LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 485 A New Beginning

It should not be what I think! My little brother is fine!

Ah Xuan shook his head in the negative and went on hugging Chenglei," Uncle, father is gravely sick, " his mumbled voice made Xing's heart skip a beat.

"Why weren't we informed?" Xing was the one who asked as Chenglei was standing frozen. She was mad that guy was acting like a little child again.

'Gravely ill? How? He is younger than me... ' Chenglei couldn't accept it.

"Aunty Xing," Ah Xuan gulped as he couldn't contain his sorrow, " Father made me promise not to inform you. It was just a cold first and so I thought he'd get better but it only got worse and now..., " he teared up.

Xing stood up and looked at Chenglei who looked shook. Holding Chenglei's hand, she walked out, towards the mountains and Ah Xuan ran behind her.

The Water Emperor passed away a couple of years back and Xinxin became the Emperor there. She never thought that the day they'd be mourning for Kouki will come this soon.

No, I cannot let that happen. You should outlive me, Kouki! '

" That idiot! How was he when you left?" Xing asked Ah Xuan who was walking alongside her, mindlessly.

" Not well... I'm not even sure my father is... Is still..." Ah Xuan couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Shut up! He is fine!" Chenglei shouted and Xing with a sigh, walked through the mountains.

He still had the god essence but none of the children who were conceived after the portals are closed had the god essense, not even her children. Xinxin is the youngest of the descendants of gods to have the god essense. And as far as she knew, none of the kids with the god essense have contact with gods. She's the last person who's interacted with gods and now even she cannot have tete-tete with the gods, even with Fei Lian anymore, as time passed. The gods have entirely closed themselves from the human realm and her claim as the Prince, became weaker the more time she spent in the mortal realm.

Ah Xuan was flabbergasted to see the trio already inside the Palace just after walking for half an hour.

Aunty Xing.. She really is the devine ruler with unfathomable powers...

Xing entered the Emperor's bedchamber along with Chenglei and Ah Xuan. Her heart fell seeing her brother-in-law, lying pale in those silk sheets. Each breath he took was painful for him and his throat has completely gone sore of coughing. The murmurs from his chest could be heard from where she was standing.

"Mingxia?" he was surprised to see her. Xing was entirely broken hearing his hoarse voice but he continued, " Third Brother too. Both of you are here..." he smiled. Since he talked holding his breath, he then went about a fit of coughs and Xing sat by his side, helped him sit and rubbed his chest.

"Out, I've said everything I needed to say to you. Now let father go peacefully. I know you can handle this role you were born into with ease, " he waved his hand to Ah Xuan and he hesitated to leave but seeing his father's glare, he went out and stood behind the wooden partition. Little Zai was there too as he was informed of his brother's return.

" Have these medicines I fetched for you, on the way here," Xing tried to call for the eunuch who took care of him but he stopped her.

"Come on, Mingxia... Let me go. I've lived long enough.. What.."

Xing didn't listen to him and stuffed some of the leaves she kept inside her sleeves, inside his mouth and closed his nose and mouth with her hands.

He had no other way than to swallow.

"This will ease your throat for now. Now be good and drink the soup brewed using these...," she paused looking to her side and her eyes widened.

"Are they here?" the Emperor smirked. Whatever medicine she gave, immediately relieved his throat and it didn't hurt anymore. His chest felt a bit cool too as the burning feeling went away.

Xing looked at Chenglei and he could guess by the way she stared at thin air too.

'King Yan's people are here to take his life! He, my little brother is going to die.'

"Kiss me, Mingxia," he said with a playful smile, and tried to bring back his brother who looked pale and disoriented in his thoughts. His heart is already weak and he didn't want to burden him. He didn't know what to feel of Mingxia who looked pretty composed although she was sad.

Xing didn't think twice before getting up and kissed him in the forehead, "When you drink the soup, think of the one most important thing to you... You'll remember it your next life," she whispered in his ear before sitting back up.

Chenglei who was frozen till then, came to after hearing the smacking sound of a kiss.

Did my wife just kissed my brother? Right when I'm here?

" Hehe he, brother, your wife kissed me, " the Emperor laughed holding his chest.

The Emperor saw his brother wiping his wife's mouth with his sleeves and as if that was not enough he licked her lips, like a dog.

The Emperor really couldn't hold back his laughter and his sons outside thought he's gotten better somehow and peeked inside.

Chenglei noticed his wife holding the hands of his brother and held her hand with his hand while smoothly held his brother's hand with his other hand.

"My wife," he mouthed and the Emperor nodded.

He knows... He knows she is his brother's wife.

"She was right," he said closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and Xing looked at him confused. Chenglei didn't understand him either.

'She told me that I love my brother more, and she was right.'

"Brother, Bury me with her, with Hanmi," he said and Chenglei shook his head.

"It is impossible. She is buried among the Imperial concubines and the TongTian Emperor cannot be buried in the ground for concubines. No."

"Please, Junjie wants to be buried with Hanmi," he pouted.

At least after he died, he wanted to not be an Emperor, but as just a man who was a husband to that woman.

"Look at this crybaby making impossible requests till the end..," Chenglei teared up and hugged his brother.

The Emperor was convinced, his brother will grant his request. Through the little gap, he could see Mingxia, and his sons were standing behind her.

He slowly closed his eyes, all his memories flooded through his eyes.

'Yes, I lost my true love this lifetime to my brother.. But I had a pretty fulfilling life otherwise. I had good relatives, my children are the best and I even felt what being in love meant. I really fell in love,' his lips curved up and he could feel his life slowly draining.

He was in the warm embrace of his brother, the pain he felt the past month have all gone and he was happy and felt no fear of dying.

'Yes, I have no regrets this life, except...'

'I love you, Hanmi! '

"I should have told her"

Those were the last words of the pretty famous Emperor of the Wind Kingdom, who united all the nations through trade with more peacetime than war and the one who was feared by some and adored by many, 'The black panther' and the TongTian Emperor.

With those whom he loved the most by his side, he died, at the age of sixty five, having seen his great-grandson walking around when he was supposed to be dead at the age of twenty one, not even seeing his son.

And, only the one who changed his fate, for the better, could understand what he said and others didn't.

Xing took a deep breath as she saw his soul leaving his body.

"Rest well, Lu Junjie. May all your wishes come true in your next life," she muttered and some tears escaped her eyes.

She stood up and hugged the back of Chenglei who was shaking as tears fell from his eyes.

"He's still young..., Xing... He left us..."

Xing took a deep breath. This is not a time for her to cry and mourn. The death of the Emperor will be announced and the Crown Prince should ascend to the throne without a hitch. That should be the top priority.

The death of the Emperor should be handled properly. Luckily for them, the crown Prince is the only one claiming the throne and so there won't be any fight between the factions of the Princes but there might be some officials and those who might create trouble.

" You know what to do. Do not announce until your uncle gives the okay," Xing patted Ah Xuan in the back.

"Write a letter to your sister. She cannot attend the funeral but she should know directly through you," she told Little Zai and he nodded and joined Chenglei too.

Chenglei knew this is not the time to be grieving either. After breaking down for sometime, he composed himself soon.

"Secure the city, make sure all those officials behave. Anyone gathering anymore than two hundred guards, private or not, should be tried and prosecuted...."

Chenglei listed out a string of orders and Lianlian and Feifei followed through.

Xing sat by his side, watching him work while Lin Mubai stood there waiting for his next order. Even now, he refused to retire and stood by Chenglei's side, like a loyal steed who would never abandon his master. Chenglei considered him, his brother too. Xiao Mei passed early and she wanted to be cremated as per her customs and so her funeral was conducted according to her wishes.

"Ah, how am I going to bury the Emperor with the Consort? The court will never approve of it and they will fight to death saying he should be buried with his forefathers. He gave me a headache as his death wish" Chenglei rubbed his temples.

He really wanted to grant his brother's last wish but it is next to impossible. And his brain refused to work properly in this time of mourning to think of a deep plan.

"Switch the body of the Emperor with another and bury him with the Consort. Then his wish will be granted and the court will not know anything too," Xing said and Chenglei sighed and rubbed her shoulder, "But it is not easy"

"Actually... Uncle... Father already gave me the plans to bury him with mother," Little Zai opened a neatly folded paper and spread it in the table and explained the plan his father made, in his last days of resting.
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"This is possible if executed with precision. But we'll still need a corpse identical to him," Chenglei mumbled.

"I'll find a way, your highness, we can find it within three days, before the burial ceremony. Don't worry," Lin Mubai assured Chenglei and turned to leave.

"Mubai!" Chenglei stopped him. For some reason, he had an odd feeling in his heart.

"Be careful. Don't stress too much. We can find a way," Chenglei lifted his lips slightly, " And don't go alone. Bring Chen with you. Lianlian can manage with others," he added and Xing as if realising something, sighed.

Lin Chen is Lin Mubai's son, who started to follow Lianlian. Just like his father served Chenglei, he found happiness following Lianlian.

On the third day, as the funeral was to be held, there still was no news of a suitable corpse when Lin Chen returned and told Chenglei they had a suitable body.

Seeing his pale face, Xing got worried.

"My father passed away of heartattack as he worked too much these past two days. And right till he died he wanted to help your highness. He asked me to request you to use his body as the replacement," he said gulping and holding back his sorrow.

"That guy!" Xing could not hold back her tears. Lin Mubai who would talk non-stop and always treated her with respect and Chenglei with adoration passed away. There are some people whose loyalty had no bounds or no reasoning could explain their love. He was one such person.

Seeing both the Prince and the Princess Consort in tears, Lin Chen was surprised. He had never heard of any employers Who'd cry for the death of their servant. Then again their father and mother were never treated as servants by them, but as family.

"'Who'd get a chance to be buried in five clawed dragon robes, without even sitting on the throne once? Isn't that what most men wish for all their life? To be buried with the utmost respect? I'd be the luckiest bastard, won't I?' my father said before he couldn't breath anymore," Lin Chen added and he felt relieved when he saw Prince Jin smile a little,

" He'd have said that, " Xing smiled a little too.

In the end, the funeral was conducted without a hitch. In the presence of everyone, the Tongtian Emperor stand-in was buried according to the custom of the Imperial family, along with his wife's ashes.

In the dark night, as rain poured, in the not so well maintained area of the Imperial graveyard, a group of men carried another body in five clawed dragon robes and the original crown that was put on his head by the god of wind himself and his dragon seal, the actual Tongtian Emperor was buried by his brother and his sons and nephews with the woman in his heart.

The ground was covered and as if not to disturb those two who loved each other in this impossible place to find love, the rain washed away any trails and clues of what happened there.

Mourning period was announced as a year and no one complained. From the higher officials, to a poor potter in a small village, all loved this Emperor who worked day and night for the improvement of their kingdom by opening various trade routes and weeding out evil and corrupted people, bringing peace and fertility to the lands.

The day after the funeral, the Coronation of the Crown Prince as the next Emperor was conducted, the couple who were half responsible for the success of the Tongtian Emperor stood hand-in-hand, watching with glee in their eyes. They had given up a lot for the previous Emperor and this kingdom and in the end, they finished their duties perfectly.

The current Emperor bowed in their direction as he felt grateful for those two who supported his father throughout his rule even though he didn't know much of the details. But he has promised his father, that the Lu family will protect and respect the Li family, generations to come for the sake of the couple who saved the Lu family.

And so a new beginning happened in the Wind Kingdom. Chenglei and Xing completely distanced themselves from politics and stayed in the Jin Manor of the West.

It is time for their younger generations to shine and just like their older generations left everything in their hands, they left everything to their younger generations too.

This is the cycle of life. One generation should always be replaced by the next generation and it is a thing to be celebrated.

The older generation's sacrifice and services should be remembered by the younger generation and without forgetting that they are standing in the shoulders of giants, they should try and improve the nation for their next generation.

Chapter end