CH 90.2

Duke Jingting residence.

Ban Hua woke up from a dream. She turned, it was still dark outside so she shrunk back under the blanket. For some reasons she kept tossing and turning, only when the sky turned dusky that she finally fell back into a slumber.

“Hua Hua.”

“Hua Hua.”

Ban Hua opened her eyes, an elderly woman was sitting next to the bed. Ban Hua leapt into that her embrace at once, “Grandmother, what brings you here?”

“I am here to see you.” The Grand Princess lovingly stroke the top of Ban Hua’s head and smiled sweetly, “Grandmother is happy today.”

Ban Hua clung to the Grand Princess, curiously asked, “What makes you happy?”

The Grand Princess laughed but she didn’t answer, gently and silently patted Ban Hua’s back like coaxing a baby. Grandmother’s embrace was soft and fragrant, Ban Hua felt herself drifting off back to sleep.

“I am going back with your grandfather.”

In a daze Ban Hua heard her grandmother said.

Strange. Hadn’t Grandmother left for the west already, why was she going back with Grandfather?

To the west?

Ban Hua’s eyes abruptly opened. The sky outside was already bright. She sat up straight on the bed, rubbed her forehead as a bitter smile appeared on her lips. So it was true that dreams often came after a memory, at the old Duke Cheng’s residence yesterday she had listened to him talking about her grandmother, and now she dreamt about her.

T/N – Going to the west is a euphemism for death.

—

“Junzhu, are you awake?”

Ban Hua heard the maid’s voice, she clapped.

At the clapping sound the maids entered with the utensils for toilette. When Ban Hua was rinsing her mouth, Ruyi whispered, “Junzhu, someone from the Palace came to invite Master Duke.”

Ban Hua spat out the water in her mouth, after wiping, she asked, “Isn’t Father still in mourning?”

“Nubi isn’t clear either.” Ruyi shook her head, “Furen said to Junzhu is to come to the main courtyard after getting up.”

“I know.” Ban Hua nodded. After changing clothes and combing her hair, she went to the main courtyard with her maids. She was the latest to come, Yin-shi and Ban Heng were already at the table. Yin-shi waved to stop her curtseying, telling her to just sit down.

“I am afraid something big is happening at the Palace.” Yin-shi took a sip, told her son and daughter, “Stay at home these two days. Don’t go out, wait and see.”

“What happened?” Ban Hua didn’t see her father, “Ruyi said Father was summoned to the Court?”

“En.” Yin-shi nodded, she continued, “The Minister of War residence sent a message telling us to pay attention. The situation at the Palace isn’t good.”

In the early days the Minister of War Zhao Weishen received favours from Ban family’a old masters. The two families did not appear to be much in contact all these years, but whenever anything significant happened, Zhao Weishen would privately send Ban family some news so they can be prepared.

Zhao Weishen and the murdered Zhao Jia were not related. The two families had neither the same ancestors nor the same clan, they just happened to be of the same surname.

Ban Heng and Ban Hua obediently nodded. Yin-shi smiled, “There is no need to feel restricted, but it’s still better to be careful. It may not be that serious if it’s just Zhao family, but someone else had also sent a message even before the Zhao’s.”

“Who?” Ban Hua thought people closer to them were either the idlers who compared to them were even less informed, or military families whose status were not very high and thus had nothing important to pass on.

“Your fiance, Rong Junpo.” Yin-shi produced a piece of paper and placed it in front of Ban Hua, “Have a look.”

The writing was almost illegible, only 6 hastily written words.

‘Incident at the Palace, be cautious’.

Finished reading, Ban Hua held the paper against a burning candle. After it completely turned into ashes, Ban Hua said, “Mother, at this moment we should still know nothing.”

Yin-shi smiled, “You are correct. We should know nothing.”

Ban Heng looked at Yin-shi, then at Ban Hua, his head was in the fog.

One moment of ‘we should know’ followed by ‘we don’t know’, but also ‘we need to be careful’. What does this mean?

—

Yes, what did it mean?

Ban Huai who was dragged out from his bed stood foggedly in the Palace, surrounded by the regular and familiar other idlers. In normal times, not all of them attended court sessions, but today everyone seemed to be here?

Actually the idlers were more surprised than him. Ban Huai did not like attending the court, and being in mourning should give him more excuse for not coming, why was he here now? But they were at the Court, it was not good to voice their question. Ban Huai signalled an ‘up’ to them without speaking.

The idlers understood, it was His Majesty’s order.

Half a shichen later His Majesty was still not there, making everyone puzzled. It had been over half a shichen later than the normal court session time, how come His Majesty not arrived yet?

In the midst of everyone speculating, Rong Xia and the other three ministers appeared. Their expression was grave and their mouths were shut. The officials became more suspicious, but they still could not figure things out.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!”

The crowd watched the Crown Prince entered followed by a eunuch. He was dressed in the crown prince robe embroidered with dragon stiches, with a crown of five dragons curling against a pearl on his head. The eunuch was the one everyone familiar with, His Majesty’s chief eunuch Wang De.

“Imperial Father has ordered gu to take up the task of overseeing the country.” The Crown Prince walked up the hall, sat down at the seating newly added underneath the dragon chair. “Imperial Father is currently unwell, and will take a rest for a few days. Thus for this period, gu asks that all darens can assist.”

* gu 孤  = I, We (used by a crown prince or a regent), like how emperors used ‘zhen’ to call themselves.

Was His Majesty unwell to the point that the Crown Prince had to step up with governing the country?

“Chen all greet His Highness the Crown Prince. Long live the Crown Prince, thousands of thousands years.”

Fine, as subjects, assisting His Majesty or assisting the Crown Prince made no difference. As long as the Crown Prince was sensible and refrained from anything crazy, subjects should put up with it.

What made everyone wondered was, in this critical moment, His Majesty summoned 4 ministers unrelated to neither Yan party nor Shi party. Was this implying that, both Yan Hui and Shi Chonghai had lost their positions in His Majesty’s eyes, so only Count Cheng’an and the 3 others were summoned?

The Crown Prince was a gentle person and his foundation was not yet stable, his speeches and actions at the court was inevitably not up to the mark. Good for him that Yan party and Shi party had previously received some blows, thus their influence at the Court was not as strong as it used to be. With the help of Rong Xia and the others, the court session was adequately concluded, and the Crown Prince had even won a few praises from the officials.

—

After the court session, the Crown Prince rushed back to the Great Moon Palace. Everything that happened during the session, what the officials said, he reported in detail to Emperor Yunqing, he even read out many of the memorials.

Emperor Yunqing was very satisfied by the respectful attitude, his previous discontent gradually dissipated.

Unfortunately, the good mood vanished at the report of the Second Prince clashing with the guards assigned to watch over him. Emperor Yunqing said coldly, “Don’t bother, let him be.”

“Imperial Father,” The Crown Prince hesitated, “Second Brother is a just a bit reckless, he will surely understand if someone explains to him properly.”

“Explain?” Emperor Yunqing said unhappily, “Already in his twentieth and is still as brainless as ever. Does zhen have to die in anger before he is satisfied?”

“But ……”

“Don’t speak for him,” Emperor Yunqing was so angry that half of his face was rigid, “Half of zhen’s illness is caused by him!”

The Crown Prince’s mouth gaped, Emperor Yunqing’s face was twisted of fury. Out of fear of stimulating the Emperor further, the Crown Prince continued his reading of the memorials in the hopes of distracting the Emperor.

—

“Rong-daren,” Zhou-daren was exiting the Palace with Rong Xia. He whispered, “Afraid His Majesty’s health is not very good.”

Rong Xia sighed, “His Majesty is the son of Heaven. Blessed by the Heaven, it won’t be a serious problem.”

Zhou-daren realised Rong Xia was speaking for public’s ears, he smiled, “Laofu hopes for the same.”

* laofu 老夫 = This Old Man (referring to self)

Rong Xia turned to him and solemnly said, “His Majesty’s health will be fine.”

Zhou-daren froze for a moment, then averted his eyes, “Rong-daren is right.”

“Zhou-daren, Junpo.” Ban Huai patted his horse to make it run forward. Rong Xia hurriedly pulled the rein to stop his own horse. When Ban Huai has caught up with them, Rong Xia let his horse fell back half horse-length behind Ban Huai’s horse. “Uncle.”

Ban Huai yawned, he was not in a great spirit after getting dragged out from the bed too early, “What is it with His Majesty?”

Zhou-daren glanced at Rong Xia.

Rong Xia said in a lowered voice, “His Majesty is suffering from a stroke and needs to rest.”

Stroke?

Ban Huai was shocked. That was difficult to cure, a light stroke meant restricted mobility on the limbs, a serious stroke meant lying paralysed in bed. No wonder the Crown Prince had been ordered to oversee the country. An emperor suffering from stroke, how would he sit in the Court?

Zhou Ping’an was even more surprised, he did not expect Rong Xia would tell Ban Huai. Was he not afraid that Ban Huai would leak it and bring him trouble?

When it was time to split up on the road, Zhou Ping’an saw Rong Xia went with Ban Huai. Zhou Ping’an realised that Rong Xia was already treating Ban Huai as a father-in-law. Just how great was Fule Junzhu’s charm to make Rong Xia do so?

Zhou Ping’an looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky and silently shook his head. The weather was really unpredictable, last night was full of spring thunders, but the sun was so bright today.

—

Since the engagement Ban Huai had not invited Rong Xia often, the invitation today was a rare treat, and Rong Xia took it up without hesitation.

This future father-in-law had once told him, a man had to have a thick skin when pursuing the woman he liked, and Rong Xia was diligently learning from his father-in-law.

“This Lowly One greets the Master, greets Count Cheng’an.” Ban family guards saluted them and took care of the horses with a respectful and enthusiastic manner. A few servants came up, led them over the gates then bowed and left.

This was another special characteristic of Ban family servants, which was treating their masters and the guests enthusiastically, making people feel expected and welcome.

Rong Xia had visited plenty of other houses, there were not many places where he was met with such an attentive and respectful reception.

“Come, talk inside.” Ban Huai patted Rong Xia’s shoulder and took him straight past the second gate. Actually Yin-shi has already received the report of their arrival so she could prepare.

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“Who?” Ban Hua was in Yin-shi’s courtyard listening to a storyteller when someone came to report, “Who did you say is here?”

“Master Rong.”

“Ah, him.” Ban Hua sat back down, told the female storyteller, “It’s just Master Rong. It’s fine then, continue.”

Yin-shi gave her a look, “You are getting more unruly. How does it look when Count Rong is here and you are still listening to stories?”

“He is different from others.” Ban Hua picked a piece of fruit with a silver stick, “In the world, some scholars are so pedantic that it’s useless to talk to, but some others are magnanimous and don’t cling to meaningless rules. He……” She blinked, “He is not pretentious.”

“Yes he is not pretentious, yes he is magnanimous,” Yin-shi waved to dismiss the storyteller, “But that doesn’t mean we can be without manner.”

Yin-shi was not as familiar to Rong Xia as Ban Hua was, so she treated it with more care than Ban Hua.

Ban Hua wanted to tell her there was no need to be too courteous to Rong Xia, but under the stare of Yin-shi’s beautiful pair of phoenix eyes, she swallowed the words.

What Mother said was reasonable.