malacca during the Yongle era, which can be described as exquisite craftsmanship.

"Such craftsmanship, can Shi Yuan really replicate it?" Emperor Wanli couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

"What's so difficult about this?"

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head as he spoke.

"Your Majesty likes to call it Ai Dai, but I prefer to call it glasses. The art of making glasses is essentially a science."

Westerners hide their things for fear of them being stolen, unaware that we, relying on scientific principles, are able to create something even more perfect.

The optical principles involved, aberration correction, and the testing of myopia and hyperopia degrees are all things that I have gathered a group of craftsmen to study diligently, and some progress has already been made.

Of course, this achievement is insignificant compared to the "dragon sucking water" and the "float glass making process."

"Is this also science?"

The Wanli Emperor was somewhat surprised and examined the "glasses" in disbelief.

How could he not know the true value of these glasses?
However, with these glasses on display, the dozen or so precious treasures in the palace probably seem insignificant now.

However, Emperor Wanli was not angered by this; on the contrary, he saw it as a great business opportunity.

If Xishan Workshop could mass-produce "glasses", how much silver could it earn?

And all of this comes back to one word—"science".

Zhang Yunxiu explained with great enthusiasm, "It's not just these glasses, Your Majesty, do you still remember the telescope I gave you?"

"That's a wonderful thing!"

The mention of a telescope would make Emperor Wanli's eyes light up, and now using a telescope to look around the palace had become the emperor's latest source of amusement.

“It’s not just for amusement,” Zhang Yunxiu said, narrowing his eyes. “Your Majesty, I have already discussed with the Duke of Yingguo that this device will be equipped in the army from now on. It will be invincible in reconnaissance!”

"I do have some recollection of this matter," Emperor Wanli recalled.

Such a crucial military matter was naturally impossible for the Duke of England to conceal; it was just that the Emperor simply didn't care.

Zhang Yunxiu continued, "It's not just for defending against enemies in the north; it will also be an invincible weapon for future voyages to deal with Japanese pirates and for emulating Emperor Chengzu's voyages to the Western Ocean!"

He smiled.

"Nowadays, telescopes are a national treasure and should not be easily disseminated. However, in the future, as our technology improves, telescopes will inevitably fall into the hands of other countries."

"If we can accurately predict the supply and production of telescopes and use even more advanced technology, wouldn't we be invincible?"

Next, Zhang Yunxiu introduced the kerosene lamp and the glass window to the emperor.

The former has already been widely sold in the capital region, and even in the palace and many government offices.

"The most crucial element is this glass window."

Zhang Yunxiu introduced it with a smile.

(End of this chapter)