Audience  

Inside the Honglu Temple in Chang'an City.

As one of the Nine Great Temples, Honglu Temple was in charge of receiving foreign guests and overseeing etiquette matters.

Fan Li's Chu diplomatic mission was settled in the Honglu Temple. Just as he got off the carriage, he saw Cao Cao and Sun Quan already waiting with their hands clasped, having waited for a long time.

Princess Chang Le also got off the carriage.

Seeing their own princess exiting the same carriage as Fan Li, Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan only exchanged glances with each other, without revealing the slightest surprise on their faces.

After all, during the trip to the First Emperor's Mausoleum, the princess and Fan Li were already this "intimate".

"We pay our respects to the Princess." Cao Cao and Sun Quan knelt down. As an imperial uncle, Liu Bei did not need to kneel.

In name, Princess Chang Le had the most noble status in the Chu diplomatic mission, as she was the mother of Great Chu as well as the elder princess of Great Han.

Only then came Fan Li and Sage Ruler Han Yue. So the three men first paid their respects to Princess Chang Le.

Sage Ruler Han Yue thought to herself, "I am a Sage Ruler of the Pure Lands, and have also taken the Chu Emperor as my adopted son. My status is no less than Liu Man. It is understandable that these three Han subjects would pay respects to Liu Man first."

All people have a competitive mentality, and Sage Ruler Han Yue was no exception. She gave herself a way to step down the stage, so she did not feel that she lost to Princess Chang Le.

Han Yue was waiting for Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan to pay respects to her, but she saw them moving to welcome Fan Li.

"Duke Jin, you and your horses must be exhausted from the long journey!" Cao Cao said rather excitedly.

"Duke Jin has traveled a long way. Honglu Temple has prepared a feast to help you wash off the dust from your journey. The three of us want to accompany Duke Jin for this." Sun Quan also seemed like an old friend, tightly gripping Fan Li's right hand.

Having welcomed them from a hundred miles outside the city gates, Liu Bei's sincerity was evident without needing anything said.

Fan Li was also well-versed in court intrigues from his past and present lives. He immediately started chatting intimately with the three.

After a while, he noticed the gloomy-faced Sage Ruler Han Yue. "Oh, I haven't formally introduced yet. This is Sage Ruler Han Yue. She is..."

"No need!" Sage Ruler Han Yue coldly interrupted Fan Li.

"I am tired and needs rest. Bring me to my residence!"

Fan Li was left full of question marks. When had he offended her again? What was with the sour face?

It was Liu Bei who spoke up sincerely with a honest appearance. "Don't worry, Honglu Temple has made proper arrangements. We will definitely not neglect the esteemed guests." He casually waved over an attendant to bring Sage Ruler Han Yue to the prepared residence.

"Hmph!"

Sage Ruler Han Yue was extremely angry, but since she was in the Han capital, she could not flare up. She only felt endless resentment welling up in her chest.

'The Brahma Sound Pure Land is the sacred cultivation ground for all women in this world! As the Sage Ruler of the Pure Lands and a Great Vehicle Realm expert, I was actually ignored by them as if I were thin air? Could it be Great Han dares to despise the Brahma Sound Pure Land? Or is it that they despise me, Han Yue?'

Fan Li watched as Sage Ruler Han Yue left. He felt very confused in his heart. He was certain that Cao Cao and the rest had deliberately slighted Han Yue. Otherwise how could Great Vehicle Realm experts be ignored?

"This is..."

Seeing Fan Li reveal a doubtful expression, the three men burst into laughter.

Cao Cao explained, "This Sage Ruler harbors ill intent towards Duke Jin, so naturally she is our enemy instead of friend."

Sun Quan also chimed in, "What if she's at Great Vehicle Realm? We stand alone."

Finally Liu Bei said, "While we three cannot match her in single combat, if it was a life-and-death struggle, I can lead an army with ninety percent confidence to kill her."

Fan Li nodded. Even the weakened Great Han had no presentable Great Vehicle Realm experts they could take out.

Relying on thousands of troops and horses, they completely did not fear just Sage Ruler Han Yue alone.

It was the same with Fan Li. Just the three thousand Imperial Guards under him were enough to deter Han Yue.

What about thirty thousand, three hundred thousand troops?

The aloof Brahma Sound Pure Land would not bow its head to any mortal dynasty, but also did not dare tear apart all pretenses with Great Chu, Great Han and Great Ming.

Just as the few people were chatting, a palace eunuch came over to pass on a message. "His Majesty heard of the princess' return and feels overjoyed, immediately requesting the princess to visit the Weiyang Palace to see His Majesty."

Princess Chang  Le frowned upon hearing this and did not move. 

"His Majesty only wants to see the Princess? Doesn't he know that Duke Jin of Great Chu also led the diplomatic mission to arrive at Chang'an?" Liu Bei asked doubtfully.

"Er, I'm just a messenger. I don't know anything." The eunuch looked at Fan Li awkwardly, his body hunching into a shrimp shape, no longer daring to raise his head.

"Hahaha, it's nothing. It doesn't matter." Fan Li scratched his nose. He had decent self-awareness.

Emperor Liu Xi of Han?

Having suffered humiliation from Dong Zhuo for many years, this emperor surely had a bellyful of resentment pent up.

In Liu Xi's eyes, Fan Li was clearly the Dong Zhuo of Chu.

Liu Xi loathed Fan Li thoroughly already, how could he enthusiastically welcome Fan Li as soon as he arrived at Chang'an?

"If you're angry, then I won't enter the palace." Princess Chang Le whispered by Fan Li's ear, her voice gentle and sweet. She was truly daring.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan might pretend not to see such intimate behavior, but the eunuch messenger would definitely truthfully report back to the Han Emperor.

But before Fan Li could voice his stance, someone else arrived. "Duke Dong has long admired Duke Jin's reputation for talent and wisdom. He has already prepared a feast and earnestly invites Duke Jin to grace the occasion with your presence!"

Duke Dong?

Throughout court officials in Great Han, there were many surnamed Dong. But the only one with the qualification to call himself 'Duke Dong' was definitely Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo!

Everyone was shocked!

Especially the eunuch messenger from the Weiyang Palace. He was so anxious that his face turned red and seemed impatient to return to the palace to report this massive news to the Han Emperor.

"It looks like I have no choice but to go?" Fan Li muttered to himself inwardly: 'Can a treacherous minister feel camaraderie towards another treacherous minister? What does Dong Zhuo plan by meeting me?'

Cao Cao thought Fan Li was hesitating and softly advised him, "Duke Jin, you should be safe making this trip. Why don't you go take a look? It also avoids offending Dong Zhuo. If Duke Jin is worried, Cao Cao is willing to accompany you there."

Among Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan, only Cao Cao could pretend to flatter Dong Zhuo on the surface and still freely enter and leave Dong Zhuo's estate.

"Then I'll have to trouble Prime Minister Cao to accompany me." Fan Li softly replied.

Having Cao Cao along would provide an extra layer of assurance at least.

***

Inside the Weiyang Palace.

"Wahhhh!!! My precious Chang Le, you've suffered!"

Absurd crying echoed without end inside the Weiyang Palace. The Han Emperor Liu Xi's tears fell like rain, crying with exceptional sincerity.

In contrast, Princess Chang Le gently comforted her father in a warm voice, while her beautiful eyes remained as calm as still water without any emotional fluctuations.

"Chang Le, it was Father who failed you. I thought the Chu Emperor Xiang Ning could be relied on, but who knew that just months after his enthronement, his imperial throne got seized? While Father has steadily ruled as emperor for decades, how could Xiang Ning be so useless?

Now that you've returned to Great Chu, coexisting rather awkwardly with the new ruler Xiang Chong under the same imperial palace, how can you possibly live your days?"

Emperor Liu Xi's voice was loud, allowing everyone in the palace to hear.

These should have been imperial family secrets, but they would likely spread throughout Chang'an City starting tomorrow.

Princess Chang Le sighed. She felt helpless towards her mediocre and spineless father.

She coaxed, "Father, don't worry. Although His Majesty has temporarily left the palace, he has ordered Duke Jin Fan Li to protect your daughter. Over these days, the false emperor Xiang Chong has not been rude to your daughter either."

Princess Chang Le spoke this way because she wanted to improve Fan Li's image in her father's heart. But upon hearing Fan Li's name, Liu Xi became even more furious.

"Fan Li? I heard that as soon as he arrived at Chang'an, he went to meet that treacherous thief Dong Zhuo? These sly and cunning ministers really are birds of a feather!

Why don't Father simply have you married off right here in Chang'an City and get rid of Fan Li once and for all?"