CH 42

“Your Highness Changqing-wang,” Rong Xia slid a tea cup in front of this unexpected guest, “Your Highness’ visit brings light to my humble dwelling.”

T/N – (Refresher) Changqing-wang was the Emperor’s patrilineal cousin. His title literally means Evergreen King.

“Heh,” Changqing-wang cracked a cryptic laugh, picked up the cup to drink, “I thought you disliked me this uninvited guest.”

“Your Highness is joking.” Seeing the teacup had became half empty, Rong Xia refilled it.

His hands were pale with distinct joints, these were the privileged and well-bred hands which if only the owner had been willing, were able to produce precious paintings that could drove countless people scrambling madly like ducks, and willingly spent a fortune without regret.

* 骨节分明 = fingers with distinct joint.  This expression is used to describe beautiful hands.

Changqing-wang had been acquainted with Rong Xia for years but their relationship had never progressed. Changqing-wang could have many friends, but never to have close friends. He admired Rong Xia, but that was the limit of it.

“You seem to have a good relationship with Marquis Jingting?” Changqing-wang spread open his fan with a swish, fanning it in front of himself.

“En?” Rong Xia put the teapot down, smiled lightly, “Had some conversations with him.”

“I thought you and that Junzhu…..” Rong Xia glanced up to him, Changqing-wang laughed, “Just joking, don’t take it seriously.”

“Your Highness, better not making jokes about a lady’s lifelong matter.” Rong Xia withdraw his gaze, picked up his cup and lightly sniffed the aroma, he swirled the cup gently but didn’t drink.

“Since when did we stop talking about men and women relationships in this Capital?” Changqing-wang closed his fan and tossed it on the table, “Besides, the Capital is now busy talking about the matter between Fule Junzhu and Left Minister’s youngest di son.”

* di 嫡 = children of the legitimate wife.

The tea inside the cup in Rong Xia’s hand was still gently swirling, he put it down.

Changqing-wang knew Rong Xia had no interest in chicken feather garlic skin gossips like this, but it didn’t affect his own interest, he continued jabbering on.

* 鸡毛蒜皮 (lit. chicken feather, garlic skin) = trivial mattter.

“Don’t know how Yan family teaches their son. He stumbled instantly after seeing a beauty, swearing it had to be that girl Ban Hua.” Thinking of Ban Hua, Changqing-wang’s face revealed some admiration, “But this girl is really very pretty, if only I was not his cousin-uncle, maybe I will also…. ahem.”

Rong Xia drank a sip of tea, still keeping his silence.

“Actually it wasn’t any big deal.” Changqing-wang shook his head and sighed, “Just a one-sided love. Yan Zhen fell hard for Ban-junzhu, but she had nothing for him. Yan Zhen is now so sick after he returned that I heard medicine doesn’t work anymore. Left Minister family is so distraught that they begged Ban family to marry their daughter to him.”

“Yan Zhen is sick?” Rong Xia eyebrows raised, “He was still fine a few days ago at Shi family villa.”

“Is there anything interesting at Shi family villa?” Changqing-wang shook his head, “People from Shi family are just like their family name, all boring. Only Shi Jin is different, he looks talented.”

T/N – Shi 石 = rock, stone. Changqing-wang meant the family is as interesting as rocks.

Rong Xia frowned, too lazy to pay him more attention.

“Oh right, I was talking about Yan Zhen’s sickness.” Changqing-wang brought the topic back. “Yan family invited imperial doctors, but the doctors said this is sickness of the heart, so medicine is useless.”

“Poor Fule Junzhu is just too pretty for her own good, attracting this kind of trouble to herself. Marriage is a matter of love and consent, Yan Zhen making such a fuzz is simply putting Ban family on fire.” Changqing-wang had no good impression of Yan Zhen this bookworm.

“That’s why I don’t like these bookworms. They bury their heads in books all day long, but once they meet a beauty, all propriety, justice, integrity, honour, filial piety and benevolence flow out of the window, and they drag the good girls to suffer.”

The thing that gossiping people couldn’t stand the most was not getting a response to their excited talks. Changqing-wang gradually lost interest being met with bland reception from Rong Xia, he stood up and left.

Outside Cheng’an residence, Changqing-wang gave himself a mocking smile. He thought Rong Xia had some interest at Fule Junzhu, apparently he had thought too much. Normal men wouldn’t look this way when they heard their beloved women were in other men’s thoughts.

That devastatingly beautiful Fule Junzhu was too pitiful, she was again the object of rumours because someone was obsessed with her.

Whenever this happened, history always blamed the beauty as the root of disasters even though someone’s looks was the Heaven’s gift. One person got infatuated, instead of blaming that person as having no self-control, they blamed the other party as being too beautiful. Such absurdity, such ridiculousness.

He was fond of beauty himself, but he couldn’t stand others’ harsh view on beauties.

—

Changqing-wang wasn’t exaggerating, Yan family was really in a miserable state. Yan-furen was hoarse from crying at the sight of her son in the state of ‘exhaling more than inhaling’. Her mouth scolded the son for being useless, but the heart hated Ban Hua for possessing a harmful face. It was only a lifelong education of manner that forced her to swallow the words.

Yan Zhen’s eldest brother and sister-in-law were gently trying to persuade his mother, while at the same time being anxious about the little brother, they were hard pressed and overwrought.

The eldest son of Yan family, Yan Ming, worked at the Ministry of Revenue, he had to request leave from his superior to attend to family matter. He could only pretend he didn’t notice his colleagues’ odd expressions as he hurriedly left for home.

It was the most embarrassing time for their family, who knew how many in the whole Capital thinking of them as a joke. A good young man rejected his life for a woman, wasn’t it a joke?

Yan Ming hated that his little brother was too hopeless, but looking at his pale face, at how he couldn’t even swallow ginseng soup, Yan Ming’s heart softened. He watched this little brother grew up, he couldn’t bear seeing him getting weaker and weaker day by day.

“Is there nothing imperial doctors can do?” Yan Ming said after pondering for a long time, “How about….. we ask Ban family again. If Ban-junzhu could marry over, Little Brother should recover.”

“But Ban family didn’t accept the proposal. Your little brother wouldn’t become like this if that Junzhu didn’t reject him.” Yan-furen wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. “This troublesome rascal, I’ll break his legs when he recovers. How many beautiful women are there on earth, why should you cling to that Junzhu?”

The eldest daughter-in-law, Chen-shi, stood silently on the side. Her relationship with the mother-in-law wasn’t good, as the daughter-in-law she had to put up with the harshness and criticism, but there was not much affection for Yan-furen in her heart.

She disagreed with what Yan-furen’s said, there were indeed many beautiful women on earth, but how many could compare to the dazzling Ban-junzhu? Even she herself was distracted when she saw Ban-junzhu, let alone this little brother-in-law who had turned dumb from studying too much.

Ban-junzhu embodied the ultimate beauty depicted in poems. A noble status, a devastatingly beautiful face, a graceful figure, luxurious dresses. Taking her personality out of the equation, wouldn’t she be the perfect, peerless, unwordly goddess of the poems?

Wasn’t it natural that Younger Brother-in-law lost his soul when he encountered her?

Not to say Younger Brother-in-law, how many young men in the Capital were shaken by Ban-junzhu. How else could she be disliked by so many young ladies?

How many would accept their husbands or sweethearts be enchanted by other woman? Perhaps in their hearts they knew the fault was with their dissolute men, but as those were their beloved, so the hate shifted to the woman who lured them.

“Let’s try talking to them again.” Yan Ming couldn’t bear seeing his little brother this way. “It’s still possible Ban family would change their mind.”

“Noone is allowed to talk to them!” Yan Hui coming in from outside, looked at the disappointing son on the bed. “Do all of you think Yan family is not shameful enough?”

T/N – Expression used is ‘hating iron for not becoming steel’ which means to feel resentful towards somebody for failing to meet expectations.

“Shame, shame. That’s all you think of, how about the child?” Yan-furen finally lost her temper, “Do you want to see him dead?”

“He is weak, who can you blame?” Yan Hui was both upset and anxious, his mouth was bitter all over. “Their Ban family has no intention of letting their daughter marry here. If we propose again, isn’t it the same as using death to force people.”

“So what if I use death to force people?” Yan-furen wiped her eyes, harshly said, “Even if it is begging, I will beg Ban family for this marriage. If laoye stops me, I’ll just die in front of your eyes.”

* laoye 老爷 = lord, master, maternal grandfather. Often used to address the senior male member of the family.

“You, you!” Yan Hui clutched his chest, he was so angry that his face ashened, “I’ll divorce you if you do that!”

“Father!” Yan Ming supported Yan Hui, busily tried to persuade, “Please Father sit down, don’t get angry, it is not good for your health.”

Chen-shi also walked up to persuade her mother-in-law, but Yan-furen pushed her away. Chen-shi didn’t get to dodge, she was knocked onto the bonsai pot next to her.

“Eldest Nainai!” Chen-shi’s maid was so shocked, she moved up to help her stand.

* shao nainai 少奶奶 = wife of the young master.

“I am fine.” Chen-shi touched her faintly aching belly. Looking at the back figure of the outraged Yan-furen, looking at the husband who was sitting with her father-in-law, she said in a calm tone, “Call a doctor.”

“Eldest Nainai, what’s wrong?” The maid’s face changed. Her lady’s period had been late for over ten days, could it be……

“Nothing big, probably a miscarriage.” Chen-shi felt something leaked out of her lower abdomen.

All the maids around her shrieked in shock, but Chen-shi unexpectedly felt a sense of relief. Watching the husband who dashed over to her in a haste, she raised her hand, put all her strength in it, and hit the face of that man.

“Pah!”

The crisps sound of a slap rang loudly, a strong fishy smell of blood gushed out from under Chen-shi’s skirt.

—

Ban family was not surprised in the slightest when a servant informed them the Left Minister’s Furen had come.

Ban Heng turned to his sister. Her painted nails were circling around a dainty snow-white teacup, the whole person looked stunningly beautiful. She was happily eating a piece of pastry as if the Left Minister’s Furen’s visit had had nothing to do with her.

Yin-shi sneered, “Their family has raised a useless wimp and still expect our precious daughter to marry him. What sort of thing they are.”

“I’ll have someone drive her out, we don’t have to deal with her.” Ban Huai slapped the table, he stood up to call a servant.

“What are you rushing about.” The old woman sitting at the main seat finally opened her mouth. She picked up a cup and gently scraping it with the lid, “Bengong is here. Let me see who dares to force my granddaughter to marry.”

* bengong 本宫 = This Palace. The way (very) royal women such as the empresses, royal princesses, royal concubines addressed themselves.

The Grand Princess gently put the cup down, it touched the table with a clinking sound.

Her words were like the Monkey King’s golden stick, everyone quieted down.

“Hua Hua is bengong’s granddaughter, half of her is of royal bloodline, Yan family is no match for her.” The Grand Princess was expresionless as she used a handkerchief to gently wiped the corner of her mouth, “Their Yan family member attempting suicide, what does it do with us.”

“If he wants to die, then let him die away, don’t dirty bengong’s eyes.”

The Grand Princess’ cold and bland voice carried some frosty killing intent.