Han Roleplay Thread

[Chou Yu]

Hearing the fate that had befallen his father, Yu felt a slight regret at the offhand manner he inquired about the man. Bending his head slightly he said, "My condolences, I spoke too hastily." The traveler did not linger on the matter however, before switching back his attention to the matter at hand, the new plow he was designing.

Rubbing his chin between his thumb and forefinger Yu said thoughtfully, "I would like to see this plow... I used to do some farming myself, when I was younger and my body more able. When will you be done with this new harness you're making?" Yu glanced at the leather the man was working on before he came. As he listened to the man's explanation, Yu had tried to picture the plow in his mind with no avail. However, regarding the harness itself, Yu already had an idea on how it could be fix, though it's naught but a hypotheses. The traveler didn't mention it however. The young man and his mother seemed to be convinced that he was a lord, despite his refutations. If Yu would tell him of his idea, then he would not dare to not use it, and it would block the man's creativity and motivation, and that would not do at all.

[ann]

Bu nodded eagerly and said, "The plow has a sharp vertical knife blade which cuts the soil. Following this is a curved wingshaped molded piece which turns the soil as it deepsns the furrow. Before we had only an angled cutting surface. Once the field had been plowed we would then have to turn the soil by hand. And the plow was all of wood - our neighbors still use this kind." He shook his head remembering how he'd tried to get them to adopt his method. They thought him somewhat crazy but, the real bar was metal. "Some have metal on the cutting surface but none are all of metal in this area. Mine is - which makes it, along with the turning action, heavier to pull."

He gestured to the leather. "I have developed a ... collar ... which will fit over the horse's head and distribute this weight more evenly. I am just preparing the reins."

[Chou Yu]

Yu's imagination worked overtime as the farmer attempted to explain his contraption. The elder Yang was no smith nor inventor, but even he could see the potential merit behind this new plow that the man was inventing. It did not surprise him that the man's neighbors have not adopted this invention, it was the typical peasant mentality to stick with what they know, unmotivated to look for something better. Which was why the young man in front of him was that much more special.

After hearing the farmer's report regarding the completion status of the new harness, Yu waved his hand and said, "Continue then. I believe that I will refrain from setting out before I could see this new plow of yours, all fitted to the horse with the new harness." Even if it is successful, Yu wondered if it would make the horse tired faster, due to its heavier nature. Turning towards the man's mother he said, "That is, if you do not mind." After some moments he add, "Until that time, I pray you give me some work to do around here. I loath idleness."

[ann]

The old woman seemed scandalized though, at the same time, she seemed very pleased with the visitor's interest in her son's activities. Perhaps, the old woman thought to herself, there was something to them after all. It would be a strange thing but the world, these days, was filled with change and strange ideas and events. Shaking her head she bowed and said, "Oh no, I am sure there is nothing you need to do! I will get on with our housework!" And, after bowing again she vanished into the small home.

Bu seemed very gratified by the visitor's interest. He nodded and began to work again, occaisonally saying something to himself or, perhaps, to his guest. But he was working - and thinking - very steadily. After a while he looked up and said, "I think I have something to try. If you would like to see it I can call my wife and we can test the new collar and harnes." He waited to see whether his visitor would care to walk into the fields.

[Chou Yu]

To Yu's distress, the old woman bowed yet again, and refused Yu's offer to help out around the area. "I assure you..." The traveler started. However, it was too late as the mother scurried away into her humble abode, leaving a frustrated Yang Yu behind, shaking his head. Turning towards the son, Yu remarked rather dryly, "I hope that you finish whatever it is you need to be finished quickly." Yu did not like sitting around aimlessly.

Without nothing else to do, Yu resigned himself to watching the young man at work. His fingers worked dexterously, yet delicately; performing things that looked simple, yet Yu knew it took knowledge and experience. After a while a thoughtful look came across Yu's face. It fascinated him that while he is more than skilled in leading thousands of men in performing complicated maneuvers designed to kill other men, something as deceptively simple as handcrafting escaped him. As arrogant as Yu was, he realized that all he knew was of battles and armies. For the rest, he needed other men. Yu's face brightened up when the young man spoke up of a trial, and Yu stood up from his squatting position. "Lead the way." he simply said.

[ann]

Bu led the way into the fields and called to his wife. She was halfway down a furrow and she stopped pulling the plow as she heard them. A small boy, who was behind the plow turned in excitement and began to ask about the new harness. Bu, walking to the pair, laughed at the questions and said, "Yes, you must get the horse so we can try it."

His wife, far from being bitter and broken by hard work looked happy and almost as excited as the child. They did not have long to wait for the boy to return with the horse which had been grazing across the field. Without many flourishes for his audience Bu quickly placed the collar on the horse and attached the plow and harness. Then all stepped out of the way as he positioned himself behind the plow and chirruped to the horse. The animal began to move and pulled the plow with as much ease as anyone could have hoped. The blade cut the hard earth and the curved share turned the earth to one side. With the horse pulling Bu finished a row with ease and far more quickly than his wife had managed without him.

The family was quite excited. Bu said, "We hardly need to plow so early now! We'll be done in no time." His son danced around clapping. The plow and collar harness were far different and superior to anything seen anywhere.

Yang Yu has gained 2 intelligence!

[Chou Yu]

[Woot +2 int!! ]

The field was not far, and soon Yu and the young man reached the place where a woman who Yu assumed to be the young man's wife and a small boy was working with a device that looked very much like the new plow that the young farmer was talking about. Yu wondered briefly about the young boy, thinking that it was perhaps the couple's child. The question didn't last long as his mind wandered past it, finding himself as excited as the rest of them about the possibility of the new harness.

Yu watched with interest as the young farmer fastened the new harness onto the horse. To Yu's satisfaction it seemed like the young man's "fix" had been the same as what Yu had in mind. That is, instead of putting the harness around the horse's neck and crush its windpipe, one should put it lower, around its collar.Though now he could see that the design he had in his head would not have worked. The man's work was flawless.

The moment when the horse started moving was a tense one, but the harness and the plow proved to work beautifully. Everyone was excited, and even Yu had a wide grin on his face; it was a feel good moment. The feeling of seeing someone who Yu had so often had associated with a defeated class of people, rise up to use it's creativity and motivation to make his life easier was better than Yu had thought.

Approaching the young man, Yu smacked his back hard in good spirits and said, "You are a brilliant man and your plow a marvelous contraption. What you have just did could be the thing to revolutionize agriculture; so listen to my proposition and listen well." Yu said, now in a more serious tone, "I was on my way to visit the King of Han Liu Bang when I stopped here." Yu paused a while, and delivered his intention:

"Come with me, and together we will tell them of this brilliant idea of yours, and demonstrate its effectiveness. I believe when Liu Bang or whoever decides to meet with us see this, he will be willing to pay you to make more of these things and teach how to make the device to others. This plow you have made has not finished making your life better yet." Yu grinned.

Realizing how terrifying his proposition must have sounded to a simple peasant he added, "I will be with you from start to finish, I promise. With this deed, I will have paid your hospitality, and only then will my heart be satisfied." Yu added.

[ann]

Bu listened in surprise to the man's proposal. He considered the move and looked at his family. They were happy here and yet it was a hard life and unsafe. Somehow Bu had managed to avoid being conscripted into any army. But this would not last. Even though the armies needed food they would take the farmers to fight. Looking at his son decided it. Soon his son would be old enough for the conscription and Bu would lose him - and he would surely die. However if he were important to the King he might be spared this - Bu would have his son as an assistant and the things they made would be important enough to spare their lives.

He said, "It might be the best idea for us to come. It will take a while to close the house and seal the doorway. To pack up and get on the road." He stopped and looked at his family. "Perhaps it would be best if we followed when we were ready and met you at the King's court."

[Chou Yu]

Yu considered what the young man said thoughtfully and saw no harm in the plan. It will give him time to freshen up and clean up so he could look his best. For this meeting, he imagined that he'd need to look every bit of a Lord that he is not even to be granted an audience, let alone be taken seriously.

"Very well." Yu agreed, "There is one thing that I must tell you first. Though I am no Lord in reality, when we are there you are to call me Lord. Yang Yu is my name. It will be much easier for us to convince them if they think that I'm a Lord from some lands." With that, Yu bowed to the old mother, and nodded his head at the young man and said, "My gratitude for the hospitality, I will be waiting for you in front of the King's Audience Hall, most likely." and with that, Yu took his horse and left.

[Chou Yu]

At An Entirely Different Time - Closed RP for Regent

Yang Yu sighed dejectedly as he sat on his horse, slowly walking through the wide town street. After his last visit to these lands, Yu could never push out the thought of the peasant Bu out of his mind. However hard he attempted to convince himself that it wasn't his fault, he still felt like he had betrayed the poor man, raising up his hopes like that and unable to deliver it. That was the reason that Yu had ridden so far from Jiaodong to Han, the land of Liu Bang. It was to see Bu once again and make amends. He had something in mind that was sure to be received well by the farmer, and was rightly excited to present the opportunity to him. Alas, Yu had arrived at his village finding Bu's house but not of him and his family. Yu had asked around the village for them, but nobody could give a straight answer as where the man went. Yu hoped beyond hope that they were alive, and not forced to fight somewhere.

Not willing to give up just yet, Yu had came here, to a nearby town thinking that perhaps Bu had came here looking for work, or for someone to invest on his inventions. So far, he had no luck in finding him. Approaching a man walking on the same street as he was Yu said, "Pardon me, but you don't by perchance know of a brilliant farmer by the name of Pan Bu do you?" It was a longshot, but at the moment Yu had no better idea than asking around.

[Yes Regent, the man I approached is you!]