Chapter V. A Shocking Change

　　Time is easy to throw people away, in the blink of an eye it has been three years. 　　I recline under the porch, April warm wind smoked people drunk, a flower petal was blown to the wind face, crispy itch. 　　My drunkenness has not yet faded, the body is still weak, reaching out, inadvertently flicked down the jade pot, it rolled down the steps, spilling the last drop of residual wine, the wind will add a fragrance of rich wine. 　　Brother half a month ago from the capital to bring the plum wine, and I drank it all, and so on his next opportunity to go to Hui Zhou, and then come to see me, I do not know when it will be again. I lethargically propped up my body and called Jin'er twice, no one answered. 　　This girl since leaving the capital to come here, is also more and more lazy up. 　　I got up barefooted silk shoes, lazily through the corridor, but inadvertently glanced at the yard that tree magnolia, overnight actually bloomed frost than snow. 　　I was in a trance, my mind wandering, vaguely returning to the orchid garden at home. 　　"The county princess can be considered awake, drunken sleep this half day, not even wear a robe out, beware of catching a cold." Jin'er rambled and complained on one side, while draping her long coat over my shoulders. 　　I leaned on the railing, "The magnolia at home should be in bloom, I don't know how this year's flowers will bloom." 　　"The weather in the capital is warmer than here, and the flowers bloom earlier." Jin'er sighed and laughed again, "But although it's colder over here, there are more sunny days than in the capital, and it doesn't rain all the time, so I like it better here." 　　This little ninja more and more will coax people happy, see me pursed lips smile, did not respond, she will gently rely on me to sit down, whispered: "If you are tired of living in HuiZhou, why not go back to the capital to see, out of the three years, the county princess is also homesick, right?" 　　I withdrew my thoughts, laughed to myself, and stretched my waist, "It's a little bit missing the green plum wine at home, but compared to the divine days here, I can't afford to go back." 　　After I said that, I got up and brushed away the fallen flowers on my lapel, "Great spring light, let's go out for a stroll." 　　Jin'er chased after me and said anxiously, "The messenger sent by the king yesterday is still waiting for the county princess ...... to wait for the princess to reply to the letter!" 　　I stopped, a trace of impatience swept through my heart. 　　"You return it for me." I did not return my head, indifferently said, "Look at what he sent this time, pick the fun to stay, expensive left for Medical Officer Xu, the rest as you dispatched." 　　In a couple of days, Dr. Xu should arrive again, this time to prepare some thick gifts to bribe him. 　　My mother wrote again to ask why my illness is not getting better, delayed return to the capital, so Xu medical officer is very worried, lest the cover up does not go on. Although the parents there urging tight, fortunately, there is a brother to do the internal response. And although Dr. Xu is timid and afraid of things, but good in greed and good fortune, more points, always be able to block his mouth. Mother there is okay to cope with, afraid only afraid of aunt a decree to call me back to the capital. 　　As long as you don't let me go back, you can do whatever you want. 　　I really don't want to step into the imperial capital again, and I don't want to go back to those nightmarish days. 　　In the past three years, I've been living in seclusion in Hui Zhou, and I've been able to enjoy myself like an immortal, thanks to my good husband. 　　On the wedding night, my son-in-law did not even step into the cave, and hastily left for the army. 　　At the beginning of the southern border, the northern border trouble started again, Turkic invasion, the beacon smoke pushed into the Central Plains. 　　Yuzhang Wang Xiao Qi waved his troops back to the north overnight, a shoulder to shoulder the world, horse leveling the four seas, the court and the world heard, all admire him for his heart of the gods of the earth and grain, the country first, but also marveled at Yuzhang Princess of the deep understanding of the righteousness of the princess. My father did not blame the good son-in-law for leaving without saying goodbye, but instead submitted a report to the court, praising him. My aunt also praised him. 　　My mother's lack of understanding and my woes, so the crown was covered up, no one to mention. But the more so, behind the back of the finger pointing, mockery, the more relentless come. 　　I don't need to hear about it myself, but I know how they colorfully described how the princess of Shangyang County was left behind by her new son-in-law on the first night of her marriage to the princess of Yuzhang. 　　The fall of the former proud daughter of heaven satisfied the pleasure of many people who fell down the well. 　　The next day after the wedding, I was all dressed up alone and calmly went to the palace to give thanks. 　　Those eyes chasing behind me, those waiting to see my sadness and despair, probably did not have the wish. 　　Then I was like all the newlyweds, put on the joyful dress, in and out of the XuanHui, feast and drink as usual. 　　Until half a month later, a wind cold attack, I suddenly fell ill. 　　Sick even their own surprise, it seems that all the strength of the morning are exhausted, leaving only an unbearable empty shell, by the district wind chill delayed in the sickbed for two months, coughing all day long, thin to the shape of the bones. 　　On the most dangerous night, the doctor said my life was in danger. 　　That night, my mother knelt and prayed at the Buddha Hall, washing her face in tears and telling my father that if Charmaine left, she would never forgive him for the rest of her life. 　　My father did not say a word, but stayed outside my bedroom all night, the night dew soaking the hem of his coat. 　　I woke up in the morning, looked at the bed in front of the old and haggard mother, heard Jin Er quietly said, father is still standing outside the door ...... At that moment, silted up in the bottom of my heart of the resentment, decadent dissipation, I held my mother's hand, shed the first line of tears after the wedding. 　　Looking at the mother of the tears of joy, I just feel deeply tired, no longer want to complain, can not bear to dislike, just want to have a corner for me to hide. 　　Finally, I've seen enough of my parents' caution, and everyone always apologizes when they see me. 　　I would rather have them criticize me as before, but I don't want to put up with this kind of oppression. 　　The rainy season in the capital came, I was sick and coughed for a long time, the doctor was worried that the rain and humidity would not be conducive to recovery, and advised my parents to let me go to a warm place in the south to recuperate. When my uncle was an official in Hui Zhou, he built a house in the mountains, but he was transferred just after it was completed, and the house has been left unused ever since. The weather in Hui Zhou is sunny and the scenery is pleasant, so it is suitable for recuperation. 　　Although my parents did not want to give up, for my health, but still sent me here. 　　When I first came to Hui Zhou, my parents sent more than a hundred servants and guards, and together with the medical staff, the small courtyard was overcrowded. Hui state assassin and his wife to visit the door to see, disturbed me to the annoyance, and finally the noise of a cadre of people back to the capital, leaving only a few maids of honor and medical service, finally clean ears and eyes. 　　Live down to know uncle this yard has a different heaven, mountain quiet, bamboo folding spring, morning see mountain mist evening evening sunset, the court in the blue trees and flowers, the pond birds, the building has a unique atmosphere, than the capital garden of the beautiful, more suitable for me. 　　The best thing is that my uncle also has aged wine in the cellar. 　　I was so far away from Hui Zhou, and the world was so big, that when I took a step back, I actually had a feeling of being reborn and reincarnated. 　　My parents thought that I was just taking a break and would go back in a short time, but I didn't realize that once I arrived in Hui Zhou, I fell in love with this place and stayed there for a long time, not wanting to go back. My brother helped me to bribe the doctor with money and coaxed my parents not to urge me to return to the capital. 　　Three years, only in the new year spring and parents birthday, I went back to the capital to live temporarily, live for a few days on the claim that the body is not feeling well, move back to Hui state. 　　Yuzhang Wang House since the wedding, I have not stepped into a step. 　　Yuzhang Wang has also been stationed in the North Ningshuo camp, and then did not return to the capital. 　　I have been married for three years and I don't know my husband's face for three years. 　　He was at the border, I was in Hui Zhou, thousands of miles apart. 　　That night I angrily threw the phoenix crown, the five-colored tassel to his subordinates to bring, but seven negative three hate, hate can not be cut off. 　　His handwritten letter, but in my illness to send, the letter in words earnest, sincere apologies. 　　From then on, every few months he sent a letter, and even more generous gold and silk property. 　　I from the initial disgust disdain, to now also gradually accustomed to, and even found this martial arts rude under a hint of fun - could it be that he is ashamed of his family, they will do their best to send money to me to provide for me, thinking that this is the husband's son-in-law's share of the work? Although like the marketplace merchant general coarse stupid, but also rare solid heart. His letters are always a few words to say hello, look at the line from the same staff handwriting, stamped with his seal, it is considered a family letter. Even the handwriting may not be his handwriting, think of him as a martial artist, can not write such a good word of boldness. But at least he knows a little bit of etiquette, a little bit of face, or more or less some guilt. 　　Just I have never written back to him, even greetings perfunctory also lazy to do. 　　People in this world, with the name of Princess Yuzhang, is to give him a gift back. 　　He those stereotypes such as official letters of the family, at first I still look at, long time even open the interest is no longer there. 　　It is said to be a hall Yuzhang King, the position of the very people, military power in the hands of the family is also generous, and will not appear in front of the eyes to add to my troubles, this is enough - how many women married into the husband's family, and then unwillingly, but also had to force a smile, serving the aunt, teaching children, pretending to respect each other like a guest of honor, to give the family more light and color. Like Wanru sister is the Prince Consort, but still have to put up with concubines competing for favor. 　　It would be better for me to save the perfunctory, quiet. So we can live our lives in peace and quiet. 　　This marriage, this good man, I should also be satisfied with it. 　　The first time or into the fall season, look at the yellow leaves drifting all, and look at the winter night snow, snow melt spring, summer shade gradually thick ...... Shaoguang easy to pass, years like water, day by day, month by month, year by year ...... I began to feel that I have changed. 　　From the bottom of the heart of the weakest place to start, gradually become hard, but also become cool. 　　In the past to enjoy the parents' knees of the small A charming is no longer, now I am married to a woman Wang Ingenious. 　　Some things, once changed, can never go back to the old days. 　　Only my brother has never changed, in his eyes, I am neither the princess of Yuzhang, nor the princess of Shangyang, always just the little girl playing behind him. But he can't come to see me often, he has entered the imperial court as an official, business is so busy that he can only exchange letters and see me only a few times a year. 　　Even Zi Tan has not appeared in my dreams for a long time. 　　His mourning period in the mausoleum has passed, but the emperor is a holy decree, ordered him to supervise the construction of the mausoleum, repair the temple. 　　This is a long way to repair, I do not know when to return to the capital. 　　In the past, I did not understand, the emperor obviously love Zi Tama, why let the aunt to expel him to the mausoleum. 　　Now I understand. 　　Let Zi Tantan away from the palace, is truly pity him, protect him ...... in that whirlpool of power, the slightest error is to be shattered. Brother said, when the emperor had easy to store heart, for this and aunt completely turn against each other, Xie Guifei but in the East Palace abolition of the most confusing time, suddenly died. Her death, gave the emperor a heavy blow, but also made the emperor understand that Wang and the crown prince wings have been abundant, and then more with Xiao Qi marriage alliance, won the support of the military ministers. 　　There is no way to change the ruler of the throne. 　　As a father, all he could do was to protect Zi Tan and banish him to a place far away from the palace to eliminate the Empress's fear of him. It is only now that I understand the Emperor's bitterness, and Zi Tan, all along, has understood. 　　So he left silently, without a single word of resistance from the beginning. 　　The fate of this life is over, I have married a woman, only in the occasional midnight dream, for the far away in the imperial tomb of Zi Tama, distant wish a good day. 　　Hui state is located in the north and south of the key, transportation thoroughfare, convenient river, has always been a rich place of merchants and traders. 　　The weather here is very different from the capital, unlike the capital which is rainy, hot in summer and cold in winter. 　　The four seasons of Hui state, all year round is always sunny, the sky is clear and sparse. 　　Since ancient times, people from the north and the south have been migrating and living here, and this place has the bright and simple style of the north people and the gentle and dexterous style of the south people, so even in times of famine, there are few natural disasters here, and the place is rich in fish and rice. 　　Hui state assassin Wu Qian, is the father's hand to bring up the students, but also in the past years the famous talent, very favored by his father, in office for four years quite not bad political achievements. Since I live in Hui Zhou, Lord Wu has been attentive care, Mrs. Wu also often come to visit, lest the slightest thing is not good, to me all kinds of welcome. 　　I have no good feeling about the official pandering of climbing the skirt, but I can't bear to reject Mrs. Wu's solicitude. 　　Wu Qian with a party of political achievements and my father's promotion, smooth career, promotion is expected, there is no need to meet me. But his only daughter has nearly reached adulthood, long years with her parents outside in Hui Zhou, there is no way to get acquainted with the high ranking sons of the capital. Now the age of marriage is approaching, Wu's husband and wife anxiety, only hope for their daughter to find a good family, married into the capital, climbing up the good family. 　　The heart of the world's parents, for their children to worry about, even to this. 　　I also have the intention to help the Wu family daughter to find a marriage, but can not think of those fops in the capital, which is considered to be a good home. 　　In the past two days, the most lively thing in the city, there is nothing more than a thousand kites. 　　Spring race paper kite, this is a custom in the capital, prevalent in the world between the female family. 　　Every spring in March and April, the capital ladies always want to find skilled craftsmen, make beautiful paper kites, invite relatives and girlfriends to go to the countryside trekking, banquets and drinks, kite races, enjoy songs and gifts ...... Fai state originally did not have this custom, but since I came, but year after year by Mrs. Wu personally presided over, invited the whole city to gather the prestige female relatives, the first nine months of April, in the Qionghua Court, do thousands of kites will be. 　　Jin'er secretly made fun of them for attaching themselves to elegance. 　　I appreciate Mrs. Wu's good intentions, more or less to relieve homesickness, always a good intention. 　　To be able to raise a paper kite in Hui Zhou is a great relief during the time of seclusion and solitude. 　　In the past years at home, my brother could always find the most skillful craftsman to make paper kites for me, and then he would paint with his own handwriting the pictures of ladies that he was best at, and inscribe them with the poems that I had written. Our paper kites were released and left to flutter, but we didn't care. The outsiders picked it up by chance, but they regarded it as a treasure and bid for it, which was called the "beauty kite" by the people. 　　This year, I don't know which girl my brother will draw a beauty kite for? 　　Jin'er is right, I am really a little homesick. 　　Hui Zhou's paper kite is no longer lively, but also can not compare to the home brother hand-painted, I think, three years of seclusion is long enough, labor parents so attached, is my unfilial - after this spring, I should go home. 　　On the ninth day of April, the Qiong Hua Spring Banquet. 　　The mid-spring, a group of flowers competing for beauty, Hui state famous girls gathered, but all some status of the family, have come to the female family members. 　　Many people think the same way as Mrs. Wu, those women of young age are looking forward to the Thousand Kites, a show of grace, to get the favor of the Princess of Yuzhang, to be able to climb the high family. 　　In their eyes, I am an unattainable nobleman, a person who can change their destiny with a single thought. 　　They longed to be changed by the nobleman, but they did not know that my fate was only at the mercy of others. 　　I stepped into the court accompanied by Mrs. Wu and a group of noblewomen. 　　The ladies bowed down to greet me. 　　At a glance, the spring daughters, red and green, each competing for beauty. 　　Three years ago, I also have this kind of skillful heart and hands, once a month every day combing different hair style, change different new makeup, attracting the palace to follow suit and enjoy themselves. Since the Hui state, but increasingly lazy, powder hairpin are too cumbersome. Today's banquet is also a flowing cloud pattern brocade deep clothes, plain silk slow belt, hair bun low Ò, just like the sister's gift of the phoenix hairpin is the only jewelry that does not leave the body, in addition to no more than half a grain of beads and emeralds embellishments. 　　And at this time I am in these just right between the women, I feel that I have been old. 　　After the ceremony, the banquet opened, the sound of silk and bamboo, colorful dancers came out in a row, dancing. 　　Accompanied by silk and bamboo music and dance, the court was the first to rise a reddish-red and gold butterfly paper kite, surplus with the wind and up. The shape of the rich and beautiful, and no aura, the work spent is quite a lot, it seems to be the handiwork of the Wu family's daughter. 　　I lightly smiled and said: "Thin wings putty smoke light, long is busy for the flowers ①." 　　"My daughter's skill is clumsy, let Your Highness laugh at me." Mrs. Wu owed her body, her mouth modest, and her eyebrows rose with joy. 　　A yellow-shirted young girl under the seat rose at the sound of the voice, dropping her head and converging her body, bowing towards me. 　　Mrs. Wu laughed and said, "My daughter Hui Xin, has always looked up to Princess Wang." 　　I nodded with a smile and motioned for the young girl to come closer, thinking to myself, what should I reward her for in accordance with etiquette. 　　Goose yellow robe of the young girl low walking, slender posture, face wearing a thin layer of veil, the wind gently flick. 　　I heard that the south has the old custom, not out of the cabinet of the woman must wear a veil to go out, but I do not know Hui state today still have such a custom, this Wu family girl in the women's family also to veil over the face, I think it is very strict tutelage. 　　Is gazing at this young girl, suddenly heard a whistle, the court of a green swallow paper kite on the wind, dexterous and lovely, flying through the forest like a milk swallow. Have not yet seen carefully, another gold painted red carp paper kite rose, followed by peaches, lotus, jade cicada, dragonfly ...... a time, the sky paper kite flying, colorful, very lively, see people dazzled. 　　Seat in the crowd are looking up at the air, marveling. 　　Wu family daughter gait curvaceous, weak willow wind Xu line to my seat, Ying Ying bowed. 　　"What a beautiful girl." I turned back to Mrs. Wu smiled, but saw her look different, fixedly looked at the young girl in front of me, opened his mouth, seems to say what words, the sound of the words but was steeply came to a sharp whistle over. 　　This whistle sound piercing strange, and before the big difference. 　　I was stunned, raised his eyes to see the court outside the southeast direction quickly swept up a piece of gray shadow, hold the wind came, it is a huge green paper kite rushed up to the sky, shaped like an eagle, wings open nearly zhang, than a person is still taller than, Huran swept through the garden, rushed straight over to this place. 　　I intuition is not good, get up and leave the seat, backward and retreat sharply. 　　The yellow shadow in front of my eyes shook, that Wu family's daughter suddenly loomed close, her figure was as fast as a ghost, and she clasped my shoulder with an exploratory hand, her five fingers locked tightly and deeply embedded in my flesh, painfully making my tendons and bones want to break, and half of my body was instantly soft and numb and powerless. 　　"You are not Hui Xin, who are you?" In Lady Wu's horrified scream, the yellow-shirted maiden flipped her narrow sleeve, illuminating a morose blade, the icy blade against my neck, "Whoever dares to come closer, I will kill the Princess!" 　　At the same time, the paper kite swept in with a huge shadow. 　　The darkness pressed down overwhelmingly. 　　I clenched my teeth and struggled, only to see her raise her palm and ruthlessly cut, I immediately had a pain in my neck, and my eyes went dark....... In my last clear consciousness, I vaguely heard Jin'er screaming "county princess", and then I felt that my body was plucked up in the air by a huge force, and the sound of hunting winds whistled in my ears. ...... 　　Note: ① borrowed from Ouyang Xiu's sentence, slightly changed.