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

___________________________

The people cheered, a sea of raised fists and cries of long life. Firecrackers exploded in the background, gongs and drums accompanying the pageantry. But beneath the spectacle, many within the political elite exchanged furtive glances. Not because of the proclamation, but because of the timing.

Cao Cao’s declaration came in the shadow of Chengdu’s surprise. Though Luoyang had been dressed in splendor, everyone knew the moment belonged not solely to the birth of Wei, but also to the rebirth of the Han, in the distant west.

Still, the machinery of a new dynasty needed to move. At the first Imperial Court session of the Wei Dynasty, Cao Cao made swift appointments.

Xun Yu, re energized in his fait and loyalty becoming the moderate voice in Cao Cao’s camp once more, was named Chancellor of the Wei Dynasty, entrusted with the internal machinery and governance of the realm. He received the appointment with a solemn nod, though his eyes betrayed concern.

Guo Jia, brilliant and unpredictable, was raised to Grand Commandant, giving him enormous military influence second only to the emperor. His loyalty to Cao Cao was unquestioned, but his lifestyle even though much less of alcohol had become a whispered concern among the courtiers.

Cheng Yu, shrewd and ruthless, was named Grand Secretary, tasked with managing court affairs and imperial correspondence. A man with few equals in bureaucracy.

For the military, Cao Cao named his cousin Cao Ren as Grand Marshal, placing him at the head of all imperial forces, with Yu Jin as his Deputy Grand Marshal. These were warriors of proven mettle, veterans of countless campaigns.

As for the Nine Ministers, Cao Cao declared he would announce them at a later date. He cited the need for consultation with his advisors, but many suspected the delay was intentional, to maneuver loyalties behind the scenes.

Finally, the most important of all appointments was announced which is that Cao Ang, his eldest son, was named Crown Prince of the Wei Dynasty.

The proclamation was met with silence for a breath, then applause. It was expected. Cao Ang was the eldest, and he had long displayed competence and courage, earning the respect of generals and ministers alike. Yet, in the quiet corners of the palace, another name was whispered and that is Cao Pi.

Cao Pi, the second son, was intelligent, eloquent, and equally ambitious. Though he publicly celebrated his brother’s appointment, there were already murmurs of a future rivalry. Some in court preferred Cao Pi’s refined temperament, his connections to scholars, and his diplomatic tact. Others remained loyal to Cao Ang, a soldier first, but dependable.

Cao Cao, ever the master of statecraft, was aware of the potential division. But for now, he permitted it. A healthy rivalry might sharpen both heirs, or so he hoped. Yet, he also knew that the seeds of ambition once planted did not always grow toward harmony.

He stood atop the stone balcony of his palace that evening, robes fluttering in the cool breeze. Xun Yu joined him silently.

”You disapprove, Wenrou?” Cao Cao asked, eyes fixed on the glowing lanterns of Luoyang.

”I worry, Your Majesty, that the timing of the crown prince’s appointment, so soon after Liu Xie’s reassuming his title as Emperor... might encourage division.”

Cao Cao smiled thinly. ”Division is inevitable. But better to direct it than suppress it. If my sons wish to prove their worth, let them do so with loyalty and service. I will not name an heir who wins through whispers.”

Xun Yu nodded, though his thoughts remained guarded.

Back in Xiapi, Lie Fan received reports of Cao Cao’s coronation and appointments without concern. In fact, he welcomed them. His plan had worked. The illusion of Liu Zhang’s initiative, the careful placement of blame, the elevation of Liu Xie, each move had drawn Cao Cao into a commitment he could no longer walk away from.

The Emperor of Wei had declared himself.

And soon, the world would see what fate awaited those who chased Heaven’s Mandate too greedily.

Lie Fan stood before a map, fingers tracing the regions soon to come under his sway. Jia Xu re entered, nodding once.

”The letters have been sent Your Majesty,” he said. ”Gongsun Gong and Li Wei will receive them within the week. The stage is set as you envisioned, Your Majesty.”

Lie Fan turned from the map, the firelight dancing across his eyes. ”Then let the north burn bright, and the south prepare for the barbarians slowly. The Dragon of Hengyuan shall take flight first north and then south.”

And so the Three Thrones moved, one by one, their ambitions colliding on a stage carved by blood, loyalty, and treachery. The next act of the grand play was about to begin and entering the era which the future historian called The Three Dynasties.

On the other hand, in Chengdu, within the quiet serenity of the Governor’s Castle, now repurposed as the imperial seat, Liu Xie or now resumed the title Emperor Xian, and Liu Zhang sat facing one another on either side of a low tea table.

The warm aroma of jasmine tea hung faintly in the air. Though the furnishings remained modest, the presence of the Son of Heaven elevated the space into a palace by dignity alone.

At Emperor Xian’s own behest, no palace would be built, and that the resources, he insisted, were to be devoted toward the inevitable war.

They sat in companionable silence until the hush was broken by the soft footfalls of a messenger, breathless and flushed, a sealed scroll trembling in his grasp. He knelt.

”Your Majesties,” he said with a bow, presenting the scroll with reverence. ”News from Luoyang. Cao Cao has proclaimed himself Emperor Wu. The Wei Dynasty... has been declared and formally established.”

Emperor Xian took the scroll but did not unroll it immediately. He looked across the table at Liu Zhang, whose face had gone pale with fury.

Liu Zhang shot to his feet, as his cup shattered against the floor, and the hem of his robes rustling across the stone floor. ”Shameless! That thieving dog! That usurping butcher! May Heaven strike him down! May his tongue rot in his skull for daring to claim the Heaven’s Mandate! After everything, after forcing Your Majesty’s abdication, after slaughtering our kin!”

The sudden outburst startled even the guards outside the chamber, though the servants simply exchanged glances. Liu Zhang’s passion had become a familiar thing lately, fiery where once he had been timid, transformed into a different man.

But always, only when the name ’Cao Cao’ was concerned or mentioned. His usual indecision melted away when it came to his hatred for the warlord turned emperor.

Emperor Xian,

Still seated, Emperor Xian, though equally disturbed, remained composed, even though he let out a soft sigh, and gestured gently. ”Cousin, be calm, anger will not unmake what Cao Cao has done,” he said softly. ”This is no more than what we expected. The man has long shed all pretenses. Still, he is not to be underestimated. Shameless he may be... but dangerous all the same.”

Liu Zhang’s chest heaved as he paced. ”He dared, no, he dared, to proclaim a new dynasty only after we had reclaimed the Han. He would not have done so if I had not brought you here! If we had not exposed his villainy!”

There was pride in his tone, but beneath it, something fragile lingered, uncertainty.

”Perhaps so,” Emperor Xian said gently. ”But perhaps this is what he wanted. With my presence here, with your banners raised under the name of Han, Cao Cao must answer. He cannot ignore us. He must now crush us or risk being seen as the last to claim Heaven’s Mandate.”

He paused, then added quietly, ”And that’s why we should be grateful on Lie Fan of should we say Emperor Hongyi.”

The question hung heavy in the air. At its mention, Liu Zhangpaused mid-step, turning toward the seated emperor as he visibly shuddered, his renewed boldness receding like the tide. He slowly sat back down, his expression clouded with unease, as the old Liu Zhang, the hesitant, uncertain ruler, resurfaced.

”We might survive Cao Cao. We might even defeat him, by Heaven’s will. But Lie Fan... I do not believe we can withstand him. Even if we were to seize all of Cao Cao’s lands, we would still be no match against him.”

Emperor Xian, for a moment, said nothing. He stared into his teacup as though it held an answer to all things. Then he offered a sad, knowing smile.

”I have thought the same as you cousin,” he admitted. ”Even when I was still on the throne, in Luoyang, a puppet behind silk curtains, I heard the whispers. That Lie Fan was not like the other warlords. That even Cao Cao, for all his ambition, spoke of him with restraint. Every move Cao Cao made in the east was measured, cautious. That’s all because he knows, as we also know, that Lie Fan is the biggest adversary for everyone in the board.”

Liu Zhang nodded slowly. ”He rose too quickly. From a prefect’s son to the youngest general of the Imperial Army, then Inspector of Xu, then Governor of Xu, and now Emperor of a third dynasty. It all happened so fast, and with so little resistance.”

Hearing that, Emperor Xian nodded his head as he had heard the stories. Whispers of the man who had risen from a mere prefect’s son to one of the most powerful warlords in the land, all before the age of thirty. A man who had earned his father’s favor, who had outmaneuvered rivals far older and more experienced.

”Because he is no ordinary man,” Emperor Xian murmured. ”Dong Cheng, my deceased father in law, once told me of him. Said he was favored by my father, Emperor Ling, more than anyone after his sudden appence due to the Yellow Turbans. Trusted him in ways no other general was.”

Liu Zhang swallowed hard, the tea before him forgotten.

”So then... what are we to do?” he asked quietly.

Emperor Xian met his cousin’s gaze with calm resolve. ”We do what we must. We rally the hearts of the people under the banner of Han. We show them that we are not ambitious men clawing for power, but stewards of a legacy betrayed by traitors. We stand for legitimacy... while Lie Fan and Cao Cao seek dominion.”

Liu Zhang looked unconvinced. ”And if Lie Fan comes south after Cao Cao is finished? If he turns his eyes to us next?”

Emperor Xian closed his eyes, letting the silence answer. Eventually, he opened them again and offered the only truth he could thought of. ”Then we pray to Heaven that when that day comes... he remembers the blood that flows in my and your veins cousin. And the debt he owes to the Han Dynasty who had fostered and gave him the platform to shine.”

______________________________

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