Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 186

Chapter 186: Stealing Wine

After the carriage stopped, An Zhi also looked out the window. Pei Que stopped by the carriage window and spoke politely, “Nephew Pei Que greets Madam Qian.”

Because of Pei Yu’s broken engagement, Madam Qian didn’t have a good impression of the Pei family, especially this notorious Pei Que. She nodded curtly. “I am a generation older than your father, so you shouldn’t call yourself ‘nephew.’ The road is narrow, so I’ve stopped to let you pass; please go ahead.”

Pei Que’s intention was to gain favor with Madam Qian, but he hadn’t expected her to be so unfriendly. He guessed that Madam Qian probably disliked the Pei family because of Pei Yu’s actions, which was understandable. He wasn’t in a hurry to win over the elder woman and smiled gently, “I was a classmate of the two young generals of the Bai family when we were children. Even without considering our fathers, I should respectfully address myself as ‘nephew.'”

Respecting seniority was very important.

Pei Que continued, “Since Aunt is being modest, then I thank you, Aunt.”

After saying this, Pei Que rode his horse slowly forward for a while before finally galloping away. Madam Qian lowered the curtain, her face showing displeasure. “That scoundrel!”

An Zhi had heard Pei Que speak politely and respectfully and didn’t understand why her aunt was angry. “Aunt, Fourth Master Pei was very polite just now.”

“That’s just an act!” Madam Qian’s two sons were also mischievous, always getting into trouble. She often saw Pei Que with them, so her opinion of him wasn’t just based on what happened with Pei Yu; she already didn’t like him. “When your two cousins ​​were teenagers, they often did bad things with Pei Que. Every time they were caught, Pei Que would always find a way to escape punishment.”

Fearing that her niece might be fooled by Pei Que’s good looks, Madam Qian emphasized her words. “Don’t be fooled by his good looks. He’s a real scoundrel at heart, not a good person.”

Since her aunt had said that, An Zhi didn’t want to defend Pei Que anymore.

After sending her aunt to the Bai Mansion, An Zhi returned to the An Mansion in her own carriage.

Binglu knew about her young lady and Fourth Master Pei’s relationship. Thinking about what Madam Qian had said, she worried about her young lady. “Miss, since Aunt and Uncle don’t have a good opinion of Fourth Master Pei, if he proposes, will they refuse?”

An Zhi’s marriage wasn’t up to Madam Qian and Master Bai to decide, since her father was still alive. But she was close to the Bai family. If—and she meant if—she agreed to Pei Que’s proposal but didn’t change her aunt and uncle’s opinion of him, it would surely upset them.

An Zhi didn’t want to make her aunt and uncle unhappy, and subconsciously, she started thinking about how to change their opinion of Pei Que.

On the other hand, Pei Que was also thinking about the same thing. As Pei Que and Shunzi returned to the Pei Mansion, walking along the corridor, the servants treated him with much more respect than before.

After entering his courtyard, Shunzi cautiously observed his master’s expression and then reminded him, “Master, I noticed that Madam Qian seemed to have some reservations about you earlier.”

Pei Que snorted, and Shunzi immediately lowered his head and moved to a corner.

“Come here,” Pei Que called out to Shunzi. “Tell me, how can I make Madam Qian like me?”

“Madam Qian dislikes you because of the incident involving the eldest son, and also because of the trouble you caused in your youth, especially with the two Bai family sons…” Shunzi stopped mid-sentence, realizing his master’s dark eyes were fixed on him, and quickly covered his mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that. You are so clever, Master; you must already have a plan to win over Madam Qian.”

Pei Que chuckled coldly and waved Shunzi away.

Actually, Pei Que hadn’t thought of any good ideas. The Bai family had everything they needed; both sons were already married, so the Bai couple didn’t lack anything.

Wait, the Bai couple might not lack anything, but Bai Cheng’s army did. The northwest region was cold and harsh, primarily relying on herding, and grain supplies depended on the imperial treasury.

However, obtaining funds or grain from the treasury required multiple layers of approval, which was extremely difficult.

“Shunzi!” Pei Que called out loudly.

Shunzi, who had already reached the door, heard his master’s excited tone and knew he had an idea. He ran back, smiling obsequiously, and asked what his master wanted.

“Is Minister He, in charge of the treasury, a heavy drinker?” Pei Que asked. Shunzi nodded. “Lord He is a notorious drunkard; I’ve heard he has a vast collection of wine at home. When he was young, he even married the daughter of a wine shop owner just to learn the art of brewing wine.”

The Pei family was a venerable, centuries-old lineage, and their cooks all possessed time-honored culinary skills, including the art of brewing wine.

However, the best wines were kept in the possession of Pei Que’s father.

Pei Que called Shunzi over and whispered a few words in his ear, which made Shunzi almost kneel in fear.

“No, master! If the Master finds out I stole his wine, he’ll break my legs!” Shunzi nearly cried. He truly didn’t dare to do it.

Pei Que grabbed Shunzi by the nape of his neck, preventing him from kneeling. “Don’t worry, with me here, I’ll make sure Father doesn’t find out. Besides, just be careful not to let him see you, and everything will be fine. Go now; I need you tonight.”

Shunzi looked at his master with half-belief. “Master, you promised to stop your father, right?”

“Of course, I always keep my word.” Pei Que gave Shunzi a reassuring glance. After Shunzi left, he let out a subtle, mischievous smile.

He said he would stop him, but he wasn’t sure he could actually do it.

~

An Xu’s wedding arrived as scheduled.

Before dawn, An Zhi got up and started getting ready.

Today was her brother’s wedding, so An Zhi wanted to look her best.

Usually, the maids in the courtyard would take turns doing her hair, but today they hired an experienced hairstylist.

While the hairstylist was doing An Zhi’s hair, she couldn’t help but praise her: “Miss’s hair is so black and thick; it’s the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen.”

Binglu nodded in agreement, standing beside her. “My young lady is naturally beautiful; she’s the most beautiful woman in the capital!”

An Zhi smiled and said Binglu was exaggerating. She looked at herself in the copper mirror; her features were exquisite, her lips were a vibrant red, and she looked like a blooming flower, more radiant than usual.

Seeing the hairstylist about to add more hair accessories, An Zhi stopped her. “This is perfect. If it’s any more elaborate, it will overshadow the bride. Besides, I need to greet the guests with the matron, so I can’t have such a heavy hairstyle.”

The hairstylist nodded and agreed. While applying makeup, she couldn’t help but praise An Zhi again.

By the time An Zhi finished getting ready, it was just dawn. An Zhi stood on the veranda, addressing everyone in the courtyard. “Everyone, be extra careful today. We have not only high-ranking officials and their wives from the capital here, but also members of the royal family. If anyone accidentally offends the wrong person, even I won’t be able to save you.”

Everyone nodded in understanding.

An Zhi slowly walked down the stone steps, followed by her three main maids, Binglu, Chunlan, and Donglan, as they headed towards the main hall.