Chapter 3 — Impurity Under My Shadow

"Why is Mrs. Vinh Ninh Hau so afraid of becoming like this?" "It's just a string of Buddha beads, right?" "Could it be that this necklace has any hidden meanings?" I stood still and did not move. The Buddha pearl pressed close to his neck, the heat bit by bit sinking into his blood. I heard deep in my heart, the voice that had been suppressed for twenty years began to awaken. Trieu Thi's hand touched the rope button. She trembled even more. I lowered my head to look at her. "Mother, be careful." Trieu Thi's tears almost spilled out. "Chieu Vi, don't." Her voice was so low that only I could hear. I laughed. "It's late." Her fingertip slid. The first atom leaves my skin. The top light in the palace suddenly went out.04When the first light went out, someone in the palace breathed in a cold breath. Immediately after that, the second peak, the third peak, along both sides of the jade step, each peak darkened. It was as if an invisible hand slowly extinguished the light of Truong Lac Palace. The smile on the Queen Mother's face finally faded. Trieu Thi's hand was holding the knot of the hard Buddha string in mid-air, not even daring to breathe heavily. Tiet Chi Lan instinctively hid behind Luc Hoai Canh. Luc Hoai Canh did not move. He looked at me, his eyes filled with confusion for the first time. I lowered my eyes and looked at my neck. The Buddha pearl still has half a ring attached to the skin. A few purple sandalwood seeds had left the skin and hung in Trieu Thi's palm, the color was as dark as blood. The wind outside the temple suddenly increased. It was clearly early spring, with the wind mixed with the cold air that can only be found in the mountains and forests late at night. Someone said in a low voice: "Why is it suddenly so cold?" I smiled. The sound is not loud. But the whole electricity could hear it. Trieu Thi trembled and suddenly let go. The Buddha pearl fell on my neck again. The lights that have gone out will not light up again. But the wind stopped. The Queen Mother's fingertips placed on the armrest slowly tightened. She looked at me, her eyes became very deep. "Miss Shen, what were you laughing at just now?" I raised my eyes. "Your Majesty is rude." The Queen Mother did not answer. The old mother next to her suddenly took a step forward and said in a low voice: "Niang, let's stop." The Queen Mother glanced at her slightly. The old man immediately bowed his head and retreated. I see her hand under her sleeve is also shaking. She recognized this buddha necklace. Or say, she realized what was being guarded by the Buddha pearl. But Tiet Chi Lan didn't realize it. She only saw the Queen Mother's attention being led away by me, only seeing Trieu losing her temper in front of me. So she softly opened her mouth. "Sister, the Queen Mother just wanted to take a look. If you can't bear it, just say it straight, why make everyone so uneasy?" Trieu Thi's face suddenly changed. "Shut up!" Tiet Chi Lan was stunned. Perhaps she had never been scolded by Trieu Thi like that. Immediately afterward, tears filled her eyes. Luc Hoai Canh frowned and supported her. "Mother, Chi Lan only has good intentions." Trieu did not look at them. She just stared at me. It was like looking at a sword half an inch removed from its sheath. The Queen Mother suddenly laughed. "Lady Vinh Ninh Hau, you are really very protective of this daughter-in-law." As soon as the words came out, the blood on Trieu Thi's face completely disappeared. She knelt down. "Your Majesty does not dare." The Queen Mother looked at me. "Miss Shen, come here." The palace became even quieter. Trieu Thi quickly said: "Niang Niang!" The Queen Mother's voice turned cold. "You also want to stop what Grandpa said?" Trieu slammed her forehead heavily on the ground. "My father does not dare." I took a step forward. With every step I took, the Buddha pearl on my neck became a little hotter. It was like someone was breathing in a low voice in my ear. Not human language. More like an animal imprisoned behind an iron cage, finally smelling blood. I stopped in front of the Queen Mother's steps. The Queen Mother observed me for a long time. "How old are you this year?" "Twenty

three." "How long have you been wearing this Buddhist necklace?" "Twenty years." The Queen Mother's eyes moved slightly. "That means, you started wearing it since you were three years old." I nodded. The Queen Mother asked again: "Who told you to wear it?" Before I could answer, Mrs. Trieu behind her trembled and said: "The noble monk Tran Quoc took pity on her. Seeing that her body was weak when she was young, he gave her a life-saving rosary." I laugh. What Trieu Thi said was so easy to hear. Stay alive. She never said that that year in the back yard of the Tham family, three dogs died, and the two women went crazy all night. Not to mention when I was three years old, my hands were covered in blood, squatting in the snow and laughing. After listening, the Queen Mother just looked at me. "Miss Shen, is that so?" I touched the Buddha pearl. "They all said so." The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes. "So what do you say?" I raised my head to look at her. "At that time my father was still young, I don't remember clearly." The Queen Mother suddenly smiled lowly. "I don't remember clearly, that's fine." She raised her hand and personally touched my Buddha pearl. Trieu Thi let out a short cry of surprise. Luc Hoai Canh's expression finally changed. "The Queen Mother, this is absolutely impossible!" The Queen Mother's hand stopped half an inch away.