Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Xun Yu bowed deeply, trembling only slightly. ”My loyalty to you is unshaken, my lord. But my heart still beats for the Han. It is not the dynasty of today that I serve, it is the ideal. The line of sages and emperors, of culture and order. Even if the Han flickers, it is a light worth sheltering. To discard it is to sever ourselves from that history.”

”But the people do not see the Han anymore, Master Xun Yu,” Guo Jia replied quietly. ”They see their empty bellies. Their corrupt magistrates. Their war torn villages. Their suffering. Lie Fan gave them food, protection, and justice. And now, a new name. That is what they follow. And we... we remain clinging to something that have been forsaken by the people .”

Jia Kui added, ”If we do nothing, the world will gather beneath his banner and its to late for our lord to make any move.”

Cheng Yu nodded grimly. ”We must become more than regents in all but name. If we hesitate now, the chance will never come again and Lie Fan would be the only winner.”

Cao Cao listened, absorbing each word. His eyes moved from one face to another, then back to the scroll lying torn on the floor, the one bearing Lie Fan’s declaration.

The conflict in his eyes was raw, human, not the calculating warlord, but the man who had once truly believed in restoring the Han.

”He has made his move,” Cao Cao said slowly, eyes narrowing. ”Let the game continue. But if I am to call myself Emperor, it must not be in desperation. It must be righteous. Strategic. I will not mimic him. I will surpass him.”

And so, in the halls of Luoyang, as dusk fell and lanterns began to glow, a different kind of plan was born. A war not just of blades, but of symbols, of hearts and minds. One dynasty had just begun. Another, perhaps, was now preparing to rise to follow suit.

Meanwhile, in the verdant basin of Yi Province, nestled within the city of Chengdu, the atmosphere was far from celebratory.

The courtiers were restless, their silks rustling with every whispered exchange and hurried step across the jade tiled floors of Liu Zhang’s inner hall.

A servant had just delivered news, news that struck like thunder through the tranquil air of this southern stronghold, Lie Fan had declared himself Emperor, bearing not only the weight of ambition but also the long-lost Imperial Seal.

Liu Zhang, ruler of Yi Province, paled visibly upon hearing the tidings. In his private chamber, surrounded by scrolls of poetry and wine goblets still half full from a lazy afternoon, ”E-Emperor?!” he stammered, his round face was pale. ”But, but the Han! The Han still—!”

In his sunrise and panic, he summoned his most trusted advisors, Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da.

”Lie Fan... an Emperor?” Liu Zhang mumbled, sweat glistening on his brow. ”And with the Imperial Seal in hand? Is it true? Could it be?” His voice quivered, a thread pulled taut between fear and indecision.

The three men exchanged knowing looks. It was not the first time they had seen their lord falter, but today, it seemed, the stakes had risen far beyond Liu Zhang’s temperament.

”My lord,” Fa Zheng said, bowing respectfully, though his voice carried an edge of thinly veiled exasperation. ”The news comes from multiple sources. It is no rumor. Emperor Hongyi, as he now styles himself, has indeed taken the Mandate of Heaven into his hands.”

Zhang Song followed, arms crossed, his usual sardonic smirk absent. ”And he holds the long lost Imperial Seal. That, more than any declaration, cements his claim.”

Meng Da, more reserved, simply nodded. ”All signs point to legitimacy, my lord. His control spans the Central Plains and to the north, as it also stretches to the sea in the east. The people call his name in reverence.”

Liu Zhang sank further into his seat, wringing his hands. ”Then... should I... should I condemn him? Publicly? Label him a traitor to the Han?” His voice trembled with the weight of the decision. ”I am still of the Han line. That Seal belongs to the true Son of Heaven. Surely, I must speak out, mustn’t I? But... if I do, what of the consequences?”

Again, the trio glanced at each other, each of them resisting the urge to sigh openly. This was not a conversation held once, but many times in different forms. Liu Zhang’s infamous indecisiveness had become a burden on their shoulders.

”My lord,” Fa Zheng began carefully, choosing his words like a craftsman selects the finest brush, ”if you publicly denounce Lie Fan, you may place Yi Province in grave danger.”

”You mean... he’ll attack?” Liu Zhang blinked.

”Not immediately, perhaps,” Meng Da said quietly. ”But it is a possibility we cannot ignore. And consider this also, Cao Cao’s forces stir in the north. If we are forced to defend two fronts, the fate of Yi Province will be sealed.”

”But I cannot simply... do nothing,” Liu Zhang whispered. ”That would be cowardice.”

Zhang Song’s mouth curled in disdain. ”Doing nothing is sometimes the wisest path, my lord. Especially when the ground beneath us quakes from the steps of giants. Let us weather this storm with caution.”

Eventually, after much wringing of hands and further questions to which he already feared the answers, Liu Zhang waved them off. ”You decide. I entrust the matter to you three. I... I need to rest.”

As the doors closed behind them, Fa Zheng muttered under his breath, ”The sooner Lord Lie Fan takes this land, the better.”

”A puppet bound by fear,” Zhang Song said grimly. ”He should’ve stayed a scholar, not a ruler.”

”Let us prepare the province quietly,” Meng Da added. ”For transition.”

Far to the southeast, where the rivers of Jiangdong meandered with elegance and authority, the Sun Clan convened in their grand ancestral hall.

Though they had already been privately informed of Lie Fan’s impending declaration, the reality of it struck like a final drumbeat. He had done it, Lie Fan had declared himself Emperor, and more, held the Imperial Seal.

When the messenger finished reading Lie Fan’s proclamation, silence fell, but only for a heartbeat. Then, Zhou Yu laughed.

”Well played, Brother Lie Fan. Well played indeed.”

Sun Ce, lounging on his seat with a tiger’s lazy grace, grinned. ”Took him long enough. Now we can finally openly become Brother Lie Fan’s vassal.”

His brother, Sun Quan, frowned. ”This changes things. If we acknowledge him as emperor, we acknowledge his supremacy over us. Do we truly want this brother?”

”And if we don’t,” Sun Jian pointed out for his youngest son, ”we make an enemy of the man who controls the entirety of the north and the Central Plains, holds the Imperial Seal, and has the loyalty of the people.”

Sun Ce waved a hand. *”Enough debate, brother. We pledged ourselves to him long time ago. This just makes it official.” He stood, stretching. ”Draft the declaration. We congratulate Emperor Hongyi on his ascension and reaffirm our loyalty. And—” His grin turned sharp. ”We’ll pay him a visit. In person.”

Zhou Yu’s eyes gleamed. ”A show of fealty and a chance to gauge his court’s strength. Clever idea Bofu.”

Meanwhile in Sheng Xian’s capital, he received the news and also surmise by how sudden it was, even though he was already informed of this before.

”He moves like thunderclouds, swift and righteous,” Sheng Xian murmured. ”Lord Lie Fan, no, Emperor Hongyi now. He was always a decisive man.”

Sheng Xian then looked to his advisors. ”Prepare our response. Make it a proud public pledge of allegiance. And also say that I will come to Xiapi personally to pledge my allegiance to his majesty.”

So with that, in the same day, missives flew like arrows across the land from the land of Jiangdong. The Sun Clan and Sheng Xian, jointly and unequivocally, declared their allegiance to Lie Fan, now Emperor Hongyi.

They called him a righteous sovereign, a restorer of order and bringer of peace. They pledged themselves as vassals and retainers, and stated their intent to journey to Xiapi to offer formal fealty.

And in Xiapi, where celebration lit the skies like stars descending to earth, Lie Fan sat enthroned amidst golden banners and silk draped columns. The grand hall rang with music, laughter, and the scent of wine, roasted meats, and fresh plum blossom incense.

Then came the sound he had almost forgotten, the sharp, singular ping of his system.

[DING!]

A translucent interface shimmered into view before his eyes, visible only to him.

Title Gained: Founding Emperor of the Hengyuan Dynasty

Reason: The Host have successfully declared himself as Emperor and start his reign, hold the Imperial Seal, and control more than half of China.

+15 STR +10 AGI +25 VIT +50 INT

+30 WIS +25 WILL +2 CHR +1000 Renown

He blinked once. Then again.

The room around him fell into a soft blur, the sounds dampened by the rush of revelation within. The title from the very system he had relied upon since the beginning had acknowledged what the world now saw. He was Emperor. Not just in name, but in truth. The system did not lie.

But a question nagged at him. More than half of China? That wasn’t quite right, Sun Ce and Sheng Xian had not yet formally and publically submitted even though it should be any moment now. Had the system erred?

Just then, his page, who was an Oriole Agent approached, bowing low beside the throne. He leaned in and whispered, ”Your Majesty, urgent news, public declarations from the Sun Clan and Sheng Xian. They pledge allegiance and will journey here to affirm it in person.”

Lie Fan let out a breath that turned into a soft laugh. Of course. The system knew before he did.

He waved his hand gently, dismissing the page, and turned his eyes back to the banquet hall. The festivities were in full swing, his generals boasting of future campaigns, his advisors and officials laughing with goblets raised, musicians playing spirited tunes. It was a celebration of a new era.

And yet, beneath it all, he felt the gravity of what lay ahead. His smile softened into something quieter. Not joy, but resolve.

Tomorrow, he would not be merely a man with a dream. Tomorrow, he would start his journey as the Emperor of Hengyuan, a beacon to the people and a target to his enemies. The responsibilities would be greater, the stakes higher, and the challenges unlike anything he had faced before. But he would meet them all. For he was Lie Fan no longer. He was Emperor Hongyi. And the world would never be the same again.

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains -> Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty

Age: 34 (201 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 1325 -> 2325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 951 -> 966 (+20)

VIT: 613 -> 623 (+20)

AGI: 598 -> 623 (+10)

INT: 617 -> 667

CHR: 96 -> 98

WIS: 519 -> 549

WILL: 407 -> 432

ATR Points: 0