Chapter 128: Posthumous Title

“Ding!”

“Congratulations, host, on completing the mission [Chaos in the Harem].”

“You have received the mission rewards: two Substitute Dolls and two Jiazi Pills.”

In the Great Chu Kingdom, Pengcheng, inside the Dragon God Temple.

Two versions of Fan Li were sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, cultivating in meditation. Wuzhui was quietly guarding nearby, holding Tuan Tuan.

Suddenly!

Two more Fan Lis appeared out of thin air. They exchanged smiles and each found a meditation cushion to sit on and begin cultivating.

“What kind of secret technique is this, Master?” Wuzhui was secretly astonished.

She had once heard of an ultimate Daoist secret called [One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones].

But what she saw before her eyes was Master breaking through the limit of not just three, but five beings in total, including the original self.

“Wuzhui.”

One Fan Li ceased meditating and extended his right hand toward Wuzhui, palm revealing a pill.

“This is a Jiazi Pill; it can extend your lifespan by sixty years.”

Wuzhui was shocked!

She had long hoped Fan Li would grant her a life-prolonging pill, but she never expected it to be a Jiazi Pill.

Sixty years of life? What a terrifyingly powerful elixir—could it be a top-grade celestial pill? Possibly even an immortal pill?

“Master, I...” Wuzhui’s voice trembled.

Suddenly, she felt that all her past deeds for Fan Li, even her fierce battles against the Blood Phoenix Sovereign, seemed insignificant compared to this Jiazi Pill.

Fan Li waved his hand. “No need for thanks. This is my promise to you.”

How could Wuzhui not be moved?

But before she could reply, the training room shimmered with radiant light and surging spiritual energy.

This was unmistakably a sign of breaking through.

“Has Master finally broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage?!” Wuzhui was stunned.

She had guarded Fan Li for days, witnessing his cultivation potential firsthand.

What good was a tenfold training room? What about cultivating with two bodies simultaneously?

Even with countless rare pills regularly delivered by the Fan Family Pharmacy, Fan Li had never broken through.

The Qi Refining stage seemed to be his limit.

Now, unexpectedly, Fan Li broke through to Foundation Establishment without any warning?

Wuzhui couldn’t comprehend or foresee it, but Fan Li understood perfectly in his heart.

“Heavenly damage.”

“Finally eliminated.”

...

...

In the Han dynasty, the whole nation was in mourning.

Inside the Weiyang Palace, civil and military officials wore sackcloth, overwhelmed with tears.

They could not accept why the Han dynasty had endured so many disasters.

“The two emperors Huan and Ling brought chaos to the court.”

“Dong Zhuo entered the capital, causing endless harm!”

“The current emperor has been lying low for years and has finally exterminated Dong Zhuo. This is like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a stunning emergence!”

“After a hundred days of governance, order and harmony are restored. The court’s atmosphere is renewed.”

“Who would have thought the emperor would suddenly pass away...”

The elderly minister Lu Zhi wept bitterly and could speak no more.

Several other ministers fainted from grief on the spot.

Some began to notice something amiss.

At the emperor’s spirit altar, the Princess of Changle was nowhere to be seen.

Fan Li, the envoy from the allied state of Chu, did not come to pay respects either.

And where were Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan?

The old ministers, eyes brimming with tears, looked toward the palace gates.

“Send someone.”

“To the offices of the Minister of Works, the Left General, and the Cavalry General—bring those three lords here to kowtow before His Majesty!”

Lu Zhi gritted his teeth in resentment; his dissatisfaction with these three surpassed even that toward Dong Zhuo.

But just as he finished speaking, the clamor of heavy footsteps echoed outside the palace.

Noisy, because of the crowd.

Heavy, because of the armor they wore.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan arrived, accompanied by the army.

“How dare you!” Lu Zhi roared. “Are you three plotting rebellion? How dare you enter the palace in armor, leading troops?”

Nearly ten thousand elite soldiers filled the square outside Weiyang Palace.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan strode side by side.

Ignoring Lu Zhi’s furious shouts, they proceeded directly to the emperor’s coffin and stopped.

With perfect coordination, they bowed and cupped their hands in salute to the coffin.

“Perform the kneeling ceremony!” Lu Zhi shouted angrily.

“Someone.” Cao Cao’s expression was cold. “Minister Lu is advanced in years; it would harm his health to stay here. Send Minister Lu home to rest immediately.”

A burly man, like a bear or tiger, stepped forward and grunted, “Understood!”

He planted two iron halberds into his back, grabbed Lu Zhi despite his shouting and curses, and strode out of the palace.

Though not as murderous as Dong Zhuo, this domineering and overbearing act was enough to intimidate all.

The chaos of Dong Zhuo had nearly wiped out all upright officials.

Now only Lu Zhi remained, while the rest of the Han officials chose to preserve themselves.

Inside the palace, an eerie silence prevailed.

“Gentlemen.”

Cao Cao’s voice echoed throughout the great hall.

The ministers knelt trembling in body and spirit.

They were dazed, unsure if they knelt before the emperor’s coffin or before Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan.

“The emperor has passed to the heavens; the people mourn deeply.”

“We should remember His Majesty’s virtuous deeds, draft a posthumous title, and then lay him to rest.”

“But drafting the posthumous title is a serious matter that requires consensus from all officials. The three of us dare not decide alone.”

The ministers were still dazed.

Finally, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Draft a posthumous title?

Though solemn, it was not difficult.

The emperor had slain Dong Zhuo and was a proactive ruler, so the title should be laudatory.

“I thought the three of them intended to usurp the throne—seems I was overthinking.”

“Minister Lu is impatient, mistaking the three lords for the likes of Dong Zhuo.”

“These three are, after all, loyal ministers whom His Majesty trusted.”

The ministers felt increasingly relieved and began seriously discussing the posthumous title.

One suggested, “His Majesty was diligent in learning and full of moral virtue; how about using ‘Wen’ (civil) as the posthumous title?”

Another countered, “His Majesty overcame chaos and protected the borders; ‘Wu’ (martial) would be more fitting.”

Soon, titles such as Zhuang, Ming, Xuan, and Rui were all proposed.

But as the discussion continued, voices gradually dwindled.

They realized that the three standing in the palace—Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan—fixed them all with icy stares.

They understood.

The three lords did not favor flattering posthumous titles.

Could it be that they intended a neutral or even derogatory title?

No one dared to be the first to voice such a suggestion.

After all, they were all subjects of the Han emperor.

“Zhongmou, what posthumous title do you think is most appropriate for His Majesty?” Cao Cao suddenly smiled and turned to ask Sun Quan.

Sun Quan smiled too, but it was a cold, mocking smile.

“I have little learning and am not as talented as Cao Gong or Huang Shu; I dare not offer reckless advice,” Sun Quan said, cupping his hands and stepping back to show his disinterest.

Cunning.

This word flashed simultaneously in Cao Cao and Liu Bei’s minds.

But they had long grown accustomed to Sun Quan’s opportunism and did not bother with it.

“Xuande, do you have a suitable posthumous title in mind? Please say it first,” Cao Cao asked.

“Please, Lord Ming, you speak first; I dare not compete,” Liu Bei said modestly.

Cao Cao glanced at him and finally stopped deferring.

He declared loudly, “His Majesty was benevolent and filial; the posthumous title should include the character ‘Xiao’ (filial).”

Hearing this, the ministers felt it was meaningful.

Filial piety is the foundation of all virtues; ‘Xiao’ is indeed a commendable part of a posthumous title.

Cao Cao continued, “However, the Han dynasty’s mandate is ending, its fortune exhausted and unable to continue. The old dynasty must perish, the new dynasty must rise. His Majesty was the last emperor of the Han; thus, the posthumous title should be wise yet humble. His posthumous title shall be ‘Han Filial and Wise Emperor’!”

As his words fell, the ministers were stunned!

My limited skill made this chapter truly difficult to write.

(The End of This Chapter)