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Lie Fan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced around the courtyard, assessing the space out of instinct. There were no hidden ears here, but this was still not the place to speak of delicate, kingdom shaping matters. "We should discuss this somewhere more private," he said.
All four nodded without protest.
Lie Fan motioned for them to follow, and the group proceeded through the palace corridors, passing guards who bowed as the Emperor walked by. The afternoon sun cast long shadows along the polished floors, giving the palace an almost golden glow, warm, steady, serene. Yet beneath that beauty, the weight of empire hummed constantly.
Finally, they reached the main palace.
From there, they entered the Royal Study.
The room was spacious yet intimate, lined with scrolls, maps, and wooden shelves filled with records and reports. The faint scent of ink and parchment hung in the air. A large table dominated the center, where Lie Fan handled the affairs of the realm, strategy, and diplomacy intertwined with the discipline of daily governance.
"Sit," Lie Fan said gently as he took his own seat behind the desk.
The four men obeyed, though Muchen sat with the disciplined posture of a prince, hands neatly folded, back straight, eyes focused entirely on his father. There was a slight tension in the boy's shoulders. He felt the gravity of the moment, even if he didn't yet understand it.
Lie Fan did not speak immediately.
Instead, he studied the young face before him,the boy who would someday rule Hengyuan. He wanted to choose his words carefully, to teach not only knowledge but perspective.
At last, he spoke.
"The news comes from Shu," he began. "From Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da."
Zhuge Jin's eyes flickered with recognition.
Lu Zhi inhaled slowly.
Zhao Yun remained quiet, but Lie Fan could sense his protective instincts sharpening.
Muchen listened with total stillness.
"They have proposed a plan," Lie Fan continued. "One that will allow us to acquire Shu entirely… without war. Without a single Hengyuan soldier drawing a sword."
A ripple of surprise went through the room.
Even Zhao Yun's brows twitched.
"Without military action?" Lu Zhi murmured, astonished. "Remarkable."
Zhuge Jin leaned forward slightly. "It must be a strategy rooted in political leverage…"
"It is," Lie Fan confirmed. "But the method they chose to employ… involves a symbolic gesture."
He paused, letting the silence draw their focus even tighter.
"They intend to force Emperor Xian propose a marriage between his daughter, Princess Liu Jie… and you, Muchen."
Muchen blinked.
Zhao Yun's jaw tightened instinctively.
Lu Zhi's expression shifted with scholarly concern.
Zhuge Jin exhaled softly, eyes narrowing in thought.
For a moment, no one moved.
Muchen, twelve years old yet already bearing the composure of a future ruler, lowered his gaze for a brief second before raising it again, voice steady.
"Imperial Father… Princess Liu Jie is very young. I am young as well. What would such a marriage mean?"
Lie Fan's expression softened at the sight of his son's maturity.
"This marriage," he said gently, "is not real."
The relief that swept through the three adults was subtle but unmistakable.
"It is a political tool," Lie Fan continued. "A façade that will last only until Shu falls naturally into our hands. Once the Han is overthrown, the marriage will be annulled. No vows will be exchanged. No binding will occur. It is merely a symbol, a show of false alliance intended to shift the power balance in Shu."
Muchen nodded slowly, processing.
"But why me?" he asked quietly. "Why would the three of them forced Emperor Xian to pick me?"
Lie Fan smiled softly. "Because you are not only my eldest son, but also the Crown Prince of Hengyuan. So you represent the future of Hengyuan. Because to the Han court, offering their princess to our crown prince is a gesture of deep submission. It allows Fa Zheng and the others to claim they are acting in accordance with imperial will, even as they open Shu's gates to us."
"And I accepted the plan," Lie Fan added, "because it allows us to secure Shu without sending men to die. Without burning cities. Without spilling innocent blood."
Muchen's face softened with understanding.
But a moment later, the boy frownedz a small crease forming between his brows, betraying his heart beneath the princely training.
"Imperial Father… Princess Liu Jie is only a child. Isn't it cruel to involve her in this?"
Lie Fan felt something tighten in his chest, not pain, but pride. The boy wasn't thinking like a ruler alone. He was thinking like a human being.
"A valid question," Lie Fan said warmly. "And one that I addressed with your mother and your othe rmothers just now. Listen carefully, Muchen. This arrangement exists only on paper. Princess Liu Jie will not be harmed, pressured, or bound by anything. Once Shu is ours, she and her siblings will be protected. I will make sure she lives peacefully under our care. She will not be a tool once the dust settles."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You must learn this, Muchen, sometimes politics demands appearances. But it is our duty, mine now, and yours in the future, to ensure that behind those appearances, no innocent suffers so that we can live and sleep peacefully."
Muchen absorbed his words with deep, quiet focus.
Zhuge Jin sighed softly in admiration. "Your Majesty's foresight continues to humble us."
Lu Zhi nodded. "It is indeed the most peaceful path for the realm."
Zhao Yun finally spoke, voice low but resolute. "As long as His Highness is unharmed and the princess is not wronged, I have no objections."
Lie Fan chuckled. "I expected nothing else from you, Zilong."
He then turned his attention back to Muchen.
"There is another reason I needed to speak with you privately," he added. "News like this will reach the court soon. You must remain composed when it does. Officials will whisper. Nobles will speculate. Scholars will doubt. Some will praise, some will question. But you must maintain dignity. Calm. Strength."
Muchen straightened, understanding the deeper lesson.
"I will not falter, Imperial Father."
Lie Fan reached across the table and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I know you won't."
For a moment, silence wrapped around the room, not tense, but warm. Steady. A father and son, an emperor and crown prince, facing the future as one.
Then Muchen spoke again, quieter this time.
"Imperial Father… may I ask one more thing?"
"Of course."
"If this is only a political display… does that mean, in truth, my future marriage will be with someone I choose? Or someone the realm needs me to marry?"
Lie Fan exhaled softly, a question that Muchen should have know the answer as after all, he already told him the answer couple of times in the past.
He spoke honestly.
"A ruler's marriage is rarely simple. Sometimes it is a matter of love. Sometimes duty. Sometimes both, if fate is kind."
Muchen listened.
"But," Lie Fan continued, voice gentle yet firm, "in the past I have promises you this, I will never force you into something that harms you. And I will never bind you for the sake of power alone. Whatever marriage awaits you in the future, we will decide it together. As family."
Something eased in the boy's expression, the tension smoothing into relief.
"Thank you, Imperial Father."
Lie Fan squeezed his shoulder gently, then released him.
The room relaxed as the weight of the discussion settled into clarity.
Lu Zhi bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, may we ask, when will this news be made public?"
"Soon," Lie Fan replied. "Within the week. Fa Zheng and Zhang Song will move swiftly. I wanted all of you prepared before the rumors begin."
Zhao Yun nodded. "We will guard His Highness's composure and reputation."
Zhuge Jin added, "And guide him through handling the political discourse."
Lie Fan smiled gratefully at all three.
"You have my trust."
Then he turned to his son.
"And you, Muchen… you have my trust and pride."
Those words lit up the boy's eyes brighter than any praise from tutors or generals could.
Lie Fan stood, signaling the end of the discussion.
"Come," he said. "We'll walk back together. And afterward, perhaps you can accompany me for tea before dinner."
Muchen's expression brightened at the offer, still restrained, still princely, but undeniably happy.
"Yes, Imperial Father."
They left the Royal Study together, the guardians following in composed silence. As they walked through the corridors, the sun dipped lower, bathing the palace in warm gold.
Servants paused to bow as the imperial pair passed, struck by the sight of the Emperor and the Crown Prince walking side by side, one already ruling the world, the other growing steadily into the future that awaited him.
After that, three days passed in a slow, steady rhythm that nevertheless slipped through Xiapi like sand through open fingers. The palace resumed its normal routine, court meetings, military briefings, domestic reports, but beneath the surface, the atmosphere had shifted. Those who knew the truth carried it quietly, while those who didn't simply sensed a strange tension in the air, though they could not name its source.
Lie Fan's wives had resumed their usual work, though each carried within them the lingering heaviness of what had been discussed. His advisors continued their duties with composed expressions, but inside their minds were storms of calculations, projections, and silent preparation for what was coming.
And Muchen, though he trained, studied, and walked the palace as usual, carried himself with new weight, aware of the responsibility placed upon him but determined not to falter.
Time moved forward.
And then, on the morning of the third day, the peace broke.
The Han's procession appeared at the outskirts of Xiapi.
It had taken them more than a week to ride eastward, banners fluttering behind them, horses weary but soldiers disciplined. But their timing was not coincidence. Not an accident. Not a miraculous alignment.
It was calculated.
Planned before Emperor Xian had even been cornered in that suffocating court meeting.
Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da had forced him only after the wheels were already set in motion. They had sent the messengers ahead of time, anticipating exactly how long it would take, anticipating that by the time they reached Xiapi, the political trap would already be sealed.
The Han envoys weren't arriving to announce the Emperor's will.
They were arriving as part of a staged downfall.
Anyone who knew that truth felt the stir of something cold and sharp when the messengers reached the capital gates.
But the rest of Hengyuan's court, its scholars, lesser commanders, administrators, those who had not been read into the secret plan…
They were blindsided.
Lie Fan was presiding over an imperial court meeting when the news arrived. Reports had just finished, ministers stepping forward to discuss taxation reforms and border logistics, when a guard rushed in, kneeling at the base of the hall. His breathing was quick, his voice trembling with urgency.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 35 (202 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0