Charles Harris was gasping for breath, cursing madly... Of course, he only dared to utter these words after confirming that William Harris had left the gates of Longde Palace.

The alternation of old and new, the transfer of power, is just that ruthless.

He orchestrated the abdication, giving up the dragon throne, and had already lost the initiative. Then Franklin Lane was defeated, not even getting a glimpse of the Jurchens—what a disgrace!

The whole court may not believe William Harris is up to the task, but they are certain that Charles Harris is not!

With the tide turning, someone was bound to side with William Harris at this morning’s court session, and it might even spiral out of control, leaving him completely marginalized.

The Jurchens hadn’t even arrived, and he was already left all alone. This unfilial son was even more ruthless than the Jurchens!

What on earth should he do?

After venting, Charles Harris collapsed amidst a pile of junk, sinking into panic... It wasn’t until noon that his lackey Ethan Brooks came again.

“Greetings, Retired Emperor!” Ethan Brooks kowtowed miserably, looking even more wretched than Charles Harris.

Charles Harris rushed over and shouted angrily, “So, what’s going on? The—what has the Emperor done?”

Ethan Brooks, panting, replied, “Retired Emperor, His Majesty has promoted Thomas Lee to Right Chancellor, concurrently Deputy Chief of the Privy Council and Commander of the Capital’s Defense, overseeing all matters of resistance against the Jurchens. He also appointed Matthew Grant as Chief of the Privy Council, responsible for supplies and coordinating the royal armies from all regions.”

Charles Harris took a breath—he was no stranger to these two. Thomas Lee was a leading figure of the war faction, known to all. As for Matthew Grant, he was formerly the Crown Prince’s tutor and a close confidant of William Harris.

Promoting these two made the intention clear.

“Are there any other arrangements?”

“Yes.” Ethan Brooks wailed, “His Majesty has appointed me and Arthur Underwood as Chief and Deputy of Longde Palace, to serve the Retired Emperor exclusively from now on, and we are not to leave Longde Palace without cause!”

Being Chief of Longde Palace was nothing special—serving at the Retired Emperor’s side, communicating inside and out, acting under Charles Harris’s name, it could be quite enjoyable. But the problem was, not being allowed to leave Longde Palace and having to serve exclusively—wasn’t that just like being a eunuch?

He was the dignified Mr. Brooks, and now he’d become a eunuch—how humiliating!

Charles Harris felt even more stifled. This unfilial son was doing this to cut off his sources of information, practically imprisoning him!

“No one in court objected?” Charles Harris asked hesitantly. He had quite a few confidants—surely someone would speak up for him.

Ethan Brooks replied miserably, “Retired Emperor, someone did speak.”

“Who?”

“Thomas Lee!”

“What?” Charles Harris’s eyebrows shot up. Was this a joke? A standard-bearer of the war faction speaking up for him, while his own confidants were all silent? Had they all died out?

“What did Thomas Lee say?”

“He said that since everyone is united in resisting the Jurchens and defending the country, harmony is needed at all levels, especially with the Retired Emperor, who has ruled for over twenty years, toiled day and night for the nation, and now suddenly retires to Longde Palace, which might unsettle people’s hearts, and so on.”

Charles Harris gave a slight snort, clearly satisfied, yet also a bit disappointed. This was what a minister ought to say. As for the likes of Richard Lee and Blake Smith, those useless fellows, not a single one dared to speak up—truly contemptible!

Just what kind of people had he surrounded himself with!

“So, what did the Emperor say?” Charles Harris asked, full of anticipation.

Ethan Brooks looked even more miserable, as if he’d lost his own father.

“Retired Emperor, His Majesty said that, having just ascended the throne, he is not yet familiar with state affairs, and relies on two things: first, the loyal ministers and capable generals in court; second, the wisdom and insight of the Retired Emperor. Therefore, he has decided to hold court in the Chui Gong Hall during the day, and come to Longde Palace at night to consult you personally on state matters.”

“What!”

Charles Harris was stunned. What a ruthless unfilial son—he really wasn’t leaving him any way out!

Given his behavior, how could he possibly listen to his advice? Clearly, he just wanted to keep him under surveillance!

“Anything else?”

“Yes, His Majesty said that the Retired Emperor may have made some poor appointments in the past, but as long as the Retired Emperor is willing to live and die with the Song dynasty, he will not let down the ancestors of the Zhao family. Even if—even if he dies, he will die in Kaifeng!” Ethan Brooks was almost in tears.

“You unfilial son, you’re so disrespectful!”

Charles Harris was so angry his beard stood on end, furious and frantic, and soon became anxious again—this was bad.

The unfilial son’s tactics were relentless: seizing power, confining him in Longde Palace, coming to monitor him, spreading rumors... This was putting him on the rack!

Whether he could resist the Jurchens was unknown, but he was certainly skilled at tormenting his own father.

Charles Harris clutched his forehead in pain, thinking over and over, but his mind was a tangled mess. Helplessly, he turned to look at Ethan Brooks, only to find that this fellow didn’t seem discouraged at all—his eyes were still darting about, his mind still full of schemes.

“Ethan Brooks, do you have any ideas?”

Ethan Brooks clenched his jaw and said, “Retired Emperor, His Majesty’s intentions are suspicious. Since he said in Chui Gong Hall that the Retired Emperor made poor appointments, could it be that he intends to lay the blame on you?”

Charles Harris’s expression changed instantly. He was an old hand at shifting blame—could his unfilial son be even better at it?

Seeing Charles Harris’s suspicion, Ethan Brooks continued, “Retired Emperor, given the current situation, if His Majesty repels the Jurchens, it will be a great achievement. Even if he fails, he can say the Retired Emperor left him a mess that was impossible to clean up. He could even leave the Retired Emperor to face the Jurchens while he escapes with the court officials... As for all that talk about living and dying with the dynasty, I believe when the time comes, with persuasion from Thomas Lee, Matthew Grant, and others, His Majesty will surely agree!”

“Exactly! That’s exactly right!”