Cao Liu Sun finally made clear the purpose of their visit this time. The day Dong Zhuo succeeds in becoming Fate Heaven's Son will be the day he makes his move against Han Emperor Liu Xie.
"If Your Majesty defeats the treacherous thief Dong Zhuo, the Chu-Han alliance remains unchanged."
"If unfortunately Your Majesty is defeated, we three will definitely not let Dong Zhuo have his way."
"It's just that no matter how Great Han's future changes in the future, I hope Duke Jin doesn't give up on our great alliance, lest it present an opportunity for Jiajing."
Fan Li understood they were reminding him of when lips perish, teeth grow cold. It was just he vaguely felt that Cao, Liu and Sun seemed to be convinced Dong Zhuo would lose but Liu Xie would certainly die?
Could it be these three rascals wanted to watch from a mountain as tigers fought and reap the fisherman's benefits?
Fan Li probed, "When conflict erupts between the Han Emperor and Dong Zhuo, where will the three gentlemen be?"
Liu Bei immediately replied, "We will naturally share life and death with His Majesty!"
It was said Liu Bei had the looks of a dragon and phoenix, an unutterable nobility. Fan Li also felt he had a very good face that was either righteous and stern or passionate and ardent whenever he spoke.
It was just... would this thick-browed, big-eyed fellow... really never betray or rebel?
"In fact, it's said that a divine sword was buried with the late Qin emperor in his grave," Cao Cao suddenly spoke, as if voluntarily revealing his hand to Fan Li.
"We three came to Great Chu this time not just to complete Princess Chang Le's wedding but also to bring back the divine sword, our most important mission."
"The ancestral divine sword inherited in my emperor's clan was broken in Lu City. With greatly reduced strength, His Majesty definitely can't match Dong Zhuo."
"But as long as we obtain the Qin Emperor's Sword, my emperor will wield the strength of the Great Vehicle Realm! Then add my three men reinforcing him, Dong Zhuo's defeat will be certain!"
Was this the Han Emperor's plan to defeat the traitor?
Upon hearing it, Fan Li inevitably felt somewhat disappointed. The alleged tomb of the last Qin emperor wasn't necessarily real.
What if it was fake? If the three returned empty-handed, wouldn't Liu Xie certainly die then?
Yet Cao Cao seemed to guess Fan Li's thoughts and smiled. "Please be at ease, Duke Jin. We already grasped reliable clues proving the divine sword must certainly be buried deep inside the alleged tomb. We of Great Han will only take the divine sword then while the rest of the treasures will all belong to Great Chu... Duke Jin."
The more Fan Li listened, the more confused he got.
This was still his first time hearing that for grave robbing, they could determine what was inside even when the tomb's authenticity hadn't been verified yet.
"I can't have fallen for some scheme right?" This notion flashed across Fan Li's mind.
He also recalled according to the "Claimed Tomb of the Last Qin Emperor" map, the tomb's location was actually within some remote corner of Great Chu's borders.
There was the previous dynasty's alleged tomb inside Great Chu's territory?
Great Han found out about it first despite even Chu being unaware?
Fan Li couldn't figure it out for the moment. By the time Cao Liu Sun bid farewell and left, he was still racking his brains in deep thought.
Seeing him still brainstorming, the three Fan siblings also took their leave first. Now only Fan Li and Xiang Ning were left in Rivers and Mountains Pavilion.
"What are you thinking about so focused? Calculating how much treasure is inside the late Qin emperor's tomb that the Fan clan is preparing to embezzle privately?" Xiang Ning slowly asked.
Fan Li blurted out, "Stop spouting nonsense over there! Just because you're the emperor doesn't mean you can slander me!"
Xiang Ning: ???
Fan Li also realized it. Crap! He had accidentally spoken his inner thoughts!
He was too engrossed in thinking and obviously noticed Cao, Liu and Sun concealing some things but they didn't seem to be targeting him. So he was temporarily unable to guess through for the moment.
Fan Li awkwardly turned around to face Xiang Ning sitting beside him like a palace maid.
Xiang Ning's captivating, beautiful face was flushed an alluring red akin to a red date.
What to do now?
Fan Li couldn't decide for the moment.
Would he be silenced?
Or should he consider silencing her?
No no, their relationship wasn't that bad to immediately resort to killing!
When there's an issue, they should calmly negotiate. A peaceful household leads to harmony in everything!
Fan Li forced a smile and said, "Uh... Is Your Majesty hungry? I'll treat you to a meal below!"
"I am not a woman!" Xiang Ning suddenly exploded like a deranged mother cat, hysteric.
"I... I... Wearing female attire is to monitor the Han envoys and seize the opportunity to see through their true motives!"
Huh?
Fan Li had a dumbfounded expression.
Listening to Xiang Ning's terrible excuse, he even felt embarrassed for her, as if he could rap out a three bedroom apartment on the floorboards with his toes.
"Your Majesty, please continue your... ah no, please continue speaking," he said.
Xiang Ning already felt much more relieved seeing him agree.
After calming down, she also felt her earlier words were somewhat improper. So she cautiously tested, "Duke Jin, do you find it unbecoming seeing me crossdress?"
Fan Li repeatedly shook his head. "No, very fitting."
"Really!?" Xiang Ning felt happier again.
"Do I look beautiful crossdressing? How do I compare to those concubines and palace maids?" She had held in this question for a very long time!
Did she count as a beauty or not dressed as a woman?
The corner of Fan Li's mouth twitched. He mentally thought, can't you just directly admit you're a woman already!? Reaching this point yet still pretending to be a man, something's definitely wrong with you!
"Your Majesty is very beautiful crossdressing."
However, Fan Li's answer couldn't satisfy Xiang Ning at all.
She anxiously asked, "I heard the young miss of the Xu family north of the city is a famous beauty of Great Chu. Who's prettier, me or Miss Xu?"
Fan Li: "Your Majesty's beauty surpasses Miss Xu by far!"
Xiang Ning was overjoyed and recalled someone else to ask, "The newly entered Empress Lu Fubao, who's prettier between us?"
Fan Li felt a headache coming. "How can the Empress match Your Majesty!?"
Xiang Ning placed her hands on her hips and loudly laughed, "Then there's Fourth Miss Fan Yuehua of the Fan family, known as the Fairy Maiden of the Moon. Who's prettier, me or Fan Yuehua?"
Fan Li almost wanted to unsheathe his sword and hack this crazy woman to death!
She usually seemed quite clever and prudent but the moment it came to comparing beauty, she completely forgot whether she was genuinely a crossdressing woman or a crossdressing man!
Fan Li gritted his teeth and answered, "Fan Yuehua isn't as beautiful as Your Majesty either."
"Mm-hmm hmm!" Xiang Ning repeatedly nodded. "I think so too!"
Damn you, do you still want face!?
My fourth sister has a prettier face than you, better figure than you, smarter brain than you and nicer personality than you!
Fan Li vented endless complaints in his heart. Finally unable to endure, he said, "Your Majesty should quickly return to the palace lest your disguise gets exposed. Otherwise if rumors spread, the grand matter of the Chu-Han marriage alliance will fall through!"
"Fine fine, I will listen to you!"
While Fan Li was anxious, Xiang Ning was somewhat reluctant. She rarely had the chance to crossdress openly in front of the opposite gender. And it was to dress up for a male to see too.
Xiang Ning kept looking back with every three steps on her way out. But she encountered a Fan clan servant coming to report. "Second Master, Princess Chang Le of Great Han wants an audience with you and will soon arrive at Rivers and Mountains Pavilion..."