Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 537

Chapter 537: Bad Luck

After her pregnancy progressed further, An Zhi basically didn’t go out.

When she woke up, Pei Que had already gone to court. An Zhi ate a bowl of porridge by herself, and to pass the time, she asked someone to bring several biographies and travelogues from the study, which she then had Cuisi and the others read to her, while also teaching a few of the young maids to read.

Cuisi stumbled through a chapter of a travelogue. Since she could remember, the farthest place she had ever been was a manor on the outskirts of the city. The descriptions in the travelogue were completely unfamiliar to her; she couldn’t even picture the scenes. “Madam,” she asked, “the book says ‘colorful clouds and egrets flying together.’ What are egrets? How can they fly together?”

An Zhi, despite having lived two lifetimes, hadn’t traveled many places, but she had seen such scenes in paintings and longed for them. “Imagine a long river at sunset,” she said, “a flock of white birds flying through colorful clouds, surrounded by mountains, with the babbling of a stream in your ears. That’s probably what the scenery is like.”

“That must be beautiful,” Cuisi said regretfully. “It’s a pity we can’t see such scenery in the capital. If only we could travel far away…”

An Zhi thought of Quiming Mountain. Although it wasn’t a famous mountain, it was still relatively close to the capital. “I’ll take you to Quiming Mountain sometime,” she said. “Maybe we’ll see a different view.”

Any further away, she might not have the chance. After all, a chivalrous swordsman traveling the world couldn’t have too many ties.

Her current ties, both tangible and intangible, were not things she could easily let go of at this moment.

Binglu’s gaze towards her young madam shifted from longing to a hint of sadness. Remembering her young madam’s unmarried wish to travel the world, before Cuisi could ask again, Binglu changed the subject to the new wet nurse: “No matter how beautiful the scenery outside is, it can’t compare to the comfort of our Pei Mansion. When that new wet nurse first arrived, her eyes were practically dazzled by all the sights.”

Cuisi chuckled, “Yes, she even asked if we had a mountain of gold.”

Thinking of the new wet nurse, An Zhi frowned and asked, “Is that wet nurse trustworthy?”

Not someone she knew well, An Zhi always felt she couldn’t be relied upon.

Binglu said, “She should be trustworthy; after all, she was personally chosen by Nanny Wang. She’s an old hand in the late Madam’s service; her judgment can’t be wrong.”

“That’s true.” An Zhi put down her book. “But you should still be careful; after all, the wet nurse’s affairs can’t be taken lightly. If anything seems amiss, come and tell me first.”

The maids all responded with a “Yes,” and then continued reading. Life was quite peaceful.

Meanwhile, Madam Li from the eldest son’s household had already arrived at the horse farm with her daughter.

As soon as they entered the horse farm, they learned that Li Yao had reserved the easternmost section. There were people blocking access, but the horse farm was too large to guard every corner.

Madam Li led her daughter to a corner. She looked at her daughter’s hair and removed a hairpin.

“Mother, you’ve messed up my hair.” Pei Xue was very anxious. She had spent the whole morning preparing her makeup, hoping to make a good impression on the Emperor.

Madam Li, however, was an experienced woman. “A perfectly dressed appearance won’t make you look like you’re lost. A slightly messy hairstyle won’t affect your beauty. When you meet the Emperor, I’ve already taught you what to do. Remember, don’t mention whose daughter you are. Only by leaving a mystery will a man stay interested.”

Madam Li had planned for her daughter for a long time, rehearsing various chance encounters in her mind. She felt that Pei Que and An Zhi were right about one thing: appearing before the Emperor as a daughter of the Pei family wasn’t appropriate. Therefore, she would conceal her identity for now. Once the Emperor truly took a liking to her daughter, what would happen when he found out her identity? She could then stage a self-inflicted injury.

Madam Li couldn’t go in with her daughter. She patted her daughter’s shoulder, her heart pounding with anxiety, but she couldn’t show it now. “Go in. I’ll have Yuan’er look for you nearby. Don’t linger too long; be careful.”

Pei Xue took a deep breath and entered the horse farm. Following the directions she had made earlier, she soon found the place to ride.

A galloping horse galloped by, and the young man, with a face as handsome as jade, was indeed quite dashing.

Standing in a daze, Pei Xue forgot her purpose in coming in and was nearly knocked over by the oncoming horse.

“Who are you?” The Emperor noticed the commotion, and his first reaction was that she was a spy. He had already drawn his sword, its cold gleam reflecting on Pei Xue’s face, startling her so much that she fell to the ground. “Didn’t I tell you not to come in here? How did you get in?”

Pei Xue was stunned. She had thought it would be a scene of love at first sight, but instead, the Emperor held a sword to her, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Li Yao, drawn by the sound, came and saw Pei Xue, her face streaked with tears. A pang of pity struck him. “Twelfth Brother, don’t frighten the young lady. Judging by her attire, she’s probably a young lady from some noble family. She seems lost. Two men, take this young lady out.”

Pei Xue had just entered and hadn’t yet made a good impression on the Emperor. She didn’t want to leave so soon, but seeing a group of men staring at her, she wanted to speak but couldn’t, so she could only leave.

After Pei Xue left, the Emperor continued to stare in her direction, not out of admiration, but with a frown. “Brother, please investigate this woman. I noticed she kept staring… I think it’s strange.”

The Emperor had secretly left the palace today, saying that once people get used to him, it’s hard for them to swiftly switch to him.

Li Yao thought it was nothing serious. “It should be fine. People often come to the horse ranch. Those young ladies don’t usually go out, so it’s easy for them to get lost.”

Indeed, the horse ranch was too large; someone visiting for the first time could easily lose their way.

The Emperor, however, found it strange, especially when he saw the woman’s face; it seemed vaguely familiar. Since his maternal grandfather’s stroke, he had become much more cautious, and it would be better to investigate thoroughly for peace of mind.

After Li Yao finished speaking, seeing the Emperor still frowning, he quickly changed the subject: “Alright, I’ll send someone to investigate right away.”

Investigating someone, especially one like Pei Xue still at the horse farm, was particularly easy. Madam Li had been too optimistic, thinking she could keep it a secret by remaining silent, but Li Yao was, after all, a prince; once he gave the order, the horse farm manager would tell them everything.

So, they quickly discovered she was the eldest daughter of the Pei family’s main branch.

Upon hearing the name “Pei family,” the Emperor was furious, but precisely because it was the Pei family, he believed Pei Xue was lost; after all, the Pei family wouldn’t send a woman to his side.

“What bad luck!” The Emperor rose and walked out, his interest in riding gone. “I keep running into the Pei family wherever I go. I’m done playing; let’s go home!”

Li Yao had only been out with the Emperor for a short while, and hearing that the Emperor wanted to leave, he held a grudge against the Pei family. But since they were already out, he wanted the Emperor to have fun. After much persuasion, he finally convinced the Emperor to go to his private residence, promising him some good things to try.