Chapter 15 — The Cry to Save the Marquis Palace

When it was almost dawn, father returned. The court uniform on his body was wrinkled, and blue circles appeared under his eyes. But the first thing after entering is to look at me.

“Is the baby okay?”

A lady nodded slightly.

“Cryed several times, seemed scared.”

Father was silent for a long time, then suddenly reached out and touched my small hand. His fingers were rough and thinly calloused from holding swords all year round. I hesitated for a moment, then finally held his fingertip. Father's whole body stiffened. His eye sockets immediately turned red.

“Lanh Nghi, please give her a name.”

A looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the window.

“Last night was so dark, but she still led us towards the path of life.”

“So it's called Chieu Chieu.”

“Luc Chieu.”

"May this life be bright and clear, no longer obscured by dust."

I was stunned when I heard that name. In my previous life, even when I died, I was still not recognized by the Luc family's family tree. The Mu family called me A Man, the servants of the Marquis called me Miss Bieu, and the people in the manor called me the sinner. No one has ever seriously called my name. Right now, my wife said my name is Luc Chieu. The father repeated in a low voice:

“Luc Chieu.”

“It's a good name.”

The Sixth Elder also came. She stayed up all night, with a tired look on her face but her eyes were still sharp.

“The road has been prepared.”

“When Linh Nghi's body stabilizes a bit, we will open a path to record her name in the family tree.”

Parents asked:

“Grandmother, how is it inside the palace?”

The Luc old man smiled coldly.

“Vuong Qi all night called in sick and closed the palace.”

"Dai Ly Temple has found books in Van Xuan Lau. The Mu family owes thirty thousand taels, and behind it there is indeed the shadow of Qi Vuong's palace."

"The study room of Director Nghiem has also been sealed. It is said that many secret letters were found back and forth."

A lady asked:

“What about the Pastor?”

The old man looked at her and his voice softened.

“If you don't want to listen, don't listen.”

The lady shook her head.

“I want to hear.”

Old Thai Quan said:

“Mrs. Mu, Mr. Mu, Mrs. Bieu, Ma Ma Chu and Mrs. Liu have all been arrested.”

"Switching children, poisoning pregnant women, stealing seals to falsify documents, colluding with the foreign government to slander the Marquis. None of these crimes are light."

"The Mu family's estate will be sealed. Money and land deeds owed to the Marquis will also be collected."

I close my eyes. She did not shed tears.

“Okay.”

The father spoke in a low voice:

“Lanh Nghi, if you are heartbroken…”

The lady opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I'm heartbroken."

“But don't feel sorry for them.”

“I'm heartbroken because I trusted them for so many years.”

The room was momentarily quiet. Hearing this sentence, my heart is sad. In my previous life, it wasn't until I died that I learned the truth. In this life, she woke up so early. Even though it was painful, she was still able to cut off that poisonous vine with her own hands. In the afternoon, someone came to the palace again. This time it's not a punishment, but a reward. The Emperor gave me a sedative medicine, and also gave me a pair of gold bracelets, saying that the Marquis was frightened and ordered me to take good care of him. As soon as the reward was given, the direction of public opinion in the capital immediately changed. The people who were still watching the excitement yesterday changed their tone and said that the young lady of the Luc family was blessed. Say that as soon as I was born, I recognized the villain, it was the small one The blessing of Tran Bac Marquis's palace. I heard my mother tell these words to my lady. A Nuong just calmly said:

“There is no need to spread those words.”

“It is not an item used to bring more blessings to the Luc family.”

“She's just my daughter.”

I lay in my diaper and blinked. Tears silently flowed down again. 21 Three days later, the Marquis of Tran Bac Palace opened the street. Mrs. Ah still couldn't stand for long, so father hugged me himself. In the street, candlelight glowed brightly. The Luc family's ancestral tablets are placed on each layer above. In my previous life, I knelt outside this door all night. Snow fell on my hair, my knees were cold, but inside there was no one willing to let me enter. At that time, Muc Bao Chau stood in the door, looking at me through the gap, smiling both gently and proudly. She said:

“Whose name is recorded on the family tree, that person is the daughter of the Luc family.”

Now, the great gate has opened for me. Old Thai Quan Luc himself took down the family tree. Father dipped in ink and wrote my name under the branch. Luc Chieu. Strong pen strokes, dark black ink. A Niang sat next to her, her eyes slightly red. Old Thai Quan personally tied half of the jade lock around my neck. This time, the red string was very soft and didn't hurt me. She said in a low voice:

“Chieu Chieu, from today, no one is allowed to take away your identity anymore.”

I looked at her and made a very soft sound. Everyone in the street burst into laughter. A Nuong also laughed. That smile was still pale, but in the end there was no more regret like at the hospital bed in the previous life. Half a month later, the verdict for the Mu family was given. The Mu family had a gambling debt, colluded with the King of Qi's palace to frame the Marquis, and was exiled three thousand miles away. Mrs. Mu masterminded the exchange of children, drugged her daughter, stole seals to falsify documents, added crime to crime, was imprisoned for life, and will never be pardoned. Although the aunt was only an accomplice, she publicly slandered the Marquis and hid her birthmark, so she was returned to the care of the Mu clan. Muc Bao Chau was left to be raised by his biological mother and was never allowed to step into the Tran Bac palace. Mother Zhou and Lady Liu were beaten with sticks and thrown into prison. All participants were prosecuted accordingly. As for King Qi's palace, the Emperor did not immediately depose the king. But Van Xuan Lau was sealed, chief historian Nghiem revealed the secret letter, several strategists of Qi Vuong's palace were beheaded, Qi Vuong was also stripped of his position, and closed his doors to reflect. Father says this is just the beginning. The affairs of the court cannot end in one day. But the first chess piece that King Qi's palace used to set up has been removed. I know that's enough. The rope that pulled the Luc family into the abyss in their previous life had broken for the first time since this moment. On full days and months, the Marquis' Palace does not organize too many events. A Nuong said that I used to be scared and only invited close relatives to drink. But Mr. Luc still ordered someone to write my name on the red card and promptly deliver it to the rooms.

"The lady of Tran Bac palace, Marquis Luc Chieu, have a prosperous month."

I was held in my mother's arms, looking at the bright lights throughout the room, for a moment I felt a bit dazed. The full month's nest in the previous life belonged to Muc Bao Chau. At that time, I was in the Mu family's heavenly monastery, not even a bowl of hot porridge. Old Mrs. Mu criticized me for crying and making a noise, and ordered her wife Carry me to the small room next to the firewood room. Cold wind rushed through the broken window. I cried until I could no longer make a sound. Right now, she bowed her head and looked at me.

“Chieu Chieu, are you happy today?”

Of course I cannot answer. All he could do was reach out his small hand and gently touch her face. Mrs. A smiled and took my hand. Father sat next to me, clumsily holding the drum to coax me. Normally, he was always cold and serious, but when he held the small red drum, his expression looked a bit flustered. Old Thai Quan criticized the way he comforted the children and took the drum.

“If you do that, it will scare the child.”

Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Parents also laughed. Looking at them, I suddenly felt that the layer of snow that had been pressing in my chest for two lifetimes was finally starting to melt. Later, we gradually mature. Her body was slowly nursed by the robe and was no longer confined to the hospital bed like in her previous life. Father looked up the old records in the hospital and replaced all the servants with problems. Luc Lao Thai Quan also lived longer than his previous life. She often hugged me and sat in the sun in the hallway, teaching me to remember the Luc family's teachings. She said, the Lu family's daughter doesn't need to hide behind the curtain and cry. If there is injustice, then speak up, if there is revenge, then take revenge. The person at fault is the evil one, not the victim. I remembered those words for many years. When I was three years old, news came from prison that Mrs. Mu was seriously ill. She wanted to see her husband one last time. Ah, my lady, don't go. She only sent someone to bring one sentence:

“I no longer have a mother.”

It is said that after listening, Mrs. Mu looked at the prison door for a long time, and finally cried and called my name. But the name she called was not Luc Chieu. She called out to the wild girl that she had trampled into the mud in her previous life. I'm not going to see her. The remorse some people have before they die is not because they regret doing evil things. But just because the evil deed was exposed, retribution fell upon him. When I was five years old, the case of King Qi's treason broke out. Because the Luc family had taken precautions early on, his father was not implicated and deprived of power like in his previous life. On the contrary, based on the evidence kept many years ago, he helped the Emperor maintain the Northern Canh Army. On the day Qi Wang's palace collapsed, his father returned very late. He picked me up and said in a low voice:

“Chieu Chieu, it's over.”

I lay on his shoulder, looking towards the lady. A Nuong stood under the light, smiling and reaching out to us. At that moment, we can finally determine: The snowy night of our previous life has truly passed. I am no longer an unwanted child in the Mu family's heavenly courtyard. It is no longer a lonely soul buried in the snow and wind. I am Luc Chieu. I am the girl who is held back in my arms by my noble mother. In this life, my first cry was not a helpless cry. It's a call to bring our fate back into our own hands. END OF STORY.