The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

As night fell, Chen Han sat at a small table in his residence, spread out a sheet of white paper, and began to write the plan for the winter sacrifice.

During the fasting period, he wrote the Xiyuan calligraphy every day.

Arrive at the Temple of Heaven one day in advance to inspect the sacrificial offerings, ritual implements, and music and dance performances.

The congratulatory letter was to be written by Zhang Juzheng.

He wrote these three points on a piece of paper and stared at them for a long time.

not enough.

These are too ordinary.

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

King Jing would also fast, conduct pre-holiday inspections, and have someone write a beautiful blessing.

What he wanted was not a draw with King Jing, but a victory.

But what does he have to win with?

Chen Han put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

My mind started racing again with those things I'd thought about countless times—fasting, rituals, prayers, regulations, ancestral rules, divine will…

After turning the page countless times, suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up straight.

wrong.

He kept thinking about how to make Prince Yu "stand out", but was "standing out" really what Jiajing wanted?

No.

What Jiajing wanted was "sincerity".

A son who genuinely reveres Heaven and honors his ancestors, versus a son who acts solely to vie for the throne.

The things they do may look exactly the same on the surface, but the underlying essence cannot be hidden.

Emperor Jiajing sat on that throne for over thirty years. What tricks hadn't he seen? What schemes hadn't he witnessed?

He saw clearly that Yan Song had played the role of a loyal minister in front of him for twenty years, and Xu Jie had played the role of a subservient grandson in front of him for ten years.

He doesn't need Prince Yu to be "outstanding," he needs Prince Yu to be "sincere."

How can we make Prince Yu appear "sincere"?

Chen Han picked up a pen and wrote a line on the paper:

Let Prince Yu write the letter himself.

It wasn't Zhang Juzheng who wrote it; it was Prince Yu who wrote it himself.

Even if it wasn't well-written, even if his literary talent wasn't as good as King Jing's, it was still his own writing, his own words, and his own feelings.

Emperor Jiajing had read Qingci (a type of official document) for over thirty years and grew tired of the most ornate language in the land.

What he lacks is not literary talent, but sincerity.

A son's clumsy but sincere handwritten note is more effective than a hundred beautifully written blessings.

Chen Han's hands trembled slightly.

He found it.

This is something that Yan's faction might not have thought of.

Yan Song would find the best scholars to write eulogies, letters, and all other necessary documents for Prince Jing.

They will polish every single word to perfection.

Because Prince Jing and Prince Yu were favored by Emperor Jiajing and had the most powerful backer in the court—the Yan faction.

But precisely because of this, King Jing had to be even more careful and cautious, and not take any risky or unorthodox approaches.

They must win fair and square, and win steadily and surely.

However, because Prince Yu was dissatisfied with both the court and the emperor, his slightly unconventional approach made it difficult to find fault with him.

In short, at this moment, all of Prince Yu's disadvantages are actually the most advantageous.

Therefore, Prince Yu only needs to do one thing—be himself.

Write your own words, speak your own language, and express your own feelings.

Even if the handwriting is crooked and the speech is halting, it is still true.

Emperor Jiajing would see through it.

Thinking about this, Chen Han himself became excited.

He let out a long breath.

Twenty days.

He wants to get this done within these twenty days.

Is sincerity alone enough?

not enough.

Who was Emperor Jiajing?

As a prince who ascended the throne, he ruled the world for thirty-eight years, living in seclusion in the Western Garden while holding power in his hands. What hadn't he seen through in the court's treacherous and deceitful people?

You only allowed Prince Yu to appear clumsy and sincere during the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. Although Jiajing could see through his true intentions at a glance, what difference did it make?

At most, he would think to himself, "This boy is Park Sung," but he would never hand over the position of crown prince to him because of this.

Honesty and integrity were never the criteria by which the Jiajing Emperor chose the foundation of the nation.

Chen Han sat up abruptly and picked up the wolf-hair brush again.

He needs to change his fundamental approach and think this through completely.

The obsession that was etched into the bones of the Jiajing Emperor throughout his life.

It has never been about court politics or the people's livelihood; it is about Taoist cultivation, longevity, and communication with the gods.

He abandoned the Forbidden City and moved to Yongshou Palace in the Western Garden.

For more than twenty years, he did not attend court, spending his days with Taoist priests refining elixirs and taking medicine, writing petitions and burning them to reach the ears of the emperor.

He always considered himself "the spokesperson of the Heavenly Emperor on earth," believing that the Ming Dynasty's favorable weather and peaceful times were entirely due to his own effective communication with Heaven and his devout prayers.

How can you talk about sincerity between father and son with someone like that?

He might be moved for a moment, but he would forget about it as soon as he turned his back.

You have to talk to him about Heaven, about the will of Heaven, about the auspicious omens bestowed by Heaven!

Chen Han's fingertips tapped lightly on the table, his thoughts racing like a revolving lantern.

In previous years, during the grand sacrifice at the Altar of Heaven on the winter solstice, Emperor Jiajing would send officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to perform the sacrifice on his behalf.

It followed the established procedures of the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty" perfectly, without a single flaw, but it also lacked any originality or thoughtfulness.

Those officials were trembling with fear, only daring to follow the rules and regulations, for fear of overstepping the bounds and being punished.

After the ceremony ended and the memorial was submitted, Emperor Jiajing didn't even bother to glance at it.

But this year is completely different.

This year, the two princes, Prince Yu and Prince Jing, were appointed to preside over the grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven on behalf of the Emperor.

This was the first time since the founding of the Ming Dynasty; it was obvious that the Jiajing Emperor had set up a life-or-death arena for his two sons.

Whoever can sing into his heart will hold the ticket to become the crown prince;

If you mess up your performance, you've cut off your future and there's no chance of making a comeback.

Yan Shifan, that scoundrel, though his character was despicable to the core, was incredibly clever and shrewd.

Xu Jie, the second-ranking minister of the time, was renowned for his eloquent poems written before the emperor, but Yan Shifan's poems always accurately captured the Jiajing Emperor's heart.

Even the petitions submitted by Yan Song, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, when he served in the Western Garden were mostly written by him.

Throughout the entire Ming Dynasty, there was no one who understood Emperor Jiajing's mind better than him.

He would absolutely have thought that Taoist rituals would be incorporated into this grand ceremony to worship Heaven.

The ritual of offering sacrifices to Heaven was the core ceremony for the emperor to communicate with the Heavenly Emperor. The Taoist fasting and sacrificial rites that Emperor Jiajing had always believed in were incorporated into the national sacrificial rites.

Not only did it not exceed the bounds in the slightest, but it also conformed to the Emperor's will in every way.

His son offered sacrifices to Heaven in the way he believed in most and cared about most. In his eyes, it meant that his son understood him, respected him, and held his faith and conviction in his heart.

This kind of flattery is a hundred times more effective than empty sincerity.

Yan Shifan was absolutely capable of thinking of this; his quick wit and sharp mind worked faster than anyone else's.

Chen Han's brows furrowed tightly into a knot again.

He takes the path of sincerity and integrity, while Yan Shifan inevitably takes the path of pandering and currying favor.

Sincerity can touch people's hearts, and flattery can please Jiajing.

When these two moves collide, it's impossible to say who will win or lose.

Unless... he can perfectly combine these two techniques!

He maintained his honest and simple nature, making Emperor Jiajing think that Prince Yu was honest, upright, and without any ulterior motives;

He also struck at the emperor's obsession, making him certain that this son was the heir chosen by heaven!

But how exactly do you do that?

After sitting there for an unknown amount of time, a thunderous thought suddenly exploded in his mind, and his blood surged instantly!

Auspicious!

The most fundamental celestial signs in Taoism are auspicious omens.

When auspicious omens descend from the heavens, it is a sign from the heavens, indicating that the ruler is wise and the ministers are virtuous, and that the heavens are in favor of humanity.

If an emperor can pray for auspicious omens, it proves that he has an unimpeded connection with Heaven and is truly the chosen one.

Of all the things that Emperor Jiajing was most obsessed with in his life, auspicious omens definitely ranked in the top three.

Why did he favor Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zhongwen so much back then?

These two Taoist priests repeatedly prayed for him and brought him good fortune.

Sweet dew fell in the Western Garden, purple fungus grew in the Imperial Garden, and auspicious clouds appeared in the Palace. Every time auspicious omens appeared, they would make him extremely happy, for months on end.

If it was indeed auspicious omens that descended upon the Altar of Heaven when Prince Yu presided over the sacrificial ceremony on behalf of the emperor?

……