Chapter 4 — Ten Years in the Backyard

He frowned and stood behind me: "Tham Thanh Tu, do we have to talk like that?"

"So what do Marquis want to hear? To hear me thank you for bringing Canh Nhi back? Or to hear me say that Miss Ho is just heartless?"

"I will handle the matter of Nguyet Nhu. The maids at the old house have been banished to the outside to do hard work. As for Nguyet Nhu... after all, she is my step-sister. These years of managing the marquis's palace, she has suffered without merit. Detention for three months, closed to repent."

“Three months detention.” I turned to look at him, "Wen Thua Diep, the wounds on Canh Nhi's back, some are old scars from half a year ago, even a year ago. This half year, this year, your good cousin ordered someone to beat your son until his skin peeled off, and now, you tell me, detention for three months?"

"So what do you want me to do? Kill her? Or kick her out of the palace? Tham Thanh Tu, do you know that if you touch her, you will..."

"What will happen? Will it affect your future? Offend the royal family? So what? So my child's life, my child's injuries, are not as good as your Marquis's future, right?"

“I didn't mean that!”

"So what do you mean? On Thua Diep, it's been ten years! I've been patient for ten years! I thought that as long as I was obedient enough, obedient enough, you would at least treat Canh Nhi well! But now? Now I understand, in your eyes, from beginning to end, my mother and I are just chess pieces! Pawns used to balance the forces!"

“Do you think of me like that?”

"What if not? You want to tell me, taking Canh Nhi away is for your good? You want to tell me, don't you know what To Nguyet Nhu did behind his back?"

He was silent. After a long time, he opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: "I don't know."

“What?”

"I didn't know she dared to do that. I took Canh Nhi away because the old man had strict defense, safer than the marquis's palace. I let Nguyet Nhu take charge of the middle station for me because... because I couldn't let her take power."

“Why?”

"Because you are Tham Thanh Tu. The daughter of the Tham family. Once you hold the power of the palace, once you have too much contact with the outside world, those who stare at the Tham family's case will rush in like hungry wolves. Tham Thanh Tu, do you think in these ten years, you are the only one who has been patient?"

"I sleep here every first day of the month, because that is the only day I can legitimately come to see you. I lock you in the backyard, not allowing you to meet outsiders, because for every person who approaches you, I interrogate you three times. I take those concubines into your room, because all the factions in the court put their eyes and ears into the marquis' palace. If I don't accept it, they will find another way to approach you."

He raised his hand to touch my face, but stopped in midair, then slowly let it down: "I know you hate me. I also know, if I say these things, you won't believe a word of it."

“Then why are you still talking?”

"Because... because I'm tired too, Tham Thanh Tu. I pretended to be the cold and heartless Marquis Ninh Vien for ten years, pretended to be a husband who didn't care about her for ten years, I'm also... tired."

After speaking, he turned around and walked out the door: "In three days, you must go to the palace banquet. This is a card personally issued by the Queen Mother, naming you. Wear that pink garnet outfit, wear the Dong Chau headgear. This is an order." He's gone. I stood there, looking at the person in the mirror with pale face and red eyes, suddenly feeling funny culmination. He said he was tired. He said he pretended for ten years. So does he know that in these ten years, every time I smiled at him, every time I bowed to him, every time I obediently called him Marquis, I was using a knife to gouge my heart, stroke by stroke? He doesn't know. Or know, but don't care. A Nhuan returned.

"Madam, the letter has been sent. Shopkeeper Trieu said that he will respond in three days. Doctor Lam Thai has also accepted."

“Ah Nhuan, tell me, a person lied to you for ten years, and suddenly told you the truth, do you believe it?”

A Nhuan shook his head.

"That's right, I don't believe it either."

It's late at night. Canh Nhi slept very soundly, occasionally making a sound or two of delirium. I sat next to your bed, holding your little hand. We must take Canh Nhi away from this cannibalistic place.

5

The day before the palace banquet, To Nguyet Nhu arrived. At that time I was trying on the pink garnet outfit. A Nhuan knelt on the ground to adjust the skirt for me.

“Are you inside?”

Outside the door came a gentle voice, carrying appropriate respect. To Nguyet Nhu stood in the hallway wearing a set of blue pants, holding a brocade box in her hand, smiling gently. A Nhuan's hand slightly stopped, I waved my hand to signal her to continue.

“Please come in.”

To Nguyet Nhu's eyes glanced around her body, then slightly bent her knees:

"Nguyet Nhu would like to ask you to comfort your sister. I heard that you are going to the palace tomorrow to attend a banquet, so I especially brought some jewelry to help you with your makeup."

“You have a heart.” I signaled A Nhuan to take it, "I haven't been feeling well in the past few days. I originally planned not to go to the palace banquet, but Marquis said that the Queen Mother had called in and wanted to meet her, so I couldn't avoid it."

"You're joking."

To Nguyet Nhu walked up to me, looked at me through the mirror, her eyes full of admiration:

"Your appearance and temperament should be seen by the whole capital to see if she is a real Mrs. Hou. These years you have rarely gone out, people outside don't know the inside story, and think you are..."

She stopped at the right moment, leaving a meaningful void. I thought I was just a display that couldn't make it onto the table. I smiled, didn't answer, just raised my hand to gently touch the jade hairpin in my sideburns.

“Your scar… it must have been many years ago, right?”

“Yes, the old wound no longer hurts.”

"That's right. During these years, my sister has suffered a lot of resentment. Nguyet Nhu saw it and felt pain in her heart. It's just that Marquis has a cold personality, there are a few things... who."

She sighed, as if she was dissatisfied with me, but as if she was helpless and had no other choice. I carefully observed that face. Willow eyebrows, almond eyes, smooth white skin, two faint dimples appear at the corners of her lips, no matter who looks at her, she will think that she is a gentle and gentle lady. But it was this person, on the one hand speaking to me gently, on the other hand ordering someone to whip my son.

“I heard that your cousin was detained by the Marquis?”

A look of moderate self-pity appeared on To Nguyet Nhu's face:

"It was Nguyet Nhu's negligence, not managing the servants well, causing the young master to suffer wrongly. Marquis's punishment is right, Nguyet Nhu is willing to accept the punishment."

“Negligence of a servant?” I took a step forward, "But I heard that the maids at the old house themselves admitted that it was my sister who told them to be strict with the discipline."

The smile on To Nguyet's face The need gradually disappears.