After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

"Chemical?"

The Hongzhi Emperor, somewhat puzzled, asked, "What kind of knowledge is that?"

"Chemistry is...it's all about reactions!"

Zhu Houzhao perked up and began explaining with great enthusiasm: "For example, the saline-alkaline soil here is very alkaline and can't be used to make bricks at all. Yang, the tutor, said that it needs to be neutralized with lime water to precipitate the calcium in the soil. But at first, it didn't work, and the results were unsatisfactory. Your subject and Wang Shouren studied it for several days and conducted more than fifty experiments. Finally, we discovered that if we add river silt, which is acidic, it can greatly accelerate the reaction! Now, the treated soil can be used to make bricks!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and continued, "And another thing, the sediment that settles out won't be wasted either, it can be used to pave roads! Yang Bandu has already planned out this land, how to build roads, how to build living areas, and farming areas... Once the roads are built and the houses are erected, these refugees will be able to settle down, and even the entire 200,000 mu of saline-alkali land can be turned into fertile fields."

The Hongzhi Emperor was stunned.

Neutralization with lime water? Accelerating the reaction with acidic sludge? Calcium precipitation?

He had never heard of these words before, but when put together, they seemed to make sense.

He looked out the window at the vast expanse of white saline-alkali land, then at the thick smoke billowing from the kiln.

So... can bricks really be made from saline-alkali soil?

Can barren land that has been abandoned for decades really be turned into fertile fields?

Thinking of this, an indescribable excitement welled up in his heart.

If this method were truly feasible, how many saline-alkali lands in the world could be transformed into fertile fields?

How much more grain can be produced? And how many more people can be fed!

He took a deep breath, looked at Zhu Houzhao, and asked, "You've dug up all the soil, lowering the terrain. It'll definitely flood when it rains. How are we supposed to farm then?"

"Father, rest assured, everything has been planned!"

Zhu Houzhao, confident in his plan, pointed to the riverbed ahead and said, "After removing the topsoil, we'll dig two deep ditches to raise the ground level. These ditches will connect to the Hun River, and we'll also build some smaller canals to bring in water. We'll use this water to irrigate the farmland in the future!"

The Hongzhi Emperor was completely stunned.

He took a fresh look at his grown son.

His dusty short-sleeved shirt was stained with mud, his face was smeared with black ash, and his hair was a mess from the wind.

But those eyes were incredibly bright, and when he talked about these things, his whole being seemed to glow.

Is this still the same unruly prince who used to climb trees to steal birds' nests and dive into ponds to catch fish, making his masters fuming and glaring at him?

The Hongzhi Emperor was filled with mixed feelings, but in the end he let out a long sigh: "This prodigy, Minister Yang, truly lives up to his reputation. He actually came up with a way to transform saline-alkali land into fertile fields."

Zhu Houzhao nodded vigorously: "That's right! As Yang Bandu said, the imperial court's disaster relief efforts are endless! The disaster victims need to eat, but they can't produce anything, so they're just sitting around eating away at their resources. For the past hundred years, the land area of ​​our Great Ming Dynasty has not increased, and we rely on such a small amount of tax revenue each year. Once this money and grain are exhausted, even if Father Emperor is the most benevolent, he'll still be just... a clever woman spouting nonsense..."

"Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice..."

Emperor Hongzhi subconsciously responded, but suddenly his mind jolted, and he froze on the spot.

Over the years, he has worked tirelessly day and night, scrimping and saving, wishing he could split every penny in half.

In order to save expenses, the palace repeatedly reduced its expenditures, suspended non-urgent matters, and saved money on all expenses as much as possible.

Yet the national treasury is still strained year after year. Disaster relief requires money, river repair requires money, and military support requires money; there are holes everywhere.

He couldn't understand why, despite his diligence and frugality, he was still struggling to make ends meet.

Now, after hearing Zhu Houzhao say this, his doubts were immediately dispelled.

Relying solely on cost-cutting without increasing revenue is like water without a source or a tree without roots!

He suppressed his excitement and slowly said, "Go on!"

Zhu Houzhao, oblivious to his father's unease, continued, "Yang, the tutor, said that whether it's providing disaster relief, repairing water conservancy projects, or waging war, money and provisions are needed. Father Emperor thinks about how to cut expenses every day, but no matter how much we try to save, we're still short of money everywhere. This is because we've only thought about cutting spending, not increasing revenue! The court's funds and provisions are not increasing, so the more we try to save, the less we have."

He paused, then pointed to the refugees outside the window: "But what if we could increase revenue? Land reclamation is an example of increasing revenue! I've assigned these refugees work; they produce goods and create wealth—that's money and grain! This would not only ensure the disaster victims have enough to eat but also relieve the pressure on the court. Once this land is transformed into fertile fields, we can collect even more taxes—a win-win situation!"

The Hongzhi Emperor sat there blankly, his mind buzzing.

Open source... cost reduction...

He had heard those four words countless times.

In memorials to the emperor, at court assemblies, and during lectures, the masters always used these four words.

But only now, at this moment, hearing it from the mouth of his unruly son, does he truly understand its profound meaning.

Over the years, he and his court officials have been trapped in the cycle of cost-cutting every day, but have never thought about how to increase revenue.

Lowering taxes and allowing the people to rest is a benevolent policy.

If you only spend and don't earn, even the richest family fortune will eventually be depleted.

No wonder that during the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xuanzong, the national treasury remained full despite numerous military campaigns.

In this dynasty, despite continuous efforts to shrink defenses and allow the people to rest, they are still struggling to make ends meet.

So that's where the real problem lies!

The Hongzhi Emperor felt as if a sudden enlightenment had dawned before him, and the fog that had troubled him for many years had dissipated in an instant.

He looked at Zhu Houzhao with a complicated expression.

This son who caused him so much worry... actually...

They actually taught him a lesson!

"Were all these principles taught to you by Yang Shen?"

"Um!"

Zhu Houzhao nodded vigorously and said, "Yang Bandu knows a lot! He also said that a true wise ruler is not just good at saving money, but also at making money! Only when the people are rich can the court be rich!"

The Hongzhi Emperor remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.

He raised his head again, his gaze turning to the bustling land outside the window.

Looking at those busy figures, a long-lost sense of pride welled up in my heart.

Saline-alkali land can be used to make bricks and can be used to improve farmland.

Migrants can become able-bodied laborers and create wealth.

How many things in this world are there that he doesn't know or can't imagine?

"Yang Shen..."

The Hongzhi Emperor murmured the name, his eyes gleaming.

This man is exceptionally talented; given time, he will surely become a renowned minister. With him assisting the crown prince, even after my own death...

Emperor Hongzhi turned to look at Zhu Houzhao and suddenly felt that this son, who had once given him so many headaches, might really be able to shoulder the responsibility of the country.

Just as he was about to ask something else, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.

"Get out of the way! Everyone get out of the way!"

Emperor Hongzhi frowned and looked over, only to see a dozen men wielding sticks swaggering into the kiln.

The man at the head of the group, a man in his thirties with a fierce face, kicked over the small cart in front of him, sending mud bricks scattering all over the ground. Then, hands on his hips, he shouted, "Who's in charge here? Come out here!"

The people stopped what they were doing and looked at the newcomer with suspicion.