For example, the breakfast before him...

As a noble lady of the Qing clan, Henry Blake's footsteps were as light as a reed flower. When she tiptoed across the wooden floor beneath the eaves, she made almost no sound at all—unlike William Carter, whose steps made the floorboards creak and clatter.

Then, following proper etiquette, she pressed down on William Carter's shoulders, knelt upright at the mat, and received a verdant bamboo basket from a servant girl. Inside the basket was a bronze food vessel polished to a golden shine, specially used for holding cooked millet and rice. When the vessel was opened, a fragrant aroma mixed with steam wafted out.

But when William Carter glanced into the bamboo basket, he saw that there were all the necessary utensils—Shang dagger, ivory chopsticks, lacquered bowls, wine cups—but no meat dishes or sacrificial beans to accompany the meal, and he couldn't help but feel greatly disappointed.

He picked up the Shang dagger and chopsticks, tapping on the food table as he sang, "Oh chopsticks and dagger, you might as well go back—there's no venison here, nothing I love to eat..."

William's exaggerated gestures and humorous lyrics made the nearby servant girls turn away to stifle their giggles. Ever since this young lord had recovered from a minor illness, it was as if he had suddenly become enlightened—gone was his former silence and gloom, and he now tried all sorts of ways to amuse Lady Henry Blake. The lady had been smiling more lately, and the servants were genuinely happy for the close-knit siblings.

Henry Blake couldn't help but laugh, pinched William Carter's leg, and finally explained, "As the poem says, 'In the ninth month, we put on new clothes; in the tenth, we harvest the rice.' William, do you know that today is the day of the harvest? The first batch of cooked food after the harvest must be steamed in a bronze cauldron and offered in sacrifice to the Supreme Heaven and our ancestors. Next, the clan lord enjoys it, and only then is it our turn as lords and ladies... At the morning meal, both Heaven and our ancestors are only offered grains. How could we, as descendants, have the nerve to serve up meat and eat it ourselves?"

Because William Carter had previously caused trouble due to his ignorance of etiquette, Henry Blake took every opportunity to give him a crash course in noble customs and common knowledge.

But William Carter always brought a modern mindset, questioning, "The Supreme Heaven and our ancestors eat such a meager meal—would they really be satisfied?"

"The wise minister Gong Zhiqi of the State of Yu once said, 'It is not the millet and rice that are fragrant, but the virtue of the one who offers the sacrifice.' As long as we are devout enough, grains alone are sufficient. Besides, there will be another sacrifice at the banquet, and then fresh game from the hunt will be offered."

William Carter was taken aback. "Sister, there's a hunt today? Can you tell me more about it?"

"Father is going to accompany honored guests from Song State on a winter hunt at Mian today. He even quarreled with The Parker Family over it."

The Parker Family, that is, the steward Samuel Parker of the Zhao household, ranked second among Edward Carter's three chief advisors. As for the Zhao clan's chief retainer, it was Andrew Grant, who had volunteered to resign as steward and go north to build a city at the new territory of Jinyang. This man was quite famous—William Carter had even heard of him in his previous life when traveling to Taiyuan.

At this time, the great families and ministers of the various states held sway over the rulers, and their own retainers often controlled the affairs of the noble households. That is why Confucius said, "When government comes from the ministers, it will not last five generations; when it comes from the retainers, it will not last three." The stewards of the six great clans of Jin were not as overbearing as their counterparts in Lu, but they still wielded great power and could not be underestimated. Not only did the nobles often treat them as teachers, but even the ruler would sometimes defer to them.

So, William Carter really couldn't imagine the courteous and humble Edward Carter quarreling with that goateed Samuel Parker—just how big a disagreement must it have been?

But he didn't care about that now. Upon hearing there would be a winter hunt today, William Carter's eyes lit up.

"Winter hunt!"

His mother in this life was a lowly Di slave girl, so he was never favored by Edward Carter. On top of that, his grave breach of etiquette when he first transmigrated had gotten him thrown into the stables to fend for himself.

He remembered that, in history, William Carter only gained Edward Carter's attention because of a physiognomist's praise. But now, who knew when that physiognomist would appear? He had to find an opportunity to turn his fortunes around as soon as possible.

Because time waits for no one!

After much inquiry, he finally figured out the time: it was the eighth year of Marquis Wu of Jin, early winter, the tenth month.

At this point, the Eastern Zhou dynasty was already in decline: "The Son of Heaven is weak, the royal house diminished, rites and music in ruins."

This year, Chu had just clawed its way back from the brink of destruction, Fuchai was still the crown prince of Wu, and King Goujian of Yue had just ascended the throne, not yet having endured his years of hardship. Confucius, frustrated in his career, was at home teaching disciples, while the scheming Chen clan of Qi had begun their century-long path to usurpation.

In Jin, as in the Zhou royal house, the royal family was in decline, and the government was controlled by the six great clans: Zhao, Wei, Han, Zhi, Fan, and Zhonghang. They gradually sidelined the ruler and carved up the land.

This situation had lasted for more than fifty years. Jin's government was divided, its internal affairs in disarray, and the hegemony established by Duke Wen of Jin had faded. The court was shrouded in gloom, and the protracted civil war among the six clans of Jin was only five or six years away from breaking out!

His sister Henry Blake would be forced to go north for a political marriage at that time, becoming the woman of the King of Dai!

No matter what, he would not let history repeat itself.

Therefore, William had to become the Zhao heir as soon as possible, participate in family decisions, and prevent the Zhao clan from being pushed to the brink during the civil war.

As for the future, as a transmigrator, he still harbored great ambitions in his heart: to inherit the position of noble lord, to stand at the forefront of this era of great strife, to unite the feudal lords, and bring order to the world...