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

Meanwhile, inside the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, was wearing a fox fur coat and leaning against a bright yellow pillow in the warm pavilion, listening to the secret report from the eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot.

When they heard that Xu Wenchang had been extorted for five thousand taels of silver by Pei Yuan in Jinling and had fled back to the capital on a diet of chaff and wild vegetables.

Zhu Jianji couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh.

"Hahaha! Brilliant! Pei Yuan is truly hilarious!"

Zhu Jianji picked up the hot wine on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and his eyes were full of joy.

"Those upright censors, always spouting benevolence and morality, thinking themselves superior. I've long wanted to teach them a lesson. Pei Yuan's act of treating them to a meal and paying the bill is even more satisfying than having them flogged in court!"

"I'm afraid that old-fashioned Xu Wenchang will never dare to set foot in Jiangnan again in his entire life."

Wang Zhi chimed in, "Your Majesty is right. Lord Pei's actions not only vented Your Majesty's anger but also preserved the peace and quiet of the shipyard."

"I've heard that the merchants in Jinling City not only dare not obstruct the ship, but are also vying to donate supplies to the shipyard so that they can go to sea with the treasure ship in the future."

"A hefty reward! Draft a secret edict to Jinling, telling Pei Yuan to go for it! As long as he can build me a fleet that can dominate the four seas, I will bear the criticism from the world!"

Zhu Jianji waved his hand, displaying his boundless pride.

Spring goes and autumn comes, time flies.

In the blink of an eye, it was already early summer of the fifth year of the Chenghua era.

The plum rain season in Jiangnan has just ended, and the sun is scorching the banks of the Yangtze River.

In Xichun Garden, west of Jinling City, flowers and trees flourish, and green willows cast their shade.

Inside the open pavilion.

Pei Yuan changed into a simple summer robe, his hair loose, and lay on a cool bamboo rocking chair.

[Ding! Today's attendance complete. Attribute point gained +1.]

In just over half a year, he had completely grasped the situation in Jiangnan.

Those once unruly salt and timber merchants have now become the most loyal logistics managers of Longjiang Shipyard.

They willingly transported large quantities of pig iron, tung oil, and overseas rosewood into the shipyard.

All for the sake of securing a spot to sail overseas with the Ming Dynasty navy for trade in the future.

"grown ups."

Lu Zheng, dressed in a smart outfit, strode into the pavilion, his expression revealing undisguised excitement.

"Old Yan sent someone to report that the second and third 1,000-ton treasure ships have had their cannons installed and are ready to be launched at any time. The fifty accompanying armed Fujian ships have also been fully outfitted on the river."

"Our Great Ming Navy is now fully formed!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan slowly stood up from the rocking chair.

He didn't show much elation, but a deep, domineering aura flashed in his calm eyes.

"A military force? It's nothing more than a few planks put together. A knife that has never seen blood cannot be considered a sharp blade, and a ship that has never weathered storms cannot be considered a navy."

Pei Yuan straightened his wide sleeves.

"Pass down the order. Tomorrow morning, I will personally muster the troops. All the elite guards of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the best troops drawn from the Beijing Garrison shall board the ships."

"Jiangnan has been too peaceful for too long; it's time to let the waters on the river boil."

The next morning.

Outside the Jiangyin Naval Base Camp at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

A strong river wind blows, and banners obscure the sky.

On the wide river, a massive fleet, resembling a sea fortress, was prominently arrayed.

At the very center were three towering treasure ships, each weighing a thousand liters.

The massive hard sails fluttered in the wind, and the ornate beams and painted rafters on the superstructure could not conceal the deathly aura emanating from the dense array of cannon firing ports hidden on both sides of the ship.

Surrounding the treasure ship were fifty smaller Fujian ships, which were also equipped with several Hongyi cannons and Xunlei guns.

Like a pack of wolves, they surrounded and guarded these three invincible behemoths.

On the shore, thousands of soldiers were lined up, ready to board the ship.

Among them were both menacing Imperial Guards and fierce soldiers from the Beijing Garrison who had seen bloodshed in Jianzhou and the East China Sea.

Pei Yuan, clad in a crimson python robe bestowed by the emperor and with the emperor's sword at his waist, stood atop the high platform.

He looked down at these arrogant and fierce soldiers he had nurtured with his wealth and blood, his voice booming like thunder on the riverbank.

"You all know my rules."

Pei Yuan's cold gaze swept across the entire room.

"Once you're on my ship, there are no more cumbersome formalities like those in the Ming Dynasty's laws. If we encounter Japanese pirates or rebellious foreign powers ahead, I don't want prisoners; I only want their wealth and heads!"

Pei Yuan slowly drew the Emperor's Sword, its blade gleaming with a dazzling cold light in the sunlight.

"Once the war begins, those who retreat will be killed! Those who disobey orders in battle will be killed! And those who seize the treasure from the pirate ships, I hereby decree, will have 30% of it pocketed!"

"On this vast ocean, this Emperor's Sword represents the law, and the swords in your hands represent the rules! Do you understand?!"

"Understood! I'm willing to die for the Commander! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Thousands of fierce soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

The overwhelming murderous aura startled the gulls and egrets on the river, causing them to scatter and flee.

For these soldiers, following this King Yama was like following a god of wealth.

As long as one is not afraid of death, one can gain a title, a wife, and children, and enjoy wealth and honor.

"Board! Raise the sails!"

At Pei Yuan's command, thousands of soldiers surged onto the pier like a black tide and boarded their respective warships in an orderly manner.

Half an hour later, the long, drawn-out sound of a bull horn resounded through the sky.

Three treasure ships, each weighing a thousand liters, were the first to raise their mainsails, their enormous shadows obscuring the surface of the river.

The massive fleet, arranged in a long, straight line, sailed majestically out of the Yangtze River estuary and into the boundless blue East China Sea.

The Ming Dynasty Navy, this giant dragon of the East that had been dormant for decades, finally opened its fangs, tempered with fire and refined steel, towards the four seas.

They sailed at sea for three days.

The wind was calm and the water and sky blended into one.

Pei Yuan stood on the highest deck of the flagship, observing the distant horizon through his telescope.

His trip to sea was not just for leisure.

He wanted to find a sufficiently large target on the East China Sea to announce to the surrounding foreign countries that the rules of the Ming Dynasty had returned.

"Report!"

The soldiers on the lookout tower shouted a warning.

"Commander! Several unidentified ships have been spotted ten miles ahead! They appear to be engaged in battle!"

Pei Yuan's expression shifted, he put down the telescope and gave the order in a deep voice.

"Full sails, move alongside. All ships, prepare your cannons."

The fleet cut through the waves at an extremely high speed.

Before long, the scene ahead was clearly displayed before everyone's eyes.

It was a chase at sea.

Ahead was a strangely shaped three-masted merchant ship flying a foreign flag.

The merchant ship had clearly been severely damaged, with several large holes in its sails, and was desperately fleeing towards the Ming Dynasty's navy.

Behind the merchant ship, seven or eight pirate ships, full of desperate men, were closely following.

These pirate ships were long and narrow, extremely fast, and the pirates at the bow were brandishing scimitars and emitting eerie screams.

Judging from their strange clothes and dark skin, they were clearly not Japanese pirates from the East China Sea.

Instead, they were the Zhenla or Java pirates who were based in the South China Sea and were accustomed to plundering passing merchant ships.

On the fleeing foreign merchant ship, an envoy dressed in luxurious silk, his face filled with terror, stood at the stern, watching the approaching pirates with despair.

This man is the chief envoy of the Kingdom of Champa.

The Kingdom of Champa has always admired the Ming Dynasty and has prepared generous gifts to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty.

Little did they know that they would encounter this fierce group of Southeast Asian pirates as soon as they entered the edge of the East China Sea.

The escorting warships had all been sunk, and it seemed that the main ship was about to fall into enemy hands as well.