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

By the time I returned to the Ministry of Revenue, it was already late afternoon.

Gu Yannian entrusted Zhou Chen with the task of piloting the "silver conversion method".

He was happy to have some free time, sitting in his duty room reading a travelogue from a previous dynasty.

Zhou Chen accepted the order and was overjoyed.

He immediately summoned several trusted clerks and they began to discuss the specific details of the fire loss and purity in a side courtyard.

He would frequently come to the duty room to ask for instructions.

With just a few words, Gu Yannian was able to hit the nail on the head, giving Zhou Chen a sudden enlightenment.

Time slips away unnoticed.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, casting Gu Yannian's shadow on a very long shadow.

"Thump! Thump!"

The deep, resonant sound of the evening drum rang out precisely on time over the capital.

In the side courtyard, Zhou Chen was excitedly running towards the Right Vice Minister's office, holding a draft booklet on fire loss ratios.

"Lord Gu, I have calculated it. If we use the official furnaces for smelting, the fire loss should be set at two percent, which will neither harm the people nor deplete the national treasury. Please take a look..."

Zhou Chen lifted the curtain, but before he could finish speaking, he froze on the spot.

Gu Yannian stood up and put his ever-present sandalwood abacus into his sleeve.

He was slowly and methodically smoothing out the wrinkles on his official robes.

"Lord Gu, what's wrong...?"

"It's time for me to leave the office now."

Gu Yannian spoke calmly, without a trace of the passion he had shown when he was discussing the nation's wealth and resources before the emperor.

"But His Majesty will review these regulations on fire loss tomorrow morning at court! If you leave now, what will happen to the remaining..."

Zhou Chen was so anxious that he was covered in sweat.

How can we just abandon such a crucial matter concerning the fate of the nation?

Gu Yannian patted Zhou Chen on the shoulder and said with a faint smile, "Sir Zhou, even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. You have written this regulation very well, so there is no need for me to revise it."

"Tomorrow you will go to the main hall to present this to Minister Xia in person. One should strike a balance between work and rest. If you ruin your health, who will go to Jiangnan to implement this silver-for-his-owning policy for His Majesty?"

After speaking, Gu Yannian walked past Zhou Chen.

Under the dumbfounded gaze of the clerks, he walked out of the Ministry of Revenue compound with steady, measured steps.

The evening breeze was slightly cool.

As Gu Yannian walked along the bluestone path of Xuanwu Lane, he smelled the fragrant aroma wafting from the alley entrance.

That was the unique fragrance of mugwort in spring.

He walked up to a pastry stall and stopped.

"Uncle, give me two steamers of freshly steamed green rice dumplings."

The steaming hot qingtuan (green glutinous rice dumplings) were wrapped in oil paper, exuding a soft, sweet aroma.

Gu Yannian carried the paper bag and slowly walked towards his own courtyard.

He has completely distorted the history of the Ming Dynasty.

Gone is the gloom of Tumu Fortress, gone is the isolation imposed by the maritime ban.

A vast and vibrant empire was quietly rising right under his nose.

He, however, remained the same Changshengke who went to get off work and left work on time every day, stealing a moment of leisure from the turbulent court.

"The cooking time for these qingtuan is better than last year."

He took a bite of the green rice dumpling, and his mouth was filled with its fragrance.

The long years have passed, all now just a topic of laughter.

……

In the fourth year of the Hongxi reign, the spring breeze swept gently from south to north across the vast land of the Ming Dynasty.

The moat outside Shuntian Prefecture has thawed.

The weeping willows along the riverbank unfurled countless pale yellow tendrils, swaying gently in the breeze.

Before the morning mist had dissipated, the towering red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City revealed their solemn outline in the morning light.

The Right Vice Minister was on duty at the Ministry of Revenue.

The animal-shaped charcoal burned quietly in the copper basin, radiating a warm glow.

Dressed in a scarlet official robe, Gu Yannian sat upright behind his desk, holding a purple writing brush, and steadily wrote on the signature book.

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

"Add to the spirit."

Gu Yannian's thoughts shifted slightly.

In an instant, a refreshing aura, like a cold spring in a deep mountain, surged from the mind and flowed throughout the body.

Over two decades of trials and tribulations, countless days and nights of hard work have transformed his seemingly frail body into a divinely powerful physique beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Now that his five senses are fully activated, he can hear the rustling of clerks turning pages in the Ministry of Revenue compound and the subtle sounds of sparrows pecking at grass seeds in the courtyard.

All are as clear as the lines on the palm of your hand, with every detail visible.

He picked up the Ding kiln white porcelain cup on the table and skimmed off the foam on the tea.

He took a small sip of the pre-Qingming Longjing tea, his expression serene and calm.

The heavy cotton curtain was suddenly lifted, and Zhou Chen, dressed in a brand-new official robe of a fourth-rank Vice Censor-in-Chief, strode into the duty room.

He had a thin face and slightly sunken eyes.

Clearly, they didn't get a good night's rest last night.

But those eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, revealing an unwavering determination.

"I, Zhou Chen, have come to bid farewell to Vice Minister Gu."

Zhou Chen stepped forward, bowed deeply, and bowed to the ground.

Yesterday at dusk, Emperor Hongxi, Zhu Gaochi, issued an imperial edict.

Zhou Chen, a principal clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, was promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and ordered to inspect and govern Jiangnan.

He was in charge of grain taxes in the southern Zhili and Zhejiang regions, and was given full authority to implement the new policy of "converting taxes into silver".

This extraordinary promotion caused a stir in both the court and the public.

Everyone knew that Zhou Chen was going there with the imperial sword in hand.

We need to get our hands on the money bags of those centuries-old aristocratic families and wealthy clans in Jiangnan.

Gu Yannian put down his teacup and reached out to help it.

"Governor Zhou, no need for formalities. This journey south will be fraught with challenges—high mountains and long rivers, not to mention strong winds and rough seas. Are you fully prepared?"

Zhou Chen straightened up and replied resolutely, "Having received the Emperor's favor and the guidance of Your Excellency, I will forge ahead even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead!"

"Last night, I finished reviewing the tax records of Jiangnan over the years, and I have a clear plan. I am determined to implement the silver-for-tax method to the end and will not let you down, Your Excellency!"

Looking at the passionate financial genius in front of him, Gu Yannian smiled gently.

He pointed to the round stool in front of the table.

"Sit down and talk. You have boundless ambition, but you don't know how deep the silt lies beneath the surface of the waters of Jiangnan."

After Zhou Chen sat down as instructed, Gu Yannian slowly began to speak.

"Jiangnan is the richest place in the world, and its taxes account for half of the Ming Dynasty's total revenue. However, since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu, the wealthy gentry and landlords in Jiangnan have mastered the art of deceiving their superiors and concealing the truth."

"If you go to promote the silver-based system this time, they will definitely not surrender easily and will use every means to obstruct you."

Zhou Chen's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Please enlighten me, sir, on how this humble official should respond?"

"The first is the use of deceptive and elusive methods."

Gu Yannian's slender fingers gently manipulated the sandalwood abacus.

It made a crisp "click" sound.

"The imperial court levies taxes based on the amount of land owned."

"Those wealthy and powerful families owned vast tracts of land, but relying on the tax exemption privileges granted to scholar-officials by the imperial court, they secretly registered their land under the names of successful candidates in the imperial examinations, thereby evading taxes."

"Even worse, some colluded with local officials to transfer their own heavily taxed land to those families who had already fled famine or even died out."

"When the government demands payment, they can only force the poor to pay. If the people can't afford it, they have no choice but to sell their children and become homeless."

"While the wealthy and powerful sit within their high walls and deep courtyards, enjoying peace and tranquility."

Zhou Chen gasped in shock and clenched his fists.

"This kind of deceitful scheme is utterly exploitative, sucking the blood and sweat of the people! Upon arriving in Jiangnan, I immediately began to revise the fish-scale map and survey the land!"