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

After a while.

As Li Xian and his group of civil officials stepped out of the Haiyan Hall, they bumped into Lu Zheng, who was leading a squad of Imperial Guards.

"My lords, please wait."

Lu Zheng clasped his hands in a rather informal military salute and said with a forced smile.

"It is late at night. The rules within Zhenhai Fort are strict, and it is not convenient to move around at will. I have come on the orders of the Governor to arrange lodgings for you gentlemen."

Li Xian wrapped his fox fur coat tighter around himself and snorted coldly.

"Thank you for your help, Commander Lu. Lead the way."

Lu Zheng did not move, but instead took out a thick account book from his pocket and slowly opened it.

"Your Excellency, please wait. Our Zhenhai Fort is a military town, so the buildings here are naturally not as spacious as the post stations in the capital."

"There are a few free accommodations available."

Lu Zheng pointed to a row of low, bluestone bungalows at the foot of the city wall.

"That's the barracks where the soldiers take turns resting. It's a communal sleeping area with dry straw, no floor heating, and the windows might be a bit drafty."

"However, you gentlemen are all upright and honest men, and I imagine you are not afraid of hardship. Squeezing in together for one night should not be a problem."

Upon hearing this, the faces of several older ministers and censors turned green.

The cold wind outside in the Bohai Bay is like a knife, and there isn't even a brazier in that drafty bluestone bungalow.

If someone were to sleep on that cold, dry hay for the night, they would probably have to be carried out the next morning to prepare for their funeral!

"presumptuous!"

The Minister of War angrily rebuked him.

"We are all important officials of the court, accompanying the emperor! How dare you, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, arrange for us to stay in such a filthy barracks? Are you deliberately trying to humiliate officials of the court!"

Lu Zheng remained unfazed by the Minister's anger.

He simply turned another page of the ledger, feigning helplessness.

"Your Excellency, please calm your anger. There are certainly good accommodations in this palace. The east wing has more than a dozen heated rooms with underfloor heating, and the beds are all made of silk quilts imported from Jiangnan. However..."

Lu Zheng rubbed his fingers together, a shrewd smile spreading across his face.

"Our commander-in-chief said that the construction of this palace was not easy, and all the money spent was earned by our naval soldiers who risked their lives at sea. The charcoal for the warm chambers, the bedding, everything cost money."

"If you gentlemen wish to stay here, you certainly can't stay for free. You should at least donate some money to the naval brothers for repairs and maintenance costs. Don't you agree?"

Upon hearing this, the civil officials were so enraged that they were as if a Buddha had been born and two Buddhas had ascended to heaven.

Extortion!

This treacherous official surnamed Pei actually used this extortion tactic openly on the officials accompanying the emperor!

"Outrageous! I am the Grand Secretary of the court. Am I to pay Pei Yuan a toll just for staying one night in the imperial palace?!"

Li Xian was so angry that he trembled all over and pointed at Lu Zheng's nose, cursing loudly.

Lu Zheng was also a tough nut to crack. He closed the ledger, tucked it into his waistband, and crossed his arms.

"If Your Excellency is reluctant to part with the money, then please go and rest in the barracks. We, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, value money over official robes. The rules set by the Commander-in-Chief must be followed even by the Emperor himself."

"The price for the warm room is five hundred taels of silver per night. Whether you stay or not is up to you, gentlemen. I have military duties to attend to, so I will not keep you company any longer."

After saying that, Lu Zheng turned to leave.

"Wait a minute!"

The Minister of Revenue, unable to bear the cold any longer, sneezed loudly and quickly called out to Lu Zheng.

He glanced at the dark, windswept barracks, then at the east courtyard in the distance, bathed in warm yellow light.

He gritted his teeth hard.

"Five hundred taels it is! But I... I don't have that much cash on me. How about I write an IOU?"

With the Minister of Revenue taking the lead, the defense line collapsed instantly.

Those upright censors who usually spout benevolence and morality in court and regard money as dirt.

At this moment, on the verge of life and death, they all succumbed to this shameless extortion.

"I...I want a cozy room too! I'll write an IOU!"

"And me! I'll send someone to deliver the silver when I return to the capital tomorrow!"

As Li Xian watched his colleagues open their wallets, he felt a wave of dizziness and almost fainted.

But he touched his own old bones, which were almost falling apart.

If you were to spend the night in the sea breeze, you might not even see the sun tomorrow.

In the end, this upright and incorruptible chief minister, with tears in his eyes and trembling, signed his name on an IOU for five hundred taels of silver in exchange for a warm house.

Standing in the shadows at a distance, Pei Yuan looked at the thick stack of IOUs in Lu Zheng's hand and a smile of extreme pleasure appeared on his lips.

"These old scholars deserve a good beating. Do they really think this Zhenhai Fortress is some kind of charity where they can come and go as they please?"

Pei Yuan shook his head and turned to walk towards his bedroom.

The next morning.

As the wind and snow subsided, a red sun rose from the horizon of the Bohai Bay, illuminating the vast sea with shimmering light.

Pei Yuan awoke from the large canopy bed.

He dressed neatly, wearing a cloak, and walked alone up the towering city wall of Zhenhai Fort.

The sea breeze was still cold in the early morning, but it carried a sharp, invigorating quality.

Pei Yuan leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance at the massive fleet that was quietly anchored in the harbor below.

A deep, calculating glint flashed in his eyes.

The military force was demonstrated, the emperor was pleased, and the civil officials were also given a warning.

The groundwork laid in the early stages has been done to perfection.

Next, we must take advantage of this momentum to completely and legitimately tear open the curtain of the Age of Exploration.

"Minister Pei, you're up so early."

A hearty laugh came from behind me.

Pei Yuan turned around and saw Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, wearing a bright yellow fox fur coat and surrounded by several eunuchs, walking up the city wall.

Judging from his rosy complexion, he must have had a very good rest in this palace last night.

Pei Yuan bowed respectfully.

"There are no outsiders on this city wall, so there's no need for formalities."

Zhu Jianji waved his hand, walked to Pei Yuan's side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, gazing at the vast East China Sea together.

"I thought about it for a long time last night."

Zhu Jianji's eyes revealed the ambition and aspirations of an emperor.

"Your navy is unparalleled in its might. Such powerful weapons would be a waste if they were only used for patrolling coastal waters and collecting protection money."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan's heart stirred.

The emperor's mind was now completely on the right track.

He turned slightly to the side and responded at just the right moment.

"Your Majesty is wise and benevolent. Your humble servant has built this navy precisely to help Your Majesty subdue the world and expand the territory. May I ask what grand plans Your Majesty has in store?"

Zhu Jianji turned his head and looked at Pei Yuan with burning eyes.

"I intend to formally abolish the maritime ban!"

These earth-shattering words, spoken by the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, conveyed an unyielding resolve.

"Those civil officials cling to ancestral rules day after day, unaware that the world has changed!"

"The ocean holds inexhaustible wealth. I think the Maritime Trade Office you established in Jiangnan is excellent."

Zhu Jianji reached out and slammed his hand on the bluestone wall, his voice impassioned.

"I intend to issue an edict to extend the Maritime Trade Commission to the coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong! Maritime trade licenses will be issued to merchants throughout the land."

"Anyone holding this license may legally engage in overseas trade! The Ming Dynasty Navy will be fully responsible for their protection and escort!"

Looking at the emperor's ambitious appearance, Pei Yuan's lips curled into a cunning smile of triumph.

This is exactly what he wanted.

The emperor himself issued an edict to completely officialize and legalize his previous clandestine methods of accumulating wealth.