The number one sycophant of the Ming Dynasty

Xu Jie and the other two knelt down behind them, heads bowed, eyes downcast.

Zhang happy cleared his throat and said in a shrill voice:

"My son Zaiji is commendable for his filial piety. I have reviewed the list of offerings for the Winter Solstice, and it is in accordance with the proper etiquette and is very much to my liking."

"I commend your filial piety and bestow upon you twenty-four catties of venison to support your well-being. Your ability to maintain this mindset is undoubtedly due to the presence of capable people around you. I have heard of this matter and am grateful for the efforts of these humble individuals. You should be aware of this and treat them with kindness. This is my decree."

"Your subject obeys the decree! Thank you, Father Emperor, for your great favor! Long live the Emperor!" Prince Yu kowtowed heavily, his body still trembling slightly.

Zhang happy smiled and handed over the food box, saying, "Your Highness, this is venison that was just hunted in the West Garden. His Majesty specially ordered that the tenderest tenderloin be reserved for Your Highness."

"His Majesty said that Your Highness is kind and filial, and should take good care of yourself in the future."

"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Zhang." Prince Yu quickly had Feng Bao take the food box and then gave him a wink.

Feng Bao understood, took out a heavy purse from his sleeve, and quietly stuffed it into Zhang happy's hand.

Zhang happy accepted the gift with a smile, then cupped his hands in greeting to Xu Jie and the other two, exchanged a few polite words, and turned to take his leave.

Only after Zhang happy's figure completely disappeared outside the courtyard gate did the few people in the hall slowly stand up.

Prince Yu sat back in his chair, his face a mixture of joy and fear, his eyes blank as he looked at Xu Jie and the other two: "Gentlemen, what exactly does Father Emperor's decree mean?"

He was genuinely scared.

His father, the emperor, always had a mind as deep and unfathomable as a cold pool. His words were always veiled in hidden meanings, and his rewards were always tinged with a sense of reprimand.

Offering venison is a favor, but the phrase "Thanks to the efforts of a humble person, you should know this and treat him well" felt like a slap in the face, practically calling him a good-for-nothing.

Xu, Gao, and Zhang all looked uncomfortable.

Because they felt offended.

Emperor Jiajing did not openly criticize them, but the imperial edict stated that "it is thanks to the efforts of humble people," a veiled criticism that sounded very much like Jiajing himself.

This not only offended Prince Yu, but also led to a barrage of insults directed at them.

How dare they call themselves Prince Yu's teachers when they are inferior to insignificant people like Chen Han and Shen Zhiyu?

Gao Gong spoke first, his brows furrowed, his tone full of confusion: "What does Your Majesty mean by this?! Chen Han is merely an eighth-rank supervisor, and Shen Zhiyu is just a female official in the Shanggong Bureau. Your Majesty is instructing Your Highness to treat them so well? This is not in accordance with the rules!"

"Could it be... that His Majesty thinks that His Highness can't even handle such a small matter and needs two insignificant officials to clean up his mess?"

"Or perhaps... His Majesty suspects that Your Highness is secretly associating with people from both the inner and outer courts?"

He became more and more anxious as he spoke, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

This is no small matter.

The Ming Dynasty's greatest taboo was that princes associate with eunuchs and form cliques for personal gain.

Jiajing was already well aware of the struggle for the throne between Prince Yu and Prince Jing. If he were to become suspicious, the reputation that Prince Yu had built up over the years through his cautiousness would be completely ruined.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head.

He walked to the desk, picked up the copy of the list again, his gaze deep:

"Lord Gao, please calm down. If His Majesty truly suspected His Highness, he wouldn't have rewarded him with venison, much less openly instructed His Highness to treat these two people well."

He looked up at Prince Yu and said incisively, "Your Highness, the Emperor's request for you to treat him well is not for reward, but to 'recognize his talent'."

"A recognition of talent?" Prince Yu was taken aback.

"Yes." Zhang Juzheng nodded and continued, "This Chen Han, a minor official of the eighth rank, has managed to perfectly balance ancestral rules, the emperor's will, and human sentiments within three months of entering office, turning a dead end into a new one. Such ability and such courage are one in a million."

"This Shen Zhiyu, in the Inner Court's Shanggong Bureau, is all alone and without support, yet he managed to return the list three times, each time leaving room for maneuver, neither violating the rules nor offending His Highness. His intelligence and methods are truly remarkable."

"One of these two men is in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, a low-ranking official in the outer court, who has the ability but no connections; the other is in the Bureau of Imperial Sacrifices, a lone official in the inner court, caught in the whirlpool but without any backing."

"They risked their lives to help Your Highness at this critical moment; they have done Your Highness a great favor."

"One has pledged his loyalty, and the other has prepared a way out; both are useful."

"His Majesty has clearly sent these two people to Your Highness, asking you to treat them well, in order to see if Your Highness has the capacity to tolerate others, the ability to recognize talent, and the skill to employ people."

Zhang Juzheng's words were like a thunderclap, waking Prince Yu and enlightening Gao Gong.

The warm room fell silent.

Xu Jie paused slightly in the hand holding the beaded string, glanced at Zhang Juzheng, and a complex look flashed in his eyes.

This disciple saw things much deeper than he had anticipated.

Prince Yu sat in his chair, staring blankly at Zhang Juzheng, then at the list on the table. He seemed to want to say something, his lips moved a few times, but he ultimately did not speak.

Consort Li, behind the curtain, gently put down the bowl of ginseng soup, her lips curving slightly.

Zhang Juzheng was indeed a wise man.

Gao Gong slapped his thigh, suddenly realizing, "Uncle is right! How could I not have thought of that! The Emperor isn't just giving His Highness a warning; he's sending talent to His Highness!"

He looked at Prince Yu, his tone urgent: "Your Highness! This is an opportunity not to be missed! These two men are truly capable and courageous!"

"Now that His Majesty has spoken, asking you to thank them, it would be beneath you to merely bestow gold, silver, and silk as gifts, and would also be a waste of His Majesty's good intentions!"

Xu Jie finally spoke.

He slowly raised his eyes, a gentle smile still on his face, and said leisurely, "Both Suqing and Shuda have a point."

He stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then continued unhurriedly, "His Majesty's decree, ostensibly a reward, is probably also a test for Your Highness. However..."

He then changed the subject, saying, "What we are testing is not necessarily Your Highness's loyalty, but rather Your Highness's discernment."

"This old minister believes that the person in charge of the Imperial Secretariat, who oversees the inner court's documents, will be a good help for Your Highness when you are in the palace."

"As for that minor official in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices..." Xu Jie narrowed his eyes slightly, "In all my years of life, I've never seen many people who can thoroughly understand the 'Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty.' It's a waste to place such a talent in an eighth-rank position."

He didn't spell it out, but the meaning was clear: these two people are worth using.

Gao Gong immediately understood and nodded repeatedly: "Grand Secretary Xu is absolutely right! Your Highness, in my opinion, we should send out an invitation to these two gentlemen to come to our residence for a chat."

"Firstly, it fulfills the Emperor's wishes, and secondly, it allows us to see just how good these two people really are."

"A simple banquet, both proper and unassuming, would leave no room for criticism even if Yan's faction wanted to find fault!"

Zhang Juzheng nodded in agreement: "Lord Gao is right. His Highness's hosting of a banquet to express his gratitude is in accordance with the imperial decree and is perfectly justified."

"It won't give anyone grounds to accuse him of currying favor with court officials, and it will also let the Emperor know that His Highness understands his intentions. But..."

He paused for a moment, looked at Prince Yu, and said with a hint of deliberation in his voice, "The invitations and the banquet arrangements must be carefully considered. Too grand, and it will attract attention; too casual, and it will fail to show Your Highness's sincerity."

As Prince Yu listened to the three gentlemen's conversation, his anxiety finally subsided somewhat.

In his entire life, he trusted these three people the most. Since all three said so, he had no more reservations, nodded, and said, "Very well, then it will be as you gentlemen suggest. Feng Bao!"

Feng Bao, who was outside the curtain, immediately bowed and entered: "This servant is here."

"Go and prepare two invitations. Send one to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for Supervisor Chen Han, and the other to the Department of Imperial Sacrifices for Head Shen Zhiyu." Prince Yu's tone became more composed. "Tell them that I have prepared a small banquet at my residence tomorrow afternoon to personally thank you both for your help. Please do me the honor of attending."

"This servant obeys the decree." Feng Bao bowed and replied, then turned and left.

……