William Sullivan had long anticipated this question and replied, “A-ma, how could Jingxiang dare to speak recklessly about state affairs? These matters are all true, and all of them were told to me by Mr. Walker, who heard them from his friends in the Jesus Church.”

　　Mr. Walker was William Sullivan’s Chinese tutor, called John Miller, courtesy name Walker. The old scholar was upright, but his son was a hopeless gambler. Years ago, their family was left destitute, and in recent years William Sullivan had taken care of them in many ways, even managing to straighten out the gambler son. Even if William Sullivan lied and blamed things on him, he probably wouldn’t have the heart to expose it.

　　Only then did the Prince nod, knowing that the old scholar did have some learning. He then thought that this fine essay was probably written by the old scholar, and his precious son had merely copied it out.

　　“Who would have thought, really, who would have thought, that Russia has become enemies with Britain and France? That makes things easier. If they really provoke trouble in the future, we can ask the British and French foreigners for help—how could we possibly lose then?”

　　William Sullivan gave a bitter smile. Britain and France? In a couple of years, once they finish fighting Russia, they’ll turn around and come after us.

　　“A-ma, I’m afraid we can’t count on them. The foreigners may quarrel among themselves, but when it comes to our Great Qing, they all breathe through the same nostril.” The complexities of world politics were hard to explain in a short time, so he simply lumped all the “foreigners” together as the opposition.

　　The Prince sighed and said, “These barbarians, none of them know proper etiquette. No wonder they flock together like snakes and rats.”

　　William Sullivan could only nod in agreement.

　　The Prince shook his head again and said, “But the matter of lifting the ban is of great importance. Never mind that His Majesty won’t agree—even I find it unsettling. If all the Han people go outside the Pass, and if, just if, I mean if, we bannermen ever lose power, we won’t even have a way out. Haven’t you seen? The Longhairs are about to fight their way here, and I heard His Majesty even coughed up blood yesterday. Sigh.” As he spoke, the Prince’s frown deepened, clearly worried about the current situation.

　　William Sullivan naturally understood. The Taiping Army’s northern expedition was already not far from Tianjin. William Sullivan knew they wouldn’t succeed—his butterfly wings hadn’t even started to flap yet, and these great affairs of state would not change. So William Sullivan felt certain in his heart. But the shock their northern expedition brought to the capital was easy to imagine.

　　“A-ma, precisely because our Great Qing is facing an unprecedented upheaval, we cannot be bound by the laws of the former dynasty’s Sacred Ancestor. If the Sacred Ancestor were alive, he certainly wouldn’t stick rigidly to old rules.”

　　The Prince looked at William Sullivan in surprise once again, never having expected his son to have his own political views. But after the surprise, he couldn’t help but feel comforted in his old age—his son was not without promise after all. Literary arts and horsemanship were just minor skills, but George Carter truly had a world within his chest.

　　“All right, I’ll consider the memorial carefully and look for an opportunity to submit it.” The Prince stroked his beard and smiled at William Sullivan, making William Sullivan’s scalp tingle.

　　“George Carter, you’re not so young anymore. Do you really not want to start a family?”

　　William Sullivan smiled bitterly inside. What must come will come—there was no avoiding it. After thinking for a moment, he could only brace himself and reply, “A-ma, I’ve heard that the circuit intendant of Huining, Chiguang, and Taidao in Anhui, Robert Evans, has a daughter who is virtuous and intelligent. There are many rumors about her in town.”

　　The Prince grinned, “It’s good to have someone in mind, but hearsay is unreliable. You still have to look into people carefully.” Then he frowned, “Robert Evans? Doesn’t he have a daughter in the palace? I think she was granted the title of Noble Lady a couple of years ago?”

　　At that time, Noble Lady Green was not well known, having only just received the Xianfeng Emperor’s favor, so it was no wonder the Prince wasn’t clear about her situation.

　　William Sullivan nodded, “That’s the same Robert Evans.” At that moment, William Sullivan had this idea on a sudden whim. Since it was an arranged marriage, what did it matter who the other party was? It wouldn’t hurt to have some connection to Noble Lady Green. Although his arrival had affected the situation in the capital and this Noble Lady Green might not be the same as the one in history, in this era, he couldn’t afford not to be wary of the woman who would one day rule half of the Qing dynasty!

　　Wasn’t this a kind of political marriage? So be it. From the moment he began to prepare to act, personal honor and disgrace no longer mattered to William Sullivan.

Chapter Seven: Enlightenment

　　He made a trip to the Miller family, and upon hearing that John Miller had not yet returned from Shandong, William Sullivan left a letter and some silver, then gave Young Master Miller a stern talking-to, warning that if he dared to gamble again, he’d have his legs broken. Only then did the Miller family thank him profusely as they saw him out.

　　There was a locust plague in Shandong, and John Miller had gone to Qingzhou to set up a porridge kitchen to aid the victims. In recent years, John Miller was often seen distributing grain and providing disaster relief in Zhili and Shandong. The gentry all called him Philanthropist Miller, but no one knew that Philanthropist Miller was just running errands for someone else—the real benefactor was a yellow-belted noble in the capital.

　　In fact, William Sullivan knew that his own efforts were just a drop in the bucket. What difference did it make to help a few people? As long as the system didn’t change, the tragic scenes depicted in “The Picture of the Wandering Poor” would never cease. What he was doing now was merely for his own peace of mind.

　　In the narrow alleyways of the prince’s residence, surrounded by blue walls, Henry Foster was already waiting. The bare-chested, muscular coachman tugged the reins, and the carriage slowly came to a halt.

　　William Sullivan lifted the small red curtain on the carriage window. Henry Foster leaned over and whispered, “Master, the matter is settled. The person has been delivered.”

　　William Sullivan nodded slightly and let the curtain fall.

　　……

　　As the name suggests, the Xisi Archways were four grand, colorfully painted archways at a crossroads, one on each side. Like the Dongsi Archways, they were the most important transportation hub and bustling commercial district of the Imperial City.