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

Just then, a thunderous roar, like a deep rumble, faintly came from the far horizon.

The sound wasn't loud at first, but it had a chilling, penetrating power.

It felt as if even the ground beneath our feet was trembling slightly.

Inside Quanzhou Port, the previously panicked crowd instantly fell silent.

Everyone stopped running and looked towards the horizon, following the direction of the sound.

At the edge of that vast expanse of blue water, a massive black shadow, resembling a continuous mountain range, was slowly rising.

At first, there were rows of towering masts, followed by a ship hull as tall and heavy as a city wall.

One.

Two ships.

Three...

Ten armed treasure ships, each with a capacity of a thousand tons, were surrounded by fifty Fujian-style ships, resembling steel behemoths awakening from the deep sea.

Arranged in neat battle formations, they surged forward with an overwhelming momentum that could crush everything!

On the lead ship, a huge dragon flag embroidered with the words "Great Ming Navy" fluttered in the sea breeze.

And standing prominently at the bow of the ship, braving the wind and waves, was a fierce general clad in armor with a full beard.

That was the naval commander that Pei Yuan personally promoted in Tianjin!

This invincible fleet, which struck fear into the hearts of the entire Southeast Asia, received a secret letter bearing the personal seal of an old friend.

After traveling day and night, they finally appeared outside Quanzhou Port at the most critical moment, as if a god had descended!

On the sea, the sea loach, which had been swaggering and preparing to plunder foreign ships, stared wide-eyed at the sudden appearance of the massive fleet.

His eyes were practically popping out of their sockets, and he didn't even notice the musket he was holding falling onto the deck.

How is this possible?!

Aren't the main fleets of the Ming Dynasty patrolling Tianjin and the South Seas?

How did they suddenly appear in this remote Quanzhou Port!

Compared to those treasure ships that resembled floating fortresses, their proud fast ships looked like a few laughable mice circling around the feet of an elephant.

"Go...go! Run!"

The sea loach screamed hoarsely, having completely lost all courage, and frantically urged its men to turn the boat around.

However, the Ming Dynasty navy would not give these clowns a chance to escape.

On the flagship, the bearded admiral drew his sword from his waist and swung it forward fiercely.

"Starboard heavy guns, prepare! Blast those scum to dust!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Dozens of newly equipped "Red Barbarian General" heavy cannons roared in unison.

The deafening roar of the cannons instantly drowned out the roar of the waves.

Orange flames and thick white smoke exploded at the gunwale of the treasure ship.

Dozens of heavy, solid iron projectiles, accompanied by a piercing whistle, traversed several miles of sea and struck the pirates' fleet with unparalleled accuracy.

"Snap, bang!"

Wood chips flew everywhere, and blood and flesh splattered.

The main ship of the sea loach was hit head-on by two iron bullets.

The flimsy hull was instantly torn open with a huge gash, and the entire ship spun violently on the sea surface.

Then, amidst a piercing scream, it quickly broke apart and sank.

It was just one volley.

Those dozens of arrogant pirate ships were reduced to burning wreckage and floating debris on the sea.

The once invincible bandit, Hai Niqiu, left not even a complete corpse behind.

It was then completely wiped out by the might of the Ming Dynasty.

The docks of Quanzhou Port were deathly silent.

Everyone was so shocked by this earth-shattering divine power that they couldn't utter a single word.

Lin Yaozu stood at the back of the crowd, his legs as weak as noodles, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, his face ashen.

It’s over.

The landscape of Quanzhou Port has completely changed.

Inside the Maritime Trade Office.

Li Changqing maintained his calm and composed demeanor.

He turned his head and looked at Prefect Zheng, who was slumped on the ground, and gently tapped his official hat with his folding fan.

"Prefect Zheng, it seems the sea breeze is quite strong today. It's blown all those mindless insects to the seabed to feed the fish."

These seemingly casual words, when they reached Zheng Hua's ears, were like a decree from the King of Hell.

Zheng Hua suddenly shuddered, his teeth chattering and making a "clucking" sound.

He kowtowed desperately on the blue bricks, his face covered in cold sweat and tears.

"This humble official...this humble official deserves to die! This humble official failed in his duty to protect the port, thus disturbing His Majesty the Imperial Envoy! This humble official deserves to die a thousand deaths!"

Standing to the side, Minister of Revenue Song Yin's sharp eyes gleamed with undisguised amazement and ecstasy.

He looked at Li Changqing, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

What kind of monster is this young doctor who was selected from the piles of old documents in the Hanlin Academy?

He could see through the smuggling activities of local tycoons at a glance.

They even bypassed the Ministry of War and secretly mobilized the main naval force stationed in Tianjin!

Song Yin had been navigating the officialdom for over a decade and had seen countless talented young people, but he had never encountered such a cunning and ruthless junior.

The Emperor truly has a discerning eye, managing to unearth such a powerful piece of iron from the otherwise bland and unremarkable Hanlin Academy!

"Master Li."

Song Yin took a deep breath, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of respect, as if he were speaking to an equal, and even a hint of seeking advice.

"This navy...did you inform Tianjin in advance, sir?"

Li Changqing turned around, tucked the folding fan into his sleeve, and gave a humble smile.

"Lord Song, you flatter me. Before I left the capital, I read through the official gazettes of Quanzhou over the years and found that there are often notorious pirates in the Fujian and Zhejiang waters. I thought that since we are here to set up a checkpoint and collect taxes, if we don't have some kind of weapon to keep things in check, we might not be able to control those desperate criminals who live on the edge of death."

"Therefore, I dared to take advantage of my authority as the Imperial Inspector to send a quick letter to the Naval Commander, requesting them to patrol south, just to boost the prestige of our new government office."

Li Changqing spoke casually, but Song Yin gasped in shock.

To boost morale?

This is clearly a trap set up, just waiting for these local bullies to walk right into it!

"Lord Li's wisdom and foresight are beyond my reach; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

Song Yin gave a heartfelt sigh of praise, then turned his cold gaze to the terrified gentry outside the hall.

"Guards! Seize these treacherous officials who colluded with pirates and plotted to assassinate the imperial envoy!"

At Song Yin's command, the fierce-looking Imperial Guards outside immediately rushed into the hall.

They pinned down all the clan leaders who usually held sway in Quanzhou, as if they were picking up chicks.

Lin Yaozu's arms were tightly bound behind his back by two Imperial Guards, his cheek pressed against the cold blue bricks.

His well-preserved old face was now ashen, his eyes filled with despair.

"Lord Song! Lord Li! I am innocent! We are honest people of our generation, how could we dare to collude with pirates! Those sea brethren came here to cause trouble on their own, it has nothing to do with us!"

Lin Yaozu is still making a last-ditch effort.

He knew that if the charge of colluding with pirates were proven, it would be a capital offense that would result in the execution of his entire family.

The Lin family's century-old legacy will be destroyed in an instant.

Just as Song Yin was about to lash out, Li Changqing waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to temporarily release Lin Yaozu.

Li Changqing slowly walked up to Lin Yaozu, squatted down, and looked at this once arrogant business tycoon at eye level.

"Clan Chief Lin, crying out for justice is useless."

Li Changqing pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve and waved it in front of Lin Yaozu.

That was the piece of cloth wrapped with silver that the Imperial Guards had just found in the mountain temple outside the city; it still had a few strands of incense ash that hadn't burned completely on it.

"This scrap of cloth, is it a unique material from your Lin family's silk shop? The incense ash from that mountain god temple hasn't cooled down yet."

"If you were to say that the sea loach was just passing through Quanzhou and happened to set a few fires outside the port, do you think those officials sitting in the Dali Temple in the capital would believe you?"