CH 44

The palace hall was very quiet, so quiet that a dropped pin could have been heard.

Emperor Yunqing observed Rong Xia who stood respectfully in place, allowing the Emperor to measure him.

“Junpo,” Emperor Yunqing finally broke the long period of silence, “Zhen knows you wouldn’t let zhen down.”

The rise of Yan Hui was prompted by his backing, but Yan Hui had recently become increasingly disobedient, Yan Hui let his relatives bought up lands, and some of them even sold titles and official positions. Emperor Yunqing had been turning a blind eye since the Right Minister shouldn’t be without a rival, but it didn’t mean Yan Hui was allowed to meddle with the royal relatives.

The Crown Prince was kind and generous, but indecisive. In the future as the next Emperor, he would need his brothers and sisters. Yan Hui had been inciting the Crown Prince to clash with the Second Prince, to go against his birth siblings. The Emperor himself wasn’t a sibling-lover, but as an emperor, he couldn’t let this go on.

“It’s a pity you are too young, otherwise this Left Minister position, zhen would be relieved if it it was yours.”

“Your Majesty,” Rong Xia calmly said, “Serving Your Majesty and the people is chen’swish. Title is not important.”

* chen 臣 = This Official. * weichen 微臣 = This Humble Official

“You,” Emperor Yunqing laughed in a low voice, “You don’t like women, you don’t want power. Aren’t you living an ascetic life?”

“Your Majesty, weichen wears luxurious clothes and has plenty of servants, it is not an ascetic living.” After thinking for a while Rong Xia said, “Weichen is unable to leave the world like a monk.”

“One should have something to live for,” Emperor Yunqing smiled indulgently, “Aiqing is not my son, but in zhen’s eyes, you are already half a son.”

* aiqing 爱卿 = the term used by the emperor for his subject

Rong Xia bowed very deeply, “Your Majesty, chen doesn’t deserve it.”

Wang De stood silently in the corner with eyes fixed on the tip of his shoes. His Majesty always sighed in envy whenever he came across young men and women he found pleasing. So His Majesty was not satisfied with his own children?

“What deserving or not deserving,” Emperor Yunqing patted Rong Xia’s shoulder, “Come, take a walk with zhen, get some fresh air.”

Rong Xia followed the Emperor to the Imperial Garden. He had been here many times, the garden was nothing special for him, neither was it as fascinating as written on the books.

“Zhen is old, the officials are getting bolder and bolder.” The Emperor stood at the edge of the lotus pond, watching the rippling lake without an expression on his face. “Now Zhen is still around and they are like this. In a hundred years, how will this dynasty be.”

Late autumn lotus pond was nothing to look at, the eunuchs had fished out wilted lotus flowers and leaves. It’s surface devoid of anything, the pond gave off a deserted feeling.

“Your Majesty is in the prime, why think that way?” Rong Xia looked at His Majesty in shock and dismay, “Weichen is scared.”

“Life is like that, one day it will come to this.” Emperor Yunqing frowned, “Everyone calls zhen ‘wansui’, doesn’t mean zhen will really live 10,000 years.”

* wansui 万岁 = 10,000 years. Emperors were also called ‘wansuiye’ = the lord of 10,000 years.

“Your Majesty,” Rong Xia moved a step back and bowed deeply to the Emperor.

“Imploring Your Majesty not to say these things, it is hard for weichen to hear. Father and mother had passed away early, and all these years Your Majesty took care of weichen. Weichen is disrespectful, but Your Majesty is weichen’s sky, weichen’s stalwart tree. Weichen is lowly and dare not be deluded, but wishing Your Majesty to remain healthy, free of sickness or troubles.”

Emperor Yunqing was touched. Two years ago Count Cheng’an had erected a tablet in Long-life Hall, he sent someone to check and was reported the name on the tablet was his. It was a huge disrespect for an official to write the emperor’s name so Count Cheng’an had carefully concealed it.

Had it been someone else today, he would feel the words were just flattery, but not Rong Xia. This child really cared for him as an elder that someone candid like him could do the secretive thing. There was also another secret report that Count Cheng’an challenged a scholar who spoke rudely about him to a ten-poetry battle. That scholar’s reputation was ruined and had no face to appear in the Capital anymore.

Any order he was given, Count Cheng’an had always done it conscientiously, even when he was injured, he never used the injury to ask for rewards. The Court didn’t lack capable people, but someone who worked for him wholeheartedly and never curried favour could be counted with one hand.

Once again he reached out to pat Rong Xia’s shoulder, his mood had turned better, “Fine, zhen wouldn’t say things like this again.”

Rong Xia looked slightly relaxed, he reverted to standing elegantly behind the Emperor.

Seeing him like that, Emperor Yunqing felt like teasing him, “Zhen heard two days ago you spoke bad things about Left Minister Yan in front of the scholars?”

“Your Majesty, weichen was only saying the truth.” Rong Xia frowned, “Fule Junzhu is Your Majesty’s niece, how can she be harrased by them?”

On Emperor Yunqing’s ears this sounded like: your people, why let others harrass?

Emperor Yunqing felt his whole body comfortable, he laughed, “Yan Hui unexpectedly can be so reckless. You are correct, zhen’s niece is blessed to be beautiful, Yan family made such a fuss is too much.”

Turning to Rong Xia, his smile grew bigger, “Pity that you have no interest towards Fule Junzhu. Otherwise, with your stable temperament, it is good to have Hua Hua married to you.”

Rong Xia was silent for a moment, then he raised his head to look at the Emperor, “Fule Junzhu is as beautiful as fairy, has noble birth, smart and refined. Weichen is not worthy of her.”

He said every word slowly like enumerating the facts instead of rejecting. However as Emperor Yunqing didn’t really have the intention, he let it go after a few more words and smiles.

It was Wang De behind the Emperor who paused, as if he had just heard something curious.

—

“A long autumn night like this, Sis, if you can’t sleep then don’t sleep. What are you dragging me here for?” Ban Heng was wrapped in a thick cloak and wished he could put his head in the cloak as well.

“To enjoy the moon.” Ban Hua looked up at the bright moon, she sat down on the stone bench with soft cushions on top. “It’s boring to sit alone, so accompany me.”

“So cold, what moon to enjoy.” Ban Heng probed her forehead, “Is your brain alright?”

“Your brain has problem, not mine.” Ban Hua slapped his hand away, “I had a long afternoon nap, now I can’t sleep.”

Thinking of how Ban Hua had been cooped up indoor these days without even a step outside the gate, Ban Heng felt some sympathy, “Alright, I’ll sit with you for a while.”

Neither of them was some pretentious people in pursuit of elegance. After stupidly staring at the moon for some time, Ban Hua pointed up to it.

“Brother Heng, you say, what does Chang’e wear and how she does her hair?”

T/N – Chang’e is the goddess of the Moon. Something something about Hou Yi shooting down ten suns etc. But obviously the best thing about Mid Autumn festival is the moon cake!!!

“Must be a skirt.” Ban Heng had no interest in women clothing, he cared more of the relationship of Wu Gang, Hou Yi and Chang’e. “If Guanghan Palace is so cold, then how to eat and drink. It must be hard to live there.”

“Gods still need to eat?” Ban Hua glanced at him, “If she is alone in Guanghan Palace, who will admire the pretty dresses she wears?”

“Sis, can we stop talking about dresses?” Ban Heng was speechless, “I don’t understand how women have so many styles, isn’t it tiresome.”

Ban Hua humphed, stopped paying attention to him.

As his sister seemed angry, Ban Heng could only plaster a smile trying to coax her, “Sis, the scholars are praising that you are filial, beautiful and bold. Aren’t you curious?”

“Really?” Ban Hua was surprised, “I thought they said I bring bad luck.”

“Yes, at first, they cursed you as one.” At Ban Hua’s glare, Ban Heng awkwardly touched his nose. “But after Count Rong praised you, they changed their tune.”

“Count Rong?” Ban Hua was surprised, “He helped me?”

“Not only helping you, he also criticised Left Minister Yan.” Ban Heng sighed, “Count Rong is righteous and just. A rarely-found upright one.”

“En, someone who can praise us in front of the scholars must be an upright person, most people won’t be able to.” Ban Hua nodded. Normally scholars had nothing good to say about her, Rong Xia was influential enough to make them ‘abandon the prejudice’.

“Is he not afraid to offend the Left Minister?” Ban Hua remembered this point, “He has a real position in the Court, wouldn’t the Left Minister make things difficult for him.”

“Count Rong is so good-looking, noone will give him trouble, won’t they?” Ban Heng wasn’t very sure, “How about…. I let someone find out?”

“Fine. Tomorrow send someone to find out.” Ban Hua took a sip of the hot tea brought by a maid. “So it is a good move to send gifts. Even a gentleman like Count Rong will help after receiving my gifts.”

“Ah?” Ban Heng looked at her with question, “Sis, what did you do?”

“When Father sent return gifts to Count Cheng’an, I put a few books in it. That time <<Zhong Cheng Lun>> was not found so I only gave it to him a few days ago.” Ban Hua sighed, “Sooner or later, our residence will be seized. Better give it to a beauty I love to look at.”

“Those East South West North Central books?” Ban Heng couldn’t remember the title of the five books, only that when put together they would form ‘East South West North Central’. He felt the previous dynasty’s talented people were better than the current ones, the titles of their books were memorable enough that even a fop like him could remember.

T/N – The ‘Zhong’ 中 in the book’s title <<Zhong Cheng Lun>> means ‘central’.

“But…. Count Rong isn’t a hypocrite who helps when given gifts.” Ban Heng had faith in Rong Xia’s character, “You rate his conducts on a woman’s standard.”

“En?” Ban Hua touched her cheeks, “Could it be that he fancies my beauty?”

Ban Heng was silent for a moment, “Or probably….. It’s really your gifts that worked?”

Ban Hua laughed in anger as she twisted Ban Heng’s ears, “Brat, do you know that saying stupid things can get you beaten up?”

She only used a little force, but Ban Heng still made a pained expression, “Sis, Sis, I am wrong, wrong. I only meant Count Rong isn’t a lecher, I didn’t mean you are not beautiful enough.”

Ban Hua let him go, she slapped the table in grand gesture, “Not a problem. I am also only admiring his good looks.”