Chapter 12 — Once I am reborn, I will not give him even a strand of hair

My voice was not loud, but the whole courtyard fell silent.

“Seven years ago, when the Co family came to pray for marriage, it was the old lady who personally came to the door.”

“At that time, people said, the Co family had been benevolent by the Khuong family, and could not stand by and watch me alone and be bullied by people in the clan.”

“Thinking back now, how much of those words were true?”

The old lady's hand tightened on the Buddha necklace, her knuckles gradually turned white.

“Are you questioning me?”

"The guard is in the front yard, you can also invite official Phung to come and ask."

Co Nghien Hanh put his hands on his chest and looked towards the old lady.

“Mother, please tell me everything you know.”

The old lady looked at her son in disbelief.

"You'd rather trust her than trust me?"

“Why did that card belt appear in Tung Hac Duong?”

"There are people coming and going in the palace. How can I remember?"

Co Nghien Hanh stared at her, not asking any more questions, but the warmth in the bottom of her eyes gradually disappeared. Suddenly Thach Thanh's voice was heard from the dry well.

“There is something behind the edge of the well.”

When everyone ran to the well, the guards had already scraped away half of the green moss. In the middle of the wet brick crack is a copper ring, behind the copper ring is a movable brick. The brick was pried open, and inside was hidden an oilcloth package. In the oilcloth package were half a notebook card, a set of keys and an unsent letter. The letter was written by Tong Uyen Nhu's close maid.

“Young lady asked me to bring the iron box to Thinh Vu Cac, and told me to hand over Mother Do's clothes to the manager.”

"Young lady said this was only to save the General. I don't dare to ask too much."

“Today I saw the man in the gray shirt take off his mask, that face turned out to be…”

The last half of the line has been soaked in water from the well, leaving only a blurred word "Hoa". Thach Thanh picked up half of the notebook card.

“This is the access card to the warehouse in the west of the city.”

Co Nghien Hanh suddenly raised his head. The grain warehouse in the west of the citadel is not the property of the Co family, but is where the royal family stores military reserves. Normal people can't even get close to the warehouse door.

“Where did Tong Uyen Nhu go?”

I asked. Not long after, the bodyguards from Thinh Vu Cac hurriedly returned.

“There was no one in the room, behind the window there was a rope left.”

“There are horse hooves on the outside of the wall, stretching straight to the west of the citadel.”

Co Nghien Hanh propped his hands on the armrest of the chair and stood up, the seven silver needles vibrating slightly as he moved. I raised my hand to block his path.

“I only helped you keep your life for two more days, not for you to surrender your life now.”

“In the warehouse, Bac Canh's military provisions are stored for next month.”

“If they want to destroy evidence, the entire warehouse will be set on fire.”

Co Nghien Hanh looked at me, breathing heavily.

“Ten thousand generals cannot wait.”

I took out a Heart Protection Pill and gave it to Thach Thanh.

“Let him drink, then prepare the carriage.”

The old lady quickly stepped forward.

“Thanh Tu, are you willing to save him?”

“What I save are the innocent people outside the warehouse.”

I don't look at Co Nghien Hanh.

“As for his life, it's still only worth two days.”

Suddenly, outside the palace gate, the sound of war horses neighing was heard. A burning arrow passed over the high wall and crashed into the main door lobby. At the end of the arrow was a lock of jet-black hair, along with a piece of paper covered in blood.

"If Khuong Thanh Tu dares to come to Tay Thanh, then wait to pick up her mother's body."

The paper written in blood was still not completely dry, slowly flowing down the wooden door. There were a few strands of silver hair mixed in that lock of black hair, completely different from the appearance of my mother in my memory before she left home. I brought the lock of hair to my nose and smelled it, immediately smelling an extremely faint medicinal scent.

“It's Oh Sao Dang.”

Doctor Truong Thai spoke softly.

“This drug is often used to soak hair dye, and can temporarily turn gray hair back to black.”

I ran my hand through the ends of my hair. The tip of the finger quickly became covered with a layer of light brown medicinal liquid. The person who sent this letter knows that his mother now has gray hair. We also know that we will distinguish between truth and falsehood. This is not a hastily assembled threat. It is very possible that the mother is actually in their hands. Co Nghien Hanh received the blood letter and turned it to the back. The lower right corner of the paper was printed with half a crimson lipstick mark, the shape was completely similar to the seal of the Tay Thanh food warehouse.

“They want her to stay in the palace.”

"As long as I don't go, there will be no one on the grain warehouse side to continue the investigation."

I burned a corner of the blood letter, then crumpled the ashes.

“The paper is mixed with tung oil to prevent moisture.”

"The payroll department often uses this type of paper. The letter was indeed sent from the West City."

Thach Thanh had already prepared the carriage, but the guards still blocked the front gate, not allowing anyone in the Co family's palace to leave.