This somewhat dampened the spirits of George Brooks, who had come in high spirits but left disappointed. Although he no longer insisted that Helen Brooks was a monster, he was still quite displeased. Moreover, Helen Brooks's appearance was not at all endearing, which further diminished George Brooks's joy.

To be honest, Helen Brooks also felt that he was a bit ugly.

His hair had a slightly withered yellow tint, his skin was very dark and wrinkled, looking much like fish scales.

His eyes were somewhat narrow, and his facial features were all scrunched together.

Fortunately, he was very healthy. His current body was even better than the one he had in his previous life. Not yet four years old, he looked like a six- or seven-year-old child, as strong as an ox. Moreover, Helen Brooks discovered an advantage of this body: he was born with great strength. It seemed as if his thin arms contained boundless power. On his fourth birthday, Helen Brooks effortlessly drew a bow that required a stone's weight of force, astonishing his sister Grace Brooks who was playing with him.

However, at Helen Brooks's request, Grace Brooks agreed to help him keep this a secret.

With an actual age of thirty, Helen Brooks understood a simple truth: the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. With troubled times approaching, the less attention he attracted, the greater his chances of survival—and the greater the possibility of protecting his grandmother.

This is called hiding one's talents!

When Helen Brooks said this in his childish voice, Grace Brooks immediately realized that this ugly little brother was anything but simple.

By comparison, in the Dong family, aside from their grandmother, only this sister was closest to Helen Brooks. The person who understood Helen Brooks best was not the grandmother who doted on him, but his sister Grace Brooks.

Grace Brooks was the fourth-ranked daughter in the Dong family, with three elder sisters above her, all born of George Brooks's principal wife.

The eldest sister, Julia Brooks, Helen Brooks had never met. She had married a Qiang chieftain before he was born and had gone far west with that tribe. Heaven knows where she is now. In Helen Brooks's memory, the eldest sister had never returned.

The second sister, Diana Brooks, was still at home, but she too was already married. Her husband was named Brian Ford, who served under George Brooks, now the Commandant of the Northern Division, and was quite capable, enjoying George Brooks's deep trust.

The third sister, Edith Brooks, was very sensible and was George Brooks's favorite, but sadly died young.

The fourth, Grace Brooks, was now almost sixteen. It was said that after winter, she would be married. Her fiancé was a scholar named Edward Thompson. It was said he had long served under George Brooks, was meticulous and extremely loyal, and was one of the few truly resourceful men under George Brooks.

Helen Brooks had an impression of Edward Thompson.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Edward Thompson seemed to always be by George Brooks's side, and was also his son-in-law. Helen Brooks just hadn't expected that Edward Thompson would actually become Grace Brooks's husband. And judging by Grace Brooks's tone, she seemed quite satisfied with him.

Helen Brooks felt a sense of loss, because he knew that the appearance of Edward Thompson signaled that George Brooks was taking another big step along the path of history.

This year was the third year of Xiping.

How long until the great Yellow Turban Rebellion?

Helen Brooks didn't know, but with each passing day, he felt the pressure on him grow a little heavier. But he was only four years old now—what could a four-year-old do? Though he had the mind of someone nearly thirty, he only had the body of a four-year-old. Helen Brooks finally understood what it meant to have the will but not the strength. All he could do was wait in silence.

Chapter 3: Born with Great Strength (1)

In the spring of the fifth year of Xiping, a great opportunity arrived for the Han imperial court, which was already in decline.

Emperor Liu Hong of Han had ascended the throne at the age of twelve, and after eight years, finally had an heir.

Lady He, a favored consort of the emperor, gave birth to a son named Liu Bian. Lady He was originally from Wancheng in Nanyang, and her family was a local power. However, the He family's ancestors were of humble origin, being butchers, so they were not accepted by the local gentry.

When Lady He's father, He Zhen, became the head of the family, he strove to change this situation.

He made connections with local dignitaries, sparing no expense. At the same time, he devoted great effort to cultivating his eldest son, He Jin. Unexpectedly, it was his daughter—whom he had never valued—who changed the family's fate. When the emperor was selecting consorts, He Zhen, thinking it would be useful to have someone at court, sent his daughter to the palace. The emperor immediately took a liking to her, and after several encounters, she even bore him a son. Naturally, the He's family status rose accordingly.

……

Lintao, Longxi. The sun was shining brightly.

It was a rare fine day, and Edward Thompson felt in excellent spirits as he walked down the street.

Since marrying George Brooks's daughter, and with the advantage of being his son-in-law—not to mention his own talents—he quickly gained George Brooks's trust and became a core member of the Dong clan. Although he spent most of his time living elsewhere, whenever George Brooks had important matters, the first person he thought of was him.

This time, he was going to the Dong family to deliver good news to George Brooks.

After years of painstaking effort, he finally achieved results: the Han emperor issued an edict appointing George Brooks as Governor of Hedong. Previously, George Brooks had served as Commandant of the Western Regions for two years, responsible for pacifying the Qiang people and wielding considerable power. But compared to the post of Governor of Hedong, it was nothing.

The Commandant of the Western Regions was merely someone else's tool.

But now, as governor, though still a tool, the one holding the tool was no longer the same as before.