Henry Johnson secretly snuck out once the day before yesterday. Although his mother quickly sent someone to drag him back, the prosperity of Luoyang really is no less than that of Chang’an. In recent years, due to the grain supply issues in Guanzhong, not only did his parents move here together, but even the entire government staff has pretty much relocated as well. After the Spring Festival, his father took his mother and them to Bingzhou for a trip to show off their success, but in the end, they still returned to Luoyang.

“This... isn’t really a good idea. If Father, Mother, or any of our teachers find out...”

Henry Johnson rolled his eyes—what a goody two-shoes. Great, with someone like this today, his plan to sneak out was doomed. Just as he was weighing whether to drag someone else into it, he suddenly caught sight of a large group of people coming in from the other side. He quickly grabbed Charles Johnson and hid behind a stone lion, and the eunuchs following Charles Johnson were quick on the uptake, all hiding as well.

From a distance, leading the group was a tall, beautiful woman. Though no longer young, she radiated a mature charm from head to toe. The wide hem of her skirt swayed with her steps and the breeze, making a tinkling sound from her ornaments. Her ageless face was full of vitality, and every gesture and movement made the young, beautiful, but inexperienced maids behind her pale in comparison.

“Ah, it’s Aunt!”

Hearing this mood-killing exclamation, Henry Johnson glared fiercely at Charles Johnson, then looked back to see that Lady Han and her entourage had already walked far away. Seeing that the eunuchs were all at a distance, he grinned and said, “Fifth Brother, since you’re free, send them all away. I’ll take you to a great place!”

Charles Johnson hesitated a bit, but since it was rare to have a day off, it would be a shame to waste it. So, he quickly found an excuse to dismiss the eunuchs. Once only the two of them were left, Henry Johnson led Charles Johnson through a few twists and turns and slipped into an inconspicuous room. When they came out, both were dressed as eunuchs.

“Why do we have to wear this?” Charles Johnson tugged at the ill-fitting clothes, looking confused and uncomfortable. Born into silk and satin, he had never worn such low-quality garments.

Hopeless! Henry Johnson instinctively rolled his eyes. Obviously, if Charles Johnson wandered around the palace in his crown prince’s robes, wouldn’t everyone report to Empress Wu wherever he went? He didn’t even have the basic sense to disguise himself—if he kept this up, he really couldn’t be counted on to help his older brother in the future.

“Fifth Brother, do you want someone to go tattle to Father and Mother?”

Seeing Charles Johnson shiver instantly, Henry Johnson knew exactly how much he feared Empress Wu’s scolding and couldn’t help but secretly laugh. After straightening the coronet on his head and giving him some tips on how to walk and hide, he signaled for him to follow.

Ever since he got used to the place after the Spring Festival, Henry Johnson had tricked his way into getting two sets of these outfits. Whenever he was bored, he’d wander the palace in disguise, and no one ever realized he was the Prince of Lu. Of course, it helped that, at eight years old, he was already sturdy and almost as tall as a teenager, and there really were a bunch of young eunuchs in the palace serving the princes and princesses.

Hunched over and walking briskly, they passed through several palaces and reached the deepest part of the harem. Charles Johnson was already out of breath and could barely walk. Seeing how frail he looked, Henry Johnson couldn’t help but sigh. Clearly, the Eastern Palace was not a good place—before Charles Johnson moved in, he’d been a healthy, robust kid.

“I can’t walk anymore...”

“You’re the crown prince! Seriously? You can’t even handle a few steps?”

Despite his scolding, in the end, he had to drag Charles Johnson along, cursing himself for bringing such a burden. In the palace, eunuchs had to master the art of walking quickly, while slow, leisurely strolling was a privilege of the nobility. If you didn’t pay attention to this, anyone could tell you’d snuck out.

Luckily, their destination was in sight, and he breathed a huge sigh of relief, loosening his grip a bit. Looking back at Charles Johnson, who was half-dead from exhaustion, he shook his head. Clearly, the crown prince needed to exercise more in the future. Although later generations said Charles Johnson was driven to death by his mother, at this rate, he really might die young.

“Rong-jie, Rong-jie!”

Dragging Charles Johnson into a courtyard, Henry Johnson started shouting loudly. Soon, several heads poked out from the doorways. When they saw who it was, someone laughed, “Rong-niang, the little brother you claimed has come to see you!”

Very soon, a young woman hurried out of one of the rooms and glared fiercely at the onlookers. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you all claimed a little brother before? Why are you all laughing at me?” The others giggled for a while, then most of them pulled their heads back inside.

“Sixth Brother, ignore them... Oh? You brought a companion today?” She praised as she spoke, pinching Charles Johnson’s cheek with her jade-like hand. “What a handsome boy!”