Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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The envoy bowed deeply again. ”I will relay your words, Governor Sheng Xian. My lord will be grateful.” As the envoy was led to quarters to rest, Sheng Xian stood in the hall for a long moment, gazing out the window toward the south. His mind stirred with memory and anticipation about what was to come. The world was changing, and he had chosen his place in it.

Meanwhile, back in Xiapi, within the grand palace that will serve as the seat of Lie Fan’s coming Dynasty, ten men gathered in the grand council chamber, ten minds that formed the bedrock of Lie Fan’s regime. The Inner Council had been summoned.

Jia Xu, Xun You, Chen Qun, Liu Ye, Chen Gong, Lu Su, Sima Yi, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Xu Shu sat in a crescent around a long lacquered table, its surface gleaming with oil and candlelight. Maps of the realm were rolled and stacked on nearby shelves, and an incense burner gave off slow wisps of sandalwood smoke.

Zhuge Liang was the first to speak, his voice calm and measured. ”With the declaration drawing near, it is time we determine the name under which our lord will rule. The era must begin with a vision and a name that carries its legacy.”

Pang Tong tapped his fingers against the edge of the table. ”Indeed. The people must feel that this is not merely the rise of a man, but the birth of a new mandate, ordained by Heaven, rising from virtue, not ambition.”

Sima Yi nodded. ”The name must reflect his legitimacy, his vision, and the peace he brings. A name that will be carved into stone for centuries.”

Chen Qun, the legalist among them, adjusted his scrolls. ”We must also consider precedent. Han was established under the era name ’Gao,’ meaning lofty or exalted. Our lord’s name must carry both moral righteousness and historical weight.”

Jia Xu, the oldest and perhaps the most enigmatic, stroked his beard. ”The name must not be haughty, nor meek. It must inspire reverence among our allies and dread among our enemies.”

Lu Su raised a finger. ”How about ’Zhengyuan’ (Correct Origin)? It signals a return to true rule, to the roots of proper governance.”

Xu Shu shook his head gently. ”Too backward facing. We must look ahead. ’Taiping’ (Great Peace) might suit the times better.”

”That implies the peace has already been achieved,” Zhuge Liang interjected. ”We are still climbing the mountain. We must show that this is the beginning.”

Liu Ye smiled faintly. ”Then perhaps ’Longxing’ (Dragon Rising). It marks the ascension of the true dragon, the rightful sovereign, without declaring that the journey is complete.”

A murmur of agreement passed through the room. Even Jia Xu gave a rare approving nod.

Xun You, quiet until now, spoke up. ”It aligns with the heavens. The dragon is the emblem of the emperor. And rising... that captures this moment in time. The dragon does not slumber. It soars.”

Chen Gong added, ”And it will rally the scholars and commoners alike. All will feel that they are part of something majestic.”

Zhuge Liang looked around, reading the quiet approval in each face. ”Then it is agreed. The new era shall be called Longxing. And our lord Emperor’s name?”

”Hengyuan was chosen for the dynasty,” Sima Yi mused. ”The Emperor’s name should complement it.”

Jia Xu nodded slowly. ”A name that speaks of both might and wisdom. Of unbroken legacy.”

For hours, they debated. Names were proposed, discarded, and reconsidered. The sun climbed higher, casting golden shafts of light across the scrolls and inkstones littering the table.

Then, as the afternoon waned, Lu Su spoke.

”How about Hongyi?” He said softly.

The room stilled.

”Hongyi,” Lu Su repeated. ”Hong meaning great, vast, grand, to enlarge, to promote. Implying our lord’s vision of expansion and the promotion of prosperity and development. Yi means resolute, firm, persevering, strong willed. This speaks of the determination our lord has for military campaigns, economic reforms, and the implementation of new ideas.”

A murmur of approval spread.

Jia Xu inclined his head slowly. ”Then our lord Lie Fan shall take the temple name Taizu, the founding ancestor. It honors him as the first of a new line, a dynasty born not of treachery or opportunism, but of necessity and justice.”

Xu Shu added quietly, ”Then let the proclamation be prepared. Let the court poets draft the language. Let the banners be woven. The Mandate of Heaven shall pass from Han to the Hengyuan Dynasty, with Emperor Hongyi at its helm. Marking the coming of the Longxing era reign.”

With both the Dynasty and Emperor names having been decided, the ten advisors remained in the council chamber long after the sun had dipped beyond the western hills. Their duties did not end with mere words spoken, now came the labor of realization.

Pages were dispatched, calligraphers summoned, seals readied, and scrolls inscribed. The palace echoed with the soft shuffle of slippers and rustle of silk as scribes hurried back and forth across the polished stone floors, carrying drafts and revisions under the flickering light of lanterns.

By nightfall, the ten had finished all they could for the day. A quiet understanding passed among them: the time had come to inform their lord directly. It was not merely a matter of protocol, it was reverence.

To name a dynasty, to declare an emperor, was to alter the very axis of history. Such a decision could not rest solely on parchment and wax.

Together, they left the palace, stepping into the cool night air. The city of Xiapi hummed quietly under the veil of dusk. Lanterns bobbed on every street corner, casting warm pools of light across cobbled roads.

Citizens murmured of strange tidings and rumors in taverns and tea houses, unaware that history was being carved just beyond their reach.

When they reached the Lie Clan residence, the personal guards standing vigil at the gates recognized them at once. Clad in crimson and black, the Lie family’s elite warriors bowed in silent acknowledgment and opened the gates without delay. As instructed by Lie Fan himself, the Inner Council Advisors were to be granted immediate access, day or night.

The ten men passed through the outer courtyard, their footsteps soft against the flagstones. Cherry trees, though out of season, rustled gently in the night wind. Servants hurried silently along the edges of the path, giving the group a wide berth.

Upon reaching the outer main hall, one of the senior attendants stepped forward.

”We seek an audience with Lord Lie Fan,” Xun You said simply.

The servant bowed deeply and hurried inside.

Within the residence, in the warmth of the inner quarters, Lie Fan sat cross legged on a cushioned mat beside his wife, Lu Lingqi. In his arms, their infant son, Lu Liang, affectionately called Liangliang, gurgled and wriggled.

Lie Fan’s features, so often hardened by war councils and statecraft, softened as he made exaggerated coos and silly faces, trying to coax laughter from the baby. His voice lilted with affection as he narrated nonsense stories to the tiny child, eyes alight with fatherly joy.

”Look at that, Liangliang! Your father is a mighty warlord, feared across the land, and yet here I am, making faces at you like a court jester.”

Lu Lingqi watched with an amused smile, her head tilted slightly. ”Husband, he’s far too young to understand a word you’re saying,” she said gently, brushing a lock of hair from her face.

Lie Fan chuckled without looking away from Liangliang. ”That may be so, but I am training him early. Vocabulary is a weapon, and I want our son armed to the teeth. I’m expanding his vocabulary. One day, he’ll be reciting Sun Tzu before he can walk.”

Lu Lingqi laughed, but before she could retort, the moment was disrupted by the hurried entrance of the servant, who bowed deeply.

”My lord, forgive the intrusion. The inner council advisors have arrived and await you in the main hall.”

Lie Fan’s expression shifted instantly, but not with frustration, rather, a calm understanding. He handed the baby gently to Lu Lingqi.

”I must go,” he said softly, regret laced in his tone, pressing a kiss to Lu Liang’s forehead before carefully passing him back to his mother.

Lu Lingqi smiled and took the child into her arms. ”I understand. Go. We’ll be here when you return.”

Lie Fan leaned in and kissed her forehead. ”Thank you, Qi’er.”

With that, he adjusted his robes and stepped from the comfort of the inner residence toward the solemn business of the outer hall. His pace was steady, each step deliberate. The weight of the day, of what had been decided, seemed to echo in every footfall.

As he entered the hall, the ten advisors rose in unison. Five to his left, five to his right, the symmetry striking. Their expressions were composed but reverent. Each man had been chosen for wisdom, for loyalty, and above all, for their understanding of the burden their lord now bore.

”Please,” Lie Fan said, motioning with a hand. ”Be seated.”

He took his place at the head of the hall, settling into a high .backed chair carved with phoenixes and dragons. ”What brings you to me this late in the evening, everyone?”

Zhuge Liang spoke first. ”My lord, after much deliberation, we have come to present you with the name of your reign and the title with which you shall be remembered by history alongside the name of your Dynasty.”

Lie Fan’s gaze grew still. ”Speak.”

Jia Xu inclined his head. ”After much deliberation, my lord, we have settled on Hengyuan for the dynasty, Constant and Far Reaching. A name that speaks to enduring legacy and unbroken influence.”

Lie Fan’s fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair. ”Hengyuan... Yes. It carries strength without arrogance.”

”Meanwhile, it is the consensus of your Inner Council,” Zhuge Liang continued, ”that the new era shall be called Longxing, ’The Dragon Rising.’ It speaks of ascension, of destiny fulfilled, and of the beginning rather than the end.”

Chen Qun added, ”It evokes the Mandate of Heaven clearly. The people will see in it not only your rule, but the celestial approval of it.”

Lie Fan was silent for a moment. His eyes flicked to each man. ”And the name I shall bear as Emperor?”

Sima Yi leaned forward slightly. ” As for your imperial name, we propose the title Emperor Hongyi, my lord. Hong for greatness and the vastness of your vision. Yi for resolve, your unbreakable will.”

Lu Su picked up the thread. ”It is a name that will echo in temples, that will be etched into the records of the ages, my lord. It marks you not as a man who seized power, but as one who rebuilt what had fallen.”

Jia Xu added in a voice dry and certain, ”And your temple name shall be Taizu, the Grand Progenitor. For you are the founder of the Hengyuan Dynasty, a line that will shape the coming centuries.”

Lie Fan leaned back, eyes lifting to the high rafters above, carved with cloud motifs. The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air.

”Emperor Hongyi,” he murmured.

The room was quiet, breathless.

Then he nodded.

”It is fitting. More than I could have named for myself. Thank you, all of you.”

A smile touched the corners of his lips. ”So it begins, then.”

”Yes, my lord,” said Pang Tong, his voice warm. ”It begins.”

For a moment, Lie Fan said nothing. Then he stood, and the council rose with him. ”Prepare the edicts. Inform the scholars. Let the banners be woven and the proclamations written. When the time comes, the world will know that the Hengyuan Dynasty has risen, and with it, a new age.”

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains

Age: 34 (201 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