Huu Quan stays at Ki Liem Palace after lunch and returns to Phat An mansion in the late afternoon.
His feet stand still in front of the door, and his heart is racing constantly.
Huu Quan feels awkward towards Sir Nguyen Huu. He ran out of the mansion to Thai Thuy this morning as a temporary escape from reality. He's not sure if the conflict will continue if he goes in now and meets Sir Nguyen Huu again.
Huu Quan doesn't despise his father, he simply dislikes having to confront him in this manner.
With that, Huu Quan looks inside. He enters slowly, seeing that there's no one in the front yard.
"Where did you go, Quan?"
Sir Nguyen Huu stands in front of the living room door, waiting. Huu Quan is startled when he hears his father's voice and looks up.
Life is such a joke, in the end, they'll have to face each other anyways.
"Father, I said I went..."
Huu Quan stops his sentence halfway. He comes to a halt there, watching the living room curtain slowly lift up, revealing the figure of an elderly man.
Huu Quan has always felt that his face and name are a jumbled nightmare since discovering the truth. He also wonders how long that person would continue to harm his father. What will he have to do at that point to protect his father, mother, family, and the reputation that was once smeared by someone? Or, to put it another way, will he still have the strength to do it?
Unfortunately, Huu Quan may not know the answers to the remaining sentences, but the answer to the first sentence is here right now. Is he still dreaming about that discursive nightmare?
"Why are you standing there? Come greet Sir Pham." Nguyen Huu states.
Huu Quan swallows saliva from his mouth. It's that person who arranged slander against his father, got him kicked out of the exam school that day, and convinced Western officials to sell him to Yen Hoa, who caused his father to be exiled.
Sir Pham, this is the man who demanded the Ministry of Justice mandarin assassinate him.
Sir Pham is The Prime Minister, and his powers are comparable to the Grand Chancellor. Like father-like son, Sir Pham has several children, all of whom are properly educated, with Khac Tuan, his eldest son, now working as the Ministry of Rites mandarin.
"Good evening Sir Pham." Huu Quan says "Did you come to see my father?"
"Ah, yes. I came to visit when I heard your father got released and see how you and your father are doing." Sir Pham responds.
Huu Quan bows his head, expresses his desire to return to his room to rest and then exits the conversation.
Huu Quan can still feel Sir Pham's eyes following him until he's at the right turn.
Huu Quan knows why he came here today. Even though it was only a greeting, Huu Quan could sense the obvious contempt in the way he looked down at him. It was the look of a winner looking at a loser, and he must have realized who has won or lost.
Sir Pham must also be curious in knowing how far Huu Quan has investigated Sir Nguyen Huu's case. When he returns to his room, the old man's face remains calm and triumphant, proving that Sir Pham doesn't know that all of his dark secrets have been discovered by Huu Quan.
As soon as Huu Quan enters the room, he trembles and falls to the floor.
"Hey, your son is pretty good, isn't he? Despite being rejected numerous times, he's still actively investigating your case. But did he succeed this time? Did he know anything new? I suppose he relies on someone else's power?" Sir Pham inquires.
Sir Nguyen Huu shakes his head and says:
"It's frustrating, he plays with your Khac Tuan but he can't learn anything from him. How good would it be if he learned a bit from your Khac Tuan? I heard that he goes back and forth in the palace all the time, but he always comes back empty-handed, he can't find anything."
Sir Pham lets out a sigh of relief as it relieves a few parts. Yes, he's worried. Huu Quan is not an easy kid to mess around with. If he tries, it will only be sooner or later to find the truth. However, the boy did not suspect him. Of course, he can't doubt him. The bad thing he did and he lets a little boy easily discover, what kind of a fool is that?
However, someone in the palace must be willing to assist Huu Quan, otherwise, why would the boy be able to go back and forth in the palace all day? Who dares to mess with him? That's why, aside from Hoang Chinh, no one in the palace is bigger than him.
Whoever dares to overtake him to assist the Nguyen Huu family must face the consequences until the end.
…
The court meeting at Ki Liem Palace takes place on the first Monday morning of each Western calendar week. All mandarins in the third and higher grades are summoned to the palace to report on the work situation. Huu Quan also dresses nicely for the early court.
Phat An is also aware of Thai Thuy's intention to marry Huu Quan. Le Phat An, who was raised in Confucianism, obviously opposes two men living together as husband and wife. Furthermore, if Huu Quan becomes the Imperial Consort, those who are already disobedient will cause even more trouble.
But Phat An also acknowledges that he doesn't have the right to oppose Huu Quan's actions. After all, Nguyen Huu is still alive and well, and he as an uncle didn't do much to help. Huu Quan is young, but what he did was beyond Phat An's comprehension. He can only look at his grandson with regret and sighs.
When will this society stop treating people like his grandson unfairly?
He sees the way Hoang Chinh looks at Huu Quan. There is not only love in those eyes, but also respect, admiration, and pampering. Hoang Chinh is a playful person, but that expression says that he is willing to give up his inherent playful ego to become the most useful person for Huu Quan, someone on whom he can rely.
Huu Quan, on the other hand, does not appear to have the same fondness for Hoang Chinh, but he is also very comfortable when he relies on him. Something like that has never happened in Huu Quan before.
If things continue as they are, Huu Quan falling in love with Hoang Chinh will happen soon.
"You come to the palace?" Phat An asks.
Huu Quan turns to his uncle and smiles:
"Yes, His Majesty has an announcement to make this morning. His Majesty instructs me to arrive at the palace early to be on time for the court."
Phat An smiles, adjusting his nephew's turban crown, and carefully tying a glamorous knot on the golden card engraved with the word Nguyen Huu. Hoang Chinh is said to have given Huu Quan this golden card specifically to make entering and leaving the palace easier.
"I heard you arrange my brother-in-law's trial." Phat An says.
"Yes, His Majesty and the Resident Superieur will be presented at the trial. So I'm not worried about being compelled." Huu Quan responds.
Phat An smiles contentedly as he gazes at his bright and tidy grandson, the corners of his eyes blur.
"Oh dear, my nephew has grown so much. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
Huu Quan smiles as he opens his watch to check the time and hurriedly walks out of the car:
"Oh no, I have to go now. Let's continue the talk after we return in the evening."
In the early morning sunlight, a car departs from Phat An mansion for Hue Citadel.
Huu Quan has no idea why Thai Thuy called for him at today's court meeting so abruptly. He is simply speculating that what he is about to say has something to do with him. But what exactly is this new thing? Hoang Chinh can't be that shallow to turn to him and propose to him in the middle of the court, can he?
Huu Quan gets out of the car in front of the citadel gate and joins the mandarins entering.
It's not like Huu Quan has never seen the Forbidden City, and he also goes back and forth to Ki Liem Palace, especially recently. Huu Quan, on the other hand, has never seen a full court before. The familiar faces he has previously greeted are now stiff and serious, as is Hoang Chinh himself.
Huu Quan's first impression of Thai Thuy was that he was arbitrary, irresponsible, and carefree.
Thai Thuy at the time gave Huu Quan the impression that he didn't care and had no intention of caring about anyone. People said that if Minh Dinh can only give stupid political opinions all day, Thai Thuy doesn't even know how to spell the two words political opinion.
Huu Quan is surprised that even a simple conversation can make him listen and pay attention till now.
But it's different when he is Hoang Chinh.
Huu Quan sees a completely different serious Hoang Chinh inside when he shakes off that playful Thai Thuy ego.
Hoang Chinh acknowledges he's just a straw Emperor, a scarecrow sitting on a throne pulled by others. The French pull the strings to control him, and the Linh Nam mandarins do the same. Hoang Chinh has enough knowledge to understand how he must govern this already chaotic and declining country. He, however, did not. Hoang Chinh doesn't want to be an Emperor, he does not want to be burdened by the words "Your Majesty". So he sits still, and the edicts he issued were always approval of one's opinion, approval of the other's opinion. However, these were never Hoang Chinh's edicts in any way.
Because he understands that if he assigns the wrong responsibility, it will be his fault. And Hoang Chinh will pay the price for it.
"Huu Quan?" Sir Pham is surprised "What are you doing here?"
Ah, how can Huu Quan forget this corrupt first-class mandarin? Of course, he must be present, perhaps he will be present to witness everything that Hoang Chinh is about to announce. Huu Quan is startled, looks at him with the most alert eyes he could muster, and says:
"I'm not sure, but His Majesty called me early, so I came."
Sir Pham is taken aback as he watches Huu Quan turn away, his face darkening. How did Hoang Chinh pay attention to Huu Quan enough to call him to the court? Is Hoang Chinh the one who silently assists Huu Quan? This isn't right, if Hoang Chinh had known, his head would have fallen to the ground already right?
"Hey, kid?" Sir Pham clenches his teeth and calls. "Come here."
Khac Tuan hears his father calling, irritated that he still calls him a kid at the court, but he doesn't dare to object.
"What is it, Father?"
"Do you know why His Majesty called Huu Quan?"
Khac Tuan is surprised:
"Huu Quan comes? Where is he?"
Sir Pham's face is distorted, honestly, what kind of son is this, knows nothing outside the world, so unhelpful.
"Whatever, it's fine if you don't know."
Khac Tuan's face is blank, being scolded suddenly makes him confused. But he quickly forgets as he searches for Huu Quan. In fact, it's not that he doesn't know anything, at the very least, Khac Tuan understands that Thai Thuy must be planning something big to be able to call Huu Quan to the court meeting. Huu Quan's father case is probably not dealing now, or is something involved with the assassination near the Da Nang fair?