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From the window, a shadow swooped down, a raven, sleek and black as midnight, its eyes sharp as onyx. This was his personal messenger, trained to fly tirelessly across mountains and rivers. With deft hands, Lie Fan tied the scroll to the bird's leg. He leaned close, whispering as though the raven could understand.
"To Zitong. To our brothers who hold the line. Fly swift, fly true."
The raven gave a low caw and spread its wings. With a rush of air, it soared into the night sky, vanishing toward the distant west.
For three days the bird flew, through storm and wind, over villages, rivers, and mountains scarred by war. Tirelessly it pressed on until, at last, the embattled city of Zitong came into sight.
The city walls bore the marks of constant siege, blackened stone from fire, banners torn by arrows. Beyond the walls, the encampments of Cao Cao's forces stretched like a sea of iron, their campfires glowing like malevolent stars.
The raven descended through the smoke and perches upon the narrow window of the Governor's Castle. Inside, Meng Da, weary eyed and wearing a bit dirtied clothes from days of battle, heard its cry. With a small smile, rare in these dire times, he approached and offered the bird a scrap of dried meat. As it ate, he untied the message and handed it to Fa Zheng.
Fa Zheng broke the seal, unrolled the letter, and began to read aloud. The words filled the chamber, every syllable carrying the weight of the Emperor's resolve. Zhang Song leaned in close, his thin scholar's face taut with exhaustion but lit with a spark of hope. Meng Da, arms crossed, listened intently.
When the last word was spoken, the three men let out a collective sigh. For days they had lived with the gnawing fear that Zitong would fall, that their cries would go unanswered. Now, assurance had come. Reinforcements were not a dream but a promise.
Fa Zheng folded the letter carefully, as if it were a treasure. His eyes shone with renewed determination. "His Majesty calls us to endure a little longer. Then endure we shall. Let Cao Cao throw his armies against these walls, we will make them bleed for every stone. Help is coming. We must hold until the drums of Hengyuan thunder upon the horizon."
Zhang Song nodded, his voice firm. "The people must not see despair in us. We shall show them this letter, let them know that they are not abandoned."
Meng Da tightened his gauntlet, his warrior's heart beating faster. "Good. Then let us make Cao Cao pay dearly for every step he dares take. When the news of Hengyuan's banners crest the north and west of Luoyang, he will know his doom."
The raven cawed once more, as if sealing the vow.
In Zitong, surrounded and battered, hope was reborn.
After that was said, Fa Zheng wasted no time. He summoned his attendants and ordered them to bring forth Generals Zhang Ren and Yan Yan. The two men, still armored and carrying the weary weight of days without true rest, entered the chamber. Their faces bore the dust of the battlements, streaked with the signs of sleepless nights and endless vigilance.
Fa Zheng held up the letter in his hand, its seal now broken but the Emperor's words still burning fresh in his memory. He gestured for the two generals to approach.
"The Emperor has spoken," Fa Zheng said, his tone carrying both solemnity and hope. "His Majesty himself has promised that aid will come. We are not abandoned, nor forgotten. The Hengyuan banners will march, but until they alleviate our pressure, we must endure."
At those words, Zhang Ren and Yan Yan exhaled together, a sigh of relief escaping them both. It was as if the tension that had coiled around their hearts for weeks loosened, if only slightly.
Yan Yan, who had always been a man of measured words, broke the silence first. His voice was hoarse, gravelly from shouting orders on the walls day after day. "That is good news indeed, Master Fa Zheng… but I must speak plainly. The situation grows worse by the day. Our men are exhausted. The casualties rise with each assault, and I fear we cannot withstand many more without breaking."
Zhang Ren added with a grim nod, "Cao Cao is no ordinary foe. Just as our men tire, he seems to grow stronger. His reinforcements keep arriving, fresh battalions like waves crashing upon a rock. His generals… they are monsters in human form. Xu Chu—" his hand clenched into a fist.
"— a single sweep of his blade sends half a dozen of our soldiers reeling. His strength alone can crush any who stand against him on the wall. And then there is Zhang He. His maneuvers are like flowing water, his attacks so fluid and flexible that he is everywhere at once. Each of his feints and thrusts has cost us dearly. These men are no mere soldiers, they are beasts of war."
The chamber grew heavy with their words. Meng Da crossed his arms, his jaw set in agreement.
Fa Zheng listened intently, then gave a slow nod. "You both have both done magnificently, more than any man could ask. You have kept Zitong alive when others would have already yielded. And it is not only your strength that has held the city, it is also the allies who have stood with us." His gaze sharpened, and for the first time that night, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Meng Huo and the Nanman tribes. Without their unorthodox methods, their clever traps and feral courage, we would have suffered far greater losses. Jianmen Pass alone stands as a monument to their ingenuity. Were it not for the serpents they released, the swarms of venomous insects, and even that half starved tiger they loosed upon the enemy… Cao Cao would have marched straight through. Instead, he was forced to halt, to burn the pass itself, and waste precious time rebuilding what he destroyed. That delay has been our salvation."
Zhang Ren and Yan Yan both nodded. Yan Yan's eyes narrowed with respect as he added, "Meng Huo has proven himself a man of worth. I confess, when I first heard of him, I thought him but a savage warlord. But no, he has the cunning of a general, and the bravery of ten men. His Majesty will be pleased indeed when he learns how valuable this alliance has become. To have Meng Huo stand with us is no small gain."
Fa Zheng's expression grew firm again, the glimmer of satisfaction fading into resolve. "Then let us waste no time in praise. You must continue to oversee the defenses. The strategy we three devised remains our best hope of prolonging this siege until the Emperor's banners arrive. Hold the walls. Keep the men's spirits from faltering. The people must see you stand tall, even if your hearts are weary."
The two generals bowed deeply, their fists pressed to their chests in solemn salute. "We understand."
With that, they turned and departed, their footsteps echoing against the stone as they made their way back to the lines. The raven still lingered on the window ledge, as if watching them leave, before finally spreading its wings and vanishing into the night.
Several days passed. Each sunrise brought another clash of steel upon the ramparts of Zitong, another storm of arrows, another roar of battering rams against the walls. Yet the defenders endured, as Fa Zheng commanded. Their faith in Lie Fan's word was their shield, their fire.
Far away in Xiapi, the heart of the Hengyuan Dynasty, the scene shifted.
The Emperor, Lie Fan, sat in his council chamber, listening intently as the final draft of the great strategy was presented before him. The long wooden table was strewn with maps, ink brushes, and rolled documents marked with red seals.
Xun You and Sima Yi stood at the forefront, their scholarly robes plain, but their presence commanding. Behind them lingered Jia Xu, Chen Gong, Xu Shu, and Pang Tong, the keenest minds of the realm, who had all contributed their thoughts, critiques, and refinements to the plan now laid bare.
"Your Majesty," Xun You began, his voice calm and precise, "the Central and Western Command, under your authority, will march upon Hulao Gate. Its destruction or capture will cripple Cao Cao's direct route of reinforcement from Luoyang."
Sima Yi took over smoothly, gesturing to the maps. "At the same time, the Northern Command will strike Shangdang. If both positions fall in quick succession, Cao Cao's supply lines will definitely be in trouble. His vast host will be cut off from the grain of the north and the reserves of the central plain. Deprived of sustenance, his armies will falter. This is the first phase of the strategy."
Lie Fan listened, his face unreadable, though his eyes flickered with sharp attention at every word. When they concluded, he leaned back slightly, steepling his fingers.
"This strategy…" he murmured, "has the elegance of a blade and the weight of a hammer. Yes. This will do." He looked up, his voice carrying a note of command. "Has this been sent to the Marshall and Army Strategist of each army?"
Xun You and Sima Yi exchanged a brief glance. Then Xun You answered, bowing his head. "Not yet, Your Majesty. We awaited your approval before delivering it to them."
"Good," Lie Fan said firmly. "Then send it now. Inform each Command to begin their preparations, and let them coordinate with one another. When my order is given, they will march as one. The strike must be simultaneous, only then will the jaws close fully upon Cao Cao."
The two strategists cupped their hands in salute, bowing deeply. "At once, Your Majesty."
At that moment, the heavy doors of the chamber swung open. In stepped two figures of iron and authority, Grand General Huangfu Song and Deputy Grand General Zhang Liao. The air itself seemed to tighten at their entrance. Both men knelt on one knee, their heads bowed in deference.
"Your Majesty," Huangfu Song said, his voice deep and steady. "We bring word that the Central, Northern, and Western Commands are fully prepared. At your word, they will move."
Zhang Liao echoed him, his tone carrying the edge of a seasoned warrior. "The men are eager, their blades sharpened, their banners raised. They await only your order."
Lie Fan's gaze swept over the two generals, pride flickering in his eyes. He motioned for them to rise. "You have done well. Now hear me. Unlike in battles past, I shall not ride with the army this time. This war must prove that the might of Hengyuan does not rest upon one man alone, but upon the strength of its commanders and soldiers united."
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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