Time tended to age me. It had been three years since the wedding.

I lay on the bed beside a window. In April, warm breeze blew and made me drowsy. A flower petal fell on my face, and I felt a little itch.

My hangover still remained and my body was feeble. I reached for a jade bottle, but pushed it accidentally. It fell down along the steps. Leftover wine spilled, which flavored the breeze with wine smell.

My brother brought plum wine from the capital half month age. I drank up it again. I did not know when he would pay a work visit to Huizhou and see me. Languidly, I got up, and called Jin'er twice. No answer. This girl got lazy since she had left the capital and stayed here.

I put on silk flip-flops and walked idly through the winding corridor. I cast an accidental glance at the Yunlan tree which was overnight in full and white bloom.

The scene confused me. I leaned on rail and thought astray as if I stayed in the orchid yard at my parents’ home. “Infanta, you finally wake up. You were drunk this morning. You don't even wear an outer robe. Don't catch cold.” As she kept babbling, Jin'er dressed me with the robe.

I raised my head. “The Yulan tree at home should flower. How are the flowers?”

“The capital is warmer than here. The tree should flower earlier.” Jin'er sighed and then laughed loudly. “Though here is colder, fine days are more than those in the capital. There isn't rain usually. I would rather stay there.”

This girl could coax me more and more. Seeing me smile with tight lips and silence, she sit gently beside me, whispering. “If you get fed up with here, we return to the capital. We have been out for three years. You miss home, don't you?”

I recovered from my trance, stretching and smiling. “Yes. I hunger for the plum wine in home. However here I live a paradise-like life, I would rather stay.”

I stood up and brushed off the flowers on my clothes. “So nice spring. Let's go on outing.”

Jin'er caught up with me. “Yesterday, the messenger sent by the lord is waiting for... your reply!

Ï paused with a ghost of gloom.

“You reply for me.” I could not be bothered to return, going out. An idea occurred to me. “Yes, you check what he sent. Choose something funny, and give the rest to the royal doctors.”

After two days, Doctor Xu would come. This time I had to prepare more money for him.

My brother said that my mother and aunt always asked about my illness and wondered why I was not cured. They want me to return to the capital. The royal doctors were nervous as they were afraid that they couldn't cover up my cure any more. My brother was my planted agent beside my parents while the doctors always were timid. I had to bribe them more to make them keep my secret: I pretended not to be cured lest my aunt found my cure and ordered me to return to the capital.

If the doctors reported my illness too bad, my mother would hurry to see me. Thus my secret was uncovered.

In the past three years, I stayed in Huizhou to regain my health.

In the wedding evening, Yu Zhang King didn't even step into the bridal chamber and headed for north border to repress the rebellion.

The rebellions in the three cities were ongoing while invasion in north border was launched.

My husband maintained the peace of the kingdom. After repressing the rebellion, he headed for north without any rest.

Back then, everyone admired him for his repressing rebellion and repelling invasion.

My father did not blame his son in law for his leaving without farewell; instead he asked the emperor to exalt him.

No one dared laugh at my living a widow-like life. I had no more longing. As usual life, I visited the palaces for greeting the emperor and the queen and returned to see my parents. As people expected, I was a graceful, elegant and quiet lady.

Those whose eye spotlighted my back to see my reducing to depression couldn't see my depression as they expected.

I still dressed up and traveled in opulent carriage and with multiple attendants. In Yu Zhang King's residence, I enjoyed night amusement and held luxurious feasts.

Two month after my wedding, a cold hit me and I got sick suddenly. Since then I had lain on bed. At the worst night, I nearly died. That night my mother kneeled long before Buddha statue, tears washing her face. She told my father that if Afu died, she would hate my father and my aunt lifetime, never forgiving them. In silence, my father sat in his study for a whole night.

At dawn I woke after the serious fever faded.

Seeing my parents cry with relaxation, I felt very jaded as I could not endure facing them nor accept their care.

I had to escape.

Rain season happened to come and my former affliction -- cough -- recurred. The royal doctors thought that the wet weather hindered my recovering.

When my uncle was the governor of Huizhou, he had a little sojourn palace built there. Just after the building was completed, he transferred back to the capital. Now the sojourn palace was unoccupied.

Huizhou weather was dry and fine, which was good to recovering.

I bribed the doctors so much and forced my brother to persuade my parents into allowing me move to Huizhou.

In the beginning, my parents sent three hundred more people including servants, guardians and doctors. They crowd in the palace. My arrival aroused Huizhou's governor who visited me in person while I was bothered much.

I forced the doctors to cheat on my parents: too many people crowded in the palace; let most of them return to the capital and only several maids and medical attendants stay. Thus I got a serene surrounding without being bothering.

The world was big as Huizhou was far from the capital. To leave home far made me reborn.

My uncle's sojourn palace was built almost for me. It boasted not only picturesque landscape to my liking but vintage wine in its cellar. In its courtyard, lush trees stood in full bloom and birds flew over the tranquil pool. The courtyard in my residence in the capital was splendid while this one was reclusive.

In the first place my parents had thought that I had just relaxed and recovered, and then returned soon. They didn't expect that I liked the life with idleness and carefree in Huizhou and want to live long without intention of going home. I just returned home on the occasions of festivals and birthdays of parents. I stayed there for a few days and afterwards I said that I felt afflicted, so I left for Huizhou.

Day by day, month by month, year by year. I found myself changed.

Some places in my heart turned cold and hard.

I was no longer the girl who was hankering for home. Nowadays the past friends and relatives were in different situation, and when we met, we felt strange to each other. Even Wanrong sank into silence and gloom like those concubines in the palaces.

Father, aunt, uncle... everyone treated me as tender as possible. Their eyes revealed guilty to me.

Facing them, I would rather be scolded like before than be treated thus.

Something had changed and no longer could be restored.

Only my brother remained same and understood me. Only before him was I not the consort of Yu Zhang King nor Shang Yang Infanta; I was just the little Afu who followed him in past.

Even Zidan disappeared long in my dream.

His mourning term was over but the emperor gave him an edict that he was ordered to supervise the building of new mausoleum and renovation of the ancestral temple.

This work would last long. His date to return the capital was unknown.

In past, I did not know why the emperor allowed my aunt, the queen, to expel Zidan to the mausoleum while he doted on him.

Now I awoke to it.

The emperor kept Zidan far away from the palaces, which was indeed his affection and protection for him. In the whirlpool of chasing power, a minor mistake incurred body smashed to pieces. The emperor had realized that Wang's and the crown prince had been fully fledged. Now they already entered into an alliance with Xiao Qi whose army of four hundred thousand soldiers eyed the royal court like a ravening tiger in north border.

It was impossible to abolish the crown prince and establish new one.

As a father, what he could do was to keep Zidan safe.

I did not have any concern. Zidan and I had no chance for couple any more as I was married. Occasionally, I gave a best wish to him in the far-flung mausoleum in my midnight dream.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

As for my marriage, I had not been recognizing my husband.

Expectedly I could not blame him for any reason. The reputable Yu Zhang King stood at the top rung of power and position and was considerate and generous to me. Though he battled in north border, he sent monthly letter and precious gem and jewelry granted by the emperor continually to me in Huizhou.

His letters was however similar to each other, as they were in same model. I guessed that it was his assistant to write them and stamp his seal. This was the making of his letters to home. I wonder whether the letters and gifts resulted from his courtesy for saving his and my faces or guilty of absence from our marriage. In the first place, with a touch of expectation, I myself wrote back to him. As time went, I could not be bothered to open his mechanical letters like official documents.

Maybe this was respect for one another like guests, as people said.

We acted respectively in tacit way. Each of us didn't need to condescend to round each other off in perfunctory way. I enjoyed myself in Huizhou instead.

When I arrived in Huizhou, it was early autumn. I appreciated yellow leaves falling, snowing at night in winter, snow thawing in spring, tree flourishing in summer. Time flew by. Years went by like a river. I came to pacify myself -- sliding quietness to the uninterested. I could hold myself in calmness.

I should be content with my marriage and husband.

Huizhou sit as a gateway to the north and south with convenient access of road and sailing. It was long a rich city where businessmen gathered.

Heizhou in weather was different from the capital where it was rainy and moist, hot in summer and cold in winter.

Instead, Huizhou boasted four distinctive seasons. It was nearly fine day year-round with the clear sky.

From ancient times, people from both north and south had immigrated into this city. Therefore Huizhou's folkways contained simplicity and straightness of north people and mildness and dexterity of south people. Even the kingdom confronted continual wars in the borders, Huizhou remained peaceful and rich.

Wu Qian, the governor of Huizhou, had been promoted by my father and a well-known talent back then. Favored by my father, he boasts good governing achievement within four years of his position. Since I had lived in the sojourn palace, Governor Wu kept taking considerate care of me. Mrs. Wu often visited me lest I was unhappy. She did best to cater to me.

I had no good impression of Wu's catering but I could not bring myself to decline them.

Wu Qian had promising and smooth official career for his achievement in Huizhou and my father's promotion. He did not need to fawn on me indeed as he was ready for being promoted. The only reason was his only daughter who nearly grew up and stayed long in Huizhou, so that they could not cultivate the families of high rank in the capital. Now his daughter was almost at the age of marriage, the Wu couple were eager to seize a chance to transfer to the capital. Thus they could choose a husband there for their daughter.

Parents made so great effort when it came to their children.

I could not decline them as I knew the reason why they catered to me.

In these two days, the most attractive event was “Thousand Kites Party”.

Flying-kite match was originally a southern custom, which were especially popular in the circle of aristocrat women in the capital.

In each spring, the women found skillful craftsmen for making very nice kites. They invited friends and relatives to go on outing, hold banquet, fly kites and appreciate song and poem. There had been not such a custom in Huizhou. Since I had arrived, Mrs. Wu hosted the flying-kite match every year. She invited ladies from the families of celebrities and the rich. On the ninth day of April, the match was held in Qionghua Garden.

It was hard for Wu couple to figure out such an event to please me.

In past, my brother could always find the best craftsman to make kite for me. On the kite he painted ladies in elaborate style and I wrote poem. We flew the kite which floated and drifted by itself in the air and we did not care. Afterwards it was picked up by someone. It was regarded as precious thing which people scrambled for buying. It was praised as “Belle Kite”.

This year which lady received the painted kite from my brother?

Jin'er might be right -- I missed home somewhat.

On the ninth day of April, Qionghua Garden, where, in the nice weather, assorted flowers bloomed like competitors and pretty ladies crowded there.

There were many celebrities' and the rich's families in Huizhou. Those families with high social status scrambled for the participation of their daughter in “Thousand Kites Party”.

I knew that these young woman expected their charms were shown in the party and received my liking, by which they since got acquainted with me.

In their eyes, I was a lady with high rank who could change their fates overnight.

They hungered so much for their fates changed by me while I felt pity that my fate was controlled by the others.

The music and dance paused.

Mrs. Wu and I, followed by a group of ladies, walked into the garden.

The participants, attendants and servants bowed to us.

The ladies in the garden were well-dressed in colors and styles.

I however wore long and blue robe with big sleeves and cloud pattern, waist ribbon drooping and swaying. My bun was low, a pearl hairpin in it. I wore no jewelry and no clothes of bright colors.

After greeting, we started a feast.

In music, a line of dance girls in colorful clothes stepped out and danced. In the garden a pink butterfly kite flew up briskly in wind. The kite was beautiful in shape but it lacked vividness. Much effort was made for it. I guessed that it was painted by Wu's daughter.

I smiled a thin smile and improvised a couplet, “Thin wings fly lovely in hazy sky; Over flowers flutters the butterfly”. “This is my daughter's clumsy painting. Please excuse her clumsiness.” Mrs. Wu bowed a little with modest and humble comment while her expression was pound.

From the seats, a girl in yellow stood up for greeting.

Mrs. Wu smiled and said, “This is my daughter, Huixin. I would like to present her to princess.”

I nodded her coming up.

Head lowering, the girl in yellow stepped slow to me. Her body was slim and her face wore a thin veil, which fluttered in wind and made her willowy and lovely.

There was an old custom in south -- unmarried girl must wear veil when going out of home. I did not know that the custom existed in Huizhou. This Wu's daughter, who wore veil, must have strict upbringing.

While I tried to look close at the girl, a whistle sound drew my attention to a green swallow-shape kite rising up by wind. It flew skillfully like a birdling shuttling in woods. Before I watched it clearly, a golden carp-shape kite flew up, followed by kites in assorted shapes: peach, lotus, cicada and dragonfly. In short time, the sky was full of kites in colors flying over, which were so many that viewers could not take all in.

All people in seats looked upwards, acclaiming them.

Wu's daughter walked in graceful steps to me, and slowly kneeled down.

“So pretty girl.” Turning to Mrs. Wu, I said. She showed an astonishing expression, glaring at the girl.

Suddenly, the second sharp whistle sounded.

I was startled and look upwards. From south-east outside the garden, a shadow rose.

In a strong wind, a huge black kite rocketed up like an eagle. Its length stretched three Zhang (a length unit, one Zhang is 3.33 meters). Having flown over the garden, it loomed over me.

I stood up abruptly and retreated in a hurry.

A yellow shade flashed before me. Wu's daughter came at me unexpectedly, grasping me on my shoulders. Her nails sunk into my flesh and I felt very painful.

“You not Huixin--”, Mrs. Wu screamed. The girl approached me and smashed my neck with her palm.

Meantime the kite of huge shadow reached us in a fierce wind.

The shadow enshrouded us.

My neck was pang and my eyes darkened. In my last sense, my shoulders was clutched, my body rose, and my ears heard fluttering.