Reborn In The Three Kingdoms

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Wu Tai took his place at the front of the Han group.

Zhuge Liang mounted his horse at the head of the Hengyuan formation. The elite guards stood in immaculate rows. The great gates opened. Hooves struck the earth. The delegation departed Xiapi, beginning the long journey toward Wan and ultimately, Chengdu.

Days passed as it then slowly turned into a week.

And during this same period, another procession was preparing to leave Xiapi on an entirely different mission, one far more personal, far more joyous, yet no less politically meaningful.

Ma Chao’s wedding escort.

The sound of armor, horses, and preparations filled an entirely different courtyard. Servants loaded the gifts from Hengyuan, marriage tokens, ceremonial banners bearing the Ma clan emblem intertwined with the Sun clan’s emblem for the ceremony, and items that Lie Fan himself prepared as part of his role as matchmaker.

For Ma Chao, this was not merely a marriage.

It was honor. It was fulfillment of a promise. It was the closing of a wound that had festered since his separation from Sun Shangxiang.

And Lie Fan himself would lead the procession.

The morning they were scheduled to depart, Ma Tie, Ma Xiu, and Ma Dai gathered outside the palace gates with their mounts and weapons, wearing formal escort armor but carrying the unmistakable air of men who understood the weight of today, not simply the marriage, but the honor of being included a sMa Chao’s family.

Lie Fan arrived last, mounted upon a stallion as dark as night, accompanied by two Yellow Ghost Bodyguards on matching horses. Despite the heightened formality of the occasion, the emperor’s presence instantly shifted the tense anticipation into something warmer, more grounded.

As soon as Ma Chao and his kin spotted him, the four warriors knelt on one knee, fists cupped in salute.

”Your Majesty!”

Lie Fan dismounted long enough to stand before them, the sun catching on the gold thread of his robe.

”Stand, be at ease no need for formality,” he said with an easy warmth.

They rose at once.

Lie Fan placed a hand on Ma Chao’s shoulder, gripping it with a firmness that conveyed both camaraderie and authority of an Emperor.

”How do you feel? Nervous?”

Ma Chao tried not to grin too widely, but it crept across his face anyway. ”It would not be honest to say I am not nervous, Your Majesty,” he answered. ”But with you as my matchmaker, Your Majesty... my heart is steady.”

Lie Fan laughed, loud and genuine, the kind of laugh that made even the stern palace guards relax a fraction.

”Good! Be nervous, yes. But don’t let the nerves turn you into a fool later when we reach Yuzhang as you meet your future father in law and brother in laws, after all it wouldn’t be easy to be dealing with them.”

Ma Chao laughed as well, bowing his head slightly.

”I will keep myself composed. Rest easy Your Majesty, you need not to worry.”

”I’ll worry anyway,” Lie Fan said, smirking. ”That is my role today.”

He mounted his horse again with fluid ease.

”Come, let’s ride. Yuzhang is not close, and your bride is waiting.”

At his word, the entire procession came alive.

Lie Fan rode at the front. Ma Chao positioned himself beside him, unable to hide the excitement surging through him. Behind them rode the Yellow Ghosts, Ma Tie, Ma Xiu, and Ma Dai. The rest of the escort unfurled behind in a long, shimmering ribbon of armor, banners, and ceremonial equipment.

The officials had begged Lie Fan to ride at the center or the rear, citing safety concerns. The Yellow Ghosts attempted persuasion too. Even the Ma brothers whispered pleas.

Lie Fan refused every time.

”I lead,” he said simply. ”Today is auspicious day for Mengqi. And besides... who would dare attack a wedding escort under my command?”

None could argue with that, after all their Emperor is still the God of War.

The pace they set was fast, faster than any ordinary procession should have dared travel. But not a single soul complained. With the emperor himself riding at the front, none would dare show signs of fatigue or dissent.

And for Ma Chao, the faster pace was a blessing.

Every mile brought him closer to the woman he had never forgotten. Closer to fulfilling his promise to himself. Closer to stepping into the next Chapter of his life.

The land changed as they traveled, flat plains giving way to the gentle rises of the Southlands. Rivers glimmered under the sun like long ribbons of jade. Market towns opened, then faded behind them. Villagers came running to see the imperial procession, bowing, cheering, waving red cloth strips for good fortune.

Crossing the Yellow River was the grandest part of the journey thus far. The waters churned heavily below as the great ferry carried them across, banners snapping fiercely in the wind. The river represented more than geography, it marked the border between regions, the transition from the northern heartland into the Sun clan’s domain.

Once across, the air itself felt warmer, touched by the southern climate. Bamboo forests thickened. The wind carried hints of salt and flowers. Roads curved through lush farmland and small military checkpoints manned by Sun clan soldiers who straightened immediately upon seeing the Hengyuan banners.

News spread ahead of them like wildfire, the Emperor of Hengyuan is accompanying the Head of the Ma Clan, Ma Chao, to marry the Daughter of Duke Wulie, Sun Shangxiang.

A week and more passed.

Finally, after long miles, long nights, and long thoughts shared between emperor and general, the city of Yuzhang, the Sun Clan seat of power, rose before them.

Sprawling. Prosperous. Guarded by high walls and decorated with banners of the Sun family, red and gold fluttering in the early breeze.

They had arrived.

When the Hengyuan procession crossed beneath the towering red lacquered gates of Yuzhang, the city seemed to erupt in celebration.

Word of their arrival had raced ahead of them long before the procession ever reached the southern capital, and now, as Lie Fan and Ma Chao led the escort through the grand archway, the city responded with a fervor that shook the streets.

Children ran along the sides of the road waving small red ribbons. Merchants leaned halfway out of their stalls to catch even a glimpse. Nobles and commoners alike pressed close to the procession route but still respectful, forming orderly rows as if instinctively recognizing this was not merely a political march, it was a moment of unity and joy.

The people of Yuzhang showered the procession with flowers.

Petals of camellia, lotus, plum, and peony spilled from balconies, rained from upper windows, and were tossed by eager hands along the street. Reds, pinks, whites, and soft yellows drifted like spring snow upon armor and banners alike.

A chant rose first from a group of elderly women, then spread like wildfire.

”Long live His Majesty! Long live the Emperor of Hengyuan!”

Then, almost seamlessly, the chant shifted to another, one that swelled with a spirited warmth:

”Blessings to General Ma! Blessings for the Princess Sun Shangxiang!”

Ma Chao felt his throat tighten at the sound. He had faced death, betrayal, war, and exile, but somehow, this moment, these cheering people welcoming him as if he were one of their own coming home to claim his future, hit him harder than any battlefield ever had.

Lie Fan slowed his horse slightly so Ma Chao could take in the sight, then leaned over just enough for his voice to carry.

”See, Mengqi? Even the heavens approve.”

Ma Chao bowed his head gratefully, unable to mask the emotion in his expression. ”Your Majesty... I never imagined such a welcome.”

Lie Fan simply laughed. ”Get used to it. You’re marrying their little tiger.”

The remark made Ma Chao choke with a breathless laugh. ”That... I will do my best to survive that, Your Majesty.”

”Good! You’ll need it.”

The people continued cheering as they passed through Yuzhang’s main avenue, broad, well kept, lined with carved pillars and murals depicting generations of Sun family deeds. Every banner that flew bore the Sun emblem, a fierce golden lion soaring over crimson.

Music played from pavilions. Youths beat festive drums. Dancers in flowing silks performed along the roadsides as the imperial escort passed.

And then, as they reached the central district, the massive Sun Clan Mansion came into view.

Its towering gates, carved with phoenix motifs, stood open in full welcome. Gold and red banners hung from every corner. Rows of guards in red trimmed armor lined the pathway, halberds crossed respectfully overhead. Bright lanterns hung from every beam. The courtyard itself looked festive enough to host a royal banquet.

And waiting at the entrance, standing proudly side by side, were Sun Jian, Lady Wu, Sun Ce, Da Qiao, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and Xiao Qiao.

Even the servants and attendants appeared sharper than usual, robes immaculate, hair combed sleek, every gesture practiced to perfection.

The moment the procession halted, Lie Fan swung down from his horse with the effortless grace of a man used to war and ceremony alike. His boots struck the stone with a confident thud. Ma Chao followed, along with Ma Tie, Ma Dai, Ma Xiu, and the two Yellow Ghost Bodyguards who dismounted silently behind their Emperor.

As soon as Lie Fan’s feet touched the ground, he broke into a booming, joyous laugh.

”Brother Wentai!” he called out warmly, though he and Sun Jian both knew the word could not be used in public anymore. Still, the affection behind it rang clearly.

Sun Jian threw his own laugh back at him, deeper, rougher, the laugh of a veteran who had lived long enough to cherish such moments. But even he could not address Lie Fan as an equal before the watching crowd.

”Your Majesty!” Sun Jian replied, bowing with respect.

Lie Fan walked straight up to him and patted his shoulder, gripping it with brotherly affection that ignored propriety entirely. ”How have you been? It feels like ages since we last met. And your family? All well, I hope?”

Sun Jian nodded, voice calm but warm. ”We are well, Your Majesty. Thanks to the blessings you’ve brought to this land, Yuzhang prospers, and my family prospers with it.”

Lie Fan snorted in amusement. ”Enough with the formal praises, save them for the officials or Zhou Yu,” he teased lightly.

Zhou Yu, hearing this from just behind Sun Quan, smiled with elegant restraint.

Lie Fan moved down the line, greeting Lady Wu with a respectful bow and a smile, then clasping forearms with Sun Ce and Sun Quan. ”Good to see both of you. You look sharper than the last time I visited.”

Sun Ce laughed lightly. ”We expected Your Majesty, so of course we prepared.”

Sun Quan nodded with earnest sincerity. ”Your Majesty’s presence honors our clan.”

Lie Fan waved that off casually, though he appreciated the formality.

Finally, he stepped back half a pace and turned toward Ma Chao.

”Come,” Lie Fan said, ”Formality demands I introduce you.”

Ma Chao stepped forward immediately, cupping his fists deeply. He bowed first to Sun Jian, then to Lady Wu, Sun Ce, Da Qiao, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and Xiao Qiao. His voice carried strength and humility in equal measure.

”Ma Chao of the Ma clan greets Duke Wulie, Lady Wu, Marquis Dingdong, Lady Da, and the esteemed children of the Sun family.”

Sun Jian’s smile faded into something far more solemn.

Gone was the lighthearted expression he showed to Lie Fan. In its place came the dignified seriousness of a father letting go of his daughter, a daughter known across the land for her ferocity and independence.

He returned Ma Chao’s greeting with a slow, measured nod. ”General Ma. You once stood here seeking permission to court my daughter. Today you return with Your Majesty to formalize your intentions. I welcome you back to Yuzhang.”

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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