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Empress Dong forced a gentle smile, one that trembled faintly at the edges. "Nothing happened, Jie'er," she said, brushing a hand through her daughter's hair. "Perhaps your imperial father accidentally knocked something over. The servants are simply cleaning up."
Liu Jie nodded, though she still looked puzzled. Her tiny brows furrowed as she craned her head to peek past the servants to see her father, but Empress Dong guided her forward gently.
They entered the chamber.
Emperor Xian was sitting on the sofa chair, his robes perfectly arranged, his posture dignified, his expression as calm as he could manage. But his eyes rose the moment he heard their footsteps.
And for the briefest instant, just one, he smiled.
Not the emperor's smile. Not the mask.
A father's smile.
The kind he used to give when holding Liu Jie as a baby, when she giggled and tried to grasp his fingers.
Liu Jie seeing her father immediately ran to him, her small feet pattering against the polished floor. She dives into her father as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest.
Emperor Xian held her tightly, almost too tightly, as though she were the last pure thing left in his collapsing world.
He breathed in the scent of her hair, fighting the sting building behind his eyes.
When he looked up again, Empress Dong was already watching him.
She had seen the servants, the broken items, the slightly red corners of his eyes. And she understood instantly that his composure was only surface deep.
Her breath trembled, her eyes glistening.
She pressed a hand over her mouth to hold back a sob. Her shoulders shook once.
Emperor Xian's heart clenched.
He couldn't fall apart. Not in front of them.
He straightened slowly. He loosened his grip on his daughter just enough so he could look into her bright little eyes.
"Jie'er…" he murmured gently.
"Mm?" she hummed, smiling innocently, unaware of the weight about to fall upon her world.
He swallowed.
He had to explain it simply. Delicately. Carefully.
Because she was still a child, and fairytales had filled her world princes on white horses, heroic princesses, happy marriages, and beautiful palaces.
She might even be happy about marrying a prince.
But this was not a fairytale.
And he knew the moment she grew old enough to understand, she might blame him. She might resent him. She might see him as the villain who handed her away.
But he had no choice.
He must become the villain in his children's eyes to protect them.
So that they could grow strong.
So that they could survive the storm he could no longer shield them from.
He cupped her cheek gently.
"There is something important Father must tell you," he said softly.
As he begin to try tell his daughter what happens, the narrative of the world shifted to the northeast, across mountains and plains, past rivers and fortresses, many days away—
To Xiapi.
Where the true emperor of this era, Lie Fan, had spent the last several days overseeing advancements that would reshape the world.
Inside the grand study hall of Xiapi Palace, sunlight streamed through tall windows, illuminating the vast tables of scrolls, blueprints, maps, and carved wooden models. The scent of ink and parchment mingled with the faint tang of metal from the nearby workshop yards.
Lie Fan sat behind his worktable, fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest as he listened to the report.
Liu Ye stood before him, scrolls in hand, his expression bright with the subdued excitement of a scholar who had tasted progress.
"Your Majesty," Liu Ye began smoothly, "the wagonway research and development is progressing well. We are following the parchment and scrolls you provided with utmost precision."
Lie Fan nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
"A number of the wooden rails cracked or warped in the early trials due to miscalculations in thickness and wood ratio in making them and calculations of maximum weight needed," Liu Ye admitted openly, "but thanks to those failures, we are close, very close, to determining the exact measurements needed."
He unrolled a blueprint, showing the latest design for a stable dual rail structure.
"If this final trial succeeds, Your Majesty," Liu Ye concluded, eyes glowing with intellectual fire, "Our Dynasty will have the first functional wagonway in the land, probably even the world. Our logistic and economic capabilities will multiply beyond imaginations in my mind as I see the research and development firsthand."
Lie Fan nodded with satisfaction.
"Good," he said. "Very good. Continue. Spare no effort. This single system will reshape the entire logistical and economy function of the realm."
Liu Ye bowed deeply.
Then Lie Fan's gaze shifted to the right, toward Huang Chengyan.
"And what of the cannons, Master Huang?" Lie Fan asked.
Huang Chengyan inhaled slowly, bracing himself. His expression was solemn, tinged with embarrassment.
"Your Majesty…" he began with a bow. "Unlike the wagonway, the cannon development is progressing… with difficulty."
Lie Fan raised an eyebrow slightly, signaling him to elaborate.
"We have followed the parchments and scrolls you provided meticulously," Huang Chengyan continued. "But no matter what we try, the cannons continue to explode during test ignitions. The alloy composition appears insufficient to withstand the pressure."
He glanced down at the scroll in his hands.
"And as for the cannonballs," he added, "they are much simpler to produce because the gunpowder formula from the past already exists. But without a functioning cannon, we cannot test whether they perform as intended."
He bowed deeply, voice heavy with apology.
"For this failure, Your Majesty, I beg forgiveness."
Lie Fan didn't scold or reprimand. Instead, he leaned back slightly, eyes thoughtful, fingers drumming again as he processed the information.
The failures weren't unexpected. In his past life, cannon development required decades of trial and error. What these men were attempting was a monumental leap across centuries of technological evolution.
Lie Fan exhaled softly.
"It is fine," he said. "Continue refining the metal. Experiment with new mixtures. You may need a stronger alloy, try increasing the carbon content. And test thicker barrel walls."
Huang Chengyan's eyes widened a little.
Clearly, Lie Fan's knowledge impressed him every time.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" he said immediately. "We will begin adjusting the composition at once."
Liu Ye exchanged a look with Huang Chengyan, both scholars energized anew, despite the difficulty.
Lie Fan dismissed the meeting with a sweep of his sleeve, the sunlight catching faintly on the edges of the jade ring he wore, a symbol not of luxury but of responsibility. His gaze moved from Liu Ye to Huang Chengyan, two pillars of technology in this era, two men carrying enormous burdens.
"You two have done well," he said, voice firm but warm. "Keep me updated. If either of you need anything, funds, materials, manpower, craftsmen, scholars, come to me directly."
Both men bowed deeply, hands cupped.
"We remember Your Majesty's words," they said in unison, their voices echoing with resolve.
"But if I am occupied," Lie Fan continued, "or I am in a place where I cannot be disturbed, go to Jia Xu or Mi Zhu. They have my authority to approve anything you require."
Again, the two bowed. Relief washed over their faces, not because they lacked support, but because their emperor understood that innovation required resources and faith.
Lie Fan stepped out from the study hall, the afternoon light washing over him as he walked through the corridor leading toward the Harem Palace. His steps were steady, but his mind was already turning toward the next task, one that was delicate, political, personal, and necessary.
The matter of Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da.
The fake marriage proposal. The overthrow of Emperor Xian. The transfer of Shu without spilling a single drop of Hengyuan blood.
But also Ying Yue.
She deserved to know before the announcement reached the domain of Hengyuan. She deserved to hear from him, not from courtiers or rumors. She was the mother of Muchen, the Empress of Hengyuan, and the partner he trusted more than anyone else in the world.
He would not let her be blindsided.
He would not let this create even a moment of misunderstanding.
As he crossed the stone path beneath the long red pavilions, servants bowed deeply, guards stepped aside, and palace maidens quickly moved to open doors for him. Yet he barely noticed, his thoughts lingered over the conversation he needed to have.
He reached the Harem Palace's marble entrance. Two senior imperial maids spotting him, immediately dropped into deep curtsies.
"Is the Empress within?" he asked, his voice calm.
"Yes, Your Majesty," one of them replied, her head bowed. "Her Majesty is present. She is currently in the embroidery room with all the concubines."
A faint smile touched Lie Fan's lips. The image of his wives gathered together, away from the pressures of court, was a comforting one. He nodded and continued on his way.
Of course. The sound filtering faintly down the corridor—soft laughter, gentle chatter, the rustle of silk—confirmed it. A rare moment where all five women were together, sharing stories, teasing one another, laughing freely without the weight of titles and formality.
He headed toward the embroidery room, and the laughter grew clearer, brighter, like a warm breeze cutting through the administrative chill still clinging to him from the study hall.
He paused briefly outside the carved wooden doors.
Inside, Diao Chan's melodic voice floated out first—she was clearly recounting some ridiculous incident in the noble districts, and the others were giggling uncontrollably.
"…and then the poor maid tripped, and all the peaches went flying straight into Lady Zhang's face—"
More laughter burst from within.
Lie Fan smiled. He let himself enjoy the moment before pushing the doors open.
The embroidery room was bathed in natural light from tall windows, silk threads shimmering like captured rainbows. Ying Yue, Diao Chan, Cai Wenji, Lu Lingqi, and Zhen Ji sat around a long table, each with their embroidery frames in hand. Their postures were relaxed, their smiles genuine.
The moment he entered, all conversation stopped.
Five pairs of eyes turned toward him.
Their expressions lit up immediately.
"Husband," they said in soft unison, standing gracefully.
He raised a hand lightly. "No need to stand. Sit, sit. I didn't expect to find all five of you gathered together today."
Diao Chan, never one to be overly formal, was the first to break the respectful silence, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Why, husband? Did you hope to find one of us alone so you could dote on her in secret without the others knowing?"
Cai Wenji chuckled softly. Zhen Ji hid a smile behind her sleeve. Lu Lingqi smirked. Ying Yue merely shook her head with patient amusement. Lie Fan shook his head, a mock sigh on his lips as he walked over toward Diao Chan and tapped the tip of her delicate nose. "Chan'er," he said, suppressing a laugh, his tone full of affection, "don't always tease me like this." She only grinned wider.
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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