Chapter One: Seizing Command

On the windswept streets of Chengdu, Liu Chan rode his horse at a measured pace. This city, once the thriving capital of brocade, now suffocated beneath the oppressive pall of impending doom. Storefronts were shut tight, and the few pedestrians hurried by, anxious and furtive. A lazy patrol of soldiers slouched against a wall, muddy armor and swords hanging carelessly from their belts.

At the ancestral temple, Liu Chan gazed upon its towering edifice. Inside, the spirit tablet of Liu Bei was enshrined; every year, on important festivals, Liu Shan would bring Liu Chan and his brothers to pay homage. Liu Chan pushed open the hall doors and saw Liu Bei’s portrait. He glanced at it but quickly fixed his eyes on the table before it, where two treasured swords lay—the twin swords once wielded by Liu Bei.

After Liu Bei ascended the throne, these swords were renamed the Dragon and Phoenix Twin Blades, symbols of paramount significance in the Shu Han court. Today, Liu Chan had come for these swords. Drawing two blades from his voluminous robe, he exchanged them for the twin swords on the altar.

“Liu Bei, since fate has made me your grandson, I will change the destiny of the Han,” he murmured, staring deeply at Liu Bei’s portrait before turning to leave.

No one could have imagined that a twenty-first-century doctoral graduate in archaeology, during an excavation of a late Han tomb, would transmigrate into the body of Liu Shan’s son—the famed Prince of Beidi, Liu Chan.

It was the tenth month of the sixth year of Jingyao, barely a month before Shu Han’s fall. The original Liu Chan had died of grief and rage, opening the way for his arrival. Upon awakening in this new world, Liu Chan quickly grasped the dire situation: Deng Ai had already marched through Yinping’s secret path, and Liu Shan, upon receiving the news, hastily ordered Zhuge Zhan to lead the army into battle.

But Zhuge Zhan’s abilities paled in comparison to his father Zhuge Liang. Predictably, within less than a month, Deng Ai would be at the gates, and Shu Han would capitulate. The original soul had taken his own life at the Temple of Emperor Zhaolie. If Liu Chan didn’t act swiftly, he would die not now but in the chaos of Yongjia, perhaps at the hands of foreign tribes.

He shook his head as he watched the lethargic soldiers around him. Shu Han was rotten to its core—an inept emperor, eunuch dominance, factions of surrender and resistance locked in endless strife, and chaos in governance.

No wonder Zhong Hui believed that even a resurrected Zhuge Liang could not save the realm, let alone Jiang Wei.

But things were different now. Liu Chan had arrived.

If he wanted to survive, he had to seize military power, defeat Deng Ai, and then plan his next move. The seventy thousand troops under Zhuge Zhan’s command were the best option.

Taking advantage of the city’s chaotic state, Liu Chan completed the final step of his plan. Now, he left the palace in haste, where Meng Qi, commander of the Prince of Beidi’s personal guard, had been waiting.

Meng Qi hailed from the Meng clan of Nanzhong, son of the former commander Meng Yan.

“My lord!” he greeted.

“Quickly, out of the city! We must catch up with Zhuge Zhan!” Liu Chan mounted his horse, his expression grim.

“Yes, sir!” Meng Yan responded, rallying the guards and escorting Liu Chan away.

On a riverside plain, the last elite army of Shu Han was encamped. Within the main tent, flickering candlelight cast shadows on tense faces. Zhuge Zhan sat at the head, brows furrowed; Zhuge Shang stood beside him, taut with apprehension; Huang Chong paced anxiously; and Huang Sui stood with lowered gaze, his eyes flickering.

Outside, the wind howled, mingled with distant neighs of warhorses, foretelling the coming bloodshed.

“We cannot delay any longer!” Huang Chong stopped abruptly, his voice hoarse and urgent. “Deng Ai has pressed forward with light troops and scant supplies. We must seize Fu City and block the mountain passes, trapping him on the mountain roads. If we hesitate, should the plains fall, Shu will be in peril!”

Zhuge Zhan shook his head slowly, tapping his fingers on the table, uncertain. “Fu City is indeed strategic, but I fear it has already fallen to Deng Ai. Mianzhu’s high walls and deep moat offer better defense. If Jiang Wei returns, we can strike Deng Ai from within and without—he will surely be defeated.”

“Jiang Wei?” Huang Chong sneered, his eyes flashing with contempt. “He’s far away at Jiange, locked with Zhong Hui. How can he come? General, you command seventy thousand troops—why rely on others?”

Huang Sui raised his head, feigning deference. “Though General Huang’s words make sense, Deng Ai’s stealthy crossing of Yinping must be carefully planned. If we attack rashly, we risk falling into his trap. In my view, holding Mianzhu is best.”

Zhuge Zhan nodded slightly, swayed by the argument. Huang Chong slammed the table in anger, roaring, “Nonsense! The opportunity for battle is fleeting. If you all shrink from combat, must we wait for Deng Ai to reach Chengdu?”

“Colonel also believes we should hold Mianzhu,” Huang Sui added coldly.

He referred to Huang Hao, the eunuch Colonel of the Imperial Chariot, whose influence was so great that even General Jiang Wei feared to oppose him.

The atmosphere in the tent tightened.

“What do eunuchs know of warfare?” came an angry shout from outside.

The tent flap was suddenly swept aside, letting in a gust laden with snow. All eyes turned as a figure strode in, clad in black armor and swords at his waist. In the firelight, his face was cold as iron, his gaze sharp as blades—it was Liu Chan, Prince of Beidi.

“My lord!” Zhuge Zhan rose in shock. “How are you here?”

Liu Chan gave no answer, but gestured. His guards unfurled a bright imperial decree, reading aloud: “By order of His Majesty, from this day forth, Prince Liu Chan shall command the entire army to resist Deng Ai. Zhuge Zhan is to surrender his authority at once. No mistakes will be tolerated!”

A hush fell over the tent.

Zhuge Zhan had only taken command after three imperial summons; now, a decree arrived barely a hundred miles from Chengdu, demanding he relinquish his command. Something was amiss.

Liu Chan smiled faintly.

He had only been in this world for three days, but in that time, he accomplished much—stealing a blank decree from Liu Shan’s palace, forging it with his own skill to mimic the emperor’s hand, stamping it with a privately carved jade seal, and finally, taking the twin swords and arriving at the army to complete the scheme.

“Well, General, do you need to verify the decree?” Liu Chan handed it to Zhuge Zhan.

Doubtful, Zhuge Zhan took the decree. Seeing the familiar handwriting and seal, his last suspicion vanished.

“It is indeed His Majesty’s hand!” Zhuge Zhan was about to surrender his command badge.

But Huang Sui intervened. “My lord, do you possess the tiger tally?”

Zhuge Zhan hesitated again.

“And who are you to question?” Liu Chan stared coldly. “I bear the twin blades bestowed by the emperor himself—swords of the late sovereign. Is that not proof enough?”

“Prince of Beidi, I am the adopted son of Colonel Huang Hao, sent by the emperor to supervise the army. Though you are a royal prince, I serve the emperor’s command and obey the Colonel’s orders. I dare not neglect my duty,” Huang Sui replied smugly, showing no regard for Liu Chan.

“Excellent! Very well!” Liu Chan’s eyes flashed coldly, and with a sudden motion—the sword gleamed like lightning. Before anyone could react, Huang Sui’s head rolled on the ground, blood splattering the tent.

Clean and decisive.

Perhaps it was the effect of the soul transmigration, but Liu Chan found his strength increasing over these three days. The sword cut through as easily as slicing tofu.

“Anyone who questions the decree—will be executed!” Liu Chan sheathed his sword, his voice icy.

Zhuge Shang recoiled in shock. Huang Chong stared fixedly at Liu Chan, his eyes filled with both awe and a hint of admiration.

Zhuge Zhan’s face turned pale, his voice trembling. “Your Highness... what does this mean?”

It was not just the prince’s martial prowess that astonished him, but also his ruthless resolve—a far cry from his former gentle demeanor.

At this moment, anyone with sense knew the decree was suspect.

But now was not the time to worry about such things.

Liu Chan fixed his gaze on Zhuge Zhan, enunciating each word. “General Zhuge, His Majesty trusts you, but I do not. The enemy is at the gates. You have only marched a hundred miles; at this pace, by the time you reach Mianzhu, Deng Ai will have already arrived in Chengdu. If seventy thousand troops are squandered by indecision, Shu Han will perish. So today, I must take command.”

His eyes were cold and unfeeling, staring at Zhuge Zhan’s throat. Should Zhuge Zhan refuse, he would not hesitate to kill him.

“My lord!” Zhuge Shang’s face flushed red, about to speak, only to notice that more than a dozen sturdy men with weapons had quietly entered the tent, their eyes fierce.

“Brother-in-law, you fear Huang Hao, you fear Jiang Wei—but I do not. When even the Han is on the brink of destruction, what is there to fear?” Liu Chan said softly. “With the enemy before us, are you confident you can defeat Deng Ai?”

Outside, thunder rumbled, as if Heaven itself were enraged.

Zhuge Zhan closed his eyes and sighed deeply, finally unfastening the command seal and offering it with both hands. “May Your Highness put the realm above all else.”

Liu Chan took the seal and strode to the main seat, his black armor gleaming in the firelight. He surveyed the assembly, his voice steely.

“I and Zi Chong will lead three thousand cavalry at full speed, to seize the strategic heights ahead!”

“I accept the order!” Zhuge Shang replied at once.

Thanks to the accumulations of Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei, who had secured Hanzhong and maintained ties with the Qiang, they had acquired many northwestern warhorses. And since the enemy was at the gates, Liu Shan had entrusted the last three thousand imperial cavalry to Zhuge Zhan.

“Brother-in-law and Bo Gao will lead the main force, depart at once, and seize the front mountain. If Deng Ai wishes to enter the plains, he’ll have to step over my corpse!”

“Yes, sir!” Zhuge Zhan and Huang Chong answered hurriedly.

“As for Chengdu, Brother-in-law, you know how to deal with it, do you not?” Liu Chan gazed at him.

“I understand,” Zhuge Zhan replied bitterly. He knew that Liu Chan, by taking Zhuge Shang, essentially held him hostage; if Zhuge Zhan tried to denounce Liu Chan, Zhuge Shang would be executed.

Amidst wind and snow, the war drums sounded, and the Shu army camp awoke like a giant beast, roaring its final defiance against fate.