Chapter 5 — The Pregnant Sister Robbed the Eastern Palace, Her Grandfather Brought a Tiger Talisman to Press the Power

I gently caressed the engraved pattern on the box. The lock is very small, there is no key. I carefully observed for a while, then discovered that at the bottom of the box there was an extremely discreet hidden latch. I gently pressed down.

With a "click" sound, the box opened.

There was no gold, silver or jewels inside. There is also no land deed or house deed. There was only a small, fragile notebook covered with oiled paper. We open the oil paper layer. It's a notebook. We turn to the first page. The moment I saw the handwriting and content above clearly, my pupils suddenly constricted violently. It was as if my blood had completely frozen in that moment. This notebook records not money passing back and forth. It is ironclad evidence of money transactions over many years between father Tham Trong Van and Crown Prince Tieu Canh Duc! Including embezzlement of military provisions, buying and selling of officials, and even... slandering and harming loyal officials. Each account is recorded clearly, with time, place, person processing, and nothing is missing. This is no longer a notebook. It was clearly a blade... A blade that could directly push the Tham family and the Dong palace onto the scaffold together! I return to Chi Lan Institute. The ancestors' soldiers guarded the outside of the courtyard, like two iron towers, not allowing anyone to get close. Van Chau commanded the servants in the hospital to carry each bucket of hot water into my room. I want to take a bath. Wash away all the humiliation forced upon you by others. Also erase the foolish naivety of the past eighteen years. Warm water gradually covers the body, but we don't feel any warmth. In my head, I kept repeating the contents of that notebook over and over again. Father, Tham Trong Van. Prime Minister of the dynasty, head of the hundred mandarins. On weekdays, he always puts on the appearance of taking care of the country and the people, being honest and upright, like a good official wholeheartedly serving the world. When teaching me, opening my mouth and closing my mouth is all for the cause of the country and a virtuous woman. I always thought he was that kind of person. But the terrifying names in that book, each of those dirty transactions... Completely tore his disguise. He and the Crown Prince have long been grasshoppers tied on the same string. For power, they can sacrifice everything. Including us. Tham Thanh Nguyet's appearance was not unexpected. Which was originally their plan. A plan to add another layer of assurance to the Crown Prince's smooth accession to the throne. As long as the eldest son of the emperor is born, the Tham family will officially have a bloodline connection with the royal family, from then on it will become a force closely linked to the heavenly family, unshakable. Just a pawn in that plan, which can be thrown away at any time. Our marriage is a transaction. My reputation is a bet. My heart cools little by little, until it freezes into ice. I don't know how much time has passed, the water is already cold. I stood up and changed into a clean, simple white outfit. Long hair flowing down the back, no makeup or makeup. Van Chau brought a bowl of bird's nest.

“Miss, please eat something, you haven't eaten anything all day.”

I shook my head.

“No rush.”

I looked at her and asked softly.

“Van Chau, how long have you been following me?”

Van Chau stunned for a moment then replied.

“My lady, since you were five years old, this servant has served by your side, for thirteen years now.”

“Thirteen years already…”

I nodded slightly.

“So are you loyal to me, or loyal to this Tham family?”

Hearing that, Van Chau immediately knelt down.

"The slave is the one the lady left behind for the young lady. In this life, she will only be loyal to the young lady alone! If she has even the slightest bit of eccentricity, heaven and earth will be destroyed!"

Her eyes were steady but sincere. I held out my hand to help her up.

“Okay, I believe you.”

"From today onwards, I want this Chi Lan courtyard to turn into a block of iron with no gaps."

"All the servants in the yard, you personally go and warn each one of them. Those who talk too much, those with unclean hands and feet, those with different hearts... all of them are sold out, not even one person can be kept."

"I don't care what method you use, within three days, I want everyone in this yard to be ours."

A look of surprise flashed in Van Chau's eyes, but she immediately accepted her order.

"Yes, miss! I understand!"

After she left, I sat alone in front of the bronze mirror. The person in the mirror's face was pale, but his eyes were incredibly bright. It was a kind of light… Like a fire of revenge crawling up from hell. Sure enough, not long after. There was a commotion outside the courtyard. My stepmother, Lieu Thi, led a group of maids and fiercely rushed forward.

"Tham Hoa Thuong! Get out of here!"

Before the person arrived, her shrill voice entered first.