Chapter 4 — I Only Waited for Father, Yet the Court Called Me a Temptress

"If she stole the scissors and cut her own hair, then why was the cut so neat, and moreover, she only cut one strand of hair on the outer layer?"

Chancellor Thuong Nghi Cuc replied softly:

"Looking at this cut, it looks like someone held the end of the hair tightly and used scissors to cut it across."

The entire main hall was suddenly silent. Khuong Nhuoc Phu's lips trembled slightly. Concubine Y said coldly:

"Just a lock of hair cannot prove her identity."

The words had not yet finished, outside the main hall, the sound of internal communication rang out.

"Hoan Y Department's servant A Hanh has been brought here!"

Outside the palace gate, a skinny palace maid was escorted in. As soon as she stepped forward, she knelt down on the rainwater-stained tile floor. What surprised everyone in the palace was... Her name was also A Hanh. It was Hoan Y Bureau's servant who lost the card today. When she raised her head to see me, she was so scared that her eyes turned red.

"Slave A Hanh, meet Your Majesty."

As soon as he saw her, Khuong Nhuoc Phu's tense face immediately seemed to be saved, his eyes also lit up. She pointed straight at that palace maid.

"Tell me, did you lose your card today?"

The palace maid nodded slightly, her voice trembling.

"Was your card lost near the banquet hall?"

Hearing this, Khuong Nhuoc Phu immediately turned to look at everyone, his voice unable to hide his pride.

"You all heard it!"

But from beginning to end, his father still only stared at that palace maid.

"Raise your head."

The palace maid trembled even more violently. Father slowly asked:

"When did you lose your card?"

"Dragon hour, the servant brought the washed handkerchief to the Thuong Y Department. When he returned, he discovered that the card was gone."

"Who did you tell?"

"The slave has informed the manager of the Hoan Y Department."

The manager of the Hoan Y Department was immediately sent into the main hall. As soon as she entered, she knelt down on the ground, her whole body trembling.

"Yes... yes... it was the slave who recorded it."

Father picked up the registration form and looked at it.

"Dragon hour lost the card, why is it written on the registration form as Horse hour?"

The manager's face immediately turned pale. Khuong Nhuoc Phu also suddenly turned to look at her. The administrator stammered.

"Perhaps... perhaps I misremembered..."

Parents laughed coldly.

"In the palace, losing a card is an important matter. When the Dragon lost it, it wasn't until the hour of the Horse that it was written down. This position of yours is truly too leisurely."

The Emperor's face immediately became extremely unsightly.

"Pull down, hit ten times."

As soon as the manager heard that, he was frightened and cried loudly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! It was not the servant's intention! It was Lady Khuong who came to ask the servant if any of the palace servants had lost the card. The servant will add the notes later!"

The whole hall was immediately in an uproar. Khuong Nhuoc Phu's expression changed and he rushed forward to cover her mouth. Ta Van Chu immediately threw a kick to stop her. The manager was so scared that he no longer dared to hide it and immediately confessed everything.

"Miss Khuong said that in the main hall there was a woman of unknown origin, also named A Hanh. She told the slave to find a maid with the same name, and then add the fact that she lost her card to the registration book."

"This slave thought it was just adding documents according to the rules, completely unaware that female official Khuong intended to use this matter to slander her!"

Khuong Nhuoc Phu's face immediately turned pale.

"You talk nonsense! When did I tell you to fake it?"

The manager kept banging his head repeatedly, his forehead hitting the tile floor with a loud "pop" sound.

"The slave has proof! Lady Khuong rewarded the slave with a pure gold bracelet. That bracelet is still in the slave's body!"

The internal police immediately stepped forward to investigate. Sure enough, I found a golden bracelet. The inside of the bracelet clearly has the word "Khuong" engraved. Concubine Y Quy's expression finally could no longer be maintained. She looked towards Khuong Nhuoc Phu and her voice became lower.

"Why did you do that?"

Khuong Nhuoc Phu panicked.

"Your Highness, I don't have any servants! I just... I just saw her not following the rules and was afraid that the Royal Family would be bewitched by her."

Father step by step walked towards her.

"So you cut her string, swapped it with the palace badge, forged the registration book, and then slandered her right in front of the main hall."

Khuong Nhuoc Phu fell limp and sat on the ground.

"Slave, don't cut the jade pendant!"