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

"This is the kind of life a human being should live."

Li Changqing straightened the slightly oversized blue robe he was wearing.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, I strolled into the hustle and bustle of the capital city in the early morning.

Steaming hot food was being sold at the breakfast stall on the street corner.

"Uncle Zhang, a bowl of hot soy milk, and two freshly fried dough sticks, please."

Li Changqing sat down familiarly on a long bench, took out a few copper coins from his sleeve, and slapped them on the greasy tabletop.

"Good morning, Lord Li! It's coming right up to you!"

The old man selling breakfast chuckled and responded, quickly serving up a large bowl of grayish-white soy milk.

Li Changqing picked up the large bowl and, along with the crispy fried dough sticks, began to slurp the soup down.

Such sour and rancid folk food would have been disdained even by the servants in the Grand Tutor's mansion back in the day.

But Li Changqing was now enjoying his meal immensely.

To live a long and prosperous life is to experience the myriad aspects of this mortal world.

After getting tired of the high-end delicacies, occasionally experiencing the everyday life of the common people can be quite delightful.

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Changqing slowly stood up and patted his belly.

Following the flow of people, we walked towards Chengtian Gate.

Today, the first day of the Lunar New Year, is the great court meeting.

Although the compilers of the Hanlin Academy were of low rank, they still had to go outside Fengtian Gate to make up the numbers during the grand court assembly and serve as part of the imperial guard.

It is exactly 7:00 AM.

Outside Fengtian Gate, officials gathered in large numbers.

Emperor Chengping, Zhu Youzhen, sat upright on the high dragon throne, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, and a short beard had already grown under his chin.

That imperial majesty was even more profound and restrained than before.

Under the rule of this young emperor, the maritime trade of the Ming Dynasty flourished.

The Royal Trading Company's fleet has extended its routes deep into the Western Ocean.

With a full national treasury and stable borders, it was a time of great peace and prosperity.

Li Changqing, dressed in his inconspicuous seventh-rank blue robe, mingled in the last row of the civil officials' ranks, hiding behind a thick white marble dragon pillar.

He leaned most of his body against the pillar, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes half-closed, as if he were dozing off while standing.

Ahead, a heated discussion is taking place in the imperial court.

"emperor!"

A middle-aged official in a scarlet robe, with a resolute expression, stepped out of the line, holding a tablet in his hand, his voice loud and clear.

Li Changqing slightly opened his eyes and looked through the gap between the shoulders of the officials in front of him.

That man was none other than the former math genius who failed the imperial examinations, now serving as the Minister of Revenue and the Director-General of the Royal Commerce Bureau.

Song Yin.

"Recently, foreign ships from Southeast Asia have been frequently harassing our Ming Dynasty's trade routes. I believe that the Tianjin Garrison Navy should be dispatched immediately to sail south and deter them."

"At the same time, the Ministry of Revenue needs to allocate another three million taels of silver to rush the production of new cannons to enhance our prestige!"

When Song Yin presented his memorials, he was always concise and to the point, only discussing money, provisions, and military strength, without uttering a single word of the words of the sages.

Upon hearing this, someone immediately jumped out from the ranks of civil officials.

"Minister Song is mistaken!"

An imperial censor from the Censorate stepped forward to refute the accusation.

"The imperial court has been waging wars overseas for years. Although it has brought in revenue, it has also damaged the foundation of the nation. The barbarians are thousands of miles away. Why should we risk war over some trade route disputes?"

"In my opinion, we should send envoys to question them and subdue them with virtue, thus demonstrating the grandeur of our great celestial empire!"

Song Yin sneered and retorted without any politeness.

"Winning people over with virtue? Imperial Censor Wang, those barbarian cannons don't understand your moral pronouncements. Trade routes are the lifeblood of our Great Ming Dynasty; cutting off their livelihood is like killing their parents."

"If you're worried about those three million taels of silver, I can decide to deduct it directly from the Royal Trading Company's profits, without costing the Imperial Treasury a single penny!"

This kind of tough demeanor, this tone that talks nothing but money and cannons, is exactly the same as that Grand Tutor back then.

Hiding behind the pillar, Li Changqing couldn't help but smile as he listened.

"This kid, he hasn't wasted his eight years as Minister. His temper has become increasingly volatile, but he does know how to calculate things clearly."

He silently commented to himself.

It's like an old opera enthusiast watching his favorite student perform a major role on stage.

Sitting high on the dragon throne, Zhu Youzhen looked calmly at the ministers below who were arguing heatedly, and did not immediately express his opinion.

He habitually turned his gaze to the head of the military officers' line.

There once stood a specially bestowed grand master's chair.

Now, the chairs have been removed.

The person who could always get him out of trouble with the most forceful yet most effective method is also gone.

A hint of sadness flashed in Zhu Youzhen's eyes, but he quickly regained his cold and stern demeanor as an emperor.

"Song Yin's report is reasonable."

Zhu Youzhen spoke, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"The trade routes of the Great Ming are the borders of the Great Ming. The navy shall sail south immediately. The Ministry of Revenue shall allocate funds, and the Ministry of War shall supervise the manufacture of firearms. There must be no mistakes."

Seeing the emperor's resolute attitude, the censor who still wanted to offer advice could only retreat back into the queue in frustration.

The meeting dispersed.

The officials filed out of Fengtian Gate.

Li Changqing mingled in the crowd, walking with ease.

Beside him, two young editors from the Hanlin Academy were whispering among themselves.

"Minister Song is becoming increasingly arrogant. He talks nothing but self-interest, and he has lost all the integrity of us scholars."

"Ah, who can argue with that? The Emperor just happens to trust those who get things done. I heard that Minister Song was promoted by that infamous Grand Tutor Pei back then."

"Their behavior is exactly the same; they're birds of a feather."

"Shh! Be careful what you say! Although Grand Tutor Pei has passed away, he still holds a high position in the Emperor's heart. Don't let your words cause trouble."

Li Changqing walked beside them, listening to their discussions, and instead of being annoyed, he found them quite amusing.

He turned his head, looked at his two indignant colleagues, smiled, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and interjected:

"What you two gentlemen say is absolutely right. I also think that Minister Song is full of the stench of money. We scholars should be honest and upright, drinking tea and composing poems. That is the right way."

"Let them handle these mundane matters of fighting and petty squabbles."

Seeing Li Changqing's agreement, the two editors felt a sense of camaraderie, as if they were kindred spirits sharing a common enemy.

"Brother Changqing is right! Let's take a day off another day, go for a spring outing and compose poems together in the Western Hills outside the city, and ignore all this sordid stuff in the court!"

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask."

Li Changqing readily agreed.

As he left the imperial city, Li Changqing glanced back at the majestic Forbidden City.

The sky in the Ming Dynasty was still as blue as ever.

The chess pieces he placed in the court were steadily controlling the course of this vast empire, just as he had envisioned.

And he himself can finally unload that heavy burden and put on a most leisurely body.

Hiding in a corner of this bustling world, I quietly remain an observer.

When I have nothing to do, I go to a teahouse to listen to some music.

If he felt the urge to pick up a book, he would rummage through the old papers in the Hanlin Academy and flip through a few casual books.