Chapter 4 — Holy Order of Dowry

On the phoenix's tail are embedded nine South Sea pearls, one of which has a very thin crack on the surface. That's because I mischievously dropped it when I was young, and my mother didn't have the heart to replace it. She only said that it's okay to have flaws, to avoid being too perfect and making others jealous. I gently rubbed the crack. "You don't know the origin of this phoenix hat, do you?" Lieu Minh Chau's eyelashes trembled. "I only know it's very valuable." I smiled. "So valuable that you asked someone to record it as Minh Chau's dowry." They both bit their lips, bowed their heads without saying a word. Mother Qin led someone to start the inventory. Every time a chest is opened, there is an item that matches the dowry book. The wedding curtain is woven with gold. Jade screen. Jewelry inlaid with bird feathers. Nam Hai pearl necklace. Makeup box made of rosewood. Some things are still preserved intact. Some things have been rummaged through and used, the corners of the boxes are worn, the silk fabric has wrinkles. I saw an empty compartment in a makeup box. "There originally was a pair of ruby earrings." Mother Tan immediately flipped through the book. "It's something the lady prepared for the royal concubine at the wedding ceremony." The maid behind Lieu Minh Chau suddenly trembled more violently. I looked at her. "Whose ear is it hanging on?" The maid made a thumping sound and knelt down. "The royal concubine spared my life, the concubine said it was a reward for the slave, the servant did not dare not take it." Lieu Minh Chau turned her head sharply. "What nonsense are you talking about?" The maid cried and took out a small fragrant bag from her chest. The scented sachet opened, a pair of ruby earrings rolling on the ground. But the other one is nowhere to be found. I asked: "Where is there another one?" The maid bowed her head. "The maid's mother is sick, so she pawned it." The great eunuch's face darkened. "Where is the pawning receipt?" The maid trembled and took out a receipt. Mother Tan took it, glanced at it, and gave it to me. "Hang Xuong Pawn Shop." I put the receipt in my sleeve. "Write it down." The little eunuch standing next to him brought out his pen and wrote quickly. Trinh Thi was finally panicked. "It's just a pair of earrings, why did the royal concubine have to make such detailed calculations?" I glared at her. "When you guys took the things, why didn't you say it was just a pair of earrings?" Trinh Thi choked and couldn't say a word. The great eunuch ordered people to seal six wooden chests. When the army carried the chest out of the door, Liu Minh Chau suddenly knelt down in front of me, hugging the corner of my skirt. "Sister, I'm begging you." "If today's story gets out, the Liu family's reputation will be ruined." I bowed my head to look at her. "When you were drinking tea, did you ever think about ruining my face?" She cried so much that her shoulders shook. "You were also forced to the last step." "If you hadn't done so." When you enter the royal palace, you can only let people trample on you." I slowly pulled back the corner of my skirt. "If you want face, you have to win it yourself." "Not on your knees to rob others." I turned around and was about to leave. Mother Qin suddenly pulled out a binder from the bottom of the chest. "Your Highness, there's still one here." I paused. The notebook was very thin, the cover was pressed against the bottom of the chest, and if you didn't flip it carefully, you couldn't see it at all. The great eunuch took it and opened it. Just reading the first line, his face changed color. I reached out and took it. On the paper were clearly written the current accounts of money between the general treasury of the royal palace and the Lieu family. On the last page, there was a sentence circled with a red pen. Tham Thi's remaining dowry, after the royal concubine dies, will be added to the concubine's name. I locked my eyes tightly on the words "sick to death", my fingertips tightened little by little. The sound of wind outside the door suddenly rushed in. Behind me, someone said in a deep voice: "The king is here."05 Tieu Thua Canh stood outside the courtyard gate. Behind him is the royal palace guard, the

The black cloak was blown away by the wind. He took a glance and saw the chests carried out by the forbidden army, then saw the notebook in my hand, his face was as gloomy as the sky before the storm. Liu Minh Chau seemed to have caught a life-saving buoy, crying and rushing forward. "Your Majesty." "Sister keeps saying that the Lieu family stole your dowry." "And you intend to take all of these things away." She cried like pear flowers drenched in rain. If it were before, Tieu Thua Canh would probably immediately look at me and tell me not to cause trouble. This time, he did not speak immediately. Because the great eunuch is standing next to me. Because the forbidden army still has the seal in hand. Because the decree is weighing on everyone's heads. I handed the notebook to him. "Your Majesty came at the right time." "Do you recognize these two words 'sick and dead'?" Tieu Thua Canh's eyes fell on the paper. His face was blank for a moment. Liu Minh Chau also saw it. She turned her head to look at Trinh Thi. "Mother, what is this?" Trinh Thi's lips trembled, her eyes avoided. "I don't know." I laughed. "Lady Lieu said just now, it was all a reward from the royal family." "Why now you don't know?" Trinh Thi was forced back by me. Tieu Thua Canh grabbed the notebook, flipped to the last page, his eyebrows furrowed even tighter.