Chapter 11 — In my previous life, I took the name for him, in this life I just stand and watch

He muttered. Then, he stood up and took the three-meter strip of white herb with his own hand. No struggling, no fear. It even brings a kind of liberation. In the last moments of his life, no one knew what he was thinking. Perhaps, he remembered the royal spring hunt, the red-shirted woman risked her life to block arrows for him. Perhaps, he remembered that in the past three years, his wife had quietly taken care of the royal palace for him, but had never received a good look from him. Perhaps he accepted that this was the only song in 'him. Perhaps, he didn't think anything of it. He was simply tired. Completely crushed by one's own ambition, one's own stubbornness, one's own ignorance. Nhuoc Van's screams, in the prison next to her, suddenly stopped. Everything fell into dead silence. After listening to Truong Kinh's narration, I didn't say anything for a long time. In my heart, there are no ripples. Tieu Huyen, what does your last question mean? Is it regret? Or unwilling? It's no longer important. Two entangled lives, love, hate, and hatred, all in that cup of strong wine, in that strip of white silk, draw the end. I entered the small Buddha hall in the palace and personally lit three sticks of incense. I am not transcending them for their sake. I am for myself. Because On Jing died in his previous life, he was naive and ignorant. Also because of this life's Wen Jing, he was finally freed from the shackles and gained a new life. Incense smoke lingers, obscuring the compassionate eyebrows of the Buddha statue. I closed my eyes, clasped my hands in front of my chest. The past is full of things, like yesterday is dead. The future is full of things, just like being born today. From now on, in this world, there will no longer be Regent Princess On Tinh. Only Princess An Lac of On Tinh district remained. A life of peace. Years of peace. After Tieu Huyen died, the situation at the court changed dramatically. My father assumed his original official position and still guarded Northern Cuong, but with military power in his hands, he proactively handed over half to the court to show his loyalty. Although the Emperor was still young, under the assistance of the Queen Mother and Tinh Vuong Tieu Triet, he began to show the demeanor of a wise monarch. Those who once relied on Tieu Huyen were purged one by one. The court, up and down, is clear. It's like the plot that almost toppled the country was just a passing nightmare. My lord's palace has become the quietest place in the capital. I cleverly refused all banquets and interviews, every day I only made friends with flowers and plants, and made friends with doctors. In my previous life, because I wanted to please Tieu Huyen, I studied all the way through singing and painting. In this life, I want to learn things that can truly control my own destiny. Medicine is my best choice. You can save yourself, you can also save others. Spring passed and fall came, in the blink of an eye it's been a year. My life is as calm as a lake without ripples. I thought the days would just pass like that. Until that day, Tieu Triet came to visit. When he arrived, he did not wear the prince's royal robe symbolizing power. Only wearing an ordinary blue brocade outfit, like a rich prince. When he arrived, I was drying herbs in the yard. Under the sunlight, medicinal herbs give off a faint fragrance.

"It seems that Princess An Lac's life is more leisurely than mine, this king of leisure."

He stood under the begonia tree, smiling at me. After a year of not seeing him, he didn't seem to have changed at all, his appearance was still as handsome as ever. It's just that those eyes, once as sharp as an eagle, have now softened a bit and become more gentle and peaceful.

“His Royal Highness King Tinh.”

I stood up and bowed softly to him.

“Why are you here?”

“If I don't come, are you planning to stay in this princess's mansion forever, being a hermit for the rest of your life?”

He walked up to me, picked up a branch of honeysuckle I had just finished drying, and brought it up to my nose to gently smell it.

“So fragrant.”

“Just some ordinary herbs.”

I poured him a cup of tea.

“The royal court is so busy, why does the prince have free time to come to this remote place of mine?”

“No matter how busy you are, one day it will be done.”

He took the cup of tea and looked at me with bright eyes.

"And you, On Tinh, I've always wanted to ask you a question."

“Do you have any plans for the future?”

His question made me a bit stunned. That's a word that I didn't dare to think about before, but now it makes me a little confused. Take revenge, regain freedom. What then? I looked at the small sky in the yard and suddenly felt a bit lost.

“I don't know.”

I answer honestly.

“Maybe just living like this is also very good.”

"Not good."

He shook his head, his voice carrying a certainty that did not allow for doubt.

“On Jing, you shouldn't be surrounded by these four walls.”

“She deserves a bigger world.”

He took out a drawing scroll from his sleeve and slowly opened it in front of me. Up there, it's not a famous mountain. It's an extremely detailed map of Jiangnan. From the prosperous Duong Chau, to the beautiful To Chau, then to Hang Chau filled with smoke and rain. Each fairy tale landscape, each waterway, is clearly marked. I looked at him a little confused.

"I heard that Giang Nam medical clinic is the best in the world."

He looked at me, the smile in his eyes was as gentle as Jiangnan water.

“Don't you like medical magic?”

“Go see a little, study a little, it's better than closing the door and tinkering with it yourself.”

“Moreover, the scenery of Jiangnan is very beautiful.”

“Unlike the capital, everywhere are memories, everywhere are chains.”

My heart, shaken violently by his words. The capital. This citadel, carrying on its shoulders my pain and struggle for two lifetimes. Even though we now have a new life, those memories are still like invisible vines, tightly wrapping around us. Leave this place. Go to a completely new place. That thought, like a seed, immediately took root and germinated in my heart.

“But I'm just a girl…”

“What is impossible?”