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

"When a nation is about to perish... monsters will inevitably emerge!"

Li Xian raised his head and let out a mournful cry like a cuckoo crying blood.

Tears streamed down his deeply lined face.

He took a deep breath, and a chillingly resolute will to die suddenly burst forth from his cloudy old eyes.

"As the current Grand Secretary, entrusted with the care of the late Emperor, how can I stand by and watch the two-hundred-year foundation of the Ming Dynasty be destroyed by this treacherous villain!"

"Isn't Pei Yuan all-powerful? Can't he silence the world with money? Today, I'll use my remaining life to ram into his fortress!"

Li Xian suddenly stood up, walked to the desk, and grabbed a wolf-hair brush.

Dipping his brush in thick ink, he wrote furiously on the snow-white memorial.

His brushstrokes flowed like dragons and snakes, each word written with the blood of a warrior.

"Pass on my message: order all officials among the Six Ministries, Nine Ministers, and Censors who still possess some integrity and loyalty to assemble outside Fengtian Gate at dawn tomorrow!"

Li Xian clutched the completed memorial tightly in his hand, as if he were holding a sharp blade about to be drawn.

"Tomorrow, I will remonstrate with my life!"

The next morning.

As dawn broke, the Forbidden City was still shrouded in a thin mist.

The square outside Fengtian Gate was already packed with people.

Led by Grand Secretary Li Xian, dozens of high-ranking officials and upright officials, all dressed in court attire and holding ceremonial tablets, were present.

He knelt solemnly on the cold gold bricks.

Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, had just finished washing up in the Qianqing Palace when he heard Wang Zhi rushing in in a panic to report.

It is said that the Grand Secretary led all the officials to kneel and remonstrate outside Fengtian Gate.

Zhu Jianji's brows furrowed into a tight knot instantly.

These old scoundrels do this every now and then. Do they really think my patience is endless?

"Prepare the carriage at Fengtian Gate! I want to see what kind of trouble they'll cause this time!"

Zhu Jianji flung his bright yellow dragon robe sleeves and angrily boarded the imperial carriage.

After Zhu Jianji settled on the dragon throne at Fengtian Gate.

Li Xian, standing below the steps, immediately raised his memorial, his voice hoarse.

Yet it carried a tragic grandeur, a sense of desperation and determination, resounding throughout the entire square.

"Your humble servant Li Xian, risking his life, submits this memorial! He impeaches Pei Yuan, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and Right Commander-in-Chief, for harboring treacherous intentions, misleading the Crown Prince, and acting perversely—a crime deserving of unforgivable punishment!"

"We humbly beseech Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering the execution of this scourge of the nation by slow slicing, to atone for the sins of the people!"

A hint of impatience flashed in Zhu Jianji's eyes.

These impeachments against Pei Yuan were piled up on his desk higher than a mountain, and every single one of them was full of the same old clichés.

"Grand Secretary Li, Pei Yuan has overseen the construction of the navy, which has filled the national treasury, and I have just rewarded him. You are asking me to kill him without any real reason; you must provide a convincing justification."

Li Xian kowtowed loudly, his forehead hitting the gold brick with a muffled thud.

"Your Majesty! At Zhenhai Fort in Tianjin, Pei Yuan, right in front of His Highness the Crown Prince, tied merchants to cannons and blasted them into a bloody pulp! Such a heinous act is utterly outrageous!"

Li Xian raised his head, tears streaming down his face, and tearfully accused Li Xian.

"What's even more heartbreaking is that His Highness the Crown Prince, being so young, was deceived and misled by them. Not only did he not try to dissuade them, he even ordered the execution!"

"Your Majesty! The Crown Prince is the heir apparent and should rule the country with benevolence. Now, Pei Yuan has taught him to treat human life as worthless, and his words are full of tyrannical and mercenary pronouncements. If this continues, the Ming Dynasty will surely be plunged into chaos and suffering!"

"That scoundrel Pei Yuan clearly intends to mold the Crown Prince into a tyrant so he can manipulate the emperor from behind the scenes and usurp the throne of our Ming Dynasty!"

These words caused a stir in the imperial court.

The officials who knelt and remonstrated with him all wept bitterly.

They shouted, "Your Majesty is wise; you have executed the traitors and restored order to the nation!"

As Zhu Jianji sat on the dragon throne, listening to Li Xian's accusations, his eyes gradually darkened.

He was not angry because Pei Yuan had executed a few merchants.

A few smuggling merchants, they're dead, so be it, not worth mentioning.

What made him somewhat suspicious was Li Xian's statement, "To hold the emperor hostage and command the feudal lords."

Emperors are by nature the most suspicious creatures in the world.

Just as Zhu Jianji remained silent and the atmosphere in the court became extremely tense.

Suddenly, a eunuch's loud voice rang out from outside Fengtian Gate.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and Right Commander-in-Chief Pei are here to pay their respects!"

All the officials turned around.

Under the rising sun, Crown Prince Zhu Youzhen, dressed in a robe with four dragon motifs, walked steadily towards the scene.

Half a step behind him was Pei Yuan, dressed in a bright red python robe, his demeanor still as relaxed as a crane.

Li Xian was so angry at Pei Yuan's nonchalant attitude that his eyes almost spit fire.

They wished they could pounce on him and devour his flesh raw.

The two entered the hall and paid their respects with great ceremony.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Your humble servant Pei Yuan greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Jianji stared intently at his son, noticing that this ten-year-old eldest prince had returned from his trip to Tianjin.

The childishness in his eyes had faded, replaced by a sense of composure and sternness.

"Crown Prince."

Zhu Jianji spoke slowly.

"Grand Secretary Li just reported that Pei Yuan taught you brutal killings in Tianjin, leading you down the path of a tyrant. How do you explain this?"

All eyes of the court officials instantly focused on Zhu Youzhen.

Li Xian was filled with anticipation, hoping that the Crown Prince would suddenly realize his mistake in front of the Emperor's majesty and confess Pei Yuan's crimes.

However, Zhu Youzhen showed no sign of panic.

He stood up, turned his head, and gave Li Xian, who was kneeling on the ground, a cold glance.

That look in his eyes even revealed a hint of Zhu Jianji's usual anger.

"Your Majesty, what Grand Secretary Li said is utter nonsense!"

Zhu Youzhen's voice was clear and crisp, each word ringing out.

"The people killed in Tianjin were traitors who colluded with foreign powers and smuggled firearms blueprints! According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, such crimes should be punished with the extermination of nine generations of their families."

"Your Majesty, I ordered the execution by cannon blasting to establish the authority of the Ming Dynasty and to set rules for the Royal Merchants Bureau! How can this be considered cruel?"

Zhu Youzhen stepped forward, looked directly at Li Xian, and spoke sharply.

"Grand Secretary Li says that the Grand Tutor taught me to be mercenary and domineering. Then I would like to ask you, Grand Secretary, if it weren't for the Grand Tutor teaching you these mercenary ways, where would Father Emperor's imperial treasury come from? Who would distribute the military pay for the nine border regions?"

"You civil officials talk about benevolence and righteousness in court every day, yet you can't even come up with the silver to repair a section of the Yellow River embankment. The Grand Tutor is sharing the Emperor's burdens and raising funds and strengthening the army for the Ming Dynasty, but you are here framing loyal officials."

"Grand Secretary Li, is this out of loyalty, or jealousy and envy of talent?"

These words were spoken with an overbearing tone.

Not only was Li Xian stunned, but even Zhu Jianji was so surprised that his mouth opened slightly.

Such sharp and domineering words are hardly the kind of things a ten-year-old child would say.

This is simply a seasoned emperor who has experienced the ups and downs of officialdom!

Li Xian was so angry that he was trembling all over. He pointed at Zhu Youzhen, his lips quivering.

"Your Highness! You...you were actually bewitched by that treacherous villain and led to this abyss! This old minister...this old minister's loyalty is as clear as day!"

"A heart full of loyalty?"

Pei Yuan, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, finally spoke up at the opportune moment.

He chuckled softly and pulled a sealed file from his large sleeve pocket.

He walked slowly to the emperor's presence and presented the document to Wang Zhi with both hands.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Li repeatedly proclaims his unwavering loyalty. However, I happen to possess a secret report intercepted by the Zhenfu Division a few days ago. It concerns the very foundations of the court, and I had no intention of revealing it at this time."

"But since Grand Secretary Li has put it this way, Your Majesty has no choice but to let him take a look."