Did I Think That Out Loud?

Joel Harper loses his parents young and leaves middle school to raise his younger siblings, working himself like a tireless ox for their sake. When a serious illness leaves him alone with no one at his bedside, he vows that any future life will not be spent as a self-sacrificing laborer. He wakes up in an ancient imperial court instead, hoping to keep clear of trouble and live quietly. His plans fall apart when he learns the empress can hear every thought in his head, and his unexpected rise through the ranks of nobility and high office begins.