The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Chen Han nodded and continued, "Then let's talk about Gao Gong. Of the three, he is the only one who is truly devoted to Prince Yu, and the only one whose eyes are only on Prince Yu."

"He was Prince Yu's tutor, and he spent seven years with Prince Yu in the Prince Yu's mansion. His relationship with Prince Yu was something that Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng could not compare to. But that was also his flaw."

"He was too straightforward and too stubborn. He couldn't tolerate the slightest injustice. For the sake of Prince Yu, he dared to go against the whole world."

"He looked down on the Yan faction, as well as Xu Jie's forbearance and tact, and disdained dealing with the eunuchs in the inner court."

"In the imperial court, he only recognized Prince Yu and no one else. This kind of personality destined him to make countless enemies."

"The most rigid are easily broken; this saying couldn't be more fitting for him. Even if Prince Yu ascends the throne in the future and he enters the cabinet as the Grand Secretary, he won't hold the position for long because of his uprightness."

"No one in the inner court is helping him, and all the officials are people he has offended. It's only a matter of time before he falls from grace."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyu sighed softly, her tone calm: "I've noticed that too."

"During the banquet today, he kept referring to His Highness, and he didn't see anyone else but His Highness."

"Once, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs came to Prince Yu's residence to deliver an imperial edict. However, he was slightly lacking in etiquette, and Prince Yu scolded the eunuch severely in front of him."

"The eunuchs dared not say anything, but they all remembered this debt. When the crucial moment comes, it would be strange if these people didn't trip him up."

She paused, her tone growing even colder: "The people in the inner court are always the ones who fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak. They hold grudges the most and know how to kick someone when they're down."

"He looks down on us people in the inner court; sooner or later he'll stumble because of this."

Chen Han picked up the thread: "Of these three people, the most terrifying and the one who should not be underestimated is Zhang Juzheng."

Shen Zhiyu leaned forward slightly.

Clearly, she also cared most about this youngest yet most profound Hanlin Academy lecturer.

"He looks the gentlest, the most humble, and speaks the least, but his eyes see more than Xu Jie and Gao Gong combined," Chen Han said, word by word.

Shen Zhiyu nodded.

Chen Han did not continue speaking, but continued along the original timeline.

Xu Jie wanted power, Gao Gong wanted to repay the kindness of Prince Yu, but Zhang Juzheng wanted to restore order to this corrupt and dysfunctional empire.

Of the three, his ambition was the greatest.

In his eyes, it was never a power struggle that would last a day or two, nor was it a contest over whether Prince Yu could ascend the throne. It was about whether he could overturn this rotten table and set new rules when he took control of the court in the future.

To achieve this goal, he can be patient, wait, and also ruthless.

Xu Jie is his teacher, and he will be able to bring him down by his own hands in the future;

Gao Gong is his colleague and senior, and he will be able to oust him in the future.

To accomplish the great things he desires, he can ally with anyone and betray anyone at any time.

There are no eternal teachers and students, no eternal colleagues, only eternal goals.

Of the three, he had the most ambitious vision and was also the most ruthless.

Shen Zhiyu took a long time to speak before saying, "You're right. Today, the person I care about most is him."

She raised her eyes, a rare seriousness in them: "I can handle Xu Jie's probing; I can see through Gao Gong's integrity."

"But Zhang Juzheng... he hardly spoke at the banquet, but every question he asked hit the most crucial spot."

"When he asked you what the most important thing about the winter festival is, it wasn't just a casual question. He had already thought this through and wanted to see if you had the insight to understand it."

"Such an opponent is far more terrifying than Xu Jie."

"At least with Xu Jie, you could tell he was scheming, but with Zhang Juzheng... you couldn't tell what he was thinking, let alone what he would do next."

Chen Han nodded and didn't say anything more.

The carriage fell silent again, with only the sounds of wind and snow and the wheels grinding through the snow remaining.

After a long while, the carriage finally came to a stop.

The coachman whispered from outside, "Manager Shen, we've arrived at Xihua Gate."

Shen Zhiyu stood up, straightened her clothes, and before getting off the train, she glanced back at Chen Han, her tone indifferent yet carrying a rare touch of humanity: "Supervisor Chen, once we leave this carriage, I'll pretend I never heard what you said today. The same goes for you."

Chen Han smiled slightly: "Of course."

Shen Zhiyu nodded, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped into the snowstorm.

Her figure quickly disappeared into the depths of the palace gate, leaving only a string of shallow footprints, which were gradually covered by the newly fallen snowflakes.

The curtain was lowered, the carriage started moving again, and headed towards Chen Han's residence.

Chen Han leaned against the carriage wall and let out a long breath.

We've finally finished our meal today.

He mentally reviewed every word and glance he had exchanged during the meal, making sure he hadn't given anything away before he felt a little relieved.

Xu Jie will continue to observe him, Gao Gong will continue to admire him, and Zhang Juzheng... he still can't see what Zhang Juzheng will do.

But at least, he got through today's hurdle.

He knew he had taken a risk by saying those things to Shen Zhiyu earlier.

But this woman is worth the risk.

She is an insider, and currently his only "inside source".

More importantly, the words she uttered to help him out at the banquet today have already bound her and him together.

Her question made Zhang Juzheng admit that it was "a test." He remembered this favor and repaid it with his honesty that night.

The carriage moved slowly through the snowy night. Chen Han closed his eyes, but his mind never stopped.

From this day forward, the matter of the winter sacrifice will be a sword hanging over his head.

If you do it well, you'll rise to the top; if you mess it up, you'll be doomed.

……

Snow fell in Beijing for three days in a row. The leaden sky pressed down on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City and also on the two-zhang-high blue brick wall of the Yan Mansion.

Yan Song sat in a round-backed chair covered with black fox fur, wearing a dark brown silk and sable coat. His thin fingers held a purple-tipped brush, and he wrote poems on gold-flecked Xuan paper, facing the rising smoke from the Xuande incense burner.

At eighty years old, his eyesight is still sharp, his hands don't tremble, and he writes small regular script with a dignified and gentle touch, just like his expression at this moment, showing no sign of emotion.

Three documents were neatly stacked on one corner of the desk.

The top document was a handwritten copy by Huang Jin of the Directorate of Ceremonial, containing an imperial edict from the Western Garden: "I commend your filial piety and bestow upon you twenty-four catties of venison to support your health. Your ability to maintain this mindset is undoubtedly due to the presence of capable people around you. I have heard of this matter and am grateful for the efforts of these humble individuals. You should be aware of this and treat them with respect."

The second document is the guest list from last night's banquet at Prince Yu's residence; the ink is still wet.

At the hour of You (5-7 PM), His Highness Prince Yu hosted an inner banquet. Among the guests were Xu Jie, the Second Grand Secretary of the Cabinet; Gao Gong, the Hanlin Academician; Zhang Juzheng, the Director of Studies of the Imperial Academy; Chen Han, the Supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; and Shen Zhiyu, the Director of the Office of Remonstrance. They were also at the end of the banquet.

The third document was only a thin page long, containing Chen Han's resume, with very few words:

He was a Juren (successful candidate in the imperial examination) from Suzhou Prefecture, Southern Zhili Province. In the autumn of the thirty-eighth year of the Jiajing reign (1549), he was selected as an eighth-rank supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He took office for ninety-three days.

……