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Ma Chao sat straighter. "We accept your offer, Lord Lie Fan. The Ma Clan will pledge its allegiance and service to you. I, Ma Chao, will swear fealty to your banner and fight under your command as long as you treat me and my clan elright." A pause followed, heavy with significance. Lie Fan placed his cup down with a quiet clink.
"I am honored," he said finally. "And I will not take your trust lightly."
Ma Chao nodded. "Nor will I take your expectations for granted."
They sat there in silence for a few moments, the weight of the decision still settling like dust after a storm.
Lie Fan leaned forward slightly. "Then let me be clear, Ma Chao. Your people will have a place here. Not as pawns. Not as prisoners. But as allies."
"That is all I ask."
Lie Fan smiled. "There will be ceremony. We'll need to make this public. Symbolic gestures carry weight, especially when your family once stood on the other side of this war."
Ma Chao stood, understanding. "Whatever is required, I will do it."
Lie Fan stood as well, walking around the desk to face him directly. "Welcome to my court, Ma Chao. From this day forward, you are one of us."
After the meeting with Lie Fan where he had pledged the allegiance of the Ma Clan, Ma Chao informed everyone the decision when he returned back to the Ma Clan's residence.
When the elders learned that they had been excluded from the deliberations, their outrage was immediate.
"You dare make such a choice without consulting us?!" one of them thundered, his face flushed with anger.
Ma Chao stood firm. "I did what I, as the head of the Ma Clan, thought was necessary for the clan's survival."
"Survival?!" another elder spat. "You've shackled us to another master! First your father shackled us to Cao Cao and look where it brought us?! Now you shackled us to Lie Fan, when will you learn that the Ma Clan bows to no one?!"
Ma Tie, standing beside his brother, scoffed. "And where has that pride gotten us? Homeless. Hunted. Starving."
Ma Xiu added coolly, "Lie Fan has given us shelter, resources, and respect. Something Cao Cao never did as he only suppress us."
The elders bristled, but before they could retort, Ma Yunlu, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.
"Enough, elders." Her voice was quiet but carried the weight of steel. "My eldest brother was the head of the clan and he had made his decision. If all of you cannot accept it, then you are free to leave. But the rest of us will follow my eldest brother into a better future."
The elders stared at her, stunned into silence.
Ma Chao placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding in gratitude before addressing the room. "This is not a humiliation for us. This is the right team for the Ma Clan to survive. We are not destined to become someone who will unite the land. We will rebuild and grow stronger under Lie Fan. And when the time comes, we will reclaim what was taken from us by Cao Cao, as the vanguard of Lie Fan's force when he decide to have a showdown with Cao Cao."
The elders exchanged glances, their fury giving way to grudging acceptance. They were outnumbered, their influence waning. The younger generation had spoken. One by one, they bowed their heads.
The next day, the Palace square was filled with the gathered nobility and senior officials of Xiapi. Lie Fan stood at the center dais in ceremonial armor, his banner waving above him in the cool wind.
At his side stood Ma Chao, equally resplendent in the silver blue of the Ma Clan. Behind them was Lie Fan's ten inner council advisors.
As the crowd murmured, Lie Fan raised a hand for silence.
"Today," he began, his voice carrying across the assembly, "we mark a new beginning. The Ma Clan have chosen to pledge his allegiance to me, not in submission, but in union."
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Let this be known, Ma Chao and his kin have pledged themselves to the peace and prosperity of this realm. Not for conquest, but for the future we all must shape together."
He turned toward Ma Chao, who stepped forward, unsheathing his sword and lowering it, kneeling with the blade held in both hands.
"I, Ma Chao," he declared, "swear upon my sword, my name, and the honor of my ancestors. I will serve Lie Fan with loyalty, defend his domain with my life, show no mercy upon his enemies, and stand as a shield for the people under his rule."
Lie Fan stepped forward and placed his hand over Ma Chao's, his voice solemn.
"Then rise, Ma Chao, General of The Tiger Stripe Cavalry, Warden of the Western Marches. Let the land bear witness."
As Ma Chao rose, the courtyard erupted in cheers. Among the crowd, Ma Tie, Ma Dai, and Ma Xiu stood with heads held high. Ma Yunlu stood beside them, a quiet smile on her lips, her eyes misting with something close to pride.
As for Pang De, he just nod his head and follow what decision Ma Chao have made, adhering to the oath he have made to Ma Teng.
The elders of the Ma Clan, seated further back, remained silent, their expressions unreadable, but their presence had been merely ceremonial. The future had moved on without them.
After that was a banquet to commemorate this day, where Ma Chao brought Ma Tue, Ma Dai, Ma Xiu, Ma Yunlu, and Pang De to pledge their personal allegiance to Lie Fan.
Lie Fan smile and tell them to stand up, to not be so formal as they are at a banquet right now. But silently he use this chance to activate the Eye of Erlang Shen to sw the stats the six of them have.
• Ma Chao
STR: 821 VIT: 92 AGI: 90 INT: 70
• Ma Tie
STR: 478 VIT: 73 AGI: 72 INT: 62
• Ma Dai
STR: 686 VIT: 83 AGI: 82 INT: 68
• Ma Xiu
STR: 488 VIT: 75 AGI: 76 INT: 60
• Ma Yunlu
STR: 693 VIT: 80 AGI: 88 INT: 64
• Pang De
STR: 746 VIT: 88 AGI: 79 INT: 58
Lie Fan was verey satisfied with these stats, he especially suprised to find that Ma Yunlu had such high strength. Only Ma Chao and Pang De could defeat her, even Ma Dai who would become one of the military pillar of Shu under Liu Shan in the original history, was a bit weaker than her.
The following days saw the Ma Clan and what remains of their army, formally integrated into Lie Fan's forces.
Ma Chao was granted command of a cavalry battalion under the Qilin Army, exactly like the rank he was enfoffed to by Lie Fan, his expertise in western warfare especially its cavalry was invaluable. Pang De, were assigned under Ma Chao's cavalry and become his second in command.
Ma Tie and Ma Xiu were assigned into the the other cavalry battalion in the Qilin Army, assigned as cavalry commanders under Xu Rong and Zhao Yun respectively, their cavalry minds put to use there.
As for Ma Dai, he was granted the rank of a full fledged general in the Qilin Army and assigned an entire squad of reconnaissance units, light cavalry that acted as scouts for the Qilin Army.
With the Ma Clan now firmly integrated into his forces, Lie Fan turned his attention toward the monumental task ahead, his formal declaration and ascension as Emperor Hongyi of the Hengyuan Dynasty.
The weight of history pressed upon him. This was not merely a coronation, it was the birth of a new era. Every step had to be precise, every ritual immaculate, for the Mandate of Heaven was not claimed lightly.
Tradition demanded reverence, and legitimacy required more than just strength, it required the unshakable acknowledgment of both man and heaven.
To ensure everything was conducted flawlessly, Lie Fan summoned his ten inner council advisors. Jia Xu, Xun You, Chen Qun, Liu Ye, Chen Gong, Lu Su, Sima Yi, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Xu Shu. Each carried his own strengths: manipulation of politics, interpretation of ancient law, diplomatic finesse, or mastery of statecraft.
Alongside them was the six masters of Xiapi Academy. Lu Zhi, Cai Yong, Zhuge Xuan, Sima Hui, Pang Degong, and Huang Chengyan. The six of them were men who understood the intricacies of courtly rites, celestial divination, and the delicate balance between mortal ambition and divine approval.
The meeting took place in the grand hall of the palace, its high ceilings adorned with banners bearing the Lie Clan emblem for now.
Lie Fan, dressed in muted robes, not the regal splendor of a ruler but the humble garb of a man listening, sat at the head of the table. He looked over the gathered faces, as the air was thick with incense and anticipation.
"I have summoned all of you because I cannot navigate this alone," Lie Fan said openly. "I understand law, war, and governance. But the ancient rites and traditions, this... this is not my domain."
Jia Xu gave a knowing nod. "Then it is wise, My Lord, that you do not pretend otherwise."
"We must begin with the basics, which was the selection of an auspicious date," said Cai Yong, fingers gently tapping the lacquered surface. "The declaration must be held on a day and hour deemed auspicious by the the stars, the almanac, and the omens. We shall consult the tongshu and the writings of Gan De. The heavens must smile upon this ascension."
Zhuge Liang unrolled a scroll detailing astrological calculations. "The next full moon falls on the fifteenth day of next month. A time of balance between yin and yang. The Jade Emperor's favor is strongest then."
Pang Tong, meanwhile, tapped his fingers against the table. "And what of earthly concerns? The declaration must not only please the heavens but also rally the people. We must ensure no ill omens precede it, such as droughts, rebellions, and signs of discontent."
Jia Xu, leaning back with a knowing smile, interjected. "Then we must also consider the political landscape. Cao Cao's spies while crude and unorganized unlike the Oriole agents, are spies nonetheless. Cao Cao will not sit idle while my lord declare himself emperor, he may move to disrupt the ceremony. If we delay, we risk losing momentum."
Lie Fan listened silently, absorbing each argument. He had no expertise in these matters, but he trusted these men to guide him. When the debate reached a lull, he finally spoke.
"Then we proceed under these conditions, the date must be auspicious, the people must be prepared, and our enemies must be kept in the dark until the last moment."
The advisors nodded in agreement. The date was tentatively set, pending further divination.
Next came the matter of sacrifices. No emperor could claim the Mandate of Heaven without first proving his devotion to the gods and ancestors.
Lu Zhi, while stroking his beard, said thoughtfully. "The traditional rites demand offerings to Heaven, Earth, and the Imperial Ancestors. But since Lord Lie Fan has no direct imperial lineage, we must instead emphasize his virtue and the will of the people."
"What sacrificial offerings needed, Master Sima Hui?" asked Lie Fan, turning to Sima Hui, after he listened to Lu Zhi's word..
"A white ox, unblemished," the old sage murmured. "Grain from last year's harvest. Water from the source of a great river. Silk woven from local looms. Each offering symbolizes a virtue of rule which was purity, providence, clarity, and unity."
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 34 (201 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