Chapter 3 — Our Strategy Failed, Our Final Duty Is to Save Ourselves

As soon as I passed through the main gate of the Tuong Palace, I saw a group of servants cleaning Tham Lam Lang's room. As for the room next door that originally belonged to me, the iron lock on the door was covered with a thick layer of dust. Tham Nghien Chu sat in the pavilion, facing several big lard trees made of beef fat, staying up all night crafting a jade bone bow. I remember, Tham Lam Lang always seemed to want to learn archery. Tham Nghien Chu has never let her down. Hearing my footsteps, Tham Nghien Chu coldly snorted, raised his unfinished bow, and shot an arrow straight at me. The arrow looked like it was aimed straight at my face, but it accurately hit the ground right in front of my shoe.

"Who allowed you to come in? I told you, the Prime Minister's Palace does not welcome you."

I let out a bitter laugh, memories suddenly appearing in my mind when I was just welcomed back to the palace. At that time, Tham Nghien Chu looked at my rough hands and was so heartbroken that he shed tears.

"A Huynh, don't be afraid, you're home. From now on, your brother will protect you, so you don't have to work so hard anymore."

At that time, Tham Lam Lang also acted friendly and sweetly called me sister, but as soon as she turned around, she jumped straight into the icy lake, then cried and lied that it was I who pushed her. Tham Nghien Chu, regardless of everything, rushed forward and hugged Tham Lam Lang tightly. When he turned to look at me, his eyes were filled with blame.

“A Huynh, Lam Lang is also my sister.”

Even when Tham Lam Lang went missing, Tham Nghien Chu did not hesitate to put me in prison, personally cutting off the tendons in my hand, forcing me to reveal her whereabouts. I once wanted to learn the martial arts passed down from the Tham family, but since then I have become an invalid, unable to even hold a sword. Later, when I was beaten in the palace, I no longer had the strength to protect myself. Seeing Tham Nghien Chu's attitude towards me, Ta Quy Hac spoke up, his voice somewhat hesitant.

“General Tham, just now at the Cleaning Medical Department, Tham So Huynh tried to kill himself twice…”

The look of disgust on Tham Nghien Chu's face became more and more clear.

“Can you guys pretend to be looking for death like that, can you still fool the Master?”

"Do you not understand Tham So Huynh's character? Is there any woman in this world more cunning than her?"

"Know how to use your own life as a card, in exchange for benefits."

Ta Quy Hac seemed to be convinced by those words, smiled bitterly and nodded.

"I was negligent, I almost forgot her nature."

Tham Nghien Chu finished installing the last piece of jewelry for the jade bow in his hand, then stood up to prepare to enter the palace to congratulate Tham Lam Lang on being appointed Queen. He glanced at me full of contempt.

"You can only stay at the Tham family for one night at most. You have to leave tomorrow morning. I don't want to see someone who makes people hate me when Lam Lang returns home..."

Before I finished speaking, I bent down and picked up the feathered arrow from the ground. Then he violently stabbed himself in the chest. Tham Nghien Chu's face instantly turned pale.

“Tham So Huynh, do you no longer need your life?”

“The Tham family's arrows are all poisoned, don't you know this rule?”

Of course I remember clearly. Poisoning the arrow was originally Tham Lam Lang's intention. She said that on the battlefield of killing, sometimes soldiers cannot hit every shot, using poison arrows will kill the enemy more serious casualties. At that time, I protested, worried about what I would do if I accidentally injured a family member. Tham Nghien Chu impatiently replied that everyone in the Tham family was skilled in martial arts, how could they be so useless that they injured themselves. Tham So Huynh, you don't have the temperament of a general's daughter at all, this is far inferior to Lam Lang. Unexpectedly, today, that poison arrow could help me leave faster. Tham Nghien Chu threw the jade bow in his hand to the ground, strode in front of me, and tore the clothes off my shoulders. Then he bent down and used his mouth to suck out the poison. After taking three large mouthfuls, by the time he spit out all the poisonous blood, Tham Nghien Chu's face had gone a little pale. He shouted loudly and told his servants to bring the antidote, then forced me to swallow it. Seeing that I refused to swallow, Tham Nghien Chu got angry and gave me a strong slap.

“How long do you want to cause trouble?”