I Am This Type of Woman

48

Ban Hua loved it when people looked with astonishment, it was the best compliment they could pay her.

She put a well-maintained hand into a momo's hand, stepped on the vermillion lacquered wooden stool to get off the carriage. Nodded to the palace attendants who were greeting her and asked the welcoming momo, "Is His Majesty's birthday still held at Zhaoyang Palace this year?"

"Replying to Junzhu, yes it is." The momo released her hand, drew back bowing, "Nubi is here on the Empress niangniang's order to escort Junzhu."

* -niangniang 娘娘 has multiple meanings, but mainly to express respect to noble women and female deities.

"Empress niangniang is always so kind to me." Ban Hua's face showed some affection, "Then let us go quickly, I have missed niangniang too."

It had been snowing heavily but the paths where nobles would walk were always swept clean. Ban Hua's long skirt glid on the path with servants following behind without a sound, the imposing majestic authority made people awed. Grandmother once told her majestic authority couldn't be seen or touched, the display of servants in procession, luxurious wardrobe and fancy fares would naturally led to admiration.

Noone cared whether you were easy to get along with, as long as you could make them understand you were someone they couldn't afford to offend, they would feel your authority.

The eunuchs on road moved to the side to give way, none of them dared to look directly at her.

"En?" Ban Hua suddenly stopped, she was looking at a little eunuch standing outside the corridor. The little eunuch was wearing a grey palace attendant robe, the person was thin and small, the hands placed in front of his stomach were red and swollen, a sharp contrast to his thin wrists.

"Junzhu, that is a rough-job eunuch," The momo added, "Their family committed crimes, they entered the Palace as criminals."

Ban Hua remembered what would happen in five years, her eyes lowered, "Looks like a child."

Momo smiled, "Junzhu is right."

Just as the momo thought Junzhu would display her benevolence by ordering the little eunuch to go back to rest, the Junzhu unexpectedly did no such thing, she instead beckoned to the little eunuch.

"Little child, come here."

The little eunuch was probably freezing too much that his two legs were shaking uncontrollably. Hearing a call from a master, he almost fell down to the snow. Using all his strength to suppress his fear, he stumbled over to the master, his mind went blank.

Was he unpleasant to the master's eyes, or had he done something wrong?

"Raise your head let me see."

His teeth were shaking so hard that they almost fought with each other his mouth, but he dared not disobey, lifted his head to show a not-very-clean face.

"What a cute child." Ban Hua smiled, she said to the welcoming momo, "If his face was a little rounder, what do you think he would look like?"

The momo looked carefully and shook her head, "Nubi doesn't know."

"Like the singing bird in His Majesty's aviary. If his face was a little rounder then it would be more similar." As if she remembered something, Ban Hua's face turned dark as if she was upset.

The welcoming momo remembered three years ago there was a singing bird called Yuanyuan in the aviary that Fule Junzhu liked so much. The Empress had said the bird was to be sent to Jingting residence but it died of some sickness, after that Fule Junzhu didn't visit the aviary very much anymore.