Xing could not find anything more about the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor even his birth name or his love story that Xing most antic.i.p.ated. How did a priestess tamed a blood-listing Tiger to a man who stood on his knees to propose to her.But Xing learned why he was called "Scarlet Tiger" from his journals. That night when he eliminated the entire inner palace, he started with wearing a white robe and by dawn he was drenched in blood from head to toe and his disheveled black hair and his eyes that shone amber like that of a tiger made the onlookers see a scarlet coloured tiger with black stripes and golden eyes out of fear. So that"s why the name "Scarlet Tiger" stuck among the commoners.
That evening with only a month to her birthday, Xing was looking through her window. The snow was falling like cotton and made everything outside look like it was all painted white. Xing had a cup of blossoms tea and she was in no mood to drink it as it reminded her of Shengli. She just held the cup near her nose and let the smell of the blossoms engulf her.
Xing was worried since its been more than a month but still there was no news of Shengli and s.h.i.+hong too. What is s.h.i.+hong planning, she wondered. Also these days the frequency of her food getting poisoned had increased to. Her investigations was going nowhere because the one doing it was so meticulous leaving no trails. Xing had a hunch it must be that Eunuch but couldn"t understand what he might have against her.
Just as she was in deep thoughts a familiar voice broke her out of her trance,
"Sister-in-law!"
Yes! It was Lin Mubai who was there in the guard uniform of the inner palace, standing outside of her window.
This is a risky place to be, Xing thought and did he really call me "sister-in-law"?
"I came to report, Sister-in-law ", Lin Mubai said in his usual chirpy tone, "I did everything like you asked and acted like how big brother would in the past month. Everything is going well except we cannot find brother wolf. But I came to inform sister-in-law that the forth young master of the Ran family contacted our people to arrange for a place during New year. The forth young master is said to be a.... "
"What kind of place?", Xing interrupted noticing he was going off-topic.
Where is Shengli? Her heart ached but she hid it.
"A place outside of the city, safe, secluded and scenic, possibly near the sea. This is what I find odd, why would the entire Ran family plan to leave three days before New year when they are expected to be in the capital city wis.h.i.+ng the Emperor? What are they planning? Their daughter is in here too. They must wish the Emperor on new year"s at least for her sake ", Lin Mubai was pondering out loud.
Xing knew that Lord Ran won"t care about his daughter but what kind of plans had they made to leave the city secretly?
" Just do what they"ve asked and charge them a lot and try to find what they are planning covertly. This is not good any way we look at it", Xing told him and he looked at her surprisingly. She had sent all her maids away the moment she noticed Lin Mubai.
"Well! This is exactly what Brother Wolf would have said", he smiled.
Xing looked at Lin Mubai who was looking at her as usual without any questions or doubts. She could guess the looks she"ll get it it was Ye Min here instead of Lin Mubai. Does it not matter to him that I am now in the inner palace? Xing wondered but felt too ashamed to ask him.
"One more thing, the princes... Did you try to find out who actually killed them?", Xing asked Lin Mubai and he was more surprised that she knew these details too.
"No, sister-in-law ", he shook his head.
"Try to find out. Also any information about Eunuch Xin here,from his birth till now. And..."
"Did he try to hurt you, sister-in-law?", Lin Mubai interrupted.
"No, but he seems fishy. And also my second uncle. Investigate him closely", Xing spoke in a whispering tone so that only Lin Mubai could hear.
Xing always wondered about her second uncle. She had trained with him and his skills with a halberd was above par. But whenever there was something important going on he disappears.
Also that smile he always sports, no one can be smiling always right? And he knew of her birth and her mother too but kept it a secret for years.
Although Xing knew for a fact that her Uncle Feiye is not working against them, it is beyond doubt that he is hiding something. She needs to find out what it is!
"Lord Huang Feiye?", He asked astonished.
"Yes, but he is not priority. Just concentrate on the other two things with importance and tell my first uncle that a "A stout Carp didn"t like the River and wanted to jump high to cross the dragon gate but was devoured by an Eagle" ", Xing told Lin Mubai.
Carp was the Emblem of the Ran family and what Xing told her uncle was to try and bankrupt or steal the possessions of Ran family as that family is going to fall soon .
" Yes ", Lin Mubai nodded and he had a smirk as he understood what she meant.
As he was about to leave, Xing could not help but ask him,
"Lin Mubai, aren"t you angry at me? "
Lin Mubai bowed in front of her and he had a smile in his face and replied,
"The one thing brother wolf told me always is that you are my sister-in-law no matter what and you should be treated as such and nothing less. At first when I heard you entered the palace, I felt like you are not worthy of my Brother Wolf"s trust but upon serious consideration I realised that Brother Wolf wouldn"t have trusted a frivolous person and now after meeting you I know that you must have some life or death situation to be here. But even if I am wrong about you, I still have to treat you as my sister-in-law because that is what brother wolf ordered us! "he said and left leaving Xing with her eyes filled with tears.