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

The fifteenth day of the eleventh lunar month, early morning.

The auspicious snow fell again, adorning the capital city in a silver-white blanket.

Inside the Grand Secretary's office, the floor was warm from the heating.

Gu Yannian changed into a brand new purplish-red brocade python robe, with a jade belt around his waist and a Liang crown on his head.

Today is the grand occasion of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, and as the head of all officials, he naturally needs to make preparations well in advance.

He sat down in front of the large sandalwood desk, picked up the purple brush, and steadily wrote his name on the signature book.

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

He closed the book of signatures, picked up the freshly brewed pre-Qingming Longjing tea from the table, gently brushed aside the floating leaves on the surface, and was about to take a sip.

A very light footstep came from outside the door.

Zhao Si, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, wore a solemn expression, even carrying a hint of indescribable complexity.

He strode into the duty room and bowed deeply.

"Prime Minister."

Gu Yannian put down his teacup and looked up.

"What is it? Did something go wrong with the ceremonial procession for the coronation ceremony?"

Zhao Si shook his head, his voice extremely low.

"Your Excellency, everything for the grand ceremony is in order. However... news just arrived from the palace that Wang Zhen, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, has passed away alongside the late Emperor."

Gu Yannian was slightly taken aback, his hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air.

"How did you get there?"

Gu Yannian's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

"Your Excellency, it was gold that was swallowed."

Zhao Si swallowed hard and reported in a low voice.

"The young eunuch who was serving said that when they went to wake him up at dawn, they found that Eunuch Wang was dressed neatly in the python robe of the Directorate of Ceremonial, kneeling beside the late emperor's coffin, and was already dead."

"He was clutching tightly to the small sandalwood abacus that the late emperor had bestowed upon him. On the desk... there was also an account book on the desk."

"Account books?" Gu Yannian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. When we brought it over, we found it wasn't from the national treasury. It was covered with dense writing about the late emperor's favorite teas and snacks, the amount of charcoal used in winter, and even the time he turned over in his sleep."

"The last thing written in the account book was that His Majesty was stingy his whole life, and he certainly wouldn't want to spend money on bribes in the afterlife."

"This servant will go ahead with the travel expenses to clear the way for His Majesty, lest he be bullied by those brats over there."

After Zhao Si finished reading, a long silence fell over the duty room.

Gu Yannian put down his teacup and let out a very soft sigh.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the swirling snowflakes outside.

Wang Zhen was a greedy, cowardly man who was good at flattery.

If this were in an ordinary dynasty, he would definitely be a powerful eunuch who brought disaster to the country and its people.

But under Zhu Qizhen, the emperor who ruled by the abacus, Wang Zhen lived a miserable life dominated by account books and abacuses.

He shielded Zhu Qizhen from the scorn of officials and counted grain in the Ever-Normal Granary on Zhu Qizhen's behalf.

Even on the day Prince Xin forced the emperor to abdicate, he desperately protected the secret compartment containing the imperial edict of succession.

Wang Zhen feared death, but he feared Gu Yannian even more.

He was well aware of the principle that a new emperor brings a new court.

The new emperor Zhu Qiyu is ruthless, and this old eunuch from the old dynasty, even if he doesn't die, will certainly have a hard time in the future.

But putting aside these calculations, Gu Yannian knew.

Ultimately, this reveals a distorted yet genuine master-servant relationship.

Zhu Qizhen tormented Wang Zhen with the abacus his entire life, yet at the end of his life, Wang Zhen chose to take the abacus with him to the afterlife to continue serving his master.

"He's a fool too."

Gu Yannian opened his folding fan, his tone tinged with emotion.

"The way he died by swallowing gold was extremely painful. The fact that he was able to dress properly and kneel beside the coffin shows that he was quite a tough guy."

Gu Yannian turned around and instructed Zhao Si:

"Report this to the Imperial Household Department. Wang Zhen served the late Emperor his entire life, and his loyalty is beyond question. In recognition of his merit in protecting the imperial edict, he is hereby granted a coffin made of the finest Phoebe zhennan wood and will be buried next to the late Emperor's mausoleum."

"Don't take out the abacus and the account book from his arms; let him take them with him."

"Your subordinate obeys." Zhao Si bowed and withdrew.

Gu Yannian watched Zhao Si's departing figure and gently shook his head.

In this grand drama of life, birth, aging, sickness, death, grudges, and love are all fleeting clouds.

With Wang Zhen's death, the old scores of the Ming Dynasty were finally put to rest.

And a new chapter is about to unfold dramatically amidst this swirling snow.

It is exactly 7:00 AM.

In the Fengtian Hall, bells and drums resounded, and the music of Shao music shook the heavens.

Thousands of civil and military officials, as well as members of the imperial family and nobles, all dressed in court attire, stood neatly arranged below the steps according to their rank.

Snowflakes fell heavily on their official hats and robes, yet no one dared to reach out and wipe them away even a little.

In the center of the main hall, the lacquered and gilded dragon throne, symbolizing the supreme ruler of the world, quietly awaits its new master.

As the three whips cracked in mid-air, the crisp echoes reverberated throughout the Forbidden City.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

The loud shouts of the newly appointed Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs pierced through the wind and snow.

At the rear, a bright yellow robe adorned with twelve imperial symbols slowly came into view.

At the age of twenty, Zhu Qiyu, wearing a twelve-tassel crown, walked steadily and powerfully toward the dragon throne.

The heavy crown did not bend his spine; instead, it made him appear even more majestic and profound.

He walked to the dragon throne but did not sit down immediately.

Instead, he turned around and swept his gaze across the assembled officials below with lightning speed.

Under that gaze, all the officials lowered their heads, not daring to even breathe loudly.

They saw in this new emperor an even colder and more inhumane iron-fisted aura than that of the previous emperor.

That was a decisive and ruthless spirit truly honed in the winds and sands of the frontier, amidst swords and spears.

Gu Yannian, holding an ivory tablet, stood at the head of the assembled officials.

He slightly raised his eyes and looked at the vassal king who had once been forced by him to dig in the wasteland of Xiyuan while shedding tears.

Now that he has grown into an emperor who looks down upon all living beings, a leisurely smile involuntarily appears on his lips.

Zhu Qiyu's gaze swept among the assembled officials, finally settling on Gu Yannian.

Across the twelve jade tassels, a hint of awe and gratitude flashed in Zhu Qiyu's eyes, but more than anything, there was an unspoken understanding between them.

He knew that he was able to sit comfortably in this chair entirely thanks to the Grand Tutor's astounding scheme.

Zhu Qiyu took a deep breath, flicked his wide sleeves, and sat properly on the dragon throne.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The courtiers knelt on the ground like waves, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Their voices shook the heavens.

The Ming Dynasty welcomed its seventh emperor.

"All of you, rise."

Zhu Qiyu's voice was deep and mellow, echoing throughout the hall.

After the assembled officials had taken their positions, Hu Ying, the Minister of Rites, stepped out of the ranks and loudly read the edict of accession to the throne.

The text, spanning thousands of words, recounts the merits of the previous emperor and elucidates the legitimacy of the new ruler's ascension to the throne.

Finally, a new era name was chosen.

"...Let next year be the first year of Jingtai, and proclaim this to the whole world so that all may know."

Jingtai.

Jing means greatness and admiration; Tai means peace and peace.

This reign title embodies the people's yearning for a peaceful and prosperous era.

However, the ascension of a new emperor is a common practice in all dynasties.

He granted a general amnesty and exempted the people from taxes in order to win over the hearts of the people and demonstrate the emperor's boundless benevolence.

All the officials were secretly hoping for it.

The late emperor was too stingy these past few years.

If the new emperor could be lenient and forgive the arrears of taxes and grain in various places, and increase the salaries of officials, then life would be much better.