Chapter 14 — Kneeling before the Queen and Duke

The news that Viet Khoi publicly stood up to defend Sam Khinh Vu, even personally reporting to the Holy King about questions related to Tuong Ba Khiem, quickly spread within the royal family. Viet Khoi's father, an elderly royal family who had maintained a neutral attitude between factions in the court for many years, called his son into the palace to ask the truth, his face filled with a rare expression of concern and severity.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Father Viet Khoi asked, his voice heavy. "Tuong Ba Khiem holds most of the military power in the court, his power is spread throughout the ministries, if you openly confront him without enough solid evidence, you will not only put yourself in danger, but also drag our entire royal palace into a never-ending spiral of power disputes."

"Father," Viet Khoi replied, his voice firm but still respectful, "I understand the risks I am facing. But if I ignore a truth that has been hidden for twenty years, before a royal life was cruelly harmed, I will not be able to live in peace with my own conscience. Furthermore, if we let the mastermind continue to hold power, no one can guarantee that one day, our government will also become the next target. of him when he finds it necessary to consolidate power."

The king's father was silent for a long time, his eyes examining his son, and finally sighed. "You have become much more mature than I thought. But I must say first, if you choose this path, I will not be able to openly defend you against Jiang Ba Qian's counterattacks. You must personally bear the consequences of your decision."

"I understand, Your Majesty," Viet Khoi replied, bowing his head solemnly. "I will not let my father get involved because of my decision. But I believe that justice will ultimately be on the right side, and I am willing to accept all risks to protect that."

On the way back, Viet Khoi slowed down, looking out at the bustling Khanh Duong capital through the curtains, his father's stern warnings still echoing in his heart. He knew clearly that his decision today could make the succession position in the royal family that he already had an advantage in more precarious, and could even make him a thorn in the eyes of many people who wanted to maintain the status quo of power. But every time he thinks of Khinh Vu's resilient face, and the tragic truth that has been buried for twenty years, he becomes more confident that he is on the right path, no matter how bumpy and lonely that path is.

Leaving his father's palace, Viet Khoi felt a heavy heart but his determination was not shaken. He understood that, from this moment, he had officially entered an uncompromising confrontation with the greatest power in the royal court, a confrontation in which he could not rely on the family's protection, he could only rely on himself, on the evidence he had collected, and on the belief in justice that he had always maintained.

Immediately after the meeting with his father, Viet Khoi also faced another pressure from within the royal palace. A few close advisors who had long served the family also came to advise and analyze the pros and cons of confronting Tuong Ba Khiem, reminding him that the Grand Master's power was not only in the royal court but also in the army and in remote border towns. If he unfortunately failed, the consequences would not only stop at him but could entail a large-scale purge targeting those who had had contact with him. One of the oldest strategists among them, the one who held Viet Khoi in his arms when he was an infant, even knelt down in the middle of the hall, bowed his head and begged him to reconsider for the future of the entire royal palace. Viet Khoi quickly helped him stand up, tightly grasped those hands that were shaking with age, nodded to acknowledge his sincere concerns, but still did not change his decision, only responding that he had carefully considered all risks before entering this path, and he would rather accept failure with honor than live peacefully in silence in the face of injustice.

Not only the king's father, even a few uncles in the royal family came to advise Viet Khoi to be more cautious, not to make enemies of such a powerful Grand Master because of something twenty years old. Some people even frankly said that, no matter what the truth about the fire is, revisiting the past now cannot bring back Princess Vinh Tan. It is better to leave things alone to avoid causing unnecessary disturbance to the government, which has been stable for many years.

Viet Khoi listened to all that advice with respect, but in his heart he did not waver. He responded to each person calmly but firmly, that justice has no statute of limitations, that an unjustly harmed life, no matter how many years have passed, still deserves to be vindicated, and that if the crime is allowed to be hidden simply for fear of causing chaos, this court will never have a solid moral foundation to survive for a long time.

When news of Viet Khoi's steadfastness reached Khinh Vu's ears, she couldn't help but be moved by the heart of her childhood friend, who did not hesitate to bet his position, reputation and safety of himself and his family to stand by her side. She came to him one afternoon, when the fading sunlight fell on the small garden in her private palace.

"I heard your father warned you about the risks of being on my side," she said, sounding a little guilty. "I don't want to cause you to suffer because of my own affairs, or cause a rift within your family."

Viet Khoi looked at her, his eyes gentle but full of determination. "Don't think so. Since childhood, I have always believed that a person living in this world needs to have reason to maintain, needs to have things worth fighting for, even at the cost of their own safety. You, and the truth you are trying to find, are the things worth fighting for the most right now. I do not regret my decision, and I also don't want you to feel guilty about it."

Khinh Vu heard that, the corner of her eyes stung, her hand that was resting loosely on the stone wall suddenly gently clasped the hem of her shirt, a gesture she had never allowed herself to do in front of anyone since the fateful night of being betrayed by her husband and adopted sister. She glanced at Viet Khoi from the corner of her eye, realizing that she had just noticed the way he pushed aside a willow branch that was entangled in her hair without touching her skin, a gentle care that made her heart skip a beat, even though she still didn't dare to name that exact feeling.

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice trembling. "No matter what happens next, I will never forget what you did for me, even if I can't repay it all in this lifetime."

The two people stood quietly together in the small garden, the sunset dyed the sky yellow, no one said another word, but in that quiet atmosphere, they both felt a bond that was gradually becoming stronger than ever, going beyond the boundaries of childhood friendship, becoming a solid fulcrum for each other in the thorny journey ahead, when they both had to face the largest and most dangerous force in the entire Dai Ninh court.

The next day, Viet Khoi summoned all of his most trusted people, from guard Bang to several loyal strategists who had followed him since his years guarding the border, to carefully discuss the next steps. He understood that, once he had made his stance public, there would be no turning back, every action from now on had to be calculated more carefully than ever, because his opponents were now not just two ordinary traitors in a merchant family, but a whole network of power that had been deeply rooted in the court for twenty years, ready to act ruthlessly to protect his position at any time he felt threatened.

He also increased the security force around Khinh Vu's private palace, secretly arranged a few more guards who were good at martial arts, disguised as palace maids and eunuchs, to sneak in and serve in that area to be able to respond promptly if any unexpected events occurred. He also advised Khinh Vu to be very careful in all things eating, drinking, and daily activities, absolutely not to let down his guard even for a moment, because the enemy they were confronting had already struck once and would certainly not hesitate to strike again if he felt necessary to preserve his secret.