Kingdom Proclamations!

[ann]

For Public Proclamations of Kingdom Rulers!

[Ashikaga]

August 209 BC, From the desk of the KING OF ZHAO.

Riders were sent throughout the lands, informing all kings, dukes, prefects, magistrates, and people of any standing that Wu Chen had a monumental announcement. The proclamation was tacked on to sign posts in most villages and towns alerting the people of the action.

To the People,

As the waters ebb and flow, wearing down on even the mightiest rock, the rock of that was once Chu has withered under corruption, greed, and ignorance. I once took up their banners in our glorious revolution, set to win the hearts and minds of the people and rid the world of the Qin overlords. My king sent me on a mission, to relieve the people of Zhao. Once having accomplish my mission the king abandonded us, no money, no aid, no additional troops.

Now in the interests of the people of Zhao, and the people as a whole, I hereby declare myself independent of the shackles the King of Chu has bound me by, and will welcome any and all who come to join me. I invite the lords of the south, and Lord Xia to form an alliance that would protect us all from further expansion by my former lord.

I wish to make it clear that I do not wish for war between myself and Chu but will be ready if it threatens my people or those who join me in an alliance or who flock to my banner.

May Heaven smile upon me in this bold step and guide the people to a new age.

Signed,
Wu Chen,
KING OF ZHAO

{Official Seal of Zhao}

[Unchained Phoenix]

As autumn bleeds into the blistering winter months, a surprising declaration comes from the newest Prefect of Shangdang. It is circulated throughout the Wei Province, and eventually the news spreads throughout the country.

Citizens of Wei,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today. Just days before I write this proclamation, it was reported that Lord Wei Yang of the esteemed Wei Family of Shangdang has met his demise at the hands of the plague. Sir Wei did not show any serious symptoms normally seen with those affected, but his life was claimed just before he could put his plans for stability in Wei into motion. The Heavens chart the fates for all men and women alike, and it seems as if they have grander plans for Sir Wei in the skies above. Let this report not send waves of fear throughout our homes, but a fair warning to stay safe and stay protected as I do everything in my power to prevent this small outbreak from becoming anything major. I am hiring the best medics across the country to help overcome this disease, and I have no doubt that we will see the end of this soon enough.

The body of Wei Yang shall be interred here in Shangdang at the behest of the people who loved him so much. May his dedication to this country always be remembered.

Signed,
Zhao Yue zi Laoxin
Prefect of Shangdang, Wei Province

[Cao Chao]

As October neared the last of its days, a missive was circulated far and wide through the provinces of the Middle Kingdom.

The last . . . I am the last follower of Mohism (墨家). We were once movers and shakers in the world led by the masters known as Juzi (鉅子). Founded by our great master, Mozi (墨子) who founded our great school with one hundred and eighty disciples, we have existed for two hundred and fifty years. But since the time of Shang Yang (商鞅), our power and ability to influence the course of events has been irrevocably diminished to nothingness. Many Mohists have died as we attempted to change the world for the better through our skills as wandering philosophers and swordsman. Many died in the internal struggles that marked the trials of succession after the passing of one of our leaders. Many died in the oppression of the Qin as it destroyed all those who dissented against the teachings of Legalism. And now, I have learned that my last few brothers and sisters have died in Hann, falling under the dastardly hands of the arrogant and ignorant.

I am the last surviving Mohist. For the past forty-four years, I have served as Juzi. I sense that the end of my time is near. I cannot, in good conscience, permit the extinction of my school. If I do, how can I ever face the spirits of the previous leaders?

It is with this last thoughts that this missive is written. I invite worthy individuals throughout the Middle Kingdom to travel to the foot of the Shennong Mountains (神农山). Though the main headquarters of the Mohism is upon the peak of the mountains, only the worthy may set foot upon its summit. To continue the Mohist tradition, I will select after tests a suitable successor and pass along generations of Mohist teachings, the secret sword arts passed down from Mozi himself, and the defensive skills that have made us famous. For those who are not chosen, compensation will be provided for your time.

Qiu Guangzi (秋广子)
-Juzi of Mohism

(OOC: This will be a non-lethal quest that will begin after the turn changes. There is no limit on the number of participants. Any participant in order to succeed must pass five tests. If there is more than one successful participant, the reward will be increased to reflect such an occurrence.)

[Ashikaga]

November 209 BC, From the desk of the KING OF ZHAO.

To the great and noble peoples of the North and all the land,

The traitorous Han Guang has rebelled against his rightful and true master, Wu Chen, King of Zhao, for no reason other than his own gain. When noble Wu Chen rebelled, he set out clear and necessary reasons for rebellion, while Han Guang has done nothing, making it clear that his own ambitions drive him. Men still loyal to the noble king have made known the words of Han Guang and would like all to know that he shall not be tolerated.

Yan in a free province and one that has acceptable order by a noble ruler. The Kingdom of Zhao states this, Yan shall be defended and if its ruler truly loves his people, he shall join with me in a pact against this tyrant Han Guang. All rulers of the north, both allies and those neutral, are called upon in mutual defense of order and truth. The King has renounced his claims to Quni and invites all to move and take it.

It is men like Han Guang that perpetuate this foolishness. And to spite him and his endeavors I bestow upon the general populace that his army numbers over 15,000 and to prepare themselves. He has corrupted the minds of that vast army and will do so to you and yours should he get the chance. The men are well armed and well trained, do not take him lightly. He has calculated his movements and will not stop till all fall to his blind ambition. Let us all stop him now.

Signed,
Wu Chen,
King of Zhao

Edit:

Wu Chen announces a 300 Gold bounty for the capture of Han Guang and 50 for any of his associates, Dead or alive.

[Nanjun Tiger]

A missive is circulated throughout China, for all the Lords to see...

Good People and Leaders of China. For many months now, your eyes and ears have been decieved by the imaginative words of Yi Lian, Scourge of the South, and her trained dog, Lin Xin, in regards to both their intentions and the state of affairs in Changsha. Attached is a letter, written to Lin Xin as he asked for my surrender and the pain he feels for the loss of his bandit hordes, so you can finally see the truth...

Marquis Lin Xin of Yue,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this day. When we met several months ago, I believed you to be a good man at heart, a little misguided because of your allegiance to the she-devil Yi Lian, but a good man nonetheless. However, the events in these recent months have proven otherwise.

It has been a claim, by you, that bandits run amok in Changsha, terrorizing and pillaging the people. In that respect, good sir, you are correct. Bandits have begun to plague my homeland for the past several months, raping and killing everything in their path. And as such, you have claimed my leadership to be unsound and that you wish to restore order to Changsha. However, as we both know, these are not regular run-of-the-mill bandits. They are, in fact, men under your employ and whom you sent to Changsha to undermine not only my leadership, but also to harm the very people whom you said you fight for… My People. You have knowingly deceived not only your officers and counsel, but also the very people in Yue you swore to protect. That you swore to lead with virtue and honor. However, your dastardly tactics of unleashing brutes to pillage the innocents is not an act that a man of such lofty ideals turns to. You pay lips service to what others want to hear, but you have never followed through. Certainly you have learned much from Yi Lian. You have truly lost your way, Marquis Lin.

Now I hear that you call me honor less and a coward, for my dispatching of the bandits that plague Changsha; the very same bandits that you sent to attack my city of Nanjun. These are the very same men who have killed the innocent women and children of the land for months, and the very same men you have employed to do so. I gave them all an option: leave Changsha and never return, and their lives shall be spared. However, it was of better interest to their coin purse to stay and harm the poor masses under my watch, and they staunchly refused. Any leader who cared an ounce for their people could never allow such men to freely roam their land, especially after they refused to stop razing your citizen’s lands and livestock. They were a menace; one which you unleashed upon the land. You have violated the innocents of my land and allowed bloodthirsty killers to bring destruction to the four corners of Changsha. Now tell me good Marquis, where is the honor in your actions? What makes you any better than the scum that you employ? The Ravenwind have maimed and killed countless civilians throughout the south, yet you still employ them to perform your ‘dirty wars’. You should be ashamed, Marquis.

I do not regret killing them and if I could, I would do it ever single day for the rest of my life. The spilt blood of those worthless dogs, whom you call friends, will never make up for all of the innocent’s blood they have spilt in my land, but it was a start. A good, decent man would have seen the error of his way, but you, Marquis Lin, refuse to repent for the evil misdeeds you have committed against me, my people and the land. For this, the people of Changsha shall forever be your enemies. As shall I. We shall not submit to you or your mischievous machinations.

And so, while the 'virtuous' Lords are silently watching; circling around like hungry vultures ready to pick the bones clean from the corpse of the devastated southlands, I shall oblige by my oath to the people I swore to protect, by fighting this blight to my last breath.

Some brave men and women have joined me in this just cause, including Pang Li and Sima Shing, who shall no doubt incur the bandit's wrath, while others have merely turned a blind eye and deaf ear. If you believe that Yi Lian and Lin Xin are content with their current holdings, then I shall gladly meet you in the Nine Springs after they have taken your lands, razed your fortresses and murdered your kin. Perhaps then, you may finally see the truth. And although I shall soon perish, I shall have died with no regrets. For it is better to live a single day as a lion, than live a hundred years as a sheep.

~Taishi Guang
Marquis of Changsha

[Lin Xin]

Xin looks over the missive that was sent out by Taishi Guang, which is circulating throughout Yue and, he assumed, the rest of the land as well. Shaking his head, he battled within himself on whether he should validate these false claims made by the Snake of Nanjung with a response.

What finally moved his hand to grab the horsehair tip pen were the words directed against his ally Yi Lian and his friends of the Raven Wind. Lies against him, he can handle. Lies against his friends, well, he cannot just stand idly by.

This letter is to be copied and distributed throughout China

To the people of the Middle Kingdom,

While I don't mind accusatory lies being spread about myself, I cannot stand idle while false statements are being made about my friends and allies. Thus, I will attempt to shed some light to the deception campaign initiated by Marquis Taishi Guang of Changsha.

Many point to the destruction of Huaiyin as an example of the brutality consistent with the "evil" Yi Lian. But as a wise man once told me, "Words carry weight, but actions are what truly defines a person." Well, the pillage of Huaiyin was a catastrophic event that was unforeseen by Marquis Yi. Through her actions since, funding and assisting in the rebuilding of the grand city, she is attempting to atone for that unfortunate incident. Throughout Huainan, Jiujiang, and Wu, she has gathered talented and loyal people around her to build a stable and secure environment for its people.

Now what has Taishi Guang displayed by his actions? At a supposedly peaceful negotiation in Nanjung, he treacherously ambushed Long Rurong. Then, Taishi Guang executed all his Raven Wind prisoners, without regard for the safety his own soldiers and officers who were, and still are, under the mercy of the Raven Wind. If the Raven Wind are truly as he claimed, then Taishi Guang would not expect his men to live. Why would a kind and honorable lord needlessly risk the lives of his men with such actions?

But what did the "bandits that plague Changsha" actually do? The "brutal" Long Rurong was still suffering from wounds as a result of the dishonorable ambush as well as mourning the death of his friends and colleagues. Obviously, Taishi Guang expected his men to die. Well, my friend Long Rurong, whom Taishi Guang claims to "have killed the innocent women and children of the land," chose to treat Fan Lu, a vassal of Taishi Guang, with kindness and respect, something the Marquis from Nanjung did not offer his helpless prisoners.

Tell me, citizens of the Middle Kingdom, have you heard of any brutal murders and rapes in Changsha carried out by the Raven Wind? Has Changsha been razed and ravished by these "bloodthirsty killers?" Marquis Taishi write eloquently but his words are not based on facts. I am confident his attempts to sway the population and gain sympathy for his treachery will fall upon deaf ears, for we have been subject to his lies for too long.

Let me reiterate, as I have claimed from the beginning, I only wish to provide a peaceful and stable environment so the people of this land can prosper and grow. I have not acted aggressively without purpose nor have I ever treated people mercilessly without reason. I challenge Taishi Guang to find fault with this letter and expose me as a liar.

Allow me to conclude by saying that I will not be holding my breath awaiting his response.

May peace and prosperity find you, wherever you are.
Lin Xin
Marquis of Yue

P.S. And the wise man that I referred to? Prefect Sima Shing of Linjiang. I hope he will stand by his words of wisdom and see the true characters that are defined by the actions of Taishi Guang, Yi Lian, and the members of the Raven Wind.

[Nanjun Tiger]

I expected Lin Xin to respond, for he has been desperate to defame me to my allies, especially the Honorable Sima Shing and Pang Li.

He says he has never been aggressive; yet he has hired common thugs, the Ravenwind mercenaries, to attack me and my people.

He says that I treacherously ambushed those bandits; yet it was they who attack me, without provocation, at Lin Xin's command and refused to leave my people in peace after their defeat in battle. I protected my people from the hired butchers of Lin Xin.

He says that he only seeks peace; yet he hires murderers and thieves to destabilize his neighbors and then invades them with his armies in the name of 'peace'.

He says that I am treacherous; yet he allies himself with, and entirely supports, the woman that razed Huaiyin to the ground, resulting in the deaths of countless women and children.

He claims that I speak lies, yet the evidence is before his eyes. His own words have claimed that bandits plague Changsha and that he wishes to restore order there. Those very same bandits, may I remind you, are the ones he hired and sent to Changsha to cause trouble.

The truth is in the eye of the beholder, and Lin Xin is certainly blind to his own misdeeds. Perhaps he sleeps better at night by trying to disclaim his own wicked acts and words, but those innocents whose blood has been spilt because of his treacherous acts and ignorance shall always remember what he did... or failed to do in response to Huaiyin.

[Lin Xin]

Upon gaining control of Nanjung and Qianzhong, a proclamation was distributed as well as passed by word of mouth through Changsha and the provinces surrounding Changsha.

To the people of Changsha,

Now that the alliance of noble lords have rid this province of the leech Taishi Guang, a new age of peace will reign supreme. I have assigned the honorable Daisuke Aramaki as Prefect of Nanjung. If you have any grievenances, please seek his wise counsel.

Together, we will strive to create a stable and prosperous land, where your children will grow up without fear or knowledge of the destructiveness of war. I only ask that you stand with me in this task and remain vigilant in the face of the chaos that may attempt to disrupt our tranquil home.

Respectfully,
Lin Xin
Marquis of Yue

[Wokimo]

January 208BC, A Proclamation from Donga

As the North-western province of Jibei becomes a swirling maelstrom of opposing armies, a document bearing the personal seal of a certain Cai Xingzhe, Lord of Donga, is distributed throughout the major settlements of the region. Word soon spreads to the surrounding provinces...

Formerly Zhou claimed dominion over the whole of the Middle Kingdom and there was relative peace throughout the land, but in time the leadership of that state became weak and ineffectual, so that the Dukes of Qin, Wei, Qi, Chu, Han and Yan proclaimed themselves Kings and warred amongst themselves for two bloody centuries. In time, the other states lost their struggles and were united under the banner of Qin's King, who styled himself Qin Shi Huangdi and ruled over the country with no concern but prolonging his own life and magnifying his glory. He built a state that resented its King and was held together only by his iron will. However, in time he would descend to the Nine springs and leave his Empire, which had been born out of so much bloodshed, to tear itself to shreds.

War has erupted in all corners of the world and no man can sleep at night for fear that the next day might be his last, as the power-hungry and the sanguine compete with one another to claim hegemony over the former Qin territories. Jibei, my home province, has not been spared in the rising tide of war and it is with a heavy heart that I think on the current situation. In recent months Pingyuan, the city in which I was born and raised, was conquered at the cost of many lives by the vile wench of Zhao, Lu Ying. I myself was at an advanced stage in my plans to liberate it from the clutches of its treacherous Qin governor and begged her to allow me to take the city for her without the deaths of my fellow townsmen, but she would not listen and death was the part of those who opposed her. I myself was forced to recognise her authority in Jibei and had to pledge loyalty to the crown of Zhao's King, Wu Chen, after I saved Donga's population from the machinations of Shang Pang, who was called 'the abductor'.

However, though Prefect Lu effectively came to control the province, I was not without concern for the future of the province, for there were potential enemies on every side. To the south, in the ancient heartlands of Qi, King Tian had exercised his birthright to the crown of his ancestors. To the North, Fei Lak had proven himself a capable general and taken all of Yan for himself. There were others, as well, who might try to disturb the peace of the province. Eventually, it would be the King of Qi who first brought war to my home, in retribution for Wu Chen's rebellion and for his annexing of lands that were the rightful property of the ruling house of Qi. In the face of such an invasion, I promised to send my armies, such as they were, to the defence of Pingyuan and to the aid of Prefect Lu. Though I was asked by Tian Dan's envoy to join him in his crusade, I chose to stand by those who I had sworn allegiance to, despite the forced nature of that allegiance. Was this not the mark of a man who is mindful of his obligations and thus deserving of staunch support against the enemy? Clearly, it was not enough for Lu Ying who took her armies and fled back to Zhao to help the hopeless armies of the King, leaving my poor self and the people of Jibei to fend for ourselves. To make matters worse, I received personal correspondence from Fei Lak stating that he wished to take my home for himself and his intent to take it forcibly, if I didn't agree to join him, was barely concealed. I was faced with a difficult situation, surrounded by hostile forces and without an ally to rely on, so I have thought long and hard on what I should do in the pursuit of the province's bets interests. My decision has been made and the lines of battle are now being drawn in the Jibei soil.

As I issue this statement of intent, I am aware that there will be those who do not understand, just as the carrion bird cannot understand the aspirations of the hawk, and there will be those who argue that I lack virtue or honour in my decisions. Nonetheless, it was my decision to make and I do not shy away from the responsibility of those actions which I shall now have to take. May posterity record that Cai Xingzhe, a man of noble ancestry, did only what evil was necessary in the harsh times that he lived in and that he, being one who was looked up to by his people, refused to do ought that would not be approved by them.

In this month, the first month of the second year since the death of Qin Shi Huang, Cai Xingzhe of Jibei does hereby declare himself Prefect of Donga, with authority over the city and her armies. Furthermore, I declare myself free of the rule of the King of Zhao and his servant Lu Ying, who threw me to the wolves to save their own hides. Finally, I do hereby acknowledge the King of Qi, Tian Dan, as regent over Jibei province and humbly request that his armies are set to the task of repelling the aggressions of Fei Lak and the smiting the armies of Zhao, so that peace and stability may thereby be returned to my home.

Prefect of Donga,
Cai Xingzhe