Chapter 2 — Article Phu Dinh Duyen

In the few months after the annulment, I became the biggest joke in the capital. At first we didn't know what other people said about us. I locked myself in the hospital, not wanting to see anyone. But rumors still spread. Through Thuy Nhi's reserved expression when she was with me, the whispers of the maids, and the mother's sigh of wanting to stop talking. After that, my mother forced me to go out to the party, saying that if I didn't go out, people would laugh even more. I went. At the banquet, the ladies gathered in groups of three and three to chat with each other. When I entered, the sound of conversation suddenly became much quieter. Then it rang again, mixed with soft laughter. "Is that the second lady Quan?" "Is that the one whose engagement was annulled?" "Who else is here? Little General Ta would rather have to pay a thirty-meter court order than marry her." "Tsk tsk, what a shame." Those voices were neither loud nor soft, just enough for me to hear. I sat in the corner, holding a cup of tea, slowly sipping it. To Ngam Suong was also present. She sat in the main position, surrounded by a group of noble ladies like stars. Seeing me, a gentle smile appeared on her face, she stood up and walked towards me. "A Le, you're here too." She sat down next to me, held my hand, turned her head and said to the other ladies: "Don't talk nonsense. My sister's heart is already uncomfortable enough. The most important thing about love is fate, it can't be forced." The ladies exchanged a look full of meaning. Someone laughed and said: "Miss Ta is very generous. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to treat the woman who had an engagement with her husband kindly." To Ngam Suong smiled and did not answer. I sat there, listening to each other's words and mine's words. That day, after returning to the palace, my mother scolded me again. "Do you have to go out and make fun of others? Can't you just stay at home?" "It's my mother who told you to go out." "I told you to go, is it because I'm letting you go there and make people laugh? Look at Ngam Suong, how generous and dignified, and always talking to help you. Look at you again, your face is cold all day, like everyone owes you!" I Looking at my mother's face, I suddenly felt extremely strange. My throat was sour, it took me a long time to say anything. "Is it your fault that my engagement was canceled?" Mother turned away and said nothing. That night, I sat in front of the window. Looking at the moon outside the window, I couldn't sleep all night.05I started not leaving the house anymore. I locked myself in the hospital, doing only one thing every day - copying books. Since childhood, my handwriting has been beautiful. One hand wrote a small script as delicate as a flower brooch, ranked among the top ladies of the capital. When I was young, Ta Minh Vien once looked at my handwriting and said: "Le Nhi's handwriting is the most beautiful I've ever seen." At that time, just that one sentence could make me happy for a long time. Now, we can only rely on this to save time. Thuy Nhi advised me to go out for a walk, saying that staying in the hospital would make me sick. I remembered my mother's words and immediately turned to Thuy Nhi and said: "What are you doing going out? Are you making people laugh at you?" Thuy Nhi didn't say anything more. The chief came to visit me several times. He sat opposite me, watching me copy the book. He was silent for a long time, then said: "A Le, you can't continue like this." I stopped the pen in my hand, looked up at the brother. "You're still very good." "You're good, really good. So good that I'm about to lock up the sister I love the most." The brother became thinner. I made the senior worried again. A few days later, the elder brother came again. This time, he held a card in his hand and placed it in front of me. "The Crown Prince sent a card, inviting the ladies in the capital to participate in the autumn competition. I understand poetry well.

I definitely have to go." I looked at that card for a long time. On the card were written the four words "Autumn Competition", plated with gold, under the sunlight it sparkled. There was a seal on the bottom left of the card, engraved with the words "Tong Giac". The elder brother stood up, walked to the door, turned around and said: "Le Nhi, my good sister should not become like this." After the elder brother left, I picked up the card, turned it over and looked at it. Several times, the cinnamon tree outside the window made a rustling sound. Small cinnamon flowers flew down from the tips of the branches and fell on the window sill. 06 Three days before the contest, His Majesty went to Nam Son to hunt in the fall. He said he wanted to take me out to entertain myself, so I went along. The hunting ground was in a deep autumn, the red leaves all over the mountain were bright like fire Looking at the men riding horses, I sat in the back row, staring blankly at the mountains in the distance. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from far away. I turned around and saw a black horse rushing towards the stage. On the horse's back was a young man lying low, almost parallel to the horse's back. In his hand, the bowstring was still vibrating.