LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 214 A Casual Dinner That Led To a New Beginning

Xing entered the Emperor's personal dining hall that had a big circular table in the middle with chairs arranged around it. Xing was surprised by this table sitting since it didn't have a guest or host seat as everyone is the same in a circular table.

Brother Lee and the Empress of the Earth Kingdom were also there along with Ayane and Yi Kwan and Kouki.

Xing looked at the different dishes that were colourful and her appetite went low as she noticed most of them are spicy and hot dishes.

But you'll have to eat to live!

The Emperor was sitting beside Xing and as the dishes were served, Xing pulled out the jar she had made specially and placed in front of her on the table with a thud to attract the attention of everyone seated.

What did she bring to the dinner by herself? A jar... Containing what? She could get anything she wants from here, why did she find the need to bring something to a dinner as a guest? But come to think of it, that jar is well worth to be placed in a Royal Banquet Table. How good is the artwork painted on it is?

Everyone admired the artistry of that porcelain jar and the Emperor wondered why she even had it here... She even placed it with a thud to get the attention of everyone there.

Xing didn't mind others or pretended to ignore their curious glances and proceeded to open the jar and sprinkle that white grainy powder in her dish.

"Is that salt?", Ayane was the one who got too curious to ask.

Xing smiled in contention as her efforts will be fruitful.

"This my good friend, is the best salt made with secret techniques passed on from generation to generation from the Ming ancestors, in our kingdom", she picked that jar and sprinkled it on Ayane's dish too, " The Ming Family secret now owned by.... Our Emperor...! They really hid it well, the Mings... See how this salt is more whiter and purer than the other common salt...finer too so it would easily blend with the food. As of now in our Kingdom only the Royals and the High Nobles are using this salt as our Emperor have mandated. Have a taste, it is not like the ones available in markets"

"Really?", everyone was intrigued by this new kind of salt and eagerly looked at it and had a little taste of it.

"I really like this jar... It is cute to behold and too beautiful to hold just salt", Empress Wang held it in her palm and voiced her opinion.

"Don't think lightly of salt, Empress Wang, you cannot have food without salt. It is like love in a marriage. Without love marriages cannot be swallowed and too much of love becomes makes it unbearable too, just like salt in food", Xing gave a smile that would shake even the hardest of hearts.

"You are right!", she had a slight blush in her cheeks. Xing saw how Lee Daejung picked her favourite food for her sitting beside her and Xing really started to miss Shengli. The little things he used to do for her naturally, felt like a long forgotten dream for her.

Will those days ever return! Ah! Why can't I be lovey dovey with my husband too! He is with his mistress! How abominable!

On other hand Yi Kwan was controlling the wine intake of Ayane but he was being polite... Too polite with her. He was treating her like a superior to be revered and a fragile flower to be protected at the same time.

Xing remembered one of the romance books she read from Lady Zhong about a bodyguard of a princess falling in love with her but not telling her his feelings because he was asked by the Emperor to protect her from predatory men and he could not turn into one... Boy , that was a tearjerker!

But their relationship is much more complicated, right? Ayane was known to Yi Kwan as a Prince and she suddenly became female and the other problems they have faced together after her father's death. Xing observed that he is clearly loves her but what kind of love is it ..? The love of a brother, a guardian, a family or that of a lover? Whoa... That is the biggest question!

What if he has the same feelings Haru has for me towards her and she is in love with him? I genuinely hope that's not the case and he really loves her like she wants him to.

Observing everyone else, Xing forgot to notice the man to her right who was in deep thoughts with his eyes focused on the little jar filled with salt as his dark hair swayed in the gentle breeze that brought in the scent of Spring flowers.

She refused to tell anyone what she was planning and she had even met Fa Donghai to get this premium salt, he thought. And she is speaking as if everything was done by me. From suggesting the nationalisation of salt to the salt in expensive containers... Isn't it all her idea?

But look at the crowd in the table - An Emperor who is a woman, her bodyguard who she is in love with, the Head Eunuch who is the cousin of the Emperor and the lover of the Empress, The Empress who had a child with the Head Eunuch, The Emperor of another kingdom with his temporary Empress.... Isn't this an odd bunch?

As they finished dinner, Xing passed each one of them a jar of salt, "Have a try at it. You won't find it anywhere else in the market. It is extremely premium and only by our Emperor's effort to get the salt business nationalised, a select others could get it. But now our Emperor is planning to make this brand of salt exquisite for the elites like us. I mean... We cannot have the same salt the commoners use, right? Soon in our nation, this brand of high quality salt will be one of the things to be bragged about among nobles! ", she smiled.

" Really? An exquisite brand of salt just for the elites..? That's genius! It will definitely cater to their needs of displaying their superiority over others.... Hey...! Why not market these in our Kingdom too? We have nobles and elites too ", Ayane asked Xing.

Mission Accomplished!!! Xing you are a genius!

"Ah, yes... But we are making this a trademark product of our nation. We are planning to mark our Wind Kingdom's emblem on the bottom of the jar. It won't be fine with your nobles if they consider our nation as an enemy and they might fear that they'd be considered traitors if they are having something with our emblem on their banquet table",Xing placed her fingers on her mouth and gave the impression that she was in deep thoughts.

"That is true... What should we do, Eunuch Lee. This is too good of a chance to miss", Ayane asked Lee Daejung who understood Xing's intentions clearly. This is a business tactic that most businessmen would use, overselling their products! This deal would benefit them more clearly but she is making it so that we are the ones that need it urgently and she had succeeded in making the Earth Emperor considering to make adjustments to buy her product.

Good Tactic!

But clearly she does not want a war if she is willing to do trade with our kingdom. How is this so? The prophesies clearly said that the Chosen Divine Ruler will unite the kingdoms. So why is she ...

Lee Daejung thought for a while and chuckled in his heart realising the deeper meaning of everything. Sure the prophesies said she'll unite the kingdoms and everyone assumed it is by war expanding their borders. But it doesn't have to be that way, right? Isn't she a genius? If trade agreements are made and the trade routes are opened and merchants start moving in both sides with ease, wouldn't that blur the borders too?

Uniting the kingdoms not by war but with Commerce.... Amazing! Bravo!

This way trade will flourish on both sides and the merchants who control the court will not want war with the nation that makes money for them and in a way it would bring peace between the kingdoms.

With the war on their lands and the droughts there is bound to be shortage of food supplies soon and if we open the trade routes, naturally our merchants will try to sell food products we have in abundance to the Wind Kingdom and they will trade it with what they have in excess - salt, silk, cotton and jade. Won't both sides win then?

"What do you suggest?", Lee Daejung asked Xing as if he didn't know what to do. Let's hear what she says... That Xiao Xing! I knew she will be great! Grandfather was right!

" Well... Our arrival here is secret because we are supposed to be on our way to the war zone. So let this be a secret. But we will send our envoy, preferably someone with higher status... Like Huang Rijun, my brother or Zhong Seiren publicly to offer congratulations and to greet you and send gifts for the crown prince too. Then you could suggest making trade agreements in your court as suggested by the Wind Kingdom , get their approval and then we can make official agreements. What do you think? "

" This is good right? In this way both our kingdoms won't lose face. Wait... My coronation is in a month... What a coincidence! That would be the perfect excuse for your brother's visit. Sending the only son of the Prime Minister and the brother of the Empress for a negotiation, our court will have to accept it as a show of good faith and we will make sure we will welcome our guest properly as a State Guest and so it would be easy for your court to get convinced too, right? Both of our Kingdoms can write laws together for trade and that way both our kingdoms will be benefited ", Ayane was happy for such suggestion.

" Our Emperor had such thoughts before. I'm glad I could voice it to you and I'm more glad that you are welcoming of these suggestions too", Xing bowed her head.

"What are you saying, Mingxia! It is a dawn of a new era! Who'd have thought that we could have conversations like this! I'm glad you two made the choice to visit us and make this all happen. It is good for our people and the merchants will worry more about their businesses than look into the court. Its good! In all fronts! ", Ayane was genuinely overjoyed.

" Emperor TongTian, We cannot give you the proper welcome we must give you, please accept our sincerest apology. I on the behalf of our people, thank you sincerely for thinking if having good relationships with our nation. I hereby accept the Wind Kingdom as a friendly nation of ours and five you my word that we will not betray the trust you have on us", Ayane bowed to the Emperor and the Emperor stood up and reciprocated her bow,

" Thank you for your hospitality even though we sneaked into your kingdom and for having a genuine talk with us. We've always considered your Kingdom as friendlies and we will continue to act so. May the heavens guide us in succeeding on what we have started today and I pray that it lasts forever "

So after that everyone toasted in celebration of the new marked beginning of the two nations who haven't contacted each other for two centuries and Ayane asked the Emperor to stay here for the night and they are expecting another guest they are willing to introduce to him and the Emperor agreed too.

Xing who was about to escape to read the journal was stopped by the Emperor,

"Mingxia, take a walk with me", he said and Xing recognised the coldness in his tone.

Okay! What is that about? This is a first! Why does it seem like he is angry at me?

Xing wondered but followed him anyway.

Chapter end

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