If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my Patreon!!!
Go to https://www.patreon.com/Tang12
___________________________
Lie Fan shook his head, feeling a strange buoyancy in his chest. Things were falling into place faster than he had ever dreamed. He turned back to the courtyard. Yaoyao had finally managed to win a round of touhu, raising her arms in triumph while Chechen poked her with his sticks in playful outrage. Yanyan and Nuonuo had collapsed onto the grass, breathless and giggling, their silk ball was forgotten.
Lie Fan walked toward them, savoring the sight.
"Chenchen! Yaoyao! Yanyan! Nuonuo!" he called out, his voice warm.
The children scrambled to their feet and raced to him, clinging to his robes with gleeful shouts.
"Father, father! I won!" Yaoyao boasted, tugging at his sleeve.
"I let you win!" Chenchen retorted immediately, poking his. Sister's forehead.
Lie Fan laughed, bending down to sweep Yanyan and Xuanxuan into his arms.
"You are all winners today," he said, kissing the tops of their heads.
The little girls giggled, their small arms wrapping around his neck while Chenchen stood behind this father.
For a few precious moments, Lie Fan allowed himself to simply be a father, savoring their love, and their innocence.
But eventually, duty called.
He set them down gently and patted their heads.
"Go on, now. Go find your Mother's. Tell them we will dine together tonight."
The children scampered off, their laughter trailing behind them. Lie Fan straightened, his smile fading as he turned his gaze toward the horizon. He had much to do.
Later that day, Lie Fan convened a private meeting in his study. He called for a few of his inner council advisors Jia Xu, Chen Qun, Lu Su, and Zhuge Liang.
He laid the letter from Shi Xie on the table, allowing them all to read it in turn.
Silence reigned as they digested the news.
It was Jia Xu who finally spoke, his voice laced with dry amusement.
"Old Shi Xie is as cunning as ever, my lord. He smells the shift in the wind."
Chen Qun nodded, his expression grave. "A wise move. Jiaozhi's allegiance grants us not only resources but also prestige, my lord. The southern kingdom and tribes to the south of Shi Xie's domain will take notice of this Xie's move."
Lu Su leaned forward, tapping the table with a slender finger. "We must treat Shi Gan and Shi Song with utmost care, my lord. The Shi Clan's loyalty is a fragile thing, rooted in survival, not affection."
Zhuge Liang, whose hand was swaying as he fanned his face, added, "And we must watch for any signs of duplicity, my lord. Though unlikely, desperation can drive even wise men to folly."
Lie Fan listened to them all, nodding.
"We will accept Shi Xie's surrender with grace," he said firmly. "Shi Gan will be honored. Shi Song will be cared for, treated as an honored guest, and even given some official position here and a modest mansion as his residence."
He paused, his eyes sharpening.
"But we will keep a close watch. Trust... but verify Shi Xie's true purpose through the Oriole agents."
The advisors nodded in unison.
Lie Fan stood then, drawing himself to his full height.
"Prepare the ceremony, no need to be grand but not too modest either," he ordered. "When Shi Gan arrives, we shall welcome him as a brother. And when Jiaozhi becomes ours, we will ensure that its people know peace, not chaos."
He turned to Jia Xu.
"Wenhe, send word to Fa Zheng, Zhang Song, and Meng Da. Remind the there of them that the time to act in Yi Province is drawing near."
He turned to Chen Qun.
"Changwen, you prepare a detailed plan for integrating Jiaozhi's administration into our own."
He turned to Lu Su and Zhuge Liang.
"And you two, Zijing and Kongminh, oversee and welcome the delegation when it arrives. Treat them well, but leave no blind spots."
They bowed, accepting their orders without hesitation.
As the meeting ended and the men filed out, Lie Fan lingered by the window, gazing out across Xiapi.
His city. His future. Soon, it would not just be Xiapi. Not just Xuzhou. Not just the entire north. The whole of China would come under his banner, and expansion outward would become true.
He touched the letter at his sleeve once more, feeling the weight of it. Shi Xie's submission was one of the final pieces needed on the vast chessboard.
It was a very vital one. And as the sun sank low in the sky, casting long shadows across the land, Lie Fan smiled once more.
Meanwhile, to the far south, Shi Gan's delegation moved with deliberate speed. 500 men, a mix of scholars, guards, and servants, accompanied him, their horses kicking up dust along the northern road.
At the center of the procession, a covered carriage carried precious gifts, bolts of fine silk, intricately carved jade, and rare spices from the southern land and seas. And beside it, riding with quiet dignity, was Shi Song.
The youngest son of Shi Xie had not spoken much since their departure. His face was calm, but his knuckles were white where they gripped the reins.
Shi Gan glanced at him, then away. He did not know what to say to his youngest brother. Comfort would be hollow. Promises of a swift return would be lies.
So he said nothing. Instead, he focused on the road ahead, on the weight of the letter sealed in his satchel. His father's words and his clan's fate rested in his hands.
But as the days passed on their journey to Xiapi, Shi Song's silence grew heavier.
At night, when the campfires burned low, he would stare into the flames, wondering what awaited him in Xiapi. Would he be treated as an honored guest? A prisoner in all but name?
Would he ever see Jiaozhi and his father again?
Shi Gan, noticing his brother's stillness, finally spoke. "You will not be mistreated in Xiapi, Song'er."
Shi Song did not look up. "I know fourth brother."
"Lie Fan is not a petty tyrant. He values loyalty. If we prove ourselves, you will return to Jiaozhi safe and sound."
A log cracked in the fire, sending up a shower of sparks. Shi Song's voice was very quiet. "And if Father suddenly rebels?"
Shi Gan had no answer to that. Both brothers knew that their father would never rebel, but if their older brother succeeded their father in the future, that's a different matter.
Days melted into weeks, and the warm spring sun hung lazily in the sky as Lie Fan sat in his study, the scent of ink and parchment thick in the air.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the lacquered desk, his mind only half on the reports being recited before him. Across from him, an Oriole agent, dressed plainly as an ordinary clerk, was giving a detailed account.
"Shi Gan and his delegation are now a mere two days' ride from Xiapi, my lord," the agent intoned. "Their pace has been steady, and there have been no signs of treachery or outside interference."
Lie Fan nodded slowly, pleased but cautious. Things were falling into place exactly as he hoped, yet he knew well that a single misstep could send the entire board crashing.
He leaned back in his chair, preparing to ask another question, when the door to his study slammed open with an urgency that froze the room.
A servant, no, an Oriole agent in disguise, stumbled in, falling immediately to his knees.
"Forgive this servant's rudeness, my lord!" the man cried out, his forehead touching the floor.
Lie Fan, startled, stood up sharply, his instincts prickling. "Speak! What has happened?"
The agent lifted his head, face flushed with haste. "My lord, Lady Lu Lingqi, she has gone into labor!"
The world seemed to tilt for a brief moment. Lie Fan blinked, the words sinking in slowly before rushing through his veins like wildfire.
Without hesitation, he barked, "Report to Jia Xu about Shi Gan's delegation! Tell him to handle the preparations for Shi Gan's arrival in my stead, work with Lu Su and Zhuge Liang!" and then swept out of the study, his robes billowing behind him.
The corridors of the residence blurred as he strode with long, rapid steps, the servant hurrying ahead to lead him. Every beat of his heart thundered in his ears, a wild mixture of fear, excitement, and hope.
He soon reached the medical wing of the residence, where a group of midwives and nurses bustled behind the closed doors. Waiting outside were Ying Yue, Diao Chan, and Cai Wenji, their faces lit with a mixture of nervous anticipation and joy.
Seeing him arrive, the three women immediately straightened and offered soft smiles, their eyes reflecting their shared excitement.
"Husband," Ying Yue said, stepping forward to greet him, "we were spending time together when suddenly Sister Lingqi felt pains. We summoned the best midwives from the clinic immediately."
"We made sure everything was prepared Husband," Diao Chan added warmly, her hands clasped in front of her chest.
"Don't worry, Husband," Cai Wenji said, her voice soothing like a gentle spring breeze. "Sister Lingqi is strong. Both she and the baby will be safe."
Lie Fan exhaled deeply, tension bleeding out of him as he looked at his wives, pride and gratitude swelling in his chest.
"You have my thanks," he said, voice low and sincere. "Truly."
They smiled in return, and together they settled into a tense but hopeful wait. Every so often, faint sounds, the sharp and encouraging commands of the midwives, the low murmur of nurses, the occasional muffled cry, and servants moving quietly, bringing fresh linens and hot water drifted through the heavy doors.
Lie Fan found himself pacing. For all his calm in the face of battle, for all his strategic patience in governance, this, this helpless waiting, was agony.
Ying Yue, noticing his restlessness, touched his arm. "She will be fine, Husband," she said softly. "Sister Lingqi is the strongest of us all."
Diao Chan smirked faintly. "If she can goes toe to toe with you during sparring, my lord, she can handle this."
The small joke eased the tension, and Lie Fan chuckled despite himself. An hour passed, feeling like an eternity stretched thin.
Then a loud piercing cry broke through the tense silence. A baby's wail, loud and strong, filled the air.
All four of them instinctively released the breaths they hadn't realized they were holding.
Relief, pure and overwhelming, washed over them. The door opened, and one of the nurses stepped out, cradling a small, tightly bundled figure in her arms. She smiled brightly upon seeing Lie Fan and bowed deeply. "Congratulations, my lord!" she announced, her voice ringing clear. "It is a healthy boy! Both Lady Lu Lingqi and the child are safe."
______________________________
Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 33 (200 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 1325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 951 (+20)
VIT: 613 (+20)
AGI: 598 (+10)
INT: 617
CHR: 96
WIS: 519
WILL: 407
ATR Points: 0