The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

At 1-3 PM, the duty room of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The group of clerks who had been waiting to see Chen Han lose his head now looked like ducks with their necks being choked.

He stared intently at the two lists in his hand, stamped with Si Yansi's vermilion seal.

Liu Shuzheng, the one who shifted the blame three days ago, now had his chubby face contorted into a fawning expression. He rushed forward, reaching out to take the list:

"Supervisor Chen! Oh my! You're truly a lucky star for our Court of Imperial Sacrifices! I knew you were capable; you really turned this dead end around!"

Chen Han flicked his wrist slightly, avoiding his hand, and wore a perfectly respectful smile on his face, while in his heart he had already cursed this guy eight hundred times.

He had seen many leaders who would shift blame when things went wrong and take credit when things went well.

"Director Liu, you flatter me." Chen Han placed the list on the table. "I merely followed the regulations of the Ming Dynasty Code to straighten out His Highness Prince Yu's filial piety. The fact that it passed the review is entirely due to Manager Shen's impartial handling of the matter, and has little to do with me."

Upon hearing this, the old officials in the duty room all changed their expressions.

High, really high.

He attributed all the credit to Prince Yu and Siyan Si, without taking any for himself, thus silencing his superiors from accusing him of stealing the credit and avoiding any accusations of arrogance.

Liu Shuzheng's hand froze in mid-air. He gave an awkward smile, but he knew perfectly well that this young man was actually a seasoned veteran in the officialdom.

Chen Han ignored him and took the list to the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to report back, explaining the cause and effect and the review process clearly.

The second-in-command was very satisfied and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "The younger generation is truly formidable."

After leaving the Temple Minister's office, Chen Han did not return to the backyard, but walked straight out.

Zheng, the clerk, caught up with him, his face full of confusion: "Supervisor Chen, where are you going? Wasn't the list already completed?"

Chen Han didn't stop walking: "Go to the Shanggong Bureau and get the receipt."

"A receipt?" Zheng Dianli was taken aback. "Aren't receipts usually delivered by the Siyansi (the Ministry of Rites)? Why would someone go to pick it up themselves?"

Chen Han didn't answer, but quickened his pace.

He couldn't explain it to Zheng Dianli.

But he knew there was one hurdle he hadn't overcome yet.

……

West Garden, Yongshou Palace.

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

Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, lay reclining on a soft couch, having just finished his meditation retreat, his Taoist robe loosely draped open.

In a corner of the warm pavilion, there were several plates of fresh fruits, which were offerings during the vegetarian feast. The aroma was light, but he himself did not eat them, only smelled them.

He held in his hand the two original lists that Chen Han had revised, turning them over and over as if they were rare treasures.

Huang Jin stood to the side with his hands at his sides, looking down at his nose and his mind, a thin layer of sweat beading on his forehead.

Recently, four eunuchs who failed in their duties have been beaten to death in the West Garden, and he did not want to be the fifth.

Finally, Jiajing spoke, his voice slow and leisurely, as if drifting from a great distance: "Huang Jin."

"This servant is here."

"These two lists." Jiajing tossed the lists onto the small table, neither too heavy nor too light. "One is for me, and the other is for Heaven. My Prince Yu, who used to be unable to speak coherently, now knows who to pay respects to."

Huang Jin smiled ingratiatingly, "His Highness Prince Yu is benevolent and filial, and he keeps His Majesty in his heart..."

"Benevolence and filial piety?" Jiajing scoffed, raising his eyes to look at him. His gaze was indifferent, yet sharp as needles. "If a blockhead needs to be enlightened, someone has to hand him the chisel, right? Who handed him that chisel? Can you figure it out for me?"

Huang Jin's heart tightened suddenly.

This question was ostensibly asking Prince Yu to enlighten him, but in reality, it was directed at the person behind the list.

He dared not be negligent and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the list was handled by Chen Han, the supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and approved by Shen Zhiyu, the seal-bearer of the Imperial Palace Bureau."

Jiajing did not respond, but slowly stroked the jade ruyi with his fingers, turning it very quickly.

Those who know him well know that this is a subtle move he makes when he's planning.

After a long pause, he slowly uttered, "A lowly eighth-rank official and a female official in the inner court. All the Grand Secretaries in my court are not as considerate as these two."

These words were spoken in a seemingly casual tone, but Huang Jin understood the underlying meaning.

The Emperor wasn't praising, he was doubting.

As he was pondering how to reply, Jiajing waved his hand and said, "Put the list away. Prince Yu is very kind; reward him with twenty catties of venison from the Western Garden."

Huang Jin bowed in agreement and left the warm pavilion. He stopped and beckoned to his trusted eunuch: "Go to the Shanggong Bureau and ask Shen, the head of the Siyan Division, who set the regulations for this list and what the person in charge is like. Go quietly and don't alert anyone."

The young eunuch accepted the order and left.

……

In the office of the Shanggong Bureau and the Siyan Division.

Shen Zhiyu is facing her second life-or-death situation in three days.

Zhang happy, the eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, sat opposite her, holding a cup of tea and smiling. But beneath that smile lay a knife.

"Master Shen, I won't beat around the bush with you." Zhang Xi put down his teacup. "His Majesty read the list from Prince Yu's residence and liked it very much, praising Prince Yu for his benevolence and filial piety."

"But His Majesty also asked who compiled this list for His Highness. His Majesty said that the person who could write this list is a smart person, and he wants to meet him."

Shen Zhiyu's hands were slightly cold.

She knew all too well the weight of those words.

The Emperor said he "wanted to see him," but whether that single word "see" would bring fortune or misfortune depended entirely on the Emperor's decision.

Doing it well means a reward; doing it badly means execution.

More importantly, if she revealed that the person was Chen Han, she would be pushing a lowly eighth-rank official in front of that capricious emperor, and into the eye of the storm of the battle between the Yan faction and the Qingliu faction.

She gritted her teeth, having already made up her mind.

"Eunuch Zhang," Shen Zhiyu began, "the list from Prince Yu's residence was reviewed and corrected by this humble servant. His Highness Prince Yu is benevolent and filial, but there were some oversights in the regulations, which this humble servant helped to correct."

"As for the supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices who handled the matter, he was merely copying and organizing the documents according to his subordinates' instructions and was unaware of them."

Her words were half true and half false.

She took the blame upon herself and absolved Chen Han of responsibility.

Whether the Emperor believed her or not, she no longer cared.

She couldn't push someone who had helped her into a fire pit.

Zhang Xi's smile faded slightly, and his eyes sharpened: "Manager Shen, your words sound like you're trying to take the blame for someone else. I'll ask you one more time: who's behind this list?"

Just as Shen Zhiyu was about to speak, there was a gentle knock on the door of the duty room.

A young man's voice came from outside the door, respectful and steady: "This humble servant, Chen Han, Supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, requests an audience with Master Shen to retrieve the list receipt."

Shen Zhiyu's fingertips tightened suddenly.

Why did he come? Coming at this time is like walking into a trap, isn't it?

Zhang happy raised an eyebrow, turned to look at the door, and then glanced at the fleeting change in Shen Zhiyu's expression. He immediately understood the situation perfectly.

He laughed, a playful laugh: "Oh? The supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices? Perfect timing. Manager Shen, let him in."

"Eunuch Zhang..." Shen Zhiyu subconsciously tried to stop him.

"What?" Zhang happy's tone turned cold. "Is there someone that Manager Shen can't let us see?"

Shen Zhiyu clenched her sleeves tightly, but finally loosened her grip and whispered, "Let him in."

……