Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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”General Huangfu Song is a man of virtue and glory. In the days of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he did not seek power for himself but wielded it to restore peace. He has no hunger for personal gain, and his decades of service have shaped a man unshaken by ambition. He commands with calm and without cruelty.”

Heads nodded slowly. The older ministers especially murmured agreement, for they remembered those days.

”He is revered by veterans. Trusted by his subordinates. And his military knowledge is not outdated, but time tested.”

Lie Fan then turned his gaze slightly, eyes settling on Zhang Liao.

”General Zhang Liao complements him not with age or fame, but with precision. With clarity. In the battles we have fought together, his spear has never shaken, and neither has his judgment. He is iron forged in fire, but not brittle. He understands hierarchy, yet leads by example.”

Zhang Liao bowed low, expression stoic, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of solemn gratitude.

”More importantly,” Lie Fan continued, ”General Zhang Liao brings balance to General Huangfu Song. Where one is a lion of virtue, the other is a hawk of discipline. Where one commands loyalty by legacy, the other inspires by action. The former is old and experienced, the latter is young and tempered to learn.”

But there was one more reason, one Lie Fan did not voice aloud and only he knew. He knew from history neither man hungered for power.

Huangfu Song had never sought to rule. Zhang Liao had never coveted a throne. They were warriors, pure and simple. And that was why they could be trusted.

Then, his voice lowered.

”And both, We trust, not only with our armies, but with the future of this empire.”

There it was again. That quiet ripple. Respect.

Huangfu Song stepped forward slowly. His face, weathered and composed, bore the weight of many battles and a lifetime of duty. He bowed deeply.

”Your Majesty,” he said, voice firm with the grace of age, ”I have fought for this land since Your Majesty’s father’s youth. I will serve not to prolong my legacy, but to secure yours.”

Zhang Liao spoke next. ”I have stood in fire, and I shall do so again, if it means peace for the people and strength for the realm. I thank Your Majesty for the trust.”

Lie Fan rose from the Dragon Throne, an act that carried weight in itself.

”Let it be known,” he said with authority that carried beyond the walls, ”that the Imperial Army now answers to Great General Huangfu Song and Deputy Great General Zhang Liao. Let every banner know their names. Let every soldier stand straight beneath their shadow.”

A unified voice followed as the court bowed.

”By Your Majesty’s Mandate, it shall be so.”

With that, the weighty military appointments settled over the court. Next, to end the first Imperial Court Session, Lie Fan announced that he would like to close it by bestowing honorary titles on Master Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, Zhuge Xuan, Sima Hui, Pang Degong, and Huang Chengyan, the Six Masters of Xiapi Academy.

A wave of hushed voices rang out once again in the Grand Hall.

The hall had seen many surprises that day, appointments of immense consequence, declarations of new policies in some of the ministries, and the quiet thunder of change rolling across every courtier’s mind. Yet this final moment felt different. It wasn’t political. It wasn’t military. It was cultural. Spiritual, even.

The six men whose names were called, other than Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, and Zhuge Xuan. Sima Hui, Pang Degong, and Huang Chengyan, were not generals nor ministers of state. They were scholars, recluses, and teachers of the mind and soul.

Their robes bore no medals, their belts no blades. Yet their presence commanded the same respect as a general’s armor or an official’s jade tablet.

”Master Lu Zhi, Master Cai Yong, Master Zhuge Xuan, Master Sima Hui, Master Pang Degong, and Master Huang Chengyan,” Lie Fan called, his voice carrying a warmth that had been absent during the military discussions. ”Step forward.”

When Lie Fan’s voice echoed through the grand chamber, naming them one by one, each of the six scholars stood stunned for a moment. Their eyes searched for confirmation in one another, in the faces of the surrounding officials, and ultimately in the eyes of the Emperor himself.

Lu Zhi, ever the picture of Confucian dignity, stepped forward first with a modest bow. Cai Yong followed, his aged frame still upright and proud. Zhuge Xuan, calm and measured, had the look of a man accustomed to being underestimated, until he spoke.

Sima Hui, the reclusive master known more to legends than records, stepped lightly as though unsure if this was reality. Pang Degong, with his serene gaze and quiet heart, gave a brief but humble nod. And Huang Chengyan, eccentric and sharp, looked slightly baffled, as if he hadn’t quite heard correctly but followed along anyway.

Together they broke from the formation of civil officials, robes trailing behind them, and stepped forward to the base of the Dragon Throne. In unison, their voices, some weathered with age, some deep with wisdom, answered, ”Your Majesty.”

Lie Fan gazed down from his throne, a subtle smile curving the corners of his mouth.

”The Xiapi Academy has been the cradle of this dynasty’s greatest minds,” he began. ”From its halls have emerged strategists, poets, and administrators who now serve this court. Today, We renamed it the Imperial Academy of the Hengyuan Dynasty.”

”So in recognition of your achievements in literature and education that helped made the Imperial Academy reach its height now,” he continued, his voice steady and reverent, ”and in honor of the role you have each played as exemplars of moral integrity, We bestow upon the six of you a new title, one that shall remain unbound by politics or bloodline.”

The room stilled once more. The air itself seemed to lean in.

”From this day forth,” Lie Fan continued, ”the six of you shall be known as State Teachers of the Empire. And in collective memory, the six of you shall be remembered as the first Six Pillars of Education.”

Gasps fluttered through the chamber. Some covered their mouths. Others raised brows in astonishment. There had never been such a title before.

”Let it be clear,” Lie Fan said, rising to his feet, ”this title bears no political weight, nor shall it pass to your descendants. It is a crown of honor, not authority. A symbol of the empire’s eternal gratitude for your unyielding commitment to the enrichment of minds and souls.”

He gestured outward toward the entire court.

”These six men have cultivated not just students, but generations. Their writings are etched into the minds of our brightest youth. Their philosophies light the path forward, while their ethics anchor us in the past. They are the foundation of our intellectual heritage. They are the living memory of our ideals.”

He paused, allowing the words to resonate.

”They shall not be remembered for conquest, nor for rank, but for the endurance of their wisdom.”

Now enlightened, murmurs of awe and agreement rose through the court. Even hardened ministers, men of war and politics, bowed their heads in respect. This was more than a formality. It was the sanctification of scholarship.

The six men bowed again. But this time, their expressions were softer, more deeply moved.

Lu Zhi was the first to speak.

”Your Majesty’s words... honor us more than we deserve. We are but teachers in the end. Yet if we may serve the realm through the pen and the lecture hall, then let that service never falter.”

Cai Yong, voice gravelly but eloquent, added, ”I shall continue to write not for posterity, but for posterity’s enlightenment and Your Majesty’s trust.”

Zhuge Xuan simply said, ”To teach is to plant a seed. If Your Majesty deems our gardens worthy, we shall plant many more.”

Sima Hui gave a rare smile. ”Even recluses must come down from the mountain, it seems, when the world seeks harmony through reason and looks like the reason centered around Your Majesty.”

Pang Degong gave a short but meaningful nod. ”Let this not be a reward, but a reminder of the path we still walk and bore fruit to for generations to come as Your Majesty’s will.”

And Huang Chengyan, ever colorful, chuckled and said, ”If I must wear a title, let it at least be one my students cannot use against me in jest. I thanked Your Majesty.”

Laughter swept gently through the court. Even Lie Fan allowed himself a rare, genuine laugh.

”Then let it be written,” he declared, ”that the Imperial Academy of Hengyuan, once Xiapi Academy, shall house these six as its soul. May all who study there understand the weight of this lineage.”

He raised his hand.

”And may you, Six Pillars of Education, find rest in your work, and joy in your teachings. We shall not only remember your names, we shall remember the minds you shaped.”

The six bowed one final time.

”By Your Majesty’s Mandate,” they said as one, ”we accept.”

And with that, Lie Fan allowed a moment of silence to settle.

Then he spoke the final words of the session.

”Let the record show,” he said, voice clear, ”that today, with the appointments of loyal ministers, the naming of great generals, and the honoring of learned sages, the foundation of the Hengyuan Dynasty has been laid, not with fear, but with trust. Not with force, but with harmony. Let this be the first Chapter of our reign. And may history remember it kindly.”

The court fell into deep bows, and a unified voice rose.

”Long live the Emperor! May the Hengyuan Dynasty endure through the ages!”

Thus ended the first Imperial Court Session.

Meanwhile, in the western heartland of the realm, the ancient capital of Luoyang stood in quiet defiance of time. Though its streets still bustled with merchants and its towers pierced the skies with imperial grace, something in the air felt different, like the last breath of a fading age.

Inside the guarded walls of Cao Cao’s residence inside his private study in Luoyang. The scent of ink and old parchment lingered in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of tea gone cold. Outside, the bright sun looked still, Cao Clan’s guards silent sentinels in the corridors.

But within these walls, a storm brewed.

Cao Cao sat behind his desk, fingers steepled, his sharp eyes fixed on the man standing before him, Xun Yu, his most trusted advisor, the architect of his domestic policies, the voice of reason in his court.

And now, the sole obstacle to his ambition. ”Wenruo,” Cao Cao began, his voice deceptively calm, ”we have walked this path together for many years. Through victories and defeats. Through blood and ink. Tell me, why do you hesitate now?”

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty

Age: 34 (201 AD)

Level: 16

Next Level: 462,000

Renown: 2325

Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)

SP: 1,121,700

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR: 966 (+20)

VIT: 623 (+20)

AGI: 623 (+10)

INT: 667

CHR: 98

WIS: 549

WILL: 432

ATR Points: 0