Chapter 16 — Brother Poinsettia Forced Me to Replace Him as Official

"Your Majesty is here——"

The eunuch's voice rang out. The whole court knelt down. Tieu Duc sat on the dragon chair, his eyes swept over the civil and military officials, and finally stopped on my brother for a very short moment. I bowed my head, my heart pounding. I don't know why, but I always feel like your Majesty's eyes are too calm today. So calm that it's like someone who knows everything in advance. Not long after the court session had begun, Trieu Binh immediately stepped out of line. He wore dark red court clothes, held the table in both hands, and slowly knelt down in the middle of the main hall.

"Inform your Majesty, I have something to tell you."

His voice is not loud. But each word was like a thin, cold blade sliding across the floor. Tieu Duc lowered his eyes and looked at him. Trieu Binh bowed his head.

"I denounce the Cabinet minister Tham Tri Hanh for committing lese majesty, deceiving the saint, and disrupting the government!"

One sentence fell. The entire Kim Loan Palace immediately exploded. Someone inhaled a cold breath. Someone turned their head to look at my brother. Someone instinctively looked towards me. I clenched my hands in my sleeves, my nails almost digging into my palms. It's finally here. This old snake. Finally bit down. Elder Trieu of the Ministry of Rites immediately walked out, his face unsightly.

"General Zhao, this cannot be said indiscriminately. Lord Tham has been in the court for three years, his merits are clear, how can he commit lese majeste?"

Trieu Binh smiled coldly.

"Minister of Rites, don't be hasty. If this old man has no evidence, how dare he say this in front of His Majesty?"

He waved his hand. An inner servant came forward carrying a wooden box. Trieu Binh opened the box and took out each item one by one. A sheet recording the date of entering the court. A copy of the list of carriages entering and leaving Shen residence. A portion of a subordinate's testimony. The two scripts are placed parallel. Finally, he took out a small piece of light blue cloth. As soon as I saw that piece of cloth, my blood immediately turned cold. It's a piece of cloth from my jewelry sleeve. That day, while returning to the palace in a panic, perhaps it got caught in the corner of the palanquin and tore a piece of it. I've been looking forever and can't find it. Unexpectedly, it fell into his hands. Trieu Binh looked towards Tham Tri Hanh, his eyes were venomous like a snake.

"Over the past three months, there have been days when Lord Tham was decisive and sharp at court, spoke concisely, and even dared to answer His Majesty in the Royal Study."

"But there are also days when Lord Tham returns to his elegant, long-winded appearance, quoting scriptures, completely different."

"At first, the old man thought this was just the unpredictable personality of a genius."

He stopped, the corner of his mouth curled up.

"Until the old man discovered, there was a twin sister in the Tham mansion, whose appearance was exactly like Lord Tham's."

The whole court was immediately in an uproar. Everyone's eyes simultaneously fell on him. I stood there, expressionless on my face, but my back was cold. Trieu Binh continued to say:

"I have investigated clearly. There were many days when Tham Tri Hanh did not leave the palace at all, but at court there was still a 'Lord Tham' standing in the ranks."

"That person is not Tham Tri Hanh."

"It's his twin sister — Tham Tri Y!"

The entire electricity was silent. That silence is scarier than any noise. I heard someone drop the box. I also heard someone softly exclaim:

"A woman entering the court?"

"When the army?"

"This is a great sin..."

The two words "sin" are like a heavy rock hitting the cage my chest. Trieu Binh slammed his head hard.

"Your Majesty, Tham Tri Hanh, as a Minister of the Cabinet, let a woman impersonate a royal official, enter Kim Loan Palace, participate in political affairs, and deceive the king."

"This crime cannot be tolerated!"

"Please, Your Majesty, severely punish the Tham family, to restore order to the dynasty!"

Every word he said pushed the Tham family into a dead end. I raised my head to look at Tieu Duc. His Majesty said nothing. The person only looked towards my brother. After a long time, Tieu Duc slowly opened his mouth.

"Tham Tri Hanh."

"What do you have to say?"

The whole court immediately fell silent. I look at my brother. In that moment, I was suddenly very afraid. Not afraid of dying. But I'm afraid he will take on everything. Tham Tri Hanh stepped out of the line. He adjusted his official robes and slowly knelt down in the middle of the main hall. Still the same face as mine. Still the same lazy look as usual. But when he bowed his head, his voice was terrifyingly calm.

"God is guilty."

Those four words just rang out. The whole electricity was silent. No one expected him to admit it so quickly. Even Trieu Binh was stunned for a moment, then his eyes flashed with crazy joy. Brother bowed his head.

"Allowing my younger sister to replace me in the court is because I was suddenly confused. I wish to bear all my sins alone."

There was a buzzing sound in my head. Bear it alone? What does he rely on to bear this alone? Obviously from beginning to end, I am also the one who agrees. Obviously, during those times in court, I also stood on Kim Loan Palace, said the words that should be said, and did the things that should be done. Why did it all turn out to be his fault in the end? I looked at my brother's back kneeling under the palace. Looking at ordinary people who are so shameless that they can sell their sisters for money, at this moment I want to use the phrase "I am guilty" to block all the storms in front of me.