Chapter 1 — Widow Holding Flag

My husband had not even left the house yet, when the eight-month pregnant concubine boldly came to the door. The old clan forced us to accept:

"The main line cannot have no heirs, this child should enter the family tree. Since you cannot give birth, then the dowry must be taken out to take care of the mother and children on behalf of the family."

The woman rubbed her belly and smiled softly, standing in front of the spiritual object:

“The master has guessed that the baby I am carrying is a male with good fortune.”

"My older sister only has an empty title and no children. Of course, this huge inheritance should be given to the child in my womb."

That day, she slipped and fell, losing her child.

1

I knelt before the coffin, constantly burning each piece of paper money into the bronze incense burner. Flames licked upward, ash flew into my face, mixing with undried tears. The door was pushed open by someone. The cold wind rushed in, causing the candle to sway violently. The old man led his people in, filling half of the hall, completely pitch black. In the lead was a woman, with a protruding belly, wearing a fox fur coat, and a rosy face.

“Minh Duong,” the clan elder spoke up, “this is Kieu Thi Thi — the person Lam Kha placed outside.”

I didn't answer, put down the money, coldly glanced at the crowd. The second judge quickly stepped from the room to help me:

"Poor thing, kneeling for so long that my face turns pale."

The words are sympathetic, but the intention is to force us to accept:

"Even though Lam Kha has always done what he wanted, this is really confusing! But the child is innocent."

After finishing speaking, she looked at Kieu Thi Thi and her voice became serious:

"I don't understand the rules! Don't you quickly kneel down and kowtow to the main house!"

Kieu Thi Thi still stood still. She rubbed her belly, her eyes passed over me, fell on the coffin, her eye sockets gradually turned red. At that moment, perhaps she was truly a bit sad.

“How long has it been?” I asked.

“It's been eight months.” Her soft voice trembled, "Before the general left, he said he wanted to see the baby born with his own eyes..."

My third uncle looked at me with sympathetic eyes and walked up to ask her:

"Do you have any proof? You can't just listen to one side!"

Kieu Thi Thi nodded tearfully:

“The general has a light scar on his left hip, an injury from hunting when he was a child.”

That's a trace that only those closest to you know. On the wedding night, I used to slowly trace it with my fingertips.

“Eight months ago, the general went to the Northwest battle, only taking me with him, for more than a month before and after, every single thing can be verified.”

“More!”

She pulled out an old piece of jade pendant from her sleeve:

"It was given to me by the general, who said that this life will never fail me."

That piece of jade is my mother-in-law's genetic inheritance. The third lady on the side sighed softly:

“Minh Duong, you are a reasonable person, don't be too stubborn, it will hurt the peace of the Lam family, it will also make the Lam family's bloodline more miserable.”

"That's right," the second judge immediately interjected, "Minh Duong, you're a great person. Thi Thi was originally a lady from a mandarin's house. If she wasn't sincere, why would she accept being a concubine? Now that Lam Kha is gone, even if she had even a little bit of blood, she wouldn't be able to keep it..."

The old man immediately continued, saying that the child should be brought into the family tree, and also wanted me to take the dowry and raise them and their mother. All eyes turned to me. Amid the sound of crackling candles, I rubbed my dry eyes.

“The Lam family's bloodline... is it really that valuable?”

2

The second room said Lam Kha was a rude person naughty, that's still light. Three years ago, he killed his biological father, then slashed his father's concubine and stepson, including the head of the department of more than forty people. If he didn't die, he was injured. Just because his mother was tortured to death by that mother and son couple, his father turned a blind eye and the servants were complicit. When he returned from the front line, he learned that while he risked his life for his country, his biological mother was tortured to death in the rear. He pulled out his knife and slashed down, leaving only him alone. Therefore, the famous Northwestern general became a death row prisoner. If I hadn't come forward and prayed for the opportunity to make amends in front of the queen, he would have been beheaded that winter. In his impeachment petition at that time, it was written:

“A great sin of rebellion, contrary to heaven.”

It's only been three years, the people in this house have forgotten everything. Lam Kha is such a god-killer, how can he maintain his appearance? What's more, he even brought women with him to battle? They probably never thought that the person who can be married by Lam Kha as his wife is an ordinary person? I, Ha Lan Minh Duong - the eldest daughter of the Chu Quoc Cong government line, my mother is a third-class female official, my grandfather is a reigning emperor. When I was fifteen years old, I asked for an indictment to overturn the unjust conviction of a businessman, and my argumentative skills echoed in the capital. The Queen personally praised:

"Dear daughter, talented like a unicorn."

The court believes that the Ha Lan family will have a female prime minister. But from then on, I gathered all my glory and disappeared. It wasn't until three years ago, when I stood in the middle of the main hall to save the life of death row prisoner Lam Kha, and insisted on marrying him, that I once again returned to the eyes of the world. Little did they know, after the age of fifteen, I became the secret arm of the queen of the streets. I replaced people with inconvenient things and created the most secret intelligence network in the world. I'm not like Lam Kha who kills people with a knife, but the blood on my hands is not less than him at all. The Academy meets the enemy, I will offer you poisoned wine to send you away. The hidden line revealed secrets, I personally covered my mouth to death in the warehouse. The official was harmed, I set a trap and his entire family was exiled. The filth of the world, I see is deeper than him. Lam Kha kills with a knife, I kill with a trick. Before marrying him, I thoroughly investigated the entire Lam family. The third uncle and the second aunt have been sneaking around for many years, secretly transferring assets, we all know. What's more, the baby in Kieu Thi Thi's womb is also the child of her third uncle.

“Stay.”

In the midst of the confused and angry eyes of the crowd, I nodded and allowed Kieu Thi Thi to enter the palace.