Before calling him in, William Carter had also carefully pondered the situation. It couldn’t be ruled out that the previous host, being so infatuated, had allowed quite a few people around him to be bribed and planted. Although looking at this Evelyn Foster, he didn’t really seem like a spy. However, the world is unpredictable, and people’s hearts are hard to fathom. Calling him in was partly to test him further, and partly, it was a bit of a gamble.

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace.” Evelyn Foster stood up, head slightly lowered, and sat on a stool brought in by the eunuch Xiao Duozi. His hands rested on his knees, motionless. But it was clear from his expression that he was somewhat nervous and fearful. No wonder—his predecessor was notorious for being a tyrant. Over the past few days, William Carter had gotten somewhat used to seeing this kind of expression.

William Carter half-closed his eyes, reclining in the most comfortable position, leisurely and at ease, occasionally sipping his tea. He carefully savored the taste of the tea. Time ticked by, minute by minute. That Evelyn Foster grew more and more nervous, until in the end, beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.

Seeing this effect, this tactic really was quite effective. Letting him sit there, constantly guessing, while he himself appeared even more unfathomable. The twenty-first century was an era of information explosion. Everyone, intentionally or not, would learn a vast amount of information through various channels. The more information one absorbed, the more one would gradually understand and the broader one’s horizons would become. Although the vast majority of it might never be recalled or used in a lifetime, who’s to say that one day, when something happens, those nearly forgotten bits of knowledge wouldn’t suddenly surface in the mind?

Just like William Carter, who used to just play games and read novels. When would he have ever thought about how to leave someone hanging, and do it effectively? Yet now, as soon as he sat on the emperor’s throne, all sorts of information about how to be an emperor surged into his mind. Some from TV dramas, some from history textbooks, some from novels, and some even from a random glance at a forum post.

But in this ancient era, where information was scarce and economic and technological levels were worlds apart, people had limited channels to acquire knowledge and information, the quantity was small, and the absorption efficiency was poor. Compared to people from William Carter’s era, the difference was huge.

“Hmph…” William Carter let out a heavy snort, put the teacup back on the table, and deliberately said angrily, “Evelyn Foster, do you know your crime?” After some thought, William Carter decided to take a risk.

Evelyn Foster was startled, tumbling off his chair to kneel in front of him, head lowered, trembling as he said, “Your Majesty, I am wronged, I truly do not know my crime.”

……

Chapter 6 Cultivating Trusted Aides

……

“Truly don’t know your crime?” William Carter deliberately drew out his voice, looking at him coldly. “Why is it that when my personal maids enter and leave the Qianqing Palace, you glare at them with such vicious eyes? You’ve frightened my little darlings quite a bit.” As soon as William Carter called the maids his “little darlings,” the two maids standing behind him immediately looked a bit excited, their faces showing a cute, pleasantly surprised expression. The two at his sides, however, showed no change in expression, a fleeting look of puzzlement passing before they returned to calm.

All of this, William Carter observed as he casually swept his gaze around after speaking, and the results made him sneer inwardly. Outwardly, however, he still wore a proud expression.

“Your Majesty, these are all just my duties,” Evelyn Foster said, his face a bit pale, but not angry, merely defending himself.

“Hmph, your duty?” William Carter deliberately snorted coldly, slowly rising from his recliner and pacing over to his side. Looking down at the kneeling, motionless Evelyn Foster, he said, “I don’t care. You’ve frightened my little darlings, so you’ll pay with your life. I grant you the right to commit suicide on the spot.”

“Guh… guh…” Evelyn Foster’s face was ashen, showing both anger and unwillingness. After hesitating a moment, he still kowtowed heavily to William Carter, trembling as he said, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s reward.” With that, he drew his sword, preparing to slash his own neck.

At this moment, William Carter quickly glanced behind him. The two beautiful maids at his sides remained calm, as if nothing had happened. The two maids behind the recliner, however, were so frightened their faces turned pale, their beauty marred by fear, and they hurriedly covered their eyes, not daring to look.

“Stop.” Seeing the timing was right, William Carter called out to stop him. Evelyn Foster’s movement halted instantly, though the blade had already nicked his skin, a thin line of blood seeping out.

“Evelyn Foster stays here. The rest of you, get out,” William Carter ordered. Seeing that just a single sentence could force Evelyn Foster to helplessly raise a blade to his own neck, an odd thrill of excitement welled up in his heart. This was power—authority. The power of the emperor, the command of the sovereign could not be defied. It was a pleasure that belonged only to those in control.

Suddenly, William Carter understood a little. He was now the emperor, the most powerful person in the entire Great Zhao Empire. He knew that with just a word, he could make all the girls present strip naked and serve his pleasure. He also knew that with a single order, countless heads could roll. This was power—power that belonged only to the emperor. Even though the empire now seemed to be in turmoil, with villains running rampant in the shadows, they only dared to act secretly, in the dark.