I Am This Type of Woman

90.2

Duke Jingting residence.

Ban Hua woke up from a dream. She turned, it was still dark outside so she shrunk back under the blanket. For some reasons she kept tossing and turning, only when the sky turned dusky that she finally fell back into a slumber.

"Hua Hua."

"Hua Hua."

Ban Hua opened her eyes, an elderly woman was sitting next to the bed. Ban Hua leapt into that her embrace at once, "Grandmother, what brings you here?"

"I am here to see you." The Grand Princess lovingly stroke the top of Ban Hua's head and smiled sweetly, "Grandmother is happy today."

Ban Hua clung to the Grand Princess, curiously asked, "What makes you happy?"

The Grand Princess laughed but she didn't answer, gently and silently patted Ban Hua's back like coaxing a baby. Grandmother's embrace was soft and fragrant, Ban Hua felt herself drifting off back to sleep.

"I am going back with your grandfather."

In a daze Ban Hua heard her grandmother said.

Strange. Hadn't Grandmother left for the west already, why was she going back with Grandfather?

To the west?

Ban Hua's eyes abruptly opened. The sky outside was already bright. She sat up straight on the bed, rubbed her forehead as a bitter smile appeared on her lips. So it was true that dreams often came after a memory, at the old Duke Cheng's residence yesterday she had listened to him talking about her grandmother, and now she dreamt about her.

T/N – Going to the west is a euphemism for death.

—

"Junzhu, are you awake?"

Ban Hua heard the maid's voice, she clapped.

At the clapping sound the maids entered with the utensils for toilette. When Ban Hua was rinsing her mouth, Ruyi whispered, "Junzhu, someone from the Palace came to invite Master Duke."

Ban Hua spat out the water in her mouth, after wiping, she asked, "Isn't Father still in mourning?"

"Nubi isn't clear either." Ruyi shook her head, "Furen said to Junzhu is to come to the main courtyard after getting up."

"I know." Ban Hua nodded. After changing clothes and combing her hair, she went to the main courtyard with her maids. She was the latest to come, Yin-shi and Ban Heng were already at the table. Yin-shi waved to stop her curtseying, telling her to just sit down.

"I am afraid something big is happening at the Palace." Yin-shi took a sip, told her son and daughter, "Stay at home these two days. Don't go out, wait and see."

"What happened?" Ban Hua didn't see her father, "Ruyi said Father was summoned to the Court?"

"En." Yin-shi nodded, she continued, "The Minister of War residence sent a message telling us to pay attention. The situation at the Palace isn't good."

In the early days the Minister of War Zhao Weishen received favours from Ban family'a old masters. The two families did not appear to be much in contact all these years, but whenever anything significant happened, Zhao Weishen would privately send Ban family some news so they can be prepared.

Zhao Weishen and the murdered Zhao Jia were not related. The two families had neither the same ancestors nor the same clan, they just happened to be of the same surname.

Ban Heng and Ban Hua obediently nodded. Yin-shi smiled, "There is no need to feel restricted, but it's still better to be careful. It may not be that serious if it's just Zhao family, but someone else had also sent a message even before the Zhao's."