LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS
/ LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 274 The Welcome
A lot happened in the past few weeks with the Water Kingdom wanting the wedding to be held in their kingdom as it is customary for the wedding ceremony to be conducted in the bride's place in their kingdom. Xing extremely opposed to it and so the wedding ceremony is arranged at the Huang Jasmine Manor as the bride's home.
Everyone was surprised to see the Empress flaring up at the emissary sent from the Water Kingdom not to address Takano as the 'Princess'. Of course she made them believe it was because she is already a Huang so it is not necessary to refer to her with her old title. Only Bai Li knew of the tantrum she threw in her courtyard that night murmuring why someone whose title was "given" by the dowager after the death of the previous emperor of the water kingdom, should be addressed as a princess all the time.
"She is not of royal blood... How dare she be addressed as a Princess? If she is a princess, then I am.... I am... Ah, right! I'm an Empress", she was too angry to realise that she holds the title of the Empress right now and also how she has started to discriminate a person by their bloodline and the names of their families.
The root of Xing's displeasure for Takano was the new reveal that the Jin Family who is said to have stolen the navy belonging to the Ouyang Family is actually the Kei sibling's maternal family.
"Those ship stealers... Now to lend back their ship, is forcing the Huang family by seducing my brother", she mumbled.
Bai Li by her side rolled his eyes, "Will you stop acting so irritated? We all know you are agreeing to this wedding only because you love your brother and not for any other reason. So just shut up", he said pushing a lotus hairpin made with red jade into her hair.
"You!", Xing pointed her finger at Bai Li and she had nothing to retort and sat back straight folding her hands.
True, when her brother pleaded her to let him marry her that day in the Imperial Study, she had changed her heart to give in to her brother's wishes... Almost a ninety percentage... . The letter from the Water Emperor was only the last push that changed her heart a hundred percent.
Anyone should have a chance to have their life with the one they want! More so, her brother!
Xing did look for other ways they could survive and possibly win against those strong navy of the Sky Kingdom. And Seiren had an important news for her a couple of weeks back.
Till then the great sands to the South of their kingdom have been an unexplored land with no one knowing the routes. Apparently Seiren had gotten a map that would enable the passage of the Great Sands into the Sky Kingdom directly to the capital city. His days of wandering as a silk pants surely paid off. He had many acquaintances from various places.
He proposed the plan that if Sky Kingdom attack their coasts, the Zhong army will pass through the Great sands and will attack their capital city directly. As powerful as the Sky Kingdom's navy is, their army... Not so much!
A meek army against the Zhong army who has good morals just winning a war... Anyone can predict the results.
So the Wind Kingdom could force the Sky Navy to retreat if they want their army to retreat from their capital city.
And it won't be a loss for the Wind Kingdom without the Water Kingdom's navy. They can survive with the Zhong army itself if those routes are authentic.
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Even now Seiren has gone by himself to see if that route map is authentic even though Xing was against it. What if someone is plotting against them... Say Shihong..? And they gave a fake map to plan an ambush? He is the Lord of the Zhong family now with an army under his command. He cannot be reckless and Xing asked him to send someone else .
But Seiren, the free spirit as he is, refused to take her advise and wanted to check the authenticity of the map himself.
" The wedding you are planning with the Water kingdom will be a distraction and the Sky Kingdom won't even guess we have another plan" , he said before he left and only she and Seiren knew about this along with the Emperor. Upon her insistence, he took two more trained people with him.
Wish Seiren doesn't face any troubles!
"I'm allowing this only for the navy", Xing told Bai Li after snapping out of her thoughts. She didn't want Bai Li to have the upper hand and think he had figured her out.
"Yeah! Right...", Bai Li sneered making Xing go all red.
Xing was asked by her father to be respectful to those who attend the wedding from the Water Kingdom since she represents the women of the entire nation.
"Not that Kei Takanashi", she pursed her lips.
"Even him", AoTian looked at her waiting for her reply.
Ximg nodded her head half-heartedly and AoTian just sighed, "Look Mingxia, there will be a family Banquet after the wedding where it will be our family and him. You can even slap him then for all I care. Just when in public be more patient" he urged her.
Xing just shrugged. She really wasn't planning to do anything improper...
She just brought Mo Chen with her. Mo Chen has no propriety!
The wedding ceremony was based on their customs since the wedding is held in the Wind Kingdom. It started by the brother of the bride carrying the bride out of the threshold of the bridal home in their case the Huang Jasmine Manor to the sedan and the groom receiving her from the sedan by carrying her through the threshold of his home and he brought her inside the wedding hall. The noise of firecrackers and music filled the streets.
While welcoming the bride as the only female of the groom's family, Xing gets to have money from the brother of the bride according to their customs.
Xing who tried hard to not show her actual expressions towards him pursed her lips and he gave her silk bag filled with gold ingots showing the status he held and she showed her status by just touching it above, with her palm facing down and a maid accepted the bag on her behalf making the corners of his lips twitch.
She wouldn't even accept my gift with her hands?
Like I would receive anything from him! Xing stood there expressionless.
But the other nobles of their kingdom who were watching her like a hawk were happy and so was AoTian. There is a small line between being respectful towards others and submitting to them. Her status should not make her submit to anyone. She was being respectful by touching the gift and not being submissive by not accepting the gift with her hands.
Only those who are lower in status receive and show their palm to the giver. The Empress of Wind Kingdom should not be lower in status to a honorary Prince like him!
But this was not enough to dishearten Takanashi...
"Your Highness looks exactly like her brother. I met him a while before. Did he mention about me to you? Where is he now? ", he asked all those questions grinning ear to ear making Xing roll her eyes.
Of course we look similar! We are the same person!
Seeing her not willing to answer, he tried to engage with her more," I'm glad I get to Serve such a pretty Empress like you", he leaned towards her, "Ours is not as pretty as you nor is she a noble like you!"
What a trash! Xing was disgusted hearing him talk about her friend like that.
*Grrr*
Mo Chen was beside her being protected by her from the loud noises by her shield with wind and he didn't like someone else standing this close to her.
Xing could not help but smile seeing Takanashi's face going pale as he just noticed Mo Chen near her and he gasped loudly closing his mouth with the back of his hand like a girl and took a couple of steps back almost stumbling and he tried hard not to fall on his butt. It would have beenuch better if he screed too but that didn't happen,sadly!
The whole scene looked hilarious!
"Kei Takanashi! Our Great Wind kingdom has enough smart people to serve our court. We don't need some outsider like you! And who gets this scared of an adorable panther? ", Xing said in a mocking tone petting Mo Chen's head and went inside.
The nobles who are now used to see Mo Chen, could not help but snicker among themselves by the way the Empress treated Takanashi and her approval rating went higher among those nobles.
Most of them heard news about how he roamed in the Imperial roads last day ordering everyone around, creating ruckus in the streets that he is the brother-in-law of the Empress and also by using the Huang name.
Seems like the Empress doesn't give him face in front of the nobles of her own Kingdom and he is treated like who he is... A neighboring country's Prince here as a temporary guest..!
That was Xing's intention too. Yukiko had mentioned how these two siblings gets around in their kingdom using the Dowager's name and no one could oppose them. He cannot be allowed to use her family's name like that in their Kingdom. Even those who bear the Huang name won't be too haughty in public. So how could he be allowed?
And as for the relationship with the Water Kingdom, Xing knew no one would be bothered other than the Dowager perhaps by this treatment of him. He is hated by everyone in their kingdom and no one would go to war for this. Xing could see in her mind how Yukino would laugh hearing these stories.
Kei Takanashi who expected a different kind of welcome, had his face blackened by the Empress' attitude and it seemed like no one is opposing her too.
Chapter end
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