Mythical Three Kingdoms

Compared to Chen Xi, who still had the leisure to indulge in romantic pursuits at home, Fa Zheng and Gan Ning had already made a beeline for Runan, the long-standing power center of the Yuan Clan of Runan, which, when attacked by Gan Ning, showed barely any significant resistance and the war ended almost as soon as it began.

From the north to the south, the moment the troops set out from Shanyang, Fa Zheng harbored the ambition to swallow Yuzhou whole. Along the way, his forces were virtually unstoppable, and by the time they reached Runan, one could say their momentum was like a bamboo splitting with ease.

In the seat of the Runan Commandery, Zhou Yu with his insight certainly understood its importance, but regrettably, the reforms had too little time to bear fruit. Before any significant effects could manifest, Fa Zheng, carrying with him overwhelming might, had already taken Runan. There were obstructions, but they were ultimately overcome in one fell swoop!

Standing atop the walls of Runan City, Fa Zheng experienced for the first time the enlightenment of standing at the pinnacle, looking down and understanding the mysteries of the world without obstruction.

At that moment, Fa Zheng fully realized that the power accumulated by the Aristocratic Clans over hundreds of years, as long as they could not use it openly and brazenly, was practically a joke to him, bulky and ineffectual, unless the Aristocratic Clans were willing to fight to the death in retaliation.

Looking down at the trembling Runan Aristocratic Family below, Fa Zheng’s lips curled into a smile. He remembered the time in Yizhou when he had to submit for the position of a county magistrate. Back then, the majesty of the Noble Families forced small households like the Fa Family to bow their heads in submission.

[”The Wang Family of Fufeng will probably cry after this; they rejected me so flatly at the beginning. As for the Jiangg Family, although they also rejected me, Jiangg Ying came, so there is still a glimmer of hope left in their line.”], Fa Zheng’s eyes swept coldly over the line of Runan Aristocratic Families below, many of whom, once high and mighty, were now quivering like quails.

”Xingba, let’s go. To Shouchun. I need to announce to the people of Jiangnan that I have arrived, that Fa Xiaozhi has arrived,” Fa Zheng declared, his spirit soaring, the last bit of discontent in his chest dissipated like smoke in the wind.

As he climbed higher and higher, the humiliations that once vexed and angered Fa Zheng had become but minor ripples in his memories. The people and affairs that accompanied his footsteps were gradually blurring.

The scorn and mockery of the past could no longer provoke the slightest depression in Fa Zheng’s spirit. Be it the sparrow’s ignorance of the swan’s ambition or the dragon’s refusal to cohabit with the serpent, the past had become insignificant.

”You’re going like this?” Gan Ning asked, looking at Fa Zheng, who stood proud and graceful in the white robe amidst the spring breeze.

”Just like this. The chess pieces I had laid out before have all been used up, I’m just going to Shouchun to make the Yuzhou Aristocratic Families, the common people, and the officials understand one thing,” Fa Zheng said with an extremely proud tone, his eyes, which were usually slightly angled from a vengeful disposition, now reflected the triumph of youth.

The positions of the chess pieces Fa Zheng originally placed were not high, but over the years, many had reached the status of City Gate Commander and relay station defenders. These positions seemed lowly, but they were incredibly important in wartime, and with these positions, Fa Zheng fought all the way from the State of Liang to the Chen State, and from the Chen State to Runan.

”This world, this empire, the Han Dynasty still exists!” Fa Zheng proclaimed, proudly gazing over the vast expanse of Yuzhou.

”Are you sure there won’t be any trouble?” Gan Ning asked Fa Zheng, whose performance on this journey had left Gan Ning not only astonished but also silent. There were geniuses in this world that were so dazzling they were hard to look at directly.

”Xingba, are you afraid?” Fa Zheng asked, turning slightly.

Unlike the moment he dispatched troops from Shanyang, at this moment, Fa Zheng exuded a pressure that made Gan Ning feel overwhelmed. With every prediction hitting the mark, and every battle ending in victory, in just nineteen days, without a pause for the horses, he captured fourteen cities in succession, from the State of Liang to Runan, and made a vigorous push to break through Pingyu, the administrative center of Runan.

Even if Fa Zheng claimed to have had a strategy all along, when these war achievements unfolded before Gan Ning, even he himself couldn’t help but tremble.

This was not war, but sheer obliteration. The speed was extreme. It was only one day after taking down the administrative center of Runan that Gan Ning received a message in Pingyu of Runan seeking assistance from Ku County, which he had conquered.

It was at that moment Gan Ning truly understood what Fa Zheng had said. As long as you can reach Runan’s administrative center, he could take it. After Fa Zheng had restricted the communication networks, Yuzhou was utterly defenseless—unless an undefended lone city could withstand Gan Ning’s assault.

”Afraid?” Gan Ning scoffed. ”I, Gan Xingba, have never known fear. It’s just that I feel your ambitions, Military Advisor Fa, are too grand. With our mere twenty thousand men, to swallow the entirety of Yuzhou seems a bit exaggerated, don’t you think?”

”Exaggerated? The entire Yuzhou can only muster an army of about a hundred thousand. Who could stop me from conquering Yuzhou?” Fa Zheng replied with a light laugh, not directly addressing Gan Ning’s question.

”I believe you, Military Advisor Fa, can take it, but to hold it, our mere twenty thousand might fall short,” Gan Ning said, no fool himself. Despite being astounded by Fa Zheng’s performances and acknowledging his position, he would not just go along blindly.

”All I need is to force Yuan Gonglu to abandon North Huai River. Even if Yuzhou falls into chaos temporarily, once it enters our domain, naturally someone will take care of it. That’s not my concern. I’ve stated my wager with Master Jia from the beginning, that I’d make Yuan Gonglu give up the North Huai River within two months!” said Fa Zheng, looking at Gan Ning with undeniable pride, yet such seemingly reckless words compelled Gan Ning to submit.

”Xingba, you might as well call me Xiaozhi from now on. By the way, let me ask you, would you like to come with me to Shouchun? I’m going just to strut our stuff, to wait for them to come and fight me!” Fa Zheng said, turning his head with an air of arrogance as he looked at Gan Ning.

Fa Zheng also noticed the change in how Gan Ning addressed him. Though he enjoyed the recognition, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of estrangement.

”To strut our stuff, huh? Alright, I’ll come with you. Lets leave Wen Xiang and Zifang to guard the city. But you have to make it clear to me on the way what exactly we’re going to do,” Gan Ning, a commander not bound by trivialities, spoke up after confirming that Fa Zheng indeed had not been blinded by his victories.

”Let’s go, we can discuss on the way,” Fa Zheng said, turning his gaze to the north with a touch of reminiscence before regaining his proud demeanor. ”The battle for Yuzhou is the stage I chose for myself, the stage I built for myself, I want to show the world that Mount Tai still has me, Fa Xiaozhi!”

Fa Zheng and Gan Ning descended the city walls, and the members of the Runan Aristocratic Family, who were waiting below, couldn’t help but clear a path for Fa Xiaozhi, young enough to be their nephew or son. Not one of the aristocratic clans dared to stop the high-spirited Fa Xiaozhi to inquire how Liu Bei’s Army appeared or what they were supposed to do next.

As Fa Xiaozhi walked through the path cleared by the aristocratic clans, he suddenly burst into inexplicable laughter upon exiting their encirclement.

”Let’s go, Xingba, we’ll show Yuan Gonglu a thing or two!” Fa Zheng declared with a bright laugh. None of it mattered anymore; the aristocratic clans that did not walk the dignified main road, only developing in secrecy, might never emerge into the limelight. (To be continued. If you like this work, we welcome you to vote for it and give monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)