Chapter 16 — I am the Fourth Thien Co

I stepped into the royal palace in the eyes of countless people. The civil and military officials on both sides stood still, everyone bowed their heads, but I knew there were many eyes silently evaluating me. In their eyes, I am not an ordinary woman, but a strange item that was just brought to Dai Chu by the Thien Co Formation. The emperor sat on a long chair, his face unpredictable. The Queen Mother sat behind the beaded curtain next to her, her hand placed on the armrest, her long nails tapping very slowly. Tieu Lam Uyen sat in a wheelchair not far from me. He didn't look at me, but I knew he was waiting. Waiting for the moment we decide which path to take. The Queen Mother spoke first.

"Tham Phu Dao, you are the fourth generation Thien Co Nu. Since you have come with the destiny of heaven, you should donate your money for Dai Chu."

"Today, in front of the civil and military rulers, please explain clearly, what do you know how to make?"

I have heard this question since the first day I woke up in the secret room. At that time, there was still a blade on my neck. Behind Tieu Lam Uyen are three paintings. Co Thanh Hoa, Thuong Minh Chau, and Ky Truong Anh all looked at me quietly. At that time, I understood that in this place, being useful is not necessarily a blessing. Today, we understand one more thing. It's not that we can't be useful. It's that we cannot let them define our value. I bowed and bowed, then calmly replied:

"The Queen Mother, I did not offer favor today."

There was immediately a stir at the court. An old man walked out and shouted softly:

"Thien Co Nu received the mandate of heaven to come. The knowledge in your mind should be used for society, how can you keep it private?"

I look at him.

"Sir, you said Xa Tac, then may I ask who Xa Tac is?"

The old man was stunned. I don't wait for him to answer.

“Is it the people in this palace, or the people who used to sit outside the tent waiting for a bowl of medicine?”

The atmosphere suddenly quieted down. I took out the dyke map from my sleeve and offered it with both hands.

“This is the map left by Co Thanh Hoa.”

“That year she saved 170,000 people from floods, repaired dikes, opened tents, and cleared customs.”

“But in the history books, she only has a few words left: she fell down a building and lost her life.”

The Queen Mother's face immediately darkened. I took out Thuong Minh Chau's books again.

“This is Thuong Minh Chau's ledger.”

"She opened the silver brand, established a merchant guild, helped countless women have food, and also helped the Great Zhou national treasury overcome the empty years."

“But in the end, she became seriously ill and died.”

The sound of discussion in the palace became louder. I placed half of the talisman piece on the jade tray.

“And this is Ky Truong Anh's military talisman.”

"She established military medicine, reformed grass, and built the Tay Canh secret line."

"Someone like that ends up being the enemy."

I raised my head to look at the Emperor and Queen Mother.

“Today you want to test my skills, so I also want to ask a question.”

“The three previous Thien Co Nus, where did their talents go?”

All sides were silent. The Queen Mother said coldly:

"Those old stories have all come to a conclusion, so why should a woman like you just casually turn them over at court?"

I smiled.

"The Queen Mother is right. I alone am not enough."

I turned my head to look towards the electric door.

“But what if it's not just me?”

At that moment, human voices suddenly rang out outside the palace. Very small at first. Then it got bigger and bigger. A eunuch hurriedly ran in and knelt down in the middle of the palace.

"Your Majesty! Outside the palace gate, there are many people asking to give testimony!"

The Emperor's face changed. The Queen Mother tightened her grip on the armrest. Outside the palace, human voices rang out more clearly. Someone who lived in the tent that year loudly said:

"Miss Gu is not a demon girl! She saved my whole family!"

One woman sobbed:

"That year my son had a high fever, the government did not open the medicine warehouse, it was Miss Co who saved him!"

Then a female voice rang out again.

"I love you for giving us jobs, giving us money, giving us a way to live. She is not a greedy person like the court once said!"

Then came the old man's voice, hoarse but full of spirit.

"The former Tay Canh Camp would like to testify! Miss Ky has never betrayed Dai Chu, she has saved our soldiers more than anyone!"

I stand in the middle of the palace. Listen to each voice coming from outside the palace. Eyes suddenly sting. Do you guys hear that? It's not that no one remembers you guys. It's not like the billions' contributions were truly erased. It's just that those who still remember you have waited too long, waiting until today to have the opportunity to speak out. A person whose name is erased can remain silent. But thousands of people still remember her, history cannot pretend that she never existed. Outside the palace, people's voices gradually merged into one sentence. Irregular at first. Then it became more and more clear.

"We're here to take them home!"

"We're here to take them home!"

"We're here to take them home!"

That sentence passed through the heavy palace doors and echoed into the cold main hall. I bowed my head very low. Not bowing before the Emperor. Not bowing before the Queen Mother. It's about bowing your head before three names that have been covered in dust for too long. The Emperor finally couldn't bear it anymore. He stood up, his face cold and scary. The sound of shouting echoed throughout the palace.

"Thien Co Nu disturbed the government, bewitched the people, refused to contribute money to the society, and even dared to entice old criminals to disturb people's hearts."

Tieu Lam Uyen drove the wheelchair forward half a step. The Emperor did not look at him. Just coldly ordered:

“Open the Heavenly Machine Formation.”

The whole palace immediately changed color. The Queen Mother did not stop her. The Emperor looked at me, every word seemed to fall from his teeth.

“If she refuses to sacrifice herself.”

“Then I will let the Thien Co Formation take care of it.”

The floor of the palace beneath my feet suddenly lit up with strange patterns. Cold white light spread from all directions. In that moment, I felt something invisible reaching towards me, as if wanting to touch the depths of my head. I clutched the three letters tightly in my sleeve. Finally understood. They don't just want a cure. Don't just want tips. They want to take away everything we know.