"Aww! Big sis, Mingxia! I can never get used to that new name of mine! ", Maya held Xing"s hand and spoke with a screech in her voice and jumped like a little kid and Xing joined with her in jumping too. "I know, right?", Xing could not hide her joy.She asked her father to adopt Maya as soon as they returned from the West after the war and her father"s only question was "Who is she really?". So Xing told him the truth that she is Marvan Arsalan"s younger daughter and her father had no qualms to adopt her but he was worried that her first uncle won"t be that accepting.
But Xing, the very understanding person as she is threatened her father with her phoenix seal, "I want a little sister. Either accept Maya or make one with the one I send to your Manor with this seal!", she banged the table in the Emperor"s study startling poor Mo Chen in deep slumber.
And all she knew was her father"s announcement the next day that he is adopting Huang LiMing to the Prime Minister"s Manor. Little did she know that her uncle had used this opportunity to make her father promise that he"ll attend the family Banquet each year in the Southern Province.
.
"Welcome, sister-in-law", Xing welcomed Kei Takano inside who was rolling her eyes in her mind seeing those two grown women acting silly and she mocked them in their heart for being uncouth. Takano had a sombre look that his many emotions and Xing couldn"t figure out what was what.
"Your highness!", Takano gave a polite curtsy.
" Please be seated!", Xing didn"t mind Takano being too polite with her. She had already once mentioned that she can address her Mingxia but she still insisted on calling her "Highness" may be because she still remembered how Xing behaved the day they met.
So be it! Xing left it to her decision. She tried to be inclusive of her but she always tried to keep a distance with her and so she let her be.
"So how is my place?", Xing asked the both of them. Maya, without any reservations pulled her chair close to Xing"s chair and already started unpacking the big box she brought with her that was filled with a lot of delicacies from her kingdom she personally cooked that released a nice aroma.
"This place fits, your highness!", Takano said with a polite smile and Xing noticed her eyebrows twitching seeing the swing in the middle of the room but she soon recovered her usual composure.
"It"s awesome...!", Maya took a look only after Xing asked and her eyes fixed on the swing, "That is the best part of your room!", she pointed at the swing.
"I know, right?", Xing grinned. "My man brought it for me from somewhere. It even smells nice...."
"Your man? I heard your man is sleeping with another woman...! What"s with that? He"s a...", Maya held her hands to a fist and waved her hands with her entire face red with anger. How dare that Emperor throw the one who cares for the kingdom and sleep with another woman...!
"It"s normal here...", Xing waved her hand and stopped Maya from cussing the Emperor. Xing felt guilty for not telling the truth about her and the Emperor but this cannot be outed now. "If you like the swing, I"ll ask father to get one for you...", Xing changed the topic seeing Takano having her ears perked up for gossip.
"Father...? ", Maya shook Xing"s shoulders, " How is he"father" ? He looks like a big brother! Uh! Did he have you when he was five or something? He is too young to be a father! How can someone call him "father" mercilessly. It"s a sin.. ", Maya continued to blabber on while serving Xing the sweets she brought.
Xing really liked the sweets Maya brought as they were really sweet and satisfied her sweet tooth.
Just then Chu Weiye came in. Xing has been teaching her the workings of the inner palace these days as she"d be the one succeeding her. For some reason, Takano and Weiye got along pretty well.
Xing felt more comfortable around Maya than Takano or Weiye. Maybe they were different because they were raised as n.o.ble Ladies, Xing thought.
May be that"s why women in the capital city hate me too! I"m too unsophisticated for their taste!
Xing had only a few women who were close with her. Shurei who was raised poor and only heard good things from Haru, Yukino who was raised a commoner and suddenly became the Empress, Ayane... She"s an enigma, a pervert who was raised as a boy and Maya who has martial arts learning like her...
Who knows... May be I am the one discriminating against the ones who grew up rich and lady-like ! Xing wondered.
Almost two months pa.s.sed since the war in the sea and Xing received news about many gangs getting arrested in all the three kingdoms setting a domino effect and many important figures in the Imperial courts were incarcerated and a ma.s.s cleaning of the court officials occurred in the three Kingdoms resulting in the common people getting justice.
Xing found out that the people supporting her have increase and even people who stand opposite to her father in court liked her. Whenever she visited her father, she noticed there were always some officials in her father"s office and she"ll offer them tea she prepared for her father and her father always grumbled that those officials are taking advantage of her and would try to chase them away but Xing would stop her father. Later she learnt that there was a "lot system" going on between the officials, to find who gets to visit the Prime Minister"s office and get a chance to drink the Empress" tea. These all boasted Xing"s ego it she had the fact rooted in her heart.
I"ll be leaving soon!
The Emperor seemed to be busy dealing with all the memorials he was receiving these days and even though Xing wanted to help him, she held back as she knew when she leaves he"ll have to do it all by himself and he"ll need practice for that.
Also Xing got some complaints and there were some murmurs among the other concubines that Weiye is being too arrogant with them and not respecting them even thought they are her seniors. Xing brought everyone together and let them speak their mind and found there is truth to their statements. They also stated the lack of concern for them from the Emperor which is the root cause for their sufferings.
Xing had a talk with the Emperor to spend some time with the other concubines even if he is not willing to sleep with them. Xing didn"t know how else she could solve these problems. The other women are the Emperor"s women too and they cannot be blamed for wanting to spend time with their husband. And the Emperor"s wish to only have one woman cannot be thrown away since he was not the one who brought the women here. They were sent to the inner palace by orders from the court by their families.
Aww! What a drag! Monogamy is the best!
"Will you ask your husband to "spend time" with other women if he"s in my place? ", he clearly was not interested or had the time to think about how women are going to feel.
" That"s why, little Kouki... You are here as my husband"s cute little scape goat ", Xing patted his head and he pushed her hand away clicking his tongue and glaring at her.
Selfish people!
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After she returned from the war, she felt like the relations.h.i.+p between her and the Emperor greatly improved and went back to what it was before she entered the palace.
The Emperor also seemed to have taken the advise of Xing and spent little time with other concubines too which improved their mood and Weiye toned down her arrogance fearing the Emperor might fall for other women. So the peaceful days in the Harem returned.