"Edward Grant is my granduncle, Samuel Grant is also my granduncle, and my brother-in-law is Henry Wright?" Peter Brooks's scalp began to tingle. Damn it, he hadn't expected that after just arriving in the Three Kingdoms era, he would already be entangled with so many famous historical figures. However, this wasn't entirely a good thing. Take his so-called brother-in-law Henry Wright for example—in history, his great feat of hanging himself upside down from the city gate tower had shocked countless Confucian scholars. Although this act was oddly similar to the way people in later generations would threaten to jump off buildings for a raise, this method was far too extreme. Peter Brooks couldn't agree with those who would sacrifice their lives to make a statement, at least not in this era, since Charles Clark really wasn't a lord worth pledging loyalty to.

At the very least, if this brother-in-law really went through with it, wouldn't his sister in this era become a widow? Peter Brooks couldn't help but rub his forehead. It seemed that the era he was in now was not one far removed from the smoke and flames of war, but rather a time of passionate turmoil where life and death partings could happen at any moment.

In his previous life, Peter Brooks also had an elder sister, five years older than him. Because their mother died young, and both their father and grandfather were old-fashioned and strict, firm believers in "spare the rod, spoil the child," it was fortunate to have such a sister to protect him. So, Peter Brooks's feelings for his elder sister were the deepest. Thinking of coming to this world and being forever separated from his real sister made him especially sad, but reality was right in front of him, and he had to face everything as it was now.

What he hadn't expected was that his new elder sister's husband turned out to be such a famous historical figure—one who cared nothing for his family and only for his ideals, a man who hanged himself. This made Peter Brooks all the more worried.

Beside him, Steward Mason saw that his young master’s face had darkened after hearing the name of his brother-in-law Henry Wright. After watching for a while, seeing no sign of improvement in his young master's expression, he couldn't help but secretly worry. Could it be that the young master was recalling the past discord with his brother-in-law?

Steward Mason still remembered the instructions the old master gave him before leaving. At this moment, if he didn't say something, he would be letting down the old master who had once saved his life. After all, among us minorities, nothing is more important than trust and loyalty. So, Steward Mason braced himself and said, "Young master, actually, Lord Wright really treats the young lady very well. You shouldn't dwell on those past matters. After all, the young lady even has a child now..."

"Hmm? Did I have a falling out with my brother-in-law before? Are you saying my relationship with my brother-in-law wasn't very good?" Peter Brooks immediately picked up on something in Steward Mason's words and asked.

"..." Steward Mason wished he could slap himself. It seemed the young master was lost in his own thoughts, while he himself had misunderstood and said the wrong thing. What should he do now? If he told the truth, the young master might recall the past and get angry, and without the old master to mediate, things could go badly. But if he didn't say anything, the young master was right in front of him—was he supposed to sew his own mouth shut?

At this moment, Steward Mason was so torn that he wanted to pull out all his hair.

Chapter 5 The Key to Charles Clark Failing to Win the Hearts of the People of Yizhou

"Old steward, just speak your mind. After this ordeal, I have come to some realizations. Now, only my elder sister and I are left in the family. As siblings, we should treat the past as fleeting clouds. Since we are family, we should live in harmony." Peter Brooks had to appeal to emotion. Some things are better known in advance. Judging by the old steward's demeanor, Peter Brooks could already tell that the previous owner of this body wasn't a very good person. Otherwise, why would this old steward keep praising his brother-in-law Henry Wright's character, even more than he praised his famous granduncle? Peter Brooks had lived over twenty years in his previous life—if he couldn't pick up on this, he might as well learn from his brother-in-law and hang himself from the city gate tower with a hemp rope.

Hearing his young master's polite yet meaningful words, Steward Mason was deeply moved. As an old man, he was almost brought to tears. He never expected that his originally ill-tempered young master would become so mature and steady after surviving a serious illness, as if he were a different person. In the past, if a servant was even slightly disrespectful, at best there would be scolding, at worst a beating—when would he ever have spoken so kindly?

Although Steward Mason was embarrassed to reveal everything, he still shared a few things, hinting that the two did not get along well, mostly due to Peter Brooks's past personality.

This made Peter Brooks a bit embarrassed, so he laughed it off and changed the subject, letting Steward Mason continue talking about his father's great achievements. Meanwhile, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Damn, the original owner of this little body really was someone who looked down on others. Luckily, he had the excuse of a major upheaval; otherwise, he really wouldn't know how to explain such a sudden change in temperament.

Peter Brooks only thought about it briefly before being drawn in by what Steward Mason was saying.