“Oh… what did I die of?” I asked.

“The whole story stems from the three royal sons of the elderly king, who were sent to
govern various provinces. They were summoned to attend the celebration of the
Buddha image he had commissioned, and this became the catalyst for the events. The
eldest and middle sons, who were already rivals, felt that soon their aging father would
pass away, and the rightful succession to the throne in the capital would belong to the
eldest son. But because each had clever advisors backing them and plotting against
each other, especially the middle son’s advisor, who knew that his side had no chance
of inheriting the throne, the greed of outsiders, the ambitious officials in each faction
who craved power if their side won, resulted in a bloody conflict among the siblings
during that time,” Lord Phoche began to explain.

“It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with me,” I said.

“That’s right, it has nothing to do with you. It was merely intertwined with your story.
It was about the insatiable greed and the desire for power of the officials on both sides.
The middle son’s official had a direct connection to Lady Usaawadee’s father, while the
eldest son’s faction was aware of the middle son’s plans during that time. So, both sides
plotted to eliminate each other. The side with the rightful claim to the throne after their
father knew that if they didn’t eliminate the younger brother first, they would become
the wrongdoers and be eliminated instead. At that time, there was a clear division into
two factions, especially the middle son’s side, backed by Lady Usaa’s father, who saw an
opportunity to make their side rise to power.”

“Therefore, the Buddha image celebration became the catalyst for the internal conflict
among the two sons, each plotting to assassinate the other. But there was a twist: the
middle son’s faction planned to assassinate the elderly king to frame the eldest son and
give their side a reason to deal with the eldest son’s faction. This conflict was
particularly difficult because the king’s enemies were close to him and had access to
the palace, even his bedroom,” he explained.

“I feel sorry for this king,” I said.

“Yes… he had no idea that the Buddha image celebration would turn into a blood feud.
That event was chaotic, with conflicts that outsiders couldn’t comprehend, and the
creation of situations to frame the other side, especially in the case of the king’s
assassination. From an outsider’s perspective, it would be understood that the eldest
son’s faction was responsible because they wanted to ascend to the throne, but in
reality, it was a setup by the other side. In the end, both sides were defeated because
their assassination plans were exposed. It became an internal war between the
brothers. Soldiers from both sides were sent in. Both the eldest and middle sons were
killed by the other side’s soldiers. Lady Usaa’s father assassinated the king himself and
took the opportunity to kill her as well because she was a major obstacle, without
realizing that he was killing the mother of his own grandchild.”

“The event ended with the king’s death, the deaths of the eldest and middle royal sons,
her own death, and the death of Lady Usaa’s father. Lady Usaa was sent by boat to a
northern city, a city where the middle son had previously governed. Later, her son,
born there and recognized as royal blood, became the ruler of that city. In the end, only
the youngest royal son, who was not involved in the conflict, succeeded Phra Inthracha.
The Phra Sri Ariya Metteyya Buddha image celebration became the funeral for the king
and the two royal sons, and the venue for the funeral was the courtyard in front of the
temple you built. The villagers began to call this temple ‘Wat Na Phra Meru’ (Temple in
front of the Royal Crematorium) from then on,” he explained.

“That’s very sad,” I commented.

“No story in the universe is as sad and depressing as the stories that have occurred on
this planet Gaia. These experiences have never happened anywhere else. It is not a
mistake, and it is not intentional. These experiences arise from the freedom that God
intentionally instilled in every human, allowing humans to choose to do anything, no
matter how evil. This is just one lifetime, a small fragment that makes up all of your
experiences. You still have many stories, and they are considered important stories
that I want you to know, as you are one of the individuals who have been entrusted by
me,” he explained.

“Even this much makes me feel very tired and weary. I immediately feel hesitant about
whether to continue learning about past lives,” I replied.

“It’s up to you. You have freedom,” he replied.

“No, my curiosity is still stronger than the weariness I feel,” I replied.