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"My Imperial Father has promised you safety. I promise you care. Hongnong will not be a broken city. It will be a safe city. A prosperous city, just like Xiapi, just like Xuchang, and all cities under the rule of the Hengyuan Dynasty and the protection of Emperor Hongyi! The war is moving away from your homes. Now, let peace begin with a full stomach and a safe roof!"
He finished, his heart hammering against his ribs. For a moment, there was silence. Then, from the back of the crowd, an old woman's voice, cracked with emotion, cried out, "Bless His Imperial Highness Crown Prince!"
It was the spark. A ragged cheer went up, then another, growing in volume and fervor. It wasn't the orchestrated, thunderous roar of soldiers, but a deeper, more visceral sound of relief and gratitude.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty! Long live the Crown Prince!" The chant swelled, filling the square, echoing off the scarred walls of the captured city. It was the sound of a people choosing to believe in the promise of the new dawn, offered to them by a boy's compassion.
Lie Fan watched, his pride a palpable warmth in his chest. He leaned close to Muchen as the cheers continued. "A nice speech," he murmured, his voice for his son alone. "You spoke to their hearts, not just their ears. That is a leader's true voice."
Muchen turned to him, the nervousness gone, replaced by a radiant, disbelieving smile. "Thank you, Imperial Father."
"Now," Lie Fan said, turning his attention back to the practicalities, his voice rising to command volume once more, "let us turn words into action! Soldiers! Begin the distribution! People of Hongnong, form orderly lines! Families together! There is enough for all! Let this be the first day of Hongnong's new life, a day of order, and of full bellies!"
Under the watchful eyes of Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and the elite guards, the soldiers began unloading the wagons, setting up distribution points. The people, now with a purpose, began to form lines, their movements hesitant at first, then with growing trust.
The atmosphere in the square transformed from one of terrified suspense to one of busy, hopeful activity. The scent of baking bread from a military field kitchen that had been set up began to mix with the lingering odors of smoke and dust.
Sima Yi, observing from his horse beside the other advisors, allowed himself a rare, faint smile. The military victory was complete. But this, the prince's initiative, the emperor's endorsement, the tangible relief for the people, this was the political and moral victory.
It was the stitch in the wound of conquest, and it had been administered not by a seasoned bureaucrat, but by an eleven year old prince who had learned that true power lay not just in breaking walls, but in healing the people who lived within them.
The lesson of Hongnong, for Muchen, was now complete, war was destruction, but rule was reconstruction. And he had just taken his first, decisive step.
Zhao Yun, standing behind Muchen, have his hand on his spear as he keep vigilant looking around. "You did well, Your Highness," he said softly. "But remember, today is the easy part."
Muchen looked up at him. "Because they are happy?"
Zhao Yun tuene to look at him and nodded. "Because happiness listens. Anger remembers."
Ma Chao laughed quietly beside them, arms folded. "You sound like an old man already, Zilong."
"And you sound like one who learned late," Zhao Yun replied without looking at him.
Ma Chao snorted but did not argue.
As the distribution continued, Lie Fan stepped down from the platform, boots crunching on broken stone. Chao Bo, Chao Bai, Huang Chao, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei fell in behind him automatically, massive silhouettes cutting through the crowd like living ramparts.
"Your Majesty," Guan Yu said, voice low. "Reports from the southern quarter. Minor fires still burning. Wei stragglers being rounded up."
"Execute no one without cause," Lie Fan replied immediately. "Those who surrender are prisoners, not corpses."
Zhang Fei grunted. "Even after what they did here?"
Lie Fan stopped walking.
The square seemed to quiet, as if sensing the shift. He turned, meeting Zhang Fei's eyes, not angrily, but firmly.
"They fought for their lord," Lie Fan said. "As you would for me. As I would expect you to."
Zhang Fei stared at him for a long moment, then bowed his head slightly. "Understood."
Lie Fan resumed walking.
That exchange did not go unnoticed. Nearby civilians who had stiffened at Zhang Fei's words visibly relaxed. A few even whispered to one another. Word traveled faster than fire.
Time slowly passed by and as dusk crept closer, Lie Fan convened a brief council inside the governor's hall, what remained of it. The ceiling had partially collapsed, sunlight filtering through jagged beams. Maps were unrolled across a stone table hastily cleared of debris.
Zhang Liao spoke first. "Supply lines are secure, Your Majesty. The western road is open, but we recommend fortifying it immediately."
Huang Zhong nodded. "Tong Pass will be reinforced within days. Cao Cao will not idle."
"He shouldn't," Lie Fan replied. "I would be disappointed if he did."
Sima Yi stepped forward. "Your Majesty, with Hongnong secured and the population pacified, you hold both leverage and legitimacy. Now is the moment to press psychologically, not just militarily."
Lie Fan looked at him. "Explain."
"Cao Ang," Sima Yi said calmly. "Xu Chu, Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Li Dian, and Yue Jin. We are treating them well. Let the word spread. Let Cao Cao know his son eats from your table and his generals still breathes receiving the best treatment from you."
A slow smile touched Lie Fan's lips. "Mercy as a weapon."
"Mercy as a mirror," Sima Yi corrected. "Let Wei see what kind of empire replaces them."
Lie Fan considered this, then nodded. "Prepare the proclamations then. Clear, measured. No gloating."
Sima Yi heard the decision and inclined his head once, a movement precise and unhurried. He then turned slightly, his gaze settling on Xu Shu, who stood near the edge of the council table, hands folded within his sleeves.
"Master Xu Shu," Sima Yi said calmly, "I will entrusts you with the drafting of the proclamation."
Xu Shu straightened immediately. He did not look surprised, only solemn. He bowed deeply toward Lie Fan. "Your Majesty, I understand. I will ensure the words are clear, measured, and worthy of the empire you are building."
Lie Fan met his eyes and nodded. "Good. Remember, this is not a declaration of triumph. It is an announcement of responsibility. Let Wei hear that Hongnong is fed, that its people live, and that those who surrender are treated with dignity."
Xu Shu bowed again, lower this time. "I will not fail."
With that settled, Lie Fan looked around the ruined hall. The generals that stood before him were streaked with soot and dust, armor dented, cloaks torn or stiff with dried blood. They had not truly rested since the siege began months ago.
"You have all earned rest," Lie Fan said, his voice steady but carrying an unmistakable warmth. "Tonight, sleep. Tend to your wounds. See to your men. Tomorrow, we begin preparations to march west to Tong Pass. The road ahead will not be gentler than the one behind us."
One by one, they bowed.
Soon, the sound of boots faded. The hall grew quiet, save for the distant crackle of fires being put out and the muted murmur of soldiers outside.
Only Lie Fan and Sima Yi remained amidst the settling dust and slanting rays of the late afternoon sun filtering through the broken roof.
The formal atmosphere of the council evaporated, leaving a space filled with the unspoken weight of the campaign.
Lie Fan leaned against the massive stone table, his gaze fixed on a crack in the floor. "Zhongda," he began, his voice quieter now, stripped of its imperial resonance. "The butcher's bill. Give it to me straight."
Sima Yi, ever prepared, unrolled a scroll he had kept at his side. The parchment was dense with columns of precise, stark figures. He did not flinch as he read them aloud, his tone flat, delivering the numbers like a physician stating symptoms.
"Total casualties sustained during the six month siege of Hongnong, one hundred and seven thousand, four hundred and twenty two. This includes deaths from combat, disease, and accidents within the siegeworks."
He paused, letting the number, over one hundred thousand souls, hang in the silence. "Heavily wounded, unable to return to service are seventy nine thousand, eight hundred and eleven. Lightly wounded, already treated and deemed fit for limited duty around one hundred and twenty three thousand, five hundred and sixty seven. Of those, approximately sixty thousand have been fully patched and are combat ready."
He moved on, his finger tracing the next column. "Material losses. Climbing Tigers ten of them are destroyed, two severely damaged. Heavy trebuchets, ten of them are destroyed. Siege towers, around seven of them are destroyed. The Hwacha carts, three of them are destroyed. Battering rams and other specialized engines, too numerous to list individually, but the tally is substantial."
He finished and let the scroll roll shut with a soft click. The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the ghosts of the numbers he had just spoken.
Lie Fan let out a long, slow sigh, the sound weary to its bones. He pushed himself away from the table and walked to a gap in the wall that served as a makeshift window, looking out over his occupied city.
"So many," he murmured, more to himself than to Sima Yi. "So many men. For one city. One stubborn stone in the river. It feels… needless."
Sima Yi moved to stand slightly behind and to his left, his hands tucked into his sleeves. "They did not die needlessly, Your Majesty." His voice was firm, corrective but not disrespectful.
"Do not fall into that sorrow, Your Majesty. They died for the cause you gave them. A just cause. The unification of a land that has known nothing but fracture and blood for generations. Each man who fell on this field did so knowing or believing that his sacrifice bought a step closer to a world where his children would not have to pick up a spear. Where his village would not be burned in a petty warlord's raid. They died for peace. A costly, brutal peace, but peace nonetheless."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping. "And their families will not starve for their loyalty. The compensation decrees you have instituted see to that. The widows will receive pensions. The orphans will have stipends for education. The wounded will be cared for, not discarded. This is what separates your empire from the chaos that came before. You break, yes. But you also build. And you remember the cost, Your Majesty."
Lie Fan turned from the window, his expression somber but cleared of the earlier shadow of doubt. Sima Yi was right. Sentiment could not undo the arithmetic of war, but purpose could justify it, and responsibility could honor it.
"See that it is done," he said, his voice regaining its steadiness. "Send a personal directive to Mi Zhu. I want confirmation that every family, every maimed soldier, is accounted for and provided for. The treasury is deep enough. This debt is paid in gold and grain, not just empty glory."
Sima Yi bowed. "It will be done before nightfall, Your Majesty."
Two days later, several hundred li to the west, a different kind of exhaustion gripped an army. This was not the weary satisfaction of victors, but the ragged, demoralized fatigue of the defeated.
The legendary Tong Pass rose before them, its imposing gates a welcome sight but also a glaring admission of failure. The mighty Wei army, once the terror of the north, filed through the pass not in triumphant columns, but in a bedraggled, silent stream. They carried the dust of Hongnong on their shoulders and the echo of unnatural thunder in their ears.
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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