James Foster still refused to reveal the contents of the note; he wanted to see just how much power he, as emperor, truly had. David Williams was also curious, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Samuel Clark and Henry Clark.

Samuel Clark respectfully kowtowed, then rose to his knees and said softly, “Guards.”

Four eunuchs entered the room sideways, startling David Williams. “You dare arrest the emperor?”

But the four were not targeting the emperor; instead, they seized the two unfortunate souls trembling on the floor and began dragging them outside.

“Charles Clark, spare us!” The two knew exactly whom to beg for mercy.

“I already said, they have nothing to do with this.” James Foster was taken aback.

Samuel Clark remained kneeling, unmoving. His usual gentle demeanor had turned into a cloud of darkness, and now it was his turn to stay silent.

Before long, screams of agony came from outside, sounding especially mournful in the dead of night.

James Foster took a step forward. “Please, sirs, relay to the Empress Dowager my apologies for my momentary recklessness. Let those two go, and I’ll tell you what’s on the note.”

David Williams frowned, not daring to interrupt. Samuel Clark kowtowed again. “Your Majesty has done nothing wrong. It’s normal to overlook certain rules when first ascending the throne. The blame lies entirely with those two lowly servants for failing to serve Your Majesty properly—their crime is unforgivable. As for the note, we can discuss it later.”

The screams outside grew louder, and soon only the dull thuds of sticks striking flesh remained.

Henry Clark stood up, personally laid out paper and prepared ink, then turned and said, “Please, Your Majesty, write out the contents of the note again so we can report to the Empress Dowager.”

James Foster did not refuse again. His face pale, he now understood just how much “power” the emperor truly had. Barefoot, he walked to the table, picked up the brush, and prepared to write. Beside him, Henry Clark whispered, “The Empress Dowager is kind and gentle; she will surely forgive Your Majesty. Please, do not trouble the Empress Dowager again for personal reasons—the nation is in troubled times…”

James Foster put down the ink-soaked brush, turned, and said, “I want to see the Empress Dowager.”

Henry Clark was taken aback. “See the Empress Dowager? Why?”

“Because since entering the palace, I haven’t met the Empress Dowager in person, and I want to explain this matter to her myself.”

“Your Majesty sees the Empress Dowager every morning.” The smile on Henry Clark’s face stiffened.

“No, I only kneel and bow toward the Empress Dowager’s quarters. I’ve never actually seen her face.”

“It’s the same. The Empress Dowager is in her chambers, unwell, and unable to receive visitors…”

“I’m not an outsider. You said the Empress Dowager is my only mother, and I believe that too. We are mother and son. You and Charles Clark are the outsiders. For a mother and son to meet—surely that’s not an unreasonable request.”

Kneeling at the doorway, David Williams couldn’t help but snicker. He’d already witnessed the emperor’s knack for using others’ words against them, so he wasn’t surprised at all. Henry Clark, however, was left speechless, completely unprepared for the usually taciturn emperor to suddenly become so eloquent.

Henry Clark’s expression shifted several times, and he turned to look at Samuel Clark.

Samuel Clark stood up, inwardly despising the eunuch who had gained favor through his looks, but outwardly showing no displeasure at all. Instead, he nodded knowingly at him, indicating that everything was under control.

The old eunuch slowly walked up to the emperor, glanced at the blank sheet of paper on the table, and asked, “Does Your Majesty feel wronged on behalf of those two punished eunuchs?”

“If their crime is truly unforgivable, what can I say?” James Foster replied calmly.

David Williams also stood up, watching the scene with great interest, curious to see how long the emperor’s stubbornness would last.

Samuel Clark sighed lightly. “Does Your Majesty still trust the ministers outside? I have served four emperors—let me tell Your Majesty the truth: ministers have their own interests. They shout about loyalty and duty, but in their hearts, they only think of deceiving their superiors and bullying their subordinates. Grab any minister and throw him in prison—within three days, he’ll confess to a whole string of accomplices. These people fight to the death in court by day, but at night, when no one is around, they drink and make merry together. Their only goal is to mislead the throne and fish in troubled waters. Behind every memorial, every impassioned speech, there are hidden motives. When they impeach their enemies, they always cleverly praise their own allies. Today you recommend me, tomorrow I promote you. Eunuchs are humble, but we have no ulterior motives, nor could we. The Empress Dowager and Your Majesty are our only anchors. Without you, we are less than dirt.”

Henry Clark nodded repeatedly in agreement. David Williams rolled his eyes in disdain. James Foster said, “It’s not as serious as you think. I just handed a note to the Minister of Rites… There’s nothing on the note you need to worry about.”

The old eunuch placed a hand on the emperor’s shoulder—a gesture lacking in respect, but he felt he had earned the right. He sighed again. “We’ll handle the matter of the note. There’s no rush. Let it ferment for a few days. If Yuan Jiuding is smart, he’ll hand over the note tomorrow—ideally today, but he’s not that clever. If he keeps holding onto it, we’ll see how many ministers he can rally. Perhaps this is an opportunity to use this as a pretext to eliminate a faction of treacherous officials from the court.”