The holiday was over, and naturally, the two brothers were still as close as ever. After avoiding everyone else, Henry Johnson took Charles Johnson back to the same place to change clothes. The two of them checked each other's appearance, and seeing that nothing was amiss, they grinned and returned to Henry Johnson's place.

"Your Highness Prince of Lu, you’re finally back—ah, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Seeing a large group of people suddenly kneel before him, Charles Johnson immediately displayed the perfect bearing of a crown prince, nodding maturely and instructing everyone to rise. Henry Johnson knew that those who served him were long used to his free and easy ways, and would never say things like "you’re finally back" unless something was up, so he immediately asked, "Did Mother send someone over?"

"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress has already sent people over several times. Each time, I could only say you hadn’t returned yet—it’s made us all terribly anxious! I also heard that people from the Eastern Palace are looking for His Highness the Crown Prince, apparently also because of a summons from Her Majesty."

Seeing Charles Johnson's face turn pale in an instant, Henry Johnson found it rather amusing. He might not be good at dealing with outsiders, but when it came to handling his own mother, he was already well-practiced. Charles Johnson might be a genuinely good boy, but when it came to pretending to be obedient, he was still no match for him. After sending everyone off, just as he was about to go in and change clothes, someone grabbed his sleeve tightly. Turning around, he saw it was Charles Johnson, looking extremely anxious.

"Fifth Brother?"

"Sixth Brother." Charles Johnson swallowed hard, nervously saying, "If Mother asks later, I’m afraid I’ll slip up. You have to help cover for me."

"No problem," Henry Johnson agreed readily. Seeing Charles Johnson breathe a sigh of relief, he quickly added, "Fifth Brother, I’ve already covered for you in front of Mother several times. With this time, it’s the fifth! Five favors—you’d better not forget!"

Faced with such an obvious demand, Charles Johnson was both exasperated and helpless, and could only agree: "I know you’ve had your eye on my horse, Treading Snow. Fine, who knows why Father gave me an untrained horse anyway—giving it to you to repay a favor, is that enough?"

"Deal!"

"Of course!"

After sealing the deal with a high five, Henry Johnson was overjoyed. He’d wanted a tall, strong horse for ages, but every time he asked William Johnson or Empress Wu, both would say he was too young and refuse. In the end, he was reluctantly given a gentle little pony that was barely taller than him, which he played with a couple of times before losing interest.

How could he show his manly spirit without taming a wild horse?

Chapter 8: David Johnson is here, but what about Luo Binwang?

He had thought it would just be Mother coming to scold them, but when he saw William Johnson was there too, along with his grandmother The Miller Family, Mrs. Clark, and the awkward-looking Emily Cooper, Henry Johnson suddenly felt like he was facing a three-way interrogation. He sneaked a glance at Charles Johnson beside him and saw that his poor brother didn’t even dare lift his head, which made him feel a bit sorry for him.

It’s not easy being the crown prince, especially with a strong-willed mother like Empress Wu above you, and a capricious father like William Johnson. Still, for the sake of that horse, Treading Snow, he had to help Charles Johnson this time.

"Where did you two go today?"

Hearing Empress Wu’s slightly angry question, Henry Johnson immediately rushed to answer, "Replying to Father and Mother, Fifth Brother’s two tutors happened to be ill today, so I found a quiet place with him and asked him to explain the Analects to me."

This answer was, of course, unexpected. William Johnson and Empress Wu immediately relaxed their brows, and The Miller Family nodded approvingly. Standing behind Mrs. Clark, Emily Cooper even lightly scratched her cheek with her finger. Henry Johnson calmly met all their gazes, exuding composure—one of the keys to lying is to keep a straight face and a steady heart; otherwise, you might as well just tell the truth.

William Johnson picked out a few key points from the Analects and questioned him one by one. Seeing Henry Johnson answer fluently, he was naturally very pleased with the brotherly love and studiousness of his two sons, and the result was a pile of rewards. As the crown prince and elder brother, Charles Johnson received a stack of newly published imperial books, while Henry Johnson got more practical things: all sorts of toys, clothes, and utensils. And remembering that Charles Johnson still owed him a fine horse, he was even more delighted.

That evening, William Johnson stayed in Empress Wu’s palace for dinner. The two sons, along with their grandmother, aunt, and cousin, plus the wet nurse who brought six-year-old Prince Zhou George Johnson, made for a lively and joyful family gathering. When the festivities ended and everyone went back to their quarters, Henry Johnson was the last to leave. Just as he reached the door, Anna Brooks called out to him.

"Your Highness Prince of Lu, Her Majesty the Empress wishes to speak with you."

Hearing that Empress Wu was looking for him, Henry Johnson felt a jolt in his heart, quickly nodded in agreement, and sent the eunuchs following him away. As he walked back, he tried to get information from Anna Brooks: "What does Mother want with me?"

He usually got along well with the palace maids around Empress Wu, so whenever there was news, they were willing to tell him. Empress Wu was indeed generous to her attendants, but he made full use of his childlike charm, doing everything he could to tug at their maternal instincts. As a result, he had pretty much won over all the palace maids around his mother, at the cost of nothing more than a bit of playful acting.