CH 7

Shen Yu had never thought that he would meet such humiliation and be whipped like a dog in the middle of the street, surrounded by people.

“Shen Tanhua is clean and upright like jade and he doesn’t want to be a vulgar person who hurts the other after leaving.” Ban Hua sneered down at him from horseback and the mockery was almost engraved on her face. “Well, treat it as though this Xiangjun was blind at the time to agree to your courtship after you pestered my parents relentlessly. Unexpectedly, you shamelessly burnt the bridge after crossing the river. Once you ranked as Tanhua, you betrayed your true colours and let me see your vile character. “

At this time, Shen Yu was caught between defending himself or not defending himself. He looked around with a flushed face at the people gathered around him to watch the scene and swallowing the anger in his heart, he stiffly said to Ban Hua, “Ban Xiangjun, please stop this.”

Had Ban Hua gone crazy? She was a Xiangjun who dared to publicly flog  the Tanhua personally chosen by the Emperor. Did she not care about her reputation or her future marriage?

“Oh, yes.” Ban Hua suddenly said, “You just said that I was being excessive because I whipped a court official in the streets? “

Watching Ban Hua sitting tall on horseback and looking down on him, a bad hunch was born in Shen Yu’s heart.

“Relax, very soon you won’t be a titled official of the imperial court any more.” Ban Hua looked at Shen Yu’s shocked and frightened face and laughed out loud. She immediately pulled the horse’s reins and let the horse trot away.

“Ban Xiang Jun!”

“Ban Xiang Jun!”

Shen Yu wanted to catch up with her, but Ban Heng, who was following Ban Hua, suddenly turned his head to stare at him, raising the whip in his hand, “Take one more step if you dare.” “

Shen Yu remembered the pain from being whipped just before and didn’t dare to move forward. All he could do was feel anxiety and hatred. Were all the Ban family people crazy?

Early in the morning the next day, as the Emperor held court, an Imperial Censor accused Ban Hua saying that she, as a Xiangjun related to the royal family whose title was bestowed by the Emperor’s grace, had exceeded limits and acted too unruly by going so far as to personally punish officials.

This was originally a trivial matter, but when the Imperial Censor described it, it became a big event. Before the emperor could speak, a few Imperial Censors had started to quarrel among themselves.

Fortunately, there were no major events to be discussed in court that day and so all the honoured courtiers started noisily discussing the issue of Ban Xiangjun flogging the Tanhua.

“Your Majesty,” Just as everyone became more and more noisy, an unexpected person stood up and said, “Your humble servant has an opinion on this issue. I wonder if the honoured courtiers would be willing to listen to my paltry words?”

The Censors saw that it was Count Cheng An who had spoken and hurriedly fell silent.

“In this humble servant’s view, this was not a case of the Xiangjun whipping an official of the court, but instead it was the beating of a heartless man by a jilted woman,” Rong Xia cupped his hands in salute “This humble servant heard that Shen Tanhua had begged Jingting Hou Fu for marriage before passing the imperial examination. Jingting Hou saw his infatuation and without looking down on him for lacking a status to match the Xiangjun, accepted his request to marry her.” Rong Xia said measuredly, “An engaged man who couldn’t wait to get out of the marriage he had begged for once he passed the Imperial Examination. Isn’t that the essence of ungratefulness? Honoured courtiers too have women in their families. Why not put yourself in the Ban family’s shoes and think?”

The whole Imperial court suddenly calmed down. After a long while, a single Imperial censor stood out to say, “Ban Xiangjun is so arrogant and extravagant and how many men in this world can bear her behaviour? Since Count Cheng An is so eloquent, it ’s better for him to marry her.”

“Honoured Censor,” Rong Xia said in a cold voice, “You have studied for dozens of years to your present status where you can stand in the Emperor’s Throne Room, just to sneer at a woman and demean a lady’s reputation?”

“If this is the Imperial Cendor’s noble demeanor,” Rong Xia cupped his hand in salute towards the emperor sitting on the throne, “Your Majesty, your humble servant is ashamed to be associated with such a person!”

“Your Majesty , this humble servant also feels that what Count Cheng An said is justified.”

“Your servant second this!”

The Censor who had been reprimanded by Rong Xia seemed to be tottering on the verge on collapse and his face was pale as paper. Without needing to look up, he knew what expressions the colleagues around him were looking at him with.

Rong Xia, who is a famous scholarly gentleman in Beijing has now said that he is ashamed to associate with him. What will people in Beijing think of him in the future? It’s over, it’s all over.

Rong Xia looked at him, then simply silently saluted the emperor and backed away. He retreated to stand quietly in his original position.

A jade-like elegant nobleman stood upright with a pale face, seemingly in a trance.

No sooner had the emperor returned to the palace after the court session had ended, when a palace maid came to report that the Eldest Princess had come to request an audience.

The Emperor had a deep affection for the Eldest Princess. His mother, the Empress, had not been favoured by his father, the previous Emperor, who had instead favoured a concubine and her son. If it hadn’t been for his aunt’s continued support, his princely position would have been taken away by that concubine’s son. In addition, through all these years, the Eldest princess had neither coerced favours nor schemed to get advantages as compensation for her help. Therefore, the Eldest Princess has always been highly respected by the Emperor.

Now, hearing that the Eldest Princess had come to meet him, he immediately asked the eunuch who served at his side to invite her in.

“Your Majesty,” as soon as Princess Dening entered the inner hall, she bent her knees to salute the emperor. The Emperor quickly reached out his hands and held her up, “Aunt, what are you doing? Between you and I, as aunt and nephew, what’s the need for so much etiquette? “

The Eldest Princess straightened her body. Although she was nearly 60 years old, her body was still in pretty good condition and one could see the dignified atmosphere of a Royal Princess in her every move.

“Today, I came on behalf of my disappointing granddaughter to report her wrongdoing,” the Eldest Princess drew out a handkerchief, wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes, and choked out, “I didn’t teach her father well and he’s grown to such a big age without having a proper demeanor. Now, his two children too have followed his temperament and started behaving like him. “

Speaking out her sadness, the eldest princess couldn’t even cry out loud, but only covered her face with a handkerchief, crying silently.

“Aunt, please don’t be sad.” The Emperor knew that his aunt had married a general who only knew how to fight in order to strengthen his Emperor father’s grasp on the throne. It is precisely because of this relationship that his aunt was able to protect him and his Empress mother later and make him an Emperor raised high above all others.

It was not his aunt ’s fault that his cousin had developed his current temperament, but rather because that vulgar man, Jingting Gong, didn’t teach his son well. When he thought that his aunt had sacrificed her whole life for their family, but now in her older years, he had even allowed a petty Imperial Censor to scold her only granddaughter in the court, the Emperor was unhappy.

“Aunt, this matter has nothing to do with your niece. It can only be blamed on Shen Yu’s incorrect thinking.” 

“Your Majesty doesn’t need to comfort me. My Ban Family’s tutoring was not strict enough so that now you have been embarrassed by her in the court. “

“The cousin is a good girl. Even in the palace, all who see her speak well of her and I like her very much. It was because I didn’t take care of her well that she has suffered such grievances.” 

In the end, the Eldest Princess was personally helped into her carriage by the Emperor. The deep feelings between the aunt and nephew were observed by the entire palace.

Princess Dening sat in the carriage and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a grim smile on her face.

Born in the royal family, she knew better than anyone that there were no real feelings at all in this Imperial city, but only calculated schemes. For example, when the previous Emperor had plotted against her husband back then so that he had suffered from pain and torment in the latter half of his life. Yet another example is that she now has a good nephew who respects her and gives her honor and glory but only because she is discrete and her son doesn’t have any ability to intervene in Imperial affairs.

The previous Emperor had plotted against her husband and she had ensured that the son he had loved most could not become the emperor in return. This too could be considered fair.

On the second day after the Imperial Censor’s accusation of Ban Hua, a decree was sent to Jingting Hou Fu. The central concept of the decree was to declare that the Emperor’s niece was very good and the Emperor loved her very much. He felt that the title of Xiang Jun was not worthy of her stature and so she was promoted from Xiang Jun to Jun Princess and bestowed a fief of 700 households*.

At the same time that Ban Hua was promoted to a Jun Princess, Shen Yu was dismissed from his official post due to a lack of personal ethics. Even the Imperial Censor who had accused Ban Hua was deprived of his office on the grounds of “improper conduct”.

“Sister, was there such a chapter in your dream?” Ban Heng looked at the decree in Ban Hua’s hand, “Promoted to Junjun and even granted a fief… Not even the Qinwang’s daughter has such a privilege. Still, Grandmother is awesome.”

The day before yesterday his sister didn’t return directly to their own house after whipping Shen Yu, but instead went to the palace of the Eldest Princess.

Afterwards, his sister not only brought home a large box of precious gems, but also picked up a Jun Princess title and a fiefdom. Old ginger truly was spicier!

“I don’t remember,” Ban Hua passed the imperial decree into his hands. “You take your time and look at this.”

“Bright and virtuous young lady, pure in heart and elegant in character ……” Ban Heng pointed out a few sentences on the decree and shaking his head, said: “His Majesty also doesn’t have it easy having to speak such barefaced lies.”

Ban Hua grabbed the imperial edict from him and placed it on the altar in the main hall, so that the edict was lying with those bestowed before.

“His Majesty is wise and brilliant. His eyes are all-seeing and illuminating like a torch!”

Ban Hua suddenly thought that it seemed like this hadn’t happened in her dream. Since it was a big event that concerned her status, she wouldn’t have forgotten it even in her dreams.

So … had reality changed because she flogged Shen Yu with a whip?

Shen Yu had never thought that he would meet such humiliation and be whipped like a dog in the middle of the street, surrounded by people.

“Shen Tanhua is clean and upright like jade and he doesn’t want to be a vulgar person who hurts the other after leaving.” Ban Hua sneered down at him from horseback and the mockery was almost engraved on her face. “Well, treat it as though this Xiangjun was blind at the time to agree to your courtship after you pestered my parents relentlessly. Unexpectedly, you shamelessly burnt the bridge after crossing the river. Once you ranked as Tanhua, you betrayed your true colours and let me see your vile character. “

At this time, Shen Yu was caught between defending himself or not defending himself. He looked around with a flushed face at the people gathered around him to watch the scene and swallowing the anger in his heart, he stiffly said to Ban Hua, “Ban Xiangjun, please stop this.”

Had Ban Hua gone crazy? She was a Xiangjun who dared to publicly flog  the Tanhua personally chosen by the Emperor. Did she not care about her reputation or her future marriage?

“Oh, yes.” Ban Hua suddenly said, “You just said that I was being excessive because I whipped a court official in the streets? “

Watching Ban Hua sitting tall on horseback and looking down on him, a bad hunch was born in Shen Yu’s heart.

“Relax, very soon you won’t be a titled official of the imperial court any more.” Ban Hua looked at Shen Yu’s shocked and frightened face and laughed out loud. She immediately pulled the horse’s reins and let the horse trot away.

“Ban Xiang Jun!”

“Ban Xiang Jun!”

Shen Yu wanted to catch up with her, but Ban Heng, who was following Ban Hua, suddenly turned his head to stare at him, raising the whip in his hand, “Take one more step if you dare.” “

Shen Yu remembered the pain from being whipped just before and didn’t dare to move forward. All he could do was feel anxiety and hatred. Were all the Ban family people crazy?

Early in the morning the next day, as the Emperor held court, an Imperial Censor accused Ban Hua saying that she, as a Xiangjun related to the royal family whose title was bestowed by the Emperor’s grace, had exceeded limits and acted too unruly by going so far as to personally punish officials.

This was originally a trivial matter, but when the Imperial Censor described it, it became a big event. Before the emperor could speak, a few Imperial Censors had started to quarrel among themselves.

Fortunately, there were no major events to be discussed in court that day and so all the honoured courtiers started noisily discussing the issue of Ban Xiangjun flogging the Tanhua.

“Your Majesty,” Just as everyone became more and more noisy, an unexpected person stood up and said, “Your humble servant has an opinion on this issue. I wonder if the honoured courtiers would be willing to listen to my paltry words?”

The Censors saw that it was Count Cheng An who had spoken and hurriedly fell silent.

“In this humble servant’s view, this was not a case of the Xiangjun whipping an official of the court, but instead it was the beating of a heartless man by a jilted woman,” Rong Xia cupped his hands in salute “This humble servant heard that Shen Tanhua had begged Jingting Hou Fu for marriage before passing the imperial examination. Jingting Hou saw his infatuation and without looking down on him for lacking a status to match the Xiangjun, accepted his request to marry her.” Rong Xia said measuredly, “An engaged man who couldn’t wait to get out of the marriage he had begged for once he passed the Imperial Examination. Isn’t that the essence of ungratefulness? Honoured courtiers too have women in their families. Why not put yourself in the Ban family’s shoes and think?”

The whole Imperial court suddenly calmed down. After a long while, a single Imperial censor stood out to say, “Ban Xiangjun is so arrogant and extravagant and how many men in this world can bear her behaviour? Since Count Cheng An is so eloquent, it ’s better for him to marry her.”

“Honoured Censor,” Rong Xia said in a cold voice, “You have studied for dozens of years to your present status where you can stand in the Emperor’s Throne Room, just to sneer at a woman and demean a lady’s reputation?”

“If this is the Imperial Cendor’s noble demeanor,” Rong Xia cupped his hand in salute towards the emperor sitting on the throne, “Your Majesty, your humble servant is ashamed to be associated with such a person!”

“Your Majesty , this humble servant also feels that what Count Cheng An said is justified.”

“Your servant second this!”

The Censor who had been reprimanded by Rong Xia seemed to be tottering on the verge on collapse and his face was pale as paper. Without needing to look up, he knew what expressions the colleagues around him were looking at him with.

Rong Xia, who is a famous scholarly gentleman in Beijing has now said that he is ashamed to associate with him. What will people in Beijing think of him in the future? It’s over, it’s all over.

Rong Xia looked at him, then simply silently saluted the emperor and backed away. He retreated to stand quietly in his original position.

A jade-like elegant nobleman stood upright with a pale face, seemingly in a trance.

No sooner had the emperor returned to the palace after the court session had ended, when a palace maid came to report that the Eldest Princess had come to request an audience.

The Emperor had a deep affection for the Eldest Princess. His mother, the Empress, had not been favoured by his father, the previous Emperor, who had instead favoured a concubine and her son. If it hadn’t been for his aunt’s continued support, his princely position would have been taken away by that concubine’s son. In addition, through all these years, the Eldest princess had neither coerced favours nor schemed to get advantages as compensation for her help. Therefore, the Eldest Princess has always been highly respected by the Emperor.

Now, hearing that the Eldest Princess had come to meet him, he immediately asked the eunuch who served at his side to invite her in.

“Your Majesty,” as soon as Princess Dening entered the inner hall, she bent her knees to salute the emperor. The Emperor quickly reached out his hands and held her up, “Aunt, what are you doing? Between you and I, as aunt and nephew, what’s the need for so much etiquette? “

The Eldest Princess straightened her body. Although she was nearly 60 years old, her body was still in pretty good condition and one could see the dignified atmosphere of a Royal Princess in her every move.

“Today, I came on behalf of my disappointing granddaughter to report her wrongdoing,” the Eldest Princess drew out a handkerchief, wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes, and choked out, “I didn’t teach her father well and he’s grown to such a big age without having a proper demeanor. Now, his two children too have followed his temperament and started behaving like him. “

Speaking out her sadness, the eldest princess couldn’t even cry out loud, but only covered her face with a handkerchief, crying silently.

“Aunt, please don’t be sad.” The Emperor knew that his aunt had married a general who only knew how to fight in order to strengthen his Emperor father’s grasp on the throne. It is precisely because of this relationship that his aunt was able to protect him and his Empress mother later and make him an Emperor raised high above all others.

It was not his aunt ’s fault that his cousin had developed his current temperament, but rather because that vulgar man, Jingting Gong, didn’t teach his son well. When he thought that his aunt had sacrificed her whole life for their family, but now in her older years, he had even allowed a petty Imperial Censor to scold her only granddaughter in the court, the Emperor was unhappy.

“Aunt, this matter has nothing to do with your niece. It can only be blamed on Shen Yu’s incorrect thinking.” 

“Your Majesty doesn’t need to comfort me. My Ban Family’s tutoring was not strict enough so that now you have been embarrassed by her in the court. “

“The cousin is a good girl. Even in the palace, all who see her speak well of her and I like her very much. It was because I didn’t take care of her well that she has suffered such grievances.” 

In the end, the Eldest Princess was personally helped into her carriage by the Emperor. The deep feelings between the aunt and nephew were observed by the entire palace.

Princess Dening sat in the carriage and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a grim smile on her face.

Born in the royal family, she knew better than anyone that there were no real feelings at all in this Imperial city, but only calculated schemes. For example, when the previous Emperor had plotted against her husband back then so that he had suffered from pain and torment in the latter half of his life. Yet another example is that she now has a good nephew who respects her and gives her honor and glory but only because she is discrete and her son doesn’t have any ability to intervene in Imperial affairs.

The previous Emperor had plotted against her husband and she had ensured that the son he had loved most could not become the emperor in return. This too could be considered fair.

On the second day after the Imperial Censor’s accusation of Ban Hua, a decree was sent to Jingting Hou Fu. The central concept of the decree was to declare that the Emperor’s niece was very good and the Emperor loved her very much. He felt that the title of Xiang Jun was not worthy of her stature and so she was promoted from Xiang Jun to Jun Princess and bestowed a fief of 700 households*.

At the same time that Ban Hua was promoted to a Jun Princess, Shen Yu was dismissed from his official post due to a lack of personal ethics. Even the Imperial Censor who had accused Ban Hua was deprived of his office on the grounds of “improper conduct”.

“Sister, was there such a chapter in your dream?” Ban Heng looked at the decree in Ban Hua’s hand, “Promoted to Junjun and even granted a fief… Not even the Qinwang’s daughter has such a privilege. Still, Grandmother is awesome.”

The day before yesterday his sister didn’t return directly to their own house after whipping Shen Yu, but instead went to the palace of the Eldest Princess.

Afterwards, his sister not only brought home a large box of precious gems, but also picked up a Jun Princess title and a fiefdom. Old ginger truly was spicier!

“I don’t remember,” Ban Hua passed the imperial decree into his hands. “You take your time and look at this.”

“Bright and virtuous young lady, pure in heart and elegant in character ……” Ban Heng pointed out a few sentences on the decree and shaking his head, said: “His Majesty also doesn’t have it easy having to speak such barefaced lies.”

Ban Hua grabbed the imperial edict from him and placed it on the altar in the main hall, so that the edict was lying with those bestowed before.

“His Majesty is wise and brilliant. His eyes are all-seeing and illuminating like a torch!”

Ban Hua suddenly thought that it seemed like this hadn’t happened in her dream. Since it was a big event that concerned her status, she wouldn’t have forgotten it even in her dreams.

So … had reality changed because she flogged Shen Yu with a whip?