“Hahaha, is that really so!” Henry Clark suddenly burst out laughing. The servants, having hurried out without bringing any fishing gear, sent someone to the nearby villagers to buy a few fishing rods, which were quickly brought before Henry Clark. Henry Clark jogged back to the ox cart, took some good meat from it, and ran back again, with two servants running alongside him. The chubby boy, panting heavily, ran to the riverside, simply took off his shoes, not minding the dirt, and sat directly on the ground. The servants looked at each other, unsure how to persuade him otherwise. They hung mutton on the fishing rod and prepared to fish.

“Little Marquis! This... for fishing, you need to catch some earthworms. Fish don’t eat mutton...”

“You are not a fish, so how do you know fish don’t eat it?”

That sounded so familiar. The servant was stunned, not knowing how to refute. After thinking for a moment, he said, “This piece of mutton is too big. I’m afraid there aren’t such big fish in this creek that could take the bait!”

“That’s where you’re foolish. I’m fishing for big fish. If I only catch some small fish to take back, wouldn’t Mother look down on me? Besides, you don’t know—back in the day, Duke Qi’s Fei Neng could fish without bait, so why can’t I?”

“Fei Neng?? Little Marquis, do you mean Fei Xiong, Jiang Taigong?”

The chubby boy’s face turned red, not sure if from shame or anger, and he shouted, “Don’t worry about Fei Xiong or whoever! I’m going to fish like this. If I don’t catch a big fish today, you’re not coming back with us!” The servant lowered his head and said no more.

The chubby boy happily hung a big chunk of fatty mutton on the fishing rod, then sat at the riverside, pretending to be a reclusive master, closing his eyes and striking a sage-like pose. The servants shook their heads, hoping a fish would bite; if not, the Little Marquis would surely throw a tantrum, and without Mistress around, who could handle him?

Just like that, after only half a stick of incense’s time, the chubby boy was already getting restless. He kept lifting the rod to check if there was a fish, and this action made the servants feel even less hopeful.

A gentle breeze blew, and the sunlight was warm.

But by the river, a storm seemed to be brewing. The servants held their breath, not daring to speak. Even the horsemen watering their horses in the distance hid far away. Henry Clark’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter, and just as he was about to explode, the fishing rod suddenly sank. The chubby boy was almost pulled into the river, but luckily the nearby servants reacted quickly, grabbing him and helping to pull up the rod. Could there really be a big fish in this creek? And one that eats mutton???

Everyone struggled to pull up the rod, and saw a huge, golden, shimmering fish thrashing on the line. The chubby boy shouted with joy, and the servants, eyes wide, hurried to help him land the fish. As soon as the fish was on shore, it stopped moving, seemingly dead. Everyone crowded around to look. The fish was estimated to weigh over a hundred jin, its scales all golden, with two long whiskers at the corners of its mouth. In their astonishment, the servants were speechless, but the chubby boy was delighted. The fish was almost as big as he was, but he wasn’t afraid, stepping forward to touch its scales, muttering something under his breath.

“Quick, quick, back to the manor!” The servant finally came to his senses and shouted. Instantly, everyone scrambled into action. Some bundled the chubby boy directly into the carriage, barely tidying up their things, while others carried the golden fish onto the ox cart. They whipped the horses and rushed straight for the Marquis’s residence!

Hejian State, Boling Commandery, Raoyang County, Xiedu Pavilion

The entire Xiedu Pavilion was Henry Clark’s private fief. When the group carrying the golden fish entered Xiedu Pavilion, the servants shouted, “Auspicious sign! Great auspicious sign! Report the auspicious sign!!” Their cries attracted many villagers, who came running. When they saw the golden fish on the ox cart, everyone exclaimed in amazement, some even kneeling to worship. The news of the auspicious sign quickly spread throughout Xiedu Pavilion. The servants, elated, hurried toward the Marquis’s residence—this was a huge achievement! The current emperor valued omens greatly; if this reached his ears, the Little Marquis could rise even higher, and how could they not benefit as well??

With such thoughts, the group hurried to the front of the Marquis’s residence. The vermilion gates were already wide open. News of the auspicious sign had already reached the manor. A crowd of commoners followed behind, noisily trailing along. In this atmosphere, the chubby boy was also excited, having long forgotten the servants’ earlier disrespect, clapping and shouting. The doors slowly opened, and a woman in a vermilion robe, accompanied by a group of household servants, hurried over. Though just a woman, she carried great authority. Seeing her, everyone quickly saluted and greeted her as Mistress.

The woman said nothing, turned, and went back into the manor. Sensing something was wrong, everyone quickly closed the gates and hurriedly carried the big fish to the main room on the right.

“Hmph, so you do remember you have me, your Mistress? Kneel before me!!”

Chapter 0002: Books Hidden in the Belly

The woman knelt on the mat, her gaze icy cold.

The household servants all instantly knelt with a crash, heads lowered, not daring to make a sound. They were all servants of the Marquis’s residence; their lives and deaths depended on the master’s word. The servant who had brought the good news was especially pale, trembling all over. The once-elated chubby boy was now dumbfounded, standing in front of the group of servants, not knowing whether to kneel or stand, at a complete loss. The woman glanced at him from head to toe, waved her hand, and said, “You, come forward!”