Chapter 13 — Kneeling before the Queen and Duke

Faced with the risk of being overthrown, the Tu family cannot sit still and endure the battle. Master Tu, Bach Quan's father, although he had long since retired to recuperate, still maintained some old relationships in the court, and hastily summoned relatives to discuss solutions. He had heard rumors about his daughter-in-law's death. Even though he didn't completely believe it, it was enough to feel the danger hanging over the whole family.

"If the princess really intends to denounce you," old master Tu said to Bach Quan, his voice stern, "then we must find a way to turn the situation around before things go too far. Although the Tu family has fallen into decline, there are still a few inter-family relationships with other noble families in the court, I will personally go to your side and find someone to stand as guarantor, at least to keep you alive."

Bach Quan bowed his head in silence, not daring to tell his father the whole truth, only saying that perhaps the princess still had misunderstandings about some things in the past, hoping that if someone came forward to mediate, everything would be resolved smoothly without having to bring to light specific details. Old Master Tu heard that, although he was still skeptical, but because he loved his son, he still decided to help, and began to send people everywhere to inquire and find ways to contact powerful officials in the court.

One of the relationships that Master Tu sought out was a mandarin from Tuong Ba Khiem's faction, who had been grateful to the Tu family in the past when the family was still prosperous. That minister, after listening to Mr. Tu's presentation, appeared reserved, did not dare to promise anything for sure, only said he would consider the situation and find ways to help within his ability, and at the same time skillfully inquired more about the seriousness of the incident, to see whether the princess had grasped much specific evidence or not.

Not stopping at seeking political patronage, Old Master Tu also sent someone to bring a lot of gold, silver and jewels to give to the mandarins in charge of the court's punishment, hoping that if the incident was unfortunately brought to light, he could at least ask for his son's crime to be reduced to exile instead of the death penalty. He also called a few close friends in the family, carefully instructing them to keep everything secret, absolutely not to reveal any information, even to distant relatives who often came to visit, because he understood that in this time of boiling oil, just one careless word could put the whole family in irreversible danger.

Old lady Tu, despite her poor health, also realized that the unusual atmosphere was covering the Tu palace, the secret meetings taking place continuously between her husband and son, and strangers entering and leaving the palace at unusual hours, all of which made her even more worried and uneasy. She repeatedly asked but only received silence or superficial explanations, causing her to gradually form a bad premonition that her son might have been involved in a more serious crime than she could have imagined, a sin directly related to the gentle daughter-in-law she once loved so much.

News that the Tu family was trying to lobby the court quickly reached Viet Khoi's ears through the information network he had diligently built over the past half year. He immediately reported it to Khinh Vu. Both of them decided that this was a sign that the Tu family was in real panic, and the fact that they went to Tuong Ba Khiem's faction for help further reinforced the suspicion of the hidden connection between the two sides.

"If the Tu family really finds patronage from the Grand Master's faction," Viet Khoi said, his expression thoughtful, "then accusing Bach Quan and Nhuoc Lan will be much more difficult, because Tuong Ba Khiem's power in the current court is still very large, not easily shaken by just a few simple accusations."

"That's why," Khinh Vu replied, her eyes steady, "we can't win just by accusing those two people. We need to find direct evidence linking Tuong Ba Khiem to both the old fire and the poisoning plot this time. Only then will all the protection he can give to the Tu family become meaningless, because he himself will have to worry about preserving his own life first."

Viet Khoi nodded in agreement, but could not hide his concern. "That's easier said than done. Chiang Ba Khiem has been in this position of power for twenty years, and has certainly erased all traces that could implicate him. We need to be very careful, because if he finds out that we are investigating, he will most likely strike first to preserve his position, and this time, the target may not only be her but also anyone who is helping her."

Meanwhile, at Tu Phu, the atmosphere became increasingly tense. Nhuoc Lan, after a mysterious meeting with Khinh Vu, began to secretly probe Bach Quan himself, silently checking what he did after the funeral, wondering if he had revealed some loophole that made the princess suspicious of the relationship between the two. On the contrary, Bach Quan also began to be wary of Nhuoc Lan, fearing that she might reveal everything in exchange for leniency for herself if the situation became critical.

That suspicion gradually grew like a silent crack creeping into the once close relationship of the two conspirators, causing their secret meetings to become increasingly tense, filled with words of mutual scrutiny instead of absolute trust like before. Butler Binh, still silently observing all developments in the palace, clearly noticed that change, immediately reported fully to guard Bang, helping Viet Khoi and Khinh Vu grasp the situation most accurately to be able to take appropriate next steps.

One of the great mandarins whom Master Tu came to ask for help, after weighing the pros and cons, finally tried to covertly report to Tuong Ba Khiem about the incident, although he did not dare to say all the details outright for fear of implicating himself. After listening, Tuong Ba Khiem still maintained his usual calm expression, just nodded slightly, saying that he would consider the situation, without making any specific promises, but in his heart a deep concern began to arise. He understood that, if the Tu family was overthrown and the entire truth about the poisoning plot was revealed, it would likely lead to more extensive investigations, and at some point, the faint line of communication between him and Nhuoc Lan from twenty years ago would also be at risk of being traced, directly threatening the position of power that he had worked so hard to build and protect for so many years.

Late that night, while sitting alone in the study room, Khinh Vu reopened the carefully arranged evidence file, re-read every line of notes about the old fire, about unusual signs in the hastily closed investigation, and about the hidden connection between the Tu family and Tuong Ba Khiem's faction. She understands that the road ahead will be longer and more thorny than she ever imagined, but that complexity and danger make her even more determined, because this is not only a fight for justice for herself, but also a fight to reveal a truth that has been hidden for too long, causing injustice to countless innocent lives for twenty long years.

She closed the file, stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the night sky sparkling with starlight above Khanh Duong capital. In her mind appeared the image of her deceased adoptive father, the kind man who had silently endured a heavy secret for twenty years without a word of complaint, the image of her biological mother who had never met her and perished in a sea of fire just because she gave birth to a child of royal blood, and also the image of herself, who almost perished underground in the cold just because of the greed and betrayal of those closest to her. All that suffering, she told herself, could not be allowed to pass in vain. She reached out and extinguished the candle on the desk with two fingers, leaving the room completely dark and quiet, then stood still for a moment by the door frame, suddenly thinking, somewhere out there, perhaps Tuong Ba Khiem was also sitting in his own darkness, watching her every move no less than she was watching him.