I Am This Type of Woman

55

A man who was willing to propose to protect a lady's reputation was a rare gentleman.

"Junzhu is kind and lovely. Weichen admires Junzhu, and it will be weichen's good fortune to marry her." Rong Xia performed a salutation to Emperor Yunqing, "Asking Your Majesty and Niangniang to be the matchmakers for weichen."

Emperor Yunqing inwardly sighed. A gentleman like Rong Xia would say things such as these to save the face of the lady's family without any slightest fault with the speech. He and the Empress knew that Rong Xia didn't like Hua Hua, but he couldn't say anything.

"You wait, until the Grand Princess....."

Emperor Yunqing's throat moved, the rims of his eyes were red and he was unable to speak. He had intended to find a suitable young man for Ban Hua, but it's not something on the table now, and at this moment Ban family wouldn't desire any talk about marriage.

—

Officers from the Ministry of Rites had come and went, other people seemed to have come and went as well. The four Bans just dazedly followed whatever Emperor Yunqing told them. They didn't show much reaction or joy either even when the Emperor said the Grand Princess' funeral hall was to be held in the Palace, and the scale of her funeral rituals should only be slightly less than an empress dowager's. They were like bewildered children who knew nothing, only trusted Emperor Yunqing without the slightest doubt.

The more they had such attitude, the more guilty the Emperor felt. His Aunt had died for him, if Aunt hadn't taken it instead of him, the one lying in the memorial hall right now would have been himself.

The more he deliberated, the larger and larger the funeral rites he wanted to plan for the Grand Princess. The wake of an empress dowager's would be 27 days presided by monks to guide the departed soul to transcend, then followed by a six-months nation-wide mourning period. Emperor Yunqing had the mind to hold the Grand Princess' funeral on the scale of an empress dowager's funeral, but as there had been no such precedent, he had no choice but to pick the highest scale of rites for a gongzhu that was ever recorded in history.

So the wake was to be held for 24 days with all third rank and above titled ladies of the Capital attending to weep for the Grand Princess. There would be a three-months nation-wide mourning period in which drinking and entertainment were forbidden. Getting married was also forbidden. Any failure to observe would be heavily punished.

The whole Daye knew the Grand Princess had died saving the Emperor's life so noone was bold enough to say anything. Some famous talents wrote the Grand Princess' memoirs, praising her loyalty and her benevolence. All sorts of wonderful praises were heaped on the Grand Princess' name.

—

Marquis Jingting's residence used to be lifely but it had now turned quiet. They didn't give any response to  whatever was heard outside.

"Junzhu," Chang-momo bowed three times to Ban Hua, "This Old Slave comes on Her Highness' last order, to serve by Junzhu's side."

"Chang-momo," Ban Hua personally helped Chang-momo to rise, her pair of eyes were red and swollen, "Did my Grandmother said anything?"

Chang-momo looked at the Junzhu who had considerably thinned down, and smiled to comfort her, "Her Highness said, you are the one who resembled her the most. She wished you to be like her in her youth, living life to the fullest, free and unyielding."

Ban Hua walked to the window. Staring at the white lanterns hanging in the garden, her voice was hoarse, "Grandmother must be very beautiful when she was young."

"That is right." Chang-momo picked up a cloak and draped it on Ban Hua's shoulder, "Nubi heard that prior to Her Highness's marriage, she was Daye's number one beauty. The gongzi's from aristocratic families who wanted to marry her could line up from east side of the Capital to the west side."