The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

"Miss," Chen Han closed the booklet, looked up at her, and said with genuine gratitude in his voice:

"Miss has put a lot of thought into these things. Every single one of them is of great use to me. I thank you very much, Miss."

After he finished speaking, he stood up and bowed respectfully to Sun Yue.

Sun Yue's face flushed instantly. She lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief in her hand, and said in a soft voice, "You helped me at Fayuan Temple last time, so it's only right that I help you. Besides, Miss Qin Ruolan from Baoxiangzhai found out all this, and I just acted as a go-between. You don't need to be so polite."

Cui'er stood at the door, watching her young mistress's embarrassed and awkward appearance, and covered her mouth to secretly laugh.

Chen Han had heard Liu Shuzheng mention that Baoxiangzhai was the largest incense and candle supplies shop in the capital, with a very large business, so it was no wonder that he was able to find out about it.

However, even if Qin Ruolan found out about it, Sun Yue's role in making the connection cannot be overlooked.

"You're too modest, Miss. Without your help, I really wouldn't know where I would have gotten these."

Sun Yue was overjoyed after hearing this.

Chen Han sat down again and flipped through the booklet once more, his mind racing with calculations.

What Sun Yue found out filled in the missing piece of his puzzle.

The layout of the Sanqing Temple, the orientation of the rooms, the seating arrangement in the dining hall, and the temperament of Master Qingyun.

These details that Shen Zhiyu couldn't grasp, Sun Yue has now delivered completely to him.

His next task was to integrate this information and devise a foolproof plan that would ensure Consort Zhao and Consort Li would not suffer any losses, cause any trouble, and gain a good reputation during the three-day fasting ceremony.

But there is one crucial person in all of this—Qin Ruolan.

Baoxiangzhai regularly supplies incense and candles to Sanqing Temple, allowing Qin Ruolan free access to the inner courtyard of Sanqing Temple and the opportunity to speak with Daoist Qingyun.

This means that he needs an agent in the temple who can implement policies effectively, and Qin Ruolan is the most suitable and only candidate.

But he didn't know Qin Ruolan, and if he went to her door rashly, she might not take him seriously.

Sun Yue's introduction is necessary.

"Miss," Chen Han said carefully, "I have a favor to ask."

Sun Yue immediately raised her head: "You speak."

"I would like to meet this Miss Qin."

Sun Yue paused for a moment, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes.

But she quickly nodded, her tone decisive: "Okay. I'll take you to Baoxiangzhai tomorrow."

"Thank you, Miss." Chen Han bowed again, then added earnestly, "Don't worry, Miss, I went to Baoxiangzhai under the pretext of procuring incense and candles for the vegetarian feast."

"When the time comes, Miss will introduce Miss Qin, and I will discuss serious matters with her. Miss can simply sit aside; I will absolutely not make things difficult for you."

That was a very apt remark.

He wasn't trying to ditch Sun Yue to meet Qin Ruolan alone; rather, he wanted Sun Yue to be involved throughout the meeting. This was both a sign of respect for her and a serious response to her feelings.

Upon hearing this, Sun Yue's slight unease vanished instantly, replaced by an undisguised smile: "Okay. Let's set it for tomorrow afternoon then."

When Chen Han left the Sun residence, it was already completely dark.

Instead of going straight back to his residence, he walked slowly along the street, repeatedly comparing, deconstructing, and reassembling the two intelligence reports he had received that day in his mind.

The core of Shen Zhiyu's letter lies in "people".

Consort Lu Jing is arrogant, mean-spirited, and vindictive, while Princess Jing is jealous, easily angered, and quick to explode.

Consort Zhao is outwardly gentle but inwardly strong, physically weak but determined, while Daoist Qingyun is shrewd and resourceful.

This is the "human" level, the foundation of all strategies.

Sun Yue's booklet focuses on the concept of "ground".

The layout of the east and west courtyards, the lighting and orientation of the rooms, the seating arrangement in the dining hall, and the authority to allocate utensils.

This is the "material" level, the carrier on which all solutions are implemented.

When the two items are put together, a complete, interconnected layout instantly takes shape in his mind.

Consort Lu Jing and Princess Jing were both so proud that they couldn't tolerate any flaws.

They had stayed at the Sanqing Temple countless times and had long regarded the main house in the east courtyard as their own private territory.

If Consort Zhao and Consort Li were to move into a side room in the East Courtyard, even if the rules were perfectly correct, Consort Lu would still feel that Consort Zhao was trying to ride on her glory and was trying to be her equal.

Living in the same courtyard, seeing each other every three days, Consort Lu had plenty of ways to make Consort Zhao unhappy.

I "forgot" to prepare the honey water for breakfast, "accidentally" missed a bowl of bird's nest in the afternoon, and "coincidentally" ran out of benzoin before bed.

These things, though all within the bounds of the rules, each one left one feeling uneasy and resentful.

Moreover, there is also Princess Zhou, the wife of Prince Jing.

Shen Zhiyu wrote clearly that she "would smash cups and bowls if she was slightly displeased," and she was most jealous of the favored concubine of Prince Yu, Lady Li.

Let her live in the same courtyard as Consort Li. Three days is enough time for her to find fault a hundred times.

Prince Yu described Consort Li's temperament very clearly:

He is knowledgeable and reasonable, knows how to conduct himself appropriately, but has a strong personality.

Being strong means being unable to tolerate being wronged and unable to hide one's emotions.

If Princess Jing were to embarrass her to her face, she would definitely not be able to resist retaliating.

If he were to confront the prince, he would be at a disadvantage and be able to use it against him by Consort Lu, who would then label him as insubordinate and ignorant of the rules, which would also bring blame upon Prince Yu.

Therefore, Consort Zhao and Consort Li must absolutely not be allowed to live in the East Courtyard.

Even if the side rooms in the east courtyard could get sunlight, and even if the east courtyard had a higher standard of living, it was absolutely unacceptable to live there.

They must stay in the west courtyard.

The west courtyard is shaded and is naturally considered one grade lower in terms of layout than the east courtyard.

When Consort Lu saw that Consort Zhao had chosen the West Courtyard, she would think that Consort Zhao was sensible, knew the rules, and was aware of her status, so she wouldn't compete with her.

This comfort was the first effect Chen Han wanted: to lower the other party's guard.

However, the West Wing also has its own difficulties.

It was cold and damp, and the mountain winds blowing in during the winter made it bitterly cold.

Consort Zhao is weak, has an old back injury, suffers from cold in her fingers, and is sensitive to both cold and heat. If she were to stay in the West Courtyard for three days, the sheer coldness would make her sick.

Therefore, if you're going to stay, stay in the southernmost room in the west courtyard.

For a period of time in the morning, sunlight would shine through the window into that room.

Although the time was short, for someone who was trapped in the cold and dark palace for many years, this little bit of light was the warmest comfort of the day.

What should we do if there's no sun for the rest of the time?

Use charcoal fire to repair it.

According to palace regulations, concubines were entitled to three baskets of charcoal daily.

Three baskets of charcoal are barely enough to burn for a day, and would be insufficient to burn for a whole night.

Chen Han could have Bao Xiangzhai prepare an extra batch of high-quality silver frost charcoal in advance, under the pretext of "the mountain is cold and damp, just in case," and store it in the charcoal room in the temple.

Once the religious ceremony begins, the offerings will be sent to Consort Zhao in batches, little by little.

Don't send too many at once, lest Consort Lu's people see them and get jealous and cause trouble.

Each time, they would send an extra half basket, saying it was because "the goddess is afraid of the cold, and the temple is being considerate." As long as Master Qingyun had given prior notice, he would never make things difficult for her on such a small matter.

Then comes the seating arrangement.

In the seating arrangement in the dining hall, the head seat was reserved for Consort Lu Jing, and the lower seats were divided into left and right, with the left being the more honored and the right the less honored.

According to the rules, Consort Zhao should have sat on the left.

But Chen Han didn't intend to let Consort Zhao sit on the left.

He wanted Consort Zhao to ask to sit on the right.

Sun Yue's booklet clearly states that the left side is closer to the main position, and the right side is farther from the main position.

Being so close meant constantly being under Consort Lu Jingfei's watchful eye. Serving tea, serving dishes, exchanging pleasantries—every action was subject to scrutiny, and the slightest mistake would give others ammunition to criticize.

Being far away brings peace and tranquility.

Zhao Fei offered to sit on the right, explaining that Sister Lu held a noble position and she dared not overstep her bounds.

When these words reached Consort Lu Jing's ears, she would only think that Consort Zhao was well-mannered and knew how to behave, and her guard against her would be lowered even further.

When vigilance is relaxed, the urge to find fault naturally diminishes.

This is the art of retreating to advance; not fighting is fighting in itself...