Chapter 6 — Little Demon King Khang Vuong Phu

The next second, I pulled her whole body down from the stone bridge. A “boom” sounded. Water bubbles splashed high. Co Minh Chau screamed loudly and fell into the lake. The lake water was not deep, only reaching her waist. But her meticulously tailored pink dress was soaked in the blink of an eye, and the pearls on her brooch were askew and messy. The female relatives throughout the garden were terrified and screamed shrilly. Ta Lam Phong also turned to stone. The Crown Prince shouted angrily: "Tham A Man, are you crazy?" I stood tall on the bridge, bowed my head and looked down at Co Minh Chau under the lake.

“Next time I dare mention my mother, I will choose a lake that is a little deeper.”

The Crown Prince's face was gray and unsightly.

“Where are you, arrest her!”

The East Palace guard was just about to rush in when an old but majestic voice suddenly rang out outside the garden.

“Let's see who dares to touch her.”

Everyone turned their heads at the same time. The Queen Mother is being supported by someone, slowly entering Ngu Hoa Vien. She glanced at Co Minh Chau who was soaking in the lake, then turned her eyes to look at me. I thought she was going to punish me. But she just slowly opened her mouth.

“Tham A Man, come here.”

I stepped down from the stone bridge. The Queen Mother stared at my face. A long time later, she raised her voice and asked a question that made everyone in the garden turn pale.

“When your mother died, did she leave you a Thanh Ngoc Khau?”

07

As soon as the Queen Mother's question ended, even the sound of the wind in Luu Phuong's pavilion seemed to stop blowing. Co Minh Chau was soaking in the lake and forgot to cry. The Crown Prince's face also suddenly changed. I stood next to the bridge, looking straight at the Queen Mother.

“Thanh Ngoc Khau?”

The Queen Mother stared at me.

“Don't you know?”

I thought for a moment.

“When my mother passed away, I was not yet a year old.”

“Whether or not she left anything behind, I have to go back and ask my father to know.”

The Queen Mother's fingers slowly grasped the Buddha necklace.

“Didn't King Khang give it to you?”

“My father gave me many things.”

“Gourds, slingshots, little wooden horses, and even an ugly stuffed tiger that doesn't look like a tiger at all.”

“Thanh Ngoc Khau, I have never seen it.”

The Queen Mother was silent for a long time. The female official next to her gently reminded her: "My lady, the wind is strong." The Queen Mother did not pay attention to her. She just looked at me, her eyes became much deeper than just now. I don't like this look. Just like passing through me, to see the silhouette of another person. The Crown Prince took a step forward.

"Your Majesty, there are still many guests at the spring banquet today. It's best to ask about this another day."

The Queen Mother glanced at him.

"Who asked about Khang Vuong's house, since when is it your turn to arrange the prison?"

The prince paused.

"I don't dare."

“If you don't dare, then back down.”

The prince lowered his eyes. I saw the hand hidden in his sleeve clenching tightly. Tham Tung Le stood aside, his lips moved, but he did not dare say a word. Co Minh Chau is still soaking in the lake. The brooch on her head was crooked and her whole body looked extremely disheveled and pathetic. The Queen Mother finally took a glance at her.

“Still Don't you quickly pick people up?"

The palace maids suddenly came to their senses and quickly waded into the water to help her. When Co Minh Chau was helped ashore, her whole body trembled. As soon as she raised her head, she met my eyes. I curled my lips and smiled at her. She immediately turned away. The Queen Mother spoke up: "Tham A Man, come with me to Tho Khang palace." I asked: "Do I still have to write Female Gender?" The Queen Mother coldly replied: "If you dare to ask one more question, copy it two hundred times." I had to keep my mouth shut. On the way back, the female official lagged half a step behind me. She was probably afraid that I would run away. I feel like she's worried too much. If I really want to escape, the combined demons of Tho Khang Palace won't be able to stop me. Just the Queen Mother's question about "Thanh Ngoc Khau" earlier was like a small thorn piercing deep into my heart. Why didn't I know about the souvenirs my mother left me? Why did my father hide it? Returning to Tho Khang palace, the Queen Mother did not force me to kneel anymore. She ordered the palace door to be tightly closed, allowing all the servants to retreat. In the palace, there were only her, me, and that quiet female official left. The Queen Mother sat on the phoenix chair and asked me the first sentence:

“Before your mother died, was King Khang in the palace?”

I frowned.

“What is the purpose of the Queen Mother asking this?”

“Answer me.”

“I don't know.”

“You don't know?”

"That year I didn't even know how to walk, I could only drool."

The Queen Mother was choked by me. The female official gently cleared her throat. The Queen Mother's face darkened.

“Did King Khang ever tell you the cause of your mother's death?”

I replied: "The illness will pass away."

“What disease?”

“Your father said that he suffered from blood and qi damage after giving birth. It lasted for a whole year and could not be cured.”

A cold light flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes.

“Indeed he told you so.”

My heart sank.

“Isn't that right?”

The Queen Mother did not answer immediately. She picked up an old brocade box placed next to the script. The box was faded, the edges were worn, revealing the white wood. She opened the lid of the box and took out half a piece of green jade from inside. That piece of jade has a gentle color, and in the middle is a very flat fracture. It looked like a round jade button that had been forcefully split in half. The Queen Mother placed half a piece of jade on her palm.

"That year when your mother entered the capital, she was carrying a Thanh Ngoc Khau."

"Who's home is this half pill?"

“The remaining half, before her death, she asked someone to give it to King Khang.”

I stared at the jade piece.

“So what?”

The Queen Mother said: "So your mother did not die of illness." My ears suddenly started ringing. The sound of birds chirping outside the palace suddenly echoed far away. I asked: "How did she die?" The Queen Mother looked at me, pondering every word.

“She saved someone else a cup of poisoned wine.”

My fingers slowly curled tightly.

“Who can help?”

The Queen Mother has not yet responded. Suddenly there was the sound of rapid footsteps outside the palace door. A young palace maid knelt outside the door, her voice trembling.

“Your Highness the Queen Mother, King Khang has woken up.”

“He heard the news that the princess was taken to Tho Khang palace, and he knelt down to ask for an audience outside the palace gate.”

Ta suddenly raised his head. The Queen Mother's face also darkened. The little palace maid added: "Your Majesty also said that about Thanh Ngoc Khau, I beg the Queen Mother not to continue investigating."