Li Zhu's Audience Hall - Zhaoge

[RuffRydeR]

Liangyu nodded firmly. She liked his idea of a bigger world to take care of.

"Well, that is Father's to decide. What do you say, Father?"

[Jin Shi]

Huixi Zhe returned to Xia Xi's capital with a happy-go-lucky demeanor, skipping up to the main gate. When he had skipped his last skip, he bowed to the guards and said

"I'm here to redeem my paycheck. The Princess and the Lordy said I was welcome if I wanted a job in the future."

He cleared his throat, and straightened his clothes, and smiled like a schoolboy ready for his first day.

[RuffRydeR]

"Oh? Well...you'll have to go through proper procedure to get in. Turn over your weapons and all that. After that, well, the Prefect will decide your employment. Though you seem to be quite eager. You'd be nice to have around the place..."

If he agrees, he is taken in and announced to the Lord and Lady Xia...

(OOC: XZ can take over now. I'm going to bed, and heading for BC tomorrow...No comp till Saturday! =P)

[Jin Shi]

((See ya later then. ))

Huixi Zhe laughed loudly.

"Oh really? I would be nice to have around? I'm touched."

he unbuckled his dagger to let it fall to the ground, and then placed his hands over his chest in a single motion.

"No searching though, mind you."

He wagged his finger.

"It gives me the willies, you know."

He smiled, and bows when he is brought in, deciding to wait for the lord to speak first, an oddity for Zhe.

[Xiang Zhuang]

nstroud

"That is a quick change of heart," Zhenfeng replied. He looked at Huang Fu a bit confused. "If you would humor a rather odd question, I am curious why it is that you have first sought me out to assist you, and now wish to serve me directly here. I don't know much about you other than that you lead a village in Changshan, which is no mean feat itself. What is it about me that is so attractive from someone so far away? I don't know what is said about me outside of here, and would be curious to see what influence drives you toward me."

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Jin Shi

((Let me redo this, since Ruff was rushing it to get another post in before she has to leave. I enjoy my details!))

Assuming the guards saw no other weaponry on the man, he was led into the hall. He went down a short hallway, littered with offices, guards, and aides. It culminated in a large room in what appeared to be the center of the complex. There, Xia Xi and his daughter sat behind a large desk upon an elevated portion of the room. A guard was stationed on either side of the entryway, and one stood by each side entrance as well. Xia Xi seemed to be discussing something with an aide when the visitor was brought in. The attendant, having brought Huixi Zhe in, bowed to the governor and said, "Prefect Xia, a guest is here to see you."

Zhenfeng immediately realized that the attendant had failed to get the name of the visitor, but Xi himself seemed to think he looked familiar. He said, "Welcome to Zhaoge, again. You seem familiar, although I can't place the name."

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Charlemagne

((Carrying on from Ruff's earlier post...))

The Prime Minister is led into the Audience Hall, but is asked to wait in a side room for a few minutes while the Prefect prepares. In this time, he's offered tea or any other refreshment he might like. After only a couple of minutes, though, another messenger arrives and is ready to escort the Prime Minister into the main audience hall. There, Xia Xi stood behind a desk upon an elevated platform toward the rear of the room. A couple of guards were present by the doors, and a few attendants, as well as a scribe, were loitering about. After their entrance ((I can't quite tell how many visitors you were intending on bringing in)), the attendant who brought them in bowed to both the Prime Minister and the Prefect and said, "Announcing the Prime Minister of Qin!"

Xia Xi walked from behind the desk down the left-side stairs. He was wearing a set of modest robes; probably a step below what somebody of his self-proclaimed rank would wear, especially when faced with a superior. Upon the end of the short stairway, he gave a full bow to the Prime Minister. "I am very grateful you are here, Prime Minister," he said. "I am Xia Xi. If you desire, I can have refreshments and cushions for us to recline upon. I did not wish to presume that our business would be akin to these sorts of amenities, however. I hope your journey was well."

[nstroud]

Huang Fu raised his head and said " I came to you because of your daughter. She seemed to believe that I could be of some use. I had hoped to secure men and weapons from you to take care of my village and perhaps expand my sphere of influence in Changshan. It was only when I arrived here and talked with the Gongzhu Xia that I realized that you and your people here were in a perilous position. When you further emphasized this point I decided that this was Heaven's way of telling me to submit fully to you and use my mind and body to assist you in the governance and protection of Yin." With this said Huang Fu bowed his head once more.

[Charlemagne]

The Prime Minister is led into the Audience Hall, but is asked to wait in a side room for a few minutes while the Prefect prepares. In this time, he's offered tea or any other refreshment he might like. After only a couple of minutes, though, another messenger arrives and is ready to escort the Prime Minister into the main audience hall. There, Xia Xi stood behind a desk upon an elevated platform toward the rear of the room. A couple of guards were present by the doors, and a few attendants, as well as a scribe, were loitering about. After their entrance ((I can't quite tell how many visitors you were intending on bringing in)), the attendant who brought them in bowed to both the Prime Minister and the Prefect and said, "Announcing the Prime Minister of Qin!"

Xia Xi walked from behind the desk down the left-side stairs. He was wearing a set of modest robes; probably a step below what somebody of his self-proclaimed rank would wear, especially when faced with a superior. Upon the end of the short stairway, he gave a full bow to the Prime Minister. "I am very grateful you are here, Prime Minister," he said. "I am Xia Xi. If you desire, I can have refreshments and cushions for us to recline upon. I did not wish to presume that our business would be akin to these sorts of amenities, however. I hope your journey was well."

"A simple chair will do," replied the Prime Minister, and instructed his escort of two, and his scribes, also numbering two, to stand. "My journey was just that. No more, no less." Taking his seat, the man folded his hands into his sleeves and crossed his legs. His manner was very professional, and his tone was even.

When Xia Xi had retaken his seat, the Prime Minister looked at him casually, and without hesitation asked, "As host of this meeting, you are free to speak first, unless of course you wish to yield on this matter. Your letter raised certain grievances, and if you'd wish to revisit them, I am prepared to discuss them, before moving on to his majesty's grievances. Unless of course, as I said, you'd like to yield."

[Brother Dun]

The princess now interjected. Liangyu had stifled a yawn as she felt the man's discomfort when speaking about the Brotherhood. She wondered what was so worrisome about them...

"Umm...one question though, if you would forgive this little girl for asking...What's so unsettling about this Brother Lao? You never did tell us what the Brotherhood's goals are or interests and how they are necessarily opposed to our own. Besides, aren't thye just like any other powerful group out there, wanting to rule Tianxia? What makes them different?"

Huo Xing's gaze shifted to the up until now, nearly silent princess, "Ah... Why are they different than any other powerful group? One simple answer would be that," and the scholar paused a moment, trying to remember where it was exactly Brother Lao had said the Brotherhood held power, "That the Brotherhood's power is far reaching. They have forces not only in Yong, but as they have claimed, in Changsha, Hann, Di, and Wei. They also, somehow, have managed to garner the full support of Ying Fusu and his Kingdom of Qin. That alone makes them a very dangerous group. Outside of that, m'lady, it's a cult. Plain and simple, I don't like cultists. They are eager to kill for their beliefs, and just as eager to die, they have no problem with death in the name of their great cause. Brainwashing, mysticism, whatever it is, I don't like it. While the Brotherhood may not be the only cult currently causing problem, it is the only one that I have had close contact with, and I believe it may also be the most dangerous. Is that a more enlightening answer?"

[Jin Shi]

Huixi Zhe frowned.

"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry your memory is not what it used to be."

He smiled lightly, and cleared his throat very loudly.

"So, I'm thinking this place looks like the best place for my talents at the moment. Nice place, nice people, nice food, good times in my estimation."

He wrapped an arm around the attendant who had announced him, bringing him closer in.

"All chums, eh? But seriously now-"

he let go of the attendant, lightly pushing him away and taking a few steps closer, slowly

"what will be the pay, and the duties?"

[Xiang Zhuang]

((Sorry, everyone, for the delay in reply here. I tried to take a day off and it wound up being three when the network died on me.))

nstroud

"Well, then," he said, "if this is your desire, than I would gladly accept you. I know it might take some time to transfer your force to Yin, but I will be happy to include them, should they go. If you wanted to place the village under me as well, that is something we could also do. Hopefully I can use you effectively enough so that your assistance and loyalty to me will be well-served."

Huang Fu has been accepted! Post in the OI for PH access. (We can work out the other details later.)

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Charlemagne

Xia Xi did as requested, and got an aide to fetch them both chairs. After he had sat, Zhenfeng gave the Prime Minister a soft nod. "It is only right that your needs be addressed first," he said. "I do not wish to waste any of the Prime Minister's time."

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Brother Dun

"That is interesting, although not exactly different than from what I've already heard," he replied. "I imagine, though, as they start to interact with the larger warlords around them, they are going to have to start to view the world in a more realistic manner. If these other locations are truly as loyal and strong as the forces in the West, then they won't be able to stay low-key for much longer. Not that they are very low key already if they are sending out letters to people in Yue." He started to chuckle a bit.

"Anyway, Huo Xing, I am a bit curious about you in particular. I know some things, but you have said you planned on keeping a low profile in Yue. It would seem, now, that you have changed your mind somewhat? Certainly you have garnered a lot of attention in this journey of yours, and probably can't go back to whatever quiet life you've had previous. What are you hoping to get out of all of this, then? I mean, what sort of goals do you have now that things are changing for you? I imagine that some of these people you have talked to would probably treat you well if you are indeed as capable as my own scouts have said.

"Anyway, you are free to ask me what you will."

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Jin Shi

The attendant seemed to shudder, and moved away from the visitor, trying to move away from the embrace. Zhenfeng gave a small frown to his visitor. "Again," he said, "I don't recall your name. Would you inform me, or are you too entertained by your assumptions about my age?"