Chapter 7 — The Regent Hides Thousands of Secrets

15. The departure date was set for three days later. The next two days, Tieu Tuan never came to look for me. At court, he just quietly looked at me, arranging work related to sending soldiers. I think he has thought it through. Or maybe... he expected me to die on the battlefield. In this way, he will rightfully reclaim all power. Until the night before the departure. I am sitting in front of the bronze mirror in the room, trying to put on my heavy armor. My belly has protruded significantly, the belly band can barely hold it anymore. I had to stuff a thick layer of cotton inside the armor to be able to barely hide it. At that moment, my room door was pushed open from the outside. Tieu Tuan was wearing a black shirt, standing at the door, the road dust had not yet been brushed away.

“You…”

I was startled and quickly covered myself with my cloak: "Why are you here?" He didn't answer, just walked straight in front of me, looking at the armor on my body with complicated eyes.

“Can't you just not go?”

He asked, his voice hoarse.

“Military orders are like mountains.”

“Just because of those border people?”

He laughed mockingly, "In the eyes of you - those in power - are their lives really that important?" I frowned: "Your Majesty, please be careful. They are our people of Dai Chu."

“Children?”

He seemed to hear something funny, "So what about me? Am I also one of your people?"

“My father was forced to death by you.

My country was robbed by you. I live like a puppet, living is not as good as dying. Ta Trieu, have you ever considered me your soldier, your people?" His emotions were extremely excited, his eyes were red. I know, it's the resentment he has buried in his heart for many years. I'm silent. Because what he said is all true. The first emperor was stupid, it was me who led the army to force him to abdicate. This mountainous area was reclaimed little by little by me from internal and external turmoil. I am truly sorry for him.

“Sorry.”

I looked at him and spoke softly. This is the first time I said sorry to him. He didn't seem to expect that I would apologize, his whole body stiffened. Then, he burst out laughing, and laughing was more unsightly than crying.

"An apology, do you want to erase everything?"

“Ta Trieu, you are too naive.”

He suddenly took a step forward, squeezed my shoulders, pressing me against the wall.

“Do you know how much I hate you?”

“Every night I dream that you die in front of me.

I want to personally kill you, avenge everything you have done！” His face was very close, I could feel the hot breath blowing on my face, and the faint smell of alcohol on his body. He had been drinking.

“Then now, you can take action.”

I looked straight into his eyes and spoke calmly. My dagger is still under my pillow. As long as he wants, he can kill me at any time. He stared at me, his chest heaving violently. His once clear eyes were now filled with blood, shining with pain and suffering. I think he will strike. But no. He suddenly bowed his head and kissed my lips aggressively. 16. This kiss, filled with the smell of alcohol and hatred. Carrying the intention of punishment and appropriation, rough but powerful. My mind went blank, I reflexively wanted to push him away. But my resistance only stimulated his desire to conquer. One hand held the back of my neck, the other hand squeezed my waist, making the kiss deeper. I was trapped by him between his body and the wall, unable to move. I even felt the hard armor on his body pressing against my stomach, causing a dull pain. Baby! My heart was shocked, I immediately used all my strength and bit hard on his lips. The smell of blood immediately spread between the two people's mouths. He was in pain, groaned softly, and finally let me go.

“Are you crazy！”

I gasped, furiously wiping my lips, as if something dirty had just touched them. He licked the corner of his bitten lip with his tongue, looked at the red blood on his fingertips, and suddenly burst out laughing. That smile was both crazy and tragic.

“Yes, I'm crazy.”

“I must be crazy to worry about whether a wolf-hearted guy like you will die on the battlefield！”

"I must be crazy to... be able to treat you..."

He didn't finish his sentence, just looked at me intently, his eyes so complicated that I couldn't understand. Finally, he took a deep breath, as if he had just made some great determination.

“Ta Trieu, listen carefully.”

“You must return alive, intact.”

"Your life is mine. Only I can take it."

After saying that, he didn't look at me again, turned around and left decisively. I leaned my back against the cold wall, my whole body helpless. I raised my hand and gently touched my lips, which were still swollen and red. On it, there was still his warmth and the taste of blood. My heart is as tangled as a thread. Tieu Tuan, what do you... want? 17. The next day, I led an army of 100,000 and aggressively marched toward the Northern border. Tieu Tuan personally led hundreds of officials and sent me off outside the city gate. He was wearing a solemn dragon robe, standing at the highest point, looking at me with an expressionless face. Our eyes met in mid-air, just in the blink of an eye, then immediately deviated. As if everything last night was just a wild dream. The army marched all the way to the North, marching for nearly a month, finally reaching the key town on the border - Nhan Mon Quan. Northern winter comes very early. The north wind was sharp and cold, sweeping across my face with pain like a knife. I stood on the city wall, looking at the vast steppe far away. That place is the area of the Dat people. Currently, the steppe is as quiet as paper, not a single person in sight. But we know, underneath that quietness, countless dangers are lurking. In the following days, we began to reorganize the military, reinforce the citadel, and send detectives to survey the enemy situation. Pregnancy reactions become more severe with each month. I often have back pain and leg swelling. At night, the child in her stomach wouldn't stay still and kept kicking and kicking. I can only hide alone in a tent in the middle of the night, gently caressing my belly and whispering to my child:

“Tell me, be good.”

“Wait for me... wait for me to chase away all the bad guys and take you home.”

Every time we say the word "father", Tieu Tuan's face full of complex emotions always appears in my mind. My heart suddenly ached again. I don't know how he is in the capital now. Do you eat on time, do you handle court affairs properly, do you... miss me? As soon as that thought appeared, I was startled. What are you thinking? How can you think of him? Surely I'm crazy.