The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Xu Jie paused, his fingers twirling the beads, then smiled and nodded: "Good, good indeed, diligence can make up for lack of talent. It's rare to see such determination and focus in a young person."

He praised him verbally, but in his heart he became increasingly clear that this Chen Han was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

A scholar who only relied on rote memorization of the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty" could never have seen through the emperor's heart, human relationships, and the political situation at court so clearly.

However, he couldn't find any fault with it.

Zhang Juzheng, who was sitting to the side, finally spoke.

He put down his teacup, looked at Chen Han with deep eyes, and spoke calmly:

"Supervisor Chen, let me ask you this: with the winter solstice approaching and the winter sacrifice at Xiaoling Mausoleum imminent, in your opinion, what is the most important aspect of this winter sacrifice?"

That's the real killer move.

Gao Gong asked about the past, Xu Jie asked about ability, but Zhang Juzheng asked about the future, about the overall situation, and about his judgment on the current court situation and the struggle for the throne.

This one sentence can reveal whether this young man is merely a rule-bound bureaucrat or a visionary with a broad perspective and the ability to plan big things.

The warm room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Prince Yu's body tensed up again, and he even slowed his breathing.

He cared more about this winter sacrifice than anyone else. It was a crucial step for him to salvage his image and solidify his position in front of Jiajing. One wrong step and he would be doomed.

Gao Gong sat up straight, looked at Chen Han, and waited for his answer.

Shen Zhiyu held her teacup, her eyes lowered, her expression still indifferent.

But she tilted her ear slightly to the side.

She was listening.

Having spent eight years in Si Yan Si, the most important skill she learned was to listen to every word others said when they weren't paying attention.

Chen Han remained silent for a moment.

He knew that once he opened his mouth, there would be no turning back.

All the groundwork laid beforehand was for this moment.

A good answer means stepping into the heart of the power game;

If you don't answer well, all the good impressions you made before will be ruined.

He gritted his teeth, looked up at Zhang Juzheng, then at Prince Yu, and said, word by word:

"In response to Lord Zhang, in my humble opinion, the most important thing about this winter sacrifice has never been the regulations of the offerings, the completeness of the ceremony, or even His Highness's filial piety."

These words shocked everyone present.

Gao Gong frowned sharply and said in a deep voice, "Insolence! The winter sacrifice to our ancestors is to pay homage to the founding emperor, and to fulfill Your Highness's filial duty. How can that not be the most important thing?"

Chen Han remained calm and continued, "Lord Gao, please calm down. I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Your Highness's filial piety is fundamental, that much is undeniable. But what I'm about to say is the key to whether it can be accomplished."

He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Prince Yu, his tone solemn:

"Your Highness, whether this winter sacrifice can be carried out, whether Your Highness's filial piety can be fulfilled, and whether His Majesty can be satisfied, depends on only one thing—in His Majesty's eyes, is Your Highness's filial piety for the founding emperor or for His Majesty?"

One sentence, like a thunderclap, exploded in the warm pavilion.

Prince Yu suddenly raised his head, looked at Chen Han, and his eyes lit up instantly, as if his Ren and Du meridians had been opened in an instant.

Isn't this why he has repeatedly run into obstacles in front of his father all these years?

He always thought about fulfilling his duty as a prince and doing his filial duty to his ancestors, but in his father's eyes, he always felt that his son only had his ancestors in his heart and not him, his sovereign.

Looking at Chen Han, Zhang Juzheng could no longer hide the admiration in his eyes.

He had been pondering the winter sacrifice for days, coming up with countless plans, but none of them were as insightful as Chen Han's words.

He slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Well said! Spot on! Supervisor Chen, you've got this figured out perfectly!"

Xu Jie's smile became more genuine, but his eyes remained calm beneath the smile.

He looked at Chen Han and secretly thought to himself: This boy is indeed insightful.

But seeing is one thing, whether it can be used is another; let's wait and see.

Gao Gong also realized what was happening. Looking at Chen Han, his anger instantly turned into approval, and he nodded repeatedly: "That's right! That's right! I was being too attached to appearances! This is exactly what His Majesty has cared about most all these years!"

Prince Yu looked at Chen Han, leaning forward slightly: "Supervisor Chen, then tell me, what should I do for this winter sacrifice?"

Chen Han bowed slightly, no longer concealing anything.

This is both a way to advance oneself and a pledge of loyalty.

At this time, we can't hide our abilities; we have to show our true skills.

So he respectfully replied, "Your Highness, the method is very simple. During the winter sacrifice, Your Highness should follow the ancestral rules without deviating from them in the slightest, without neglecting any detail, thus fulfilling your filial duty to the founding emperor."

"After the sacrificial ceremony, His Highness immediately sent the sacrificial prayer, the ritual schedule, and the list of sacrificial offerings to His Majesty in the Western Garden, word for word."

"Add another handwritten letter, which only states one thing: Your son offers sacrifices to the Taizu Emperor, daring not to be negligent in the slightest. He only wishes that the Taizu Emperor would protect you, that Your Majesty would be healthy and peaceful, and that the Ming Dynasty would be forever secure."

"Your Highness's filial piety was given to the founding emperor, but in the end, it will still fall on His Majesty."

"What His Majesty wants is not how filial His Highness is to the ancestors, but that His Highness always keeps him, the sovereign and father, in his heart."

After he finished speaking, the warm pavilion remained silent for a long while.

Xu Jie nodded slowly and bowed to Prince Yu, saying, "Your Highness, Supervisor Chen's suggestion is a foolproof plan. Acting accordingly will surely please His Majesty."

Gao Gong immediately echoed, "Grand Secretary Xu is right! Your Highness, let's do it this way!"

Zhang Juzheng looked at Chen Han, pondered for a moment, and said, "Your Highness, in my opinion, it would be better to entrust the supervision of the sacrificial offerings for this winter sacrifice to Supervisor Chen. He is an expert in matters of regulations."

Prince Yu looked at Chen Han as if he had grasped a lifeline, and hurriedly said, "Yes! Yes! Supervisor Chen, I'm entrusting this winter sacrifice to you!"

"Just tell me what you need, and I'll put in a good word with the Court of Imperial Sacrifices!"

Chen Han knew very well that by accepting this assignment, he had completely sided with Prince Yu.

Refusing to accept would be to offend Prince Yu, and all the previous preparations would be in vain.

He did not immediately agree, but bowed slightly and said solemnly, "It is my honor that Your Highness trusts me. However, I have a few words to make clear to Your Highness first."

"Speak! Speak!" Prince Yu hurriedly said.

"Your Highness can provide a complete list of all the offerings for the Winter Festival, but there is one thing I dare not do for you."

Chen Han said, word by word, "All plans must be reviewed and approved by His Highness in person before being finalized."

"I can guarantee that there will be no mistakes in matters of regulations; but how to set them and what the regulations should be is Your Highness's business."

"This humble servant is only responsible for correcting the rules, not for making decisions for Your Highness."

Finally, he added, "There are several advantages to doing this."

"Firstly, Your Highness's filial piety will ultimately be presented in Your Highness's name, and Your Highness will personally review it to prevent others from misunderstanding your intentions."

"Secondly, fewer intermediaries reduce the risk of leaks."

"Thirdly, in case anyone tries to find fault, all the plans were personally decided by His Highness, so no one can make a fuss about it."

That's a very skillful way of putting it.

He didn't say "I won't listen to others," but rather "His Highness will decide personally."

Instead of rejecting Xu Gaozhang's "guidance," he used the reasons of "preventing leaks" and "avoiding others from making a fuss" to consolidate power in the hands of Prince Yu.

This draws a clear line without offending anyone.

Gao Gong nodded repeatedly after listening, "That makes sense! It's safest to have His Highness review it personally!"

Xu Jie smiled and said gently, "Supervisor Chen has considered everything thoroughly. Your Highness can rest assured that this task will be entrusted to him."

Zhang Juzheng did not speak, but held his teacup and lingered his gaze on Chen Han for a moment.

This young man not only knows the rules, but also knows how to make definitive statements without hurting feelings.

This kind of sophistication is harder to cultivate than his academic talent...