Chapter 10 — The Poor Bridegroom Is the Supreme One

One month after the wedding, Kỳ Bá Thành came to the small hospital on a drizzly evening, his face showing a panic that he could not hide. Khinh Vy quickly invited him into the inner room, signaling Vân Nhi to stand guard outside the door so that no one could overhear the conversation.

"Madam," Kỳ Bá Thành said, his voice trembling, "today she came to me again, this time she brought a much more serious request. She wanted me to prepare a set of fake documents, stating that she had secretly withdrawn a large sum of money from the private treasury of the Ngan Palace to... support an outside lover before getting married."

Khinh Vy heard that, a cold look flashed across her face. This was the first step of a much more serious slander plot than she had anticipated — targeting not only her assets, but also her personal dignity and honor, an attack that could completely destroy her standing in the eyes of her father and the whole of Dai Liang's upper class society.

"Has the butler accepted yet?" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I... I said I needed time to prepare the documents properly, so please postpone for a few days," Kỳ Bá Thành replied, "but ma'am, I'm really scared. If I continue to delay for too long, the concubine will get suspicious, and if I comply with her request, the madam will be in great danger."

Khinh Vy pondered for a long time. This is the decisive moment, where she needs to make a wise decision to both protect Kỳ Bá Thành, not reveal that she knew about this plot in advance, and at the same time turn that plot into evidence against the people who created it.

"Butler," she said, her eyes determined, "I want the butler to follow your request and prepare that fake file as usual. But before handing it to her, make a copy, clearly stating the date of drafting, along with the butler's signature certifying that this is a dossier compiled under the direct orders of Concubine Triệu Nhã Trân for the purpose of slander. This copy, along with the set of fake books about the southern treasury tax that the butler has kept in advance. That will be the key evidence to expose the entire conspiracy when the time comes."

When Kỳ Bá Thành heard that, his eyes showed fear. "Madam, if this is discovered, I... I will really lose my life."

"I understand the butler's concern," Khinh Vy replied, her voice gentle but firm, "but please think carefully, if the butler continues to follow your every request without any evidence to defend himself, once the plot is exposed in another way, or when you no longer need the butler, what will be the butler's fate? I'm afraid, the butler knows too much to be left alone."

That sentence made Kỳ Bá Thành shiver, because he had also thought about that dark scenario during sleepless nights. "You are right," he finally nodded, "I will do as you say."

After Kỳ Bá Thành left, Khinh Vy sat quietly alone in the room, clearly feeling the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She saved a person's life from the tragic fate of her previous life, and at the same time had an important piece of evidence, but at the same time put Kỳ Bá Thành in a more dangerous position if the plot was revealed early.

At that moment, Dịch Thần entered the room, saw her thoughtful expression and sat down next to her. "What's making you so worried, ma'am?"

Khinh Vy looked at him for a while, then finally decided to share part of the truth. "Do you remember what I said, this Ngan palace is not as peaceful as it seems? Today I just received news that someone is plotting to create a story to slander my reputation, to destroy my position in the family."

When Dịch Thần heard that, his eyes immediately became serious, no longer the usual leisurely look. "Who did this? Do you need my help, ma'am?"

"No need," Khinh Vy replied, shaking her head slightly, "I have my own plan to deal with it. But I want you to know in advance, so that if something unexpected happens, you won't be too surprised."

Dịch Thần silently looked at her, a sincere admiration rising in his heart. He had witnessed countless plots to seize power during his long years at the head of the Nine Heavens Realm, but rarely had he seen a young mortal able to maintain such composure and careful calculation in the face of danger that directly threatened his own honor and life.

"Madam," he said, his voice low but sincere, "even if you have your own plans, I still want you to know, I will always stand behind you, ready to take action anytime you need me. This is not only a husband's duty, but also..." he paused, his eyes gently looking at her, "it is what I truly want to do, for you."

Khinh Vy looked at him, her heart trembled slightly at those sincere words. She knows that, although there are still many secrets yet to be revealed about Dịch Thần's true identity, the love he has for her, the silent protection he has always given her since the first days, are all undeniable truths.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling slightly, "with you by my side, I feel much more secure when facing the dangers ahead."

In the following days, Kỳ Bá Thành silently completed a set of fake documents according to Triệu Nhã Trân's request, and kept a copy with a confirmation signature as Khinh Vy had instructed, carefully hiding it along with a set of books on Southern treasury taxes in a secret wooden box under the warehouse floor.

As for Bạt Sương, after many days of persistent questioning in the underworld of the capital, he finally found out an important clue: the stranger who paid the assassins was a new servant brought into the palace just three months ago, named Tiểu Mai, currently serving directly in Triệu Nhã Trân's hospital, under a fake name to hide his true background, having a record of theft and fraud in a neighboring district.

"So it's much clearer now," Khinh Vy said when listening to Bạt Sương's report, her eyes shining with determination. "We already have evidence of fake books, evidence of an upcoming conspiracy to slander our reputation, and now a clue about who hired an assassin to attack us. Each piece of the puzzle is gradually coming together, clearly showing that Triệu Nhã Trân and Khinh Tuyết are the ones behind it all."

“But there is still a lack of direct evidence linking everything together with undeniable certainty,” Dịch Thần commented, his eyes thoughtful. "If we only rely on these fragmentary clues, when confronted before the court, the opponent can still find a way to deny it and blame others."

"You're right," Khinh Vy nodded, "we need to be more patient, continue to collect more evidence, wait for the right opportunity to present it all at the moment when the opponent has no way to retreat."

That night, sitting together in the courtyard under the moonlight, Khinh Vy looked at Dịch Thần, Bạt Sương and Vân Nhi - the people who had stood by her side for the past month, building a solid network of information and trust that she had never had in her previous life. She clearly felt that although the road ahead was still full of hardships, this time, she will no longer face her fate alone.

"We've had a good start," she said, looking around at the people sitting around her, "but the real battle is still ahead. I believe, with this careful preparation, this time we will not let history repeat itself in the same tragic direction as before."

The gentle moonlight shined throughout the small courtyard, covering four people with the same goal in a layer of shimmering silver light, like a promise for the difficult but hopeful days to come.

Before Bạt Sương left, Khinh Vy gave one more advice. "Brother, please pay more attention and help me see if, besides Tiểu Mai, are there any other servants in the concubine's house who have an unknown background? I want to understand the entire network of agents she is using, so that when needed, I can cut off each line neatly, without letting the other party have time to react."

"Don't worry, ma'am, I will carefully investigate," Bạt Sương replied, then glanced at Dịch Thần meaningfully before saying goodbye. Dịch Thần just nodded slightly, didn't say anything more, but his eyes followed Khinh Vy's back as she walked into the house, thinking in his heart, this woman is making him more and more reconsider many things that he has never paid attention to during his hundreds of years at the top of the Nine Tieu World.