The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

As night fell, Chen Han sat at the small table in his residence, facing an oil lamp, and went through the events of the day from beginning to end.

He couldn't understand Sun Sicheng's change in attitude, and he didn't intend to think about it too much for the time being.

Regardless of whether Sun Sicheng is genuinely trying to curry favor or has ulterior motives, as long as he is willing to cooperate on the winter sacrifice, it will be a good thing for Chen Han.

As for what's behind it all, he has neither the ability nor the need to investigate—doing his job well is more important than anything else.

What truly kept him awake was Jiajing's imperial edict.

He picked up a pen and listed out the things he needed to report to Prince Yu's residence the next day.

First, during the fasting period, he wrote the Xiyuan poem by hand every day.

This matter needs to be made clear to Prince Yu. It's not for show; it stems from my heartfelt filial piety.

At the very least, the finished product must look like this.

Second, go to the Temple of Heaven one day in advance to inspect the sacrificial offerings, ritual objects, and music and dance performances.

This matter cannot be mentioned as "doing it for the Emperor's sake." Instead, one should say, "Your Highness is devout and will naturally do it personally."

Third, Zhang Juzheng was asked to write the congratulatory message.

He didn't need to talk to Zhang Juzheng directly about this; he could just mention it to Prince Yu and let Prince Yu go and invite him himself.

After all, he doesn't have that much influence.

Fourth... Chen Han hesitated for a moment, then wrote four words on the paper: Jing Wang's movements.

He needed to know what Prince Jing would do in order to ensure that Prince Yu could outperform Prince Jing.

But how did he know?

He thought of Shen Zhiyu, then shook his head.

It's not that I don't trust her, it's that I can't drag her into this mess.

Si Yan, the Chief Seal Officer, is secretly reading Prince Jing's documents. If she is discovered, no one can protect her.

Then he'll have to rely on himself.

Chen Han thought for a moment and wrote another line on the paper: "The regulations for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven can only be modified by King Jing."

No matter how powerful the Yan Party is, they still have to play by the rules.

The ritual schedule for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven is fixed; the prayers can be judged by their literary talent, the fasting by their piety, and the pre-ceremony checks by their diligence.

But none of these can make a big difference.

All he could do was to perfect every detail, ensuring that Prince Yu was slightly better than Prince Jing in every aspect.

A little bit is enough.

What Jiajing wanted to see was not who was far ahead of the others, but who was more like the crown prince than the other.

Chen Han folded the paper and blew out the oil lamp.

The snow outside the window started falling heavily again, pattering down onto the roof.

He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his mind still racing through every step of the sacrificial ceremony, wondering what details could be refined.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally drifted off to sleep.

……

Meanwhile, in the West Garden, at Yongshou Palace.

Emperor Jiajing lay reclining on the soft couch, holding a memorial he had just finished reviewing, but he didn't look at it; his gaze was fixed on a certain point in the void.

Huang Jin stood to the side with his hands hanging down, not daring to breathe.

The warm room was so quiet that only the water clock dripped slowly.

Finally, Jiajing spoke, his voice slow and deliberate: "Huang Jin, tell me, which of my two sons will win?"

Huang Jin's heart tightened suddenly, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on his forehead.

He dared not answer this question, nor could he answer it.

He smiled ingratiatingly and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, this servant is foolish and dares not speak presumptuously."

"Both Prince Yu and Prince Jing are His Majesty's flesh and blood, so naturally they are both good..."

"Are they all good?" Jiajing chuckled. "I'm not asking who's good, but who will win."

He tossed the memorial onto the small table and said, "I, Prince Yu, used to be unable to speak coherently, but now I know who to respect."

"I, Prince Jing, used to rely on my favor to flaunt my power in the capital, but now I know to keep a low profile."

"Of these two sons, one has become smarter, and the other has become more obedient."

"But I want to know whether they truly understand or are just putting on an act."

Huang Jin lowered his head, not daring to reply.

Jiajing's gaze fell on the window. Dusk was falling, and a faint crescent moon hung on the eaves of Yongshou Palace.

"Let my two sons perform the sacrificial ceremony in my stead. I want to see what kind of tricks they can pull off."

"Go and tell the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs that, as I have said, the regulations for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven shall be followed in accordance with the ancestral rules. No deviations or simplifications are permitted."

"I want to see which of my two sons understands the meaning of 'rules' best."

Huang Jin kowtowed deeply: "This servant obeys your command."

He got up, hunched over, and retreated.

As he reached the door, he heard Jiajing's voice behind him, as if talking to himself, or perhaps asking someone:

"That minor official from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices... what good ideas can he come up with for Prince Yu this time?"

Huang Jin paused for a moment, then quickened his pace and left the warm pavilion.

The door closed slowly behind me, shutting out all the sounds inside.

He stood under the veranda and let out a long breath.

The sky is overcast again; it looks like it's going to snow tonight.

……

Chen Han didn't sleep well all night.

He tossed and turned in bed, his mind filled with thoughts of the sacrificial ceremony.

I went through each step of the fast, the ritual, and the prayers countless times in my mind, but I always felt that something was missing.

He wanted Prince Yu to shine, but what did he have to offer to make him shine?

Regulations are static; there's only so much room for maneuver.

What he could think of, Yan's party could also think of.

Everyone here is intelligent, so why is it that Prince Yu is necessarily better than Prince Jing?

Unless he can think of something that Yan's faction cannot.

He thought about it all night, but couldn't come up with anything.

He managed to doze off for a while as dawn approached.

He woke up shortly after dawn, stared at the roof beams above his head, and simply got out of bed.

Instead of lying in bed and thinking, why not go out?

Today is the first day of the eleventh lunar month, and there are still twenty days until the Winter Solstice Heaven Worship Ceremony.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices is going to the Temple of Heaven to survey the site today, which is a customary practice before the annual sacrificial ceremony to Heaven.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices had to provide offerings and materials to cooperate with the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, so they had to go to the Temple of Heaven in advance to measure its dimensions and confirm its regulations.

We also need to communicate with the Ministry of Rites to confirm whether there have been any changes to this year's ceremony schedule.

After washing up, he put on his official robes and hurriedly went out.

……

It was just dawn in front of the Guanglu Temple's office.

There were already seven or eight people gathered in the courtyard; they were all going to the Temple of Heaven today.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, stood at the front, dressed in the official robes of a sixth-rank official, speaking calmly to the people around him.

Behind him stood Liu, the head of the high-ranking official's office, his round face plastered with his usual smile, as he fawned over Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

When Chen Han walked in, Liu Shuzheng glanced at him, his smile freezing for a moment before returning to its usual cheerful expression.

"Oh dear, Supervisor Chen is here! You'd better keep a close eye on things at the Temple of Heaven today. His Highness has entrusted you with the winter sacrifice arrangements; the reputation of our Court of Imperial Sacrifices rests on your shoulders!"

These words sound like praise, but in reality, they put Chen Han in a very difficult position.

The eyes of several supervisors in the courtyard all turned to look at them.

Some were envious, some were jealous, and some were waiting to see the joke.

Chen Han bowed slightly, his tone calm: "Director Liu, you flatter me. The winter sacrifice is an official duty of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. The Director leads the process, and I am merely following along."

In short, he attributed the credit to Liu Shuzheng and placed himself in the position of "running errands".

Liu Shuzheng's smile became more genuine, and just as he was about to say something more, Sun Sicheng spoke up: "Is everyone here? Let's go, don't keep the people from the Ministry of Rites waiting."

The crowd responded and filed out of the government office.

……