Chapter 10 — The General's Path

Shen Dan Tuyet shoved him away, her voice sharp and trembling with impatience. “You have no money left; what use could you possibly have for me? You cannot even provide a decent roof over my head. Do you expect me to survive on the northwest wind by your side? My heart now belongs solely to Master Vuong. Do not pester me any longer.”

Amidst the sound of Shen Tri Han’s desperate, guttural cries, the full picture of their treachery finally fell into place. After being cast out of the Marquis’s mansion, Shen Dan Tuyet—accustomed to a life of velvet and silk—could not endure the hardships of the common world. When Shen Tri Han had once again snuck in to provide her with funds, she had shed her outer garments to ensnare him. Yet, she soon discovered that after the Prince of the Southern Frontier called off their betrothal, the Successor Marquis’s mansion was little more than a hollow shell. They had already squandered the dowry provided by the Li family, and with the marriage collapsed, they were unable to return the funds. They had been sued in the capital courts, leaving them desperate to bring me back as a pawn to cover their debts. When I refused, Shen Dan Tuyet had fed a poisonous plan to Shen Tri Han. She had promised him that a distant relative of her birth parents, a merchant with deep ties, could turn a small investment into a mountain of profit.

Shen Tri Han, blinded by her charms, had surrendered the very last of the mansion’s wealth to her. But the only return he received was the scandalous spectacle that rocked the capital: the sordid affair between Shen Dan Tuyet and the Minister of War. She had used the stolen silver to drape herself in fine silks and jewels, penning love poems to Vuong Binh while dancing for his amusement. But this version of Shen Dan Tuyet was not the refined, virtuous recluse of my previous life. Having been disgraced by a broken engagement and cast out by her family, her reputation was already tattered. She foolishly believed that an aging man who had recently lost his wife would be easily manipulated. However, Vuong Binh was no fool. He viewed her only as a spoiled plaything, refusing to grant her any status and even feigning forgetfulness when it came time to provide her with money.

Hearing her callous words, Shen Tri Han looked as though he had been struck with a whip in the middle of the street. After a long, heavy silence, he drew a short blade from his waist—a gift Shen Dan Tuyet had given him during his coming-of-age ceremony. She had once whispered that he should use that blade to protect her. At the memory, Shen Tri Han wept and laughed simultaneously, clutching the steel as he lunged toward Shen Dan Tuyet and Vuong Binh.

Shen Tri Han’s attempt to assassinate a high-ranking official in broad daylight failed. He was thrown into the imperial prison, sentenced to exile after the autumn. The Marchioness’s hair turned white overnight with grief. Petitions for mercy flooded the palace like falling snow, but it was all for naught. When I finally met with the Marchioness and the old Marquis one last time, the woman’s eyes were swollen red. “Ngoc Nung,” she pleaded, “if you only save your brother, we will surely compensate you, shielding you like a precious pearl and holding you in our hearts forever.”

She still viewed me as the naive girl who had first arrived in the capital, starving for the affection of parents and a brother. I simply stared at the distant mountains through the window, my tone detached and cold. “Shen Tri Han—or rather, the affairs of your household—what could they possibly have to do with me?”

The old Marquis, seeing that both pleas and threats were futile, deepened his voice. “We are of the same blood. How can you be so heartless as to watch your own brother die? The Emperor rules through the virtue of filial piety. Are you not afraid that I will present a memorial to the throne, denouncing your cruelty?”

I offered a dry, mocking smile. “I, Li Ngoc Nung, achieved the highest rank in the examinations for female officials. My name is inscribed in the imperial records. If you wish to claim kinship with me, feel free to ask the Emperor or the Grand Princess if they would permit it. Now, please leave.”

Seeing that their pleas were useless, the Marchioness—who in my past life had always looked down upon me with disdain—collapsed to the ground. She looked like a tree snapped by a violent storm, unable to rise again. Not long after, the Successor Marquis was stripped of his title for failing to manage his household and corrupting his own lineage. By the following autumn, the couple followed Shen Tri Han into exile at the Northern Frontier.

Over the next fifteen years, the northern borders remained peaceful and the people thrived. I assisted the Princess of the Southern Frontier in reforming tax codes and perfecting the regulations for female officials. Step by step, I ascended to become the first female Chancellor of the dynasty. On the day I entered the cabinet, I walked down the long, hallowed path of the imperial palace. Behind me followed a group of young scholars who had just appeared on the golden list. They walked the same path I had tread years ago, each step bringing them closer to the future.

— END —