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The news of this monumental victory traveled across treacherous mountain passes, sailed across the Bay of Bengal, and rode along the newly paved imperial highways of the southern provinces. It finally arrived at Lie Fan's hand more than a full month later. The seasons had dramatically turned since the army had marched. The stifling summer heat had given way to the crisp, cool winds of autumn, and the year had officially changed to 204 AD.
Sitting in his warm, sunlit imperial study in the grand capital of Xiapi, the golden metropolis of the eastern world now, Lie Fan received the heavily guarded courier. The Emperor, dressed in comfortable, fur lined silk robes, took the bamboo scroll and broke the red wax seal with a sharp snap.
As he read the highly detailed, immaculate reports penned by Xun You, detailing the total subjugation of Samatata and the successful, deceptive implementation of the puppet state strategy, a deep satisfaction settled into his chest.
Lie Fan leaned back in his dragon throne, looking up at the painted ceiling of his study. The plan had worked flawlessly. Huang Zhong's absolute martial dominance had crushed their spirit, and Xun You's brilliant geopolitical deception had secured the borders without triggering a continental coalition. They had successfully planted a cancer of imperial control deep within the Indian subcontinent.
Without wasting a single moment, Lie Fan moved to his massive mahogany desk. He ground the inkstone himself, his mind already moving years ahead into the future. He immediately drafted his imperial reply, his brush strokes aggressive, sweeping, and filled with terrifying ambition.
He handed the freshly sealed scroll to the kneeling Oriole Agent courier, who bowed his head to the floor.
The reply was completely filled with aggressive, forward thinking directions that would shape the next decade of the world. He strictly ordered Huang Zhong to immediately begin heavily consolidating their new, secret borders. They were to quietly construct massive, hidden foundries within Samatata territory, preparing to arm the puppet troops with Hengyuan steel while maintaining the illusion of local autonomy.
Simultaneously, he issued a command to the leadership of the Oriole Agents. They were to immediately infiltrate and deeply scout the other massive kingdoms and chiefdoms surrounding Samatata. Lie Fan specifically targeted the naval powerhouse of Vanga and the northern, battle hardened bastion of Pundravardhana. He wanted maps of their cities, ledgers of their treasuries, and the names of every corrupt noble in their courts.
Lie Fan meticulously preparing the geopolitical chessboard for his son later on. The conquest of Samatata was merely the opening move. The proxy war had officially begun, and he was laying the flawless groundwork for the inevitable, massive clash of titans, the day the Hengyuan Dynasty would finally threaten the Guishuang Empire and shake the western world.
The atmosphere deep inside the sunlit imperial study was highly classified and suffocatingly quiet. Lie Fan sat back in his dragon throne, his eyes hard and calculating as he handed the sealed directives to the kneeling Oriole Agent.
"See that this reaches General Huang Zhong and Grand Commandant Xun You immediately," Lie Fan commanded, his voice barely above a whisper, yet carrying the absolute weight of imperial law. "The borders of Samatata are to be fortified in absolute secrecy. The neighboring kings must not suspect that the Black Dragon is already coiling around them."
The black clad agent respectfully received the heavy bamboo scroll, bowing his head until his forehead touched the polished marble floor. He understood the monumental gravity of the order for his shadows and comrades down at the newly established, humid southwest border.
"It shall be done, Your Majesty," the agent murmured.
However, just before the spy could turn to leave and melt seamlessly back into the shadows of the palace, Lie Fan raised his hand, halting the man with a single gesture.
"Stay for a moment longer," Lie Fan ordered.
The Emperor leaned forward, resting his forearms on his massive mahogany desk, his eyes suddenly gleaming with an intense, almost predatory curiosity. The geopolitical maneuvering was vital, but his mind was currently fixed on the terrifying tactical reality of the battlefield.
"The political consolidation is proceeding flawlessly," Lie Fan stated, "but I wish to hear the tactical details. Tell me specifically about the Qinglong Unit's combat report. How did the Azure Dragon perform in the field?"
The Oriole Agent's usually stoic, emotionless eyes widened slightly. Even for a man trained to observe death in absolute silence, recalling the horrifying, awe inspiring details of the intelligence reports from the tropical front sent a visible shiver down his spine.
Bowing deeply again, the agent vividy recounted the engagement.
"Your Majesty, to call it a battle would be a profound disservice to the word," the agent began, his voice laced with genuine awe. "The first actual combat engagement involving the Qinglong Unit was ended in a matter of mere seconds."
The agent described how the newly forged flintlocks and the heavy, wide-barreled blunderbusses proved to be an absolutely devastating, apocalyptic weapon on the battlefield.
"When the Samatata vanguard, a massive column of armored war elephants and heavy infantry, charged our lines near the river crossing, the Qinglong Unit did not flinch," the agent reported, painting a terrifying picture of disciplined slaughter. "They waited until the beasts were terrifyingly close. And then, they unleashed a single, coordinated volley."
Lie Fan's eyes darkened with satisfaction. "And the result?"
"The deafening roar of the black powder echoed like a wrathful thunderstorm, Your Majesty. It was a sound the natives had never heard. It instantly cleared out the enemy ranks before the two armies could even come into physical contact. The elephants panicked immediately, trampling their own men."
The agent passionately emphasized the lethal superiority of the new weapons. "The firearms proved to be unimaginably more accurate and lethal than traditional bows and arrows. Our archers are peerless, but the sheer kinetic trauma of these weapons is something else entirely. Furthermore, the heavy lead balls simply could not be deflected."
The agent noted with chilling, clinical detail, "The projectiles effortlessly punched straight through the enemies' thick leather armors. They shattered their heavy wooden shields as if they were made of dry parchment, and completely pierced their bronze chest plates. The lead shattered bone and completely obliterated the enemy's frontline formations in a single breath. The enemy did not retreat; they broke, utterly and completely."
Hearing that highly detailed, incredibly successful report, Lie Fan nodded his head slowly. A cold, deeply satisfied smile formed on his lips. He was incredibly pleased with the result of his massive military investment. The era of swords and arrows was drawing to a close, the era of fire and thunder had begun under his banner.
Before dismissing the spy, Lie Fan's expression hardened into absolute strictness.
"Ensure that the Oriole network absolutely keeps this vital information regarding the weapons strictly secured," Lie Fan commanded, pointing a finger at the agent. "I want the borders of the southwest sealed tight. Execute any merchant or fleeing soldier who speaks of thunder weapons. Absolutely no rumors of gunpowder are to leak to the Kushan Empire. When they finally face the Azure Dragon, I want it to be a complete, terrifying surprise."
"By my life, Your Majesty," the agent promised. With a final, deep bow, he retreated into the shadows and was gone.
The narrative perspective completely changed, shifting from the quiet, calculating, and chillingly silent imperial study to the scorching, deafening, and wildly innovative Imperial Workshop on the sprawling outskirts of Xiapi.
Inside this massive, heavily guarded industrial complex, the air was thick with the smell of coal smoke, hot iron, and burning oil. Here, the brilliant minds of Huang Yue Ying, Zhuge Liang, Liu Ye, and Huang Chengyan were passionately, tirelessly working. They were still deeply entrenched in researching and developing the massive "Steam Carriage" that Yue Ying had originally dreamed of making.
Since Yue Ying's foundational theory of the steam-powered carriage had been flawlessly proven to be correct with the miniature, fully functional prototype, their world changing project had made significant, leaps and bounds progress. But scaling up a toy into a massive, iron beast capable of hauling tons of cargo across the empire was a monumental task of engineering.
The workshop was a chaotic, beautiful, and deafening symphony of clanking hammers, hissing pressure valves, and blazing, white hot furnaces.
In one corner of the massive facility, the Minister of Work, Liu Ye, and the veteran inventor Huang Chengyan were heavily focused on the massive iron metallurgy required for the beast. They were sweating profusely, shouting over the roar of the blast furnaces as they struggled to forge a massive, completely airtight iron boiler.
They needed to create a thick iron chassis that could withstand the terrifying, explosive pressure of trapped steam without shattering like glass and killing everyone in the room.
Meanwhile, at a massive, sturdy oak table far away from the sparks of the forge, Yue Ying and Zhuge Liang spent countless hours huddled together. They were bent over massive, ink stained parchment blueprints, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of oil lamps.
They were frantically calculating complex, unprecedented thermodynamic equations, debating gear ratios, and calculating track friction for the heavy iron wheels. As they worked side by side, analyzing the movement of the heavy iron pistons and designing the complex, mechanical linkages that would turn steam pressure into forward momentum, an undeniable magnetism drew them together.
Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying naturally began to get closer and closer. They shared quiet, exhausted smiles through faces smeared with soot, grease, and ink. Their brilliant minds were operating on a frequency that only the other could truly understand. To Zhuge Liang, Yue Ying's mind was the most beautiful, intricate puzzle he had ever encountered, to Yue Ying, Zhuge Liang's flawless logic and serene brilliance were the perfect anchor to her wildly creative spirit.
During this intense, months long period of relentless creation, the undeniable affection continue to grow amidst the sparks and smoke of the forge.
It happened on a quiet, cool evening in late autumn. After spending the entire day at the imperial workshop doing exhausting physical and mental work, the roaring fires of the forge had finally died down to softly glowing orange embers. The deafening clanging had ceased, replaced by the quiet ticking of cooling metal.
Liu Ye and Huang Chengyan, exhausted to their bones, had already retired to their quarters to sleep, leaving Zhuge Liang and Yue Ying completely alone in the dim, warm light of the workshop.
They were standing side by side beside the massive, half built iron beast they were creating. Zhuge Liang looked up from a complex schematic, turning his gaze to the brilliant, beautiful woman beside him. She was wiping grease from her cheek with a rag, her eyes still scanning the heavy iron boiler with intense focus.
Mustering a courage that rivaled facing a hundred thousand charging enemy soldiers, Zhuge Liang finally took the definitive step forward.
He gently, eloquently broke the delicate "small paper window" that had silently, frustratingly stood between them for months.
"Yue Ying," Zhuge Liang said, his normally calm voice trembling just a fraction.
She turned to look at him, her large, intelligent eyes blinking in surprise at the sudden, deeply serious tone of his voice.
With a soft, deeply sincere voice, Zhuge Liang looked directly into her eyes. He respectfully, but firmly, asked for her permission to get even closer to her. He eloquently expressed his deep admiration not just for her mind, but for her spirit. He asked to walk the path of life together, not just as fellow scholars and imperial inventors, but as bound companions in marriage.
Yue Ying was completely surprised by the sudden, heartfelt confession. The usually unflappable, focused genius inventor instantly became highly flustered. A deep, beautiful red blush completely covered her cheeks, visible even under the smudges of soot.
Looking down at her ink stained hands, she shyly, but incredibly happily, accepted his feelings. She admitted that she had admired him since the day he first understood her blueprints.
However, holding deeply to her strict familial respect and the traditions of her lineage, she gently looked back up at him. "If you truly wish to get closer to me, to court me properly," she whispered, a small smile playing on her lips, "you must formally ask permission from my beloved father."
Zhuge Liang's eyes lit up with sheer, unadulterated joy. The heavy weight of uncertainty vanished from his shoulders. He immediately agreed, of course, promising to do it the very next morning before the furnaces were even lit.
The following day, a touching, highly respectful scene unfolded inside the cramped, blueprint filled workshop office.
Zhuge Liang formally approached Huang Chengyan. Pouring the older man a cup of hot tea with absolute reverence, Zhuge Liang bowed deeply, his head nearly touching the table, and formally asked for his absolute permission to court his brilliant daughter for marriage.
Huang Chengyan took a slow sip of his tea. The old inventor, who had already clearly seen the undeniable, magnetic spark between the two greatest young minds of the era for months, initially put on a stern, highly evaluating face. He looked at Zhuge Liang intensely, letting the silence stretch for a long, agonizing moment.
Then, Huang Chengyan broke into a massive, booming laugh that echoed through the office. He slammed his teacup down and joyfully patted Zhuge Liang heavily on the shoulder.
"I was wondering when you two would finally stop looking at equations and start looking at each other!" Huang Chengyan laughed, giving his wholehearted, enthusiastic blessing to the union.
Of course, in an empire where the Emperor has eyes everywhere, this wonderful, heartwarming news did not stay secret for long. It quickly reached Lie Fan's desk through a highly amused Oriole Agent's daily report regarding the workshop's activities.
Sitting in his study, Lie Fan read the report and let out genuine, booming chuckles that surprised his guards outside the door. He was incredibly happy that it had finally happened. Knowing the massive historical significance of their union, Lie Fan silently, warmly gave his absolute imperial blessing for their romance to naturally happen without any political interference.
Staring out the window toward the workshop district, Lie Fan deeply hoped that the two geniuses could get married very soon, and then have their own exceptionally brilliant children. Lie Fan's visionary, empire building mind immediately envisioned the future. The offspring of the Sleeping Dragon and the master inventor could be meticulously nurtured and educated in the imperial academies to become the absolute next generation of peerless talent for the Hengyuan Empire.
A few days later, needing a desperate break from the endless mountain of bureaucratic scrolls, military reports, and taxation ledgers, Lie Fan decided to take a grand, personal tour of the bustling capital. He wanted to visit each of his five beloved wives, all of whom were currently, passionately doing their groundbreaking work outside of the secluded, traditional confines of the Harem Palace.
Changing out of his heavy imperial robes, Lie Fan donned wealthy, elegant, but unassuming dark blue noble robes. Accompanied only by his most elite, heavily disguised bodyguards who blended into the crowds, Lie Fan stepped out into the thriving, roaring streets of Xiapi.
He started his journey by visiting Ying Yue first, arriving at the grand, sprawling complex of the Imperial Hospital.
As he stepped through the heavy wooden doors, the sharp, medicinal smell of burning moxa, boiling bitter herbs, and clean linen instantly filled the air. He was immediately greeted by the legendary, white bearded physicians Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing. Lie Fan respectfully paid his deep, honest respect to the two old masters, honoring them for saving countless lives across the empire.
Moving deeper into the heavily sanitized female and children's ward, Lie Fan stopped in the doorway and smiled warmly.
He watched Ying Yue, dressed in pristine, unadorned white medical robes, her hair tied back simply. She was expertly and gently diagnosing a sick, feverish child, her hands expertly checking the child's pulse while speaking soothingly to the terrified mother.
Her absolute dedication and the profound, reverent respect the other medics and patients showed her made Lie Fan's heart swell with immense pride. She was no longer just a royal figurehead wearing a heavy crown, she was a true, life saving pioneer of medicine.
Next, Lie Fan's carriage took him away from the hospital and into the vibrant, wealthy cultural district of the capital. They arrived at a massive, beautifully designed mansion that housed the Dancing and Embroidery Academy, owned and operated entirely by Diao Chan.
Walking quietly through the beautifully manicured courtyard, the enchanting, melodious sounds of zithers and lutes filled the air, washing away the stress of the empire. Lie Fan quietly slipped into the back of a grand, airy training hall.
There, he watched the peerlessly beautiful Diao Chan. Dressed in flowing, elegant, vibrant silks that moved like water, she was gracefully teaching dozens of eager young women, a mix of noble daughters and talented common born girls, the highest, most complex forms of traditional dance and the intricate, highly valued art of silk embroidery.
When Diao Chan executed a flawless spin and caught a glimpse of her husband standing in the doorway, her strict, teaching demeanor instantly melted. She broke into an absolutely radiant, breathtaking smile, her sheer happiness lighting up the entire hall and causing her students to giggle.
Leaving the academy with a full heart, Lie Fan then traveled to the highly prestigious, sprawling campus of the Xiapi Academy, the absolute intellectual heart of the empire.
Walking through the grand, silent halls filled with the scholarly scent of fresh ink and ancient bamboo scrolls, he found Cai Wenji. She was standing confidently at the head of a massive, tiered lecture hall. She was currently teaching a complex, brilliant class on historical poetry, classical instruments, and the new, vital nationalistic literature to hundreds of mesmerized, highly educated scholars.
Seeing her command such absolute intellectual respect from a room full of the brightest men and women in the empire proved to Lie Fan that his controversial decree of educational equality was completely, flawlessly working. Lie Fan stood in the shadows and watched her articulate a beautiful, complex poem, completely mesmerized by her towering intellect and undeniable grace.
From the quiet, civilized halls of academia, Lie Fan's journey took a drastic, violent, and highly energetic turn. He arrived at the dusty, heavily fortified military training grounds on the rugged edge of the capital. The air here was incredibly thick with kicked up yellow dust, the sharp smell of sweat, and the deafening, rhythmic clashing of heavy steel weapons. There, Lie Fan found the fierce warrior queen, Lu Lingqi.
______________________________
Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 37 (204 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