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

"Why do I feel uneasy?"

Gu Yannian picked up the rough porcelain bowl on the table, poured himself a glass of water to rinse his mouth, and remained calm.

"The world may change, but the people sitting on the throne will remain the same. We still need to eat steamed buns, and life goes on."

Old Li brought the steaming buns and soy milk to the table, lowered his voice, and said with a sob in his voice:

"My lord, you may not know this, but a large contingent of Imperial Guards just passed by. They were like wolves and tigers, and they stormed into the residence of Imperial Censor Zhang at the street corner ahead. In no time, dozens of members of the Zhang family, young and old, were all brought out in chains."

"Those cries and screams, what a tragedy..."

Gu Yannian took a bite of the steamed bun, the meat juices overflowing, and he squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Imperial Censor Zhang?

He searched his memory for the name.

Oh, I remember now, he was a staunch supporter of Emperor Jianwen.

Yesterday, he was still weeping bitterly in the court, cursing the Yan army as traitors.

This outcome was entirely expected.

"Uncle Li, don't worry about what others are doing. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is arresting censors, not steamed bun vendors."

"Your meat filling for these buns is perfectly seasoned, rich but not greasy. Even if the Ming Dynasty had a hundred emperors, you wouldn't starve with this skill."

Gu Yannian ate both steamed buns clean with his soy milk.

As they were eating, a sudden burst of loud hoofbeats and chaotic shouts came from the street corner.

A dozen or so Imperial Guards officers, dressed in flying fish robes and with embroidered spring knives at their waists, escorted a long line of prisoners in shackles and chains through the alleyway.

The prisoners were men and women, young and old, all dressed in tattered clothes, weeping bitterly.

Leading the way was the very same scholar who had once pointed at Gu Yannian's nose and berated him for being disloyal and unjust in the Hanlin Academy.

Wang Du.

At this moment, where was the slightest trace of the aloofness and pride of a scholar in Wang Du's life?

His hair was disheveled, his official robes were torn into strips, and his face was covered with whip marks and bloodstains.

He walked along, shouting mournfully:

"Injustice! I'm innocent! I surrender! I surrender!"

Gu Yannian sat in the shadows, quietly watching Wang Du being dragged away in front of him.

His total attribute points of over 400 made his five senses extremely sharp.

He could even see the single, murky tear that had slipped down Wang Du's cheek from fear, and hear the dull thud of the Imperial Guard's whip striking flesh.

Between life and death lies great terror.

So-called integrity often proves to be incredibly fragile in the face of torture in prison and the shadow of death.

Ultimately, very few people can face death with the same equanimity as Fang Xiaoru.

"How pathetic, how lamentable."

Gu Yannian silently made a judgment in his heart, then stood up and wiped his mouth with a plain-colored handkerchief.

He didn't approach her to speak, nor did he show any compassion to plead for her.

He was merely a seventh-rank editor, an insignificant bystander in this power transition.

The wheels of history roll ever onward, crushing the destinies of countless people.

All he could do was stand back to avoid getting his clothes splattered with blood.

Back at the Hanlin Academy, the office was as deserted as a tomb.

The desks that were once full of dozens of desks are now mostly empty.

The remaining officials were also ashen-faced.

Like a frightened bird, it trembles with fear at the slightest disturbance.

Gu Yannian walked to his seat, skillfully started a fire, and brewed tea.

The old archives left over from yesterday's Jianwen era are piled up like mountains.

He casually picked up a book and began to read it slowly.

His job was to classify and transcribe these old files.

This kind of tedious and boring work is most suitable for an immortal like him who just wants to get by.

After reading through a thick file, it was already noon.

Outside the government office, the sunlight was a stark white.

The bloodshed in Nanjing has only just begun.

Gu Yannian, however, was in the cold Hanlin Academy, drinking hot tea and flipping through old books, as if he were in another time and space.

His time is frozen.

No matter how drastic the changes in the outside world, his daily task has always been just those two simple and pure words.

Clock in.

In the first year of the Yongle reign, in late autumn.

The leaves of the plane trees on the walls of Jinling have all fallen, and the bleak autumn wind sweeps up the withered yellow leaves on the ground, bringing a chill into the rooms.

After months of bloody purges, Zhu Di forcibly erased all traces of the Jianwen reign with overwhelming force.

A new batch of faces appeared in the imperial court, and the meritorious officials who had fought against the Jingnan Rebellion celebrated their new positions.

Those surviving former officials, however, kept a low profile and lived in constant fear.

The Hanlin Academy also welcomed a new head, Xie Jin, a scholar-reader.

This talented scholar, who was highly regarded by Zhu Di, demonstrated a decisive and efficient style as soon as he took office.

At the beginning of the new dynasty, Emperor Yongle urgently needed to make achievements in civil administration in order to cover up his reputation for usurping the throne by force.

Repairing the letter was the best option.

In the back hall of the Hanlin Academy, Xie Jin frowned as he perused the mountain of documents piled on his desk.

"Absurd! These old documents from the Jianwen era are filled with pedantic and decadent language, and even contain treasonous words. If His Majesty were to see them, we would both risk losing our heads!"

Xie Jin slammed a memorial onto the table and sternly reprimanded the Hanlin officials standing below him.

The officials were so frightened that they knelt down and cried out, "Your Excellency, please forgive us!"

Xie Jin waved his hand impatiently.

"That's enough. These old files must be sorted and categorized as soon as possible. Any files involving Emperor Jianwen's reduction of the power of the princes, rebellious parties, or disrespectful remarks towards His Majesty should be picked out and destroyed."

"The remaining useful government files need to be re-transcribed. This is a tedious and important task; who is willing to take on this responsibility?"

The officials kneeling below looked at each other, none daring to utter a sound.

This is a hot potato.

If the cleaning is not thorough and taboo words are left behind, it is a serious offense.

However, if too many files are destroyed, and important public affairs and government records are lost, then responsibility must also be borne.

In the midst of this deathly silence, a calm and gentle voice rang out from the corner.

"This humble official is willing to go."

Xie Jin followed the sound and looked in that direction.

A young official dressed in a blue seventh-rank official robe was seen slowly standing up.

This man had a handsome face and a calm expression, making him stand out among his anxious colleagues.

Who are you?

Xie Jin squinted.

He was familiar with most of the officials in the Hanlin Academy, but this person in front of him was a complete stranger.

"Your humble servant is Gu Yannian, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy."

Gu Yannian bowed with his hands clasped, his posture impeccable.

Xie Jin's mind raced, and he finally remembered this person.

He entered the Hanlin Academy in the early years of the Jianwen Emperor's reign.

After four years, he had accomplished nothing and spent his days copying books and drinking tea, making him a notoriously mediocre person.

In that upheaval, some rose to prominence while others met their demise.

He alone remained unscathed, like an old moss growing in the corner of the Hanlin Academy wall.

"Editor Gu, this is no small matter. Are you truly capable of handling it?"

Xie Jin's tone carried a hint of doubt.

Gu Yannian lowered his head slightly.

"This humble official is of limited talent and knowledge and knows nothing about matters of state and military affairs, but when it comes to organizing files and finding errors, I believe I have some patience. I will certainly be careful and cautious and live up to your expectations."

Xie Jin pondered for a moment.

This job definitely needs a meticulous person who isn't too involved in factional infighting.

Gu Yannian's taciturn and honest personality might be just right.