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

The capital city, the British Duke's residence.

Inside the study, the floor heating was scorching hot, but it couldn't warm the hearts of everyone inside, who felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

The newly appointed Duke of England, Zhang Mao, who had only inherited the title a few years ago, was now pacing back and forth in his study, as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Seated in the grand chair were several top nobles, including the Duke of Dingguo and the Duke of Chengguo, who held military power in the capital garrison and whose ancestors had deep roots in the nine border regions.

"My esteemed uncles, you must have all heard the news from Datong, right?"

Zhang Mao stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowed, his voice betraying his barely concealed panic.

"His Highness Prince Cheng is like a madman now! When he arrived in Datong, he didn't attend the welcoming banquet or accept any tribute money. He went straight to the fields with his iron hoe to dig! He measured out every single inch of the tens of thousands of acres of fertile land that Liu Ju and his gang had concealed."

"Now, half of the generals in Datong have been arrested, and their entire fortunes have been confiscated!"

The Duke of Dingguo slammed his hand heavily on the table, his beard trembling wildly.

"This is clearly a case of confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan! The Emperor killed the Vice Minister of Works in the Wenhua Hall back then, and now he has forced the Prince of Cheng into this living Yama who only cares about the abacus."

"We are all military families, generation after generation, guarding the nine border regions. Which family doesn't have hundreds of acres of military farms in Xuanfu and Liaodong?"

"If we let the Prince of Cheng continue this investigation, will all of us here have to go to the Yellow River to carry stones tomorrow?!"

Duke Cheng sighed, his face ashen.

"The land we occupy is mostly used to support our own household guards and servants. If we hand it over, how will we support our army? But if we don't hand it over..."

"That emperor with the abacus dares to smash a copper paperweight on someone's head; who among us can withstand that blow?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances, and a deathly silence fell over the study.

They are not afraid of fighting, and they dare to block the swords and spears from beyond the Great Wall.

But what about these two royal brothers who don't play by the rules, who always talk about accounting and bookkeeping, and who readily confiscate property and exile their children?

These hereditary military generals felt a deep sense of powerlessness and fear.

"No! We can't just sit here and wait to die!"

Zhang Mao gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"We shall go to the Jianji Hall tomorrow to request an audience with Chief Minister Gu! The Emperor's actions have already disrupted the rules of the court and demoralized the soldiers on the nine borders."

"Prime Minister Gu is the head of all officials and the Emperor's tutor. Only he can persuade the Emperor and stop Prince Cheng from wielding that murderous iron shovel!"

"Yes! Go find Prime Minister Gu!"

The nobles, as if grasping at the last straw, echoed each other's sentiments.

The next morning, the snow cleared and the sky brightened.

Xuanwu Ward, the private residence of the Grand Secretary.

Gu Yannian did not go to the cabinet office today, but took half a day off to rest at home.

In the warm pavilion of the back garden, several red plum trees bloomed proudly in the snow.

Gu Yannian wore a moon-white Taoist robe, without a crown, and simply tied his hair up with a wooden hairpin.

He sat beside a small red clay stove, on which a purple clay teapot was making a slight boiling sound.

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

"Add to intelligence."

Gu Yannian closed his eyes and focused his mind, feeling the increasingly profound and vast clarity in his mind.

"Prime Minister."

Zhao Si, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, entered the warm pavilion with light steps and bowed to report.

"Several nobles, including the Duke of Yingguo and the Duke of Dingguo, have been waiting outside the mansion gate for half an hour. They brought several carts of precious medicinal herbs and antiques, saying they have come to pay their respects to the Prime Minister."

"The roads are slippery with snow, and the dukes are shivering from the cold. Look..."

Gu Yannian slowly opened his eyes, his deep gaze calm and undisturbed.

He reached for the iron tongs beside him and poked at the silver frost charcoal in the stove to make the fire burn brighter.

"Let them in. Leave those broken antiques outside. My courtyard is too small to hold those filthy, earthy things."

Gu Yannian spoke in a relaxed tone.

Before long, Zhang Mao and several other nobles, led by the steward, hurriedly entered the warm pavilion.

Upon entering, these powerful dukes, who held sway over the capital's military garrison, all lifted their robes and knelt before Gu Yannian.

"Your Excellency! You must save us, the families of generals!"

Zhang Mao led the way, his face contorted with grief, bowing repeatedly.

Gu Yannian did not get up, but simply glanced at them and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

"What are you doing, my nephews? You are all hereditary dukes and marquises, while I am merely a minister who manages the emperor's accounts. I cannot accept such a grand gesture. Please rise and speak."

Gu Yannian's tone was mild, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Zhang Mao and the others dared not get up and remained kneeling on the ground.

"Prime Minister, please don't be so harsh on us. The investigation of military farms in Datong has caused widespread panic throughout the nine border regions. His Highness Prince Cheng's methods are far too cruel, readily confiscating property and exiling people to the army."

"Our ancestors did indeed leave behind some meager land in Xuanfu and Liaodong. If the Prince of Cheng investigates and traces it back to us..."

The Duke of Dingguo continued, "Prime Minister, it's not that we're reluctant to part with those fields, but this concerns the honor of our military family. Furthermore, if the soldiers on the nine borders see their generals being captured one after another, leaving them leaderless, and if the Oirat people launch a large-scale invasion at this time, the Ming Dynasty might be in danger of collapsing!"

"I implore the Prime Minister to submit a memorial to the Emperor, urging him to rescind his decree and summon the Prince of Cheng back to the capital!"

As Gu Yannian listened to the tearful complaints of these people, a mocking smile gradually appeared on his lips.

He gently blew away the floating leaves on the tea and slowly took a sip.

"The Oirat invaded the border? The country is about to fall?"

Gu Yannian put down his teacup. His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a resounding slap across the faces of several dukes.

"Zhang Mao, do you really think I'm senile, or do you think I can't understand the military reports from the border? The seven hundred thousand troops along the nine borders are guarding the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and they are fed by the provisions of the Taicang granary!"

"In recent years, has the Ministry of Revenue allocated less than a single penny in military pay to the border regions?"

Gu Yannian picked up the plain folding fan and gently tapped it on the table.

"The soldiers risk their lives to defend the border, hoping to have enough to eat every day and receive their pay in real money. The grain produced from the military farms you seized goes into the private coffers of your generals, while the lower-ranking soldiers don't even see a single grain!"

"If the Oirats attack, will your soldiers fight to the death to defend your private estates, or to earn the pay the Emperor has given them?"

The nobles were exposed for their lies by Gu Yannian's blunt words.

He was immediately drenched in cold sweat and speechless.

Gu Yannian stood up and looked down at them, his eyes revealing an aura of domineering power.

"You keep saying you're afraid of inciting a mutiny. I'd like to see if I cut off your rations and pay, you generals who have illegally seized farmland, and have the Ministry of Revenue send someone to bypass you and distribute the silver directly to every single soldier."

"Are these soldiers from the nine border regions following you in rebellion, or are they taking the Emperor's money to chop off your heads for rewards?"