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

The courtiers were speechless.

This is a festering wound of the Ming Dynasty.

The coastal garrisons had long been decayed and dilapidated.

Faced with those fierce Japanese pirates, they were powerless to resist and could only let them burn, kill, and plunder.

Zhu Jianji snorted coldly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"You keep saying that Pei Yuan violated ancestral rules and that he recklessly used force. But Pei Yuan took his newly launched treasure ship and went to the East China Sea for a trip, not only wiping out the one-eyed dragon that had been entrenched on Snake Mountain Island for many years, but also beheading hundreds of it."

"More importantly, he didn't ask the imperial court for a single tael of silver for pensions or military pay!"

Zhu Jianji reached out and slammed his hand heavily on the wooden box filled with golden melon seeds.

"Not only did he not ask for money, he even sent me these! You say these are the spoils of looting merchant ships?"

"What a joke! This is clearly the hard-earned money of the Ming Dynasty's people, stolen from those Japanese pirates!"

Zhu Jianji strode down the imperial steps and stared intently at Li Xian.

"Grand Secretary Li, you are too proud to be the chief minister. If you could wipe out all the Japanese pirates along the southeast coast without spending a single penny of the imperial treasury, you would also be able to add hundreds of thousands of taels of real gold and silver to my private treasury."

"I will issue an edict tomorrow dismissing Pei Yuan from his post and assigning you the responsibility of overseeing the naval construction! Can you do it?!"

Li Xian blushed deeply at Zhu Jianji's barbed questions.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He was a civil official, and his ability to govern the country was acceptable.

Asking him to fight in wars, suppress bandits, or even make money is absolutely impossible.

"If you can't do it, then shut your mouths!"

Zhu Jianji flicked his sleeves, exuding an aura of dominance.

"I tell you. This world belongs to me! The sea ban or ancestral rules are irrelevant."

"Anything that can help the Ming Dynasty expand its territory and strengthen its national power, I will use!"

"Pei Yuan trained an invincible navy for me, demonstrating the might of the Ming Dynasty. He is the foremost hero of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Jianji turned to look at Wang Zhi, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Wang Zhi, draft the imperial edict!"

Wang Zhi quickly knelt down and spread out the blank imperial edict.

"Pei Yuan, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has rendered meritorious service in supervising the construction of treasure ships, bringing glory to the East China Sea. He is hereby specially promoted to Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and Right Commander-in-Chief! He is bestowed with a python robe and jade belt! He is ordered to continue to be stationed in Jinling and to build large-scale treasure ships and giant cannons."

"The necessary funds, provisions, and supplies may be freely allocated from the provinces south of the Yangtze River. Any local civil or military officials who dare to obstruct this will be severely punished!"

The imperial decree caused a stir in the court.

He was granted the titles of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and Right Vice-General!

Such an honor was a great honor for a favored official who rose to power through the Embroidered Uniform Guard rather than through military merit.

This is truly unprecedented.

This was not only a reward for Pei Yuan, but also Emperor Chenghua's declaration to the whole world:

Zhu Jianji is determined to make this grand plan of opening up the sea!

Anyone who dares to stand in his way will be mercilessly struck down by Pei Yuan's blade.

Li Xian and the other veteran officials looked ashen-faced.

They knew that the winds of change in the Ming Dynasty had completely shifted.

The gate to the sea, sealed for decades, was forcibly blasted open with giant ships and cannons by a greedy emperor and an even more greedy and ruthless minister.

Meanwhile, Pei Yuan was far away in Jinling City in Jiangnan.

I am sitting in the misty rain of Xichun Garden, looking at the exotic flowers and plants that fill the courtyard.

Listen to Lu Zheng read aloud the imperial edict from the capital that granted him official promotions and titles.

"Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Right Vice Commander-in-Chief..."

Pei Yuan picked up the warm wine on the table, took a small sip, and the smile on his lips revealed a hint of languid indifference to the world.

"His Majesty is indeed generous. However, the higher the official rank he attains, the more gifts the salt merchants and gentry of Jiangnan will likely have to offer in the future."

Pei Yuan stood up, walked to the corridor, and looked at the continuous autumn rain.

"Pass down the order. Tell Old Yan not to worry about the money and to build three more dry docks. I intend to build an invincible fleet capable of dominating the South Seas within three years."

"The Jiangnan region is very lucrative; there are still many good timbers left to be dismantled from the mansions of those wealthy merchants."

Lu Zheng felt a chill run down his spine and quickly lowered his head in agreement.

The way the adults amass wealth and their frenzied passion for shipbuilding are terrifyingly similar.

It is foreseeable that in the coming years, the wealthy gentry of Jiangnan will likely suffer sleepless nights under the exploitation of this living devil.

The Ming Dynasty's navy would then be ravaged by these lamentations and the extorted gold and silver.

It forged a maritime hegemony that has shaken the ages.

……

Early winter of the fourth year of the Chenghua reign.

The sky over Nanjing was overcast, with thick, dark clouds.

Before long, a heavy snow fell like cotton wool, covering this prosperous ancient capital of six dynasties in a layer of silver.

Most of the pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River have closed down and are now hiding in safe harbors.

The shops along the street had also opened their doors early.

Only in the restaurants and teahouses could one hear the warm yellow light and the noisy voices of people.

Inside the warm pavilion of Xichun Garden in the west of the city.

Pei Yuan, wearing a fox-fur cloak, leaned lazily against a soft couch covered with thick brocade cushions.

"Sir, the snow outside is falling heavily."

Lu Zheng, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, lifted the heavy cotton curtain and stepped into the warm chamber, bringing with him a chill.

He walked to the charcoal brazier, rubbed his hands which were numb with cold, and then respectfully clasped his hands in return.

"The salt and silk merchants in Jinling City, as well as several timber merchants who built the garden, have been waiting outside the gate of our Xichun Garden for two whole hours."

The snow is heavy now, and several elderly gentlemen are shivering so badly that their snot is frozen onto their beards.

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan casually tossed the white jade chess piece in his hand into the chess basket, making a crisp sound.

"You couldn't stand it after only two hours?"

Pei Yuan's lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"Back when they were exploiting the people of Jiangnan, did they ever think about how the people endured the harsh winter months? Making them stand in the snow."

"The people of Jinling are too weak-willed; they need to be exposed to some cold winds to learn their lesson."

Lu Zheng smiled knowingly.

"You're right, sir. Ever since the imperial edict from the capital yesterday bestowing upon you the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince and Right Vice-General, these merchants have been as if they've lost their parents."

"They know that the adults said a few days ago that three more dry docks would be opened for shipbuilding, and that the timber in many houses in Jiangnan has not yet been dismantled."

"Before dawn this morning, they came one by one, pulling dozens of large carts, eagerly bringing gifts to the master."

Pei Yuan stood up and walked to the window of the warm pavilion.

Through the carved window, one could faintly hear the sounds of carriages and horses neighing outside the front yard.

"These idiots really think I'm a robber who demolishes houses in sight."

Pei Yuan shook his head, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"Demolishing houses is a way to establish authority. Now that authority has been established, all the wealthy merchants in Jiangnan are fish on my chopping block."

"If I were to lead people to demolish houses every day, it would not only be troublesome, but also give others ammunition to criticize me. The best way is to let them cut off their own flesh and present it to me with both hands."

Pei Yuan turned around, the hem of his cloak drawing a sharp arc in the air.

"Go. Open the middle gate. Bring those fat sheep, half-frozen, to the front hall. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll see them myself."

"Look at how much resources they've prepared for the Ming Dynasty's navy this time."