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

"This...this is a summer palace?!"

The Minister of War pointed at the city wall that exuded endless killing intent, his fingers trembling violently, his voice shrill and cracking.

Just as the officials were dumbfounded.

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening cannon shot boomed from the top of Zhenhai Fort.

The shockwave made everyone's eardrums ring, and the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly.

Immediately afterwards, the heavy iron city gates slowly opened to both sides, accompanied by the sound of winches turning.

A group of heavily armored, menacing guards rode out of the city gate in single file and lined both sides of the official road.

Right in the center.

Pei Yuan wore a bright red robe embroidered with gold python patterns, over which he wore a black fox fur coat.

He did not ride a horse, but walked leisurely and unhurriedly towards the cold wind.

Those deep, narrow eyes revealed a playful and arrogant air, as if they were manipulating the entire court of officials with ease.

He walked to within ten steps of Zhu Jianji.

His voice was strong and resonant, piercing through the howling sea wind.

"Your humble servant, Pei Yuan, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and Right Commander-in-Chief, has been ordered to oversee the construction of the Zhenhai Fort Palace, which is now completed. I hereby lead the Tianjin Garrison to respectfully welcome Your Majesty's arrival!"

Zhu Jianji looked at the majestic pass before him, then at Pei Yuan kneeling on the ground with a respectful expression.

I felt like my blood was about to boil.

What he wanted was this domineering aura that could swallow everything in its path!

In contrast, the exquisite yet lifeless Forbidden City in Beijing is like a giant birdcage.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Jianji said "good" three times in a row, strode forward, and patted him on the shoulder forcefully.

"Minister Pei! This palace you have built is exactly to my liking! This is the place where the Emperor of the Great Ming should reside! This is the true symbol of the might of the Great Ming!"

After saying that, Zhu Jianji turned his head away.

Looking at the bewildered civil officials behind him, a mocking sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Grand Secretary Li, my beloved ministers. Didn't you all say that Pei Yuan's construction of the imperial palace was a waste of resources and manpower, a display of his own pleasure? Open your eyes and take a look!"

"If the Tatar cavalry were to march into the Bohai Bay, could they possibly breach such a fortified city?"

Li Xian opened his mouth, his old face turning bright red, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

He was a civil official who understood military affairs.

He could tell at a glance how impeccable the defensive system of Zhenhai Fortress was.

Those walls, forged with molten iron, were impenetrable, let alone a cavalry charge.

Even if you used a trebuchet to smash it, you might not be able to make a dent.

Such a powerful weapon for national defense, if placed on the border, would be a pillar of stability.

But Pei Yuan, under the guise of building a "temporary palace," actually used the emperor's private funds to build it!

How can he impeach him now?

Impeach Pei Yuan for making the emperor's pleasure quarters too solid?

Pei Yuan looked at the group of civil officials who resembled defeated roosters, and a perfectly timed "humble" smile appeared on his face.

"Your Majesty flatters me. I am a rough man and do not understand the romantic scenery of gardens. I only know that Your Majesty's safety is of paramount importance."

"Although this palace looks rather crude, it is sturdy. The Emperor can sleep soundly inside."

Pei Yuan turned to the side and gestured for him to enter.

"Your Majesty, it is windy outside. Please follow me into the city. In the harbor within the city, the main fleet of the Ming Dynasty navy is arrayed and awaiting Your Majesty's inspection!"

"Let's go! Follow me to the city wall to review the troops!"

Zhu Jianji, full of heroic spirit, shook off the eunuch's support and strode into the deep city gate.

Li Xian and his fellow civil officials followed behind like zombies.

As they watched Pei Yuan walk beside the emperor, his crimson python robe billowing, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up within them.

This unconventional and treacherous minister, through unreasonable means, tightly bound the great cause of national defense of the Ming Dynasty with the emperor's personal desires.

He embezzled the money of merchants across the land, but he forged the backbone of the Ming Dynasty into steel.

These self-proclaimed upright officials and censors appeared utterly pale and laughable in the face of such genuine and awe-inspiring power.

……

The north wind was like a knife, whipping up the snowflakes from the Bohai Bay.

It slammed hard against the pitch-black iron walls of Zhenhai Fort.

We passed through that deep and heavy city gate.

Under Pei Yuan's guidance, Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, stepped onto the bluestone steps leading directly to the wide horse path on the city wall.

The steps were built to be extremely gentle and wide, so that not only could people walk up them, but two warhorses could also ride side by side.

Zhu Jianji was in exceptionally high spirits today.

He brushed aside the support of the attending eunuch Wang Zhi and strode up the steps with a brisk pace.

His face, which had been somewhat pale from years of seclusion in the palace, was now flushed with an unusual redness from the sea breeze.

His eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement.

Following behind, Grand Secretary Li Xian, along with several ministers from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, were panting heavily.

They were already elderly, and after being jostled around in the snow for several days, their hands and feet were all freezing cold.

But seeing the emperor walking at the very front, no one dared to utter a word of complaint.

They could only grit their teeth and follow along, one step at a time.

"Your Majesty, it's windy up there. Please put on this cloak."

We walked to the end of the horse trail.

Pei Yuan took a cloak made from a single piece of the finest sable fur from Lu Zheng and personally draped it over Zhu Jianji's shoulders.

Then he carefully fastened the buttons on his collar.

He performed this sycophantic and obsequious manner so smoothly that there was not a single flaw in his performance.

Zhu Jianji patted Pei Yuan's hand with satisfaction and strode up to the highest point of the city wall.

The huge city gate tower was named "Guanhaitai" (Sea-Viewing Platform).

This viewing platform was not built in a fancy or overly elaborate way.

Instead, it was entirely constructed of massive stones, with wide crenellations on three sides, offering an unparalleled expansive view.

The moment Zhu Jianji stood in front of the crenellations and looked out over the city wall.

The emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who considered himself the ruler of all under heaven, involuntarily held his breath.

His hands gripped the cold, blue stone wall in front of him tightly.

Below is a huge deep-water harbor tightly protected by a semi-circular city wall.

The grey-blue waves rolled in the winter sun.

Amidst the waves, two magnificent treasure ships, each as large as a mountain on the sea, stood silently anchored, like two sea gods.

The nine towering main masts were half a head taller than the walls of Zhenhai Fort.

The huge hard sails had already been lowered.

But the massive hull, the ferocious bow resembling a divine beast swallowing the sea, and the dense array of bronze cannons gleaming with a cold, eerie light on both sides of the ship.

They all exuded a suffocating, terrifying sense of oppression.

Behind these two behemoths, fifty heavily armed Fujian-style ships with extremely deep drafts were lined up like geese.

The entire fleet was linked end to end, its banners obscuring the sun.

It filled the vast harbor to the brim.

The sea breeze swept by, causing the dragon flag with the gold character "明" on a black background to flutter loudly, as if thousands of soldiers were roaring in unison.

"This...this is the navy of my Great Ming Dynasty?!"

Zhu Jianji's voice trembled violently with extreme excitement.

He suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Pei Yuan, his eyes slightly reddening.

"Replying to Your Majesty."

Pei Yuan took a half step back, lifted the hem of his crimson python robe, and his voice, like the clash of metal and stone, resounded throughout the city.

"This is the first naval fleet of my Great Ming Dynasty! Fifty-two warships, fifteen thousand sailors, and eight hundred heavy cannons!"

"Your humble servant Pei Yuan has successfully completed his mission, bringing this invincible army intact before Your Majesty! Please review the troops, Your Majesty!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Jianji shouted three times, burst into laughter, and pulled Pei Yuan up from the ground.

He pointed to the fleet below, a veritable jungle of steel.

Looking back at the civil officials who had just climbed the city wall and were now exhausted and collapsed on the ground, he realized they were the only ones who could do so.

His eyes were filled with a disdainful scorn for everything.

"Grand Secretary Li! My beloved ministers! You are all in the capital, telling me every day that this won't work, that won't work!"

"You say Pei Yuan is corrupt and lawless, and that his construction of the palace is a waste of resources and manpower! Open your eyes and see for yourselves!"

Zhu Jianji walked up to Li Xian and pointed to the fleet below.

"This is the palace Pei Yuan built for me! This is the invincible fleet he forged for the Ming Dynasty using the money from those merchants!"

"You all keep shouting about protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people, but which of you can actually build such a vast empire for me?!"