Robert Bennett, though he looked clumsy, was not dull-witted. He was especially skilled at reading people's expressions and moods; otherwise, the The Howard Family would not have entrusted him with such important responsibilities, making him Little William's personal attendant. Noticing that Little William was in a bad mood, Robert Bennett cautiously said, "Young master, the weather is fine today. How about I accompany you for a walk to lift your spirits?"

Little William nodded and said, "That sounds good!"

As the son of the Minister of Revenue, Little William didn't need a grand procession with gongs and drums when going out, but being surrounded by attendants and making a show of presence was absolutely necessary. Besides Robert Bennett, three other servants accompanied him. All three wore blue robes and small caps, walking behind Little William with heads held high and chests out, strutting about with an air of arrogance. The phrase "the fox assuming the majesty of the tiger" fit them perfectly. After all, as servants of a third-rank official and the Minister of Revenue of Dakang, they could at least be compared to a ninth-rank county magistrate. The servants of high officials always had a high opinion of themselves.

Chapter 2: The Traitor's Son (Part 2)

Although Little William had regained consciousness for half a year, it took him a full four months to recover his health. The body that fate had given him was not robust—frail and pale, with weak limbs and little energy. The The Howard Family was quite wealthy, providing him with fine clothes and rich food every day, so malnutrition shouldn't have been an issue. The real reason was that Little William had been afraid of sunlight for the past sixteen years, always preferring to hide in dark corners. The long-term lack of sunlight naturally affected his vitamin D production, which in turn impacted his body's absorption of calcium. In other words, for the past sixteen years, he had not only been slow-witted but also calcium-deficient.

Over the past six months, while quietly learning about this new world, Little William began to exercise his body with a plan and purpose. With bright sunshine, fresh air, pure and unpolluted water, and a wide variety of safe and nutritious foods, it took Little William only four months to train his body to a level that could be called fit and healthy. Only those who have experienced death truly understand the importance of health—your body is the capital for revolution, and just as much the capital for enjoying life.

Little William walked at the front, dressed in a blue robe with silver cloud patterns embroidered along the collar and cuffs, a wide brocade belt at his waist, and a black gauze cap on his head, set with a lustrous blue jade at the forehead. He stood 1.78 meters tall, which, by Dakang's measurement standards, was close to seven feet five inches—here, one foot was about 24 centimeters. On his feet were thin-soled riding boots; though called "thin-soled," they were actually three centimeters high. While not as tall as the seven-centimeter-thick official boots his father had custom-made to appear taller, they still added some height. Thus, Little William's height naturally exceeded 1.8 meters. Though he might not stand out dramatically in a crowd, he could still pass for a handsome and elegant young man.

Little William did not ride in a sedan chair when going out, but a horse was essential. The groom, Howard Hoover, who happened to share a name with a certain American president, followed at the rear, holding a fire-and-water staff in one hand and leading a chestnut horse with the other. The tinkling of the bells attracted the attention of many passersby. Little William had often thought that, in this world, Howard Hoover was destined to do nothing more than lead his horse.

The young master of the The Howard Family had many quirks that others found hard to understand. For example, he liked to lie in the courtyard wearing only his underwear to sunbathe, insisting on tanning his fair skin to a wheat-colored bronze. He had also recently ordered a pond to be dug in the backyard—not for raising fish or planting lotuses, but built square with green stone. Every day, he would take time to swim naked in it, scaring the maids and old women so much that they were too embarrassed to go near. Whenever they had to pass by, they would try to take a detour. If they couldn't avoid it, they would close their eyes, and as a result, many maids and old women often bumped into pillars and ended up with bruised faces.

The most outrageous thing was that he had hung several sandbags of different sizes from the big tree in the courtyard, and would rush up to kick and punch them whenever he had nothing to do, like a madman, not stopping until he was exhausted and drenched in sweat.

The The Howard Family was a large and wealthy household, with carriages, sedan chairs, and hundreds of fine horses. Yet, on the rare occasions this young master went out, he always chose to walk. As for the chestnut horse, it was almost always led out and brought back by Howard Hoover, and it was rare to see him actually ride it.

In the eyes of the The Howard Family servants, this young master was someone who liked to torment himself and didn't know how to enjoy life. Although he had regained his senses and could speak, his mind was still not quite normal. For the The Howard Family, even if a fool turned into a madman, it was still a cause for celebration. After sixteen years of being a fool, how much worse could things get?

By the banks of Cuiyun Lake, crowds of visitors thronged. The lake was as smooth as a mirror, its water a jade green. The afternoon sun shone on the surface, making it shimmer like brocade. Rows of pleasure boats and painted barges moved across the lake, startling gulls and egrets that would occasionally take flight from their resting places, spreading their white wings and tracing beautiful silver arcs across the gentle spring sky.

Little William's gaze was drawn to the beauty of this spring scene. White clouds were reflected on the lake, and he saw fish swimming through the clouds and birds flying in the water.