In short, both sisters were married off, leaving only William Sullivan, the little ancestor, in the entire prince’s manor. Truly, all the love and affection was concentrated on this one child. Even though she wasn’t William Sullivan’s birth mother, all the consorts vied to win her favor. Although the prince had not yet reached the age of destiny, in recent years, none of the consorts or concubines had become pregnant. The hope of having another little prince seemed extremely slim, so it looked like this sole heir would have to carry on the royal line.

William Sullivan returned to the Phoenix Hatch Tower to change clothes, first going to the inner palace to see her mother, where she was inevitably fussed over by the consort, who was afraid the imperial evaluation had wronged her son and hurt his self-esteem. Then, after paying respects to the two secondary consorts, William Sullivan finally went to see the prince, heading straight for the Moon Viewing Garden where the study was located—only to unexpectedly bump into the prince face-to-face at the moon gate.

“Greetings, Father.” Just as William Sullivan was about to kneel, the prince grabbed her arm and helped her up. “No need, no need, my child, you’ve been wronged. We’ll make a spectacle of them soon enough! Whoever stabbed us in the back, I remember them all!”

Looking at the kindly smiling face before her, William Sullivan couldn’t deny feeling moved. According to the historical records, the thirteenth master of the Zheng Prince’s Manor was mediocre and indecisive. Though he later became the chief of the eight regents, he was little more than a figurehead, with all military and political affairs handled by his younger brother, her sixth uncle, Sushun.

But in William Sullivan’s eyes, he was simply a father who doted on his son to the extreme, willing to poke a hole in the sky for his child.

Take the title examination, for example. It was her own lack of ability that brought shame to the family, yet the old man, without asking for details, shifted his anger onto Prince Yi Xin, worrying instead that his precious son would lose face and have his self-esteem hurt. Thinking about it was almost funny.

“Come, come, look what fun thing I’ve found for you.” Without waiting for a reply, the prince grabbed William Sullivan’s hand and pulled her into the study.

On the desk, a small bird, golden yet tinged with emerald green, hopped about in a cage. The prince laughed heartily, “A top-grade three-yellow finch from Guizhou! What do you think? Wouldn’t it be impressive to take it out? Just holding this birdcage in your hand, your whole spirit changes!”

William Sullivan couldn’t help but laugh and cry—what kind of parenting was this? If she hadn’t lived a second life, she’d truly be spoiled rotten by him. Yet her heart felt warm; the old man really went out of his way.

“Father, I’d like to find a post. I can’t just idle about every day, eating and doing nothing.”

The prince seemed unable to believe his ears, staring at William Sullivan for a long time before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter, so delighted he was almost beside himself. “The ancestor has seen the light! The ancestor has seen the light! George Carter has made progress, real progress! Old ancestors, old ancestors, did you all hear that? Did you hear what George Carter just said?”

Seeing the old man so wildly overjoyed, William Sullivan felt a bit embarrassed. Was she really that disappointing? But was finding a job really something to be this happy about?

“I’ll go to the palace to see the emperor tomorrow,” the prince said, his face glowing, having made up his mind to recommend his son for a minor official post, even if it meant losing face.

“Father, please look at this first.” William Sullivan drew a paper slip from her sleeve and respectfully handed it to the old man.

The essay had been written by William Sullivan earlier, just like all the articles she’d written over the years, always kept in her own small study at the family’s courtyard on Wangjia Hutong, Xisi Pailou. The courtyard had been purchased when William Sullivan was fifteen, and all her scribblings over the years had been moved there. After all, some writings could be considered treasonous if scrutinized, and it would be inconvenient if discovered in the prince’s manor.

William Sullivan had just settled Emily Smith in the courtyard and told Thomas Foster to send her there once everything was arranged. But this wasn’t something that could be settled in half a day, so Emily Smith could only wait there for now.

William Sullivan had originally worried that Emily Smith might not trust her—wasn’t she afraid that once she left, someone would come to arrest her? So at first, she’d planned to meet Emily Smith at Baxianju three days later. Unexpectedly, Emily Smith didn’t object at all, readily agreeing to wait for news at the courtyard. Truly, she trusted those she used and didn’t use those she doubted. Still, William Sullivan figured Emily Smith wouldn’t really let her guard down; after William Sullivan left, who knew what precautions she’d take, or how she’d respond if someone came to arrest her—these were things William Sullivan would never know.

Upon returning from the courtyard, William Sullivan had taken out this essay from the study, analyzing the pros and cons of lifting the ban in the northeast and the relationship with Russia.

The essay stated that Russia had always eyed our ancestral lands with covetous intent, and in recent years had gradually encroached on our northern borders. This was mainly because the north was sparsely populated and vast, allowing Russian settlers to take advantage. To eliminate this hidden danger and ensure the eternal peace of our ancestral lands, the only solution was to lift the ban and, as in the Shunzhi Emperor’s time, summon people to cultivate the land. Then, the poor from Yan and Lu would flock there with joy, not only providing a shield for the northern frontier but also preventing disasters among the hungry in Zhili, Shandong, and other places from causing trouble. It was a strategy that solved two problems at once and was a sound policy for strengthening the nation.

The essay also stated that currently, Russia was waging war in the West against Britain, France, Austria, and others, and judging by the situation, defeat was inevitable. The Russian people were wild and belligerent, expansionist by nature. Once their westward expansion was blocked, they would inevitably turn their gaze eastward. Time was of the essence; if we did not prepare in advance, we would regret it when it was too late.

The prince held the essay, reading it over and over, growing more and more astonished. Halfway through, he couldn’t help but look up and ask, “Did you write this? Are you saying that Russia is at war with Britain and France? Is that true?”