“You take him to find the coachman Philip Thompson. If anyone asks, just say he’s your child together.” Mrs. Carter instructed again, “This trick will only fool them for a while. Peter Thompson is a venomous snake—he’ll check carefully. You must escape with the young master as soon as possible.”

Grace nodded vigorously, remembering everything.

Having preserved the bloodline of the Guo family and accomplished the most urgent task, Mrs. Carter then thought of the two generations of the The Clark Family. They were innocent, and if they stayed with the Guo family, they would be implicated for nothing.

Mrs. Carter instructed Grace to pack some money and valuables. If they sent them out openly, she feared they’d be caught, so only by driving them out could they deceive the spies outside.

……

“Madam, this child is the concubine-born son of Young Master Guo. He’s only a few months old and hasn’t been entered into the family register. Outsiders don’t know about him. The prime minister’s residence was raided, and the madam entrusted him to me. We escaped disaster, got out through the residence’s water channel, and fled to my brother’s house.”

Listening to Grace’s introduction, Edward Clark’s eyes widened.

This is William Harris’s son!

A future prince!

Could it really be this dramatic?

Edward Clark almost cried out. After the Hidden Emperor learned that William Harris had raised troops, he immediately killed William Harris’s entire family. Two sons died, and with no direct descendants left, he passed the throne to Abraham Carter.

The two sons who died had names and weren’t that young, but according to the “New History of the Five Dynasties,” this brutal massacre left “not even infants spared.”

Even babies in swaddling clothes didn’t escape.

In other words, William Harris had an even younger child who died before he could be named. Could it be that this little one before her eyes is that child?

If so, that would be a truly priceless treasure!

Edward Clark was calculating, while Grace was sobbing uncontrollably, gritting her teeth: “I was blind—I never knew my brother was so heartless. He secretly reported to the authorities, hoping to trade the young master for a future. I had no choice but to run with the young master. The pursuers were right behind me. What… what should I do?”

As she spoke, footsteps really did approach, getting closer. Grace was terrified, tears streaming down her face. Clark felt a sudden pang of sympathy, looked at the child, and couldn’t help but say, “Miss Grace, if you trust this old woman, give the child to me. No matter what, I… I’ll find a way to protect him!”

Grace’s eyes lit up. Desperate times called for desperate measures—besides Clark, there was no one she could trust.

The trouble was, her brother was about to arrive with people. The Clark grandmother and grandson, along with their servant, were all women, children, and the elderly—how could they escape the wolf-like officers?

Grace was sweating with anxiety. Steeling herself, she handed the child to Clark, picked up some odds and ends from the ground and stuffed them into the swaddling clothes to make it look like a child was inside. After that, she took out a brocade pouch and gave it to Clark along with the child, urging her to keep it safe. Then she kowtowed deeply to Clark and ran out resolutely.

Not long after, someone shouted, “She’s here! Over here!”

Immediately, the noise grew more chaotic. With nowhere left to run, Grace finally jumped into the lake.

Grace’s brother watched his sister jump in, grinding his teeth in anger, stamping his feet and pounding his chest.

“Wretched maid! You’ve ruined my career—do you have a grudge against your own brother?”

He stomped his feet in fury, hurried to find a boat, and together with the officers and soldiers, dredged the lake for most of the night. In the end, they only recovered Grace’s corpse and an empty swaddling cloth. No one knew where the child had gone!

Dawn was breaking when the Kaifeng officer Franklin grabbed Grace’s brother by the collar.

“You little bastard! You’re playing me for a fool!”

Grace’s brother quickly waved his hands. “I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare! William Harris’s youngest son really was in that wretch’s hands—maybe, maybe he’s already drowned!”

“Bullshit!”

Franklin cursed, “Maybe? If you report that to the magistrate and he’s furious, will you take the blame, or will I?”

Grace’s brother was left speechless. Franklin snarled, “Alive, we want the person; dead, we want the body! If you can’t find out what happened to William Harris’s youngest son in three days, I’ll take your head as payment!”

Now Grace’s brother was truly terrified. He could only complain bitterly, not daring to slack off, and scurried everywhere looking for people.

He didn’t know that the Young Master Harris he was searching for was quite comfortable—after a bowl of rice gruel, his little belly was round and full, and he fell asleep with a bubble at the corner of his mouth, completely unaware of what had happened.

Clark gently settled the child, took off her jacket, and covered the little one, her eyes full of kindness.

After tending to the little one, Clark turned, grabbed a handful of dates, a few mushrooms, and some dried vegetables—all things she’d brought with her—and tossed them all into the pot at once.

Clark stirred the bottom of the pot, rice grains floated up, and the aroma of food filled the air.

All around, six or seven pairs of eyes stared hungrily, drool hanging from their mouths.

Other than Edward Clark, the rest were all beggar children from the Earth God Temple.

Last night, after Grace led the pursuers away, Clark suddenly became worried. They didn’t even know where they could settle down—how could they care for a child? Worse, the city gates were closed, soldiers and officers were everywhere, and they could come searching at any moment. The child in her arms was like a hot potato. Yet, having misunderstood the Guo family, she felt guilty, and Grace’s brave resolve made the old lady’s heart burn with heat, so she rashly accepted the child.