Chapter 17 — On the big wedding day, the Queen Mother exchanged me for another prince

But today, with Lord Co and two elders present, he did not dare to be too openly biased.

"Transmitting witnesses."

Ha Sung spoke. The gray-shirted woman standing behind Tong Duc was led up the street. She knelt down and raised her voice just enough to be heard.

"The servant's family name is Trieu, former name is A Dien. In the past, he used to serve Master Lam in the palace."

Ha Sung asked:

"What you know about Master Lam during his lifetime, please tell the truth."

A Dien raised his head and tried to squeeze out a few tears.

"The servant did not dare to hide it. When Master Lam was still alive... indeed... he actually had an affair with a royal guard in the palace. The servant saw with her own eyes the two secretly meeting, more than once."

There was an immediate stir on the street. The corner of Tong Duc's lips slightly raised. Ha Sung nodded, intending to continue questioning. I stood up.

"Sir, I have something to say."

All eyes turned towards me at the same time. Ha Sung's face immediately became unsightly. But Lord Co spoke first.

"The Ninth Prince has something to say, just say it directly."

I walked out into the middle of the street and stood still.

"This 'A Dien' claims to have served Master Lam. Then I would like to ask, what is the name of Master Lam's palace?"

A Dien stopped.

"It's... it's Thanh Lan Pavilion."

I looked straight at her.

"Master Lam's residence is called Lac Mai Xuan. And Thanh Lan Pavilion is the palace where Queen Trieu used to live when she was young."

A Dien's face immediately turned pale. The public hall was once again in an uproar. The smile on Tong Duc's face also disappeared.

"Let me ask you one more question."

"What food does Master Lam like to eat the most?"

A Dien opened his mouth. But words could not be uttered.

"Master Lam's body is weak and cold. She doesn't touch salty foods. She only eats vegetarian food all year round. Her favorite dish is a bowl of white cabbage and tofu soup. Only the people who truly serve her will know about this."

I turned around and looked towards Ha Sung.

"Sir, this witness even answered wrongly about where the master is and what he likes to eat. Either she is not A Dien, or she has never served master Lam."

Ha Sung's face was extremely unsightly. Tong Duc suddenly stood up.

"Ninth prince concubine, on what basis do you confirm that she is fake? You have never met the real A Dien yourself!"

"The fourth prince is right."

"I've really never seen you before."

I turned around and raised my voice towards the door.

"Please really invite A Dien in."

The large door slowly opened. An old woman with white hair and a weathered face slowly walked in. Her gait is exactly like the ghosts who once served in the palace. One step at a time. Walking to the middle of the street, she knelt down.

"The woman's name is A Dien, her real name is Tong Dien. In the past, she used to serve Master Lam in the palace."

She raised her head and glanced at fake A Dien standing behind Tong Duc.

"This woman, I've never seen before."

Having said that, she turned to Ha Sung.

"Please, sir, let the people report. In the past, the rumors that Master Lam was having an affair with the forbidden guards were completely false. Everything was arranged by Thai Ha, a close maid of Queen Trieu, single-handedly. She bribed a forbidden guard, intentionally allowing him to come near Master Lam's residence, creating the illusion that the two of them secretly met. The people that year witnessed it all with their own eyes. For many years, they did not dare to speak out, just for fear of being killed and silenced."

The whole Dai Ly fell into silence quiet. So quiet that you can clearly hear a pin drop. Tong Duc's face turned from white to blue. Then from green to gray. Fake A Dien sat down on the ground. My whole body was shaking like a leaf. Lord Co stood up, looked at Tong Duc, then looked at Ha Sung.

"Sir Ha, the witness of this case has many suspicious points and needs to be retried. In addition, the identity of this 'false witness' and the person behind the orders must also be investigated clearly."

Ha Sung wiped the sweat from his forehead and repeatedly bowed his head to receive orders. Tong Duc stood still in place, not saying a word. The people standing next to him all turned their eyes elsewhere. No one wants to stand on his side at this time. I turned around and walked out. When passing by Tong Duc, I paused for a moment. Say nothing. Just quietly looked at him. That look... He understood everything. But nothing could be done. Step out of the gate of Dai Ly temple. Tong Hanh was still waiting under the steps. You didn't come in today. Just stood outside quietly waiting all morning. Seeing me coming out, he took two steps forward.

"Done?"

"Done."

"Your mother's innocence... has been returned."

He said nothing. Just standing there. Look up at the Dai Ly pagoda sign for a long time. Then turned to look at me and spoke softly.

"Tham Nhuoc Van, this debt... I will repay you for the rest of my life."