It seems that she was even scolded and insulted by the main wife because of this.

So, William Carter could ride a horse at the age of eight, and by his teens could shoot a short bow from horseback. In this respect, this body is indeed quite talented.

Blood ties connect them, so he still feels very grateful to his birth mother in this life.

He squeezed his legs together and gave the reins a shake, and the fine horse trotted forward. Stephen Ford and Matthew Hill were no novices either; they closely followed their new master, straightening their backs in front of others for the first time in their lives, both feeling a bit excited.

……

At this moment, Henry Blake was weaving silk in her boudoir. The finest Lu State silkworm silk bought from Taoyi, and the snow-white cashmere collected from the wild, the sound of the loom echoing in her ears. She was making a winter coat for her younger brother William, embroidering it with the Xuan Bird totem pattern beloved by the Zhao clan, so that he could wear new clothes to attend the Winter Solstice banquet, as well as the upcoming Laji and Grand Archery Ceremony.

Just then, her maid rushed in with a panicked look, leaned close to Henry Blake's ear, and whispered the news.

“What? You say William rode out alone, taking only two bondservants to the hunting grounds?” Henry Blake's white teeth bit her rosy lips, and the soft silk in her hands was twisted into a ball.

“My foolish little brother, he's going to cause big trouble again this time!”

Chapter 5: The East Gate Guesthouse

Since the Three Dynasties, there has been a tradition of welcoming guests at the East Gate, so the guesthouse of the Jin capital, Xinjiang, was also set up outside the East Gate.

During the reign of Duke Ping of Jin, Zichan of Zheng came to present tribute to the hegemon. Because the people of Jin were negligent and housed him in the quarters for menial servants, Zichan simply tore down the walls and main gate of the guesthouse. The “hou ren” in charge of receiving guests, sent by the Duke of Jin, came angrily to question him, but was left speechless by Zichan, the greatest debater of the Spring and Autumn period. The then regent of Jin, Thomas Carter, who was also the famous “Orphan of Zhao,” had no choice but to go along and expand the guesthouse, which also displayed the grandeur of a great state.

According to the rules set when Jin presided over the alliance, each allied state had to send envoys to Jiangdu every year to reaffirm their friendship. It was about time for the envoys to arrive, but this year the East Gate guesthouse was deserted, completely lacking the hustle and bustle of the days of Duke Wen and Duke Dao of Jin.

It made sense, as Jin’s hegemony had already declined. Qi and Zheng had long broken the alliance and gone their own way, even trying to win over small states like Wei and Northern Yan, which had always followed Jin. Now, only Song and Lu on the Si River remained loyal to Jin.

So when the Grand Minister of Works of Song personally came to Jin, the “hou ren” breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the guesthouse would not be empty this year. But soon their hearts were on edge again, because there had been some turmoil in Jin’s court. The aged regent Robert Green, having lost control of foreign affairs to the Zhao clan, vented his personal grievances on the innocent Song envoys, leaving them neglected for three days without an audience or guidance to pay respects to the Duke of Jin.

The Song envoys thus stayed awkwardly in the guesthouse, unable to leave or stay, feeling anxious and uneasy.

However, today, a dark-colored procession came from the Zhao clan’s palace outside the city, personally welcoming the guests outside the guesthouse. The sharp-eyed locals recognized it as the ceremonial guard of the Upper Army General Edward Carter.

Perhaps he could no longer bear to see the regent neglect such an important ally? The people all praised him, saying that at last Jin had an official who got things done.

The spies of each noble clan in the crowd were also pondering the political implications: Edward Carter ranked third among the six ministers, yet bypassed two superiors and even the Duke of Jin himself to personally receive the Song envoys!

At this moment, Edward Carter stood tall on a splendid four-horse chariot. He was over forty, wearing a hunting cap, his fine beard reaching his chest, clad in rhinoceros armor and military attire, with a palm-wide jade-inlaid leather belt, and holding a bronze sword with tassels. At his side, the chariot’s right-hand man held the lacquered bow and wild goose-feathered arrows bestowed by the Son of Heaven after quelling the “Prince Chao Rebellion.”

Edward Carter was somewhat sullen, his mind still on the argument he had with the steward Samuel Parker that morning.

The right to conduct foreign affairs with the feudal lords had originally been firmly in the hands of the current Jin Central Army General and regent Robert Green. But Robert Green was now old and had to delegate power to the vigorous and capable Edward Carter.

So, in Edward Carter’s view, the task of receiving the Grand Minister of Works of Song, Peter Wright, should fall to him.

But the steward Samuel Parker disagreed, thinking it was against protocol and that caution was needed.

Edward Carter patiently and earnestly persuaded the old minister: “The Parker Family, John Green has been regent for many years. He and the Zhongxing clan have long dealt with foreign states, even exchanging state letters with Liu Gong of Chengzhou and the Three Huan of Lu. Look at the current situation—if you want to stand firm in court, how can you not seek external support? Besides, the Grand Minister of Works of Song is upright and a gentleman; I have been friends with him for over ten years. How could I bear to see him neglected at the East Gate guesthouse?”

“Now, among the feudal lords, only Song and Lu serve Jin. The Duke of Song knows the six ministers of Jin are at odds, and sent him to test which faction truly holds power. If our Zhao clan does not send someone to receive him, the Fan, Zhi, Zhongxing, Han, and Wei clans will sooner or later send someone to curry favor. If Peter Wright ends up staying in another noble’s palace and Song befriends another clan, our Zhao clan will be isolated and helpless, and it will be too late for regrets!”