Chapter 4 — Behind the Curtain of Glory

I calmly turned my head and was about to open my mouth when a little eunuch raised his voice and announced the ceremony - the emperor has arrived. Also arriving was an old nanny who had been serving the Queen Mother for many years. That's right, when Tu Chieu Hoa was still a noble concubine, she didn't care about anyone other than the emperor, everyone wanted to make things difficult for her.

"The Queen Mother said that she originally planned to let Concubine Nguyen recuperate for a month because of her poor health. Now, at midnight, she still lights the bathing lamp, it seems that her body is already very healthy. Then I will kneel in the hospital for two hours, nourish my vital energy, and exercise my physical strength."

In my previous life, it was me - the little palace maid - who took the punishment for her, causing old wounds that had not yet healed to pile up new ones, my knees were swollen like dumplings, I couldn't walk for a whole week. Tu Chieu Hoa already knew, he just curled his lips and said how weak I was. Now, I lean on the emperor with red eyes.

“Your Majesty, it hurt so much yesterday… I… can I kneel tomorrow?”

The emperor didn't change his expression, but he calmly said to me:

"Chieu Hoa's body is weak, so let the palace maids in the courtyard change her."

I used a towel to dab at the corner of my eyes, my eyes looked towards the door - where Tu Chieu Hoa was standing. The Emperor followed my gaze and pointed at her:

“You go.”

Tu Chieu Hoa's always calm face immediately stiffened, we could see from her restrained facial expression and slightly trembling body - she was angry. Anger made her not dare to raise her head, she could only bend down and walk step by step, very slowly to the middle of the yard. She bowed her back, bowed her head, knelt down on both knees, full of unwillingness. At two o'clock at noon, the emperor and I had lunch and laughed and loved each other for a while. I did not order anyone to close the door, all the love that once belonged to her spread out with the summer wind, burning fiercely on her face.

8

The next day, at dawn, the emperor left. The mute eunuch walked in and presented a thick stack of floral paper. Page by page, I turn slowly. Finally, from between the words, we were able to piece together everything. It turns out Tu Chieu Hoa's mission is to become queen. If it fails, this body will suffer extreme pain until death. That's why she was so panicked, she didn't hesitate to humble herself into the person she despised the most - a slave, to exchange bodies with me. It also means, if within five years, I don't become queen - I will die. Since the day he was punished by kneeling, Tu Chieu Hoa seemed to realize that he was pretending. But she is confident that she has a system that can scare me. So even though she was just a palace maid, she still didn't do anything. Every day, I hold my head high and full of dignity, commanding others as if I were a master.

"I am your confidant, how can I be like you?"

She asked for silk, bird's nest, and even three meals, just like me. Day after day passed like that, for more than ten days, Hanh Nhan finally couldn't bear it anymore, his face was full of fingerprints and looked for me.

"Lady, if you don't take care of it, I'm afraid Anh Dao is about to step on your head!"

Tu Chieu Hoa criticized palace shoes for hurting his feet. When he saw Hanh Nhan cleaning the embroidered shoes given to him by the emperor, he immediately snatched them. Hanh Nhan's eyes were red with anger, she knelt at my feet, tears falling.

"My lady, I don't want anyone to be my master, I just can't stand her being so arrogant."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened The supply has been pushed out strongly. Tu Chieu Hoa looked at Hanh Nhan in surprise.

"Very good, you dare to gossip!"

She walked up to me, proudly commanding:

“Drag this slave to Than Xing Ty, punish him for lese majesty and disrespect!”

Hanh Nhan's face was pale, her lips trembled, but she couldn't say a word. Tu Chieu Hoa crossed his arms and looked proud:

"If you're so mean and don't even let yourself experience a bit of pain, how do you know who can tease you and who can't?"

I nodded:

“Someone, take Anh Dao to Than Hinh Ty, so Toan Phuc can explain all her recent actions.”

Tu Chieu Hoa seemed not to hear clearly and looked at me in shock:

"What do you say? You... you, you dare!!!"

At this moment, I raised my head and calmly looked at her - in my eyes there was no longer any cowardice or timidity of a young palace maid. She was angry and rushed to tear me apart, but Hanh Nhan quickly pushed her back and raised his hand to slap her hard on the face.

“What do you think you are, that you dare to attack the lady?”

Two little eunuchs immediately ran in, one left and one right, pulling her away.

"Disrespectful, you dare! Aren't you afraid? You dare take me to Than Xing Ty, I will tell everything!"

I raised my voice:

“Wait.”

Tu Chieu Hoa's eyes flashed with pride, thinking I was scared. I looked at her, the resentment that had been accumulating for so long now flowed out little by little.

“Then don't come to Than Hinh Ty anymore, cover your mouth, drag him out and beat him twenty times.”

Tu Chieu Hoa was so angry that his whole body trembled and glared at me fiercely, but there was no other way. According to the notes in Vinh Uy's flower paper, because she changed bodies without a suitable task, her strange magic lost its effect. It was exactly as we predicted. A moment later, Tu Chieu Hoa was not satisfied and shed tears. Someone who has been used to being on high all his life never thought that one day he would be humiliated by a once foolish slave like me. Her legs were weak and she knelt to the ground.

“My lady, I know I was wrong.”

I picked up the book again.

“It's too late to kneel — hit thirty.”

Her mouth was covered, I couldn't hear her begging or cursing, I could only hear the pitiful moans that rang out in waves - so soft to my ears.