Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 825

Chapter 825: A Way Out

“Why do you want my Papa to hold you?” Yue’er asked on tiptoe. She had not seen her father for several days, and seeing him holding another child made her a little jealous.

Li Chang’an saw that there were other people in the room besides the little girl. Despite being tired, he struggled to climb down from Pei Que’s arms.

Pei Que squatted down to introduce Yue’er, “This is the young master of the Seventh Prince’s mansion, a few years older than Yue’er. Yue’er should call him ‘Young Master Brother’.”

Yue’er frowned, staring at Li Chang’an. She thought this young master was really handsome, even prettier than the girls in her relatives’ household. She generously extended her hand, “Then, Young Master Brother, please come in with me. My mother has prepared a lot of food.”

As soon as Pei Que entered, An Zhi noticed Li Chang’an. She had many questions, but it was not appropriate to say too much in front of the child, so she first had the servants start serving the food. “After receiving your message that you were coming back, I had someone prepare the meal. How is it? Has the matter at Linshan been resolved?”

“It has. I will tell you in detail after we eat,” Pei Que said. “The young master will be staying at our mansion for a few days. After the Prince returns, I will send the young master back.”

As he said this, Pei Que saw Li Erxi enter. He was Li Chang’an’s only attendant, and this matter needed to be known to Li Erxi.

Li Erxi remained silent, standing quietly in a corner behind Li Chang’an.

When Li Chang’an saw Li Erxi arrive, he put down his chopsticks and stopped eating. He looked at Uncle Erxi, then at Pei Que, hesitatingly asking, “Minister Pei… has Uncle Erxi eaten?” They had traveled a long way to the capital, and he was very hungry; Uncle Erxi must be hungry too.

Pei Que turned to look at Li Erxi. Hearing that Li Erxi had eaten, he gestured for him to come closer. “Right now, the Seventh Prince is still dealing with the aftermath at Linshan. He should be back in the capital in about ten to fifteen days. My suggestion is that you stay at my mansion. I’ve also sent men to follow the people chasing you outside the city. The Prince and I have some connection; I will not stand idly by while the young master is harmed. But why are you being hunted? You can tell me if you want, or you can tell the Prince later if you do not.”

Pei Que did not want to get too involved in the affairs of the Prince’s mansion. Saving them was a matter of fate; knowing too much about what happened afterward was not a good idea.

Li Erxi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Pei Que was unwilling to ask further. They were far away in their fiefdom, and in the letters they received from the Prince, Pei Que had been mentioned once or twice, as if they were all in the same boat. Since they were in the same boat, Li Erxi felt Pei Que was trustworthy, and moreover, as a subject, Pei Que would have more influence with the Prince after today’s events.

After thanking him, seeing the young master’s restraint, Li Erxi suggested taking him back to rest.

Pei Que had someone escort Li Chang’an and his servant back. Yue’er was also sleepy, and after being taken away by her wet nurse, only An Zhi and Pei Que remained in the hall.

An Zhi poured Pei Que some wine. Having almost finished eating, she turned to Binglu and instructed, “Go prepare hot water; the young master will be taking a bath later.”

Pei Que downed his wine in one gulp, pondering how to bring up Xu Wenjuan’s matter, when An Zhi began talking about Li Chang’an.

“Li Xing has been in the capital for quite some time, without a single servant by his side. He probably never imagined he’d stay so long,” An Zhi said with a faint smile. “He came to the capital, leaving behind so many women from the royal household. I heard recently that his Princess consort had an accident, and I lamented how, despite her humble origins, she was an extremely gentle and kind person. It’s such a pity.”

When Li Xing was a prince, he was one of the least prominent among them. His mother was not favored, and he had no illustrious family background. Therefore, when it came time for marriage proposals, no high-ranking families were willing to marry their daughters to him. In the end, it was the Emperor himself who chose his consort, randomly picking someone equally unremarkable for him.

However, being inconspicuous had its advantages. The Princess consort of Li Xing always went along with him, acting generously and kindly, and everyone in the palace liked her.

Originally, Li Xing was a leisurely Prince in his fiefdom, with little power, so naturally, no one wanted to curry favor with him. Although he had several concubines, none could surpass the Princess consort’s status. But after Li Xing first entered the capital, the situation changed. Li Xing began to harbor ambitions, something that could not be hidden. To win over Li Xing, who might become the future Emperor, many families’ first thought was to arrange marriages.

One by one, concubines from families with higher social standing than the Princess consort were brought into the palace. An Zhi did not know how the Princess Consort felt, but she knew the Princess Consort must have accepted them, because many of the concubines already had children.

When she heard that the Princess consort had died unexpectedly, An Zhi sensed something was amiss, but it was Li Xing’s family matter, and far away, An Zhi could only sigh with regret.

Today, Li Erxi was fleeing to the capital with Li Chang’an. It must be because someone in the fiefdom could not contain themselves any longer. And considering the date of the Princess consort’s death, it certainly took this much time to escape from the fiefdom to the capital.

“It’s truly a pity,” Pei Que said, putting down his wine cup. He had eaten enough and was feeling tired. “The loss of the principal wife only creates a vacancy; the position still needs the death of the legitimate son. However, this Princess Consort is not entirely as weak as she appears. It’s already quite good that she arranged for someone to send Li Chang’an to the outskirts of the capital.”

An Zhi nodded in agreement. “This matter still depends on Li Xing’s own attitude. We’ve rescued him; what happens afterward is for Li Xing to handle when he returns.”

Meanwhile, Li Chang’an was being carried to bed by Li Erxi.

With no outsiders around, Li Chang’an finally showed fear. His round eyes reddened as he looked at Li Erxi, his small hands tightly gripping two of Li Erxi’s fingers. “Uncle Erxi, I’m scared.”

“Do not be afraid, Your Highness. I’ve already sent a message to your mother’s family. Even if they are of low rank, they will do everything in their power to protect you.” Li Erxi squatted by the bedside. He knew the guard the Prince had specially placed beside the Prince was a top-notch fighter; otherwise, he would not have been able to protect the Prince all the way to the capital. “You must remember what the Princess Consort instructed you before she died: from now on, you’re on your own in the Prince’s mansion. Minister Pei is on the Prince’s side. He has no dealings with the families of the concubines, and he did not stop me from leaving the mansion. He seems reliable.”

Li Chang’an, who had been holding back his tears, could not hold them back after hearing Uncle Erxi mention his mother. His mother had said he was too young to deal with anyone; he had to survive first, and only when he grew up could he plan for something else.

But how long would it take for him to grow up? Erxi said Pei Que was trustworthy, but he was still very afraid in this unfamiliar environment.

Li Erxi sighed deeply. “Young Master, go to sleep. I will sleep on the floor next to the bed tonight. If anything happens to you, I will be able to hear you.”

“Uncle Erxi, do you think Father… he might not want me either?” Li Chang’an’s long face trembled slightly. If his father abandoned him, there would truly be no way out.

For a moment, Li Erxi felt a tightness in his chest. The young master was only six years old. At such a young age, he should be growing up happily under his parents’ care, yet he had to start worrying about life and death.

Li Erxi shook his head and said no, “His Highness and the Princess Consort were deeply in love. He will definitely stand up for you and the Princess Consort.”