Chapter 4 — Praying for Tham Yen Tri Binh A

The northern sky was gray, like it was about to snow. "So Lang Yen." He suddenly opened his mouth, "Even if you come back, don't expect me to talk to you." She froze in place. So Lang Yen moved her lips, wanting to say: I will not return anymore, nor can I return anymore. But this kid didn't hear it either. Tham Yen Tri withdrew his gaze, returned to the study, and closed the door. So Lang Yen followed in, watched him sit in front of the court, spread out a new sheet of paper and then picked up a pen. This time, he only wrote two words — "Peace". After writing, he folded the paper, put it in his desk drawer, and did not send it to anyone. So Lang Yen knew he wrote it for himself to see. He was praying for peace for someone he didn't know had died. Days pass like a stagnant puddle. Every day, Tham Yen Tri went to court, returned to the palace, ate, went to sleep, and did not miss anything. The new royal concubine delivered the meal to the study door on time. He ate half, left the other half. So Lang Yen flew in the corner, watching him become thinner and thinner. On the seventh day, Song Truong Uyen returned triumphantly, people from all over the city poured into the streets. Tham Yen Tri did not come to the city gate to welcome him. He left the palace, headed north, standing behind the crowd at the North gate. The army returns. Tong Truong Uyen rode on a tall handsome horse, the line of people behind him was so long that he could not see the end. Tham Yen Tri's eyes scanned from the first person to the last person, then from the last person back to the first person. There were no palanquins, no carriages, and no women dressed in brocade. He stood for a moment, then turned around and suddenly said one sentence: "If you don't come back, you won't come back." The voice was not loud, but So Lang Yen heard it. He thought she was still in Bac Canh, thought she didn't want to return. On the way back to the palace, he passed by the wonton shop he had often visited before. The old shop owner called Tham Yen Tri: "Your Highness Seventh, would you like a bowl? Same as before, more spicy?" Tham Yen Tri shook his head and continued. So Lang Yen flew behind him, remembering how she and he used to sneak away from Quoc Tu Giam to eat wontons. He originally didn't like spicy food, but she always liked to sprinkle minced ginger into his bowl. In the end, he was even better at eating spicy food than her. Yet this kid said he was spoiled by So Lang Yen. In the evening, the new royal concubine brought silver ear soup: "Are you going to see the excitement today?" Tham Yen Tri picked up a bowl of soup: "What's the commotion?" "General Song returned to the capital." His eyes darkened: "I should take a look when passing by." "His wife must have followed back, right?" The new princess asked casually. The soup spoon in Tham Yen Tri's hand paused in mid-air for two beats, then he put it down: "No more eating." So Lang Yen squatted on the corner of the table. Looking at his eyebrows, he frowned and his whole person became absent-minded. Perhaps he was thinking that she should have returned triumphantly with the army. Late at night, Tham Yen Tri sat in front of the table, pulled out the desk drawer, put the rabbit lamp and a piece of paper written "Peace" on the table. Then he took out a yellowed map from the deepest place, on which were densely drawn mountains, rivers and the citadel of Bac Canh. One corner of the map has a small ink dot. He used his fingertips to touch the ink dot, his lips moved slightly: "Are you here?" So Lang Yen took a look. He actually guessed right. A long time later, Tham Yen Tri folded the map, picked up the rabbit lamp, held it close to his ear and shook it. The lamp is made of paper, no matter how much you shake it, it doesn't make a sound. He still shook it twice. "So Lang Yen." He said, "Are you alive or dead?" Her voice was very low, as if she was asking about the lamp. She moved her lips, wanting to say I was dead, but she heard him say: "If I die, it has nothing to do with me." At that moment, So Lang Yen really wanted to punch him like many years ago. But her fist couldn't reach her, and her eyes were a little teary.

Tham Yen Tri put everything in the desk drawer, locked it, then stood up, went to the window, and pushed the door open. The northern sky is very dark, without a single star. He leaned against the door frame and suddenly asked softly: "That day when you opened the palanquin curtain, were you looking at me?" So Lang Yen's whole body stiffened. On the day she got married, when the palanquin passed by the palace wall, she lifted the curtain to look at the crowd. She saw Tham Yen Tri. He stood very far away, he didn't move, she didn't move either, then she lowered the curtain. Now he asked her — “Are you looking at me?” Unable to wait for an answer, he continued: "So what?" Tham Yen Tri closed the window, returned to the small bed, and lay down in her clothes. So Lang Yen flew beside the bed, looking at his face, wanting to tell him: Yes, I'm looking at you. I waited for you to come and steal the bride, but you didn't come. Now I'm dead, even if you want to come, it's too late. In the darkness, Tham Yen Tri said another sentence, his voice sad and sad, as if talking to a pillow. "If you return..." Before he finished speaking, he turned over, "If you return..."