Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Liu Qi rose too, bowing. ”You have my loyalty, God father. Always.” Fu Xun and Liu Pan exchanged one final glance. The path had been chosen, for better or worse. As the three left later that day, Fu Xun’s heart was heavy. He had seen the cracks behind Liu Bei’s mask. And he feared that soon, those cracks would split wide enough for all to see.

Meanwhile, inside the innermost chamber of the Kuai residence, a quiet stillness pervaded the candle-lit room. Thick walls muffled the sounds of the city outside. Behind drawn curtains and closed doors, a meeting was about to take place, one kept hidden from the prying eyes of both servants and spies alike.

Unbeknownst to Liu Bei, under the quiet suggestion of Cang Xiu, the Kuai brothers, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, had invited the four Liu Bei advisors and general to a secret gathering. Wang Xiu, Sun Guan, Chen Dao, and Liao Hua.

These four men, once loyal to Liu Bei to the core, had lately shown subtle signs of discontent and suspicion. It began as a whisper, slight doubts in private conversations, but after the rumors surrounding Liu Bei gained substance and evidence, their unease deepened, and began to show their distrust of Liu Bei by distancing themselves.

Initially, Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue had refused Cang Xiu’s proposal to contact the four. It was a dangerous move, as any leak could bring destruction upon their entire household and this movement to overthrow Liu Bei.

But after watching how these four men reacted to the growing storm around Liu Bei, how they no longer defended him with the same fervor, how their eyes darkened when his name was spoken, and how they had distanced themselves, they knew the time had come to test the waters.

The four of them arrived one by one, entering the residence at cautious intervals of five to ten minutes. Wang Xiu was the first to arrive, calm but visibly wary. Liao Hua came second, his eyes scanning every hallway as if expecting spies behind each pillar.

Sun Guan followed shortly after, grim faced and silent. Lastly came Chen Dao, the most reserved among them, slipping into the room with quiet footsteps and a questioning gaze.

Once all were present and seated in a loose semicircle on the tatami floor, the silence stretched, thick with tension. The flickering light of oil lamps cast long shadows over their faces. Kuai Liang finally broke the silence.

”We thank you all for coming,” he said solemnly, his voice low, almost a whisper. ”We know this request was unexpected, but the matter at hand is... delicate.”

Wang Xiu folded his arms, leaning forward. ”Of course, we came, Master Kuai Liang. Since the invitation came from you and your brother, we knew it wasn’t a trivial matter. But I speak, I believe, on behalf of all of us, what is so urgent and secretive that you would call us here in the dead of night?”

Kuai Liang glanced at Kuai Yue, who gave a slight nod. Then both brothers turned to Cang Xiu.

”You should be the one to explain,” Kuai Yue said.

Cang Xiu, sitting beside them in simple scholar’s robes, rose slowly to his feet. He surveyed the room, meeting each man’s gaze with quiet confidence. ”Gentlemen,” he began, ”you are here tonight because you are men of reason, and because like us, you have begun to question the man we once called our lord.”

The four officers stiffened. None of them spoke, but the shift in their expressions said enough, this was a topic that weighed heavily on each of them.

”I speak of the rumors,” Cang Xiu said. ”The ones that began as whispers. Tales of bribes taken under the table, of hidden dealings with merchants and emptying granaries, of self-serving decisions masked as benevolence. For weeks now, they’ve grown louder. And worse, these rumors are no longer just words.”

The room remained deathly silent. The flickering light cast sharp shadows on their faces as their eyes narrowed.

Cang Xiu continued, his tone steady but forceful. ”What I am about to say is dangerous. But it is also the truth. These rumors? They are not lies. Every word of them is true. And the ones who have uncovered this truth stand before you now, myself, Master Kuai Liang, and Master Kuai Yue.”

Sun Guan’s brow furrowed, his fists clenched in his lap. ”You’re saying... you have proof?”

”We do, General Sun,” Kuai Yue answered gravely. ”Documents bearing Liu Bei’s seal, financial ledgers that show payments to merchants and landlords, letters ordering for the granaries to be emptied. Witnesses who spoke, some threatened, others paid off.”

Liao Hua’s voice was low, almost pained. ”Lord Liu Bei... he was the one we believed would restore righteousness. That he was different. That he stood for the people. That he would restore order in this chaos.”

”He wears that mask well,” Cang Xiu said. ”But behind it is a man not unlike those he claims to oppose. And now, with your help, we can begin to tear that mask away.”

Chen Dao, silent until now, finally spoke. ”You risk everything, by calling us here. You assume we will not report this meeting to lord Liu Bei?”

Kuai Liang did not flinch. ”We took that risk because we believe you already know something is wrong. And because we cannot do this alone. If we are to move forward, if we are to challenge Liu Bei’s growing tyranny, we must do it together.”

Cang Xiu stepped forward. ”This meeting is not a command or coercion. It is an offer. If you choose to walk away, no one will force you to stay. But if you feel as we do... then let us plan what comes next, together.”

The four men exchanged glances, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. Outside, the wind stirred the bamboo chimes hanging from the eaves, as if echoing the silent turmoil in their hearts.

The first to speak was Wang Xiu.

”...Show us the proof,” he said at last, his voice steady. ”If what you say is true, then the man we serve is not the man we thought he was. And if that is the case, we will have to decide what kind of men we want to be.”

Hearing what Wang Xiu said, Kuai Yue took out a small wooden box, the kind used to store incense or treasured scrolls, and placed it gently on the floor between them.

The room fell into a breathless hush as he opened the lid, revealing a stack of documents, ledgers, sealed letters, and confession scrolls bound with red string. The soft rustle of parchment filled the air as the Kuai brothers presented what could only be described as the unraveling of a legacy.

Wang Xiu was the first to reach forward. He picked up the topmost letter, unfolding it with deliberate care. His eyes scanned the contents, the flickering oil lamp casting long shadows across his brow as his expression gradually shifted.

The others waited, and as Wang Xiu finished, he silently handed the letter to Chen Dao, who took it with hesitant fingers. Liao Hua followed next, and finally, Sun Guan.

As each man read through the documents, the room seemed to grow colder, the gravity of the truth pressing down on them.

There were financial records showing inexplicable deficits, bribes received from merchant guilds in return for land permits, orders bearing Liu Bei’s seal to ”reallocate” grain stores to private warehouses, and testimonies from frightened clerks and bullied farmers.

Each document was damning on its own, but together they painted a picture that could no longer be ignored.

Their expressions changed gradually, first confusion, then horror. Wang Xiu’s jaw tightened, Chen Dao’s hands trembled ever so slightly as he held the parchment, Liao Hua stared blankly at the floor, his lips pressed into a grim line, and Sun Guan’s fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white with tension.

The silence that followed was long and suffocating. No one spoke. The crackle of the oil lamp and the faint rustle of silk from their robes were the only sounds that accompanied their descent into disbelief.

It was Chen Dao who broke the silence, his voice low and filled with a pain he could barely conceal. ”I... I never thought it would come to this. I believed in him. We all did.”

Wang Xiu nodded slowly. ”He was supposed to be different. A light in the darkness of this broken land. But this... this is betrayal.”

Liao Hua exhaled shakily. ”All this time, we defended him. Ignored the signs. Turned away from the whispers. But it was all there... just hidden well enough to be doubted.”

Sun Guan, who had remained silent the longest, finally spoke. ”No more. We cannot follow a man who feeds his ambition with the hunger of the people.”

Kuai Liang let out a long, quiet breath. ”Then, you are with us?”

Chen Dao was the first to nod. ”Yes. I will stand with you. For the people, not for a tyrant in benevolent robes.”

Wang Xiu followed, his voice calm but firm. ”Count me in.”

Liao Hua bowed his head. ”I cannot bear the shame of standing idly by. I will aid you.”

Sun Guan looked around the room, meeting each of their eyes. ”Let it be known then. From this night on, we no longer serve Liu Bei.”

Relief washed over Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue. There were no loose ends, no potential informants to silence. Their gamble had paid off.

Meanwhile, Cang Xiu’s eyes gleamed with silent triumph. This was another step toward the grand plan of his lord, Lie Fan. The chessboard was set, and the pieces were beginning to move.

After the oath of unity was made, Chen Dao broke the solemn moment with a pressing question. ”What of Master Ju Shou? What of General Guan Yu and Zhang Fei? They are still loyal to Liu Bei. Shouldn’t we try to open their eyes before it’s too late?”

Kuai Yue leaned back slightly, fingers steepled in thought. ”Ju Shou is a man of wisdom and pragmatism. There is a chance he’s already begun to suspect. I believe we can reach him. Perhaps not immediately, but with patience.”

He paused, the weight of his next words apparent in his tone. ”But Guan Yu and Zhang Fei... that is a different matter entirely.”

Kuai Liang picked up where his brother left off. ”Their bond with Liu Bei isn’t just political. It’s personal. Sworn brotherhood. That kind of loyalty doesn’t break with whispers or even proof. To them, these letters will seem forged, the testimonies coerced. Their sense of honor is absolute.”

Cang Xiu nodded slowly. ”Only if Liu Bei exposes himself in front of their eyes, if they see the mask fall, only then might they reconsider. But even then, it may be too late.”

The room fell into contemplative silence once more.

Chen Dao, ever the strategist, furrowed his brow. ”Then we must prepare contingencies. If they cannot be swayed, they will oppose us. Especially Guan Yu.”

”Indeed,” said Kuai Yue. ”And that is why we must move with care. Not as traitors, but as reformers. This movement must be one of truth, not vengeance.”

Liao Hua stood, adjusting his robes. ”Then let us begin, while there is still time to steer this province away from ruin.” Outside, dawn was breaking. The first light of morning filtered through the lattice windows, casting pale shadows on them. The world beyond the Kuai residence remained unaware of the storm that was gathering in secret.

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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