LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 482 You Are Forgiven

Little Zhu's wedding was decided to be held first since she is the eldest at the early spring of the year, she turned eighteen.

Little Yu threw a row that why her sister who was born just three minutes before her gets to marry three months early even though she could understand why it was arranged like that.

She was actually sad that her sister won't be able to attend her wedding. They shared the same s.p.a.ce for ten months in their mother's womb and after that they didn't spend much time together since both had extremely different interests. The thought of leaving made their bond stronger as their wedding approached.

Six months before Little Zhu's wedding, an unexpected thing happened in the Earth Kingdom. The Emperor had abdicated the throne suddenly. Leaving the Kingdom in the hands of the Crown Prince, he has left the Earth Kingdom to live in seclusion and no one knew where he went.

Everyone was shocked and a certain eunuch was said to have flew into a fit of rage as the Emperor disappeared along with the second prince. No stone was left unturned to find the Emperor and the Prince but eunuch Lee couldn't find them. No one knew why he was that angry, but he was pacified later and started supporting the Crown Prince to lead the nation.

Meanwhile, in the Jin Manor of the Capital City of the Wind Kingdom...

"My cousin calmed down it seems, " Ayane grinned ear to ear reading a secret missive she received. It's been a month since she came here to stay here.

" It's fine you came here with your husband and son, why did you bring brother Lee's second son too?" Xing shook her head. She had to inform Brother Lee that his son is with them and only then he stopped his search.

"He joined me himself. He liked to travel always but he couldn't and when he got news of my plans to abdicate, he threatened me to take him along in exchange for his silence. He is not an innocent little boy. He is a sly fox!" Ayane gritted her teeth looking at Lee InSu playing with Xing's grandchildren along with his uncle Yi Kwan.

" You think Little Zhu and Yi Kyong are just taking a walk? " Ayane asked wriggling her brows making Xing look at her dangerously.

" I know, they are good kids. Of course they know their boundaries," Ayane calmed her down.

"So, you are going to stay here forever? I don't mind my daughter's family staying with us, you know?" Xing poured Ayane some wine.

Li Mei tried to stop Xing from drinking wine before dinner but before she opened her mouth, she was met with the glare of her mistress making her swallow her words.

" I have to return, Mingxia. The Earth Kingdom is my motherland. I want to stay there and raise my family there. I want to see my grandchildren playing, while I leisurely sit with my husband, holding his hands not worrying about prying eyes and enjoy my retirement" she gulped the cup of wine entirely.

Picking up the jar, she continued, "I've spent my younger days for useless revenge to hurt the one person who cared for me and the rest of my days to pay for my sins against him. I want to live the rest of the little life I have, for myself. That's why I escaped my cousin. I know, what my father and I did to him is horrible. But, Haven't I paid enough? Can't I have at least ten years for myself? " Ayane's eyes became red with tears and Xing sighed.

" These years as an Emperor.... It was a prison, Mingxia. I can't even look at my husband in public, can't touch my son in public. He couldn't even address me as mother.... He addresses me as 'Your Majesty', Mingxia.. He had to be raised as Yi Kwan's son from an unknown woman and fearing he might slip and tell someone that I am his mother and not a man, we had to hide the fact that I'm his mother for twenty years, Mingxia. For twenty years, my son didn't have a mother, even though the wretched me was right in front of him."

Tears fell from her eyes and Xing felt bad,

" Also, I couldn't even stare at beautiful dresses much less wear them.... Can't he just let me go?" she finished the entire jar.

"How are you going to return, though? Brother Lee is still mad at you for throwing everything away and escaping" Xing questioned wondering if she had any plans of her own and Ayane held her hand.

"Help me, Mingxia... You owe an oath of blood to him. He is obligated to listen to you. Speak for me, please! I want to return there, live there as a woman with my husband and die and get buried, in my motherland. Please.."

'This woman!' Xing sighed. 'But she has suffered enough. Hiding her ident.i.ty as a woman and sitting on a throne she didn't want... Always getting reminded of the cruel deed she did when she was young... She really has suffered enough'

"I already wrote to him for you, " Xing showed the reply Brother Lee sent and Ayane looked at her wide eyes and she was scared to even read the letter.

"He is willing to let you live the rest of your life for yourself. You can return as Yi Kwan's wife, with your son and live there. Apparently he was worried for his second son and that's why he searched vehemently. He even has forgiven you, Ayane. Did you hear me? He has forgiven you. You can be free of any guilt and be happy from now on... " Xing patted her hand and it took a couple of minutes for Ayane to accept what Xing said.

" He forgave me? He wrote that? He meant that? " Ayane's hands shook holding the letter. Only after reading the letter did she felt relieved.

Yi Kwan, noticing his wife's emotional state, came to her.

"See, dear... He forgave me... I killed his mother and hurt him a lot, but... He forgave me..."

Ayane showed the letter to Yi Kwan and cried.

"Yeah, good! Finally" Yi Kwan hugged her. His wife was regretting the past everyday and it is time she finally be free of the shackles of guilt.

Xing could see the relief in Yi Kwan's eyes. He looked at Xing his eyes filled with gratefulness. For some reason, he could say that his friend's change of heart has to do with this woman, his wife considers her closest friend.

"Let her take some rest... I'll send dinner to your courtyard, " Xing stood up and left. She didn't do much but sent a letter to Brother Lee requesting him to forgive his cousin. She had tried before but failed. Somehow, this time, brother Lee could forgive her.

Xing was happy her friend can be free from now on. Nothing can be compared to familial love. Friends.h.i.+ps can be considered a familial relations.h.i.+p too.

After dinner, she went to check up on Ayane and was happy to see her in good spirits. Her face was bright with joy.

They sat and talked for a while in the study while Chenglei and Yi Kwan were sitting in the adjacent room waiting for their wives to finish their talk.

'What do they talk for this long? Can't they see their husbands are waiting to go to bed with them? Stupid women!' both were thinking.

"Ayane," Xing whispered. " Don't mistake me for asking this... I've heard of a condition like this before... I'm not accusing or anything...", she wanted to be careful of accusing a boy.

"Did InSu steal anything from you?" seeing Xing's hesitation, Ayane guessed.

"So, it is like that, " Xing sighed. "This hairpin of mine disappeared and the maids told me that they saw him taking it. I didn't believe it but I found the stash he has... He really has a lot... Most of them, he wouldn't ever need..."

"Yeah... He is alive only because he is the second Prince. Poor boy! He couldn't help it. Once he even stole the dragon seal. You know it is a capital offence. He knew it too it he couldn't resist. It is like a compulsive desire, forcing him to steal... But he is a good boy otherwise. He never hides it and it is an open secret in our kingdom," Ayane explained.

Xinh could see he was a polite and smart boy too. He didn't talk much and was very intelligent in solving crisis as she found out. He is polite with everyone including the maids and he is a lot interested in knowing new things and a bit adventurous too. She liked him. Everyone has a bad habit and for him it was this stealing thing.

Xing and Ayane talked for a while emptying jar after jar of wine and Xing noticed Chenglei peeking through the door. He would enter and pick up his wife and leave but the woman she is with is a hooligan and those two talk about weird stuff, he has no business of learning, ever. Some of the stuff they talk about gives him nightmares and he didn't want to intentionally put himself through that.

"Can't I talk with my friend for a while? Why don't you talk to your friend too? Ah, that's right! You don't have any friends..." Xing giggled and Chenglei rolled his eyes.

His wife is drunk.

"Hehe he.... Guess your husband is angry... I'm scared. You, Better leave now" Ayane made a scared face and when Xing looked at her, she started laughing.
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Chenglei who was being mocked by this hooligan woman who is staying in his home, angrily glared at Xing and left with his sleeves fluttering.

There is a limit to everything and this woman always crosses it. And what's with my wife? Why is she spending this much time with a hooligan woman like her for this long? Doesn't she see me waiting for her? Dummy!

"Oops! Now he is really angry, Mingxia," Ayane hiccuped. By now both Xing and Ayane were tipsy.

"It's fine... I can coax him in bed, " Xing smirked insinuating something ambiguous.

"Ooooh!" Ayane howled and pushed the chair beside Xing and whispered, "You guys still do it? I wanted to ask you... Our frequency greatly reduced after, you know, menopause... But I bet for him... Not much changed... But he tries to be supportive. What about you? " Ayane asked curiously.

"Us? Our frequency reduced too...we are not young anymore, are we? To think that our desires suddenly drops after menopause... We women sure are unlucky..." Xing slurred a bit. But she was honest. Of all the women, she is the most close with Ayane probably because she's shameless as her too.

Both of them discussed it for a bit. Chenglei came back to get his wife, and wondered why Yu Kwan stood outside. But when he entered the room, he could hear them talk and cursed his non-existent determination.

I really should have stayed away!

Xing noticed Chenglei and staggered to him and he picked her up and brought her to their courtyard.

Chenglei tried to change her clothes, but Xing was keen on undressing him.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she was biting his collarbone and her hands have already removed his belt and slid inside his pants.

"I'm ma.s.saging your little boy down there... See, he likes it and he is looking up. He looks weird though. Your face is handsome... ," she giggled and kissed him.

"Come on, Xing.. You are drunk. Just sleep, " amidst his moans of pleasure, he still had some rationality left.

"Nope! Not drunk" she shook her head and pushed him on the bed and placed one of her leg up on the bed beside him , "I'm not letting you off tonight! Let's make love", she pecked on his lips.

"Uh-huh?" Chenglei smirked in joy. It is extremely rare for her to be this forward these days and he didn't want to miss this golden opportunity.

And the result... Xing couldn't walk the next day.

The next day, as he served her breakfast in bed, Xing told Chenglei about the "habit" of Lee InSu.

"See... Marrying relatives will result in these weirdness... Proudly mentioning your weirdo ancestors... " she added even though she wasn't sure if that's the reason. She liked to rag on the Lu family even forgetting, she hails from that line too and Chenglei would just accept her complaints.

"I think he is going to steal Little Yue too," Chenglei said and Xing was surprised. She was happy too.

After Consort Jiang's death and the Emperor acting enraged, little Yue got scared for her father. From then on, she'd stay with him all the time.

She refused to marry even after her twin brother got married. The Emperor forced marriage on her and she threatened death and the Emperor got scared and never brought it up again.

She is already twenty three and it is high time she finds someone or someone finds her.

"Are you sure?" she asked. If there is a spark between them, their wedding could be arranged too.

"He insisted on bringing him along with me the day before yesterday, to the Palace and so I did. There, I saw both of them hugging, in the garden" Chenglei told her. His eyes shone as he wanted to gossip.

"Hugging? This soon? What, is this... the.... Fourth time the two of them meeting? How did they progress this fast? You sure he was not forcing himself on her?" Xing was a little worried too.

"Forced himself?" Chenglei laughed. " It seemed more like she was the one doing the forcing. He was pushed against a wall and she was holding his shoulders and...." Chenglei paused seeing his wife's eyes wide with antic.i.p.ation.

"Whatever... I know it was consensual."

He rained on her parade without telling the details making her pout.

Chenglei pinched her lips with a chuckle. Her lips has broke where he bit her last night and he gently kissed her.

Ah! No matter what, she is the most alluring woman. I can never grow tired of her.

"Anyhow, I talked to Junjie and he threw the same fit you threw when I brought JunTing for Little Yu. It would take a week for him to agree... If this wedding happens, both our nations will have a strong connection which would be good for our economy, " he added.

" Hmm, I wish for her happiness, " Xing lied on the bed and went back to sleep. She was too tired.

In a week, the necessary arrangements were made for the announcement of engagement between the second Prince of the Earth Kingdom and the only Princess of the Water Kingdom.

Her wedding was decided to be held immediately since she is older and Little Zhu was happy she get to have a company for her from her kingdom in the Earth Kingdom.

Little Yue's wedding was held grandly and successfully with everyone's blessings and Little Zhu's wedding approached.

Xing already had decided to give her properties as dowry for her daughters since it is customary to give the mother's dowry to their daughters. Her properties were the agricultural lands of the East and the shares in the Heavenly Flowers Palace. She also owned a chain of inns throughout the Empire.

Since her daughters are getting married to the men of other Kingdoms, Xing decided not to give any land to them. If she gives her lands to her daughters, that would then belong to her children who will be the citizens of the other kingdoms and the land will belong to the other kingdoms too.

That cannot be allowed and the land of the Wind Kingdom should belong to the Wind citizens.

So Xing in the presence of her children shared the monetary value of the properties she owned to her daughters.

Her children were not pleased to see their mother sharing their inheritance when she is well and refused to get it, but Xing insisted. She didn't want her children to fight in the future for inheritance.

Chenglei stood by her decision too.