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

Gu Yannian's heart skipped a beat.

But he maintained that fearful calm on his face and immediately stood up to bow again.

"Your Majesty, I am dull-witted and lazy by nature, utterly unfit for important tasks. I had no intention of deceiving you. I only ask..."

"Alright, stop with your self-degrading excuses."

Zhu Gaochi interrupted him without any politeness, pointing to the seat next to him and indicating that he should sit down.

"If you are dull-witted, then the world is full of idiots. From the accounts of Shandong's grain supplies back then, to the key to dredging the canal, and even the Ministry of Revenue's several times overcoming financial crises in recent years, which one of these didn't involve your involvement?"

"Xia Yuanji praised you in front of me, saying that you are a living god of wealth and the best mathematician in the world."

"You always try to fool me with nonsense about some country bumpkin rich merchant or someone who just goes to the village to fetch water. If I believed you were just a bookworm who only knows how to memorize things, I wouldn't be a prince anymore!"

Zhu Gaochi clearly intends to make his point completely clear today.

Gu Yannian sat on the brocade stool, remaining silent.

He knew that overly pretentious behavior in front of intelligent people would backfire.

He instantly realized that Zhu Gaochi's revelation was not intended to punish him, but rather that he had other plans.

Seeing that Gu Yannian stopped arguing, Zhu Gaochi nodded in satisfaction and softened his tone.

"I know your temperament well. You are unwilling to get involved in the factional struggles of the court, unwilling to bear that heavy burden. You are afraid of trouble and responsibility, and only seek a peaceful and long life."

Zhu Gaochi saw through Gu Yannian's true nature in a single sentence.

"I won't force you. If I were to put you in the position of Minister of Revenue or Vice Minister of War, with your indifferent nature, I'm afraid you wouldn't only do a bad job, but you would also cause trouble."

Gu Yannian sincerely echoed, "Your Highness is wise; this humble subject is indeed utterly hopeless."

"But I can't keep you as a seventh-rank clerk in the side hall forever. You are full of talent, and if others see this, they will surely say that I, the Crown Prince, do not recognize talent and have mistreated a worthy man."

Zhu Gaochi picked up a pre-prepared yellow silk folding sheet from the table and handed it to Gu Yannian.

"After much thought, I've found an excellent place for you. Take a look."

Gu Yannian took the folded book with both hands, unfolded it, and saw several lines of neat, official script written on it:

"Gu Yannian, the registrar of the Wenhua Hall, is mature, prudent, knowledgeable, and has a strong memory. He is specially promoted to the position of Xima of the Sijing Bureau of the Zhan Shi Fu, a fifth-rank official. He is granted a sandalwood plaque, which allows him free access to the Eastern Palace Library."

The Director of the Bureau of Justice, the Horse-Groom!

Gu Yannian looked at this peculiar official title and his mind instantly became clear.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was the highest institution in the Eastern Palace specifically responsible for tutoring the Crown Prince.

The "Sijingju Xima" was not a groom who washed the prince's horse.

Here, "洗" is interchangeable with "先", meaning to act as the prince's vanguard.

They were in charge of the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections of the Eastern Palace, and were responsible for collating and editing classical texts.

This is an excellent, leisurely position with a respectable rank and virtually no real power!

A fifth-rank official was considered a mid-to-high-level bureaucrat in the Ming Dynasty.

His annual salary was several times higher than that of a seventh-rank clerk.

Moreover, this position does not require managing any specific administrative affairs or checking tedious accounts.

My only job was to stay in the library and read books.

Zhu Gaochi looked at Gu Yannian's slightly gleaming eyes and burst into laughter:

"How is it? Does this job suit you? It's a fifth-rank official's salary, plus a monthly tea allowance of ten taels of silver specially approved by me. The library is quiet, and no one is allowed to disturb you unless I summon you."

"You just need to help me guard those ancient and rare books. If I have some free time, I can sit in the pavilion and have some tea with you, and tell me some of your strange and wonderful rural stories."

"You don't need to take responsibility, you don't need to worry. If you refuse such a good thing again, I will really punish you for disobeying an imperial decree!"

Gu Yannian immediately stood up, his movements swift and decisive, even carrying a rare air of lightness.

He lifted his official robe and bowed deeply.

"Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your great kindness! I will swear to defend the Eastern Palace Library to the death, and not allow a single bookworm to damage Your Highness's books!"

This was the divine position he had always dreamed of.

Plenty of money, little work, close to the core of power yet completely untainted by it.

Zhu Gaochi went to great lengths to retain this "strategist" who could occasionally offer ingenious solutions.

They took catering to his preferences to the extreme.

"Alright, go to the Ministry of Personnel to hand over the verification documents. Tomorrow, go directly to the Bureau of Ceremonies to begin your duties."

Zhu Gaochi smiled and waved.

Gu Yannian left the East Warm Pavilion and walked out steadily.

The next day, Gu Yannian changed into a brand new blue official robe of a fifth-rank official.

The insignia on his chest was changed from the mandarin duck of the seventh rank to the majestic white pheasant.

He followed the alleyway of the East Palace to the library of the Sijing Bureau, located behind the Wenhua Hall.

This is a magnificent three-story pavilion.

Pushing open the heavy vermilion door, a unique aroma, a blend of camphor wood, sandalwood, and old paper, wafts out.

Inside the pavilion, rows of towering rosewood bookshelves are neatly stacked with tens of thousands of classics, histories, philosophical works, rare and secret records.

There are even many top-secret archives rescued from imperial palaces throughout history.

This place is simply the most precious treasure trove of knowledge in the entire Ming Dynasty.

Inside the pavilion, only two elderly clerks were responsible for the daily cleaning and tidying.

Upon seeing Gu Yannian arrive, the two quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Lord Xima."

"No need for formalities, you all go about your business," Gu Yannian said gently.

He went straight to a window seat on the second floor, where a large rosewood desk was placed.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the table, giving it a warm glow.

Open the window and you can see the peach blossoms in full bloom in the back garden of the East Palace. The petals fall with the wind and land in the pool of clear water below.

Gu Yannian sat down in the large and comfortable armchair and took out his beloved purple clay tea set from his sleeve.

He brewed a pot of top-quality pre-Qingming Longjing tea with effortless skill.

He opened a Song Dynasty edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas on the table, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip.

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

Gu Yannian sighed with relief in his heart.

However, the turbulent situation in the imperial court would not be completely quelled simply because he hid in the library.

As the Forbidden City neared completion, Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, began to experience a subtle decline in his health.

Years of warfare had exhausted the energy of this iron-fisted emperor.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the capital, the Third Prince, Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, was gradually unable to suppress his ambition.

Although Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han was exiled to Le'an Prefecture, Prince Zhao remained in the capital, commanding part of the imperial guards.

He was jealous of the crown prince's position and secretly cultivated relationships with court officials and trained loyal followers.

They were trying to find an opportunity to overthrow the crown prince.

To ordinary officials, the news of Gu Yannian's promotion to the position of Xima in the Sijing Bureau was nothing more than a routine promotion.

But in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, it became another signal.

It is highly unusual for someone who has served as a low-level clerk in the Wenhua Hall for eight years to be suddenly promoted by the Crown Prince to a fifth-rank close advisor.

The strategists of Prince Zhao's mansion immediately concluded that this Gu Yannian must be a very important confidant secretly hidden by the Crown Prince.

They were even key figures who possessed certain secrets of the Eastern Palace.