The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Prince Yu took the proposal, glanced at it, and then handed it to Chen Yiqin: "Mr. Chen, please take a look and give me your opinion."

Chen Yiqin took the proposal and read it word by word.

He read slowly, pausing to think about each entry, as if repeatedly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

When I saw the entry that read, "During the fasting period, His Highness wrote a prayer in his own hand every day and sent it to the Western Garden for His Majesty's perusal," I was struck by its significance.

He glanced at Chen Han, his eyes scrutinizing him, but said nothing.

When he saw the line "The day before the ceremony, His Highness personally went to the Temple of Heaven to inspect the sacrificial vessels, ritual implements, and music and dances one by one, without relying on anyone else," he glanced at Chen Han again but still remained silent.

When he saw the line "The prayer for the sacrifice to Heaven is respectfully requested to be written by Lord Zhang Juzheng, and the words must be sincere and in accordance with the rites," he nodded slightly.

After reading the last point, he put the proposal back on the table, looked at Chen Han, and said calmly, "Supervisor Chen, I have read your proposal."

"Fasting, personal verification, and prayers are all the right paths, in accordance with ancestral rules and reason."

"But I'd like to ask you one question: which part of this plan is something that no one else would have thought of?"

The question was direct, but it wasn't aggressive at all.

It wasn't the kind of scathing questioning like Gao Gong's, but rather the gentle way an old Confucian scholar examines his students, with a hint of "think about it more deeply."

Chen Han bowed slightly, his tone frank and without any concealment: "Reporting to Lord Chen, there is not a single point in this plan that no one else could have thought of."

Chen Yiqin's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Prince Yu's expression also changed slightly, his fingers tightened around the bronze hand warmer, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

Chen Han remained calm and continued, "I can think of writing in the West Garden every day during the fasting period, and the Yan faction can certainly think of it as well."

"His Highness Prince Jing has probably already started arranging for someone to write it for him."

"To personally inspect the sacrificial vessels a day in advance is something I could have thought of, and so could the Yan faction."

"His Highness Prince Jing must have already made arrangements."

"Please have Lord Zhang write this memorial; Lord Zhang's literary talent is known throughout the court and the country."

"But the Yan faction has Yan Shifan and Luo Longwen, they have plenty of writing talent, and the prayers they write will only be more to His Majesty's liking than those of Lord Zhang."

He raised his head, looked at Chen Yiqin, then at Prince Yu, his tone steady yet each word forceful:

"Not a single one of my plans is something no one else could have thought of."

"Because the most important thing about the winter festival is never to win by surprise, but to avoid making mistakes."

"What His Majesty wants is not a fancy ceremony, but a son he can trust."

Prince Yu was taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously asked, "My...my own will?"

"Yes." Chen Han's gaze fell on Prince Yu, his tone solemn. "Your Highness, if I may be so bold as to ask, do you intend to have Lord Zhang write your daily letters to His Majesty, or will Your Highness write them yourself?"

Prince Yu was taken aback by the question and subconsciously looked at Chen Yiqin with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

Chen Yiqin narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent and waiting for Chen Han to continue.

"This humble servant suggests that all handwritten documents, including prayers to His Majesty, be written by His Highness himself." Chen Han spoke each word with conviction.

The warm room fell silent instantly.

Prince Yu opened his mouth, his face full of embarrassment, and his voice lowered: "This prince... this prince's handwriting is not good, I'm afraid... I'm afraid Father Emperor will laugh at me."

"His Highness's handwriting is poor, and His Majesty knows it better than anyone." Chen Han's tone was calm, yet carried a persuasive power:

"But it is precisely because His Majesty knows that the letter was written by His Highness himself that it shows even more sincerity."

"Your Majesty has been reading the imperial edicts in the Western Garden for over thirty years. He is already tired of the most ornate language and the most exquisite calligraphy in the world."

"Your Highness writes your heartfelt words in your clumsy handwriting. Even if you make a mistake and cross it out and rewrite it, it will still touch His Majesty's heart more than a hundred splendid articles written by scholars of the Hanlin Academy."

"What His Majesty desires has never been Your Highness's literary talent."

"It is Your Highness's sincerity. It is your son's genuine filial piety."

Prince Yu remained silent.

He kept his head down, his fingers repeatedly stroking the hand warmer, his expression changing several times.

His greatest fear in life was showing weakness in front of his father, the emperor.

Poor handwriting, inelegant speech, and lack of composure.

Therefore, he relied on the gentlemen around him for everything, having them write, draft, and carefully consider every word for him, for fear of making even the slightest mistake.

But now, Chen Han is letting him write it himself.

He wrote in his own handwriting, which he himself couldn't even stand, to show to his most feared father, the emperor.

"Your Highness," Chen Yiqin suddenly spoke up, "I think Supervisor Chen's words are absolutely right."

Prince Yu suddenly raised his head and looked at Chen Yiqin.

Chen Yiqin's gaze lingered on Chen Han for a moment, carrying a hint of approval.

He then turned to Prince Yu, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable solemnity: "Your Highness has been in the Prince's residence for nine years, and I have been honored to serve as your lecturer, teaching you to read and write every day."

"Your Highness's calligraphy is indeed not top-notch. But Your Highness's heart is always the truest."

"His Majesty is not only a ruler, but also His Highness's father."

Between father and son, not every word needs to be a beautiful poem.

"Write down whatever Your Highness thinks."

If you misspell a word, cross it out and rewrite it; if you can't explain something clearly, repeat it a few more times.

"His Majesty may not praise Your Highness's calligraphy, but he will certainly understand Your Highness's meaning."

Prince Yu listened and remained silent for a long time.

Then he nodded heavily, his voice soft, "Very well. I will write it myself."

Chen Han finally felt half of the weight lifted from his heart.

Sincerity was the core principle he set for Prince Yu.

Yan Shifan would definitely make Prince Jing follow the path of appeasement, using Taoist rituals, ornate prayers, and meticulously designed ceremonies to please Jiajing.

He couldn't compete on that path, and there was no need for him to.

Prince Yu's greatest advantage was precisely his disadvantage.

He was clumsy, he was reserved, and he couldn't perform.

Emperor Jiajing sat on the dragon throne for thirty-eight years. What perfect performance hadn't he seen?

It was Yu Wang's clumsy, unadorned sincerity that touched the last bit of fatherly affection that remained in his heart.

"There's one more thing." Chen Han took out another folded document from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "Your Highness, this is a summary of the daily handwritten content during the fasting period, prepared by your humble servant."

"Your Highness may refer to this, but need not copy it verbatim. What you wish to say is entirely up to Your Highness."

Prince Yu took the folded book and opened it to take a look.

The above is not a complete article, but rather a series of simple and straightforward key points:

Day 1: I report to Father Emperor that I have begun my fast today, bathing and changing clothes, abstaining from meat and fish, and keeping only the important matter of offering sacrifices to Heaven on the Winter Solstice in my mind.

Father Emperor is undergoing arduous spiritual practice in the Western Garden. Your son cannot share your burdens, but can only pray for your well-being and long life through devout fasting.

……