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

The atmosphere in the lobby was extremely tense.

Gu Yannian did not change his sitting posture from beginning to end.

He took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the finger that had just tapped the table, his tone still calm and gentle.

"General Arubao, this Ming Dynasty tea table is precious. If it is broken, your Oirat Mongols cannot afford to pay for it."

Gu Yannian folded the silk handkerchief neatly and put it into his sleeve.

His gaze, as imposing as a deep abyss and a towering mountain, enveloped Arubao, who was sweating profusely.

"The rules have been established by me. The opening of the horse market is your only hope for survival this winter. As for whether to exchange horses, and how to exchange them, you can send a fast horse to the foot of Yinshan Mountain to ask your chieftain, Tuohuan."

"However, I must remind you that the 1.2 million taels of silver for military equipment in Xuanda and Datong have been allocated today, and the new muskets are being manufactured day and night."

"If the leader of the Tuohuan tribe finds the Ming Dynasty's grain too difficult to obtain and tries to seize it with his scimitars..."

A gentle yet chilling smile appeared on Gu Yannian's lips.

"I will prepare an abacus in the Ministry of Revenue to count the heads of the invading enemy and calculate how much reward money can be exchanged for the border troops."

Arubao's face was ashen.

You can't beat them in a fight, and you can't extort them.

Even the use of force as a deterrent has become a joke.

The profound foundation of the Ming Dynasty filled him with despair.

Just as Arubao gritted his teeth, preparing to say a few words of appeasement to save face, he was about to leave.

"Thump, thump, thump,"

At the end of the long street, the deep, resonant sound of the evening drum from the Drum Tower pierced through the layers of flying eaves.

The sound was clearly transmitted into the lobby of the meeting hall.

It's exactly 5 PM.

Gu Yannian's straight back relaxed slightly.

The oppressive aura emanating from him vanished instantly.

He deftly tucked the sandalwood abacus on the table into his wide sleeve.

She straightened the hem of her crimson robe and slowly stood up.

Arubao was taken aback, wondering what kind of trick this unfathomable Vice Minister of Revenue would come up with next.

Yu Qian, however, remained calm, knowing exactly what was going on.

This gentleman is about to leave work.

"Doctor Yu." Gu Yannian looked at Yu Qian.

"Your humble servant is here," Yu Qian quickly bowed.

"Now that the rules have been explained, the remaining details, such as the tea-horse exchange rate and the checkpoints for the transaction, can be discussed by your Ministry of War and Ministry of Rites with General Arubao."

"After the memorial is drafted, it shall be sent to the Ministry of Revenue for inspection and stamping tomorrow."

As Gu Yannian spoke, he walked around the desk and headed towards the entrance of the main hall.

Arubao panicked and, ignoring the excruciating pain in his hand, stepped forward and shouted.

"My lord! You're leaving already? The method for calculating the value of the horses hasn't been decided yet; this is a matter of great importance concerning the alliance between our two tribes! How can you treat this so lightly!"

Gu Yannian stopped and turned around.

He looked at the Oirat envoy with an expression as if he were looking at a fool.

"General Arubao, I am the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I am not in charge of war or alliances, but only of the Ming Dynasty's purse."

Gu Yannian raised his hand and pointed to the gradually darkening sky outside.

His tone conveyed a sense of nonchalance and insistence.

"The evening drum has sounded; it's time for me to leave the office. Even the most important business deal can only be discussed after I've had my morning nap tomorrow."

After speaking, he lifted the curtain, leaving the Oirat envoy staring blankly.

With steady, measured steps, he strolled out of the meeting hall.

The setting sun, like blood, stretched his shadow extremely long.

Arubo stared dumbfounded at the swaying curtain, and after a long while, he swallowed hard.

He turned to look at Yu Qian, his voice hoarse.

"Are all officials in your Ming Dynasty... so... so unreasonable?"

Yu Qian couldn't help but smile bitterly.

But he stood taller than ever before.

"General Arubao, you've understood what Minister Gu said. Let's sit down and have a proper discussion about exchanging that warhorse for a few pounds of tea bricks."

Yu Qian gave a cold laugh and sat down in the main seat again.

A gentle evening breeze wafts along the long street.

Gu Yannian walked with his hands behind his back, feeling quite relaxed.

This blow today will surely force the Oirat to submit.

Once the tea-horse trade was established, the Ming Dynasty would not only have a continuous supply of fine horses to bolster its cavalry.

More importantly, tea and salt completely tied the nomadic people's economic lifeline to theirs.

Men on the grasslands can go without rice and noodles.

However, if one eats meat for a long time without tea to cut through the grease and fat, one will die from abdominal bloating.

Without salt to replenish energy, one wouldn't even have the strength to mount a horse.

From then on, Tuohuan's Oirat tribe became a group of thugs kept by the Ming Dynasty at the foot of Yinshan Mountain.

They obediently went to weaken the Tatar forces for the Ming Dynasty.

Before he knew it, Gu Yannian had reached the corner of Xuanwu Lane.

An old man selling loquats by the roadside was carrying his load on a shoulder pole, preparing to pack up and close his stall.

The bright yellow loquats gleamed enticingly in the setting sun.

"Uncle, I'll take this basket of loquats."

Gu Yannian took out a few copper coins and handed them over.

Carrying a basket of fresh loquats that exuded a delicate fragrance, Gu Yannian pushed open the mottled wooden door of his small courtyard.

The branches and leaves of the old jujube tree rustled in the summer breeze.

It was as if they were welcoming their master back.

After washing his hands, Gu Yannian sat on a bamboo chair in the courtyard, peeled a ripe loquat, and put it in his mouth.

Juicy and flavorful, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour.

He closed his eyes, savoring the tranquility.

"The loquats here are even sweeter than the tributes from the previous dynasty."

He murmured to himself, quietly savoring the taste of passing years in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Tomorrow, the legal wrangling over the meeting place will continue to unfold.