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

"The Grand Tutor's leisurely lifestyle makes me, who is buried in memorials all day long, feel a little envious."

A series of steady footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

Emperor Chengping, Zhu Youzhen, dressed in an inconspicuous blue casual robe, accompanied only by Grand Secretary Song Yin and eunuch Liu Jin, entered the backyard of the Qintian Pavilion without alerting anyone.

Although he was traveling incognito, Zhu Youzhen's imperial demeanor still caused the surrounding air to become slightly solemn.

Li Changqing did not get up to greet the emperor, but lazily raised his eyelids and pointed to the two round stools next to him.

"If Your Majesty feels tired from reviewing memorials, you may come to my place and give me a couple of swings with this iron hammer. I guarantee you'll work up a good sweat and all your worries will disappear."

Zhu Youzhen, instead of being annoyed by such treasonous yet endearing teasing, burst into laughter.

He walked to the round stool, sat down with an air of authority, and casually took the tea that Liu Jin handed him.

Time waits for no one; Zhu Youzhen's eyes are now etched with the marks of time, and his movements have lost some of the decisiveness he had in his prime.

He looked at Li Changqing, who was lying on the bamboo chair and whose appearance was still as handsome and refined as a young man in his twenties or thirties, and a deep sigh flashed in his eyes.

"Swinging a hammer is one thing, but these old bones of mine are now so weak that even drawing a strong bow is difficult. This world ultimately belongs to the young... and to those like the Grand Tutor who will live on forever."

Li Changqing shook his folding fan and chuckled softly.

"Your Majesty is mistaken. This world will always belong to those who live in the present. I am merely an observer, occasionally adding firewood when I feel the lights on the stage have dimmed."

The emperor and his minister exchanged a smile, their tacit understanding, spanning decades, flowing gently under the warm autumn sun.

"Your Majesty's visit to this smoky workshop today wasn't just to seek me out for tea, was it?"

Li Changqing put away his folding fan, and his tone gradually became more serious.

Zhu Youzhen's smile faded, and his expression became solemn.

He turned to look at Song Yin beside him and nodded slightly.

Song Yin understood, stepped forward, took out a thick account book from his sleeve, and respectfully presented it to Li Changqing.

"Grand Tutor, this is the account of the tribute sent last month from the three immortal islands in the East Sea. Please take a look."

Song Yin still used the title "Grand Tutor" from before. In this Qintian Pavilion, he, the current chief minister, was also willing to treat his disciple with the respect due to a disciple.

Li Changqing didn't take the account book; he merely glanced at it and asked casually, "Something went wrong?"

Song Yin sighed and replied with a solemn expression.

"Grand Tutor, you are wise. Since you established the rules last year, the three islands have been relatively well-behaved, sending spirit stones, immortal herbs, and low-ranking disciples to serve the Qintian Pavilion every month."

"However, in the past two months, the quality of the spirit stones sent from Yingzhou Island has been declining, and the quantity has decreased by half. The official I sent to oversee the tribute has questioned this..."

"The sect leader of Yingzhou, however, made excuses, saying that the spiritual veins on the island were nearly exhausted and difficult to mine, making it hard to raise the quota set by the imperial court."

Song Yin paused for a moment, lowered his voice, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

"Moreover, secret reports have come from the Embroidered Uniform Guard's spies. Recently, strange lights have been frequently shooting into the sky from the depths of Yingzhou Island, and a large number of high-level cultivators have been staying indoors."

"This old minister suspects that they are not unable to hand over the spirit stones, but are secretly hoarding them, and may even be plotting some big move to harm our Great Ming."

After hearing Song Yin's report, Zhu Youzhen's eyes turned sharp as knives.

The imperial authority of the Ming Dynasty would never tolerate any form of outward compliance but inward defiance.

Although these reclusive individuals were suppressed by the Grand Tutor for a time, their inherent arrogance and unruliness were clearly not completely eradicated.

"Grand Tutor."

Zhu Youzhen spoke in a deep voice.

"Yingzhou's actions are clearly a test of the court's bottom line. I intend to order the mobilization of the Fujian navy, newly equipped with spirit-patterned cannons, to the waters off Yingzhou to intimidate them. If they dare to delay paying tribute again, we will breach their protective island formation!"

Zhu Youzhen's tone revealed the decisiveness and ruthlessness of an emperor.

Over the years, he had personally witnessed how the craftsmen in the Qintian Pavilion perfectly combined the formations of cultivators with the cannons of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty navy of today is no longer the mortal fleet that was easily cleaved in two by flying swords.

Li Changqing did not immediately express his opinion after hearing this.

He extended a finger and gently tapped the armrest of the bamboo chair.

Tap, tap, tap.

The rhythmic tapping echoed under the eaves, as if striking the hearts of Zhu Youzhen and Song Yin.

After a long while, Li Changqing stopped striking the keys.

He turned his head and looked at Zhu Youzhen, his deep eyes revealing an extremely shrewd and calculating nature.

"Your Majesty. Sending troops to intimidate may establish authority for a time, but that is a inferior method. What the Ming Dynasty wants is not just to make them submit, but to completely integrate their bones and blood into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, so that they will never have the strength to rebel again."

Li Changqing stood up, put his hands behind his back, and strolled slowly outside the main hall.

"What do cultivators value most? Spirit stones, elixirs, and resources that can grant them longevity."

"The reason they dared to outwardly comply while inwardly defying the government is because they felt that the mineral veins on that island were their own property. Handing them over to the imperial court was like cutting off their own flesh."

"In that case, let's change the rules."

Li Changqing walked up to Song Yin, his gaze intense.

"Minister Song, you are a master at managing the nation's finances. Back then, how did you manage to subdue those smuggling merchants with the Thirteen Factories of the Imperial Trading Company?"

Song Yin was stunned, as if a thunderbolt had flashed through his mind, and he instantly understood the profound meaning in Li Changqing's words.

"Grand Tutor, you mean... to use commerce to subdue immortals?!"

"good."

Li Changqing nodded in satisfaction, a faint, intimidating smile playing on his lips.

"Effective immediately, the Imperial Court hereby establishes the Spiritual Money Exchange and the All-Encompassing Exchange in the capital. This decree is proclaimed throughout the land, and even to the three islands of the East China Sea. The Great Ming Dynasty hereby opens the free trade of spiritual stones and magical artifacts."

"But all transactions must be conducted using spirit contract silver notes issued by the Ministry of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty. No one may privately barter or excavate spirit veins."

Li Changqing slammed his folding fan against his palm, his tone suddenly turning stern.

"The spiritual veins of the three islands in the East China Sea have been nationalized by the Ming Dynasty. The court has funded and hired cultivators from the three islands to mine them. The court will purchase every spiritual stone they dig up at market price and issue them silver notes."

"If they want to buy elixirs, cultivation techniques, or worldly pleasures, they can take these silver notes to the stock exchange in the capital."

"In this way, as long as they still want to cultivate and survive, their lives are firmly in the hands of the Ming Dynasty's Ministry of Revenue."

"The imperial court only needs to extract a few stamp duties and transaction taxes to effortlessly drain their accumulated wealth built up over thousands of years!"

Li Changqing's words were like a major earthquake in their understanding, severely shaking Zhu Youzhen and Song Yin's minds.

The once-coveted resources for cultivating immortality were completely transformed into an integral part of the Ming Dynasty's financial system.

Using worldly, commercial methods, they dismantled the independence of those cultivation sects without bloodshed.

Song Yin was so excited that he trembled all over.

He knew all too well the power of this method. Once cultivators got used to exchanging silver notes for resources, they would gradually become slaves to the massive financial machine of the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, who would dare to rebel?

If you rebel, the silver notes in your hands become worthless, and you can't even buy a single Qi Gathering Pill!