CH 93.1

“Sis,” Ban Heng worriedly walked up to Ban Hua, “I’ll come with you.”

“His Majesty didn’t summon you, what are you going for? Making up the number?” Ban Hua was sitting in front of the copper mirror, she was shaping her eyebrows to give herself a sweeter and mellower look. “The situation at the Palace isn’t clear, I’d feel better if you stay away.”

“But I don’t feel good.” Ban Heng sat down on the desk next to hers, frowning, “The Second Prince is always at odds with you. If he troubles you, makes you suffer, what to do?”

“He is just a prince,” Ban Hua put the eyeliner down, “If he wants to deal with me, he’d better wait until he is on the throne.”

“Didn’t you say the Second Prince is rather stupid,” Ban Heng was anxious, “Dimwits tend to not think about consequences.”

“He has no brain, but am I brainless too?” Ban Hua put on blush on the cheeks, dotted her lips with rouge, drew a little flower between her eyebrows. She was not supposed to dress up like this during the mourning period, but she knew His Majesty, if she made herself looking bright and beautiful, he would be more appreciative of her.

“The Palace is the Second Prince’s territory, I am afraid you will lose.” Ban Heng considered, “Or, how if you don’t go.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Ban Hua rose, “If I don’t go, next time it won’t be the Second Prince who bullies us anymore, it will be His Majesty.”

Ban Heng fell silent, he knew his sister was correct, but the situation at the Palace had him fidgeting in anxiety.

—

In the end Ban Hua went with Ban Huai. A female officer and a eunuch had been waiting at the gate to take them inside. Looked like Ban father and daughter would be lead to separate places in the Palace.

“Gugu,” Ban Hua smiled at the female officer.

* gugu 姑姑  = literally paternal aunt, but also used to address female officers or attendants at the Palace. Female officers were not maids, they held a career, were educated, and respected.

“Junzhu please be at ease. Empress niangniang has some words for you.” The female officer bent her knees in a curtsey, “Please come with nubi.”

Ban Hua turned to Ban Huai and nodded, “Father, This Daughter excuses herself.”

“Daughter, if you don’t come out later, Father will go to the Empress’ place to find you.” Ban Huai smiled, “Don’t forget your manner in front of the Empress.”

“Father, don’t worry.” Ban Hua’s eyes cast over the tall palace walls, “Daughter will be back soon.”

The female officer led Ban Hua into the rear courtyard. The direction was indeed towards the Empress’ place, but suddenly the female officer stopped halfway. “Junzhu, please wait a moment. Someone wants to see you.” As she spoke, her eyes observed Ban Hua’s expression, but she saw no trace of surprise.

The female officer suddenly became awkward, she stepped to the side to avoid Ban Hua’s false smile

“Fule Junzhu,” Xie Wanyu appeared from behind a fake decorative mountain. She approached, “Junzhu, how are you lately?”

“Thanking the Princess Consort for her concern, I am fine.” Ban Hua saw nibbles and snack ready on a stone table nearby, she went to sit down, “Second Princess Consort is prepared.”

“Junzhu is joking. I just haven’t seen Junzhu for a while, so I miss you a little.” Xie Wanyu sat down opposite of Ban Hua, “Junzhu, I have a small thing to discuss with you, would Junzhu be willing to listen?”

“Not willing”

“……”

“Junzhu is still the same, quick and direct.” Xie Wanyu accepted tea from a palace maid, she sipped it, “Even if not for yourself, you need to consider for the sake of Ban family, for Count Cheng’an.”

“Princess Consort is joking.” Ban Hua picked out a fresh fruit to eat, “What I want to know is, does the Empress Niangniang know that you have faked an empress’ decree?”

“I didn’t expect that Junzhu would say that. We are family, we meet and talk, why so serious?” Xie Wanyu laughed, not taking Ban Hua’s intimidation to the heart. The current Xie Wanyu was very calm, very different from one year ago before she was married, that time she would fly into a rage merely by a few retorts from Ban Hua.

Ban Hua even got to feel that the person in front of her, although still Xie Wanyu, but she was someone with a thick inner wrap of armour, ready to charge and breach enemy lines, ready to plot traps and tricks. The Palace had this ability to change someone, not merely a dramatic outward alteration, even the soul would be transformed.

Xie Wanyu was not upset by Ban Hua’s silence. She picked a piece of snack on small plate and put it in front of Ban Hua, “Heard Junzhu likes this one, try the palace cook’s skill.”

“Second Princess Consort, between the two of us there’s no need to pretend.” Ban Hua did not touch the snack, “Say what you want to say. Stop wasting time each other’s time.”

“Fule Junzhu is really straightforward.” Xie Wanyu laughed, lifted her cup to toast Ban Hua, “I hope Junzhu can cooperate with me.”

“What did you say?” Ban Hua thought her ears were broken, she stared strangely, “Are you joking?”

Xie Wanyu shook her head, “Definitely not.”

“Who in the Capital doesn’t know that the Second Prince dislikes me at every turn. What do I gain by helping you?” Ban Hua pointed at her own head, “Do you think I am a fool?”

Xie Wanyu took a sip of tea and put the cup down, “All the past misundertandings between you and the Second Prince are minor scuffles. You and the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince, are all childhood playmates, isn’t it normal for children to fight?

“Your family’s child is over 20 years old?” Ban Hua laughed, amused by Xie Wanyu, “Second Princess Consort, I think you have the wrong idea about our Ban family. We are powerless, and don’t intend to meddle in the rivalry of the princes. Furthermore, this world is His Majesty’s, he can give the throne to whoever he wishes. Children should just follow their father’s arrangement.”

“Junzhu is good at talking. This is the royal family, the winner becomes the king and the loser becomes the villain.” Xie Wanyu smiled coldly, “Do you think all parents in the world are the same as your Jingting parents?”

Ban Hua shook her head, “No matter what you say, I can’t agree. This world belongs to His Majesty, the glory our Ban family enjoys is bestowed by His Majesty. Whether it’s you, or the Crown Princess, my answer is the same. Ban family does not interfere.”

Xie Wanyu thought that, as usual, Ban Hua was pretending. What was it with not meddling in royal family matters. The thing about the previous emperor, about the throne His Majesty was sitting now, where was it from? Dare she deny the signature of the Grand Princess and the previous Duke Jingting in it? For whose eyes was she acting innocence for?

In her eyes, Ban Hua was just making excuses. Ban family intended to support the Crown Prince, not the Second Prince.

“A good bird knows to pick a good tree to build it’s nest. The Crown Prince is a rotten tree with broken branches. Why should Ban family hang to death on this tree?”

“Perhaps because Ban family is a free flying bird, a bird that relies on the Heaven’s blessings for it’s food. It does not consider which tree grows better.” Ban Hua rose, “Second Princess Consort, it’s not early anymore. I need to go visit the Empress.”

“Ban Hua,” Xie Wanyu called in a flat tone, “Don’t you want Rong Xia’s position reinstated?”

“He isn’t an official is better,” Ban Hua smiled sweetly as she turned back, “He’ll have more time to be with me.”

“If Count Rong finds that you are able to help him but you don’t, won’t he hate you?” Xie Wanyu rose as well, walking over to Ban Hua, “A woman should not be selfish. A selfish woman is not pleasing to her man.”

“That can’t be helped.” Ban Hua sighed, “I have always been selfish, and I won’t try to please any men. I expect men to try to please me.” Saying these, she smiled charmingly, then touched her face, “Second Princess Consort must have found me ridiculous.”

Xie Wanyu thought that after marrying into the Palace, she had learned to control her temper, but today Ban Hua had made it itchy again, flares of anger stirred in her heart. How could there be such an obnoxious woman on earth?

“Junzhu is very confident.”

“En. Because a confident woman is beautiful.”

“Ban Hua!” Xie Wanyu’s cultivation of temper control broke down, she glared coldly at Ban Hua, “There are easy way and hard way. Why should you pick the hard way?”

Seeing Xie Wanyu in such a state, Ban Hua thought to herself, this should be it, this was more similar to that Second Miss Xie of the past.

“Miss Xie doesn’t need to tell me these.” Ban Hua shook her head calmly, “Talking to me is useless. I don’t, and I can’t represent Ban family.”

“As a woman, instead of securing the interests of your future husband’s, you keep on looking out for your maternal family. Do you think they can protect you for the rest of your life?” Xie Wanyu did not understand Ban Hua’s mindset. If Ban family linked hands with them, after His Highness ascended, not just Rong Xia would be reinstated, but clearly Ban family would not be lacking benefits either.

“Whether Miss Xie’s maternal family can provide a lifelong protection, I don’t know. But I am certain that mine can.” Ban Hua said without expression, “There’s no point in talking as we have different views. Second Princess Consort, please.”

Finished speaking, she turned around and left.

“Stop her for me!” Xie Wanyu was furious, she felt like teaching Ban Hua a lesson.

“Have met Second Princess Consort, Fule Junzhu,” Shi Jin in silver armour appeared from behind a rockery. As if he had not seen the eunuchs and palace maids closing in on Ban Hua, he bowed to Xie Wanyu properly, neither fawning nor intimidating, “Weichen heard a noise, wonder what is going on in here?”

Xie Wanyu’s face sunken. She had arranged for the path to be blocked, how could the palace guards still appear here?

“Princess Consort, we are patrolling the Palace by the order of His Majesty,” Shi Jin was calm, “If Princess Consort has a problem, just call out for the guards.”

Xie Wanyu felt chilled. His Majesty had gone that far to put his children under surveillance, he even had imperial guards patrolling the rear courtyard. Was it to prevent outside criminals, or to monitor the residents?

She eyed Ban Hua coldly, hating that today she didn’t get to sort this woman out.

Ban Hua responded with a smirk, the hand that was reaching inside the sleeves was pulled out. She snickered and turned away to leave.

T/N – Ban Hua was ready to take a weapon out of her sleeves? Bet Xie Wanyu didn’t realise that Shi Jin’s appearance had prolonged her own life!

Xie Wanyu stared at her back, her face was dreadfully dark.

“Second Princess Consort, we are taking leave.” Shi Jin saluted, turned and left.

After the imperial guards departed, Xie Wanyu angrily smashed the cups on the table. As a eunuch came to speak, she took a deep breath in, “What is His Highness doing today?”

“Replying to the Princess Consort, His Highness is in the Palace today.”

Xie Wanyu’s smile was inscrutable, “So he isn’t going out today. Quite rare.”

The young eunuch dared not speak, he saluted and withdrew to the side.

Xie Wanyu got more furious thinking of Jiang Luo. Jiang Luo was an “A’Dou”, a wall on which even mud would not stick. As the current overseer of the country, he still would not let go of his indulgement in women, was still busy dabbling in the curiosities of that circle. How many young women would have their lives ruined in his harem once he ascended in the future.

T/N – A’Dou who isn’t worthy of support 扶不起的阿斗 = a weak and muddled person who can’t achieve anything even when given tremendous support. This refers to Liu Shan the last emperor of Shu Han (A’Dou was his nickname), who despite having capable people around him still had his kingdom seized by Wei country in the end. One of his minders was the famous Zhuge Liang.

T/N – A wall on which even mud won’t stick 烂泥上不了墙 = someone whose ability is too low that they will never become anything.

After the irritating Ban Hua, then that useless thing she called a husband, Xie Wanyu really wished she could beat Jiang Luo with a stick. But she could only imagine it, as the Second Princess Consort, she and Jiang Luo were a pair of grasshoppers bound on a piece of string. In his glory, she would be prosperous, if he fell, she would be dragged into a lifelong of misery alongside him.