Chapter 42: The True Empress

Wu Prefecture was the heart of Jiangdong, and in terms of prosperity, it even surpassed Xuchang, which had been meticulously managed by Cao Cao. The palace in Xuchang, hastily constructed by Cao Cao himself, was sizable but undeniably austere—apart from a grand hall and a couple of sleeping chambers, it lacked any real luxury. But this palace in Wu Prefecture was a different matter entirely. When Sun Ce commissioned its construction, he never specified its true purpose, so everyone assumed he was building it for himself, perhaps preparing for the day when he might ascend the imperial throne. Accordingly, the finest craftsmen were employed, and every detail was executed with exquisite care.

Even Emperor Liu Xie himself had not anticipated such splendor. Entering through the back gate of this seemingly inconspicuous palace, he was greeted by buildings adorned with sculpted dragons and painted phoenixes, a crystal-clear lake teeming with fish, and lush vegetation of every kind. By Liu Xie’s estimate, there were at least twenty sleeping chambers reserved for the imperial concubines. In short, it was a place that could easily erode one’s ideals and sap one’s motivation.

“If Sun Ce thinks he can soften me with this decadent lifestyle, then he’s certainly chosen the right method!” Liu Xie spent more than half an hour touring the palace’s main halls, and after seeing it all, his regard for Sun Ce only deepened.

Lady Fushou had already been settled in the largest palace aside from Liu Xie’s own sleeping chamber. Lady Dong and Liu Bei’s two wives, having taken the main road, would not arrive for another two or three days. For the moment, only Liu Xie and Fushou were present in the palace, along with the attendants Sun Ce had discreetly arranged. After all, Liu Xie had yet to formally declare the relocation of the capital to Wu Prefecture, and so the palace could not be called the imperial palace, nor could its attendants be addressed as palace maids or court officials. Everything here, except for Sun Ce and Zhang Hong, was kept strictly confidential.

Though Liu Xie spoke of urging Sun Ce to bring him the legendary Two Qiaos, he certainly could not indulge in imperial pleasures with them this night, for neither could yet be called a phoenix. At this moment, only Lady Fushou was worthy of such a title.

Despite the palace’s grandeur, Fushou felt uneasy upon being brought in alone. Liu Xie was nowhere to be seen, and apart from the attendants, she knew no one here. Though she kept her composure, her heart raced until Liu Xie strode in with a nonchalant air, and she finally found her anchor.

“Your Majesty, what does Sun Ce intend for us?”

With the caution learned from her experience with Cao Cao, Fushou, despite her earlier longing for this place, felt anxious now that she was here.

“What are his intentions? Empress, rest assured. Now that I have chosen this place, we shall no longer be puppets under Cao Cao’s watchful eye, nor suffer his surveillance. I will let you truly experience what it means to be an empress!”

“A true empress?”

“Hm… We’ll discuss the spiritual aspect later. For now, I shall remind you of the pleasures befitting an empress in the flesh!”

With those words, Liu Xie’s hands and feet began to move.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hong, newly returned to his native Wu Prefecture, was already busy, though his activities differed somewhat from Liu Xie’s. As night fell, Zhang Hong summoned his two old friends, Zhang Zhao and Cheng Pu, both of whom had been core supporters of Sun Ce since the beginning, to his residence.

In truth, Sun Ce also relied heavily on another confidant, Zhou Yu, who was of similar age and addressed Sun Ce as a brother. However, since Zhou Yu had not followed Sun Jian from the outset, and though all were devoted to Sun Ce, these veteran companions never quite felt they were on the same wavelength as Zhou Yu.

Zhang Hong had not invited them for personal reasons, but rather at Sun Ce’s request. Jiangdong boasted many civil and military officials, and with the sudden arrival of the emperor, it was no small matter. Without prior coordination, chaos could easily ensue.

“Zigang, these past two years in Xuchang, we have all known the dangers. To return safely is blessing enough. Now that Bofu has unified Jiangdong, there is no need to concern ourselves with Xuchang any longer!” Zhang Zhao, who, together with Zhang Hong, was known as the Two Zhangs of Jiangdong and both famed civil officials, greeted him warmly.

Zhang Hong had been home for more than half a day, yet Sun Ce had made no move whatsoever. Added to this, the incident with the edict sewn into the emperor’s clothing had been exposed by Liu Xie himself. They all thought Zhang Hong’s efforts had nearly ended in failure, and that not being exposed was the greatest success. Thus, Zhang Zhao comforted him as soon as they met.

“Indeed, Zigang managed to endure in the tiger’s den that is Xuchang, and nearly succeeded in turning Dong Cheng and others—no small feat!” Faced with his old friends’ praise, Zhang Hong could only shake his head helplessly. He thought, after two years apart, have I become a docile lapdog in your eyes?

“Gentlemen, my return was not made alone.”

Zhang Hong did not reveal the truth immediately, but spoke in a tone of mystery.

“Oh? What do you mean, Zigang?”

“The emperor of our great Han has come with me to Wu Prefecture!”

“What?”

“The emperor? How could Cao Cao allow you to spirit him away, right under everyone’s noses? Zigang, surely you jest!” Upon hearing Liu Xie’s name, Cheng Pu and Zhang Zhao were both incredulous. Such a momentous event, such a critical mission, seemed to have been executed by Zhang Hong with casual ease—they could scarcely believe it.

They knew all too well how important Liu Xie was to Cao Cao. Surely, Cao Cao would have kept Liu Xie under the strictest surveillance, and whether at court or in the palace, Zhang Hong would have had no real allies. Thus, they doubted his claim.

“His Majesty really has arrived in Wu Prefecture. The palace that Bofu built over the past few months was prepared precisely for him.”

This time, Zhang Hong dropped the air of mystery and spoke plainly. Under such circumstances, Cheng Pu and Zhang Zhao had little choice but to believe him.

“You’ve been plotting this for months?”

“Indeed. His Majesty himself desired to relocate the capital to Wu Prefecture. Without that, I could never have accomplished it alone. The implications of this are vast, so until today, only Bofu and I knew. Now that His Majesty has arrived, Bofu has instructed me to inform you both.”

“So what does Bofu intend?”

“Bofu has already discussed it with His Majesty. Regarding the relocation, here is how we must proceed…”