Chapter 27: The Three Heroes at the End of the Han Dynasty

Lü Chunqiu personally welcomed the two emperors. As a minister of Chu, Fan Li kept a respectful distance, taking his place in the middle of the ceremonial procession.

But he was far from idle.

At this moment, three Han ministers requested an audience with him.

“Descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing, Left General of Han, Marquis of Yicheng and Governor of Yuzhou, Prince Liu Bei of Han, pays respects to Chancellor Fan.”

Fan Li was momentarily stunned, thinking to himself how long this man's name was.

But when he looked up and saw the visitor—over seven feet tall, ears draping to his shoulders, hands reaching below his knees, exuding a natural aura of nobility—he realized with a start that this was Liu Bei himself!

“I've often heard people say that Liu Bei falsely claims imperial blood, that he has nothing to do with the dragon's lineage. But seeing him now, if he were not truly of royal descent, he would not possess such bearing and presence.”

Fan Li was not one to judge by appearances.

Yet, upon his first meeting with Liu Bei, he was genuinely struck by the imperial aura that surrounded him.

The other two who accompanied Liu Bei were equally remarkable.

One was short in stature, but his gaze was piercing, carrying with it a profound sorrow and depth.

“Han’s Minister of Works, Cao Cao, greets the Duke of Jin of Chu.”

The shock that Cao Cao gave Fan Li surpassed even that of Liu Bei.

Especially when Cao Cao looked at him—Fan Li could read a complex array of emotions in his eyes: respect, wariness, suspicion, envy, admiration…

It reminded him of the famous judgment by the scholar Xu Shao: “A capable minister in times of peace, a treacherous hero in chaos.”

The youngest of the three had the most peculiar appearance—green eyes, a purple beard, a long torso with short legs, a square jaw and a wide mouth. He looked more like a youth of some foreign tribe in his early twenties.

“Han’s General of Chariots and Cavalry, Sun Quan, pays respects to the Duke of Jin.”

Sun Quan bowed deeply to Fan Li.

Among the three, Liu Bei was the most cordial, Cao Cao the most formal, and Sun Quan the most humble.

Such thorough courtesy made Fan Li feel a certain warmth toward Sun Quan, and his wariness lessened slightly.

But he quickly came to his senses!

Perhaps, that was precisely Sun Quan’s purpose in displaying such humility.

“These three would never be seen together in a lifetime—today, my eyes are truly opened,” Fan Li thought to himself.

He did not dare be negligent and returned their courtesies with equal gravity.

“I have long heard of your great names. All three of you are pillars of Han’s imperial house. May I ask what brings you here?”

Cao, Liu, and Sun glanced at one another. Each seemed to have something to say, yet none wished to speak in front of the others.

Fan Li understood at once.

He smiled and said, “Marquis Wenxin has prepared palaces for each of your emperors. Perhaps, after entering the city, you three might visit the Chu palace and we can discuss matters at leisure?”

The three immediately smiled in satisfaction.

“The Duke of Jin is most considerate. We will seek your guidance after we have settled in the city.”

After Cao, Liu, and Sun had left, Fan Li could only smile wryly and shake his head.

He muttered under his breath, “Liu Xie is relying on these three to restore the Han? He will never escape the fate of being a ‘sacrificial offering.’”

...

...

All three emperors—of Chu, Han, and Ming—arrived at Lü City, but the formal alliance of the three would not begin until the following day.

Within Lü City, subtle currents seemed to swirl beneath the surface as the three imperial entourages settled in the eastern, western, and southern sectors of the city.

At the Chu palace—

Fan Li, having accompanied the emperor to Lü City, was naturally responsible for all palace affairs.

He was currently arranging the palace guards, leading a team of handpicked soldiers to the palace gardens.

Just then, Princess Xiangning was enjoying the flowers and happened to see Fan Li leading his armored men, which she found somewhat unsightly.

“Duke of Jin, be careful not to damage the palace’s flowers and plants,” Xiangning admonished with a frown.

Fan Li had no mind to appreciate the beauty of the garden.

“I am only responsible for His Majesty’s safety. As for the flowers and such trifles, I’m afraid I cannot spare the effort,” he replied absently.

This did not please Xiangning.

“The Duke should learn from Han’s ministers! The three who have accompanied the Han emperor are all loyal, wise, and astute.”

“Most importantly, they know how to serve their sovereign. I hear the Han emperor’s palace arrangements are most comfortable and pleasing.”

With these words, she gave Fan Li a look that said, “Look at them, then look at yourself.”

Fan Li found this amusing.

“Your Majesty wishes me to learn from Han’s ministers? If I were to take anyone as a model, it would be the Han Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo.”

Xiangning was struck speechless.

Dong Zhuo? Heaven forbid!

After all, Lü City was not the capital of Chu. On someone else’s ground, Fan Li was willing to give Xiangning more face.

He grew serious and advised, “Your Majesty must not forget that this alliance concerns the fate of the nation. We are not here to amuse ourselves, but for matters of state.”

Xiangning knew she was in the wrong, and seeing Fan Li so earnest, she could only nod meekly, like a student being scolded.

She lost all interest in the flowers and said, “So long as we ally with Liu Xie, Ming will not dare cast covetous eyes upon Chu and Han, correct?”

Fan Li nodded, then shook his head.

“That is only the basic goal.”

Because of Princess Changle’s attitude, the Chu-Han alliance was as certain as iron—nothing could go wrong now.

Fan Li had originally thought that the triple alliance was a mere formality.

But Lü Chunqiu’s different attitudes toward the three emperors gave Fan Li pause.

“If Chu and Han unite, Ming will certainly be wary. Yet, if Lü City throws its lot in with Ming, and the scholars and Daoists of the world turn toward Ming, Chu and Han will still be in peril.”

As Fan Li spoke, Xiangning was left dazed.

Lü City had existed for thousands of years. Every generation of Marquis Wenxin had maintained strict neutrality, teaching the world through the Lü Spring and Autumn Annals.

Even direct disciples, once trained, either retired to write or entered government service, but never again involved Lü City.

Could Lü City truly abandon its neutrality one day?

With her wisdom, Xiangning could not foresee such a possibility.

“Duke of Jin... is it possible that Lü Chunqiu might submit to Ming?”

Fan Li answered solemnly, “If I were Lü Chunqiu, leading my whole clan to join Ming would be the best choice I could make.”

“Why?” Xiangning was puzzled.

“Because the tides of the world move in cycles—division follows unity, unity follows division. Once a true hero rises among the three kingdoms, the world may yet be unified. Rather than wait for conquest, Lü City would do better to follow the hero voluntarily.”

At this, Xiangning understood.

She and Liu Xie, no matter how one looked at it, were not qualified to be ‘heroes.’ But the Ming Emperor Jiajing was different.

He was a sovereign of absolute strength.

At this moment, Xiangning’s feelings were tangled and heavy.

The sense of crisis—the feeling that their days were numbered—left her with no further desire to admire the delicate, exotic blossoms.

“Then... should the Fan clan also consider submitting to Ming?” she asked softly.

Fan Li almost laughed.

The Fan family was the most prominent clan of Chu, but if they joined Ming, they would become third-class citizens.

Even by pure calculation, they had no reason to surrender.

Moreover, Fan Li had no admiration for Emperor Jiajing.

He shook his head. “The Fan clan will never betray Chu.”

Hearing this, Xiangning’s face softened with a relieved, gentle smile.

Yet she could not help but ask, “The Fan clan will never betray Chu—but will you ever betray me?”