I Am This Type of Woman

Xie Wanyu arrived amidst crying and wailing, but she had no time to care about the ruckus, she rushed to her brother’s courtyard. As soon as she passed the door, she heard him howling. Several doctors were in the courtyard, standing anxiously with their eyes averted.

“Father,” Xie Wanyu walked into the room, stopping Count Zhongping and his wife from giving her a salute, “What happened to Eldest Brother?”

T/N – As a prince’s main wife, Xie Wanyu’s status was higher than her parents, thus they had to pay respect to her.

Xie-furen shook her head as she bawled, Count Zhongping was also in tears that he was unable to utter a word. Behind Xie Wanyu, Jiang Luo looked at wailing Xie Chongjin on the bed. He wondered whether it was a missing arm or a broken leg that had Xie Chongjin screaming like this?

This brother-in-law was of a steady and calm character. Prior to him becoming an official, he was one of the most promising noble sons of the Capital, considered to be ‘a dragon among human’. The pain must have been very severe that he was howling shamelessly.

“Master, we need to stop the bleeding, otherwise we may not be able to save his life.” The doctor said to the female family members in the room, “Please Furens and Misses step outside for a while.”

Xie-furen trembled, shakenly took Xie Wanyu’s hand to lead her outside.

Xie Wanyu was very troubled, what kind of injury Eldest Brother was suffering that ladies needed to step out during the treatment?

—

Jiang Luo stayed in the room, the doctors opened the blanket, and he saw the lower part of Xie Chongjin was a mess of blood and flesh. Blood smell assaulted his nose, making him almost threw up.  When he realised where Xie Chongjin was injured, a chilling shiver climbed up his spine, and he hastily ran out of the room.

“What actually happened to my Eldest Brother?” Xie Wanyu saw Jiang Luo ran out of the room like someone was chasing him, she grabbed his sleeves.

“What else can it be.” Jiang Luo’s spirit had not recovered, Xie Wanyu’s question brought the scene back to his eyes. His face crumpled again. “A man’s third leg is injured, don’t you think it’s serious?”

“The third leg?” Xie Wanyu could not digest it right away, after a moment of being stunned, she came to realise what he meant. Her vision immediately started to spin.

Not long after, Xie Chongjin’s wailing stopped. Xie Wanyu hurriedly went back inside, her brother was on the bed but he was not moving. “Father, how is Eldest Brother?”

“The doctor gave him sedatives, he is sleeping now.” Count Zhongping looked exhausted and his voice was hoarse, “Doctor, please tell us, can my son be healed?”

“Master Count, reattaching a broken limb is only possible in myths. We are not capable, afraid we don’t have the ability.” This was difficult, Xie Eldest Son’s injury has severed the capacity for procreation. It was already good if his live could be saved, but recovering that ability was out of question.

Many young boys were recruited into the Palace to become eunuchs, the purification of their bodies were handled by senior and experienced eunuchs. In spite of it, 2 or 3 out of 10 young boys would not survive. Xie Eldest Son was already an adult, and what happened to him was not done with care. Whether he could survive this ordeal or not, it was quite an ‘amitabha, god bless’.

Xie family was distraught, the doctor had no choice but to speak harshly, “Master Count, none of us here specialises in treating injuries. How if you ask around for a doctor who is good with injuries, or probably has a different method.”

“Master,” Xie-furen came in, tremblingly said, “Duke Jingting residence, Duke Jingting residence have doctors specialising in injuries!”

“What nonsense are you talking about, you ignorant woman?” Xie family and Ban family had got to the point that each side could not bear the sight of the other. Count Zhongping waved his hand, “Stop listening to nonsense.”

“Master, it’s true.” Xie-furen said in agitation, “Some days ago Minister Yao’s wounds turned septic, heard he was about to pass. The Third Miss Yao went to Duke Jingting residence and begged for their two doctors. In just two days Minister Yao was out of critical condition. Their residence has sent a lot of gifts to thank Duke Jingting residence.”

“Someone like Ban Huai, what good doctors his residence can raise?” Count Zhongping’s tone was still bad, but it was much calmer than before.

“Master Count,” One of the doctors spoke up, “At Duke Jingting residence there are indeed doctors specialising in injuries. Their predecessors who followed Ban family ancestors to battles were of the level of ‘apricot forest doctor’. The current Duke Jingting don’t go to battles, but the family still raises doctors.”

T/N – The apricot forest doctor referred to the highly skilled Physician Dong Feng of the 3 AD who lived in an apricot forest. Instead of money, he asked his patients to plant apricot trees.

Some prescriptions for injuries in the Palace were also contributed by Ban family. The current Ban family had been declining from generations to generations, and similarly, their doctors were also less skillful than the predecessors. Nevertheless, ‘a thin camel is still larger than a horse’, thus the current Ban family doctors should still have the capability.

Regardless if it was true or not, they still had to say it, otherwise the whole responsibility of this difficult situation would fall on their heads.

“Ban family….” Count Zhongping slumped dejectedly on the chair, thinking of the enmity between the two families. But as he looked at the son on the bed, he sighed and ordered, “Someone, prepare gifts. I am going to Duke Jingting residence.”

“Father,” Xie Qilin approached Count Zhongping, saluted, “You have not been well, and you still need to take care of Eldest Brother. Let me go to ask for help.”

It was all his fault. Had he not eloped and humiliated Ban family, their two families would not be like this. Because his eye was damaged and his chance of officialdom was lost, his father had no choice but to call his brother back to the Capital. Unexpectedly his brother was dragged into the water and was stripped off his official position, leading him into the wasted life of the depressed.

The origin of the disaster was him. The one to bow and beg, should also be him.

“You……” Count Zhongping shook his head. Noone was clearer on how much Ban family hated this second son. If Qilin was to beg at Ban family doors, what awaited him was endless humiliation, nothing else would work.

“Father, I know what you are worrying about.” Xie Qilin bowed deeply, “But please trust me, I will certainly bring the doctors over.”

—

Xie Wanyu was standing in the corner. Her mouth opened as her brother rushed out, but in the end she did not speak.

“The Palace Gate is about to close soon,” Jiang Luo was at the doorway. He had been keeping his eyes away from Xie Chongjin on the bed, “We should go back.”

“Wangye….” Xie Wanyu’s eyes were brimming with tears, “Let me stay at home this one night, please?”

“Xie-shi, your home is the Palace,” Jiang Luo’s tone was not very good, “Don’t you forget your position.”

“But…..”

“Wangfei,” Xie-furen’s heart ached for her daughter, from Jiang Luo’s attitude it could be seen that she did not have it easy in the Palace. Afraid that Jiang Luo would be irritated again, she hurriedly said, “We are here, you can go back to the Palace without worry.”

“Farewell.” Jiang Luo was satisfied by Jiang family’s sensible attitude. He gave Zhongping couple a careless salute and left without looking back.

T/N – Xie-shi =  something like ‘the woman surnamed Xie’. This is a common way to address women who married into a family, however Jiang Luo could have used ‘Wangfei’ to call Xie Wanyu because after all she was his main wife. His use of Xie-shi was a not-so-subtle reference to her commonness.

Xie Wanyu stared at his back, then turned to Xie-furen again.

“Go on.” Xie-furen wiped her tears, her shoulders shook uncontrollably, “Go.”

Xie Wanyu also wiped her own tears. Outside the inner courtyard, Jiang Luo who had walked ahead of her frowned in great dissatisfaction, “Cry, cry, cry. Every good thing is ruined by your crying.” His being titled a qinwang was an event of  great joy, but Xie family had to have this trouble.

What a bad luck, marrying this wangfei was like being chased by debt collectors.

“What good thing. Qieshen‘s eldest brother being injured is a good thing?” Xie Wanyu’s temper was never the best since she was a child. She had mellowed considerably since entering the Palace, but one’s character could not change all at once. What Jiang Luo said was too much for her, “He’s my brother, your brother-in-law!’

“Many people want to be benwang‘s brother-in-law, I don’t need your brother.” Jiang Luo laughed coldly, “I’ve just been titled a qinwang, and your family has to have a bloodbath. People will think your family has issues with me.”

“You!” Xie Wanyu was enraged, her claws grabbed Jiang Luo who was about to get into the carriage, “Talking this much, in the end it’s Shi Jin who you want as brother-in-law, right? It’s a pity that you fancied her, and she despised you!’

“Nonsense!” Jiang Luo raised his hand, about to hit her.

“Hit me. Go ahead, hit me,” Xie Wanyu raised her chin, “Hit, if you are capable. I’ll show this face that you hit to your Imperial Father and Mother!”

“Ridiculous!” Jiang Luo retracted his hand, turned away and entered the carriage.

Xie Wanyu sneered, “Yes I am ridiculous, and someone failed to get what he wants!” She turned to the servants, “Have the residence prepare a carriage for me.”

The attendants that followed Wangye and Wangfei from the Palace dared not offend either of them, they prepared a different carriage. Maybe it was best that Wangye and Wangfei were in separate carriages.

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—

Ban Hua saw a craftsman selling wooden figurines on the street. She bought two and left them with the guards to carry, then leisurely made her way home. Just as she reached the residence gate and before she dismounted her horse, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came from behind.

Ban Hua turned, it was someone familiar.

“Fule Junzhu.” Xie Qilin jumped off the horse and made a deep salute.

“Second Xie-gongzi?” Her eyes narrowed, Ban Hua played with the horse whip in her hand, “The sky must be raining red today. So there’s still a day that Second Xie-gongzi gives me a respectful bow.”

Xie Qilin stood there silently with his waist bent.

Seeing him that way, Ban Hua lost the mood for mocking. She threw the horsewhip to a guard to hold, “If there is no business, your precious feet would not have darkened the Buddha’s palace. Say it, does Second Xie-gongzi have any instruction?”

T/N – This comes from the saying 无事不登三宝殿 = one doesn’t visit the Buddha’s palace of three jewels (= the temple) without a cause. The three jewels are The Three Refuges 佛 (Buddha), 法 (Dhamma), and 僧 (Sangha).

“Dare not.” Xie Qilin once again made a deep salute, “Zaixia is here today to ask the residence to lend the two doctors.”

“Interesting,” Ban Hua laughed lightly, “Those who don’t know will think that our family runs a medical clinic. Every few days there are people coming to borrow our doctors. What kind of residence your is, that it doesn’t have doctors?”

“Zaixia‘s brother is seriously injured, zaixia heard of the noble residence’s famous doctors, thus zaixia is here to seek help. Hoping for Junzhu to grant it.”

“Grant it?” Ban Hua’s eyebrows raised, “Xie Lin, I remember this is the second time you’ve said this to me.”

Second Xie-gongzi’s given name was Lin, with courtesy name Qilin. Ban Hua calling him Xie Lin instead of Xie Qilin was not due to familiarity, but to mock him.

T/N – Per Wikipedia entry on Courtesy Names “According to the Book of Rites, after a man reached adulthood, it was disrespectful for others of the same generation to address him by his given name.”

Xie Qilin suddenly remembered, three years ago when Ban Hua traced after him and Yunniang when they escaped from the Capital, he had also said the same things.

What did he say that time?

“Ban-xiangjun, zaixia and Yunniang love each other. Hoping for Junzhu to grant it.”

T/N – Ban Hua was still a xiangjun that time.

“Since Xie-gongzi and this Miss are true to each other, then I will grant it. Wishing the two of you to be together forever, grow old together, without a day of regret.”

But he had soon regretted everything, he had failed Yunniang, and had also failed Ban Hua.

Some memories were not forgotten, he just did not have the courage to remember.

“Junzhu…..” His voice hoarse, looking up at the woman sitting high above on the horse. All of the words had suddenly paled away to nothing.

“Alright.” Ban Hua averted her eyes away from Xie Qilin’s face. She jumped off the horse, without looking back she said, “I can lend you the doctors, but if the cure doesn’t work, Xie family can’t blame us.”

“Many thanks Junzhu.” Xie Qilin lifted his robe. All of a sudden he knelt down to the direction of Ban Hua’s back.

Ban Hua who had walked up to the gates looked back. Her eyes were indifferent as she looked at the kneeling Xie Qilin.

“Guardsman Du, take care.”

Du Jiu who at that moment was stepping out of Ban familly gates was confronted by the scene.

What…. what is going on here?