William Carter—if he weren’t his own lord, he would really want to ask: do you need me to find you a doctor?

That’s the throne, after all, and you just refuse it like that??

At this moment, Robert Grant hung his head, looking dazed.

“Guo Jun?”

William Carter called out to him, and only then did he come back to his senses.

Robert Grant lifted his head, his eyes full of confusion.

“Why must he be deposed?”

“Huh?”

“His Majesty ordered a halt to the construction of new palaces and towers, released government slaves over sixty years old, established counties to resettle refugees, and did not forget to honor the generals who followed Emperor Wu into battle. What grave mistake did he make to deserve deposition?”

In the vast city of Yuan, it seemed that only Robert Grant still cared about the fate of the deposed emperor.

William Carter’s mood grew heavy as well.

“His mistake is that he’s grown up, and once grown, change is inevitable—so he must be deposed.”

“In the previous dynasty, it was common for child emperors to ascend the throne. They would use eunuchs to counterbalance the outer ministers... Great Wei has learned its lesson well: eunuchs are not allowed to hold high office or wield real power... The emperor faces powerful ministers alone, with not a shred of real authority. To be merely deposed is already not bad—at least he wasn’t...”

William Carter did not finish the sentence.

Robert Grant also fell silent, his expression dazed, as if he had suffered a tremendous blow.

This man had a strong air of a Han scholar—a certain indescribable, simple idealism.

He even truly believed that the Han emperor had willingly abdicated to his own grandfather.

But now, his state was clearly off; the gentlemanly figure of usual days was like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

James Lee couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Why did Lord Cao refuse?”

“What, hoping to earn some merit by following the new emperor? Regret missing your chance to become General of Supporting the State?”

James Lee grinned, “A rough fellow like me, what kind of general could I be? I just think, if you could become emperor, you could stand up for all the people of the world, right wrongs, and then there’d be no more injustice under heaven, wouldn’t there?”

William Carter was momentarily speechless.

“Fool! Enough with your nonsense—go fetch me another jug of wine!”

Lying on the ground, Mr. Young shouted. James Lee muttered a few curses under his breath, but still obediently left.

William Carter gave a wry smile and simply sat down beside Mr. Young.

“Mr. Young, is there anything you wish to teach me?”

“Oh?”

“Why would Lord Cao think I have anything to teach you?”

“Just now, when everyone was panicking, only you said it might be a good thing. Did you already guess those people were here to welcome my ascension?”

“So what if I guessed? What use is it? Just like what you’re doing now—futile.”

“How do you know what I want to do?”

“Don’t you just want to stay away from Sima Shi and protect yourself?”

William Carter was startled, his face changing dramatically. “What do you mean by that? The Grand General is a renowned loyal minister, beloved by all. I am deeply grateful to him and never dare forget his kindness—how could I want to distance myself from him?”

Mr. Young burst out laughing.

“All right, as Lord Cao says.”

“However, I must remind you: that Wang Su may seem simple and honest, but he’s actually very shrewd. If even I can see it, he certainly can too.”

“This past year, Lord Cao has been extremely uneasy, living in constant fear, rushing to build up strength, even gathering a group of wandering swordsmen in your residence—‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ is no exaggeration.”

“But let me tell you—it’s useless, completely useless.”

“Your hounds are useless, your reputation is useless, your imperial clan status is useless. If Sima Shi wants to kill you, it’s as easy as butchering a fish on a chopping block—no resistance at all.”

“Since you’re afraid, you might as well accept Wang Su’s goodwill, and go with him to Luoyang.”

“Let Sima Shi take the lead in all matters, marry his daughter, enjoy a peaceful life. In another twenty years, follow the example of the Han emperor and pass the throne to them—they’ll surely grant you a high status, and you’ll live out your days in peace...”

“Bang!!!”

Before Mr. Young could finish, William Carter slammed his fist into the ground.

Mr. Young turned his head and saw a face twisted with anger.

Chapter 006: The Hero of the Age

“Your anger is of no use either.”

Mr. Young laughed again.

“Do you know what kind of opponent you’re facing?”

“When Sima Yi rebelled and killed the Grand... General, do you know where his followers came from?”

“They were all death warriors secretly trained by Sima Shi. Even now, no one knows how he managed to train so many death warriors at his side, or how he kept them hidden.”

“Sima Shi is ruthless, discerning, skilled at patience, good at winning people over—a true hero, even greater than his father!”

In fact, William Carter didn’t need Mr. Young to say it—he already knew what kind of enemy he was facing.

Sima Shi was a master executor, a rational decision-maker.

A leader who could sleep soundly on the eve of a coup.

Whether in domestic affairs, strategy, or political intrigue, he was nearly unmatched.