Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 611

Chapter 611: Camp

To be honest, An Zhi did not want to see Xu Wenjuan at this moment.

She knew Xu Wenjuan had also been used by Minister Xu, but being used was one thing, but even knowing the truth, Xu Wenjuan was still Minister Xu was daughter, and they were still father and daughter.

Some ties could not be severed simply by not wanting to.

Hearing the sobbing outside the carriage, An Zhi blinked, looking up. She did not want to cry at this moment. “I heard He Xun has successfully ascended to the throne of Jiuyi. Congratulations.”

Pei Que had also put in a lot of effort to help He Xun ascend to the throne.

But when the time came, no one could have imagined that it would be Minister Xu who betrayed them in the end.

An Zhi’s words pierced Xu Wenjuan’s heart like needles, yet she could not bring herself to ask An Zhi to forgive her.

An invisible wall stood between them.

Neither wanted to see this wall, but a distance simply existed between them, and neither could break through it.

Xu Wenjuan had only learned of An Zhi’s situation two days ago. Afraid of missing An Zhi, she had been waiting here for a day and a night, even neglecting He Xun’s succession ceremony.

Wiping away her tears, Xu Wenjuan looked up at the sky. “I know saying anything is futile. Since you are going south from the Jiuyi border, I will follow you all the way. You do not need to speak to me, and you do not need to pay me any attention. My horse will be behind your carriage. With me here, at least I can ensure your safe journey.”

There was nothing more she could do now.

An Zhi’s thin lips moved, her glassy eyes glistening with tears. She did not know what to say.

She should have firmly refused, but the mountains were high and the road long, the Jiuyi territory treacherous, and Xiao Zheng and his men were planning to take action. With Xu Wenjuan leading the Jiuyi people as escorts, it would be much safer.

Yue’er, nestled in her arms, stirred, yawning with her pink little mouth open. Her dark, bright eyes smiled at An Zhi. Although the baby was only half a month old, and An Zhi could not tell if she was truly smiling, seeing her softened her heart considerably.

Pei Que said softly, “Shuo Feng’s prepared; Xu Wenjuan does not necessarily have to come along.”

Hearing this, An Zhi knew that Pei Que was also worried. If he were truly confident, he would not have said “maybe.”

Through the paper window, An Zhi could not see Xu Wenjuan’s expression.

Outside the carriage, Xu Wenjuan, seeing no response, was even more delighted. She cracked her whip and raised it to her men, and they set up camp.

Not far away, under the ancient tree, Xiao Zheng’s face was dark with rage.

He had originally planned to deal with Pei Que at the border of the Jiuyi Kingdom, but with Xu Wenjuan escorting him with two hundred soldiers, he could not even make a move.

After crossing the border of the Jiuyi Kingdom, they would soon reach Huludao.

Therefore, Xiao Zheng probably could not kill Pei Que on the way.

When Xu Wenjuan reached a distance from An Zhi’s carriage and turned around, she found Xiao Zheng watching her.

She lashed her whip rudely as a warning.

During her time with He Xun in the south, Xu Wenjuan had transformed from a pampered young lady who could not ride a horse to someone who could ride a wild horse—a change that could not be observed with the naked eye. Inside the carriage, An Zhi, hearing the commotion outside subside slightly, gave Binglu a wink, and Binglu got out to keep watch.

“With Xu Wenjuan’s escort, we should be able to reach Huludao smoothly,” Pei Que said, half-reclining opposite An Zhi. His right hand was still bound with cloth, looking quite uncomfortable. “But I helped He Xun so much before; we do not really owe them anything, so you do not need to feel indebted.”

“It’s not that I feel indebted; it’s just a little regretful,” An Zhi sighed. “I only have a few close friends, and they are all very good people. But right now, even if Xu Wenjuan did not know what Minister Xu had done beforehand, they are still father and daughter. Not hating her is already a result of trying my best to convince myself.”

From beginning to end, An Zhi did not consider herself a very magnanimous person. She was not very forgiving, only accepting those few who were good to her, and unwilling to let Pei Que have other women around him.

Therefore, she never thought of herself as particularly good, because she had many of her own flaws.

Just like with the matter of Minister Xu, when she first thought of Xu Wenjuan, she could not analyze the situation rationally; instead, she blamed Xu Wenjuan as well.

“You do not have to comfort yourself like that,” Pei Que said with concern. “If you do not like something, you can dislike it. No one dictates that everyone must be kind and benevolent. We are not saints; just be true to yourself.”

An Zhi nodded in agreement. Hearing Binglu cough outside the carriage, she knew someone had arrived and stopped talking.

A moment later, Xiao Zheng’s voice sounded outside the carriage.

“It’s going to rain soon. We did not bring enough tents. You will have to stay in the carriage,” Xiao Zheng said irritably.

The carriage was cramped, and they could not cook. An Zhi was still in her postpartum period and could not drink cold water, and Pei Que also needed to brew medicine. But since Xiao Zheng had said that, he probably would not bring them food or hot water.

After Xiao Zheng finished speaking, Binglu immediately got into the carriage because it was raining outside.

“Madam, what should we do?” Binglu asked worriedly.

It was still early; otherwise, she could have slept until tomorrow.

An Zhi thought for a moment but could not come up with a good solution. “Just bear with it. Spring rains come frequently; if it rains continuously, Xiao Zheng will not stay like this forever.”

Pei Que got up and looked outside. A light drizzle was falling; although not heavy, it was enough to cause trouble.

He glanced at the tents beside him. Xiao Zheng and the others had lit a campfire and were already cooking.

Just then, a woman with an animal skin hanging from her chest came over carrying a food box.

“Greetings, esteemed guest. This is food prepared by my family for you from now on. We’ve also set up tents for you behind the carriage. If you feel uncomfortable in the carriage, you can rest in the tents.”

Pei Que glanced at the food box but did not reach for it. He was actually somewhat bothered. “Thank you for your future arrangements. I helped your King of Jiuyi before, so I accepted your escort. But there’s no need for these things. We are separated by vast distances; we are no longer on the same path.”

The woman hesitated, but Pei Que had already turned and entered the carriage, so she had no choice but to place the food box beside the carriage.

After the woman left, Pei Que looked at An Zhi, seeking her opinion.

“You are right, we are no longer on the same path,” An Zhi agreed with Pei Que, but the thought of the upcoming rain gave her a headache.

Fortunately, not long after, Fusheng suddenly returned from the woods, saying he had found an unwanted tent and a stove.

Upon hearing this, Pei Que knew it was Shuo Feng who had prepared it for them.

Xiao Zheng, however, assumed it was Xu Wenjuan and did not ask further, coldly watching Fusheng and Binglu hurriedly set up their tent.