I Am This Type of Woman

78

"Wang-daren, is there anything else?" As if Rong Xia had not noticed the embarrassment on the official's face, he spoke very normally, "If there isn't, I'll take my leave first."

"Rong-daren, take care." That Ministry of Personnel official secretly sighed in relief. It was lucky that his superior was not ill-tempered or vindictive because what he had just said was quite offensive. An old man like himself had no business paying attention to his superior's fiancee. If this was heard outside......

It was not his fault actually, the blame was on Fule Junzhu for being too good-looking. If a heavenly swan descended amongst a flock of chicken, anyone who was not blind would find their eyes attracted to the swan.

Moreover, whenever she went the Junzhu was always on a white horse followed by a group of guards, this was quite her trademark.

He heard the personal guards were specially selected by the old Royal Duke himself for Junzhu. Since she was young, it was not  poetry or music that she learned, but riding and shooting, kicking and fisticuff instead. He could accept riding and shooting, but kicking and fisticuff....

Wang-daren shook his head in secret. A dainty girl like this one could not possibly be actually powerful, more likely just some fancy fist and feet movements. It must be the guards' deliberate exaggeration that made her sound like a phenomenon among women.

A beautiful woman like this, even if she was only pretending, countless people would come to her help, it was just natural.

—

Ban Hua and Akeqi had their guards between them, both have been maintaining the friendly but proper distance, neither too far nor too close. As one was a Junzhu from Daye and the other was a foreign prince, it was important to observe the proper conduct.

Ban Hua found this foreign prince's uncertain understanding of Daye culture to be very interesting. He kept asking about custom and tradition from time to time, and Ban Hua kept answering in full smiles. Until he started to ask about poetry, music and famous literati that Ban Hua directly said, "Wangzi, maybe you misunderstood. Not everyone in Daye likes poetry and music, or philosophy. We in Daye, some like poems, some like military and army, some are interested in social and agriculture. If you ask questions on poetry to someone who doesn't like poems, they won't be able to explain for you."

Du Aqi foolishly froze for a long time before he understood what Ban Hua mean. Scratching his head, he asked, "Isn't Daye famous for placing importance on literary the first, and military the second?"

"Of course not. Our Daye His Majesty is outstanding in both literary and military. He doesn't only value literary, but he also considers military training to be important. Your Highness the Prince has not been in Daye for long, your understanding of Daye is not thorough yet, it is natural to misunderstand." Ban Hua smiled, "My ancestors were all military people, but His Majesty is very generous towards us."

Actually Akeqi was not wrong, Daye had been increasingly civil-oriented. A military official was considered slightly beneath a civil official even if both were of the same rank. Literary people still learned 'the six arts' but most just went through the motion, the old standard that a gentleman should be 'proficient in both literature and martial arts' had been abandoned for a long time.

* Six Arts 六艺 = rites, music, archery, chariotry, calligraphy, mathematic.

Military officials endured the bitter cold to guard the borders, staked their lives to keep the realm safe. However in the eyes of the civil officials, this was a matter of course to take for granted. If they did well, it was what they had to do, but if any aspect fell short of expectation, the Court would react with condemnation and rebukes.