Chapter 7 — Two Fathers

“Is the Emperor afraid?” The emperor's fingers tightened on the armrest, his blue veins clearly visible. “I just don't want the northern victory celebration night to be stained with blood.” The Queen Mother laughed. “The blood has long been stained.” She raised her phoenix-headed stick and pointed at Ta Vo Cuu. "Twelve years ago, Crown Prince Tien t. t. t. t was plotted and was executed. There were more than three hundred people up and down in the Eastern Palace, not a single person survived." “Only this remnant of the Ta family disappeared.” "Who thought he died in the military chaos, but unexpectedly he fled to the north, changed his name, and rose to the position of Prime Minister." Ta Vo Cuu's hand held me very firmly. But I could feel the tendons in his wrist bones tense. He does not make excuses. My father's voice was cold again: "The Immortal Crown Prince does not plot trouble." That sentence was like a sword strike, cutting in half the silence that had been suppressed for twelve years in the Taiji Palace. An old man suddenly raised his head, then immediately lowered it. The smile on the Queen Mother's face disappeared. “Tham Hac Tranh, do you know what you are saying?” My father stood in a pool of blood, the tip of his sword pointed at the ground. “I know.” "I also know that that year when the Eastern Palace was besieged, the Crown Princess lost her life for eight months." “The Queen Mother sent Thanh Nha guards to search the palace not to catch rebels against the party, but to root out the weeds.” The Queen Mother's eyes suddenly turned sinister. “Shut up.” My mind is chaotic. Crown Princess. Eight months pregnant. Ta Vo Cuu gave birth to me. These words are connected together, as if tearing my body into a strange appearance. I raised my head to look at Ta Vo Cuu. “Are you the Crown Princess?” Ta Vo Cuu lowered his eyes and looked at me. The bloody light and shadow in the temple could not shine into the bottom of that person's eyes, there was only my face. The person lowered his voice: "It used to be." I opened my mouth, but couldn't ask anything. How can a man be the Crown Princess? How could you give birth to me? But his blood is still flowing, his palm is still protecting the back of my head. I suddenly don't want to ask anymore. At least this time, that person is not lying to me. The Queen Mother coldly said: "A mythical monster, is she worthy of being called Crown Princess?" Ta Vo Cuu raised his eyes. That look was so cold that the candle in the temple seemed to have dropped half an inch. “Whether or not I am worthy is not your turn to decide.” The Queen Mother held up the book. "Catch." The black armored soldiers advanced simultaneously. My father swung his sword to block the first group of people. Uncle Thuong and Uncle Tan also protected both sides of us. But there were too many black guards in the temple. The Imperial Army did not clearly distinguish between our enemies and ours. The emperor's orders continued word after word, but fewer and fewer people actually listened to the orders. Ta Vo Cuu suddenly hugged me close and said in a low voice: "Close your eyes." Before I could ask, a silver whistle flew out of that person's sleeve. The sharp whistle was deafening, rushing straight to the roof of the palace. Immediately after that, outside the Taiji Palace, the sound of a neat bowstring was heard. Not a bow. It's more than a hundred bows stretched at the same time. In the snow outside the palace gate, a team of gray-clad men had appeared at some unknown time. They did not wear official uniforms, nor did they wear armor. But the crossbows in each hand were aimed at the back of the black armor. The leader knelt on one knee in the snow. “Photo Cac obeys the master's orders and escorts His Highness out of the palace.” Your Highness. That calling touches my heart. The Queen Mother's face completely changed. “Ta Vo Cuu, you dare to raise your own martyr.” Ta Vo Cuu calmly said: "Thanks to the Queen Mother's blessing, if I hadn't raised a few people, I would have died twelve years ago." The man in the gray shirt shot an arrow. The rain of arrows pressed in from outside the palace door, and the black armor fell in pieces. My father took the opportunity and opened a path to the royal court with one sword. "Go!" Ta Vo Cuu hugged me and rushed towards the king. The emperor sat on the dragon's chair and did not move. He looked at us, his eyes as complex as a deep lake. When I passed in front of him, he suddenly raised his hand to stop Ta Vo Cuu. “Is it really the royal brother's bloodline?” Ta Vo Cuu stopped walking. “Your Majesty already knows the answer.” The emperor's hand stiffened in midair. Ta Vo Cuu hugged me past him, pushing away the dragon-engraved screen behind the throne. Behind the screen there is indeed a narrow door. The cold wind came from the secret passage, bringing with it the smell of old rusty iron and moisture. My father was the last to enter.

There was another wound on his shoulder, but not even his eyebrows frowned. The Queen Mother stood in the middle of the ground and suddenly shouted in a serious voice: "Tham Hac Tranh!" "Today you dare take one step out of the Tai Chi Palace, the entire Tran Bac Army will be accused of treason!" My father's footsteps stopped. My heart suddenly tightened. Ta Vo Cuu also stopped. The Queen Mother smiled as if she had finally grasped his vital point. But my father turned his head, his face covered in blood, and smiled even more ferociously than her. “Twelve years ago I couldn't protect that person.” "Whoever dares to touch my daughter today, I will make this entire imperial city bury her with her." Having finished speaking, he slashed the underground door mechanism with his sword. The stone door crashed down loudly. But in the last moment before the stone door closed, I saw the Phung family girl behind the Queen Mother suddenly raise her head. Her eyes were covered with a strange green light, staring at me. 07 The sound of the stone door falling echoed in my ears for a long time.