Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 875

Chapter 875: Love Poems

An Zhi followed the palace maid towards Consort Jiang. At today’s palace banquet, she was the first to be summoned to the seat of honor, making her impossible to ignore.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” An Zhi greeted.

“No need for such formalities. I noticed something different about you today, even from afar. As you approached, I realized your makeup was different, so natural and captivating,” Consort Jiang said with a smile, offering An Zhi a glass of wine.

An Zhi, preoccupied with her official robes, had not had time for elaborate makeup, only a touch of blush and lip rouge. However, her skin was naturally beautiful, and even without makeup, she possessed a unique charm.

She smiled faintly as she drank the wine offered by Consort Jiang, complimented her a few times, and then heard Consort Jiang mention Yue’er.

“Madam of Pei is so beautiful; your daughter must be quite lovely too. I happen to have a son, about the same age as your daughter. If Madam of Pei has time, you can bring your daughter to the palace to play anytime. The children playing together might just blossom into something special.” After Consort Jiang finished speaking, other concubines came to greet her, and she told An Zhi to go back first.

An Zhi’s heart pounded fiercely.

Now that the Jiang family was in the capital, they were all being given important positions. Even if Consort Jiang was not the Empress, how could Li Chang’an, a Crown Prince with nothing, possibly hold onto the position?

If Consort Jiang could form a marriage alliance with the Pei family, with their support, seizing the Crown Prince position would be a piece of cake.

Although Yue’er was only five years old, many people had openly and secretly tried to arrange a marriage between their child and An Zhi over the past few years, but An Zhi had not agreed to any of them.

If Consort Jiang was truly considering a marriage alliance, An Zhi had to find a way to resolve it beforehand.

She did not dislike the Jiang family or Consort Jiang, and she did not want to get involved in the future struggle for the throne; she simply did not want her daughter to become a sacrifice.

Back at her seat, Yu Yao and Huiping both came to inquire what Consort Jiang had said, but An Zhi did not answer, only saying she’d tell them when they got back.

The palace banquet was crowded and noisy; among the noblewomen, there were those like An Zhi who always attracted attention and others who were newcomers and aroused curiosity.

With Huiping’s guidance, An Zhi saw a woman who still possessed considerable charm.

“That woman laughing so heartily is Madam of Jiang. Now, Consort Jiang is the highest-ranking lady in the palace, and just as many people are trying to curry favor with her as you are,” Huiping whispered in An Zhi’s ear. “My mother says that Madam of Jiang was famously beautiful in her youth. Even before she was married, many suitors came to propose marriage. Two young men even fought over her; it was quite amusing.”

An Zhi thought about the Jiang family. They were just an ordinary military family in the region, considered quite well-off locally, but nothing special in the capital.

“Madam of Jiang is not from the capital,” she asked curiously. “How does Her Highness the Princess know about her?”

“Because a prince from the imperial clan once took a liking to Madam of Jiang. My mother said that Madam of Jiang’s eyes were born to bewitch men. In the end, because the scandal was so big, her family chose the Jiang family, which seemed the most reliable, for her to marry into. Back then, many people said the Jiang family was too ordinary, but who would have thought that fortune would turn around, and now the Jiang family is the one those people are marrying into?” Huiping said.

An Zhi found this interesting and could not help but glance at Madam of Jiang a few more times. Just then, Madam of Jiang noticed her and smiled at her, which was considered a greeting.

When they came out of the palace, An Zhi and Yu Yao waited for Pei Que and his companion in the carriage.

An Zhi then quietly relayed Consort Jiang’s implication: “It’s not that I’m truly noble, but the royal court is full of intrigues. I only wish for Yue’er to grow up safely; I do not want to curry favor with the Emperor. The Pei family is already quite prosperous; if another prince’s family were to join them, they might become too powerful.”

Yu Yao nodded in understanding. “Since arriving in the capital, quite a few people have come to the Zhang family to propose marriage. Besides those proposing for Qiong’er, some have even come to arrange a marriage for the second daughter. Now that we are powerful, others are coming to our door. But this Consort Jiang, since she’s said so, will undoubtedly be seeking your help in the future.”

An Zhi sighed, “I really do not want to go to the palace.”

Just then, Pei Que and Zhang Huai’an arrived.

The two families rode in separate carriages, and An Zhi then relayed Consort Jiang’s implication to Pei Que.

Pei Que reassured An Zhi, “The Emperor did not make Consort Jiang Empress because he feared the Jiang family would become too powerful and uncontrollable after his ascension. So many people have changed hands in just a few years; the Emperor does not want anyone to have excessive power. Therefore, it’s even less likely he’d bestow a marriage upon Yue’er.”

With Pei Que’s words, An Zhi felt reassured. “You are right. If the Emperor were to bestow a marriage upon Yue’er, it would be a clear sign of elevating Consort Jiang and the Jiang family. If the two families were to unite, his throne would be insecure.”

“Yes,” Pei Que nodded.

An Zhi then asked, “But why did the Emperor make the First Prince Crown Prince? He’s in his prime; there’s no need for a Crown Prince. Posthumously honoring his former consort as Empress Yuan is already quite affectionate; why take this additional step?”

Pei Que was also somewhat puzzled by this.

He was quite surprised when he heard the news. Even Duke Cheng said he had not expected it, but the Emperor still appointed the eldest prince as Crown Prince.

And since the eldest prince was the legitimate heir, the Emperor’s appointment of him as crown prince was understandable.

Pei Que lowered his head and pondered for a while, guessing, “Perhaps there’s something we do not know, or perhaps it’s another way to divert attention.”

Li Xing’s fiefdom was remote and barren; in his early years, no one paid him any attention.

However, rumors circulated that although the late Empress Yuan was of humble origin, she was extremely virtuous, and everyone in the Prince’s Mansion liked her. Her relationship with Li Xing was also very good. In the years before their marriage, the Prince’s Mansion had only one concubine and two maids. The concubine was now Consort Jiang, and the maids were promoted from former maidservants.

But later, when Li Xing sought the throne, concubines were brought into the Mansion one by one, and now there were more than a dozen.

The carriage swayed and rocked; today’s palace banquet passed without incident.

However, there was still one thing to investigate. An Zhi, upon returning to the Pei Mansion, had everyone obtain Qiu Jin’s identity information.

“She was bought from outside when she was ten. Her parents and brothers are not in the capital. She used to work in the outer courtyard of the Pei family.” After reading the documents, An Zhi asked Cuisi, “Did you find anything in her room?”

“Reporting to Madam, we found some silver notes and a few poems.” Cuisi handed over the items.

The silver notes were worth over a thousand taels, clearly not money a mere maid like Qiu Jin could earn.

Looking at the poems, An Zhi frowned and paused as soon as she saw the handwriting. After confirming they were love poems, An Zhi sneered, “That bastard Pei Yu, even in death, he cannot let us rest in peace, resorting to this handsome man tactic!”

An Zhi recognized Pei Yu’s handwriting at first glance.

Cuisi did not understand her madam’s meaning, but Chunlan immediately took action, asking how to handle it.

“She’s dead, so carry her outside the city and bury her. As for these poems, seeing them is bad luck; burn them. We will deal with the rest tomorrow,” An Zhi ordered.