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

Half an hour later, in the front hall of the Right Vice-Governor's Mansion.

The hall was simply furnished, with neither a dazzling array of antiques nor any calligraphy by famous artists.

Only a large rosewood armchair stood in the very center, exuding an imposing and dignified aura.

Qiao Shouye was over fifty years old, with a square face and large ears, and wore an extremely unassuming blue Hangzhou silk long gown.

Although he was the wealthiest and most prominent merchant in Shanxi.

But even now, standing in this world-renowned Yama's mansion, I still feel a chill run down my spine.

Sweat kept seeping from his forehead.

Footsteps sounded from behind the screen.

Surrounded by a group of strongmen, Pei Yuan slowly walked out and sat down in the grand chair with an air of authority.

"This humble subject, Qiao Shouye, kowtows to the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, Right Commander-in-Chief Pei!"

Qiao Shouye hurriedly lifted the corner of his robe, knelt down on both knees, and performed a grand salute.

"Mr. Qiao, please excuse the formalities and take a seat."

Pei Yuan picked up the covered bowl and raised his hand indifferently.

Qiao Shouye thanked the chair and only dared to rest half of his buttocks on the edge of the chair.

He respectfully took out a red-sealed gift list with gold lettering and a small sandalwood box from his sleeve with both hands.

"My lord, we, the humble merchants of Shanxi, have long admired your esteemed reputation. We have heard that you have been working tirelessly day and night to oversee the construction of the Tianjin Imperial Palace, and we are deeply grateful."

"I have prepared a small gift as a token of my appreciation to you, sir. I hope you will not find it offensive."

Lu Zheng stepped forward, took the item, and presented it to Pei Yuan's desk.

Pei Yuan slightly raised his eyelids, without looking at the gift list, and directly reached out to open the copper clasp of the sandalwood box.

When the box was opened, it didn't contain any gold or silver jewelry, but rather a thick stack of land deeds neatly folded inside.

The top one prominently displays a red deed for 500 acres of prime paddy fields outside Dongzhimen, the most bustling area in Beijing.

Further down the page, you'll find deeds for estates and shops in the capital region and even in the wealthy Jiangnan area.

"The land deeds in this box are worth at least a million or two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Boss Qiao, your generosity is even greater than that of the salt merchants in Jiangnan."

Pei Yuan casually pushed the box aside, his gaze carrying a hint of mockery.

It landed on Qiao Shouye's smiling face.

"However, I have always refused to accept gifts without merit. If I were to accept such a generous gift without proper justification, I would not be able to sleep soundly at night."

"Boss Qiao, please speak frankly what you need me to do."

Qiao Shouye swallowed hard, knowing that trying to beat around the bush with such a powerful and influential official was tantamount to suicide.

He immediately gritted his teeth, stood up, and bowed deeply to the ground again.

"Your Excellency is too kind. We are law-abiding citizens who run our businesses, how could we dare to order you around? However... however, recently the Northern Garrison has established border patrol and anti-smuggling offices in the nine border regions, and the customs duty for crossing the border has been set at 20%."

"My lord, you are wise. We trade in the border regions. The journeys are long and arduous, and we earn our living through hard work. If we reduce our profits by 20%, our businesses will have to lose money to gain market share."

"This humble citizen humbly begs Your Excellency to show mercy and leave a way out for us Shanxi merchants."

After saying this, Qiao Shouye stared nervously at Pei Yuan, fearing that this capricious and powerful minister would suddenly turn hostile.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the soft sound of Pei Yuan opening and closing his folding fan.

Each sound seemed to strike a chord in Qiao Shouye's heart.

After a long while, Pei Yuan suddenly burst out laughing.

The laughter was initially very soft, but gradually became unrestrained and arrogant, exuding a chillingly sinister aura.

"Hard-earned money?"

Pei Yuan abruptly closed his folding fan, leaned forward, and stared intently at Qiao Shouye with his deep, narrow eyes.

"Qiao Shouye, do you take me for one of those bookworms in the Censorate who only know how to study by rote?"

"A pound of fine Pu'er tea bricks costs only a few hundred coins in the capital, but if transported out of Zhangjiakou and sold to the Tatar nobles outside the Great Wall, it can be exchanged for a fine horse worth more than ten taels of silver."

"A piece of pig iron can fetch ten times its price once it leaves the pass! You're telling me you're making a living through hard work?"

Qiao Shouye's face turned ashen, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees again with a thud.

"My lord... this... this market is good, but the expenses along the way are enormous..."

"Take care of things along the way?"

Pei Yuan sneered.

"Did you bribe the garrison commander of Datong, or the eunuch of Xuanfu? You're using the iron weapons of the Ming Dynasty to feed the wolves beyond the Great Wall, so they can forge scimitars to behead my Ming border troops!"

"I'm already showing you immense kindness by only charging you 20% of the land deeds as tax. How dare you come to my residence with these worthless deeds to haggle over a price?"

These words were piercing and hit the nail on the head.

The Ming Dynasty law strictly prohibited the export of ironware. These Shanxi merchants' smuggling was a capital offense.

No one investigated this in the past because everyone shared the benefits.

Now that Pei Yuan has directly exposed this hidden truth, it is a blatant threat.

"My lord, spare me! My lord, please have mercy!"

Qiao Shouye was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly.

"We were momentarily confused and had absolutely no intention of colluding with the enemy or betraying our country! If Your Excellency is willing to show leniency, we will offer any conditions you set, and we will gladly die for you!"

Pei Yuan looked at the terrified fat sheep and slowly leaned back in his chair.

His expression returned to that nonchalant, languid state.

After suppressing them, it's time to offer some incentives.

This is the way to manage people.

"Get up. If I really wanted to deal with you, you wouldn't be allowed to enter this governor's mansion today; you'd be going straight to the imperial prison for tea."

Qiao Shouye shakily got up.

He wiped the cold sweat from his face haphazardly with his sleeve, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Boss Qiao, I'm a man who follows the rules."

"In this Great Ming Dynasty, whether it is the sea route in Jiangnan or the land route in the Nine Borders, the rules now have to be set by me."

Pei Yuan picked up the covered bowl, took a sip of tea, and his tone became calm and deep.

"This toll is 20%, not a penny less. But since I've taken your money, I will naturally protect you."

"From this day forward, all merchant caravans holding Jinyiwei warrants shall have unimpeded passage through the nine border regions."

"Any border general or garrison eunuch who dares to set up roadblocks and collect taxes without authorization will be dealt with personally by me."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Shouye's dim eyes suddenly flashed with a burst of wild joy.

In the past, although Shanxi merchants made a lot of money, they had to pay tribute to all sorts of powerful figures.

If they are not careful, they will be slaughtered by local officials like fat sheep.

Now, as long as you hand over 20% to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it's equivalent to having the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor and the Right Vice-Commander-in-Chief, the strongest backer in the land!

All the exploitation along the way was waived, and in the end, they not only didn't lose money, but actually made a more secure profit!

"Thank you so much, sir! Your kindness is like a second life!"

Qiao Shouye was moved to tears.

"Don't thank me yet."

Pei Yuan raised his hand to interrupt him, his gaze slightly narrowed.

"Trade can proceed, but the rules must be strictly enforced. You may sell tea, silk, and porcelain as you see fit. However, there are two things: not a single piece of iron may leave the border, and not a single pellet of gunpowder may cross the border."

"If I were to discover who dares to smuggle iron and firearms to aid the enemy..."

Pei Yuan's lips curled into a cruel sneer, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze, yet carrying a chilling murderous intent.

"I will not only confiscate his entire family's property, but I will also dig up the bones from his ancestral graves and boil them into oil to burn as sky lanterns. Do you understand?"