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

Seeing Zhao Zhi'ang make excuses, Lord Liu had no choice but to turn his gaze to Li Changqing, who was sitting silently in a rattan chair.

Li Changqing was a well-known good-natured man in the Hanlin Academy; he was usually so quiet you could barely hear a fart.

He accepted all the odd jobs and tiring tasks that others assigned to him with a smile, without ever complaining.

Although the article was unremarkable, its strength lay in its neat handwriting, which never deviated from the rules.

"Changqing."

Lord Liu put on a kind and gentle expression and stepped forward.

"I recall that your calligraphy has a touch of Yan Zhenqing's style. Why don't you write this edict on my behalf? You only need to polish the wording according to the draft provided by the cabinet."

"Once this is done, I will certainly put in a good word for you before the Grand Academician."

Li Changqing chuckled inwardly as he looked at Lord Liu's blatant attempt to shift blame.

This petition to open the seas to trade must have been something that Song Yin argued for at court, and it was only with great difficulty that the emperor finally gave his approval.

Now that the imperial edict has been drafted at the Hanlin Academy, these civil officials are deliberately delaying and shirking their duties.

If this imperial edict cannot be issued today, there will surely be another round of heated arguments and wrangling at the morning court tomorrow.

As the master, he would occasionally hand his apprentice a knife from behind while the apprentice was charging into battle.

It can be considered a teacher's good intention.

"You flatter me, sir. As an editor, it is my duty to draft imperial edicts for the court."

Li Changqing calmly stood up, bowed respectfully, and took the blank scroll.

"It is only because I am dull-witted that there are any unclear or incomprehensible parts in these words and phrases. I hope you will forgive me, sir."

When Lord Liu saw that he had taken on this hot potato, he felt relieved and waved his hands repeatedly.

"It's alright, it's alright. Just keep writing. Once you're done, seal it and send it to the Ministry of Justice. I won't look at it."

"My wrist is in terrible pain; I must go back and see a doctor right away."

After saying this, Lord Liu fled the library as if he had been granted a pardon.

Zhao Zhi'ang looked at Li Changqing, his eyes filled with sympathy and helplessness, and sighed:

"Brother Li, you're too soft-hearted. If you take on this thankless task, you'll be the scapegoat if those upright officials investigate later."

Li Changqing smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

He walked to the desk, rolled up his sleeves, and slowly laid out the silk scroll, pressing it down with a paperweight.

"It's alright, it's just an article anyway. If Brother Zhao finds this room stuffy, why don't you go to the front yard for some fresh air? When I'm writing, I need to be calm and not distracted."

Li Changqing subtly conveyed his intention to ask them to leave.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhi'ang didn't know what to say and could only cup his hands in greeting.

"Brother Li, I'll take my leave now. Another day when I have a day off, I'll treat you to a performance at Guanghe Tower to relax."

After Zhao Zhiang left, his footsteps faded into the distance.

The library room fell silent once more.

A gentle breeze blew through the window, causing the Xuan paper on the desk to curl slightly.

The honest and timid look on Li Changqing's face vanished instantly.

He straightened his back, and the majesty and domineering aura that was deeply buried in his bones and that he had held power over the world for decades unconsciously emanated from him.

He took a fine wolf-hair brush and dipped it into the inkstone, filling it with rich ink.

Close your eyes and ponder for a moment.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was like lightning.

The brush tip landed on the silk, the wrist flicked, and the strokes were powerful and elegant.

If this article had been written in the style of those pedantic scholars from the Hanlin Academy, it would have been filled with references to the Book of Documents and the Rites of Zhou.

Forcibly fitting the opening of the sea to trade into the shell of Confucian benevolence and righteousness appears hypocritical and powerless.

If you're not careful, someone will seize on your weakness and use it against you.

But Li Changqing didn't write it that way.

He knew the young man sitting on the dragon throne all too well.

Zhu Youzhen was an emperor whom he personally trained.

This young emperor, seemingly calm and reserved, actually inherited the decisiveness and ambition of the Zhu family emperors.

What he wants is not empty benevolence and morality, but real hegemony and interests.

Li Changqing's calligraphy was vigorous and unrestrained, a departure from his usual steady and balanced Yan style, and instead adopted the sharp and elegant Slender Gold style.

The article begins without quoting classical texts, but directly states the general trend of the world:

"I, by the mandate of Heaven, rule over the four seas. My ancestors established their rule in the Central Plains, their power extending throughout the land."

However, the world is vast, not just the nine provinces, and the four seas are expansive, not just the Central Plains.

In the past, the mighty Han Dynasty opened up the Western Regions, and the prosperous Tang Dynasty welcomed all nations.

Today, our Great Ming Dynasty builds strong ships to break through the giant waves and casts powerful cannons to pacify the seas.

The countries of Southeast Asia, admiring the majesty of our Celestial Empire, have traversed mountains and seas to offer tribute without ceasing.

This is a divinely granted advantage, and it is also the kind of grandeur that the Ming Dynasty should possess.

Then, the author shifted his focus, directly attacking the weaknesses of those civil officials who opposed opening the sea to the sea.

The officials reported that the establishment of the maritime trade vessels was competing with the people for profit, which might be a violation of the dignity of the imperial court.

This is truly the view of a pedantic scholar who is ignorant of the overall situation!

The emperor possesses the wealth of the four seas. How could he abandon the source of wealth from the seas and allow merchants and petty swindlers to secretly smuggle and line their own pockets?

Only when the national treasury is full can the people be at peace and the foundation of the nation be secured. The weapons used on the nine borders all require real gold and silver.

The opening of the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office, which would take full advantage of the sea routes, was intended to replenish the Taicang granary and reduce taxes on farmers throughout the country.

This is a major policy that benefits the country and its people; how can you possibly obstruct it with a few words!

Finally, each word was like a knife, establishing an ironclad rule.

[Now, Quanzhou is an important town, and a new Maritime Trade Office has been established.]

All sails across the four seas must abide by the laws of the Great Ming.

Those who submit will be protected by my navy; those who are unruly will be met with my cannon fire.

Orders are as firm as mountains, and are obeyed by all.

Anyone who dares to use ancestral rules to make unwarranted comments or obstruct the process will be considered a traitor to the country and will be severely punished!

It was a lengthy piece of writing, hundreds of words long, completed in one go.

There isn't a single empty word like "之乎者也"; the entire piece exudes an aura of dominance and power.

The benefits of opening up the sea for trade were closely tied to the national defense and taxation of the Ming Dynasty.

Furthermore, by using the pretext of drafting an imperial edict, they effectively silenced their opponents beforehand.

If this article were presented in the imperial court, it would be nothing short of an undisguised war declaration.

It is full of the style and manner of the powerful Grand Tutor Pei of that time.

Li Changqing put down his pen, looked at the flowing ink on the silk, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"Youzhen, you'd better accept this gift from your teacher."

He took out a private seal from his pocket, thought for a moment, and then put it back.

At the very end of the scroll, neatly written in small characters, were the words "Respectfully drafted by Li Changqing, Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, by Imperial Decree."

Wait for the ink to dry.

Li Changqing rolled up the imperial edict, put it into a brocade box, and sealed it.

Then, he stood up, stretched, and strolled leisurely out of the library.

He handed the brocade box to the messenger from the Office of Transmission, who was responsible for delivering official documents.

After doing all this, Li Changqing looked at the sky.

The sun was setting in the west; it was time to close the school.

He dusted off his blue robe, put his hands behind his back in a very good mood, and strolled leisurely out of the gate of the Hanlin Academy.

I found a small tavern on a street corner, ordered a pot of liquor and half a catty of braised beef.

They listened leisurely to the storyteller in the tavern recounting tales of the previous dynasty.

At this time.

The imperial edict in brocade box, delivered urgently by the messenger from the Office of Transmission, had already passed through numerous palace gates and was placed on the emperor's desk in the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace.