LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

"You!", he pointed at Xing, " You are being too Shameless! Not only did you mislead everyone dressing as a man, you have tainted this Imperial Study by coming here and sitting as equals to us even though you are just a woman! ", he barked.

With this everyone"s smile got turned to shock. Rijun, who always tries to avoid conflicts lost his cool, "Huojin, you really crossed the line", he said with his fists clenched. Xing got really mad, she can take disrespect if she was wrong but not for being a woman! The emperor too was not pleased and he looked at Shengli who was enraged.

Shengli fisted his hands and was about to punch when Xing didn"t turn and placed her left hand on his chest as to stop him and banged the table with her right hand and the tableware made a jingle,      

 " Really now, General Zhong? I"m just a woman? ", she sneered, " Where were you, a man when your emperor whom you swore to protect was in danger? Back there in the mountains and also yesterday, where were you?", she pointed at him.

Xing realised that Shengli got mad and was about to do something he might regret later, so she took action. No matter what, he was a fallen Prince and him losing his cool here will not fare well. Also this Huojin was too much.. Wasn"t the Emperor the one who summoned her here in the first place? She decided to not let this go...

Xing saw Huojin feeling bad and about to open his mouth, but she waved her hand and smirked, " That day and yesterday too, how come your enemies know this place better than you, huh? You said those a.s.sa.s.sins from yesterday killed themselves after being caught right? How come a criminal overlord has subordinates more loyal that they choose death to confessing while the Imperial Guards are just knocked over? Whose fault is that? How does that t.i.tle General suit you if you can"t lead? You... how could you not realise me as a woman the moment you saw me? How long will you be surviving under your father"s reputation? That oldman was called the great General and he recognised me the moment he saw me. I bet he knew details upto my birth time within a day. Now he is someone worthy to be called a General, and that"s the one who will command the respect and adoration of their subordinates. I watched him fight in that war at the southern borders back then. The Great General won that war one against seven. Do you think he"d have won if he didn"t have trusted subordinates? You think he could have bravely fought the enemies in front of him if he worried about the traitors behind him?  One need not fear the wild wind and strong currents, if they row in unison", she sighed and her voice got a bit softer,

"You know what those old people think right? They just want to teach you to fly so they left everything to you but you made such a mess yesterday. You know what went wrong yesterday? Rijun here went all alone doing everything himself and got the wine drugged. General Zhong thought everyone was loyal and got the imperial guards switched. Luckily the Emperor is not dumb and he realised the switch of the guards. If only you two had more trusted people you could delegate your work, then that disaster won"t have happened. What this place needs is a major cleanup. There must be people who really want to help common people in here. Find them and keep them close. Find those opportunistic persons who would serve anybody if they are properly rewarded and give them what they want and buy their loyalty if you have to. Can"t you see in what wretched position you are in? The Emperor is with no heir and enemies all around him! A Monarch solely dependent on the support of two families! I hope you dumb dumplings have realised why all this have to change. Also, have you realised the battles around the borders that had been going on for decades have been stopped for some years? Do you think peace have returned? Mark my words, war is coming, a big one. If I were you, General Huojin, I would be kneeling before the Great General to teach me war techniques and leading armies and preparing the troops for war and make value of precious time left and would stop criticising someone just for being a female", she stopped sensing them in utter shock.

Shengli was standing behind her with his arms folded and had no intention of stopping her. He always found it attractive when she stands up for what she believes like that without caring about anything else.

Xing already felt headaches from the smell of innocent blood in that room. It was too overwhelming for her and she looked at Huojin and remembered him saying she has tainted that place and her anger rose again, " General Zhong, Also you said, I"m tainting this place with my presence, right? How good are your eyes? This is the most disgusting and stinky place I have ever been and I"ve seen the worse sc.u.ms. Everytime I help you but end up getting doubted by you. I should be a fool to help you people again now. Also you.. ", she pointed at the Emperor and he gaped in surprise,

" This place does not look like you at all. You are not that narcissistic to have five clawed dragons all over the place. Throw everything in here out and bring new things that you like. This is your place and only if you like the place you work in, your mind will work well. Also since your General said I am tainting your sacred  place I won"t drag my tainted a.s.s around here again, so you can have this back", she placed the tiger token on the table with a thud shocking everyone.

Xing turned and looked at Rijun, "We are having dinner together. There is a lot we"ll have to discuss ", she said and Shengli added himself too.

Rijun left out a heavy sigh seeing everything happened there and rubbed his forehead. He noticed Shengli being proud and worried at the same time and the Emperor was too shocked to say something and Huojin in deep thoughts.

Xing turned and looked at Shengli and he nodded and put his hand over her shoulder and they both walked out of the Imperial study without even bowing and silently pa.s.sed the gates.

The Imperial Study fell into an eerie silence after they both left.

"What happened here? Were we called dumb dumplings?", the Emperor broke the silence.

"You let her go just like that?", Huojin questioned. He still could not understand why everyone around him finds that person not annoying. His father never stops talking about her.

"I couldn"t say anything back to her. Also what could we do? She is not entirely wrong ", the Emperor replied.

"Don"t let what happened here out", Rijun said sighing deeply. The Emperor was curious to find the real reason for Rijun"s deep interest in protecting this person.

"It already is out. I saw one of Lord Zhong"s people out there just now", the Emperor said which made both of them surprised. Rijun thought, his sister was right, the Emperor really is more alert than others.

"She is not wrong about war coming though. We are receiving reports of the disturbances in the tribal people in the South. We atmost have a year before war begins. We have to prepare for it. I am good at martial arts, but I have no experience leading an army. I have been in the battlefield back then with my father and also the war council meetings, but I am not that confident in myself", Huojin said in a contemplative tone.

"That"s why, your Majesty", he kneeled before the Emperor and Rijun stood up hurriedly, while he continued, "I"m lacking and not suited for the t.i.tle of "General". Also find someone capable enough to be the Commander of the armies".

The emperor"s lips curved up slightly, Not even a hour here, yet she can make the self-a.s.sured Huojin see his flaws. She really is a interesting person, he thought.

Actually Huojin was always like that and he believes in the various cla.s.s systems in the kingdom. Unlike his father who treats everyone the same and values talent more than anything as he had seen many battles, Huojin who was raised as a pampered rich young master in the city had different views of the society. He was always self-righteous and believes people should know their places. So he won"t be able to accept someone of no n.o.ble status and a woman as his equal. But this att.i.tude of his should be changed.

"Raise your head, General", the Emperor ordered and Huojin looked at him.

"Zhen did not make you General for your father"s name or for your family"s military might. Zhen knew you were the right person as Zhen"s General and loyal to me than anyone else I know. It is true you have some shortcomings, but it can be rectified by learning. I hope you can live up to zhen"s beliefs in the future",

Zhong Huojin looked at the Emperor with shock and admiration ,

" Yes, your Majesty, this one will truly become the General your Majesty envisions to protect the nation", Huojin bowed with reverence. Rijun smiled and remembered what that elder said the day before. She really belongs here.

Soon, the tense atmosphere dissipated and the emperor asked them both to join him for lunch.

Shengli and Xing walked out of the palace and he took her to a restaurant with many entertainments and is a popular gambling spot in the city. Seeing her being silent all the way, he didn"t bother her and left her to her thoughts. She won"t keep anything hidden from him anyway. He booked a private room on the second floor with a good view and she followed him absent-mindedly. After they were seated, he poured her some water and she drank it.

"Shengli, let"s elope to the Eastern Province and become farmers ", she said with all seriousness. Shengli looked at her perplexed and just as he was about to speak, the waiter interrupted them. He ordered all the sweet dishes in the menu and she ordered three jugs of their best wine ignoring Shengli"s concerned looks.

After the waiter left, she continued, "Tonight! Let"s elope. Although child bearing is a tedious task, I"ll endure. Let"s have lots of children and live with many animals"

Shengli looked deep into her eyes and wondered how mightyly she roared minutes ago in the Imperial Study and why her solution for every problem she faces is running away or getting pregnant. It must be a hasty decision. Also what"s her deal with the Eastern Province? Does the changes in the East in the past couple of years her doing? Those changes disturbed s.h.i.+hong"s base of operations in the East. Is that how she caught his eyes? But she never left the West and something that important would not be hidden by Haru.. Unless..

For now let"s try to change the topic, he decided.

He then smiled with the same smile that reaches from his heart, and the one Xing only is accustomed to and corrected her bangs, "By the way, how do you know about childbirth?"

She laughed, " Back in the House of Heavenly Flowers, I"ll be asked to hold the hands of those women who are in labour. I know a lot about childbirth, so if nothing else works out, I can be a midwife delivering children",she said with excitement.

Seeing her mood changed, Shengli continued, "Really, they let a child in the labour room?"

"Of course, they thought I was a lucky charm for boy babies and shockingly, out of the twenty one deliveries I attended, only two were girls and even they were so pretty", she then rambled on about how having more girl children will be good for the growth of a nation than boy children and having more male children will result in a ma.s.sive reduction of population in the future generations and for that reason she can be considered a jinx, all the while downing the wine from the jug.

Shengli couldn"t bear her calling herself a jinx and he asked her to drink slowly, which made her stop talking.

More male population would only mean war, Shengli thought. Throughout history, whether it was by the heavens will or the rulers mind would change knowing of the higher male population but that"s how it was always been.

Shengli saw her still drinking and while stuffing food into her mouth, he started laughing, "Xing, you were like a storm today. When you were accused, not only you refuted but also called the Emperor and his two close a.s.sociates dumb dumplings in his own lair and above all you left unscathed. You know who has done that? No one! no one! ", he said laughing and tried to feed her, but she held the chopsticks,

" I know right? Why didn"t you stop me? I even threw that token in his face. I went overboard and you should have stopped me".

Shengli fed food into her mouth and said in a calm tone, "Didn"t I tell you before? You can do anything you want without worrying for the consequences with those deserving fools. Let"s see who dares to harm my woman".

" So I can act all arrogant anytime anywhere without being held accountable? Isn"t that too... ", she muttered.

If you ever become Emperor you"ll be the worst one to overly dote on your wife and abandon your nation and I"ll be considered the femme fatale causing the destruction of the nation,Xing thought.

" When were you ever arrogant? Those brats deserved to hear that from you after they forced you. Also you are not a reckless person endangering those around you so, Yes, you can act arrogant when needed",he stuffed some more food in her mouth.

Xing sighed and silently finished the second jar of wine, wondering if it is fine for someone like her to have unlimited freedom.

Shengli noticed her becoming a little drunk and took the third jar away. When she tried to get it, he told her he"ll only give it to her only if she tells him the incidents of that morning. Xing caved after a while of struggling and told him everything. Shengli felt anger, disappointment and guilt for putting her in the spot.

Xing was surprised when Shengli explained her that his stay in her room last night might have angered her father. How could spending the night with the one you want to spend the rest of your life be wrong? Also we did nothing either, Xing thought.

But after Shengli explained her the rules of the higher society, her face changed,

"You knew everything and yet you took advantage of me, you pervert", she hit him.

Shengli was surprised by her reaction, how can he be the pervert? Wasn"t she the one provoking him everytime?

But she is right though! He did take advantage of her ignorance of such rules!

"I"ll explain everything to father and let"s elope tonight", Xing said.

"Elopement again?", Shengli frowned, "But I had promised your mother that I will marry you only with your father"s permission"

"Why did you make such promise", she hit him, " Then you stay here and get my father"s permission and I will elope alone to the East tonight"

"Elope alone?", he laughed, "It"s called running away from home, not elopement and no one have refused our union yet. But technicalities aside, what is the thing bothering you, Xing? Tell me", he asked concerned.

Xing took a deep breath and looked at him with watery eyes,

" My Prince, do you think I am weird?"