The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Prince Yu was deeply moved.

In his life, he had seen many people who wanted to climb the social ladder by using him, but he had never seen anyone who clearly defined responsibilities and powers, who did not hog power or seek credit, and who could explain the principles so clearly.

He nodded hurriedly, his voice tinged with excitement: "Good! Good! As you wish! You draft all the plans for this winter festival first, and I will personally review them once they are ready!"

After speaking, he looked at Shen Zhiyu and said in a gentle tone, "Shen, this winter sacrifice, I will need to trouble you to take care of the official documents, prayers, and lists submitted by the inner court."

Shen Zhiyu rose slightly and curtsied, saying, "Your subject obeys Your Highness's order. The Siyan Siben is in charge of verifying internal and external documents, and I will certainly abide by the rules and ensure the proper handling of documents."

She didn't say much, but every word she spoke was impactful.

Gao Gong looked at the two men and laughed heartily: "Excellent! With Supervisor Chen overseeing things in the outer court and Chief Secretary Shen providing support in the inner court, Your Highness will surely satisfy His Majesty at this winter sacrifice!"

Xu Jie smiled and nodded, raising his wine cup: "Your Highness, this old minister toasts you."

Prince Yu quickly picked up his wine cup, and finally showed the most relaxed smile he had shown in a long time.

The atmosphere in the warm room became completely lively.

During the meal, Gao Gong pulled Chen Han aside and asked him all sorts of questions. Chen Han answered fluently, which made Gao Gong admire him even more.

Xu Jie occasionally chimed in with a word or two, seemingly chatting casually, but actually still testing the waters, yet Chen Han responded flawlessly to every single one of his remarks.

Zhang Juzheng sat to the side, holding a teacup, occasionally glancing at Chen Han, mostly silent than speaking.

Shen Zhiyu sat quietly to the side, not saying a word from beginning to end.

During the meal, almost everyone's attention was focused on Chen Han.

When Gao Gong spoke to her, he only asked about the rules governing the circulation of documents within the inner court.

Xu Jie exchanged pleasantries with her, only saying a few polite words about keeping to one's proper place;

Zhang Juzheng only spoke a few words to her when entrusting her with the paperwork.

She showed no displeasure whatsoever.

Having spent eight years in Si Yan Si, she knew all too well when to speak and when to shut up.

On this occasion, Chen Han is the protagonist; she doesn't need to compete.

The more prominent a person is, the more closely they are watched; those who stand in the shadows, on the contrary, see things most clearly.

They only focused on the eloquent Chen Han, forgetting that all documents submitted to the West Garden had to pass through her Siyan Si.

This critical juncture may seem insignificant on ordinary days, but when it comes to a life-or-death situation, it can determine life and death, and even change the course of a dynasty.

She held her teacup, her fingers gently stroking the rim, her face remaining calm and composed, but in her heart, she secretly memorized the faces of everyone at the table.

This meal lasted from late noon until mid-Shen time.

The snow outside the window is falling heavily again, with goose-feather-like snowflakes covering the entire city of Beijing completely.

……

The vermilion gates of Prince Yu's mansion slowly opened, and Chen Han and Shen Zhiyu walked out side by side, with Feng Bao bowing behind them.

"Please take care, Your Highness has instructed me to escort you to the door." Feng Bao smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you both for today. Your Highness truly remembers your kindness."

"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Feng." Chen Han bowed slightly, his tone calm. "Please wait a moment, Eunuch Feng, the snow is heavy outside."

"Alright," Feng Bao replied with a smile, watching the two get into the carriage before turning back to his residence.

The carriage slowly drove away from the Prince Yu's residence, heading towards the palace along the official road on the banks of the Jade River.

The wheels crunched softly over the snow.

Shen Zhiyu spoke first

She continued to gaze at the swirling snow outside the window, saying, "Today's banquet, with its hidden daggers in Xu's smile, Gao's stubbornness, and Zhang's unassuming nature, has truly opened my eyes."

Chen Han leaned against the carriage wall, his fingertips lightly tapping his knee.

He had been holding these words in all day.

It cannot be said at the banquet, it cannot be said in front of Prince Yu, and it is even more forbidden to say it in front of Xu, Gao, and Zhang.

But he could be with this woman.

She wasn't from the outer court; like him, she was someone who had been pushed onto the chessboard.

More importantly, she helped him out of an awkward situation at the banquet today.

That rhetorical question to Zhang Juzheng was a pledge of allegiance, more effective than any verbal promise.

"Master Shen remained silent at the table, which suggests that he had seen through all three of them."

"I wouldn't say I understand, I just understand my own position." Shen Zhiyu turned her head and looked directly at Chen Han. Her cold eyes showed no trace of a woman's gentleness. "In the eyes of these powerful figures in the outer court, I am nothing more than an inner court official in charge of documents, a decoration used by Prince Yu to express his gratitude. One more or one less makes no difference to them."

"They don't care about me, and I'm happy to have some peace and quiet. It'll be a good opportunity to find out more about them."

Her tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, but not a trace of resentment: "I spent eight years in the inner court, and I understand one thing best: face is the most useless thing; the bargaining chips you hold in your hand are the foundation for your survival."

"It doesn't matter if they look down on me. As long as the seal of the Siyan Division is still in my hands, all internal and external documents will have to pass through my hands. That's enough."

Chen Han looked up at her, his eyes showing more approval.

He knew beforehand that this woman was no ordinary person, but only now did he truly see that this female official, who had endured eight years of hardship alone in the inner court, possessed a ruthlessness and clarity that was in no way inferior to any cunning and calculating official in the court.

He nodded slightly, following her words, tearing away the true colors of those three upright figures, word by word.

"Master Shen sees things clearly. But you should know that these three people at the table today, although they look like Prince Yu's right-hand men and leaders of the Qingliu faction, are not easy to deal with at heart. Apart from Gao Gong, the other two are not sincere; they are only after Prince Yu's throne."

Shen Zhiyu raised an eyebrow slightly, signaling him to continue.

"Let's start with Xu Jie," Chen Han said. "Everyone says he was the leader of the 'pure stream' faction, enduring twenty years of hardship and fighting Yan Song to the death, all for the sake of upholding the country and bringing peace to the world. But in reality, he and Yan Song were always on the same side."

Shen Zhiyu frowned slightly and interrupted him: "That's going too far. Yan Song was greedy for money, but what was Xu Jie greedy for?"

"Fame." Chen Han's answer was crisp and clear. "Yan Song coveted the power and wealth in front of him, while Xu Jie coveted the historical record after his death, the absolute power that would allow him to dominate the court."

"When Yan Song fell, what he wanted to do was never to abolish the system Yan Song left behind, but to replace him and become a second Yan Song. He just wanted to do it more gracefully and leave the world speechless."

Shen Zhiyu remained silent for a moment.

"I've seen quite a bit in the inner court," she said slowly. "Over the years, the amount of ice and charcoal that Xu Jie has sent to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs of the Western Garden has increased year by year, exceeding even the amount sent by the Yan family."

"It's not that he didn't deal with the inner court; he just did it more discreetly and respectably than Yan Song."

"Yan Song openly colluded with the Directorate of Ceremonial, but secretly he had a clear understanding of the inner workings of the inner court."

"He accused Yan Song of flattering the emperor, but the poems he wrote for the emperor were more heartfelt and more in line with the emperor's wishes than anyone else's."

She raised her eyes and said, "In the end, we're all people who live off the emperor's whims; none of us are more noble than the other."

"Yan Song was openly treacherous, but secretly loyal. Only he himself knew how much selfishness was hidden within that loyalty."

……