Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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He made for the royal stables. The stable hands looked up in surprise when he entered. It was rare for the Emperor himself to come without announcement, rarer still for him to mount directly from here. They scrambled to bow, their hands still holding brushes and tack, their eyes wide.

”Stand up,” Lie Fan commanded, his voice calm but firm. ”Return to your duties. Do not waste time on ceremony.”

They obeyed, though they still cast furtive glances as he chose a horse. Lie Fan moved with an ease that startled them, he was not the kind of monarch who looked uncomfortable in a saddle. With practiced motions, he mounted, the Yellow Ghosts following suit behind him.

The three of them rode through the twisting roads of Xiapi, where soldiers and citizens alike stopped and bowed as they passed. The banners of Hengyuan fluttered proudly from the battlements, and the streets bustled with life.

Merchants shouted, children darted between legs, and farmers carrying bundles of produce moved toward the market. Each group froze as the Emperor passed, bowing deeply before resuming their tasks.

At last, the Governor’s Castle loomed ahead. Guards were stationed outside, their armor polished, their weapons ready. When they saw who approached, their eyes widened before they dropped to one knee in unison.

”Your Majesty!”

”Stand up,” Lie Fan ordered again, reining in his horse. ”Stand and continue your duty. I will not see the gates unguarded simply because of my presence.”

They obeyed reluctantly, standing but keeping their heads bowed as the Emperor dismounted. His boots struck the stone of the courtyard with a soft thud as he strode forward. The Yellow Ghosts followed, silent shadows in golden masks.

He did not need directions. He knew where Chen Gui’s office lay. Passing through the corridors, servants hastily ducked aside, bowing low, but Lie Fan did not slow his pace.

When he reached the office door, he lifted his hand and pushed it open himself. His guards halted outside, standing at attention like statues.

Inside, the smell of ink and old parchment filled the room. Chen Gui sat at his desk, hunched slightly over a pile of documents, his brush scratching steadily. His hair, streaked heavily with gray now, was tied neatly, though wisps escaped. The sound of boots on stone made him look up. His eyes widened in shock when he saw who stood before him.

”Your Majesty!” Chen Gui exclaimed, standing so quickly his chair scraped across the floor. He cupped his hands, bowing deeply. ”Forgive me, I did not expect—”

Lie Fan smiled faintly, a warmth in his expression that put the older man somewhat at ease. ”Rise, Elder Chen. You have requested to see me these past days. I could not grant it then, but now I have time. So, rather than summon you, I thought it proper to come myself.”

Chen Gui bowed again, though gratitude softened his features. ”Your Majesty honors me beyond measure. Please, sit.”

They both took seats at the table. Chen Gui’s hands trembled slightly as he set aside his brush and papers. For a moment, he was silent, his eyes lowered, his chest rising and falling with a heavy sigh.

Lie Fan studied him quietly, then spoke. ”Elder Chen, you asked for this meeting. Tell me, what weighs upon you?”

Chen Gui exhaled slowly. His voice, when it came, was steady but tinged with weariness. ”Your Majesty... I wished to request leave from my post. My body grows old, and my spirit is not as sharp as it once was. Each day, the burden of governance weighs heavier, and I fear that if I remain, I will hinder rather than help.”

The words hung in the air.

Lie Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly, though his tone remained measured. ”You speak of retirement.”

”Yes, Your Majesty,” Chen Gui said, bowing his head. ”I have served long, and with what strength Heaven granted me. But the years demand their toll. I would not see Hengyuan falter because of my declining vigor.”

For a moment, silence filled the office. Only the faint rustle of papers stirred the air.

Lie Fan leaned back, folding his hands together. He regarded Chen Gui with an expression that mixed thoughtfulness with a trace of regret. Chen Gui was no ordinary official. He was one of the pillars of Xiapi since before Hengyuan had even been dreamed of. To lose him now would not simply be the loss of a single man, it would be the quiet closing of an era.

”Elder Chen,” Lie Fan said at last, his voice softer than before. ”Your years are many, yes. But your wisdom is greater still. Tell me, do you truly feel that your service must end? Or is it only that you are weary?”

Chen Gui looked up, his old eyes glistening. ”It is both, Your Majesty. My heart still wishes to serve. But my body rebels. I tire more quickly, my eyes fail at night, and my hand shakes with the brush. I would not shame Your Majesty by faltering in my duties. Better that I step aside now, while I can still do so with dignity.”

Lie Fan was silent for a long moment, allowing the weight of the man’s words to settle. He looked around the office, at the shelves groaning with records, at the worn spot on the desk where Chen Gui’s arms had rested for years.

”Elder Chen,” Lie Fan said finally, his voice respectful and soft. ”Your service has been beyond exemplary. It has been the bedrock upon which much of our stability was built. The administration of this province has always been a model of efficiency and integrity, and that is the legacy you have created.”

He leaned forward. ”I will, of course, grant your request, Elder Chen. I would not force you to endure a burden that breaks your health. But your wisdom cannot be lost to us. I will not allow you to simply fade away into obscurity, as you still have much to share to not just me but many others.”

Chen Gui looked up, a mixture of relief and curiosity in his tired eyes.

”When you retire,” Lie Fan continued, ”I will have a new title created for you, Senior Advisor to the Throne. It will carry a generous pension, an estate near the palace where you can rest, and the respect you are due. But occasionally, I will send a carriage for you. I will value your counsel on matters of administration, and on the character of young officials rising through the ranks. Your experience is a national treasure, Elder Chen. I intend to consult it for as long as you are willing to give it.”

Tears welled in the old governor’s eyes. This was more than he had dared hope for, not a dismissal, but an honorable transition. He would be relieved of the crushing daily burden but his lifelong service would still be valued. He bowed his head, unable to speak for a moment.

”Your Majesty...” he finally managed, his voice choked with emotion. ”Your compassion... your wisdom... I am unworthy of such grace.”

”It is not grace,” Lie Fan said, standing and placing a hand on the old man’s shoulder. ”It is simple practicality. The empire was built by men like you. It would be foolish to discard such a resource simply because it needs to rest. Prepare your successor. Train them well. And know that your work here has laid the foundation for the new world we are building.”

Chen Gui, hearing those words, slowly nodded his head in understanding. His shoulders relaxed, though there was still a lingering weight in his eyes, the kind that never truly left a man who had spent decades burdened by the affairs of state. He cupped his hands respectfully toward Lie Fan.

”I see, Your Majesty,” he said with quiet resolve. ”If that is your will, I shall prepare my successor as soon as possible. It eases my heart that I will not abandon my duty without ensuring someone capable can take my place. In truth...” He paused, his eyes narrowing with thought, ”there is already one among us whom I believe is a perfect candidate to succeed me. One whom I can begin to teach immediately.”

Lie Fan’s brow arched, curiosity sharpening his gaze. He leaned slightly forward, resting one arm on the table. ”A perfect candidate, you say? Speak, Elder Chen. Who is it that you have in mind?”

Chen Gui’s lips curled into a faint smile, proud and relieved as though this thought had been long in his heart. ”The younger brother of Governor Sima Lang and Minister Sima Yi, Sima Fu. He has served as my aide and secretary for some time now. In him, I see the makings of a man destined for greatness. He possesses not only a sharp mind for governance and administrative matters, but also a generous heart, and a loyalty beyond question. His diligence rivals his elder brothers, and unlike many who covet position, he thinks first of the people. Most importantly, he does not pledge himself to a single man alone, but to the Hengyuan Dynasty as a whole.”

At the mention of that name, Lie Fan’s heart skipped slightly. His mind flashed back to his memories of the ”original timeline”, a history that only he knew.

Sima Fu.

In that other life, in that other history, Sima Fu had been a name carved into the annals of unwavering loyalty. Even after his grandnephew, Sima Yan, overthrew Wei and established the Jin Dynasty, Sima Fu had remained steadfast, refusing to betray the dynasty he had sworn to serve.

His loyalty to Wei had been so resolute that he wept bitterly when the Wei regime ended, mourning the fall of its last Emperor even as his own family rose to imperial power.

Later, he was enfeoffed as Prince of Anping, yet in his heart he never abandoned Wei. He even held the post of Grand Chancellor for a time until his death for Jin, but he will be remembered as a man who placed duty and loyalty above personal gain.

Lie Fan knew this truth, Sima Fu was one of those rare men who could serve as the very backbone of a state.

Hearing Chen Gui’s endorsement only confirmed what Lie Fan already knew, Heaven itself had delivered such a man into his service early.

Lie Fan’s eyes lit with approval, and he gave a single, decisive nod. ”If Elder Chen has found Sima Fu worthy, then I need no further persuasion. Train him. Groom him as you see fit. You have full authority to prepare him as your successor. When the time comes, I will see him confirmed as Governor of Xiapi.”

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Name: Lie Fan

Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty

Age: 35 (202 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