Li Zhu's Audience Hall - Zhaoge

[Nanjun Tiger]

The attendant nods, and provided the guards see no other weapons on the man, he is led into the building. They went down the hall a short ways, passing a line of what appeared to be peasants waiting to speak with the king. They had to wait at the entrance for a moment as a somewhat unhappy-looking peasant was being led away. The attendant walked past the others, and seeing no reason to wait, walked into the large room in the center. There, Xia Xi and his daughter sat behind a desk, upon a dais slightly elevated from the rest of the room. The room had a few guards about, and a few attendants, with one scribe in the corner. The attendant from the gates walked a few steps, then gave the king and his daughter a bow, before stepping to the side. He said, "Your majesty, I announce Shi Guo Xing, an invited guest of yours." He gave the visitor a small bow, then moved to the site.

Xia Xi gave the visitor a small nod. "Welcome to Zhaoge, Shi Guo Xing. I am pleased that you have chosen to respond to my summons. I hope that the journey here was without incident."

As he passed through the halls of the building, Guoxing made note of the peasants that had lined up. At first he believed it to be hand outs of free food, but then as they neared the main chamber, he came to the conclusion that they had sought parlay with the King. It intrigued him why a man of the Kings position and stature would stoop to dealing with the affairs of peasants. Certainly there were bureaucrats within the administration who should deal with such affairs... then again, maybe there weren't. Or perhaps the King wished to take the people's needs seriously... or perhaps he simply wished for them to believe that.

Whatever the case was, he soon fogot about it as he entered the chamber and was greeted by the King himself. Pulling back the hood of his cloak, revealing a youthful looking man with long, dark hair tied and pinned into a topknot, the traveler then bowed low in response to the King's recognition. When he raised his eyes, they wandered to the woman at the King's side. He wondered who she was. An aide? A relative? It intrigued him, but as soon as his gaze went into her direction, he realized the perception of such a folly and immediately turned his eyes back to the King.

"Your Highness," he began, keeping his gaze near the King's shoulder, "I could not refuse a summons from someone such as yourself... and no, I did not encounter any troubles in my travels." Giving pause, he thought of the letter he had received. "Excuse my words, your Highness, but why is the King of Yin currently involved in Zhao to such an extent that my services would be required. I have been traveling outside the Empire and am ignorant of what has transpired as of late."

[Xe]

Zhen bowed, placing his blade in the guards hands. He followed the guard quietly, before arrivving at the main hall. He bowed, waiting for the guard to speak.

[Xiang Zhuang]

Maddox

"If you insist," the attendant said, unsure why the man wanted to carry everything himself. Assuming none of them saw any weapons on the visitor, he was led into the structure. They went down a short hallway, past a few random guards and aides who seemed to be working, until they reached the main audience chambers in the center of the building. There, they saw Xia Xi and his daughter sitting behind a large desk at the rear of the room, which was on a dais around a few feet off the ground. A guard was stationed on both sides of the large entryway, and one stood by each stairway on either side of the dais. Another set stood by the side entryways. Otherwise, a few attendants were lingering around. The attendant, having led the man into the room, bowed first to the king, then to his daughter, and finally, took a step away from the man and bowed to him. "Your majesty," he said, "announcing Deng Xun, a member of the Deng family of Zhaoge."

The King was a bit preoccupied doing paperwork when the visitors walked in. He smiled to them on the introductions, however, and said, "Welcome, Deng Xun. I seem to recall having written you. So you do reside here, then. I only pen the letters, after all. I don't actually deliver them." He began to chuckle a bit.

<hr>
Nanjun Tiger

"Ah, yes," he replied. "Well, upon rising to the position I am in now, the King of Chu, my ally, has requested my assistance in dealing with his rebel vassal, who had declared himself the King of Zhao. As it is, even without my actions against the King of Zhao, his time was likely to come to a close, anyway. He had made enemies in Changshan, Yan, and Qi, and all three desired to take him over in the first place. His rebellion was ill-timed and poorly thought-out, and because of it, he's doomed to be forgotten. And because of this, I now have the chance to expand my own administration and influence over the land. And, perhaps, my influence can help the land in the long run."

He paused for a second, and coughed lightly. "Because my forces are expanding, I am in need of talented men to fill the gaps. While my lands are still small for that of a King, soon they will not be. There is great opportunity in times like this for men such as yourself, who by all appearances seem to have a good level of talent.

"Talent only goes so far, though. I wonder what sort of desire you have for the land. What is it that you want the land to remember Shi Guo Xing for?"

[Nanjun Tiger]

"Ah, yes," he replied. "Well, upon rising to the position I am in now, the King of Chu, my ally, has requested my assistance in dealing with his rebel vassal, who had declared himself the King of Zhao. As it is, even without my actions against the King of Zhao, his time was likely to come to a close, anyway. He had made enemies in Changshan, Yan, and Qi, and all three desired to take him over in the first place. His rebellion was ill-timed and poorly thought-out, and because of it, he's doomed to be forgotten. And because of this, I now have the chance to expand my own administration and influence over the land. And, perhaps, my influence can help the land in the long run."

He paused for a second, and coughed lightly. "Because my forces are expanding, I am in need of talented men to fill the gaps. While my lands are still small for that of a King, soon they will not be. There is great opportunity in times like this for men such as yourself, who by all appearances seem to have a good level of talent.

"Talent only goes so far, though. I wonder what sort of desire you have for the land. What is it that you want the land to remember Shi Guo Xing for?"

As the King spoke of the current political climate, as well as his involvement, Guo Xing nodded every so often, trying to absorb all that was being told to him. An interesting situation, to say the least. This King seemed ambitious, as well as capable. Such qualities were not readily found in men of such a prestigious title, but apparently the Heavens had blessed Xia Xi with them.

He found himself, at times, turning his eyes towards the woman next to the King. Every time his eyes did wander, however, he did manage to turn them back quickly and consciously attempted to steady his gaze. As the King posed his inquiry, Shi sighed softly, unsure of how to adequately answer.

"I do not aspire to become a King, so I am certain my name shall all but be forgotten in the pages of history. But...", giving a slight pause, he continued, "I would prefer to be remembered as a man that had no fear, both capable and deadly in battle. A warrior who aided his liege in his struggles until all of his enemies were smited or he himself found his end at the point of a sword. I guess that is all... Does that suffice, King of Yin?"

[Xiang Zhuang]

As the King spoke of the current political climate, as well as his involvement, Guo Xing nodded every so often, trying to absorb all that was being told to him. An interesting situation, to say the least. This King seemed ambitious, as well as capable. Such qualities were not readily found in men of such a prestigious title, but apparently the Heavens had blessed Xia Xi with them.

He found himself, at times, turning his eyes towards the woman next to the King. Every time his eyes did wander, however, he did manage to turn them back quickly and consciously attempted to steady his gaze. As the King posed his inquiry, Shi sighed softly, unsure of how to adequately answer.

"I do not aspire to become a King, so I am certain my name shall all but be forgotten in the pages of history. But...", giving a slight pause, he continued, "I would prefer to be remembered as a man that had no fear, both capable and deadly in battle. A warrior who aided his liege in his struggles until all of his enemies were smited or he himself found his end at the point of a sword. I guess that is all... Does that suffice, King of Yin?"

"Well, I cannot say I ever aspired to be a King, myself," he replied. "My goals were originally to do what I could with my power and my abilities to try and bring about some sort of lasting peace to the land. I'm not sure if that's truly possible, but I suppose I'm still working toward that same goal. I've been able to consolidate some power under myself, and in the meantime have removed some from power who would have done nothing with it, or, perhaps, would have served themselves over the rest.

"I have earned my position, I think, but everything I have done in the past is in the past. I must continue to deserve my rank or I'm going to lose everything I've worked for, and those I have tried to protect in the process--those who have pledged their allegiance--are all going to suffer as a result. It's a huge responsibility. Yet, I have to continue to move forward until I find somebody, or become somebody, who can unite the land."

[RuffRydeR]

Zhen bowed, placing his blade in the guards hands. He followed the guard quietly, before arrivving at the main hall. He bowed, waiting for the guard to speak.

The guard put the blade with his subordinate, then headed inwards, to the hall, where he coughed slightly to grab the father and daughter's attention,

"Pardon me, Master and Mistress Xia, Sir Zhen is here to meet with the Lady."

And he moved aside so that Zhen could speak to the pair...

[Nanjun Tiger]

"Well, I cannot say I ever aspired to be a King, myself," he replied. "My goals were originally to do what I could with my power and my abilities to try and bring about some sort of lasting peace to the land. I'm not sure if that's truly possible, but I suppose I'm still working toward that same goal. I've been able to consolidate some power under myself, and in the meantime have removed some from power who would have done nothing with it, or, perhaps, would have served themselves over the rest.

"I have earned my position, I think, but everything I have done in the past is in the past. I must continue to deserve my rank or I'm going to lose everything I've worked for, and those I have tried to protect in the process--those who have pledged their allegiance--are all going to suffer as a result. It's a huge responsibility. Yet, I have to continue to move forward until I find somebody, or become somebody, who can unite the land."

"I see, Your Highness, but I feel that I must point something out." Guo Xing paused, trying to gather his words correctly. This man certainly appeared to be humble, almost to a fault. Although benevolence was a key virtue of men, it could also be a tell-tale sign of indecision. He did not wish to lecture a King, yet he had to determine which trait was.

"You have already taken many bold steps to achieve what you have set out to do. Yet, you appear as though you are uncertain where you wish those steps to lead. I don't believe that a man must wait to become somebody great. They must continue to strive forward, as you said, but they must also force that greatness upon themselves." Giving a sigh, he paused again, allowing the King to take in his words.

"I believe you must do all you can to unite the land and impose such will onto yourself. Do not wait or seek another to take that burden from you, for if such was to happen, they would appear before you when the time was right. The Heavens have a plan, but sadly, one that we do not know until it is upon us. So until that time comes, we must do what is necessary to both survive and flourish. And in your situation, I believe that is to lead your people to victory and glory..." Clearing his throat, he then exhaled through his nose, hoping he hadn't offended the King.

"I mean no disrespect, Your Highness, for I am no one and would never attempt to tell a King what to do. I simply offer my humble counsel from an objective point of view. That is all." Giving a polite bow, he awaited a response from Xia Xi.

[Xiang Zhuang]

"I see, Your Highness, but I feel that I must point something out." Guo Xing paused, trying to gather his words correctly. This man certainly appeared to be humble, almost to a fault. Although benevolence was a key virtue of men, it could also be a tell-tale sign of indecision. He did not wish to lecture a King, yet he had to determine which trait was.

"You have already taken many bold steps to achieve what you have set out to do. Yet, you appear as though you are uncertain where you wish those steps to lead. I don't believe that a man must wait to become somebody great. They must continue to strive forward, as you said, but they must also force that greatness upon themselves." Giving a sigh, he paused again, allowing the King to take in his words.

"I believe you must do all you can to unite the land and impose such will onto yourself. Do not wait or seek another to take that burden from you, for if such was to happen, they would appear before you when the time was right. The Heavens have a plan, but sadly, one that we do not know until it is upon us. So until that time comes, we must do what is necessary to both survive and flourish. And in your situation, I believe that is to lead your people to victory and glory..." Clearing his throat, he then exhaled through his nose, hoping he hadn't offended the King.

"I mean no disrespect, Your Highness, for I am no one and would never attempt to tell a King what to do. I simply offer my humble counsel from an objective point of view. That is all." Giving a polite bow, he awaited a response from Xia Xi.

Zhenfeng looked upon the guest with a bit of amusement, then started to chuckle a bit. "It seems that rumors of me are going about nowadays," he replied, "that, because my loyalties have not been clear, it means that I'm indecisive. Hardly the case! I am a dutiful planner, and already have plans about what I am going to do next month, the month after, etcetera. I also realize that I am just one player in a large game, so that I have to be flexible.

"Do not disguise my flexibility for the inability to decide. I have moved deliberately from my roots as District Manager of Puyang up to now. I am not reckless, though, and you will not see me waste lives in unnecessary risk. There are many people in this land who believe that they can conqueror the land and unite it behind them, and many of those believe that they will succeed. Most of these people are fools, and most do not have the power. My path is to obtain the power before I begin to have dreams of grandeur. Until I was able to best the armies of another king, I would not have allowed myself to believe that I was somebody who had the potential to unite the kingdom. Now that I've proved something, that might happen.

"I have ambition, but again, the focus of my efforts is the unity of the land. If I put my desire to reign over it ahead of that, then really, unity isn't the goal at all. The difference between a tyrant and a hero is his ability or inability to differentiate between his cause and his own person. I do not believe I will be the person to unite the land, but I think it's more possible today than a week ago, and then, more than a month ago, and more than a year ago. I could have more confidence, but the sort of person who will unite the land will do it under a cause greater than themselves, or when they die, the land will resort to chaos once again. For lasting peace, I have to subordinate my own ambition to that of what is best for the land, so that, when I pass on, the vision shall continue."

[Nanjun Tiger]

Zhenfeng looked upon the guest with a bit of amusement, then started to chuckle a bit. "It seems that rumors of me are going about nowadays," he replied, "that, because my loyalties have not been clear, it means that I'm indecisive. Hardly the case! I am a dutiful planner, and already have plans about what I am going to do next month, the month after, etcetera. I also realize that I am just one player in a large game, so that I have to be flexible.

"Do not disguise my flexibility for the inability to decide. I have moved deliberately from my roots as District Manager of Puyang up to now. I am not reckless, though, and you will not see me waste lives in unnecessary risk. There are many people in this land who believe that they can conqueror the land and unite it behind them, and many of those believe that they will succeed. Most of these people are fools, and most do not have the power. My path is to obtain the power before I begin to have dreams of grandeur. Until I was able to best the armies of another king, I would not have allowed myself to believe that I was somebody who had the potential to unite the kingdom. Now that I've proved something, that might happen.

"I have ambition, but again, the focus of my efforts is the unity of the land. If I put my desire to reign over it ahead of that, then really, unity isn't the goal at all. The difference between a tyrant and a hero is his ability or inability to differentiate between his cause and his own person. I do not believe I will be the person to unite the land, but I think it's more possible today than a week ago, and then, more than a month ago, and more than a year ago. I could have more confidence, but the sort of person who will unite the land will do it under a cause greater than themselves, or when they die, the land will resort to chaos once again. For lasting peace, I have to subordinate my own ambition to that of what is best for the land, so that, when I pass on, the vision shall continue."

"Honestly, Your Highness, I have not heard any rumors of you or your loyalties", the young man responded. "I was merely making a judgement based from what you had said. For, at the time, it appeared to me as though you were uncertain as to how and where you were to proceed from your current position. However, I now see that it was a misinterpretation on my part. I apologize."

Lowering his head slightly, the man once again raised his eyes to the King. "But I assume, since your goal is to achieve unity, that you need men of my abilities to aid you in such an endeavor, correct? Please, Your Highness, could you explain what duties would I be requested to perform if I were to enter your service?"

[Xiang Zhuang]

"Honestly, Your Highness, I have not heard any rumors of you or your loyalties", the young man responded. "I was merely making a judgement based from what you had said. For, at the time, it appeared to me as though you were uncertain as to how and where you were to proceed from your current position. However, I now see that it was a misinterpretation on my part. I apologize."

Lowering his head slightly, the man once again raised his eyes to the King. "But I assume, since your goal is to achieve unity, that you need men of my abilities to aid you in such an endeavor, correct? Please, Your Highness, could you explain what duties would I be requested to perform if I were to enter your service?"

"Perhaps I do appear to be indecisive, then," he replied. He paused for a second, then smiled awkwardly. "No matter. If I do not appear to be a threat, then perhaps that will also serve to the protection of my lands. There is no need to apologize. It is difficult; my position. I control armies and lead men, but I rarely have the chance to interact with my people. So what they are saying rarely reaches my ears, unless I bring them in to speak with me and allow them to speak freely," he said as he motioned to the entrance, "such as I have today."

"But yes, I do need men of ability, and I have heard that you possess a good deal of it. To explain your duties would be difficult, however, because I have yet to see you in action, or to hear you describe yourself. My reports are vague, but lean along the lines that you are a capable fighter and possess some knowledge of leading men as it regards battle. If this is true, then I would use you along those lines, likely either to replace a man that has moved into Zhao, or to move into Zhao yourself. I do not know if I would commit you to battle, because I do not know where your expertise lies in this. Really, I would want to know precisely where your talents lie before I would consider assigning you anywhere. I believe one of the mistakes lords make before all others is in the mismanagement of their own men. The more I know about your own talents, the more effectively I can use you, which benefits both of us."