Xing noticed Chenglei walking in the front and thought that he had something else to do and left but when she finished talking to her carriage driver, she saw him returning with warm sweet buns he bought from a stall on the side of the road, in his hands."Here... I know you didn"t eat breakfast", he gave it to Xing making her heart squeeze remembering how in the past he"d buy her sweet buns too .
He still didn"t change did he?
Xing accepted the buns with a smile and ate the buns while walking with Chenglei shoulder to shoulder. But unlike before, he didn"t hold her hand and everyone"s eyes were on them and they were murmuring among themselves.
Xing was not worried about the rumours since it is Chenglei she is walking with. The women who were kneeling for more than half an hour got up and stretched themselves as Xing disappeared from their sight and started discussing among themselves.
Chu Zhilan urged everyone to get to the palace as she was excited about the show that is about to be transpired in the banquet.
"The Emp... My brother even hid from me who he gave the white tiger token to",Chenglei said accepting the bun Xing gave him. He had somehow came to terms that Xing had knowledge about his past and he didn"t mind that much either. He knew she"s the divine ruler who is said to be dead three years back too. So it is fine!
"Yeah?", Xing smiled back dryly.
You are the one who knew me better than myself, my Prince! Why are we where we are now?
Seeing her in deep thoughts, Chenglei rubbed the back of his warm hand in her ears that were red. As expected she was cold. Does she not feel it? He wanted to hold her hands and warm her up but he worried if she won"t like that. She never got closer to him unless she was half asleep or drunk till now. But that won"t stop him from showing his affections.
" What"s in your mind?", he asked her and his tone was gentle as the mild sunlight seeping through the clouds after the rain.
"Ah! Nothing...", Xing snapped out of her thoughts. "I"m just feeling bad for Chu Weiye", Xing waved the invite in her hand with a smile in her face. At first glance the invitation looked legit but when Xing threw the invite in the trash, she noted that the ink to be used in official invitations that would have a slight glow in the dark, is not used in her invite.
So she must have planned to humiliate her in the entrance of the banquet saying she had faked the invite to sneak into the banquet arranged by the Empress.
What a silly game she tried to play! I"m the one who let her sit on that Phoenix Throne and it won"t be hard for me to throw her out of there!
" So you knew about it too!", Chenglei smirked. He noticed it when he took a look at her attire spread in her bed that morning and that"s why he decided to join her. But everything happened till now went beyond his expectations.
"And Chu Zhilan is not your target, right?", he continued, "I just heard that Chu Yixin in the Imperial Study meeting up with my brother! I investigated you and found your connection with Chu Yixin. Owning his a.s.sets? Hmpf! What a sc.u.m he is pretending to be something still! But... You weren"t even planning to attend the banquet and now..."
"And now what, Lord Li? Those woman brought that humiliation upon themselves... Its not like they"d lose anything but a set of their clothes... They"ll be fine. Or maybe I"ll pay them! But I bet Weiye will be fuming by now that her banquet is delayed because all these women will return to their home to change their outfits before attending the banquet. Now who is humiliated? There won"t be anyone to attend her banquet on time! Some Imperial Banquet that is going to be", Xing laughed making Chenglei"s lips curl up too.
She is amazing and even tricked me! And extremely lucky too! What is the probability that we"d run to Chu Zhilan on the way!
As they entered the Imperial Palace gates they saw some guards looking fidgety. Xing realised they must be the guards who were supposed to be stopping her with the fake invite and bring her to the empress to be shamed and punished.
But those guards, seeing the one with the regal elegance walking beside her didn"t even stop her and Chenglei brought Xing straight to the Imperial Study.
Xing saw from the corner of her eyes a couple of maids running over towards the banquet Hall probably to inform Chu Weiye of the situation. She"d probably already heard about the incident at the streets and Xing knew she"d rush to the Imperial Study any moment now.
As she entered, she gave a cursory bow to the Emperor and he nodded back. He had a suppressed smile in his face as he had already heard that she"d used the White Tiger Token he gave her years back. He wanted to be majestic in front of Lord Chu but seeing his brother and Xing together he could not hide his mirth and it showed in his face.
Xing saw Lord Chu Yixin there standing in front of the Emperor with his back straight but she could see his knees were trembling. He was trying hard to pretend that he didn"t notice her. He"d been avoiding this Miss Táng whom he thought was a male and lost all his wealth to for the past three years.
Why is she here right now when I am about to talk for the marriage between Zhilan and Lord Li..?
"He"s gotten more fatter, balder and uglier!", Xing thought. She"d avoided meeting him in the past three years. "Thank you, once again mother! For not choosing this b.a.s.t.a.r.d to be my father!"
"Have a seat!", the Emperor pointed at the couple of chairs and Chenglei sat after helping her sit.
"Chu Yixin! Fancy meeting you here!", Xing spoke with a grin in her face and Lord Chu turned to looked at her stiffly.
She is not even going to address me as Lord Chu anymore? Even in front of the Emperor? What should I do?
"Miss Táng!", he gave a slight bow and Xing could see him sweating profusely even thought the weather was slightly cold.
"Lord Li!", he tried to smile at Chenglei but he focused his eyes on Xing by his side. He wanted to know what else this woman is planning.
Even though she used the White Tiger Token before, she was ruthless in treating those women like slaves making them kneel for long and Chenglei really was pleased with it. She really suited his taste. If she is going to be his wife, she should know how to use her power to make others kneel in front of her.
Is he trying to maintain his image by not kneeling in front of me as he is supposed to.? Xing wondered. Then again they are in the Imperial Study in the presence of the Emperor and only he should be respected.
I should let it pa.s.s, right? Xing wondered.... Nah!
"I met your younger daughter in the streets just now! What a thankless and senseless woman she is! ", Xing picked a kerchief from her sleeves pocket, "Nah! Too pretty!", she mumbled and then put it back while searching for something else and took out a paper making Chenglei wonder what she was doing.
She intrigued him!
"Did my daughter offend you, Miss Táng? She can be..."
"Offended me? She and her friends tried to slap me in the streets. You really haven"t taught your daughter well, Chu Yixin.. Tsk... Tsk... Tsk ", she clicked her tongue interrupting Lord Chu.
The Emperor knew she is planning something and just minded his own business reading and replying to the memorials.
" I"m... I"m sorry... Miss Táng... My daughter is young and... "
" She made my shoes dirty! The roads were muddy and I had to get down from the carriage because of her. My shoes are muddy now. Here wipe it with this paper! ", Xing interrupted Lord Chu and gave the paper in her hand to Lord Chu and he stood there frozen.
Is she not going to give me face even in front of the Emperor? I am his father-in-law for heavens sake! And also in front of my future son-in-law too.
He glanced at the Emperor who raised his head to look at her with little shock visible in his face and with a little smile in his face went back to reading the memorials.
As expected of her! Who knows what his daughter did! Let her retaliate! I"m bored anyway!
Lord Chu felt like he was standing on fire. What would happen to the image he had built in the past years if he did this! Where have anyone heard the Emperor"s father-in-law wiping the shoe of some woman!
"Are you deaf? My hands hurt... Get this and wipe my shoes while they are wet! I really like these shoes...", Xing spoke in a commanding tone surprising even Chenglei.
Lord Chu got the paper from her hands with his hands trembling and knelt in front of her as she sat cross legged pointing her right shoe at his face.
Lord Chu felt the paper in his hand and it felt awfully familiar...
Is this a banknote? Wait.... Ten thousand silver coins? Really..? This woman gives me a banknote for ten thousand silvercoins to wipe her shoes... Not bad!
Lord Chu folded that banknote and tried to keep it in his pocket when Xing waved her foot in front of him, "What are you doing? I asked you to wipe my shoes with that paper and you are keeping it inside your pocket? Has the entire Chu family lost your minds?", she looked irked.
"But Miss Táng... That"s a..."
"I know what that is! I gave it to you didn"t I? Wipe my shoes with that paper!", she commanded.
Lord Chu felt his hands shaking with shame and he glanced at the Emperor wondering why he isn"t helping him still. Doesn"t he love my daughter dearly? Wouldn"t it be shameful for him too if his father-in-law wiped the shoe of some woman?
"Hey, Kouki! I think he is asking for your help to wipe my shoes. He keeps looking at you!", Xing spoke in a mocking tone with her eyes having a dangerous glint. She still remembered how this Lord Chu tried to get her violated back in the Battlefield in the war of the tribals. She also heard that he even tried to kill the Emperor while she was talking with the G.o.d of the Quingze River. Back then she was too busy with other things to care about him. But now after seeing the way his daughters act, he cannot be allowed to walk with his head held high anymore.
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"No, your Majesty! I dare not! I dare not!", Lord Chu knelt towards the Emperor and he couldn"t even bow properly as his belly stopped him.
The Emperor sighed, "Should I help? ", he decided to make Lord Chu feel more panicked.
"No! No, Your Majesty! This lowly one will do it!", Lord Chu kowtowed.
"JiaXing, throw those shoes out! I"ll get you new shoes right now. Don"t wear wet shoes and spoil your health", Chenglei spoke in a doting tone at Xing not caring about Lord Chu.
Her really meant it as he noticed her shoes being wet. He didn"t understand why she has to wear those embroidered shoes that aren"t water repellant and insisted on walking on the wet road.
"But I love these shoes!", Xing pouted.
"Why are you angering Miss Táng, Lord Chu? Just wipe her shoes. If it is wet for long, she might catch a cold", Chenglei added his two cents making Lord Chu want to bite his tongue then and there and kill himself before enduring this humiliation. He cannot oppose her as she holds his biggest secret and also his livelihood but he did not want to be bullied by her either.
"Come on Chu Yixin! Get on with it!", she waved her hand at Lord Chu and he felt the chill mess emitting from Chenglei and started to wipe her shoes with the ten thousand silver coins banknote cursing his fate.
He cannot lose his resolve now! He must push through this and get his younger daughter marry Lord Li somehow even if he seems interested in this woman too. Then he"ll see where this woman will keep her face!
Just as he was wiping her shoes a loud noise was heard from outside,
"How dare she humiliate my sister!"
Xing smirked hearing Chu Weiye"s shrill cry.
Right on time, Weiye! Time to teach you, your real status! How dare you hurt my little Kouki! You didn"t spare Mo Chen and Ah Xuan either! Let"s see if you have the capability to learn!