Chapter 15 — I was taken to the palace as a substitute for the dead princess

She just smiled coldly and calmly said: "Don't rush. Tonight, you will meet him." For the first time, those words no longer make my heart ache. I just stared intently at Bui Nghien's silhouette. Half an inch of red string still appeared in his sleeve, and the soul bell was still intact. At dusk, the chariot entered the royal palace. Each layer of arc wall continues to last for a long time. In the cold breeze, the air smelled of mold and mildew that had accumulated over the years. The cold palace is located in the farthest northern corner of the imperial citadel and has been uninhabited for many years. The paint on the gate peeled off in large pieces, looking like blood stains that had dried up a long time ago. Right at the moment Princess Truong Lac stepped through the cold palace gate, both she and I were in so much pain that we bent down. Countless memories are like white snowflakes, continuously falling into the black water. I saw Princess Truong Lac many years ago kneeling in the snow. Her lips were white, and in her hand she clutched a honey mat that was stained red with blood. Outside the door, the current emperor was still just the Crown Prince. He stood outside the door, his voice so gentle that it made people shiver.

“Minh Xu, give the decree to the royal brother.”

“Be good, my brother won't punish you.”

Princess Truong Lac suddenly burst into laughter. Right in front of him, she tore the secret mat without hesitation.

“You want to kill Bui Nghien.”

“I'm determined not to let you do it.”

The gentle smile on the Crown Prince's face finally completely crumbled. He looked at her as if he were looking at a treasure that originally belonged to him, but was now completely out of control.

“You... betrayed me because of him.”

Princess Truong Lac raised her head and looked straight into his eyes, every word was extremely clear.

“Brother Hoang, I am not your thing.”

The snow continued to fall, thicker and thicker each time. At that moment, the memory before my eyes suddenly changed to another scene. In the middle of the night, someone brought a bowl of medicine. Princess Truong Lac was pinned down on the bed by several people. She struggled as hard as she could, constantly calling Bui Nghien's name. But outside the door, only Huyen Hu's bell rang continuously. In the darkness, the Crown Prince stood still, his eyes red.

“Minh Xu, get some sleep.”

“When you wake up, you will no longer think about leaving me.”

After that bowl of medicine was forcibly thrown down, Princess Truong Lac's soul was pulled out of her body by living people. She did not die immediately. She saw with her own eyes her own body lying motionless on the bed, little by little losing its warmth and gradually becoming cold. She also saw with her own eyes Tieu Thua Yen hugging that body, crying until her throat was hoarse, crying to the point that she could no longer make any sound. When I escaped that memory, the black water was already churning. It turns out that Princess Truong Lac is not dead. She was gradually pushed by her own royal brother into a dead situation with no way out. Princess Truong Lac stood in the middle of the cold palace courtyard, her face as white as paper. She also saw the whole truth. All these years, she had always thought that her brother was just a step late. But the truth completely opposite. That person has never been late. It was he who personally closed that door, cutting off all avenues of her life. The Emperor slowly walked to the side and softly asked: "Minh Xu, what's wrong?" Princess Truong Lac slowly turned her head to look at him. Her lips trembled slightly, but in the end she still couldn't utter a word. At that moment, Huyen Hu ordered someone to finish setting up the dharma altar in the middle of the yard. Bui Nghien was escorted by the military to stand in the hallway. His eyes glanced across the large yard, then suddenly stopped at the mouth of a dry well. Right below the wall of the well is a very faint engraved mark. That is the symbol of the Tham family. Bui Nghien's eyes slightly darkened. While the army was not paying attention, his fingertip dipped in blood and then quietly wrote a word on the ground. I see. Princess Truong Lac also saw it. In her heart, she coldly asked me: "Tham Dien, what exactly did your father hide there?" I looked intently at the shallow well and slowly replied: "Something that can make both of us no longer need to continue to be manipulated by others." When night completely fell, Huyen Hu slowly raised the bone bell in her hand and gently shook it. The bell immediately echoed throughout the palace. The gate behind also slowly closed, emitting a heavy sound as if it wanted to separate this place from the outside world. We know, the final game has officially begun.