Chapter 2 — Sister Thanh Thu

"Do you recognize it? The general said, when you passed away from your previous life, it was on your head." My heart tightened, the pain when the broken brooch pierced my previous life's scalp seemed to return. "You picked it back from a pool of blood, glued it, and in this life gave it back to you to keep as a souvenir." My sister stood for a moment, seeing that I didn't speak, the smile on her face faded. She turned around and took two steps. When she turned around, she waved the towel in her hand: "Sister, keep it carefully, don't break it again." I pushed the brocade box to the corner of the table and didn't touch it anymore. Ha Ha said in a low voice: "Little master, do you need to throw it away?" I shook my head: "If you throw it away, she will give you something else, just leave it there." I raised my hand and rubbed my forehead, remembering Concubine Lan. When I was young, I called her sister Lan. She was four years older than me and always protected me. Later, when she entered the palace, she was never seen again. I don't know if you still remember me now, but in this palace, I only have you. Suddenly there was news in the palace. The Queen Mother said she was bored in the palace for a long time and wanted to leave the palace for half a month to relax. The Emperor agreed with the Queen Mother, saying he would go with him, and the palace affairs were left to Concubine Lan and the Queen. Today the king left the palace. As soon as the emperor's bride left the palace gate, her sister walked out of the queen's palace. The corner of her mouth curled up slightly, turning to Ngu Hoa Garden. A few concubines were sitting in the cool pavilion, biting melon seeds. My sister smiled as she walked in: "You sisters are truly in good spirits." She sat down on the stone chair, poured herself a cup of tea. "I just came back from your sister's place, she was promoted to a noble position, I came to congratulate her." A concubine came closer: "You are truly blessed." My sister put down the tea cup and sighed: "It's just that brooch..." "What brooch?" "That brooch is broken, I heard it was a sign." Unfortunately, things like that have always happened." Another concubine opened her eyes wide: "Really?" The younger sister sighed again: "The Truong Ninh Palace where she lived was once the place where the emperor's beloved concubine lived. Later, the death of that concubine was unclear." The pavilion was silent for a moment. My younger sister raised her head to look at them, leaned close and whispered: "Everyone, is she jealous of her relatives?" "Furthermore, I also saw that when she was in the maid's room, she was indecent, flirting with men outside." Several concubines looked at each other, no one answered, but their eyes turned into disgust. My sister picked up the tea cup and took a sip, her mouth unable to hold back. In less than half a day, rumors had spread throughout the harem, saying that I had seduced the general's younger brother. Ha Ha came back from outside, her face pale: "Little master, they are all saying that people hurt their loved ones, it's not proper, they also say that Truong Ninh Palace is not clean." I put down the book in my hand: "Doesn't the queen take care of it?" Ha Ha shook her head: "The queen said, her mouth grew on someone else, there's no way to control it." Another palace maid quickly ran in: "Little master, the general's wife brought people to us, saying that she was following the queen's orders." Princess, come and inventory the expenses used in the palaces." My sister pushed the door open and walked in, following two eunuchs and a palace maid behind her. There are also four women doing heavy work, each of them tall and strong. She glanced around the room, looking at the brocade box on the table. "Sister, as soon as the king left, the palace had to inventory the expenses of the palaces, lest someone take advantage of the chaos and hide forbidden items." She walked over, rummaged through the drawers with her own hands, her movements were very hasty, as if she was looking for something. Ha Ha wanted to stop, but the woman behind her sister grabbed her hair and threw her to the ground fiercely. Ha Ha cried out loudly. "Continue to search. If anyone dares to stop, hit me." My heart sank, knowing that today she was not here to inventory expenses. The younger sister rummaged to the bottom floor of the cabinet, paused, and took out a string of Buddha beads. "Sister,

What is this?" She held up the Buddha pearl, each bead was round and smooth, with a dragon pattern engraved on it. I didn't recognize that Buddha necklace at all. "That's not mine." The younger sister smiled, the corner of her mouth curled up. "The Buddha pearl with dragon pattern, you cannot use it." She weighed the Buddha necklace in her hand, turned her head to look at the two eunuchs. "You see clearly, this was taken from Lady Cui's cabinet." The eunuch bowed his head and replied: "Yes, slave." I saw it." I looked at that string of Buddha beads, my heart tensed. When did she put it in? Did she rummage through the drawer just now? My younger sister walked back, placed the Buddha beads on the table, clapped her hands. "Sister, are you trying to rebel?" Ha Ha jumped up from the ground, rushed to block in front of me: "It's not the young master's, you're slandering him!" My sister's face darkened: "You dare talk too much! Where are you, drag this palace maid out, strip off her clothes, beat twenty maids!" Ha Ha shouted, being dragged out the door by two women. After ten maids, Ha Ha cried for a few times and then stopped moving. I rushed out to stop, but was pushed back by the madam, my knee hit the door sill, the pain made my eyes dark. Co Lam just in time appeared at the door. "I heard there was a problem in Mr. Cui's palace, I came to see." He walked over. door, his sister immediately greeted him and took his hand: