Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Lu Zhi, who had seen Lie Fan’s growth, dipped his head. ”You have grown, my lord. Into more than a warrior. Into more than a ruler. Into a capable man. You have my loyalty.” One by one, the others echoed it, Cai Yong, Zhuge Xuan, Sima Hui, Pang Degong, and finally Huang Chengyan, who had watched silently all along but whose eyes burned with quiet resolve.

The meeting did not end immediately. What followed was hours of deep discussion about how to layer reforms within the provinces, how to choose men of talent to oversee the new learning centers, and how to carefully preserve the printed books and their distribution.

Logistics, budgets, protective measures against saboteurs, and the slow, strategic unveiling of the first libraries.

And when the scholars finally rose to take their leave, it was not with weariness, but purpose. Each man bowed again before departing, not just to Lie Fan, but to the box that now held the soul of the new dynasty within it.

When the room was empty, Lie Fan remained seated in silence. His fingers brushed the edge of the box before he picked it up and stored it inside his system inventory.

Lie Fan exhaled slowly as he stepped out of the Academy, the weight of the discussions still lingering in his mind.

Then he returned back to his residence, to spend his time with his family which he did for a couple of days and rest from doing any paperwork, as a reward for himself after his campaign against Liu Bei and executing one of the most known historical figures in China in his past life.

The journey back to his residence was quiet, the streets of Xiapi alive with the usual hum of daily life. Merchants called out their wares, children darted between legs, and the occasional patrol of soldiers moved with disciplined ease.

None of them knew the weight of what had just transpired in the Academy, nor the significance of the wooden box now safely stored within his system inventory.

When he returned to his residence, he felt that it was a rare moment, as the brief window of peace carved into the chaos of ambition and war. Within the walls of his residence, the air was calmer.

Children’s laughter echoed down the corridors, the scent of jasmine tea filled the rooms, and his wives greeted him with a soft smile that eased the weight on his shoulders.

He shared meals with his family and continued to teach his eldest son, Chenchen, on martial arts, smiling as the boy stumbled but stubbornly kept going.

Meanwhile, far to the south in the bustling capital of Jiaozhi, a very different atmosphere gripped Shi Xie’s court. The heat in the air was not from the tropical weather, but the rising anxiety within the stone walls of governance.

A courtier burst into the main hall, dropping to one knee before Shi Xie who was sitting upon his throne, the ruler of the far flung and often overlooked southern province of Jiaozhi. ”My lord! News from Jing Province!”

Shi Xie raised an eyebrow, fanning himself slowly with a folded fan. ”Speak.”

”Liu Bei has been executed. Lie Fan has taken all of Jing Province under his rule.”

The fan slipped from Shi Xie’s fingers.

Gasps rippled across the court. Advisors leaned forward, generals looked at one another in disbelief. The name ”Liu Bei” had carried weight for years.

He had been a thorn in many sides, a hero to some, and a headache to most. His fall was not just a military victory, it was a message that no one was untouchable.

Shi Xie’s lips tightened. He gestured for the messenger to continue.

”The army marched swiftly, my lord. They say he trapped Liu Bei in a pincer move before the latter could escape from Xiangyang. Many of his advisors and generals mutiny, and while some soldiers remained loyal they couldn’t withstand the momentum Lie Fan carried. The entirety of Jing Province was now under his grip.”

Murmurs and whispers grew louder. Then the murmurs turned to clamor.

Shi Xin, Shi Xie’s eldest son, slammed his palm on the pillar beside him. ”We must prepare for war! Reinforce the garrisons along the borders! Double the conscription rate! We cannot sit idle and wait for the sword to fall on our heads!”

”We should focus on infrastructure!” another general barked. ”Strengthen the roads, build granaries! If he comes, we can outlast him in a siege!”

”No, no,” an advisor interrupted, waving his hands frantically. ”It is agriculture that will save us. Focus on the harvest, and secure the rivers. With enough food, we can hold out until someone else rises to challenge Lie Fan.”

The court devolved into chaos.

And then, an old, calm voice cut through the noise like a blade through silk.

”May I speak, my lord?” The advisor was not the most senior, nor the most outspoken. He was not known for brash declarations or impassioned speeches, but rather for the soft spoken wisdom that often went ignored.

Shi Xie gestured for him to speak.

The advisor stepped forward. ”All of these suggestions, building roads, reinforcing garrisons, storing food, are prudent. But they are desperate measures against an inevitable tide. Let us not deceive ourselves. Our military cannot match his. Our land does not compare to his. Even Liu Bei, with his loyalists and veteran commanders, could not stop him. What chance do we have?”

The room bristled. The man continued, unshaken.

”Rather than wait for him to bring the war to us, we should act wisely and pledge our allegiance. We swear fealty to Lie Fan. We become his vassals. My lord will preserve your people, your land, and even your dignity. This is not cowardice, it is foresight.”

Gasps erupted. Shi Xin turned red with fury.

”Traitor!” he shouted. ”You would have us bow like dogs? Submit without even drawing our swords?”

Several others joined the protest. Cries of outrage filled the air. Shi Zhi and Shi Hui, loyal to their brother Shi Xin, shouted louder than the rest. Even Shi Gan and Shi Zhong looked disapproving, their loyalty to the clan outweighing the logic of survival.

But Shi Xie did not immediately dismiss the proposal. He raised his hand, and silence, hesitant, grudging, fell.

”Why,” Shi Xie asked slowly, ”should I submit to another man’s rule? I have held Jiaozhi for decades. This land knows my name.”

The advisor bowed low. ”My lord, that is precisely why. Because your name is known. Because your leadership is valued. Do you think Lie Fan would place a stranger here, a governor from his own court? No. He would allow you to rule still, under his banner, yes, but with your house intact.”

He glanced around. ”Or... we can fight. We can lose. And then he will place a stranger here. If any of us survive to see it.”

The words lingered in the stillness.

Shi Xie looked at his sons. His heart ached. Pride and fear warred within him. But more than that, he thought of the people. Merchants in the ports. Farmers in the fields. Children that played lively on the street. If they went to war... how many would survive?

”Enough,” Shi Xie finally said. ”Let me think.”

The court was dismissed. And that night, long after the lamps had been extinguished, Shi Xie sat alone in his study, staring at a map that now bore Lie Fan’s name in half of the land. He traced the path southward. From the north at You Province. Down Into Jing Province.

Shi Xie let out a heavy sigh, leaning back in his chair as he rubbed his temples, feeling the throb of an oncoming headache. The candlelight flickered, casting long, restless shadows across the map before him, the very map where Lie Fan’s dominion now loomed large and threatening.

What choice do I truly have? he thought bitterly.

To build up defenses, rally the army, and stockpile supplies, it was a path riddled with hardship, bloodshed, and near certain defeat. He knew his own strength well enough.

Jiaozhi had always been distant from the centers of power, thriving in part because of its isolation. His rule had been absolute here, yes, but his army? No match for the storm that was gathering in the north.

And yet, to submit... to bend the knee after long time of autonomy rule... it tasted like ash in his mouth.

Worse still, the price would not be cheap. It would be his pride, yes, but also likely the sending of a hostage, a son or grandson, to Lie Fan’s court. A tradition is as old as the empire itself. A chain on his heart to ensure his loyalty.

Was it worth it?

To live, to endure, even if it meant shackling his own blood to another’s leash?

The strain of power had weighed on him more heavily with each passing year. Once, when he was younger, he could carry it with ease, as if his back were made of iron. Now, in the twilight of his life, the burden was a constant ache. Sleep came rarely. Worry gnawed at him nightly.

He closed his eyes, the memories of betrayal surfacing unbidden: Shi Hui and Shi Wu, their rebellion had not only weakened his position but shattered a piece of his soul. To see a family rise against family, blood spill blood, it had changed something inside him.

He had buried them with honor, but also with a bitterness that never left.

The soft knock on the door jolted him from his brooding. He opened his eyes, already knowing who it would be.

”Enter,” he said, his voice rough.

The door creaked open and his five sons entered: Shi Xin leading the way, followed closely by Shi Zhi, Shi Hui, Shi Gan, and the youngest, Shi Song.

They each bowed low, a gesture of respect... and perhaps an apology, though none dared to voice it.

Shi Xie studied them in the dim light. His heirs. His future. His burdens.

Shi Xin, the eldest, tall and strong, with a stubborn jaw and a warrior’s glare.

Shi Zhi, second born, sharper of tongue, quicker of wit.

Shi Hui, middle son, was so much like his late cousins that it pricked Shi Xie’s heart to see him.

Shi Gan, is quiet, observant, and thoughtful beyond his years.

Shi Song, the youngest, with dreams still untainted by the harsh realities of the world.

Each carried ambition in their hearts. Each carried fear, too. It was plain on their faces, though they tried to mask it.

”My sons,” Shi Xie said, voice heavy with fatigue, ”you come to offer counsel?”

They exchanged glances before Shi Xin stepped forward, fist clenched at his side.

”Father,” he began, stiffly formal, ”after today’s council... we have thought further on the matter.”

Shi Xie arched an eyebrow. ”Have you? It did not seem so when you were screaming for blood in the hall.”

A flush rose to Shi Xin’s cheeks, but he pressed on. ”We were... rash,” he admitted. ”The thought of bending the knee, of submitting without a fight, it shamed us. Shamed me. But...” His voice faltered, and he looked to his brothers for support.

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains

Age: 33 (200 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 1325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 951 (+20)

VIT: 613 (+20)

AGI: 598 (+10)

INT: 617

CHR: 96

WIS: 519

WILL: 407

ATR Points: 0