Author: Yue Xia Die Ying

NOTES:

  1. Huángzǐ fēi – Imperial Prince’s consort
  2. Er gongzi – Second son of an official
  3. Mù zhōng wú rén – to consider everyone else beneath one (idiom); so arrogant that no-one else matters; condescending; to go about with one’s nose in the air
  4. Nǎo xiū chéng nù – to fly into a rage out of humiliation; to be shamed into anger (idiom)
  5. Xiangjun (Country Lord) – Title given to wives or daughters of high ranking noblemen
  6. Jùn jūn – Title given to female members of the imperial clan; 2 ranks above Xiangjun; Translated as “Lady of a Commandery” or “Lady of the First Rank” (I will be using the term Jun Princess for this rank)

Chapter 9 (Part 1) – Dreams

There is a saying of accidental encounters, and there is also a saying that when rivals meet on a narrow path, only the brave will win.

Ban Hua rode on horseback as Xie Wanyu was descending from a sedan chair. Their gazes clashed against each other and Ban Hua could clearly see the ridicule and triumph in the other’s eyes.

Why was she so proud of herself just because she was about to become an Imperial Prince’s Consort (huángzǐ fēi)?

Becoming an Imperial Prince’s Consort wasn’t worth a damn thing. Anyway, in a few years, this whole realm will not belong to those surnamed Jiang. Besides, the kind of rotten hearted man that Jiang Luo was, if it was not because of his distinguished status, even if he were gifted to her to be a male pet, she wouldn’t want him.

“Ban Xiangjun, what a coincidence!” Xie Wanyu stroked the big pearl hanging on her earlobe and looked at Ban Hua with a rosy complexion. Then, seeing that Ban Hua’s earrings were a pair of blood-red gemstones, she dropped her hand and said unenthusiastically, “Why haven’t I seen you come out to play recently?”

“Wrong,” Ban Hua shook her index finger. “It’s not Xiangjun, it’s Jun Princess.”

Hearing this, Xie Wanyu covered the corner of her mouth, smiled and said, “Look at my memory! I had forgotten that you profited from your misfortune and were bestowed the title of Jun Princess. Many congratulations! “

Merely a Jun Princess. In this Daye Imperial dynasty she was not the only Jun Princess. So what was she so proud of? Besides, after the spring of next year, when she married the Second Prince, this little bitch no matter how arrogant she was, would have to obediently salute her.

Misfortune? What misfortune?

It’s nothing more than to laugh at the fact that she was jilted. Ban Hua didn’t even care about this little thing, so Xie Wanyu’s words had no effect on her. Ban Hua played with the whip in her hand and casually said, “Young Lady Xie is dressed really nice today. Have Xie Ergongzi’s* eyes gotten better yet?”

When fighting with people, Ban Hua never beat around the bush. As long as people ridiculed her in a roundabout way, she would taunt them back mercilessly, and furthermore, she would poke them in their sore spots without any attention to maintaining aristocratic elegance and grace. With this invincible skill, not many ladies in the capital dared to provoke her.

Xie Wanyu dared to sting her like this today because she felt that even Ban Hua, no matter how arrogant she was, would not dare to offend her as she was on the verge of becoming the Second Prince’s Imperial Consort.

Who knew that she had underestimated Ban Hua’s courage and brainlessness and Ban Hua had even dared to speak about the issue with Second Brother’s eye to her face. This woman was indeed a poisonous beauty. All said and done, she had in the past been engaged to Second Brother but now that Second Brother had hurt his eye, she was taking pleasure in his misfortune like this. It was really extremely hateful.

But even if she was dissatisfied, she couldn’t allow herself to flare up at the moment. She was the future Imperial Prince’s consort and she must be dignified and magnanimous. Before marrying the second prince, she could not let her conduct fall short by even a single step. She does not want to be jilted by her fiance before she gets married like Ban Hua had, and become the object of ridicule among people in the city.

“Thank you, Jun Princess, for your concern. Second Brother is quite well.” said Xie Wanyu, taking a deep breath and barely squeezing out a smile.

“Miss Xie, please go upstairs. Our family’s young lady is waiting for you in the private room there.” A momo came out of the teahouse next to her. She then saw Ban Hua and saluted her. “Greetings to Ban Jun Princess.”

Ban Hua recognized that this momo was a person who served beside Shi Feixian. She glanced at the teahouse next to her, and nodding at the momo, left without looking back.

Ban Heng, who hadn’t spoken from beginning to end, deliberately made a scoffing sound, and then walked away following behind his sister’s horse.

Xie Wanyu looked on with an ashen complexion as the two Ban family siblings walked away into the distance, itching to pull them off their horses one after another and stamp them under her feet. However, she couldn’t do anything. So she merely smiled at the old woman who had come to pick her up and said, “Thank you for your trouble. Elder Sister Shi must have been waiting for a long time.”

For the time being, she would endure and continue to endure.

Shi Feixian had asked her momo to receive Xie Wanyu because she had seen Ban Hua just then. After watching Ban Hua riding away through a slit in the window, she turned towards Kangning Junzhu who was beside her and said, “Nowadays, Ban Hua is behaving more and more unbearably arrogant*.”

“She grew up from childhood acting arrogant and wilful. Now that she has had her engagement broken three times by three different men, the words circulating outside are so shameful and naturally she’s decided to smash the cracked jar and is acting madly with nothing to lose.” Kangning Junzhu sneered. “She can’t get married anyway, and she has no choice but to boast and quarrel. “

In terms of relationship, she and Ban Hua were distantly related female cousins. But there was animosity between her family and the Eldest Princess, so her relationship with Ban Hua has not been very good since they were children. She had heard from her mother that when her grandfather, the previous emperor,  wanted to depose the crown prince and establish her father in his place, unexpectedly the Eldest Princess had thrown a wrench in their plans and finally earned favour for her meritorious deeds in front of the present Emperor.

Although their family dared not mention these decades old complaints again, they still have not forgotten the things that the Eldest Princess had done.

As the two young ladies were talking, Xie Wanyu came upstairs. Seeing her two bosom friends, Xie Wanyu’s face suddenly changed, “That little bitch Ban Hua! I really want to tear her mouth.” Recalling the perfectly matched pair of blood jade earrings worn by Ban Hua that set her snow-white and tender face off so well making her complexion seem moist like one could squeeze out water with a single pinch, the hatred in Xie Wanyu’s heart became even stronger.

Jealousy was a raging inferno that could burn up people’s rationality.

“We came here today originally to celebrate your happy occasion. What is the point of talking about such disgusting people?” Kangning Junzhu smiled and invited her to sit down, “This time next year, we will be addressing you as Princess.”

“Well, why are you mentioning these things?” Xie Wanyu said with her cheeks flushed in shyness, “I think you came here today deliberately to make fun of me.” 

“Look at this blush! Today I finally understood what is called flying into anger out of shame*” Shu Feixian reached out and squeezed Xie Wanyu’s cheek, “Congratulations to my sister on her engagement.”

Looking at Xie Wanyu’s bashful and happy appearance, she remembered that she had secretly liked Rong Xia for several years now and felt a bit bitter in her heart. She raised her head to look at Kangning Junzhu and silently tidied the strands of hair near her temples. Don’t think that she didn’t know that Kangning Junzhu too had some intentions towards Count Rong.

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