A week after Xing"s meeting with her brother in the restaurant, she went to her father"s office where he was in serious contemplation. Apparently AoTian was the one who sent Rijun to get permission from his sister if he really wanted to marry that girl from the Water kingdom as he also found that idea to be nonsensical.Xing didn"t know if she should feel good or bad that she and her father arrived at the same conclusion.
AoTian told Xing how her brother is leading the pa.s.sive-resistance, refusing to eat at home, refusing to spend his father"s money and he even threatened to leave the family if his father doesn"t accept the woman he chose to be his wife.
Xing could see how sad and how tied her father felt, not being able to fulfil his son"s wishes. But if Xing had given the go, he"d have agreed to his son"s request, she knew.
"I"ve received news from the Empress of Water Kingdom that the Dowager kicked a fuzz and wanted to make it a big issue with our Kingdom when she learnt that her treasured niece eloped with an official from the Wind Kingdom and only when she knew it was a Huang did she calm down and decided to wait for our reply ", Xing told her father.
Surely brother is creating a big trouble! If only there is no communications between them, this would definitely lead to serious consequences.
" If it is twisted by opportunists that the Wing Kingdom"s Prime Minister"s son abducted the Princess of the Water Kingdom, won"t it ruin the name of Huang Family and our Kingdom?", AoTian sighed and rubbed his temples, "Why is that rascal creating such troubles?"
He always was a good boy... Too good! For him to act this stubborn in this matter!
"Don"t worry, Father!", Xing patted her father"s shoulders, "This is concerning a n.o.ble lady. They won"t decide rashly as it would affect her reputation. As a girl she has more to lose afterall. Say, if our side insisted that she came on her own or we rescued her from somewhere, won"t that ruin that girl"s honour? So they won"t be too hasty to blame us"
"Mingxia! No matter what her intentions are, We will never do that to a girl!", her father held her hand. He was partly scared if Xing might stoop so low.
"I know, father... I know", Xing sighed. Being good brings only more trouble and makes it hard to arrive for a solution. People with no consciousness could decide easily for their sake!
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
Xing went back to the Imperial Study to ask the Emperor"s help to change his friend"s mind.
"Kouki.. You"ve met that Takanas.h.i.+ guy... What are your thoughts about him?", she asked sitting in the chair they had permanently placed on the side of the table for her to sit.
"Him..?", the Emperor placed the writing brush aside and rested his chin on his interlocked fingers, "He is a flagitious, flirtatious, flamboyant..."
"Fox..., right?", Xing slapped the table startling the Emperor, " Why don"t you advice Rijun? You do not want him inside our kingdom too, right?"
The Emperor sighed and looked at her, "Mingxia, is that girl worse than Chu Weiye? You weren"t this opposed to her... Or is it because he is your brother, you care a lot more about him?", he asked. Isn"t Chu Yixin almost comparable to that Kei Takanas.h.i.+?
"Come on Kouki! Whatever it is, Chu family belongs to our Kingdom and they had never tried to openly betray our kingdom. But bringing a girl from another country... And... If she really is a plant by her brother to ruin our kingdom like I suspect...."
"If you suspect that her brother wants to make her Empress by making Rijun Emperor, won"t it be much easier if she tries to get on my side.... Not to be narcissistic but aren"t I the current Emperor? Won"t it be easier for them to try and catch me?" ,the Emperor interjected making Xing surprised that he thought along the same lines as she did too about that girls intentions.
Then again he is clever!
Xing sighed, " They can"t even displace Yukino with no political background or any support, from her position. So how could they fight the Huang daughter who is also the divine ruler and displace... Um... Me...? Not to be narcissistic...! I am too powerful but known to be considerate towards my family so they are trying to get through my family whom I won"t be skeptical about much", she shrugged.
The Emperor chuckled. She is right!
" Good thing you are just a selfish person and not my enemy or an evil person. Or else I wouldn"t know what hit me, with your smartness! ", he chuckled.
"Don"t put yourself down, Kouki! You let me do whatever I want without opposing because you have the same resourcefulness as me. You are extremely smart, you don"t even have to move a finger to let your wish be done because others do it for you without you interfering. And without explaining you understand most of the issues. Really.. You are the smart one! And that Takanas.h.i.+... He only thinks he is smart", Xing supported her head with her hands and sighed deeply.
If only brother is not too blinded by love!
"Rijun is not that stupid. He"d definitely hold his own", the Emperor said. He is not someone who could be wavered to oblivion by the temptations of a woman, right?
"I highly doubt that", Xing mumbled. He didnt think twice before almost outing my secret..!
"What?", the Emperor asked as he didn"t get what she said.
"You don"t know the power of pillow talk!", she said leaning on the back of the chair kneading her forehead.
Could brother have bedded her? Is that why he is too adament on marrying her.... To take responsibility?
"Pillows talk?", the Emperor wondered as his thoughts went to the moon and back. Can pillows talk..? Or people could talk with pillows..? Whatever that means...
"No", Xing sat straight, "It"s pillow talk and it is the most dangerous weapon a woman can wield... More powerful than tears if used properly". Xing had heard about how some prost.i.tutes are more famous because of their good grasp on the concept of pillow talking. "Managing men" as they would say and what they meant is plain manipulation of men at theri most pleased state bending them to their will. She always wondered if Chenglie would fall for it and if he could be "managed" by her.
What Xing did not know is that she didn"t have to go as far as pillow talks for her to manage Chenglie... Just fluttering her eyelashes at him or slightly curling the corner of her lips is enough for him to go and conquer the world and lay it in front of her feet if she wishes for it.
Well, the bachelor with twenty women in his Harem couldn"t understand what Xing meant still and he wondered why tears and this said "pillow talks" are weapons. He thought swords and arrows are weapons. Poison is mostly used in the inner palace. But what does he know?
"If so, why weren"t you worried about Chu Weiye using this "pillow talk" technique to turn me against you? Aren"t you her family"s enemy? ", he asked in a naive way.
Xing just looked at the innocent looking him. He is the only person with absolute self-control she knew and even Bai Li praised him for it. It would take enormous skills and patience to melt his heart. Also she was sure he wouldn"t fall that hard for a dishonest person like Weiye in the first place. Also he loves his brother too much to get against her no matter what. And even if Weiye did, Xing was sure she could overthrow her in a heartbeat. But she decided not to tell him all this.
"Yes, it is entirely possible. I was wrong ", she nodded and wondered why he looked that pleased. Being manipulated by a woman is not such a great thing, Kouki!
"So will you talk to my brother?", she asked snapping him out off his deep thoughts. She didn"t want to know what he was thinking.
Well, he was thinking about how pleasant he felt when he was with Weiye that night and that surge of new emotions he had never felt before and he wouldn"t have revealed that to her anyway.
" No way! Rijun gets scarier when he is angry. Nope! I"m not going to be in the receiving end of his wrath",the Emperor shook his head. Last time when he got angry on behalf of his sister, he called himself "lowly servant" plenty of times that it gave the Emperor nightmares.
"Is that why you come here often these days? To convince me to talk to your brother? You selfish person! That"s not happening", he was firm making Xing sad.
Just as they were talking, announcement was made of the entry of Rijun and Xing perked up to meet her brother. After her meeting in the restaurant this was the first time she was meeting her brother.
Rijun entered the study and jerked a bit seeing Xing there and his eyes looked like a deep pool filled with various emotions making Xing feel bad but he soon composed himself and gave a deep bow,
"Your Majesty! Your Highness! We have news from the South"
He then gave a report to the Emperor that was sealed.
Xing wondered what that was about. They had been receiving reports from the two tribals who were settled in the wilderness after the war that they are being attacked by the bandits from the Sky Kingdom pa.s.sing through the Great Sands.
The Emperor has already sent some reinforcements to help them protect against the bandits as they are essentially a va.s.sal state of their kingdom.
So what is new there? She wondered.
"A Naval attack from the Sky Kingdom?", the Emperor fisted his hand on the table.
A naval attack? Xing was dumbfounded. Didn"t we just end a war on land? Why is there another war in the waters now?