Chapter 6 — The Poor Bridegroom Is the Supreme One

Half a month had passed since the wedding day, life at the small courtyard west of Ngan Phu gradually fell into order. Although considered the most shabby corner of the entire Ngan family mansion, that small courtyard under the skillful tidying hands of Khinh Vy and Vân Nhi had become much neater and more cozy. Wildflowers were planted around the yard, old curtains were washed, and although it did not have the luxury of the main courtyard, this place still exuded a distinct peacefulness.

Every morning, Khinh Vy got up early, prepares a simple breakfast with Vân Nhi, and then spent most of the day observing and listening to what was going on in the Ngan Palace. She clearly understood that, unlike her previous life when she was completely passive before Khinh Tuyết's plot, in this life she had to proactively capture information and build a network of trustworthy people before things went too far.

"Miss," Vân Nhi entered the room, her voice whispering even though there was no one else around, "this servant has been paying attention as you told me. Lately, butler Kỳ Bá Thành seems to be very worried, often staying alone in the book room until late at night. One day I even saw him drinking alone, his hand shaking and unable to hold the pen steady."

Khinh Vy frowned slightly, a clear memory welling up in her heart. Kỳ Bá Thành - a butler who served the Ngan government for more than twenty years, who in his previous life was bribed by Khinh Tuyết to falsify Ho Chi Minh's records, and then was killed by Khinh Tuyết himself to destroy the evidence. His death was then staged as a suspicious accident falling down the stairs that no one bothered to investigate thoroughly.

"He must be torn between conscience and pressure," Khinh Vy thought to herself. If history is indeed repeating in the same order, then this is the most crucial moment - when Kỳ Bá Thành is still alive, there is still a chance for her to approach and save him from a tragic fate, and at the same time turn him into the most important witness for the future plan to expose the conspiracy.

"Vân Nhi, do you know where he usually is at this time?" Khinh Vy asked.

"Yes, usually the butler stays in the records room next to the main hospital, but lately he often goes to the back of the flower garden to sit alone in the late afternoon, probably to avoid meeting other people." Khinh Vy nodded and decided immediately. That afternoon, when the sunlight had subsided, she alone went to the flower garden behind Ngan Palace, where Kỳ Bá Thành was sitting quietly on a stone slab, looking distantly at the small lake, holding a half-empty glass of wine in his hand.

"Butler," Khinh Vy spoke softly, causing him to turn around in surprise and quickly stand up to bow.

"Miss... ah, ma'am, do you have anything to teach me here?" Kỳ Bá Thành tried to regain his composure, but his eyes still could not hide the fleeting panic.

"I was just taking a walk. I saw the butler sitting here alone so I stopped by to ask," Khinh Vy replied, her voice calm, then sat down on a nearby stone, signaling him to sit down too. "How many years has the butler served the Ngan Palace?"

"Yes, it's been more than twenty years, since my wife was not born yet," Kỳ Bá Thành replied, his voice trembling somewhat.

"Twenty years is a long time," Khinh Vy said, looking straight at him, "enough for the butler to witness many ups and downs of this family. I believe, the butler must have seen a lot of things that other people cannot see."

Those words made Kỳ Bá Thành tremble slightly, the wine in his hand almost fell to the ground. He bowed his head, not daring to look directly at Khinh Vy. "Madam... what do you want to say?"

"I don't mean anything," Khinh Vy replied, her voice was gentle but contained an indescribable weight, "I just want to tell the butler that, if there is anything that makes you worry, or the burden in your heart is so heavy that you have to drink alcohol to relieve your sadness like that, you can trust me. I will never let those loyal to this family suffer unfairly."

Kỳ Bá Thành raised his head, his eyes wavered violently, as if in a fierce internal struggle. "Madam, do you... do you know something?"

Khinh Vy looked at him and decided to bet a part of the truth to pave the way for trust. "I don't know the details, but I have a hunch that someone is forcing the housekeeper to do something against his conscience, related to the Household Ministry's books. Am I right?"

Kỳ Bá Thành was stunned, his face turned pale, his trembling hands put the wine on the stone slab. After a long while, he spoke, his voice choked. "Madam is truly astute... Half a year ago, Princess Triệu Nhã Trân came to me, bringing... evidence of an old debt of my son in the capital, threatening that if I didn't help her correct some numbers in the treasury books, she would send my son to prison," Hearing that, Khinh Vy felt sad and confirmed another important piece of the puzzle. In her previous life, she never knew the real reason why Kỳ Bá Thành had to get involved in that plot - it turned out that he was just a forced victim, not the mastermind.

"What did the housekeeper change in the books?" She asked, her voice gentle but firm.

"It's just small expenses that were recorded incorrectly, not serious enough," Kỳ Bá Thành replied, his voice trembling. "But recently, my aunt asked me to prepare another set of books, this time related to a much larger amount of treasury tax, I... I really don't know what to do. If it is discovered, not only me but also the entire Ngan family will be implicated."

Khinh Vy was silent for a moment, considering carefully before making a decision. This is her opportunity to completely change the situation compared to her previous life. "Butler," she said, her voice firm, "from today, I want the butler to do something. Instead of continuing to amend the records according to your majesty's orders, keep the original unaltered copy in a safe place, and make an exact copy to give to your majesty as she requested. I will find a way to protect the butler and the butler's son from all danger."

Kỳ Bá Thành looked at Khinh Vy in shock. He did not expect that the young lady he considered gentle and rarely involved in life could come up with such a meticulous plan. "Madam... can you really protect me?"

"I promise the butler," Khinh Vy replied, her eyes determined, "as long as the butler trusts me, keeps this matter absolutely secret, does not let anyone else know, including the butler's closest people, I will make sure the butler's son is safe, and one day soon, the butler will no longer have to live in fear like he does now." After a long hesitation, Kỳ Bá Thành finally nodded, his eyes showing gratitude mixed with hope for the first time after many months of living in fear. "I would like to follow your arrangement, ma'am."

On the way back to her small hospital, Khinh Vy felt much more relieved. This was the first, but extremely important, step in her entire long-term plan. With Kỳ Bá Thành's cooperation, she would have in her hands real evidence that the Household Ministry records were falsified, along with direct testimony that Triệu Nhã Trân was the one behind the direction - something she never had in her previous life.

Returning to the small courtyard, she saw Tạ Dịch Thần sitting in the yard, holding an old book in his hand, his eyes absentmindedly looking into the distance as if thinking about something. Seeing her return, he slightly raised his head, his eyes gently questioning.

"Where did you go, ma'am? Your face looks strange."

Khinh Vy smiled slightly and sat down next to him. "Just taking a walk in the garden, there are a few small matters that need to be resolved." She doesn't want to reveal everything right now, even though in her heart she trusts Dịch Thần more and more. "What are you reading?"

"Just a few old books I brought with me from my hometown," Dịch Thần replied, closing the book. "Madam, if you have any difficulties, don't hesitate to share them with me. Even though I don't have the position or power to help much, at least I can listen."

Khinh Vy looked at him, an unusually warm feeling arose in her heart. She knew that even though she couldn't trust him completely right now, with each passing day, the distance between the two of them was gradually narrowing, little by little, through sincere gestures of concern like this.

"Thank you," she replied, smiling slightly, "when I need you, I will definitely find you."

The late afternoon light dyed the entire small yard golden, two figures sat next to each other in a rare peaceful silence, amidst countless underground waves silently rolling throughout the Ngan Palace.