Chapter 3 — Envelope of Salvation

If it's for his uncle, then Cui Nghien now holds the position of Minister of Criminal Justice, so why does he stand by and watch? My heart can't help but feel cold. A scary thought appeared. If Cui Nghien knew that the person he corresponded with that year was not Wen Manh Tinh, then he would have no reason to continue taking care of his uncle. Lord Cui, who was cold and upright, was praised by the people of the capital. In front of me, I did not hide the fact that I was actually a lustful and promiscuous person. In your eyes, I, the impostor who wrote the letter, am a fraud who has peeked into your secret! In early summer, the prison was extremely cold. I couldn't help but shiver. "Ah Anh, what's wrong?" I regained my composure and shook my head. Now I can only hope that Cui Nghien will never know that there is someone impersonating his body. Or, even if he finds out. I hope he really is as his uncle said, a good person. Not a cruel person who will take revenge. … The visit is over, we should go. The cell where the coffin is kept is quite hidden. My direction wasn't good. I was clearly going back the same way, only going further and further around. Walking to an empty corner, my palms were a little sweaty. All around it was terrifyingly quiet, also terrifyingly dark. There was a faint sound ahead, so I quickly walked towards it. Just as he was about to open his mouth to call someone, he was startled by a terrible cry that made him tremble. The gloomy light shines on the cold figures. A figure that couldn't tell whether it was human or demon was tied up and hung up. The man sat upright in the upper chair, his eyes were cold and sharp, and his official uniform made his face look like cold iron. He said coldly: "Still not telling the truth?" The prison officer received the instructions, raised the red-hot iron, and pressed it towards the prisoner's face. A hissing sound rang out. "Dare to deceive our master, don't you want to live anymore?" A mournful scream rang out. The air spreads a burning smell, mixed with the smell of rot, making people nauseous. But Cui Nghien, sitting behind the koan, remained calm and indifferent, silently watching. Not even his eyes blinked. His whole body was hidden in half-light, half-dark candlelight, just like the judge in Diem La Palace. My palms are cold, my whole body is stiff. As if the one whose hands were tied and hung up was me. Fooling Cui Nghien... is it such a tragic ending? I used all my strength to lift my leg and quietly retreated, but my back accidentally knocked over the candlestick. "Who?!" 06 The candle oil fell, and a small fire broke out on the ground. I didn't have time to notice the angry shouts behind me, so I quickly stomped on the fire. "Brave person, dare to spy on you to solve the case, arrest me!" Two prisoners, one left, one right, rushed forward to arrest me. The fire made my throat dry, as if being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it impossible to breathe. Eye sockets are red. In a panic, I faced Thoi Nghien's eyes. He had a moment of surprise. After seeing my face clearly, my tightly furrowed eyebrows gradually relaxed. His appearance was still cold and stern, but the tears in his eyes had disappeared. He looked at me intently. "Stop." He waved his hand to signal the prisoner to retreat. The fire was extinguished, the prison doors were closed, and the hallway became even darker. Thoi Nghien's eyes swept over me from top to bottom, looking so much that I panicked. Finally, he breathed out a deep breath. Suddenly, I frowned again. "Don't need my life anymore?" This sentence made my spine numb, I stood frozen in place, not knowing how to react. Cui Nghien turned around and walked two steps, turning his head to signal me to follow. My mind was blank for a moment. By the time I reacted, I was already in a room filled with files. Cui Nghien came closer, his slightly cold fingers touched the back of my hand. As if I was burned, I immediately withdrew my hand. But he was quickly grabbed, the force gradually tightening

I couldn't shake it off. "Don't move." He used his teeth to open the cork of the porcelain bottle and poured some cold ointment onto the wound on the back of my hand. Really burned. The wound was red, fortunately not large, to the point that I was completely unaware of it. "If you act so recklessly, if the fire gets any bigger, it won't simply burn the back of your hand." His voice was very light. Even though I was absent-minded, I still felt that something was extremely wrong. "Sir, do you recognize me?" The hand smeared with ointment stopped. The man chuckled softly, somewhat helplessly. He raised his head and looked into my eyes. "Of course." The sound of cicadas outside the room rang loudly. It feels like something is exploding in my head. Did you know? Being teased by people must make you angry, right? He has the power, the tactics are cruel, and in the end, when he cheats, he must at least have a layer of skin peeled off. Did he spread his anger to his uncle because of that? …“I…” Is it still time for me to ask for forgiveness now? Throat tight. Wanted to ask him how. But the words were stuck in the throat, making people suffocate. "That day at Tran Bao Cac, have you forgotten?" Cui Nghien seemed to laugh but didn't look at me. "I even helped you," he paused for a moment, "what an ungrateful and ungrateful thing." Consciousness immediately returned. Oh, it turns out it was that day. Something in my heart is quietly receding.