Chapter 1 — The Queen Mother Returns to the Dynasty

In the fifth year after being deposed, Chu Hanh Chi died. As soon as the funeral bell rang, I happily ate two more bowls of rice in the temple. He soulfully wandered to my side, begging me to have mercy on Tham Ngoc Dao and her mother. I pretended not to see, holding my five-year-old son in my arms and teasing him. The courtiers all knelt down before me, begging me to return to the palace: "The first emperor acted contrary to the heavenly way, so the son born to his successor has not yet learned how to speak at the age of three. Now in the confusion of his heart, we beseech the Queen Mother to return to the court and reset the rules of society." This means that the child of Chu Hanh Chi and Tham Ngoc Dao is a mute. Their tongues are very quick, and in the past, they chased my mother and me out of the palace without any delay. I brushed off my clothes and slowly stood up: "Return to the palace." I should go see my old friend again. Suddenly I looked forward to the look on Tham Ngoc Dao's face when he held that mute child in his arms. Chu Hanh Chi knelt down in front of me, crying and begging: "I know I have wronged you, but Ngoc Dao is innocent. Now the world belongs to you, please give them and their mother a way to live." I smiled. I want to tell him that if he begs, he shouldn't have that attitude. You have to be like me that year, three days after giving birth, I had to kneel in the snow and kowtow until I bled to show my sincerity. Five years ago, when the death decree was brought to me, my body was still drenched in blood after giving birth. The eunuch ordered to use a silk scarf to cover his nose, his voice as cold as ice: "Co Thi Thu Nguyet, harmed the royal family, cruel heart, from now on, deposed to be a commoner. The newly born prince is allowed to stay in the palace for three days to recuperate, three days later immediately taken to Linh An Pagoda, never allowed to return to the palace!" I rose from the bed, in pain to the point of tearing the wound: "I want to see the Emperor, let me see the Emperor! I have never harmed a child before." of Ngoc Dao!” “The Emperor said he did not want to see you.” The eunuch took a step back, "Stop struggling, obediently leave the palace three days later, you can still save your face." Three days later, heavy snow sealed the city. I hugged Vinh An, still in diapers, kneeling on the stone steps outside Duong Tam Palace. The snow was up to my knees, cold air like needles penetrating my bones. Vinh An cried softly in my arms, her small face turning purple from the cold. "Your Majesty, I request an audience!" My voice cracked in the wind and snow, "This concubine can go, but Vinh An is your flesh and blood... The child was only three days old, the temple is cold, he will die..." The guard stood in front of the palace door, his face expressionless, covered in snow. "Your Majesty said he didn't see me, which means he didn't see me." The captain of the guard said coldly, "The Queen should go back, don't let me embarrass myself." I refuse to leave. I used my fragile body to try to protect Vinh An from the cold wind. Snowflakes fell on his collar, melted into cold water, and flowed down his spine. My kneeling legs had been numb for a long time, my lips were dry and cracked and bleeding. "Your Majesty, Vinh An is also your child... Just look at him once..." I kept banging my head. His forehead hit the ice surface, making a dull, heavy sound. Blood mixed with snow water, blurring my vision. "I beg you, just let Vinh An stay in the palace, I am willing to do anything." Even if I no longer love you... The palace door is still tightly closed. Inside vaguely echoed the sound of a flute, mixed with a woman's charming laughter. I suddenly remembered the old days, Chu Hanh Chi held my hand and said: "Thu Nguyet, you are my only queen, this harem will forever be only you." At that time, he also held my hand and placed it on his chest, saying that this place could only accommodate me. But now, because of Tham Ngoc Dao, he threw me and my poor child out into the harsh ice and snow. I don't know how long I knelt, my consciousness began to blur.

His body wobbled, but he still hugged Vinh An tightly in his arms. Many times I almost fell unconscious, I only clung to one thought - I couldn't let my child fall. Finally, the electric door opened slightly. Coming out was not Chu Hanh Chi, but the nanny next to Tham Ngoc Dao. She carried a bowl of medicine, walked in front of me, looked at me from above: "The emperor said, if the Queen is still here making noise, alarming the Queen who is nursing her baby, then even the three days of leniency will no longer be there, and will immediately be kicked out of the palace." She put the bowl of medicine in the snow: "This is warm medicine given by the Queen, after the Queen has drunk it, quickly leave." I tremblingly reached out to take the bowl, but found that it was not hot medicine, but freshly brewed well water. scooped it up, cold to the bone. The nanny laughed coldly: "What? Don't drink? Are you criticizing the Queen's reward?" I gritted my teeth, lifted the bowl of cold water, and drank it all in one gulp. The coldness spread from my throat to my stomach, making me cough and choke, tears welling up in my eyes. "Can I go now?" She asked. I took one last look at the tightly closed electric door, hugged Vinh An, and stood up with all my strength. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, I staggered a few steps and fell into the snow. Vinh An slipped out of her diaper and fell to the snow, crying loudly. I crawled over, hugged him again, using my body heat to warm that cold little face. Behind her, the nanny's voice rang out: "Sure enough, you're an invalid, you can't walk anymore." Her voice was scornful, carrying an undisguised mockery. The moment she turned around and was about to return to the palace to obey, I suddenly stood up from the snow. My knees ached, my legs were shaking, I could hardly support myself, but I didn't know where the strength came from that made me turn around strongly and rush towards the closing electric door. The nanny obviously didn't expect me to do that, she was stunned for a moment before reacting: "Stop her!" But the guards seemed a bit hesitant. Their hands holding the hilts of their swords tightened, but no one actually stepped forward to stop me. I staggered through their defenses, rushing into the door that I thought I would never be able to enter again in my entire life. Inside the palace, warmth rushed in, as different from the ice and snow outside as two worlds. The incense sticks swirled around, the coals burned brightly, the cold air throughout my body immediately turned into a rising white mist. Then we see them. Chu Hanh Chi sat on the soft tower, hugging Tham Ngoc Dao in his arms, holding a bowl of medicine in one hand, and gently caressing her back with the other. He bowed his head, his voice was so gentle that I had never heard it before: "Good girl Dao, drink one more sip, after drinking I will reward you with honey jam." Tham Ngoc Dao leaned against his chest, her cheeks were unnaturally red, her eyes sparkled with tears: "It's too bitter, I don't want to drink anymore." "How can I get better without taking medicine?" Chu Hanh Chi patiently coaxed her, scooped up a spoonful of medicine, gently blew it to cool it, then brought it to her lips, "Let me feed it to you, okay?" I stood at the door, Vinh An was crying to the point of exhaustion, only letting out soft sobs. The warmth in the electricity causes the frozen blood in one's body to begin to circulate, bringing with it a deeper cold current. I remember a long time ago, I was also sick. At that time, I had just been appointed queen not long ago. I was infected with wind and cold and had a high fever that wouldn't go away. The medicine the doctor prescribed was so bitter that it was difficult to swallow. I frowned and pushed the bowl of medicine away: "It's too bitter, I won't drink it." What did Chu Hanh Chi do then? He put down the bowl of medicine and did not advise me anymore. Half an hour later, he ordered someone to carry three large chests and opened them in front of all the eunuchs. One chest was filled with South Sea pearls, each seed was round and full, shining under the candlelight

lambent. A chest of jade items inlaid with gold thread, exquisitely carved, worth several thousand. The remaining chest is filled with all kinds of gems, red as blood, blue as the sea, green as jade. "The queen said the medicine was bitter and refused to drink it." In front of everyone, he grabbed a handful of pearls and dropped them into the medicine bowl, then held a piece of jade, "Are these sweet enough?" The whole palace's eyes widened in surprise. He held a red gem again, pretending to drop it into the medicine bowl: "Not enough? How about a little more?" At that time, I couldn't help but laugh and pulled his hand: "What are you doing, Your Majesty? Who would coax someone to drink medicine like that?" "My Queen, of course I have to use the best to coax her." He held the bowl of medicine mixed with pearls, took a spoonful and brought it to my lips, "Are you ready to drink now?" I obediently drank that bowl of bitter medicine, my heart was sweeter than honey. At that time, he said: "Thu Nguyet, you are my only queen. I am willing to offer all the world's treasures before you. I only pray that you will take the medicine well and recover soon." But now - "Cough cough..." Tham Ngoc Dao choked on the medicine and coughed a few times. Chu Hanh Chi immediately put down the bowl of medicine and nervously patted her back: "Slow down, slow down, I'm here, no hurry, no hurry." He picked it up from the small plate next to him. a piece of honey jam, brought it to Tham Ngoc Dao's mouth: "Come on, eat it, it won't be bitter anymore." Tham Ngoc Dao took the jam, buried her face in his arms, her voice was soft: "Your Majesty is very kind to this concubine..." Chu Hanh Chi smiled, the smile was so warm that it pricked my eyes. He used to smile at me like that. At that time, he said, this smile belongs only to me. "Your Majesty." My voice was hoarse and hard to hear, as if my throat had been torn by ice and snow. The two people in the palace finally noticed me. Chu Hanh Chi raised his head to look over, the gentle smile on his face froze the moment he saw me. Instead, it was surprise, then disgust, and finally turned into cold anger: "Who let you in?" Tham Ngoc Dao poked her head out from his arms. As soon as she saw me, she shrank back and hid deeper into his chest. "Your Majesty..." she called softly, her voice filled with panic, "I'm afraid..."