Chapter 15 — The Prophet Awakens: Shedding the Worthless Shell

The hearing before the council of elders about the failed kidnapping took place tense but as Tuyết Doanh predicted. Ước Liêm Phong sent his own lawyer to defend, presenting a series of "witnesses" to confirm that the four arrested men were just wandering gangsters acting on their own, and had nothing to do with Nam Xuyên. Although many elders did not believe that defense, lacking direct evidence linking Liêm Phong to the incident, the council could not officially charge him.

"It's a pity we can't punish him right now." Elder Bách Niên sighed after the hearing. "But at the very least, his reputation in the eyes of the patriarchs has been seriously damaged. Many people who were wavering before have now begun to lean towards the queen again." Tuyết Doanh nodded, even though she was still worried. "It's a small victory, but the official challenge is what decides everything. We cannot be subjective."

***

That night, after everything had calmed down, Tuyết Doanh went to Nguyệt Trạch's backyard, where Vọng Thần was sitting alone in the moonlight, flipping through an old book that Vân Khinh Nhược gave him. She quietly came and sat down next to him, saying nothing for a long time, just listening to the chirping of insects in the night.

"You said you would tell me the truth," she finally spoke, her voice softer than usual. "I think this might be the right time."

Vọng Thần closed the book and looked at her for a long time under the gentle moonlight. He knew the time had come when he couldn't delay any longer — not because of the pressure of the upcoming showdown, but because the woman sitting next to him deserved to know the truth, after all she had gone through for him.

"Do you still remember the fairy tale I told Tiểu Nguyệt? About Thiên Cơ Các, about the Nine Heavens Legend, about the boy who survived the disaster?" He asked, his voice low.

"I remember." Tuyết Doanh nodded, her heart beating faster as she had a premonition of the truth about to be revealed.

Vọng Thần took a deep breath, his lips moving as if he were about to blurt out something important - his real name, his real identity, everything he had hidden for more than twenty years. But at that moment, the old fear arose again, tightening its grip on his throat. If she said it completely, would the burden of the prophecy immediately fall on her head, on Tiểu Nguyệt's head, right on the threshold of the life-and-death challenge?

"I..." He stopped, swallowed the words that were barely out loud, then chose a middle path. "I'm not an ordinary beggar like I look like, Tuyết Doanh. I once belonged to a place that no longer exists, carrying within me a part of the power that I had to hide all my life to protect the people I love. I beg you, please give me a little more time so I can tell you everything completely, at the right time, in the right place — not because I don't believe you, but because I need to be sure that when the truth is revealed, it will protect you, not drag you down. She is in danger."

Tuyết Doanh looked at him, clearly realizing that he was still holding back something, but this time, instead of asking until the end, she just nodded slightly. She had seen enough to believe that whatever he was hiding, it wasn't because he didn't trust her, but because of some deep fear he wasn't brave enough to face. "Okay. I'll wait. But you have to promise, when the time comes, you won't hide it from me anymore."

"I promise." He held her hand, his voice choked with pent-up emotions for more than twenty years. "I'm sorry for not having the courage to tell you the truth sooner. I'm sorry for letting you endure ridicule and doubts, while I knew everything but couldn't say it."

Tuyết Doanh was silent for a long time, letting her emotions subside before speaking. "I don't blame you for hiding it. I understand, there are fears that are not easy to overcome overnight." She looked at him, her eyes gentler than ever. "But I want you to know, no matter who you are - a beggar or a descendant of Thien Co Pavilion - the person I have grown to love over the past six years, is always you, the Cố Vọng Thần who told stories to my daughter every night, who quietly protected Bắcương without anyone knowing."

Those words made Vọng Thần speechless, a burst of emotion rising in his chest that he had never experienced in more than twenty years of living like a shadow. "You... did you just say you love me?"

Tuyết Doanh blushed, realizing that she had just blurted out something that she had never dared to admit frankly. But instead of taking back her words, she just nodded slightly, her eyes determined. "That's right. I love you, Cố Vọng Thần. Not because of the obligation of the Millennium Covenant, but because of who you have shown me all these years."

Vọng Thần couldn't hold back anymore, he reached out and hugged her, a sincere and warm hug that the two had never exchanged during six years of formal marriage. "I love you too, Tuyết Doanh. For a long time, perhaps longer than I dared to admit to myself."

Under the gentle moonlight, in the midst of a political storm waiting to strike, two people found each other in the most honest way, no more cover, no more obligations, only the true love that had silently sprouted throughout the years of living together.

***

Three days later, Ước Liêm Phong officially sent a notice setting a specific date and time for the challenge at Đại Thí Trường - exactly on the full moon day of the following month, when exactly ninety days from the announcement ceremony had passed.

"Everything is ready," he said to Chu Bình, his eyes full of confidence. "Hàn Bạo has been practicing non-stop for the past three months, and our backup plan is also complete. No matter how much Xa Tuyết Doanh prepares, the final result will still be in my hands."

At Nguyệt Trạch, when receiving the official announcement, Tuyết Doanh and Vọng Thần looked at each other, both understanding that the decisive moment was coming closer than ever. But this time, they no longer face it alone, but together, as true companions.

"Only one month left." Tuyết Doanh held Vọng Thần's hand tightly. "Do you have any plans yet?"

"I have." He nodded, his eyes determined. "But I need more time to prepare properly. And I need you to trust me again, this time with the whole truth revealed."

"I believe you," she replied, without hesitation. "We will get through this together, no matter what Ước Liêm Phong has prepared."

***

The next morning, news of the official date and time of the challenge spread throughout Bắcương, causing a tense atmosphere to cover every corner. At the markets, people no longer talked about "bad omens" like before, but instead there were whispers about Vọng Thần's spectacular rescue at the festival, causing the image of "useless beggar" to begin to change in the eyes of the people.

At Nguyệt Trạch, Tuyết Doanh summoned Bạch Vũ to review all preparations. "Does the alliance with Thanh Lang Bộ and Tây Hải Bộ still hold?"

"Still holding firm, my lord. Both sides are ready to respond as soon as they receive the signal," Bạch Vũ replied, then hesitated further. "My lord, can I ask something that is not allowed?"

"Say it."

"What your husband showed off at the festival... is it related to the strange things that your subordinates and I have been suspecting all this time?"

Tuyết Doanh smiled slightly, a rare smile in these stressful days. "Maybe so. But I think we should let him decide when and how to tell the whole truth, Bạch Vũ. The most important thing now is that we have another strong ally in the upcoming war, no matter what form it takes."

"I understand." Bạch Vũ bowed his head, feeling relieved when thinking about the possibility that Nguyệt Trạch's family was no longer alone in facing Nam Xuyên's plot.

That night, while standing together watching Tiểu Nguyệt sleep, Tuyết Doanh leaned her head on Vọng Thần's shoulder, for the first time allowing herself to be weak, to rely on another person after many years of carrying an entire land alone.