Chapter 31

And so, winter passed. And spring followed — a lazy one that year, dirty and on its usual honourary rights. The frost did not subside for a long time, driving away with its bad mood the birds who were already waiting to return. The sky still could not decide whether to snow or rain. The peasants were already preparing a new arable land and went to the fields every day to remove last year's hay and loosen the ground with a plough. Because of such an uncomfortable spring, a lot of the wood got wet, and the carpenters complained endlessly about the forest that the unfit would not work this year, and the other folk only agreed with them, complaining about the sowing.

Prince Wang Han was surrounded by many political concerns and the affairs of the people, but his thoughts were far away. He wrote a lot to the house of Li-ens, and Mimi always answered him in a letter that the Princess was usually at rest, closed in her room, or went on long walks alone and ordered that no one accompanied her, and that this was her usual widow's grief, and that everything was going as it should. Heonui never answered him personally, although his letters were full of questions and doubts.

On Wang Han's proposals to take Heonui to her place or to visit the cemetery, the answers came with a refusal, which embarrassed him terribly because Heonui constantly begged him to go visit Wang Tae's grave, but she was met with constant refusals. Was she offended? Or what did he do wrong to her? This treatment upset Wang Han very much, but the pre-wedding cares and obligations that were attached to him as the groom of Princess Chenghuan took away all the free time he had in possession. Naturally, the union with her was politically important to him — the Chenghuan family in China was in excellent standing, and the wangbi herself was a special favourite of the common folks, and Wang Han, ideologically reflecting on the upcoming wedding and considering all the good things and positions of the world attached to it. It was necessary to strengthen positions among his own people — he expected that in his native land, his wife would be in favourites; that things would go better in the tribunal, and the Prince, as such in China, was considered a direct vassal of the crown. So, despite the fact that it was forbidden to celebrate across the lands, for the sake of the wedding of Wang Han and Chenghuan, they were going to make exceptions, but with the proviso that parties and drunkenness were not allowed. The ceremony was going to be magnificent, and in two countries — in China, clearly, it was supposed to be feasting and dancing.

But Prince delayed the wedding — his heart was out of place because his brother was lying in the grave, barely having played his marriage, and everything was going so smoothly and happily with Wang Han himself. And the thought of Heonui would not let him go. How his gaze changed as soon as the thought of Lady Li-en entered his mind! Cheerful and peaceful in the presence of Chenghuan, he chatted incessantly with her in Chinese, but changed in an instant. Barely something reminded him of Heonui — a breath of wind in the garden, a widow's outfit on the street among peasant women, a corner of the cook's chatter, accidentally heard by him when he passed by on business — any melos reminiscent of it — and the former Wang Han life did not exist. Again, his brow was dotted with gloomy wrinkles, the corners of his mouth stretched down, and sadness weaved cobwebs in his soul.

It was hard for Lady Chenghuan to look at him — she herself was so happy! She dreamed of becoming a wife as soon as possible, and she thought only of the ceremony at home, in China — she so wanted to see the envious faces of court ladies and courtesans, princesses and other ladies, burning with impressions of her choice! Wang Han was so handsome, so smart — no one had ever set her heart on fire like that, and now their long friendship took such a love ending! Therefore, it was unpleasant for her to see her groom in such changeable emotions, and she often asked him about the reasons for her sadness.

"Your Royal Highness, you are frightening me! What happened? We only talked about poetry!" Chenghuan exclaimed, seeing such a change from a smile to sadness on her husband's face one May morning in the garden.

"A? I beg pardon?" Wang Han seemed to wake up from a deep thought and blushed slightly.

"What are you so sad about? You have changed dramatically in the face," noted Chenghuan, hugging Wang Han and looking into his eyes.

He was confused.

"Your words about poetry reminded me of my brother. He was not well but a great poet indeed. The lines themselves left his lips in everyday speech and made his communication so strange and mystical. How young he was…!"

Chenghuan sighed.

"I am so truly sorry for the death of your brother, dear Wang Han. But is it worth it now to grieve so when we will soon be married? I spoke to you not to sadden, forgive me…"

"Oh, no, forgive me, Qīn'ài de. It is just so many things remind me of my brother a lot when it comes to marriage."

His face became thoughtful.

Heonui, afraid of the answer, nevertheless dared to ask:

"Your Royal Highness, I wish you to answer me. You have been postponing our event for a month now. Are you thinking of turning down your offer for the union?"

Wang Han turned and looked at the Queen. A completely new expression appeared on his face, so strange and misty. She went cold. But he answered:

"Of course not, our wedding will happen. It is meant to be. So many connections have already been built, and so many plans are being made for this. I just… Oh, Chenghuan, let us go inside. Let us leave this."

And, turning around, he walked away from the young lady, regardless of whether she was following him.

Wang Han went home with one intention — to write an urgent letter to Li-en's house.