Chapter 42: Triple Cultivation Speed

Although it was Princess Changle kneeling while she herself stood, Xiang Ning felt as if the kneeling princess towered above her, and she, standing, seemed incredibly small.

"This oppressive aura... even that scoundrel Fan Li never made me feel this way..."

The confident smile on Princess Changle’s face utterly overwhelmed Xiang Ning psychologically. Unlike Fan Li, whose wickedness was all on the surface, Princess Changle’s inner strength and unfathomable depths left Xiang Ning completely devoid of any courage to resist.

Moreover, before Xiang Ning could utter the words "you may rise," the princess had already stood up herself. She observed decorum when kneeling, but ignored the emperor’s authority when rising.

Was Princess Changle truly loyal, or was she a traitor?

“Changle pays her respects to the Empress Dowager.”

“Hehehe, Princess, you are too formal. Please, rise.”

The Empress Dowager beamed with delight, clearly without the same complicated feelings as Xiang Ning. Especially since it was only after receiving the Empress Dowager’s permission that Princess Changle dared to stand.

“Mother?” Xiang Ning looked at the Empress Dowager, seeking an explanation.

The Empress Dowager smiled. “Today, the three of us women have gathered here for a frank discussion—let’s get straight to the point and talk about the imperial wedding.”

Xiang Ning’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked from the Empress Dowager to Princess Changle.

She had always felt that being emperor was like being a puppet on strings. Now, more than ever, Xiang Ning sensed that she was not only a puppet, but that everyone seemed to have the right to manipulate her.

...

Fan Li had secluded himself for cultivation, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.

His cultivation had advanced once more, reaching the sixth tier of the Body Refinement Realm.

During this time, Fan Li had not participated in any government affairs of the Great Chu Dynasty. The official reason was closed-door cultivation, but in truth, the system had not issued even a single task.

“Second Brother, at this morning’s court assembly, His Majesty dismissed a high-ranking official close to our Fan clan.”

“I see.”

“Second Brother, the emperor has actually used the upcoming wedding as an excuse to redeploy thirty percent of the garrison troops. Ostensibly it’s to suppress bandits and secure the borders, but in reality, it’s to weaken the garrison’s strength in Pengcheng.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Fan Li continued to receive similar reports, but remained unmoved, focusing solely on cultivation.

He was puzzled. He had only been absent from court for a month—how had Xiang Ning suddenly gained the courage to weaken the Fan clan’s power?

His instincts told him this was not Xiang Ning’s style.

“Let’s wait and see.”

Fan Li chose to continue his cultivation. The system had yet to issue any tasks, so he had received neither Life-Extension Pills nor Substitute Dolls, both crucial items.

Furthermore, the Han Emperor had arranged to explore the “Map of the Tombs of the Last Qin Emperor” with him in two months’ time. Fan Li needed to prepare for this expedition; improving his strength was far more important than any state affairs.

As for the upheavals at court, Fan Li even detected a whiff of childish power-grabbing. This did not seem like Xiang Ning’s doing.

Who, then, was so eager to seize control of Great Chu?

Half a month later.

Wuzhui requested an audience with Fan Li, and he simply had her come to the training hall.

“You truly are no ordinary man.”

Upon seeing three identical Fan Lis, Wuzhui’s expression remained calm. Since she had sworn loyalty by the mandate of Heaven, Fan Li no longer bothered to hide such secrets from her.

All three Fan Lis spoke at once: “You seem quite unfazed. Have you often encountered things of this nature?”

Wuzhui nodded. “Those with the Emperor’s Fate are destined for greatness. I once served Chu’s founding ancestor, Xiang Yu. In those days, three kingdoms vied for supremacy, and all three founding ancestors bore the Emperor’s Fate. The miracles they could perform made two or three incarnations seem trivial.”

The Emperor’s Fate?

Fan Li had always been somewhat puzzled. Was he truly the one with the Emperor’s Fate? Or was it the original Fan Li? If it was the latter, could he inherit the original’s legacy?

His understanding of this world remained limited; the basic information provided by the system contained nothing about such high-level secrets as the Emperor’s Fate.

But perhaps Wuzhui could enlighten him.

“I’ve crafted this treasure,” Fan Li said, taking out his Imperial Seal and tossing it to Wuzhui.

Her expression shifted subtly; even with her strength at the early Grand Ascension stage, she received it with both hands, careful and respectful.

After examining it for a moment, Wuzhui said softly, “Master is indeed extraordinary to have forged your own Imperial Seal so early, even with the Emperor’s Fate. As for the quality, it is the finest I have ever seen.”

“Does everyone with the Emperor’s Fate forge an Imperial Seal? How many have you seen? Is mine really the best?” Fan Li asked, curiosity and a touch of vanity in his tone.

Wuzhui replied, “The Imperial Seal is almost like a companion artifact to those with the Emperor’s Fate. Once the time is right and their cultivation is sufficient, they need only follow their heart and sense the mandate of Heaven, and they will inevitably forge a seal unique to themselves.”

“As for me, before you, I had only seen the Imperial Seal of Chu’s founding ancestor, Xiang Yu. Yours is indeed superior to the Hegemon’s.”

Fan Li could only laugh wryly at this. For a moment, he’d thought he’d surpassed a host of founding emperors, only to find he was merely a little better than Xiang Yu alone.

Wuzhui clearly saw through his thoughts and explained, “When I followed Xiang Yu in his conquest of the world, his rivals had not yet sensed the mandate of Heaven or forged their own Imperial Seals.”

“Moreover, while Xiang Yu’s seal was weaker than yours, that was because he possessed the Hegemon’s Spear—a divine weapon for offense. The Imperial Seal was also an offensive treasure, so with overlapping functions, Xiang Yu didn’t bother to invest much in his seal.”

Fan Li was speechless.

So, the value of the Imperial Seal varied from person to person—Xiang Yu had treated his as little more than a stamping tool.

His brief pride dissipated, and Fan Li asked, “Did you come for something?”

Wuzhui wasted no words, extending her hand. “Master, please grant me the medicine.”

So, she was here to ask for the Life-Extension Pill.

Fan Li could only refuse. He truly had none left, not even for Wuzhui, who needed it urgently. She would have to wait for the system to issue another mission.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he heard the system’s chime.

“New task: The harem must not interfere in government.”

“Task description: How can power be left to others when the traitor is in charge? The system has detected that the Great Chu Empress Dowager is seeking to meddle in state affairs. The host is to put a stop to this at once.”

“Reward: Mid-grade Life-Extension Pill. Grants a year of life. Two pills in total.”

Fan Li wanted to laugh. The Traitor System was truly considerate—it always provided exactly what he needed.

And it had also revealed the source of the turmoil at court.

The Empress Dowager?

So that woman, instead of staying quietly in the harem, actually wished to seize power?

“I have a mid-grade Life-Extension Pill here. It will grant you another year. But I must first deal with a troublesome individual; I can give it to you afterward,” Fan Li said, stalling for time.

A flash of joy appeared in Wuzhui’s eyes.

A pill that only extended life by a month was far from enough for her needs. Now, a mid-grade pill granting a year—she wanted it badly.

“Who is this fool who dares trouble my master? Allow me to deal with them for you!” Wuzhui declared.

With her Grand Ascension strength, who in Chu could be her match?

Fan Li suppressed a laugh, scratching his head and looking troubled. “The one I need to deal with is the Empress Dowager of Great Chu.”