Chapter 40: In This World, There Is No Such Thing as an Invincible Treasure

Lü City.

The imperial procession of the Ming Emperor marched out through the East Gate, majestic and awe-inspiring. The entire city of Lü was silent, as if gripped by fear; three thousand scholars watched the procession of Emperor Jiajing depart, their gazes laden with complex emotions.

Among the three emperors at the alliance, this sovereign had undeniably displayed the greatest strength and most astonishing presence. Even though Lü Chunqiu announced the victory of the Chu Emperor, all three thousand scholars acknowledged that Emperor Jiajing was the sole true ruler.

Such a leader ought to be worthy of their allegiance. As the saying goes: Master your arts, then offer them to the house of the Emperor.

Yet, at the very last moment of the alliance, Emperor Jiajing clashed with Lü Chunqiu. The three thousand scholars were left troubled.

They longed to follow the Ming, to pursue Emperor Jiajing. But their esteemed teacher, Lü Chunqiu, was clearly at odds with Emperor Jiajing. What were they to do?

A teacher's grace is as vast as the heavens! Once a teacher, always a father!

Even if, in the hierarchy of heaven, earth, ruler, parent, and teacher, the ruler precedes the teacher, Emperor Jiajing was merely the sovereign they admired, not yet their rightful lord. Lü Chunqiu, however, was already their teacher beyond dispute.

All three thousand scholars had either sought guidance from Lü Chunqiu or ceremoniously accepted him as their mentor. Even the most distant among them had studied and pondered the sage passages of "The Annals of Lü."

Then, the Chu Emperor publicly declared that henceforth, there would be no more "Alliance of Three Emperors"; this would be the final gathering.

The scholars were astonished.

They had thought this alliance was already thrilling and extraordinary. Whether it was the Han Emperor breaking the sword, the Chu Emperor engraving the sky, Jiajing overpowering the other two, or Lü Chunqiu's rare intervention—each was enough to dominate the world's discourse!

But they never expected they would witness the last ever "Alliance of Three Emperors." From now on, the alliance would be but a memory; imperial literary duels would vanish forever?

Was the Chu Emperor truly belligerent?

On this matter, the scholars were remarkably unanimous. They believed the young Chu Emperor, who had just been declared victorious, had become arrogant and would embark upon a lifetime of reckless warfare!

The Chu Emperor disregarded the comfort of the world's sages; though the scholars dared not criticize her to her face, they would surely denounce her behind her back, letting the world see the emperor's "true colors."

...

"Human nature, in the end, pursues profit."

In the Marquis of Literary Integrity's residence in Lü City, Fan Li uttered this as he picked up another dish.

Twilight had already fallen.

Half a day after Emperor Jiajing departed, the Han Emperor Liu Xie also left. His departure was so subdued it seemed almost furtive, as if he slipped away under cover of night to avoid embarrassment.

Like the Han Emperor, several hundred scholars also left during the night.

Fan Li's remark about human nature referred to these scholars.

Although they, too, left under darkness, it was certainly not to follow the Han Emperor. Instead, they hastened in the opposite direction—toward the Ming.

"Your insight is keen, Lord Jin. Tonight, only the first group has gone."

"By custom, after each Alliance, I lecture the scholars for a month. But seeing the current situation, each night more scholars will quietly depart Lü City, seeking to join Emperor Jiajing in Ming."

Lü Chunqiu spoke with a wry smile.

"I fear I may become the marquis with the fewest students attending my lectures in Lü clan history. Shameful, truly shameful."

He shook his head repeatedly.

Fan Li, not wishing to dampen his spirits, changed the subject: "Your Excellency's cultivation is profound, to withstand the emperor's might—admirable indeed."

"Me? Withstand the emperor?"

Lü Chunqiu laughed heartily at this.

Amid his laughter, an ancient tome floated above his head—the Lü clan's treasured "Annals of Lü."

Fan Li waited silently for Lü Chunqiu's explanation.

"Lord Jin, since we shall serve the same court henceforth, I will not conceal the truth."

Lü Chunqiu made a gesture as if flipping pages; the ancient book above him turned a few leaves by some invisible breeze.

Suddenly!

A single page from "The Annals of Lü" detached itself, drifting in midair.

After only a few breaths, the page ignited spontaneously!

Soon, it turned to ash and scattered on the wind.

Fan Li immediately understood.

"This 'Annals of Lü' can never be restored?"

Lü Chunqiu nodded.

"When the final page burns, there will be no 'Annals of Lü' left in the world."

Such was the price for resisting the emperor's might!

Even the brilliant creation of the Lü clan's founder, even if it had consumed countless resources and stood as the culmination of a generation's scholarly cultivation—before imperial power, it was still not enough.

Fan Li wondered, "Why is the emperor so powerful?"

Days later, the Chu Emperor's procession left Lü City.

Lü Chunqiu escorted them for a hundred miles, speaking not a word.

By then, less than half the scholars remained in Lü City, waiting to hear Lü Chunqiu's teachings.

Lü Chunqiu halted after a hundred miles, refusing to go further.

Upon the dragon carriage of the Chu Emperor sat three people: Xiang Ning, Fan Li, and Lü Fubao.

Fan Li, naturally, by virtue of his immense authority, had come from Chu to Lü City and would return the same way.

The dragon carriage was spacious and luxurious, like a lavish mobile chamber; Fan Li felt neither crowded nor awkward.

As for Lü Fubao, she was soon to be the Imperial Consort of Chu.

Allowing her to ride the imperial carriage was an unspoken promise from Chu to Lü Chunqiu.

"Father, you must come visit your daughter often."

Lü Fubao, true to her status as the cherished daughter of the Marquis, though only a teenager, was unexpectedly calm and composed at this moment.

After another few dozen miles, the carriage stopped once more.

Someone blocked the path, requesting an audience with Chu Emperor Xiang Ning.

"It's Liu Bei. What business does he have?" Xiang Ning wondered, upon hearing the guards' report.

Fan Li explained, "Liu Bei is kin to the Han royal family, uncle to the current Han Emperor. He comes to see Your Majesty, surely representing the Han Emperor with a gesture of goodwill."

Xiang Ning immediately granted Liu Bei an audience.

Liu Bei had changed into formal court attire: a vermilion robe with a gold-inlaid jade belt, exuding true dignity and nobility.

He glanced at Fan Li, then bowed to Xiang Ning.

"By order of the Han Emperor, I come to arrange with Your Majesty: upon your return home, please marry Princess Changle as soon as possible. Thus, the world will know that Chu and Han are allied, and the Liu and Xiang clans are now one family."

A prompt for marriage?

Fan Li pondered quietly.

Why urge the wedding? Was it that Liu Xie, defeated and disheartened, had lost his composure? Or did this setback further destabilize Han, prompting him to borrow Chu’s influence to intimidate dissenters?

"I understand. Please tell the Han Emperor he may rest assured," Xiang Ning replied, a little embarrassed.

Not only was she originally disguised as a man, but now her future imperial consort sat right beside her, and yet Liu Xie was urging her wedding?

Xiang Ning even felt, for a moment, like a "faithless man."

As Xiang Ning wondered if the Han Emperor was merely fretting, Liu Bei presented a scroll.

"This is a copy of a map, showing the suspected tomb of the last emperor of the previous dynasty. After returning home, our emperor intends to investigate its authenticity, and invites Your Majesty to join the expedition."

"If Chu and Han join forces to examine the tomb, and it is indeed the true imperial mausoleum, the treasures within shall be divided evenly between Chu and Han!"