Chapter 7 — The Voice of the Heart Unmasks the Fake

Before leaving, she held my hand and told me again and again that I must come and have breakfast with her tomorrow morning. The crown prince's brother was walking next to his father, but his steps suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look towards the next hallway. Tham Thanh Dao was bending down to pick up an empty wine bottle. The curve of her waist was soft, the moonlight falling on her nape, white as jade.

“Father.”

The Crown Prince said casually:

"That maid indeed has quite a bit of talent. I listened to Han Lam Institute's people discuss that poem just now for a long time."

The father's footsteps never stop:

“Oh? Do you also think she's good?”

“Not good.”

The Crown Prince burst out laughing:

"It's just rare. A maid from the countryside can open her mouth to write poetry, it's truly rare."

I said nothing. His father also did not respond. But in that moment, I felt something. Early the next morning, I went to Phuong Nghi palace to have breakfast with my mother. The mother's spirit is not good, there are dark blue circles under her eyes. She only picked up the porridge twice and then put down her chopsticks.

“Does the mother have any thoughts?”

The mother looked at me, wanting to say it again. After a while, she lowered her voice:

"Last night, after my elder brother returned to the East Palace, after talking to the crown princess for only a few sentences, he mentioned the maid's poem."

She tightened her silk scarf:

"Early this morning, my sister-in-law came to greet my mother, her eyes were red."

My heart sank. I have met the crown princess several times. She is gentle and kind, doesn't say much, but her eyes look at people extremely warm. She was married to her brother the crown prince for three years. She always managed the East Palace's internal affairs peacefully and never caused trouble. The mother-in-law liked her very much, saying she had the steadfast temperament of a rich and handsome lady.

“Don't worry, mother.”

I took her hand:

“The leader just feels the novelty, after a few days it will fade.”

The mother didn't say anything, just patted the back of my hand. Her eyebrows were still furrowed. Obviously she doesn't believe the story will "fade away". ## 13 Leaving Phuong Nghi Palace, we followed the corridor back to Truong Xuan Palace. As soon as I passed through the moon gate, I met someone. Tham Thanh Dao was carrying a basin of changed clothes, bowed her head and walked towards the other end of the hallway. Seeing me, she stopped in her steps, then immediately smiled respectfully and bowed in greeting:

“Please rest assured, princess.”

“Stand up.”

I walked past her without stopping. 【Pretend what? I don't even know where the poem was copied from last night. Just wait, Hua Can Nuong. The beautiful play I prepared for you has just begun.】 I won't turn back. Three days later, something happened to the Eastern Palace. When she woke up in the morning, the crown princess discovered that the jade bracelet she had worn for many years had disappeared. That bracelet was a gift given to her mother when she got married. The Crown Princess never dared to leave her side. Every night before going to sleep, I take it down and put it in the box next to my pillow. There has never been a mistake. Up and down the Eastern Palace was ransacked. Finally, the bracelet was found in Tham Thanh Dao's mattress. When the eunuch in charge of the Eastern Palace came to report, I was in the royal study with my father looking at the drawing of the water wheel sent by the Ministry of Public Works. His father put down the medal, his eyebrows did not move:

“Where are you?”

"Has been detained in the Eastern Palace. The Crown Princess's anger is not light, His Highness the Crown Prince is on his own interrogation.”

The emperor looked at me. I put down the drawing and stood up:

“The daughter came to see.”

When I arrived at the Eastern Palace, Tham Thanh Dao was kneeling on the ground, two lines of tears hanging on her face, crying until her whole body was shaking. The Crown Prince brother sat above, his face pale. The Crown Princess stood next to him, her eyes were red, but her expression was better than I thought. Although she was angry, she was not completely devastated.

“It's not a slave who takes it! Your Highness Minh Giam, this servant really did not take the bracelet!”

Tham Thanh Dao cried without a sound:

“Last night the slave was always helping in the kitchen, and many people saw it. This servant has never stepped into the crown prince's palace!”

【Crying is my forte. Anyway, no one can prove that the bracelet was put in by me. As long as I bite them to death and don't accept them, they can't do anything. I conveniently found this bracelet next to the well in the backyard. Who knows who dropped it? I stuffed it into the blanket just because I wanted to find an opportunity to slander others. Who would have thought that they would search so quickly.] I stood outside the door and clearly heard that voice. Even setting traps, she did it in such a crude way. The bracelet was found, not stolen. She put it in her blanket to wait for an opportunity to do harm to a palace maid in the same room. It's just that she didn't expect the people of the East Palace to act faster than expected and already ransacked her blankets and mattress.

“Your Highness.”

We enter:

“Can I ask you a few questions?”

The Crown Prince brother saw me and his expression relaxed a bit:

“Can Nuong came at the right time. This maid is very stubborn and definitely refuses to accept.”

I walked up to Tham Thanh Dao, squatted down, and looked straight into her eyes:

“You said last night you were always helping in the kitchen. Who saw it?”

“Ma ma ma! There are also Thuy Nhi and Vuong sister in the kitchen! They can all testify for me!”

Tham Thanh Dao sobbed. I nodded and turned to the crown prince:

“Chief, send someone to bring the people in the kitchen to ask.”

14 The Crown Prince immediately sent someone away. Not long after, Ly ma ma, Thuy Nhi and Vuong sister were taken to the heavenly palace. Mama Ly is a woman about fifty years old, with a round face and big eyes, and looks very honest. She knelt down and bowed her head:

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, last night Thanh Dao really helped in the kitchen until the hour of the Pig. The old slave saw it with his own eyes.”

“Still there? Didn't leave in the middle?

Ma Ma thought for a moment:

“In the middle of the trip... she once went to the well behind to get water, but at most she only came back with one stick of incense.”

Tham Thanh Dao's crying suddenly stopped. 【It's broken, why does he even ask about this? But that's okay, what can a stick of incense do? From the kitchen to the electric heater, it takes at least half an hour to get back, there's no time at all.】

“One stick of incense is really not enough to make a trip to the temple.”

I look at Tham Thanh Dao:

“So when you were getting water from the well, did you meet anyone on the way?”

Tham Thanh Dao was shocked:

“No. After the slave got the water, he returned home."

“The way back from the well doesn't pass through the eastern moon gate?”

Thham Thanh Dao's face changed. I stood up and turned to the crown prince:

“Chief, from the kitchen to the well in the backyard, you must go through the moon gate east. Outside the moon gate there is a begonia tree, under the tree is the position outside the prince's palace window. If someone throws something out the window, it will fall into the grass under the begonia tree. People who go to get water just need to pick it up and take it away. One stick of incense is enough."