Chapter 1 — This Year's Peach Blossoms Bloom Again

When I followed the little girl on a spring trip, I fell in love with the emperor as soon as I met him. My character is fierce, I would rather die than follow it. The Emperor laughed, praising my husband and I for our deep love, turned around and sent the entire Bui family to the North. Since then, the little girl resented me, and her husband shunned me. Feeling uneasy in my heart, I devoted all my energy to taking care of the affairs in the palace, working with him to distribute porridge to help, and to reassure the victims. He also gradually softened his heart, and even refused to return to his period because of me. But when he was dying, he caressed my cheek and muttered. “A Uyen, I often wonder whether the tribulations in this life all arise because of you.” “Perhaps if she had entered the palace that year, everything would have gone much more smoothly.” Opening my eyes again, I return to that spring trip day. I meticulously apply makeup and lightly apply lipstick. Smile at the little girl. “Truong Ninh, let's go on a spring trip.” …… Truong Ninh happily opened the curtain and walked in, slightly stunned. "Why did you change your mind today and still wear such beautiful makeup?" I looked at the bronze mirror and adjusted my sideburns, smiling slightly. "Beautiful spring scene, in the end you can't disappoint it." Truong Ninh did not suspect anything, intimately took my hand and went out. Her palm was warm and soft, carrying the characteristic vitality of a young woman. I remember in my previous life, she also held my hand like that, along the way chirping and telling interesting stories in the capital. As the spring day swayed, the minds of young men and women also followed suit. On the surface, this spring trip is about enjoying the spring scenery, but actually it's about people-watching. Bui Nhien's father passed away early, and his mother single-handedly raised him. It's just a pity that Mrs. Bui's blessings were thin, and the good days weren't enjoyed for long before she let go of the world. The Bui family only has two brothers and sisters left. Later, when I married into the palace, my eldest sister-in-law was like my mother, so I took on the responsibility of considering Truong Ninh's marriage. That day, the peach blossoms were brilliant, I sat on a stone bench, smiling as I watched Truong Ninh play. The Emperor went out on patrol, bringing only two guards with him. He wore an ivory white shirt, and on his waist was a piece of white jade pendant of extremely good quality. At first glance, I just thought he was a rich and noble son of some family. Truong Ninh saw him first and secretly told me that he was very handsome. At that time, I only had Bui Nhien in my heart, and I didn't have the heart to look at other men. Just glanced indifferently and then looked away. Yet just because of that glance, the other person seemed to have been hit by something, looking at me blankly, even forgetting to wave the folding fan in his hand. Later I learned that he was the reigning prince, Vinh Hoa Emperor Tieu Dien. “Tau pipe, what are you thinking about?” Truong Ninh's voice interrupted my thoughts. I regained my composure and smiled at her. “Nothing, just thinking that the peach blossoms must be blooming beautifully this year.” Truong Ninh nodded as if inspired. "That's right, everyone under Lady To's hands is skilled. When that time comes, I will ask Nguyen Sach to come to our house..." The blush on the girl's face had burned away the second half of her sentence. She slowly realized that saying these words between her fiance and wife was a bit too early. I patted her hand and spoke thoughtfully. “Then I have to tell Lady To to send a few more people, our house has a lot of flowers and plants.” I silently prayed in my heart, hoping that in this life, Truong Ninh could get what he wanted. Instead of becoming the price of "deeply loved husband and wife", the planned marriage will be canceled, all the way to the North, even to death, you will not be able to get married. I lifted the car curtain and was about to instruct the driver when I heard an angry shout from outside. “Don't go!” At the end of the long green stone-paved alley, Bui Nhien rode his horse as fast as he could. His robe was disheveled, his sideburns were scattered, and between his normally calm eyebrows and eyes was a look of panic that could not be suppressed. Truong Ninh was startled by his appearance. "Brother? Why are you back? Aren't you at the dentist..." Bui Nhien jumped off the horse, completely ignoring his sister. He strode forward to the carriage, his eyes locked firmly on him. "Today the wind is strong, the road is bumpy, the spring trip is canceled." In his previous life today, he clearly stayed at the temple until sunset before returning to the palace, from beginning to end

had a hand in this spring trip. I suddenly realized that he was also reborn. If it were the old me, seeing him so tense, I would definitely think he cared about me. But after spending half my life being separated from him, listening to his bone-chilling whispers before his death, I no longer have half of my delusion. I sat neatly in the carriage, my expression calm. “Bui Nhien, what you said before you died, do you still remember?” Bui Nhien's face suddenly turned pale. I sighed and said. "People who are about to die are usually sincere. If Master Bui really thinks like that, why did he stop me today?" After Bui Nhien died, for a very long time we were stuck in that sentence. If at that time we accept that holy decree, we will not refuse with death. Bui Nhien also would not submit a request for resignation, only asking the emperor to revoke the order. The Emperor does not hate us, but smiles and praises our deep love between husband and wife. Promoted Bui Nhien to the position of Chief Governor of the Northern Protectorate, and immediately took office. The entire civil and military court knew what kind of place that was. The so-called Head of History is nothing more than a low-ranking petty official, managing all the exiled prisoners. But Bui Nhien was originally the 7th grade Chief of the Household Department, his future was wide open, in two more years he could be promoted to Vien Ngoai Lang. That is the price of resistance. The emperor has many ways to make us live with no means, making us slowly endure it ourselves. Bearing it to the point of hating each other, suffering to the point of regretting why we didn't accept that edict in the first place. The day the news spread, the To family immediately came to resign. On the outside being polite, his words were as sharp as da.a.o. "Mrs. Bui, our two families are also considered to be friends, but the current situation... I hope you will understand. Nguyen Sach is still young, future is important." The Northern landscape is even more miserable than we imagined. The place to live is a real estate house, in the winter it's windy, in the summer mosquitoes and bugs gather in groups. But I don't dare to complain, because Truong Ninh is resentful of me. She doesn't say it, but I know. She often clutched the piece of jade pendant To Nguyen Sach gave her, day after day in amazement. She used to be such a vivacious girl, but when she arrived in the North, she was like a withered flower. One time I couldn't help but advise her to go out for a walk. She calmly looked at me again. “Sister-in-law, I don't want to be scolded by people pointing at my spine anymore.” I felt like someone had slapped me, my face felt hot. I wanted to discuss with Bui Nhien, but discovered that because of avoiding me, he hadn't come home for a long time. In the past, although he rarely spoke, he was always gentle towards me. But after arriving in the North, he left early all day and did not return. Even when I got home, I fell asleep right away and couldn't say a few words to me for several days. One time he came back drunk and I rushed to help him. He pushed me away again, his drunken eyes looking at me dreamily. A long time later, he suddenly laughed. "Tham Uyen, tell me, if you hadn't gone on a spring trip that day, where would we be now?" He didn't wait for me to answer. He tilted his head and fell asleep. I stood in place, firmly forcing myself to swallow all my anger. I devoted all my energy to taking care of the affairs in the palace and supporting the fallen Bui palace. During the years of poor harvests and disasters, he and I distributed porridge along the roadside, braving the bone-chilling wind to reassure the refugees. Even though the cold entered my bones and caused me to lose my first child, I never complained. Bui Nhien and the others have truly softened their hearts. He started coming home early, sometimes he would hide a piece of candy in his sleeve and give it to me. Truong Ninh also started calling me sister-in-law again. Although her voice still carried resentment, she no longer avoided me like before. I used to think things were getting better. Thinking that if we just do enough, well enough, we can erase the thought of "what if" from everyone's hearts. But Bui Nhien's words before his death destroyed all my illusions. "No, A Uyen, the words I said before I died... those were not my true words." He trembled slightly, almost frantic. I looked at him quietly for a moment. "It's okay to be honest, it's okay to lie, it's no longer important." “

After I enter the palace, the emperor will respect me and will more or less take care of the Bui family. You and Truong Ninh will no longer have to live in misery." “Let me go, Bui Nhien, this is the best choice.” Bui Nhien and I looked at each other and finally gave way. He pushed Truong Ninh, who was still stunned, and firmly pushed me in between. The car compartment is already not large, making it even more cramped. I was so angry that I burst out laughing. “Master Bui, what are you doing?” He craned his neck to look out the window. "I just changed my shift and went on a spring trip with my wife and younger sister. Is there anything I can't do?" When he said this, his ears were so red that they were about to bleed, but he still tried to appear natural. In my previous life, after I had a miscarriage, he was the same, clearly ashamed in his heart, but remained stubborn to the point of death. I don't even know how to say a soft sentence, I only know how to express myself in such a clumsy way. But so what? The horse-drawn carriage passed through the long street, the carriage was so quiet that only the faint sound of advertising could be heard. He just sat motionless next to the car curtain like that, completely shielding me. I suddenly understood something. In a previous life, the wind lifted the car curtain and the emperor just happened to see that glance. I see the myth, but also feel sad. Just as he was about to advise him not to do so, the car compartment suddenly flipped sharply backwards. My body lost balance, Bui Nhien immediately reached out and hugged me, using his hard back to absorb all the impacts. Right at the moment the carriage was about to lose control and overturn, a nimble figure glided straight into mid-air, reaching out to firmly grasp the reins of the frightened horse. The carriage was restored to peace. Outside the car came a gentle voice. “Are you hurt?” Bui Nhien's face instantly became extremely ugly. I looked out through the gap in the car curtain, the other person was standing sideways next to the horse, his body straight, with a white jade pendant on his waist. The characteristic arrogance of the angel between his eyes and eyebrows is very cleverly hidden under a gentle shell. Bui Nhien used his strength to hold my hand, lifted the curtain, jumped down, and clasped his hands in ceremony. “Thank you so much sir for your help.” Obviously he recognized who this was, but couldn't say it out loud. Tieu Dien nodded slightly, his eyes naturally passed Bui Nhien and fell on the car compartment. Bui Nhien had just lifted the car curtain to a corner, and now it was gently shaken by the wind. I raised my eyes, as if I wanted to see the same amazing look as in my previous life. Fate goes around and around, eventually returning to its original trajectory. Tieu Dien said nothing, withdrew his eyes and smiled at Bui Nhien. "It's just a matter of convenience. When you go out on a spring trip, you should still be a little careful." After speaking, he led the guard and turned around to leave. The ivory white robe was blown away by the wind, his back leisurely as if he was really just passing by. Bui Nhien stood in place, watching him go away, then suddenly turned around and opened the car curtain. His eyes were full of horror. "The car curtain was lifted just now. Did he see her?"