Chapter 16 — I Didn't Choose the Crown Prince, The One I Chose Made Everyone Stunned

He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowered: "So about cooperation..."

“I can think.” I cut him off softly. "But I need time. This is not a small matter."

He replied very decisively. “I'm waiting for good news from younger sister.” Speaking of this, his eyes suddenly became profound and unpredictable. “There's just one thing I want to remind you of.”

“What?”

"Be careful of the people around you. Especially the people you look closest to. There are people... who know their faces but don't know their hearts."

Having finished speaking, he stood up. "Let's come here today. I have already paid for the tea. Please take your time." He smiled gently again then turned and left, his steps were slow but decisive. I sat alone in the elegant room, watching the thin tea smoke swirl around the air. Outside, the water surface sparkles with sunlight, but inside we are cold to the bone. Be careful of the person next to you? Know your face but don't know your heart? Who is he referring to? Father? Mother? Or… Van Chau? I pulled an envelope called "evidence" out of my sleeve, brought it close to my nose, and gently inhaled. A very faint smell of ink wafted across the tip of my nose. But… something seems wrong. This ink stain is so new. So new that it seems like it was written only yesterday. A terrifying thought began to grow madly in my head. Trieu Khai... Who is this arrow of yours intended to shoot at? I brought that stack of envelopes back to the Minister's Palace. All along the way, my heart was as confused as a thread. Trieu Khai's words are like a poisonous thorn penetrating deep into my heart - be careful of the person around you. In the end, was it a well-intentioned reminder, or a malicious sting? I don't dare think anymore. Because as soon as you start to doubt, everyone around you will immediately become suspicious. That feeling... extremely scary. Returning to the palace, I locked myself in my room, spread out the envelopes on the table, and read them over and over again countless times. Every word, every stroke of the pen. They are exactly the same as Trieu Dich's autographs in my memory. The content is also completely reasonable. The General of Bac Cuong is indeed the Crown Prince's confidant. Swallowing military food... is also something he can do. But there is still a feeling of instability in our hearts. Everything... is so convenient. It's so convenient that it feels like a trap has been set. I picked up the paper and looked at it under the light. The paper quality is of the highest quality. But the more I look, the more I feel that this paper is dazzling. I closed my eyes. Fragments of memories from past lives flashed through my head like wind. I tried to recall everything related to Trieu Dich — his habits, his hobbies, his handwriting... I suddenly opened my eyes. I remember now. When writing the word "national", Trieu Dich has a habit. Every time he wrote that word, the "jewel" inside, the last dot, he always emphasized very strongly, as if intentionally leaving a unique mark. It was a habit formed since he was a teenager, when his writing teacher forced him to correct careless writing mistakes, forcing him to press the pen on the last stroke to practice caution. This is extremely private. Besides me and the teacher who taught Trieu Dich, almost no one else knows. I immediately picked up each envelope, meticulously looking for the word "national" in it. I held my breath, looking at each letter one by one. Found it. The first picture has the word "national", but it doesn't yes...it's fake. The second picture... is similar, also fake. By the third picture...My pupils shrank sharply. The "jewel" part inside the word Quoc, the last dotted stroke, although written very discreetly, is clearly bolder and heavier than the other strokes. My back was immediately drenched in cold sweat. This envelope... is real. It is Trieu Dich's personal autograph. Then... why did Trieu Khai give me a real envelope? Is he not afraid that I will take it to the Emperor and directly denounce the Crown Prince? What benefit can he ultimately gain from that? A thought flashed in my mind like lightning. I understand. Got it all. This is not an option. This is a game of death. If I present these three envelopes to the Emperor, the Crown Prince will naturally collapse, but the Emperor will also definitely investigate the origin of the letters. At that time, Trieu Khai could completely shake off all involvement, and even turn around and bite me back, saying that it was because I wanted to harm the Crown Prince that I forged the remaining two letters. As for me... I don't have any evidence to prove that these letters were delivered by him. Just the crime of "fraudling the prince" is enough to make the Tan family forever dissatisfied. But if I don't give the letter...