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

Inside the inner courtyard, in the open pavilion.

Pei Yuan changed into a light blue silk undergarment and sat down in front of the chessboard.

By the light of a bright tallow candle, he played a game of chess with himself.

"My lord, the three million taels, not a penny less, have all been deposited into the treasury."

Lu Zheng strode into the pavilion, clasped his hands in a fist salute to report back, his tone revealing barely concealed excitement.

Pei Yuan casually placed a black piece on the chessboard, producing a crisp sound like jade clashing.

"These merchants really don't learn their lesson. They only learn the meaning of respect when they see blood."

Pei Yuan stood up, walked to the eaves, and looked at the drizzling rain in the night.

"Tomorrow morning, leave one million taels and send a large force to escort it to the capital to be presented to the Emperor's private treasury. The remaining two million taels will all be transported to the Longjiang Shipyard."

"Tell Old Yan that there's plenty of silver, good timber, and good tung oil—use them all freely! Recruit another three thousand strong and capable craftsmen to work day and night."

Lu Zheng was taken aback and hesitated, "Sir, shouldn't we keep some of these three million taels in the manor...?"

How could a corrupt official possibly hand over all the money he extorted and spend it on official business?

Pei Yuan chuckled and shook his head.

"Lu Zheng, you only know one side of the story. My reputation as a corrupt official is for the whole world to see. But I will not embezzle a single penny of this silver."

He turned around, his gaze as deep as the starry sea.

"The Emperor is greedy for money, so I sent him the lion's share to ensure that his favor with the Emperor would not wane. Shipbuilding requires a huge amount of money, so I poured the rest into the shipyard to build the most solid navy in the Ming Dynasty."

"As long as I don't hoard a single penny, those corrupt officials and censors in the capital who are eyeing me covetously will not be able to find any evidence of me embezzling a single tael of silver."

"This is what it truly means to be invincible."

Lu Zheng suddenly realized, and his admiration for Pei Yuan became like a surging river, endless and boundless.

This man may seem arrogant, greedy, and tyrannical, but in reality, he has calculated every step meticulously.

They used the lives of merchants to fill the emperor's appetite and the navy's bottomless pit.

He ended up wielding great power and dominating Jiangnan; it was truly a brilliant move.

A few days later.

Beijing, the Forbidden City, the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, was wearing a bright yellow casual robe and standing in front of his desk.

He toyed with a short flintlock pistol that had been brought as tribute from the West, his brow slightly furrowed.

Recently, the cabinet has been complaining about being broke every day because of the troubles in the northwest.

Li Xian and his old cronies clung tightly to the purse strings of the Taicang treasury, refusing to even allocate an extra 50,000 taels to repair the Xuanfu city wall.

"Your Majesty, this is a joyous occasion!"

Wang Zhi, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, jogged along, his face beaming with joy.

He even tilted his eunuch hat slightly to one side because he was running so fast.

"What's the matter that warrants such a commotion? What kind of behavior is this?"

Zhu Jianji put down his short gun and asked a question casually.

"Your Majesty, silver has arrived from Jiangnan!"

Wang Zhi lowered his voice, but his tone was full of undisguised elation.

"The silver convoy, escorted by Commander Pei of the Embroidered Uniform Guard on an urgent 800-li journey, has just entered Desheng Gate. It carries a full one million taels of silver, along with two large carts of various rare treasures."

"The escorting officer said that this was 'pocket money' that Lord Pei confiscated from several smuggling tycoons in Jiangnan, specifically for His Majesty!"

"One million taels?!"

Zhu Jianji's eyes widened suddenly, and his breathing became heavy.

He strode around the imperial desk, grabbed Wang Zhi by the collar, and asked repeatedly:

"Is it really one million taels? Not a penny less?!"

"Absolutely true! The silver carts being transported are currently parked outside the Meridian Gate, waiting for the eunuchs beside His Majesty to inspect and accept them!"

Wang Zhi nodded repeatedly.

Zhu Jianji released Wang Zhi and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The laughter echoed throughout the spacious hall of the Qianqing Palace, conveying boundless joy.

"Good! Good for Pei Yuan! What a loyal watchdog!"

Zhu Jianji paced back and forth excitedly in the main hall, his gloom from the previous days gone by.

"Those old pedantic scholars in the cabinet are always complaining to me about being poor, they're so stingy with every tael of silver they have to stretch it in half. Look at Pei Yuan!"

"Having only been in the south for a few months, not only did they not ask the court for money, but they also repeatedly sent silver into my private treasury!"

"First it was several million taels from Jianzhou, and now it's another million taels from Jiangnan!"

"With such capable ministers, what do I have to worry about in achieving great things!"

Seeing that the Emperor was in high spirits, Wang Zhi hurriedly stepped forward to flatter him.

"Your Majesty is wise and discerning in recognizing and employing talent. Although Lord Pei's reputation in Jiangnan is not good, and he is criticized by officials as a treacherous and cruel official, he is efficient in his work."

"According to the captain who escorted the silver, the Longjiang Shipyard is now working day and night, and the shipbuilding scene is even more bustling than during the Yongle reign."

Zhu Jianji snorted coldly.

"Reputation? Can reputation feed us? Can reputation build ships for me? Those merchants from Jiangnan are the richest in the world, and they have been evading countless taxes from the court every day."

"Pei Yuan robbed them of their money; he was acting on behalf of Heaven!"

He waved his sleeve and gave a loud order.

"By imperial decree! Pei Yuan has rendered meritorious service in overseeing the construction of the treasure ships, accumulating wealth for the nation; his labor is of great merit. He is hereby awarded a crimson python robe and a jade belt!"

"I hereby bestow upon him another imperial gold medal, granting him full authority over all affairs, large and small, in Jiangnan. Anyone who dares to sabotage him behind his back will be the first to face my wrath!"

"Furthermore, move that one million taels of silver entirely into my private treasury. If the cabinet inquires, say it's Pei Yuan's private money as a tribute to me."

"Anyone who dares to covet this money, I'll send them to Nanjing to help Pei Yuan build ships!"

On this day, all the civil and military officials in the capital were silent as if trembling with fear.

Watching the endless convoy of silver-carrying vehicles enter the palace.

The Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary Li Xian exchanged a glance and could only sigh helplessly.

They finally realized that the political situation in the Ming Dynasty had completely changed.

As long as Pei Yuan can continuously send silver into the palace to satisfy the emperor's greed and ambition.

Then he will forever be the sharpest, most protective knife in Emperor Chenghua's heart.

Anyone who impeaches him is going against the emperor's purse strings.

As the autumn winds begin to blow, the summer heat in Jiangnan gradually dissipates.

In the blink of an eye, it was already late autumn of the fourth year of the Chenghua era.

On the banks of the mighty Yangtze River, stands the Longjiang Shipyard.

The once dilapidated factory area is now filled with thousands of sheds and huge piles of timber.

The air was filled with the strong smells of tung oil, rosin, and red-hot pig iron being quenched in water.

In the dry dock, a colossal ship, as massive as a mountain, stood silently.

After more than half a year of working day and night, it took three million taels of silver and the hard work of countless skilled craftsmen.

This treasure ship, the first to be rebuilt after decades of silence by the Ming Dynasty, has finally revealed its awe-inspiring full appearance.

Pei Yuan stood atop the watchtower, his hands gripping the railing, his deep gaze fixed on the giant ship.

The massive ship, measuring 15 zhang in length and over 4 zhang in width, resembles a primordial dragon lurking on the banks of the Yangtze River.

The hull was constructed using the most durable Phoebe zhennan wood and the finest autumn wood.

The layers of thick ship planks were tightly filled with tung oil and hemp fibers.

On the bow of the ship, a ferocious sea-devouring mythical beast is carved, its eyes wide open in anger.

It seemed as if it wanted to swallow the storm in front of it whole.

Nine thick, towering masts point straight to the sky, ready to be hoisted with wide, stiff sails, so that they can ride the wind and waves and travel thousands of miles a day.