Chapter 2 — Breaking the Nine Rings

It turns out I was imprisoned all my life, just because I took off the bracelet that was supposed to be taken off too quickly. Now I return to the Queen Mother's birthday celebration party. The envoy's nine chains were brought before me. The whole main hall was waiting to see me take action. Sister A was still sitting in the ladies' row, her fingertips pressing on the corner of the towel, her eyes gently falling on my wrist. Quy Canh Hanh is also looking at me. I bowed my head and plucked twice.

“Crack.”

Broken jade bracelet. I knelt on the ground, bowing my head very low.

“Clumsy goddess.”

“This kind of delicate object, goddesses really don't dare to touch.”

The whole palace was silent for a long time. The alien envoy spoke first:

“Does Lady Dai Luong treat our king's tribute like that?”

The smile on the Queen Mother's face faded. The Emperor also frowned. I heard my sister take a soft breath. Perhaps she did not expect that I would destroy this road to the point where there was no way back. The 2 envoys still refused to let go. He said that the Nine Links were made by skilled craftsmen in their country for three years, and the jade materials were taken from deep in the snowy mountains, originally intended to be offered to the Queen Mother for her longevity. Now that I have ruined it, it is like Dai Luong disrespecting the envoy. The atmosphere in the palace immediately became tense. Father stood up from his seat and knelt down next to me.

“This young lady is disrespectful, it's because the god doesn't teach properly.”

My father is the servant of the Cong Ministry, and usually has the most gentle temperament. In my previous life, when I was in the palace helping Quy Canh Hanh review the old salt tax case, my father secretly sent someone to bring me a box of eye balm. In the letter, write only two sentences:

“The dynasty eats people.”

“If you can't stand it, go home.”

But at that time I was locked in the Eastern Palace, how could I return? Now that I hear my father confessing my sins on my behalf, my heart is extremely bitter. I bow my head even lower. The Emperor remembered his father's contributions to repairing the river and building dikes over the years. In the end, he did not punish him harshly right at the palace, but only said in a deep voice:

"Khuong Lenh Nghi was rude in front of the royal palace and destroyed the tribute. He was fined to copy 《Female Gioi》 one hundred times, and after the banquet, he had to close the door and reflect for a month."

The envoy wanted to say more, but Quy Canh Hanh suddenly spoke:

“Father, the nine chains have been damaged. It's better to let Hong Lu Tu prepare more post-holidays and compensate the envoy.”

This word sounds like it's helping me relieve the siege. In my previous life, he always pulled me at times that weren't so heavy or so light. Makes us mistakenly think we are different from others in his heart. The envoy smiled coldly:

“Tributes can be compensated, but how can face be compensated?”

The whole palace was quiet again. At that moment, someone stood up from his seat.

“Your Majesty, can I take a look at the broken ring?”

I raised my head. The person who had just spoken stood behind the row of military generals, wearing a dark blue court uniform, with a narrow sword hanging on his waist. His appearance was elegant and handsome, but not like the pampered young men in the capital. His skin is a bit dark, and there are thin calluses on his fingers from holding a knife all year round. I recognize him. Bui Van Chu. Young Khan Hong Lu Tu, when he was young, he accompanied his father on a mission to the Western world. He understood foreign languages and was also familiar with the rules and regulations of other countries. In my previous life, he and I didn't have much love. I only remember after Quy Canh Hanh ascended the throne, envoy to the West presented a missing map. No one in the whole court noticed, only Bui Van Chu recognized the barrier sign on the map, helping Dai Luong avoid a danger at the border. But that credit ultimately fell into Quy Canh Hanh's hands. Because I stayed up all night to edit that missing map and then gave it to you. At court, Bui Van Chu just silently looked at me. That look was very deep, like he knew what I had done. Now he stepped forward, picked up the broken nine-link piece, and looked at the crack. The envoy was not happy:

“What does Lord Bui mean?”

Bui Van Chu calmly said:

“The tribute was broken in the main hall of our court, of course we have to check to see if it was damaged before.”

The envoy's face changed slightly. My fingertips moved slightly. In my previous life, I only worried about removing the bracelet and didn't pay attention to the cracks at all. This time I intentionally used force, but also found that the jade bracelet broke too easily. It's like there's been an underground crack for a long time. Bui Van Chu held up the ring under the light.

“Please look at it, Your Majesty. The color inside the crack is a bit dark, but the outside is new white.”

"There was already a small crack here, but it was patched up with jade powder and glue. When Second Miss Khuong plucked the bracelet, using uneven force caused it to completely break."

In the palace, there was immediately the sound of soft conversations. The envoy's face was extremely unsightly.

“Does Lord Bui intend to help Lady Dai Luong escape her crime?”

Bui Van Chu looked at him with a calm tone:

“If your country really used a damaged item to present to the Queen Mother, then you should explain first, was this unintentional negligence, or was it intentional to test Great Liang?”

As soon as the sentence ended, the Emperor's face also changed. The envoy immediately knelt down and said he had absolutely no such intention. Just because the road is far away, the jade energy is damaged, they don't even know. With just a few sentences, Bui Van Chu pushed back the accusations against the envoy.