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

In the early summer of the fifth year of Chengping, the heat in the capital gradually intensified.

Outside the Forbidden City, the leaves of the locust trees on both sides of Chang'an Avenue were slightly curled by the sun.

Occasionally, a gentle breeze would blow by, stirring up a few fallen petals on the ground, which would then softly fall onto the bluestone slabs.

The Hanlin Academy of the Ming Dynasty was located south of East Chang'an Street and west of the Yuhe River.

This place is a prestigious and prestigious government office that scholars from all over the world aspire to attend.

Ancient cypress trees reach for the sky within the courtyard, creating a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.

Even the air is perpetually filled with a faint scent of ink and the anti-corrosion smell of old paper.

The light was dim in a book editing room deep inside the Hanlin Academy.

Li Changqing was wearing a slightly faded seventh-rank blue official robe and was comfortably leaning back in a worn rattan chair.

His official hat was casually placed beside the table, and he held in his hand a tattered copy of "The Complete History of the Ming Dynasty" that he had found somewhere.

His gaze did not fall on the pages of the book.

Instead, he looked with great interest through the half-open window at a spider spinning its web under the eaves outside.

[Ding! Today's attendance complete. Attribute point gained +1.]

"Add to the spirit."

Li Changqing silently recited a sentence in his heart without any ripples.

A pure and ethereal energy, like that of the Kunlun Ice Spring, gently arose from the dantian and flowed throughout the body along the eight extraordinary meridians.

The sweltering heat of the dog days of summer, along with the lingering musty smell in the house, was completely swept away at this moment.

His eyes, weathered by a century of vicissitudes, appeared even more profound and clear, as if they could see through all the illusions of this world.

This life is so comfortable.

After he was appointed to an official position, he was able to continue to report for duty, and his attributes continued to rise rapidly.

He, on the other hand, would only come to the yamen to report for duty when the sun was high in the sky.

I brewed a pot of broken tea leaves that I brought from my hometown in Jiangnan and buried it in this pile of old papers.

No one could find him.

This long and arduous journey through the mortal world requires us to pause occasionally, to rest and truly savor its flavor.

"Brother Li! You've got quite the mood, hiding away in this library for some peace and quiet!"

The curtain was suddenly lifted, and a young official, covered in sweat, walked in.

This man's name is Zhao Zhi'ang. He and Li Changqing were both Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in the fourth year of the Chengping era. He is now also an editor in the Hanlin Academy.

Zhao Zhiang held a half-bowl of cold tea in his hand and gulped it down.

He then plopped down on the embroidered stool opposite Li Changqing, wiping the sweat from his forehead and complaining incessantly.

"The job at the Bureau of History Compilation outside is simply inhuman. Over a single statement in the Veritable Records of the previous Emperor Yingzong, Lord Zhang and Lord Li argued until their faces turned red, and they even smashed their inkstones."

"We lower officials are caught in the middle, and we don't dare to breathe loudly."

Li Changqing slowly put down the tattered scroll in his hand.

He picked up the ceramic teapot on the table, refilled Zhao Zhi'ang's teacup, and said with a smile:

"Both of you are great scholars of our time, and your rigorous approach to historical research is exemplary. Your debate over a single word is a model for us younger generations to learn from. Brother Zhao, why be so impatient?"

"What kind of role model is this!"

Zhao Zhiang lowered his voice and looked around.

Seeing that no one else was around, he approached indignantly and said:

"They were already arguing about the Veritable Records of Emperor Yingzong, but today, for some reason, they've suddenly started arguing about that Grand Tutor Pei from back then."

Upon hearing the words "Grand Tutor Pei," Li Changqing paused slightly in his teacup.

He then casually brought the teacup to his lips, blew away the foam, and spoke with a hint of curiosity.

"Oh? That living devil has been dead in the fire for three years, how could he still anger the two old masters?"

"It's all because of the imperial edict His Majesty issued yesterday!"

Zhao Zhiang slapped his thigh, his eyes filled with heartache and indignation.

"His Majesty wishes to establish another large-scale Maritime Trade Office in Quanzhou, Fujian, and has appointed Minister Song Yin to oversee the project. He has also allocated three million taels of silver from the national treasury to build a new navy specifically for patrolling the South China Sea."

"As soon as the decree was issued, the cabinet was in an uproar. Lord Zhang and his colleagues vehemently denounced this move as reckless militarism, a repeat of the mistakes of that treacherous Pei Yuan!"

At this point, Zhao Zhi'ang clenched his fist in righteous indignation.

"Brother Li, tell me. Pei Yuan wreaked havoc on the court back then, turning the once glorious Ming Dynasty into a merchant nation filled with the stench of money."

"Although he is dead now, the clerks he promoted and the corrupt officials who talk only of personal gain still control the court!"

"His Majesty is young and must have been misled by treacherous officials like Song Yin. Such reckless opening of the sea ban is tantamount to destroying the ancestral legacy!"

Li Changqing listened quietly to Zhao Zhiang's scathing rebuke, a hint of mockery that was hard for ordinary people to detect flashing deep in his eyes.

He picked up his teacup, nodded in deep agreement, and even sighed in agreement.

"Brother Zhao is absolutely right. Grand Tutor Pei's actions back then were indeed far too domineering and arrogant. Relying on the late emperor's favor, he regarded all scholars in the world as nothing, truly disgracing all civility and committing heinous crimes."

Li Changqing scolded himself without changing his expression, his tone even carrying a hint of regret.

Zhao Zhiang nodded repeatedly, as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Brother Li truly understands the ways of the world! It's just a pity that we are of low rank and insignificant position, confined to this austere Hanlin Academy. Even if we have the ambition to serve our country, we cannot reach the ears of the Emperor. We can only watch helplessly as this bright and clear world is tainted by those filthy things."

Just then, another series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

A scholar from the Hanlin Academy, dressed in the robes of a sixth-rank official, walked in with a worried expression, holding a blank silk scroll of an imperial edict in his hand.

"Everyone's just chatting here! Quick, quick, someone come and take this hot potato for me!"

The scholar-reader slammed the scroll down on the table, wringing his hands anxiously.

"Lord Liu, what has happened?"

Zhao Zhiang quickly stood up, bowed, and inquired.

Lord Liu sighed and pointed to the blank scroll, saying:

"What else could it be? The cabinet just sent word that the Emperor wants to open a Maritime Trade Office in Quanzhou and has asked our Hanlin Academy to draft an edict to announce it to the world."

"The language should be ornate, it should proclaim the might of the Ming Dynasty in subduing the world, and it should cite classical texts to demonstrate that opening the seas to trade was an act that conformed to the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people."

Lord Liu looked distressed and shook his head repeatedly.

"Who would be willing to take on such a task? This is clearly cheering for those treacherous officials who only care about personal gain! Which of our colleagues in the Hanlin Academy doesn't consider themselves upright and honest? If we were to write this edict, wouldn't we be condemned and cursed by scholars throughout the land?"

"I claimed that my old ailment had relapsed and that my wrist was too sore to write. The senior compilers were even more straightforward, simply claiming illness and going home."

"If this edict cannot be drafted today, and the cabinet blames us, our entire Hanlin Academy will be in deep trouble."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhi'ang was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly and waved his hand.

"My lord, I am but a humble official, lacking in talent and learning. I would never dare to write such a decree concerning matters of state. If I were to use inappropriate words and incur His Majesty's wrath, I would have no money left to behead him."

This is a common problem among the upright civil officials.

He could talk a good game about politics at the dinner table.

When it really comes down to taking responsibility and being blamed, they all run away faster than rabbits.