Chapter 4 — On the big wedding day, the Queen Mother exchanged me for another prince

She stopped, the smile on her face growing even deeper.

"The body of His Highness the Ninth, not even the Royal Doctor dares to confirm. Lan Vien is as cold and lonely as a tomb, within a radius of three miles there is not a single person to be seen. The lady who marries there, is no different from living a life of servility while her husband is still alive. The lady said, if the lady regrets it, while the will has not been given yet, perhaps there is still a way around."

Tom's face immediately changed and he was about to open his mouth. I spoke up before you.

"Thank you very much for making the trip yourself. I would like you to thank the Queen for your good intentions."

I put the tea cup on the table and stood up.

"The only thing is, this marriage is decided by the Queen Mother herself. Whoever the Queen Mother tells me to marry, I will marry that person. You should regret it, not me."

The smile on Thai Ha's face suddenly stopped.

"As for whether or not the orchid garden on His Highness Ninth's side is cold, that will be a matter after I get married. It is not yet the Queen's turn to have to work hard for me."

Thai Ha's face darkened.

"Miss Shen really has a bad temper. The Queen has good intentions, but you..."

Finally, Tom also spoke up. Her voice was not loud, but enough to interrupt Thai Ha's words.

"This place is the Queen Mother's back palace. Miss Tham is the one who was told to take care of by the Queen Mother herself. If your lady has anything to say, just come to Tu Ninh Palace to report it. Where are the rules?"

Thai Ha's face turned red, then white, and in the end she could only choke out two words: Having finished speaking, she turned and left. After the door closed, Tom sighed softly.

"It seems that Queen Trieu can no longer sit still."

I don't answer. Just pick up the tea cup and take a sip. The tea is still warm. Not bad either.

"Aren't Miss Tham afraid?"

Tom looked at me.

"Afraid of what?"

"On the Ninth Highness's side... it's really not easy."

I put down the tea cup and looked at her.

"Mom, compared to having to kneel in front of a maid right in the wedding hall just now, those three words 'not easy', I can still endure."

Tom didn't say anything more, just nodded silently. That very night, I was taken back to Tham Palace. There is no palanquin. There is also no doubt. Only a horse-drawn carriage covered with green curtains quietly entered the palace from the side door. The whole family is waiting in the lobby. Mother was the first to rush forward, hug me and burst into tears.

"Mother's daughter, you have suffered! That beast, how dare he..."

Father did not step forward. He sat in the Grand Master's chair, his fists clenched, not saying a word. I gently patted my mother's back.

"Mother, don't cry. I'm fine. The Queen Mother has taken charge of me."

"Master?"

The father's voice became lower.

"Although the Queen Mother pulled me out of the fire pit, she pushed me into another pit."

Mother let me go, looked at father and then back at me, just quietly wiped her tears, without saying another word. Father ordered all his subordinates to leave, even my two younger brothers were told to leave.

"Nhuoc Van, do you know what kind of person the Ninth Prince is?"

"My daughter only heard that he was physically sick all year round and lived on the outskirts of the capital."

Parents smiled bitterly.

"Sick? In essence, being kicked out of the palace."

My heart suddenly sank.

"The Ninth Prince's mother-in-law Lam, originally just a low-ranking maid in the palace. By chance, he was favored by His Majesty and gave birth to the Ninth Prince. But she was unlucky, and after less than two years, she passed away. After her death, an old story suddenly spread in the palace, saying that before being favored by His Majesty, she used to have a very close relationship with a military guard. That rumor reached His Majesty's ears..."

I quietly continued:

"Your Majesty doubts His Highness the Ninth's bloodline."

Parents nodded.

"No thorough investigation, no clarification. But from then on, His Majesty no longer summoned the Ninth Prince. When he was six years old, in the name of 'convalescence', His Majesty took him to Lan Vien on the outskirts of the capital. It's been thirteen years and I've never been back to the palace."

Finally, my mother couldn't bear it anymore.

"So why does the Queen Mother still want to marry Nhuoc Van to him?"

"Because what the Queen Mother wants is not to choose a good husband for Nhuoc Van."

When he said this, father looked straight at me.

"What the Queen Mother wants is to slap Tong Duc's face."

"As for Nhuoc Van... it's just a convenient arrangement."

I stood still in place, each word like a heavy stone falling to the bottom of my heart. Is the Queen Mother a good person? At least today, you saved me. But good people also know how to play chess.