Edward Carter has not yet chosen an heir for the family, so in theory, all the sons have equal status—even a concubine’s son has his own dignity and opportunities. But once he becomes George Lane’s charioteer, from then on, William Carter’s status will automatically be lower than his, and in the eyes of others, this would be seen as an early pledge of allegiance to George Lane.

Of course, all this was what Henry Blake had warned him about before coming here. How could he have known such details himself? Most likely, he would have foolishly gotten on the chariot and become a mere sidekick.

William Carter certainly didn’t want to be George Lane’s sidekick and lose at the starting line of the competition for heir.

Others thought William didn’t even qualify to participate, but he knew clearly that he had to be the one!

For his sister, for the family, for a better chance to change this era!

“Thank you, brother.”

So he expressed his gratitude, but firmly refused.

The “chariot assistant” Charles King, with his poker face, had been watching coldly from the sidelines, but now he was a little surprised and approving of William Carter’s determination.

George Lane’s eyes darted around. When one plan failed, he came up with another. He jumped off the chariot, patted William on the shoulder in a seemingly friendly way, then leaned in and whispered something to him.

“William, you can’t get a chariot, but I’ve often seen you galloping in the stables these days. Why not make your entrance at the hunt this way?”

William Carter, puzzled, actually felt a bit tempted. George Carter’s suggestion reminded him of a famous military reform carried out by a “descendant” two hundred years later, and a bold idea began to form in his mind.

A man can’t be stifled by circumstances. Without a chariot, he couldn’t just trail behind his brothers, eating their dust. Go ask his father Edward Carter for a chariot token? William Carter didn’t dare test that formidable man’s patience right now. Ask his sister Henry Blake to plead for him? He really couldn’t bring himself to lose face like that.

So, although he was still suspicious of George Carter’s excessive enthusiasm today, the idea he proposed didn’t seem too risky to William’s way of thinking—at least, Henry Blake hadn’t said it was forbidden.

But William Carter forgot that his habitual thinking was still largely stuck in the modern era two thousand years later, while the Spring and Autumn period had its own set of rules he wasn’t so familiar with. And Henry Blake could never have imagined that he would be so oblivious as to not even know the most basic common sense...

George Lane’s charioteer was the sergeant Brian Wood. Brian Wood was very burly, but unfortunately had a pair of incongruous triangular eyes. Seeing William Carter slowly walking away toward the stables, he flattered George Lane: “Thanks to your brilliant plan, today’s hunt is sure to be especially lively.”

George Carter stroked the red tassel under his chin and said, “If that lowly concubine’s son really does that, my rigid, rule-abiding, chariot-obsessed David will definitely be the first to embarrass him on the spot!”

“Once David and the lowly concubine’s son are at each other’s throats, Fourth Sister will surely side with the concubine’s son. After both sides are worn out, I’ll reap the benefits. As for John, he’s always been dull and proper since childhood, never favored by Father. By then, won’t the position of heir be in my pocket?”

“Your plans are interlinked and ingenious! Brilliant! Brilliant!”

George Lane was even more pleased. “Haha, Brian Wood, since you’ve pledged your loyalty to me and helped me, when I inherit the family estate, you’ll certainly be rewarded with a fief of a thousand households as a grand steward!”

Chapter 4: Riding Alone

The Zhao family’s stables and carriage house weren’t far apart. When William Carter returned and pushed open the gate to the enclosure, the stable boys and herdsmen who were washing and feeding the horses all stopped their work to greet him.

“Young master, you’re back!”

Perhaps it was also thanks to the storytelling these past few days, but when they saw William Carter, their eyes sparkled as if seeing an idol. After more than ten days, William Carter had already become someone everyone responded to here, and he felt that only here could he truly relax.

William Carter waved his hand: “Xi, Xia, come here.”

Most commoners and bondservants only had given names, not surnames, and were called Stephen Ford and Matthew Hill according to their professions.

“Young master, what can we do for you?”

William Carter’s gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment. Over the past few days, after secretly observing, he had identified these two as “talents” worth cultivating.

Stephen Ford was the boy who had previously asked William Carter where the state of Qi was. He was a horse keeper, skinny as a monkey, clever and agile. Matthew Hill was a cattle herder, broad-shouldered and honest-faced, so strong he could wrestle a calf to the ground.

“I want you two to be my deputies and join me at Mianshang for the hunt!”

Stephen Ford and Matthew Hill exchanged glances, but their eyes were full of disappointment.

“Young master, don’t joke. We’re just lowly bondservants, not warriors—we can’t ride in the chariot!”

William Carter placed his hands on their shoulders and said, “This is no joke. Though I’m alone now, if I ever gain wealth and power, I will never forget you! A gentleman’s promise is worth a thousand horses and cannot be taken back!”

Although he was just a penniless concubine’s son now, in a few years, with the Zhao family name, he could at least become a yifu—a lord with a fief, equivalent to a medieval knight in the West.