Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 588

Chapter 588: Settling Down

Madam of Xu arrived early in the morning with gifts.

Supported by Binglu, An Zhi went to see Madam of Xu. “I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit heavy, so I’m moving slowly.”

Madam of Xu stood up and smiled, saying it was nothing. “I’ve been nagging. I should have come to see you a couple of days ago, but there were too many things to do at home, and I do not have a capable daughter-in-law like you to help me, so I had to postpone it until today.”

An Zhi had helped Xu Wenjuan before, and Madam of Xu was quite grateful for that.

“The New Year is only three days away, the busiest time for everyone. It’s already very kind of you to come at this time,” An Zhi said with a smile, offering Madam of Xu tea. Her gaze subtly swept over Madam of Xu as she lowered her head, taking a small sip of tea.

At this moment, An Zhi was unaware of the Xu family’s ambitious plans, as Pei Que had not told her. She assumed Madam of Xu was only visiting out of respect for Xu Wenjuan and also to probe Pei Que’s true intentions.

After Madam of Xu put down her teacup, she first brought up Xu Wenjuan, who was far away in Jiuyi. “If it were not for He Xun’s decent qualities, I truly would not have been willing to marry my daughter off so far away. Now Jiuyi is in chaos, and I have not heard from Wenjuan for a month.”

“No news is good news,” An Zhi sighed. “After spring, the Jin Dynasty will send troops, and then it should be resolved quickly.”

Madam of Xu hummed in agreement. She had a great deal of resentment about this matter, especially towards her husband. They only had one daughter, and they had received many benefits for helping their daughter and son-in-law, yet it was all dragged on until next spring.

“I hope He Xun can pull it off,” Madam of Xu said, only concerned for her daughter’s safety; the rest was up to fate. “Speaking of which, I must thank your husband, Pei Que. If it were not for Pei Que’s strong support in court, those old ministers would not have been willing to send troops.”

An Zhi thought to herself, “Here it comes,” and smiled faintly, “It was only right.”

“You and Wenjuan are close, so our families are a little better off than others,” Madam of Xu said, leaning forward slightly. “You’ve been at home these past few days and do not know what’s going on outside. If you need any help, just tell me, and I would help if I can. After all, Pei Que is still young; it’s a real pity he’s retiring from court like this.”

Many people at Pei Que’s age had not even passed the imperial examinations, let alone become a high-ranking official.

Early fame brought glory but also greater attention.

An Zhi put down her teacup, her soft fingertips tracing its surface. “Since you’ve put it that way, I would be frank with you. The Emperor currently harbors deep resentment towards the Pei family. Once he assumes full power, it will likely cause even more trouble. It’s better for him to step down now. The Pei family is large; there are other officials in court.”

Regarding the conflict between Pei Que and the Emperor, once the Emperor gained power, he would inevitably settle scores with Pei Que, which would indeed make things even more difficult for Pei Que.

Madam of Xu listened with skepticism. “Even if Pei Que retires now, the Emperor would still scheme against us when he remembers. It’s better to solidify our foundation now, giving us more options later. Besides, Pei Que is still so young; would he really be content with that?”

If An Zhi said he was not content, Madam of Xu would not believe her. She had been young once too; no one could give up everything at such a young age.

An Zhi smiled and shook her head. “Of course he would not be content.”

An Zhi had asked Pei Que if he would truly be willing to return to the countryside if this plan failed. Pei Que’s answer was no, because he still had too many things to do.

“But compared to the long-term development of the family, that little bit of resentment is insignificant,” An Zhi continued.

Having received this answer, Madam of Xu withdrew her scrutinizing gaze. Having asked all the questions she wanted to, and though An Zhi had not said much more, Madam of Xu was certain of the couple’s plans. She rose and said, “In any case, if you need any help, please feel free to contact us anytime.”

An Zhi smiled and agreed, rising to see Madam of Xu to the door.

Only after boarding her carriage did Madam of Xu’s smile fade. She touched her earring, beginning to recall her conversation with An Zhi.

Back at the manor, Madam of Xu went to the study. Seeing her husband writing, she walked to the desk and dismissed the servant.

“What did she say?” Minister Xu, practicing calligraphy, caught a whiff of his wife’s usual sandalwood incense and asked without looking up.

Madam of Xu glanced at the writing on the desk and briefly recounted her conversation with An Zhi. “In my opinion, Pei Que is still plotting something, waiting for the Emperor to plead with him.”

Minister Xu put down his brush, looked at the finished writing, and, not entirely satisfied, tossed it into the paper tube. “Then it was just as we suspected. It seems Pei Que was also behind the Buddha statue incident at Baohua Hall. He’s truly capable. If given another five or ten years, I doubt anyone could suppress him.”

Madam of Xu also acknowledged Pei Que’s abilities. “Not only Pei Que, but also An Zhi’s intelligence is also considerable. Since their marriage, it seems they’ve never suffered a loss. Master, are you truly sure?”

Minister Xu turned to look at his wife, his round eyes darting around before he looked away and sat down in the chair behind him. “Our Xu family has been building up its strength for so many years, and Madam has been married to me for decades. After so many years of planning, is Madam still hesitant?”

“I was referring to the Pei family,” Madam of Xu said.

Madam of Xu genuinely thought An Zhi was quite good, and since her daughter was on good terms with An Zhi, she felt there was no need to suppress the Pei family.

“You just said it yourself, Pei Que is young and promising, and An Zhi is exceptionally talented. Given time, they will definitely be formidable rivals,” said Minister Xu, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. “Madam, as the matriarch of a powerful family, you should know how much influence these families have over imperial power, which is why the late Emperor and the current Emperor were often humiliated. Besides, the Pei family might not even side with us. You all say Pei Que is arrogant, but Pei Huaijin is even more arrogant. He probably does not want to see me rise above him. Just wait and see if Pei Que and An Zhi come to us. If they do come to the Xu family for help, then I would give Wenjuan some face.”

These subtle, gradual interventions had created the current situation. Minister Xu was even more dissatisfied with the Li’s dynasty than Pei Que. Since the Li family could not govern the country, then he would.

Madam of Xu silently prayed that An Zhi would be sensible. She truly did not want to hurt her daughter’s feelings. Even if the Xu family could not tolerate the Pei family’s power in the future, she hoped An Zhi and her husband would be spared.