CH 67

It was widely known that Count Cheng’an had perfect manner, the way he treated others never made anyone felt uncomfortable. It was also one of the reasons he was very popular among ladies.

Li Xiaoru was stupefied, she looked at Rong Xia in disbelief that such words could come from him. Her mouth opened wide, she turned to Shi Feixian to see the latter’s very ugly face. Li Xiaoru pulled her brother towards the pavillion, her instinct said it would do her no good to be involved.

But just because she had withdrawn, it did not mean others would not want to watch the fun.

Shi Feixian’s exalted reputation was partly obtained through Shi family’s capable operation, and partly came from praises sang by a chunk of the talented people in the Capital. For those self-appointed virtuous scholars, a good looking and talented woman naturally deserved to be praised and flattered. As a result, Shi Feixian had developed a haughty temperament with her nose turned up to the sky.

Even someone like Rong Xia had haters, not to mention Shi Feixian.

It was one matter for the noble misses to play subservient in front of Shi Feixian, but what they privately thought of her was another matter. The last year incident of Aibo Prince mistaking Ban Hua as Daye’s number one, many of them had secretly had fun of it.

Human nature was complicated, human could feel pity, could have kindness, and also jealousy and malice. Nobody was perfect, a perfect human would have been a saint. But among people who were ‘clothed in satin and dined in jade’ and lived surrounded by an army of servants, how many could become a saint?

Several noble misses sporting a sympathetic face walked over to stand behind Shi Feixian. They had covered it well, but Ban Hua could still see the eager desire of watching a show in their eyes.

At that moment Shi Feixian was not in the mood to care of others’ opinion, her entire focus was on Rong Xia, her face was frighteningly white.

Seeing her that way, Ban Hua coughed drily with a bit of guilt in her heart. Had she driven someone mad?

Shi Feixian’s face kept changing, from white to red, from red to green. In the end two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks.

A pitiful girl, and a man with a cold face. The silent weeping was the biggest accusation of all. Anyone would think of Rong Xia as a heartless man.

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“It turns out that Count Rong is unfaithful. It is This Little Woman who was deluded.” Shi Feixian abruptly curtseyed to Rong Xia, “I have given myself a slight, farewell.”

Shi Feixian turned and left, taking Shi residence guards with her. The number of people standing outside the pavillion was instantly reduced by almost half.

The noble misses looked at each other. They thought Shi Feixian would argue with Rong Xia or Ban Hua, but her leaving dejectedly just like that, what did it mean?

Li Xiaoru had both of her hands on her younger brother’s shoulders, she vaguely worried, what would the talk in the Capital be with Shi Feixian leaving in such an aggrieved state? Turning to the other misses, their faces were also somewhat strange.

“Wait.” Ban Hua called out to Shi Feixian who had walked more than ten steps away, she also signalled Ban family guards to block their movement. Du Jiu was behind Rong Xia, seeing his index finger moved as a signal, Du Jiu took some guards to follow Ban family guards movement.

“Fule Junzhu, what more do you want?” Shi Feixian’s face was teary like ‘raindrops on a pear blossom’. Her voice trembled, “Don’t bully people too much.”

“I don’t want to do anything.” Unlike the agitated Shi Feixian, Ban Hua was exceptionally calm. Her gaze swept over the crowd, “It’s better to make things clear in front of everyone. If Miss Shi leaves in this state, those who don’t know will think that I have been inappropriate. I don’t care what others think of me, but it doesn’t mean I am willing to hear rumours going around.”

Shi Feixian’s eyelids twitched but she didn’t speak.

“If I hear anything out of place after today, then I can only tell others what had happened just now.” Ban Hua sneered, “After all Miss Shi is benevolent, and is always concerned about other people’s marriage.”

Shi Feixian’s face turned white. She was not a fool, naturally she understood what Ban Hua was saying. Rong Xia and Ban Hua were engaged, if Ban Hua was to say things outside, there would be gossips about her. Had it been anyone else, they wouldn’t blow it big in order to save each other’s families’ face, but Ban Hua was different. Ban Hua was a nutcase who never considered consequences, she wouldn’t care about Shi family face, and she definitely wouldn’t give Shi Feixian any.

The noble misses watched quietly as Shi Feixian was pressured by Ban Hua, noone dared to speak up. Even misses from families affiliated to Shi clan, none dared to stand up and offend Ban Hua. Ban Hua didn’t even give Shi Feixian face, and who were they to try?

“Junzhu thinks too much,” Shi Feixian sneered, looked askance at Ban family guards, “Move away!”

The guards ignored it, they turned to Ban Hua. They were personally selected by Old Duke Jingting for Ban Hua since she was still small, they were loyal to her and listened to her orders only.

“It’s good that Miss Shi understands this.” Ban Hua raised her chin, the guards immediately stepped back to open a way for Shi Feixian. “I heard Miss Shi has obtained a rare book of poems that is not easy to come by. Miss Shi should keep it well.”

Shi Feixian’s body stiffened. Avoiding Ban Hua’s gaze, she hurriedly turned to leave.

T/N –Xie Qilin fell off the horse and damaged one of his eyes after bringing a book of poems for Shi Feixian. I guess Ban Hua was referring to this.

As Shi Feixian’s figure disappeared from the bamboo forest, the noble misses who had remained became awkward. Looking at each other, they slowly regained their senses and began to bid farewell to Ban Hua and Rong Xia.

Ban Hua believed in ‘putting the blame on the culprit alone’, so she showed friendly attitude towards this group of delicate pretty girls and gave them a smiling farewell. Then she noticed a round-faced little miss kept peeking back a few times.

Ban Hua couldn’t resist laughing, the little girl realised that she had been discovered. Her face and ears instantly turned red and she ran away as if escaping from a human-eating beast.

Ban Hua: ………..

Her face was obviously pretty, how had she scared a little girl like this.

“Junzhu,” Li Xiaoru took Li Wang to Ban Hua and curtseyed, “Farewell.”

“Take care.” Ban Hua gave her a smile.

Li Xiaoru couldn’t help but smiling along. She lowered her head, rubbed the top of her brother’s head, then turned to leave. But the little brother broke away from her hand and went to Ban Hua, “Big Sister, can I come to see you in a few days?”

Li Xiaoru looked at him worriedly, Fule Junzhu was only casually bantering with him, her little brother was too young to understand.

“Fine.” Ban Hua nodded, she put an act of a big sister, “When you come, I will teach you riding and shooting.”

Li Wang’s eyes lit up, he nodded enthusiastically, “En!”

Li Xiaoru opened her mouth but stopped. When Li Wang had returned to her side, she couldn’t resist it.

“Junzhu, please….. please be more careful.”

She had been with Shi Feixian for several years. Shi Feixian looked outwardly gentle, but she was actually very vindictive. Ban Hua had caused her to lose face so badly today, Shi Feixian was definitely holding a grudge, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate.

Ban Hua raised her eyebrows, looked at Li Xiaoru somewhat strangely, and smiled, “Thank you for the reminder.”

After the Li siblings left, Ban Hua looked at the empty bamboo forest and said to Rong Xia, “It is quiet now.”

Rong Xia laughed.

“Let’s go. Let’s see peacocks.” Ban Hua merrily walked out of the bamboo forest. Getting upper hands in an argument was similar to winning a battle, it would make her happy for a shichen.

T/N – 1 shichen = 2 hours.

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The peacocks in Ban family village estate were very well-kept, and very narcissistic. Holding up a flashy object was enough to tease the male peacocks to hurriedly spread their tails. Peacocks were indeed beautiful animals, as long as the view was not from the backside behind their tails.

On the way back, Ban Hua gazed at the greeneries on the mountain fields and the peach trees laden with fully bloomed flowers on the side of the road. She couldn’t help saying, “When I see beautiful sceneries like this, I always feel, it is good to be alive.”

Rong Xia looked at her in surprise, “Hua Hua is still in blossoming age, how do you have that feeling?”

Ban Hua just laughed without answering. The breeze blew the soft hair on her temples, it let her looks softened.

Rong Xia followed her gaze to the distance. At the sides of the mountain far away, clusters of alluring pink sat serenely like pink mist with it’s hazy beauty.

However several beggars in tattered clothes suddenly appeared out of nowhere and ruined the view. They were in rags, with thin and dirty faces. One of them was a woman holding a child, it laid motionless in her arms, it was either sleeping or had fainted from hunger.

Their eyes brightened up when they saw Rong Xia and Ban Hua, like someone who had walked in the dark for too long and as they were about to give up, a sliver of light ahead was finally seen.

“Bang”

The woman with child slumped to the ground, she opened her mouth and wailed, it was unclear from excitement or sadness.

Ban Hua saw the beggars were laughing and crying while standing on the official road, she turned to Rong Xia.

Rong Xia signalled Du Jiu to check what was going on. Beggars from the Capital wouldn’t be that bold to walk on the official road.

According to Daye regulation, commoners were not allowed to use official roads without permission. The punishment was a year imprisonment and a fine of 10 liangs silver.

T/N – In the past there were two types of road. The shorter and safer official roads were for government or the wealthy use only, while normal roads were for merchants, travellers, villagers etc.

Ban Hua took out a pouch containing snacks, she handed it to a guard and pointed to the beggars who were behaving like crazy.

The woman with child received the pouch, after kowtowing to Ban Hua she urgently opened it. She was too desperate that two pieces fell to the ground, she picked the pieces up and stuffed them into her mouth, then took out another piece of cake from the pouch to put near the mouth of the half unconscious child.

Ban Hua thought the child wouldn’t be able to eat, but at the next moment the child opened it’s mouth very widely, as if trying to eat a whole cow instead of a piece of cake.

“Master Count, Junzhu, shuxia has asked. They are from Qizhou, they are fleeing a disaster.” Du Jiu’s expression was somewhat grave, “They said a very severe snowstorm happened in Qizhou, many people had died. They used to be a wealthy local family in Qizhou, but prior to reaching the Capital, their guide robbed them off their horses and valuables.”

Up to this point, these people’s identity was no longer important. The important point was, whether the snowstorm disaster in Qizhou had really happened.

If it was real, why didn’t the officials in Qizhou report it?