LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 129 Gossip and Investigation

The Emperor was in his study the next day taking care of the memorials in front of him. He could not help but wonder why the officials of the court seemed particularly happy and for him, it seemed like Lord AoTian wanted to kill him.

He was the one who sent his daughter here, what did I do?

Even Rijun looked at him with hatred. Just what is going on?

Rijun entered the study and he banged the table,

"What did you do to Mingxia ?", he asked gritting his teeth. If it was anyone else other than his friend the Emperor would have sent him to the Punishment Chambers then and there.

"Nothing! What's the matter? ", he asked confused. Did something happen to her?

"Everyone was congratulating father because you 'graced' her last night. What did you do to her?", Rijun was raging mad. Mingxia wouldn't have let this guy touch her. Does that mean he forced himself on her?

Rijun blinded by the love for his sister had forgotten the crucial fact that his sister is pretty strong to protect herself and the Emperor is not a scoundrel who'd do such an abhorrent thing.

"What?" the Emperor's face blackened. Then he remembered about the white cloth she used to clean his wound in his hand and placed his hand on his face.

"It's a misunderstanding!", the Emperor explained about it to Rijun and only then he calmed down. But this is not some misunderstanding they can clarify or should.

Meanwhile Xing who woke up late was looked at by the maids 'weirdly' as she would put it usually and some of them were looking at her and giggling among themselves.

Xing understood why, when the head maid of her courtyard Hu Mei congratulated her. Xing remembered only then, the stupid act she did with that cloth.

"Noble Consort, it is a good thing. Now you'll have a pretty good life in the harem. I heard the Emperor never graced any of his consorts but he chose you! You did it!", the maids were all proud and happy.

Why didn't I burn that stupid cloth? Xing banged her head hard on the wall that created a bump in her forehead immediately and the maids immediately stopped her from hurting herself more. Xing wanted to bury herself in a hole then. How stupid! Why didn't I act more prudent?

It's one thing staying here but creating this kind of rumour... Shengli will be heartbroken hearing this news! He will never accept me ever again! What have I done? Everything is lost!

Xing was filled with self-loathing and self-pity and locked herself inside her room for a while. Thankfully the Emperor didn't visit her again.

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Three weeks had passed after Xing entered the palace and she felt more alone and lonely in there. The Gods didn't seem to bother her and her father didn't visit her either as he was still angry with her and her brother wasn't allowed inside the inner courtyard and she didn't receive any news about Shengli either.

Even though Xing locked herself in, she didn't lose her sanity over the gossip circulating around. She sulked for an hour that day before realising how stupid she'd been to doubt Shengli . She knew Shengli will never judge her by the fact that there was some blood in a white cloth.

She remembered his promise before that he'll never doubt her even if everyone else talk against her. And even if he had doubts he won't blindly come to a conclusion without talking to her.

But what forced Xing to lock herself in was because she'd been receiving poisoned food more often. She had already ordered her maids to not touch her leftover food and she avoided the poisoned dishes even though it won't affect her because she had promised Shengli.

Xing used her maids to gather informations on who is in charge of the kitchen and what is the hierarchy inside the inner palace.

Usually in the inner palace, the Empress Dowager would be the highest authority and in her absence it would be the Empress.

But since their inner palace lacked both, the next top authority would be the Second rank Consorts. Right now there are three of them - Herself, Gentle Consort Shu and Pure Consort Ran.

The Ran family had lost their power and Consort Shu is said to be the most favoured one in the harem right now. But the maids reported that she was said to be 'eccentric' and she refused to take those responsibilities.

In fact Xing was asked to handle the responsibilities of the harem when she entered here but Xing who had always planned to stay away and afar from other women who try to have a chance with the Emperor refused it immediately using her fragile, sickly body as an excuse.

Xing knew what those responsibilities meant. One would complain that she received less maids to serve her and another will complain that the other Concubine receives more meat dishes, she stole this, she hurt my maid, she tried to harm me and so on and so forth.

Eventhough Xing was always on the male side where women showed only their good side to, she had known their other side when she was with Lady Shaoyao and she knew of the complaints she received on a daily basis.

A brothel is not much different from a harem. Both had a bunch of women trapped in a place with hierarchies and ranks, with those women want to reach the top rank howsoever.Xing could be called well-versed in handling these troubles but didn't have the interest to handle them for now. Another important reason was that she wasn't planning on staying here foring and she cannot take in these responsibilities.

Xing was surprised when Hu Mei reported that the affairs of the inner palace were looked over by Eunuch Xin. Xing felt there must be some thing wrong with him being the one in charge of the inner palace. But that seemed to be the case and Xing wondered why that guy she was almost sure as the one who tried to kill Shengli eleven years back had such power now.

Maid Hu Mei explained that Eunuch Xin was the one who had served in the inner palace in the previous monarch's rule and as a senior who was the only one with the knowledge of how the inner palace must work, he had been given the authority by the Emperor himself.

Whenever Xing heard the term sole survivor of some imcident, she'd think they must be smart and brave to survive that ordeal. But to survive in the inner palace solely....

Well! He must be purely cunning and savage.

Xing had asked maid Hu Mei to keep an eye on the Eunuch because she highly suspected the poisoning of her food might be his doing.

But what is his plan?

Whatever it is, an Eunuch with power is not a good sign and she must be careful around him.

Chapter end

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