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

"This... Lord Gu, this matter is of great importance. The Emperor is still awaiting a reply. What do you think...?"

Xia Yuanji was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands together.

Gu Yannian's expression remained unchanged as he walked slowly out of the hall.

"Lord Xia, before I entered the cabinet, I told His Majesty that I would report to the court on time every day and never bring official business home, and His Majesty had already granted my request. The emperor's word is law, and I dare not disobey it."

Gu Yannian stopped and pointed to the thick stack of names in front of the clerk.

"These officials who have been identified as having embezzled and are implicated have embezzled a total of over 8.6 million taels of silver. Lord Xia, you may first submit this list to His Majesty for a decision."

"The rest will be investigated tomorrow."

Having said that, Gu Yannian ignored everyone else.

With steady, measured steps, he leisurely walked out of the Ministry of Revenue amidst the almost stunned gazes of the officials.

The setting sun cast its light on his silhouette, giving him an air of detachment from worldly affairs.

Xia Yuanji looked at the stack of Xuan paper filled with accusations, then glanced in the direction Gu Yannian had left, and shook his head with a wry smile.

"Truly the most extraordinary person in the world."

He dared not delay, and immediately carried the heavy charge of his crimes to the Qianqing Palace.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Hongxi, Zhu Gaochi, leaned against his dragon bed. Although his complexion was slightly better than a few days ago, he still looked weak.

When he saw the list of items to be investigated presented by Xia Yuanji, and the shocking total deficit of "eight million six hundred thousand taels", he was deeply moved.

His narrow eyes suddenly widened, and his fat hands slammed heavily onto the brocade quilt.

"How dare they! These parasites of the nation have gnawed at the very foundation of the Ming Dynasty right under the noses of the late Emperor and myself!"

Zhu Gaochi was furious but laughed, yet a strange sense of exhilaration welled up inside him.

Eight million six hundred thousand taels!

This is only the result of one day's investigation.

With this money, the military pay for the nine border regions was secured, the disaster victims in Henan were able to have enough to eat, and the new dynasty had the confidence to implement its many benevolent policies.

"Where is Gu Yannian? He deserves a great reward for this meritorious service!"

Zhu Gaochi asked excitedly.

Xia Yuanji looked embarrassed and coughed twice.

"Your Majesty, Lord Gu...he heard the evening drum at 5 PM and said it was time to leave the office, so he went home. He said the remaining accounts would be checked at 5 AM tomorrow."

Zhu Gaochi was taken aback upon hearing this, then remembered that he had indeed agreed to this extremely strange condition.

Instead of getting angry, he threw his head back and laughed loudly, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

"Hahaha! In this world, only Gu Yannian could do something like this! In his eyes, the wealth of the world is not as important as him going home on time for dinner!"

Zhu Gaochi pointed to the list.

"Minister Xia, convey my decree: order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to immediately follow the map and arrest all officials on the list, confiscating their property and recovering their ill-gotten gains! As for Gu Yannian..."

"If he wants a life of leisure, then let him be. As long as he can safeguard the treasury of the Ming Dynasty for me, I'll let him settle down in the cabinet, even if he does!"

That night, the sound of horses' hooves resounded throughout Shuntian Prefecture, and the Embroidered Spring Blades of the Imperial Guards gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

Countless once-powerful corrupt officials were arrested in their sleep, their assets confiscated.

And in that small courtyard in Xuanwufang.

Gu Yannian had changed out of his official robes and was now wearing a coarse cloth long gown.

He was sitting under the old jujube tree in the courtyard, slowly sipping warm yellow wine while eating a dish of boiled edamame in salt water.

He could faintly hear the commotion of the Imperial Guards raiding his home in the wind, but he paid no attention.

Power, wealth, fame—these are things that ordinary people crave.

In the long course of time, it is nothing but fleeting smoke.

His actions today are merely to repay Zhu Gaochi for the debt of sincerity he owed him.

The sun will rise as usual at 5:00 AM tomorrow.

And he still had to clock in at the Ministry of Revenue.

These long years will eventually pass one day at a time.

In the first year of the Hongxi reign, in the first month of summer.

The weather in Shuntian Prefecture gradually shed the chill of early spring and adopted a warm and pleasant appearance.

Along the alleyways inside the Forbidden City, locust flowers are in full bloom, clustered on the branches like snow, emitting a faint sweet fragrance in the wind.

Under the implementation of Hongxi's new policies, the Ming Dynasty was like a parched tree receiving rain after a long drought.

It is gradually regaining its vitality.

The drumbeats of dawn had just ceased.

Gu Yannian, dressed in the official robes of a third-rank official with a bright red peacock embroidered patch, stepped steadily across the threshold of the Ministry of Revenue.

When the officials around him saw him, they all stopped and bowed respectfully, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Who would have thought that just a month or two ago, this "bookworm" who was sitting on the sidelines in the Bureau of Justice would be able to turn up all the accumulated mess of the Ming Dynasty over the past twenty years in a single day.

The Ministry of Revenue, and even corrupt officials throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces, were all driven to despair by his sandalwood abacus.

The confiscated property replenished the previously empty national treasury.

In the eyes of the officials, this Vice Minister Gu is now a living Yama with a gentle face.

Gu Yannian walked to his desk, sat down, and began to sign his name on the attendance book.

[Ding! Today's attendance complete. Attribute point gained +1.]

"Add to physical constitution."

Gu Yannian silently recited in his heart.

A cool spring flowed down from the Lingtai point, instantly coursing through the eight extraordinary meridians.

The muscles, bones, and flesh hidden beneath the skin have once again undergone a subtle transformation.

His five senses and inner energy have now reached a transcendent level.

Even if he were sitting idly here, he could still hear and see everything within a hundred feet.

"Lord Gu, please take a look at this memorial."

Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji walked out from the back hall with a ruddy complexion, holding a newly drafted set of regulations in his hand.

"Thanks to Your Excellency, the national treasury now has silver reserves. I am thinking of distributing most of the owed rations and pay to the border troops first, and then allocating some funds to the Ministry of Works to repair the water conservancy projects in various places."

"Could you please take a look and see if there's anything wrong with this account?"

Gu Yannian took the folding book, glanced at it, and instantly activated his mental arithmetic, arriving at the exact number in a short time.

"Minister Xia has a keen eye for detail; this allocation is very appropriate, the accounts are fair and there are no oversights."

Gu Yannian handed the folded book back, his tone gentle.

Natsuhara Yoshi stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

"With you, Gu Yannian, in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, I can finally rest easy."

"By the way, His Majesty issued an imperial edict yesterday, ordering you to go to the Qianqing Palace at noon today, as if there are some state affairs to discuss."

"Your subordinate obeys."

At noon, Gu Yannian finished sorting out the last document at hand, then left the Ministry of Revenue and walked unhurriedly toward the Qianqing Palace.

Inside the side hall of the Qianqing Palace, although the underground heating system had long since been extinguished, several basins of charcoal fires were still placed in the hall to remove dampness.

Emperor Hongxi, Zhu Gaochi, was reclining on a large, soft couch, with a small table in front of him laden with various dishes.

Unlike the meticulous attention to detail that ordinary emperors paid.

Zhu Gaochi's meals often included greasy and roasted foods.

Next to it were several plates of candied fruit and pastries from the Jiangnan region, as well as a large pot of warm milk with added cane sugar.

"Your humble servant Gu Yannian pays his respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor."

"No need, no need, Yan Nian, please take a seat."

Zhu Gaochi waved his chubby hand.

He mumbled incoherently while chewing on a piece of sweet jujube cake.

Gu Yannian thanked the emperor and took his seat.

He looked up and saw that the Ming emperor's face was an unusual ashen white.

His forehead was covered with a fine layer of cold sweat.

Zhu Gaochi swallowed a few pieces of pastry, then impatiently picked up the pot of sweet milk and gulped down a large mouthful.

He then let out a long sigh of relief.

"These past few days, I have felt constantly hungry and thirsty. The quacks at the Imperial Hospital prescribed several doses of heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine, but they not only didn't work, they made me even more tired."

Zhu Gaochi complained as he reached out to rub his legs, which were swollen like steamed buns.

"Especially my feet. The foot ailment I developed years ago has recently flared up again. Several open wounds just won't scab over, and the pain keeps me up all night."