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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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"We hear and obey, Your Majesty," the five commanders chorused, nodding their heads in perfect unison. With the absolute elite of the Hengyuan military forming a terrifyingly powerful escort, Lie Fan turned and walked toward the massive iron gates of the prison.
The garrison soldiers guarding the entrance, heavily armed veterans of the Chang'An campaign, immediately snapped to attention, their eyes wide as they recognized the towering figure of their Emperor approaching. They practically threw themselves to the ground in frantic, respectful bows while simultaneously scrambling to unlock the heavy deadbolts.
"Open the gates for His Majesty!" the captain of the guard barked nervously.
As Lie Fan walked past the kneeling soldiers, his keen, modern trained administrative mind automatically engaged. He noted the sheer, chaotic panic in the soldiers' eyes. It was flattering, but it was also a massive security flaw.
They are reacting purely to my armor and my entourage, Lie Fan thought to himself as he stepped into the dark, torch lit corridor of the prison entrance. In this era, without the internet or instant visual communication, a clever spy in stolen imperial armor could bluff his way past half the checkpoints in the capital. These guards don't actually know the faces of their highest superiors.
He made a sharp, mental note to discuss a radical security overhaul with Sima Yi and Jia Xu later that week. He needed to introduce a strict, standardized identification system.
Every soldier, from the lowest infantryman to the highest marshal, needed a physical, forge proof token, perhaps a specialized alloy badge stamped with a unique, coded seal and their specific rank and posting.
It would be an administrative nightmare to implement across an army of a million men, but it was the only way to genuinely secure an empire of this unprecedented scale.
Pushing the administrative thoughts aside, Lie Fan focused on the descent.
They bypassed the upper levels, which held common criminals and low ranking prisoners of war, and descended a wide, spiraling stone staircase that led deep into the bedrock. The air grew noticeably colder, damp with the smell of wet stone and old iron.
They reached the second subterranean level. This was the high security tier, reserved for high value political prisoners and enemy commanders who were deemed dangerous, but not entirely feral.
This level was designed differently. The corridor was wide, and the cells were not solid stone boxes, but spacious rooms barred by thick, heavy iron grating, allowing the guards, and now, the Emperor, to see clearly inside.
"This is the tier holding the primary strategic core of the former Wei vanguard, Your Majesty," Zhang Liao reported in a low voice, walking slightly ahead of Lie Fan. "Yue Jin, Li Dian, Yu Jin, Zhang He, Xu Huang, Pang De, and Gao Lan. As I reported yesterday, they have caused no physical trouble. They are disciplined."
"Then we shall start here," Lie Fan decided. "We will test the waters of their loyalty before we dive into the deep end with the Xiahou cousins, the Cao cousins, and Cao Cao most hardcore loyalist."
Lie Fan gestured for the heavy escort of generals and bodyguards to fan out slightly, creating an intimidating, silent backdrop of polished armor and lethal intent, while he stepped forward alone.
He walked slowly down the corridor, the rhythmic, heavy thud of his boots echoing loudly off the stone walls. As he approached the first cell, the figure sitting cross-legged on the simple wooden cot slowly raised his head.
It was Yue Jin.
The famously ferocious, compact vanguard general of Wei looked haggard. His armor was gone, replaced by simple grey prison robes, and the fiery, aggressive energy that usually defined him seemed deeply smothered by the sheer, absolute reality of his defeat.
When Yue Jin saw Lie Fan standing on the other side of the iron bars, his eyes widened slightly. He did not immediately jump to his feet and curse, nor did he kneel and beg. He simply stared at the man who had shattered his world.
Lie Fan stopped before the cell, resting his hands loosely on his belt. He did not speak immediately, letting the profound, intimidating silence stretch until it was almost physically heavy. He looked at Yue Jin not with the arrogant sneer of a conqueror, but with the cool, appraising gaze of a man assessing the structural integrity of a potential weapon.
"Yue Wenqian," Lie Fan finally spoke, his voice calm, resonant, and entirely devoid of malice. "A man famous for always being the first over the wall. Tell me... how does it feel to be trapped behind one?"
Yue Jin's jaw tightened. He slowly stood up from the cot, walking toward the bars. He looked past Lie Fan, his eyes sweeping over the terrifying assembly of Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Ma Chao standing in the shadows. He recognized the sheer, overwhelming martial superiority arrayed against him.
"It feels like the end of the world, Emperor," Yue Jin replied, his voice raspy but surprisingly steady. He did not use the title 'Your Majesty,' but the respect in his tone was undeniable. "We fought you at Tong Pass. We fought you at Chang'An. We threw everything Wei possessed at your vanguard... and it was like throwing pebbles at a mountain. We were beaten. Fairly, and absolutely."
Lie Fan nodded slowly, appreciating the pragmatic, soldierly honesty. "You were beaten because you fought for a dynasty built on a crumbling foundation, against an empire built on iron. Cao Cao is a brilliant man, but his vision was flawed. He sought to control the chaos. I seek to end it entirely."
Lie Fan stepped slightly closer to the bars. "The war is over, Yue Jin. The Cao clan is caged. The central plains belong to Hengyuan. You are a soldier of unparalleled ferocity. You have spilled blood for a lord you believed in. But that lord can no longer command you. So, I ask you a simple question, Do you wish to rot in this dark cell until you are a forgotten ghost, or do you wish to ride back into the sunlight and fight for the unification of the entire continentcand even outward expansion?"
Yue Jin stared at the Emperor, his eyes searching Lie Fan's face for any hint of deception. The offer was staggering in its simplicity.
"You would trust me?" Yue Jin asked, genuine disbelief coloring his words. "After I spent a decade trying to sever your head?"
"I trust a man who understands loyalty, and I trust a man who understands defeat," Lie Fan replied smoothly. "You fought for Cao Cao because he commanded the mandate of the Han. That mandate is gone. I offer you a new one. A truer one. Swear your sword to Hengyuan, and you will not be treated as a defeated slave. You will be integrated into my vanguard. You will retain your rank, and you will earn new glory on the outward frontiers."
Yue Jin closed his eyes, his chest heaving with a deep, shuddering breath. The internal conflict was agonizing, but brief. The pragmatism of the professional soldier won out over the futile romanticism of a dead dynasty. He opened his eyes, and slowly, deliberately, he dropped to one knee, pressing his fist to the damp stone floor.
"My sword is broken, Emperor. If you offer me a new one... I will swing it in your name."
"A wise choice, General Yue," Lie Fan smiled softly. He gestured to one of the prison wardens hovering nervously near the stairs. "Unlock this cell. Have General Yue cleaned, fed, and transferred to the upper officer barracks. He is no longer a prisoner of war."
As the heavy iron door swung open and a bewildered but immensely relieved Yue Jin was escorted away, Lie Fan turned his attention to the next cell.
This psychological battlefield required nuance. He moved from cell to cell, adapting his approach to the specific, historical personality of each captured commander.
He approached the brilliant, scholarly Li Dian. For Li Dian, Lie Fan did not speak of vanguard glory or bloody conquest. He spoke of stability. He spoke of the massive logistical infrastructure he was building, the wagonways, and the new era of profound, structured peace that required calm, intelligent commanders to maintain.
Li Dian, always the most level headed of Cao Cao's generals, listened intently, recognized the sheer administrative genius of Lie Fan's vision, and pledged his loyalty with a respectful, profound bow.
Next was Yu Jin. This was a vastly more complex encounter. Yu Jin was a strict, unyielding disciplinarian, a man whose rigid adherence to military law was legendary.
Lie Fan stood before Yu Jin's cell, projecting an aura of absolute, terrifying imperial authority.
"Yu Wenze," Lie Fan said coldly. "You are a man of the law. You understand the brutal calculus of a siege better than anyone. You know that Cao Cao's defense of Chang'An was legally and tactically flawed from the moment the outer walls fell. You fought to the bitter end because your orders demanded it. But your supreme commander has fallen. The chain of command is broken."
Yu Jin stood rigidly at attention, staring straight ahead, refusing to meet Lie Fan's eyes. "I serve the Emperor of Wei."
"The Emperor of Wei is a prisoner awaiting execution," Lie Fan snapped, the words hitting like a physical blow. "The Wei Dynasty is legally extinct. Continuing to serve a dead state is not loyalty, Yu Jin. It is mutiny against the absolute reality of the world. I offer you the chance to serve the true law of the land. The law of Hengyuan. Refuse me, and you die not as a martyr, but as a stubborn fool."
Yu Jin flinched. The absolute, unshakeable logic of Lie Fan's argument, appealing to Yu Jin's fundamental need for legal and structural order, found the crack in his armor. The Wei was gone. The only true authority left was standing on the other side of the bars.
Slowly, the rigid disciplinarian broke, dropping to his knees and surrendering to the new, undeniable reality of the Black Dragon.
The psychological warfare continued.
Lie Fan moved to Zhang He. Knowing Zhang He's reputation for highly adaptable, shifting tactics and his keen eye for terrain, Lie Fan spoke of the impending campaigns against the rugged, treacherous mountains of the League of Northwestern Lords.
He appealed to Zhang He's professional pride, offering him a theater of war where his specific tactical brilliance would be vital. Zhang He, eager to escape the stifling dark and ply his trade once more, eagerly accepted.
When Lie Fan reached Xu Huang, the atmosphere shifted again. Xu Huang was a man of profound martial honor and deep, almost spiritual dedication to the craft of war. Lie Fan did not attempt to bully him or offer him logistical puzzles.
He simply looked at the formidable general and spoke of the legendary campaigns yet to come, the pacification of the northern steppes, the cross oceanic invasion of Yamatai. He offered Xu Huang the chance to test his great axe against the greatest enemies the world had ever seen, alongside warriors like Guan Yu and Zhao Yun, who stood silently behind the Emperor. Xu Huang, his blood stirring at the prospect of unparalleled martial glory, knelt and pledged his service.
Pang De and Gao Lan followed in rapid succession. Pang De, fiercely proud but highly pragmatic, required a direct, martial challenge to his honor, which Lie Fan provided by promising him the vanguard position against the western warlords. Gao Lan, ever the solid, reliable anchor, simply required the assurance that his men would be treated fairly and integrated into the Hengyuan ranks without prejudice.
Within the span of two intense, highly calculated hours, Emperor Lie Fan had systematically moved down the second subterranean level, dismantling the psychological defenses of the Wei vanguard. He had filtered out the stubbornness, found the unique cracks in their armor, and successfully recruited seven of the most capable, top-tier generals of the era.
It was a staggering, bloodless victory that essentially handed Lie Fan an entire, ready made command structure for his future campaigns.
He stood at the end of the corridor, watching the guards unlock the final cell on this level to escort Gao Lan up to the light. The heavy, damp air of the prison felt slightly less suffocating.
Lie Fan turned back to his heavy escort. Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Taishi Ci looked profoundly impressed by the sheer, terrifying effectiveness of their Emperor's silver tongue. Even the stoic Zhang Liao offered a slow, respectful nod of admiration.
"The pragmatists have been secured," Lie Fan announced, his voice dropping an octave as he looked toward the heavy, iron bound doorway that led deeper into the earth. "They chose life, and they chose glory. But the easy work is done."
Lie Fan reached out, resting his hand lightly on the pommel of his unadorned iron longsword. His eyes darkened with the absolute, grim reality of what lay ahead. "Now," Lie Fan murmured, the chilling weight of a conqueror settling fully over his features. "We descend to the third level. Prepare yourselves, my generals. It is time to speak with the wolves."
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 36 (203 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 11)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 1,010 (+20)
VIT: 659 (+20)
AGI: 653 (+10)
INT: 691
CHR: 98
WIS: 569
WILL: 436
ATR Points: 0