Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 610

Chapter 610: Habits

An Zhi called out to Binglu, but there was no answer.

It was late at night. Binglu had gone out to fetch water, and Pei Que was downstairs signing in.

An Zhi’s heart pounded; she felt uneasy.

“Waaah, waaa…”

Perhaps she was too nervous; she gripped her daughter too tightly, waking her again.

“Sweet Yue’er, don’t cry,” An Zhi soothed softly.

A moment later, Pei Que, panting, pushed open the door and asked what was wrong.

An Zhi beckoned Pei Que to sit on the edge of the bed. “Just now, I think I saw a figure outside. I don’t know if it was just my imagination.”

From the fifth day of the lunar new year to the fifteenth, they traveled for ten days.

During these ten days, although Xiao Zheng and the others had not given them a kind look, they had not mistreated Pei Que’s family.

This, however, made An Zhi very uneasy.

Not to mention anyone else, even the Empress Dowager—she should have found a way to kill her and Pei Que along the way.

But upon arriving in Jinzhou, everything was calm and uneventful, making it even more unsettling.

Pei Que walked to the window but did not open it. He simply looked out through the thin paper windowpane; it was pitch black outside, and he could not see anything.

He returned to the edge of the bed. “Shuo Feng and the others are outside. If anything happens, Shuo Feng will be on the lookout.”

The Pei family’s six sects were still under Pei Que’s control. Except for the money that was openly missing, everything else was still there.

An Zhi was still somewhat uneasy. “We’ve already reached Jinzhou; why hasn’t the Empress Dowager made a single move? Even if Minister Xu is cunning, the Yun family isn’t known for their patience.”

Pei Que also found it strange. He had been prepared to rebel halfway through, even considering treason, but Xiao Zheng and his men seemed completely unconcerned.

“I think they might be trying to lower our guard. Knowing the Empress Dowager’s temperament, they will not be at ease until we are dead,” Pei Que said thoughtfully. “Anyway, we need to be on guard at all times. After we pass Jinzhou tomorrow, we will be heading south along the border of the Jiuyi Kingdom. It will be all high mountains and steep roads, probably not as easy as before.”

An Zhi sighed, placed her sleeping daughter on the bed, and reached out to take Pei Que’s strong hand. “Then let’s see what they do and see what their clever plans are. Fortunately, it will not be so cold south; otherwise, we’d all get sick.”

Meanwhile, near the post station, in a secluded courtyard, sat a masked man opposite him.

“My Minister said you were to take care of the man on the border of the Jiuyi Kingdom.” The masked man’s voice was high-pitched, sounding like a eunuch with his hair cut off.

“The situation in the Jiuyi Kingdom has just stabilized. If we deal with the man on the border, would not my Minister be dragging Minister Xu into this mess?” Xiao Zheng asked.

In the Jiuyi Kingdom, He Xun had just taken power, and his success was inseparable from the Xu family’s support. Therefore, killing someone on the border and framing the Xu family would be ideal.

The masked man sneered, “That’s to ensure Minister Xu cannot recover. On the fifth day of the new year, several of the Xu family’s mines were blown up, causing untold losses. It’s said that Pei Que retaliated against Minister Xu, but you’d never guess that Minister Xu immediately pinned the blame on our lord. He knew he could not get reimbursement from Pei Que, so he could only turn to our lord, claiming it was for the sake of the country and the people.”

At this point, the masked man’s tone became noticeably more urgent. “Bah! It’s not like only Minister Xu is capable of scheming. By getting rid of Pei Que, we will not only eliminate a major worry for the Empress Dowager but also suppress the Xu family. Now that the Pei family is down and Duke Cheng is in poor health from anger, it’s the perfect opportunity for our Yun family to return to its former glory.”

Xiao Zheng had been a member of the Yun family from the beginning, so Minister Xu’s decision to promote a new commander of the Imperial Guards in order to suppress him thoroughly enraged Xiao Zheng.

Xiao Zheng, having traveled with Pei Que for ten days and having some understanding of the Pei family’s habits, hesitated, “Pei Que and An Zhi are both extremely cautious people. Their three attendants are keeping a close eye on us. And I have a feeling that there are other people following us along the way; I’m afraid it will not be easy to make a move.”

The masked man frowned slightly. “I will send someone to assist you. In any case, we absolutely can not let Pei Que and the others reach Huludao, otherwise the master will not be able to rest easy day and night. As for the other people you mentioned, I think it might be from the Xu family. After all, the Xu family also wants Pei Que dead. I will observe them secretly first, and we will act when the opportunity arises.”

Shuo Feng, lying prone in a dark corner, heard the entire conversation inside the room clearly. Hearing the sound of a chair being moved, he moved his body a little further into the darkness.

Xiao Zheng stood up. He did not want too many unexpected events to occur this time. Even if Pei Que died, he would still bear responsibility; it was just a matter of how he would deflect it. “Please be careful, sir. If we do not handle this properly, we will all suffer the consequences.”

The masked man responded with a “yes,” his face hidden behind the black cloth, but no one knew what he was thinking.

After leaving the small courtyard, Xiao Zheng returned to the inn, asked his attendant what Pei Que was doing, and went upstairs to knock on the door.

“Do not move,” Pei Que patted An Zhi’s hand. “I will just go out and check.”

In the corridor, Xiao Zheng looked Pei Que up and down. “Pei Que, I have not made things difficult for you along the way, not even with bracelets or shackles. For the rest of the journey, I hope you will be sensible. It’s possible that we will not be able to travel by carriage soon after Jinzhou. Be prepared then. If you cannot endure the hardship, do not blame me for putting shackles on you.”

After these words of warning, Xiao Zheng finally felt a little better. He dared not confront the masked man, but he could speak to Pei Que now.

Pei Que, however, seemed unfazed. Looking at Xiao Zheng, he sized him up for a moment, then nodded and said, “I’m currently in Minister Xiao’s palm. Whatever you say, I certainly would not dare object. But Minister Xiao, judging from your angry expression, the Prefect of Jinzhou would not dare offend you. Has any news come from the capital?”

Xiao Zheng, not expecting to be seen through so easily, put on a straight face and said no, though he was actually quite guilty. “Do not ask what you should not ask. Go back to sleep; we have to get up early to travel tomorrow.”

With that, Xiao Zheng turned and left, afraid Pei Que would see through him further.

Pei Que glanced at Xiao Zheng’s retreating figure, gave a soft hum, and returned to his room. He found a small note under the windowsill, read it, and then burned it with a candle flame.

“You should be prepared; we might have some trouble ahead,” Pei Que said to An Zhi.

An Zhi nervously held Pei Que close. The couple remained silent; in a life-or-death situation, everyone knew that words alone were insufficient.

The next morning, after An Zhi and her party left Jinzhou, the road conditions deteriorated significantly.

By noon, the sky had darkened, and rain seemed imminent. Xiao Zheng ordered the camp to be set up on the spot.

An Zhi sat uncomfortably in the carriage, wanting to open the window but afraid to, forced to endure the stuffiness.

After taking a sip of water, An Zhi was about to ask Binglu to fetch some food when she heard a familiar yet unwanted voice.

She thought it was her imagination, but when the person reached the carriage and cried out for the first time, An Zhi’s eyes also welled up with tears.

“An Zhi, I’m so sorry,” Xu Wenjuan sobbed, standing beside the carriage.