Chapter 4 — Tham Dien

When he returned, he was lying on a stretcher again, his face was blue, cold sweat was pouring down his body, and his thighs were incredibly swollen. The servant frantically tore off his pants. Right at the wound's mouth, there was clearly a black and yellow scorpion's tail mixed in. The hook of the tail dug deep into the skin, even vibrating slightly. The lady almost fainted on the spot and was frantically supported by the maid. The old man also staggered back a few steps and shouted hoarsely:

"Doctor! Hurry up and invite the doctor!"

The entire palace immediately became chaotic. I stood in the hallway, watching people running back and forth in panic, my palms covered in a thin layer of sweat. Not fear. It's excitement. After holding on for so long, it's finally time for Ta Tranh to pay the price. That Tay Vuc golden scorpion was stuffed into the lining of his brocade robe with my own hands. This scorpion is inherently lazy. If you use beeswax to cover its mouth and hook its tail, it will hibernate like a dead thing. But as soon as it encounters heat, sweat, or smells a specially made incense burner, it will wake up, follow the scent, and bite. And that fragrance, I had already applied on the inside of his underwear. Today he rode horseback to meet To Dieu Am, bumping and sweating along the way. Body temperature increases, the scent of incense spreads out strand by strand. By the time he met To Dieu Am, the scorpion had quietly crawled out, hidden in the folds of his shirt. Just when he was in an emotional turmoil, his blood surged and he bit down. The physician consulted all night long. It wasn't until it was completely light that he tremblingly came out to report:

“Master, ma'am, what the prince was hit with was a unique Western region poison named Kim Vi Gou.

"This type of poison does not follow the meridians, does not enter the blood, and only specifically attacks the lower kidneys."

"Now the poisonous fire has spread downwards, destroying the crown prince's foundation."

The old man's face immediately turned pale and he shouted sternly:

“Speak clearly!”

The royal doctor knelt down in panic:

"In the future, in matters of the bedroom... I'm afraid I won't be able to anymore!"

"Moreover, this type of poison is extremely powerful and cannot be completely eradicated."

"In the future, the residual poison will follow the two channels of Shao Yin and Quyet Am back up, blocking the Liem Tuyen and A Mon acupuncture points."

"The body will become more and more stiff, and the language function will gradually be damaged, until... until he can no longer speak."

“Umm…”

There was a loud clap of thunder outside the window, shaking the door bars. The old servant suddenly took two steps back, clutched his chest, and fell straight down.

“Marquis!”

Everyone rushed forward in fear. I was the only one standing outside the crowd, the corner of my lips quietly curled up. It seems... The grand gift I prepared for the old servant, he has already received. For the past two months, I have devoted myself to being a kind and filial wife. Not only does she take good care of her husband, she also personally stews medicine for his parents every day. But what was added to that medicinal soup was not a normal nutritious medicine. But some drugs have different medicinal properties and can block the heart little by little. If taken for a long time, blood stagnation gradually develops, and the true yang silently wears out. Just waiting for an opportunity is like a dike breaking thousands of miles away, irreversible. Poisonous scorpions are evil. Good medicine is a dark arrow. A waste of a child. Something that destroyed his father. How fair. They ruined my life. Then I will make them spend their whole life paying it back. That's what we call reciprocity. … The old marquis has won the title. Paralyzed on the bed, unable to speak, unable to move his body. Only her cloudy eyes stared blankly at the bed curtain. Mrs. Hou woke up, knew that both her father and son had fallen, and immediately felt like the sky was falling. She rushed to the bed and cried bitterly. Even though I was tired of crying, I didn't forget to curse loudly:

“It's all because of that bastard To Dieu Am!”

“If it hadn't been for him coming in boldly, how would my son have encountered this disaster!

“I will immediately send someone to preserve it!”

“Mother… don't…”

From the bed came a weak voice. It's Ta Tranh who's woken up. His face was pale, his lips were dry and cracked and purple, and his whole body looked like a ghost that had just been fished out of the water. But even though it had become like this, when he heard that he wanted to touch To Dieu Am, he still tried his best to squeeze out each word:

“This… was unexpected… it has nothing to do with her…”

Tsk tsk. This look of deep, meaningful love that won't let go until death is truly touching. Mrs. Hau saw that her son had become like this and still missed that woman. She was both angry and heartbroken, and her tears fell even harder. But in the end, she was still his biological mother. She couldn't bear to stimulate him further, so she gritted her teeth and agreed. Before leaving, she pulled me aside and lowered her voice:

"You're pregnant, you shouldn't be working so hard, but now I really can't stand it anymore..."

"In a moment I will send someone to bring the books, storage keys and cards to your room."

“This Marquis, from now on, will have to rely on you.”

I silently raised my eyebrows. Has power been handed over so quickly? Even faster than we expected. … I obediently replied. After seeing the lady off, she returned to the bed. Ta Tranh asked me in a hoarse voice:

"I can't go to war, will the court blame me?"

I brought him warm water and slowly fed him with a spoon:

"Husband, don't worry, the court has sent General Ly to lead the army north."

"His Majesty also specially instructed you to rest assured and not to worry."

The war in the north was not that big. The last life, less than half a year has ended. Ta Tranh could stay outside the gate for fifteen years, just using the name of stationing himself to escape with his lover. Now he has become a waste. If you want to run away again, I'm afraid it will be as difficult as going to heaven. The so-called freedom and building a family outside that he longs for day and night... Don't even think about it in this life.