After all, the Great Zhou is still the acknowledged ruler of the land. Whether it’s the Mongols beyond the borders, the Jurchens in Liaodong, or Korea and Japan, and Annam (Jiaozhi) to the south, they all continue to show respect to the Great Zhou. No one dares claim they can stand above the Zhou Empire.

This plan to return to the capital and seek reinstatement had been brewing for a long time, and finally, an opportunity was found for Arthur Wood to take the initiative to write a letter to his brother-in-law’s family, The Carter Family.

As Albert Stone said, although The Carter Family no longer enjoys the glory it had three generations ago during the time of the two Dukes of Ning and Rong, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse—their foundation remains. Moreover, The Carter Family’s in-laws, the The Clark Family, are now at the height of their power.

The head of the The Clark Family, Michael Clark, currently holds the prestigious position of Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Garrison.

This is no ordinary post.

The official title of the Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Garrison is Governor of Military Affairs of the Capital Garrison, overseeing the entire defense of the capital region. The three major garrisons of the capital—Shenshu, Shenji, and the Five Armies—are all under his command. Commonly known among the people as the Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Garrison, this position is typically filled by a meritorious official trusted by the emperor, ranking among the most prominent military officers in the Great Zhou.

Although in these times military officials are subordinate to civil officials, the Commander-in-Chief of the Capital Garrison is already the top figure among military men. In fact, aside from the Minister of War and the Left and Right Vice Ministers, no one outranks him.

Often, this position is even given concurrent titles such as Director of the Ministry of War or Right Vice Minister of War. Even cabinet ministers must show some respect, and if the emperor favors him, he can have significant influence over the promotion of many military officers.

“Teacher, what should we do now?” The little girl was still somewhat timid. It was her first time leaving home, and she had encountered such trouble, all because of herself.

“Let’s wait and see what news that chivalrous man brings back before making any decisions.” Stephen Carter didn’t have any good ideas either. The city of Linqing was in chaos, and the three of them were powerless. If they went out and ran into the rebels, they would be at their mercy. But staying here, there was no guarantee the rebels wouldn’t target them, which would be like waiting for death.

“Teacher, won’t such a big mansion eventually attract the attention of the bandits? By then, we’ll have nowhere to retreat…” The little girl frowned and pouted, knowing this wasn’t a solution, but what else could they do?

Stephen Carter had considered running to Yongqing Gate and using the name of the daughter of the Yangzhou Salt Transport Censor to knock on the door, but after much thought, he felt the risk was too great.

He had seen with his own eyes a prominent local being turned away at the gate, and it was hard to say how much weight the title of Yangzhou Salt Transport Censor would carry with the garrison at Linqing. Besides, they might not believe his story.

“The only way out now is probably with these The Brooks Family people.” Stephen Carter had already figured out this family’s background.

Local powerful families like this usually have some escape routes—secret passages, underground chambers, or hidden rooms. With such a sprawling estate, how could they not? The only question is whether they’re willing to let outsiders know about them.

So, in the end, they might have to use Arthur Wood’s name to ask for a chance.

Section Twelve: Nowhere to Turn

Meanwhile, the Mr. Harris and his servant were sighing endlessly in another room.

“Second Master, who would have thought something like this could happen in broad daylight here in Linqing? Even Songjiang and Ningbo, which suffered at the hands of the Wokou, weren’t this dangerous, were they? I heard the Wokou aren’t as fierce as they were a few years ago, but ships are still often seized at sea. All in all, Nanjing is still the best. If only the Master were still here…”

The servant was clearly a bit of a chatterbox. Earlier, he had been too frightened to speak under Philip Brooks’s blade, but now that the danger seemed to have passed, he couldn’t stop talking.

The Mr. Harris’s face was also a bit gloomy. If his elder brother were still alive, how could the The Harris Family have fallen to such a state?

Business in Jiangnan had also run into trouble. Longtime partners had grown disloyal after his brother’s death, swallowing up much of what should have belonged to the The Harris Family. But since the other side was so powerful in Jiangnan, the The Harris Family could only swallow their anger.

If not for this, why would he have gone to such lengths to seek new opportunities in the north?

Thinking of the Xue clan, William Harris felt bitter inside.

His elder brother’s legitimate son was useless, unruly since childhood. If not for the solid foundation laid by their father and brother, everything would have been lost in these past years. Even so, the main branch was struggling. He’d heard that his sister-in-law was preparing to take the family to the capital to seek help from her own family and in-laws, the The Carter Family, to see if they could maintain the main branch’s livelihood.

His own son and daughter were clever and quick-witted, but in recent years… At this thought, William Harris shook his head.

He had thought Shandong was always a prosperous region in the north, with Linqing, Dezhou, and Jining being key points along the canal, densely populated and bustling. In the past few days, he had seen that there were indeed business opportunities in Linqing.

Pawnshops and money exchanges were old trades for the The Harris Family in Jiangnan. Even though there were many silk shops here, William Harris still felt there was a chance.

He just hadn’t expected the tax supervisors to be so powerful, their ruthless extortion causing such a huge upheaval.

……

Brian Brooks was getting anxious.

Philip Brooks and the other had already been gone for an hour and still hadn’t returned.