CH 72

“This girl Hua Hua is getting lazier, just a small matter like this and she still bothers Momo.” Emperor Yunqing laughed and shook his head, “She needs to be punished.”

“Your Majesty, it was nubi who asked to run this errand for Junzhu.” Chang-momo sighed, “Please forgive nubi for saying something out of the line. All these years nubi with the Grand Princess, the grandchildren and Your Majesty were the ones held dearest in her heart. Nubi wishes to see Your Majesty directly so nubi can feel at ease. Moreover, Junzhu is still in mourning, it is not good to enter the Palace as usual.”

Emperor Yunqing heard what she said, his face looked quite moved, “Zhen…… ay.”

Chang-momo stood up, “Having seen Your Majesty is in good health, hale and hearty, nubi is relieved. Your Majesty has plenty of matters in hand, nubi dares not disturb for long. Nubi withdraws now.”

Emperor Yunqing wanted to keep Chang-momo a little more, but he knew that not only Chang-momo was Aunt’s closest servant, she was also the strictest one. It was already unusual for her to speak this much, he couldn’t possibly expect her to stay longer.

He had no choice but to order a female official to see Chang-momo off out of the Palace, along with a stack of gifts for Ban family.

Whoever made him happy, he would make them happy too.

—

At Ban family’s residence, Ban Heng took a bite of the sugar figurine and he almost vomitted.

“Sis, this figurine is too sweet, it’s not edible.” Ban Heng tossed the figurine on the plate, wiped the sugary liquid from the corner of his mouth and gulped down mouthfuls of water.

“Who told you to eat, it’s for looking.” Ban Hua gave him a disgusted look, “It looks so much like you, and you still want to eat it?”

“Anything that can be eaten, I will eat.” After a half bowl of tea, he looked at Ban Hua perplexly, “What do you buy these stuff for?”

“I happened to see it on the street, so I ordered some.” Ban Hua stood up, “If I knew you don’t appreciate it, I could have saved 20 wens.”

Ordinary people rarely purchased precious sweets, sugar figurine was quite expensive and was normally mixed with flour. Probably because Ban Hua was generous so the figurine-maker put more sugar to express his gratitude to this big customer.

“Who said I don’t want, I cherish it.” Remembering that he didn’t have much money this month, Ban Heng hurriedly picked it back up from the plate and started licking. “Don’t worry, I can finish it.”

“You want to finish it?” Ban Hua laughed in anger. She snatched the figurine, then roughly wiped Ban Heng’s face with a handkerchief, “What are you doing finishing something this sweet, do you still want your teeth?”

Ban Heng smiled ingratiatingly and took a sip of tea, “Sis, aren’t you going out?”

Ban Hua’s eyebrows raised, “What for?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Ban Heng laughed heh heh, “It’s just that these days many people heard of your engagement with Count Rong, they are so shocked their eyeballs almost jump out. That Zhou Changxiao, do you remember, he was here very early yesterday wanted to ask about this.”

“Aren’t you all too idle.” Ban Hua humphed, “It’s the Second Prince’s grand wedding soon, shouldn’t they be there joining the fun rather than caring about me?”

“Because you are prettier than the Second Prince’s consort.” Ban Heng was confident of this, “All of those women who wanted to marry Count Rong, and now ….. heh heh heh.”

How unpleasant were the rumours that time?

His sister was a husband-curse? No man wanted his sister? That she was a brainless beauty. As if insulting his sister could make themselves better.

And how was it now? Hadn’t the prized Count Rong come to their doorstep to beg, and even asked His Majesty to be his matchmaker. Weren’t they angry now, wasn’t it infuriating, right?

He felt very happy to think of them angry and infuriated.

It couldn’t be helped, when they were unhappy then he would be happy.

“Why would you lower yourself to their level,” Ban Hua stood up, “Aren’t you too idle yourself.”

Ban Heng was drinking, “They didn’t feel idle when they gossiped, so I also don’t feel idle laughing at them.”

Ban Hua couldn’t resist laughing. She knew her younger brother had always cried injustice on her behalf, but he never let harsh words outside reach her ears so she wouldn’t get upset. Ban Hua stroke his warm head, “Still so young, why do you worry about all these things?”

Ban Heng covered his head, “Sis, told you so many times, don’t keep on touching a man’s head.”

“What man.” She stroke his head again several times, “You haven’t had the rite of passage yet, what kind of man are you?”

Ban Heng: Out of them four in the family, he was in the lowest position…..

When he got back to his senses, Ban Hua had disappeared. Ban Heng beckoned a maid, “You say…… is my sister going to see Count Rong?”

The maid smiled, “Shizi, how would nubi know?”

Ban Heng dejectedly cupped his cheeks, “It’s better if Sister doesn’t get married.”

“Shizi, how come you think that way?” The maid was cleaning the table, she said in a lowered voice, “If Junzhu can find a good husband, then there is one more person to care for her. Isn’t this a good thing?”

Ban Heng feebly said, “That’s correct, but……”

But he was still unhappy. He had always been with Sister. When he was small, whenever he was bullied Sister always helped him vent his anger. As long as she was around, he wouldn’t suffer any grievances. They were always arguing, but in his heart he knew how much she loved him.

Perhaps…… he couldn’t bear to let her go, he was anxious to see her marrying a stranger, because he was afraid that she would suffer, worried that she would have a hard time.

When a beloved person was not with ourselves, it was inevitable that worries and longing would appeared. To think that his sister would marry someone, that she would become Rong-furen, Ban Heng was very unwilling.

By all means, his sister belonged to their family.

—

At Count Cheng’an residence, Du Jiu entered the study, his expression was somewhat ugly. He said to Rong Xia who was reading with his head bowed, “Master Count, there is an unpleasant rumour outside.”

“What is it?” Rong Xia closed the book, looked up at Du Jiu.

“They say that you….. you rely on a woman.” Du Jiu had toned it down, actually it was Rong Xia ‘eating soft rice’.

* 吃软饭 (lit. eating soft rice)  = to live off a woman.

“I knew Shi family would do this.” Rong Xia laughed lightly, “Let them. Many people want to eat soft rice but they can’t. Let them be jealous.”

Du Jiu: “Master, you……”

“Besides, I think they are correct.” Rong Xia’s laugh turned reckless, “I am eating soft rice.”

Du Jiu: ………

“Priceless books and famous paintings that money can’t buy, any of these can drive people crazy. Ban family has given me so much.” Rong Xia caressed the pages of <<Zhong Cheng Lun>>. “If it’s not soft rice, what rice am I eating?”

Du Jiu: Saying it that way, yes, it sounds like soft rice.

He couldn’t refute.

“Du Jiu, no need to care of whatever they say. Someone behind the rumour is waiting for us to jump in anger.” Rong Xia lowered his eyelids, his laugh rang out in the room, “Let them do what they want. I am not the second Xie Qilin, they can’t use this method to steer me.”

Du Jiu was silent for a while, “Do you mean, Shi family is behind this?”

“Who else cares whether my backing is growing?” Rong Xia laughed mockingly, “Let them be. They could jump however they want, as long as we don’t pay attention, it won’t affect us.”

“But shuxia is worried that the literary world will view you differently.” Du Jiu looked troubled, “It can’t be helped that some of them have crowd mentality, and it will affect you in a bad way.”

“You think of them too simply.” Rong Xia shook his head, “As long as I am still influential, and His Majesty still trusts me, people won’t follow the crowd too easily. In this world, not many people are genuinely stupid. Shi family thinks too highly of themselves.”

It was ridiculous to expect to the same method that worked with Xie Qilin could be employed against Rong Xia.

People came in different shapes and forms, who would think exactly the same way?

Du Jiu did not really understand, but as his master had said so, he nodded, “Shuxia will prepare it now, will let people know the rumour originated from Shi family.”

It was just playing with public opinion, it’s not like they had never done it.

“Master Count,” The steward came in with a box held up in his hands, he also nodded to Du Jiu, “Ban-shizi sent something over, would you like to see it?”

The steward knew very well that deliveries under the name of Ban-shizi were actually from Ban-junzhu. Master Count would always be in a very good mood every time he received something, so he took it straight to the study.

“Where is the person sending it?” Rong Xia accepted the box.

“That person said there is something else to do, so went away after dropping the box.” The steward didn’t check the content, he had no idea what Ban family was doing.

“I see.” Rong Xia nodded to the steward who then retreated in silence.                

Du Jiu looked at the box curiously. What precious book Ban family sent this time?

Thinking about the soft rice rumour, Du Jiu felt, Master Count’s soft rice….. was eaten too easily.

Rong Xia opened the box. After seeing the content, he couldn’t help laughing out loud.

Du Jiu raised his eyes, what did Ban-junzhu send that made Master Count so happy? He braved himself to move closer a few steps. When he saw it was just a worthless sugar figurine, Du Jiu was stupefied for a long time.

What was the meaning of this sugar figurine?

The honest and upright Du Jiu who never had any contact with girls, was completely at loss at the interaction between men and women. He only felt that today’s soft rice was too cheap.

Rong Xia picked up the sugar figurine, and started to lick it’s arm.

Du Jiu rushed to say, “Master, don’t!”

Rong Xia waved, signaling him not to speak.

En, the sugar figurine is very sweet.

T/N – Baidu says ancient currencies is a bundle of mess, but also that: ‘Here’s a non-scientific guide for lay people use on dramas and novels: 1 liang gold = 10 liang silver = 10000 wens = RMB 2000.’

RMB 1 = USD 0.1497 today (20/06/22) so 1 sugarine figure is like USD 0.5988, or say 60 cents.

Ban Hua would have saved USD 0.60 if she didn’t buy Ban Heng a figurine.

Emperor Yunqing owed Ban Hua USD 1.20 for his pair of figurines.

And her USD 0.60 had made Rong Xia laughed out loud….. worth it!

T/N – I like Rong Xia and his soft rice. He isn’t easily angered, it’s hard to bait or provoke him, and that allows him to to see the big picture and stick to his own plans. His level-headedness is the sign of inner strength and confidence. This is a man, while Xie Qilin was a boy.