Lucas Bennett nodded thoughtfully and said, “Alright, I understand.”

Simon Lewis bowed and said, “This servant will take my leave.”

Once Simon Lewis had gone far, William Carter immediately said, “Your Highness, should I send someone to inquire about this?”

“No need.” Lucas Bennett watched Simon Lewis's departing figure with interest and said, “Is this the same Simon Lewis who handles the red-ink approvals?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It’s said that this person is exceptionally talented, but isn’t valued much in the Directorate of Ceremonial.” William Carter replied.

Lucas Bennett nodded. Since Wei Zhongxian and the others were illiterate, and the Directorate of Ceremonial was responsible for the red-ink approvals for the imperial brothers, the task ultimately fell to Simon Lewis.

The two exited the palace gates, circled around Suzaku Avenue, and appeared in the eastern part of the city.

In a private room of a teahouse, a plump middle-aged man in his early forties hurried over to Lucas Bennett with a fawning smile and said, “This humble one, Jacob Turner, greets the young master.”

Lucas Bennett, hands behind his back, glanced at him and said indifferently, “I heard you’re related to Censor Jason Turner?”

Upon hearing this, Jacob Turner quickly replied, “To be honest, young master, he’s from the main branch, I’m from the third branch—we grew up together.”

Lucas Bennett nodded and said, “Did Mr. Foster tell you everything?” The “Mr. Foster” in Lucas Bennett’s mouth was his uncle, Charles Foster, currently serving as a principal official in the Ministry of Revenue.

“He did, he did. I know what to do.” Jacob Turner nodded and bowed repeatedly, excitement bubbling inside. Making connections with a principal official of the Ministry of Revenue was already a huge deal, not to mention this young man seemed even more extraordinary and noble.

Lucas Bennett said, “Good, go ahead.”

“Yes, young master, please wait a moment. I’ll have someone invite Mr. Lawson over right away.” Jacob Turner, visibly excited, turned and hurried out of the private room.

Watching the closed door, William Carter hesitated for a moment and whispered, “Your Highness, will old Mr. Lawson agree?”

Lucas Bennett smiled slightly and said, “That depends on this young Mr. Lawson.”

Chapter 3 Ethan Lawson

Outside the door, Jacob Turner sat leisurely on a chair, sipping tea, but his mind kept turning over the words of the young master inside, feeling completely at a loss as to his true intentions.

“Forget it, making connections with a principal official of the Ministry of Revenue is a sure win.” Jacob Turner shook off his doubts.

“Mr. Turner, you really made me wait.” Before long, a middle-aged man strode over. Dressed in fine clothes, his face wore a smile—clearly someone accustomed to a life of ease.

Jacob Turner quickly stood up and flattered him, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain Lawson. It’s just some small business.”

Ethan Lawson sat down heavily on the chair, took a sip of tea, and got straight to the point: “Mr. Turner, you’ve seen the courtyard. Three thousand taels is definitely not too much, right?”

Mr. Turner sat down in agreement, smiling, “Don’t laugh at me, Mr. Lawson. I’m just a go-between. The real buyer is the distinguished person behind me.”

“A distinguished person?” Ethan Lawson was taken aback and leaned in, “May I know who it is?”

Jacob Turner smiled slightly and said, “Mr. Lawson, you know the rules.”

Ethan Lawson raised an eyebrow and waved his hand, “Fine, I’ve brought the deed. We can just go to the yamen and change the name later.”

A sly smile flashed across Jacob Turner’s lips as he calmly shook his head, “Mr. Lawson, you still don’t want to be upfront with me?”

“Be upfront?” Ethan Lawson frowned, “What do you want me to say, Mr. Turner?”

Jacob Turner said, “You should know, the distinguished person behind me is no ordinary figure. If they wanted to investigate the origins of this house, it would be a piece of cake.”

Ethan Lawson’s face gradually darkened. He looked at Jacob Turner with a hostile expression and said, “Since you know this, Mr. Turner, why did you call me here? Are you trying to make a fool of me?”

Unmoved by the threat, Jacob Turner shook his head, “You misunderstand, sir. This courtyard once belonged to the Minister of Personnel. Even His Majesty might remember it. If it’s suddenly bestowed upon that distinguished person, not only I, but even your esteemed father might not be able to bear the crime of deceiving the emperor.”

Ethan Lawson sneered, “So, Mr. Turner, you’re not being sincere. But our Lawson family has held the hereditary command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for generations. My father has served diligently for decades. Do you really think His Majesty would trouble him over such a trivial matter?”

Jason Turner shook his head and said, “You still don’t understand the current situation, sir. Why don’t you take a look at this?” With that, he handed a memorial to Ethan Lawson.

Ethan Lawson frowned, took it, and his face changed dramatically as he read.

It was a memorial submitted by Censor Zhang Yunru, the gist of which was that the current commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Scott Lawson, was old and frail, and the duties of the guard were heavy. He was no longer up to the task, and it was suggested that he retire and enjoy his remaining years. Most importantly, the last line recommended Xu Xianchun as the new commander!

Moreover, there was a big red approval from the Directorate of Ceremonial: Approved.

In other words, if His Majesty saw this and gave it a moment’s thought, with a single nod, it would all become reality!

Cold sweat began to bead on Ethan Lawson’s forehead. His eyes darted nervously as he stared at the memorial, his face shifting through a range of expressions, all traces of arrogance gone.