Yin Provincial Roleplay

[Marquis Black]

"It seems that war is coming everywhere," replied the elderly gentleman, shaking his head sadly, "Blown by the winds of change. We mortals are but shadows and dust, powerless before the events that shape and mold the Middle Kingdom. Mere years after the Qin unified the Middle Kingdom there was a reckoning for their crimes against humanity. Now it seems that the crimes of Chu and its Hegemonic King will finally be judged by the Heavens . . . A reckoning will be had for Julu and Xianyang. Where there was once peace . . . there will be war once again. Perhaps Chu's hegemony will continue, perhaps it will not."

Rui smiled at the man, a tinge of empathy sneaking through. "But the events that mold the Middle Kingdom require men to force them to happen," he pointed out genially as he swung his arm and again forced the column to shift formation without even looking at it. He didn't need to--he knew his subordinates would ensure his orders were carried out. "If there had been no Qin Shi Huang, would there have been an Empire?" he asked. "If there were no Zhao Gao, would the Qin have fallen as precipitously as it did?"

"Men may seem like insects in the face of the ripples of history, but a ripple only occurs because someone dropped a rock in a puddle, no?" he noted airily before tapping the flag to his chin pensively as he judged the formation in movement at the foot of the hill. "As for Chu's reign...," he gave a private, conniving smile. "Well, that's up to every person, no? Some will choose, blindly, to fight it head on, hoping to become martyrs and so inspire the rest to rise up--never realizing that it's not that simple."

He waved the flag again, and the column changed formation once more. "Others will seek more roundabout ways, like my first shixiong, should he ever decide to get involved," he noted. "Perhaps even empower Xiang Yu to the very top and then launch a coup," he guessed. "But the point is, sir, that without the will of men, what change would there be? We have an Empire now because Qin Shi Huang first managed to unite our people, if only through evil methods. Now that his example has been set, do you not think more people will seek to unite the land?"

[Cao Chao]

Rui smiled at the man, a tinge of empathy sneaking through. "But the events that mold the Middle Kingdom require men to force them to happen," he pointed out genially as he swung his arm and again forced the column to shift formation without even looking at it. He didn't need to--he knew his subordinates would ensure his orders were carried out. "If there had been no Qin Shi Huang, would there have been an Empire?" he asked. "If there were no Zhao Gao, would the Qin have fallen as precipitously as it did?"

"Men may seem like insects in the face of the ripples of history, but a ripple only occurs because someone dropped a rock in a puddle, no?" he noted airily before tapping the flag to his chin pensively as he judged the formation in movement at the foot of the hill. "As for Chu's reign...," he gave a private, conniving smile. "Well, that's up to every person, no? Some will choose, blindly, to fight it head on, hoping to become martyrs and so inspire the rest to rise up--never realizing that it's not that simple."

He waved the flag again, and the column changed formation once more. "Others will seek more roundabout ways, like my first shixiong, should he ever decide to get involved," he noted. "Perhaps even empower Xiang Yu to the very top and then launch a coup," he guessed. "But the point is, sir, that without the will of men, what change would there be? We have an Empire now because Qin Shi Huang first managed to unite our people, if only through evil methods. Now that his example has been set, do you not think more people will seek to unite the land?"

"And yet it is the very same men who are powerless before the tides of change," replied the elderly gentleman, shaking his head, "There are those who seem to be able to mold the Middle Kingdom and yet these seem individuals are swept along by the changes that their actions have caused. What happened to Qin Shi Huang in his quest to establish an everlasting dynasty, but death from his quest for immortality and the disintegration of his empire? What happened to Zhao Gao but death at the hands of Ying Jianglu for his treachery and his corruption? They believed that they could affect the course of history . . . but ultimately, they could no more control it as they could control the free will of others . . ."

"Irregardless of what happens, the common people have already suffered enough," stated the scholar with a grimace, "Some advocate for a speedy reunification to end this conflict . . . but I believe that the end should not be rushed. There should be no massacres like Changping or Julu . . . no sacking of cities like Handan and Xianyang. A humanitarian when empowered by those capable and learned . . . will become invincible."

[Marquis Black]

"And yet it is the very same men who are powerless before the tides of change," replied the elderly gentleman, shaking his head, "There are those who seem to be able to mold the Middle Kingdom and yet these seem individuals are swept along by the changes that their actions have caused. What happened to Qin Shi Huang in his quest to establish an everlasting dynasty, but death from his quest for immortality and the disintegration of his empire? What happened to Zhao Gao but death at the hands of Ying Jianglu for his treachery and his corruption? They believed that they could affect the course of history . . . but ultimately, they could no more control it as they could control the free will of others . . ."

"Irregardless of what happens, the common people have already suffered enough," stated the scholar with a grimace, "Some advocate for a speedy reunification to end this conflict . . . but I believe that the end should not be rushed. There should be no massacres like Changping or Julu . . . no sacking of cities like Handan and Xianyang. A humanitarian when empowered by those capable and learned . . . will become invincible."

Rui chuckled. "You sound like my second shijie--and that, my mysterious friend, is quite the compliment to be paid," he noted, a tinge of nostalgia in his voice. "Right is right, she would say; wrong is wrong."

"I confess I am not so optimistic," he noted as he almost idly commanded the army along the road at the foot of the hill. "I believe in Heaven's power, and the greater good. A terrible act today could spare entire provinces tomorrow," he stated. "Massacre for massacre's sake is always to be shunned, of course, but if killing hundreds would force thousands to surrender without a fight...would that not be the best, in the long run?"

He stopped his next order in mid-wave and chuckled again. "I guess that's the intrinsic difference between a civil advisor and a military advisor," he commented. "One to guide down the path of nurture, one to guide down the path of hell," he idly spoke, his next order swift and decisive. "If a hegemon could wisely use both...one in peace, one in war...then he would be invincible."

[Cao Chao]

Rui chuckled. "You sound like my second shijie--and that, my mysterious friend, is quite the compliment to be paid," he noted, a tinge of nostalgia in his voice. "Right is right, she would say; wrong is wrong."

"I confess I am not so optimistic," he noted as he almost idly commanded the army along the road at the foot of the hill. "I believe in Heaven's power, and the greater good. A terrible act today could spare entire provinces tomorrow," he stated. "Massacre for massacre's sake is always to be shunned, of course, but if killing hundreds would force thousands to surrender without a fight...would that not be the best, in the long run?"

He stopped his next order in mid-wave and chuckled again. "I guess that's the intrinsic difference between a civil advisor and a military advisor," he commented. "One to guide down the path of nurture, one to guide down the path of hell," he idly spoke, his next order swift and decisive. "If a hegemon could wisely use both...one in peace, one in war...then he would be invincible."

"Hhmph," replied the elderly gentleman, "Those who speak those words have never governed a country before . . . nor have they experienced the suffering of those incapable of resisting those with power, influence, and wealth. While shades of gray exist for those individuals who wish to equivocate and for rhetoricians to bicker endlessly about, morality before the all-seeing eyes of Heaven is clear. As you have said, right is right; wrong is wrong - unambiguous in its simplicity."

"As a native of the weakest of the Seven Warring States," continued the scholar with a sigh, "I experienced the suffering of the people of my state firsthand when it was surrendered to Qin. There was peace . . . but the peace that was had was an uncertain one. And now as I feared . . . it seems that war has returned to Hann. An army from Chu has marched for Yangdi, while a large band of brigands has taken advantage of the chaos to prey upon the weak and powerless. No one who has brought chaos and war back to Hann have the well-being of the populace in mind . . . They do things in the name of the Heavens, but in reality, all these acts are fueled by the powerhungry appetites of ravenous wolves."

"There are differences between ministers who govern during peacetime and advisers who strategize in times of war," replied the elderly scholar, shaking his head, "But I am both a civil and military adviser." Pausing, he clasped his hands together and continued, introducing himself before he would continue on his way. "I am Zhang Liang, Zhang Zifang. May I know with whom I have the pleasure of speaking with? And who your master is?"

[Marquis Black]

"Hhmph," replied the elderly gentleman, "Those who speak those words have never governed a country before . . . nor have they experienced the suffering of those incapable of resisting those with power, influence, and wealth. While shades of gray exist for those individuals who wish to equivocate and for rhetoricians to bicker endlessly about, morality before the all-seeing eyes of Heaven is clear. As you have said, right is right; wrong is wrong - unambiguous in its simplicity."

"As a native of the weakest of the Seven Warring States," continued the scholar with a sigh, "I experienced the suffering of the people of my state firsthand when it was surrendered to Qin. There was peace . . . but the peace that was had was an uncertain one. And now as I feared . . . it seems that war has returned to Hann. An army from Chu has marched for Yangdi, while a large band of brigands has taken advantage of the chaos to prey upon the weak and powerless. No one who has brought chaos and war back to Hann have the well-being of the populace in mind . . . They do things in the name of the Heavens, but in reality, all these acts are fueled by the powerhungry appetites of ravenous wolves."

"There are differences between ministers who govern during peacetime and advisers who strategize in times of war," replied the elderly scholar, shaking his head, "But I am both a civil and military adviser." Pausing, he clasped his hands together and continued, introducing himself before he would continue on his way. "I am Zhang Liang, Zhang Zifang. May I know with whom I have the pleasure of speaking with? And who your master is?"

The only reaction Rui had to the man's identity was to freeze for a microsecond as his brain processed the fact that he had been debating virtue and war with the Zhang Liang. Not Zhang Liang, the strategist, or Zhang Liang, the civil administrator...but Zhang Liang, the man who had tried to rid the world of Qin Shi Huang, murderer of Rui's father. In that microsecond he had frozen, Rui quickly went through all the ways he could react to the man's identity. He could fawn, but that would be beneath him. He could thank the man for his attempts to rid the world of a monster, but it might sound like pandering.

In the end, he settled for a calm acknowledgment and a cordial show of thanks. "Zhang Zifang, the man who once tried to rid us of Qin Shi Huang," he noted before turning towards him and bowing his head respectfully and clasping his hands in salute. "An honour indeed. Had your ploy succeeded, my father would still be amongst us, and my mother probably wouldn't have died of grief, so you have my thanks for your attempt. But well, Heaven did not wish for Qin Shi Huang to go just yet, unfortunately. I am Rui, of the Bai Clan, called Ruicong; a vassal of the Yi Clan of Qi."

Straightening up once again, Rui fixed his cold, calculating, dark eyes on Zhang Liang's face, searching it carefully for any hints of deception, even as a warm smile spread on his face. "Then, as one strategist to another, how do you believe one would be able to bring down the bloodthirsty hegemony of Xiang Yu?" he asked before looking towards his rag-tag army. Again, he raised his flag, and this time the army settled down and began marching normally, their exercises done. "After all, when one side has a vast numerical advantage over every other opponent, blunt tactics will only result in a tragic, useless end."

[Cao Chao]

The only reaction Rui had to the man's identity was to freeze for a microsecond as his brain processed the fact that he had been debating virtue and war with the Zhang Liang. Not Zhang Liang, the strategist, or Zhang Liang, the civil administrator...but Zhang Liang, the man who had tried to rid the world of Qin Shi Huang, murderer of Rui's father. In that microsecond he had frozen, Rui quickly went through all the ways he could react to the man's identity. He could fawn, but that would be beneath him. He could thank the man for his attempts to rid the world of a monster, but it might sound like pandering.

In the end, he settled for a calm acknowledgment and a cordial show of thanks. "Zhang Zifang, the man who once tried to rid us of Qin Shi Huang," he noted before turning towards him and bowing his head respectfully and clasping his hands in salute. "An honour indeed. Had your ploy succeeded, my father would still be amongst us, and my mother probably wouldn't have died of grief, so you have my thanks for your attempt. But well, Heaven did not wish for Qin Shi Huang to go just yet, unfortunately. I am Rui, of the Bai Clan, called Ruicong; a vassal of the Yi Clan of Qi."

Straightening up once again, Rui fixed his cold, calculating, dark eyes on Zhang Liang's face, searching it carefully for any hints of deception, even as a warm smile spread on his face. "Then, as one strategist to another, how do you believe one would be able to bring down the bloodthirsty hegemony of Xiang Yu?" he asked before looking towards his rag-tag army. Again, he raised his flag, and this time the army settled down and began marching normally, their exercises done. "After all, when one side has a vast numerical advantage over every other opponent, blunt tactics will only result in a tragic, useless end."

"That was another life, before I acquired the wisdom of Jiang Ziya . . . before I became a strategist and civil administrator," replied Zifang, shaking his head. "I was young and clueless about life . . . I attempted to assassinate Qin Shi Huang . . . and embarrassingly attacked the wrong carriage. As a result, Qin Shi Huang survived . . . living for a few more years."

"Any who wish to go up against the Hegemonic King must bide their time," replied Zhang Liang, as he returned Bai Rui's fixed look, "Chu has an army that is unmatched in both size and strength. With the hundreds of thousands at his disposal, Xiang Yu can brutally enforce his will across the Middle Kingdom if he wished. But with the withdrawal of the majority of his army back to Chu, there is an opportunity to build up one's power and influence. Ultimately, however, one power cannot hope to defy Xiang Yu alone. It will likely take an alliance of the many regional powers and lords to face and defeat Xiang Yu. Attack at multiple points to spread his massive army out . . . and test the abilities of his subordinates like Ji Bu, Long Ju, Zhongli Mo, among others. Even then, a measure of luck will be needed for the Hegemonic King is a dreadful foe upon the battlefield . . ."

[Marquis Black]

"That was another life, before I acquired the wisdom of Jiang Ziya . . . before I became a strategist and civil administrator," replied Zifang, shaking his head. "I was young and clueless about life . . . I attempted to assassinate Qin Shi Huang . . . and embarrassingly attacked the wrong carriage. As a result, Qin Shi Huang survived . . . living for a few more years."

"Any who wish to go up against the Hegemonic King must bide their time," replied Zhang Liang, as he returned Bai Rui's fixed look, "Chu has an army that is unmatched in both size and strength. With the hundreds of thousands at his disposal, Xiang Yu can brutally enforce his will across the Middle Kingdom if he wished. But with the withdrawal of the majority of his army back to Chu, there is an opportunity to build up one's power and influence. Ultimately, however, one power cannot hope to defy Xiang Yu alone. It will likely take an alliance of the many regional powers and lords to face and defeat Xiang Yu. Attack at multiple points to spread his massive army out . . . and test the abilities of his subordinates like Ji Bu, Long Ju, Zhongli Mo, among others. Even then, a measure of luck will be needed for the Hegemonic King is a dreadful foe upon the battlefield . . ."

Rui smiled as Zhang Liang outlined his ideal plan. "Your thoughts match my own, Zhang-daren," he noted with a smile. "Even if our methods and beliefs don't match."

He tapped his chin with the wooden flag pole pensively. "Still, it's a pity there is no one currently available to form, or even lead such an alliance," he mused regretfully. "The one charismatic man, someone called Zhefu, is regretfully out of his mind. He seeks to battle Xiang Yu head on, without any trappings of secrecy or forethought..." he informed Liang. "Now, the Hegemon King has been informed of the man's rebellion against Chu, and I fear it won't be long before he reaps the devastating harvest that is Xiang Yu's wrath."

"Unless, of course, you know of someone worthy, Zhang-daren," he noted with an amused smile.

[Cao Chao]

Rui smiled as Zhang Liang outlined his ideal plan. "Your thoughts match my own, Zhang-daren," he noted with a smile. "Even if our methods and beliefs don't match."

He tapped his chin with the wooden flag pole pensively. "Still, it's a pity there is no one currently available to form, or even lead such an alliance," he mused regretfully. "The one charismatic man, someone called Zhefu, is regretfully out of his mind. He seeks to battle Xiang Yu head on, without any trappings of secrecy or forethought..." he informed Liang. "Now, the Hegemon King has been informed of the man's rebellion against Chu, and I fear it won't be long before he reaps the devastating harvest that is Xiang Yu's wrath."

"Unless, of course, you know of someone worthy, Zhang-daren," he noted with an amused smile.

"If he had the manpower, I would suggest Liu Bang, the King of Han," replied Zhang Liang, shaking his head. "But his rule over his new fief has been lethargic . . . his troops are weak and ill-trained. Even with the help of his new Supreme Commander, Han Xin, it will take him quite some time before Liu Bang will be able to march out of Ba-Shu into the former Qin lands of Sai and Yong."

"There is no other that has yet presented themselves capable of rallying the disparate lords of the realm and reconciling their disparate agendas into one cohesive alliance against the Hegemonic King," continued the elderly scholar with a sigh, as he stroked his beard, "Furthermore, what will happen when the Hegemonic King is defeated? With such a figure is gone, the unity of the alliance will likely be broken . . . and the war will only continue. There needs to be a man . . . a charismatic and capable man who will not only be able to rally those against the Hegemonic King, but also to hold such an alliance together to prevent the further shedding of blood."

[Marquis Black]

"If he had the manpower, I would suggest Liu Bang, the King of Han," replied Zhang Liang, shaking his head. "But his rule over his new fief has been lethargic . . . his troops are weak and ill-trained. Even with the help of his new Supreme Commander, Han Xin, it will take him quite some time before Liu Bang will be able to march out of Ba-Shu into the former Qin lands of Sai and Yong."

"There is no other that has yet presented themselves capable of rallying the disparate lords of the realm and reconciling their disparate agendas into one cohesive alliance against the Hegemonic King," continued the elderly scholar with a sigh, as he stroked his beard, "Furthermore, what will happen when the Hegemonic King is defeated? With such a figure is gone, the unity of the alliance will likely be broken . . . and the war will only continue. There needs to be a man . . . a charismatic and capable man who will not only be able to rally those against the Hegemonic King, but also to hold such an alliance together to prevent the further shedding of blood."

Rui nodded pensively. "I, too, had thought of offering my services to Liu Ji of Han," he recalled. "But, as you said, he has been lethargic and inactive for such a long time that I am forced to consider that either he is unwilling to challenge Xiang Yu, or wishes, more cunningly, to lure the Hegemon King into lowering his guard," he mused before shrugging. "But this is all conjecture, of course. His reasons for silence may be as simple as self-indulgence in his new title, or wallowing in self-pity."

"If such a man, a hegemon if you will, were to appear," he then said. "One who could truly unite the people of the Middle Kingdom...I would wholeheartedly serve him," he spoke honestly. "I would do my utmost to bring my oath brother and the rest of the Yi clan to that person's side."

[Zhang]

" I have come to speak to Bai Ruicong, is he perhaps available to speak with, tell him Zhang Liao is here to speak with him, he sent me this letter inviting me to meet him here." Zhang Tzu shows whoever he is greeted by the letter, if they wish to see it.