The steward hurried away, but then thought of William Thompson, so he pointed at a young servant and said, “You! Take him out through the back gate, and don’t let him wander around the residence.”

　　To leave through the back gate of the prince’s mansion, one had to pass through the rear garden. However, a wall of flowers blocked the way, so only glimpses of the inside could be seen through the gaps. The garden was vast, and a few vibrant purple roses poked through the cracks in the wall, releasing waves of intoxicating fragrance.

　　“I have other matters to attend to. Just follow the flower wall straight ahead and you’ll see the back gate. Someone will open it for you when you get there.”

　　The young servant left William Thompson behind and went off to amuse himself.

　　William Thompson had no choice but to walk forward on his own. He had barely taken a few steps when he heard laughter and chatter coming from the other side of the wall. Looking over the top, he saw what seemed to be a swing set. William Thompson recognized the voices as those of young women, so he quickened his pace, wanting to leave quickly. But then he faintly heard the name “Jin Si Yin” mentioned in their conversation, and his steps unconsciously slowed.

　　“Miss, the prince must be in the wine cellar! I heard last month that the prince got a new wine called ‘Jin Si Yin.’ He treasures it like a rare gem and spends all day in the wine cellar. Madam has tried to persuade him several times, but the master just won’t listen.”

　　Suddenly, William Thompson heard a low sigh, and then a voice as melodious as heavenly music gently reached his ears.

　　“Father spends all day lost in drink. Even the emperor changed his title from Prince of Qin to Prince of Lanling—clearly to mock him. If this goes on, how can he resist the power of that Ding Daquan?”

　　“If that Ding Shouweng really goes too far, I’ll kill him with a single sword stroke!”

　　A cold voice came from the side, making William Thompson shiver all over and feel a chill.

　　“Sister Snow, don’t say such useless things. That Ding Shouweng is here again today—there’s no way to avoid him. Sigh!”

　　“Then come out of the residence with me for a walk today.”

　　“How could I! Father won’t allow it.”

　　“Your father can’t be bothered with you today!”

　　“This—”

　　“Stop hesitating. Little Lee, go fetch a few outfits for the young lady. Quickly!”

　　“Never mind, I’ll get them myself—she doesn’t know where they are. Sister Snow, you come with me!”

　　Soon, the footsteps of the three gradually faded into the flowers. William Thompson tiptoed and strained to look through the cracks in the wall, but saw nothing. He gave a wry smile, shook his head, and left through the back gate.

　　After winding through several streets, he arrived at the parking spot and was immediately startled. In front of the porridge distribution point by the side gate, a long line had formed, stretching as far as the eye could see. Only two people were working there, clearly unable to keep up.

　　William Thompson remembered how the two had helped him carry the wine earlier. Since he had nothing else to do, he stepped forward with a smile and said, “Let me help out too!”

　　The young servant was overwhelmed with work. Seeing someone volunteer, and recognizing him as the one who delivered the wine that morning, he was overjoyed and quickly handed him a long ladle.

　　“Remember, don’t scrape the bottom. Only one ladle per person.”

　　William Thompson saw that the thin porridge in the big barrel was almost clear to the bottom. Each barrel was made with at most a tenth of a bushel of rice. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly: So many dishes are thrown away, yet they can’t bear to use a little more rice. Truly, the rich feast while the poor starve.

　　As he was thinking this, a bony hand holding a large, rough porcelain bowl was extended in front of him. It belonged to an old man in his sixties, dressed in tattered clothes. Beside him stood a skinny little girl, also holding a big, broken bowl. William Thompson felt a pang of sorrow and scooped from the bottom with the long ladle.

　　After about an hour of busy work, the line had not shortened but grown even longer. Some people even came back several times. William Thompson was so tired his back ached. He looked in pain at the ever-lengthening line, regretting his impulsiveness, but he couldn’t just walk away, so he gritted his teeth and kept helping.

　　Suddenly, he heard light footsteps behind him, stopping not far away.

　　“Sister Snow, let’s help out too!”

　　“My dear young lady, I brought you out to have fun, not to do this kind of menial work!”

　　“What’s so menial about it? Mother says that giving porridge to the people earns the Buddha’s gratitude. We’ll just help for a little while!”

　　“No! Don’t forget your status.”

　　William Thompson recognized the voices as those of the three young women from the swing in the garden. At that moment, the steward in charge of meals, Butler Harris, happened to come out from the side gate. He immediately spotted the princess’s personal maid, Little Lee, and was taken aback. Looking to the side, he saw that the princess herself had left the residence. If the lady of the house found out, it would be a disaster. He was about to persuade them to return when he suddenly noticed the infamous cold princess was also there. He was so startled that he silently cursed his luck, but had no choice but to step forward, kneel, and say:

　　“Your servant greets Your Highness the Princess and the Lady.”

　　The princess gave him a cold glance and turned her head away.

　　“George Harris, you are not to tell my father about today, or I’ll have the chief steward throw you out.”

　　“Yes, yes! I’ll pretend I never saw the lady. But it’s really dirty and chaotic here. It would be best if Your Highness and the Lady returned to the residence soon.”

　　“Who is that? He doesn’t seem to be one of our people.” The maid Little Lee suddenly pointed at William Thompson and asked.

　　“Oh! He is Master Thompson of Jin Si Lou. He came to deliver wine today, and perhaps, seeing our people overwhelmed, decided to help out.”

　　“He’s the one who brews ‘Jin Si Yin,’ William Thompson?”