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

"Now that you've been born into the court under my jurisdiction, you're not allowed to act recklessly."

Gu Yannian stood up and brushed away the wrinkles on his clothes.

Beneath his gentle and refined exterior, a vast spiritual force accumulated over countless years trembled slightly.

The charcoal fire in the study dimmed for a moment.

"Should we strangle him?"

After pondering for a moment, Gu Yannian still felt it was somewhat inappropriate and had no choice but to give up.

Let's take it one step at a time.

The following day, the morning court session was held at Fengtian Gate.

After the snow cleared, sunlight shone on the golden glazed tiles, reflecting a dazzling light.

Zhu Zhanji was overjoyed to have his eldest son and sat on the dragon throne with a beaming smile.

He announced in court that Lady Sun had been promoted to Imperial Noble Consort and bestowed with a golden book and golden seal.

And the decree that he would take charge of the inner palace.

The courtiers were quite surprised by the new title of "Imperial Noble Consort".

Seeing that Empress Hu's position remained unchanged, no one stepped forward to object.

Just as the officials were preparing to shout "Long live the Emperor!" and congratulate the birth of the imperial heir.

Holding an ivory tablet, Gu Yannian stepped out of the line with a solemn expression.

"His Majesty."

Gu Yannian spoke in a steady tone, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"What memorial does Prime Minister Gu have to submit?"

Zhu Zhanji was in a very good mood at the moment and asked with a smile.

"The birth of the eldest prince is a joyous occasion for the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. Although the prince is still an infant, the responsibility for his education is crucial to the foundation of the Ming Dynasty for centuries to come, and must not be neglected."

Gu Yannian bowed slightly and raised his eyes.

Those deep, cold eyes stared directly at the emperor on the dragon throne.

"Your humble servant is unworthy, but I humbly request to serve concurrently as the Crown Prince's tutor. From the very beginning of the Crown Prince's education, I will personally instruct him in the classics, history, philosophy, literature, and the ways of governing the country and managing finances."

"I humbly request Your Majesty's permission."

These words shocked the entire court.

The Grand Secretary is already at the pinnacle of his position.

If he were to also serve as the Crown Prince's tutor, he would be a true imperial advisor.

His power and influence will be unmatched!

Moreover, the prince had only been born for one day and had not even opened his eyes yet.

The Grand Secretary couldn't wait to seize the power of education.

What a far-sighted calculation this is!

Zhu Zhanji was also slightly taken aback.

But he didn't think about it too deeply.

In his view, Gu Yannian was unparalleled in the world in both literary and military prowess, as well as in financial management and governance.

If he were to personally teach his eldest son.

This child will surely become a wise and benevolent ruler in the future.

"Excellent! It is a blessing for my son that Prime Minister Gu is willing to personally instruct him!"

Zhu Zhanji made the final decision without hesitation.

"By imperial decree, Grand Secretary Gu Yannian is hereby appointed as Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. Once the prince begins his studies, he will enter the Wenhua Hall and be personally instructed by Grand Secretary Gu!"

"Your humble servant accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude."

Gu Yannian returned to the queue.

A cold expectation flashed in his slightly lowered eyes.

He wanted to lock this historically absurd Ming Dynasty war god in front of the desk in the Wenhua Hall.

He wanted to use those outrageously heavy accounts and countless local government affairs.

He was molded into a political genius who only knew how to calculate the nation's finances.

Do you want to personally lead an expedition?

Want to go to Tumu Fortress to fight?

dream.

He will crush those absurd ideas of the boy in their infancy.

The morning court session has ended.

The officials filed out.

Gu Yannian walked on the white marble steps, breathing in the crisp, fresh winter air.

From the direction of Chengqian Palace in the distance, the faint sound of a baby crying could be heard.

He paused and listened for a moment, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

"The cast of actors on this stage is becoming more and more complete. I will personally compose the script for this play."

He shook the snow off his crimson python robe and walked steadily toward the duty room of the Jianji Hall.

There were also memorials from all the provinces waiting for him to review.

The spring breeze of the third year of the Xuande reign quietly swept across the eaves of the Forbidden City.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, a delicate fragrance lingered.

This place was originally where the Crown Prince studied and pursued his education.

Although the eldest prince, Zhu Qizhen, is still an infant and cannot even walk yet.

But the palace had already been prepared long ago.

Gu Yannian, dressed in a purple-red python robe, sat upright behind a large desk.

He held a volume of "Essential Techniques for the Common People" in his hands, calmly flipping through it.

The hall was completely silent, save for the soft rustling of pages turning.

Before long, a series of light and cautious footsteps came from outside the palace.

Wang Zhen bowed, carefully holding a sandalwood tray in his hands, and stepped over the high threshold.

This eunuch, who was gaining increasing favor in the harem, was now like a frightened quail in front of the Grand Secretary, even deliberately suppressing his breathing.

"This servant greets Prime Minister Gu."

Wang Zhen raised the tray above his head and knelt before the table.

"These are some trinkets that His Majesty ordered me to send over. They are said to be a pair of nine-linked jade rings and a rattle drum, which are tributes from the Western Regions, for the Crown Prince to use to amuse himself."

Gu Yannian did not look up, his gaze remaining fixed on the book, and he spoke only calmly.

"Just leave it there."

Wang Zhen responded and gently placed the tray on the side table.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Gu Yannian's calm and gentle voice ring out again.

"Eunuch Wang, has the Crown Prince completed his homework for today?"

Wang Zhen's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down, replying with a pained expression:

"Your Excellency, the eldest prince is only six months old, this..."

"This is a task I truly don't know how to supervise. This morning, the eldest prince cried incessantly, and it took the wet nurse a lot of effort to finally get him to sleep."

Gu Yannian slowly closed the book and raised his deep eyes.

That calm gaze fell on Wang Zhen, yet it seemed to carry an immense weight.

"Since I have been favored by His Majesty and given the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, I cannot hold this position without doing any work."

"So what if he's only six months old? Subtle and gradual influence is the essence of education."

Gu Yannian stood up and walked to the side table.

I glanced at the warm, lustrous mutton fat jade nine-linked rings and the exquisite rattle drum.

He then casually pushed it aside.

He pulled out a small abacus, entirely black and made of fine ironwood, from his wide robe sleeves.

"Take away those strange and lewd items."

Gu Yannian tossed the small abacus into the tray with a dull thud.

"Hang this abacus above the cradle of the eldest prince. Instruct the wet nurses of Chengqian Palace that if the eldest prince cries, they are not allowed to sing any Jiangnan folk songs or tell any stories of war and battle."

"Make them recite the 'Household Law' of the Great Ming Code, or read aloud the autumn grain accounts reported by various provinces."

Wang Zhen was stunned, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Should a six-month-old baby listen to the "Great Ming Code" and the autumn grain accounts?

Such a shocking method of enlightenment is simply unheard of!

If the person before me were not the powerful and influential Grand Secretary Gu...

He would definitely think this person has lost their mind.

"Prime Minister Gu... if the Imperial Noble Consort were to inquire about this kind of instruction..."

Wang Zhen cautiously moved out the Sun family's house.

Gu Yannian stood with his hands behind his back, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"If the Imperial Noble Consort has any objections, you may have her come to the Wenhua Hall to see me. The Ming Dynasty was built up by calculating every single copper coin and by growing every single grain of rice."

"As the heir to the nation, the eldest prince should naturally be accustomed to the sound of abacus beads and the smell of money in account books from a young age."

"Only by knowing how hard it is to obtain the world's wealth and resources will one not have those frivolous and unrealistic thoughts in the future."

Wang Zhen dared not say another word and repeatedly kowtowed in agreement.

Holding the heavy ironwood abacus, he left the Wenhua Hall.

Watching Wang Zhen's hasty departure, Gu Yannian sat back down at his desk.

His strictness was precisely to guard against Zhu Qizhen's inherent tendency to be ambitious and eager for quick success.

Want to show off your might on the grasslands?

Do you want to personally lead the army?

He will instill in this kid a deep-seated aversion to war from a young age.

This leaves him with nothing but how to manipulate the abacus and how to calculate meticulously.

A miserly emperor is better than a spendthrift war god.