The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Zhao Wenhua glared menacingly at Yan Maoqing and said, "Hmph, some people are used to being two-faced, probably thinking of sitting on the fence. Don't forget, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken!"

Seeing that he had gone a bit too far, Luo Longwen quickly stood up and advised, "Alright, alright, we were all promoted by the Grand Secretary and the Junior Grand Secretary..."

Yan Shifan impatiently interrupted him: "Alright, I'll just say it straight. The Prince Yu is surrounded by those people. Even if we were to sacrifice our own flesh and flatter them to support him, they wouldn't think much of us after they ascend the throne. They would just think it's their right and sooner or later let them drive us to extinction."

Only Prince Jing is a truly powerless and isolated figure, a cold stove for others to tend. No one else but us can do it, and even the Qingliu faction dares not even get involved. If this succeeds, he will continue to rely on us to control the court after his ascension to the throne.”

Luo Wenlong replied, "What the young Grand Secretary says makes sense. Ever since Xia Yan was executed, those people from the Hanlin Academy, the Imperial Academy, and the Censorate have always regarded us as a thorn in their side and wanted to get rid of us as soon as possible."

The others chimed in, but they all shared the same sentiment: support for the young Grand Secretary.

Those who could gather here were the core members of Yan's faction in Beijing. Their actions were destined to be unacceptable to the Qingliu faction, so they could only go down a dark path.

However, not everyone agreed with Yan Shifan's choice, but they had leverage over him, and the frail old figure behind him made them dare not resist.

"Have you compiled all the donations from various places last year?"

Yan Maoqing presented the flat box in his hand: "As instructed by the young Grand Secretary, everything is here."

Yan Shifan opened the box. Inside was not a book, but a thick stack of neatly cut gold-flecked paper. The edges of the pages were slightly curled, indicating that they were frequently turned over. Each sheet was densely covered with tiny characters listing the items, quantities, sources, prices, and even hidden marks made with vermilion pen.

He slowly picked up the top few sheets, his gaze quickly sweeping over them. He wasn't looking at the usual high-quality money, grain, and silk; instead, he skipped straight to the very end, to the items marked as special grade, unique, smuggled, or auspicious.

A Song Dynasty Longwei She inkstone with the inscription "Ink Pool Rising Waves" (attributed to Mi Fu).

-Attached: Rosewood lid and top cover, lined with Suzhou heavy crepe paper.

- Research: According to the "Xuanhe Inkstone Catalogue", its shape is likely based on the official system of the Southern Tang Dynasty.

A blue and white porcelain brush rest with a design of dragons amidst waves and clouds, made during the Xuande period.

- Dimensions: 7 inches long, 1.3 inches high

- Verification: Made during the Xuande reign of the Ming Dynasty, with three underglaze red spots (Note: These are not damage, but rather kiln variations).

A twelve-panel ivory openwork screen depicting the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, a tribute from Siam.

- Dimensions: Each panel is 1 foot 8 inches high and 6 inches wide.

Packaging: Wrapped in Korean tribute paper, covered with oiled silk, and placed in a camphor wood box.

- Damage Record: The lotus stem of the third panel depicting He Xiangu has a slight crack (already repaired by a lacquerer).

Song Dynasty Jun ware rose-purple glazed vase with protruding flanges and the character "臣" (chen) mark.

- Dimensions: Height 9.5 inches, glaze color: sky blue with a hint of purplish-red, foot rim brushed with brown glaze.

-Inscription: The characters "奉华" are engraved on the sole of the foot, and "臣张俊恭进" is engraved on the side.

-Packaging: The original Southern Song Dynasty official brocade box has become moldy and rotten. It is now wrapped in three layers of Hangzhou satin.

Burmese tribute ruby ​​ring

Weight: 3.1 qian (approximately 6.5 grams), pigeon blood red color, complete hexagonal prism crystal shape.

-Inlaid base: The gold base is engraved with the Sanskrit seed syllable "Hum", representing all bodhisattvas and vajra protectors.

-Attached: A piece of Sanskrit palm-leaf scripture with mantras for upholding precepts written on it.

-Translated: This gemstone comes from Siddhi City and has been blessed by all Buddhas.

The treasures were numerous and incredibly rare, and Yan Shifan felt a pang of regret looking at them. If he hadn't given them to Prince Jing, he could have kept them all to fill his own treasury.

But they still gritted their teeth and made their selections anyway. After all, he was a prince, and they couldn't just give him cheap goods on their first meeting. They had to show some sincerity.

Besides, if the great cause is accomplished, what does this little thing matter?

This, this, this… and this too. Oh, right, I also have a Xuande-style gilt cloud-patterned three-legged milk censer in my warehouse, bring that over too.

"Yes."

A group of people listened with envy, thinking, "What a generous offer! I wish I could have it."

Yan Shifan suddenly pointed and asked, "Isn't it said that half of the Song Dynasty rubbing of the *Huangting Neijing Jing* was badly damaged by insects and could only be used as kindling? How come it's been rewritten here?"

Yan Maoqing replied, "Your Excellency, after repeated inspection, it was found that the insects were infested with the old brocade pouch and a few blank lining papers, while the main body of the scroll remained intact."

Moreover, before his death, the Taoist priest revealed that there were cinnabar annotations in the margins and corners of the scroll by a certain Yuan Dynasty immortal. Although the characters had faded due to the passage of time, careful reading might reveal some lost secrets of cultivation. I specially asked a specialist to examine them, and the handwriting resembled that of the immortal Zhang.

Yan Shifan raised an eyebrow: "Keep this one for now. Send someone to Wudang Mountain to invite a Taoist priest over to examine it again. If it's genuine, that would be extraordinary."

After things were roughly settled, Yan Shifan, still feeling unsatisfied, suddenly looked at Luo Longwen and said, "Hanzhang, I heard you got a good set of things. Take a look and try them out."

Luo Longwen's face fell, and he looked like he was about to cry, but he still replied, "That set of Ru ware was confiscated this year from the ancestral home of a convicted official in the south."

The set includes ten pieces: a plate, a basin, a bowl, a bottle, a box, a dish, a zun (wine vessel), a cup stand, a tripod zun, and a ewer. The glaze is thick and lustrous like jade, with natural crackles. Two of the pieces have the inscription "Feng Hua" on the bottom, making it an absolute masterpiece among official kilns.

"If the young Grand Secretary wants it, I would naturally be willing to part with it, but this humble official truly..."

Seeing Luo Longwen like this, Yan Shifan laughed heartily, feeling much more at ease.

The others, who still had questions, all contributed their family heirlooms, totaling twenty-seven items, numbered three and nine.

Seeing that everyone was bleeding, Yan Shifan slowly scanned the crowd and reminded them, "We are not trying to curry favor with a prince. We are building a stable home, and we are also forging a saddle. The more comfortable we make the saddle now, the more he will be unable to live without it when he wears it."

"Your Excellency is wise; we will remember this well."

Yan Shifan wasn't going to leave empty-handed after receiving the gifts. He immediately said that if anyone had a preferred official position, they should send someone to deliver a message, and he would make appropriate arrangements.

Everyone thanked them repeatedly. That was precisely why they had attached themselves to the Yan family; otherwise, who would bother to flatter this damned one-eyed dragon?

Zhao Wenhua suddenly licked his lips and said, "As the ancients said, food and sex are human nature. His Highness Prince Jing is still young, but he will be ready in two or three years."

The group exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Wan Cai, the Director of the Personnel Examination Department, nodded and said, "Yuan Zhi is right. We have prepared these things, which are certainly valuable and elegant, but it's hard to say whether they will please Prince Jing. And what young man doesn't like beautiful women?"

Fang Xiang, the chief clerk of the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs, said, "It's still possible to arrange things in Yangzhou in two or three years."

Leave this to me.

Yan Shifan nodded: "People can be cultivated slowly. They should be taught separately according to the nine arts: music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, dance, incense, tea, and medicine. We must strive for excellence in each one."

"Yes."

"By the way, Young Grand Secretary, it wouldn't be appropriate to send these things directly to the palace, would it?"

Yan Shifan said, "Just send the gift list in. I have a newly built garden in Jiqingfang in the west city that I haven't lived in yet. I'll put up a plaque for it called Wenyuan. I'll also organize and store the land deed, house deed, and all these other things together. Then I'll have Prince Jing send someone to take over."

"Wenyuan...Wenjing, Junior Grand Secretary Gao."

…………