No wonder, Charles Clark suddenly understood many things: why the Qin people would know about someone like him, why they knew about his true talent and learning. It must have been Edward Young who played the role of messenger in all this. As his friend, he knew exactly what Charles Clark was capable of, and also how arrogant and conceited he was. He was the one who recommended him to the main culprit on the Qin army’s side!

The First Emperor’s father came to assassinate me??

Having figured all this out, Charles Clark’s feelings toward Edward Young became somewhat complicated. To be honest, he really disliked this feeling of being used. He even wanted revenge. But then he thought of the child in his concubine’s belly. That person, to a soul from two thousand years in the future, was someone worthy of respect, even admiration—a sovereign who unified the land of China and laid the very foundation of Chinese civilization, an emperor for the ages. If he were to fall out with his father, and that child one day ruled the world, wouldn’t he be in trouble?

While Charles Clark was still lost in thought, the carriage had already come to a stop.

George held the reins, standing to the side, glaring at Charles Clark through his nostrils.

“Young master, do you want me to carry you down?”

Chapter 004: You Are the One Who Destroyed Zhao

This was another village, a bit smaller than Mafou. The area was shaded by green trees, and the clear sound of a stream could be heard, probably flowing down from the mountains. This place also had a name—Gouli. As for why it was called that, it was said that long ago, the hills were covered with gou grass, hence the name. Although it was much smaller than Mafou, the environment was still very pleasant.

George went to park the carriage, and Charles Clark knocked on the courtyard gate. Soon, a maid came out to open the door.

In the state of Zhao, there were two types of household retainers. The first were privately raised retainers, who were registered in the household’s census, considered part of the family, living together—in short, private slaves. The other type were like George, Grace, and Miller, who were retainers, or “guests.” They were not registered under the master’s household, were free people with their own property, but received a salary from the master and did things that only retainers would do.

For example, at meal times, as a member of the noble class, Charles Clark could not eat and drink as he pleased. He could take three bites, then had to say he was full. At that point, the retainers would urge him to eat more, and only then could he continue. For lords and kings, it was even worse—the king could only take one bite, then wait for others to urge him to eat. Such etiquette was very common during the Spring and Autumn period, and even now, only the Three Jin regions still observed it.

Of course, even in the Three Jin regions, not every noble followed these rules. However, if nobles did not observe such customs in their interactions, they would be ridiculed. In this era, being ridiculed was considered far more serious than being killed.

The maid led Charles Clark into the house. Candles were lit inside, as the old mother was not in good health and her eyesight was poor, hence the need for light. When Charles Clark saw his mother, his heart trembled, and memories from the past twenty years flooded his mind. He bowed deeply to the old woman and said, “Is the honored lady well?” The old woman opened her eyes, her gaze a bit cloudy, and smiled as she looked at her son, replying, “I am well.”

Only then did Charles Clark kneel before his mother and take out the dates he had brought, placing them in front of her.

“I brought some dates for the honored lady.”

“Good…” The old mother said, smiling as she picked up a date and bit into it. She then asked about Charles Clark’s food and clothing. Fortunately, Charles Clark had fully absorbed all the memories of his predecessor and answered fluently, so the old mother did not notice anything amiss. She then gave him a series of instructions. Listening to her words, Charles Clark felt a wave of warmth in his heart. After so many years, he once again experienced the feeling of being cared for, and was filled with mixed emotions.

“Kuò… I heard that Zhao Yiren tried to assassinate you?” The old woman looked a bit worried.

“Honored lady, please don’t worry. Those are just rumors—nothing like that happened.”

“Sigh… You’ve never been able to lie since you were a child.” The old woman shook her head helplessly. Charles Clark did not argue. He knew his mother had always been very clever. When he was young, he remembered his father often asking his mother for advice, hoping she could solve his problems. After his father passed away, his mother was very strict in raising him, nurturing him in many ways, but never pushing him too hard or making him resentful.

“Kuò, you have studied military strategy since childhood, discussing war and tactics, always thinking no one in the world could match you. Even when your father was alive, he couldn’t out-argue you on military matters… But your father once said you must not become a general.” Mother Zhao said seriously. If it were the old Charles Clark, he would have jumped up at this point, passionately expounding his views on war and the world, and sharing his grand ambitions.

But now, Charles Clark was extremely quiet, because he knew Mother Zhao was right—he really could not become a general. The consequences of him becoming a general were already written clearly in the history books.