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

In the early winter of the first year of the Xuande reign, the snow fell in the capital earlier than in previous years.

The red walls and yellow tiles of the Forbidden City were covered with thick white snow, giving it a solemn and majestic imperial appearance when viewed from afar.

The momentum of the grand military parade in Xuanfu was still lingering, and both the Oirat and Tatar tribes beyond the Great Wall sent envoys to deliver annual tribute.

The towns along the nine borders enjoyed a rare period of peace and tranquility without the flames of war.

With external threats temporarily abated, the internal troubles and undercurrents within the court are like spring grass growing beneath thick snow.

It spread uncontrollably.

Inside the Jianji Hall next to the Wenhua Hall, the underfloor heating in the warm pavilion was burning brightly.

Gu Yannian, dressed in a purple-red python robe, sat upright behind the Grand Secretary's large sandalwood desk.

His desk was piled high with memorials, and he held a purple writing brush in his hand, his expression serene as he reviewed them with lightning speed.

Since he took over as Grand Secretary, the flow of government affairs in the Ming Dynasty has accelerated several times over.

His mind, honed to godlike form by the long years and thousands of points of spiritual attributes, viewed these intricate folds as if they were the scribbles of a child.

One glance is enough to see through the intricacies of it all.

"Prime Minister Gu, this is the newly submitted list of officials' performance evaluations by the Ministry of Personnel. Please take a look."

Vice Grand Secretary Yang Rong walked forward steadily, holding a thick yellow book in both hands.

Yang Rong was a veteran official who had served three emperors. He was naturally shrewd and had exceptional strategic skills.

He looked at the prime minister before him, who was excessively young yet unfathomable.

There was always a hint of awe and curiosity in his eyes.

Gu Yannian took the yellow book, casually flipped through a couple of pages, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Grand Secretary Yang, the Minister of Personnel, Jian Yi, has been quite diligent lately."

Gu Yannian placed the yellow book on the table with a soft sound.

"On this list, the vacancies for key positions in the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers are mostly filled by upright officials from the Hanlin Academy. As for those practical officials who have made contributions in local areas by implementing the silver-for-money system and measuring land, they are mostly transferred to other positions or even demoted for their impetuous actions."

"This method of assessment is quite unique."

He knew all too well that the power struggle in the imperial court had finally begun.

The civil service of the Ming Dynasty always held themselves in high esteem.

Especially those Jinshi graduates from the Hanlin Academy, who considered themselves disciples of the emperor and sages.

In their eyes, Gu Yannian, the Vice Minister of Revenue who rose to power through abacus and money management, suddenly surpassing them and taking the throne as the head of all officials was simply an insult to civility.

Jian Yi, the Minister of Personnel, was the leading figure of this faction of upright officials.

He dared not openly defy the late emperor's edict and the current emperor, so he could only manipulate the appointment and removal of officials.

They attempted to use the entire court of upright officials to sideline Gu Yannian, this "lonely ruler."

"Gu Xiang is a wise judge."

Yang Rong carefully chose his words and said in a low voice,

"Jian Tianguan has been in charge of personnel selection for many years, and his protégés and former officials are scattered throughout the court and the countryside. His arrangement is probably a prelude to the upcoming Xuande Imperial Examination."

"When the new emperor ascends the throne, he will hold a special imperial examination the following spring, greatly increasing the number of candidates. If the Hanlin Academy controls the key positions in the Six Ministries, then the newly appointed scholars next year will naturally all become his cronies."

Gu Yannian picked up the Junshan Silver Needle tea from the table, gently blew away the foam, took a small sip, and his expression remained as calm and composed as ever.

"Forming cliques for personal gain is a common problem throughout history. It's just that the way they do it is rather unsightly."

Gu Yannian put down his teacup, picked up his vermilion brush, and drew a big red cross on the roster.

"Reject this list to the Ministry of Personnel. Tell Jian Yi that the court needs capable ministers who can manage water resources, finances, and pacify the people, not bookworms who only know how to compose poems and talk about morality."

"Have him rewrite it."

Yang Rong held the rejected list and sighed inwardly.

This Chief Minister Gu was truly decisive and ruthless, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Refuting this list was tantamount to slapping Jian Yi and the entire court of upright officials in the face.

Sure enough, within two days, a huge uproar broke out in the imperial court.

The morning court session at Fengtian Gate.

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, sat on the dragon throne, looking at the impassioned officials below, his brows furrowed.

"We, your humble servants, have something to report!"

A court official, holding an ivory tablet, stepped forward with great enthusiasm and passion.

"Grand Secretary Gu Yannian is abusing his power and acting arbitrarily! The Ministry of Personnel is a crucial institution for national personnel selection. Minister Jian conducted impartial assessments and drafted the list of candidates, but Grand Secretary Gu acted arbitrarily and rejected it without cause, resulting in vacant key positions in the six ministries and hindering government operations!"

"This is an act of 'a hen crowing at dawn,' disrupting the order of our Great Ming Dynasty! We implore Your Majesty to make a wise judgment!"

Immediately afterwards, several more censors stepped forward to echo the impeachment.

They dared not criticize Gu Yannian's achievements.

He then attacked him from the angle of suppressing upright officials and appointing relatives and friends, and his words were earnest.

It was as if the Ming Dynasty was about to be destroyed overnight.

Minister of Personnel Jian Yi stood at the front of the officials, appearing mature and composed, but he did not speak to stop the officials below from speaking out.

Zhu Zhanji watched all of this with a cold eye.

Although he was an emperor who rose from the ashes, he was very knowledgeable about the art of checks and balances in the court.

He was well aware of the dangers of civil officials forming cliques.

This is why he did not hesitate to follow the late emperor's will and give Gu Yannian an important position.

The emperor's gaze fell on Gu Yannian, who stood at the very front, seemingly detached from the situation.

"Prime Minister Gu, all the ministers say you are abusing your power. What is your explanation?"

Zhu Zhanji asked in a calm voice.

Gu Yannian stepped out of the queue with a calm demeanor, bowing slightly, his handsome face showing no sign of anger.

"Your Majesty, I reject the Ministry of Personnel's roster simply because the names on it do not match the actual qualifications."

Gu Yannian spoke in a gentle tone, as if he were discussing the weather today.

He turned around, his gaze calmly sweeping over the officials who had just been jumping up and down, finally settling on Jian Yi.

"The candidate for Prefect of Suzhou proposed by Minister Jian is Wang Lin, a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. This man is renowned throughout the capital for his elegant writing. However, Suzhou is a financially important city, and the new policy of converting silver into cash has only been implemented for a few years, so local gentry are secretly stirring up trouble."

"May I ask Minister Jian, does Compiler Wang know how much autumn grain is required per mu of paddy field per year? Does he know how to determine the purity of the silver surcharge? And how should he deal with merchants who hoard and speculate?"

Gu Yannian's words were like knives, hitting the nail on the head.

I don't bother with those vague and abstract pronouncements from sages.

Jian Yi's expression darkened slightly, and he stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Prime Minister Gu is mistaken. The way of being an official lies in knowing people well and appointing them to suitable positions, and in winning people over with virtue. As long as the superior is of high moral character and has the demeanor of a sage, the subordinate clerks will naturally not dare to act recklessly."

"If one insists on personally handling every trivial matter of money, wouldn't that be beneath the dignity of a high-ranking official?"

"Discretion?"

Gu Yannian smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"During the Former Han Dynasty, the Yellow River breached its banks, causing immense suffering to millions. The high-ranking officials sent by the court, full of benevolence and morality, were helpless in the face of the flood. In the end, it was a humble official, skilled in mathematics and water conservancy, who built dikes to divert the flood and saved countless lives."

"May I ask Minister Jian, when faced with that raging torrent, is it propriety or scheming that can save lives?"

There was a moment of silence in the main hall.

Gu Yannian suppressed his smile, and his voice suddenly rose by half an inch, revealing the majesty of the head of all officials.

"The Ming Dynasty was built with real gold and silver, and won through the battles of its soldiers! It wasn't something you could achieve by sitting in your studies and writing a few eloquent articles!"

"If the Ministry of Personnel only looks at paperwork and not practical skills when appointing officials, the national treasury of the Ming Dynasty will sooner or later be emptied by your incompetent system!"