“Henry, do you see that juggler? Is that a snake in his hand?”

“Ah, fire swallowing—he... he’s actually swallowing fire!”

All the startled exclamations in his ears were from Emily Cooper. Though her voice was pleasant and melodious, and the orchid-and-musk-like fragrance constantly teased his nose, Henry Johnson still almost let out a sigh. He used to think living alone was too lonely, but now he realized that was what peace and quiet truly meant. He really couldn’t imagine how those with three or four wives managed to handle so many women.

“Henry, are you upset?”

When the high-pitched voice at his ear suddenly paused and turned into this timid question, Henry Johnson couldn’t help but feel odd. He turned his head and saw Emily Cooper biting her lip and looking at him pitifully. His heart instantly softened, and he quickly smoothed things over with sweet words. Seeing Emily Cooper return to her cheerful self, he suddenly thought of another problem.

Right now, William Johnson was passionately involved with Mrs. Clark. If one day Mrs. Clark were to die from Mrs. Lincoln’s jealous rage, would Emily Cooper undergo a drastic change in temperament and end up doing something irreparable?

But even this lingering worry vanished after he arrived at The Johnson Residence. When he saw in the courtyard that horse he had once been so fond of—Treading Snow—he immediately threw all other concerns out of his mind. The horse, once bare, was now fitted with bridle, saddle, reins, and all, looking ready for action. Unfortunately, it now belonged to James Johnson. Beside Treading Snow stood several other horses, all clearly extraordinary, on par with Chasing Wind, though a bit shorter in stature.

“Today, I’ll teach His Highness to ride.”

Henry Johnson quickly understood the meaning of this sentence. At this moment, he was sitting on horseback, enduring the wind whipping at his face, worried about only one thing—whether he would be thrown off. This was definitely James Johnson settling a personal score; he had just said the horse was gentle, but once it started running, it was like it had gone mad.

He had no idea how many laps he’d done; all he knew was that his thighs were rubbed raw and he dared not let go of the reins. As for what James Johnson had just taught him—how to control the horse’s speed, how to stop, how to tell if the horse had energy left—he had completely forgotten, remembering only how to turn. In fact, he wasn’t even controlling the turns; the fine steed beneath him was running on its own, and he was more like dead weight.

In his previous life, his longest riding experience was only five minutes, and he hadn’t even gotten the horse to run, let alone experienced such breakneck speed. As for why he hadn’t fallen off, it was all thanks to those specially made stirrups.

However, after a period of extreme fear, he gradually became addicted to this feeling of flying with the wind. His hands and body could feel the powerful strides of the horse beneath him, and the wind no longer made it so hard to keep his eyes open. Though his whole body felt shaken to pieces, what he felt even more was an indescribable excitement. He was no longer a complete outsider; he and the horse seemed to be one.

“Henry!”

A faint call reached his ears. After confirming there was nothing ahead, he quickly turned his head for a glance—and nearly fell off the horse. He saw Emily Cooper skillfully galloping, even waving at him with one hand. Good heavens, his riding skills weren’t even as good as a girl’s!

When he finally dismounted, Henry Johnson felt the world spinning and could barely stand. But when he saw James Johnson’s old fox face, he immediately took a few deep breaths and forced down the urge to vomit.

“Is Your Highness getting used to it?”

“Very much!” Henry Johnson spat out the two words, as if they were gold, holding his head high as he looked at James Johnson. “Master’s horses are indeed different from those in the palace.”

Emily Cooper quickly chimed in, “Yes, yes! The horses at my home never run this fast!”

“The palace horses and those kept by ordinary officials are meant for riding, but the key is stability. As long as they can steadily carry their master without stumbling or kicking, that’s a good horse.”

When it came to horse lore, James Johnson, a lifelong general, naturally spoke with authority: “As for the horses I raise here, most are meant for the battlefield. First, they need endurance; second, speed; third, explosive power. Of course, each has its strengths—you can’t have all three in one. If you only use those pretty but fragile horses, on the battlefield, one shiver and they might throw you off!”

Henry Johnson had read such theories in books before, but hearing them from a seasoned general was still an indescribable thrill, and for a moment he forgot all about James Johnson’s tricks. Just as he was about to ask for more tips on controlling a horse, he suddenly saw two riders approaching in the distance, one in front and one behind. Judging by their figures, one seemed to be David Johnson.

Seeing the two dismount gracefully, and thinking of how he had practically crawled off his own horse just now, Henry Johnson couldn’t help but snort inwardly, secretly vowing to master riding so as never to be laughed at again.