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

As night falls, the lights are on.

Along the Qinhuai River, painted boats glide on the water, accompanied by the continuous sounds of silk and bamboo instruments.

The scent of cosmetics mingled with the moisture, giving this night in the Jiangnan water town a dreamlike quality.

The largest three-story luxury pleasure boat on the river was chartered by officials from Nanjing.

The pleasure boat was heavily guarded by small patrol boats of the Imperial Guards.

The top floor of the pleasure boat was decorated with extreme luxury.

The exquisite Persian carpet, the rosewood table, and the wine cups were all luminous cups presented as tribute from the Western Regions.

Pei Yuan sat upright in the main seat, with one of the most popular courtesans on the Qinhuai River in his arms.

He gently fiddled with the jade pendant on the courtesan's ear, his gaze unfocused.

He portrayed a powerful minister who was greedy for pleasure with remarkable depth.

Wang Wenxian sat at the lower end of the table, flanked by officials associated with the shipyard.

One of them was a middle-aged official with a plump figure and shrewd eyes.

It was Sun Youcai, the supervisor of Longjiang Shipyard.

"Lord Pei, this wine is a daughter's red that has been aged for thirty years. Please have a taste."

Sun Youcai, his face full of flattery, personally carried the wine pot and filled a cup for Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan picked up the wine cup, brought it to his nose and smelled it, but did not drink it.

Instead, he casually placed the wine glass on the table.

The music inside the painted boat gradually faded, and the atmosphere inexplicably became somewhat heavy.

"The wine is good, and the scenery is beautiful."

Pei Yuan pushed away the courtesan in his arms, sat up straight, and gently tapped his fingers on the sandalwood table.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

That crisp sound seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present.

"But I am here in Nanjing on imperial orders, carrying three million taels of silver from the Ministry of Revenue to build ships. No matter how good the wine is, if I mess up this mission, I'm afraid I'll lose my head."

"My lords, don't you agree?"

Wang Wenxian chuckled twice.

"What you say is true, sir. Although the Longjiang Shipyard has been abandoned for some years, its foundation is still intact. As long as the money is in place, we can recruit craftsmen and purchase timber, and this treasure ship will definitely be completed on schedule."

Pei Yuan's gaze shifted and landed on Sun Youcai.

"Oh? The foundation is still intact? This must be Lord Sun, the supervisor of Longjiang Shipyard?"

"I ask you, how many pieces of top-grade nanmu wood are needed to build a thousand-ton treasure ship? How many cubic meters of autumn wood are needed for the hull?"

Sun Youcai's heart tightened.

He originally thought that the Imperial Guard was nothing more than a brute who only knew how to kill and rob.

Who would have thought that the other party would ask such detailed and knowledgeable questions as soon as they opened their mouth.

He swallowed hard and answered, trying to remain calm.

"Replying to your question, sir. The treasure ship, weighing a thousand li, requires at least three giant nanmu wood keels as its main frame. It also needs a quantity of autumn wood and pine wood, totaling approximately eight hundred cubic meters of timber."

"But don't worry, sir, we have reserves in the warehouses around our shipyard every year."

"reserve?"

Pei Yuan suddenly let out a cold laugh.

He leaned back in his chair and looked at Sun Youcai.

"Lord Sun, when you say 'reserves,' are you referring to the batch of high-quality Phoebe zhennan wood transported from Sichuan that was put into storage in the seventh year of the Zhengtong reign, or the autumn wood purchased from Huguang in the first year of the Jingtai reign?"

Sweat instantly rolled down Sun Youcai's forehead.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Because he had already resold those timbers to wealthy merchants in Jiangnan to build private residences and gardens.

What's left in the warehouse is nothing but rotten wood and roots to make up the numbers!

Pei Yuan gave him no chance to catch his breath, slowly pulling a thin booklet from his sleeve.

It was slammed onto the table in front of Sun Youcai.

"Lord Sun, this is a case file that was just delivered by the Southern Garrison yesterday. You have been reselling timber from the national treasury, embezzling funds for ship repairs, and even renting out skilled shipbuilding craftsmen to private merchant ships for private work."

"While you've done a clever job with these accounts, it's far too childish under the watchful eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The pleasure boat was deathly silent.

The only sound was the river water lapping against the side of the boat.

Wang Wenxian was so frightened that his face turned ashen, and even the hand holding the wine glass was trembling.

Sun Youcai suddenly fell to the ground, trembling like a leaf, and kowtowed repeatedly.

"My lord, spare me! My lord, please see the truth! I was confused for a moment and was misled by those unscrupulous merchants!"

"This humble official is willing to exhaust all his wealth to make up for the deficit! I beg Your Excellency to show leniency!"

Pei Yuan stood up and slowly walked to Sun Youcai.

He did not draw his knife, but instead gently lifted Sun Youcai's chin with his toe.

This forced him to lift his face, which was contorted with fear.

"Make up for the deficit? Do you think I'm one of those pedantic censors, here to settle accounts for a few pieces of wood?"

Pei Yuan's voice was soft, yet it carried an endless chill.

"What the Emperor desires are magnificent ships capable of sailing the seas, a navy that can awe all around! You've sold off the craftsmen and wasted the best timber; what will you use to build ships for the Emperor?"

"Are you going to use your bones to build a keel?!"

"My lord, spare my life!"

Sun Youcai cried out, his face covered in tears and snot.

Pei Yuan withdrew his foot in disgust and turned to look at Lu Zheng, who had been waiting on the side.

"Lu Zheng".

"Your humble servant is here!"

"Drag this parasite out. Right here on the banks of the Qinhuai River, in front of the people of Nanjing, I will have him skinned alive."

Pei Yuan spoke in a calm tone, as if he were instructing someone on a trivial matter.

"Sliced, sliced?"

Wang Wenxian exclaimed in surprise.

"Your Honor! Although Sun Youcai is guilty, his case should be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for a final verdict. How can you arbitrarily resort to the death penalty!"

Pei Yuan turned around abruptly, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Ministry of Justice? I hold the Emperor's sword bestowed upon me; I am the Minister of Justice!"

"Anyone who obstructs shipbuilding is committing treason! Drag them out!"

Two fierce-looking Imperial Guards rushed forward and dragged the howling Sun Youcai away.

Before long, a mournful and heart-wrenching wail echoed from the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The sound pierced the night sky, plunging all the pleasure boats on the river into a deathly silence.

On the top deck of the pleasure boat, the bloody slaughter did not dampen Pei Yuan's spirits.

He sat back down in the main seat, picked up the thirty-year-old daughter's red wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

He looked at the trembling Wang Wenxian and the others, and his wicked smile returned to his face.

"My lords, there is no need to panic. Sun Youcai, a traitor to the country, deserves to die."

"I am a reasonable person. As long as you serve the Emperor well, I will not be stingy with gold, silver, treasures, high positions and generous salaries."

Pei Yuan put down his wine glass and pointed to a blank roster on the table.

"I'm giving you three days. Within three days, bring back all the craftsmen who left the Longjiang Shipyard!"

"Those resold Phoebe zhennan trees, no matter which wealthy merchant buys them to build gardens, even if they demolish their houses, they must still transport the timber back to the shipyard for me!"

Pei Yuan's gaze swept across the faces of the officials.

"If we lack timber, I'll demolish houses; if we lack silver, I'll confiscate property; if we lack craftsmen, I'll kidnap them all, bringing them to the shipyard!"

"Within six months, I will see the first 1,000-ton treasure ship on the Yangtze River!"

Wang Wenxian and the others dared not utter a single word of dissent, and repeatedly kowtowed in agreement.

This imperial envoy is far too domineering!

As night deepened, the music from the pleasure boats had long since ceased.

Pei Yuan stood at the bow of the boat, facing the river breeze, looking at the wide river surface.

This immortal being, back in the day, used an abacus and rules to mend the many holes in the Ming Dynasty, bit by bit, in the imperial court.

Now, the Ming Dynasty has a solid foundation, but it has also bred many complacent parasites.

Ultimately, this drastic medicine had to be administered by him, this "treacherous minister."

He wanted to use the most brutal means to smash the extravagance and corruption that had plagued Jiangnan for the past century.

The power of this vast empire was completely transformed into powerful ships and cannons that roamed the vast oceans.

"Your Majesty, what you desire is the empty fame and wealth of all nations paying tribute."

"But what I want to build for the Ming Dynasty is an iron wall that can withstand the storms of the next hundred years."

Pei Yuan chuckled, took off his bright red cloak, and turned to walk into the cabin.