Chapter 1 — Holy Order of Dowry

The day the royal concubine walked through the door, the royal palace was decorated with lights and flowers, and was even more bustling than the year I got married. The regent sat in the upper chair, his expression coldly glanced at me, his meaning was clear - take the tea, don't make a mess, give this king some face. Concubine Trac gracefully knelt down, her voice was gentle and soft: "I respectfully pay my respects to sister Tra Vuong Phi." I bowed my head and looked at my fingernails, not accepting, not responding, not moving. It was so quiet that it felt like there was no one in this room. The air froze for a full thirty breaths, the Regent's eyes finally flared up in anger, his hand slammed down on the handrail. The moment he stood up, the main hall door loudly opened. The great eunuch staggered in, fell to the ground with a thud, raised his hands high, and shouted out of breath. Those words made the Prince Regent freeze on the spot - The royal concubine's dowry money, every needle and thread, had to be returned in full today. The royal palace had the audacity to keep one coin, which was a protest.01The day the royal concubine walked through the door, the main hall of the royal palace was covered with red darkness. The porch is hung with red silk. Hi Nuong stood in two rows. Even that year when I married into the Regent Palace, I had never seen such a grand display. I sat in the lower seat and conveniently placed down a cup of cold tea. Tieu Thua Canh sat in the upper seat, wearing a black king's robe, with not the least bit of joy on his face. But he wanted to give Lieu Minh Chau face. Also force me to give. Lieu Minh Chau, wearing a peach-colored dress, with a gold hairpin on her head pressed very low, walked in front of me and slowly knelt down. Her voice was light, as if she was afraid of alarming someone. "I respectfully greet you, Sister Tra Vuong Phi." The cup of tea was placed in front of me. The guests filling the lobby all looked at me. The royal concubine sat next to Tieu Thua Canh, her eyes colder than da.a.o. "Your highness, the royal concubine glasses tea, it's a rule." I lowered my head to look at my fingernails. This morning I cut it too short, the flesh of my finger still hurts a bit. I don't accept it. Don't reply. Also don't look at Lieu Minh Chau. Lieu Minh Chau knelt on the ground, her hands trembled, the tea water spilled out half of the cup, falling onto her sleeve. Her eye sockets immediately turned red. "If you don't like me, I can just kneel forever." The royal concubine put down the tea cup. "Tham Van Chi, don't be too much." I raised my eyes. "What does the royal concubine call me?" The royal concubine paused. She used to call me Van Chi. Today we call you both by your first and last name. Okay. Less trouble. Tieu Thua Canh finally spoke. "Receive tea." Two words, very deep. I looked towards him. Three years ago, in front of the palace gate, he held my hand and said that this life is only me. Two years ago, he took my dowry and filled it into the Western Military Salary, saying the next day he would pay me back double. A year ago, he welcomed Lieu Minh Chau into the hospital, saying she was just the daughter of an old friend, with no one to rely on. Today, he forced her to kneel in front of me and call me sister. I smiled. "Your Majesty wants me to accept her tea?" Tieu Thua Canh stared at me. "Today the guests are all here, don't make a mess." Don't make a mess. I have heard these three words for three years. My father's old subordinates were sent away, he said not to cause trouble. The shop my mother left behind was taken over by the royal palace, he said don't make trouble. Liu Minh Chau moved into a mansion on the outskirts of the capital, he also said not to make trouble. I tucked my hand into my sleeve. "I don't accept it." The main hall was silent. Liu Minh Chau suddenly raised her head, tears forming on her eyelashes. "Sister, at what point did I offend you?" I didn't look at her. "You're kneeling to the wrong person." The royal concubine slapped the table. "Impertinence!" Tieu Thua Canh's hand pressed on the armrest. That hand is very familiar to me. Before he was about to

When angry, your knuckles will turn white. Someone in the group of guests took a deep breath. Lieu Minh Chau bit her lip and raised the teacup higher. "If you insist on humiliating me like that, I have to endure it." I looked at Tieu Thua Canh. "What are you willing to accept?" "Are you willing to accept stealing someone else's husband?" "Are you willing to accept the fact that you are wearing Thuc brocade brought to you from my dowry shop?" "Or are you willing to accept the golden phoenix brooch carved with lace on her head, which came from my mother's wedding box?" me?” Lieu Minh Chau's face turned pale. Tieu Thua Canh stood up suddenly. "Tham Van Chi!" His voice shook so much that the window paper had to tremble. And at this exact moment, the main hall door was opened by someone from the outside. A great eunuch crawled in and rushed in. Behind him is the forbidden army. All the guests in the lobby stood up. The great eunuch knelt down with a thud, both hands holding up the bright yellow holy decree. "The holy decree is coming!" Tieu Thua Canh's anger stiffened on his face. He was stunned for a moment, then lifted up his shirt and knelt down. The royal concubine also knelt. The tea cup in Lieu Minh Chau's hand fell to the ground. I slowly stood up, walked to the middle of the hall and knelt down. The great eunuch panted, his voice high and tense. "Phung Thien inherited the decree, the emperor wrote, Regent Princess Tham has been married to the royal palace for three years, the wedding money is managed on behalf of the royal palace, from today onwards, everything from Tham Thi's dowry, a needle thread, a pearl, will be taken back by Tham herself." "The royal palace must not be prevented from above or below." "If there is a shortage of appropriation, concealment and not return, the violator will be dealt with." The last four words fell, and the whole main hall felt like someone was choking their throats. Crime of resistance. Tieu Thua Canh raised his head to look at me, panic appeared in his eyes for the first time. The royal concubine knelt on the ground, her lips trembling. Lieu Minh Chau bowed her head to cover her sleeve, the golden phoenix hairpin wobbling in her hair. I raised my hand to receive the decree. Fingertips are very steady. The great eunuch whispered: "Your Majesty, your Majesty's words must be paid today." I turned around to look at Tieu Thua Canh. "Your Majesty, did you hear that?" Tieu Thua Canh stood up, his face darkened. "You have already entered the palace to file a complaint?" I gave the order to the maid behind me. "Your Majesty, you said it wrong." "I just took back my things." The Royal Highness gritted her teeth. "If you marry into the royal palace, you are a person of the royal palace, how is it reasonable to remove the entire dowry?" The Grand Eunuch immediately raised his head. "The Royal Highness the Princess gritted her teeth. Do you want to defy the order?" The blood drained from the Queen's face. I looked at her. "Key." The royal concubine did not move. I'm not in a hurry either. I pulled out a dowry book from my sleeve. The book cover is worn out. This was before her death, my mother personally gave it to me. I flipped open the first page, my voice was not high. "First item, a Cam Tu ward in the eastern citadel." "Second item, two grocery stores in Nam market." "Third item, twenty-four golden wooden chests." "Fourth item, a pure gold phoenix hat." I stopped, raised my eyes to look at the top of Lieu Minh Chau's head. She instinctively raised her hand to cover it. I closed the notebook. "Open the palace vault first."02 The key to the vault room is in the hand of the Royal Highness. This matter is known to everyone up and down the royal palace. That year, I carried one hundred and twenty-eight dowry burdens and walked through the door. The royal concubine herself smiled and took the key, saying that the royal palace would keep it for me, to prevent the servants from getting their hands and feet unclean. Then I believed. Later, the treasurer of Cam Tu ward changed to the nephew of Thai Phi's mother's family. The books of Nam Market grocery store are included in the general ledger of

kingdom. I once asked Tieu Thua Canh. He said we were all one family, so clearly divided, our feelings were broken. Now that I think about it, what's damaged is my money, what's growing is their reputation. The royal concubine knelt before the decree and refused to take the key for half a day. The great eunuch stood up and brushed the hem of his robe. "Your Majesty, the servant is only responsible for supervising the inventory." "If you miss the hour, the servant won't be able to carry it." The princess stared at me. "Tham Van Chi, do you have to make a mess to this point?" I looked at her. "It's not that I want to make a mess." "It's you guys who take my things and treat them as belongings to the royal palace." Tieu Thua Canh said coldly: "If you want, this king can give me more." silver for her.” I burst out laughing. "Your Majesty, give me more?" "Whose money did you use to give it?" Tieu Thua Canh pressed down. I opened the dowry book and pointed to a page in it. "Thirty thousand taels of military food from the Western realm, came from my dowry money." "Eighty thousand taels of repair money from the royal palace, came from the shop left by my mother." "The Dong Hai pearl screen at the royal concubine's birthday party was also on my list." I raised my head. "The prince took my money and went to make up for my things?" Among the guests, someone couldn't help but talk in a low voice. "This matter. It's too inconvenient." "The royal concubine had a lot of dowry, did the royal palace spend this much?" "No wonder the edict came in such a hurry today." The royal concubine's face turned red. "Shut your mouth!" She shouted, and the chatter stopped. But what stopped was just sound. Those eyes are still there. Lieu Minh Chau was still kneeling on the ground, the tea soaking her skirt. She suddenly raised her head, tears rolling down her eyes. "Sister, today is the day I step through the door." "If you are angry in your heart, just vent it on me, why make the Vuong embarrass?" I looked at her. "What do you think?" Lieu Minh Chau stiffened. I walked in front of her, my eyes fell on her hair. "My mother's golden phoenix brooch, who let you wear it?" Lieu Minh Chau panicked and covered her hair bun. "This is a reward from the Royal Family." I turned my head to look at Tieu Thua Canh. "The Royal Family's reward?" Tieu Thua Canh's lips tightened. "It's just a hairpin." I nodded. "It's just a hairpin." "Then remove it." down." Lieu Minh Chau's tears fell even more urgently. "Do you have to be so aggressive and scary?" "As soon as I step through the door, if you remove your brooch in front of everyone, how will you be able to stand firm in the royal palace in the future?" I bent down to look at her. "Are you standing firm by stepping on my dowry?" Her face turned pale. The royal concubine couldn't help but speak up. "That brooch, Minh Chau, is very beautiful. As the main concubine, don't you even have that bit of aura?" I looked at the great eunuch. "Eunuch, the decree says that even a needle and thread must be returned." The great eunuch immediately bowed. "Exactly." I looked back at Lieu Minh Chau. "Do you hear me clearly?" Liu Minh Chau looked towards Tieu Thua Canh. She is waiting for him to protect her. Tieu Thua Canh is also looking at me. Those eyes, when they looked at me the other day, always made my heart soften. Now it only makes me cold. "Van Chi." His voice calmed down. "That's it for today." I interrupted him. "Your Majesty be careful with your words." "In front of the edict, I and the Prince have no feelings." His face sank. I raised my hand. My escort, Tan Ma, stepped forward, moving fluently, holding Lieu Minh Chau's shoulder tightly. Liu Minh Chau screamed in horror. "You dare!" Mother Qin did not respond. She reached out and pulled down the golden phoenix brooch. The brooch's leg tangles Lieu Minh Chau's bun. Black hair falls halfway over her shoulders. The whole hall was silent.