Henry Thompson's eyes instantly sharpened, looking at the young man in disbelief. He had sensed that something might go wrong at home, but he never expected the situation to be this serious.

A chill crept into his heart. When he first transmigrated, he had been secretly glad to have become the son of an official, but who knew the shelf life would be so short?

“How did it come to the point of dismissal? Did they say what the reason was?”

But John Thompson just shook his head, looking utterly bewildered.

Henry Thompson knew he wouldn’t get any answers from John Thompson, so he sprang to his feet and strode swiftly toward the door.

……

The Vermilion Bird Hall of the Six Divisions was quite a distance from the Marquis of Sincerity’s residence, but Henry Thompson, galloping on horseback, took less than seven minutes to arrive at the gates.

As the scene at the entrance of the Marquis’s residence came into Henry Thompson’s view, his mood immediately sank.

Although the Marquis of Sincerity’s title was only that of a marquis, the Li family was still one of the most prominent and powerful families of the current dynasty. Their family had almost always inherited the post of Admiral of the Yangtze River Navy, with few interruptions. And though the position wasn’t the highest, it was extremely lucrative. Just the annual tributes from merchant, grain, and salt ships on the river were enough to make the Li family’s coffers overflow.

So even at night, the gates of the Marquis’s residence were usually crowded with carriages and visitors. But today, it seemed rather deserted, with only three or five carriages parked at the entrance, all belonging to the family.

Despite the sweltering summer, there was a sense of bleakness in the air.

“Where’s the old man?” After dismounting, Henry Thompson headed straight inside. It wasn’t until he was near the central courtyard that the family steward came out to greet him.

“Young master, the marquis and the heir are both in the study. The marquis instructed that you should go there as soon as you return.”

At this moment, Henry Thompson felt a wave of unease, because since his transmigration, his father and elder brother had both been busy with official duties outside. So today was actually their first meeting.

Henry Thompson worried he might give himself away, and thought that if the original’s parents knew their son had died and been replaced, they would be heartbroken, and he himself would most likely be treated as some kind of monster.

Besides that, Henry Thompson also felt a bit of resistance and fear, simply because he had never known how to get along with family.

This was related to Henry Thompson’s life before transmigration—he was a child of a divorced family. Due to congenital heart disease, his parents divorced and each remarried and had children when Henry Thompson was seven.

At first, Henry Thompson couldn’t accept it, and soon realized he had become the extra child in both families, fitting in nowhere. He became rebellious and wayward, and gradually drifted away from his relatives’ lives.

Even his grandparents, who raised him, weren’t close to him. Their relationship was more like landlord and tenant, barely exchanging a few words a year.

Over the years, Henry Thompson had grown used to being alone, but after transmigrating to this world, he suddenly gained several close relatives. The trouble was, these relatives were all extremely close to the original Henry Thompson, which gave him a massive headache.

And when Henry Thompson, led by the steward, stepped into the Marquis’s study, he realized his fears of being exposed were not unfounded. His father, the current Marquis of Sincerity, Benjamin Thompson, and his elder brother, the heir William ThompsonStephen Thompson, both turned to look at him. Their gazes were without exception filled with surprise, scrutiny, and assessment.

Chapter 8: Can’t Keep It Together Anymore

Benjamin Thompson was about fifty, with a hawk-like face, balding head, and missing teeth. He wasn’t exactly ugly, but he couldn’t be called ordinary either. He stood about five feet three—roughly 1.6 meters tall. With his stooped posture, he gave the impression of a rather unremarkable old man.

As for the heir, William Thompson, aside from his height, he had inherited almost everything from their father. Only his tall and robust build gave him a bit of a martial air.

So, upon entering the study, Henry Thompson subconsciously touched his own face, instinctively doubting the father-son relationship with this man.

Although Henry Thompson’s looks took after his mother and her family, the difference in appearance between father, brothers, and himself was just too great.

Still, the two were definitely biological. William Thompson was his full brother, born of the same mother. At least in Henry Thompson’s memories, Benjamin Thompson had never shown any doubt about their blood relation.

“I heard you went carousing at the brothel again last night?”

After Henry Thompson swaggered in and gave a bow, William Thompson asked with a mocking smile, “Not only did you stay out all night, you got caught up in a murder case and almost ended up in the capital’s jail?”

“How do you know?” Henry Thompson looked at him suspiciously. This had only just happened. He wasn’t sure if this guy’s information network was just that good, or if the family had people tailing his every move.

“If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it.” The Marquis of Sincerity, Benjamin Thompson, snorted, saying irritably, “In a single month, you’ve spent twelve days in the brothel. Robert Thompson, you’ve really opened my eyes.”

But Henry Thompson showed no fear at all. Instead, he glared at Benjamin Thompson in aggrieved anger: “Old man, how could you? You had me followed?”