Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my Patreon!!!

Go to https://www.patreon.com/Tang12

___________________________

Before Zhao Yun could respond properly, she took his hand without a second thought, tugging him forward toward a set of reinforced training dummies near the far wall. He followed, stunned but bemused, coughing into his free hand with mild embarrassment. The hand she held was strong, calloused, but she seemed utterly unaware of the impropriety, driven only by genuine eagerness.

Nearby, watching from the circle of conversation, Lie Fan glanced over his shoulder.

His gaze met that of Ma Chao, who had noticed the same thing.

Ma Chao’s expression twisted faintly, not anger, not even discomfort. But something closer to reluctant understanding.

”She’s never looked that happy sparring with any of us,” Ma Dai muttered beside him, then winced as Ma Chao shot him a side glance.

But Ma Chao said nothing, only watching the way Zhao Yun respectfully guided his sister to one of the training stations, pointing out safety protocols, how the reinforced dummies were weighted, the measured way to strike so as not to injure oneself.

There was... a sort of harmony between them. And Ma Chao, protective as he was, knew what he was seeing.

Lie Fan at this time feigned mild curiosity. ”Is something the matter, Lord Ma Chao?”

Ma Chao exhaled through his nose. ”My sister... seems to have found a new sparring partner.”

Lie Fan hummed thoughtfully. ”Zilong is an excellent general and instructor. He is patient, skilled, and most importantly respectful.”

Ma Chao’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he continue to watch as Ma Yunlu, under Zhao Yun’s guidance, adjusted her stance before a training dummy, her movements fluid and precise.

Zhao Yun corrected her grip on the practice spear with a light touch, his instructions clear but never condescending.

Lie Fan seeing this, hide his satisfaction behind his smiling face. ”Good. Let him see.”

Meanwhile, Ma Yunlu, oblivious to the eyes on her, was entirely engrossed in the training equipment. She moved from one station to the next, testing her strength, speed, and agility with childlike enthusiasm.

”This is incredible!” she exclaimed, spinning a weighted staff with practiced ease. ”We had nothing like this back in Wuwei.”

Zhao Yun watched her with quiet admiration. ”Lord Lie Fan designed much of it himself. He believes a warrior’s training should be as varied as the battlefield. To be flexible in facing the ever changing situation in battlefield.”

Ma Yunlu paused, glancing at him. ”He designed this?”

Zhao Yun nodded. ”Every detail. From the balance of the weapons to the spacing of the dummies. He’s... meticulous.”

She huffed a laugh. ”I’ll say.”

They continued, Zhao Yun pointing out the subtleties of each training apparatus, the way the archery targets were angled to simulate wind resistance, the uneven footing of the obstacle course to mimic rough terrain.

At one point, Ma Yunlu stopped before a wooden dummy with movable arms. ”What’s this one for?”

Zhao Yun stepped forward, demonstrating. ”It’s for countering grapples. Watch.”

He tugged one of the dummy’s arms, and the entire structure shifted, its other arm swinging toward him in response. Zhao Yun dodged effortlessly, then caught the arm mid-motion, redirecting its force.

Ma Yunlu’s eyes gleamed. ”Let me try.”

She mimicked his movements, but the dummy’s counterattack came faster than she anticipated. Before she could react, Zhao Yun’s hand shot out, intercepting the wooden limb inches from her face.

They both froze.

Ma Yunlu stared at his hand, then up at him. ”...Thanks.”

Zhao Yun quickly withdrew, clearing his throat. ”Ah, of course. It’s... trickier than it looks.”

She smirked. ”Then teach me.”

And so he did.

On the other hand, in Luoyang, Guo Jia and Jia Kui had returned first after the successful subjugation of the Ma Clan rebellion. Xiahou Dun, Zhang He, Xu Huang, and Li Dian remained in the west to consolidate the newly reclaimed territories.

Though Ma Chao had managed to escape from Wuwei with the remnants of his forces, it did not change the fact that the rebellion had been suppressed. This was a cause for celebration in Cao Cao’s court.

Inside the resplendent halls of the Luoyang Palace, the air was thick with incense and intrigue as Cao Cao convened a high level meeting with his most trusted strategists.

Gathered were Xun Yu, Xi Zhicai, Guo Jia, Jia Kui, Tian Feng, Cheng Yu, and Xu You. The atmosphere was a mixture of satisfaction and anticipation, the Ma Clan crisis had been resolved, but what came next would shape the very balance of power across the realm.

Cao Cao sat upon a raised dais, dressed in stately robes, eyes sharp with thought. ”The Ma Clan has been broken. Wuwei lies within our grasp. But the west is not yet secure. We must strike while the advantage is ours. Suggestions?”

Cheng Yu was the first to speak. ”My lord, now is the perfect time to send an ultimatum to Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. His forces are weak, his territory isolated, and he has no viable allies left. Offer him vassalage under your banner, pledging his service and allegiance to your cause. If he accepts, we take fertile Hanzhong without bloodshed.”

A murmur of approval rippled through the court. Guo Jia nodded slowly. ”Master Cheng Yu speaks wisely. Zhang Lu may be proud, but he is pragmatic. Between Liu Zhang’s growing instability and Lie Fan’s ambitions, we are the safer choice.”

Jia Kui added, ”Zhang Lu’s control is already slipping. If we act swiftly, we can integrate his lands and even his Taoist networks, which could prove useful in stabilizing the region even further.”

Cao Cao listened intently and then offered a small, satisfied smile. ”Very well. Prepare the diplomatic mission. Offer generous terms. Hanzhong shall be ours.”

The room seemed to breathe with renewed energy. But Cao Cao wasn’t finished.

”And after Hanzhong?” he asked, voice low but pointed. ”We must think three steps ahead.”

A rare silence followed, as the gathered minds weighed possibilities. It was Tian Feng who stepped forward next, his eyes gleaming beneath his scholarly brow.

”My lord,” he said carefully, ”the time is ripe to subjugate Liu Zhang and take direct control over Yi Province. We cannot allow it to remain a buffer of power between Lie Fan and ourselves. If we move decisively, we can envelop it before he has time to respond.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Yi Province, with its mountainous terrain and agricultural wealth, was too valuable to ignore. And with Hanzhong as a staging ground, the invasion would be much easier.

But it was Xi Zhicai who saw further.

”That alone is not enough,” he said, drawing the attention of all. ”Even with Yi Province under our banner, Lie Fan and Sun Ce together command immense strength. Yi Province is rich, yes, but it is not enough. Lie Fan controls the north, the east, and south, in form of You, Ji, Xu, Yan, Qing, Yu, Jing, and Jaiozhi Provinces. Sun Ce dominates Yang Province, the waterways of Jiangdong. They will not be defeated quickly. If we are to match them, we must expand our reach, westward.”

He stepped toward the map spread across the central table, fingers hovering over the western frontier.

”We should send an expedition to take control of the Gansu Corridor and the Qinghai Plateau.”

Guo Jia’s brow lifted. ”Ambitious. That land is harsh and thinly populated.”

”True,” Xi Zhicai replied, ”but rich in resources and strategically vital. Whoever controls the corridor, controls the western trade routes to the Western Regions and beyond. Silk, horses, salt, and any valuables from outside of our land all flow through there. And the grazing lands will allow us to support cavalry expansion.”

Jia Kui leaned forward. ”You mean to starve them of trade and mobility.”

Xi Zhicai nodded. ”Exactly. With Hanzhong, Yi Province, the Gansu Corridor, and Qinghai Plateau, we could isolate Lie Fan from external trade. Even if his alliance with Sun Ce remains, he will be fighting with dwindling resources.”

Tian Feng considered it. ”It would also allow us to pressure the nomadic tribes in there. Bring them into vassalage, or break their unity and defeat them in one fell swoop.”

Cao Cao sat back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he processed the proposal.

”It’s bold,” he murmured. ”But it’s the type of campaign that defines legacies. We will move on Zhang Lu at once. Draft letters of allegiance. Prepare scouts to chart the roads into Yi Province and the corridor westward.”

He looked across the room, his voice now laced with iron.

”If we are to win this war of shadows and alliances, we must move like the wind, swift, silent, and unstoppable.”

And so the meeting concluded, with a renewed sense of purpose radiating through the chamber.

While Cao Cao plotted in Luoyang, Lie Fan stood atop the walls of his palace, gazing westward. The wind tugged at his robes, carrying with it the faint scent of salt from the distant sea.

He knew Cao Cao would not remain idle. The man was too shrewd, too ambitious. The question was not if he would make a move, but when and how will he make that move.

And Lie Fan intended to be ready for everything Cao Cao planned.

”My lord.”

He turned to find Jia Xu approaching, a scroll in hand.

”There’s news, Wenhe?” Lie Fan asked.

Jia Xu nodded. ”From our agents in Luoyang, My Lord. Cao Cao plans to secure Hanzhong through diplomacy, then Yi Province through force.”

Lie Fan’s eyes narrowed. ”And after?”

”He planned to take over the Gansu Corridor and the Qinghai Plateau.”

A pause. Then Lie Fan chuckled. ”Ambitious.”

”Dangerously so,” Jia Xu agreed.

Lie Fan looked back toward the horizon, his mind already racing. ”Then we must ensure he never reaches that point.”

”How, My Lord?”

”By giving him another problem to focus on.” Lie Fan’s smile was razor thin. ”Summon Xu Kai. It’s time the Oriole Agents in Luoyang to handle some big work.”

Hearing that, Jia Xu’s eyebrows rose slightly, a flicker of surprise breaking through his usual calm. But then, just as quickly, a slow, knowing smile curved across his lips, the kind of smile that spoke of hidden knives and deeper plays yet to unfold.

”As you wish, my lord,” Jia Xu said smoothly, voice low and gleaming with amusement. He bowed, then turned on his heel, his steps quick and deliberate as he disappeared down the stairs, leaving Lie Fan alone atop the palace wall.

The wind rustled louder now, playing with the edges of Lie Fan’s robes like ghost fingers. He didn’t move, still facing west, his gaze distant but sharp, as if he could already see the roads to Hanzhong, the jagged peaks of the Qinghai Plateau, and the sun baked Gansu Corridor rising in the distance.

The ambitions of men like Cao Cao cast long shadows, but Lie Fan had long since learned that light also revealed the means to break them.

Several minutes passed before Jia Xu returned, this time with deliberate purpose. Flanking him were several shadowy figures cloaked in muted tones, their presence unassuming yet unmistakably dangerous. At their center walked Xu Kai, commander of the Oriole Agents, the unseen blade in Lie Fan’s arsenal.

______________________________

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