Zhaoling Under Pressure
A week had passed since the siege began.
No enemy army had appeared on the horizon.
No walls had been breached.
But the people felt the noose tighten.
The merchant roads were silent.
Food prices rose.
Blacksmiths lacked fresh iron.
Families whispered about hunger. About fear.
The enemy had not drawn a sword, and yet… Zhaoling was bleeding slowly.
In the face of all this, Lü Bu stood tall—but even he could see it: morale was cracking.
"A sword cannot cut despair," he murmured, gazing out over the city.
He needed to act.
Not as a warrior.
As a ruler.
The Council of Resolve
Lü Bu gathered his closest advisors in the central plaza—not inside a war room, but in front of the people.
Wei Yun was against it at first.
"It will show weakness."
But Lü Bu shook his head.
"It will show truth. And it will remind them why they follow us."
That morning, thousands gathered. Farmers, workers, guards. Old men and children. Mothers with tired eyes.
They expected silence. Or excuses.
But instead, Lü Bu stepped forward.
He looked tired—but determined. He didn't wear his armor. Just simple robes, dirt on his hands from helping with labor.
"My people," he said, his voice strong, echoing across the plaza. "They seek to choke us without a fight. To starve our hope."
"But I did not build this city alone. You did. You farmed these lands. Forged these walls. Bled beside me."
"So I ask you not just to endure—but to rise with me."
He stepped down from the platform… and began lifting sacks of grain.
One by one, his soldiers followed. Then the smiths. Then the farmers. Even the children helped.
That day, a fire ignited in the people—not from orders, but from example.
Zhaoling did not break.
It breathed.
⚙️ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
[MORALE RECOVERY INITIATED]
🔸 People's Trust: +18%
🔸 Public Order: Stabilized
🔸 New Trait Unlocked: "The People's Warlord"
✔ Community Quest Completed: "Stand With the People"
New Feature Unlocked – Public Spirit Gauge
– A measure of the people's unity and strength under pressure
– Impacts loyalty, labor efficiency, and city defense during siege
Forged in Hardship
Later that evening, Old Teng smiled quietly as he watched families cook together with rationed grain.
"You didn't just lead today," he whispered, mostly to himself. "You belonged to them."
Wei Yun nodded, deeply moved.
"The south fights with gold and lies. But we fight with soul."
And far from the city, a southern spy watching the crowd whispered to his raven:
"The people would rather die with him… than live without him."