Chapter 1 — Married to the Marquis Palace for Five Years, I Had Three Children in a Row

The year I stepped into the Marquis Palace, the entire palace was worried about having no children and had gray hair. The old Marquis stood in front of the tablet in the hall, sighed and said:

"Three generations later, there is only this one single line left. We absolutely cannot let the incense fire be cut off."

Everyone looked at me, their eyes filled with expectations and pressure. I won't disappoint them. Five years after giving birth to three children, I became a great minister of the Marquis Palace. The Marquis favored me to the point of infatuation. I said I wanted to pick the moon from the sky, but he also wished he could immediately climb up and pick it for me. The old lady (mother-in-law) gave me all the keys to the warehouse:

“From now on, I will take care of this house.”

When the ladies saw me, they all respectfully called out:

“Madam.”

From then on, I could walk around the palace wherever I wanted... My name is Tham Niem So. The day I entered Dinh Vien Marquis Palace, the gloomy atmosphere in the palace was so thick that it seemed like it could be squeezed out of water. Dinh Vien Marquis Palace, three generations passed down alone. When my husband was Tieu Can Ngon, he was thirty years old and still had no children. The old Marquis stood in the hall, pointing at each row of tablets, his voice trembling.

"Three generations later, there is only this one single line left. We absolutely cannot let the incense fire go away."

These words are for me to hear. The whole room was full of people, their hot eyes focused on my flat lower abdomen. Expectations and pressures are like two big, heavy mountains pressing down on our hearts. Tieu Can Ngon held my hand, his palm was warm and dry.

“Don't be afraid, I'm here.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it strangely soothed some of the panic in my heart. My mother-in-law, also the old lady, pulled my hand and gently patted it.

“Nien So, just relax, you just need to take good care of your body.”

The anticipation in her eyes was almost overflowing. I know, I have no right to disappoint them. When the party was held, several concubines in the palace all came to drink wine. The leader is Concubine Liu, the person who has followed my husband the longest, and is also the person with the most outstanding appearance in the palace. She raised her glass of wine, smiling gently.

"Sister is truly blessed. As soon as she entered the palace, she was favored by the Marquis and the old lady."

"Unlike us, people get old and their beauty fades. I'm afraid there's no hope left in this life."

There was a bit of sourness in the words. I smiled slightly and raised my tea cup.

"Sisters are joking. I just arrived. I'll have to ask my sisters for help in the future."

Concubine Liu's eyes roamed around me.

"Sister's body looks slender, you need to nourish it well. The responsibility of removing the leaves falls on you."

Those words were like a needle, gently piercing my heart. Tieu Can Ngon's face immediately darkened. He put down the wine cup and the bottom of the cup touched the table, making a soft sound. The entire flower hall instantly became quiet. He gently opened his mouth, but there was no trace of anger or amusement in his voice.

"Your mother's body is already being nursed by the hospital. It's not your turn to talk about it yet."

Concubine Liu's face immediately turned pale. She knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling.

“Master forgive me, I am too talkative.”

The old lady also had a cold face.

"Something without rules, in front of his mother and father, he still dares to speak vaguely."

“Where are you, pull down, detention a month, write Nu Gioi twenty times."

Two strong-bodied women immediately stepped forward, grabbed Concubine Liu and pulled them out. In the flower hall, no one dared to say another word. The remaining concubines bowed their heads even lower. I know, this is Tieu Can Ngon and the old lady are trying to establish prestige for me. They used the most direct way to tell the entire palace that I, Tham Niem So, was the only female owner of this Marquis Palace. After dinner, Tieu Can Ngon took me back to the hospital. After letting all the servants leave, he hugged me from behind.

“Did you scare her today?”

I shook my head, leaning into his arms.

“No.”

"Don't take Liu's words to heart."

"When it comes to your child's succession, just follow nature. I don't want you to be under too much pressure."

My heart suddenly warmed. Everyone above and below were staring at my belly, only he paid attention to my feelings.

“Husband,” I turned around and looked into his deep eyes, “I will try.”

For him, also for ourselves. He chuckled softly and kissed my forehead lightly.

“She's stupid.”

After that night, all kinds of medicinal herbs and nourishing items in the palace were like flowing water flowing into our hospital. Every day, the old lady personally asked about my eating, drinking and living activities. Tieu Can Ngon is even more thoughtful and meticulous, almost like he gets whatever he wants. The atmosphere in the palace was both oppressive and filled with a strange kind of expectation. Everyone treats me carefully, like I am fragile porcelain. The days passed little by little, in the blink of an eye it had been a month. But my body still doesn't move. Rumors in the government gradually increased. Even though no one dared to say it in front of me, the avoiding eyes of the servants said it all. Concubine Liu was released and her situation was much more peaceful. But I still often see her and other concubines whispering loudly in the garden. Seeing me, they immediately fell silent and respectfully bowed. But the irony and joy when people encounter misfortune in those eyes cannot be hidden. I was worried in my heart, but it didn't show on my face. I still go to pay my respects to the old lady every day and manage the affairs in the yard, as if completely unaware of the rumors outside. That day, after welcoming the old lady back, as soon as I entered the courtyard gate, I felt dizzy. The world was spinning, my body was weak, and I lost consciousness.