Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 595

Chapter 595: Siege of the Mansion

When Pei Que found An Zhi, she was taking a nap. He tucked a soft pillow under her waist, and An Zhi woke up.

“You are here,” An Zhi said, having been sleepy and intending to doze off but having unexpectedly fallen asleep.

She slowly sat up straight. “How did it go? Have you found the specific cause?”

“They are already investigating. We will definitely have results before dawn.” Pei Que gently tidied An Zhi’s hair at her temples. “Do not worry so much. With so many people around, they will definitely find it.”

“I know they will find it, but I do not know why, and it makes me uneasy.” An Zhi touched her stomach. “And I feel like the baby has been a bit fussy today, like he is giving me a warning.”

“Then I will sit with you.” Pei Que glanced at the food on the table and asked, “Is there anything you want to eat? I will get it for you.”

An Zhi shook her head. “Nothing. Sit down and rest with me. You’ve been working hard all day, and we will have a lot to do tomorrow.”

Pei Que obediently sat down, but before he could even settle in, Chunlan rushed in.

“Madam, Son-in-law, something terrible has happened!” Chunlan cried out, her voice strained. “When I went to the storeroom just now, I found gunpowder under the rubble!”

“What?” An Zhi thought she had misheard. But when Chunlan repeated that it was gunpowder, she could not sit still any longer.

The Jin Dynasty forbade the private manufacture and storage of gunpowder. Although some aristocratic families might secretly hoard some, they would certainly hide it in concealed places, not in a storeroom accessible to many.

Pei Que immediately understood. The reason Shuo Feng and his group had not found the gunpowder was because there were still embers in the storeroom ruins, and the area where the explosion had just occurred should not had contained anything, so they skipped the storeroom first. But he had not expected that An Zhi’s uneasiness would allow Chunlan to discover the gunpowder first.

Upon hearing Chunlan’s description of the gunpowder quantity, Pei Que’s face immediately froze. After a moment, he said, “Chunlan, do not tell anyone about this. Stay here and keep an eye on Madam. That gunpowder needs to be removed quickly, or our entire Pei family will be blown to bits.”

Even if the gunpowder did not explode, if it was discovered, and there were forged letters involved, the charge of plotting to usurp the throne would be confirmed.

Pei Que hurriedly went outside and had Fusheng call Shuo Feng to him. “Take some men and quickly clean up that gunpowder. You know how to handle it.”

Shuo Feng, hearing about the gunpowder under the storeroom, was also startled and quickly led his men there.

After instructing Shuo Feng, Pei Que planned to tell the old master about this, but before he could reach the old master’s study, the gatekeeper frantically found him.

“Master, something terrible has happened! Minister Xu and Minister Lin have led a large number of Imperial Guards and surrounded our mansion!” The steward trembled as he spoke. The Pei family had weathered many storms over the past hundred years, but this was the first time their Mansion had been surrounded by the Imperial Guards.

Upon hearing the news of the siege, Madam Xu, who had been peering out from the doorway, rushed out and demanded of the steward, “What siege? What did you mean?”

The steward, now slightly calmer, replied, “Minister Lin said that someone has accused the Pei family of illegally possessing gunpowder and harboring treacherous intentions. He has already obtained the Emperor’s permission. If we refuse to open the gate, they will force their way in.”

Hearing this, Madam Xu’s vision blurred, and she fell heavily to the ground.

The others in the room, hearing the commotion outside, also came out. None of them were hearing this for the first time, and their faces were grim.

Even the usually composed Pei Xuan panicked, approaching Pei Que. “Fourth brother, what is going on? Did we really hide gunpowder?”

Pei Que looked at the dense crowd, a hint of anger in his voice. “Nothing like that. You all go back inside. I am going to find Lin Fan and the others.”

Pei Jing did not believe him. “If there is really nothing wrong, why would they surround the Mansion on New Year’s Eve? I found it strange when the firecrackers went off; why would they suddenly explode? Fourth brother, you cannot drag the whole family down with you. We do not have any time for such things. If you really hid gunpowder, you need to explain yourself clearly. Do not implicate us.”

Before the matter was even confirmed, Pei Jing was already trying to distance himself.

Pei Que glanced coldly at his second brother. “If you are so afraid of being implicated, you should have left the Pei family long ago. Do not even think about relying on the Pei family for any benefits!”

These words were harsh. Pei Jing felt ashamed upon hearing them. His son beside him told him to shut up, and with his wife, Madam Xu, awake and crying, he had no choice but to remain silent.

An Zhi had also heard what was happening outside. Binglu helped her out. She knew about gunpowder; Lin Fan and Minister Xu had made such a commotion that they were bound to come in. They could only stall for time.

“Pei Que, I will go with you,” An Zhi said.

“Madam, I can go by myself.” Pei Que dared not let An Zhi go. “You are pregnant. What if you get hurt if you go?”

“It is precisely because I am pregnant that I can hold them off. Otherwise, if you were alone, they would want to kill you right now. How could they let you guard the door?” An Zhi said anxiously.

But Pei Que still refused.

“Stop arguing!” Pei Huaijin, leaning on his cane, walked slowly from a distance. His graying hair had been neatly combed, making him appear both tidy and serious. “Pei Que, help me!”

[Author’s Note]
An early update today. See you tomorrow, Children’s Day.
Happy Children’s Day, everyone, and may your lives be sweet!