Charles Clark instinctively furrowed his brows. In his memory, he had always been at odds with this person—George was extremely harsh, not just with Charles Clark, but also with Grace, Miller, and others; his relationships were all very poor. This old man was not liked by anyone in the Zhao household. Charles Clark didn’t say much and simply walked toward the door, with George following behind him, head held high. The two of them left the courtyard, where there were many similar courtyards like Charles Clark’s, arranged in this area.

The Zhao family owned three properties: one in Handan, and two in Mafou. One was near Mafou Mountain, the other close to Niushou River. Charles Clark lived here. His mother, being elderly and unable to bear the intense heat, would move to the residence near Mafou Mountain during the summer. That place was nestled by the mountain and water, and had stored ice. Just as he stepped out the door, he saw a carriage. This carriage was quite different from those seen in movies and TV shows.

The biggest difference was that this carriage had no cover, resembling a tricycle from later times, offering none of the thrill of rolling up the curtain to secretly observe the people. Charles Clark was about to get on when he heard George say coldly, “I’ve heard that after a son has been separated from his mother for a long time, it’s not proper to visit her empty-handed. Does the young lord not know this?”

Charles Clark ignored the old man’s sarcasm. For someone who had once survived the relentless bombardment of Zu’an in e-sports, this old man was nothing. Still, he stopped, accepting Charles Clark’s memories. The feelings for this matron had also been inherited, making him feel a bit strange and uneasy. But indeed, it wasn’t right to visit empty-handed. He asked, “Then what should I bring?”

“Every time the matron sends me to pay respects, she always has me bring peaches. She never forgets what the young lord likes to eat.”

Charles Clark thought for a moment. In his memories, his mother seemed to like dates very much. With a wave of his hand, he said, “George, go buy some dates!” This time, George didn’t retort, but turned and walked into the courtyard. Soon, he came out carrying some dates, handed them to Charles Clark, and went to prepare the carriage. Charles Clark felt a bit awkward—turns out they already had some at home. He got on the carriage skillfully, and George drove the fine horse, the carriage quickly moving forward.

Charles Clark took the opportunity to observe the Hebei landscape from two thousand years ago. Though this was a rural settlement, it was surrounded by walls just like a city. The low, earth-yellow walls enclosed the whole area. Inside, there was only one road, which was very narrow—just wide enough for a single carriage. On both sides were courtyards, some large, some small, but Charles Clark’s was clearly the most spacious among them.

At this moment, there weren’t many pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, a few children playing would quickly dodge to the side upon seeing the carriage, peeking out to look at Charles Clark. Charles Clark just smiled slightly. As they traveled, a flock of sheep suddenly appeared ahead. The shepherd, seeing the carriage, was unhurried, skillfully cracking his long whip. The sheep naturally split into two groups, making way for the carriage, which amazed Charles Clark.

The two Zhao family courtyards weren’t very far apart. When the gatekeeper saw Charles Clark’s carriage from afar, he opened the settlement gate early, bowing and nodding as he watched Charles Clark leave, not even questioning him. Ordinary people didn’t have it so easy coming and going. Leaving the settlement, they headed west.

“I heard that Edward Young came to assassinate the young lord?” George suddenly asked.

“Oh? How did you know that?” Charles Clark asked in surprise. This time, George didn’t answer, focusing on driving the carriage. Charles Clark sighed helplessly, instinctively thinking of a name—Miller.

Honestly, being able to spread news to Mafou Mountain ten miles away within a few hours was a skill in itself.

Suddenly, Charles Clark sensed something was off. Edward Young?? Wasn’t it Edward Clark?? As he pondered, memories of Edward Young slowly surfaced. Edward Young was the son of the King of Qin An, of the Zhao clan with the Ying surname. In this era, only when showing contempt would one address a man by his surname.

Because he was out of favor, he was sent to Zhao as a hostage. Due to the poor relations between Qin and Zhao, the people of Zhao didn’t treat him well. For a time, Edward Clark didn’t even have a carriage to travel in and lived in poverty. It was during this period that Charles Clark met Edward Clark. Charles Clark felt this man appreciated his talents, so he would talk with him daily about military strategy and occasionally offer him financial help.

But for some reason, gradually, he became wealthy again, spending generously, winning over many scholars, and his reputation soared.

The original Charles Clark never understood why, but the current Charles Clark now knew the reason… “A rare commodity can be held for ransom”… “A rare commodity can be held for ransom,” Charles Clark thought excitedly. Even with his limited knowledge of history, he knew who Edward Young was… He was the future father of Ying Zheng! The father of the First Emperor!