Chapter 7 — Bloody Moon Dew

The worldly Five Senses only hinder the immortal body from reaching purity. Only when completely eliminating the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind - can one be born and change bones, living together with the sun and moon." Even I find these myths ridiculous. But for those who have lost their way and become crazy like them, it is like a single ray of light in the midst of darkness. They would rather believe that this is a "lucky omen" than face the truth - that their bodies are gradually rotting, dying in silence. To "prove" my words, I held up a bowl of thick black salt water in front of them and drank it all without changing my expression. Then I smacked my lips, pretended to be drunk, and said:

"Incredibly sweet, truly a fairyland to the human world."

Actually, before drinking, I used a special herb that temporarily paralyzed the tip of the tongue. I can't taste anything. But our drama — there are no loopholes. The Emperor and Queen Mother were completely fascinated by me. Not only did he no longer panic, but he also began to pathologically pursue the realm of "purity of the six senses". The emperor decreed that from now on, he would only eat white rice and water. He considered it a kind of "cultivation", a way to purify mortal desires, to advance towards "divineness". I look at the person who was once boundlessly arrogant, enjoying the glory and wealth of the human world, but is now like a crazy ascetic, gnawing on every piece of dry, bland rice, but still has a smile on his face that claims to be holy... In my heart - there is not a trace of mercy. There is only the fire of revenge — burning brighter and brighter. Trieu Khiem, Household Minister Thi Lang — also developed the same illness. But he was much more miserable than the Emperor and Queen Mother. Already weak and weak, now losing both his sense of taste and smell, he immediately collapsed completely. He thought it was a heavenly punishment that had befallen him. He locked himself in a dark room all day, did not eat or drink, and soon became emaciated and distorted. I decided to "transform" him. I brought the "fairy pill" and personally went to his palace. As soon as he saw me, he felt like he had seen a Bodhisattva who saved him. He knelt down on the ground, hugged my legs tightly and cried bitterly. I gave him the black pill and said in a compassionate tone:

“Lord Zhao, your earthly relationship has not ended, your six senses are not yet pure, that is why you have to suffer like this. Take this pill and concentrate on practicing, you will definitely be liberated."

Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill into his stomach. In that pill, I put a double dose. The next day, news spread from Trieu Palace. The guardian minister Trieu Khiem, because he was "dedicated to cultivating the religion and fasting without ascending", "danced" right in his own room. The truth is, his entire body was stimulated by the strong drug, and in just one night, he turned into a dry and stiff corpse. One more person. In my revenge list, only the last person remains. The man guarding the distant border, holding heavy troops in his hands - General Phu Vien, Lam Khieu. Ta Vo Cuu promptly delivered the news. Lam Khieu is about to return to court. A cold light flashed in my eyes. Very good. It's his turn. It's time for them to be "one family" and reunite properly.

08

The news that Lam Khieu is about to recover makes me both excited and wary. He is not like Vuong Duc Hai or Ly Tung - people who only know how to dance at court. He is a military general with hundreds of thousands of military powers. He has fought on the battlefield for many years, has a secret mind, and is decisive in killing and punishing. If you want to deal with him, you must be extra careful. While preparing to deal with Lam Khieu, I also devoted my efforts to investigating another matter. I always felt that my mother could not die without defense. Such an intelligent person must have left behind some clues. I focused my investigation and placed it on the painting that he loved most during his lifetime - «Lower Moon with Dew and Flowers». It is a painting of the Moon Dew flower blooming under the moonlight, drawn by her mother herself. I remember clearly, the day you were taken to the palace, other than this painting, you didn't bring anything else with you. Through eyes and ears installed throughout the palaces, we know that after his mother "passed away", that painting was awarded by the emperor to Concubine Le - the birth mother of the Seventh Prince Ta Vo Cuu, who was still alive at that time. After Concubine Le passed away, that painting always hung in Ta Vo Cuu's study. This discovery causes heavy doubts to arise in our hearts. Why did the emperor give my mother's painting to another concubine? In there, there are definitely secrets that we have never known. Late one night, avoiding all eyes and ears, I quietly snuck into Ta Vo Cuu's study room. The moonlight passed through the door, falling on the desk, illuminating the painting "Moonlight with dew and flowers" hanging on the wall. The dew flowers in the painting, under the moonlight, seem to come to life, transparent and iridescent, radiating a pale light. Looking at that painting, I feel like I see my mother's gentle smile again. I tried to suppress the bitterness in my heart, carefully took down the painting, and spread it out on the desk. We meticulously examined every corner, every stroke, not missing any suspicious traces. Finally, at the scroll part of the painting, we encounter a bump. My heart beats strongly. I used my fingernails to carefully pry open the tip of the shaft, and from inside pulled out a neatly folded silk scarf, already turning yellow. On the silk scarf were words written in blood. The delicate yet fierce handwriting is my mother's handwriting. It clearly states every detail - how the emperor deceived him, how he imprisoned him, and how he colluded with the Queen Mother to prepare him for food to be fed to immortality. Finally, she wrote: "My daughter, Nguyet Kien, if you see this letter, quickly escape! Don't think about revenge, you must continue living!" At the end of the blood book, there was a mark of red flower dew like blood, left by her own fingertip bitten off, as evidence. I have found it! Finally, we have found evidence! My whole body trembled with excitement, hot tears could no longer be held back, flowing out like a broken dam. Dear mother, I will not hide! I must report this feud! Just as I clasped the blood book in my hand, preparing to leave, a cold voice suddenly rang out behind me, without warning:

“What are you looking for?”

My whole body stiffens, the blood seems to freeze in my veins. It's Ta Vo Cuu! When did he come from? Why are we completely unaware? I was startled and turned around to see him standing quietly in the dark. Under the moonlight, his face became even paler, and those deep eyes were staring intently at the blood book in my hand. Done. My identity was completely exposed. By reflex, I tightened my grip on the poisonous needle hidden in my sleeve. That is the last line of defense we prepared for the village close. If he dares to take action, even if he dies, I must take him with me. For a suffocating moment, the atmosphere in the study room felt like it was about to explode. The two of us, neither of us moved, just quietly confronting in a silence as tense as a string. Just when I was about to risk my life and die together, Ta Vo Cuu averted his gaze. He didn't look at me, but looked at the empty wall where the painting used to hang, then softly said something that surprised me to the extreme:

"The flower on that painting is called 'Tich Nhan'."