That's right, Henry Foster could clearly feel that the ministers just wanted to turn Charles Brooks into a puppet, a wooden figure without feelings, to be manipulated at will.

Along the way, the two imperial envoys—one was Grand Secretary Samuel Grant, the other was Minister of Rites Stephen Mason—gave Charles Brooks crash courses every day, constantly cramming information into him.

Both of them were top scholars, eloquent and tireless, speaking with endless flourish, their words dazzling and persuasive.

It all boiled down to three points: Zhengde was utterly corrupt, Hongzhi the Filial Emperor was a wise and holy ruler, and the opinions of virtuous ministers like Grand Secretary Young must be heeded.

They repeated this tirelessly, over and over again.

Poor Charles Brooks had to travel during the day, and at night he was so drowsy that his eyelids kept drooping, yawning nonstop, while his ears suffered constant torment. Henry Foster could only think of two words: “brainwashing” and “hawk-taming.” Whatever it was, they simply didn’t treat Charles Brooks as a person.

If even Charles Brooks was treated like this, there was no need to mention anyone else.

Including the imperial reader Henry Foster himself, who even ended up eating unclean food and suffered from severe diarrhea. On top of that, with the change in water and soil and the rushed journey, exhausted beyond measure, Henry Foster directly fainted and fell off his horse.

And at that moment, the Henry Foster from later generations took advantage of the situation and took over the body.

The young man had the same name as him, both called Henry Foster, but he also had a childhood nickname: Fugui.

That’s right, it was Edward Foster!

In such a miserable state, what kind of “Fugui” (prosperity) was this?

Henry Foster almost wanted to die.

What made him even more desperate was that those imperial envoys didn’t immediately save him, but planned to send Henry Foster back to Anlu. With his current condition, if he had to travel again, it would be no different from seeking death!

These people truly had no regard for human life!

And just then, a young man stood up. He wore a Yishan crown and a gold-embroidered dragon robe, and shouted angrily at the envoys.

He ordered them to summon the imperial physician at once to save him, and brought Henry Foster onto the imperial carriage, eating and living together. If anything happened to Fugui, they would pay with their lives!

Charles Brooks told Stephen Mason and the others that Henry Foster could not leave, and had to ride with him, eat and drink the same, and that the imperial physician prepared for him should be called. If they couldn’t cure Reader Foster, they would pay with their lives!

At that time, Henry Foster didn’t even know who the other person was. He was dazed and confused, got onto the carriage, and since Charles Brooks had lost his temper, the envoys didn’t dare to anger the new ruler over such a small matter. They immediately arranged for the imperial physician to treat him properly, and Edward Foster narrowly escaped disaster.

Sitting in the same carriage, Henry Foster heard Charles Brooks’s complaints… He felt no joy at inheriting the throne; everything had happened so suddenly.

He had originally been observing mourning for his father, Prince Xingxian, when suddenly a large group of people arrived—grand secretaries, ministers, dukes, chief eunuchs… They told Charles Brooks that he was to go to the capital and become emperor.

Then Charles Brooks was taken away from his hometown in a daze.

In nearly fifteen years of life, it was the first time Charles Brooks had left home, the first time he faced a world full of unknown dangers…

He was full of grievances and confusion, and could only confide in Edward.

As Charles Brooks poured out his heart, Henry Foster finally understood the situation… This handsome young man with phoenix eyes was actually the famous Emperor Jiajing.

No immortal aura, no deep imperial cunning, not even any trusted confidants!

Just like that, all alone, heading north to the capital.

Henry Foster suddenly felt that he and Charles Brooks were really alike!

Both had been grabbed by the scruff of the neck by fate and thrown hard into the whirlpool of history.

The only difference was that he had to face a strange era, while Charles Brooks had to face the pack of wolf-like ministers in the capital… It was really hard to say who was more unfortunate.

After all, if something happened to him, Charles Brooks could stand up for him. But when it was Charles Brooks’s turn—

Who could help him?

Stephen Mason had laid out three points, clearly having arranged everything, but could Charles Brooks really agree?

Didn’t you see the veins bulging at the young man’s temples? He was biting his lip hard, his face completely bloodless!

Henry Foster suddenly felt a heavy pressure in his chest, something he had been holding in all along. At this moment, he couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“Secretary Mason wants His Highness to enter the city with the rites of a crown prince, but does he know whose crown prince His Highness is supposed to be?”

There were only two people in the carriage: besides Charles Brooks, there was the imperial reader Henry Foster.

This brat actually dared to question an official like me?

Stephen Mason wanted to lose his temper, but thinking of Charles Brooks, he held it in. After all, it was time to lay the cards on the table.

“Naturally, the Filial Emperor.”

In an instant, Charles Brooks flew into a rage, his eyes wide and furious, anger blazing—were they trying to give him a new father?!

He was so angry he didn’t know what to say, but Henry Foster said quietly, “The Filial Emperor has been dead for sixteen years, and Your Highness isn’t even fifteen yet!”

Zhu Youtang didn’t know he had such a convenient nephew, and Charles Brooks had never met his uncle… Yet the officials had forced the two into a father-son pair. The civil officials really had vivid imaginations!

Chapter 2: The Edict in Hand

Henry Foster’s indignant questioning, however, made Stephen Mason thoroughly furious.