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

Empress Sun stopped abruptly, her heart filled with doubt and unease.

She knew that Zhu Zhanji's trust in Gu Yannian had reached an unprecedented level.

If this matter were to escalate to the Emperor's presence, the Emperor might not necessarily side with him.

Just as they were at an impasse, a hearty laugh came from outside the door.

"Where is the Empress going to seek justice from me?"

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, dressed in casual clothes, strode into the Wenhua Hall.

He had just heard in the warm pavilion that the Empress had stormed into the Wenhua Palace.

Fearing trouble might arise, they rushed over immediately.

"emperor!"

Empress Sun felt as if she had seen a savior and pulled Zhu Qizhen to kneel down.

"Your Majesty, look at Qi Zhen! The dignified Crown Prince is being forced by Prime Minister Gu to do menial labor in the palace. If this gets out, what will become of the royal family's dignity!"

Zhu Zhanji glanced at the stone mill on the ground.

He glanced at his aggrieved son and Wang Zhen, whose hands were covered in dust, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He walked up to Gu Yannian, gave the Grand Secretary a slight helping hand as he prepared to bow, and said with a smile:

"Prime Minister Gu, your method of teaching is truly ingenious. When I accompanied my grandfather on his northern expedition, I never did this kind of farm work."

Gu Yannian bowed slightly and calmly replied, "Your Majesty, Emperor Taizong conquered the world on horseback, so naturally he wanted to teach his descendants archery and horsemanship. But now the Ming Dynasty is at peace throughout the land, and the national treasury is full."

"His Highness the Crown Prince was born in peace and raised in the deep palace. If he is not allowed to personally weigh the weight of this Ming Dynasty, I fear that he will treat the national treasury as his private treasury and become unrestrained in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanji's smile gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

He looked at his son, who was sobbing in his mother's arms.

Looking back on the years when I reviewed memorials and official documents, I remember the headaches I felt when faced with those complicated accounts.

If it weren't for Gu Yannian sitting in the cabinet.

The Ming Dynasty's wealth has probably been squandered by those civil officials, leaving countless holes in its coffers.

"What Prime Minister Gu said is absolutely right."

Zhu Zhanji took a deep breath, turned to look at Empress Sun, and his tone became much sterner.

"Your Majesty, a doting mother often spoils her son! Prime Minister Gu's actions are well-intentioned. I am entrusting the Ming Dynasty to Qi Zhen, and he must be a sensible person who can see the big picture."

"Do not let your womanly compassion interfere with the Grand Tutor's lesson. Step aside!"

Empress Sun was struck dumb, staring at Zhu Zhanji in disbelief.

She had assumed the emperor would favor his son.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor strongly supported Gu Yannian's almost "abuse" teaching methods.

"emperor……"

Empress Sun wanted to persuade her again.

"Step back!"

Zhu Zhanji emphasized his words, revealing an unquestionable imperial majesty.

Empress Sun dared not disobey again.

She could only glance at her son with tears in her eyes before sadly leaving the Wenhua Hall with her maids.

Zhu Qizhen saw that his biggest backer had fallen.

Her face turned ashen, and she cried so hard she couldn't even make a sound.

Zhu Zhanji walked up to his son, patted his head, and said earnestly:

"My son, what the Grand Tutor taught you is the true skill to ensure the stability of your empire in the future. If you cannot settle this score today, you will not be allowed to eat. Your father will be here watching you do it."

After saying that, Zhu Zhanji actually walked to the guest chair next to him, sat down, and picked up a teacup.

He adopted the posture of a supervisor.

Zhu Qizhen sniffed in despair.

He had no choice but to climb back to the abacus and continue to grapple with that enormous astronomical number.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the monotonous sound of abacuses once again filled the air.

After an unknown amount of time, the sky outside gradually darkened.

"Grand Tutor... I've figured it out."

Zhu Qizhen's voice was hoarse as he held up a sheet of Xuan paper covered with numbers.

He handed it to Gu Yannian with trepidation.

Gu Yannian took the Xuan paper and glanced at it.

With his terrifying mental arithmetic ability, he instantly confirmed the accuracy of the numbers.

"One hundred and eight thousand five hundred shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Gu Yannian nodded slightly. "That's a good calculation."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qizhen's tense body suddenly relaxed.

He collapsed to the ground, as if he had just escaped death.

"So...can the students eat now?"

"Of course."

Gu Yannian put down the Xuan paper, but his tone remained indifferent.

"However, this is only the first step. Now that Your Highness has calculated the exact amount of this grain and salary, what I will teach you next is what lies behind this account."

Zhu Zhanji, who was listening nearby, became interested, put down his teacup, and came over.

Gu Yannian walked to the center of the main hall and pointed to the wheat flour and bran on the ground.

"Wang Zhen, pile this powder and bran into the shape of a sand table. This side is the capital's granary, and that side is the Xuanfu border pass. The line in the middle is the official road for transporting goods."

Gu Yannian gave the instructions.

Wang Zhen dared not be negligent.

He quickly lay down on the ground and used the dust to create a simple topographical map.

Gu Yannian took out a handful of copper coins from his sleeve and scattered them on the "official road".

"Your Highness, the 100,000 shi of grain you just calculated is being transported to the border in such a grand manner."

Gu Yannian's voice deepened, exuding an irresistible pressure.

"But does Your Highness know how many laborers the court needs to conscript to transport these 100,000 shi of grain?"

Zhu Qizhen shook his head.

Thirty thousand.

Gu Yannian held up three fingers.

"Thirty thousand able-bodied men had to push wheelbarrows through mountains and rivers in the bitter cold and scorching heat. They were also flesh and blood born of parents."

Gu Yannian used his toe to crush the pile of wheat flour heavily.

A clear mark seemed to have abruptly severed the official road.

"If they encounter heavy rain, mudslides, or raids by Oirat cavalry, the grain transport team will be hindered."

Gu Yannian stared intently into Zhu Qizhen's clear eyes.

It depicts a scene resembling a hellish landscape.

"If the grain cannot be delivered, the 50,000 troops at the border will run out of food. Has Your Highness ever seen soldiers who are starving?"

"They would kill warhorses and eat tree bark. Once the warhorses and tree bark were gone, they would kill the officers who had oppressed them, and even..."

Gu Yannian paused, his voice chillingly cold.

"They might even rebel and turn around to plunder the prefectures and cities of the Ming Dynasty and kill its people."

"At that time, Your Highness, as the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, will face tens of thousands of arrogant and fierce soldiers who are blinded by rage. They will not heed the etiquette between ruler and subject."

"All they'll do is use their knives to ask you for food!"

Zhu Qizhen was, after all, only a seven-year-old child.

Where have I ever heard of such bloody and cruel military operations?

He had originally envisioned himself riding a tall horse, displaying his might in the borderlands.

The terrifying scene of starvation and carnage depicted by Gu Yannian was instantly shattered.

He was so frightened that his face turned pale and he trembled all over.

She instinctively shrank behind Zhu Zhanji's legs.

"No... I won't fight anymore! I'll never go to the borderlands to fight the Oirats again!"

Zhu Qizhen shook his head repeatedly, his voice trembling with sobs; it was fear that came from the depths of his soul.

Upon seeing this, Gu Yannian's lips curled up slightly imperceptibly.

That's exactly the effect I wanted.

They wanted to nip the Tumu Crisis in the bud.

We must destroy this kid's romanticized notions of war at their very root.

So that when he hears about war, he doesn't think about making a name for himself.

Instead, it was the unbalanced account books and the countless white bones of those who starved to death on the road.

Zhu Zhanji also gasped upon hearing this.

He was aware of the importance of logistics.

But they had never connected the numbers in this ledger so closely with the brutal upheavals on the front lines.

Gu Yannian's sand table simulation.

This not only taught the crown prince a vivid lesson, but also served as a wake-up call for him, the emperor.

"Prime Minister Gu's words were truly enlightening!"

Zhu Zhanji was deeply moved and patted Gu Yannian on the shoulder.

"Only today do I realize that the stability of the Ming Dynasty lies entirely in Prime Minister Gu's calculations. My son, remember this: from now on, every lesson the Grand Tutor teaches you must be etched into your very bones."

"If there is even the slightest mistake, I won't need the Grand Tutor to punish you; I'll break your legs first!"

Zhu Qizhen trembled with fright, and tears streamed down his face again.

He knew that he was completely doomed by this living Yama Grand Tutor.

"Your Highness, I will do my utmost to assist you in achieving your goals."

Gu Yannian bowed respectfully.