LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

Seeing the little chubby boy sleeping over her husband"s chest and Baobei snuggled in his strong arms, a pretty smile bloomed in Xing"s face as she got up.

"You asked me not to leave our marital bed but you are the one leaving it"

Chenglei complained to her, about Baobei sleeping in their bed often. Xing found it reasonable even though Chenglei was childishly complaining. So they made a new family rule that, only on one day of the week, the children can sleep with the parents. Baobei was not pleased, but, rules are rules and everyone must follow it.

Seeing the way Chenglei was hugging them both in his sleep, Xing felt blissful.

"He loves them both dearly"

Xing thought and a short, sharp pain went through her heart, like a stab, knowing she can"t give him a child of his own. But she trusted him and his love for her and knew they can get over it.

"But still.... She wished for a child of their own. One she would carry for him and raise for him.

Well...

I"m happy as it is... But it would be better if I could get pregnant and give birth to a child.

Ah, what am I thinking...", she gently composed her wavering heart. Human heart is always fickle and it wishes for more once it gets something. Till then, all she wanted was to be with Chenglei but after she got her life with him, she wanted more.

" Maybe once I send Little Xinxin to where he belongs, I should think of adoption", she rubbed her temples.

She thought Consort Jiang would get pregnant by her not so fool-proof contraceptive methods and then she could bring that child to their home and raise as theirs and it seemed like fate was not on her side. The Emperor and the Consort are together for months but she is not pregnant.

Well, whatever! I should bring one of the children from the Crimson Jade Manor here!

Xing talked to Chenglei about it but he was in no hurry to decide.

"Two kids greatly reduce my time with you, already. I don"t want another one now. Maybe ten years later", he said kissing her, "And all those kids there are yours with the "Tang" surname. Which one will you bring here to bear the "Li" surname? Let"s wait and see how it plays out... ", he dismissed her idea and Xing decided to wait a little longer before bringing it up again. He is not wrong either.

Everything in her life happened by itself and she believed this will workout somehow too.

Xing got cleaned up and changed her clothes when Chenglei entered her dressing room and the maids all scampered away as they knew they will be dismissed anyway. Their master liked to be with their mistress any chance he gets and they are all pretty happy about it. Only if their masters are happy they will have a happy life too.

Chenglei wrapped in his night robes loosely, leaned by the door and looked at the enticing back view of his wife. The early spring sun has just started to rise in the East and the gentle rays fell inside the room through the windows along with the gentle breeze bringing in the scent of flowers blowing the curtains. Birds were chirping happily welcoming the new morning.

These past months have been nothing short of joy for him. She is not getting scared to be happy anymore and she smiles and laughs a lot without that fear of losing her happiness anymore.

She had let half of her hair down something a married woman won"t do but she looks perfect and so it is fine. He had promised her she can be whatever she wants to be and it is her decision how she dresses. She looks adorable in everything.

And who in this kingdom has the guts to accuse his wife of anything?

Watching her, he felt bliss.

"I love you, JiaXing! I"m glad you are mine and I"m yours"

She was wearing the dress gifted by the G.o.ddess of water for the first time. He didn"t know why she kept it safe for this long and why she decided to wear it on this particular day when this is a day of grieving for her.

"Today is the day you returned after disappearing for ten years", Xing had a little smile in her face as she wore the bracelet he gave her that day and she turned to look at him, her amber eyes filled with complicated emotions.

"Hmm", Chenglei hummed and walked towards her.

So that"s why.

He placed his hand in her shoulder and took a look at her jewellery box opened by the side. That was her favourite jewellery box where she kept a lot of her old favourite jewels. He even joked one day that if there happens to be a fire in their courtyard, she"d rush and get that box before even getting him.

"Of course that"s not going to happen", she smiled as a reply, "Let"s see if the new G.o.d of fire has enough guts to burn my home"

She always is different and he loved her to bits... Who else could threaten G.o.ds even?

Chenglei saw the two hairpins of different color but same design. One was the Engagement Hairpin he personally designed that he remembers. Apparently he proposed to her with that pink one in the past. He couldn"t remember that. But she treasured them both.

He remembered where he got the bracelet in her hand but he couldn"t remember how or when he gave her.

Ah, it would be wholesome if I remember everything she remembers, he thought. It"s not that important or relevant but still.... He wished to remember.

I wish to remember my side of our love story.

"And today is also the day your mother pa.s.sed away", he kissed her head with a deep sigh. From what she told him, he loved her mother dearly. He remembers bits and pieces of his days living with Tang MingLing but he couldn"t feel much about those days.

Also it is a sad day for her too but it seemed like she had gotten over her mother"s death. He still feels s.h.i.+vers remembering that day she broke down at her mother"s grave. That was the day he thought, he"d lose her forever.

"I"ll go with you", he told her as she stood up to leave. He knew she wanted to spend the day with her father this day as AoTian practically locks himself in his room this entire day and only she might be allowed inside.

"Fine, for a short while", she kissed his cheek and walked in to take a look at the children. She knew everyone knows AoTian won"t take care of anything today and there will be some people Who"d cause trouble, trying to take on the Huang family and the court, particularly on this day not even letting a man grieve.

Rijun will take care of their father"s affairs and he is always the best at it. But she trusted none other than her husband to deal with those vultures who might in turn hurt her family too. Chenglei is the most vicious one in dealing with enemies than her brother.

So both of them left to the Prime Minister"s Manor and after paying respect to her mother"s memorial tablet, Chenglei left after advising her to not starve herself and properly eat her meals.

"Should have brought Mubai"s wife with you", he mumbled.

Xing had left Xiao Mei back since she had a bad case of morning sickness and also Xing felt like since she is going to her father"s place, she"d be safe even though Chenglei was not pleased. He knew Xiao Mei would take care of his wife better than anyone in his absence.

Xing nodded acknowledging Chenglei"s orders and sat beside her father silently kneeling in front of her mother"s memorial tablet without even moving an inch.

Her father still used the kerchiefs her mother embroidered for him and still remembered her mother"s every likes and dislikes like they were together yesterday.

Xing tried to get her father, to have a company but he sternly refused, almost las.h.i.+ng out at her. She felt like he could have a woman by his side, just as a friend at least, if not as a wife. But, For him, his grandchildren are enough for the rest if his life.

Xing didn"t want to disturb her father and was silent the entire day. She didn"t drink a sip of water either, along with her father. She had already forgotten her husband"s advice.

Xing didn"t know why she is not that affected by her mother"s death anymore and even felt a little guilty about it. But she knew her mother wouldn"t want her to suffer and being happy with her life is the best gift she could give her mother who gave up a lot for her.

Her mother kept the name of her father safe without even uttering it once for saving him and his family. She also let her do what she wanted to, while teaching her good habits and love. She was the best mother one could ever get.

Xing sighed seeing her father. She knew her mother is waiting, without crossing the river, for her father. If she tells her father now, he"d leave this world without any second thoughts. And that"s why she kept it from him. She also knew her mother would want her father to live a full life too.

But her father who is getting older seemed to embrace death more each pa.s.sing year and want to be with his wife more and more as if he felt it in his soul. His eyes were tired and his knees were trembling after kneeling for that long but he still refused to get up.

"Daddy, mother will be hurt seeing you like this", Xing tried to get him up and at least drink some tea.

"I know, Mingxia", he took a deep breath and his Hazel eyes were glazing with tears. "Just give me one day... One day of the year where I can do what I want to do. I will do what she would have wanted, the rest of the days"

Xing felt her heart clench and she backed off not disturbing her father anymore.

Such deep love!

As she sat there silently, she felt something in her sleeves pocket and she wondered what that was and picked it up. She was surprised to see a gla.s.s bottle clear as the thin ice on the top of a lake and inside there was a powder... Purple powder.

What could this be? Xing wondered.

Not wanting to disturb her father, Xing stood up and went close to the window and shook the small bottle in her hand.
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She pulled out the silk cloth closing the mouth of the bottle and decided to take a whiff to recognize the powder. Never in her life has she seen such a weird powder in this realm or in the Heavenly realm.

Where did this come from?

Could this be poison? How did it get in my robes? Was it inside always? Who put it inside?

Then it dawned on her... This dress was given by Mazu.

Could it be.... Some kind of medicine Mazu gave... To heal my womb?

Should I open it or not?

Xing"s heart was in a dilemma whether or not to open the bottle to have a look at the purple powder.

Whatever! It might be poison but what more do I have to lose?

Xing the curious cat as she always is, pulled the cloth out and looked inside to take a whiff.

But to her surprise, the moment she opened the mouth of the bottle, the purple powder turned to golden glitter like the suns.h.i.+ne over the surface of the sea during mornings and some entered her nose by itself while some just floated away through the window.

Xing could not understand what happened and she looked inside the bottle to see it empty as if it was wiped clean.

So it is a spell? If so, is it an enchanted medicine or a cursed poison?

Before Xing could think further, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen and she dropped the bottle and it shattered to tiny fragments on the floor and the shards disappeared right in front of her eyes.

The pain was so severe, Sweat dropped on the floor as she clutched her abdomen with her both hands. Her ears closed and her eyes started to blacken.

"Mingxia!", she could hear her father shouting and that"s all she heard before everything turned silent and dark.

Meanwhile,

In the Imperial study,

Chenglei was just shaking his head at his brother who was humming while sealing the official doc.u.ments with his dragon seal. He seemed to be of high spirits these days and that made Chenglei happy too.

"Why don"t you make me a child to adopt?", Chenglei asked his brother whose hands froze in panic. Oddly, his little brother"s reaction made Chenglei feel good. He wanted to tease him more.

"Never mind! I"ll take Ah Zai... or... my wife will adore Little Yueyue more. She is more cuter. Or both... Ah Xuan is enough for you, isn"t he? And also make more if you want more.... You have a horde of women anyways", Chenglei continued.

"You will not take my children away from me, brother!", the Emperor fisted his hands and banged the table.

Seeing his brother furious, made Chenglei chuckle.

Just then, in the gentle rays of the evening sun, something glittery entered the study and it went inside Chenglei"s nose.

" What the.... "

Before Chenglei could finish what he was saying, he clutched his head as it felt like he was slammed by a hundred hammers on his head, all at once.

"Head... Hurts...", Chenglei plopped on the floor unconscious as his brother got him and called for the Imperial Physicians to take a look at him.