Liu Bei left, but he left behind a map leading to the suspected tomb of the last emperor of Qin. Qin was not the only dynasty before the Three Kingdoms period, but it was absolutely an extremely special dynasty! It was universally acknowledged that there was only one word that best described this dynasty:
Powerful!
Powerful Qin!
This was the most simple and straightforward way to describe this dynasty. Even thousands of years after the fall of Qin, generations of renowned Confucian scholars and sages still held this unanimous view.
Many people also believed that Chu, Han and Ming – these three kingdoms – were nothing more than picking up the leftover brilliance of Qin.
"Should I go?" Xiang Ning was hesitant.
She looked over the Map Leading to the Suspected Tomb of the Last Emperor of Qin for a long time. But because this map itself was just a copy, Xiang Ning had no way of verifying its authenticity. Moreover, she was far from a profoundly learned scholar. Even if the real map was presented before her, Xiang Ning still wouldn't be able to tell if it was genuine or not.
Of the three people sitting in the imperial carriage, there was one who could barely be considered profoundly learned.
Xiang Ning glanced at Fan Li. This guy was actually snoring loudly while fast asleep in the most comfortable central spot of the carriage! It was as if he was sleeping on the emperor's imperial bed. It felt almost exactly the same as Fan Li's usual treacherous behavior!
"Your Majesty, is it appropriate for him to sleep like this?" Lü Fubao leaned towards Xiang Ning and pointed at the soundly sleeping Fan Li.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning was actually somewhat moved!
She really lived up to being Lü Chunqiu's daughter. Although they hadn't held the marriage ceremony yet, Lü Fubao already exhibited a sense of awareness that befitted an Imperial Noble Consort, knowing to consider everything from the perspective of her own emperor.
But Lü Fubao's next sentence nearly angered Xiang Ning to death.
"Your Majesty, after your servant becomes your Imperial Noble Consort, will I also have to address Duke Fan as 'father'? Your servant feels unworthy. Duke Fan is only about ten years older than me at most, isn't he?"
Xiang Ning instantly froze.
That's right, don't you feel ashamed? Then what about me?
This treacherous Fan Li is only over ten years older than you, yet you are unwilling to call him "father."
I'm only four or five years younger than him, yet I've been calling him "father" for months already!
"You..." Xiang Ning wanted to get angry after thinking about Lü Chunqiu's family background. But she didn't even dare to show the slightest temper.
"Just call him Duke Jin. That's what I call him too." After speaking, Xiang Ning drooped her head down miserably like a defeated fighting rooster.
'So it turns out Fan Li isn't that powerful at all. I'm just too weak? Fubao is going to be my Imperial Noble Consort, yet I don't even dare offend her. Looks like I truly am the most useless emperor under heaven!'
***
The imperial procession of the Emperor of Chu finally arrived at the capital, Peng City.
The news of Xiang Ning's "victory" over Emperor Jiajing had already arrived in the state of Chu ahead of them.
Peng City was decorated with lanterns and colored banners to congratulate the emperor on her great victory.
In the imperial court, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers – the civil and military officials – had long set out from the city to welcome her from thirty li away!
Inside the imperial palace, the Empress Dowager had also already prepared a banquet to welcome Xiang Ning back and for her to wash off the dust from her travels.
"This duke is a little tired and won't be participating in the celebratory banquet later."
When the emperor's procession passed by the wide avenue where Duke Fan's estate was located, Fan Li casually threw out this line and arrogantly returned home.
Xiang Ning watched wide-eyed with mouth agape.
She had been thinking the entire journey back about how to keep Fan Li under control at the celebratory banquet, fearing that he would bully her again before all the ministers. Yet this had become nothing more than her own wishful thinking.
Fan Estate--
"Big brother, third brother, little sister, I'm back!"
The Fan family naturally knew about the scheduled return to the country of the Emperor of Chu's imperial procession.
Upon hearing Fan Li's loud shouts, his three siblings immediately came out to welcome him!
This should have been a heartwarming family reunion scene. But the first words out of the three people's mouths gave Fan Li a tremendous shock.
"Second brother, eldest brother has heard that His Majesty actually defeated Emperor Jiajing? If that is truly so, he will inevitably move against you sooner or later! In eldest brother's opinion, it is better to strike first instead of waiting to suffer the consequences later. So why not..."
Fan Li: "???"
Eldest brother Fan Ming had just finished speaking when third brother Fan Chun impatiently jumped in.
"A foolish ruler who dares to steal the spotlight during the Three Emperors Alliance caused second brother to lose the opportunity to display himself. I say we should rebel against him!"
The muscles on Fan Li's face twitched.
He wanted to ask Fan Chun whether he even knew what the "Three Emperors" in "Three Emperors Alliance" referred to.
"Second brother, Yuehua has an idea that can solve the threat of the Xiang clan once and for all!" Fan Yuehua radiated an aura intent on murder. She looked nothing like the legendary 'Fairy Yuehua' at all.
Fan Li repeatedly shook his head.
Please don't say any more. I don't want to listen!
"Second brother selected a queen and imperial noble consort for that foolish ruler, right? Why doesn't second brother hurry up and get married and have children too? In the future when the queen becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, we can switch him with second brother's child. In ten-odd years, the throne of Great Chu will naturally fall into the hands of our Fan clan."
Fan Li listened with eyes rolling back into his head. He thought to himself that I just got home. Can't you serve me a hot cup of tea first? Must we immediately stand at the front door and discuss rebellion?
After barely appeasing his siblings, Fan Li dove straight into the cultivation training room. In this hidden room strictly forbidden from entry by others, Fan Li's first clone still sat cross-legged in meditation.
"Use Substitute Doll."
A second perfect clone appeared without saying a word. It directly walked over and sat down next to the first clone, also beginning to cultivate through meditation.
Fan Li examined his own cultivation level.
After bitter cultivation over many days, and supported by the Fan clan business conglomerate's supply of precious elixirs, his first clone had finally barely broken through to the fifth stage of Body Refining Realm.
"Too slow." Fan Li shook his head with a bitter laugh.
After briefly contemplating, he also sat down cross-legged and began cultivation. Although double the cultivation speed was good, nothing could compare to triple the speed.
***
Great Chu Imperial Palace--
After the celebration banquet, the somewhat tipsy Xiang Ning was pulled along by the hand by the Empress Dowager. They walked deep into the inner palace.
The two of them stopped in front of a certain palace hall. Xiang Ning looked up and saw the three words "Palace of Pepper Rooms".
Xiang Ning suddenly recalled!
The Palace of Pepper Rooms? Wasn't this the palace hall reserved for the empress to live in?
Before the previous emperor's passing, the Empress Dowager had lived in the Palace of Pepper Rooms. It was only after Xiang Ning ascended the throne that the Empress Dowager moved out.
"Mother, mother, mother... Empress Mother? What is this?" Xiang Ning exclaimed in fear. She suddenly seemed to realize something. Her entire face instantly blushed red as she looked at the Empress Dowager in disbelief.
"You silly child, what are you imagining? Do you think I'll force you to consummate your marriage with someone? Foolish girl, you aren't a real man after all."
As the Empress Dowager spoke, her grip did not diminish in the slightest. Forcing Xiang Ning along by a strength she was completely unable to resist, the Empress Dowager pulled her into the Pepper Room Palace.
The Pepper Room Palace was splendid, after all, it was a place exclusively for the empress dowager to reside. Even on a common screen in the hall, there was a painting titled "Hundred Birds Saluting the Phoenix," created by a renowned artist.
As Xiang Ning admired the painting, her anxious feelings slightly eased.
Suddenly, the empress dowager said, "Princess, come out and meet each other."
Xiang Ning widened her eyes and saw a graceful figure walking out from behind the screen.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman, with a city-toppling appearance that even Xiang Ning envied. Xiang Ning didn't know her, but she had heard about her and knew about their future relationship.
Her heartbeat accelerated, and Xiang Ning even felt embarrassed, lowering her head, unable to meet the other's gaze.
The princess gracefully approached Xiang Ning, her eyes filled with a playful smile. That gaze, as if a mischievous child was admiring a new toy.
"Your servant, Princess Liu Man of the Han Dynasty, pays respects to Your Majesty." With a gentle voice, Princess Liu Man knelt before Xiang Ning.