Linjiang Provincial Roleplay

[Cao Chao]

Lin Xin was taken aback by the crudeness of the governor but his face remained respectful, almost in awe. Nevertheless, he had heard enough and did not want to waste any more time with this arrogant bastard. With a smile, he bowed and replied, "I understand your responsibilities are much greater than mine and you must be more prudent in prioritizing where you spend your energy Governor. I regret that I neglected to bring such tributes with me on this trip but will return next month with the proper gifts to you. Thank you for taking the time to see me today Governor."

Keeping his head bowed, Xin silently waited to be dismissed.

Waving his hand dismissively, Governor Ding returned to his lazing about.

[Lin Xin]

For Big Grizzy

Xin was in the middle of lunch when a messenger stormed into Linzhong shouting about some sort of news. He looks up just as the messenger dismounts his horse. Standing up, the village chief approaches the messenger and asked, "Hail. What news do you bring in such a rush?"

The messenger replies breathlessly, "The town of Xuchuan, sir! A man by the name of Jin Sui has ousted the former magistrate and taken control of the town."

Placing his hand upon his chin, Xin begans pacing as he analyzes the implications of this. The former magistrate of Xuchuan was corrupt and greedy. Hopefully, this Jin Sui will prove to be a better protector of the people.

"I guess I will give this Jin Sui a little time to reorganize but we will need to meet this man," Xin thought to himself as he returned to his lunch. "Perhaps the time is now to begin a more active effort in bringing stability to this chaos."

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A week later, Lin Xin sets of to the town of Xuchuan with his usual contigent of travelers; his wife Ling Da, his sister Jia, and his bodyguards Huai Chi and Rang Bang. After a few hours travel, he sees the town over the horizon.

((Please let me know the condition of the town as I approach and we can RP gaining an audience with you.))

[Big Grizzy]

Lin Xin and company arrived to a Xuchuan with a renewed sense of purpose. Soldiers were helping repair buildings that were damaged in the seizure of the town. The town's market was bustling with trade. The cacophony of commerce permeated the atmosphere. Everything indicated a town on the rise. A soldier who had been waiting near the town's entrance hurried up to the group.

"Chief Lin, I presume? Please follow me. Master Jin would like to speak with you." He led the group through the town to the large building in town. It had been the residence of the town's previous magistrate. The main hall had a large arched entryway where the soldier bowed the party through. inside was Jin Sui in a plain looking robe kneeling behind a table and pouring over reports. Beside him stood the imposing figure of Du Si, his writing board and chalk on the table within easy reach.

Jin Sui raised his head briefly before returning to the reports. He did not forget the visitors, however. "Chief Lin. Since you are the only other truly active player in Linjiang's political realm, I figured you would come see me once I secured a base of decent size, and here you are." He struck a line from the report he was looking at before raising his head again. "We must get to know each other, after all."

[Lin Xin]

As they walked through the town, Xin was pleased to note the resurgent commerce and prosperity in Xuchuan. His last visit did not leave him with much hope for a bright future but it seems new leadership had invigorated the town. Upon being introduced to Jin Sui, Xin immediately felt a kindred spirit with the man.

Bowing to the new head of Xuchuan, Xin did not take offense at the man's inattentiveness. He did have an entire town to manage. "It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance Master Jin," began the Chief of Linzhong. "I am glad to see the changes you have already brought to his town. It is a drastic difference from the previous administration."

Pointing to each as he spoke, Xin introduced the others in his party. "Please allow me to introduce my wife, Lee Ling Da, my sister Lin Jia, and my trustworthy bodyguards, Huai Chi and Rang Bang." Each bowed in respect as they were introduced.

"And I agree with what you said," Xin continued. "I believe that the security of the people of Linjiang will rest on our coordinated efforts.

[Big Grizzy]

Jin Sui folded his hands over the reports, so that he could better focus on those before him. "Yes, Chief Lin. I hope to have Xuchuan completely pacified within the month before moving on to the next town in the region. The faster Linjiang is put back in order, the better." He stood and raised a hand to pat the shoulder of the large man beside him. "This is my adopted brother and caretaker Du Si. My other officers are out at the moment, but a few of them will be returning shortly."

[Lin Xin]

Xin nods a greeting to the big man as he was introduced. A little surprised that Jin Sui had not offered them a seat or refreshments, Lin Xin paused for a second before speaking. "So which is the next town you seek to liberate? I would not want our armies to end up at the same location."

[Big Grizzy]

Jin Sui's eyes narrowed slightly. "I plan on moving to Peiling next. I would like to know what your plans are. You say that, like me, you wish to help restore order to Linjiang, but what then? There are four options for one living in this age of disorder in which we find ourselves:
1. Isolate yourself and your holdings as most of the current governors have done, hoping there is not a rebellion or a massive army from elsewhere coming at you.
2. Declare yourself King and attempt to forge a new nation out of the remnants of the old, hoping that it works out better for your progeny than it did for the First Emperor's
3. Declare yourself subservient to the Hegemon King, hoping he treats you better than he did Zhang Han's surrendered army.
4. Declare yourself subservient to the King of Han, hoping that he is able to restore the order set forth by the First Emperor as he was tasked to do when he won the right to Kingship.
As you can see, there are no great options for those such as we, but we must do what we can anyway. I know my choice. What is yours?"

[Lin Xin]

Xin smiled as he listened to Jin Sui speak. This is definitely a man of ambition, he thought to himself. The key would be to see how he treats his people.

With a nod, the Linzhong Village Chief replied, "I agree with your assessment Master Jin. My first priority is to establish a secure Linjiang. Supporting the Hegemon King is out of the question but I will support one who shows himself to be capable and worthy of uniting the Middle Kingdom again. I personally do not wish for such ambitions."

Folding his hands behind his back, Xin took a moment to gauge Sui's body language before continuing. "It is much to early to tell if the King of Han is such a person. What of you? Do you have ambitions outside of Linjiang?"

[Big Grizzy]

Jin Sui shook his head. "I have no ambitions outside of the province, for the time being. The bringing of the local governors to heel is my only priority at the moment. After that, I am not sure. The King of Han may be the key to restoring order, since we are in agreement that the Hegemon King is not. We are also in agreement that isolating the province is not in our best interests. That leaves only Liu Bang, or some upstart. Might I suggest you pay a visit to the King? You may find your decision easier to make one way or the other."

[Lin Xin]

Lin Xin nodded as he listened to Jin Sui. "What you say is true," he began. "However, I don't think I am in a position to seek an audience with the King of Han yet. I am still just an irrelevant village chief. Perhaps I may pay him a visit once I have established some influence within Linjiang."

Feeling a little more comfortable with the man, Xin decided he wanted to know more about this enigmatic personality. "So is your family originally from Linjiang? It seems with the turmoil our country has seen, there have been many people displaced from their anscestral homes. My family was one of them."