Reborn In The Three Kingdoms - Chapter 778

Chapter 778: 744. King Sansang Resolve For a Showdown
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.

Mo Du, who was standing beside him, glanced back at the fortress, his face ashen. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. But we must keep moving. If they pursue us—”

“They won’t, Master Mo Du.” Dal Gae cut in grimly. “This wasn’t about killing Your Majesty and the two of us. It was about sending a message to Your Majesty.”

King Sansang’s jaw clenched as he turned to look at Dal Gae. “What message?”

“That nowhere is safe for you, Your Majesty. Not even the heavily guarded Ansi Fortress.”

The king’s breath came in ragged gasps. Five of his most trusted generals, dead. General Seo Gun, who had welcomed them so warmly, was likely bleeding out in the fortress courtyard. And for what? To prove that Li Wei’s reach extended even to the farthest corners of Goguryeo?

No.

There was more to it. King Sansang knew it in his bones. This had been a trap set by Li Wei from the beginning. And he, alongside Mo Du and Dal Gae, had walked right into it without realizing it was a trap. The question is who told Li Wei, or where did he hear about this meeting?

After some time, King Sansang finally got on his horse, followed by Mo Du and Dal Gae. As they rode back toward the capital, the king’s shoulders sagged, not from exhaustion, but from grief. And behind his tired eyes, something hardened.

He had lost five of his greatest champions. The military would demand answers. The court would stir with rumors. And Li Wei would spin this as another failure of royal judgment.

But King Sansang would not break.

He would mourn them. He would remember every face, every voice, every loyal blade. And he would strike back.

When they returned to Gungnae, the sun had just begun to rise from the eastern horizon, casting a faint orange glow over the capital. The city was still wrapped in the drowsiness of dawn, unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded in Ansi.

King Sansang, alongside Mo Du and Dal Gae, entered the palace through a secret entrance used only in times of grave danger.

The passage was cold and damp, winding beneath the palace like the burrows of foxes. They moved in silence, their boots muffled by layers of dust and stone. None of them spoke—not because they had nothing to say, but because the words were too heavy to carry.

They emerged inside the palace, near the western wing that led to the royal study. Without pausing to rest or call for aides, they made their way there, footsteps echoing through the empty corridors. But when they opened the doors to the study, they halted.

Queen Woo was already inside.

She sat by the low table with a cup of untouched tea before her, dressed in a pale silk robe embroidered with silver plum blossoms.

The royal study was dimly lit by the first pale light of dawn, showing King Sansang, Mo Du, and Dal Gae showing their clothes torn, their faces streaked with dirt and dried sweat.

Her expression was composed at first, but as she saw their battered, dirt smeared appearances, her eyes widened in feigned shock. Rising swiftly to her feet, she walked toward King Sansang with hurried grace, her hand reaching for his cheek.

“My King,” she murmured, her fingers trembled as she reached up to brush a smudge of dirt from King Sansang’s cheek, “what happened? What is this? Mo Du, Dal Gae, what is the meaning of this?”

The two men said nothing. Their faces were stone, their gazes averted.

King Sansang looked at her, at the worry in her eyes, the tremble of her hand. He let out a long, hollow breath and, without a word, he pulled Queen Woo into his arms, holding her tightly as if she were the only solid thing left in his crumbling world.

“Ansi has fallen,” he whispered. “We were ambushed. Our five high ranking generals are dead. General Seo Gun may already be lost. They died buying us time to escape. The fortress… It’s aflame.”

Queen Woo’s body stiffened in his arms, but she kept up her performance. She pulled away just enough to look into his eyes, her own wide with disbelief. “No,” she whispered, voice tight and frail. “How could this be? How could such a thing happen?”

King Sansang slowly released his hug, his hands gripping her shoulders as he recounted the horror, the ambush, the assassins, the flames consuming the fortress. As he spoke, Queen Woo’s face paled further, her lips parting in silent horror.

“Li Wei knew,” King Sansang finished, his voice hollow. “He knew about the meeting. He knew our route. He knew everything.”

Queen Woo’s hands flew to her mouth. “But… but how? Who could have told him?”

She staggered, her knees buckling slightly, but King Sansang held her fast. He felt her body grow suddenly light, as if drained of strength, and he instinctively gripped her tighter, alarmed.

Still acting, Queen Woo leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, “I’m… I’m all right. Just… just dizzy.” She looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes, a look Sansang had never seen on her before. “What will you do now, husband? The military will demand answers. The people will be in uproar. Li Wei… he will use this. He’ll twist this tragedy to strip you of what little power you still hold. He’ll use it to place the army under his direct control.”

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Her voice cracked, trembling like dry leaves in the wind. “He’ll turn you into a puppet, my King. Only allowed to speak, never allowed to decide.”

King Sansang closed his eyes. In that moment, it felt as though the walls were pressing in. The faces of the fallen flashed in his mind, General Jin Seong, last seen on the steps, roaring into the flames. The smell of burning flesh. The silence that followed.

And now this.

Queen Woo, shaking in his arms. Mo Du and Dal Gae, loyal to the end but helpless to stop the tide.

He opened his eyes. “We can’t allow that.”

Queen Woo looked up, lips parted.

“In the court,” he said with steel in his voice, “I will face Li Wei. Openly. I will not run. Before the ministers, before the generals, before the gods themselves. If this is to be my end, then I will meet it standing, not cowering in the shadows. I will not beg. If this is the moment fate has chosen for a reckoning, then so be it.”

Queen Woo reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. “Then let me stay by your side—”

“No.” He cupped her cheek, his expression softening. “You must leave the palace. Return to your family’s estate and stay hidden. You must be safe, my queen. If something happens to me…”

“Don’t speak like that,” she interrupted.

“—If something happens, you must live. Survive this. The children of my older brother, the royal bloodline, the future of Goguryeo, it may all depend on your safety.”

Queen Woo bit her lip. She looked away, as though fighting back tears, but inwardly she calculated. This was exactly what she wanted, for King Sansang to walk into the tiger’s den alone. Her role was complete. Now all she had to do was survive and wait for the storm to pass. But also at the same time, she felt a pang of something like guilt that she pushed away.

Mo Du stepped forward, his brows furrowed. “Your Majesty, forgive me, but this is a dangerous decision. If we split apart now, our enemies will take advantage.”

Dal Gae added, “Let us at least accompany you into court.”

King Sansang shook his head. “No. You’ll only be targeted next. I need you both alive. When I confront Li Wei, he’ll strike not only at me but at everything I still hold close.”

His voice was resolute. There was no persuading him.

Mo Du and Dal Gae exchanged a look. They bowed deeply, their hands clenched into fists.

“Then we will stand behind Your Majesty until the end.”

As dawn crested over the palace, a new day began in Gungnae, but not with the usual ceremonies and songs. The bells tolled early, sharp and discordant.

Rumors of a disaster at Ansi Fortress began to spread among the court, and officials were seen hurrying through the palace gates, their robes billowing, their expressions grim.

Inside the royal chamber, King Sansang changed into full regalia. His armor, burnished but still scarred from past wars, sat heavy on his shoulders.

The crown upon his brow felt colder than usual. He stood before a polished bronze mirror, staring not at the reflection of a king, but of a man burdened by loss, wrath, and purpose.

Behind him, Mo Du and Dal Gae stood at attention.

“Ready the court,” the king said.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

They left the chamber together.

Today, the throne room would not be a place of ceremony. Today, it would become an arena of war, not with swords and spears, but with words, accusations, and the raw struggle for power. King Sansang’s showdown with Li Wei will begin.

The throne room was packed when King Sansang entered, his robes immaculate once more, his crown gleaming atop his brow. The murmurs died instantly as all eyes turned to him.

Li Wei stood near the front, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression unreadable.

“Your Majesty,” he said, bowing just deeply enough to be polite. “We were… deeply concerned about the news of Ansi and would like to ask for your guidance on this matter.”

King Sansang ignored him, striding past to take his seat upon the throne. “Let us dispense with the pretense, Master Li Wei. You know exactly where I was and what happened last night.”

A ripple of shock passed through the court.

Li Wei’s eyebrows rose. “I’m afraid I don’t follow, Your Majesty.”

“You know I was at Ansi Fortress last night,” King Sansang said coldly. “Burned to the ground. Five of my finest generals were slaughtered. And you expect me to believe you had no hand in it?”

The room erupted.

“This is an outrage!” shouted a middle ranking General named Jae Wook, one of the few remaining loyalists. “If the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau had any part in this—”

“Proof,” Li Wei interrupted smoothly. “Where is Your Majesty’s proof?”

King Sansang’s knuckles whitened on the armrests of his throne as he heard what Li Wei said, trying to hold back his anger. “Who else could have orchestrated such an attack? Who else benefits from the decimation of my loyal generals other than you and your bureau?”

______________________________

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

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Chapter 779: 745. Showdown Between King Sansang & Li Wei
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Li Wei spread his hands. “Bandits, perhaps, Your Majesty? Or rival factions within Goguryeo itself? Or even Goguryeo’s enemies? The world is full of dangers, Your Majesty. To blame me and the Lie Clan Sueorvison Bureau without evidence is… very much unwise.”

The threat hung in the air, unspoken but clear for everyone in the room to notice, including King Sansang himself.

But King Sansang ignored it and leaned forward from his throne. “Then let us speak plainly, Master Li Wei. We all know you and your lord seek to control Goguryeo from the shadows. You seek to reduce me to a puppet. But know this, Master Li Wei, I am still the king of Goguryeo. And I will not be so easily cast aside by the likes of you who like to play in the shadows.”

The grand hall held its breath when they heard how frontal his words are. The remaining loyalists immediately prepare themselves if something were to happen.

Meanwhile, as the court slowly went to dissolve into chaos, Queen Woo slipped out of the palace, her carriage rolling toward her family’s estate on the outskirts of Gungnae.

She should have felt triumphant. She had played her part perfectly, the worried wife, the loyal queen. Li Wei and to extend his lord, Lie Fan, would be pleased.

And yet…

Her hands trembled in her lap.

King Sansang’s face, haggard with grief and maybe love as well, for her, flashed in her mind. The way he had held her, as if she were his last tether to sanity in this world, even though he had betrayed her.

“Damn you,” she whispered to herself. “Damn you for still making me care. Still making me feel things even though you had two timed me and forgotten our promise.”

The carriage jolted over a rut in the road, jostling her from her thoughts. Outside, the morning sun light spilled over the mountains, painting the world in gold and fire.

Just like Ansi. Queen Woo closed her eyes. The game was not over yet, with King Sangsang having a dead resolve. And due to that, she was no longer certain which side she wanted to win.

Back on Goguryeo’s court, the grand hall still bated their breath as they saw King Sansang and Li Wei were locked in each other, full of serious energy as if their aura was fighting against each other.

Silence gripped the chamber like a tightening noose, tension thick enough to suffocate. The air buzzed with unsaid words, unspoken threats, and unspent fury.

Then, with deliberate leisure, a slow clap broke the silence.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Li Wei.

Every head turned to him, stunned. The sharp sound of his palms colliding echoed through the domed hall like the final stroke of a war drum. His face was unreadable, too calm, too smooth, as if he had planned this exact moment.

The sound of Li Wei’s slow, mocking applause echoed through the grand hall like the tolling of a funeral bell.

King Sansang’s face darkened with fury as the clapping continued, his eyes widened with fury, the veins in his neck throbbed, and his knuckles whitened against the armrests of his throne. “What is the meaning of this mockery, Master Li Wei?!” he roared, his voice cutting through the hall. “Do you dare degrade the King of Goguryeo in his own court?!”

But Li Wei did not stop and did not answer him. He kept clapping, slow and steady. He turned from the king and faced the gathered court. Then, with a small tilt of his chin, he gave the signal.

One by one, the members of the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau rose and began to clap in unison. Then came the officials, those who had quietly pledged loyalty to Lie Fan.

Then, a few scattered generals, men once trusted by the throne. Their hands joined in the applause, the sound building like a tide, crashing over the remnants of royal dignity. All of them clapped along with Li Wei, their faces carefully blank.

Mo Du’s breath caught in his throat. Dal Gae’s hand twitched toward his sword, which was hidden inside his clothes.

More than half the court was clapping.

King Sansang stood frozen. The realization cut deeper than any blade, he had been surrounded, infiltrated, and betrayed. The faces before him once bowed in reverence, now clapped in unison for his enemy.

His voice roared over the din. “STOP! I COMMAND YOU TO STOP THIS INSTANT!”

The command should have shaken the walls. It should have sent servants scrambling and soldiers to attention. But his order was met with continued clapping. Not until Li Wei lifted his hand did it end instantly, as if a puppeteer had cut his strings.

The message was clear to King Sansang, which was that they obey me, not you. Silence returned but this time, it was heavier, more damning. Not a silence of respect, but of defeat.

Li Wei turned back to Sansang, his smile never wavering as he took a step forward, the soft scuff of his boot against stone ringing louder than any trumpet.

“Your Majesty,” he said with that same maddening calmness, “I believe you understood, truly understood, the moment you caved to our demands and allowed the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau to be created and established, that this was inevitable. This day. This moment. It was only a matter of time.”

He paused, his eyes scanning the hall, lingering on those who had joined the applause, then those who had not, loyalists now outnumbered and outmaneuvered.

“And I think I can be frank,” he continued, “and say that everyone here understood it as well.”

Murmurs rustled through the hall like dry leaves in the wind.

Li Wei turned back to the king, a faint smirk flickering across his face. “But to accuse me, without evidence, of orchestrating such a terrible tragedy at Ansi? That is not only foolish, it is dangerous.” He then tutted softly. “You’re testing my patience, Your Majesty. And worse, you’re testing ours.”

He leaned in slightly, his voice soft, almost conspiratorial, but every word laced with iron.

“Tell me, Your Majesty… do you truly wish to be replaced by one of your cousins? Or perhaps a nephew?”

Gasps rippled through the court.

The implication was clear. Regicide. Usurpation. And behind it all, the long, cold shadow of Lie Fan. The threat was not veiled. It was a blade pressed against King Sansang’s throat.

King Sansang’s fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms until they drew blood. His breath came in short, ragged bursts. His eyes darted across the faces of the court, men he had known for years, men he had trusted, men who now looked at him with pity, indifference, or worse, amusement.

Mo Du stepped forward, his aged voice trembling with fury. “You overstep, Master Li Wei! This is treason, what you are saying!”

Li Wei didn’t even glance at him. “Is it, Master Mo Du? The king himself admitted to holding a secret meeting at Ansi Fortress. A meeting where, tragically, his most loyal generals perished. One might wonder… was it really an ambush? Or was it a convenient way for King Sansang to remove dissenters from his court?”

Gasps filled the hall. King Sansang’s stomach twisted.

He knew Li Wei was turning it around to him.

Dal Gae snarled. “Lies! You spin poison from thin air, Master Li Wei!”

Li Wei shrugged. “Where is your proof, Master Dal Gae? Where are your witnesses? All I see is a king who gambled and lost and now seeks to blame me and my bureau for his failures.”

The court erupted into chaos. Voices overlapped, some shouting in outrage, others whispering in agreement. And through it all, Li Wei stood calm, his hands folded once more into his sleeves, his victory assured.

King Sansang felt the world narrowing, the edges of his vision darkening. He had walked into this hall prepared for a fight, but not like this. Not against his own people.

His voice, when it came, was raw. “Enough.”

The hall quieted for a moment after hearing such a tone they had never heard from King Sansang.

“You want proof, Master Li Wei?” King Sansang’s laugh was hollow. “You want witnesses? Very well.”

He straightened, his spine rigid with defiance. “Let the records show that on this day, the King of Goguryeo named Li Wei, envoy of Lie Fan and Head of the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau, a traitor to the crown. Let it show that the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau has overstepped its bounds, conspired against the throne, and orchestrated the murder of loyal generals.”

Li Wei’s smile faltered, just for a heartbeat.

“And let it show,” Sansang continued, his voice rising, “that I, Sansang, true and legitimate King of Goguryeo, hereby dissolve the Lie Clan Supervision Bureau. Its members are to be arrested. Its assets seized. And its leader—” His finger stabbed toward Li Wei. “—executed for treason against the King.”

Silence.

Then loud laughter could be heard.

Li Wei laughed, shaking his head as if King Sansang had told a particularly amusing joke. “Oh, Your Majesty. You can’t possibly be serious. Your joke has truly developed over these past couple of years.”

He gestured to the guards lining the walls. “These men answer to me. Most of your ministers here answer to me. Most of the generals that are still breathing answer to me.”

His smile turned pitying. “Who, exactly, do you think will carry out your order, Your Majesty?”

King Sansang’s jaw clenched. He looked to the guards and saw no recognition in their eyes. Only cold obedience to Li Wei.

Mo Du stepped closer to the throne, his voice a whisper. “Your Majesty… we must retreat. Now.”

Dal Gae’s hand was already on his sword, his body tense as a drawn bowstring.

Li Wei sighed. “Take them.”

The guards moved.

What followed was a blur of steel and shouting.

Dal Gae cut down the first guard to approach, his blade flashing in the torchlight. “GO, YOUR MAJESTY! MASTER MO DU!” he roared at King Sansang and Mo Du.

The king hesitated, only for Mo Du to grab his arm and yank him toward a side passage. “We must live to fight another day, Your Majesty!”

Behind them, Dal Gae fought like a mad man, trying to buy them precious seconds. But the odds were impossible. A spear and a sword took him in the side and his back. “RUN, YOUR MAJESTY!” he bellowed, even as blood frothed at his lips. King Sansang’s last sight of his loyal advisor was of the old man standing firm, sword raised, as a dozen blades descended upon him.