Lucas Bennett took a bite of fish, nodded slightly, found the taste quite good, and then smiled as he said, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s urgent or not. It’s just a matter of moving up a plan that was already prepared.”

William Carter silently nodded. Having followed Lucas Bennett for a long time, he understood many of his ideas and fully supported them!

Thinking of the increasingly arrogant and rampant eunuch faction, he couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Censor Lewis below.

Not long after, three people walked in from outside. They were nearly thirty, each looking like a frustrated scholar. The three glanced at each other, and one of them sighed, “Brother Lewis, after this failure, I’ve given up on the idea of taking the metropolitan exam. I’ll never come to the Forbidden City again.”

That Brother Lewis was taken aback and said, “Brother Johnson, why be like this? With your talent, it’s only a matter of time before you pass with high honors.”

The last of the three, however, shook his head and sighed, “Now the court is dominated by treacherous eunuchs, and upright men can hardly speak out. To enter officialdom through the imperial exams is as hard as reaching the sky.”

As they spoke, the three sat down behind Matthew Lewis, ordered a few small dishes at random, and began sighing again.

Johnson sighed, “Now that the eunuchs run rampant and the righteous are blocked, we have no hope of making a name for ourselves through the exams.”

Franklin said, “I’m afraid it’s more than that. I heard that Grand Secretary Ye, the chief minister, has been forced to retire, and Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel has already submitted a memorial to retire and return home…”

Lewis seemed to still have some hope, but after hearing the other two, he fell silent for a moment and said, “Perhaps you two don’t know, but I’m from Henan, the same hometown as the Lady of Imperial Grace. This time, when she returned home to visit relatives, she actually demanded that the local authorities build a living shrine for her and the eunuchs, and that daily sacrifices must not cease!”

A living shrine, simply put, is a temple built for living people, to worship them as if they were deities. In ancient times, this was the ultimate form of praise and flattery.

Matthew LewisCensor Lewis, who had been frowning and listening, suddenly changed his expression, his gaze turning frighteningly dark. As a Censor from the Henan Circuit, he had heard rumors before, but never expected it to actually come true!

“You probably don’t know this either, do you?” Johnson said, “Lord Zhou from the Censorate previously submitted a memorial impeaching the eunuchs, but the eunuchs cried before the emperor, claiming they were framed, and in the end, nothing came of it…”

Franklin said, “That’s not all. I heard the eunuchs privately wanted to have Lord Zhou caned in court, but the emperor scolded them and stopped it.”

Lewis said, “I heard Lord Zhou was so angry about this that he fell ill and hasn’t left his residence for days.”

“There’s more.” Johnson looked around, lowered his voice, and just happened to let Matthew Lewis behind him hear: “I heard the eunuch faction is fabricating evidence to put Lord Zhou to death!”

Hearing this, Matthew Lewis’s expression changed dramatically. He suddenly stood up. He hadn’t been unaware of the previous events, but he hadn’t expected things to have gotten this bad!

Matthew Lewis slapped some silver on the table and said loudly, “Check, please.” With that, he turned and left.

“Your Highness, will this work?” William Carter watched Matthew Lewis leave and couldn’t help but ask Lucas Bennett.

By now, Lucas Bennett was also full and satisfied. He wiped his mouth and said, “Let’s go, on to the next scene.”

The two left the tavern. Not long after their carriage set off, Charles Carter, dressed in plain clothes, walked over.

“Your Highness, everything is ready.” Charles Carter entered the carriage and respectfully said to Lucas Bennett, “That young eunuch and Lord Zhou’s steward are from the same hometown. The two of them just drank together not long ago. Even if someone asks, it can’t be traced to me, let alone to Your Highness.”

Chapter 11: The Empress Is Pregnant

Lucas Bennett nodded approvingly. Charles Carter was doing his utmost to integrate into his Prince Hui’s household. Although Lucas Bennett was neither warm nor cold toward him, he still acknowledged his abilities in his heart.

“Let’s go, let’s have a look.”

Soon, the carriage stopped not far from the inner palace.

A group of eunuchs exited the palace. They were responsible for purchasing supplies and had the privilege of leaving the palace.

“It’s the last one.” Charles Carter bent over beside Lucas Bennett and said, “It’s the last one. He’s Li Yongzhen’s apprentice, greedy and fond of gambling.”

From a distance, Lucas Bennett watched. Sure enough, this young eunuch looked shifty, glancing around. Before long, he quietly left the group and ran toward a nearby alley.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a young man who looked like a steward hurried out, looking quite anxious.

“All set.” Lucas Bennett said with a smile. “Let’s go back to the palace.”

William Carter knew what Lucas Bennett was thinking. Although he didn’t know Lucas Bennett’s next move, he had absolute faith in his master’s unfailing plans. With a weight off his mind, he happily agreed.

Charles Carter didn’t know the details, but having completed the task assigned by Prince Hui, he figured he could now gain trust and establish himself in the Prince’s household, so he was also excited to accompany Lucas Bennett back to the palace.

Censorate, Zhou residence.

“What did you say, a living shrine!” Jason Turner glared furiously at Matthew Lewis, who had just finished speaking, his expression as if he wanted to eat someone alive.

Matthew Lewis didn’t look much better, and said through gritted teeth, “What virtue or ability do they have to deserve ancestral worship? One is a mutilated eunuch, the other just a nanny, yet they dream of being revered as sages. It’s sheer delusion!”