"What?! My three ministers all went to the Great Ming's travelling palace to pay respects to Jiajing?!"
Inside the Chu Emperor's travelling palace, Han Emperor Liu Xi who was a guest, turned pale without a trace of blood upon receiving the eunuch's report.
Xiang Ning watched at the side, feeling very amused.
Just now, this senior emperor was still comforting her, saying Fan Li might not surrender to Jiajing. Then his words took a turn, saying his three ministers below him were models of loyalty.
It had only been the time to finish a cup of tea, and now it changed to those three also being summoned by Jiajing?
"Why...why did they go? Why didn't they refuse?! As ministers of Great Han, how could they just come and go at the summons of another state's emperor?!"
Liu Xi was so anxious he was like an ant on a hot wok, already unable to remain seated as he started pacing back and forth in the palace hall.
"Your Majesty, calm down, have some tea." Xiang Ning really wasn't good at comforting others, especially when the other party was an emperor like herself.
"How can I be in the mood for tea now?!" There was the sound of crying in Liu Xi's voice.
"Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, they have betrayed My trust. I must investigate, I must investigate! I want to revoke their titles, dismiss them from their official posts, demote them to..."
Xiang Ning felt that right now, Liu Xi was even more of a woman than herself. Moreover, it was that kind of woman betrayed by a man, heartbroken to the point of devastation.
The Han Emperor currently exuded an aggrieved, sour aura from head to toe. Right at this moment, four figures entered the Chu Emperor's travelling palace one by one.
The four men were relieved to still be alive after returning, and felt somewhat closer from having survived death side by side.
Yet they immediately heard the Han Emperor's yelling the moment they came in?
Fan Li still felt fine, but Cao Liu Sun who were called out suffered waves of embarrassment showing on their faces.
"What's going on?" Fan Li asked Xiang Ning with his eyes. The latter shrugged helplessly, an expression on her face that said 'it's got nothing to do with me'.
"Ahem! Your Majesty, we have just returned from the Great Ming's travelling palace and came specially to report back to you." Cao Cao stepped forward on his own initiative to break the awkward situation.
"Hmph! So you still know to come back?"
Listening to this, Fan Li felt very amused. What kind of words were these for an emperor to say?
Liu Xi's tone and manner really resembled a menopausal woman.
"Your Majesty, we were summoned by Emperor Jiajing and only went to put on an act. Please don't misunderstand us." Liu Bei said.
As Liu Bei was the emperor's uncle with a higher status than the emperor, as soon as he spoke, Liu Xi finally calmed down somewhat and stopped venting his complaints.
Only then did Sun Quan stand out and loudly say, "Your Majesty, that Emperor Jiajing absurdly tried to persuade us three to surrender. But we have firmly rejected him and sworn our allegiance unto death to Great Han!"
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"Really! Good, good. I was somewhat out of line just now. Don't take it to heart, my three ministers."
Hearing Sun Quan's passionate speech, Liu Xi was completely soothed. Instead, he even felt a little guilty.
After listening to the four men report what happened, both emperors finally understood that Emperor Jiajing had already reached this degree of arrogance.
For successive generations, emperors had always competed in secret during the three emperors' conference. An attempt to poach subordinates was very rarely seen.
"Damn that Jiajing. He clearly looks down on me and the Chu Emperor!" Liu Xi raged.
Xiang Ning also frowned. "Emperor Jiajing is indeed too aggressive."
Both emperors glared at each other, but other than complaining, they actually had no solution at all.
Seeing this, Fan Li thought to himself: Being so weak, if Jiajing wasn't arrogant, something would be wrong! At the same time, he sized up Cao, Liu, and Sun with his eyes.
On the return trip, an agreement had been reached between the four on certain matters.
Sensing Fan Li's gaze, Cao, Liu, and Sun also subtly nodded.
Still, it was Cao Cao who stepped forward to speak first. "I suddenly recall something that I wish to memorialize to Your Majesty."
"Oh? Minister, please speak freely." After venting his anger, the three men before Liu Xi had become his beloved ministers and pillars of the state again.
Cao Cao immediately knelt down, while Liu Bei and Sun Quan also knelt down on his left and right. "Your Majesty's precious pearl, Her Imperial Highness Princess Chang Le, has reached marriageable age. This official is only reminding Your Majesty that perhaps it's time to find a good match for the Princess."
"Ah?" Liu Xi's eyes were blurred, clearly unable to keep up with Cao Cao's train of thought.
Shouldn't they be discussing how to deal with Jiajing now?
Why was he suddenly bringing up his daughter's marriage?
Fan Li wasn't idle either, sending signals to Xiang Ning with his eyes. The latter completely understood, but her cheeks flushed red, unable to utter a single word no matter what.
The main objective for Xiang Ning this trip for the three emperors' conference was only one: proposing marriage!
‘How am I supposed to say it? Damn you Fan Li, you won't help burden for me?’ Xiang Ning complained inwardly.
Yet she also knew she couldn't escape this matter. Gritting her teeth fiercely, she suddenly stood up and bowed to Han Emperor Liu Xi who sat opposite her.
Liu Xi was astonished. "Chu Emperor, why stand on ceremony with me? Both of us are emperors, and we get along very well, truly like close brothers..."
His words sounded polite, but they made Xiang Ning even more bashful until she nearly cried. I'm going to recognize you as my father-in-law, yet you still talk about brotherhood with me?
"Han Emperor, for the sake of Great Chu's imperial lineage, concubines are sorely lacking in my rear palace. Today, I wish to take the position of Emperor and propose marriage to Princess Chang Le!"
Liu Xi froze in shock, rendered speechless for a very long time.
The Chu-Han alliance was truly undesirable. No matter who it was present, they didn't believe Liu Xi would reject Xiang Ning's proposal.
Yet Liu Xi once again 'shocked' the entire room.
"Uh...Chu Emperor, you seem to still be within the mourning period?"
Indeed, Chu's previous emperor had already passed away. Xiang Ning succeeded the throne at the funeral and ascended as emperor, with less than a few months having passed since her accession.
Fan Li finally couldn't help but inwardly curse, 'Foolish ruler!'
What era was this already?
Their eyebrows were already burning, yet he still concerned himself with such mundane proprieties?
Seeing Xiang Ning looking at him pitifully, Fan Li could only speak up for her. "Han Emperor is unaware, but Chu and Han have different customs. In my Great Chu, the mourning period is only three months, not three years. Once the three emperors' conference concludes, My Emperor can hold the wedding ceremony."
Only then was Liu Xi satisfied as he nodded.
Without the constraints of proper rites, he finally sensed the benefits of a Chu-Han marriage alliance.
"Once Man'er becomes the Empress of Great Chu, our alliance will achieve its greatest might! At that time, we can deter Jiajing on the outside, while reining in Dong Zhuo's ambitions on the inside.
Hahaha, with my three able ministers helping me govern internally, and my son-in-law the Chu Emperor supporting me externally, let's see who still dares bully me in the future?" The more Liu Xi thought about it, the better it seemed as his smile clearly showed on his face.
Fan Li watched on while continuously shaking his head. He really lived up to being a weak ruler, truly weak to the extreme.
With the marriage matter settled, Fan Li discussed the details of the grand wedding with Cao, Liu, and Sun.
Only when everything was properly discussed did the satisfied Han Emperor Liu Xi returned contentedly to his own palace.
"This is too absurd..." Xiang Ning, watching Liu Xie's departing figure, remembered that she was just disguised as a man, yet she had to marry the empress? She felt like crying at the moment.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the sacrifice made for the prosperity of the Great Chu." Fan Li suddenly spoke, his tone full of sincerity.
"Well, I understand the situation. Duke Jin, rest assured," Xiang Ning felt slightly comforted, thinking that he could understand her predicament. At least he still had a conscience.
Fan Li, however, coughed. "Cough... Since Your Majesty already has an empress, would it be acceptable to add another imperial concubine without harm?"
"???" Xiang Ning was flabbergasted and irritated.
Are you freaking kidding me, pretending to be me?!