Chapter 2 — Phong Hau Chi Tomb

The wave of emotions in our hearts gradually subsided. People's hearts can easily change, promises that no one dares to believe are forever. At that moment, Thieu Son poured me wine, I took a sip, suddenly felt strange, wanted to spit it out, but it was too late. I remember that most people in this dynasty like to drink this type of "Pear Hoa Xuan", but every time I drink it, I get a red rash all over my body, itching all night and I can't sleep. At that time, I was greedy for food and loved to drink. It was so annoying that Thieu Dao Tich had to ban alcohol throughout the palace, leaving me no place to hide. Now at the party, there are many familiar people, I don't dare to act different, for fear of being suspicious and scrutinized. I had to reluctantly swallow it, silently praying that the rash wouldn't appear too soon, and just try to hold it in until the banquet ended. But Thieu Dao Tich was truly a disaster in my destiny - the party he organized himself not only arrived late but also uncharacteristically stayed for a long time. He didn't say a word, as if he had forgotten about the wedding ceremony, just sitting quietly in the dragon's chair, behind the jade curtain, his expression unclear. He did not leave, everyone could only sit and endure the battle. Thieu Son felt a bad omen, sneaked close to me, and whispered:

"Father Nghia always felt very bad every time he returned from the Imperial Palace. In the past, he always locked himself in a small temple to vent to someone, but today I don't know why..."

Up to whom? I haven't asked yet. The palace door suddenly opened, two eunuchs escorted a man chained at the ankles in. The sound of cold air inhaling echoed throughout the palace. Seeing the other person's thin wrist tied with a five-colored string, I was immediately stunned. Someone quietly exclaimed:

“Abandoned Emperor Liu Jian, is he still alive?!”

4

From ancient times until now, it was difficult for the previous dynasty's deposed emperors to survive until the next dynasty. If they did, it was only to suffer humiliation. Thieu Dao Tich intentionally humiliated Liu Jian, forcing him to have a ruined body, messy hair, dirty blue shirt, and drag himself to pour wine for each guest at the banquet. We looked at each other, no one dared to say anything. Only Tieu Luc remained extremely calm, deliberately causing trouble, pouring wine several times, causing Luu Gian to kneel, struggling to crawl under the table to pick up cups. From behind the courtyard, a child couldn't bear it and innocently asked his mother:

“Ah mother, why does Your Majesty bully him?”

The mother quickly covered her child's mouth and softly warned:

"Shh, kids, don't talk nonsense. He's a bad person."

Thie Son turned his head and gently said to the child:

“That year, the traitor Jia Chung was tyrannical, forcing His Majesty to take the first queen into the palace as a hostage.

Your Majesty thought that Luu Gian was still young, and that he was a stupid person who only knew how to play and could not harm the first queen, so he had to cruelly separate them, patiently scheming for power, waiting for the day when his great career would be successful to report this humiliation. Unexpectedly, Luu Gian pretended to be stupid and hid his talent, on the surface he was obedient, but in the dark he was cruel, and finally poisoned the queen in the cold palace. Your Majesty, because you love your wife, keep him alive, just to pay that blood debt every day." The smart child seemed to understand a bit. He broke away from his mother's hand and still asked incredulously:

"But brother, if your majesty loves your wife, why did you give her to the bad guys? If someone wants to steal my little rabbit, I have to keep it even if I die."

Thie Son was momentarily speechless. My seat is at the end of the table, near the hallway pillar, with the curtain hanging low. Because this is a family party, as time goes on, there will be less and less binding rules. That child He hurriedly ran down the table and came to me, his black eyes sparkling with curiosity as he stared at me:

"Sister, are you brother's wife? Do you think what brother said is true?"

Thie Son was a bit embarrassed, his face was red to the tips of his ears, as if he wanted to express his feelings and stammered:

“…No, I absolutely will not do that to you…”

A child's common sense is something that many adults deliberately ignore. I gently caressed its soft face and smiled:

“Good boy.”

Seeing that he was holding an unpeeled water chestnut in his hand, I immediately took the small gold-plated scissors on the table, skillfully cut off both ends, and gently broke it open, revealing the white flesh inside. The child happily received:

"You're so talented! A mother said that no one from Long Tay or Kinh Thanh area knows how to peel this thing, only the girl from Giang Nam is so skillful. Are you from Giang Nam?"

I stopped. A Oanh's ancestors originally lived in the Imperial City and had never been to the South. Thieu Son once investigated my background, but now he also looked suspicious. I don't know when, the banquet gradually quieted down, the children's voices became prominent, and all eyes silently turned towards me. They were all Long Tay's ex-girlfriends. In their impression, they only knew one girl from Giang Nam - the wife Thieu Dao Tich once favored the most. Behind the pearl curtain, where the dragon rests high and high, the other person's eyes seem to be silently falling on my body. Fortunately, the closer the danger, the calmer we become. I calmly put down the scissors and smiled:

“When I was a child, my family was poor, and there was a household next door that sold Southern seafood products. They often called me to help peel water chestnuts, to earn some extra money to help support the family.”

A discreet repudiation. A Oanh originally came from a poor background, who would have thought? Curious eyes gradually dispersed. Thieu Son sadly gently squeezed my fingertips and promised in a low voice:

“From now on, there will be no more days like that.”

I silently broke out in a cold sweat and nodded loudly:

“Um.”

Just when I thought I had avoided a lifetime... Unexpectedly, Luu Gian suddenly passed two rows of tables, walked straight to me, holding a bottle of wine and filling it. Only then did I see clearly - in his hands, there was only Le Hoa Xuan. My body is already starting to feel a tingling heat, if I drink one more cup... The rash will definitely flare up right away, there's no hiding it!

5

The sound of iron chains rang out softly. Under the messy hair are deep phoenix eyes, cold and lonely. Luu Gian stared at me, raising both hands to offer wine. Amidst all the looks. Do we accept, or do we not receive?

“A Oanh?” – Thieu Son called me suspiciously.

I regained my composure, hesitating for so long that many eyes at the banquet turned towards me. Just as I was about to open my mouth, using the excuse of poor alcohol tolerance to tactfully refuse, Luu Gian directly brought the cup of wine closer, his loose sleeves covering both his hand and mine. At that moment, I felt someone gently squeeze my fingertips - extremely cold. I frowned slightly, then froze. A small pill slides gently into the palm of your hand.