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

In the blink of an eye, it's already late autumn.

The weather in the capital is gradually getting cooler.

This happened after the court session that day.

Gu Yannian did not return to Jianji Palace, but went straight to Taicang.

Several officials under the Ministry of Revenue were sweating profusely as they directed the laborers to move cartloads of crude copper blocks transported from Annam into the newly expanded warehouse.

These warehouses were already piled high with the silver equivalent of autumn grain sent from Jiangnan and the customs duties paid by the Maritime Trade Office.

"Prime Minister Gu!"

Upon seeing Gu Yannian arrive, the officials immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully.

Gu Yannian nodded slightly and walked steadily into the warehouse.

Looking at the mountain of silver ingots and gleaming copper blocks, Gu Yannian's deep eyes showed no trace of greed.

There was only a sense of natural calm.

According to his calculations, the wealth of the Ming Dynasty had already reached an outrageous level.

"How are the silver coins that were trial-minted last year circulating in Jiangnan?"

Gu Yannian asked casually.

A clerk quickly replied, "Your Excellency, these silver dollars are of high purity and difficult to counterfeit, making them extremely popular among merchants in Jiangnan. Nowadays, most transactions are conducted using the new silver dollars."

"However, some conservative money shops in the private sector are still secretly suppressing the exchange rate of silver dollars in an attempt to profit from it."

Gu Yannian reached out and stroked a piece of cold, rough copper, his tone gentle.

"Merchants are driven by profit, and they will naturally not let go of such petty gains. However, since the rules have been established, they cannot be allowed to break them. Issue this order to the Ministry of Revenue to send a document to all prefectures in Jiangnan, ordering that any money shops found to be suppressing the value of government-minted silver coins be shut down and their managers exiled three thousand li away."

"Anyone who dares to meddle with the Ming Dynasty's minting rights will have their property confiscated by this official."

"Your humble servant obeys!"

The official, sweating profusely, agreed, inwardly sighing at how gentle and refined this Prime Minister Gu usually was.

When it comes to national treasury funds, the methods used are truly ruthless and decisive.

After inspecting Taicang, dusk had fallen.

Gu Yannian walked out of the warehouse, and a gust of autumn wind swept up the withered leaves on the ground.

He strolled with his hands behind his back in the afterglow of the setting sun, not in a hurry to return home.

As you walk along Qianmen Street, most of the shops on both sides of the street have already lit up their lanterns.

In an unassuming teahouse, the rhythmic thud of a storyteller's gavel could be heard.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Today we will not talk about the Three Kingdoms period, nor about the heroes of the Sui and Tang dynasties."

"Just consider the current Grand Secretary, Lord Gu, who laid a trap outside Zhennan Pass, and without losing a single soldier, brought the Annamese bandit leader to his knees and executed!"

"Truly, with a flick of the abacus, an army of ten thousand was driven back; with a gentle wave of the folding fan, peace was restored to the southern frontier!"

Cheers and applause erupted in the teahouse.

Gu Yannian stopped and stood outside the teahouse.

Hearing the slightly exaggerated praise inside, a relaxed smile appeared on his lips.

"This storyteller is much more eloquent than the censors in the imperial court."

He chuckled and pulled a small piece of silver from his sleeve.

He casually tossed it into the bamboo basket used for tipping at the entrance of the teahouse.

With a crisp "clink," Gu Yannian turned and disappeared into the deepening night.

In the courtyard of Xuanwu Lane, the old jujube tree has lost all its leaves, its bare branches pointing straight to the sky.

Gu Yannian pushed open the wooden door and walked under the eaves to light a small red clay stove.

Tonight, instead of warming the wine, he cooked a pot of thick eight-treasure porridge.

As the fire crackled in the stove, the aroma of porridge filled the air.

He ladled out a bowl, sat on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, and slowly savored it.

The world's ambitions for imperial power and national wealth and military strength.

It was merely a grand scheme he used to pass the time on his long journey through life.

He watched as the Ming Dynasty, under his own planning, gradually grew stronger than ever before.

I didn't feel much sense of accomplishment.

On the contrary, I feel that quietly drinking a bowl of hot porridge makes one appreciate the taste of life even more.

"Tomorrow, I should go to the Wenhua Hall to see how that kid's plan is going."

Gu Yannian muttered to himself.

The future emperor of the Ming Dynasty, lying in his cradle.

Now, perhaps influenced by the "Great Ming Code," even their crying sounds have a bit of an abacus bead rhythm.

Thinking of this, a rare mischievous glint flashed in the eyes of the powerful Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty.

In this long, endless time, we must find some enjoyment, right?

In the seventh year of the Xuande reign, the grass grew tall and the orioles flew, making it the perfect time for flying kites in the capital.

In the alleyways of the Forbidden City, a gentle spring breeze caused the weeping willows along the roadside to sway gracefully.

However, the vibrant spring colors of the garden could not penetrate the high threshold of the Wenhua Hall.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

The five-year-old eldest prince, Zhu Qizhen, was dressed in a bright yellow robe with a four-clawed dragon design.

She was frowning, her fair face contorted in distress, as she stood on a specially made rosewood stool.

His chubby little hands were holding a sandalwood abacus that was half the size of his body, and he was struggling to manipulate it.

"Pat-pat, pat..."

The crisp sound of the abacus beads clinking together was particularly loud in the spacious hall.

And it exudes a despairing tedium.

The main seat directly in front of Zhu Qizhen.

Grand Secretary and Crown Prince Tutor Gu Yannian was wearing a purple-red python robe.

He leaned back comfortably in the armchair.

On his desk sat a freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea, his expression serene.

"Grand Tutor..."

Zhu Qizhen sniffed, his eyes red-rimmed.

Her voice was choked with sobs.

"I've already processed this summer grain tax calculation from Shuntian Prefecture three times, but the amount for fire loss is still 320 taels short. My fingers are swollen from it all, could you please…?"

"Could we discuss this tomorrow?"

After saying that, he pitifully raised his little hands, which were red from being poked by the abacus beads.

Her big eyes were filled with tears.

He was trying to gain the sympathy of this cold-faced tutor.

Gu Yannian didn't even lift his eyelids.

His gaze remained fixed on the book as he turned a page.

His tone was calm and gentle, like a bottomless, icy pool.

"Your Highness, three hundred and twenty taels of silver, if converted into coarse grains, would be enough to feed a captain at the border for more than half a year. What you're missing is the life-saving rations for more than a dozen veteran soldiers of the Ming Dynasty."

Gu Yannian put down his book, raised his deep and serene eyes, and looked directly at Zhu Qizhen.

"A ruler holds the power over the entire realm, and with a single stroke of his pen, he can wipe out the blood and sweat of countless lives. If this debt cannot be settled, Your Highness will be exempt from lunch today."

"Not only that, but I have ordered all the walnut pastries and layered cakes sent from Chengqian Palace to be given as gifts to the servants outside the palace."

"We'll eat when the accounts are settled."

When Zhu Qizhen heard that he was going to go hungry, even his favorite pastries were gone.

Overwhelmed with grief, she burst into tears.

"Waaaah... I'm the Crown Prince! When I grow up, I'm going to be the Grand Marshal! I want to be like my great-grandfather, riding a tall horse to fight the Oirat people beyond the Great Wall!"

"I don't want to use the abacus! I don't want to look at the ledgers!"

When the young prince lost his temper, he pushed the yellow book in front of him to the ground.

Her little face was full of defiance and stubbornness.

He grew up spoiled by Consort Sun from a young age.

I thought that as the crown prince, he would have absolute power and influence.

Who would have thought that from the age of three when she began her formal education, she would fall into the hands of this devilish tutor?

Other princes received their early education by reading the "Three Character Classic" and the "Thousand Character Classic".

I was listening to a great Confucian scholar explaining the profound meaning of the sage's words.

His first education involved listening to reports of famine from various provinces.

They were reciting the multiplication tables.

His mind was filled with the laws and regulations of the Ming Dynasty and the tedious financial and grain expenditure system.

Gu Yannian looked at Zhu Qizhen, who was throwing a tantrum, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

War? To the borderlands?

As long as Gu Yannian is in this court.

He was determined to nip the spark of the Tumu Crisis in the bud in this kid's mouth!