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Lie Fan waved his hand, not caring about the regret shown by the man in front of him. "You may go now. You and your family will be summoned again when the trial begins." Hao Dan bowed so low it seemed he might split in half, then was escorted out by the Imperial Guards, broken but alive.
That night, the city of Xiapi buzzed with whispers. Posters were plastered across walls. Word spread through markets and taverns, the Emperor had walked among the people. The son of a merchant had dared to offend him and now, justice would be done.
Chen Gong finalized the court schedule. Hao Tian would be brought to trial in two days' time. The site, the Court of Imperial Justice, with doors thrown open to the public. Jia Xu's proclamations went out the same night, written in clean, powerful calligraphy:
"Let it be known that the Son of Heaven does not walk above the clouds, but among the people. And for those who believe power excuses arrogance, the Emperor watches."
Two days later, the Court of Imperial Justice was packed to the brim.
Merchants, nobles, scholars, and commoners, all had gathered to witness the trial of Hao Tian. In the court table, Chen Gong as the Minister of Justice, sat in solemn judgment, with to his left and right was his guard.
Below him at the cheer of the court, stood Hao Tian, bound in heavy chains, his face bruised from a bit of punishment that the guards gave to him the night before, under Lie Fan's order.
He stood alone, having no one to represent him and none of his family members wanted to accompany him, afraid of the public and Lie Fan's retaliation.
Chen Gong rose, unrolling a scroll. "Hao Tian, son of Hao Dan, you stand accused of the following crimes, attempted assault upon an Imperial consort, treasonous disrespect to the Imperial Majesty, incitement of violence in public, public harassment of women, and corruption in your family's business dealings." His voice carried across the silent crowd. "How do you plead?"
Hao Tian, his once arrogant demeanor shattered, could only stammer. "I... I didn't know! I didn't recognize His Majesty! If I had known—"
"That is no excuse," Chen Gong interrupted coldly. "Ignorance does not absolve guilt. And your actions were not born of ignorance, but of entitlement and arrogance."
One by one, witnesses were called forward. Market vendors who had seen Hao Tian harass women before. Servants who spoke of his cruelty. Even clerks from the Ministry of Finance, who presented ledgers showing the Hao Clan's history of bribery and tax evasion under Hao Tian's manipulation.
The evidence was damning.
And then came the final blow.
Everyone was supposed when they see Hao Dan who was present and then take a step forward.
The crowd held its breath as the patriarch looked at his son, not with love, not with grief, but with cold resignation.
"My son is guilty," Hao Dan said, his voice hollow. "He has brought shame upon our family. Upon the empire. And for that... he must answer."
Hao Tian's face twisted in betrayal. "Father?! You
... you can't—!"
But the verdict was already sealed.
Chen Gong unrolled the final decree. "By the authority of His Imperial Majesty, Hao Tian is sentenced to death by beheading. The sentence will be carried out immediately."
The crowd erupted. Some cheered. Some gasped. Many simply watched, their faces grim with understanding.
As the executioner's blade fell, a message was carved into the hearts of every witness, that is no one is above the law.
That night, Lie Fan sat in his private chambers, a cup of wine in hand, staring into the flickering candlelight. The day's events weighed on him, not out of regret, but calculation. Power was a delicate thing. Too soft, and vultures would circle. Too harsh, and fear would fester. So what he had done was the right move.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter."
Zhen Ji stepped inside, her movements graceful as always, though her eyes held a hint of hesitation. She wore a simple yet elegant robe, her hair loosely tied, as if she had been preparing for bed.
"Your Majesty," she murmured, bowing slightly.
Lie Fan set down his cup. "You don't need to stand on ceremony here."
She approached slowly, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her sleeves. "I... heard about the trial and what happened to the Hao Clan."
Lie Fan studied her face. "Do you think I was too harsh and disapprove of what I had done?"
Zhen Ji shook her head. "No. I... I am grateful and understand why it had to be done." Her fingers tightened slightly in the fabric of her robes. "But it troubles me that my presence caused such a thing."
Lie Fan stood and reached over, tilting her chin up gently. "You caused nothing. Hao Tian's arrogance and entitlement did. Combined with arrogance, left unchecked, breeds chaos."
She searched his eyes. "And the father? Condemning his own son..."
"A mercy," Lie Fan said simply. "I could have wiped out the entire Hao bloodline. Instead, I let them live, in humbleness, in disgrace, but alive." His thumb brushed her cheek. "That is the lesson. Not just punishment, but consequence."
Zhen Ji exhaled slowly, then nodded. After a moment, she leaned into his touch. "Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?"
"As no one has ever defended me like that before other than you, Your Majesty."
Something in Lie Fan's chest tightened. He reached out to hold her hand and pulling her gently toward him.
"You are mine," he said simply. "And I protect what is mine."
Her breath hitched, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned into him, her head resting against his shoulder. No more words were needed.
For a long moment, they stayed like that, two souls bound by fate, duty, and something deeper.
In the days that followed, the effects of the trial spread like wildfire.
Merchant clans tightened their conduct, fearful of drawing the Emperor's ire. Officials double checked their records, ensuring no hint of corruption could be traced back to them, something futile as the Censorate under Pang Tong and the Oriole Agents managed to uncover them. Even the nobility, usually so assured in their privilege, walked with newfound caution.
Meanwhile, the Hao Clan's confiscated wealth was put to use. A portion went to the imperial treasury. Another portion was distributed to the poor of Xiapi, a show of the Emperor's benevolence. And the rest funded new public projects, roads, wells, and schools.
On the western front, deep in the treacherous terrain of Jianmen Pass, the ceaseless war between Liu Zhang and Cao Cao raged on. The mountain winds carried the stench of blood and the echo of dying screams, mingled with the clash of steel.
Both sides were entrenched in a deadlock, each failing to claim a decisive edge over the other. Yet, the casualties were mounting, and time weighed heavily upon the shoulders of the defenders.
Perched atop the battered walls of Jianmen Pass, generals Yan Yan and Zhang Ren surveyed the battlefield. The clamor of warfare below rose like an unholy hymn, as fresh assaults battered their fortifications.
Around them, soldiers scrambled to plug breaches, douse fire, and replace the fallen with those not yet wounded. Letters from Zhang Song, Fa Zheng, and Meng Da had reached them only days ago, their tone urgent, but not desperate.
"This isn't about winning," Yan Yan muttered grimly, his eyes not leaving the horizon where the enemy siege towers loomed like specters. "It never was. It's about stalling. Every day we hold this pass buys time for His Majesty, using the banner of Liu Zhang."
Zhang Ren gave a short nod. "Correct. They want us to bleed Cao Cao dry, not break him."
Yan Yan exhaled slowly, wiping the sweat and grime from his brow. "If casualties continue at this rate, we won't be able to stall much longer. Sooner or later, he will overwhelm us."
"Then we make every hour count," Zhang Ren replied. "Strengthen the inner walls, rotate the frontline troops more frequently. We make them fight for every inch."
Their attention was drawn downward as the roars of barbarians surged louder than the clash of steel. At the base of the pass, Meng Huo, towering and broad, bellowed commands as he led his Nanman warriors in repelling the climbing enemy. Dressed in furs and painted in tribal markings, the Nanman were a brutal force, especially suited to this kind of chaotic melee.
Yan Yan allowed a wry smile to tug at his lips. "Still can't believe they got Meng Huo to join us."
"Zhang Song, Fa Zheng, and Meng Da are more persuasive than anyone gives them credit for," Zhang Ren said. "And Meng Huo's people... they follow strength. They must have seen it in Emperor Hongyi, through the regal tales Zhang Song, Fa Zheng, and Meng Da told Meng Huo to convince him."
Yan Yan laughed bitterly. "We all do. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here holding this cursed pass."
A sudden cry from the lookouts cut through their conversation.
"New wave! Ladders on the west wall! Cavalry preparing on the north ridge!"
Zhang Ren's eyes sharpened. "It's coming. This will be the big push."
And it was. Cao Cao, sitting within his richly adorned command tent several li away, stared coldly at the latest reports. The standoff had dragged longer than he'd expected. Liu Zhang's resistance, once thought to be weak, had calcified into something stubborn and dogged.
"Time to end this," he muttered.
His orders went out swiftly. Xu Chu, Cao Ang, and Xiahou Yuan were to lead the final wave.
The assault came like a thunderclap.
Xu Chu, the "Tiger Fool," led the charge, his massive frame clad in heavy armor, his spiked mace swinging in wide, brutal arcs. Behind him came Cao Ang, Cao Cao's eldest son, his sword gleaming, and Xiahou Yuan, his bow already nocked and firing with deadly precision.
The three carved through Liu Zhang's frontlines like a scythe through wheat. Ladders slammed against the walls, and elite warriors scrambled upward, shields raised against the rain of arrows.
Meng Huo bellowed a challenge. "COME THEN, DOGS OF THE NORTH! THE NANMAN FEAR NO MAN!"
Xu Chu's eyes locked onto him. The two titans met in the center of the chaos, their weapons colliding with a force that sent tremors through the stone beneath them.
CLANG!
The shockwave knocked nearby soldiers off their feet.
Meng Huo grinned through gritted teeth. "Strong! Good!"
Xu Chu roared, swinging again. "Die, filthy barbarian!" Meanwhile around them, King Duosi and Ahui Nan intercepted Cao Ang and Xiahou Yuan who wants to come to support Xu Chu, their duel a whirlwind of steel and fury as they changed moves of their own.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 34 (201 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