The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Chen Han walked through the courtyard and headed towards the main hall.

The murmurs behind him started again, but he didn't turn around.

The main hall of the Guanglu Temple was warmer than the duty room, and there was a large copper charcoal brazier in the hall, with the charcoal burning bright red.

The sixth-rank official of the Temple Assistant was the true leadership of the unit, a proper deputy director-level official. Although he didn't even have the right to attend court in the capital, it was a level that countless people could never reach in their entire lives.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, sat in the main seat, holding a cup of tea and slowly blowing on the floating leaves.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was in his early fifties. He was fair-skinned, beardless, and had a dignified appearance. He had spent most of his life working in this cold and unassuming government office, which had given him a steady and reliable demeanor.

Upon seeing Chen Han enter, Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, put down his teacup and gave a lukewarm smile: "Supervisor Chen is here. Please have a seat."

"Thank you, sir." Chen Han bowed and sat down in the chair below him, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees, neither humble nor arrogant.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, glanced at him and slowly said, "I heard about the banquet at Prince Yu's residence last night. You did a good job; you brought honor to our Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

These words sound like a compliment, but there's little warmth in the tone.

Chen Han had worked in the county government office for many years and was all too familiar with the subtext of this kind of "praise from superiors".

He bowed slightly: "You flatter me, sir. I was merely doing my duty. If it weren't for your effective management and the strict regulations within the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this."

The smile on Sun Sicheng's face finally became more genuine. He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and changed the subject: "However, His Majesty and Prince Yu are both watching the Winter Sacrifice. Our Guanglu Temple cannot afford to make the slightest mistake."

"You're young and inexperienced; you'll have to take things slowly with some tasks."

Chen Han felt a slight tightening in his heart, knowing that the main topic was about to be discussed.

Sure enough, Magistrate Sun put down his teacup and casually mentioned, "Well, there just happens to be a task for you to handle."

He picked up a gold-flecked note from the table and handed it over. "My daughter, whose maiden name is Sun Yue, is going to Fayuan Temple outside the city tomorrow to enjoy the snow. She will be accompanied by several noble ladies."

"They're going to hold some kind of poetry gathering, saying they want to take advantage of the snowy scenery before the winter solstice to compose poems and enjoy the view."

"This matter is neither a big deal nor a small one. After all, it involves women going out, so there are many rules and the things they need are quite trivial."

"After much consideration, I've decided that the old clerks in the yamen are too clumsy and incompetent to be suitable."

Chen Han thought to himself: Feudal society is feudal society. They lend out public officials to do private business without even bothering to hide it.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, looked at him, his smile deepening: "You are young, meticulous, and have just finished dealing with His Highness Prince Yu's affairs. You are a reliable person. I'm entrusting this task to you. Keep an eye on things for me and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Chen Han took the gold-flecked paper, glanced at it, and saw a list written on it: incense, candles, hand warmer, tea set, snacks, Xuan paper, pine soot ink, red clay stove...

The handwriting was delicate and beautiful, clearly written by a woman. A line of smaller characters was added at the end: "Prepare a few more cushions, the ground is cool."

"Your subordinate obeys." Chen Han stood up, put the gold-flecked letter into his sleeve, and remained calm.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, nodded in satisfaction: "Go ahead. I trust you."

Chen Han bowed and left the main hall, heading towards his duty room.

His mind was racing the whole way; this was no simple errand-running job.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was in charge of sacrifices, banquets, and imperial meals; it had absolutely nothing to do with women going out to burn incense.

Sun Sicheng assigned him this task on the surface because he was "trustworthy," but in reality, he was using him as a servant, both to warn and to test him.

Remind him not to forget who he is, and test whether he will turn against you because of this.

Chen Han won't turn against him.

When he was in the county government office, he helped the leaders' children register for the high school entrance exam, arranged physical examinations for the leaders' wives, and organized a birthday banquet for the retired bureau chief.

He was very skilled at serving people and never felt ashamed of it.

Because taking good care of the leader's family members often brings unexpected benefits.

Moreover, the core skill of an office director is to manage all "things that are not your responsibility" flawlessly, so that the leader thinks you are "sensible".

But he also knew that he needed to understand the situation before taking action.

He pushed open the door to the duty room, where Zheng Dianli was sitting by the fire. Seeing him return, he quickly stood up: "Supervisor Chen, what did the Temple Assistant say?"

Chen Han placed the gold-flecked paper on the table and said calmly, "Miss Sun is going to Fayuan Temple to enjoy the snow and hold a poetry gathering. She asked me to go and take care of her."

Zheng Dianli's expression changed instantly: "Supervisor Chen, you can't take this job!"

"I've already received it." Chen Han sat down in a chair.

"Oh dear!" Zheng, the clerk, wrung his hands anxiously and leaned closer. "Supervisor Chen, you haven't been here long enough to know the ins and outs of this place. This young lady from the Sun family is not someone to be trifled with!"

"How so?"

"You have no idea!" Zheng Dianli sighed, "This Miss Sun is Lord Sun's darling daughter, spoiled since childhood, and has a terrible temper. But she just..."

He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice, "But in those circles of wealthy ladies, I'm inferior to everyone else in every way."

Chen Han paused slightly, his hand holding the teacup still. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't be saying this," Zheng Dianli said, moving his chair forward slightly. "I only heard it from people in the yamen. They say that Miss Sun always comes back from gatherings with those noble ladies in a huge rage."

"In terms of family background, Lord Sun is a high-ranking official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Although he appears to be a high-ranking official in the capital, he is still several levels below the daughters of the Grand Secretaries and Ministers."

"As for literary talent, although Miss Sun has been educated, she is far inferior to a talented woman like Grand Secretary Li's granddaughter."

"As for her looks..." he coughed, "she's just average-looking. But the people she associates with are all outstanding."

Chen Han didn't respond, gesturing for him to continue.

"After Miss Sun returned from the poetry gathering last spring, she smashed everything she could in the house."

"The maids who served her were all kneeling on the ground, and one of them was even kicked out of the mansion."

"It was Liu, the clerk, who was on duty that time. Miss Sun was upset at the poetry gathering, so she took it out on him when she got back, complaining that the things he prepared were not good enough and that she had lost face in front of everyone."

"Lord Sun doted on his daughter, and without saying a word, he sent Liu, the clerk, to feed the livestock."

Zheng Dianli sighed: "The incident two years ago was even stranger. Miss Sun went to some Flower Festival gathering and cried all night after she came back."

"Zhao Dianbu did a bad job. Lord Sun complained that the carriage he arranged was not stable enough, and the ride was bumpy, causing Miss to catch a chill."

"But we all say in private that it wasn't because he caught a cold, but because he was bullied at the party and took it out on Zhao Dianbu when he got back."

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, sweat beading on his forehead: "Supervisor Chen, think about it, aren't Liu the Clerk and Zhao the Registrar both veterans who have served in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for over a decade or two?"

"They've all failed because of this job. You've only been here for three months; isn't it obvious someone's trying to trip you up?"

……