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

"Your humble servant Pei Yuan pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Pei Yuan bowed calmly, his manners impeccable, without the slightest fault.

"Minister Pei! Rise! Please take a seat!"

When Zhu Jianji met Pei Yuan, it was as if he had met a kindred spirit.

He quickly waved for him to come forward, his voice sounding somewhat shrill from excitement.

"Your arrival is just in time, my dear minister. This furnace of Nine-Turn Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir, after undergoing eighty-one days of alternating between civil and martial fire, was only opened today at dawn."

"This is a divine medicine that rivals the wonders of heaven and earth!"

Zhu Jianji carefully picked up a purple-gold box from the table and slowly opened it.

The box was lined with red velvet, and in the center lay three pills, each the size of a longan, golden in color, and emitting a pungent metallic smell.

Pei Yuan sat on the brocade stool, his gaze fixed on the three so-called "golden pills".

A deep sadness and mockery flashed across his eyes.

Immortality?

If there really were such a shortcut to immortality by eating a few lead and mercury pills, it would be impossible.

Why should Gu Yannian endure those hundreds of years of vicissitudes in this bustling world?

He knew better than anyone that beneath that golden exterior lay a deadly poison.

Eating this stuff will cause your blood to surge within a short period of time, creating a feeling of being full of energy and having a blissful illusion.

But over time, all five internal organs will deteriorate.

In the end, they could only turn into a handful of dust in madness and pain.

A true immortal being sits upright in a grand chair, coldly observing a mortal emperor.

Driven by that elusive dream of immortality, they walked step by step toward the abyss of death.

This sense of historical absurdity, intertwined, transforms into a tragicomedy that is both laughable and absurd.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! With this miraculous medicine, you are sure to live a long and prosperous life."

Pei Yuan leaned slightly forward, uttering the most insincere and smooth-talking flattery in the world.

He was a treacherous minister.

The duty of a sycophant is to follow the emperor's wishes.

Even if this intention leads to a dead end.

Master Zixu flicked his whisk and spoke in a profound and enigmatic manner from the side.

"Grand Tutor, you are unaware of this. This elixir was made by me by gathering the essence of the sun and moon, supplementing it with the blood of the Red-Scaled Flood Dragon of the East Sea, and then blending it with the mysterious ice energy of Kunlun Mountain."

"If Your Majesty takes it, it will not only cure diseases and prolong life, but in time, it will also shed its mortal bones and be ranked among the immortals."

Pei Yuan turned his head and looked at the pretentious Master Zixu, a half-smile curving his lips.

Red-scaled Dragon of the East Sea?

Kunlun Mountain's mysterious ice?

It was nothing more than sending the navy to the South Seas to capture a few large pythons and having a caravan bring back several cartloads of saltpeter from outside the Great Wall to make ice.

This sorcerer's tricks to deceive the world were completely transparent to Pei Yuan, the Grand Tutor who controlled all overseas trade routes and border markets of the Ming Dynasty.

But Pei Yuan did not expose him.

He needs an emperor obsessed with alchemy.

Only the emperor focused all his attention on this illusory path of immortality.

Only then could the vast state apparatus of the Ming Dynasty operate entirely according to Pei Yuan's will.

"Your Majesty's magical power is boundless; I admire you greatly."

Pei Yuan gently shook his folding fan, his tone conveying three parts respect and seven parts distance.

Zhu Jianji excitedly picked up one of the golden pills, looking at it again and again, his eyes filled with fascination.

"Minister Pei, you have worked tirelessly and made great contributions to managing this Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty's current prosperity is largely due to your efforts. Today, I bestow upon you a golden elixir."

"May we, ruler and subject, share this blessing of eternal life!"

Upon hearing this, Master Zixu's expression changed slightly.

The cost of refining this elixir is extremely high, not to mention that he originally intended to use it to monopolize the Emperor's grace.

Wang Zhi was also startled and looked up.

Such a reward is an unprecedented and unparalleled favor.

Pei Yuan looked at the poison Zhu Jianji handed him and couldn't help but feel a bit amused.

The emperor wants to grant him immortality?

If he actually ate it, given his constitution with the longevity system, this mere lead and mercury poison would naturally not harm him in the slightest.

But he was unwilling to accept such a superficial favor.

Pei Yuan suddenly stood up, lifted his python robe, and kowtowed deeply, his tone revealing a mixture of gratitude and trepidation.

"Your Majesty is too kind to this humble subject! Such a miraculous medicine is an auspicious gift from Heaven to Your Majesty."

"Your humble servant is but a mortal, with a mere physical body. If I were to consume such an elixir, I fear I would be too weak to receive its benefits and would instead incur divine retribution."

"It is a blessing I have accumulated over many lifetimes to be able to serve Your Majesty and witness Your Majesty's long life. I would never dare to covet such a divine object!"

Pei Yuan's refusal was delivered with great emotion and eloquence.

This both flattered the emperor and demonstrated his unwavering loyalty.

Seeing that Pei Yuan was determined to decline, Zhu Jianji did not press the matter further.

After all, he couldn't bear to part with that golden core; what he did just now was merely a momentary attempt to test and win him over.

"My dear minister, you are indeed very cautious."

Zhu Jianji smiled and shook his head, then put the golden pill back into the box.

Then, he picked up another one, closed his eyes as if performing some kind of sacred ritual, and swallowed it.

The eunuch next to him quickly handed over warm water without roots.

Zhu Jianji drank the water.

In just a short while, the potent medicine contained in the golden pill began to take effect.

A sickly crimson flush instantly rose on Zhu Jianji's originally pale face.

His breathing became rapid, his eyes wide open, as if he had inexhaustible strength within him.

"Great! It's so hot! I feel my blood surging through my body, as if I've returned to my youthful days!"

Zhu Jianji tore open his bright yellow robe and excitedly walked around the warm pavilion.

He waved his arms and praised the Purple Void Immortal to the skies.

"This master is truly a living immortal! This elixir is indeed remarkably effective! Wang Zhi, issue an imperial decree to reward Master Zixu with a thousand taels of gold and bestow upon him a purple robe!"

The old Taoist priest stroked his beard, knelt down to express his gratitude, and his eyes revealed a hint of barely suppressed smugness.

Pei Yuan knelt on the ground, quietly watching the emperor who was caught in a fanatical delusion.

That false energy was frantically draining Zhu Jianji's already weakened life force.

This is like the setting sun, which always bursts forth with its most dazzling afterglow before disappearing into darkness.

"Rise, my dear subject."

After his initial excitement subsided, Zhu Jianji sat back down on the futon, wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked at Pei Yuan.

"I've been too lazy to concern myself with court affairs these past few days. I've also been too lazy to look at the account books that Song Yin sent me. My dear minister, you are my Grand Tutor, so please take better care of the affairs of the Ming Dynasty for me."

"I heard the navy's cannons are going to be upgraded again?"

Pei Yuan stood up and calmly responded.

"Your Majesty. Minister Song reported that the countries of Southeast Asia are now on guard. Although the navy's original bronze cannons are powerful, their range has reached its limit. The Royal Trading Company has invited several Western craftsmen to combine our Ming Dynasty's iron smelting methods with the technology to develop a new type of heavy cannon with a large belly and an extremely long barrel, named the Red Barbarian General. However, the cost of this trial production is quite enormous."

"Granted!"

Zhu Jianji waved his hand without hesitation.

His mind is now filled with thoughts of becoming an immortal and attaining enlightenment.

As long as his immense wealth can be protected from foreign invasion, what does money matter?

"Deduct it directly from the profits of the Commerce Bureau. Do as you see fit, my lord. As long as the navy's warships can protect the wealth of our Great Ming and prevent those barbarian vassals from disturbing my peaceful retreat,"

"Such trivial matters need not be bothered to me in the future."

"Your humble servant obeys the decree."

Pei Yuan bowed slightly.

This is his true purpose in entering the palace today.

A few meaningless flattering words were exchanged for absolute control over the empire's military industry and finances.

The emperor wanted to cultivate immortality, so he took care of the accounts and weapons in the mortal world for the emperor.