Chapter 4 — Phuong Khoi Cuu Trung

He scanned the entire hall, his cold murderous aura covering every inch of jade tiles, causing everyone to bow their heads. "Today... I was not treated properly by this monarch. I respectfully request that you... temporarily return to your residence." At this point, his voice turned cold as ice, his gaze shining straight towards Ngu Ly and Thanh Am - the two princesses of the Kim Ly and Bang clan: "As for the Kim Ly and Bang clan..." "Another day, this king himself came to the door and personally asked how those two old men had taught their daughters!" In the main hall, no one dared to breathe loudly. One by one, everyone bowed and bowed, then tiptoed out, not daring to look back. Only me, my father... and Phuong Hau were left kneeling on the ground, their faces as white as ashes. At this moment, there was only sobbing in the palace. Thanh Am and Ngu Ly knelt down in front of me, tears streaming down their face, kowtowing their heads and sobbing, begging: "Dao... Princess Dao... please... please spare my life!" But his father only coldly snorted, waved his sleeves like a storm, a stream of golden light burst out, and only heard "Boom!" With a bang, the two girls were thrown out the palace door, rolling down the jade steps, blood spilling from the corners of their lips. The palace door slammed shut, the main hall was dead silent. Now... there are only four people left: me, my father, Phuong Hau, and Phuong Chau. The air froze, the golden light swirled, and the pressure from the royal father made even the space tremble. Chat! A crisp, sharp slap like thunder. Without hesitation, the father waved his hand and hit Phuong Hau straight in the face. Her cheeks were immediately red and swollen, her finger prints were clearly visible, but she did not dare to make a sound, she only staggered back half a step, then immediately spread her arms in front of Phuong Chau's body, like an eagle protecting a young bird. “Husband… husband…” — her voice trembled, but she still gritted her teeth firmly — “If you are angry, please blame it on me alone… Please don't… don't harm Chau Nhi…” Hearing that, his eyes shone with murderous aura as cold as ten thousand years of ice, the corners of his lips curled into a cold smile: “Ha… ha…” The laugh was low, but contained a rolling anger, resounding like heavenly lightning about to strike the earth: “At this moment, you still dare to protect something unknown. Where did it come from?" He took a step forward, his momentum pressed down like the sky, each word sounded like wind and thunder roaring: "It seems... this position of Phuong Hau, you don't need to do anymore!" His gaze was like a heavenly sword falling, his father swept towards Phuong Chau, his voice cold as a thousand years of ice: "As for this vile species... Peel off its skin and throw it into Han Dam Dong!" After hearing this, Phuong Hau's face turned pale, her whole body seemed to have been drained of strength, she immediately knelt down on the ground, tremblingly crawled to my feet, clutching the hem of her shirt with both hands, crying and begging: "Dao Nhi... Dao Nhi... my good daughter... I beg you... I beg you to say a word for me before my father..." Her voice was hoarse, her eyes were red: "That year, when my mother just gave birth, my body was weak, I couldn't leave Dan Huyet Son. The royal father left again, leaving the mother alone to take care of the Phuong clan..." She held my hand tightly, her voice choked, her eyes covered with frost: "Those long years... Without Chau Nhi's company, the long cold nights... The mother... would have long been unable to bear it..." I bent down, my look arrogant, my low voice like cold ice flowing through the bottom of the abyss. The corners of his lips curled slightly into a cold smile like cutting: "Okay... If you want to save her life, it's not impossible." Phuong Hau and Phuong Chau's eyes lit up at the same time. For a moment, as if drowning in the only ray of hope, Ngu Ly quickly nodded: "Okay! Dao Nhi... any conditions are fine!" I laughed lightly, but each word came out as cold as a sword unsheathed, echoing in the empty main hall: "From today... Phuong Chau - will be my maid." "What?!" A shrill scream echoed throughout the palace. Phuong Chau's face was as pale as paper, her eyes widened in disbelief, her lips trembled: "You... you... dare... make me... be... a maid?!" She forgot her current identity, forgot that she was no longer the "emperor", forgot that now she was just a person whose fate was being decided. Phuong Chau opened her red eyes wide, her trembling hand pointed straight at me, her voice cracked with anger, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard: "You... what are you... Dare to make me... be your maid?!" Chat! A sharp slap echoed throughout the palace. Phuong Hau did not hold back and directly slapped Phuong Chau's face. The sound of the collision echoed like lightning in a clear sky, leaving those who witnessed it speechless, not daring to breathe loudly. “Shut up!” — Phuong Hau said each word, her voice cold as ice frozen for a thousand years. Her eyes sparkled with rage and majesty: "Dao Nhi is willing to let you be a maid, it's the only chance for you to keep your life. And yet you still dare to argue?! You... don't know good or bad!" Not giving her time to react, Phuong Hau raised her foot and kicked Phuong Chau's knee hard, forcing her to kneel before me. The "click" sound echoed throughout the main hall, as cold as chains locking fate. Phuong Hau leaned over, her voice was low but did not allow resistance: "Still not paying a visit to Little Emperor Co?!" Phuong Chau's whole body trembled, the corner of her lips bit tightly, tears flowed out but she forcibly swallowed them back. His fiery eyes glared at me fiercely, as if wanting to burn me into ashes. But in the end... Under the supreme authority of her father, she still bowed her head, her forehead touching the cold jade floor, her voice trembling as if holding back blood-bite of hatred: "Praying... to see... Emperor Co." I looked down, slowly observed her tear-soaked face, the corners of her lips curved into a faint smile like smoke, without speaking, without adding any difficult words. Seeing this, Phuong Hau breathed out a sigh of relief, as if she had just released a heavy rock from her heart. She bowed her head lower, her voice was soft and gentle, hastily hiding the hint of intrigue behind her eyes: "Dao Nhi is tolerant and generous, truly worthy of being... the supreme emperor of the Phuong clan." But the moment I raised my eyes to look up, my gaze was as sharp as a sword, capturing a glimpse of cold light in the bottom of Phuong Hau's eyes. It was clearly just a blink of an eyelash, but the chill in it was as cold as eternal ice and snow. I curled my lips slightly, smiling gently like water, but at the bottom of my eyes a light flashed like wind and lightning: "The more Phuong Hau tries to protect her, the more convinced this palace is... something is wrong here." My finger gently stroked the edge of the phoenix hairpin, a faint trace of murderous aura, like dew covering the bottom of the lake, quietly passed by. “I want to see… What secrets are hidden between them?” 5 Because the father had just returned and there were countless matters pending in the clan, he had to hastily leave. I returned to Phuong Te Palace - the most luxurious palace of the Phuong clan, and from now on, this place belongs to me. Phuong Chau, having changed into a maid's outfit, bowed her head and followed closely behind, her eyes like daggers, but she did not dare say a word. This was the first time I stepped foot in this place, my eyes swept over, I saw the magnificent jade palace, the glass pillars inlaid with pearls, the pearl curtains hanging along the hallway, the beads on them were all spirit pearls that were difficult to find for hundreds of years, the transparent light was as bright as the stars in the sky. I gently lifted my hand, flicked my index finger, and the spiritual energy moved slightly - "Crack...!" In just a moment, all the pearls crumbled into powder, floating in the air like ashes. “Vulgar!” — I waved my sleeve coldly, my eyes frosty: “In this palace, everything that was once touched by Phuong Chau — throw it all to me!” The news from the Banquet main hall had already spread throughout the Phuong clan. Now, everyone knows that there is only one true emperor - me. Therefore, no one dared to disobey my words, a group of palace maids and eunuchs immediately entered, quickly cleaned up all the objects that once belonged to Phuong Chau, not a single piece of cloth was left, not a single piece of jewelry was kept. Phuong Chau stood to the side, her face as pale as paper, her lips bitten so hard that they bled, her bloodshot eyes looking at each precious item that she once held as a treasure, being thrown into the garbage truck, in her heart it was like a thousand knives spinning backwards, hatred to the point of grinding her teeth. I calmly leaned back on the red coral chair, one foot placed on the jade pedestal, my fingers gently tapping to the distant sound of the phoenix. Phuong Chau knelt at my feet, bowed her head and massaged my feet according to her maid duties. If she was just a little absent-minded, or dared to reduce the force of her hand, I would immediately slap her with a merciless slap - sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right, her cheeks were red and swollen, but I didn't react in the slightest. "Painful?" — I tilted my head, my eyes as cold as melting ice: "Pain is good. Let me remember - your current identity." At that moment, a palace maid who had been serving Phuong Chau since childhood, perhaps unable to contain herself, suddenly rushed forward to block her, her eyes red, her voice choked with anger: "Your Highness! You... you do that... It really makes this slave unable to look at you anymore!" She stood in front of Phuong Chau, opened her arms to protect her, her face full of indignation: "Anyway, His Highness Phuong Chau is also the lady's daughter, how can she let people humiliate her like this?" She gritted her teeth, her voice was full of resentment, not holding back a bit: "All these years, when your little highness had not returned, His Highness Phuong Chau was the only star cherished by the Phuong clan! Elders, palace servants, ministers, who did not love her wholeheartedly?" The palace maid's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and her voice became even harsher: "Now that your little highness has just returned for a day, you are already too arrogant, humiliating Phuong Hau's concubine, it's really unreasonable!" She clenched her fist, threatening in a cold voice: "If the Queen of Heaven finds out that you dare to humiliate the daughter I love, then I'm afraid... even you... will have a hard time keeping yourself intact!" The main hall suddenly became silent for a moment, the pressure was like a storm about to fall. I squinted my eyes slightly, the corners of my lips curved into a cold curve. I have heard every word she said, every word. Clear golden light My eyes gradually rose, the spiritual pressure enveloped the entire hall, like an ancient phoenix descending from nine heavens. “You just said… this palace is unreasonable?”