Chapter One: My Brother-in-law is the Crown Prince

The second year of Yongle in Great Ming.

Dusk was approaching, but the Forbidden City at the foot of Zhongshan in Nanjing was already ablaze with lights as bright as day.

The continuous glazed roof ridges resembled a giant dragon, stretching all the way to the Eastern Palace at one corner of the Forbidden City.

The courtyards of the Eastern Palace rose and fell, and at this moment, someone was so anxious he was about to stomp his feet, shouting, “Stop! Stop…”

The speaker was panting heavily, his face pale. He wore a ceremonial robe embroidered with nine chapter patterns, but because the sleeves were so long, running only made him look even more clumsy and awkward.

At this moment, the person running ahead poked his head out from a moon gate—it was a boy of about twelve or thirteen.

The boy, looking rather shaken, said, “If brother-in-law doesn’t hit me, I won’t run.”

Instantly, the man chasing behind, panting, flew into a rage, gritting his teeth and saying, “If a child is not taught, it’s the father’s fault. If I don’t teach you a lesson today, won’t you be tearing the roof tiles off tomorrow?”

The boy immediately shouted, “But you’re not my father!”

The man in the ceremonial robe couldn’t bother with decorum anymore, widening his eyes and raising his voice: “An elder brother is like a father!”

“You’re not my brother either…”

The man in the ceremonial robe bellowed again: “I’m your brother-in-law!”

The boy clearly wanted to argue further.

Just then, along the wall by the moon gate, several eunuchs crept up while the boy was distracted by the conversation. Suddenly, one of them, like a vicious dog pouncing on food, grabbed the boy, exclaiming with delight, “Your Highness, Crown Prince, we’ve caught him, we’ve caught him!”

At this shout, the boy tried to struggle, but the other eunuchs rushed up all at once—one grabbing his arm, another hugging his legs—like magnets, pinning him so he couldn’t move.

The man in the ceremonial robe, addressed as the Crown Prince, finally let out a long sigh of relief and said, “Don’t hurt him!”

Only then did the Crown Prince remember his composure. With his hands behind his back, he regained his calm and strolled forward.

The boy, still indignant, shouted, “You ambushed me, you scoundrels! Just wait, I’ll deal with you later.”

Still not satisfied, he continued to struggle and called out, “Sister, sister, help!”

When the Crown Prince, looking displeased, walked up.

The boy was already exhausted from being held by the eunuchs. The Crown Prince was tall and somewhat overweight, blocking the boy’s way like a wall.

At this, the boy’s head drooped with a smack, and he said crisply, “Brother-in-law, I was wrong!”

The Crown Prince, who had been fierce, suddenly softened a little, his tone much gentler: “What did you do wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have hit someone.”

“Will you dare do it again?”

The boy admitted defeat: “Next time… I won’t dare.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand, and the eunuchs withdrew. He then said, “Let’s talk in the study.”

The Crown Prince before him was none other than His Highness John Grant.

And the boy was the younger brother of the Crown Princess, William Bolton.

William Bolton’s father had died in the war of Emperor Yongle’s Jingnan campaign, so he had been neglected. And because his brother-in-law John Grant was a gentle person, in Nanjing, William Bolton had already become a notorious young rascal at a very young age.

Today, William Bolton had hit someone again, and the officials of the Eastern Palace had reported it to the Crown Prince John Grant. John Grant was furious and had planned to properly discipline his young brother-in-law.

But in the end, he softened. Although just looking at the boy made him angry, once they reached the study and sat down, most of his anger dissipated. He first sighed and said, “You’re so mischievous at such a young age—it’s my fault. Sit down.”

“Okay.” William Bolton wasn’t afraid of John Grant, but seeing his brother-in-law so angry, he obediently knelt and sat to the side, putting on a well-behaved look.

He had been in this world for half a year now. At first, William Bolton was shocked, anxious, and uneasy, but gradually… he began to fit into this era. Of course, the most important thing was… in this world, he had the care of this Crown Prince brother-in-law and his Crown Princess sister.

At this moment, John Grant glanced at him and, seeing him suddenly so well-behaved, let out a breath: “Why did you hit someone?”

“That person was selling fake medicine, and I exposed him.” William Bolton said, then imitated the medicine seller’s tone, raising his voice: “Then he said to me: Young man, don’t speak carelessly, or you’ll suffer for it.”

William Bolton shrugged, looking helpless, and continued, “When he said that, I had no choice but to hit him.”

John Grant: “…”

John Grant’s face twitched, and finally he put on a stern face and said, “A gentleman is harmonious, a petty man is quarrelsome. No matter how unjust the world is, you mustn’t…”

William Bolton immediately said, “I know I was wrong.”

“I’m not finished, don’t interrupt.”

“Ah… then brother-in-law, please go on.”

John Grant began, “You are a member of the imperial family, so you mustn’t brawl with others. Otherwise, where is the dignity? Your sister spoils you, but I am the Crown Prince—how can I indulge you?”