The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Master Qingyun of the Sanqing Temple was highly trusted by the Emperor. He was a man of profound wisdom and never made enemies.

Every year when Consort Lu Jing held a religious ceremony, the incense money for Prince Jing's mansion was never less than five hundred taels.

Master Qingyun accepted the gift, but never did anything for Prince Jing.

When Consort Zhao visited the Sanqing Temple to pray for blessings, Master Qingyun greeted her respectfully, showing no disrespect despite her low rank.

This person is a master of balancing things, never offending either side, which is why he was able to stand by the emperor's side for ten years without falling from grace.

I know very little about the inside story of the incident.

Master Qingyun was extremely strict with his subordinates, and none of the Taoist priests in the temple dared to exchange knowledge privately. This was all that could be known.

Chen Han put down the letter, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

Shen Zhiyu's letter revealed everything he needed to know most.

The temperaments, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes of Consort Lu Jing and Princess Jing;

Consort Zhao's physical condition, temperament, and the appropriate degree of interaction with Consort Lu;

They even had a clear understanding of Master Qingyun's style of doing things.

Each and every one of them landed precisely where he needed it most.

But he could also see clearly that Shen Zhiyu had a lot of pent-up energy when she wrote this letter.

She used the paper he gave her to write down the details he excelled at, digging out the deep palace secrets he couldn't reach.

They thought of everything he could and couldn't think of.

This rivalry wasn't hostility; it stemmed from a woman who had spent eight years in the inner court, never being taken seriously by anyone.

After being seen and cared for for the first time, one can't hide the urge to prove oneself.

Chen Han rubbed his temples, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

He simply doesn't have the mind to dwell on these romantic feelings right now.

Five days later is the Sanqing Temple's fasting ceremony, a silent contest lasting three days and three nights.

The dignity of Consort Zhao and Consort Li, and the face of Prince Yu, all rested on his shoulders.

Consort Lu Jing has connections with Prince Jing, the Yan faction, and the entire Sanqing Temple.

All he could rely on was the information Shen Zhiyu had given him, and his own intellect.

What's even more troublesome is that Shen Zhiyu made it clear that Master Qingyun is a cunning and shrewd person who leaves no trace, and it's impossible to find out any of the inside information about the temple.

This is his biggest shortcoming right now.

Chen Han carefully folded the letter and was about to get up to go to the backyard for some fresh air when there was another knock on the door of the duty room, a rapid and urgent knock.

"Supervisor Chen! Supervisor Chen!"

It was the voice of Zheng Dianli.

Chen Han opened the door.

Zheng Dianli stood at the door, followed by a person—Cui'er.

She had a smile on her face, clearly something to be happy about, and looked like she was about to show off a treasure.

She first gave Chen Han a proper bow, and then spoke:

"Supervisor Chen, my young lady asked me to invite you. She says she has something important to tell you."

Chen Han's heart skipped a beat: "What is it?"

Cui'er looked around, then took half a step forward. "It's about the Sanqing Temple! Miss found out about it for you!"

Chen Han was genuinely taken aback.

He was just worrying about not being able to find out the inside story of the Sanqing Temple, and then Sun Yue said she had found out the news. It was too much of a coincidence.

But Cui'er's expression was completely genuine, her face clearly showing a self-satisfied look that said, "Our young lady has done you a great favor."

"Where is your young lady now?" Chen Han asked immediately.

"She's at the manor," Cui'er answered crisply. "Miss said she wants you to come over after you finish your shift. She'll tell you in detail what she found out."

Chen Han remained silent for a moment.

According to the rules, a man like him should not meet with his boss's daughter in private.

But this time was different. The task at Sanqing Temple was given to him by order of Prince Yu, and he had to do it perfectly and without any mistakes.

While Shen Zhiyu couldn't get any information about the inner workings of the temple, Sun Yue had made some progress, so he couldn't ignore it.

"Okay." Chen Han nodded. "Go back and tell Miss that I'll be there shortly."

Cui'er smiled and agreed, then turned and ran away, her skirt fluttering like a butterfly.

Chen Han returned to his duty room, changed into clean everyday clothes, and stuffed the ritual plan he had been working on over the past few days into his sleeves.

He first informed Sun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, that he was going out for a while, but did not say where he was going.

Firstly, I didn't want Sun Sicheng to overthink things, and secondly, I didn't want to fight with Sun Sicheng.

After leaving the Guanglu Temple, he headed towards the Sun residence in the east of the city.

The Sun family residence was located in a hutong in the east of the city. It was a small two-courtyard house, but it was kept clean and tidy.

Chen Han knocked on the door, announced his identity, and soon Cui'er ran out to greet him, leading him through the corridor and into Sun Yue's small study.

Sun Yue was sitting by the window, holding a thick booklet in her hands.

Seeing him enter, her eyes lit up, but she quickly pretended not to care, put down the booklet, and said in as calm a tone as possible, "Supervisor Chen is here. Please have a seat."

Chen Han bowed respectfully and sat down in the chair at the lower end.

Sun Yue didn't beat around the bush and handed over the booklet directly: "Take a look at this. I've written down everything I found out about the Sanqing Temple."

Chen Han took the booklet with both hands and opened it.

The words on the booklet were handwritten by Sun Yue herself, each stroke neat and tidy, clearly showing that she had put her heart into it.

Sanqing Temple is located halfway up the western mountain, with a front hall and a rear sleeping quarters.

The front section was the Sanqing Hall, a place for Buddhist rituals and ceremonies. The rear section was a Zen monastery, the residence of the imperial concubines.

The monastery is divided into east and west courtyards. The east courtyard is sunny, spacious, and warm, while the west courtyard is shady, cramped, and cold.

The main house in the east courtyard has three rooms, where Consort Lu Jing has always lived.

The side room in the east courtyard, though not as spacious as the main room, faces south and is sunny, and its layout is within acceptable limits, making it suitable for Consort Zhao to reside in.

The southernmost room in the west courtyard, right next to the east courtyard wall, is warmer than the other rooms because the morning sunlight can shine through half of the window.

In the seating arrangement in the dining hall, the head seat was reserved for the main person, and Consort Lu Jing sat there.

The lower part of the table is divided into left and right, with the left side closer to the host and the right side further away. According to the rules, the left side is considered more honorable.

All utensils used in the temple are provided by Baoxiangzhai. Incense burners, candlesticks, prayer cushions, tea sets, and tableware can all be selected in advance.

The best ones should be sent first to Consort Zhao, and the rest to Consort Lu. This is the authority to handle such matters, and must not exceed the prescribed limits.

Master Qingyun was trusted and respected by the Emperor. He never made enemies. Although Consort Lu Jing generously offered incense every year, Master Qingyun only greeted her with utmost respect, without any bias.

However, he was extremely strict in managing his subordinates, and none of the Taoist priests in the temple dared to privately exchange gifts.

To act within the temple, one must obtain the approval of Master Qingyun. This person can be swayed by profit, but not by force.

Chen Han turned the pages one by one.

Which room they stayed in, which seat they sat in, what utensils they used, and what the abbot's temperament were—everything was written down clearly.

It was more than ten times more detailed than the part about the Sanqing Temple in Shen Zhiyu's letter.

A complex and indescribable emotion suddenly welled up in his heart.

Sun Yue is a pampered daughter of an official. She has a bad temper and high standards, and she will throw a tantrum if things don't go her way.

But in order to find out these things for him, she traveled countless miles, contacted countless people, and used all her persuasive skills.

There are several marks of repeated corrections on the corners of the booklet, which clearly shows that the author carefully considered the text while writing it, for fear of missing any key points or making any mistakes in any details.

This sentiment was so heavy that he almost couldn't accept it...