Chapter 2 — I Only Waited for Father, Yet the Court Called Me a Temptress

The severed piece of string fell into the father's palm. The whole main hall was terrifyingly quiet. But Khuong Nhuoc Phu suddenly shouted:

"Please, Your Royal Highness, please reconsider! This piece of string could have been cut by her herself, wanting to take the opportunity to slander her servant!"

She pulled out a piece of jade from her sleeve and held it high above her head.

"If she really has the Royal Palace's jade token on her, why didn't I see it? I just picked this up next to her seat."

It was a very ordinary palace entrance card. Made of wood, the four corners have been worn down to a black color. Concubine Y just glanced at her, her tone was light:

"The palace servant's card appeared next to her seat, so everything can be explained."

My father's arms hugged me tighter. I was in so much pain that I groaned softly. He immediately loosened his grip and bowed his head to coax me:

"A Hanh, don't be afraid."

Only when I was awake did my father call me that. But right now my head is so tense it feels like it's about to split, and my ears are filled with laughter and slapping sounds. Bao Bao's illness has relapsed again. When I was six years old, the carriage rolled down the mountainside, and my mother hugged me tightly to protect me. He is no more. I had a high fever for seven days and seven nights. After waking up, whenever I was scared, I would return to the mind of a child. Father does not allow anyone to call me a fool or an idiot. People say that his Tri Hanh is just sick. But today, the whole hall is looking at my illness. Seeing that her father did not immediately get angry, Khuong Nhuoc Phu's courage grew a few points more.

"If the Royal Family doesn't believe it, you can send the inner servant to interrogate. In the list of people entering the palace today, there is absolutely no name of this lady."

The eunuch in charge of the banquet immediately raised the list and stepped forward. The fragile list was turned over and made a rustling sound. The eunuch knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, in the list of female relatives attending today's banquet... there is indeed... this lady does not exist."

Y Quy Phi sighed softly.

"The Regent loves the people around him, this palace can understand. But the palace cannot be abandoned because of that. If it is really a palace maid secretly blending into the chair of the banquet, and even dressing beyond her status, then even if the female official's words are a bit excessive, her main intention is just to save face for the Royal Family."

Save face. With just a word as light as the wind and clouds, she turned Khuong Nhuoc Phu's cruelty into devotion and responsibility. A soft laugh rang out in the rows of ladies' seats.

"The Regent has been in peace for so many years. Suddenly, a girl appears in the palace and calls her father every time she opens her mouth. Who knows what her background is?"

"Who knows, maybe it's someone the Royal Family secretly raises outside..."

Before the other person could finish his sentence, a wine cup shattered right at her feet. The white jade cup that his father conveniently threw away broke into countless pieces, and the pieces grazed and tore the lady's dress. She was so scared that her whole body went limp and she fell back into her seat. Father looked towards the Emperor.

"Does Your Majesty also think that her identity is unclear?"

Tieu Hoai Canh was questioned to the point that his face became unsightly. He ascended the throne at a young age, and had to rely on his father for most of his political affairs. But in front of the palace full of relatives, there was Concubine Y Quy who was in charge of the harem. He didn't want to tear his face on the spot because of me.

"Uncle Wang, I didn't mean that."

Khuong Nhuoc Phu immediately prostrated himself on the ground and cried loudly:

"Your Majesty! Your Highness! It's okay for a slave to be humiliated, but if we don't investigate clearly today, in the future anyone can put on a colorful dress and sit in the place of the ancestors, then there will be no rules in the palace banquet!"

She cried until her voice was hoarse, as if she was suffering a great injustice. Father was just about to open his mouth when suddenly a little eunuch ran in from the direction of the heavenly palace.

"Your Majesty! This is not good! The Queen Mother has relapsed from her old illness and is sending the Royal Doctor urgently!"

The Emperor immediately stood up. Noble Concubine's expression also changed. The entire main hall suddenly became chaos. Khuong Nhuoc Phu during the chaos looked up at me, a glint of gloating glinting in his eyes. My father hugged me and went out.