Chapter 8 — Princess Chieu Ninh Chooses Her Imperial Husband

The ceremony official called: "I bow to heaven and earth." Ve Tuan and I turned toward each other. The red silk slid across my palm, thick and smooth, its weave tickling my fingers. "Second bow to the high altar." When I knelt down, out of the corner of my eye I saw my mother raise her hand and gently press the corner of my eye. Perhaps we both remember too much. But neither of us could keep living by someone else's judgment. "Husband and wife bow." Ve Tuan and I faced each other. The beads of my phoenix crown hid his face from me; I could see only his hand gripping the red silk firmly. As we bowed, a sudden sound echoed outside the hall. Not thunder. It was the sound of a bowstring. A commotion broke out. An arrow broke through the wind and hit the red pillar outside the main hall. The arrow's tail was tied with a piece of red silk. The guard drew his knife. Ve Tuan immediately stepped in front of me. Ta Chiet Ngoc rushed out of the crowd, his face pale. "It wasn't me!" he cried too quickly, his voice cracking. The guard quickly caught the shooter. It was the servant who had been dragged away. His face was bloodied; he struggled and cursed. "Ta Chiet Ngoc, you ruined me. Do not expect to live in peace! You wanted to steal the princess, did you not? I will steal her for you!" Ta Chiet Ngoc stood under the steps, his whole body stiff. All eyes fell on him. Grand Tutor Ta was so angry that he could barely stand. The emperor said in a deep voice: "Arrest." The servant was pinned to the ground, still laughing. "Princess, he was the one who forced your arrow down! He said you were too strong and needed to be worn down! He said that once you were sharpened, you would only listen to him!" An uproar broke out in the hall. The secret had finally been dragged into the light. But my heart is not as painful as I imagined. We already knew. It's just that the court officials did not know, the emperor did not know, and my mother could no longer pretend she did not know. Ta Chiet Ngoc looked towards me. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to explain, but as if he knew he had nothing more to say. My mother's face turned pale. Anger smoldered in the emperor's eyes. I walked out from behind Ve Tuan. Ve Tuan said in a low voice: "Be careful." I nodded and walked toward the arrow. The arrowhead was buried deep in the pillar, and the wind tugged the red silk against the wood. When I was thirteen years old, my arrow was off by an inch. Today, before everyone's eyes, this arrow finally closed that missing inch. I turned around and looked at Ta Chiet Ngoc. He stood in the crowd, tears falling, but did not dare wipe them away. I said: "Thank you, sir. Today is my wedding." His throat moved. I continued: "Don't get in my way anymore." Ta Chiet Ngoc's knees buckled, and he knelt. A collective gasp echoed through the palace. He bowed his head, his shoulders shaking violently. "I am at fault." The emperor said in a cold voice: "Ta Chiet Ngoc was rude and would be confined to reflect on his mistakes. The Ta family had tolerated a servant's disturbance of the imperial wedding, so the case would be handed to the Court of Judicial Review." Grand Tutor Ta bowed his head and apologized. I returned to Ve Tuan's side. The official's voice trembled, but he completed the final rite. At the end of the red silk ribbon, Ve Tuan looked at me. I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Ta Chiet Ngoc knelt on the steps as people passed around him, as though he had been left behind in the old snow.
After nightfall, my residence glowed with red candles. The bridal chamber was so quiet that only the sound of candle wax dripping could be heard. I sat on the edge of the bed. The phoenix crown had not yet been removed, and my neck ached beneath its weight. When Ve Tuan pushed open the door, he stepped inside quietly. He stopped in the doorway. "Can I come in?" I looked at him from the beaded curtain. "This is your bridal chamber." He said seriously: "It is yours as well." I couldn't help but laugh. That smile eased some of the pressure that had built in my chest during the day. He came over to remove my phoenix crown. His movements were clumsy, and he nearly caught the crown in my hair. I took a deep breath. He immediately stopped. "It hurts?" "A little bit." He then stopped moving, lowered his head to look at the pin, and studied the clasp for a long moment before removing it. When the phoenix crown finally came off, my neck felt lighter and my whole body seemed to revive. Ve Tuan placed the crown on the table. "Were you frightened today?" I shook my head. "No." He looked at me, seemingly in disbelief. I said: "Not at all. When that arrow was shot, I felt that what was meant to happen had finally happened."

Ve Tuan sat an arm's length away from me. "I investigated that servant. Someone had incited him." I raised my eyes. "Who?" "It had to do with the Tham family." I was not surprised. Tham Thanh Duong had been sent back, and the Tham family had lost face. Naturally, someone had stirred up trouble. I asked: "Does Ta Chiet Ngoc know?" Ve Tuan said: "He should know by now." I bowed my head and plucked the golden thread on my wedding dress with my fingers. "What will happen to him?" "Being confined for reflection is only the beginning. If the Court of Judicial Review investigated and found that the Ta family had tolerated a servant spreading rumors, Grand Tutor Ta would be punished and demoted. Ta Chiet Ngoc would be barred from the capital for three years." My fingertips stopped. Ta Chiet Ngoc had once stood close to power. He had placed first in the literary, martial, and ritual trials, and the victories had seemed a clear path to high office. Now the words he had taught me had cost him both his path to office and his place as my husband.