In 1566 of the Ming Dynasty, a trial set off a wave of political turmoil. Lü Fang, the head of the celebrant eunuch, faced with an important case involving the Weaving Bureau and the Jiajing Emperor, had to deal with three major problems: how to protect Yang Jinshui, the censor, how to get rid of his own responsibility, and how to protect the reputation of the Jiajing Emperor. At this moment of crisis, Lü Fang showed extraordinary decisiveness, and even united with Yan Song, the first assistant of the cabinet, and Xu Jie, the second assistant of the cabinet, in an attempt to ease the dispute between the "Yan Party" and the "Qingliu Party". However, Lü Fang may not have given full consideration to Emperor Jiajing's position. Not telling Emperor Jiajing about private affairs is a taboo in the workplace. Emperor Jiajing expected a cabinet of checks and balances to consolidate the rule of the Ming dynasty, and Lü Fang's actions could make the Jiajing emperor feel at risk of being left out.
Lü Fang's "thinking of danger and retreating" was considered a risky move, but in fact, his deep understanding of the three key figures – Huang Jin, Chen Hong, and Emperor Jiajing – allowed him to skillfully navigate the situation. Huang Jin was extremely loyal to Lü Fang, but this loyalty was built on trust in Emperor Jiajing. Lü Fang understood that as long as Huang Jin did not hide the truth, Chen Hong would soon be summoned by Emperor Jiajing. Chen Hong aspires to ascend to the throne and needs to overthrow Lu Fang to realize his ambitions. Lü Fang carefully allowed Chen ** to reach the hint of the monarch's dissatisfaction with him, and finally angered the Jiajing Emperor. This is Lu Fang's accurate guess of Chen Hong's desires, and it is also a keen insight into Emperor Jiajing's emotions.
In the face of Emperor Jiajing's questioning, Chen Hong's answer was extremely skillful. He challenged Emperor Jiajing by not answering, creating the illusion of a "bitter meat plan". This ingenious strategy aroused the anger of Emperor Jiajing, but it also allowed Chen Hong to gain a firm foothold in front of Emperor Jiajing. Chen Hong's performance was exactly what Lu Fang expected, and he succeeded in creating a situation that made Emperor Jiajing angry.
The reason why Lü Fang chose such a "thinking of danger and thinking of retreat" was based on his deep understanding of Emperor Jiajing, Huang Jin and Chen Hong. He was well aware that Emperor Jiajing would be unhappy with the Zhejiang case, but he also knew how to maintain trust in himself in the face of anger. Lü Fang did not really take risks, but skillfully balanced the consideration of angering the Jiajing Emperor with protecting her own interests.
Emperor Jiajing's inquiry not only revealed doubts about the possibility of immortality, but also mentioned his own "auspicious land for ten thousand years". Lü Fang's answer cleverly avoided Emperor Jiajing's questioning of immortality, while showing loyalty to the monarch. Through this answer, Lü Fang skillfully maintained his trust in Emperor Jiajing and created favorable conditions for his "thinking of danger and retreating".
Emperor Jiajing finally ordered the cabinet and the celebrant to be adjusted, and ordered Yang Jinshui to enter Beijing quickly. This series of orders showed that Lü Fang's plan had achieved the desired effect. Lü Fang's "thinking of danger and retreating" not only protected himself, but also quietly maintained the reputation of Emperor Jiajing. Emperor Jiajing's decision-making also showed his keen insight into the situation and timely adjustments to maintain the stability of the dynasty. The whole incident reflects Lu Fang's wisdom and prudence. In the changing political situation, he accurately judged the situation, responded flexibly, and successfully defused the crisis. Lü Fang's deep understanding of Emperor Jiajing, Huang Jin, and Chen Hong made him adept at navigating complex power schemes. His "thinking of danger and retreat" is not a rash move, but is based on a deep insight into the people and events of all parties.