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

A deathly silence.

Dozens of wealthy merchants from Jiangnan stared wide-eyed, their minds frantically calculating the gains and losses of this deal.

Selling materials to shipyards at 20% of the market price is tantamount to bleeding them dry, essentially paying the court to pay for their own goods.

Under normal circumstances, this would clearly be outright robbery.

but!

If in the future they can accompany the invincible treasure ship fleet of the Ming Dynasty to go to sea for trade, they will also be protected by the government.

Then this maritime trade became a cash cow monopolized by a few of them!

Compared to such earth-shattering long-term profits, the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver that are being invested now are not even a drop in the ocean!

"M-Sir, is what you say true?!"

The silk merchant was so excited that his voice trembled.

Pei Yuan snorted coldly and slammed the imperial gold medal heavily onto the table.

"I hold the imperial gold tablet bestowed by the Emperor, and my word is law! The rules of Jiangnan are the rules I established!"

"If you don't trust me, you can get out of Xichun Garden right now. I'll be leading men to demolish your houses tomorrow!"

"We trust you completely! We, the common people, have absolute faith in you!"

The merchants seemed to awaken from a dream, and they were all beaming with joy, some even moved to tears, kowtowing repeatedly.

"This humble subject is willing to exhaust all his wealth to procure supplies for Your Excellency! Whatever the Ming Navy needs, this humble subject will spare no effort, even at the cost of his life!"

These profit-driven merchants were subjected to Pei Yuan's combination of harsh measures and sweet promises.

They were completely bound to the rumbling war machine of the Ming Dynasty's shipbuilding industry.

They willingly parted with real money, even using their overseas smuggling networks that they had painstakingly built up over decades.

They went to scavenge raw materials for casting cannons and giant ships for the Ming Dynasty.

Looking at the jubilant "fat sheep" filling the room, Pei Yuan's wicked smile deepened.

This immortal being truly understands the ways of the world and the hearts of people to the core.

Using the greed of merchants to fill the deficit of the Ming Dynasty's navy.

Then, the Ming Dynasty's navy was used to open up even broader overseas sources of wealth for these merchants.

In this way, the wealth of Jiangnan flowed into Longjiang Shipyard like water.

Not only will the speed of shipbuilding increase dramatically.

More importantly, instead of emptying his pockets, this "treacherous minister" made these merchants grateful to him.

"Lu Zheng, take them downstairs. Count and collect all the silver. As for the overseas procurement regulations, go find Old Yan and get a list for them."

"If even an ounce or two of pig iron is missing, they will be held responsible."

Pei Yuan waved his hand, as if shooing away a swarm of buzzing flies.

"Yes, sir! Please, gentlemen."

Lu Zheng suppressed a laugh and stepped forward to lead the way.

After everyone left, the hall returned to quiet.

Pei Yuan picked up the cup of tea, which had already cooled down, and drank it all in one gulp.

He stood up, walked outside, and looked at the snow falling heavily.

Although the Ming Dynasty had a thousand chronic problems in its internal affairs, once the wealth and resources of the world were manipulated by power and interests, they would be lost.

The energy it unleashes is enough to rewrite the world order a century from now.

And he was the one who hid behind the scenes, coldly manipulating the compass of fate.

Several days later.

Longjiang Shipyard.

Although the snow has stopped, the river wind is still biting.

However, the shipyard was bustling with activity, with tens of thousands of craftsmen working day and night in the three newly built, huge dry docks.

With the tireless supply of goods from merchants in Jiangnan, tung oil, pig iron, and saltpeter piled up like small mountains in the warehouse.

Those bronze-cast cannons, the guardian spirits of the sea, were continuously produced from the blast furnace.

Wearing a cloak, Pei Yuan, accompanied by Old Yan, inspected the vast military workshop.

"My lord, you see, the keels of the second and third treasure ships have been laid. With enough materials, these two giant ships will be ready for sea trials in another six months."

Old Yan pointed at the massive wooden frame in the dock, his eyes filled with fanatical light.

Pei Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

"Good speed. Are the craftsmen's meals keeping up?"

"I can keep up! I can keep up so well!"

Old Yan couldn't stop smiling.

"The magistrate has given the order, so there will be meat at every meal. Merchants are so eager to curry favor with him that the shipyard's kitchen is almost overflowing with the pigs and sheep they've brought."

"The craftsmen ate with gusto, and when they worked, they were full of energy; no one dared to slack off."

Pei Yuan smiled and was about to speak.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the factory gate.

Before long, Lu Zheng ran over with a strange expression and whispered the news to Pei Yuan.

"My lord, someone has arrived from the capital. They say that Xu Wenchang, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has come to Jiangnan to inspect the accounts and progress of the Longjiang Shipyard, on the orders of Grand Secretary Li Xian."

"An imperial censor from the Censorate?"

Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

These upright and old-fashioned officials in the capital could no longer restrain themselves.

He watched as his treacherous minister wielded immense power in Jiangnan, pocketing large sums of silver.

They must have felt they had caught something wrong, so they sent an imperial censor to investigate the accounts.

He wanted to find an opportunity to impeach himself before the emperor.

"In this freezing weather, Lord Xu has come all this way to check the accounts. He is truly loyal and devoted to the country."

Pei Yuan dusted off the dust on his cloak, and a playful smile appeared on his lips.

"Let's go and greet this imperial envoy. Otherwise people will say that I'm all-powerful in Jiangnan and don't know how to treat guests."

Outside the shipyard gate.

Xu Wenchang, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, was sitting in a simple blue sedan chair, shivering from the cold.

He was a typical upright civil official, who prided himself on being incorruptible and incorruptible.

He carried the cabinet's high hopes on him as he traveled south.

They vowed to find irrefutable evidence that Pei Yuan had embezzled shipbuilding funds and lined his own pockets.

In his view, the Longjiang Shipyard must have been turned into a mess by Pei Yuan, with the craftsmen displaced.

Those so-called treasure ships were nothing but empty shells, a trick to gain the emperor's trust.

"Sir, Commander Pei has come out," the accompanying constable whispered.

Xu Wenchang lifted the sedan curtain and climbed out of the sedan.

He straightened his slightly thin official robes, puffed out his chest, and struck a majestic pose as an imperial inspector.

The shipyard's large wooden doors slowly opened.

Pei Yuan was dressed in casual clothes, without even an official hat, just casually draped in a cloak.

He walked out surrounded by a group of Imperial Guards.

"Oh dear, Lord Xu has come from afar. I have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

Pei Yuan didn't even bother with a cupped-hand salute, offering only a perfunctory greeting.

His expression was as if he were looking at a beggar who had come to ask for food.

Seeing his rudeness, Xu Wenchang's anger intensified, and he snorted coldly.

"Governor Pei, I have been ordered by the Cabinet to inspect the Longjiang Shipyard. The huge sum of money allocated by the court for shipbuilding, as well as the materials that you have procured in Jiangnan, must all be accounted for."

"I humbly request that the Governor grant me the favor of allowing me to lead my men into the factory for inspection."