Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 587

Chapter 587: Welcome

“But what if the heavens have already crumbled and can no longer accommodate me? Should I then force myself to hold them up?” Pei Que asked, looking at the old master.

He had harbored resentment towards the Emperor for a long time, enduring many things, but later realized that even flattery was useless. The Emperor’s distrust of the Pei family—no, his excessive trust in the Yun family—had clouded his judgment.

When the late Emperor was on the throne, the Yun family, as the Emperor’s fathers-in-law, were somewhat arrogant, but not to the extent that the current Emperor had just ascended the throne.

Therefore, Pei Que felt that it was better to have the Eighth Prince succeed to the throne than the Twelfth Prince.

Pei Huaijin moved the “Scholar” piece next to the General’s. “Although the Jin Dynasty is surnamed Li, there are more than one who can succeed to the throne.”

Anyone of the Li family’s bloodline could potentially succeed. However, there was also the issue of succession among the imperial family members.

Pei Que understood what the old master meant. The old master also disliked the current Emperor. A smile tugged at his thin lips. “Of the Emperor’s brothers, besides the young Eleventh Prince, there was the Seventh Prince. I’ve met the Eleventh Prince a few times; he’s a very honest and simple child, unsuitable for the throne. The Seventh Prince, Li Xing, however, has improved considerably after being demoted by the late Emperor.”

Hearing this, Pei Huaijin knew Pei Que had taken his words to heart. “Although we do not have a deep-seated hatred for the Xu family, they are a powerful clan. Once the Xu family rises to power… Then he will begin to purge the aristocratic families, because they understand best how these families can check imperial power. And the current Emperor is not a man of broad vision; he cannot shoulder the responsibility for the fate of the nation.”

Pei Que nodded in understanding. “I just do not understand if Li Xing even has such thoughts.”

“Whether he does or not doesn’t matter,” Pei Huaijin chuckled. “There are not only men in the imperial clan; there are others. With so many people, if we give them a push, someone will always step forward.”

The father and son exchanged a smile and began tidying up the chess pieces on the board.

“Now that you’ve retired from court, there’s no need to rush back,” Pei Huaijin said. “People outside are watching the Pei family’s drama; let them watch. Just focus on protecting our little corner of the world. After all, with your second and third brothers backing us up, no one else will dare to be too presumptuous.”

Pei Que nodded in agreement. Having said his piece, he tidied the chessboard and prepared to leave when a servant entered, saying that Pei Yu and his sister had come to pay their respects to the old master.

Hearing this, Pei Que stopped and turned to look at the old master.

Pei Huaijin’s gaze remained fixed on the chessboard; he did not even look up. “Go get two red envelopes; consider them New Year’s money from the elders to the younger generation. Let them go home early; I’m tired today and need to rest.”

The servant responded with a soft “Yes,” and as he passed Pei Que, he secretly glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

Pei Que stopped the servant. “Add two more red envelopes. People are already coming to our door; it’s the New Year’s Eve, I cannot be too stingy.”

Even ordinary poor families would receive some money from the Pei family at this time of year. Furthermore, in a couple of days, the Pei family would set up a rice stall near the side gate to deliver rice to the poor.

The servant agreed and left without looking back, wanting only to leave quickly.

Pei Yu, waiting at the Pei Mansion gate, waited quite a while before receiving four red envelopes.

Looking at the envelopes in his hand, Pei Yu’s face showed sadness. “Young man, is Grandfather so unwilling to see us? We have no other intentions; it was just that the New Year is approaching, and our home is quiet and desolate; we wanted to come and kowtow to Grandfather.”

The servant, a long-time attendant of the old master, was used to grand occasions. “The old master said it was enough that you have the intention,” he said. “It’s freezing outside, and the New Year is almost here. Please hurry home. These red envelopes are New Year’s money from the old master and Fourth Master. We hope you have a smooth and prosperous year ahead.”

He gestured for them to proceed.

Pei Yu had intended to kneel at the door, but his intentions had been seen through. The red envelopes in his hands felt like a burning mockery; he could not throw them away, yet he did not want to accept them.

The younger sister beside him complained softly, “I told you not to come over; let’s go back quickly.”

Pei Yu did not move. “Since Grandfather is tired, we will not disturb him any longer. However, we brought some gifts; please help us give them to Grandfather.”

The servant smiled and thanked him. “The old master also said that you two are not having an easy time right now, and you still have a long life ahead of you. Do not let this little bit of face make you live a life of hardship. In any case, you two are destined for great things, so you should save some money for yourselves.”

As more and more people were looking at them, the servant took two steps towards the main house, smiling and gesturing for Pei Yu and his sister to follow again. To others, he appeared very polite.

Pei Yu turned away from the Pei family’s plaque. As he turned around, he noticed someone pointing at him and saying things he could not hear. He could only endure it and went back.

The servant escorted Pei Yu and his sister back to the gate of the Pei family’s main house, watching them enter with utmost respect before turning back to his own Mansion.

This scene was witnessed by Fusheng, who was hiding behind the courtyard wall. After Pei Yu and his sister returned home, Fusheng ran to inform his master of the matter.

After returning from the old master’s room, Pei Que did not mention the Xu family’s affairs to An Zhi. He did not want An Zhi to worry, so he only said that they had chatted about court politics and that nothing serious had happened.

When Fusheng entered, Pei Que was helping An Zhi walk around the room. After listening to Fusheng’s story, Pei Que sneered, “Pei Yu has good intentions, but it’s a pity. Although the old master is more sentimental than before, the eldest branch has already hurt him, weakening his emotional reserves considerably.”

Speaking of Pei Yu, An Zhi immediately frowned. “These past few days, Nanny Wang told me that since my sister-in-law left, the eldest branch has been like a group of people without a leader; most of the servants have left. I think, given Pei Yu’s cunning, even if he was not good at managing the household, he would not let those servants make mistakes one by one.”

“He wants to reorganize the eldest branch, so he needs to dismiss all the old people, but he also wants a good reputation, so he had the servants fight first, then found fault to silence them,” Pei Que said softly.

An Zhi nodded in agreement. After hearing Pei Que dismiss Fusheng, An Zhi sat down to rest.

Before An Zhi could even settle in, Chunlan came in with a visiting card, saying that Madam of Xu had sent one and asking if An Zhi should accept it.

“Madam of Xu?” An Zhi read the card. It said Madam of Xu wanted to visit her, which was unexpected. She turned to Pei Que, seeking his opinion.

“I’m afraid Minister Xu could not get any information from me, so he sent Madam of Xu to sound out your thoughts,” Pei Que analyzed. “However, since she’s coming at this time, whether she’s trying to find out my opinion or not, I should welcome her.”