Chapter 3 — The day they married into the National Palace, I personally tore apart their dignity

I sat on the chair, my hand clutching the cup of tea. He's right. That statement really shouldn't have been said. Too frank. It's easy for others to use you as an excuse. News of Trieu's mother was brought back that evening. Van Nuong, whose real name is Lieu Van, is the granddaughter of her grandmother's distant mother's family. At the age of seven, he lost both his parents. Her grandmother took her into the palace to raise her. Raised for eleven years. Dress and dress according to women's standards. Piano, chess, writing, and painting were all invited to teach. Ritual rules and rituals are personally supervised by the grandmother. Having said this, Mother Trieu lowered her voice.

"Miss, the old people in the palace all said that at first, the old lady intended to marry Van Nuong to the Crown Prince as his wife."

My movement of peeling tangerines stopped.

“What happens after that?”

"Afterwards, the old lady had no choice but to change her mind."

“Change it to stuff it in and make it a concubine?”

I put down the tangerine and wiped my hands clean. Raised for eleven years. Raise it like raising a daughter-in-law. As a result, in the middle of the marriage, there was a holy edict, taking away the position of main wife. It turns out that's it. No wonder people were packed in the first day they entered the door. No wonder when Van Nuong knelt in front of me, her eyes were full of provocation. In her heart, that position inherently belongs to her. It is we who steal what belongs to others.

“There's one more thing.” Trieu ma ma said again.

“In the Eastern Academy where Van Nuong lives, there is a cinnamon tree.”

"Under the tree was buried a jar, inside were the letters that the Crown Prince wrote when he was a teenager."

"It was Van Nuong who buried it herself. It's been buried for many years."

“The servants in the palace all know.”

I was silent for a moment. Sheets of letters. Letters from my youth. A young lady secretly buried a teenager's notes under a tree in her hospital, burying them for many years. That's because she always thinks that the person she's been waiting for for eleven years has been stolen by someone else. I leaned back against the chair, looking at the moon outside the window. Suddenly I feel like this doesn't make any sense. I slapped him once. He also threw a cup of tea on him. But from beginning to end, the person I should be most angry with is not him. It's grandma. It was she who devised this chess game. Early the next morning, Vuong's mother came to tell her about the dowry.

“Miss, I have checked, there are three items missing.”

“Which three dishes?”

“A pair of wish-fulfilling white jade, a set of pure gold jewelry, and two Shu Cam panels.”

“How much is it worth?”

"The pair of white jade as wish is an antique, worth at least three hundred taels. The pure gold jewelry set is eighty taels. The two Shu Jin panels are sixty taels."

“The total is more than four hundred taels.”

"The dowry was just put into storage yesterday, but today there are more than four hundred taels worth of items missing."

“Let's go investigate and see where the things went.”

In the afternoon, Vuong ma ma investigated clearly. A pair of wish-fulfilling white jades in my grandmother's Buddhist hall were said to be "borrowed to offer to the Buddha". The pure gold jewelry set is on Van Nuong's dressing table. Two Thuc Cam panels were brought to the three rooms. The lady of the third room was the one who watched the most excitement in the main hall yesterday. I nodded, not in a hurry to get angry.

“Just write it down first.”

On the third day, news of Liu Mama also arrived.

“Miss, there is a problem with this government's books.”

“What's the problem?”

“Ninh Quoc Cong passed away three years ago, but the title has not been inherited yet, the court still remains holding back.”

"The government's expenses for the past three years have been supported by the old lady's mother's family."

"But the old lady's mother's family doesn't have much money. Since last year, they have stopped providing money."

"Nguyet Ngan in the palace is now two months in debt."

"The servants secretly complain a lot."

After listening, the notebook in my heart made calculations more clearly. Ninh Quoc Cong Palace looks glorious from the outside. But the inside was soon empty. Titles cannot be inherited. Silver energy is also depleted. At that moment, in the marriage palace, marry me here. The dowry I brought with me was eight estates and twelve shops. There is also a talisman for transporting military supplies to the northern border. What you want is my dowry. Van Nuong is just a blade in her hand. First, tuck her in. Then step by step push me out. Waiting until I no longer have a place in this palace, the dowry will naturally become the common property of the palace. What a good calculation. I told Thanh Hoa:

“Go bring some things to Van Nuong.”

“Bring what?”

“A box of cinnamon rolls, then give me a message.”

“What sentence?”

"Let's just say, sister knows you like cinnamon flowers so she specially ordered someone to make it."

Thanh Hoa opened her mouth, but did not dare to ask why. Cinnamon tree. The vase under the tree. Letters in a vase. I want Van Nuong to know that. Her secret. I know it all.