Chapter 2 — Pearl Award

Three months later, I sat on a palanquin and was officially brought into Dinh Vien Marquis Palace. Just as I wanted, because I wanted to maintain my reputation as "respectful and loyal", Tham Xac tried his best to resist the pressure from Mrs. Hau and gave me a very solemn wedding. The red candles flickered, the word joy was stuck on the cold window frame. This is the room where sister A used to live. Even though the canopy has been replaced, the air still has the bitter, sharp smell of tobacco all year round. Tham Xa lifted my veil, on her cold face there was not a single trace of pity or joy, only scrutiny remained. "She is smarter than her sister, she knows how to calculate for herself." "But the rules of the Marquis' Palace are not the same as the Lam family. Since you are my successor, you must clearly understand your duties. During her lifetime, A Uyen was always respectful and accommodating. I don't want her to lose face." He was knocking his head to warn me, wanting me to become a wooden Bodhisattva statue, only knowing how to stay calm. I stood up and respectfully bowed to him, not even the folds of my skirt were out of place. "The Crown Prince taught correctly. Tuyet Tran is what he is today, thanks to the Crown Prince's grace and Sister A's blessing." I slowly walked to the table, poured a cup of tea and held it in my hand. "Therefore, on this wedding night, Tuyet Tran wants to ask the Crown Prince to allow me to copy a book of the "Ksitigarbha Sutra" to pray for Sister A's passing, both with full sisterly love and thanks to the Crown Prince's sincere love for her." Tham Xac frowned slightly. Copying scriptures on the wedding night is indeed not auspicious. But up until now, he has always valued his reputation as a gentleman. Just now, he even used Sister A to warn me. If I refuse now, it will be like slapping myself in the face. “She also has feelings.” His voice softened a bit, and he pushed the boat to its feet. "If that's the case, you can stay in your room tonight to be filial. There are still a few parties in the front yard to socialize with, so tonight I'll rest in the study room." Originally, he didn't want to touch me at all, he just found an excuse to leave. I walked him out the door, watching his back disappear into the night, the corner of my lips curled up in a cold smile. The door closed, leaving only flickering candlelight in the room. Sister A's soul slowly flew out from the dark corner next to the bed. There was a very deep bruise on her neck, a mark of suffocation. I stared at that bruise, my voice in the quiet night cold as ice. “Why do you die from a serious illness?” “Sister, he won't come again tonight.” "How deep is the water in this Marquis Palace? Tonight we sisters will try to wade for ourselves." During the past three years, what did Sister A have to go through? What role did those seemingly gentle and respectful maids and maids play in all of that? The guy couldn't speak. But we will investigate clearly ourselves. I blew out the two wedding candles, leaving only a flickering oil lamp. This wedding night is the most suitable shrine. … The next morning, I woke up early, neatly washed my face, changed my clothes, put on an elegant long-sleeved shirt but still maintained my official status, then went to the main hall to offer tea. Mrs. Hau sat in the chair, next to a few maids with arrogant faces. It was obvious that he was prepared to preemptively attack me. I firmly lifted the tea cup and knelt down on the cushion. “Daughter-in-law, please comfort your mother.” The lady did not accept the cup of tea. She slowly fingered the Buddha rosary on her wrist, not even bothering to lift her eyelids. "Tuyet Tran, although you have entered the Marquis' Palace, in the end you are only a successor. Your sister is so ungrateful that she didn't even leave a child behind." "If you know your fate, then just stay in the courtyard to calm down and cultivate. Internal management is complicated and cumbersome. You are still young and have a stubborn personality. Just let Mama Truong next to me manage it for you first." As soon as I passed through the door, I was assigned the housekeeping job to a mother, clearly trying to make me lose face. Also, they don't want to give me too much power. Mama Truong stood next to me, her chin raised high, smiling without moving her face, looking at me with pride. I'm still holding a cup of hot tea

He knelt on his hands and knees on the stiff cushion, his face calm as usual. "Mother is merciful and merciful to her daughter-in-law. It's just..." I raised my voice slightly, my words filled with panic and self-blame. "It's just that last night Sister A gave me a dream, saying that she was always uneasy under the golden stream. Sister A said that when she was alive, she was too useless, unable to share the burden with her mother, and even caused many deficits to appear in the books of the Marquis' treasury." "She told me that after I passed through the door, I must take the eighty thousand taels of silver from my dowry first to make up for those deficits, as filial piety to my mother." "I've already brought the dowry, but if I can't see the internal treasury's books, how can I make up for it?" As soon as the words ended, the whole main street immediately fell silent. Lady Hou's hand trembled so hard that she almost tore off the entire Buddha necklace. In recent years, the Marquis Palace has only had a flashy appearance on the outside, to maintain the prestige of the nobles in the capital, but on the inside it has long been in poverty and hardship. If that weren't the case, father wouldn't be sure that the Marquis would marry another daughter of the Lam family. Lady Hau embezzled money from public funds to lend money at high interest rates, that was the Marquis's secret that could not be revealed. Eighty thousand taels of silver, even for officials of rank three or higher, is not a small number.