743. Meeting Foiled

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"They've succeeded," she replied. "The meeting at Ansi will happen in three days. The generals have been summoned. The fortress is secure. And the King will travel in disguise through the forest path. Mo Du and Dal Gae believe no one knows. They believe it was all done perfectly."

Li Wei's smile was thin, but genuine. "Fascinating. That saves me from having to stir the Bureau and my network. You've brought me clarity where I had only suspicion and deductions."

He took a sip of tea, then fixed his eyes on her.

"You've become quite the loyal informant these past two months, my queen. A year ago, you stood against me with your family, fighting against me fiercely in the dark. And now you hand me your husband's heart on a plate like it was nothing. Why?"

Her expression did not change. Her hands were folded in her lap.

"Because he betrayed me first."

Li Wei blinked. "Go on."

Queen Woo's expression did not change. "You know why I do so, there is no one who could escape your network in Gungnae."

*"Indulge me."*

She looked away then, her gaze drifting to the single candle flickering on the table. "I could not bear him a son," she said. "And so he went to another. A common girl. A temple servant. He told no one, but I knew. I found out. He received a prophecy that a child born of another woman would be his heir, not mine. That was the moment I ceased to be queen in his eyes. I became an obstacle for him to have an heir to the throne."

Her voice wavered slightly, but she steadied it.

"I loved him. I gave up everything for him. But when he saw the throne without me in the future… he did not hesitate. You knew about all of this, surely."

"Of course I knew," he replied easily. "Just as I know that prophecies are fickle things, and we would never know if it was truly a boy or a girl."

Queen Woo's laugh was bitter. "And yet he believed it. He cast me aside for the chance of a son."

Li Wei tilted his head, intrigued. "So now you turn to me. And the Bureau."

"I turn to power," Queen Woo said. "Real power. Not thrones. Not crowns. You. The Lie Clan Supervision Bureau. Lie Fan. That is the future of Goguryeo, is it not?"

Li Wei regarded her for a long moment. "You may be right. Or you may be playing your own game."

She smiled faintly. "Can it not be both?"

He laughed. "Very well. You've done well. Let them gather. Let them believe. And when the moment comes, we will strike. Let the King raise his voice at Ansi, he'll be shouting into a storm he cannot see."

Li Wei then leaned back. "And what do you want in return for all of this?"

Queen Woo met his gaze squarely. "My life. My birth family's lives. And a place in whatever comes next."

"That can be arranged," Li Wei said softly.

The two then sat in silence, two players on a dark board, neither trusting the other, but both knowing they needed one another.

And far away, beyond the horizon, the fortress of Ansi stood still, waiting for the king who would come to reclaim his crown… and the traitor queen who would help burn it down.

Then, three days passed by in the blink of an eye, and under the cover of darkness, King Sansang slipped out of Gungnae. He wore the plain robes of a merchant, his face hidden beneath a wide brimmed hat, the kind worn by traders peddling spices or medicine along the Han roads.

His posture was hunched, unassuming, and beside him rode Mo Du and Dal Gae, silent shadows cloaked in wool and resolve. They had arranged every detail with meticulous care, the guards at the postern gate were loyal, the horses swift, the saddlebags light but sufficient, and the forest path long forgotten by most patrols.

The night air was cold, laced with the sharp scent of pine and frost, and the forest whispered around them like a living thing. They rode in silence, the sound of hooves muffled by dirt and fallen leaves.

Hours passed, and when the horizon began to glow with the faint promise of dawn, Ansi Fortress loomed ahead. Its silhouette stood proud against the pale sky, a stone bulwark of the north. For the king, it was more than a fortress; it was hope carved in granite.

At the outer wall, they were met by General Seo Gun, one of the most trusted men in Goguryeo. He looked older since the last time the king had seen him, with silver threading through his hair and new lines etched into his face, but his spine was straight and his eyes clear. His greeting was brief but full of meaning.

Without a word, he led them through a hidden entrance, bypassing the main courtyard where too many eyes might watch.

Inside the meeting room, a modest hall with thick beams, a single brazier, and a wide wooden table, five generals stood waiting.

These were the men King Sansang had personally elevated after Yeon Gaesomun's demise: General Hwan Do, General Baek Ryun, General Jin Seong, General Yoo Tae, and General Narae Jin. Each had earned their station through blood and honor, not politics, and their loyalty was forged in the same fire as their courage.

As King Sansang entered, the generals straightened, pressing fists to their chests in salute. Their expressions were stern, but within them flickered the embers of something deeper, relief, respect, and belief.

"My generals," King Sansang greeted, lowering his disguise, his voice steady and strong. "I thank you for coming, and I must apologize for the secrecy. This meeting is not just clandestine, it is dangerous."

General Hwan Do stepped forward. "Your Majesty, it is our duty and honor. We understand the stakes."

The others echoed him with nods and quiet murmurs of assent. The king smiled faintly, a man grateful, but also aware that gratitude alone would not be enough to shield them from what was to come.

Once he, Mo Du, and Dal Gae had taken their seats, King Sansang looked around the table, his gaze lingering on each face. Then he spoke, not as a desperate man, but as a sovereign reclaiming his throne.

"Goguryeo was not built by cowards, nor shall it be ruled by shadows. We are a nation forged by the will of kings and the strength of warriors. But now, that foundation is threatened, not by armies, but by whispers. Not by enemies at our gates, but by a foreign hand within our court."

He paused.

"Li Wei and the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau would reduce Goguryeo to a puppet. They promise order, but what they offer is submission. A kingdom ruled by secret men, faceless and nameless. I will not allow it."

The firelight caught the edge of the king's jawline as he leaned forward.

"I called you here because I believe in you. Because Goguryeo must stand as it was always meant to, sovereign, proud, and free. The people look to us for leadership. If we falter now, we hand our kingdom over to tyrants in silk robes."

His words struck with the weight of steel. Mo Du and Dal Gae remained silent, letting the king's voice do the forging.

General Baek Ryun's eyes shone. "We will stand with you, my king."

General Jin Seong added, "Our swords are yours. Let Li Wei and the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau tremble."

A chorus of assent followed. Their loyalty, once tested by politics and threats, now burned clean and resolute.

But just as the meeting reached its peak, a violent noise shattered the moment, a distant shout, then the unmistakable ring of steel against steel. All heads turned.

A heartbeat later, General Seo Gun burst through the doors, blood streaking his face, an arrow jutting from his shoulder. He staggered forward, clutching the wound.

"Assassins," he gasped. "A dozen or more. Highly trained. They're inside the fortress."

The room erupted into motion.

General Jin Seong sprang to his feet. "Get the King out! We'll hold them!"

General Yoo Tae grabbed his spear. "Seo Gun, take the north wing! Hold them long enough for the King to reach the outer path!"

Mo Du drew his short blade in a flash, and Dal Gae checked the king's escape route.

"No," King Sansang began, rising. "We stand together."

But General Baek Ryun placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Your Majesty, if you fall here, the kingdom falls with you. This is our duty."

Outside, screams and the clash of steel echoed closer. Torches flared. The fortress, so carefully chosen for its security, had been breached with precision.

King Sansang's face was stricken. "How did they know?"

Mo Du's jaw tightened. Dal Gae's eyes flicked downward.

But there was no time for answers.

The five generals surged forward, forming a barrier between the king and the doors. They fought like titans, blades singing, voices raised not in fear, but defiance.

General Hwan Do turned back one final time. "Go! Now, Your Majesty!"

Torn, King Sansang let himself be pulled by Mo Du and Dal Gae down a side corridor. They moved quickly, past stone halls now alive with blood and fire. Assassins, silent, masked, deadly, appeared at every turn, but the five generals held them off, buying seconds with their lives.

In the final stretch, two assassins broke past and lunged for the king. Mo Du, even though elderly, managed to tackle one by surprise, driving his dagger up into the ribs. Dal Gae parried the other and drove him into a wall.

The trio reached the outer exit just before it was too late. From the top of the wall, King Sansang looked back. The fortress was aflame.

He saw the silhouette of General Jin Seong atop the inner courtyard steps, bloodied, sword raised, roaring as he fought. Then, nothing. They fled.

There was no other choice. The road to Gungnae was long and cold, but none of them felt it. Not the wind, not the branches scratching their faces, not even the cold bite of despair.

When they reached the forest's edge, King Sansang dismounted and fell to his knees.

"I led them to die," he whispered.

Mo Du remained silent. Dal Gae knelt beside him. "They knew what they were doing and the risk involved, Your Majesty."

The king shook his head. "They were my strength. My shield. And now they are ash in Ansi's stones."

The wind howled through the trees, cruel and empty. "It was him," the king said, his voice low. "Li Wei. He knew everything. The route, the plan, even the guards we trusted." His hands curled into fists. "But how? How did he know?" No one answered.

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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