Chapter 5 — The Regent Hides Thousands of Secrets

He actually broke into the royal palace in the middle of the night and even sneaked straight into my bedroom!

“Are you crazy?”

I lowered my voice and angrily asked, "What do you want to do?" The moonlight shined through the crack in the door, illuminating half of his face. His face was extremely bad, his eyes were clearly dark, and he looked extremely tired. He didn't answer me, just stared at me, and for a long time gritted his teeth and blurted out a sentence:

“How are you… doing?”

10. I stopped. Did he barge in in the middle of the night, just to ask me this question?

“How am I doing, what does it have to do with the Emperor?”

I responded coldly. He didn't bother to pay attention to my sarcasm, just continued: "I have invited all the royal doctors in the palace. They all said that there is absolutely no antidote for that type of poison. The only way is to use precious medicinal herbs to prolong life."

“I have brought all the best medicinal herbs in the national treasury to your palace, why is your face still so poor?”

In his voice, there was a trace of... impatience, and... worry? Surely we heard wrong.

“Thanks to the Emperor's blessing, I still haven't died.”

I answered without changing my face. He seemed to be angered by my attitude. He took a step forward and grabbed my wrist. His hand was very hot, so hot that it made my heart tremble a beat.

“Ta Trieu!”

He growled, "What exactly do you want? Do you think that if you lie down and pretend to be sick and not show your face, throw all the mess to me, then I will come and beg you?"

“I tell you, even without you, I can still firmly hold this country!”

“So what?”

The corners of my lips curled up mockingly, "So why did Your Majesty run to the bedside of a 'dying person' like me in the middle of the third watch of the night to say these meaningless words?" His throat was choked and he was speechless for a moment, his handsome face turned red. I pushed his hand away, sat up, and slowly put on my coat.

“Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?”

"You hope for me to die, but you're afraid that I'll actually die. Because if I die, you won't be able to suppress a single one of those arrogant and stubborn soldiers in the Infantry. At that time, Dai Zhou will definitely fall into internal chaos."

“So, you both want to oppress me and also want to save my life.”

“Tieu Tuan, you are really good at calculating.”

Every word I said was like a sharp blade, piercing straight into his heart. His whole body was shocked, his face immediately turned pale. He looked at me, his eyes as confused as a tangle of threads. There is guilt, there is unwillingness, there is anger, and there are emotions that we cannot understand.

“You…”

He opened his mouth to speak, but was speechless. Finally, like a deflated balloon, he helplessly sat down on the chair next to the bed.

“That's right.” He smiled bitterly, his voice filled with fatigue, "What you said is right."

"Those group of fox spirits are really difficult to deal with. I... I'm about to not be able to stand it anymore."

This is the first time I've seen him be so frank and weak in front of me. No longer the majestic appearance of the king, nor the stubborn stubbornness of youth, at this moment he was no different from a lost child, both helpless and confused. My heart suddenly softened. But very quickly, reason immediately extinguished that feeling.

“If you can't stand it, you have to endure it.”

I said coldly, “That's the choice your choice.” He raised his head and looked at me intently: "What if... if I beg you?"

“Pray for me?”

I heard the funniest story in the world, "Your Majesty, are you kidding?"

“I'm not joking!”

He stood up, walked in front of me, and said word by word: "Ta Trieu, I ask you, help me." Yet he... is actually begging me. The little emperor was once so arrogant that he hated me to the core, but at this moment he bowed his head before me. I looked at the sparkling light in his eyes, slightly stunned. At that moment, the baby in my belly, as if sensing the change in my emotions, moved a little. Very light, like butterfly wings flapping. But it made everyone immediately stiffen. 11. I reflexively raised my hand to hug my stomach. Although the movement was small, it could not escape Tieu Tuan's eyes. He looked at my hand, his eyes fell on my stomach - which was slightly protruding - his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“Your place…”

My heart suddenly stopped, I quickly used my wide sleeve to cover it, and calmly changed the direction of the conversation: "Your Majesty, it's late at night, so it's time to return to the palace. If someone else finds out, both you and I will be in trouble." He seemed to want to say something, but seeing my resolute attitude, he finally went back on his words.

“You rest well.”

He left such a sentence, looked at me deeply, then turned around and jumped out the window, disappearing into the night. After he left, I let out a sigh, my back wet with cold sweat. It's too dangerous. I bowed my head and gently caressed my belly. Stupid boy, you really know how to choose when to appear. In that moment, I really thought everything was revealed. Tieu Tuan's weakness, and this sudden miscarriage, have completely disrupted the situation in my heart. I originally thought that I could continue to stand outside and observe, watching him struggle in the quagmire of the main court, until he fell into a desperate situation, then I stepped forward to clean up the mess, holding power firmly in my hands. But now, I'm starting to hesitate. If we continue to be "sick" and Tieu Tuan really can't cope, what should this country do? The baby in my belly will have to be born in a chaotic country like this in the future? No. I absolutely do not allow it. I am Ta Trieu - Regent of Dai Chu - the one who built this stability with his own hands. We cannot stand by and watch it perish. The next morning, I put on my purple dragon robe embroidered with gold and python. When the "seriously ill Regent" solemnly entered the Thai Hoa main hall with a radiant look, the entire court was stunned. Especially the Prime Minister's side, their faces are even more unsightly than the funeral. Tieu Tuan sat on the long chair, looking at me, his eyes were filled with surprise and joy, almost overflowing. I nodded slightly at him. Then, I turned around and faced the hundreds of officials in the court, my voice resounding like a big bell.

“This king has returned.”