Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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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.”

The chamber fell quiet, save for the soft chirping of birds outside. And far beyond the walls of Chengdu, in the courts and capitals of three rising dynasties, the world watched with bated breath.

Unbeknownst to the two imperial cousins, their ”loyal” advisors, Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da, were already several steps ahead.

In a secluded chamber beneath the palace, the three men pored over maps and missives, their voices low.

”Cao Cao’s coronation changes nothing,” Fa Zheng said, tracing a finger along the border between Yi Province and Cao Cao’s territories. ”If anything, it plays into His Majesty’s hands. The more legitimacy Cao Cao claims, the more he must crush Liu Zhang to secure it.”

Zhang Song smirked. ”And the more forces he diverts south, the fewer he can spare to watch His Majesty’s movements.”

Meng Da, ever the pragmatist, folded his arms. ”But we can’t afford to let Cao Cao win too quickly. If Chengdu falls before His Majesty is ready, this entire gambit fails.”

”Which is why,” Fa Zheng said, ”we must make Yi Province a thorn Cao Cao cannot easily remove.”

He unrolled another scroll, revealing a detailed plan of defense.

*Jianmen Pass must hold. At all costs. If we can bottleneck Cao Cao’s forces there, we buy time, for ourselves, and for His Majesty.”

Zhang Song nodded. ”And if we’re clever, we might even turn this into a war of attrition. Cao Cao cannot afford to waste men and resources here indefinitely. Not with Lie Fan breathing down his neck.”

Meng Da’s lips curled. ”Then let us make sure Cao Cao bleeds for every inch of Yi Province.”

The three men exchanged grim smiles. They were, after all, not truly serving Liu Zhang or the ”restored” Han.

They were Lie Fan’s instruments inside Yi Province.

And their mission was clear. Keep Cao Cao distracted. Keep him bleeding. And when the time comes... deliver Yi Province to the true victor and ruler of the land.

Meanwhile, the letters that Jia Xu sent to Gongsun Gong at Xiangping and Li Wei at Gungnae respectively through the Oriole Agents network had finally reached their hands.

When Gongsun Gong received the letter, he opened it with a solemn face. His eyes skimmed over the page with growing tension. When he reached the end, he set it down upon his desk and inhaled deeply.

He stood and called for his second in command.

”Ready the troops. We march for Gungnae within three days. Once there, we will join with Li Wei’s forces to begin our strike on Baekje and Silla.”

His second in command cupped his fists and bowed. ”Understood, my lord.”

The moment the man exited the study, Gongsun Gong stood by the window for a brief moment, the cold wind of Xiangping brushing across his face. Then, with determination, he left his office and returned to his residence to inform his family of his departure.

Though he did not speak it aloud, Gongsun Gong knew this campaign would be pivotal. Either they would crush Baekje and Silla as a united front of Goguryeo and Xiangping, or they would bleed trying. Either way, it would keep their enemies in the east distracted from Lie Fan’s larger ambitions.

His wife, Lady Gongsun, was brushing their daughter’s hair when he entered into his residence. The little girl, no more than six years old, immediately leapt up and ran to him, her tiny hands clutching at his robes.

”Father! Are you going away again?”

Gongsun Gong knelt, cupping her face. ”For a little while, my pearl.”

Lady Gongsun’s expression was serene, but her grip on the hairbrush tightened. ”The campaign against Baekje and Silla?”

”Yes.”

She didn’t ask how long. She never did. A soldier’s wife learned early not to dwell on such things.

Instead, she simply nodded and said, ”Then we’ll prepare your armor.”

Their daughter, oblivious to the gravity of the moment, tugged at his sleeve. ”Will you bring me back a present?”

Gongsun Gong chuckled. ”What would you like? A jewel from Baekje? A silk from Silla?”

”A pony!” she declared. ”A white one!”

”Then a white pony it shall be,” he promised, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

But as he stood, his eyes met his wife’s, and in that silent exchange, they both knew the truth, which is that war was never kind. And promises were fragile things.

Meanwhile, in Gungnae, Li Wei was in a private audience with King Jungcheon, the puppet monarch he had installed after disposing of the troublesome King Sansang. The so called king sat stiffly on his throne, nodding meekly at every suggestion Li Wei offered.

The throne room was opulent, all gilded pillars and silk tapestries, but the air reeked of fear. King Jungcheon sat stiffly on the throne, his fingers digging into the armrests as Li Wei paced before him, dictating yet another ”suggestion” for governance.

”I believe the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau should be granted greater oversight and authority over regional military appointments,” Li Wei said coolly, tone leaving no room for argument. ”All military appointments, all tax collections, they go through us first.”

”Y-Yes, of course, of course, Lord Li Wei. Whatever you think best.” King Jungcheon mumbled. His fingers trembled on the armrest. Though the crown sat on his head, everyone in the court knew where the true power lay.

Li Wei barely suppressed a smirk. ”Good. The worm knows his place.”

Before the king could mumble another platitude, a courier entered the hall with a bow, offering a sealed message.

Li Wei took it, dismissing the man with a wave. He broke the seal, his eyes scanning the contents quickly. Then, without ceremony, he turned back to the king.

”This audience is over.”

King Jungcheon blinked. ”But we haven’t finished—”

”I said it’s over.”

The king flinched, then nodded hastily, scrambling to his feet and retreating through a side door, his attendants scurrying after him.

Once King Sansang left, Li Wei also did the same, where he stepped into a secluded corridor and reading the contents in silence.

His expression shifted slightly, calculated satisfaction.

He turned immediately and summoned his most trusted retainers within the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau. Once they assembled, he laid the letter on the table.

”His Majesty’s plan proceeds. Gongsun Gong is marching to Gungnae. The campaign against Baekje and Silla begins. Mobilize the Goguryeo army. Full readiness. Once he arrives, we will launch our coordinated attack against Baekje and Silla. So, we must ensure Goguryeo’s forces are fully prepared.”

The retainers nodded in unison.

”We will use our influence to push the military council to comply. King Jungcheon will give the orders publicly, but our Bureau will ensure the actual compliance.”

”Good,” Li Wei replied. ”Also, the first shipments of supplies and war equipment from His Majesty will soon arrive at the western port. Assemble an escort of elite guards to meet them. Nothing must go wrong.”

”As you command.”

In truth, Li Wei had informed many of them about the full scope of the operation. These were not mere bureaucrats, they were Lie Fan’s shadow, molded by a long time of loyalty and coordination.

Soon, Baekje and Silla would feel the weight of Hengyuan’s ambition, even if they did not yet know the name behind the blade.

And so the gears turned, quietly and relentlessly.

From Xiangping to Gungnae, preparations advanced under banners hidden from sight.

Within days, Gungnae transformed.

Blacksmiths worked day and night, forging swords and spearheads. Granaries were emptied, their contents loaded onto wagons. Messengers rode hard to every garrison, every outpost, relaying the call to arms.

The Goguryeo army, though nominally under King Jungcheon’s command, moved at Li Wei’s direction. Generals and officers loyal to the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau ensured no dissent, no hesitation. Those who questioned orders too loudly found themselves reassigned or simply disappeared.

By the time Gongsun Gong’s forces arrived two weeks later, after crossing the Yalu River under the fluttering banners of the Hengyuan Dynasty, everything was in place.

The two of Gongsun Gong and Li Wei met in Li Wei’s headquarters, a fortified estate on the outskirts of Gungnae. Maps were spread across a massive table, markers denoting enemy positions, supply routes, and potential weak points.

”We strike Baekje first,” Gongsun Gong said, tapping the map. ”Their king is arrogant but inexperienced. If we strike hard and fast, we can take their capital before Silla even realizes what’s happening.”

Li Wei nodded. ”And Gaya?”

”His Majesty’s agents have already swayed their court. They’ll attack Baekje and Silla from the south when we give the signal, distracting their attention.”

A slow smile spread across Li Wei’s face. ”Then let’s begin.”

The invasion of Baekje soon began at dawn.

Gongsun Gong’s cavalry, hardened by years of northern warfare, smashed through the border forts like a hammer through glass. The Goguryeo infantry, though less disciplined, fought with ferocity, their hatred for Baekje stoked by Li Wei’s propagandists.

By midday, the first of Baekje’s cities at the border had fallen. By nightfall, three more cities at he border followed.

King Geunchogo of Baekje had always prided himself on his cunning, his ability to navigate the treacherous waters of court politics, to play his enemies against one another, to emerge victorious without ever dirtying his own hands.

But now, as reports flooded in from every corner of his kingdom, he realized with dawning horror that this was no courtly intrigue. This was war. And war did not care for clever words or veiled threats.

His throne room, once a place of calculated whispers and subtle power plays, was now a cacophony of panic. Generals shouted over one another, advisors clutched scrolls with trembling hands, and messengers stumbled in, their faces streaked with sweat and dust.

”The northern devils have broken through the second line of forts!”

”Gaya’s forces are burning villages along the southern roads!”

”A foreign fleet was spotted had landed on the western coast, they’re marching inland, cutting off our cities in. the coast!”

King Geunchogo’s fingers dug into the arms of his throne. His first instinct was to wait, to let his enemies overextend themselves, to let their alliances fracture. But the sheer speed of the assault left no room for hesitation.

One of his oldest generals, a grizzled veteran who had served his father, stepped forward, his voice a low growl. ”My king, we must act now. If we do not rally our forces and strike back, Wirye itself will be under siege within the week.”

King Geunchogo’s jaw tightened. He knew the old man was right. But the thought of leading an army himself, of standing on a battlefield where arrows and blades cared not for royal blood, sent a cold trickle of fear down his spine.

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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