Chapter 1 — Three Years in the Institute of Succeeding

My sister broke my name tag right at the spring sacrifice ceremony, then knelt down in front of the priest. She said she vowed to become Ky Tue Nu in this generation of the Co family, not stepping out of the Thua Chi Institute for three years. Relatives and relatives filled the hall all praising her understanding. Only I know, what that sister took away were the months of being imprisoned, starving and having to receive the kneeling of others every day. In my previous life, the chosen one was me. Three years later, when I stepped out of Thua Chi Institute, Ta Kinh Xuyen personally came to the Co Palace to welcome me. My sister stood at the end of the crowd, watching him put his coat on me, and watching people all over the city chant my name. That very night, she asked me to go out to the ice lake to talk. She asked me: "Based on what?" I did not answer. The guy reached out and pushed me. The lake surface has just formed a thin layer of ice. When I fell, I grabbed her sleeve. She tried her best to struggle, and the ice beneath her feet immediately cracked. We both sank into the water. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my family chose Ky Tue Nu. Sister thinks that Ta Kinh Xuyen loves me because I have been Ky Tue Nu for three years. Therefore, in this life, even if she loses her life, she will still take my position. I don't prevent it. I only looked at my father happily signing the document, and then at the official putting the green jade card on my sister's neck. When passing by me, my sister lowered her voice and laughed: "Co Minh Lan, in this life it's your turn to stand under the stage and look at me." I nodded. "Sister, three years is very long." She raised her chin. "Are you scared?" I took a step back, giving her the path leading to the Thua Chi Institute. "I'm afraid you won't be able to last until the end." 1Ky Tue Nu is an old custom that has been passed down for nearly a hundred years in Thuong Kinh. Every twelve years, several families in the city must choose an unmarried daughter, let the priest check the date and time of birth, and then choose one of them. The chosen lady must enter the Thua Chi Institute. The first year, abstain from fishy and salty foods. The second year reduce the rations. The third year kept quiet. The so-called keeping quiet is not to open your mouth casually, nor to step out of the courtyard door. People believe that the quieter Ky Tue Nu is, the better the harvest will be next year. The less she eats, the less natural disasters and famines will be. In my previous life, I believed that. My father also held my hand and said with tears in his eyes: "Lan Nhi, this is the honor of the Co family. If you suffer a little for the people of the city, everyone will remember you." I used to think he was heartbroken because of me. Until this life, when his sister took the initiative to kneel down, the surprise on his face could not be hidden. He didn't even ask her if she wanted to think again or not. The document was signed very quickly. Mother used a towel to wipe the corners of her eyes, but her mouth kept muttering: "Chau Nhi becomes Ky Tue Nu, from now on our Gu family will be different. When the three years are over, His Majesty will definitely give a reward." Hearing that, the corners of her eyes widened. She pulled me to a corner and gently caressed the jade card around my neck. "In my previous life, after you stepped out, everyone in the city knew you. Ta Kinh Xuyen even openly wore clothes for you." "Later I thought clearly. Someone like you who is used to seeing ordinary women, of course would like a noble and unworldly Ky Tue Nu." She stared at me, her eyes full of pride. "Without this status, where can you rely on that? make him look at you one more time?" I asked her: "Do you know how many meals a day you can eat in Thua Chi Institute?" The smile on your sister's face faded. "Don't scare me anymore." "Starting from the second year, there's only one meal." She tightened her grip on the jade card. I continued: "After being admitted to the hospital, I was only allowed to see my family members on the first day of each month. By the third year, even

Family members are also not allowed to meet." Sister coldly interrupted me: "You can endure it, of course I can also endure it." The priest in the distance urged him. She turned and left. The red door of the hospital slowly closed. Inside the door, the calm voice of the priest was heard: "Ky Tue Nu is admitted to the hospital, her relationship is temporarily interrupted." Sister's footsteps stopped a bit. But father had already turned around and went to chat with the officials who came to see. ceremony. 2 My sister entered the Thua Chi Institute, but my life did not get better. Originally, the Co family was only prepared to sacrifice one daughter. Now that my sister has taken the previous position, my father feels that I have nothing to do, he feels upset. "Your sister has taken on the responsibility for the family, and you are in the palace every day, what is the situation?" Mother also feels that I don't understand enough came to kneel outside Thua Chi Institute for an hour, praying for her sister. I went twice. The third time, I didn't kneel. After knowing what happened, my father immediately broke the cup. "She's my sister!" "It's because she's my sister that I didn't bow." Father pointed at me, his chest heaving. "What do you say?" I stood in the middle of the hall, not bowing my head. "She's still alive. That sister's last name is Co, your sister, not a god for others to bow down to." Father raised his hand to hit me. An old voice came from outside the door. "Strike." The one who spoke was the Co family's great-grandmother, Co Tuyet Duong. She had lived in the West Court for more than twenty years. The lower class in the palace secretly called her a crazy old woman. When she was young, she openly destroyed the altar of the Thua Chi Institute, and even tore up the will right during the spring ceremony. The Gu family secretly called her a crazy old woman. Feeling that she had disgraced the family, she locked her in the West Court, and since then I have not allowed her to attend family banquets. I only saw her a few times during the holidays. She wore a dark blue long dress, her hair was neatly combed, and her father's hand stiffened in the air. She glanced at me. "Don't you want to hit him?" Continue." Father lowered his hand, his voice unhappy. "Mother, this is me teaching my daughter." "You teach very well." The mother-in-law sat down next to the chair and slowly adjusted her sleeves. "One child was taken to the Thua Chi Institute, the other was forced to kneel outside. The children of the Co family are in your hands, indeed each of them has their own use." Her father's face darkened. "You have not asked about anything in the palace for many years, why do you need to interfere today?" "I don't want to be in charge." She turned her head to look at me. "But what this girl just said sounded very good." She used an ebony staff to gently tap the ground. "Co Minh Lan, the Western Court lacks someone to arrange the old trunks. Are you going?" Mother quickly spoke up: "He's still young, he can't do anything." I didn't hesitate. "Go." The great-grandmother stood up. "Then follow me." From beginning to end, she never asked if her father agreed or not. Father also did not stop him. He was afraid of this aunt. All of the Co family were afraid of her. 3The Western courtyard was not as desolate as I imagined. The porch was neatly repaired, in the yard planted a few pomegranate trees. In the main room. filled with wooden chests, each locked. My grandmother threw me a bunch of keys. "Arranged by year." I opened the first chest, inside were all yellowed books. On each page were written a few pages. "Who are these people?" "Ky Tue Nu generations." My finger stopped. My grandmother was sitting by the window, I continued to peel the walnuts The paper also records the age at the time of admission, daily food and body changes. Some girls start losing hair from the second year. Some don't

can stand. There was also a twelve-year-old girl who, while keeping quiet, bit and injured herself, just to be taken out of Thua Chi Institute. The last page reads: I'm sorry, my family sent me home. Next to it is a line of small letters. Three days after returning to the palace, he passed away. I closed the book. "Why doesn't anyone know about these things?" The grandmother put down the walnuts. "Because the people only want to know if this year's harvest is good or not. The families only care about whether they will receive rewards or not. As for how the ladies in the yard have suffered, no one wants to hear." I looked at her. "Are you also a Ky Tue Nu?" She did not answer. We noticed that when she walked, her right leg was somewhat inflexible. In my previous life in the Chengzhi Institute, there was a time when my knees could not bend. The eunuch said it was because my heart was not respectful enough. The great-grandmother picked up a piece of walnut filling and slowly ate it. "Starting tomorrow, you will come here every day." "Still arranging these chests?" "Eat first." I don't understand. She raised her eyes and said: "You are too thin. The Co family's food cannot feed people, but mine can." The next day, I went to the West Institute. On the table was a bowl of hot porridge, two small plates of food and just steamed meat dumplings. I sat still without moving. The grandmother frowned. "Do you want me to feed you?" I picked up the dumpling and took a bite. Only then was she satisfied. For the next half year, I had breakfast every day in the West Institute. After eating, arrange old notebooks. My great-grandmother did not teach me how to hold exams, nor did she ask me what kind of person I wanted to marry in the future. She only asked us to read each person's name clearly. When she read the names of the deceased ladies, she would make me stop and read them again. "If I had ever lived in this world, at least someone would remember their names."4 When my sister was hospitalized for three months, the Co family received the first round of rewards. Cloths, gold and silver, and also a plaque given by the emperor. Father held a party in the main hall for three days. The guests kept praising you. Some people say that the Co family teaches their daughters properly. Some people even call you a rich and blessed lady. The mother's face lit up when she heard it. On the first day of her visit, she brought her newly made dress and jewelry to Thua Chi Institute. All were blocked outside. The priest told Ky Tue Nu not to come into contact with luxury items. When we returned, our mother still explained for them. "This is the rule. Since Chau Nhi went inside, she should keep herself clean." I asked her: "Has she become thinner?" Mother was surprised. "It seems like she has lost a little weight." "Did she say anything?" "The priest is always standing next to her, what can she say?" I did not ask further. That night, my sister asked someone to send me a piece of paper. There is only one sentence on it: Don't be complacent, I can endure it. I handed the piece of paper to my great-grandmother. After looking at it, she immediately threw it into the coal pot. "It's competing with you." "I know." "Do you want to save it?" I was silent for a moment. "I advised her." The grandmother looked at the burning paper, her face calm. "I can't advise you to wake up, you can't just watch it die." "She used to hate me in her previous life." This is the first time I've talked about rebirth out loud. The great-grandmother was not surprised, nor did she ask. She just raised her head. "So what?" I tightened my sleeves. "I don't want to save you." After saying this, my heart felt a little lighter. The grandmother nodded. "Then we won't save you for now." I didn't expect her to answer like that. She poured herself a cup of tea. "You don't owe it. Every day you want to do it, do it. If you still don't want to, there's no need to force yourself." I asked in a low voice: