Chapter 19 — On the big wedding day, the Queen Mother exchanged me for another prince

Parents frowned slightly.

"What's going on?"

Tham Chinh Binh glanced at Tham Ngoc Dao standing behind. Tham Ngoc Dao immediately stood up. She respectfully bowed.

"Sister Nhuoc Van, today is the day of worshiping the ancestors, all the elders in the clan are present."

"I have something. If I don't say it, I will feel very uncomfortable."

She looked at me. The smile on his lips was just gentle enough.

"After my younger sister married into His Highness the Ninth Palace, she socialized widely in the capital. Her methods were also very clever. I sincerely admire her."

"It's just..."

"I heard there are quite a few rumors out there."

"They said that I relied on the Queen Mother's orders, was arrogant and arrogant in front of the ladies, and offended many people."

"I only said these words because I was worried about you."

"After all, the reputation of the Tham family is the reputation of the entire family."

"If you cause trouble outside..."

"...then the people involved will be the entire Tham family."

The entire lobby immediately fell silent. The father's face darkened. The mother put down the chopsticks in her hand and stared at Tham Ngoc Dao. I smiled slightly.

"Sister Tang is right. The Tham family's reputation is the reputation of the entire family."

"Then I would also like to ask you something."

I stood up.

"Sister Duong had a close relationship with the young lady of Bui family on Queen Trieu's maternal side, and even secretly set up a matchmaker for Miss Phuong Uyen Nhu of Dinh An Marquis's palace, wanting to bring her to Thuy Vuong's palace to become a Trac concubine."

"Those things..."

"Do the elders in the clan know?"

Tham Ngoc Dao's face immediately changed.

"Sister Tang acted as an intermediary for Queen Trieu, using the Tham family's dignity in exchange for benefits from the Trieu family."

"Finally..."

"Who is it that is implicating the Tham family?"

Second uncle Tham Chinh Binh paused. The cup of wine in his hand floated in mid-air. Tham Ngoc Dao moved her lips.

"I... I don't..."

"No problem?"

I pulled out a few envelopes from my sleeve.

"This is a letter sent by senior sister to Young Lady Bui family."

"This is a letter my sister wrote to Thai Ha to report everything after the day she and Phuong Uyen Nhu went to Lan Vien."

"Every wind is still intact."

"Every stroke is the autograph of my sister."

"Do I need to read every letter in front of the entire clan?"

The expressions of everyone around the table changed. The second uncle suddenly stood up. He looked at Tham Ngoc Dao.

"Is this all real?"

Tham Ngoc Dao sometimes blushed, sometimes turned pale. Lips trembled for a long time. In the end, I could only utter one sentence.

"I... I'm all thinking about the Tham family..."

"Because of the Tham family?"

Finally, the father spoke up. His voice was strangely calm. So calm that no one dared to move.

"I work for Queen Zhao."

"Help Queen Trieu install someone in her daughter's Thuy Vuong palace."

"And also replaced Queen Trieu to investigate everything about my sister's family."

"You call it because of the Tham family?"

Tham Ngoc Dao's tears finally fell.

"Uncle... I..."

"About closure and self-criticism."

"Without my permission."

"Don't take a step out the door."

Father turned to look at his second uncle.

"My daughter."

"I taught myself."

"If you can't teach it."

"Let's take it back to the old man in the countryside."

"Don't lose face in the capital anymore."

The second uncle's face turned red. Can't even say a single word. He pulled Tham Ngoc Dao then quickly left. From start to finish. Tong Hanh just sat there quietly. Every sip of tea. Never opened his mouth. Wait for everyone to leave. He just spoke softly.

"The matter of my sister..."

"Let's stop here."

"She's stupid."

"But not a bad person."

"Don't corner her."

"I understand."

"Send her back to the old house in the countryside for a year and a half, let her sober up, that's enough."

Tong Hanh nodded slightly. Family dinner that day. Finally ended in an extremely quiet atmosphere. No one dared to say another word. Mid-November. Queen Trieu's detention period still has more than a month left. But in the Kun Ninh palace. She was never idle. Lieu Ngam Suong became her only hands and feet outside. Luc Hang's side sent the news. Recently, Lieu Ngam Suong has been in frequent contact with three people. One person is a Chairman of the Household Ministry. One person is a Secretary of the Tong Nhan Palace. The remaining person is a famous chanting master throughout the capital.

"What is she investigating?"

"Investigating the estate and property of Thuy Vuong Palace."

"The inheritance that the Queen Mother gave to Her Highness the Ninth in the past has some procedures that still have some loopholes."

"Lieu Ngam Suong is looking for a chanting master."

"I want to start from those loopholes."

"To doubt the legality of the Queen Mother's award of inheritance."

I told this story to Tong Hanh. He pondered for a moment.

"This is Empress Zhao's last card."

"She can't touch me directly."

"So we want to dig up our foundation."

"If you lose all your inheritance..."

"...then a Rui King like me is just an empty shell."

"So what should we do?"