I Am This Type of Woman

40

"Sis, what did you give Count Rong?" Ban Heng trailed behind her, "His expression was a bit odd."

"He is a scholar, the most prescious thing for them are books." Ban Hua replied, "That handwritten copy of << Zhong Cheng Lun>>, aside from the military strategy part that is still a bit interesting, the other parts I don't get it. A thing is only used properly when the user has interest. Anyway, the only copy is still at our house."

T/N – 《中诚论》probably is just a made-up book for this story. I am not very clear whether Ban family had 2 copies, or Ban Hua was referring to prior to giving the single copy away.

Ban family had been a martial family. Ban ancestors had obtained quite a lot of good things while fighting alongside the founding emperor of the dynasty surnamed Jiang. Ban family ancestors were said to be first-class warriors, but their luck unfortunately, was not very good. Every time they cast the lots to share goodies, others got gold silver and jewelleries, while Ban family ancestors got things that noone else wanted, like books and paintings. However the saying 'unlucky in wealth, lucky in officialdom' applied, other warrior families that followed Jiang family gradually declined, currently Ban family was the only one still possessing the glory of the past.

T/N – It is probably the author's play on the common saying 情场失意,赌场得意 = 'unlucky in love, lucky in gambling'.

This past glory was likely to disappear soon too. Ban family would soon end up like the other dynasty founding warrior families, fading away to be a mere entry in history.

"That is true. It is useless in our family anyway, in case it is really....." Ban Heng coughed dryly, "Better to give it away to someone we like rather than getting looted later."

"Correct." Ban Hua lightly clapped her hands, "In the ancient time there was a king who played fire with the vassals in order to make his favourite concubine laugh. Today me using a handwritten book to make a beauty laugh, isn't it just as grand."

Ban Heng was stunned for some time before he sighed, "Sis, it's a good thing you were not born a man."

Ban Hua turned to look at him in confusion.

"If you were, you would have been a ladies' man with lovers everywhere." Ban Heng shook his head, "It would be bad, very bad."

—

It was also a good thing that Count Rong couldn't hear what she said, otherwise the good deed would have turned bad.

<< Zhong Cheng Lun >> was written by a famous minister of the previous dynasty, he wrote it together with a famous scholar after retiring to his hometown. The content was about the way of a minister, the way of a ruler, and the way of a general, it was an accumulation of the insights of countless learned men of the previous dynasty. The complete book was said to be lost in war at the fall of the previous dynasty. Countless people sought after it that even just scraps of incomplete copies were cherished like treasure. Who ever expected that the book was actually with .... Ban family.

What did Ban ancestors do back then, silently collecting so many precious books?

After Rong Xia washed his hands clean, he very carefully opened the book. He couldn't help but clapping in wonder when he started to read a little part of the book. Each of the sayings was quintessential, each part construed the philosophy of doing things. It was worthy to be the object of pursuit for many people, and the source of heartbreak for many others.

The way of a minister, the way of a ruler, the way of a general....

Almost every generation of Ban family produced a famous general, wondered if it had anything to do with this book?