Lifting the curtain and entering the main room, he saw the perfectly fine Charlie Bolton and Jack Bolton brothers, and half of his anxiety was instantly relieved. However, noticing the two brothers kneeling there with their heads hanging low, his heart became unsettled again. In his moment of distraction, he actually forgot to pay his respects, only snapping back to attention when he heard a loud bang.

"All three of you went to school together early this morning, yet you two sneaked out of the city to go hunting. If you hadn't been caught by someone, the whole family would have been kept in the dark!" Sullivan slammed her palm heavily on the armrest of the grand master's chair, then turned to James Bolton and shouted, "Yue, what did you learn in class today? Recite it for me!"

As soon as James Bolton saw his grandmother get angry, he knew that when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer as well. At her command, he hurriedly began to recite the two major chapters of the Analects taught today, deliberately stammering a little as he did so. He had only recited a small part when he saw Sullivan wave her hand, so he quickly stepped aside and assumed a posture of "eyes on nose, nose on heart."

Showing off must be done in moderation, especially when others are in trouble—never be too pleased with yourself. Otherwise, if you suddenly go from being a fool to a prodigy, could he simply explain to people that he became smarter all at once because he fell from a tree?

Chapter 9: Favoring Some Over Others

"They're still just children. Preferring martial arts over literature isn't a big deal for our Zhang family, so Mother, please don't be too harsh on them."

Seeing the anger on Sullivan's face and that the Charlie Bolton and Jack Bolton brothers were about to face family discipline, a savior suddenly appeared. James Bolton looked over at the sound and saw a middle-aged man of about forty lift the curtain and enter. The man wore a vermilion robe embroidered with gold and jade patterns, and black silk shoes, looking very spirited. At first glance, James Bolton felt the man's sharp gaze sweep across his face before moving on to the others.

At that moment, he heard his mother's low reminder in his ear: "That's your eldest uncle."

Eldest uncle? The one who serves as the Right Assistant Minister of Works, David Bolton? When did he come back?

While James Bolton was still in shock, David Bolton stepped forward and bowed deeply to the mother seated in the center. After rising, he smiled and said, "Your son has been thinking of you, Mother, so I left my retinue behind and hurried back, just in time to run into Chao and Qi out hunting. Their archery skills are quite impressive for their age, which shows how much effort my second brother and his wife have put in. I brought them back, so if you blame them, wouldn't it be my fault?"

Sullivan was only angry in the heat of the moment, and now that her long-absent son was pleading for them, her expression softened greatly. She scolded Charlie Bolton and Jack Bolton a few more times before allowing them to get up. She also complained to Fletcher for a bit, and thus a rather big commotion was smoothed over.

After some casual conversation between mother and son, Grace led several other maids in to serve tea. David Bolton stood up first, respectfully offering a cup to his mother, then personally served tea to Fletcher and Bennett: "All these years I haven't been by Mother's side, and it's thanks to you two sisters-in-law for your daily care. I thank you here and now."

Fletcher and Bennett hadn't expected the eldest uncle to serve tea himself, so they hurriedly bowed in thanks, each being very modest. At this point, David Bolton sat down to the left of Sullivan, smiling as he said, "For Mother's sixtieth birthday this time, there isn't much going on at court, so I requested leave from His Majesty to come back early. Not only that, but the Duke of England also specially petitioned the Emperor for a favor, and Mother has been granted the title of Second Rank Lady Dowager. I expect the official decree will arrive before your birthday."

At these words, the whole room erupted in joyful exclamations. Fletcher, ever quick-witted, hurriedly led her two sons to kneel and offer congratulations. Bennett was only a beat slower this time; as she stepped forward to kneel, James Bolton also knelt down with a grin, offering a string of auspicious wishes for longevity and happiness. After her initial shock, Sullivan was all smiles, repeatedly praising the imperial grace and not forgetting to mention the Duke of England, who had done her such a great favor.

Although the Second Rank Lady Dowager and the Third Rank Lady of Virtue are only one rank apart, not everyone can make that leap.

The room was filled with an atmosphere of joy, and everyone was very happy—James Bolton was no exception. No matter what had happened before, he was now a member of the Zhang family, and their honor was his honor. However, when he happened to glance at his mother Bennett, he noticed that beneath her joyful expression there seemed to be a hint of sadness.

At that moment, he remembered that everyone in the Zhang family below Sullivan had received titles, except for his father, who, due to his cousins and elder brother, had only become a hereditary student and had not officially taken office—just a bit better than a commoner. Naturally, his mother could not receive any honors either. Thinking of this, he understood even more why his father Henry Bolton had placed such high hopes on him.

He had thought that being part of a big family meant more benefits, but he hadn't expected the pressure to be so heavy!

After bringing the first good news, as if determined to keep surprising everyone, David Bolton cheerfully added, "For Mother's birthday this time, the Duke of England can't leave Nanjing due to official duties, so it will probably be my two cousins who come to offer their congratulations. Besides that, the Prince of Han knows Mother is a devout Buddhist, so he specially asked me to bring a white jade Guanyin as a gift, wishing Mother a long life like the southern mountains."