Chapter 8 — General Triumph Blocks My Prayer, My Palace Has No Free Time

From beginning to end, he just wanted to make Duong Nguyet change his mind. But he didn't expect that he would become the best knife, being twirled in the hands of two women. First, he was taken advantage of by his own wife, Luu Ngoan Nhi, and almost had to bear the high crime of plotting to harm the royal family. Later, it was discovered that even Luu Ngoan Nhi was just a chess piece in the hands of Concubine Thuc. He was like a fool, caught up in a conspiracy that he didn't understand at all. Now the truth has become clear. Although he was cleared of the crime of being a conspirator, but slandering the royal court, spying on the king's concubine, and attempting to use evil magic to seduce the noble concubine, each and every incident was a death penalty. The emperor did not immediately kill him. But to imprison him, along with that broken jade brooch, into the deepest part of the heavenly prison. Let him day and night, face his own foolishness and repent. Thua An Palace. Our lives are restored to the same calmness as before. It's like those heart-wrenching events never happened. That day, I was in the yard teaching the Second Prince who was about to turn one year old to walk. Trieu Hang walked unsteadily, but was very happy, laughing non-stop. The Emperor immediately came here after finishing court. The person changed into a dragon robe, put on civilian clothes, and very naturally took the child from my hand.

“Come here, Hang Nhi, go to your father.”

The person holding the child, playing in the yard, laughter echoed far away. That appearance is not like that of an emperor, but more like an ordinary father. I sat to the side, looking at this scene of filial piety, the corner of my lips involuntarily curled up slightly. This is perhaps our greatest blessing in this life. After playing for a while, the emperor handed the child over to the nanny and came to sit next to me.

"There's something I want to ask you about."

“Your Majesty, just say it.”

The Emperor looked at me and slowly opened his mouth.

“Tieu Quyet, how do you plan to handle it?”

I was stunned for a moment. I didn't expect the emperor to hand over the authority to deal with this person to me. I was silent for a long time. Many images appear in my head. There was his coldness when he broke up the engagement four years ago. There was arrogance when he blocked the way in front of the palace gate. There was also... many years ago, a young man once stood under a peach tree, pinning flowers for me. It's just that those past events are like that broken jade brooch, crumbling into dust. Cannot be reassembled anymore. I raised my head to look at the emperor, my expression calm.

"Your Majesty, he is your servant. He broke the law and should be handled by you."

“It no longer has anything to do with this concubine.”

The Emperor looked deeply at me and nodded.

“I understand.”

Three days later, a holy edict passed from the palace. Tran Quoc Cong Tieu Quyet, although he was taken advantage of by evil people, his heart was not righteous and his sins cannot be forgiven. Remembering that he once had military merit, spared him from death. Stripped of all officials and titles, reduced to being a commoner, forever barred from entering the capital. The general's palace was searched and his assets were confiscated. A life of stellar appearance, from now on, you will still be lost. When this news came, I was feeding baby food to the Second Prince. The movements in my hand only paused for a moment, then returned to normal. Xuan Hoa stood next to him, a little disgruntled.

“Niang, that's too easy for him!”

"He harmed people... so many harms happened in the palace, but he was only reduced to being a commoner?"

I scoop A spoonful of rice porridge, gently blew to cool, and brought it to Trieu Hang's mouth.

“Death, for him, is too easy.”

“Let him live.”

"Let him fall from the clouds into the mud, let him see with his own eyes how bright the light is."

"Let him spend the rest of his life regretting, suffering, and not being able to pray."

“That is the cruelest punishment for him.”

Xuan Hoa listened and was stunned. She looked at my calm profile and suddenly felt that this Concubine Hue was much deeper than she had imagined. Another few years passed. Second Prince Trieu Hang was officially appointed Crown Prince. Thanks to you, I was honored and appointed Royal Noble Concubine, in charge of the phoenix seal, in place of the Queen. Become the most noble woman in the harem. As for the former Queen, because the First Prince was registered under her name, she became more and more ordinary and gradually settled down, and her relationship with me was on the contrary harmonious. The harem is peaceful and peaceful. That day, I took the Crown Prince, who had grown into a young man, to the royal temple outside the city to pray for blessings. On the way back to the palace, the carriage passed by a dilapidated village. The Crown Prince was at a curious age and lifted the car curtain to look out. Suddenly, he pointed at a man working hard in the fields and asked curiously.

“Mother, why does that person keep looking at our carriage?”

I followed his hand and looked over. I only saw a man wearing a rough cloth shirt, with a mournful appearance and dark skin, standing blankly on the edge of the field, looking towards us. His back was slightly bent, his hands were full of callouses, and he looked much older than his real age. I just took a look and then withdrew my gaze.

“Just an unrelated person.”

I let go of the car curtain and spoke calmly.

“Your Highness, sit up straight.”

“Yes, mother-in-law.”

The carriage slowly passed by. Don't stop for anyone even for a moment. On the edge of the field, Tieu Quyet looked at the golden phoenix-embroidered horse-drawn carriage gradually going away, slowly kneeling down in the mud.