Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Ma Tie smothered a grin. Across the hall, Sun Shangxiang reached the center of the main floor, where the patterned rug lay between Sun Jian and Lie Fan, the place where she was to present herself formally.

She lowered herself with perfect poise, offering a graceful bow first to Lie Fan, then to her father.

”Your Majesty,” she said warmly, ”Father.”

Her voice was clear, gentle, and respectful, yet still unmistakably hers.

Lie Fan’s smile softened into genuine fondness.

”Rise, Sun Shangxiang,” he said.

She obeyed, lifting her head.

Lie Fan looked at her more closely, appreciation in his expression.

”It seems the time away has changed you,” he said warmly. ”You’ve grown even more beautiful than before. A pity that mys sister, Princess Wannian, could not join us today, she would be overjoyed to see you like this. But she must tend to her son and the Sima household in her husband’s absence. Sima Yi’s campaign against Wei keeps him at Hongnong still, and she bears the burden of their estate.”

Sun Shangxiang’s lips curved in a small smile, touched, but also proud.

”I understand, Your Majesty. Sister Wannian has always carried her responsibilities with grace and proper decorum. I hope she and her son remains healthy and that the Sima household thrives under her care.”

Lie Fan nodded approvingly.

Lady Wu smiled softly.

Sun Jian’s eyes gleamed with fatherly pride.

Sun Ce nudged Zhou Yu with his elbow, whispering something teasing about Ma Chao under his breath, Zhou Yu hid his smirk behind his cup.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao both admired Shangxiang’s attire with visible excitement in their eyes. Sun Quan, calm and thoughtful as always, observed the exchange with subtle curiosity, gauging the developing bond and the political implications of the marriage.

Ma Dai and Ma Xiu exchanged a discreet nod, acknowledging their cousin’s reaction with quiet amusement.

But Ma Chao...

He could only stare.

He was still trying and failing, to stop the strong pounding in his chest.

Lie Fan gestured for Sun Shangxiang to take her seat, the empty one beside Lady Wu.

Before she sat, Sun Shangxiang turned toward the Sun family side and bowed again respectfully to her mother and brothers. Then she turned slightly to incline her head to the Ma family on the opposite side, a gesture of humility and courtesy toward her future in laws.

Her gaze passed over Ma Dai, Ma Xiu, Ma Tie—

And paused for the briefest heartbeat on Ma Chao.

His breath hitched.

She sat, back straight and movements smooth as water.

Only after settling fully into her seat did she allow herself the smallest, briefest glance toward Ma Chao.

But even that single glance nearly undid him.

The faintest smile tugged at her lips, gentle, knowing, and almost shy.

And then she looked away demurely.

Ma Tie had to press his fist to his mouth to hide a snort.

Lie Fan, watching everything with the perceptive eye of both ruler and older brother figure, cleared his throat lightly.

”Well,” he said, his voice light but carrying. ”Now that everyone is present, let us begin the evening properly.”

Servants moved quietly along the walls, filling wine cups and adjusting the trays of fruits and pastries.

”Before we eat,” Lie Fan continued, ”it would be fitting to acknowledge the purpose of tonight’s gathering.”

He turned to Sun Jian.

”And Brother Wentai, I must say, your daughter’s appearance tonight will leave many young noblewomen weeping in despair. I can already imagine the words that will be spread. ’No one can match the Sun Clan’s pearl,’ they will say.”

The hall laughed softly.

Shangxiang’s cheeks warmed, but she bowed her head gracefully, accepting the praise without arrogance.

Sun Jian stroked his beard in satisfaction. ”Your Majesty is too kind. My daughter has always been spirited, but tonight she honors our family’s dignity.”

Lie Fan’s gaze slid to Ma Chao, teasing amusement glinting in his eyes.

”And General Ma Chao seems to be... deeply moved by her transformation.”

A ripple of gentle laughter spread across the hall.

Ma Chao stiffened. ”Your Majesty—”

”Oh relax, Mengqi,” Lie Fan said, waving a hand playfully. ”If you hadn’t reacted, I’d have been disappointed. Even I nearly forgot she could look like this.”

Sun Shangxiang shot Lie Fan an exasperated look. ”Your Majesty, must you tease me every time we meet?”

”Yes,” Lie Fan answered without hesitation. ”It is my sacred duty.”

Another wave of laughter washed through the hall.

Sun .Shangxiang sighed dramatically, which only made the room laugh harder.

The atmosphere warmed further, familial, teasing, and affectionate.

Exactly as Lie Fan intended.

As the laughter faded, Lie Fan leaned back slightly, his expression shifting to something more thoughtful.

”Since we are all here,” he said, ”it is proper to formally acknowledge the deepening bond between the Sun Clan and the Ma Clan. Tonight is not yet the wedding, but it is the evening where both families meet, where both sides look upon the future and decide that it is good.”

Sun Jian nodded deeply. Lady Wu bowed her head in agreement.

Ma Dai, speaking for the Ma family, responded first.

”Your Majesty, Lord Sun, Lady Wu, we are honored tonight. Our family holds Brother Ma Chao’s future happiness as our sincere priority. And Lady Sun Shangxiang has shown strength and character worthy of respect. If Heaven permits, their union will strengthen both families.”

Sun Jian smiled broadly. ”Well said. And we too welcome the Ma Clan with full hearts.”

Shangxiang bowed slightly in gratitude.

Ma Chao managed a steady breath. His voice was calm when he spoke, remarkably so, given how much his pulse refused to settle.

”My father, may he rest in peace, would have been honored tonight,” he said quietly. ”And I will strive to be worthy of the trust given to me.”

Shangxiang’s gaze softened.

Even Sun Quan gave a small approving nod.

Lie Fan watched the exchange with satisfaction. The foundation was set. Respect was mutual. Hearts were aligned or aligning.

The harmony in the hall at Yuzhang settled like warm lantern-light, softening every corner of the grand chamber. Even the guards along the walls stood a little taller, as if pride itself had taken a seat among the gathered families.

Yet while laughter and gentle teasing filled the air here in the south, another story was unfolding far to the west, one shaped not by family warmth, but by political calculation, hidden loyalties, and the tightening thread of destiny.

For even as the Sun and Ma clans exchanged respectful smiles in Yuzhang, the winds over Yi Province carried dust from distant roads, stirred by the hooves of two of Hengyuan’s brightest minds.

To the far west, in Yi Province, across valleys veiled in the scent of pine and mountain mist, the grand capital of Chengdu stood calm beneath the early afternoon sun. Its tall wooden gates, reinforced with iron and guarded by rows of Han soldiers, towered over the fields and roads leading into the city.

The banners of Han fluttered from the walls, their once vibrant dragons faded by years of internal struggles and faltering authority. Yet Chengdu still retained dignity, prosperity, and the aura of a capital preserved by history and pride.

Along the main road approaching the gate, a procession wound its way closer, two banners at the front bearing the emblem of Hengyuan, fluttering in tandem. Beneath them rode Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun, clad in elegant yet travel worn robes, the measured pace of their horses matching the poised stillness of their expressions.

Behind them stretched the long, orderly line of carriages, guards, scribes, and attendants, the Hengyuan procession answering Han’s earlier envoy and delivering their ruler’s official response.

At the head of the Han escort that had accompanied them since Wan was Wu Tai, maintaining a dignified bearing despite the tension visible in the tightness of his jaw. Dust clung to his boots and greaves, his posture sharp as he turned his horse around and began riding back toward the two scholars.

Zhuge Liang noticed immediately. His eyes, sharp beneath the shadow of his feather fan, narrowed just a hint. Lu Xun straightened in his saddle.

Wu Tai pulled his horse to a stop before them, exhaling subtly as the hooves steadied.

”Master Zhuge, Master Lu,” he said respectfully, lowering his fists in a formal salute. ”Please forgive this sudden stop.”

Zhuge Liang tilted his head slightly, a gentle, inquisitive smile on his lips. ”Is something amiss, Wu Tai?”

Lu Xun studied the man’s face, his usual gentle expression now sharpened with subtle command.

Wu Tai hesitated, only for a moment, before leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice.

”I wished to inform the two of you before we enter Chengdu,” he began. ”Once we pass through that gate, I must... conduct myself as though we are unfamiliar. I must treat you only with the basic courtesy required of envoys and nothing more.”

Lu Xun raised a brow, though not in displeasurez merely curiosity.

Zhuge Liang gave a slight nod, indicating for Wu Tai to continue.

”Master Fa Zheng, Master Zhang Song, and Master Meng Da have instructed me to maintain the appearance of a loyal Han official. Our... involvement must not be detected by any who are unaware of the plan. This includes acting coldly, or at least neutrally, toward Masters Zhuge and Lu.”

He lowered his gaze in genuine apology.

”For this, I ask your forgiveness.”

Lu Xun breathed out softly and waved a hand. ”There is nothing to forgive.”

He smiled faintly, calmer, more mature than the young boy who once sparred with Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi in debates at the academy.

”What must be done, must be done,” Lu Xun continued. ”If this is part of the greater design laid by Master Fa, Master Zhang, and Master Meng, then please follow their instructions without hesitation. As long as the outcome benefits His Majesty Hongyi and the Hengyuan Dynasty in the end, we will not mind the appearance of distance.”

Zhuge Liang nodded in full agreement. ”Your loyalty is not in doubt, Wu Tai. Appearances are merely tools. Use them.”

Wu Tai’s expression softened with profound relief. He cupped his hands deeply.

”Thank you, Masters Zhuge, Master Lu. I swear, everything I do is for Emperor Hongyi and the Hengyuan Dynasty.”

With that he bowed, then tugged at the reins and returned to the front of the Han procession. After a few exchanged gestures with the guards, the Han entourage began moving again, crossing the final stretch toward Chengdu’s towering city gate.

And then it was Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun’s turn.

The two men rode ahead, leading Hengyuan’s procession toward the capital with steady composure.

For a few moments they rode in silence, listening to the distant clatter of the city, feeling the weight of watching eyes from the ramparts above.

Then Zhuge Liang chuckled softly.

”You have become more serious now, Brother Boyan,” he said warmly, glancing sideways. ”And braver too. Compared to how you behaved when the three of us studied under the academy’s roof... this is quite a transformation.”

Lu Xun let out a deep, amused laugh, one free of arrogance, full of sincerity.

”Brother Kongming,” he said, using Zhuge Liang’s courtesy name with nostalgic ease, ”you make it sound as though I was a hopeless boy back then.”

”You were never hopeless,” Zhuge Liang replied. ”Merely... excitable.”

Lu Xun gave him a helpless look. ”And whose fault was that? With you and Brother Zhongda constantly provoking debates at every sunrise and sunset a sthe thre of us was together, how could I not be affected? The two of you argued over everything, even the shape of clouds.”

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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