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

About half an hour later.

Pei Yuan stepped onto the rocky mudflats of Snake Mountain Island, wearing a pair of brand-new black boots.

The few remaining elderly and weak on the island had long been controlled by the ruthless Imperial Guards.

After being slapped several times with the back of a embroidered spring knife, these Japanese pirates confessed their entire lineage, even going back eight generations.

Obediently, he led the Ming army to a hidden cave located halfway up the mountain.

The cave was extremely spacious, and the entrance was sealed with a heavy iron door.

"Smash it open."

Pei Yuan gave the order in a calm tone.

Several burly strongmen swung their large iron hammers and smashed the iron lock to pieces in no time.

The heavy iron gate was slowly pushed open.

The moment the torchlight illuminated the interior of the cave.

All the Imperial Guards present, including Lu Zheng, couldn't help but gasp.

Inside this cave was a veritable treasure trove!

Against the wall, hundreds and thousands of bolts of Jiangnan silk, slightly moldy from dampness, were piled up.

In the center of the cave, dozens of large wooden crates were scattered haphazardly.

The box was half-open, and inside were official silver coins minted during the Ming Dynasty, along with scattered gold melon seeds.

There are even quite a few exquisite official kiln porcelain pieces.

Clearly, this group of Japanese pirates had been entrenched on Snake Mountain Island for many years, plundering countless merchant ships and wealthy coastal households.

That's how they accumulated such an astonishing fortune.

"Sir, we've struck it rich..."

Lu Zheng swallowed hard and said in a low voice.

Pei Yuan slowly walked into the cave and casually grabbed a handful of silver ingots from a box.

He weighed it in his hand, a wicked smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

This treacherous minister, what he loved most was this kind of opportunity to rob money with a legitimate excuse.

"Lu Zheng".

Pei Yuan turned around, looked at the Imperial Guards and soldiers of the Capital Garrison behind him whose eyes were gleaming with greed, and said loudly.

"These valuables are all the hard-earned money that these bandits plundered from the people of our Great Ming. As an imperial envoy, it is my duty to recover these stolen goods and hand them over to the national treasury."

Upon hearing this, the light in everyone's eyes dimmed slightly.

If the imperial envoy wants to be an honest official, then those who serve under him will naturally not even get a sip of soup.

However, Pei Yuan suddenly changed his tone, his words becoming playful.

"However, the mountain road is rugged, and carrying the treasure is extremely arduous. I cannot let my brothers work in vain."

"How about this..."

Pei Yuan pointed to the dozens of wooden boxes filled with gold and silver.

"Each of you go and find a bag. As long as you can carry it yourself, fill it up and take it down the mountain. That will be your reward for your hard work, and I will not question it."

"As for the remaining large porcelain and silk items, they will be packed into boxes and sent to the Emperor to replenish the imperial treasury."

This statement came out.

The cave was initially deathly silent.

A roar of cheers erupted immediately!

"Long live the Emperor! The Imperial Envoy is wise!"

These fierce and ruthless soldiers had no regard for rules or decorum.

They all took off their outer garments, tied the cuffs and hems together to make cloth bags, and pounced on the silver chests like hungry tigers.

They finally understood that serving under Lord Pei would not only lead to victory in battle.

Moreover, the profits from this are a hundred times greater than those from robbery!

As long as you have a knife in your hand and follow this lord, what wealth in this world can't you make?

Pei Yuan stood aside, watching the soldiers frantically grabbing the silver.

Not only did they not stop them, but they also nodded in satisfaction.

He knew all too well the greed in human nature.

Forcing people to fight desperately through harsh laws and punishments is ultimately a poor approach.

Only through such a tangible bond of shared interests can a fierce and invincible army be forged, completely devoted to Pei Yuan.

These soldiers, having received the silver, became his most steadfast protectors.

"Go and search the island. Execute anyone alive."

"This Snake Mountain Island will serve as a forward outpost and supply station for our Ming Dynasty navy when it sets sail."

After giving instructions to Lu Zheng, Pei Yuan flicked his sleeves and slowly strolled out of the cave.

The sea breeze brushed my face, carrying a faint smell of blood.

Pei Yuan stood halfway up the mountain, gazing at the vast and boundless East China Sea.

All the myriad aspects of life, from emperors to generals, are but fleeting clouds.

In this world, he could be both a savior prime minister who turned the tide and a treacherous minister who wreaked havoc on the court and plundered the world.

He didn't care about empty fame as long as he could preserve the Ming Dynasty's century-old vitality.

Half a month later.

The capital city, the Forbidden City.

The first snow of early winter arrived quietly, adorning the majestic palace complex with a picturesque beauty.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the underground heating system was burning brightly.

Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, was wearing a black fox fur cloak, leaning against a soft couch, looking at the victory report that had just been delivered by express courier.

Before him, on the large imperial desk, were dozens of exquisite pieces of Song Dynasty official kiln porcelain.

And a small-leaf sandalwood box filled with golden melon seeds and top-quality pearls.

These were all gifts that Pei Yuan sent to the capital along with the news of victory.

Grand Secretary Li Xian, along with the Minister of War, the Minister of Revenue, and other high-ranking officials, all stood below the steps with gloomy expressions.

"emperor!"

Li Xian held his official tablet, his words were vehement, and he was almost in tears.

"That Pei Yuan is utterly audacious! He supervised the construction of treasure ships in Jiangnan without reporting to the court, and then set sail without authorization. This is a blatant disregard for the ancestral rules of the Ming Dynasty and a direct violation of the maritime ban!"

Li Xian pointed to the rare treasures on the imperial desk, heartbroken and indignant.

"What's worse, he stated in his memorial that he would wipe out the Japanese pirates on Snake Mountain Island in the East China Sea. But who doesn't know that there could be many pirates on such a desolate island isolated overseas?"

"Pei Yuan is clearly using the pretext of suppressing Japanese pirates to plunder merchant ships at sea! Your Majesty must not accept such thieving spoils."

"Issue an imperial edict immediately to arrest Pei Yuan and bring him to the capital for rigorous interrogation by the Three Judicial Offices to uphold the law!"

The Minister of War also stepped forward to echo this sentiment.

"The Grand Secretary is absolutely right. According to the ancestral rules of the Ming Dynasty, not even a single plank of wood is allowed to go to sea. Pei Yuan's actions not only waste national funds, but also provoke trouble along the coast."

"If foreign lands believe that our Great Ming intends to coerce us with force, it may cause unwarranted border troubles. We humbly request Your Majesty's wise judgment!"

These civil officials, once they grasped the banner of ancestral rule as a matter of righteousness, relentlessly pursued Pei Yuan.

Zhu Jianji listened quietly to the impassioned speeches of these ministers, without showing the slightest anger on his face.

Instead, it carried a hint of amusement in his smile.

He slowly closed the report of victory and casually placed it aside.

Then, he stood up, walked to the imperial desk, picked up a Song Dynasty Ru ware celadon porcelain washer, and examined it carefully in his hand.

"My esteemed ministers are well right. According to ancestral laws, the sea is forbidden; not even a single plank is allowed to go to sea."

Zhu Jianji spoke in a calm tone, revealing no emotion.

"Let me ask you. What was the original purpose of establishing this maritime ban?"

Li Xian was taken aback, then replied:

"Your Majesty, the Taizu Emperor established the maritime ban to prevent the remnants of Zhang Shicheng and Fang Guozhen along the coast from colluding with Japanese pirates and harassing the people of our Great Ming, in order to protect our borders and ensure the safety of our people."

"very good."

Zhu Jianji nodded and put the porcelain washer back in its place.

"Protect the borders and ensure the safety of the people. Then let me ask you again, have the Japanese pirates along the coast been protected? In the past few decades, in which year did the Japanese pirates not come ashore to plunder the southeastern coast?"

"In which year did local garrisons not submit memorials reporting heavy casualties and requesting the imperial court to allocate funds for compensation?"