Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 621

Chapter 621: Figure Head

There was no one else in the small courtyard; An Zhi and the others had settled in on their own.

After putting her daughter to sleep, An Zhi began unpacking the clothes she had brought. In the courtyard, Pei Que was instructing Shunzi on some matters.

“Stay until tonight,” Pei Que said.

Shunzi shook his head, saying no. “When I left the Northwest, General Bai said that if I wanted to help Master maintain his authority, I had to work even harder; otherwise, I would not be able to help him. It’s just the beginning of spring, the time for military training in the Northwest. If I don’t return now, it will be difficult to establish authority in the future. Seeing Master and Madam settled down, I can rest easy.”

As soon as news of the Pei family reached the Northwest, Shunzi could not wait to return, and the Bai family was even more anxious.

But after everyone had finished cursing Minister Xu and the others, they realized they could not act too impulsively.

“General Bai said that you can lie low for a while. Minister Xu is too ambitious, but the others in the court are not to be underestimated. During this time, reconnect with the spies you cut off earlier, and let them fight it out for a while. You should also make the Emperor suffer a bit; let him understand who the true wise minister is.” Since going to the Northwest, Shunzi had learned more than just how to fight on the battlefield; he had made significant progress in strategy.

Before, in the capital, with his master protecting him, Shunzi had not thought much about things. In the Northwest, the Bai family gave him opportunities, but they did not treat him specially. Everything depended on his own hard work, hence his considerable improvement.

Pei Que shared the same thought. “I saw Ding’an today; it’s quite prosperous. I have Shuo Feng and others protecting me here, so you can go to the Northwest with peace of mind. When I return to the capital, I hope you can invite me for drinks as a general!”

“This humble servant will certainly not disappoint your expectations, Master!” Shunzi’s life was given to him by his master; no matter what would happen in the future, his master would always be his master. After the young madam and servant finished speaking, Chunlan came from the backyard to call them for dinner.

Since they were no longer in the capital, there were fewer formalities. Two tables were set up in the hall, and they ate together.

Binglu steamed two fish and stir-fried river snails with perilla leaves—a dish she had learned to make at the farm a few days ago. The rest were vegetables that Fusheng had bought.

After days of traveling, everyone was exhausted. After dinner, there were still things to do, so when Shunzi found Binglu and said he had to leave, Binglu looked surprised.

“Why are you leaving so soon?”

Shunzi, startled by Binglu’s question, suddenly did not want to leave anymore. But he could not stay. With Shuo Feng protecting his master, that was enough; he had to return to the Northwest.

Seeing Shunzi scratching his head, unable to speak, Binglu raised her hand and said, “Never mind, if you’re going, then go. Take these steamed buns with you. If you had told me sooner, I could have prepared more for you.”

In her hands, the still-warm steamed buns were reassuring.

Shunzi responded with a soft “Yes,” his honest eyes looking at Binglu. “You…you must take good care of yourself and wait for me!”

Binglu first gave a soft “Mmm,” then, afraid Shunzi had not heard her clearly, she pressed harder. “When you go to the Northwest, be careful; swords have no eyes. A bright future and fame are important, but your life’s more important. If you lose your life, then everything else is lost, understand?”

“I understand; I will be careful!” Shunzi reluctantly bid farewell to Binglu, and with his men, quietly disappeared into the moonlight.

Binglu stood at the kitchen doorway, gazing at the dark courtyard wall for a long time.

When Chunlan finished her work and came over, she saw Binglu still in a daze and teased, “If you cannot bear to part with him, you can talk to Madam and ask her to allow you to go to the Northwest. There, the world’s vast, and you two can become husband and wife first.”

“You shameless girl! How can you say such a thing?” Binglu was both ashamed and angry. What did she mean by “become husband and wife first”? That was too absurd! “Right now, Madam and her husband are facing the most difficult situation, and they have no other reliable people around them. Neither of us can leave. I cannot abandon Madam to enjoy a life of luxury at this time.”

Chunlan sighed. She could not do it either.

Their young madam had been good to them, and they had to remember her kindness.

Thinking of their young madam’s current situation, Chunlan sighed deeply and then angrily snorted towards the door, “Minister Xu is so ungrateful; they will all get their punishment!”

Binglu agreed. What angered her even more was that although her master was clearly fair and honest, the Emperor listened to the Yun family blindly. She hoped the Emperor would regret it later.

Meanwhile, in Renzheng Hall, only a few memorials lay on the Emperor’s desk.

Xiao Dezi brought over some ginseng tea. “Your Majesty, it’s getting late. Why don’t you rest? You have to attend the morning court session tomorrow.”

“The morning court session? What morning court session?” The Emperor glanced at the ginseng tea Xiao Dezi brought, showing no desire to drink it. “None of them are sending me memorials anymore. Even when they do, it’s always about trivial matters. This morning at court, when they talked about my elder sister’s marriage to the northern frontier, they did not even ask my opinion before making their decision. They have no respect for me at all!”

When Pei Que was alive, although the Emperor was not the one making decisions, the memorials from the Six Ministries would be sent to Renzheng Hall after reviewing them for his study. If the Emperor felt a memorial was poorly handled, he could offer his own insights.

Over the past month, the Emperor had clearly sensed the growing neglect from his court officials. It was as if Minister Xu and his uncle were the true masters of the country, and everyone sought their opinions.

And Minister Xu and his associates rarely inquired about the Emperor’s thoughts.

The Emperor was becoming more and more of a figurehead.

“Xiao Dezi, I just don’t understand. Why am I even more uneasy after Pei Que was exiled?” the Emperor frowned, unable to fathom the reason.

In the Emperor’s eyes, his uncle was devoted to him and would never harm him. As for Minister Xu, he had always been obedient and had never disobeyed him.

Xiao Dezi’s heart trembled. As a mere servant, he could not afford to offend anyone, yet even the most careful could make a mistake. “Your Majesty,” he said, “you are the Emperor, the master of our Jin Dynasty. Whether it’s Minister Xu or the Imperial Uncle, they are all your subjects. Even though you don’t rule personally, you’re still their sovereign. Since they make you unhappy, then speak up. You’re the Emperor!”

Being the Emperor should be incredibly prestigious.

The Emperor thought Xiao Dezi’s words made sense. He picked up his ginseng tea, but when he was about to drink it, he found it was cold. “Go and change the ginseng tea,” he said, “and also change the guard at the gate. I don’t like the way he looks at me. Even if my uncle sent him to protect me, I don’t want to see him. How could there be an assassin in the palace? We have so many imperial guards; one more will not make a difference.”

Xiao Dezi grunted in agreement, took the teacup, and as he turned away, his round, bright eyes curved slightly. Once outside the hall, he wore a troubled expression.