If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my Patreon!!!
Go to https://www.patreon.com/Tang12
___________________________
But it was Guo Jia and Jia Kui who dealt the true deathblow, not with spears or arrows, but with strategies as cruel as they were effective. They had studied Ma Chao's every move, and repeated the same nightmare they once cast over Ma Teng. With supply lines severed, food became scarce. And when catapults rained stone and fire over Jincheng's walls by day, and phantom attacks kept the soldiers sleepless by night, morale began to unravel.
The soldiers, once high on the call for vengeance, now trembled from hunger and fatigue. Hallucinations. Paranoia. Disobedience. A few had even deserted, sneaking out at night to flee into the mountains, hoping to find food or salvation, or simply to die somewhere quieter.
Outside, another boulder struck the walls. The distant screams of wounded men filtered through the thick stone.
Ma Chao's shoulders sagged. For the first time since his father's death, the indomitable warrior looked... defeated. He exhaled slowly, the fire within him dimming just enough for clarity to settle.
"I want everyone out within two days," he finally said. "We'll burn what we can't take. We won't give Cao Cao's men a single grain, not one nail or beam. We'll make it back to Wuwei, regroup, and rebuild there."
Pang De bowed his head slightly. "Yes, my lord."
They moved quickly. Orders were dispatched quietly that night. Units were assigned evacuation routes. Rations were distributed, what little remained. Warhorses were saddled, carts filled with the wounded. Anything of use was loaded or burned.
Ma Chao watched Jincheng from the walls one last time before dawn. The fires were already lit in the storage districts. Ash rose like mourning veils over the city. He felt something inside him die with those flames.
Two days later, in thenmorning, they moved under the cover of a smokescreen set by their own hands. The withdrawal was staggered and disciplined, Pang De had ensured that. Rearguard units clashed with Cao Cao's scouts, buying time for the wounded and the supplies to reach the mountain passes.
Cao Cao's army was cautious. Guo Jia, brilliant as ever, warned the four generals against rushing into the smokescreen. "A wounded tiger is still a tiger, a more dangerous one," he had said.
By the time they breached the gates of Jincheng, Ma Chao and his army was already gone. The city, a shell of its former self, was ash and rubble, while the people of Jincheng welcomed Cao Cao's army like their savior.
When Guo Jia and Jia Kui head to the governor's castle, it was empty. The Ma Clan banners either half torn or just left in place.
They walked alongside Xiahou Dun, Zhang He, Xu Huang, and Li Dian into the main hall of the governor's castle, boots echoing on scorched stone, eyes sweeping over the remnants of what had once been Ma Chao's command center.
Scattered tables, overturned stools, and burnt out candles told stories of hasty planning and restless nights. On one side, a battle map still clung to the wall, corners curling with soot and smoke. The air smelled of ash and old blood, and the oppressive silence was broken only by the low murmur of soldiers outside setting up camp.
Xiahou Dun kicked aside a broken chair, his face twisted in disgust. "Cowards. They didn't even stay to fight."
Xu Huang crossed his arms. "Ma Chao is reckless, but not stupid. He knew he couldn't hold Jincheng forever."
Li Dian frowned as he studied the markings on the remaining maps. "They left in an orderly retreat. This wasn't panic. This was planned."
Zhang He then stepped forward, his tone formal but edged with urgency. "Master Guo Jia, Master Jia Kui, now that we have secured Jincheng, should we not pursue Ma Chao immediately? If he reaches Wuwei and fortifies it, we will be forced into another prolonged siege."
Guo Jia, ever the picture of languid confidence despite the fatigue beneath his eyes, chuckled softly. "Ah, General Zhang He. You always cut to the heart of the matter. But do not worry. Whether Ma Chao chose to stand or flee, we had already accounted for it. His retreat was foreseen."
He turned to the others, letting his gaze sweep the room as if addressing not just the men present, but the very echoes of Ma Chao's failed defiance. "This withdrawal, this scorched retreat, is exactly what we wanted. The Ma Clan now places all its hopes in Wuwei. We will let them gather there... and then we shall crush them utterly."
Jia Kui stepped beside him, folding his hands behind his back. "But for that, our soldiers must be rested, fed, and well prepared. The battle for Wuwei will be unlike those at Tianshui or Jincheng. There will be no quick victory, no soft underbelly to strike. The Ma Clan will defend their last bastion with all they have. This rebellion must be buried before the month ends."
The four generals exchanged glances, none argued. They understood the gravity of the situation, especially in the wider context of the empire's shifting tides. The storm of change was already sweeping the land.
Xiahou Dun furrowed his brow, voice gruff. "Do we have time for rest, though? With Lie Fan already swallowing Jing Province whole and gaining Jiaozhi through Shi Xie's allegiance, we cannot afford delay."
"Precisely," Guo Jia replied. "That's why we must act with wisdom, not haste. We'll let Ma Chao think he has a chance to rebuild. Let him gather what strength he can. We'll make our strike when he least expects it, when he is weak and bloated with hope."
Jia Kui added, "for now, let our men rest. The next battle will be bloodier than Tianshui and Jincheng combined. We must be ready."
The generals exchanged glances. The urgency in Jia Kui's voice was not lost on them. The land was changing rapidly, just like wqht Xiahiu Dun had said. If their lord hesitated now, they risked being left behind in the new order.
Xiahou Dun cracked his knuckles. "Fine. But when the time comes, I want Ma Chao's head myself."
Guo Jia smiled. "Oh, you'll have it, General. You'll have it."
Back in Xiapi, far from the smoldering ruins of Jincheng, Lie Fan sat with six of the most revered masters under him. Zhuge Xuan, Cai Yong, Lu Zhi, Sima Hui, Pang Degong, and Huang Chengyan. The meeting chamber, lined with scrolls and sunlit by narrow windows, was quiet but alive with intensity.
They had gathered to discuss the first tangible results of the massive education reform Lie Fan had commissioned, an unprecedented move to construct academies for commoners, where men and women alike could learn practical skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, blacksmithing, farming, carving, and other labor related trades.
Zhuge Xuan stood first, a modest smile on his face. "My lord, the first phase of reforms has begun with the academies are beginning to function. Enrollment numbers exceeded expectations in several regions. The common people are hungry to learn. For the first time, they see a path out of ignorance."
Lu Zhi nodded. "The curriculum we established, focused on practical application, has already borne fruit. In one village near a small town called Pengcheng, a farmer who learned basic arithmetic has reorganized harvest schedules and storage methods, resulting in higher yields and fewer spoilages."
Sima Hui stroked his beard, adding, "But with all that said my lord, the backlash from the noble and scholars class was as swift as it was expected. They called it heresy, my lord. Saying educating the common people would destabilize the natural order."
"The natural order," Lie Fan repeated dryly. "Which conveniently keeps them at the top."
Cai Yong smiled wryly at that. "Yes it was, my lord. We are threatening the very foundation of their inherited superiority. Knowledge is power, and they've hoarded it for centuries."
"The merchants, however," Huang Chengyan interjected, "are neutral, even slightly supportive, my lord. Many realize that a literate, skilled workforce improves efficiency and profitability, which in return bring higher profit. They're watching closely."
Lie Fan leaned back, arms folded as he digested the news. "And the scholars and nobles?"
Pang Degong's eyes twinkled with subtle amusement. "Oh, they protested. Loudly. Then quietly. Then through rumors, slander, and minor sabotage such as withholding their own scribes from assisting. But nothing unexpected."
"They threatened to bring their complaints to me?" Lie Fan asked.
"Some did, my lord." Cai Yong replied, with a glint of mischief. "Until they realized they'd have to face you directly. Most cowered away. The rest have resorted to whispering behind closed doors."
Lie Fan gave a short laugh. "Let them whisper. Let them rage. We expected resistance. But we'll press forward. The academies must continue. If we can arm the common people with knowledge and skill, we create a population that no longer depends solely on birthright or privilege. That is how we forge a stronger state."
Zhuge Xuan nodded slowly. "It's not just about education. It's about social mobility. A man born to a pigsty may yet become a respected teacher, or a blacksmith of great renown."
"And the youth?" Lie Fan asked.
Lu Zhi answered, "They are eage, my lordr. Especially orphans and the children of soldiers. For them, this is salvation."
Lie Fan rose from his seat, pacing the room with controlled energy. "Then let it be known, the academies are to expand further. Let there be at least one in every county under my rule by the end of the year. If the nobles resist, we'll remind them that this is not about tearing them down, but raising the others up. If they sabotage, we root them out quietly but decisively."
Then Sima Hui stroked his beard thoughtfully. "There is another matter I wanted to bring to attention, my lors. The curriculum. Reading, writing, mathematics, these are essential. But we must also teach loyalty. The history of the land, the virtues of the new Dynasty that will come... these should be woven into every lesson."
A slow smile spread across Lie Fan's face. "Ah, Master Sima Hui. Always thinking ten steps ahead. Yes. A nation is built on more than just bricks and mortar. It is built on ideas."
He pace back and forth before the great window overlooking Xiapi. "These schools will be the foundation of our coming Dynasty. Not just workshops for skilled laborers, but forges of citizens. Men and women who understand their place in the new order, and embrace it."
Lu Zhi exchanged a glance with Cai Yong, then said, "You are treading a narrow bridge, my lord. Too fast, and the old guard may lash out. Too slow, and the moment passes."
Lie Fan stopped pacing and looked out the window, where children ran through the courtyard, laughing, sticks in hand, pretending to be generals and strategists. "I'd rather walk the narrow bridge than wallow in the mud with those too afraid to climb. Let the Han Dynasty be our lesson in that part, they have show it by result how they wallow in the mud for to long."
______________________________
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