.By Yue Xia Die Ying.
It was perhaps just an illusion, but Ban Hua felt as if the smile the housekeeper gave her was brighter than usual.
“Junzhu, please.”
“Thank you.” Walking past the open corridor, Ban Hua saw a middle-aged man in a water-blue coloured long robe standing in a corner. She raised her eyebrows, she didn’t ask but the housekeeper saw it, he whispered, “That’s the retainer that Master hires.”
T/N – Open corridor游廊 , see the picture at the bottom.
Ban Hua nodded. Houses of the cultured often hired resident retainers to accompany the masters read poems, enjoy music, or discuss painting and calligraphy. The higher the house’s status was, the more retainers kept. Ban family’s retainers were acrobats, troupers, singers, dancers, and story-tellers, thus compared to Rong Xia’s residence, theirs were simply too common and unbearably vulgar.
“So it is.” Ban Hua nodded. She turned and found that the retainer was still sizing her up, Ban Hua frowned, “Do all the retainers here have no manner like this one?”
The housekeeper turned too, his face instantly darkened when he saw that retainer’s eyes were still on Ban Hua. Just as he was about to take action, the retainer moved back a step, gave Ban Hua a deep salute, and left.
Ban Hua was puzzled by this behaviour, but as that was just a random retainer, she did not keep it in mind. Ban Hua turned and walked towards the living courtyard.
The number of staff at Cheng’an residence was not big, but each of it’s servants and maids were very disciplined. As she entered, every one of them saluted without an inch of discourtesy.
Getting into the inner yard, she came face to face with Du Jiu who was walking out from inside, Ban Hua stopped.
Du Jiu promptly moved two steps forward and performed a salutation. Since the incident of attempted assassination to Duke Jingting, Du Jiu’s respect towards Ban Hua had increased quite a few notches, “Have met Junzhu.”
“Has your Master Count’s medicine been changed today?” Ban Hua saw the door was open, “It’s noon already.”
“Replying to Junzhu, the medicine has been changed.” Du Jiu replied with his head bowed.
“Has he had his lunch yet?”
“Master hasn’t eaten yet.”
“Understand.” Ban Hua nodded, picked up the hem of her skirt and entered the room. The two maids in riding clothes behind her stopped at the door, they did not follow her inside.
Both Rong Xia and Emperor Yunqing were in treatment, but the medicine smell in Rong Xia’s room was light and not nauseating, very different from the stuffy and unpleasant smell at the Great Moon Palace. As she entered, Ban Hua found Rong Xia on the bed reading a book. She snatched the book away, “Reading on the bed, don’t you want your eyes?”
“You were not here, I had nothing to do but just lying on the bed. What else can I do but reading?” Rong Xia’s eyes were widened. At the watery pupils of his, Ban Hua couldn’t help but felt her heart softened.
“Literati like you like to keep retainers. Now that you are injured, can’t they read poems or paint something to keep you company?” Ban Hua sat down on the bed, “My house have entertainers, I’ll let them stay here for a few days. When you are bored, you can get them to amuse you.”
“How can I take your fun away.”
“It’s fine, I’ve seen all of their shows. When they are here, we can save money on their food.”
Rong Xia laughed, “A royal duke’s residence is short of money?”
“Who doesn’t like having more money?” Ban Hua laughed merrily, “So just accept it. We don’t have many staff in our house, but we have a lot of retainers.”
“Good.” His eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were tinged with warm smile, as sweet as sugar figurines, so sweet that a few more looks made one feel thirsty.
“Don’t move, let me check your wounds.” Ban Hua approached, and before Rong Xia could react, she had lifted up the glossy light satin blanket, revealing the upper half of Rong Xia’s body.
Rong Xia’s skin was very fair, the long puckering scab wounds on his back were black and twisting ghastly, aesthetically unpleasing to the eyes. Fearing that it would ruin his image in Ban Hua’s mind, he tried to pull at the blanket, but Ban Hua held his hand down.
“Stop moving.” Bending her waist, Ban Hua took a closer look at the wounds, “They are recovering well. Isn’t your back itchy these few days?”
Rong Xia nodded, then realising that Ban Hua might not see the nod, he said “En” in agreement.
“Remember not to scratch. Scarring is fine, but if it’s bleeds and gets infected then it is the real problem.” Ban Hua’s eyes travelled slightly lower at Rong Xia’s fair, lithe and tantalising waist. Pulling up the blanket, she covered his upper body, “Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet.” Rong Xia did not like eating in bed, so despite the pain he still struggled to eat outside the bed.
“The body suffers so much and you are still not eating enough.” Ban Hua sighed, she walked to the door, waved at Rong family servant who was guarding the door, “Bring the lunch here.”
“Yes.” The servant bowed and left, he did not question Ban Hua’s order, did not even bother checking with the real master. The servants have been seeing Junzhu picking on Master Count, and yet Master still obediently listened to her. Even the steward obeyed her, how would the servants dare to offend.
Anyway, they had calmly accepted the fact that sooner or later this one would be their female master.
Watching Ban Hua busying around for his sake, Rong Xia’s eyes were warm.
Not long after, a table of light dishes was served. Du Jiu and a pageboy helped Rong Xia getting out of bed, they draped a loose soft silk robe over him and supported him to the table.
The robe was loose enough not to rub the skin, but because it was loose, the areas under the neck such as the collarbone and the chest were inevitably exposed. It was said that anything half-hidden and half-exposed was more tempting.
Ban Hua found that her own eyes would not listen to order, they kept sneakily glanced at places under Rong Xia’s neck.
But Rong Xia seemed to not notice, he picked up the chopsticks and the lapel was accidently pulled, and more of the skin on his chest was revealed.
T/N – Did he really not notice? Was that an accident? Bwahahaha… someone was casting lures….
The smooth and clean fair skin and the well-shaped chest muscles were brimming with some sort of mystical allures. Ban Hua was not eating, but she felt full and satisfied already. She touched her cheeks. Good, not blushing.
The ancestors said that beauty confused people, it was proven to be correct.
“Hua Hua, don’t you like the dishes?” Rong Xia was all smiles. The corner of his lips curved up, so beautiful that her heart fluttered.
“Quite good.” Ban Hua picked up a piece of asparagus. She couldn’t taste a thing, but she swallowed it.
Rong Xia’s smile was so wide that his eyes were half closed. He remembered, Hua Hua did not like asparagus?
“Hiss.” He wanted to pick up a dishes but just as he stretched his hand, he sucked in cold air in pain.
“Don’t move.” Ban Hua moved the dishes to his front, “Tell me what you want to eat, don’t pull the wound.”
“En.” Rong Xia nodded, began to pick up the dishes in small motions.
Ban Hua nodded in satisfaction. An obedient man was the cutest.
The meal went for about half a shichen. After Rong Xia went back to bed, Ban Hua told him, “Get some good rest, I am going back.”
Rong Xia said, “Yes.” But his eyes were very reluctant.
“Right,” Ban Hua put two small bottles on the table, “This is the good medicine I brought from His Majesty, it can stop itches and heal the wounds. His Majesty doesn’t have much of this, but I asked two for you.”
“His Majesty is very good to you.” Rong Xia looked at the two bottles that were smaller than a baby’s fist, he knew what was in it.
“Yes.” Ban Hua nodded with a smile, “I am going now. Remember to use it.”
Rong Xia smiled and nodded. Du Jiu entered after Ban Hua had left, he was surprised to see the two bottles on the table. “Master, isn’t this medicine exclusive to the Palace. Fule Junzhu brought it here?” Fule Junzhu was the only one here just now, so the medicine must have come with her.
“En.” Rong Xia picked up one of the bottles, he opened it and a light fragrance came out of the bottle. Closing it back, he played with the small bottle then suddenly said, “Du Jiu, would you say, after everything is done, will Fule Junzhu resent me?”
Du Jiu was stunned, after a moment he said, “Master, shuxia can’t be sure.”
Rong Xia lifted the bottle to his nose, lightly smelled it, “Yes, there is no way you can be sure.” Even himself, he could not ascertain that the matter with Jiang clan would not cause a problem between him and Hua Hua.
T/N – In case forgotten, Jiang clan is the royal clan.
“Master, why didn’t you tell Fule Junzhu about what happened to the Old Duke Jingting? And that Xie family is behind the attempted assassination on the current Duke Jingting, with His Majesty covering for them?” Du Jiu never understood this, “If Fule Junzhu knows, she will understand you.”
Rong Xia shook his head in silence.
He liked to see Ban Hua living a carefree life without any worries, wearing her most luxurious dresses, eating the most exquisite food, recklessly showing off what she possessed without holding back. It was wonderful, and he did not want to ruin it.
She was living the life of his childhood dreams, the life he could not have. As long as she had it well, he would feel as if his own dreams had come true.
“Don’t bring this up again.” Rong Xia tightly clutched the medicine bottle, “I know what to do.”
“But the current His Majesty is very good to Fule Junzhu, would she stand by and watch….”
“The world would soon not belong to the current His Majesty.” Rong Xia placed the medicine bottle next to his pillow, he continued in a flat tone, “His unfilial son is waiting for him to die. The guards are doing their best, but a mistake is not impossible.”
Du Jiu’s mouth opened, after a while he said, “Shuxia understands.”
.By Yue Xia Die Ying.
It was perhaps just an illusion, but Ban Hua felt as if the smile the housekeeper gave her was brighter than usual.
“Junzhu, please.”
“Thank you.” Walking past the open corridor, Ban Hua saw a middle-aged man in a water-blue coloured long robe standing in a corner. She raised her eyebrows, she didn’t ask but the housekeeper saw it, he whispered, “That’s the retainer that Master hires.”
T/N – Open corridor游廊 , see the picture at the bottom.
Ban Hua nodded. Houses of the cultured often hired resident retainers to accompany the masters read poems, enjoy music, or discuss painting and calligraphy. The higher the house’s status was, the more retainers kept. Ban family’s retainers were acrobats, troupers, singers, dancers, and story-tellers, thus compared to Rong Xia’s residence, theirs were simply too common and unbearably vulgar.
“So it is.” Ban Hua nodded. She turned and found that the retainer was still sizing her up, Ban Hua frowned, “Do all the retainers here have no manner like this one?”
The housekeeper turned too, his face instantly darkened when he saw that retainer’s eyes were still on Ban Hua. Just as he was about to take action, the retainer moved back a step, gave Ban Hua a deep salute, and left.
Ban Hua was puzzled by this behaviour, but as that was just a random retainer, she did not keep it in mind. Ban Hua turned and walked towards the living courtyard.
The number of staff at Cheng’an residence was not big, but each of it’s servants and maids were very disciplined. As she entered, every one of them saluted without an inch of discourtesy.
Getting into the inner yard, she came face to face with Du Jiu who was walking out from inside, Ban Hua stopped.
Du Jiu promptly moved two steps forward and performed a salutation. Since the incident of attempted assassination to Duke Jingting, Du Jiu’s respect towards Ban Hua had increased quite a few notches, “Have met Junzhu.”
“Has your Master Count’s medicine been changed today?” Ban Hua saw the door was open, “It’s noon already.”
“Replying to Junzhu, the medicine has been changed.” Du Jiu replied with his head bowed.
“Has he had his lunch yet?”
“Master hasn’t eaten yet.”
“Understand.” Ban Hua nodded, picked up the hem of her skirt and entered the room. The two maids in riding clothes behind her stopped at the door, they did not follow her inside.
Both Rong Xia and Emperor Yunqing were in treatment, but the medicine smell in Rong Xia’s room was light and not nauseating, very different from the stuffy and unpleasant smell at the Great Moon Palace. As she entered, Ban Hua found Rong Xia on the bed reading a book. She snatched the book away, “Reading on the bed, don’t you want your eyes?”
“You were not here, I had nothing to do but just lying on the bed. What else can I do but reading?” Rong Xia’s eyes were widened. At the watery pupils of his, Ban Hua couldn’t help but felt her heart softened.
“Literati like you like to keep retainers. Now that you are injured, can’t they read poems or paint something to keep you company?” Ban Hua sat down on the bed, “My house have entertainers, I’ll let them stay here for a few days. When you are bored, you can get them to amuse you.”
“How can I take your fun away.”
“It’s fine, I’ve seen all of their shows. When they are here, we can save money on their food.”
Rong Xia laughed, “A royal duke’s residence is short of money?”
“Who doesn’t like having more money?” Ban Hua laughed merrily, “So just accept it. We don’t have many staff in our house, but we have a lot of retainers.”
“Good.” His eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were tinged with warm smile, as sweet as sugar figurines, so sweet that a few more looks made one feel thirsty.
“Don’t move, let me check your wounds.” Ban Hua approached, and before Rong Xia could react, she had lifted up the glossy light satin blanket, revealing the upper half of Rong Xia’s body.
Rong Xia’s skin was very fair, the long puckering scab wounds on his back were black and twisting ghastly, aesthetically unpleasing to the eyes. Fearing that it would ruin his image in Ban Hua’s mind, he tried to pull at the blanket, but Ban Hua held his hand down.
“Stop moving.” Bending her waist, Ban Hua took a closer look at the wounds, “They are recovering well. Isn’t your back itchy these few days?”
Rong Xia nodded, then realising that Ban Hua might not see the nod, he said “En” in agreement.
“Remember not to scratch. Scarring is fine, but if it’s bleeds and gets infected then it is the real problem.” Ban Hua’s eyes travelled slightly lower at Rong Xia’s fair, lithe and tantalising waist. Pulling up the blanket, she covered his upper body, “Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet.” Rong Xia did not like eating in bed, so despite the pain he still struggled to eat outside the bed.
“The body suffers so much and you are still not eating enough.” Ban Hua sighed, she walked to the door, waved at Rong family servant who was guarding the door, “Bring the lunch here.”
“Yes.” The servant bowed and left, he did not question Ban Hua’s order, did not even bother checking with the real master. The servants have been seeing Junzhu picking on Master Count, and yet Master still obediently listened to her. Even the steward obeyed her, how would the servants dare to offend.
Anyway, they had calmly accepted the fact that sooner or later this one would be their female master.
Watching Ban Hua busying around for his sake, Rong Xia’s eyes were warm.
Not long after, a table of light dishes was served. Du Jiu and a pageboy helped Rong Xia getting out of bed, they draped a loose soft silk robe over him and supported him to the table.
The robe was loose enough not to rub the skin, but because it was loose, the areas under the neck such as the collarbone and the chest were inevitably exposed. It was said that anything half-hidden and half-exposed was more tempting.
Ban Hua found that her own eyes would not listen to order, they kept sneakily glanced at places under Rong Xia’s neck.
But Rong Xia seemed to not notice, he picked up the chopsticks and the lapel was accidently pulled, and more of the skin on his chest was revealed.
T/N – Did he really not notice? Was that an accident? Bwahahaha… someone was casting lures….
The smooth and clean fair skin and the well-shaped chest muscles were brimming with some sort of mystical allures. Ban Hua was not eating, but she felt full and satisfied already. She touched her cheeks. Good, not blushing.
The ancestors said that beauty confused people, it was proven to be correct.
“Hua Hua, don’t you like the dishes?” Rong Xia was all smiles. The corner of his lips curved up, so beautiful that her heart fluttered.
“Quite good.” Ban Hua picked up a piece of asparagus. She couldn’t taste a thing, but she swallowed it.
Rong Xia’s smile was so wide that his eyes were half closed. He remembered, Hua Hua did not like asparagus?
“Hiss.” He wanted to pick up a dishes but just as he stretched his hand, he sucked in cold air in pain.
“Don’t move.” Ban Hua moved the dishes to his front, “Tell me what you want to eat, don’t pull the wound.”
“En.” Rong Xia nodded, began to pick up the dishes in small motions.
Ban Hua nodded in satisfaction. An obedient man was the cutest.
The meal went for about half a shichen. After Rong Xia went back to bed, Ban Hua told him, “Get some good rest, I am going back.”
Rong Xia said, “Yes.” But his eyes were very reluctant.
“Right,” Ban Hua put two small bottles on the table, “This is the good medicine I brought from His Majesty, it can stop itches and heal the wounds. His Majesty doesn’t have much of this, but I asked two for you.”
“His Majesty is very good to you.” Rong Xia looked at the two bottles that were smaller than a baby’s fist, he knew what was in it.
“Yes.” Ban Hua nodded with a smile, “I am going now. Remember to use it.”
Rong Xia smiled and nodded. Du Jiu entered after Ban Hua had left, he was surprised to see the two bottles on the table. “Master, isn’t this medicine exclusive to the Palace. Fule Junzhu brought it here?” Fule Junzhu was the only one here just now, so the medicine must have come with her.
“En.” Rong Xia picked up one of the bottles, he opened it and a light fragrance came out of the bottle. Closing it back, he played with the small bottle then suddenly said, “Du Jiu, would you say, after everything is done, will Fule Junzhu resent me?”
Du Jiu was stunned, after a moment he said, “Master, shuxia can’t be sure.”
Rong Xia lifted the bottle to his nose, lightly smelled it, “Yes, there is no way you can be sure.” Even himself, he could not ascertain that the matter with Jiang clan would not cause a problem between him and Hua Hua.
T/N – In case forgotten, Jiang clan is the royal clan.
“Master, why didn’t you tell Fule Junzhu about what happened to the Old Duke Jingting? And that Xie family is behind the attempted assassination on the current Duke Jingting, with His Majesty covering for them?” Du Jiu never understood this, “If Fule Junzhu knows, she will understand you.”
Rong Xia shook his head in silence.
He liked to see Ban Hua living a carefree life without any worries, wearing her most luxurious dresses, eating the most exquisite food, recklessly showing off what she possessed without holding back. It was wonderful, and he did not want to ruin it.
She was living the life of his childhood dreams, the life he could not have. As long as she had it well, he would feel as if his own dreams had come true.
“Don’t bring this up again.” Rong Xia tightly clutched the medicine bottle, “I know what to do.”
“But the current His Majesty is very good to Fule Junzhu, would she stand by and watch….”
“The world would soon not belong to the current His Majesty.” Rong Xia placed the medicine bottle next to his pillow, he continued in a flat tone, “His unfilial son is waiting for him to die. The guards are doing their best, but a mistake is not impossible.”
Du Jiu’s mouth opened, after a while he said, “Shuxia understands.”
