Chapter 3 — The Poor Bridegroom Is the Supreme One

The main hall of Đại Lương royal palace is majestic and magnificent, its soaring gilded columns reach the blue glass tiled roof, the noon sunlight shines through the white marble dragon courtyard, creating a scene that is both solemn and brilliant. On the dragon pedestal, Emperor Lương Chiêu Dương sits majestically in a golden dragon-embroidered dragon robe, next to National Master Hồ Trung Đạo, who will preside over the entire Grand Wedding ceremony this year.

Each pair of young ladies and gentlemen were named and stepped out into the middle of the dragon yard so that the ladies could personally choose their spouses, under the witness of the whole court and the eyes of thousands of people standing outside the palace gates. This is a ritual that has existed for many generations of Đại Lương kings, and is considered a rare symbol of fairness for women in a society that favors men over women, where noble ladies have the right to decide their own marriage instead of completely depending on family arrangements.

Khinh Vy stood in line waiting for her turn, watching each couple step forward. There are young ladies who choose the prince because of their sincere feelings that have developed before, there are those who choose because of their family background, and there are also those who are hesitant and confused, not knowing who to choose among the long line of unfamiliar gentlemen. Every time a successful couple is announced, the music resounds loudly, and the sound of people outside cheers endlessly.

While waiting, Khinh Vy took the opportunity to signal Vân Nhi who was standing behind the row of chairs reserved for the family. She quickly approached and bowed her head to obey the command.

"Vân Nhi," Khinh Vy whispered, her voice low enough for only the two of them to hear, "after today's ceremony, I want you to pay attention to something. Among the servants recently brought into the palace, has anyone interacted with the concubine or the Second Miss in an unusual way?"

Vân Nhi was a bit surprised by the question, but still nodded. "Yes, let me pay attention. But young lady, why are you asking this at this time?"

"It's nothing," Khinh Vy replied, smiling softly in reassurance. "It's just my hunch. Just keep an eye on me, don't let anyone find out you're asking." Vân Nhi nodded and returned to her previous position, still full of questions but not daring to ask more. Khinh Vy looked at the maid's figure, silently thinking that this was just the first step in her long-term plan. She clearly understands that to completely overthrow the plot that killed her in her previous life, she will need many pieces of evidence, and Vân Nhi is the most reliable eyes and ears she can rely on at this time.

She turned back to observe the crowd of young men on the opposite side, her eyes once again stopping on the quiet figure of Tạ Dịch Thần. He stood still from the beginning of the ceremony, not showing any signs of impatience or restlessness like other poor gentlemen who felt self-conscious about the luxury of the royal palace. On the contrary, his demeanor exuded a strange calmness, as if this entire magnificent scene was nothing worth worrying about.

Suddenly, a group of noble sons and daughters standing nearby began to ridicule, their voices deliberately loud so that everyone around them could hear. "Hey, didn't that guy come from poor Vọng Điền village? I don't understand why the examiner added his name to the candidate list. Isn't it just to make people laugh?"

Giggles rang out from a few other dudes standing around. Khinh Vy frowned, observing Dịch Thần's reaction. If it were a normal person, he would probably be blushing with embarrassment, or at least showing some anger. But Dịch Thần only glanced slightly at that group of young men, his eyes flashed with something hard to name - not anger, not humiliation, but like an adult looking at a group of naughty children, then he bowed his head again, continuing to be silent as if nothing had happened.

"How strange," Khinh Vy thought to herself. A truly poor person, truly self-conscious about his background, would not be able to maintain that level of composure in the face of public humiliation. This small detail further reinforced her suspicion that Tạ Dịch Thần was not as simple as what everyone saw.

Standing next to Dịch Thần, another young man with an agile appearance and eyes as bright as stars, quietly leaned close to his ear and whispered something, seeming to be upset on behalf of his friend. That person, Khinh Vy later learned, was named Nghiêm Bạt Sương, claiming to be Dịch Thần's hometown companion, accompanying him on this important day. Dịch Thần just shook his head slightly, signaling his friend not to make any more noise, his demeanor still remaining leisurely.

"Next, please Miss Ngân Khinh Tuyết, the second lady of the Ngan Palace, step out into the middle of the dragon yard," the officiant's voice rang out, interrupting Khinh Vy's thoughts.

Khinh Vy turned to look at Khinh Tuyết who was gracefully walking out into the middle of the field, her face beaming with a smile, her confident eyes scanning the row of gentlemen in front, finally stopping meaningfully at Âu Thế Khang. Murmurs arose throughout the dragon yard - everyone knew that, as a rule, the eldest daughter of a family was the one given priority to choose the most prestigious sons, while Khinh Tuyết, although loved by her father, was still only the second child from a concubine, with an incomparable status.

But this time, perhaps because she had been warned by her mother in advance, Khinh Tuyết still boldly walked in front of Âu Thế Khang, bowed slightly to perform the ceremony according to the ritual, even though everyone knew this was just a formal gesture - because, according to the rules of the Grand Wedding Ceremony, the actual selection had to wait until the eldest daughter, Khinh Vy, completed her selection first.

The officiant gently cleared his throat and looked towards Ngân Bá Viễn standing in the row of officials. "According to tradition, the eldest daughter of the Ngan Palace has not yet turned, so please Second Miss, please step back and wait."

Khinh Tuyết bit her lip slightly, a trace of dissatisfaction flashed through her eyes before hiding it, bowing her head and returning to her original position. Khinh Vy observed the entire development, silently confirming in her heart what she knew from her previous life: Khinh Tuyết had targeted Âu Thế Khang in advance, and most likely, the entire plan to harm her sister to gain both her status and her rich fiance had been planned out a long time ago, not just an impulsive decision that arose on the night of the Big Wedding as she had thought.

"Next, invite the head of the Ngan Palace, Miss Ngân Khinh Vy." The name was announced and all eyes in the main hall turned to Khinh Vy. She took a deep breath, stepped out of the ranks, and walked towards the middle of the dragon yard with a leisurely gait, head held high, without any hesitation. The sunlight shining down made the pearls attached to her dress sparkle, the whole dragon yard seemed to be silent for a moment, only the whispers of the crowd echoed softly.

Standing in the middle of the field, Khinh Vy glanced at the row of young men in front. She saw Âu Thế Khang standing in a solemn position, his eyes confidently looking towards her with a slight smile, as if he was sure that he would be the chosen one - just like what happened in his previous life. She also saw other noble sons and daughters, each with their own self-confidence, hoping to catch the eye of the daughter of the Ngan palace.

And at the end of the line, Tạ Dịch Thần was still standing there, his eyes lowered, his demeanor calm as if he didn't care about the outcome of this ceremony.

Khinh Vy pursed her lips slightly, clearly feeling Khinh Tuyết's probing eyes looking at her from the back row, as well as her father's heavy expectant eyes from the mandarins. She knew that in just a few moments, her decision would shake up the entire main hall, completely overturning the plans that Khinh Tuyết and Âu Thế Khang had secretly arranged.

But she was not afraid at all. On the contrary, a strange feeling of calm arose in her heart, as if this was the moment she had been waiting for her entire life.

"Respect Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty," Khinh Vy spoke, her voice clearly echoing throughout the dragon yard, without trembling, "Goddess Ngân Khinh Vy, please allow me to think a little more before making my choice."

Those words made the whole main hall stir. There has never been a precedent for a candidate to ask for more time to think in the middle of such an important ceremony. National Master Hồ Trung Đạo, sitting next to the Emperor, frowned slightly but still nodded generously. "Okay, young lady, take your time and think about it. Marriage is a lifelong thing, don't rush it."

Khinh Vy bowed her head slightly in gratitude, then took one last look at the row of young men in front, her eyes finally stopping for a long time on the quiet figure of Tạ Dịch Thần. In that moment, it seemed he also felt her gaze, slightly raising his head, their eyes met in the vast space of the main hall.

It was only a very short moment, but enough for Khinh Vy to realize that in that man's deep eyes, there was no inferiority complex, no fear of his poor situation, but only a deep calm, like a calm ocean containing hidden storms that no one could predict.

She pursed her lips, making a final decision in her heart. Even if the road ahead is difficult, even if she faces fierce opposition from her own father, she will not let this opportunity pass her by again.