They encountered two inspections along the way, but with Mrs. Brooks handling things, there were basically no mistakes. Of course, this was also thanks to Henry Johnson and Charles Johnson both keeping their heads down and backs bent, wishing no one would catch even a glimpse of their faces. Even so, Henry Johnson couldn't help but worry whether William Johnson would notice anything suspicious. He and Charles Johnson weren't like the other princes—they saw William Johnson every day, and if anything went wrong, it would be a huge problem!

"You two wait here for now!"

Finally, when they arrived at their destination, Mrs. Brooks had to go in to attend to Lady Han. Out of kindness, seeing that Charles Johnson looked unwell, she found an excuse to send him back under the pretense of fetching something, but Henry Johnson wasn't so lucky and was left waiting in a side room.

With the most likely to give them away, Charles Johnson, gone, Henry Johnson breathed a sigh of relief and helped himself to tea in the room, showing none of the self-restraint expected of an attendant. Just as he was full of tea and marveling at how long Mrs. Brooks had been inside, the door was suddenly flung open in a rush. At that moment, he happened to look up and saw a face he absolutely did not want to see.

"Xian'er!"

Stunned for half a second, Henry Johnson immediately dashed over, pulled the person inside, and quickly shut the door. He marveled at his own quick thinking and was relieved there was no one else outside. But before he could come up with an excuse, the person blurted out in surprise, "Why are you wearing these clothes? They look terrible!"

Good grief, is this really the time to worry about how I look?

"Yan-jie, listen to me." Henry Johnson swallowed hard, trying his best to sound organized. "I just changed clothes to have a little fun, I didn't expect..." He rambled on with his explanation, but seeing Emily Cooper still looking suspicious, he couldn't help but groan inwardly.

He hadn't even dealt with this situation yet when voices sounded outside, one of which was unmistakably William Johnson. At that moment, his scalp tingled—having Emily Cooper barge in was headache enough, but if his father came in and found him dressed as an attendant, he'd be done for!

He spotted a cabinet against the wall and, without thinking whether there was anything inside, grabbed Emily Cooper and rushed over. He opened it, and without even pausing to be glad it was empty, pushed Emily Cooper in, climbed in after her, and carefully closed the door. Just as they finished, he heard the door outside creak open.

No matter what, dealing with the little girl afterward would be easier than facing an enraged William Johnson and his aunt. Oh, he forgot—he wasn't even qualified to call Emily Cooper a little girl; he was actually younger than her.

Chapter Six: The Thrill of Peeping

"Huh, Yan'er isn't here?"

"She probably ran off to play somewhere. Doesn't she like Xian'er the most? I think they look like a pair."

"Your Majesty, don't be ridiculous. Yan'er is four years older than Prince Lu!"

"Meiniang is four years older than me, and you're seven years older than me—what's the big deal?"

In the pitch-dark space, only a sliver of light and the voices from outside came through the crack in the door, creating a stiff and eerie atmosphere. Henry Johnson peeked outside while sneaking glances at Emily Cooper's expression. He knew she must have been scared silly by his actions just now, or else she would have started shouting by now. But if she found out what the two adults outside were doing, who knew what kind of trouble she might cause.

Emily Cooper was twelve this year, but already had a delicate, beautiful face—truly inheriting the fine looks of the Wu family, a budding beauty. He knew what fate awaited this cousin in the future, so whenever Lady Han brought her and Arthur Cooper to the palace, he would always boast about interesting stories in front of Emily Cooper. After a few times, the little girl would always come to him with all sorts of odd questions, and he would make up nonsense in reply. In the end, whenever she came to the palace, she spent most of her time with him.

It was all out of pity for her beauty and a desire to compete with his father. His father had already fooled around with two mature women and was now after a young one—he might as well act first, or else it would be a disaster in the future, and Empress Wu might even take deadly revenge in her anger.

Through the crack, he saw William Johnson and Lady Han cuddling and whispering sweet nothings, looking nothing like secret lovers but more like a proper married couple. He could hardly believe how careless they were in their affair—not even checking if anyone was hiding in the room. Was this boldness or arrogance?

Soon, the flirting turned into real intimacy, and only then did he witness William Johnson's skills. Those hands seemed to be everywhere, and wherever they touched, Lady Han would let out enchanting moans. Suddenly, he heard another moan that made his soul nearly leave his body.

"Xian'er..."