Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

"Arrogance leads to defeat; the ancients were right."

Gu Yannian pondered to himself.

However, he was merely a compiler in the Hanlin Academy of low rank, a seventh-grade official, and his influence was minimal.

If he were to run to the Meridian Gate now and shout, "This battle will surely be lost,"

The only outcome was that he was arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a rebel and imprisoned in the imperial prison, where he was skinned alive.

For an immortal being, the most taboo thing is to try to stop the wheels of history from rolling forward.

Current time: 5:00 AM (Mao Shi)

Should a roll call be conducted?

"Checking in".

[Ding! Today's attendance complete. Attribute point gained +1.]

"Add to the spirit."

With a thought, a wisp of clarity entered Gu Yannian's mind, making his thoughts even clearer.

His attributes are now approaching 700.

Even if you don't sleep for ten days and ten nights, you can still maintain your peak mental state.

As evening fell and the court session ended, Gu Yannian tidied his desk and slowly walked out of the Hanlin Academy.

Back in his quiet little courtyard, he immediately went to the open space enclosed by a fence in the corner.

There were the Western seeds he had brought back from the Ministry of Rites' Department of Receptions last winter.

After a whole spring of careful nurturing, several tender green seedlings finally sprouted from the soft soil.

Two heart-shaped leaves swayed gently in the breeze, exuding a vibrant energy.

Gu Yannian squatted down, stretched out his fingers, and gently touched the surrounding soil.

"She's quite good-looking."

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.

"When autumn comes, the fruit will ripen. It will be just around the corner to enjoy a truly spicy meal in this Ming Dynasty."

He stood up and went to the well to fetch a bucket of clean water.

Water the seedlings carefully.

Outside the courtyard wall, the mournful bugle call of a large army setting off could be faintly heard.

One hundred thousand soldiers were bidding farewell to their wives and children, embarking on a perilous journey from which they were destined to perish.

Gu Yannian listened to the bugle call, watching calmly as water droplets rolled on the tender leaves, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun.

The joys and sorrows of the world, and the every blade of grass and tree in this small courtyard, seem to exist in two completely different worlds.

Autumn of the seventh year of the Yongle reign.

The autumn heat in Nanjing was exceptionally fierce.

The sweltering air seemed to freeze, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

In recent days, officials from the Ministry of War and the Office of Transmission have been extremely anxious and restless, like ants on a hot pan.

Several months have passed since Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qi, led an army of 100,000 beyond the Great Wall.

At first, there were frequent reports of victories, saying that the army had crossed the Luqu River and was advancing with unstoppable momentum.

However, in the past two weeks, military reports from the north have disappeared without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.

An ominous premonition began to linger over the officialdom of Nanjing.

On this morning, Gu Yannian arrived at the Hanlin Academy as usual to report for duty.

[Ding! Today's attendance complete. Attribute point gained +1.]

"Add to strength."

After finishing his shift, he was preparing to go to the back room to brew a pot of newly acquired Mengding Dew.

Then Hu Guang, the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, came running in from outside, his face pale and his steps unsteady.

Scholar Hu, who usually paid the most attention to his appearance, did not even notice that his official hat was askew.

"Lord Hu, what's wrong?"

Upon seeing this, several editors quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Hu Guang's lips trembled as he gripped one of the men's arms tightly, his voice filled with barely concealed fear.

"Defeated...completely defeated! The Ministry of War's urgent dispatch just arrived at the Office of Transmission...The Duke of Qi was ambushed, his 100,000-strong army...the entire 100,000-strong army was annihilated!"

Upon hearing this, the entire main hall of the Hanlin Academy fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, as if they had heard something utterly unbelievable.

One hundred thousand battle-hardened elite troops, the sharpest blade of the Ming Dynasty, are gone just like that?

That was a fierce and invincible army forged in the Jingnan Campaign!

"Not only the Duke of Qi, but also Marquis Wang Cong of Wucheng, Marquis Huo Zhen of Tong'an, Marquis Wang Zhong of Jing'an, and Marquis Li Yuan of Anping... all perished in battle, and their complete remains were never recovered!"

Hu Guang slumped into a chair, tears streaming down his face.

"His Majesty flew into a rage in the Fengtian Hall, kicking over his desk and vomiting blood on the spot! The palace is now under martial law, the Imperial Guards are deployed everywhere, and the whole city is in an uproar!"

Several young officials' legs gave way and they collapsed to the ground.

The deaths of 100,000 soldiers meant that the main force of the Beijing army had been severely damaged.

If the Tatars take the opportunity to march south, wouldn't Nanjing be in grave danger?

Amidst the panic and wailing, Gu Yannian stood quietly in the corner, his expression calm.

He reached out and straightened a chair that had been knocked askew by his colleague.

He then turned and walked back to his desk, opening the history book he hadn't finished reading the day before.

The pages of the book recorded the rise and fall of previous dynasties, with numerous examples of utter defeats.

"This is the tragedy of mortals: one general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand, and one incompetent general can lead to the death of his entire army."

Gu Yannian sighed silently in his heart.

Not long after, an official from the palace arrived at the Hanlin Academy with an imperial edict.

The emperor ordered the Hanlin Academy to immediately draft a eulogy to comfort the families of the fallen soldiers.

At the same time, Qiu Fu's title was stripped and his entire family was exiled to Hainan.

The entire Hanlin Academy was immediately thrown into chaos.

As the lowest-ranking editor, Gu Yannian was assigned the arduous task of copying the list of fallen soldiers.

Dozens of thick ledgers were piled up in front of me, densely covered with names and places of origin.

Behind every cold, hard word lies a vibrant life, representing a broken family.

Gu Yannian prepared the ink and began to copy the text.

His hands were steady, and his handwriting was as neat and even as ever.

His heart is like a smooth ancient mirror, reflecting the world's birth, aging, sickness, and death, yet untouched by any dust.

Those souls who perished in the desert sands were but a drop in the ocean compared to his long life.

As night fell, suppressed sobs could be faintly heard from within Jinling City.

Of the 100,000 troops, it's unknown how many were local Nanjing youths.

The entire capital was shrouded in a gloomy and desolate atmosphere.

Gu Yannian put down his pen and rubbed his wrist.

He neatly stacked the copied roster on the table and blew out the candle.

Stepping out of the Hanlin Academy, the autumn wind whipped up fallen leaves, carrying a chilling, desolate feeling.

"The weather has finally cooled down."

Gu Yannian tightened his clothes and walked towards the courtyard.

He was thinking to himself that the peppers in the yard were already ripe and red, and since he had a day off tomorrow, he could pick them and dry them.

The war couldn't reach his little courtyard; the spicy taste he had been longing for was what he was most concerned about now.

Winter of the seventh year of the Yongle reign.

A rare blizzard swept through Nanjing, turning this water town in southern China into an ice city.

The shadow of Qiu Fu's defeat still loomed over the court, but Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, was not defeated by this crushing defeat.

On the contrary, their inherent ferocity was fully unleashed.

During the grand court assembly in the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Di drew his imperial sword and chopped off the dragon horn on the imperial desk.

He made an oath in front of the entire court.

"Next spring, I will personally lead a large army on a campaign to sweep across the desert!"

When the emperor is angry, millions will die.

In preparation for next year's northern expedition, the entire war machine of the Ming Dynasty began to operate at full capacity.

The burden of procuring provisions, military pay, and horses fell entirely on the shoulders of Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi.

This kind-hearted and robust prince governed the government day and night at Qianxing Gate.

In just a few months, her eyes became bloodshot and she even lost some weight.

At this moment, Gu Yannian was leisurely staying in his small courtyard, enjoying the unique pleasures of winter.