Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Yet even in celebration, the minds of these men were ever watchful, always strategizing. Later, in a quieter chamber adjoining the main hall, Lie Fan sat with his advisors once more, joined now by Shi Gan and Shi Song, who were still absorbing the surreal transition of their political identities.

Lie Fan turned to look at Shi Gan and Shi Song. Now that the Shi Clan had pledged their allegiance to him, he wished to know the strength of their military forces. His voice, calm yet firm, filled the chamber, ”Now that you have pledged your loyalty, I must ask how many men does your clan command?”

Shi Gan, expecting the question, answered promptly and clearly. ”My lord, the Shi Clan currently commands an army of approximately 400,000 men. Of that number, 200,000 are professional soldiers, well trained and experienced in both combat and military organization. The remaining 200,000 are levies, farmers and commoners who have received basic training and can follow orders on the battlefield.”

Lie Fan nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful as he absorbed the numbers. He then gestured toward his advisors, inviting their counsel. Xun You was the first to speak.

”My lord, and esteemed gentlemen of the Shi Clan,” Xun You began in his measured, contemplative tone, ”while it is commendable that your clan has taken steps to train the populace in defense, I advise that the levy army of 200,000 be disbanded.”

”These men, being commoners and farmers, are more valuable in their original roles like tilling the land, developing infrastructure, contributing to the economy. The remaining 200,000 soldiers are more than sufficient to maintain the defense of Jiaozhi and its surrounding regions.”

Xu Shu nodded in agreement and added, ”I concur with Master Xun You. The disbanded levies can be reassigned based on their prior professions. Those without a trade can be guided into roles that will soon be in greater demand, as the Shi Clan’s territories will undergo substantial transformation in infrastructure modernization, agricultural development, bureaucratic integration, all to be aligned with the systems and expectations of Lord Lie Fan’s administration.”

The rest of the advisors Jia Xu, Chen Gong, Liu Ye, Lu Su, Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Chen Qun, and Pang Tong, voiced their agreement as well, each echoing the principle that a productive population was the foundation of a stable and prosperous domain.

Shi Gan listened carefully, his mind already turning over the implications. It was a sound suggestion, one that would ease the burden on Jiaozhi’s people while still maintaining its defenses.

So taking their words to heart, he. nodded respectfully. ”The wisdom of the masters is profound. I understand now that to truly align with Lord Lie Fan’s vision, we must adapt not only in name, but in structure and purpose. I will inform my father of your wise counsel and prepare for the restructuring of our military and civilian sectors upon my return to Jiaozhi.”

Lie Fan smiled with approval. Shi Gan was proving himself to be rational and cooperative. That boded well for the near future but Lie Fan was not a man who ever allowed himself to be lulled into complacency.

In his heart, he reminded himself of the realities of power. The Shi Clan under Shi Xie was loyal, yes, but the future was never guaranteed. Shi Xie’s sons might not share the same pragmatism.

As such, steps must be taken. Just as he had done with Sheng Xian, gradually curtailing his powers and leaving him with limited administrative authority under close supervision, so too would the Shi Clan eventually need to be balanced, their influence kept in check.

And for that, the Oriole Agent network, his web of spies and informants, would be prudent to be embed further deeper within Jiaozhi and it’s surrounding area in the coming months, in preparation to expand their network to the southern land to the south, toward Southeast Asia.

Returning his attention to the chamber, Lie Fan spoke once more, addressing Shi Gan directly. ”Tomorrow, the news of the Shi Clan’s allegiance will be made public. From that moment onward, your clan’s fate will be irrevocably tied to my cause.”

The room grew still. Shi Gan and Shi Song nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of what had just been said.

”There is more,” Lie Fan continued. ”You know of Gongsun Gong in the north, he too has submitted to my authority. But he is not alone. There are others, vassals whose allegiance has not yet been publicly announced for military and political purpose.”

The Shi brothers exchanged a quick glance, eyebrows raised.

It was Shi Song who asked the question, his voice tinged with curiosity. ”My lord, may we ask who these vassals are? Other than us and Gongsun Gong, who else has pledged their loyalty to you?”

Lie Fan’s expression was unreadable, but his words were deliberate. ”The Sun Clan and Sheng Xian have also pledged themselves to me. In fact, they were among the first. Their allegiance has been kept hidden until now, particularly the Sun Clan, for strategic reasons. They have been instrumental in checking your clan’s influence in the south during the earlier stages.”

Shi Gan’s brow twitched, and Shi Song’s eyes widened. After the breakout of the Lingling treaty due to Liu Bei, the Sun Clan and the Shi Clan had maintained a fierce rivalry in the south wit hsveral clash across their border. That rivalry now took on a very different shape.

And Sheng Xian, the once proud warlord who had ruled his own domain with near independence, was also under Lie Fan’s thumb?

Shi Gan’s mind raced. ”How long has this been true? How deep does his influence run?”

As he thought so, Shi Gan bowed once again. ”We understand, my lord. This revelation brings clarity. If anything, it strengthens our resolve to align ourselves fully with your grand vision. We will act in accordance with your will.”

Lie Fan watched their reactions with quiet amusement. ”The Sun Clan’s allegiance has been kept hidden until now. They played their part well appearing as rivals, keeping pressure on your father, ensuring he remained isolated.”

A cold realization settled over Shi Gan. ”We were being maneuvered long before we even realized it.”

Shi Song, still processing, frowned. ”Then... why reveal this now to us my lord?”

”Because your father has chosen wisely,” Lie Fan said simply. ”There is no need for deception anymore. The Sun Clan’s role as a hidden blade is over. Soon, their status and Sheng Xian’s will be made public.”

The implications were staggering.

If the Sun Clan had been Lie Fan’s vassals all along, then Jiaozhi had never truly had a chance to resist. They had been surrounded, their options carefully curated to lead them to this exact moment, kneeling before Lie Fan, not in defeat, but in inevitability.

As the meeting drew to a close, Shi Gan and Shi Song were dismissed with assurances of further discussions in the days to come.

They bowed deeply before taking their leave, their minds still reeling from the revelations as the Shi brothers retired to their guest quarters. Lie Fan lingered in the chamber with his most trusted advisors.

Zhuge Liang folded his fan slowly and spoke in a low voice. ”The Shi Clan may be cooperative now, but ambition never sleeps, my lord.”

”I know Kongming,” Lie Fan said, his gaze distant. ”That is why we will guide them with both visible hands and invisible strings.”

”Wenhe.”

The old strategist inclined his head. ”My lord?”

”Begin the next phase. The Oriole agents in Jiaozhi are to start their work, slowly, carefully. I want Shi Xie’s administration gradually reshaped to align with ours without visible interference first.”

Jia Xu’s smile was thin but knowing. ”It will be done, my lord.”

After that, Lie Fan ended their discussion and the gathering in the chamber quietly dissolved. One by one, his advisors departed to their own quarters, minds still calculating future moves, eyes always on the road ahead.

Even in victory, there was no true rest in the art of statecraft. Lie Fan himself returned to the Lie Clan residence, the grand estate that had grown into the new administrative heart of Xiapi, as much a symbol of his power as it was his home.

The soft clatter of guards greeting him at the gate faded as he entered the quiet sanctuary of his chambers. He did not speak much that night, simply shared a few words with his personal attendants, and retired early.

Though his body rested, his mind was alight, always spinning, always evaluating. The pieces were falling into place, but there were still games to be played.

When dawn broke the next day, the gears of Lie Fan’s intelligence network were already in motion. The Oriole agents, embedded across every major city and port from Ji Province to the southern most reaches of Jiaozhi, took swift action.

Word of Shi Xie’s allegiance to Lie Fan began to spread like wildfire, carried not only through proclamations but whispered in courts, taverns, marketplaces, and temples.

Pamphlets, messengers, manipulated town criers, and even traveling storytellers, all had been primed to deliver the same narrative, Shi Xie, the long reigning and fiercely independent lord of Jiaozhi, had bent the knee to Lie Fan.

It was a masterstroke of political theater.

The reactions were immediate and thunderous across the land. No corner of the Han realm remained untouched by the ripples. Local scholars debated furiously in their gathering places.

Merchants whispered of shifting trade routes. Generals revised their maps. Farmers in distant villages stared wide eyed at news of the southern warlord now standing shoulder to shoulder with the admired by the common people and feared by the nobles rising power in the land.

And in Luoyang, the storm broke.

Cao Cao sat in his lavish study, the air rich with incense and the soft rustle of silk from passing servants.

The scent of tea lingered from the cup he’d just been served, but before he even took a sip, one of his personal guards burst through the doors, knelt, and presented a scroll with trembling hands.

Cao Cao’s dark eyes flicked over the contents, and with a swift motion, he hurled the porcelain teacup across the room. It shattered against a pillar, the sound like a crack of thunder in the tense air.

”Damn him!” Cao Cao roared, rising to his feet. ”Shi Xie has submitted? That old fox has surrendered without a single battle just like that?!”

He paced furiously, the hem of his robe fluttering with each step. The study had grown quiet save for his heavy breathing. ”This Lie Fan,” he growled, fists clenched, ”he has subjugated Jing Province in one sweep, and now even the entire of the southern land bends before him!”

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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