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

February of the eighth year of the Yongle reign.

The forsythia in Nanjing has not yet fully bloomed.

The biting spring chill still lingers in the streets and alleys.

But the entire capital had been completely ignited by a fanatical atmosphere of war.

Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, the supreme ruler of the Ming Dynasty, fulfilled the oath he made in the Fengtian Hall.

An army of 500,000 was deployed on the outskirts of the capital, with banners obscuring the sun and swords and spears like a forest.

The neighing of warhorses and the sounds of soldiers drilling could be heard clearly even in the Hanlin Academy, far away in the imperial city.

This was the first time since the founding of the Ming Dynasty that the emperor had personally led a military campaign.

Gu Yannian got up very early today. Just as dawn was breaking, he dressed neatly and went to the Hanlin Academy.

Unlike the usual leisurely atmosphere, the Hanlin Academy was in a state of bustling activity today.

The officials were making final proofreadings for the sacrificial texts, imperial edicts, and documents accompanying the army.

Gu Yannian walked to his desk and skillfully affixed his seal to the roll call book.

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

"Add to the spirit."

Gu Yannian silently recited this in his heart.

A cool sensation entered my mind.

He felt the weariness he had felt from the busy work at the government office for the past few days vanish instantly.

His various attributes have now firmly surpassed the 700 mark.

Even though he had completely suppressed his aura, he still exuded a calm and composed demeanor.

After finishing his shift, Gu Yannian was about to brew himself a pot of tea.

Then, Hu Guang, the head of the academy, walked in hurriedly.

"Gu Yannian, please tidy up the items on your desk."

Before Hu Guang could even catch his breath, he immediately gave the order.

"The Crown Prince's Palace is short of a clerk to organize the files. He personally named you and ordered you to go to the Wenhua Hall to work immediately."

Upon hearing this, several busy editors around stopped writing and cast surprised yet envious glances at him.

The Wenhua Hall is where the Crown Prince oversees state affairs.

Being able to serve in the Eastern Palace is tantamount to having one foot in the future center of power.

If the crown prince successfully ascends the throne, this will undoubtedly be considered a meritorious act of supporting the emperor.

To outsiders, Gu, the editor who was usually so quiet and reserved, seemed to have been blessed with extraordinary luck.

Gu Yannian felt a sense of helplessness.

He naturally knew why Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi had singled him out.

That spicy hot pot meal on a snowy winter night last year finally made this gluttonous crown prince remember him.

Going to serve in the Eastern Palace meant facing the most critical political storm in the Ming Dynasty.

It's far less leisurely than being a nobody in the Hanlin Academy's library.

But he knew even better that under the emperor's authority, a mere seventh-rank official like himself was not allowed to utter even half a word of "no".

"Your humble servant obeys."

Gu Yannian calmly cupped his hands in greeting, showing no sign of being flattered.

After quickly packing a few of his usual Huzhou brushes and an inkstone, he followed the eunuch who had come to summon him to the Wenhua Hall.

The ceremony for the departure of the 500,000-strong army was grand.

When Gu Yannian arrived at Chengtian Gate, he happened to catch the army setting off for war.

Zhu Di, clad in golden armor and riding a magnificent white horse, led the procession.

The imperial majesty, forged in the crucible of countless deaths, pressed down on the common people and officials lining the road, making them afraid to even breathe.

Gu Yannian stood by the roadside, looking at this vast, seemingly endless torrent of steel, his heart completely unmoved.

He knew that this army of 500,000 would decisively defeat Benyashiri on the banks of the Onon River in northern Mongolia, washing away the shame of Chufu's defeat.

Zhu Di will return in triumph with unparalleled glory.

And among them, who knows how many strangers will perish?

The tide of history rolls ever onward, and he is merely a quiet observer.

The atmosphere inside the Wenhua Hall was solemn.

Zhu Di took away most of the court's elite troops, leaving a mess for Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi.

The responsibility of overseeing the country is as heavy as Mount Tai.

The supplies and provisions at the front lines, the livelihood and well-being of the people in the rear, and even the secret sabotage by the henchmen of Prince Zhu Gaoxu left in the capital.

All sorts of pressure fell on Zhu Gaochi's fat shoulders.

Gu Yannian was placed in a corner of a side hall, with piles of grain and fodder allocation documents from various provinces in front of him.

His new job is to check these complex numbers to ensure uninterrupted supplies to the front lines.

A short while later, heavy footsteps were heard.

Zhu Gaochi, dressed in casual clothes and looking exhausted, walked into the side hall.

He waved away his attendants and went straight to Gu Yannian's desk.

"Mr. Gu, how have you been?"

Zhu Gaochi forced a kind smile, but his eyes revealed deep weariness.

Gu Yannian quickly stood up and bowed.

"This humble official greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness may simply call me 'Recorder Gu,' as I am utterly unworthy of the title 'Master.'"

Zhu Gaochi waved his hand, casually sat down on the chair next to him, and sighed.

"In this Wenhua Hall, I don't even have a single person I can confide in. All the officials in the court either beat around the bush or find ways to make things difficult for me."

"I transferred you here today for two reasons: first, I value your composure in handling affairs, and secondly..."

"I really miss the hot pot you had that day, sir."

In the end, a hint of grievance flashed in the eyes of the regent prince.

His father went to war, leaving him with a heavy responsibility.

The King of Han was still watching him intently from the sidelines; he desperately needed some rough stimulation to relieve the pressure.

Looking at the historically famous Emperor Renzong, Gu Yannian felt a pang of sympathy.

"If Your Highness trusts me, I will go to the Imperial Kitchen to find some ingredients."

Gu Yannian smiled slightly, his tone calm.

"We can't have hot pot today, Your Highness. You need to handle state affairs and shouldn't be sweating so much. How about I make you a bowl of hot and sour noodles to whet your appetite?"

"Excellent! Excellent!"

Zhu Gaochi nodded repeatedly, his eyes finally relaxing.

Gu Yannian turned and left.

Although he was caught up in the vortex of the Crown Prince's affair, as long as he held onto his principles and dutifully performed his duties, he could succeed.

While we're at it, let's cook a few meals for this prince who's under a lot of pressure.

Life is still bearable.

Summer of the eighth year of the Yongle reign.

The sweltering heat of Nanjing is like a giant steamer, enveloping the entire city in sultry heat and humidity.

The cicadas chirped desperately in the willow tree, but they couldn't summon even a wisp of cool breeze.

With the battle raging at the front, the daily food and fodder consumption of 500,000 soldiers and their horses is astronomical.

Inside the Wenhua Hall, the ice emitted a cool breeze, but it could not quell the burning anger in Zhu Gaochi's heart.

Gu Yannian sat in a corner of the side hall, holding a vermilion brush.

He was rapidly flipping through several grain transport ledgers from the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission.

His mental attribute, which is as high as 715 points, makes his brain like an abacus.

While others would need several people to spend an entire day working on accounts with abacuses, he only needed to glance at them.

Those complex numbers are automatically arranged, calculated, and compared in the mind, and the result is obtained instantly.

Suddenly, Gu Yannian's pen paused slightly.

His attention was focused on the loss of grain supplies transported from Jinan Prefecture to Zhengding Prefecture.

The account book states:

During the heavy rain, the grain ships leaked and suffered mold damage, resulting in a 20% loss.

The bottom was stamped with the seals of the Jinan prefect and the escorting officer, and the procedures were complete, which seemed reasonable.

But Gu Yannian's extraordinary memory immediately brought up the Shandong Meteorological and Geomantic Records submitted by the Imperial Observatory half a month ago.

Two weeks ago, there was indeed rain in the area from Jinan Prefecture to Zhengding Prefecture.

However, it was just a shower, not a torrential rain that could cause large-scale flooding of grain ships.

Moreover, this batch of grain is high-quality rice urgently needed at the front lines, so the 20% "loss" is perfectly fair.

This is just enough to cover the previous losses of some of the properties left in the capital by Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han.

"Under the guise of a natural disaster, they've poached talent from the front lines, and incidentally, they can also pin the blame on the Crown Prince for incompetence in fundraising. What a clever tactic."

Gu Yannian sneered inwardly.

He could have pretended not to see it.

After all, exposing a corruption case involving princes and local officials could easily backfire.

However, if the frontline supplies were to run out as a result, Zhu Di, in his fury, would likely have to take everyone in the Wenhua Hall with him.

Under the nest, the eggs are finished.

As he was pondering this, Zhu Gaochi walked heavily into the side hall.