Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Both young men, armored and mounted, saluted at him. ”We will not fail you, Father.” With banners flying and war drums beating, the Wei army surged forward. Jianmen Pass, once an impenetrable fortress, trembled under the renewed assault.

The Southern Campaign and the Siege of Jianmen Pass, two fronts, hundreds of li apart, were now the fulcrum of the Hengyuan Dynasty’s destiny.

And at their center, the ambitions of Lie Fan, as the Emperor of the Hengyuan Dynasty, burned ever brighter than before like it could shroud the land.

The Oriole Agents stationed in the south and west kept their Emperor informed through secret messages carried by swift hawks and disguised couriers. Every skirmish, every misstep, every success, Lie Fan knew it all.

The conquest of the south had only just begun, and already it was testing the mettle of his generals and strategists that was sent there.

Lie Fan only hoped that the southern campaign could end at a fast but steady pace, so that he would then turn his focus to Cao Cao and end the Wei Dynasty after contacting Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da to overthrow Emperor Xian and Liu Zhang.

Taking the entirety of Yi Province into Lie Fan’s hands, where he would surround Wei from the south and east. When Cao Cao and Wei fell, he could finally unite the land of China under one banner and that is his banner, the Hengyuan Dynasty banner.

From there he could fully focus on outward expansion, while also consolidating the land he had conquered from Cao Cao, and also received from Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da.

He has taken down the Korean Peninsula under his banner, and the Southeast Asia land of modern Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam will fall into his clutches soon.

He will need a new objective, in what direction he will take next for his outward expansion. And Lie Fan himself already had the answer.

It was north, beyond the Great Wall, destroying the Xiongnu and Xianbei, conquering the entirety of modern Mongolia to prevent the rise of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire he would found, by eliminating the entire tribe of his father, the Borjigin Clan, and the tribe of his mother, the Olkhonud Clan from the Onggirat tribes.

Something that he should order himself, so that the blood of countless people would fall on his hands and not on his future generations to come. He would extinguish the threat before it was ever born.

Even if his name would be vilified in the history books of the international world in the future, he didn’t care.

Preventing the rise of the Mongols would ensure that his Dynasty could survive much longer, perhaps even into the 20th century. That was what he hoped, and that was why he laid the foundations so far in advance to ensure that happened.

Maybe then, after taking over the north and consolidating his rule there while ensuring the borders were safe, he would turn his focus back to Southeast Asia.

There he could expand into what would become the lands of modern Malaysia and Indonesia, regions rich with natural resources. And then, the Philippines. And lastly, if he wasn’t tired of war by then, Japan.

Of course, this plan was merely part of his long-term vision, and changes could occur along the way, something Lie Fan understood all too well from experience.

He might one day pass the torch to his son Muchen, allowing him to carry on this expansionist vision. When that day came, when he decided enough was enough, he would relinquish the throne and retire, letting Muchen succeed him as the second Emperor of the Hengyuan Dynasty.

As he was thinking so, Lie Fan stepped out onto the terrace of his office, gazing out over the magnificent scenery of Xiapi. A soft sigh escaped his lips as the golden sunlight bathed the capital in warmth. Perhaps now was the time to let his mind rest.

After all, even with a body as resilient and a mind as honed as his, rest was crucial. A good ruler must set an example. Work hard, yes, but also rest wisely.

He needed to set an example for his children after all, that the combination of enough rest and hard work was important, no matter what era or time. Lie Fan found that balance to be essential.

With that, Lie Fan left his office and returned to his quarters. But as he entered, he was surprised to find Zhen Ji already waiting inside, accompanied by her handmaidens. The gentle rustling of silk and the warm scent of lotus perfume filled the chamber.

The handmaidens curtsy respectfully alongside Zhen Ji. Lie Fan offered them a soft nod and a wave of his hand. ”You may rise,” he said before turning his eyes to Zhen Ji.

She stood near the window, dressed in a pale lavender gown, her hair delicately arranged. Lie Fan approached, taking her hand gently in his.

”What brings you here at this hour, Ji’er?” he asked, his tone laced with gentleness and affection.

Zhen Ji’s cheeks flushed as she looked into his eyes, then shyly cast her gaze downward. ”I... I was hoping to stay with you tonight, if it pleases you, Your Majesty.”

Her voice was soft, yet filled with genuine emotion. The flush deepened on her face as her handmaidens tried not to smile and hold it back.

Lie Fan understood what Zhen Ji was insinuating. After all, their relationship had turned from mere formality into an intimate one, though they hadn’t yet consummated it.

Lie Fan smiled, warmly and teasingly. He squeezed her hand. ”That pleases me more than you can imagine.”

Then, turning to the handmaidens, he said, ”You may leave us. And do not disturb us tonight.”

The handmaidens bowed and withdrew silently, closing the door behind them.

Now alone, Zhen Ji’s blush intensified, and she hesitated before meeting his gaze. ”Do you mean it? That you’re happy I’m here tonight, husband?”

”Ji’er,” Lie Fan said, brushing a strand of hair from her face, ”You are not just my consort by title anymore. You’re a woman I’ve grown to cherish and you’ve known that. The fact that you’re here of your own will, it means everything to me.”

Zhen Ji looked up at him, her eyes moist with emotion. ”It’s just... I was afraid... that this was all in the end just duty for you, Husband. That in the end I would never truly reach your heart.”

Lie Fan leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. ”You’ve reached me. Like what Yue’er, Chan’er, Cai’er, and Qi’er had done as well. And I’ve been a fool not to show it better.”

Then, with a more playful smile, he whispered, ”But tonight, let me make it up to you.”

Before she could respond, he brought her into a deep, passionate kiss, deeper, more overwhelming than anything they’d shared before. One that made Zhen Ji tremble in his arms. Her hands instinctively clutched at his robes for support.

Her knees nearly buckled under the sudden rush of sensation, and had Lie Fan not been there for her to hold as support, she might have collapsed from the heat flooding her.

Lie Fan caught her easily, holding her close. ”You’re trembling Ji’er,” he said gently.

”It’s... not fear,” Zhen Ji murmured breathlessly. ”It’s... it’s everything.”

Looking at how stunningly beautiful she was, eyes misted, cheeks flushed, lips parted, without another word, he gently scooped her up into his arms in a princess carry, her eyes widening before she relaxed into his embrace.

He carried her to the bed with reverence, as though she were the most precious treasure he had ever held.

With utmost care, he gently laid her down on the embroidered silk, and then he looked at her again and whispered, ”Tonight, let the world outside wait.”

After that, Lie Fan brushes a strand of hair from her face as he leans down once again to meet her lips.

The night that followed was one of whispered promises and fevered touches. Lie Fan, for all his ruthlessness on the battlefield and the court, was very tender with her. Every brush of his fingers, every kiss pressed to her skin, was deliberate, as if memorizing her.

Zhen Ji, though inexperienced due to it being her first time, was a quick study. Her shyness slowly melted away under his attention, replaced by a boldness that surprised even herself and Lie Fan as well.

Their battle could be said to have lasted for almost a full night long, where the combined voice of Zhen Ji’s gasp and Lie Fan’s grunt alongside the creaking of the bed even made the moon and stars themselves shy, as they hid behind the night clouds.

The sounds of the cicadas and crickets outside grew louder, as if trying to mask the fierce struggle unfolding within the Emperor’s bedchamber.

Zhen Ji’s gentle cries and Lie Fan’s deep murmurs painted the room with heat, passion, and emotion that had long simmered between them.

Every touch, every gasp, every whispered word of affection was the culmination of months of emotional buildup now turned into physical longing. The embroidered bed sheets were a chaotic mess, tangled in knots from their movements.

At one point, Zhen Ji, flushed red and breathless, clutched at his shoulder, begging him to stop with a raspy, delicate voice. But instead of halting, her plea seemed to drive Lie Fan further, as if her vulnerability awakened a new tenderness and hunger in him.

The night continued, fierce and unrelenting, until dawn painted the sky in soft hues of lavender and gold. The first light crept through the lattice windows, casting shadows across their entwined bodies.

Zhen Ji lay limp against Lie Fan’s chest, utterly exhausted. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks still stained with a pink hue, and her breathing slow and even. She had fallen asleep almost instantly after they collapsed together, her arms still wrapped around him.

Lie Fan, despite having shared in the physical toll, remained awake for a while longer, gazing at her. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and studied the woman who had once been given to him as a political bride.

Now, she had become something more, a partner, a confidante, and tonight, something sacred. Leaning forward, he pressed a tender kiss to her cheek before wrapping his arms around her and finally allowing himself to rest.

When he awoke, the room was still silent, the sun now higher in the sky. As his eyes fluttered open, he found Zhen Ji lying beside him, already awake.

She was propped up slightly on one elbow, her eyes quietly studying him. As soon as she realized he had woken up, her face turned crimson. ”You’re awake Husband,” she said softly, her voice almost shy.

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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