"Nonsense!" A furious voice boomed from afar. Another imperial procession approached, its dragon banner emblazoned with the character "Wei".

Cao Cao had arrived.

"In Duke Jin's presence, you dare spread such lies?" His face was dark with anger.

"I have been working to appease the Han Dynasty Remnants for quite some time now. It is you and Liu Bei who are imitating me, trying to recruit them for yourselves. And yet, you dare accuse me of being the instigator?"

Cao Cao glared at Sun Quan, his beard bristling with rage. His anger was palpable. If not for Fan Li's presence, they might have come to blows.

"I, the instigator?" Sun Quan laughed coldly.

"Let us be honest with each other, Duke Jin is our witness. Although Wei was indeed the first to attempt to recruit the remnants, did they succeed?

The Han Dynasty Remnants all say that you, Cao Cao, are descended from eunuchs. How can you possibly be worthy of ruling the land?

Since the people do not support Wei, my Wu has stepped forward. What is wrong with us offering the remnants a new home?"

Fan Li listened in astonishment.

Such vicious accusations!

Such disrespect!

Were they truly about to abandon all pretense of civility?

As expected, Cao Cao's face turned red with fury. He pointed at Sun Quan, his voice shaking with anger.

"You, green-eyed child! Do not mock me! Look at your own Wu! How many remnants have pledged their allegiance to you? None! Not a single one!"

Sun Quan's laughter died on his lips.

Cao Cao was right.

Wu had always excelled at exploiting opportunities. But this time, they had gained nothing.

Despite offering countless benefits, the Han Dynasty Remnants who refused to serve Wei, similarly refused to serve Wu.

"Alas…"

A gentle sigh came from afar. It was a voice filled with warmth and sincerity.

Fan Li knew instantly that it belonged to Liu Bei.

Once the Imperial Uncle of Han, his appearance was noble, a true dragon among men.

Now, dressed in the Emperor's robes, his aura was even more regal. He was far more pleasant to look at than Cao Cao and Sun Quan.

Fan Li suddenly realized that this was the first time he had seen the three of them together since Emperor Xian's death.

"Alas…"

Liu Bei leaped onto the summit platform, sighing once more.

"Brothers, there is no need to argue. We are allies. Let us not damage our friendship."

He turned to Fan Li, his face lighting up with excitement. He rushed towards Fan Li, grasping his hand, showering him with greetings and inquiries about his well-being.

Fan Li felt overwhelmed. Liu Bei excelled at social interactions.

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It seemed to be an instinct, so ingrained in his very being that it was difficult to discern sincerity from manipulation.

As Liu Bei spoke, expressing his concern and affection, Fan Li almost believed they had once shared a bed.

"Hmph! Liu Bei, stop pretending!"

Sun Quan, the youngest of the three, was also the least patient.

"Cao Cao and I have both failed to recruit the remnants. Surely they have all pledged their allegiance to you, haven't they? As the Imperial Uncle of Han, your influence is undeniable. You are far more persuasive than Cao Cao or I."

His words provoked Cao Cao, who glared at Liu Bei.

The two men, their gazes filled with hostility, seemed ready to attack Liu Bei.

"Injustice! This is a grave injustice!"

Liu Bei shook his head repeatedly.

"I swear by Heaven, I have never attempted to undermine your efforts. I simply saw that you were both struggling and decided to try my luck. Surely there's nothing wrong with that?"

His words were met with scorn.

Cao Cao and Sun Quan clearly didn't believe him.

And to be honest, Fan Li didn't believe him either.

Given his understanding of Liu Bei, surely the man wouldn't have acted before Sun Quan.

"If you do not believe me, what can I do?"

Liu Bei continued to plead his innocence.

"Although I did attempt to recruit them, I failed. Not a single remnant pledged their allegiance to Han."

"Lies!"

"Nonsense!"

Cao Cao and Sun Quan refused to accept his explanation.

"The Lu Clan has vanished," Sun Quan said coldly. "I sent men to their ancestral home. They found nothing. Not a single person remained.

Wasn't the Minister Lu Zhi your teacher? Surely, given your connection to the Han imperial family, and your relationship with Lu Zhi, the Lu Clan would have pledged their allegiance to you?"

"No! Truly, no one pledged their allegiance to me!"

As they argued, their voices grew louder. The summit platform was filled with their accusations and denials.

Fan Li, standing awkwardly to the side, couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

He was the reason for their conflict.

The Lu Clan had arrived in Jin City two days ago.

Fan Li's clone had even personally welcomed Lu Zhi, bestowing upon him a vast territory within the Southern Ridge Mountains, allowing the Lu Clan to build their own city.

The elderly minister had been moved to tears, declaring that surely it was the will of Emperor Xian, his blessing from the heavens, that had led him to Duke Jin, the Princess' husband.

"Gentlemen? Gentlemen? Please, there's no need to argue!"

Fan Li, feeling guilty, attempted to mediate.

Thankfully, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan understood that arguing wouldn't solve the problem.

They had vented their frustrations. Now, it was time to set aside their differences.

After a brief silence, Liu Bei spoke first.

"Brother Zhuge Liang's Seven Stars Lamps were extinguished by a Great Vehicle Realm archer."

Fan Li had saved the lives of tens of thousands of Han soldiers.

These soldiers, having returned to Han, spread the news.

There were very few archers in the world.

And those who had reached the Great Vehicle Realm were practically unheard of.

Aside from the Brahma Sound Pure Land, whose Archery Sage was known throughout the land.

"Yao Guang promised to send reinforcements to Yunzhou City. But she broke her word." Sun Quan said grimly. "Something is amiss."

Cao Cao nodded.

"As the leader of the Five Kingdoms Alliance, Yao Guang's actions are inexplicable. Unless… the Archery Sage was truly among Wanli's troops."

They fell silent once more.

Speculation?

Even if their suspicions were confirmed, what could they do?

Confront Empress Yao Guang?

If they dared, the Three Kingdoms would be destroyed!

Wei, Han, and Wu lacked the strength of the former Han Dynasty. Their combined power was perhaps only a third of the old empire.

The alliance.

Yao Guang needed the Three Kingdoms to challenge the Great Ming.

And they needed Great Ci to survive.

Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan looked at Fan Li with regret.

He was the ideal ally.

But his personal strength was too weak.

They spent the entire day in silence, unable to find a solution.

There was no need for idle chatter between intelligent men.

And any words that couldn't change the situation… were simply empty words.

Day turned to night.

And then morning arrived.

Fan Li, having spent the entire night meditating, was awakened by a servant.

"Duke Jin, Empress Yao Guang has arrived."

He opened his eyes and saw Cao Cao and Liu Bei rushing forward to greet her.

Sun Quan remained by his side.

"Don't forget your manners," he whispered.

A palanquin, seemingly crafted from a spirit treasure, approached.

It radiated a rainbow of colors and a fragrant aroma. Faint music accompanied its arrival, a melody both elegant and majestic.

The palanquin descended, and Empress Yao Guang emerged with a smile.

"Oh? I am the last to arrive? You three are eager, aren't you?"

Her words, simple yet confident, instantly diminished the presence of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan.

They frowned, but chose to ignore her arrogance.

Yao Guang turned to Fan Li, her gaze sharp and questioning.

"The Five Emperors' Summit… Why has Great Chu sent its Duke Jin?"

Arrogance!

Fan Li knew that Yao Guang was exploiting their weakness. She knew that the Three Emperors wouldn't dare confront her directly.

But he was also confident that Yao Guang wouldn't abandon Great Chu.

He laughed coldly.

"If I had not come, this would simply be a Four Emperors' Summit. Does Your Majesty disagree?"

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