Chapter 56 — The Medicine Bearer Through the Chaos

Evidence From Dead Man's Hands

Ten days before the trial, Kinh Ba Van visited Tinh Yen with news that shocked both of them — Lo Tam, the eunuch serving Tinh Tan, was found to have hanged himself in his private room in a hidden corner of the harem, leaving behind a hastily written suicide note, vaguely stating only that he "could no longer bear the burden of conscience."

"I used to doubt him." Tinh Yen said, her voice choked with shock and an indescribable obsession. "The first night Lady Qin was poisoned, I saw him reacting differently, too calm compared to the other people around him. But I had no evidence to say at that time."

"Perhaps, his death was not simply a suicide out of conscience." Kinh Ba Van said, his voice low and full of doubt. "A person who has been silent for so many days, suddenly choosing to end his life right when your trial is approaching, that is not a coincidence I can easily accept."

Nhuoc Tran, upon hearing the news, immediately sent someone to investigate Lo Tam's death more closely, using her position to request a meticulous search of his private room before all traces were cleaned up according to normal procedures. A few days later, she personally came to the cave, bringing with her an important discovery.

"In Lo Tam's room, my people found a small wooden box hidden under the floorboards, inside were some silver bars of unknown origin, and a small piece of silk embroidered with a strange symbol — a stylized lotus flower, not the official coat of arms of any Yamen I have ever known." Nhuoc Tran said, showing Tinh Yen a drawing of that symbol. "I'm letting people look up where this symbol belongs, but the fact that a poor eunuch suddenly had such a large amount of money in his hands is enough to confirm that he received money from someone to do something improper."

Tinh Yen held the drawing of the symbol, looked closely at the stylized lotus flower, tried to recall her memory to see if she had ever seen it anywhere, but could not find any clear clues. "Could it be that this is the private mark of a certain faction in the court, used to identify each other without revealing their official identities?" She guessed.

"Very likely." Nhuoc Tran nodded. "I will continue to look up, but you should also review the document you found in the Archives and see if there are any seals or similar symbols appearing on it."

Tinh Yen immediately took out the copy paper, compared it carefully, and noticed a small detail that she had overlooked before - in the bottom corner of the dispatch, next to the official signature of the person who approved the release, there was a small faint seal, the shape of which was similar to the stylized lotus flower on Lo Tam's piece of silk, although not completely identical.

"Not identical, but suspiciously similar." Tinh Yen said, her voice shaking because of the new discovery. "It's possible these are two different versions of the same sign, used over the years with minor changes."

Kinh Ba Van, who was also present at the rare meeting when all three people gathered, pondered for a long time before speaking. "I remember, many years ago, when I was a young medical doctor, I heard rumors about a group of trusted officials surrounding a minister in the Household Ministry, calling themselves the 'Lianhua faction', using the lotus as an implicit symbol of purity and internal solidarity - although in reality, many people in that group were later discovered to be involved in many shady incidents." He spoke slowly, as if recalling a long-dormant memory. "I'm not sure if this is the same group of people or not, but if so, then this clue could lead straight to the root of the whole incident."

That sentence was like a bolt of lightning straight into Tinh Yen's mind. All the disparate pieces over the past few days seemed to be gradually fitting together into a bigger picture - from the lack of relief aid in Dong Hai in the past, to the investigation targeting Tran Bac Hau, to the plot to harm Tinh Tan and frame her herself, all of which may have come from the same power network hidden in Ho Ministry, a network that has existed and operated secretly for many years. Perhaps it is also related to Lieu Nguyen's own secret twenty years ago.

"We need to learn more about Lo Tam before he dies." Tinh Yen said, her voice decisive. "Who has had recent contact with him, who may have contacted, threatened, or paid him to do something nefarious."

"I will let someone investigate more closely about his recent relationships." Nhuoc Tran said, nodding in agreement. "But we must be extremely cautious — his death shows that the person behind all this is ready to kill anyone who risks becoming an open link, including those who were his own powerful tools."

"One more thing." Kinh Ba Van added, his voice low as if he was considering whether to reveal it or not. "I asked someone to quietly inquire about the incident twenty years ago, the incident related to the Royal Physician who once owned your token. I have not yet found out the whole truth, but I discovered that the person who was in charge of the largest distribution of medicinal herbs and food in the history of the court, right at the time of that incident, later promoted very quickly in the Household Ministry, and is still in his position with a very high position."

"Do you know that person's name, sir?" Tinh Yen asked, her heart beating fast because she had a premonition that she was standing on the threshold of a great truth.

"It's not convenient for me to say it now, when there is no definitive evidence, just based on the speculation and memory of an old man over fifty years old." Kinh Ba Van replied, his eyes flashed with a deep hesitation. "If I say something wrong, the consequences will not only be a baseless accusation, but could push you into a much more dangerous spiral than you are currently in. I need more time to confirm, but I promise, when I have enough evidence, I will not hide another word from you."

Tinh Yen nodded. Even though she was anxious to know that name right away, she also understood that Kinh Ba Van's caution was necessary - a false accusation aimed at a major official in the court, while she herself was still carrying the status of a criminal awaiting trial, could only make things more confusing and dangerous.

Nhuoc Tran, listening to the entire exchange, nodded slightly in approval of Kinh Ba Van's caution. "I will use my relationships in the court to quietly verify further, avoiding unnecessary attention." She said. "But we don't have much time left. Ten days before the trial, we need at least one solid piece of evidence to turn the tide, even if we don't have to overthrow the entire plot right away."

The meeting ended with a heaviness mixed with indescribable hope. Tinh Yen sat alone after the two of them left, looking down at the drawing of the stylized lotus symbol, feeling both scared at the scale of the conspiracy that was gradually being revealed, and feeling a stronger determination than ever. There weren't many days left before the trial, but for the first time since her arrest, she felt she was really getting closer to the truth, even though the road ahead was still filled with darkness and danger lurking from all sides.

That night, she wrote down everything she had collected in the old diary that Kinh Ba Van had left her, carefully arranging each clue in a logical order - the document about the difference in grain and grass, the faint lotus seal, the mysterious money in Lo Tam's room, and his own sudden death - preparing for the upcoming tough legal battle. She knew that this was not only a battle to decide her own fate, but could also be the key to opening the door to the entire truth that had been buried for nearly twenty years, from the day her grandmother collapsed amid the cruel epidemic in Lach Dua, until the day Master Lieu Nguyen breathed his last in the middle of a remote border camp.

She closed the diary, placed it next to the half piece of white jade in the red cloth bag, the two evidences of two painful generations now lying next to each other as a reminder that her journey has never been just her own story, but the continuation of a struggle that has lasted over many years, through many losses, to finally lead to tonight, between these four cold stone walls.