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

Midsummer of the first year of the Hongxi reign.

The sun in Shuntian Prefecture grew more and more scorching each day, and the cicadas in the trees chirped their hearts out, making people feel irritable.

Outside the Forbidden City, a few withered lotus leaves float on the surface of the moat, and a gentle breeze brings a faint mist.

Inside the office of the Ministry of Revenue, there were two huge ice jars, their cool air keeping out the sweltering heat.

Gu Yannian, dressed in a bright red official robe, sat upright before the desk.

He picked up his vermilion pen and steadily wrote a stroke on the attendance book.

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

"Spirit."

As a wisp of cool energy entered his mind, his unfathomable spiritual attributes rose once again.

The surrounding cicada chirping and the soft rustling of the clerk turning pages next door all transformed into extremely clear patterns at this moment, imprinted into his mind.

With just a thought, he can block out all the noise and create a peaceful space.

"Lord Gu, these salt merchants from Jiangnan are truly audacious!"

Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji strode into the duty room, clutching a thick folding book heavily in his hand.

His white beard trembled slightly with anger.

He slammed the folding paper onto Gu Yannian's desk and let out a long sigh.

Gu Yannian put down his vermilion pen, picked up the cool tea on his desk to moisten his throat, and looked serene.

"Why is Minister Xia so angry? Has the reform of the Open Market System encountered obstacles?"

Xia Yuanji pulled up a chair and sat down, his face full of worry.

"It's more than just an obstacle; it's practically a coup! His Majesty is determined to reform the salt administration, ordering merchants to transport grain to the border in exchange for salt permits, which is a move that benefits the country and its people. However, those big salt merchants in Lianghuai are colluding with local officials and gentry to make a fortune."

"Now that the imperial court is investigating old accounts and re-evaluating the number of salt permits, they have joined forces and are feigning illness to strike. Not only are they ceasing to transport grain to the nine border regions, but they have also stopped supplying salt to the markets in Jiangnan!"

At this point, the old minister was heartbroken.

"The border regions are short of food, and the south is short of salt; the people are full of complaints. They are trying to use public opinion to force the court to retract its decree!"

Gu Yannian's gaze was deep, and his slender fingers gently moved the sandalwood abacus twice, producing two crisp sounds.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.

The salt merchants of the Ming Dynasty were connected to a complex web of powerful families and court officials.

Zhu Gaochi's attempt to take this most lucrative piece of meat naturally provoked a fierce backlash.

"Can't the imperial court send a salt commissioner to investigate this matter?"

Gu Yannian spoke in a calm tone.

"Sent!" Xia Yuanji said with a wry smile.

"Three groups of people were sent in total. The first group was a greenhorn who, upon arriving in Yangzhou, was plied with alcohol on a pleasure boat and, in a daze, signed a petition recommending a salt merchant."

"The second group was composed of experienced and prudent officials. When they arrived at the local area and investigated, they found that the salt merchants had made their accounts airtight. Not only could they not find any deficits, but they also made it appear that the salt merchants were losing money every year and were working for the court by squandering their fortunes."

"The third group was even more audacious; they claimed illness halfway through and didn't go."

Gu Yannian nodded slightly after hearing this.

Such deeply entrenched local power structures would either corrupt ordinary civil officials with their wealth or allow them to be manipulated by those old foxes.

To break this deadlock, we need to find a swift and deadly blade that will not be drawn back into its sheath.

"Minister Xia, a few days ago I happened to see a name in the performance evaluation list sent by the Ministry of Personnel."

Gu Yannian stood up, walked to the bookshelf behind him, and pulled out an inconspicuous file.

"This man is named Kuang Zhong, courtesy name Bolu. He is currently the principal officer of the Department of Ceremonial Affairs of the Ministry of Rites. According to his resume, when he was an official in the local government, he clearly resolved a confusing murder case and land dispute that had lasted for more than ten years."

"This person is meticulous in his actions and is unyielding to both soft and hard tactics."

Xia Yuanji took the file, glanced at it, and frowned slightly.

"This Kuang Zhong... comes from a humble background and is not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) through the proper channels. He is merely a minor official promoted from a clerk position. Sending him to a dangerous place like Yangzhou, I'm afraid he won't be able to keep things in order, let alone control those arrogant salt merchants."

In the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, one's background was of utmost importance.

An official without the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) is often ostracized.

Gu Yannian turned around and looked at Xia Yuanji with clear eyes.

"Lord Xia, we are going to Yangzhou to investigate accounts and handle cases, not to compose poems with salt merchants. The scholars who passed the imperial examinations may be well-versed in classical literature, but they may not be able to recognize the tricks in the account books."

"To deal with those money-grubbing, cunning merchants, we need iron-fisted people who have climbed up from the bottom and are well-versed in the hardships of ordinary people and the tricks of petty officials."

Xia Yuanji pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly gleamed.

"Very well! Let's try anything! I'll go and report to His Majesty immediately, requesting that he be promoted to Salt Commissioner and sent south at once!"

The next morning, in a side room of the Ministry of Revenue's main hall.

An official, around thirty years old and of slender build, sat upright in a guest chair.

He was dressed in a blue official robe, his back ramrod straight.

Although he had an ordinary appearance, his eyes were as sharp as cold stars, revealing an unyielding stubbornness.

This person was none other than Kuang Zhong.

He received a transfer order from the Ministry of Personnel, ordering him to go to the Ministry of Revenue immediately to await orders, but he was filled with doubts.

He was a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Rites, usually only in charge of miscellaneous tasks related to rites and sacrifices.

How did he suddenly catch the eye of the powerful Minister Gu?

Just as he was pondering this, the curtain was lifted, and Gu Yannian stepped into the room.

Kuang Zhong immediately stood up and respectfully performed a grand salute.

"This humble official, Kuang Zhong, Principal of the Ministry of Rites, pays his respects to Vice Minister Gu."

"Sir, please excuse the formalities and have a seat."

Gu Yannian walked to the main seat and sat down, looking Kuang Zhong up and down, and nodded to himself.

Such a quality makes it truly a fine knife.

"I summoned you here for only one thing."

Gu Yannian got straight to the point, without uttering a single word of the usual official jargon.

"The salt merchants of Yangzhou have defied the imperial decree and concealed salt permits, causing a food shortage on the border. His Majesty wishes to appoint you as Imperial Commissioner to oversee the salt administration of Lianghuai. Do you dare to go?"

Kuang Zhong's body trembled.

Although he held a lowly position, he was well aware of the turbulent and dangerous nature of the Lianghuai Salt Administration.

This was not just going on an errand; it was stepping into the gates of hell.

But without the slightest hesitation, he stood up abruptly and answered decisively:

"I am honored by your grace, and it is my duty to share your burdens! Even if it means my death, I will not fear it!"

"Good backbone."

Gu Yannian picked up the teacup and gently brushed away the tea leaves from the surface of the water.

"However, it's not enough to just have backbone to deal with those salt merchants. Their account books will be perfectly clear, and if you try to check them by reading them out exactly, you'll find it's a complete mess by the time it's done."

Kuang Zhong frowned and humbly asked for advice: "This humble official is dull-witted and hopes that Your Excellency will enlighten me on how to break this deadlock."

Gu Yannian put down his teacup, took out a thin booklet from his sleeve, and pushed it in front of Kuang Zhong.

"No matter how skillfully a merchant manages his accounts, they can never escape the four words: income, expenditure, savings, and debt."

Gu Yannian spoke in a calm tone, explaining the "Dragon Gate Tent" method, which was hundreds of years ahead of its time, in the simplest language.