“Edward, come take a look with me, let’s see how we should write our essay!”

……

While the two young men were racking their brains over reading comprehension, the Minister of Rites Stephen Mason and Grand Secretary Samuel Grant arrived together.

At this moment, Stephen Mason was absolutely furious, and all his anger was directed at Henry Foster.

It was all that boy’s fault for being so talkative, actually daring to question the court’s decision!

Especially since he brought up the matter of Emperor Xiaozong’s death years ago, which struck a nerve with Stephen Mason.

If only Emperor Xiaozong had lived a few more years, how could the Ming dynasty have fallen into such chaos? Was it for no reason that they forced Charles Brooks to become Xiaozong’s son?

No!

Of course not!

They were all doing it for the sake of the country, for the empire of the Zhu family.

By having Charles Brooks adopted by Xiaozong and ascend the throne as crown prince, the position of Emperor Zhengde Zhu Houzhao would become extremely awkward... To put it plainly, this move could completely overturn the Zhengde era.

Sweep away corrupt policies, eliminate all eunuchs and military men, and realize the joint rule of the emperor and the scholar-officials.

If you think about it, Charles Brooks is actually the one who benefits the most, and we’re even giving you the throne—what more do you want?

This time, Stephen Mason was aggressive and determined; he had already made up his mind to persuade Charles Brooks and make him nod in agreement. If that Henry Foster dared to speak up again, he’d have him seized and dealt with as a traitor!

“Grand Secretary, for the sake of the Ming dynasty, you and I must press forward without hesitation!”

Samuel Grant looked grave and nodded slightly.

The two ministers reached an agreement and, upon arriving at the imperial tent, paid their respects to Charles Brooks.

At this moment, Charles Brooks had just finished discussing countermeasures with Henry Foster, and his face bore a confident smile, much more composed than before.

“Grand Secretary Grant, Minister Mason, you two have been like my teachers along the way. If you have anything to say, please enlighten me!”

Stephen Mason spoke first, getting straight to the point: “Your Highness, since ancient times, the heir apparent has always succeeded to the throne—it is only natural and brings stability to the people’s hearts. Emperor Xiaozong worked diligently to govern, which led to the flourishing of the Hongzhi era. Now the country is in turmoil, the people are suffering, and everyone hopes Your Highness can restore order to the realm, just like Xiaozong, and bring about a new era for the Ming dynasty. We believe that if Your Highness succeeds to the throne as Xiaozong’s crown prince, the officials and people of the empire will surely be united in loyalty. This is a blessing for all under heaven and a testament to Your Highness’s benevolence and filial piety. Not only us old ministers, but all the officials at court, and indeed the people of the land, share this sentiment. In my opinion, Your Highness must not be misled by petty men and delay this great matter!”

At this point, his aged eyes swept over Henry Foster, who was standing behind Charles Brooks.

No need to ask—he meant you when he said “petty men”!

Henry Foster snorted, thinking to himself: You talk so much about benevolence and morality, but in the end, isn’t it just about keeping Charles Brooks under your control and protecting the interests of the scholar-officials!

Why bother making it sound so noble!

Henry Foster was already in battle mode, every hair on end, just waiting for Charles Brooks to give him an opening.

“Minister Mason, I know you always have the country’s best interests at heart. Ascending the throne is the most important matter of the dynasty—there can be no carelessness, and everything must be done according to the law. Even the slightest mistake would make us all a laughingstock.” Charles Brooks said with a smile, “Just now, my attendant reader Henry Foster raised a few questions. He’s young and inexperienced, so he probably spoke nonsense, but I trust Minister Mason is still willing to clear up his doubts, right?”

Charles Brooks truly was exceptionally gifted; his words were watertight, leaving Stephen Mason no choice but to agree.

Seeing Stephen Mason nod, Henry Foster immediately said, “Minister Mason, if I remember correctly, the late emperor’s edict went like this: ‘I am gravely ill, and no heir has been established. My imperial father’s younger brother, Prince Xingxian’s eldest son, Houcong, is already grown, virtuous, wise, and filial. According to the ancestral rule of the younger brother succeeding the elder, I report to the ancestral temple and request the Empress Dowager Cishou’s approval. An official is to be dispatched immediately to bring him to the capital to succeed to the throne and offer sacrifices at the ancestral temple.’”

After reciting the edict, Henry Foster continued, “Minister Mason, is there anything wrong with that?”

Stephen Mason replied with a dark face, “No, not a single word is wrong!”

Henry Foster broke into a bright smile and patted his forehead.

“I used to make mistakes reciting texts, but this time I got every word right—what luck!” He rubbed his hands together and said with a grin, “Since that’s the case, I’ve gleaned at least three insights from the edict. I wonder what Minister Mason thinks?”

Without waiting for Stephen Mason to answer, Henry Foster continued, “First, the edict acknowledges that His Highness is the son of Prince Xingxian, not the son of Emperor Hongzhi. The father-son relationship is clear and cannot be ignored, right? Second, it upholds the principle of the younger brother succeeding the elder, not the son succeeding the father. So, entering the city as crown prince does not comply with the edict. And third, which is the most important point: to succeed to the throne as emperor! His Highness is here to be emperor, not crown prince, isn’t that right?”

Henry Foster hit the nail on the head with every sentence, and the more he spoke, the more energetic he became.

After all those years of suffering through reading comprehension exercises, he could even interpret the strange glint in a fish’s eye, let alone a not-so-complicated imperial edict.

Don’t be fooled by Stephen Mason’s status as a top scholar—when faced with a devil trained by exam-oriented education, you’d better stand at attention!

“Minister Mason, I think we should just follow the edict!”

Henry Foster spoke with righteous confidence.

Chapter 3 Petty Tricks