Chapter 5 — The night before the Crown Prince paid the royal concubine, the Ministry of Ceremonies mistakenly gave me my Queen's Order

The hall immediately became quiet. Tham Lenh Nghi's eyes sparkled with tears, her voice was so soft it seemed like it could drip water: "Sister, from now on, Lenh Nghi would like to take care of you. If you are willing, then please give me this cup of tea." All eyes were on him. As long as I raise that cup of tea, it means I have acknowledged her as the "main concubine" who has not yet entered my book. If I don't raise it, then I'm jealous and rude, ruining the Crown Prince's concubine ceremony. Tieu Thua Quan looked at me, his fingers slowly turning the sign. I raised the tea tray. Tham Lenh Nghi's eyes immediately flashed with pride, and he quickly knelt down to prepare to receive. Even Tieu Thua Quan breathed a sigh of relief. However, I turned around and gave the tea tray to the mandarin standing next to me.

“Please sir, pay your respects.”

The official was stunned: "Thank you, miss?" My voice was not loud, but loud enough for the whole hall to hear clearly: "What is the name of this cup of tea? Based on what ceremony is it offered? What is the status of the goddess? What is the status of Tham Thi? Please publicly write it down in the ceremony record." The laughter in the hall immediately stopped. Tham Lenh Nghi stiffened in a half-kneeling position. Tieu Thua Quan's face darkened: "Ta Minh Duong, what are you doing?"

“Ask the ceremony.” I said. “Doesn't the Eastern palace always value face the most?”

The official raised the tea tray, cold sweat covered his forehead: "This... this is just a family ritual, there is no need to enter the record."

“The royal family has no formalities.” I look at him. "The crown prince has accepted the concubine, the officials of the Ceremony Department, the hall is full of guests, and the ceremony is complete. You say you won't enter the record?"

The official looked at Tieu Thua Quan like asking for help. Tieu Thua Quan's voice was cold: "Today's ceremony is important, don't pay attention to her." I asked the court official: "The Crown Prince forces a woman who has not entered the book of glasses to tea for his concubine. What is the rule?" The official's lips turned white.

"Trac concubine uses the main red, goes through the middle door, sits on the main street, what are the rules?"

Tham Quoc's uncle slammed the table: "Ta Minh Duong! You are just a goddess and dare to cause trouble in the Eastern Palace?" I turned to look at him: "This goddess does not dare to cause trouble, she only dares to ask the court official to record the truth." Uncle Tham Quoc laughed coldly: "The Ta family doesn't even have its title anymore, what right do you have to stand here and ask for respect?" I stroked the jade gem in my sleeve, my fingertips were cold.

“Relying on the Northern landscape that my parents risked their lives to keep.”

The hall immediately stopped. Tieu Thua Quan suddenly stood up: "That's enough!" Tham Lenh Nghi's tears finally fell: "If you don't want to be fulfilled, just say it directly. Why do you have to use these rules to force people? You and your highness truly love each other, is it wrong?" I looked at her: "The true heart does not follow the ritual." She bit her lip, her body wobbling. Tieu Thua Quan supported her, his eyes gloomy: "Ta Minh Duong, today you don't respect this cup of tea, you openly oppose the Eastern Palace. I'll ask you one last time, respect or not?" I raised my cup of tea. The surface of the tea shook slightly, reflecting the red bamboo in the hall, like a bowl of blood. We walked step by step to the front of the court. Everyone thought I was finally bowing my head. Tham Lenh Nghi reached out his hand, the tears on his face had not yet dried, but the smile in his eyes could no longer be hidden. I put the tea cup down in the middle of the ceremony. Don't give it to her. But to give it to the mandarin. I said: "Write clearly that Ta Thi Minh Duong has not yet entered the East Palace sect, clearly write that Tham Thi Lenh Nghi used rituals that exceeded the standards of the royal concubine, clearly write that the Crown Prince used the rewards of the Ta family to threaten and force the goddess to respect tea." The official's hand was shaking so much that he could barely hold a pen. Tieu Thua Quan was so angry that he laughed: "Do you think that having the royal brother backing you can destroy your great ceremony?" As soon as the words ended, a high-pitched but clear voice suddenly rang out in the main hall.

"If the king has a decree, the Ministry of Rites will immediately approve the ceremony."

Han Truc led two Imperial Guards into the door. All the guests in the hall stood up simultaneously. Tham Lenh Nghi's face was completely pale at that moment. Han Truc walked to the front of the ceremony court, looked at the red chef, the front of the couple, happily dressed in the red, then looked at the trembling ceremony mandarin. The ceremony official no longer dared to hesitate and immediately knelt down and flipped through the ceremony book. The more he flipped, the more sweat on his body. In the end, the voice sounded like it had been sandpapered over.

"Reporting to Ngu Tien, the Crown Prince brought the royal concubine, Tham Thi was not allowed to use the red dress, was not allowed to go through the middle door, was not allowed to place a love screen, and was not allowed to accept tea from a goddess who had not entered the book. Today's ceremony..."

Tieu Thua Quan's eyes were cold: "Tell me clearly." The official bowed his head to the ground.

"Today's ceremony... exceeded the standards."

The hall was as quiet as death. The towel in Tham Lenh Nghi's hand fell to the ground. I looked at that cup of tea, the surface of the tea had gone cold.