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

In the early spring of the sixth year of the Chenghua reign, the remaining snow in Nanjing gradually melted.

Inside the warm pavilion of Xichun Garden.

Pei Yuan changed into a light blue spring robe, which was thin and soft.

His long, jet-black hair was casually tied back with a simple wooden hairpin, exuding an indescribable air of nonchalant elegance.

He leaned against the daybed by the window, toying with a folding fan made of Xiangfei bamboo in his hand.

On the small red clay stove in front of me, the spring water in the pottery kettle was bubbling and churning, emitting a faint aroma of tea.

"My lord, Wan Dafu has been waiting outside the garden for half an hour. He says he has some great news to share and insists on kowtowing to you in person to announce it."

Lu Zheng, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, lifted the bamboo curtain, tiptoed into the warm pavilion, and bowed to report.

Pei Yuan slowly picked up the pottery pot.

Pour boiling water into the purple clay teapot and watch the tea leaves tumble and dance in the water.

"What a joyous occasion? In this city of Jinling, the only thing that could make this old fox so happy is the return of the fleet at sea."

Pei Yuan put down the pottery pot, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip.

"Let him in. It's early in the morning, just have some fun."

Before long, Wan Dafu followed Lu Zheng and quickly entered the warm pavilion.

Wan Dafu is now riding high on success.

He was wearing a lined robe made of the finest peacock blue silk from Southeast Asia.

A piece of mutton fat jade of excellent quality hung from his waist.

He walked with a rosy complexion, and the fat on his face seemed to exude a sense of joy.

As soon as he entered the door, Wan Dafu knelt down with a "plop" and kowtowed three times.

"This humble commoner, Wan Dafu, greets Your Excellency, the Governor! May Your Excellency's descendants enjoy longevity, good health, and happiness!"

"Alright, stop with your fawning act. Get up and answer."

Pei Yuan shook his folding fan, gesturing for Lu Zheng to bring him an embroidered stool.

Wan Dafu declined the seat and only dared to sit down haphazardly on the edge of the embroidered stool.

His hands rubbed restlessly on his knees, his eyes gleaming with undisguised fervor.

"Commander! They're back! Our first batch of merchant ships has returned smoothly from their voyage!"

Wan Dafu's voice trembled with excitement.

"A full thirty large ships, flying the escort flags of the Ming Dynasty navy, sailed south all the way to Champa and Siam. The pirates of the South Seas along the way, upon seeing our flags from afar, ran faster than rabbits; not a single one dared to approach and scout ahead!"

Pei Yuan's expression remained unchanged; he simply tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan.

"What did you bring back?"

"Spice! Spices that fill the ship!"

Wan Dafu swallowed hard and gestured wildly to indicate the name.

"Pepper, sappanwood, cardamom, and the finest ambergris. In the past, when we smuggled goods, we were always on tenterhooks. If half of our ten ships returned, it was a blessing from God."

"All thirty ships were completely unharmed! The cargo unloaded at Longjiang Wharf is piled up like a mountain!"

"I've had the accountant do a rough calculation, and the interest from this trip, after deducting the cost and the boatmen's wages, is at least this much!"

Wan Dafu stretched out five short, thick fingers and waved them in front of Pei Yuan.

"Five hundred thousand taels?"

Lu Zheng couldn't help but ask a question from the side.

"Five million taels!"

Wan Dafu slapped his thigh suddenly, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Upon hearing this, even Lu Zheng gasped.

In just a few months at sea, a fleet of ships put together by several merchants actually earned a huge profit of five million taels!

If word of this speed at which they amass wealth were to reach the capital, the officials in the Ministry of Revenue would probably be so envious they'd hang themselves.

Pei Yuan merely raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he had expected it.

He knew all too well the terrifying wealth contained in the great maritime trade of that era.

Silk and porcelain from the Ming Dynasty were highly sought-after items in Southeast Asia, with prices so high that they were worth a fortune.

Spices that were considered worthless in Southeast Asia were transported back to the Ming Dynasty and were equivalent to the same weight of gold and silver.

Once this shipping route is opened, and with strong ships and powerful cannons providing comprehensive protection, it will be possible to achieve this.

This is the most secure and most profitable treasure trove in the world.

"Five million taels, that's not too bad."

Pei Yuan spoke in a calm tone, as if he were discussing a few hundred copper coins.

He looked at Wan Dafu, his eyes revealing a shrewdness like that of a cunning businessman.

"Do you still remember the rules I set back then?"

Wan Dafu quickly stood up, bowing and nodding repeatedly.

"This humble servant will remember it! We, the merchants, will not dare to touch a single penny of this five million taels of profit. We have already ordered that one and a half million taels of it be converted into cash and top-quality spices and sealed in separate boxes."

"This is money from the imperial treasury to honor His Majesty."

Wan Dafu then took out a thick stack of silver notes from his sleeve, held them above his head with both hands, and respectfully presented them to Pei Yuan.

"The remaining one million taels is a gift for the Governor-General, intended to reward the Ming Dynasty naval officers and soldiers for their hard work in escorting the ships."

"The remaining two and a half million taels is the principal and interest that each merchant, including commoners, is to be divided equally."

Pei Yuan did not take the silver note, but gave Lu Zheng a look.

Lu Zheng stepped forward and carefully put away the silver notes.

Thirty percent went to the Emperor, twenty percent to the Navy, and fifty percent to the merchants.

This is a strict rule set by Pei Yuan.

He wanted to both please the emperor and maintain his own favor as a treacherous minister.

He also wanted to ensure that his soldiers were well-fed and loyal.

Furthermore, these merchants should be made to amass great wealth, so that they will willingly continue to plunder riches overseas.

In this way, all three parties are happy, and the business can last a long time.

"Boss Wan is a shrewd man. He's got the math figured out."

Pei Yuan picked up the teacup and used the lid to stir the tea leaves.

"Now that the silver is safely in your pocket, why are you here so early in the morning instead of going home to enjoy your money? You must not be here just to report the good news, right?"

Wan Dafu's thoughts were seen through, and his old face turned red, then he put on a bitter face.

"Governor, you are wise enough to see through everything. This is indeed a joyous occasion, but right now, we have encountered an unlucky stumbling block."

"Oh?"

Pei Yuan leaned against the soft pillows.

"Is there anyone in this city of Jinling who dares to obstruct my business?"

"He was not a local official who had become cunning and corrupt, but a newly appointed official from Nanjing named Ouyang Chun."

Wan Dafu lowered his voice, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness and resentment.

"This Lord Ouyang, I heard, is a former second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) who considers himself a leader of the Qingliu faction. Yesterday, when our merchant ships docked to unload their cargo, he somehow got wind of it and actually led more than a dozen imperial censors to block the Longjiang Wharf."

"They insist that our merchant ships' design exceeds the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and that the large quantity of spices we transported back constitutes smuggling, which, according to the law, should be subject to heavy taxes, and even that the goods should be seized and stored in warehouses!"

Wan Dafu sighed with a worried expression.

"We, the common people, tried our best to persuade him, and even secretly slipped him several thousand taels of silver as a bribe, but Ouyang Chun not only refused to accept it, but also cursed us in public, saying that we had bribed an official of the imperial court."

"Now all those hundreds of cartloads of spices are stuck at the dock, unable to be unloaded or transported. If they get damp at the dock, they'll all be ruined!"