"Sis, I'm so disappointed in you." Ban Heng looked at Ban Yu with a face full of resentment. "Why can't you be more reserved and toss around a bit more? Women need to be tormented so that men will know how to cherish them. Do you understand? "
"You can't blame me." Ban Han smiled shyly. "He's too good-looking."
"You can't judge a man by his appearance. You also have to look at his inner qualities." Ban Heng said earnestly. "I'm a man myself. How can I not know what a man is thinking?"
"What kind of schemes does that man have?" Ban Yu's interest was piqued. "Tell me quickly."
"No matter how nice a man's words sound, you can't believe them. The important thing is what he does." Ban Heng was silent for a moment. "Anyway, he won't treat you as well as I do."
"Of course." Ban Han nodded. "My brother Heng is the best."
"Hmph." Ban Heng snorted awkwardly. "That's for sure."
"No, don't change the subject." Ban Heng stared at Ban Han. "Sis, do you really like Rong Xia? If you don't like him, we'll break off the engagement. I'd rather offend him than let you be wronged. "
"No, I think he's quite suitable. There are no elders in my family. If I want to go back to live with my parents, no one will stop me." Ban Han looked at her brother with a smile. "What's more, in the whole capital, there's no man better looking than him. I won't lose anything by marrying him. If he doesn't treat me well, I'll divorce him and go home, right? "
"You … really only married him because of this?" Ban Heng was skeptical. "Sis, don't make yourself suffer for us."
"Are you stupid?" Ban Han knocked Ban Heng's forehead with a smile. "Am I someone who will make myself suffer?"
Ban Heng held his head and didn't say anything. He was still a little worried. "But … you don't have much affection for Rong Xia."
"Feelings can be cultivated slowly. When I was engaged to Shen Yu, how much feelings did I have for him?" Ban Han was very carefree. "Besides, looking at Rong Xia's face every day, I can eat a few more bowls of rice. It's pretty good."
"Well … as long as you're happy." Ban Heng thought for a moment. "I think Marquis Shi's son, Shi Jin, is also very good-looking. Haven't you always liked his looks?"
"When judging a man, you can't just look at how he is. You also need to see if you can get along with his family." Ban Han felt that he was very clear on this point. "Shi Jin is too boring and doesn't suit me. Moreover, his younger sister has always looked at me in an unfriendly manner. I don't want to marry into such a family and be bullied by my sister-in-law. "
"That's true. That Miss Shi is obviously smarter than you …"
Ban Han rolled his eyes at him.
"No, she's obviously more scheming than you." Ban Heng immediately corrected himself. "But I don't think Rong Xia is much more humorous than Shi Jin."
"Men look at other men differently from women." Ban Han had an unfathomable look on his face. "I'm sure that Rong Xia is much more interesting than Shi Jin."
Ban Heng clicked his tongue and then smiled mischievously. "I'm only 15 years old. It's normal that I don't understand men. I just need to understand women."
"That's even more difficult." Ban Han stood up and looked down at Ban Heng. "Women are the most complicated book in the world. Even the smartest man in the world can't fully understand this book."
"You're saying … as if we men are easy to understand." Ban Heng's supreme soul exploded. "How many women in the world can understand men?"
Ban Han reached out and pulled up his sleeve. "Let's go. My little man, it's time for lunch."
At the round table, Ban Han was eating delicious mushrooms. She wanted to say that her grandmother liked this kind of game the most. Why don't we send some to her? But before she could say anything, she suddenly remembered that her grandmother was no longer here.
She blinked and ate a big mouthful of rice. Her throat was so choked that she almost couldn't swallow anything.
"I know you like mushrooms. The people in the village sent a basket of mushrooms here early this morning." Yin Clan put some mushrooms in her bowl. "You've lost a lot of weight recently. How can you be in poor health?"
"Thank you, mother." Ban Han ate a mouthful of rice and looked up at Yin Clan with a bright smile.
"Child, why are you being so polite with me?" Yin Clan looked at her gently. "You're taking good care of yourself. That's more important than anything else."
Ban Han nodded silently, looking very obedient.
After the meal, Ban Han rode out of the mansion on a horse and went to the Grand Royal Residence, which was not far from her home.
There were lanterns made of white silk and white paper hanging at the entrance of the Grand Royal Residence. The words "Foundation" on the lanterns stung Ban Han's eyes. She knew that when the mourning period was over, the things from the Grand Royal Residence would be brought to her home, and this mansion would be sealed up.
The guards at the entrance saw Ban Han standing at the entrance, neither entering nor leaving. They didn't know what the princess was thinking, but they didn't dare to ask. They just bowed to her and continued to stand there obediently.
Ban Han went up the stone steps and pushed open the door of the Princess Mansion. The flowers and plants inside didn't change at all. There were even servants left to clean the mansion. But she felt a sense of desolation. That kind of desolation could penetrate her bones and penetrate her heart.
She walked directly to the main hall. Ban Han looked at the servant girls and guards behind her and said in a small voice, "You all wait outside."
"Princess …" Ru Yi looked at Ban Han with some worry. She was worried that she would be reminded of the house where the Princess Royal Highness once lived.
Ban Han didn't pay attention to her and walked straight in.
The spring air was chilly. The wind blew on the fluttering white paper lanterns, making swishing sounds. Ban Han stood at the entrance with a bitter smile. If it was in the past, as long as she stood here, grandmother would affectionately call her Huahua and then have the servants bring her food and drink. It was as if she hadn't eaten properly in the marquis' fu.
When she pushed open the door, it made a squeaking sound. The room was a bit dark. After she entered, she took a while to adjust to the light in the room.
Everything in the room was spotless, but Ban Han felt that the chair grandmother often sat in was a bit dark. Even the paint on it seemed to have lost its luster. She walked to the chair and sat down. However, she didn't feel any of her grandmother's warmth. There was only an empty coldness.
She still remembered that when she was young, her grandfather and grandmother loved to sit in this room and play with her. Her grandfather would even crawl on the ground and let her ride on a big horse. He said that she was the most powerful female general in the country. At that time, she was still young and didn't know that her grandfather had an old illness. She allowed him to carry her on his back and crawl on the ground in circles.
Her mother would scold her. When she shed one or two tears, her grandfather's heart would ache. He secretly gave her a lot of good things to comfort her. He also said that a beautiful girl shouldn't cry. If she cried, she wouldn't be like her grandmother, the most beautiful woman in the country.
Bypassing the front hall, Ban Han walked to the master bedroom. The master bedroom was covered with a soft carpet. There were vases on the shelves. They were all gifts from her and younger brother Heng. They weren't as rare as the vases from the imperial family. However, grandmother had put away the imperial gifts and replaced them with the decorations that she and younger brother Heng had given her. She even saw a set of straw dolls. A year ago, she felt that this set of dolls was very interesting and specially gave it to her grandmother.
There were too many things in the room that she was familiar with. Only the bed with the phoenix pattern on it had no curtains and blankets. The gorgeous bed frame looked empty, just like the mansion. It was so empty that it scared her.
Ban Han walked to the dressing table and sat down. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, she revealed a smile that looked like she was crying.
"Grandmother …" She reached out and touched the cold surface of the mirror. "Huahua … I miss you."
"Whoosh, whoosh."
The wind blew in the courtyard. The pomegranate tree planted outside made a rustling sound. It was like the sound of footsteps, lingering outside the courtyard, reluctant to leave.
Ban Han walked out of the courtyard and looked up at the thick pomegranate tree with a smile on her face.
Although it had been a long time, she still remembered that she and her grandfather had planted this tree together. At that time, she should have been less than five years old. Because she said that the pomegranate seeds were very beautiful and red like gems, her grandfather found a sapling from his colleague's house and planted it with her.
Later, she was still a child and quickly forgot about this matter. However, her grandfather still remembered and often watered the tree himself.
But before the pomegranates bore fruit, her grandfather passed away. Later, it was her grandmother who watered the tree. That year, the pomegranate bore fruit, but it didn't bear many fruits. Her grandmother had brought her to visit her grandfather's grave with pomegranates. At that time, she had cried her heart out, but her grandmother had not cried. She had only gently caressed her head with her warm palm and had never let go.
"Grandfather, grandmother, tomorrow I will have someone transplant this tree to my courtyard." Ban Han stroked the tree trunk. "I will wait for it to bloom and bear fruit. Every year, I will bring pomegranates to see you."
The wind blew again and the pomegranate tree branches swayed back and forth, as if answering Ban Han's words.
Her forehead pressed against the rough bark of the tree. Ban Han hugged the tree trunk and laughed quietly.
Ruyi and several guards waited outside the courtyard for a long time. Just as Ruyi prepared to go in to find Junzhu, Ban Han walked out.
"Junzhu." Ruyi didn't see any change in Ban Han's expression. She sighed in relief. "This servant sees that the weather is not good. It might rain. Let's go back."
"Alright." Ban Han had Ruyi put on a cloak for her. "Go back and have the steward find someone skilled in transplanting trees. I want to move the pomegranate tree from grandmother's courtyard to my courtyard."
"Alright." Ruyi stilled. "Do we need to move the other flowers and plants?"
"Take away that pot of black peony. Grandmother likes this pot of flower the most." Ban Han pulled on the cloak and said expressionlessly. "Have the gardener take good care of the flowers and plants. There can be no mistakes."
"Yes."
When Shi Jin passed by the Grand Royal Residence, he discovered that the gate of the Grand Royal Residence was open. He tightened his grip on the reins and frowned. It was currently the mourning period for the Princess Royal. Who would dare to disturb the peace of the Princess Royal residence?
Just as he was about to dismount and go in to investigate, a young woman wearing plain clothes and a plain silver hairpin came out with her servant girls and guards. After seeing who it was, Shi Jin was stunned. He immediately dismounted and bowed to Ban Han.
"Greetings, Junzhu."
"Lord Shi?" Ban Han walked down the steps and glanced at Shi Jin's buttocks. "How has the Lord Shi been recently?"
Shi Jin pretended not to understand Ban Han's gaze. He cupped his hands and said, "Junzhu, thank you for asking. I am well."
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