Chapter 1 — The Queen Likes to Eat Melon Seeds

My fiance met an assassin, and after being seriously injured, he lost his memory. During the banquet at the royal palace, he took one glance and immediately fell in love with my eldest sister. When outsiders asked about the engagement between me and him, he frowned and coldly replied:
"With an elder sister like that, a small concubine, where does she have the right to stand shoulder to shoulder with this king?"
The elder sister immediately smiled brightly, as proud as spring had returned to her face. But I, just softly lamented for her. Little did she know, that man - deep down, he was a crazy, malicious person.
1
The first snow of the season fell on the capital, and Yen Vuong returned to court with serious injuries. He served the men's orders, reassured the exiles, achieved great success and returned to the court triumphantly. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the road, he encountered an assassin. His life is not in danger, but his mind is damaged. It is said that when he wakes up, he cannot remember anyone. A few days later. During the banquet at the royal palace, with just one glance he became infatuated with my eldest sister - Du Ninh Xuyen, the daughter of the Minister of Justice. As for me, who was once so favored by him that he made all the noble ladies of the capital both envious and jealous, I have now become a complete joke. Du Ninh Xuyen was favored by Yen Vuong, was also given breakfast, and returned to the palace with dignity. Her whole family's faces were cheerful and radiant with joy. I stood far away, hidden under the moonlight, as silent as a stone statue. But Du Ninh Xuyen still quickly saw me. She raised her chin high and smiled faintly, mocking: "I have already said that a royal person like the Royal Family will of course value well-mannered and moral ladies more than concubines like you." The whole family helped her inside. I was about to turn around and leave, when my father suddenly called me back: "Chieu Nhi, you're coming in too." He called me, of course he wanted to discuss the marriage with Yen Vuong. Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, he spoke: "Now that Yen Vuong has lost his memory, and is full of praise for Tuyen Nhi, I see that the marriage between him and Chieu Nhi, I'm afraid it still needs to be considered further." The mother Truong Thi chimed in next to her: "I'm afraid it's still too early for the old man to say this. What if Yen Vuong meets Chieu Nhi again and changes his mind? Maybe it will be like before, with one heart and one heart for her." Du Ninh Xuyen disagreed, slightly frowning and said: "Mother, how can the Vuong family be such a shallow person?" "What's more, if you really have deep feelings, how can you say you forgot?" They - a family of three - happily sat together and discussed. As for me, standing to one side near the door, the cold wind blowing in from the crack made my arms and legs tremble. Although my father called me here, in reality - this place originally had no place for me to speak. No need, no one wants to hear it. Because I - just a rough girl, grew up in the countryside from a young age, and have never learned the etiquette of Khue Ca for many years. As time passed, perhaps the teapot was also drained by them. I raised my eyes and met my father's gaze. He said: "Chieu Nhi, for the next few days, stay in your room and don't leave the palace." 2. When I returned to my cottage, maid Bach Dao quickly brought me a bag of hand warmers. Then pour a cup of hot water and put it in my hand. She touched my frozen fingers, a look of sadness appeared on her face, but before she could open her mouth... My father had already stepped through the threshold. Behind him were two servants, each carrying several baskets of expensive smokeless charcoal. Bach Dao and the maids all withdrew, leaving only the two of us in the room. Father first took a look at my simple, cold room. In the room without a fireplace, the person gently tightened his cloak one more layer. Finally sighed: "Is it really the mother again?"

Are you being strict with me? I wanted to laugh a little, but in the end I remained obedient and polite and replied: "No, sir." The mother said that the palace had recently used a lot of coal, and the amount of coal was a bit limited, so she only gave it once every three days. My room is fine, not too cold." After speaking, I gently covered my mouth with my hand, coughed a few times, my face also turned a little pale, then forced a smile and said: "Mother and sister are weak, should have prioritized using charcoal. Father, I'm fine." He was silent for a moment before softly saying: "I have suffered." However, those words were just like wind blowing through my ears. Because right after that, he immediately revealed the true purpose of the visit: "Father knows that Yen Vuong's story makes me feel bad, but since I was a child, I have understood the matter, so you must also understand the weight, light, and harm, right?" The person looked at me attentively, his eyes full of longing. But I lowered my eyes and silently did not answer. His face gradually darkened and became cold. But very quickly, he began to lament helplessly: "In my heart, father, I still love you the most. It's just a pity that your mother died early, and your mother's family is so big, father was helpless..." Those words, since he was still a poor bachelor, have often been said to my mother. What will be the end result? Still abandoning mother - the noble wife who has overcome difficulties with him, Secretly married another concubine in the capital, giving birth to other concubines and daughters. Up to now, he has held real power in his hands, Relying on the power of his mother's family. But my words still haven't changed a word. I still think that I'm the obedient, easy-to-coax little girl like before. Oh, I've lost all hope for you a long time ago. I won't be moved by any of your words anymore. Usually in the palace, don't fantasize about things that shouldn't exist." “The position of Yen Vuong Phi, just leave it to your eldest sister. In the future, father will find another good marriage for you." Good marriage? I curled my lips slightly, smiling like I wasn't smiling. I was hated by King Yen to such an extent, ridiculed to such an extent throughout the capital - Could there still be such a thing as a "good marriage" for me? But I still obediently nodded and replied very reasonably: "I understand, I understand." 3. Those days, I really just stayed in my room, not stepping out even half a step. When no one in the yard paid any attention, Bach Dao and I built a charcoal stove, surrounded the stove and made tea. The room was so warm that it made one want to be lazy all day. I have never touched the coal my father sent me. Actually, we have much better coal here.