The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Sun Sicheng had just seen Chen Han off and was sitting at his desk looking at the official documents Chen Han had handed him.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw his daughter lift the curtain and come in. He paused for a moment, then put down his pen and laughed, "What are you doing here at the yamen? Why aren't you staying home? What kind of behavior is this?"

"Dad!" Sun Yue sat down opposite him, her face beaming with excitement. "I ran into Supervisor Chen at the door just now!"

Sun Sicheng raised an eyebrow, looking at his daughter's flushed cheeks. He knew exactly what was going on, but pretended not to understand: "So what if we ran into each other? Was it worth you coming all the way here to tell me?"

"No!" Sun Yue leaned forward, her voice urgent. "Father, didn't you say that Supervisor Chen took on the job of organizing the Buddhist rituals at Sanqing Temple?"

"Is it the task the Emperor ordered Consort Lu and the others to go to the Sanqing Temple to pray for blessings for three days?"

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, nodded. "Yes. His Highness Prince Yu has entrusted this matter to him. What's wrong?"

"Are the vegetarian meals and offerings at Sanqing Temple always provided by Baoxiangzhai?" Sun Yue's eyes shone with an astonishing light.

Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Yes. Baoxiangzhai has been in the business of selling incense and candle offerings to the royal family for generations. They provide the services for most of the Taoist temples in the capital, and Sanqing Temple has always cooperated with them."

"That's wonderful!" Sun Yue clapped her hands, a big smile spreading across her face. "Father, Qin Ruolan, the daughter of Manager Qin of Baoxiangzhai, is a friend I met at a poetry gathering. We're very close!"

"Since Supervisor Chen is going to handle this task, he'll definitely need to deal with Baoxiangzhai. I'll go and tell Ruolan to put in a good word with her father and ask him to look after Supervisor Chen!"

Looking at the light in his daughter's eyes, Sun Sicheng couldn't help but smile.

Having lived most of his life and spent twenty-three years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, he saw right through his daughter's little scheme.

While claiming to be helping Supervisor Chen with his job, he actually wanted to find an excuse to help Chen Han, repay the favor he received from Fayuan Temple last time, and leave a good impression on Chen Han.

He pondered for a moment and felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

Chen Han is a capable young man who knows the rules and knows when to advance and retreat. More importantly, he has already been remembered by Prince Yu and Emperor Jiajing.

Such a person will never be confined to a position as a mere eighth-rank supervisor in the future.

If his daughter is really interested in him, he, as her father, won't object.

But the prerequisite is that Chen Han needs to know that the Sun family can help him, and that the Sun family's daughter is not just a pampered young lady who only causes him trouble.

"Alright." Vice Minister Sun nodded gently. "Go find Qin Ruolan and tell her that Supervisor Chen of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is in charge of all the general affairs for this Sanqing Temple's vegetarian feast."

"Tell her to tell her father that if Supervisor Chen needs any cooperation, please take extra care of him."

"If you have any difficulties, you can speak directly to the government office."

"Thank you, Dad!" Sun Yue stood up, her smile impossible to hide, and turned to run outside.

"Slow down!" Sun Sicheng called out from behind, then shook his head with a smile as he watched his daughter's retreating figure.

He sat alone in the main hall, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

He understood his daughter's thoughts perfectly.

But he still hasn't figured out Chen Han's thoughts.

This young man is so meticulous in his work and so discreet in his speech; he has an extremely precise grasp of the appropriate measure.

Such a person never easily lets others see through what he is really thinking.

So be it.

Let my daughter help out first, see Chen Han's reaction, and then we'll talk about the rest.

……

The warm pavilion of Prince Yu's Mansion.

Chen Han stood at the entrance of the warm pavilion, straightened his official robes, and stepped inside.

In the warm pavilion, Prince Yu, Zhu Zaiji, sat in the rosewood armchair at the head of the table, wrapped in a mink cloak and holding a bronze hand warmer in his hands.

His expression remained that ingrained restraint, his shoulders slightly hunched, his gaze avoiding direct eye contact, like a snail ready to retreat into its shell at any moment.

A man in his forties sat at the lower end of the table. He had a fair complexion, a light beard, and a lean appearance. He was dressed in a dark blue casual suit and sat with his back ramrod straight.

His sitting posture was different from Xu Jie's relaxed posture, Gao Gong's tiger-like posture, and Zhang Juzheng's dignified posture.

It is a kind of composure that is neither arrogant nor humble, neither too relaxed nor too tense.

Like an old pine tree deeply rooted in the mountains, it sways slightly when the wind comes, but remains motionless when the wind goes.

Chen Han's heart stirred slightly.

He didn't recognize this person, but judging from the seating arrangement, he must be a close confidant of Prince Yu.

"This humble servant, Chen Han, Supervisor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, pays his respects to Your Highness Prince Yu." Chen Han bowed respectfully, displaying impeccable manners.

"Supervisor Chen has arrived." Prince Yu put down his hand warmer, raised his hand, and said in a gentle tone, "Get up quickly. This is Mr. Chen, my lecturer. Please meet him."

Chen Han turned around and bowed to the man, saying, "This humble servant, Chen Han, greets Lord Chen."

The man stood up, returned the bow slightly, and said in a calm and steady tone, "Supervisor Chen, there's no need for such formality. My name is Chen Yiqin, courtesy name Yifu, and I am honored to serve as a lecturer in the Prince Yu's residence."

Chen Han's heart skipped a beat.

Chen Yiqin.

He remembered this name clearly from his history books from his previous life.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 22nd year of the Jiajing reign (1543), selected as a Shujishi (a probationary official in the Hanlin Academy), appointed as a Jiantao (a compiler in the Hanlin Academy), and served as a lecturer to Prince Yu for nine years. He was the person who accompanied Prince Yu through the most difficult nine years in the Prince's mansion.

He later rose to the position of Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, becoming one of the core Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet during the Longqing reign.

The History of Ming describes him as "exhausted and heartbroken, his hair turned white suddenly," meaning that he stayed up so long protecting Prince Yu that his hair turned white.

What impressed Chen Han even more was Chen Yiqin's integrity and sense of propriety.

When Yan Shifan heard that Prince Yu was dissatisfied with Yan Song, he secretly approached Chen Yiqin and Gao Gong to test the waters.

Gao Gong brushed it off with a joke, but Chen Yiqin spoke seriously and bluntly, rebuking Yan Shifan without being humble or arrogant.

Yan Shifan was speechless and slunk away.

From then on, Yan's faction dared not manipulate the Prince Yu's residence at will.

He possessed the ability to protect others, yet he kept it deeply hidden.

He was extremely resolute, yet he kept a low profile.

During the Longqing reign, when Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng were locked in a life-or-death struggle, he remained neutral and did not align himself with any faction.

He ultimately escaped unscathed, and no one in the entire court could find any fault with him.

This was nothing short of a miracle in the court during the late Jiajing era.

Chen Han instantly grasped the man's importance and bowed even deeper: "I have long admired Lord Chen's reputation. It is my honor to meet you today."

"Supervisor Chen, you're too kind." Chen Yiqin nodded slightly and gestured to the chair below him. "Supervisor Chen, please sit down. His Highness summoned you today to hear about the specific plans for the winter sacrifice."

Chen Han sat down at the lower end of the table, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees, and bowed slightly: "Thank you, Lord Chen. Your Highness, I have already drafted the plan for the winter sacrifice."

He took out the copied plan from his sleeve and presented it with both hands...