The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Sure enough, seeing that he didn't speak, Zheng Dianli's smile slowly faded, and he cautiously said, "Supervisor Chen, there's something I've thought about and decided I should tell you. That way you can be prepared."

Chen Han nodded slightly: "Go on."

"That's how it is," Zheng Dianli sighed. "You know what kind of place our Guanglu Temple is."

"It's a low-level government office with no power or influence. All year round, people rely on a few sacrificial ceremonies to get a word of praise from above and a chance for promotion."

"But how many times a year can such an opportunity come? The winter sacrifice and the ancestral temple sacrifice, combined, only come three or four times, and it's not even our turn to participate."

He paused, his face full of helplessness: "Which of these people in the government office didn't rise through the ranks by accumulating seniority?"

"Wang Dianbu, a Juren (successful candidate in the imperial examinations), spent twenty-two years before finally becoming a seventh-rank official."

"And there's Liu, the clerk in the West Duty Room. He's been here for thirty years, his hair has turned white, and he's still just a ninth-rank official in the Sacrificial Animals Department."

"They toiled their whole lives for this opportunity, and you got it effortlessly in just three months, immediately catching the eye of the Emperor and Prince Yu. Do you think they can accept that?"

Chen Han tapped his finger lightly on the bronze wall of the hand warmer, but still didn't say anything.

"Now everyone in the yamen, from top to bottom, is talking about you," Clerk Zheng continued. "There's a group of people who want to curry favor with you, thinking that if you rise to prominence in the future, they can lend you a hand."

"There's another group of people who are avoiding you, afraid that you're attracting too much attention now and that they'll get tainted by Yan's faction if they follow you. They'll also be implicated if you fall in the future. But most of them are just jealous of you."

He lowered his voice even further: "Yesterday, when you went to the banquet at Prince Yu's residence, the people in the yamen talked about it all night long in the duty room."

"Some people say that you are trying to curry favor with His Highness Prince Yu by using the connections of female officials in the inner court and resorting to underhanded tricks."

"Some people are saying that you, a lowly eighth-rank official, dared to interfere in the affairs of the crown prince, associate with vassal kings, and overstep your bounds in politics. They have even written anonymous petitions to submit to the Censorate, accusing you of wrongdoing!"

Chen Han put down his teacup and looked calmly at Zheng Dianli.

He's all too familiar with the tactic of anonymously exposing posts.

When I was working in the county government office, whenever there was a personnel change, anonymous letters would always fly to the discipline inspection commission.

The danger of this thing lies not in whether it's real or fake, but in the fact that "someone handed it over".

The censors of the Censorate were just looking for an opportunity to get involved between Prince Yu and the Yan faction, and they couldn't completely ignore this easy opportunity.

"Supervisor Chen, I'm telling you this for no other reason than to show my loyalty. When Zheng Dianli saw him silent, he quickly pledged his allegiance. "When you first came to our Guanglu Temple, I was the one who showed you around and familiarized you with your duties. I'm of one mind with you."

"These things have spread throughout the entire government office, but we've kept them from you. If I didn't tell you and caught you off guard, I would feel guilty if something really happened in the future."

Chen Han finally spoke, his tone calm and unhurried: "Who told you about the post revealing the poster?"

Zheng, the clerk, was taken aback and stammered, "This...it's all over the yamen. I only heard it from Xiao Zhao in the west duty room. Xiao Zhao said he heard it from someone close to Liu, the clerk..."

Chen Han nodded, understanding the situation.

Liu, a lowly clerk, had been working in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for thirty years without achieving his ambitions.

This type of person is most easily used as a pawn.

As for who handed him the knife from behind, he couldn't tell yet, but there were at least two leads to follow:

First, there were the Yen faction members who wanted to take the opportunity to cause trouble; second, there were his colleagues who wanted to oust him.

He picked up his teacup again, his tone indifferent: "I know about the post. Thank you for telling me."

"Supervisor Chen, you can't take this lightly!" Clerk Zheng exclaimed anxiously. "Those censors in the Censorate are like cats that pounce on anything that smells of blood; they're just waiting for an opportunity to find something to hold against Prince Yu and the Qingliu faction!"

"If this denunciation is actually submitted, they will definitely use it as an excuse to make trouble. Even if you are innocent, you'll still be severely punished!"

Chen Han put down his teacup, looked up at Zheng Dianli, and smiled, "What crime have I committed?"

Zheng Dianli was taken aback by the question.

"I am the supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, in charge of the regulations for sacrificial offerings." Chen Han's tone was as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. "Checking His Highness Prince Yu's winter sacrifice list is my duty."

"The revised list strictly adheres to the regulations of the 'Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty,' with no deviations whatsoever. How can it be considered associating with vassal kings? How can it be considered interfering in politics beyond the bounds of the law?"

Zheng Dianli opened his mouth as if to say something, but Chen Han stopped him by raising his hand.

"Tell them to hand it over." Chen Han lowered his voice. "If the Censorate really comes to investigate, I have a list stamped with the seal of the Ministry of Justice, a warrant signed by His Highness Prince Yu, and articles from the 'Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty.' Every single one of them is valid."

"On the contrary, those who write anonymous accusations are clearly defined in the Great Ming Code. If they are found to be making false accusations, they will be punished instead."

"Let them pass it on if they want to. Let's see who's behind this."

Zheng Dianli felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this and nodded repeatedly.

Chen Han looked at him, her tone softening slightly: "Don't say these things outside."

"The winter festival is the most important thing. If it's done well, everyone will benefit; if it's done poorly, no one can escape the consequences."

"Let those who have time to write proclamations do it; as long as they do their jobs properly, no one can make a fuss about it."

Zheng Dianli's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Supervisor Chen is right! That makes perfect sense!"

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on the people below when I get back. Anyone who dares to slack off on their duties, anyone who dares to gossip and cause trouble behind your back, I'll be the first to punish them! They will definitely not hold you back!"

Just then, a minor official's voice came from outside the door, respectfully saying, "Supervisor Chen, the Temple Assistant has ordered that you go to the main hall immediately upon your arrival, as there is important business to discuss."

Chen Han replied, "Understood, I'll be there immediately."

He stood up, straightened his official robes, and looked at Zheng Dianli: "Let's go, let's go out together."

Zheng Dianli quickly stepped forward and opened the door for him.

As soon as the door opened, the hushed conversations in the courtyard abruptly ceased.

Countless gazes fell upon Chen Han once again.

Chen Han kept his eyes straight ahead and strode towards the main hall.

As he passed by the west duty room, a clerk wearing a ninth-rank official's insignia was standing at the door. Upon seeing him, the clerk smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Supervisor Chen, congratulations."

Chen Han nodded slightly in return, without stopping.

After taking a few steps, he felt a slight chill run down his spine.

The clerk's surname was Liu. He was the ambassador of the Sacrificial Animals Department and had worked in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for thirty years. He never got close to anyone.

The "Congratulations" I received today came out of nowhere.

He didn't turn around, but he secretly made a mental note of this person...