Chapter 4 — The Queen Mother Returns to the Dynasty

That was half a hard as a rock that the little nun secretly stuffed into my mouth - Even though it was hard, in my mouth, it was the most delicious food in the world. "Eat quickly," the little nun told in a low voice, "don't let the abbot see." I cried while eating, choking until I choked. "Thank you... thank you..." "Don't say those words." The little nun sighed, "I can't help you much. There are people who want you to die. You must try to live." I have lived. I dragged my broken body in the ruined temple, struggling through the day, then outside, Chu Hanh Chi shot fireworks into the sky to congratulate the empress's newlyweds. Relying on a few halves of the curtain secretly given to me, and the sole belief in my heart that "Vinh An cannot be without my mother", I have supported myself for five years. During those five years, the scars on my hands disappeared and then recurred, one on top of the other, leaving ugly scars. I knelt down and crushed my knees. On cloudy days, I was in so much pain that I couldn't stand up. Vinh An grew from a red child in diapers to a child who could run and jump, but due to lack of nutrition, he was thinner than his peers. During those five years, I thought every day: Chu Hanh Chi, Tham Ngoc Dao, Tinh An - Everything you have poured out on me, one day, I will return it a hundredfold. Returning my thoughts, my eyes swept over the people who were kneeling tremblingly. "Does anyone have any questions?" The group bowed their heads even deeper, in unison: "Carefully obey the grace." I pointed to the little nun who had brought me the dowry: "From now on, she will be the new abbot, supervising you." Tinh An raised her head: "You're still young, I'm afraid..." "Ah, that's right, you only need your grandmother to die to take over, you just reminded me." there." I calmly said, "Question the Queen Mother's decision, beat her to death with a stick." Tinh An opened her eyes wide in panic, constantly pleading: "The Queen Mother, spare your life! The servant was suddenly confused, not daring to doubt her, begging the Queen Mother to show her kindness—!" The guard dragged her away, before leaving, she still screamed: "It was because I followed the queen's advice that I targeted you... begging the Queen Mother to spare my life—!" Chu Hanh Chi was dumbfounded, turned his head to look at me: "Thu Nguyet... when will Ngoc Dao target you again? You're not in the temple?" Must you live a good life? Having enough food, clothes, and a child by your side. "What do you say? Ngoc Dao is good-natured, how could he harm her, it must be... must be..."What? A dying person doesn't need to lie? Chu Hanh Chi stammered, wanting to deceive himself but couldn't find a reason. I looked at his self-deception face, and couldn't help but feel sarcastic. 3 When the bridegroom entered the palace gate, I gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. The red palace wall still stood tall, under the dusk sparkling with blood. Chu Vinh An sat next to him, his small hand clutching the hem of his shirt tightly. Me: "Mother, is this the place where the emperor doesn't need us?" I held my child in my arms, my chin resting lightly on the top of the baby's head: "No, this is the place where he doesn't deserve to have us." When the car arrived in front of Thai Hoa palace, the civil servants knelt on the ground. Five years ago, they also knelt like this, but they knelt to offer orders to chase me out of the palace. The Minister of Rites took the lead, loudly shouting: "Welcome the Queen Mother, the Emperor returns to the palace—!" The sound echoed throughout the square. The field was empty, causing the birds sitting under the eaves to startle and fly away. Chu Hanh Chi's soul floated to my left, a complicated expression appeared on his face. He tried to speak several times, but in the end it only turned into a sigh: "Thu Nguyet, you have changed." Stepping up the white jade steps, I saw Tham Ngoc Dao holding her child sitting on a dragon chair. She was dressed in a bright red dress - the color only for the queen in her arms empty. “Sister has returned?” Tham Ngoc Dao forced a smile, "That year when you left the palace, I thought I would never see you again. These past few years, being a vegetarian and reciting Buddha's name in the temple, are you familiar with it?" I stopped

walking, his eyes glanced over her, finally stopping at her slightly trembling fingers. Chu Vinh An poked his head behind me: "Mother, this is Lady Tham whose father kicked us out of the palace because of her?" The childish words were heartless, but they broke the carefully maintained mask. Tham Ngoc Dao's face was pale and she forced a smile: "Children are just talking nonsense, please don't mind, the child doesn't understand." "How can I blame him? Because he understands." I spoke softly, holding Vinh An's hand: "He understands what it means to be abandoned, to understand what it means to be cold, to be hungry and copy the scriptures until morning. "That being said, I also have to thank my younger sister for 'taking care' of my mother and me, who will definitely respond tenfold." Tham Ngoc Dao was dumbfounded, looking at me full of resentment, but helpless. I walked step by step up the steps, stopping right next to her. The baby in her arms suddenly retreated, buried his head in his mother's chest. "Get away." I said. Tham Ngoc Dao was still standing there, his voice low: "You... what are you going to do? The emperor... the first emperor just passed away, I'm heartbroken, I just want to..." "Do you want to sit on the dragon chair and wait for him to come back?" I interrupted, my eyes scanning the throne behind her, "Unfortunately, he's not coming back anymore."