If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
______________________________
(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
...
Right behind the advisors rode the peerless, legendary generals who had executed the Emperor's violent will upon the steppes. Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Zhang Liao. This legendary cadre of commanders was heavily flanked by the terrifying, silent ranks of the Yellow Ghost Bodyguards. Even amidst the deafening celebrations, these elite Bodyguards maintained their chilling, emotionless discipline. Their dark yellow iron masks and heavy weapons served as a stark, visual reminder that the Emperor's power was absolute, both in the light of day and in the darkest shadows of the night.
They were then followed by the other decorated, battle hardened generals of the various divisions, leading the seemingly endless, perfectly synchronized blocks of the heavy Hengyuan infantry. And marching proudly among the vanguard was the fierce, all female Valkyrie battalion.
The Soaring Valkyries stepped in perfect, lethal unison, their crimson and silver banners held high. They had proven their martial supremacy in the freezing mud of the north, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the greatest warriors of the era, and the crowds roared their approval at the sight of the woman only battalion that was the Empress and Concubines unbreakable guard.
Seeing this legendary vanguard, the men and women who had marched into the frozen abyss and permanently extinguished a threat that had plagued the central plains for thousands of years, the hundreds of thousands of common people of Xiapi completely lost their minds in a euphoric frenzy.
They welcomed their returning heroes with deafening, earth shaking cheers that physically vibrated the stones of the city streets. It was a cacophony of absolute, unadulterated joy. Men wept openly, holding their children high above their heads so they could catch a glimpse of the Black Dragon.
Women threw handfuls of colorful silk ribbons and crushed flowers from the balconies of the towering multi story buildings and merchant houses. The air was thick with the smell of expensive, burning incense and the sweet scent of the massive feasts that were already being prepared in every district.
From every corner, every rooftop, and every packed alleyway, loud, tearful proclamations erupted in a continuous, overwhelming wave of sound.
"Long live the Black Dragon! Long live the Concubine Lu!"
"The north is safe! The empire is safe!"
"Long live our Emperor! Long live our Emperor!"
The chanting became a physical force, a tidal wave of fanatical loyalty and profound, desperate gratitude. These people knew the histories. They knew the terror of the barbarian raids. And they knew that the man riding the massive black warhorse had just guaranteed that their grandchildren would never know the fear of a burning harvest.
Hearing the absolute, unconditional love and adoration pouring from the masses, Lie Fan allowed the cold, uncompromising mask of the ruthless emperor to finally slip away. He warmly waved his gauntleted hand at his beloved people, his handsome features breaking into a big, genuine, and profoundly radiant smile.
He was bathing in the glory of his conquest, absorbing the intoxicating, overwhelming energy of a populace that viewed him as a living god. He looked at the faces of the farmers, the merchants, the scholars, and the laborers, seeing the direct result of his brutal campaigns.
The blood he had spilled in the north was the price for the tears of joy currently washing the streets of Xiapi. It was a burden he would gladly bear a thousand times over.
The grand imperial procession moved like a majestic, unstoppable river through the main arteries of the capital, the sheer volume of the returning army and the captive train taking hours to fully enter the city limits. The celebrations continued unabated, the drumming and the music reaching a fever pitch as the vanguard approached the absolute center of the empire.
And soon, after navigating the euphoric, flower strewn avenues of the outer and middle rings, the grand imperial procession finally arrived right in front of the towering, unimaginably opulent Palace gate in the inner city, where the massive red and gold doors was opened to welcome the Emperor back.
Entering into the grand, sprawling palace courtyard, the sight that greeted the returning conquerors was truly magnificent, a breathtaking culmination of imperial architecture and absolute political discipline. As they entered, the deafening, chaotic roar of the euphoric city streets was suddenly muted, replaced by a profound, heavily orchestrated atmosphere of supreme, dignified reverence.
The imperial courtyard was vast, paved with perfectly cut, seamless slabs of pale gray stone that had been swept so immaculately they seemed to gleam under the afternoon sun.
Hundreds of high ranking officials of the imperial court, the brilliant scholars, the strict magistrates, the provincial officials who had been summoned to the capital, and the meticulously organized ministers of the state, all respectfully welcomed and loudly congratulated their Emperor as he returned in absolute triumph.
Unlike the commoners outside who threw flowers and wept openly in the streets, the elite administrators of the Hengyuan Dynasty expressed their boundless joy and relief with perfect, unbreakable courtly decorum. They stood in flawless, highly disciplined rows on the left and right of the pristine main road that led directly through the massive courtyard toward the towering white stone stairs of the inner Palace.
Every single official was dressed in their absolute finest, heavy silk ceremonial robes, color coded by their specific ministries and ranks, their heads bowed in deep, unified reverence as the Emperor rode past them.
The sheer volume of wealth, intellect, and administrative power gathered in this single courtyard was enough to govern the entire known world a dozen times over, yet every man present held their breath in awe of the singular figure riding at the front of the procession.
Arriving at the base of the towering, immaculately carved white stone stairs that led up to the majestic main hall, Lie Fan and his legendary group of generals and advisors finally stopped their arduous march.
Lie Fan pulled back gently on Pangu's reins, the monstrous black warhorse letting out a heavy, steam filled snort as its iron shod hooves came to a halt upon the polished flagstones. With a fluid, practiced grace that entirely belied the heavy, dark bespoke armor he wore, Lie Fan gracefully got off his armored warhorse.
Right beside him, the fierce and beautiful Lu Lingqi dismounted just as flawlessly, and behind them, Sima Yi, Xun You, Xu Shu, Lu Xun, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Zhang Liao, also swung down from their saddles, handing their reins to the rushing stable masters.
The terrifying, silent ranks of the Yellow Ghost Bodyguards instantly fanned out, forming a perfectly spaced, impenetrable perimeter of dark iron and drawn steel around the base of the stairs, their emotionless masks surveying the courtyard with lethal, unblinking focus.
As the Emperor's boots touched the stone of his home, a ripple of movement occurred at the very front of the assembled ranks of the imperial court.
Stepping forward from the front of the disciplined rows of officials, Chancellor Jia Xu and Grand Secretary Chen Qun moved to formally greet their sovereign. The two men represented the absolute, foundational pillars of the empire's internal stability.
They approached the Emperor with their hands clasped firmly in front of them, warmly welcoming Lie Fan and Lu Lingqi back to the center of the world. They bowed deeply, bending at the waist until their torsos were perfectly parallel with the ground, holding the posture of absolute submission for a long, respectful moment.
"Your Imperial Majesty. Noble Concubine," Jia Xu said, his voice smooth and carrying a rare, genuine warmth that broke through his normally impassive, calculating exterior. "The heavens themselves rejoice at your return. You have achieved what a hundred generations of emperors could only dream of. The northern menace is extinguished, and the world is forever changed by your hand. We welcome you home."
Chen Qun nodded in profound agreement, his strict features softened by an immense, undeniable pride. "The ledgers of history have been entirely rewritten, Your Majesty. Your victory has secured a thousand years of peace for the central plains. We are humbled to stand in your presence."
Lie Fan smiled genuinely, the cold, ruthless mask of the battlefield completely dissolving as he looked upon the men who had tirelessly kept his empire functioning while he was thousands of miles away spilling blood in the snow. He reached out, clasping his gauntleted hands over their shoulders, personally gesturing for the two most powerful administrators in the world to rise.
He thanked his two most trusted administrators, his voice carrying the deep, resonant timbre of absolute gratitude. But even in the midst of this glorious reunion, the mind of the Emperor was never entirely at rest.
With his smile remaining, but his dark eyes narrowing slightly with a piercing, analytical focus, he asked with a low authoritative voice.
"I left the beating heart of my empire in your hands, my friends," Lie Fan said, his voice dropping into a quieter, intensely focused register. "While I was burning the Khans and navigating the blizzards, tell me... did the home fires burn peacefully? Were the provinces stable? Was the realm kept perfectly secure, right?"
Hearing the Emperor's highly specific, commanding question, Jia Xu did not hesitate for a fraction of a second. The Master of Shadows, a man whose network of spies, informants, and magistrates touched every single village, port, and mountain pass in the vast domain, confidently nodded his head.
He knew that the Emperor despised vague reassurances, he demanded absolute, undeniable facts. Bowing again, a subtle, razor sharp smile of pure administrative pride touching his lips, Jia Xu answered with absolute certainty.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Jia Xu declared, his voice ringing with a calm, unshakeable confidence that echoed slightly in the massive courtyard. "The empire is very safe and sound without any problem whatsoever, under our watch, everything is going incredibly smoothly."
The Chancellor's words were not an exaggeration. Knowing the Emperor's absence could potentially tempt foolish, ambitious men in the southern or western provinces to test the waters of rebellion, Jia Xu and Chen Qun had ruled the capital with an iron grip.
The laws had been strictly enforced, the grain shipments had been flawlessly managed by Mi Zhu, and the Oriole agents had quietly, surgically eliminated any whispers of dissent before they could even form into coherent thoughts. The dynasty was a perfectly oiled, unyielding machine.
Hearing that highly reassuring, absolute report from the man he trusted to watch his back, Lie Fan nodded his head in deep, profound satisfaction. The tension that had been unconsciously sitting in his broad shoulders for the last several months finally, entirely evaporated.
He had won the greatest war in the history of the continent, and he had returned to a home that was stronger, wealthier, and more stable than when he had left it. It was the ultimate, flawless victory.
With his mind entirely at ease, Lie Fan then confidently led everyone to go inside the majestic main hall of the palace.
He turned toward the towering, immaculately carved white stone steps. With Lu Lingqi walking gracefully by his side, her crimson cape trailing behind her, the Emperor began his ascent. He walked up the towering white stone steps with an aura of absolute, conqueror's authority.
Every step he took resonated with the heavy, metallic clink of his bespoke armor, a sound that demanded complete, unquestioning silence from the hundreds of officials watching him. The massive, golden roofed main hall loomed above them, its giant pillars carved with twisting dragons that seemed to bow as the true Dragon approached.
Sima Yi, Xun You, Xu Shu, Lu Xun, and the veteran generals followed closely behind, their own heavy footsteps joining the Emperor's in a rhythmic, terrifying march of supreme power.
Once inside the sprawling main hall, the sensory experience was almost overwhelming. The interior of the palace was a masterpiece of unimaginably opulent architecture.
Thousands of glowing, intricately painted silk lanterns hung from the vaulted, cedar beamed ceilings, casting a warm, golden light over the polished jade floors. The air was thick with the incredibly sweet, rich scent of burning sandalwood incense and the mouth watering aromas of a thousand different exotic dishes that had been prepared by the finest imperial chefs in the nation.
Row upon row of low, beautifully carved mahogany tables stretched out across the vast floor, laden with golden plates, silver chopsticks, and massive jade flagons overflowing with the finest, oldest vintages of rice wine.
The extravagant banquet officially begun as Lie Fan navigated the center aisle, the officials filtering into the hall behind him and taking their strictly assigned seats according to their ranks.
Lie Fan walked to the absolute center of the room and took his rightful, elevated seat on his massive, intricately carved golden dragon dais. The throne was a monument to his power, elevated above the rest of the hall to ensure that all eyes were constantly drawn to the sovereign.
Lu Lingqi gracefully sat right beside him on a slightly smaller, beautifully appointed seat of dark wood and crimson silk, resting her halberd on a specialized weapon rack behind them. Even seated, they projected an aura of lethal, untouchable majesty.
To commence the grand celebration, the massive hall slowly fell into a deep, respectful silence. The musicians holding their lutes and flutes paused. The officials stopped their whispered conversations.
Lie Fan then stood up from his golden throne. A palace attendant immediately rushed forward, pouring a clear, fragrant vintage into a beautifully carved, translucent jade cup. Lie Fan took the cup, holding it firmly in his gauntleted hand. He looked out over the sea of brilliant scholars, wealthy ministers, and hardened generals that made up his invincible court.
He did not open the banquet with a boastful, arrogant speech about his own martial prowess, nor did he brag about the wealth of the captured lands. Instead, he opened the banquet with a solemn, deeply emotional toast dedicated strictly to the brave fallen soldiers who lost their lives during the brutal campaign.
"We sit tonight in the warmth of our capital, surrounded by the finest silks and the sweetest wines the earth has to offer," Lie Fan began, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings, resonant and heavy with genuine sorrow. "But this warmth was bought with the freezing blood of our brothers. Eighty thousand brave sons, husbands, and fathers marched into the howling abyss of the northern blizzards, and they did not return."
He slowly raised the jade cup higher, his eyes scanning the faces of his generals, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and all of the men who had watched those soldiers die in the frozen mud.
"They fell under the rain of iron, they froze in the snowdrifts, and they threw their bodies against the blades of the barbarians so that the children of this empire might never know the terror of a burning harvest," Lie Fan proclaimed passionately, deeply acknowledging the immense, back breaking hard work and the ultimate sacrifice that so many soldiers and officials have done to ensure the success of this monumental war.
"To the quartermasters who worked until their hands bled to keep the wagons moving. To the medics who fought death in the medical tents. To the infantrymen who held the line against the monsters of the dark. Their bones are buried in the permafrost, but their spirits are the foundation of this eternal dynasty."
______________________________
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