Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 720

Chapter 720: Warm Sunshine

“Watch over Yue’er in the carriage,” An Zhi instructed Binglu. She was afraid Pei Que couldn’t win against the Xu family father and son alone, so she got off the carriage to help him.

Yue’er, having received a sweet treat, didn’t care where her mother went and waved goodbye with a smile.

After getting off the carriage, An Zhi walked for a while. Seeing Pei Que quicken his pace, she quickened hers as well.

The two stopped not far from Xu Jingcai and asked in unison, “How are you?”

An Zhi said first that she was fine. “What did the Emperor say?”

“The Emperor’s magnanimous. He didn’t punish me, nor did he remove Minister Xu Jingcai from his post. He only ordered Minister Xu Jingcai to reflect on his actions behind closed doors for three months.” Pei Que deliberately said the last part so that Xu Jingcai and his father could hear.

Xu Jingcai hurried to look at his father. Their eyes met, and seeing his father shake his head, he knew the matter couldn’t be changed.

“Nephew Pei,” Xu Wenyong greeted politely, as if he and Pei Que had no ill feelings for each other and were even on good terms. “Thank you for speaking up for my son. My son and I will remember your kindness today, and we will certainly invite you to our home another day. Or, how about I host a welcome dinner for you today?”

Xu Jingcai was utterly astonished. Had his father lost his mind in anger? He actually wanted to invite Pei Que to dinner.

Pei Que gave Xu Wenyong a perfunctory bow. “You are too kind, Deputy Minister. This humble subject didn’t speak on behalf of Minister Xu; it’s His Majesty who is kind and understanding of Minister Xu’s past merits.”

Clearly, they were sowing discord, yet they were offering advice. Now, they were portraying themselves as benevolent people.

Their acting was better than any actor on stage. “Then I must thank you, my dear nephew. We haven’t seen each other for so long. Back when you were in the capital, our two families were often in contact. Now that your name has been cleared, it wouldn’t be right to sever our friendship.” Xu Wenyong’s smooth talk was unmatched in the capital; even if his thoughts differed, he could still use flattering words to express his sarcasm.

An Zhi smiled and replied, “Your Excellency thinks too highly of us. Back then, it was merely a matter between young women. Now that my husband holds no official position, if we were to visit again, people would say we were trying to climb the social ladder. When we passed through Jiuyi, Wenjuan asked me to convey a message to Your Excellency: the friendships between women are matters for young ladies, not something to be discussed openly.”

If Xu Wenyong wanted to say something offensive, An Zhi would also satirize him for using Xu Wenjuan in the past. Neither of them openly expressed their feelings, but they both understood the other’s meaning.

Pei Que nodded and said, “It’s getting late; we’ll take our leave now.”

Nodding to Xu Wenyong, Pei Que took An Zhi’s hand and turned to leave.

Xu Wenyong watched the Pei family carriage leave before quietly saying, “Get up,” and then got into the carriage with his son.

Xu Jingcai’s knees ached from kneeling, making even sitting uncomfortable, but he quickly admitted his mistake: “Father, I acted impulsively today.”

“It’s good to act impulsively once,” Xu Wenyong said calmly, glancing at his eldest son beside him. “You’ll remember him better after suffering a loss at Pei Que’s hands. Don’t underestimate him in the future. Pei Que was personally raised by Pei Huaijin; his scheming is no less than mine, so you must be even more careful in the future.”

“I understand,” Xu Jingcai replied. He had never fought Pei Que before, and hearing others praise him, he, also a favored son of heaven, felt a little resentful. “I’ll reflect on my actions for three months and remind myself properly.”

Xu Wenyong hummed in agreement, closing his eyes. He had rushed here and was somewhat tired. “Rest for a while. We can talk about it back at the mansion.”

Meanwhile, Pei Que’s carriage slowly arrived at the gate of the Pei Mansion.

Pei Que alighted from the carriage first, then led An Zhi down.

The old steward, accompanied by two rows of maids, stood at the gate. Upon seeing their masters, they bowed respectfully, saying, “Welcome back to the mansion, Master and Madam.”

An Zhi slowly raised her head, seeing the gleaming plaque, and tightened her grip on Pei Que’s hand.

Pei Que turned to look at An Zhi, his voice as gentle as the warm winter sun, “Madam, we are home.”

[Author’s Note]
I want to clarify something. Previously, I wrote that the Xu family only had one daughter, which caused some misunderstanding. I apologize for not being clear.
This sentence meant that the Xu family only had one daughter, Xu Wenjuan, but there were other boys, not that the entire Xu family only had Xu Wenjuan.
Because it involves too many chapters, I need some time to go back and find the relevant information. I would make the necessary corrections once I find them.
Thank you for your support. Today’s competition was so exciting that the second update was a little late. See you tomorrow, sweet dreams everyone~