Fan Li arrived back in Peng City a day after Han Yue.
After the Five Emperors’ Summit, Empress Yao Guang, along with Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, immediately departed for Nüwa’s secret realm.
Fan Li couldn’t participate. He wasn’t even informed of the secret realm’s location.
Yao Guang’s reasoning: Since Fan Li couldn't obtain Xirang, there was no need to tell him.
Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan agreed.
As Emperors, their duty was to their nations.
Xirang’s power was undeniable. It could shift the balance of power in the world.
To obtain it, they had to side with Yao Guang. They urged Fan Li to accept reality, to return to Great Chu and forget about the secret realm.
Fan Li wasn’t the type to rely on intuition.
But this time, he felt that something about the Five Emperors’ Summit was amiss.
He couldn’t figure it out.
Upon returning to the Fan Residence, he retrieved paper and brush, carefully writing down every detail of the summit, hoping to clarify his thoughts.
The summit had been convened by Empress Yao Guang.
Her purpose was to appease the Three Kingdoms, to convince them to accept their losses in the Yunzhou campaign.
She had offered the means to obtain Xirang. And the Three Emperors had accepted her offer.
Thus, the deal was struck.
The Yunzhou incident was forgotten.
The Five Kingdoms Alliance would endure.
And once they obtained Xirang, they would plot to assassinate Emperor Jiajing.
“Assassinate Jiajing.”
“…Marriage alliance???”
Fan Li wrote down these keywords, adding a string of question marks after “Marriage Alliance”.
He understood everything else. But why the marriage alliance?
Did Yao Guang truly believe that if he married Han Yue, he would pledge his allegiance to the Great Ci Dynasty?
They were already mortal enemies. If not for the looming threat of the Great Ming Dynasty, they would have declared war long ago.
He couldn’t understand.
But Fan Li was only considering the matter from a ruler’s perspective.
As for whether Han Yue would be willing to marry him, and whether he should even consider marrying her…
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Such thoughts had never crossed his mind.
A familiar voice, cool and fragrant, whispered in his ear.
He was in the Rivers and Mountains Pavilion, within the heavily guarded Fan Residence. Who could possibly have entered without his knowledge?
He turned and saw her.
His surprise vanished, replaced by a wry smile.
The Fan Residence’s guards couldn’t possibly stop her.
“Sage Ruler Han Yue, what brings you here?”
She arrived silently, gracefully, like a cool breeze from a mountain peak, carrying the fragrance of snow lotuses.
She didn’t answer his question.
She pointed at the words on his paper.
She didn’t recognize the question marks.
It was a simple question. He could answer it easily.
But beside that small question was a larger one.
The two words were impossible to ignore.
He tried to pretend he hadn't seen them, but he couldn't.
Fan Li blushed. He was about to make up an excuse, but then he noticed Han Yue’s expression.
Although her voice was cold and indifferent, her cheeks were flushed pink.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
She stared at him, her eyes flickering, like ripples upon a still lake.
“Is it a secret? Something you cannot tell me?”
She continued to press, her tone seemingly understanding, but there was a hint of fear and uncertainty in her voice.
Was she afraid of being rejected?
Fan Li sensed her emotions. And for some reason, he decided to answer her question.
“This… it’s a symbol I invented.”
She relaxed slightly, her lips curving into a gentle smile.
“This symbol you invented, does it have a special meaning?”
She continued to question him. Her curiosity had to be satisfied.
Fan Li thought for a moment, then finally crafted what he considered a harmless lie.
“It’s used to mark important matters.”
He was quite proud of his cleverness. Surely this was the perfect answer.
As expected, Han Yue’s smile widened.
Her gaze returned to the question marks.
“A symbol used for marking? You’re so clever! It’s like when Cangjie invented characters, isn't it?”
He had no shame. He was willing to take credit for inventing the question mark. But he couldn't possibly compare himself to Cangjie, the legendary creator of Chinese characters.
“No… it’s not that profound. It’s just a symbol. I wouldn’t dare compare myself to the ancient sages.”
He assumed that would be the end of the conversation. But Han Yue’s praise continued.
He was speechless. He simply remained silent.
Then she asked, “So, you were marking something important just now, weren’t you?”
He finally understood!
He had placed all those question marks beside the words “Marriage Alliance”!
Right in front of Sage Ruler Han Yue!
Wasn’t he practically admitting that he was considering the marriage alliance?
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
How could he explain this?
He wanted to slap himself, to rewind time and choose a different symbol.
If he could change history, he would have proudly declared, “This is called a question mark!”
“Sage Ruler Han Yue, please, allow me to explain…”
She spoke softly. “No need for titles. You promised me.”
Her voice was gentle, her demeanor calm. Gone was her usual cold arrogance.
“Please listen to me. I wasn’t deliberately marking ‘Marriage Alliance’. I just happened to write it next to those… symbols. I…”
But Han Yue listened patiently.
She hung onto his every word, as if she wanted to carve them into her heart.
And then, she noticed his silence.
“I apologize. I’ve made you uncomfortable.”
He was surprised by her understanding.
Was this truly the same cold, arrogant, and naive woman he remembered?
He had to admit, he didn’t think about her often.
But occasionally, her image would appear in his mind.
His fear, his animosity towards her… it wasn’t as strong as it once was.
“Do you know why my elder sister sent me to Peng City?”
But the words “Marriage Alliance” were staring at him from the paper. He couldn’t lie to her.
“I know.” Han Yue spoke softly. “You already have the Han Princess by your side. And you even… eloped with the Great Chu’s Imperial Noble Consort.
And… your relationship with the former Chu Emperor, Xiang Ning… it seems quite close as well?”
His life sounded scandalous.
He couldn't explain his relationship with Princess Chang Le. And he couldn’t deny his feelings for Lu Fubao.
Even Xiang Ning… she was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
But Han Yue was different!
She had once been his enemy. Now, she was his… friend?
But friendship was one thing. Empress Yao Guang’s schemes were another.
He had to be careful.
He couldn’t allow Han Yue to become a tool in Yao Guang’s plans. He couldn't allow himself to be tricked.
He took a deep breath, preparing to speak his mind.
But she had already spoken.
“Fan Li… Will you marry me?”