Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 473

Chapter 473: Real Power

Older people generally get up earlier.

Madam of Xu was worried about her daughter, and since she was a light sleeper, she got up before dawn.

She lived next door to Madam of Yun. As soon as her door opened, Madam of Yun came out from behind it.

The two met briefly. Madam of Xu was about to just smile and leave, since her relationship with the Yun family wasn’t exactly good, but Madam of Yun called her back.

“It’s so foggy now, sister. Are you going to see Wenjuan so early?”

Madam of Xu slowed her pace. “She’s so grown up now; she doesn’t need me to go see her. I’m just getting old and can’t sleep, so I get up early. But Madam of Yun is much younger than me; why are you up so early too?”

In terms of age, the two were ten years apart, which was indeed quite a lot.

“I’m going to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager,” Madam of Yun said, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm in Madam of Xu’s words. “Since you can’t sleep, sister, let’s go together…” she paused, then waved towards a short distance away. “An Zhi, you’re up so early too! What a coincidence. Are you also going to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager?”

An Zhi had anticipated encountering some people and calmly replied, “I haven’t washed up yet. Going there now wouldn’t be good for the Empress Dowager. You two go ahead.”

Madam of Yun gave a regretful “Oh” and told Madam of Xu to go. The two of them exited the temple’s arched gate together.

Outside the temple was a bluestone path, with mottled water stains clinging to the red walls beside it.

Madam of Yun glanced back, and not seeing An Zhi, spoke, “The youngest among those living in the temple with us is An Zhi. It’s good for a woman to have a pretty face; she can marry into a high-ranking family easily. However, Pei Que marrying An Zhi isn’t a bad deal, considering the Bai family holds such great military power. But the problem is, the Bai family has controlled the Northwest military for many years and increasingly disregards the imperial family. Otherwise, they could easily attack a small country like Xiliang.”

Madam of Xu felt strangely annoyed by Madam of Yun’s repeated use of “sister.” Honestly, she hadn’t intended to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager separately, but being led around by Madam of Yun today might lead others to conflate her with the Empress Dowager. “The Bai family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, guarding the fortresses of our Central Plains. The hardships they endure are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.”

“Oh?” Madam of Yun tilted her head to look at Madam of Xu, drawing out the last syllable. “I thought… Madam of Xu thought the same as me, but it turns out I was mistaken.”

As they spoke, the two arrived at the Empress Dowager’s courtyard.

The head maidservant was just coming out with a basin of water. Seeing the two ladies, she smiled and said, “Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is combing her hair. Please wait in the courtyard, Madam of Xu. I will come to summon you later.”

Although the morning in mid-June wasn’t cold, the dew was very heavy.

Madam of Xu, hearing that the maidservant hadn’t invited them inside, glanced slightly at Madam of Yun. Seeing that Madam of Yun’s expression hadn’t changed, she knew this was normal and made her own calculations.

~

On her way back with the hot water, An Zhi overheard Binglu asking why Madam of Xu and Madam of Yun were walking together. She analyzed, “They live close by; they must have met early on.”

After Deputy Minister Xu agreed to send troops from the Northwest to attack Xiliang, An Zhi and Madam of Xu weren’t as close as before when they met. They spoke as before, but An Zhi was more cautious.

Binglu said, “Oh,” and seeing the door to their meditation room open, assumed Madam of He had also gotten up. Without thinking much of it, she followed her into the room.

Once inside the meditation room, An Zhi found that Xu Wenjuan and her maid weren’t there.

At first, An Zhi wasn’t surprised, until she noticed Xu Wenjuan’s maid lying on the floor behind the screen.

“Luzhu, wake up!” Binglu knelt down and patted Luzhu’s face.

But Luzhu didn’t wake up.

An Zhi got some warm water and splashed it on Luzhu.

“Cough…cough, Madam of Pei, please save my lady! Those thieves are back!” Luzhu cried out, trembling. “They’ve kidnapped her!”

Shuo Feng was sent by Pei Que to protect An Zhi, so he had followed her after she left home that morning. The meditation room was heavily guarded, and An Zhi had assumed the assassins wouldn’t be so bold, but she hadn’t expected them to be so capable.

“Binglu, go get some help!” After Binglu left, An Zhi instructed Luzhu, “When someone shows up later, don’t let anything about what happened yesterday slip out. My secret guards should be looking for someone.”

Luzhu nodded blankly, explaining that she had just woken up when two men entered the house and carried her wife away. She was knocked unconscious by the others, and judging by the time, it shouldn’t have been long.

“The imperial mausoleum is heavily guarded. It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to take Xu Wenjuan away,” An Zhi soothed. “They must still be inside the mausoleum.”

“But what if they want to kill my madam?” Luzhu sobbed.

“No, if they want to kill her, they’ll just kill her. They wouldn’t carry her away.” An Zhi, speaking of this, felt a lingering fear.

However, it seemed likely that those men yesterday were also after Xu Wenjuan.

But what would be the point of abducting Xu Wenjuan? He Xun held no real power in the Jin Dynasty.

Before An Zhi could figure things out, the chief guard arrived.

An Zhi was furious and wanted to curse, but finding someone was more important.

Elsewhere, Madam of Xu, upon learning her daughter had been abducted, was so anxious her shoes flew off, leaving the Empress Dowager and Madam of Yun staring at each other for a long moment.

The Empress Dowager’s face, which had been smiling just moments before, suddenly darkened. She asked coldly, “Did you do this?”

Madam of Yun’s heart trembled at the Empress Dowager’s gaze, and she quickly shook her head, “How could I dare to act in the Imperial Mausoleum?”

The Empress Dowager lived in the Imperial Mausoleum, which, in effect, was under her jurisdiction. Madam of Yun didn’t have the courage to act on her own.

“It’s really not me!” Madam of Yun, seeing the Empress Dowager’s disbelief, argued, “Minister of Xu and his wife are both incredibly slick and deeply dote on their only daughter, Xu Wenjuan. Right now, the Pei family is the Yun family’s greatest obstacle. Even if we were to take action, we’d abduct An Zhi, not Xu Wenjuan. Your Highness, I would never dare to act rashly in the Imperial Mausoleum.”

The Empress Dowager withdrew her gaze from Madam of Yun and curled her lips. “That’s interesting.”

“Yes,” Madam of Yun, taking advantage of the moment when she was alone with the Empress Dowager, recounted her conversation with Madam of Xu. “Xu Wenjuan…” The Xu family has been obsessed with navigating every aristocratic family, and now, their beloved daughter has been kidnapped by bandits. How could a pregnant woman endure such a torment? I wonder if the Xu family can maintain its neutrality this time.

The Empress Dowager hummed softly, “Take my token and help find someone. No matter what, Xu Wenjuan must not be killed. Someone was able to kidnap someone from the imperial mausoleum. Once this is over, replace all the guards there. Those who aren’t capable of serving should be sent back to farm. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep peacefully at night.”