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

Li Xian leaned against the city wall, his old eyes blurry as he looked down at the colossal ship that blotted out the sky.

My whole body was trembling slightly.

He was a well-read scholar and a pragmatic prime minister.

He had assumed that the so-called shipbuilding was nothing more than repairing a few sand barges that could patrol the river.

He never imagined that human beings could create such a massive ship, as large as an island!

Its sheer size and formidable weaponry far exceeded his understanding of the military strength of this world.

"emperor……"

Li Xian swallowed a mouthful of dry saliva, his lips moving for a long time.

Yet he couldn't even utter a single word of impeachment.

Faced with absolute power, any argument that cites classical texts or historical precedents appears pale and powerless.

The Minister of War stared wide-eyed, muttering to himself.

"Such a giant ship... if used to transport troops, one can carry thousands of armored soldiers. If used for naval warfare, one can simply ram the enemy ship and it will be smashed to pieces."

"Governor Pei... truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship."

Even the Minister of War, who had always regarded Pei Yuan as his mortal enemy, couldn't help but express his heartfelt admiration at this moment.

Pei Yuan stood beside Zhu Jianji.

He took in the reactions of these civil officials and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Your Majesty, from this city wall, there is still a layer of separation."

Pei Yuan spoke at the opportune moment, his tone revealing obsequiousness.

"On the flagship, I have specially prepared a sheltered and warm pavilion for Your Majesty. Why doesn't Your Majesty personally board the ship, enjoy a cup of warm wine amidst the vast ocean waves, and witness firsthand the power of the Sea-Suppressing Divine Cannon?"

"Board the ship! I want to board the ship!"

Zhu Jianji clapped his hands in agreement without hesitation.

Half an hour later.

The emperor's entourage, following the dedicated imperial road, arrived at the deep-water pier in a grand procession.

A sturdy gangway, two zhang wide and covered with thick red felt, connected the dock to the main deck of the thousand-ton treasure ship.

The moment Zhu Jianji stepped onto the deck of the treasure ship, he felt as if he were walking on flat ground.

The massive warship was anchored in the harbor, yet it didn't feel the slightest sway.

On the deck, thousands of naval soldiers, clad in bright armor and wielding halberds, stood in formation like a forest.

Upon seeing the emperor board the ship, thousands of people knelt down on one knee in unison, the crisp clanging sound of their armor rubbing together.

They converged into a tremendous torrent of steel.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The deafening shouts soared into the sky, scattering several dark clouds on the horizon.

As Zhu Jianji walked through the military formation built of steel and flesh, he felt completely refreshed.

That sense of supreme power and dominance had reached its peak.

Pei Yuan led Zhu Jianji to the highest point of the treasure ship, the ship's tower.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, a hidden world indeed unfolded inside.

This warm chamber was decorated in the most luxurious way.

The floor was covered with a whole Persian velvet carpet, and the four walls were inlaid with bright stained glass windows.

It can both block out the cold wind outside and offer a panoramic view of the sea.

In the very center of the warm pavilion, a pot of fine animal-gold charcoal burned, and warm wine and various delicacies were laid out on the table.

This kind of behavior truly shows that they are treating this warship as a mobile "palace".

Zhu Jianji sat down in the main seat, picked up a cup of warm wine with great enjoyment, and drank it all in one gulp.

Several important officials, including Li Xian, were also allowed to enter the warm pavilion and be given seats.

They looked at the extravagant furnishings, though they had some reservations.

But when they thought of the terrifying military formation they had just witnessed, they wisely kept quiet.

"Minister Pei, you just said you wanted me to see the power of cannons."

Zhu Jianji put down his wine cup, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"This fleet looks imposing, but I wonder how accurate and effective their cannons are?"

"Your Majesty, I can rest assured that I have handled your affairs well."

Pei Yuan smiled, turned around and walked to the glass window, gently pushing open a small window.

He gestured to Lu Zheng on the deck below.

"Order! Prepare port heavy guns. Target: those three abandoned sand barges ten miles off the coast of the harbor. Three salvos!"

Upon receiving the order, Lu Zheng immediately drew his Embroidered Spring Blade and delivered the military command in a booming voice.

Inside the warm pavilion, Zhu Jianji and a group of civil officials gathered around the stained-glass window, their eyes fixed on the sea outside.

Following the direction Pei Yuan pointed, three small, dark dots could be vaguely seen floating on the distant sea.

That was the abandoned sand barge used as a target.

"Ten miles?!"

The Minister of War gasped.

"Governor Pei, it's already quite difficult for ordinary muskets to hit a target a hundred paces away, and even the Great General's Cannon can only hit a target a mile or two at most. A target ten miles away is difficult to see even with a telescope,"

"This cannon...can it even fire?"

"Your Excellency, please don't be impatient. Just watch the show."

Pei Yuan shook his folding fan, remaining calm and composed.

"boom!"

A muffled blast of a cannon fire rang out.

Followed by.

The gun ports on the lower port side of the treasure ship opened in unison.

"put!"

With a roar from the gunner, a deafening explosion resounded across the flagship.

It was a deafening roar that seemed to tear the heavens and earth apart.

Even in the well-insulated warm pavilion, Li Xian and the others still felt their ears ringing from the vibrations.

The wine in the teacup throbbed violently and splashed out of the cup.

The immense recoil caused the massive ship, weighing over a thousand tons, to tilt slightly to the right.

Outside the window, thick white smoke mixed with orange-red flames instantly obscured half of the sea.

Dozens of solid iron bullets, each weighing several tens of kilograms, pierced the sky with a piercing whistle.

Like a meteor shower, it crashed towards the sea ten miles away.

The warm pavilion was deathly silent, everyone staring intently at the three target ships.

It only took a few breaths.

"Bang! Crack!"

Even from ten miles away, the terrifying sound of shattering could still be faintly heard.

The three sand barges used as targets were instantly reduced to a shower of wood chips under the barrage of dozens of heavy cannon shells.

One of the ships was even hit on the keel and broke in two right on the sea.

He plunged headfirst into the icy seabed, leaving no trace of his body.

"hiss"

Inside the warm pavilion, a chorus of gasps of cold air rose once again.

The Minister of War's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.

He had been in charge of the Ming Dynasty's military for many years, but he had never seen such earth-shattering divine power!

Ten miles away, there were broken logs and sunken ships.

If that cannonball landed on the walls of the capital...

He didn't even dare to think about it.

"Great! That felt good! That felt good!"

Zhu Jianji was so excited that he suddenly stood up and slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine pot to fall to the ground.

His face was flushed, and he pointed to the ruins that were still bubbling with water, and burst into laughter.

"With such divine cannons and such colossal warships, who in this world dares to challenge my might!"

"What Tatars, what Oirats? If they dare to invade our borders, I will use these cannons to blast them into mincemeat!"

Zhu Jianji suddenly turned around and looked at Pei Yuan, his eyes filled with undisguised favor and dependence.

"Minister Pei! You have rendered an unparalleled service! I will reward you handsomely!"