LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS
/ LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 247 Let Them Know of Her
He glared at the men who dared not to be in the front lines yet had the audacity to think they personally won the war for the kingdom. One of them was Lord Chu who actually has an idea about what happened last night and he seemed to have found some like minded people who allingned with his hate towards the Huang family as it would benefit his daughter to have the highest position a woman can get in the kingdom, the Pheonix Throne.
The Emperor's murderous look only made them shut their mouth but in their mind they were sneering. There is no way the Emperor could save his face when the Empress he chose is accused of cuckolding him willingly or unwillingly and he is now pointing his word at them in front of the soldiers who had fought for the kingdom.
Does he know that those soldiers think of them as the superior and not the Emperor. Haven't he heard of Military uprisings that have dethroned emperors?
What they didn't realise is that the Emperor still has the backing of the Zhong army and the soldiers they are proud of following them are now the Imperial soldiers and they won't risk the wellbeing of their families serving the Emperor over their loyalties to superiors who they used to follow.
And there is the Empress they hate who is worth more than any army!
The Emperor plunged the sword in the ground and sat on a chair that was brought out for him to sit. The rest of the Zhong army surrounded him in a defensive position and Xing was dumbfounded.
What has he planned? Xing wondered looking at him calmly fixing his crown and he had a determined look that she had never seen on him before. She always liked to be the one who surprised others and not the one who got surprised.
Xing was disgruntled, ashamed and felt a bit humiliated by the accusations made on her but she remembered what Chenglie told her before about how women will be accused of this one thing whenever they want to hurt or win against her.
Despicable! but this is how this place works, she calmed herself.
She was not much worried for herself because Chenglie knows the truth and no one here can just throw mud at her and escape the wrath of her father nor can she be deposed without proper trial as she is the Empress. But everyone sneering at her did affect her... at least a bit!
An accusation made at this public place must be dealt immediately or it might lead to serious implications.
Also isn't the punishment for adultery death? Is that what these men are going for? But Xing could not find any methods how she could escape this plight. It's not like she could stand in the centre and shout at her accusers that they are wrong and slap them like she did in her family Banquet, right?
She also worried about the gods who might appear here any moment. If the god of Quingze River is confronted by the God of water, would there be devastation followed? In that case would Fei Lian interfere? Even if he did, whose side will he take? He seemed to be in love with that goddess of Water... Won't he lean towards her? What would she think of the River God acting against her rules?
As Xing was in different thoughts than any human would have at that time, the Emperor waved his hands and a tray containing armour was brought and was placed beside the Emperor.
"Are you going to fight them?", Xing asked him looking around after getting back from her thoughts. The entire place was under chaos with no one understanding what is happening and the cool Emperor was here sitting with no care in the world.
Is this something she had read in books that the hero asking for a duel to prove the beauty's innocence?
"No, you are", he said calmly in guyu language surprising Xing.
Is he actually asking the Empress to fight against her accusers in a battlefield? Is he serious?
She wouldn't have minded it if it was another time and if she was dressed as Lord Táng but with all eyes looking at them won't that be too against the tradition? A woman with a sword in the Battlefield?
Xing looked at the Emperor holding out his hand towards her as if asking her something. So Xing gave the only thing she had in her hand, the Divine Sword.
He smiled, got the sword and placed it on the table beside him and held out his hand again, "Your hand", he said and Xing reluctantly held out her hand in front of him.
He gently picked the long sleeves of the red dress she was wearing and rolled it around her arms and fastened with an armband and even started to tie the ties in the band himself.
"This won't disturb me", she spoke to him in guyu language too since he was talking to her in the ancient language. She had been fighting with her long sleeves fluttering all the time. The servants beside her offered to help but he waved them off.
"I know... I've watched you, remember?", he spoke calmly. It was a beautiful sight to behold. But that is not what they need right now. Everyone knows of her beauty and it is high time they know of her strength too. Only then they will shut up.
He didn't like it when she hid the fact that she was the one who attacked the men yesterday and it was Chu Weiye who was about to be molested, not her. But she won't agree to it even now and so it is his place to let everyone know of her awesomeness.
He knew she let herself to be a bait and planned all of this to happen to prove him a point that not all humans are food at heart and should be given equal chances. And she hadade him realise her point. Compassion should not be given to everyone.
And If she wants to hide herself and her strength and let others take credit for what she achieved, it is her modesty or her insouciance... He'd lean towards insouciance though.. She is not modest!
But that doesn't mean she can be taken advantage of!
I cannot let her do whatever she wants!
The Emperor learned a lot from this journey with her. Things outside the palace are not the same as in the palace and the outside is much more dangerous.
If you help a child you might be accused of kidnapping and sometimes an elephant helps you!
Fire is hard to kindle and cooking needs skills!
It is noisy outdoors and there are a lot of mosquitoes!
Washing clothes by yourself is hard and strains your hand!
He had thought that he'd be fine if he was let free from the palace even as a commoner but obviously, he is not suitable for the ordinary life of a commoner.
So he needs to embrace the life of the Emperor as it is his fate and he might not have a true love this lifetime. He had come to terms with all of this last night.
Also when he heard that Lord Chu knew of the plans of the tribals, to attack Mingxia, there must be others who know of these plans in theri camp too. Thirty two people cannot just enter a miliary encampment without inside help afterall. And he knew something of this effect that is happening now with everyone accusing her, will happen sooner even if she really is hurt or not.
And now is the time to show everyone in their side and the other side the true power of the ones who holds the Dragon Seal and the Phoenix Seal. The heavens are on their side too!
Xing realised he is doing this to show the others that it was him who is asking her to do this because he trusts her. She was touched seeing him willing to break the rules for her.
What others saw was the Emperor with his hands tying the strings of the armband for the Empress. Is he going to send her to duel? The sword she has is not decorative? The men against her started to wonder.
Seeing her bit touched, the Emperor asked her, "Is it not what my brother would do?"
"I don't know!", Xing wasn't sure. Will he have let these men have tongues to talk about her in the first place? Wouldn't he already cut the tongues of these men last night itself, so that they won't be able to talk about what happened last night to anyone? Or better yet, won't he have buried them six feet under by now?
He let's me fight my own battles too but would he let me to be humiliated in front of a crowd and silently watch them sneering at me waiting for me to retaliate? He is smart and he would have predicted this to happen and he never would have left me in a position to defend myself in the first place! He is much more amazing!
***
Chapter end
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