I Am This Type of Woman

“Ban Hua, don't think I wouldn't dare lay a hand on you.”

“Oh, I'm so scared! What, finally decided to drop the 'Junjun Ban' act? Couldn't keep up the pretense anymore?” Ban Hua rolled her eyes dramatically at Kangning. “My family didn't raise hypocrites who slander their elders behind their backs, nor did we raise gentlemen who cling to the Heir position while pretending to be above the fray, calling the capital a den of iniquity. If it weren't for a certain someone's mother crying and begging in front of my grandmother, barely managing to preserve the Heir position all those years ago, would you even be in a position to yell at my brother now?”

Her brother might be a bit foolish, but he was her brother. Who was Kangning to yell at a member of the Ban family like that?

Even if the Ban family were to decline, it would be five years down the line, not now!

“Yes, my family are all hypocrites, unlike some people who boast about their beauty but have been rejected for marriage multiple times. The whole capital knows that someone is cursed and can't get married. Let's see which promising man in the capital is willing to marry you?!” Kangning, having been struck by Ban Hua's words where it hurt, also began to speak without thinking. “Once your brother takes a wife, there will be no place for you to act so arrogantly in the Jingting Marquis Residence!”

“Only your brother would do such a thing. Don't assume all men under heaven are hypocrites like your family,” Ban Heng spat. “My sister can be as arrogant as she wants; our whole family is happy to spoil her. What's it to you? Besides, my sister is beautiful, ten times more beautiful than you. Your jealousy is useless!”

This Kangning was truly malicious, trying to sow discord between him and his sister. Was he the kind of person who would forget his sister after getting a wife?

Kangning hadn't expected Ban Heng, a man, to interject while she was arguing with Ban Hua. She was so angry she forgot to blink.

Was this the Jingting Marquis Residence's upbringing?

Was this the demeanor of the Jingting Marquis Residence's Heir?

“Heir Ban, as a man, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to intervene in a matter between women?” Jiang Yuchen frowned, his expression displeased.

“What's inappropriate about it? As long as I'm here, no one can bully my sister. I don't care if you're a man or a woman.” Ban Heng scoffed. He didn't have much of a good reputation anyway, so it didn't matter if people spoke ill of him now. He wasn't afraid of piling on more debt.

A grown man watching his family being bullied and still maintaining so-called gentlemanly conduct? That was truly absurd.

The Ban siblings were as tough as nails.

“The Ban family truly has excellent upbringing. Insulting a descendant of the imperial family, a man bullying a weak woman. Truly a sight to behold,” Kangning said, laughing in anger. “Brother, as a righteous gentleman like yourself, it's best not to…” She looked at Ban Heng with disdain. “It's best not to lower yourself to their level.”

“Righteous gentleman?” Ban Hua retorted mercilessly. “What kind of righteous gentleman is he? Earl Cheng'an never boasts about being a gentleman, but the whole capital knows he is one. Your family, with its hypocritical ways, actually has the nerve to call yourselves gentlemen?”

“Bah!” Ban Heng spat on cue, expressing his disdain for the Hui Prince’s siblings with a concrete action.

Although the Hui Prince’s siblings were older than the Jingting Marquis Residence’s siblings and more scheming, at this moment, Rong Xia felt that they were being overwhelmingly bullied by the Ban siblings.

Wang De, who had accompanied Earl Cheng’an, saw that he had stopped walking and maintained a smiling face behind him. As a favored eunuch by the Emperor's side, he had never seen noble ladies quarrel so… directly.

Seeing that the Jingting Marquis Residence siblings didn't seem to be losing ground, he felt relieved. Who held more weight in the Emperor's heart between Junjun Ban and Kangning, probably no one in the entire Grand Moon Palace was unclear.

“You two are truly unfilial!” Kangning's eyes were red with anger. “This is too much!”

“You two siblings are not only bullying us, but you're also twisting the facts,” Ban Hua looked at Kangning incredulously. “Do you even have any sense of reason?”

Reason?

These two siblings were the most unreasonable people!

Kangning turned to Li Xiaoru: “Miss Li, you witnessed everything. Tell me, who is the bully here?!”

“I… I…” Li Xiaoru cautiously glanced at Ban Hua, then recalled how Jiang Yuchen had mocked her when Ban Hua was ridiculing her. Her body swayed, and she closed her eyes, fainting softly onto the ground. Even more coincidentally, she avoided the stones and landed on the thick grass.

Fainting so timely, it was almost as if she was explicitly telling Kangning that she was afraid of Ban Hua and didn't dare provoke her anymore.

At this moment, Rong Xia, who had been standing by for a while, finally decided to step forward. He coughed lightly and said to the guards behind him, “Quickly call for two matrons to help Miss Li to the tent to rest.”

“Earl Cheng’an.” Jiang Yuchen looked at the man before him, recalling Ban Hua's earlier words about him being inferior to Rong Xia. His expression darkened.

“Earl… Earl Cheng’an.” Kangning looked at Rong Xia nervously and performed a curtsy.

Rong Xia returned the gesture to both of them, then turned to the Ban siblings with a smile. “Junjun Ban, Heir Ban, what happened here?”

Ban Heng glanced at Ban Hua, remembering the embarrassment of burying silver only to be discovered by Rong Xia months ago. He silently returned the greeting.

“Earl Cheng’an,” Ban Hua bowed to the Earl, “Why are you and Eunuch Wang here?”

Wang De bowed to Ban Hua. Finally, someone had noticed him.

Rong Xia glanced at the Hui Prince’s siblings and naturally took a step closer to Ban Hua. “His Majesty heard the commotion here and asked me to come and see.”

“Earl Cheng’an, Ban Hua she…”

Rong Xia smiled at Kangning, gently interrupting her, “Junjun Ban and Heir Ban are the grandchildren of Grand Princess. Your words about them being unfilial are perhaps a bit inappropriate.”

“I…” Kangning panicked. Had Earl Cheng’an seen her scolding them?

She wasn't usually like this, nor would she use such vulgar language. It was all Ban Hua and Ban Heng's fault. If they hadn't provoked her, how would she have been angered to the point of losing her composure?

“The Prince and Junjun are older than Junjun Ban. I wonder if you could, for my sake, put aside your differences?” Rong Xia’s smile became even more perfect. “Just refrain from saying certain things in the future. You are all His Majesty’s beloved juniors. If His Majesty were to hear these words, wouldn’t it worry and sadden him?”

Jiang Yuchen sneered inwardly. Rong Xia's words were polite, but they clearly shielded the Jingting Marquis Residence siblings. Saying they were all the Emperor's beloved juniors was nothing more than mocking the Hui Prince Residence's awkward position.

Truly the Emperor's loyal dog, playing favorites.

“Since Earl Cheng’an has spoken, my sister and I are not ones to hold grudges.” Jiang Yuchen said stiffly. “I also hope Junjun Ban will behave herself in the future.”

Wang De, standing beside them, lifted his eyelids. This Hui Prince Heir truly lacked tact. Continuing like this would be pointless.

Hearing this, Ban Hua was naturally unhappy and was about to retort when Rong Xia spoke before her.

“The ancients said, ‘There are three aspects to the way of the gentleman, none of which I possess.’ ‘The benevolent are free from worry, the wise from doubt, and the brave from fear,’” Rong Xia put his hands behind his back and said with a faint smile, “What do you think, Your Highness?”

Author's Note: Rong Xia: I'm very reasonable, sticking to the facts, never showing favoritism.

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