James Foster thought he would finally get to see the Empress Dowager in person, but in the end, he only kowtowed outside her bedchamber door and, following Henry Clark's instructions, said, "Your child greets the Empress Dowager." A palace maid came out from inside, exchanged a few polite words, and the greeting ceremony was over.

On the way back to the emperor's residence, Henry Clark explained, "These days, the Empress Dowager has been overly worried and is unwell. Your Majesty is about to officially ascend the throne, and the Empress Dowager does not wish to affect Your Majesty's mood at this time."

No matter what Henry Clark said, James Foster only responded with a few hums. He had nothing to say and didn't want to lie.

The Empress Dowager's residence was called Cishun Palace. The emperor was supposed to live in Tai'an Palace, but since the new emperor had not yet married, he was placed in a small courtyard not far from Cishun Palace. James Foster didn't mind this arrangement, but he did feel a bit lonely, even starting to miss David Williams.

David Williams lived next door, but neither of them could move about freely; they could only meet on formal occasions.

This morning's formal occasion was a ritual demonstration by officials from the Ministry of Rites.

The Minister of Rites, Benjamin Carter, was an elderly man in his sixties, tall and somewhat overweight, which made him appear even more dignified. He brought two deputies and ten scholars from the Imperial Academy, each explaining and demonstrating different stages of the enthronement ceremony.

In less than four years, Great Chu had already seen two emperors ascend the throne, and James Foster would be the third. The Ministry of Rites officials were very experienced in this regard and tried their best to lighten the new emperor's burden. All James Foster really had to do was put on the heavy court robes, set out from the Ancestral Temple, pass through two palaces, and finally sit solemnly on the dragon throne to receive the homage of all the civil and military officials.

After just one run-through, James Foster remembered everything, but the Ministry of Rites officials were still uneasy and insisted on demonstrating the ceremony every morning for the next few days, striving for absolute accuracy. They even calculated the exact number of steps to take, saying that every detail was deeply meaningful and foretold the emperor's future.

James Foster really wanted to ask what mistakes his father and brother had made during their own enthronements.

Perhaps to counterbalance the Ministry of Rites officials, the palace sent an unusually large number of attendants—twice as many as the ministers. Samuel Clark and Henry Clark guarded the new emperor on either side, so the senior officials conducting the ceremony could only speak to him from a distance.

Even if James Foster wrote the edict on his sash, he had no way to pass it to any official.

David Williams followed in the eunuchs' retinue, full of jealousy and hope, frequently shooting glances at James Foster. Seeing no response, he grew increasingly anxious.

In the afternoon, the two continued their fasting in the quiet chamber, with Samuel Clark and Henry Clark taking turns kneeling at the door to accompany them. William Turner still had not appeared.

Another day passed, and Henry Clark's surveillance relaxed a bit; he even left the quiet chamber for a while for unknown reasons. David Williams seized the opportunity, rushed to James Foster's side, and reached out his hand. "What's going on? Where's the sash edict? Why haven't you acted yet?"

"I can't do it."

"Can't do what? Are you really that stupid? Can't you at least pretend to trip or something?"

"I can't write. There's always someone in the room."

"Oh my god!" David Williams smacked himself on the head twice. "Haven't you ever had servants around you? You're the master! Order them to catch fish in the river in winter, catch fireflies in summer, or fetch food from the kitchen in the middle of the night... That's what servants are for! Do you think they all sleep soundly till dawn? You..."

Eunuch Henry Clark quietly walked in, smiling. "David Williams, the ancestral robes are enshrined here. Your behavior is inappropriate."

David Williams awkwardly retreated to his cushion. "Maybe it's because I didn't eat breakfast—I felt a bit dizzy just now and collapsed. I heard the ancestor was very kind to his descendants; he'll forgive me, right?"

Henry Clark knelt at the door and did not press further. David Williams breathed a sigh of relief and behaved himself for the rest of the afternoon.

The problem was left to James Foster. Of course, he had had servants before, though not many. His mother, Lady Wang, had always been polite to them and never made any strange requests. So, something that seemed easy for David Williams was actually difficult for James Foster.

James Foster thought for a long time and finally came up with an idea after dinner.

He first claimed he wanted to practice calligraphy. The two eunuchs in the room were very obedient and immediately laid out paper and ink. James Foster's handwriting was not very neat; he would discard sheet after sheet, and if he was especially dissatisfied, he would simply tear it to pieces. The two eunuchs would pick up every scrap without missing a single piece.

There wasn't that much paper in the room to waste. As the paper was about to run out, one eunuch left to fetch more. James Foster casually said to the other, "Bring me a cup of tea."

"Your Majesty should rest..." The eunuch hesitated.

"Plain water is fine. I'm thirsty." James Foster tried his best to imitate David Williams's tone.

The other eunuch also bowed and left. James Foster quickly scribbled on the paper, then tore off a small piece, folded it up, and held it in his left palm.

Every piece of clothing in the room was watched over by someone, so James Foster really had no way to write any "sash edict."

Things went more smoothly than he expected. The two eunuchs soon returned and noticed nothing. After drinking some water, James Foster went to bed, barely closing his eyes all night.