Chapter 4 — Phong Hau Chi Tomb

7

Luu Gian stepped out of the darkness. Dressed in black, black hair, deep eyes, only pale skin and red lips showing a little color. He approached me intimately, reaching out to touch my face.

"This appearance was drawn by the National Teacher based on me, exactly like you in the past. Do you like it?"

I pushed his hand away. He laughed softly, chasing after me and holding my fingertips. "Don't be angry, isn't that great? You stand in front of Thieu Dao Tich and he doesn't recognize you." The way he wrapped himself around her was like a snake - dark, suffocating.

"But I don't like that guy Thieu Son," Luu Gian frowned, clutching my palm hard, "it was very difficult to get you out of the palace, but you were caught by another guy named Thieu, and now you want to marry him. What does he count?"

I looked at Luu Gian, my voice cold as frost:

"At least he let me have the right to choose. Unlike you, he put me in a coffin without asking a word."

Luu Gian's eyes darkened.

“Is he that good?” He tilted his head and smiled, a bright smile full of sarcasm.

"But you still deceived him. You used him to return to Jiangnan. At that time, he will be like his father, kicked from afar by you. Am I right in my guess?"

I pursed my lips and tilted my head away. “I… have no other choice!” Back then, when Liu Jian took my "coffin" out of the palace too hastily, there was a riot outside the imperial city. The guard carrying the coffin all died. If it weren't for Luu Gian secretly giving me medicine to fake my death, stopping my breathing, destroying my body and wrapping it in white cloth, I'm afraid this body wouldn't be able to hold on. The entire team of secret guards died, my body was not buried in Mang Son as Luu Gian instructed, but was thrown into the cemetery by the rebel army. A few days later I woke up, it was pouring rain, I was buried in layers of corpses, barely breathing. At that moment, Thieu Dao Tich's army attacked the capital. Thieu Son led his army to clean up the body, one step earlier than the National Teacher discovered me. I had to create the identity of A Oanh. Later, the National Teacher also found me, helped me trick Thieu Son, and brought me to the mountain to recuperate. But A Oanh's identity cannot withstand investigation, she has no civil status, and no passport. Thieu Son often comes back and forth, I can't hide. Liu Thi died in the dynasty, the National Teacher was also buried in dust and sand, unable to help any more. But the person who pushed me into this situation... still has a proud face. I pushed Luu Gian away.

“I was honest with you!

Seeing you being controlled by a traitor, pretending to be stupid and crazy in a palace that doesn't see sunlight, calling me sister, I love you and treat you well. What about you?!” Luu Gian let go, staggered a step, laughed dryly, his voice was hoarse:

"You have no way... neither did I at that time. What else can I do..."

Suddenly, he rushed forward and grabbed my face.

“The person you expected to come save you — that husband — basically doesn't care if you live or die.

His army fought to the mouth of the Yellow River. Jia Chung was driven crazy, he just wanted to kill you to vent his anger." Luu Gian's eyes were as dark as a cat's shadow in a deep palace, shining little by little in the darkness.

“I just want to protect you, let you safely have another identity, be free, from now on you will no longer be pushed to the limit by anyone... I did that, is it wrong?”

On the window sill, cold dew formed into a pale, patchy light like blood seeping into the night. I couldn't help but close my eyelids, two hot tears silently falling into his trembling hands.

“I know… I know…”

Muffled sobs.

“Sorry… I was just… too scared…”

The husband of the past is no longer a supporter. When I woke up, I was "dead", I had to hide, I had to lie, and I wasted all my energy to return to my hometown - and I didn't know if my family would recognize me or not. Behind is a deep abyss, in front is darkness. I'm really scared. Luu Gian took a breath and hugged me tightly.

“Don't be afraid, don't be afraid...

I made a promise to you two years ago, do you remember? I will soon come to your side, together we will leave the royal city and live a new life. At that time, you will no longer be anyone's wife, nor will I be the Liu emperor.

"I have never left the palace, you can take me anywhere - Giang Nam, Mai Chau..."

I rested my head on his collarbone, feeling his skinny body with only skin and bones. Over the years, he hasn't gotten any better. I recuperated for two years in the deep mountains, lost track of time, he stayed under Thieu Dao Tich's hands, and certainly endured a lot of torture. For my sake, he kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word. As for me - I can't tell right from wrong, I only know how to cry out of fear. The feeling of shame overwhelms us, making us want to shrink into a mass. I have found a way to live... What about Luu Gian? I know he has the ability, in the past, under Jia Chung's claws, he was able to secretly nurture the forces of the secret guard, now if he wants to run, he will definitely have a way. But... in my heart I'm still uneasy. In the middle of a deep palace wall, with silence on all sides, there are only two people who cannot show their faces... Is it really possible, as wished - to live together again?

8

During the days of preparing for the wedding in the palace, the Queen Mother always kept me by her side. The person recited the Buddhist sutras and immediately asked me to copy the sutras. I stopped for a moment and shyly said that I had never read a book and only knew a few words.

“What a pity.” – The Queen Mother looked at me with pitying eyes.

She seemed very lonely, often telling me many stories when she was in Long Tay. The person she talks about the most is not her son, but her daughter-in-law.

“That child is much more active than me, and also more courageous.”

The Queen Mother stared at the fish in the pond, the water waves reflected in her eyes.

“Not long after she got married to Long Tay, the general passed away. The second brother lost his father, every day he did not say a word, did not enter the military camp, no one knew where he was, and did not dare to mobilize to search for him. It's just her, searching every day. If you don't see it, don't be discouraged. Eat well, get enough sleep, then go again the next day."

The Queen Mother gently closed her eyes and smiled lightly.

“At that time she didn't even know how to ride a horse. Northern horses are fierce and keep making her scratched and dirty. Finally found the second brother, but was thrown into the river by the horse. The second brother was startled and quickly jumped down to pull her up. After that, she became seriously ill, and from then on, her second brother no longer dared to secretly leave alone."

Saying this, the Queen Mother was silent for a moment, then softly said:

“Everyone says she is just like my first daughter who passed away early — stubborn, resilient, but also fragile.”

Under the setting sun, the middle-aged woman's silver hair sparkled, as if reflecting tears in the fading sunset.