Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 332

Chapter 332: The Crown Prince

Lin Fan had served in the Imperial Guards for many years and had seen all kinds of people. Among them, the most difficult to deal with were powerful and unruly men like Pei Que. But once he entered the room, he wouldn’t leave until he had finished speaking.

“Fourth Master Pei, could you please stay out of the Lin family’s affairs? I won’t get involved in yours either, is that right?”

It sounded like a good option, but Pei Que hated being threatened, especially by the Lin family, a family he disliked very much.

“Lin Fan, where does your confidence come from?” Pei Que narrowed his eyes.

Lin Fan felt his deal wasn’t excessive or difficult. “I’m not asking for friendship; I’m just drawing a line between our two families. That’s not difficult, is it?”

“It’s not difficult,” Pei Que smiled. “But even without mentioning the long-standing grudge between the Lin family and me, you and your two sisters alone have caused me a lot of trouble. Have you forgotten my principles? From the moment you entered this room without permission, we have had nothing to discuss.”

Pei Que gestured again, “If you don’t leave now, I don’t mind adding fuel to the fire and making the Lin family’s fire burn even more fiercely.”

Lin Fan hadn’t expected Pei Que to be so unyielding. Seeing Pei Que’s arrogance, he wanted to trample him underfoot. But he didn’t even have the qualifications to stay in the palace tonight to keep watch, let alone compete with Pei Que. He could only withdraw and think of other options.

Pei Que sat down again. Soon, a young eunuch came in to serve tea and said a few auspicious words. Then he stayed alone in the palace to handle business.

As dawn neared, Pei Que hurriedly rose and entered Renzheng Hall.

Once inside, Pei Que stood at the edge. At the head was Prime Minister Wang, and everyone knelt at the foot of the bed.

The old Emperor had been awake for a while. He sat on the bed, supported by his personal maid. He glanced at the kneeling ministers. After coughing a few times, his aged voice rang out in the hall. “Listen up, all of you! Send the Seventh Prince and the other princes back to the capital immediately. At the same time, have the Ministry of Rites prepare the imperial edict. I wish to appoint the Twelfth Prince as Crown Prince.”

At these words, the kneeling men bowed their heads even lower.

The Emperor’s willingness to appoint a Crown Prince indicated that his health was truly failing. The princes had been squabbling, and now, with the Fourth Prince dead and the Eighth Prince under house arrest, the Twelfth Prince had ascended to the throne. This meant a profound change in the capital.

But the Emperor had issued an edict enthroning the legitimate son, and no one dared to object.

Pei Que wasn’t surprised to hear this. He’d worked so hard to bring the Fifth Prince down with him. As long as it wasn’t the Fifth Prince, he wouldn’t care which other prince ascended the throne. What surprised him slightly was that the Emperor would actually allow the Seventh Prince to return to the capital. He couldn’t yet grasp the implications of this.

Hearing the Emperor say, “Withdraw,” Pei Que slowly rose with the others.

Everyone was rushing to pass on messages. Friends would gather to chat, while those like Pei Que, who were always annoying, would leave the palace on their own.

“Master, please get in the carriage.” Shunzi had returned to the Pei Mansion last night and discovered that Madam had gone to the An Mansion. He had then gone there to deliver a message and had been guarding the palace gate ever since. “You’ve been guarding the palace all night, so you must not have slept well. Please get in the carriage and rest for a while. I’ll drive slowly.”

“Let’s hurry up,” Pei Que asked after getting in the carriage. “Let’s go east first. By the way, did Madam say anything?”

“No. Madam of An suddenly went into labor, and Madam returned to the An Mansion. It was late when I went there. I left a message and hurried to meet you,” Shunzi said.

“Then drive quickly. Let’s go around east for a bit, then to the An Mansion.” Pei Que lowered the curtain and half-leaned on the cushions. Although his eyes were closed, he wasn’t sleepy. So much had happened in those twelve hours.

~

An Zhi woke at dawn. Worried about Madam, she simply washed up and headed to the main courtyard. “Zhi’er is here.” Madam Feng, old and sleepy, had been here since early morning. “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? Come on in; we’ll eat together.”

An Zhi smiled as she entered the room. She first greeted the Madam, then checked on her younger brother before heading to the main hall to eat.

An Chengye was also in the main hall. He had returned from the palace the previous night and was overjoyed to learn that his young wife had given birth to a son. However, thoughts of the Emperor’s affairs at the palace had begun to worry him, and he hadn’t slept well all night.

After An Zhi greeted her father, the three of them ate together.

Just as they finished their meal, word reached the An Mansion that the Emperor was planning to appoint the Twelfth Prince as Crown Prince, and An Zhi was summoned to the study.

The An and Yun families had no grudges or connections, so An Chengye had summoned An Zhi to the study, not because he was worried that the Twelfth Prince’s ascension to the throne would harm the An family, but rather to inquire whether he should become closer to the Yun family in the future.

An Zhi thought that was unnecessary. “The Twelfth Prince is only nine years old. When he ascends the throne, he will undoubtedly need the assistance of ministers. As for the Yun family, they will undoubtedly have a period of immense power. As the saying goes, everything that rises must fall. No one can guarantee that the Yun family’s prosperity will last a century. Father used to be prudent and cautious, and he should continue to be so now. No need to curry favor, but don’t offend anyone either.”

“I never offend anyone,” An Chengye affirmed. “It’s just my son-in-law…” He paused, hinting, “Doesn’t he have a bad temper?”

An Zhi offered reassurance. “Pei Que may be a bit arrogant to outsiders, but he’s discerning about people and won’t offend just anyone. Furthermore, the Pei family has never relied on flattery to gain a foothold, so you don’t have to worry about that, Father. However, the Emperor wants to appoint the Twelfth Prince as Crown Prince. That’s fine with the Eighth Prince, but the Fifth Prince will definitely not give up. Father, you’d better be more careful about yourself. Given the current situation, there’s no telling if the Fifth Prince will rebel.”

At the mention of the word “rebel,” An Chengye’s hair stood on end.

“What are you talking about!” An Chengye turned back in alarm, his voice low. “How can you say something like that? Are you trying to kill yourself?”

An Zhi wasn’t that afraid of death. Besides, they were in a deep inner room, and she wasn’t shouting with a loudspeaker. If anyone could hear her, the An family would be doomed.

So she ignored her father’s warning and continued, “Anyway, Father, be careful. Come home as soon as you can. No matter how beautiful the flowers and plants outside are, most of them are poisonous.”

An Zhi knew how lustful her father was. After she poisoned him, he had behaved himself for a while, but the word “gallivant” was written on his belt, so she had heard about him going out for a drink and prostitutes a few days ago.

After saying this, An Zhi opened the door and left.

An Chengye’s face was grim, but his daughter wasn’t the same girl she once was, and he didn’t even have the courage to scold her. But he really couldn’t afford to indulge in prostitution these days. No matter how tempting the outside world was, it wasn’t as important as staying alive.

Thinking of this, An Chengye happily went to see his youngest son again.

After leaving the study, An Zhi went to visit Concubine Zhang. She hadn’t been there for half an hour when the servant in the front courtyard arrived to announce that the son-in-law had arrived.

Hearing Pei Que’s arrival, An Zhi hurried out to greet him. When she reached the main courtyard, she ran into Pei Que.

Seeing Pei Que’s vacant eyes, she knew he hadn’t gotten much rest the previous night.

“Come in quickly.” An Zhi walked over to Pei Que and straightened his collar. When she heard Pei Que ask how his wife was doing, she replied softly, “Everything is fine. Madam and my little brother look good too. But you don’t look too good. Why don’t you go home and rest for a while?”

Pei Que took An Zhi’s hand, and they walked together to the courtyard. “Wherever my wife is, that’s my home.”

He spoke softly, neither loud nor soft, but loud enough for the maids nearby to hear. When the news of An Zhi’s marriage to Pei Que first broke, most people said she was marrying above her station, even some servants in the An Mansion. But now, seeing the son-in-law’s attitude, they were all filled with envy.

When they reached the side room, An Zhi broke free from Pei Que’s hand, fearing it would be embarrassing if the elders saw her.

An Chengye heard Pei Que approaching and hurried over. Seeing him was like seeing a life-saving bodhisattva, wishing he could be enshrined on his amulet. He warmly welcomed him. “My dear son-in-law, please sit down and have some tea. Once you’ve moistened your throat, we’ll talk.”

An Zhi knew her father was a servile person, but she hadn’t expected him to be so servile in front of Pei Que. His tone was as if he had met a savior. Glancing at Pei Que and smiling, she followed suit and offered him some tea.

Pei Que was indeed a little thirsty. He hadn’t drunk a single drop of water on his journey from the palace to the east city that morning. After finishing most of his tea, he said, “There’s nothing going on in the east city. Father-in-law can go there tomorrow. But be ready to go back to the palace at any time. No one can predict what will happen now.”

“I know. I didn’t even take off my official robes when I went to bed last night, fearing I’d have to put them on again in the middle of the night,” An Chengye said with a smile.

Pei Que had been his father-in-law’s superior for several years and knew his character thoroughly. He wasn’t worried about him getting into trouble. His main reason for coming today was to see An Zhi.

The three of them sat and talked for a while before Shunzi came in and called Pei Que, saying he had some official business waiting for him.

Pei Que had no choice but to leave.

An Zhi escorted Pei Que out. “The Emperor has just appointed the Crown Prince, so the court is bound to be in turmoil. And with the Fifth Prince, you must be extra careful. As for me, don’t worry. I’ll stay at the An Mansion for two days and then leave.”

“It’s alright for you to stay a few more days,” Pei Que said. “The Pei family is large and diverse, so it’s not as safe as the An Mansion, where we know everyone well.”

“Then I’ll see to it.” An Zhi paused, tilting her head to glance at the carriages on the street. For some reason, she felt uneasy and couldn’t help but remind him again, “Remember to take care of yourself.”

It was rare for Pei Que to see An Zhi so worried about him. He leaned over to whisper, “Madam, you made such plans for me, but I wasn’t here last night. Did you miss me?”

“Not at all!” An Zhi pushed Pei Que aside, took two huffing steps back, then stopped and turned to look at him. “Hurry up; don’t you have something urgent to do?”

Pei Que said “oh” and walked down the stone steps reluctantly. He got on the carriage only after he could no longer see An Zhi.

When An Zhi returned to the main house, her face was still burning. She only felt a little better after asking for a cup of tea.

She heard her father and his wife chatting and laughing inside, so she stopped to listen for a moment. When Madam Feng emerged, she regained her composure and went out to talk to her.

She spent another night at the An Mansion, and only after confirming that the Madam was alright did An Zhi leave.

However, as soon as she left the An Mansion’s main gate, a servant from the Pei Mansion hurried over.

“Fourth Madam, something terrible has happened. The Fourth Master has been hit by a rock in the east city. He’s near the east end of the city. Please go and see him.”

The servant worked in the front courtyard of the Pei Mansion, and An Zhi had seen him once or twice before. So, upon hearing this, she nearly lost her balance, stumbling into Binglu’s arms and hurriedly getting into the carriage.

Binglu grasped her young madam’s hand, wanting to offer soothing words, but the thought of the son-in-law’s broken leg brought tears to her eyes, and she couldn’t utter a single word.

An Zhi listened to the crackle of the whip and thought to herself, “Yesterday I told Pei Que to be careful. How could he break his leg today?”

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, but this was the worst time to be anxious.

Patting her cheek and taking a few deep breaths, An Zhi wiped her tears and continued to breathe. “Binglu, pinch me.”

Binglu didn’t understand. “What?”

“Pinch me hard, quickly.” An Zhi was a little unconvinced that this was reality.

Binglu made a sound but didn’t dare to use too much pressure. Only after her young madam urged her again did she apply a little force.

It hurt, and An Zhi knew it wasn’t a dream.

If it wasn’t a dream, then Pei Que… An Zhi didn’t dare to think about it.

Especially not the thought that Pei Que might lose his life. The thought made her heart ache.

After a long moment, An Zhi calmed down a bit. She lifted the carriage curtain to see where they were headed, only to discover the carriage wasn’t heading east of the city but had instead entered a secluded lane.

Oh no! It was an ambush!

Without a second thought, An Zhi rushed to the carriage curtain and kicked the coachman.

At the same moment, the startled horse reared up, causing the carriage to tilt upwards, and An Zhi tumbled into the carriage, tumbling into a heap with Binglu.

With a loud bang, the carriage fell apart, and the sound of clattering footsteps could be heard from outside.

The moment the curtains were lifted, An Zhi saw a group of masked men in black. She tactfully raised her hand. “If you’re after money, you can take all my jewelry and purses. If not, I’m willing to cooperate.”

The most important lesson An Zhi learned from her father was that a wise man knows when to act and shouldn’t let his own impulses get him hurt.

The other party probably didn’t expect her to be so cooperative. They exchanged glances and told her to get out of the carriage.

An Zhi took Binglu’s hand and whispered, “Don’t be afraid.” Once they were out of the carriage, her eyes were covered with a black cloth.

“My dear men, if you simply want to earn some money, I can give you more.” An Zhi felt she could make a little more effort. “Not just ten or twenty thousand taels of silver, I can give you one hundred, even two hundred thousand, taels of silver, if you’ll just switch sides. Since you’re here to abduct me, you must know my identity. I always keep my word…”

Before An Zhi could finish her words, she was struck hard on the back of her neck. Her vision suddenly blurred, and soon she could see nothing, completely passing out.