Chapter 112: An Audience with the Emperor

“Announce—”
“The envoy of Chu State, paying respects to His Majesty!”
A long, respectful obeisance echoed.
Fan Li was finally granted permission to enter the Weiyang Palace to meet the emperor.

According to national protocol, Emperor Liu Xie of Han should have held a grand audience with Fan Li on the very day the Chu delegation arrived.
Yet, it was already the third day.

Chu and Han were allied states, and Princess Changle had just recently married into the great Chu.
Such neglect of a state envoy was utterly unreasonable.

But Fan Li did not mind.
He knew Emperor Liu Xie was extremely cordial toward Xiang Ning and valued the ties between Chu and Han.
Liu Xie simply disliked him, just as he despised the powerful minister Dong Zhuo.

Sitting on the imperial throne, Liu Xie was poised and dignified, yet his frailty could not be concealed.

“A treacherous minister!”
“Daring to insult my son-in-law, the dragon-riding groom! Let me vent my anger on you for Xiang Ning’s sake!”
“I may not dare offend Dong Zhuo, but do I not dare offend you, Fan Li?”

Indeed, Liu Xie harbored such thoughts.
He looked down at Fan Li, who was merely at the Qi Refinement stage.
How weak—like an ant he could easily crush with his own hand.
A surge of confidence swelled within him.

“Have I misjudged him?”
“To be undermined by such a frail minister—can Xiang Ning’s son-in-law truly be of any great use?”
“But his performance at the ‘Three Emperors Alliance’ was undeniably impressive...”

Lost in thought, Liu Xie noticed Fan Li standing tall and smiling cheerfully at him.

The court session had ended, ministers and officials had departed, and Dong Zhuo was nowhere to be seen.
The Weiyang Palace was empty except for Liu Xie, Fan Li, and the eunuchs, guards, and palace maids on duty.

Liu Xie’s face darkened.
“Fan Li, why do you not kneel?”
“As a high-ranking minister of Chu, must I teach you the basic courtesies?”

Fan Li was contemplating how to fulfill the system task titled “The Greatest Treacherous Minister.”
Having purchased the supreme-grade Purple Ribbon Robe but unable to wear it, he felt quite frustrated.

“Is Your Majesty instructing me?” Fan Li raised his head, furrowing his brows as he glared at Liu Xie.
“You!”
“How presumptuous! How rude!”

Liu Xie was furious.
His shouts echoed through the palace.

The voices were loud yet lonely.
The eunuchs, guards, and maids inside the hall stood like carved statues, not daring to move.

News had long spread throughout Chang’an that Grand Tutor Dong and the Chu envoy Duke Jin regarded each other as brothers.
Fan Li was naturally aware.

“Go ahead and shout, shout louder if you want!” Fan Li mocked inwardly. “With my sworn brother Dong Zhuo backing me, I stroll through Chang’an without worry.”

A fit of impotent rage.

After venting, Liu Xie found no response, and Fan Li remained unfazed, entirely unshaken by the emperor’s authority.
His cheeks flushed slightly.

“I will not stoop to your level. Kneel at once, then we shall speak formally.”

Yet the man below the throne remained erect.

Fan Li yawned lazily, speaking, “May I ask, Your Majesty, given my status, am I truly expected to kneel before you?”

“Is it not expected?” Liu Xie retorted sternly. “I am the Han Emperor and also the father-in-law of Chu Emperor Xiang Ning. You, as a minister of Chu, are half my subject—how dare you refuse to bow?”

Fan Li shook his head. “It is well known that the Chu Emperor treats me as ‘father.’ Therefore, there is no sovereign-subject relationship between Your Majesty and me, only that of in-laws.”

“In-laws...!?”

Liu Xie was at a loss for words, unable to counter.

“My useless son-in-law!”
“He has mistaken the thief for his father, causing me shame as well!”

After some hesitation, Liu Xie impatiently waved his hand. “Enough, enough. Grant him a seat!”

Fan Li smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Though pleased to hear a polite word, Liu Xie felt even more vexed.
Why were the powerful ministers of Chu so difficult to deal with, just like those of Han?

Business first: Fan Li handed over the national letter and congratulated Liu Xie on subduing the divine beast Xuanwu.

Liu Xie uttered the usual pleasantries but suddenly recalled something and addressed Fan Li with a mocking tone.

“Our Han Imperial Astronomical Office observed the heavenly omens at night and found that the three nations of Han, Chu, and Ming each had divine beasts descend.”
“Now the divine beasts of Han and Ming have been subdued, but Chu’s divine beast has yet to appear.”
“Could it be that a treacherous minister in Chu has caused chaos in the nation’s fortune, preventing the divine beast from manifesting?”

After speaking, Liu Xie felt immensely satisfied.
Delightful!
Words he dared not say to Dong Zhuo, he dared say to Fan Li.

The Fan clan’s power in Chu was formidable, but here was Han!
This was his domain!
Could Fan Li dare bully him?

“Oh?”
“A treacherous minister in the state causes the divine beast not to appear?”

Fan Li glanced at Liu Xie with a half-smile.

“Is there... a problem?” Liu Xie felt uneasy, the terrifying image of that corpulent figure flashing in his mind.

“Nothing.” Fan Li cupped his hands and said, “Then I congratulate Your Majesty on having a court full of loyal and worthy ministers.”

Liu Xie was deeply embarrassed.
His face ached, and it was by his own hand.

Fan Li sipped his tea and continued, “Speaking of which, I indeed get along well with Grand Tutor Dong. Does Your Majesty know why?”

“W-why?”

At the mention of ‘Grand Tutor Dong,’ Liu Xie grew uneasy but forced himself to answer.

“The other day, Grand Tutor Dong held a banquet at his residence, and I attended.”
“He said he hadn’t read much and didn’t know how ancient sages and famous ministers managed sovereign-minister relations, so he sought my counsel.”
“I replied: Among ancient ministers, the foremost were Guan Zhong of Qi, Lü Buwei of Qin, and Fan Zeng of Chu. A minister should model himself after these three.”

Liu Xie was stunned.
Guan Zhong, Lü Buwei, Fan Zeng?
Indeed, these were renowned ancient ministers, but something about it felt off, making him deeply uncomfortable.

“Why... those three in particular?” Liu Xie cautiously inquired.

Fan Li chuckled.

“These three ancient ministers loved their sovereigns as if they were their own children.”
“Guan Zhong of Qi and Lü Buwei of Qin were both respectfully called ‘Uncle’ by their rulers.”
“Fan Zeng of Chu was called ‘Second Father’ by the King of Chu.”
“Qi, Qin, and Chu all reached their zenith under these ministers.”
“This shows that only by treating the sovereign as one’s own child can one be called a loyal, worthy, and famous minister.”

After speaking, Fan Li looked up at Emperor Liu Xie on the throne, who was visibly restless, and dealt one final blow.

“That is the wisdom I shared with Grand Tutor Dong.”
“If Your Majesty doubts me, you may send someone to ask him.”

These were fabrications, but Fan Li gambled that Liu Xie would not dare.

Sure enough, Liu Xie shook his head repeatedly.

“No need!”
“Really, no need!”
“I believe what you say!”

At no time was Liu Xie willing to provoke Dong Zhuo.
Especially not if it meant being forced to acknowledge him as a godfather!

He gazed pale-faced at Fan Li, thinking this man was terrifying and utterly detestable!

He had originally hoped that by ignoring Fan Li for a few days, he could vent his anger on his good son-in-law.
Unexpectedly, the two greatest treacherous ministers of Chu and Han had found common ground and were exchanging tips?

Heavens!
I am of the bloodline of Emperor Gaozu, the Son of Heaven of the Yan Han dynasty—how could I recognize a minister as a father?

(The End of this Chapter)