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

However, this vibrant energy failed to reach the stagnant capital.

The Right Governor's Office on the shore of Shichahai Lake.

Pei Yuan was enjoying the cool air in a quiet, open pavilion.

Lu Zheng rushed over from outside under the scorching sun, his flying fish robe soaked with sweat and clinging to his back.

"My lord, the officials in the capital are getting better and better at it."

Lu Zheng gulped down a large bowl of cold tea, wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, and looked on with a mixture of sarcasm and annoyance.

"What? Are those civil officials kneeling outside Fengtian Gate again?"

Pei Yuan slightly raised his eyelids, his tone casual.

"They didn't kneel. After Grand Secretary Li died, they learned their lesson and realized that a direct confrontation wouldn't work, so now they're resorting to a softer approach."

Lu Zheng leaned closer and reported in a low voice.

"In the past two weeks, about 30% of the officials in the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, as well as the censors and officials in the Censorate, have submitted memorials requesting leave due to illness, saying that the summer heat was unbearable, old illnesses had relapsed, and they could not perform their duties. The rest of those who reluctantly went to the yamen to report for duty were also just going through the motions."

"A routine document for allocating grain and fodder could be passed back and forth between the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War for ten days to half a month."

"The disaster reports from the local areas and the preparations for the autumn imperial examinations all piled up on the desk of the Office of Transmission, like a small mountain."

Lu Zheng sneered repeatedly.

"They're colluding to shirk their duties! They're trying to paralyze the court's operations, forcing the Emperor and Your Excellency to back down so they can regain control of the government."

Pei Yuan was not surprised upon hearing this; on the contrary, he found it somewhat amusing.

This was the most common trump card used by the civil service group in feudal dynasties.

No matter how wise and powerful the emperor is, he cannot personally collect taxes, adjudicate cases, or repair river embankments.

Without these well-read officials, the vast imperial machine would come to a standstill.

They thought that by exploiting this weakness, they could be invincible.

"What is the Emperor's reaction?"

Pei Yuan put down the crystal cup and asked casually.

"His Majesty was so angry that he smashed several Ru ware vases from previous dynasties in the Qianqing Palace. This morning, he also issued an edict reprimanding the ministers of the Six Ministries, but all the ministers knelt on the ground to beg for forgiveness."

"They insisted that it was due to a shortage of staff among the lower-level officials, coupled with the sweltering heat, which was a natural disaster beyond human control."

Lu Zheng replied.

Pei Yuan stood up, dusted off his ice silk robe, and walked calmly to the eaves.

"These old scholars are certainly shrewd. Do they think that, apart from writing rigid, formulaic essays, no one else in the world can actually do any work?"

Pei Yuan opened his folding fan to block out the glaring sunlight, a cold and profound look flashing in his eyes that seemed to penetrate a century.

"Prepare the carriage. I'm going to the Western Garden. Since the emperor himself is unwilling to cut away the rotten flesh in the court, I will personally perform the surgery on his behalf."

West Garden, Shuiyun Pavilion by Taiye Pond.

Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianji, was pacing restlessly in the pavilion.

The desk was piled high with unread memorials; those yellowed pages seemed to him like faces mocking his incompetence.

"Your Majesty, Commander Pei requests an audience."

Wang Zhi cautiously stepped forward to report.

"Announce it quickly!"

Zhu Jianji, as if grasping at a lifeline, immediately stopped in his tracks.

Pei Yuan stepped into the pavilion, bowed deeply, and was then pulled up by Zhu Jianji.

"Minister Pei! Listen to this, look at this! These scoundrels are actually using neglect of their duties to blackmail me!"

Zhu Jianji pointed at the pile of memorials, his face turning ashen with anger, and his voice trembling.

"I ordered them to allocate a batch of summer clothes to the nine border regions, but the Ministry of Revenue said the treasury's silver reserves hadn't been settled, and the Ministry of War said the document format was incorrect. Such a small matter, and they've been stalling for half a month! As emperor, I can't even issue an order outside the Forbidden City!"

Zhu Jianji grew angrier as he spoke, and suddenly slammed his hand on the stone table.

"I really want the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest them all and throw them into the imperial prison, then chop off their heads one by one!"

Pei Yuan stood calmly to the side, waiting for the emperor to vent his anger before bowing slightly, his tone as gentle as a breeze.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Killing people may feel satisfying, but if this group is killed, the newly promoted officials will still be studying the same Four Books and Five Classics and receiving instruction from the same mentors."

"It's just a change of name, not substance. In a few years, they will still be using the same methods to hinder the emperor."

Zhu Jianji frowned and slumped down.

"In your opinion, my dear minister, am I merely to stand by and endure their idle taunts?"

Pei Yuan walked to the desk, picked up a memorial at random, glanced at it, and then threw it back.

"Your Majesty, do you know who truly keeps the Ming Dynasty running smoothly?"

Zhu Jianji was taken aback and blurted out, "Naturally, it refers to officials of various levels of pastoral administration."

Pei Yuan chuckled and shook his head.

"His Majesty is wise, but he overestimated those officials. A county magistrate, after ten years of hard study, has a head full of poetry, songs, and classical Chinese."

"When he arrives in the local area, will he know how to measure the land? Will he know how to judge the quality of the autumn grain? Will he understand the complex criminal law provisions of the Ming Dynasty?"

Pei Yuan's voice gradually became deep and powerful.

"They don't understand. Those who actually measure land, collect taxes, and investigate criminal cases in the localities are the clerks who have spent their entire lives working in the government offices."

Upon hearing the words "clerk," Zhu Jianji's expression became somewhat complicated.

In the Ming Dynasty, clerks were considered to be in a lowly, lowly profession.

They were mostly seasoned locals, passing down their positions from father to son and then to grandson, controlling the practical affairs of the government offices.

The imperial court had explicit regulations that not only could clerks not participate in the imperial examinations, but their descendants for three generations were also prohibited from holding official positions.

In the eyes of those noble and aloof civil officials, clerks were nothing more than servants who ran errands and did dirty work for them.

"Why do you mention these clerks, my dear minister? Although they are knowledgeable in practical matters, most of them are greedy and cunning, and are not fit for important tasks."

Zhu Jianji asked in confusion.

Pei Yuan took a deep breath, tucked the folding fan into his sleeve, and his expression became extremely solemn.

"Your Majesty. Civil officials are noble and ambitious, coveting fame and vying for power in the court; lowly clerks are base and greedy for nothing more than a few taels of silver. Now that those civil officials consider themselves noble and are unwilling to work for Your Majesty,"

"Why doesn't Your Majesty break with this century-old tradition and promote those clerks who are knowledgeable in practical matters and reliable in their work to official positions?"

"What?!"

Zhu Jianji was so shocked that he stood up, his face full of disbelief.

To appoint clerks to official positions?

This is absolutely ridiculous!

If this move is implemented, it would be like throwing the face of all scholars in the world into the mud and trampling it underfoot.

Pei Yuan stared directly at the emperor, pressing closer with each step.

"Your Majesty, in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. Since no one is willing to write the official documents for the Six Ministries, we should promote those long-serving veteran officials in the Six Ministries, grant them the rank of seventh grade, and let them take charge!"

"If a county magistrate dares to claim illness and neglect his duties, he shall be dismissed on the spot, and the clerks and officials in the county government shall take his place!"

"Didn't they like to neglect their duties? So the Emperor issued a decree that anyone who claimed illness and missed court for ten days would be granted permission to retire and return to their hometown to live out their days!"

"The vacated positions will be filled entirely by clerks and talented individuals selected through the Tianjin Wei Practical Examination!"

Pei Yuan's eyes flashed with a mixture of fervor and ruthlessness.

"What the Emperor wants are capable people, not ancestors who just keep chanting scriptures in your ear. As long as the taxes of the Ming Dynasty can be collected, as long as the treasure ships of the navy can be built, it doesn't matter whether they are scholars or lowly old officials."

"Whoever can share the Emperor's burdens is a pillar of the nation!"