LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

I really shouldn"t wander alone, she thought.

The store was big and had many colours and different kinds of silk and linens which Xing didn"t care about. They entered the inner room and was greeted by Haru.

" Not even a month and you"ve grown taller", he hugged her and she patted his back. In fact she had grown a bit, now the top of her head reached above Shengli"s shoulders. She asked for Shurei and found her in the storage bas.e.m.e.nt making embroidery. Somehow Xing got reminded of her mother, seeing Shurei like that. She gave her a hairpin as a wedding present. Soon Shengli and Haru joined them.

" So how are you doing, "Princess" ? ", Haru asked with a grin.

" Yeah, it turned out like this", she placed her chin on her hands.

"Only you would feel this way, being rich, stupid Xing ", he laughed and she smiled.

Only Haru could call her stupid in this whole world, Xing really missed him calling her stupid.

" You would need clothes for the royal banquet in a week right? I"ll send it to you ", he added.

" Then prepare those palace robes in my new size. Also make some new men"s clothes for me".

" Your father already placed an order for a dress for you before", Haru said.

"Make sure my order is fulfilled first", Xing frowned. The thought of wearing all those heavy silk clothes made her uneasy.

"Whatever", Haru sighed and looked at Shengli who was sipping tea Shurei had served them. This brother Lie really has a lot of patience to handle this shrewd.

" Payment can be got from my father", Xing said

" What did you say?", Haru flicked her forehead, " Just because your name changed, you thought you could pay me? This life you are fated to wear clothes I make for you and you are not having a say in this", he shouted angrily.

"Business is business Haru, you should accept the money. Or else your business may suffer. Also her family is rich. You could even charge five times the actual price and her father will pay without questioning ", Shengli said.

" She is family and she is not paying me. That"s it", he declared and Shurei agreed .

"Whatever! I"m not coming between you two", Shengli waved his hand and Shurei laughed.

"Whatever, do what I asked and send it to the Prime Minister"s Manor in a week ", Xing said, "Also where are you staying? Aren"t you buying a house here? I can help "

"No need, for now it"s better to lay low. We are staying in the "Leisurely Stream Inn". Also Shurei suddenly received a large inheritance from her maternal grandfather. So we are planning on opening stores in other cities too. So we won"t be staying here for long. So don"t do anything "

"So you are rich again in no time", she laughed.

"Since when did people a.s.sociated with you stayed poor?", Haru mumbled.

"Good then, I"ll leave. Also you don"t know Huang Mingxia, only Táng JiaXing is your brother ", she got up and left.

"We"ll meet at the banquet ", Shengli said and left. Shurei asked Haru what Xing said about knowing one and not the other. Aren"t both one? Haru laughed and explained how the Huang family is involved in politics and how him, who recently started business cannot be seen with one faction or another. It is better for a businessman to be neutral. Shurei understood and realised their bond. They don"t have to say much but they can understand each other without getting offended and also just because they don"t smile in public doesn"t mean they are not in good terms.

After leaving Haru"s shop, they wandered in the streets and Shengli got her lunch in a restaurant. They were sitting in a private room but they can hear what people outside were saying. As usual Shengli ordered sweet dishes for her.

"Xing, didn"t I tell you before about me using you as bait?

"Yes, has the other side made a move?"

"Yes, they seem to want to know your real ident.i.ty. They are making someone impersonate as Lord Táng and staging a rebellion against the Emperor and make the third prince as the Emperor. They know you are in the city and they want you to make a move or they want me to make a move as they suspect I am involved with you", Shengli explained.

"Do you want to be?", Xing asked.

"What? The Emperor?", Shengli chuckled, "Even I know I am the least suited person for the throne"

"That"s true!", Xing said bluntly.

"Aww, that hurts", he placed his hand on his chest and Xing patted his back considerately.

...

Meanwhile the issue of "Lord Táng" had spread to the palace and the officials gossiped how the Huang family is secretly helping the third prince to gain power. The emperor was in his study and was busy in the arrangements of the banquet with Rijun when Huojin informed of the rumour.

"So Rijun, at least half of it is true. Your family does take care of my brother", he laughed. "But Lord Táng, is he really here? I really wish to meet him again ",he asked with his eyes sparkling.

" You still trust that guy?", Huojin paced in the room. "Even if it is a rumour we should be careful. That guy was really good at martial arts and also smart by the way you mentioned. All these years he was not known here in the capital and just when you meet him, he"s being talked about in the capital and that too against the Emperor ? What if he is aiming for the throne by gaining people to his side? He is well liked in the West and now he is here? This should be thoroughly investigated "

Rijun was hearing all that and worried for his sister. Could she have provoked a wrong person in this short time and they are spreading bad rumours about her? They are even linking the Huang family with the third prince and Lord Táng. If this gets out of control and she is caught, the punishment is death penalty for the entire household for gossiping about the emperor and the Prime Minister will not be spared either. He definitely should inform his father about this. Seeing him deep in thought the emperor asked him about it.

"Nothing Your Majesty. I think they are false rumours and someone is framing this Lord Táng because he had saved you before. But since my family is also roped in this rumour I think we"ll have to clear our name. I wish General Zhong will help us find this person spreading such conspicuous rumours around the city disturbing the peace of the kingdom", he bowed.

" No need to be formal, Rijun, we are friends. Also Shengli is already looking deep in this matter. Also unless there is definite proof , no one can blame the Huang household.", Huojin patted his shoulders.

"Yes, I know", he smiled, " I"ll leave now", he turned to leave.

"You know this Lord Táng? How do you know he is being framed?", the emperor asked.

You nasty Majesty! How can you get smart whenever you want to and play the fool when you have work to do? Rijun cursed in his mind.

" Your Majesty is the one who met that person, how would this lowly one know? This one was just speculating. I really have to meet my father now. I"ll take my leave", he gave a hasty bow and walked as fast as he could to leave.

"What"s with him today?", Huojin laughed. But the emperor was looking at the retreating form of Rijun as if he was hiding something.

"Huojin, have you met that daughter of Huang AoTian? Is it true that you were rejected? "

"Where are you getting these kind of news? ", Huojin blushed." I"ve never met her, but my father has a good opinion about her. That"s it"

"Is that so? My brother had a different story. Wonder what"s true", he placed his chin on his hand and leaned on the table.

"Since when did Shengli has interest in these kinds of gossip? Also isn"t she technically his cousin? He would have seen her. Wonder the rumours about her is true"

"Huojin dear, if his daughter is really an ugly country b.u.mpkin , would our proud Prime Minister let news about her spread?", he winked.

"You mean, he actually spread those false rumours? Ha! That"s just like him. Now I"m interested in her too", Huojin smirked.

"Too bad you won"t have a chance",the emperor smiled.

"I"m not interested in her that way. But, Don"t tell me you are finally interested in a woman. That"s good. You really meant it when you asked for our Prime Minister"s daughter? "

"Ha! No way. Don"t speculate", he smiled dryly. "Now go and make sure everything is safe for the banquet. We don"t want any mishaps happening with all the n.o.bles and their family gathered. Huh! There will be a boatload of girls being brought to show off to me. It"s going to be a long day and I have to endure. Oh no! I haven"t asked Rijun what to wear for the banquet yet! ", he panicked.

" Why don"t you just choose one or two among the ladies? It would save us all a lot of trouble. Also Lord AoTian "s daughter would be there too. Hope we"ll see her talents too. Maybe she will help you choose your clothes in the future like Rijun in the future ", he giggled.

"Shut up. I"m not your brother to choose one or two. Now go and find better ways to protect me. Go", the emperor waved his hands. Huojin left to meet Shengli to get the details of that person and met Rijun on the way and brought him with him.

Meanwhile, in the restaurant, Xing had sneezed three times and wondered if she"s getting sick for the first time.

"Shengli, that fake, he won"t be staying in the same Inn as Haru, would he? ". Since the ident.i.ty of "Young Master Yu", has been revealed it is only natural they"d try to involve him too.

"He is staying exactly there, my smart girl!", Shengli patted her hair.

"Then why are you waiting? Just get there and arrest that imposter. Haru might be in danger and you cannot involve him", Xing shouted.

"Haru"s well protected and well informed of the situation. Also, getting inside there is not an easy task", Shengli spoke gently.

"Why? You have the Huang name and work for the Zhong family, why can"t you?", Xing had lost her patience. Isn"t family name everything here?

"It is exactly for that reason, we cannot. They are a.s.sociating Huang family with that fake Lord Táng too"

"What? How can others believe such nonsense without proof?", Xing asked angrily.

"Xing!", Shengli spoke gently, "That"s how it is here. Only truth needs proof. Lies need only chaos to spread. Also there are people who believe that I am the lost third prince and so the Huang family is always under scrutiny. And that inn is owned by Dong family who appear to be of the neutral faction but actually they are supporting the Ran family who openly oppose the Huang and Zhong family. This is the best and secure Inn in the capital city and is well guarded. So if our people got caught accidentally or if that fake dies before being proven fake, everything will be ruined and the court will become a mess. Right now some of our people are working on finding the exact room he is staying. After that I"ll sneak into his room and find out what he"s up to", Shengli explained.

Xing sighed, "If it was back in the village, all I have to do is barge in and challenge him for a duel and that will end it all" and Shengli laughed,she continued,

" Also isn"t Ran family one of the founding families like the Huang and Zhong families? Why are they opposing each other? Even yesterday I saved a young miss from the Ran family. Her carriage almost toppled as the horses were spooked. But everything was deliberate and that girl knew that too. She was about to say something but brother dragged me without even letting me speak. So what"s the deal? You won"t help your enemies here? ", Xing asked. Her brother refused to answer her even after her nagging.

"First Ran Young Miss?", Shengli asked surprised. Just how many acquaintances did she get in this short time?

"Yes", Xing nodded, "She even resemble mother a little, appearance-wise"

"Is that so?", Shengli chuckled, "That Young Miss is known for openly pursuing your father for years and your father openly rejected her many times and she had crossed the line too causing trouble for both sides. I bet Lord Ran would rather lose her daughter than letting her belittle herself before his enemy", he sighed, "Don"t get involved with those unnecessary troubles".

"Wow! And she looked brother"s age too! ", Xing said. So such things happen here! Father trying to kill his daughter to save his pride..

Both finished their lunch and went to the Inn and sat in the tea shop opposite to the Inn when Huojin and Rijun arrived there in a carriage.

Huojin was shocked to see Shengli sitting with another person and that too someone looking like a frivolous playboy on first glance,

"Didn"t think there is another one like my brother. Who are you? ", he asked.

"I"m Huang Rijun"s cousin", Xing smiled.

It"s true anyway.

Seeing Huojin being doubtful, Shengli looked at him and said, "He"s fine" and only then Huojin was somewhat convinced. Rijun was shocked by those two people"s ability to lie easily.

"That fake, He"ll be staying under the name Táng isn"t he?", Xing said surprising Huojin.

" Why would he use that name. Won"t that be too obvious? And how are you sure he is the fake? Also they won"t show the log for privacy reasons", Huojin said.

" Of course he"ll use that name so it will be more convincing since he is fake. I bet the owner also has the same views as him. So is it the Innkeeper"s daughter at the register? I"ll get you the log", Xing winked at Shengli and crossed the street to enter the inn.

The others were watching from the outside. Xing went in and she seemed to be flirting with the daughter.She was caressing her hair and whispering in her ears. Soon that girl gave her the log and Xing started to turn the pages while sparing a flirty glance at the daughter. The daughter was red as a tomato and had her chin touching her chest. After a while Xing gave a pat in her cheek and turned and left leaving the gasping daughter of the innkeeper behind.

Rijun was flabbergasted by the way his sister was behaving like an experienced flirt. Huojin was watching in awe while Shengli was nonchalant.

Xing returned and told them "Táng Yu.. , checked in four days ago.. . Room number seven on the second floor...The most s.p.a.cious and private room. Doesn"t stay at night and mysterious. Looks like he was twenty years old with long brown hair and brown eyes."

"You got all this in this short time? What did you even say? You are even better than my brother in getting women ", Huojin said surprised.

"Fenglin was talkative", Xing winked, "Now give me a paper and brush, I got the blueprint of that floor too", she said nonchalantly surprising everyone.

"Can you work for me? You"ll be pretty useful ", Huojin asked with admiration.

"Ah! He"s mine! ", Shengli wrapped his arms around Xing before Xing answered and pulled Xing and Rijun towards the carriage.

" I"m his! ", Xing turned and winked at the dumbfounded Huojin.

What"s with those imperial brothers? Both are interested in men? Huojin was left in his thoughts while Rijun looked at both Xing and Shengli acting shameless and sighed,

Why am I alone!

Shengli pulled Xing and said, " Get home. You know it"s best for everyone. I"ll check on you tonight",Xing nodded and got in. She knows this involves with the palace politics and her ident.i.ty may cause trouble and also she does not care a s.h.i.+t about the political situations and it would be better to leave it to the professionals.

Shengli whispered to Rijun, "Make sure she doesn"t get out of her room". Rijun gave a questioning look. Shengli told, "Just give her something to read. She"ll be fine. Make sure she eats and sleeps. Now leave", he pushed him inside the carriage and it left.

After they reached home, Rijun took her to his study. "Brother what kind of banquet is the upcoming one?"

" It"s annual Spring Banquet. It is the first time this emperor is holding a banquet. So everyone is watching it closely. The treasury and also the imperial wine collection and also the tributes from the other kingdoms are all going to be used. Also,this banquet will reveal who is closer to the emperor and who are trusted by him. Also since the Emperor haven"t chosen any consorts yet, this would be the chance for the young ladies to show off to the emperor. Overall it is an important banquet for the Emperor "

" Then it is impossible to cancel it now right?", Xing bit her lips.

"What do you mean?"

" Hmm, Who is in charge of the arrangements? The wine, food and seating arrangements ? "

"Me, with the emperor"s approval of course ", he said

"You? Shouldn"t such things arranged by the harem or Ministry of Rites?"

"Harem? You know there isn"t a single woman not even a maid in the inner palace. So I was made to do all the work"

"What? Not a single woman? So the emperor is bent that way and.. If you are doing the wifely duties that mean you and the emperor.. ", she winked.

"Mingxia! Stop this", he closed his ears with his hands. " I don"t know about him, but I like women", he shouted.

"OK, fine", she laughed and pulled his hands down "Let"s find a wife for you in the banquet", her expression turned serious, " But brother, check the wine and the ingredients for poisons. Also improve the security for the Emperor and also the venue and the storage"

"Sister?",he panicked " Why?... How? We"ve already checked and the Zhong army along with the Imperial guards are on lookout too. But, Do you know something? "

"It"s just a bad feeling brother, nothing more. Banquets make me queasy. Also there is no harm in checking again. If something is wrong both Huang and Zhong families will be implicated. It"s just that considering those rumours it seems like someone wants me to act. I know Haru is prudent and will protect himself and since I had protected the emperor before, his life may be in danger too. It"s just an intuition. I don"t understand those palace politics like Shengli or you, so it"s better if i lay low ", Xing rubbed her temples, but her eyes were clear with no worries or fear. It was as if she knew everything will be fine.

" You know for more than a year the attempts on his majesty"s life were less. So it was shocking when I heard about that a.s.sa.s.sination attempt. You are right, if that secret rendezvous of the emperor was leaked before, it would be possible to tamper inside the palace too. I"ll check again. But you.. ? "

Xing smiled, "Brother, what are these books, may I take them?"

"Ah, yes. Those are the books that I studied for years for the court exams. You can take them to your room. I"ll ask someone to bring it. Just rest", he said and after making sure she started reading he left to meet his father.

Xing knew the people around her are not weak or fools, be it her father or friends or Haru or Shengli. They can protect themselves without her involvement. Also they won"t be reckless and not involve her when it is necessary. So she can rest a.s.sured. This is not her turf. If someone challenge her to a duel, she"d jump right in without even blinking. But these mind games and conspiracy management is not her forte, more like she is inexperienced in such matters. So it is best to leave it to the experts to deal with. If this is done to flush her out, then she still has time till the banquet and definitely there will be an a.s.sa.s.sination attempt on the emperor by this "Lord Táng". So she immersed herself in the books her brother gave her without worrying.

Meanwhile Shengli checked the room Xing mentioned and found blueprints of the venue of the banquet in the palace. But the man was nowhere to be found. So a warrant was issued for his arrest but his supporters complained of the oppression of the government. Rijun rechecked the wines and only the Plum Wine had gone bad suddenly. He made arrangements for it"s replacement and improved the security of the products and informed Huojin to increase the security for the Emperor. Shengli was still in lookout for that person spreading those provocations, but couldn"t find a clue. The city seems calm for the next few days and there was no news about that impostor.

And so the day of the banquet arrived…