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

Spring waters are just beginning to rise, and spring forests are just beginning to flourish.

An urgent dispatch from Jiangnan, carrying the scent of ink and news of victory, arrived at the Forbidden City at dusk the day before yesterday.

Governor Zhou implemented sweeping reforms in Jiangnan.

With the three million taels of silver allocated by the imperial court, they crushed those wealthy and powerful families who attempted to manipulate market prices.

The method of converting silver into cash has now been successfully implemented in various prefectures in Jiangnan.

The market is stable, and the autumn tax revenue is being loaded onto ships and headed north.

The treasury of the Ming Dynasty was as prosperous as ever before.

Inside the Ministry of Revenue, a joyous atmosphere naturally prevailed.

Only the Right Vice Minister's office remained as quiet as a secluded place.

At the exact moment of Mao Shi (5-7 AM), the lingering sound of the morning drum still echoed in the air.

Dressed in a scarlet official robe, Gu Yannian sat upright behind his desk, steadily marking the attendance book with his pen.

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

"Add to physical constitution."

His immense, restrained power and vitality were hidden beneath a red robe, unassuming and unassuming.

He put down the purple brush and took out a sandalwood abacus from his sleeve, placing it on the corner of the table.

Then, he took out a small dish of freshly cooked spiced broad beans from the food box behind him.

He then picked up the small red clay stove next to him and brewed himself a pot of fresh tea.

On the desk were several miscellaneous accounts submitted by the Ministry of Revenue's Office of Revenue.

He picked up a broad bean with his left hand and put it in his mouth, while his right hand casually flipped through the ledger.

With a quick glance, his mental calculations flowed instantly, and he wrote "Correct, approved" on the last page.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the thick stack of account books had been processed.

Just as he picked up a book, "A Record of Mountains and Rivers," to pass the time...

The heavy curtain of the duty room was suddenly lifted.

Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, strode in.

The old minister looked quite solemn today, with his brows furrowed.

Even his gray beard seemed to convey a sense of worry.

"Minister Gu, you certainly have the leisure and refined tastes!"

Xia Yuanji looked at the broad beans and miscellaneous books on the table, shook his head with a wry smile, and pulled over a chair to sit down.

"The weather outside is about to change, and you're still here shelling beans."

Gu Yannian pushed the dish of broad beans outwards and gently invited the guest to join him.

"Minister Xia, please try some. These broad beans are cooked just right, soft and tender. But what trouble has arisen in the court this time?"

"Now that the taxes in Jiangnan are fixed and the granaries are full, what major upheaval could possibly occur?"

Xia Yuanji did not reach for the broad beans, but let out a long sigh.

"The situation in Jiangnan has stabilized, but a storm has broken out in the capital. The Emperor issued an edict yesterday to conduct a thorough inspection of officials in the capital this year to rectify the corruption of all officials."

"The newly appointed Left Censor-in-Chief, Yan Zheng, has taken office today!"

Gu Yannian nodded slightly.

Throughout history, the imperial examinations in the capital have always been a sharp sword hanging over the heads of officials in the capital.

It is used to evaluate officials' performance and conduct, weeding out the incompetent and retaining the virtuous.

"Imperial Censor Yan is impartial and incorruptible. Reforming the bureaucracy is a major national undertaking. Minister Xia has always been honest and upright, and the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue are crystal clear. Why are you so worried?"

Gu Yannian asked with a calm smile.

"I am naturally not afraid of an audit!"

Xia Yuanji lowered his voice and leaned forward.

"Yan Zhengren lived up to his name, a famously upright and honest man who could not tolerate the slightest injustice. What he hated most was officials who neglected their duties and indulged in comfort."

"He made a statement in the cabinet yesterday, saying that the Ministry of Revenue is a vital source of money and grain for the country, and should work tirelessly day and night to share the burden of the nation."

But he heard…

Xia Yuanji glanced at Gu Yannian, his face showing helplessness.

"He heard that there was a Right Vice Minister in the Ministry of Revenue who, no matter how busy he was with official business, would leave the office and go home every day at 5 PM without fail, and would even cook tea and food in his office, treating the laws of the court as a joke."

"Yan Zheng has already declared that he will come to our Ministry of Revenue today to personally investigate this practice of holding positions without performing their duties!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yannian not only showed no panic, but instead chuckled.

He turned a page of the "Records of Mountains and Rivers" in his hand, his expression calm and unhurried.

"So he's after me. I'm always on time for my shift and leave the office early, and the accounts I manage are spotless. Even if Censor Yan had three heads and six arms, what crime could he possibly find out?"

Seeing that he was completely unmoved by reason, Xia Yuanji was so anxious that he kept slapping his thigh.

"With your temperament! Yan Zheng not only checks accounts, but also the demeanor and discipline of officials. If he catches you eating and drinking in this duty room, he can submit an impeachment to the Emperor. Even if the Emperor protects you, it will still look bad on your face."

"Today, you should restrain yourself, put away these food and miscellaneous books, and pretend to be studying diligently at your desk to get by."

Gu Yannian picked up his teacup, brushed away the foam, and spoke in a calm and leisurely tone.

"Minister Xia, I entered this court seeking only a clear conscience and to manage the nation's finances. As long as the accounts are balanced and the national treasury is not in deficit, what do I care whether I eat broad beans or drink tea?"

"If one has to put on airs just to please others, wouldn't being an official be too tiring?"

Xia Yuanji knew that his colleague was stubborn and unfathomable.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade her, she could only sigh and get up to leave.

Before leaving, he turned back and reminded her, "Be careful, Yan Zheng is no pushover."

After Xia Yuanji left, the duty room returned to silence.

Gu Yannian did not take the matter to heart.

Over the years, he has seen too many self-proclaimed upright officials who attempted to bind others with strict rules.

He only sought peace and quiet for himself.

To him, the gazes of others were nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing against a mountain.

As noon approached, the Ministry of Revenue compound suddenly fell silent.

A series of steady, powerful footsteps, accompanied by the subtle rustling of armor, came from outside the courtyard.

Yan Zheng, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, wore a scarlet robe of the second rank and a black gauze hat, his face as cold and stern as iron.

He was nearly fifty years old, with two deep lines etched between his brows, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

Wherever he went, the clerks and officials of the Ministry of Revenue held their breath and dared not utter a sound.

Yan Zheng did not go to the main hall to pay a visit to Xia Yuanji.

Instead, accompanied by two imperial censors, he strode straight toward the Right Vice Minister's office.

He's here today to catch someone red-handed.

Upon reaching the door, Yan Zheng did not wait for the servants to announce his arrival.

He abruptly flung open the heavy cotton curtain and strode inside.

He had expected to see officials fast asleep or a scene of chaotic neglect.

However, what he saw before him left him stunned.

The duty room was spotless, and the files on the desk were neatly arranged.

The rumored Vice Minister Gu, who was said to be "holding a position without doing any work," was sitting upright at his desk.

He was holding an unknown book in one hand and skillfully peeling a spiced broad bean with the other.

The tea on the small red clay stove was boiling gently, emitting a calming and soothing aroma.

When Yan Zheng barged in, Gu Yannian did not show any panic.

Instead, he slowly put down the book in his hand and put the peeled broad bean into his mouth.

After chewing and swallowing, he slowly stood up and bowed respectfully.

"I am deeply sorry for failing to greet Censor Yan properly."

Gu Yannian spoke in a gentle tone, as if he were greeting a neighbor who had come to visit.

Yan Zheng snapped out of his daze.

Looking at the broad beans and stove on the table, he was furious and shouted angrily:

"Minister Gu! Do you know your crime?!"

Gu Yannian remained expressionless and sat back down in his chair.

He even made a gesture of invitation, indicating that everyone should take their seats formally.

"I have performed my duties on time and have not embezzled a single copper coin. I do not know what crime Censor Yan is referring to?"

"That's just sophistry!"

Yan Zheng did not sit down, but pointed to the objects on the table, his voice booming.

"The imperial court established six ministries, with the Ministry of Revenue in charge of the nation's finances. What a crucial and important place! All the officials worked tirelessly day and night for the country's affairs."

"As a third-rank official, you spend your time in your duty room brewing tea and cooking, reading miscellaneous books, and treating national affairs like child's play!"

"If such extravagance, debauchery, laziness, and wastefulness are not severely punished, how can the court be governed with integrity?!"