Chapter 2 — The Emperor Only Has One Daughter

The lights and torches were bright in the hall, but the atmosphere was heavy and stuffy. Princes and princesses were "invited" one by one. The older ones were more than ten years old, the younger ones were only about three or four years old, everyone stood in the temple, their faces confused and uneasy. The concubines who followed were also pale-faced, whispering loudly, no one dared to raise their voice. The whole main hall was filled with only the sound of fabric rubbing and the sound of rapid, tense breathing. At this moment, someone outside the palace announced his name:

"Your Royal Highness Thuc is here, Your Highness the Second Prince is here!"

All eyes immediately turned to the door. I only saw Concubine Lam Thi Thuc leading the second prince Trieu Hang, surrounded by the palace people, proudly entering. She wore careful makeup and gorgeous clothes, completely different from the confused looks of the others. Looking at the scene in the palace, she frowned slightly, her expression carrying some dissatisfaction:

"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this? Call everyone here, isn't there something big going on?"

Her tone was half coddling and half questioning, as if she were the real owner of this place. Second Prince Trieu Hang raised his head even higher, his face full of impatience. Trieu Dien paid no attention to them. His eyes were like cold blades of ice, slowly scanning each "child" kneeling in the palace. Finally, it stopped on the arrogant second prince and held steady for three seconds. The murderous aura in his eyes almost turned into an entity. The smile on Concubine Thuc's face froze.

02

In Tuyen Chinh Hall, the silence was oppressive. The candlelight swayed on top of the crane-shaped bronze platform, and human shadows fell onto the cold yellow tile floor, distorted and twisted like demons. Trieu Dien sat quietly on the long chair, one arm hugging me, the other hand on the armrest, not saying a word. His eyes were like an eagle hovering above, cold and heartless, scanning each of his "beloved children". I was held in his arms, changed my position to be more comfortable, and then began to comment on eating melon directly in my head. 【Oh ho, it's begun, the old man's death glare is on.】 【First standing, Great Prince Trieu Khai, fifteen years old. Look at those thick and rough eyebrows, just like the military commander Truong Uy - his biological father.】 【Remember one time Truong Uy was drunk and boasted to his colleagues, telling his son to be perfect in martial arts and would definitely have a great career in the future. How disgusting, dare to casually spread the road for his son right under the emperor's eyelids.】 Trieu Dien's finger lightly tapped the handrail. His eyes left the eldest prince and turned to Concubine Hien behind him. The concubine's face turned pale in an instant, her hands tightened on the silk scarf, almost tearing it to pieces. 【Second, Third Princess Trieu Nguyet, this year twelve, her fame has spread far and wide, everyone praises her for her father's style.】 【Fraudulent! Her biological father is Academician Ly Thua An. His handwriting - embroidered flower motifs - is exquisite to the point of being supernatural. This third princess has learned that skill, her handwriting is like a copy.】 【I really feel sorry for the old man, I thought he was the heiress, giving away the precious inkstone that the emperor once gave, but it turned out that he was using the Trieu family's treasure to raise the Ly family's daughter?】 Trieu Dien's eyes darkened. He remembered the longevity blessing that the Third Princess had just given a few days ago - at that time he was praising him endlessly, but now thinking back, he could see that each word was piercing to the heart. Virtue The concubine next to her - the mother of the third princess - was trembling, her head bowed to the ground as if she wanted to crawl into the floor. 【Oh, even more tragic is the fourth prince Trieu Lam, weak and sick, walking a few steps and breathing like a buffalo.】 【His biological father is the Deputy Head of the Thai Hospital - Doctor Liu - every day under the pretext of "nourishing the body", he prescribes some deep poisons that secretly drain his life.】 【The poison is deep and dangerous, it's not wrong. He only hoped that the Four Princes would soon return to heaven so that Tinh Tan could monopolize his favor.] Trieu Dien's eyes glanced towards the corner of the palace, where there was a young man with a yellow face like a candle, a thin body, and a weak woman next to him - Tinh Tan. The murderous intent in his eyes flashed coldly. Tinh Tan seemed to feel it, her body went limp and she almost fell, but luckily the palace maid caught her in time. Every time I whisper a sentence in my head, Trieu Dien's face turns a little darker. The veins in the armrest of his chair were throbbing. In just a short moment, he seemed to fall from heaven to hell. The atmosphere in the palace had reached its peak of tension. The emperor's silence was more terrifying than any anger — it was like a net that tightened everyone's every breath, forcing people's hearts to suffocate. At this moment, a discordant voice rang out, tearing through the dead air.

“Father!”

Second prince Trieu Hang stepped out of the line, his face full of pride and dissatisfaction.

“Did you call all of us here, just to stand in the cold wind?”

"I still have to study for the evening, and my mother-in-law is tired. If there is nothing important, please allow me to leave."

His voice was strong like he was ordering a servant, as if he was giving orders to a servant. 【It's here, it's here! The village's first champion of disaster has officially appeared!】 【This bastard still hasn't realized the situation?】 【That old man is about to transform into Godzilla, but he still stands here raising his voice, does he want to die early?】 Concubine Thuc's face changed, and when she tried to pull her child back, it was too late. She had no choice but to smile awkwardly and cover: "Your Majesty, Hang Nhi is still young. Because I was too pampered by your concubine, I was born spoiled. I hope your Majesty doesn't mind." Trieu Dien looked at the "good son" in front of him, the corner of his mouth suddenly curved into a strange smile. He spoke, his voice hoarse but strangely calm:

"Are you still young? Hang Nhi is fourteen years old, no longer a three-year-old."

He stopped, his eyes scanning the entire palace.

“Once you arrive, don't rush to leave.”

"I welcomed Ninh An today, I was happy, and wanted to see how much her brothers and sisters were progressing in their studies."