Huainan Provincial Roleplay

[Xiahou Ping]

As Zhang Ze was helped up off the floor, he brushed himself down with his hands, and thanked the giant for helping him to his feet.

"Very well," he replied. "I will meet you there in a few days." With that, he returned to his horse and sped back to Quni.

((Will do!))

[King Tao]

January 205 Battle in Huainan

Baihu walked through the camp of the soldiers he brought from Jiaoxi, observing them getting ready for war as well as making sure they looked fit to fight. He had issued the orders to march south after a meeting with his father, masking their movements with other troop movements throughout Jiaoxi. The newly appointed Duke was glad to be on the frontlines, but the mission from what his father described was a bit confusing to him, but no matter, these were orders and he was set to follow them to the letter. He walked into his Command Tent and addressed Zu Shi and Shao Xie, "Commander, Marshal... We seem to be on the vanguard here, so lets show them what the Eastern Chu's forces can do. We are amongst its best military officers, its why I requested you two to join me in this little mission. Zu Shi, you'll be our field commander, and Shao Xie, I look to you to make sure orders are followed completely. Lets try not to let this drag out, finish it and lets return home as soon as we can. And Zu Shi... remember that although we are fighting Duke Ma's forces, you have a pledge of loyalty to my father..."

[King Tao]

A messenger walked into the Qi force and whispered to Baihu, whose expression turned into a frown and looked off to the side. He turned to his fellow companions and said, "Well... looks like there is no battle here this month... Depressing... We strike camp tomorrow and return to Jiaoxi and then await orders from Linzi..."

[Krimzon]

The lands around Huainan were a deeper green that could be found in Jiaoxi. The rivers themselves were wide and clear. It had the support of many tens of thousands of men and women, with several thousand horses. Under Li Jiacheng's ruling hand, the kingdom of Wu had grown and there were always children squalling somewhere. Since the unification of Huainan, Yi Guang had made a near permanent camp at the provincial border, rejecting the cities of Jiaoxi. A nearby waterfall beat the waters of the nearby river into a white spray and the horses could drink their fill. Yi Guang had swum many times in its deep pools, regaining his strength.

"Yes, Supreme Commander." The messenger said, bowing his head so that Yi could not read the anxiety upon his features. Yi Guang nodded, weighing the young man as he reached for the leather bound case. "Make haste to Gaixia and deliver this..." He said, reaffirming the importance of the task by pressing the case into the messengers hands. "...to Puyang Shuang." The young messenger straightened proudly with the responsibility and left swiftly without delay, on horseback, for Huainan.

Should Puyang Shuang read the letter incased within it would contain information and instruction of a new command manuel with teachings of tactical maneuvers and battlefield logistics.

OOC: 2400 Gold from Yi Guang to Puyang Shuang. Thanks.

[AaronH229]

Huainan a province whose cities had been for the last few months war torn was none the less peacefull when one walked away from the major cities and entered the more rural areas. These were the lands which had been ruled over by Puyang Shuang for a long period of time and no doubt had their been ny other option the rulers within Wu would have been more than content to leave the more rural side of the province alone. However, a time was approaching when the final ruler of all of the middle kingdom would be decided, a war that would need all the resources possesed by Wu and more and that is why Li Zar De, the Duke of Yue rode out in the hopes of finding the chief of these collected towns and villages. Sending out runners ahead of him he waits at a point somewhere close to equidistant from the major towns and awaits the findings of his scouts. To all the towns of the province the scouts went bearing the same message which was simple;

"The Duke of Yue would speak with the Chief of these lands, he brings with him an offer of peace as well as wishing if nothing else is achieved to bring about some degree of fellowship between the Chief of the lands and the Kingdom of Wu."

The Duke has his men set up camp and prepares to wait for knowledge of the Chief's location so that he could get these talks over and done with.

[Unchained Phoenix]

The Duke has his men set up camp and prepares to wait for knowledge of the Chief's location so that he could get these talks over and done with.

Many days passed since the emissaries sent by the Duke ventured into the lands of Huainan. The winds became more bitter in nature, threatening to injure the temporary fortifications, perhaps a poor omen for what lied ahead. It inadvertently became a waiting game, the sun rising and setting seemingly countless times, when it reality, it had only been four days. On the fifth day, the seasonal gales settled, holding the Sun still so that it may shine across the fields and bright some light to an otherwise lifeless land. Before the onset of evening (whenever that began in those days), a lone rider galloped skillfully out towards the Yue camp, his surprisingly well-tailored garbs draping around his steed and saddle. A longsword hung by his side and its decorum proved its lack of use. Upon closer inspection, it was but a youth, lodged somewhere between sixteen and twenty-two years, impermeably glossy hair held up in a braided bun by five sapphire pins. Oddly enough, he did not appear to be someone who would put so much care into these small perfections, as his stern face and strong jaw line gave off an air of masculinity. His spirit was sharp.

He dismounted cleanly enough. Dark eyes scanned the camp, and when a pair of soldiers finally came to escort him, he kept his gaze forward until he was brought to Li Zar De. Silence prevailed between them for a few spare moments. Once he had a good read, the man parted his thin lips and spoke in an even tone.

"Lord Puyang Shuang has received word of your arrival. He has instructed me to bring you to the town of Gaixia to discuss the purpose of your visit."

He nodded to indicate that he had finished his message.

[AaronH229]

The Duke inclines his head at the message to indicate his understanding. Walking to his horse he quickly vaults to its back despite his rather impressive armour, inlaid with gold and inscribed patterns. Securing his sword next to his saddle he nods his head to the messenger.

"I will follow you to the village your Lord has indicated. We have much to talk about he and I, I am hoping perhaps that I might show him the worthiness of our course as opposed to that of Ma Dieu."

Assuming he and his men are lead towards the village Li Zar De will take half of his escort along with him while having the remainder stay at the central camp.

[Unchained Phoenix]

Assuming he and his men are lead towards the village Li Zar De will take half of his escort along with him while having the remainder stay at the central camp.

The messenger had been explicitly told from the beginning that their territories' future would be contested by both Yue and Chu. Both parties had exhibited a startling lack of tact in the past calendar year, and from this, Chief Puyang remained calm and secure in his seat of power. Neutrality had allowed the audacious young man to sit on a growing pile of wealth while the rest of the country fell into disrepair. Brutally honest in nature, his subordinates knew of his greediness and idling, yet the southeastern districts had enjoyed uninterrupted peace for a long while now. Whatever ambitions the young man had preached during his ascension were now long forgotten, replaced by a simple and quiet life away from Chu and those heinous warlords who sought power for their own personal gain. Many a time had “outsiders” come to beseech the scholar to defer to another lord’s banner, but in all these cases they were unequivocally successful in unseating Puyang Shuang. He was now one of the last remaining lesser lords in China, and thus the pressure only continued to build for him to either pick a side or ship out. A few moronic advisors here and there attempted to sway their Chieftain in his decision, yet he remained unaffected as he turned his attention to more important things, such as where to design and plant a new temple in the town of Yutai, not too far removed from Gaixia. As always, the towns and villages continued on in their ignorant merriment.

The procession carried on at a rather lively pace, spurred on by the envoy who did not seem to care too much about whether or not Li Zar De and his men could keep up. The rolling hills were magnificent in their presentation, the untrimmed grasses free of blood and the dirt paths very kind even to those who were not familiar with them. A brief stop at a quaint village for the night reenergized the party, allowing them to reach Gaixia on the evening of the second day of travel. The town, noticeably larger than any village or community they passed on the journey, was situated in a valley of sorts that would take the curious wanderer down to the eastern coastline. Even from afar, the infrastructure seemed to be remarkable, both visually appealing and sturdy against the consistent winds that poured into the valley from the sea. The town had gone through a makeover of sorts to make the urban layout more practical and easily defended against all directions, yet the Riverlands culture was still maintained even with these improvements. Entering the town, the people as a whole seemed very fit and slightly darker in color, greeting the Yue detachment with nods and a few warm smiles here and there. This level of affability was practically extinct in China nowadays, and thus the town was a sort of strange anomaly, a relic of an era long gone. Of course, the puppeteer at the head of all of this kept them in the dark as to what was really going on, and thus to the “foreign” visitors, everything could have appeared to be artificial and somewhat nauseating as they neared the town center.

The building that served as Puyang Shuang’s local headquarters sat pristinely at the top of a large mound that had been completely flattened and paved to construct the large two-story edifice. The second story had an outdoors balcony that wrapped around the entire building, with wooden pillars supporting both floors and the overhanging roof that kept its main entrance in shadow for most of the day. The messenger led Li Zar De and the others up the impossibly wide stone steps that would take them to the headquarters, revealing a great deal of soldiers, officials, and townsfolk that moved to and fro in the most efficient way possible. Despite the ebbs and flows, all parted for the newest arrival upon seeing the banners and decorum belonging to the Duke of Yue. Making good time for the entire day abruptly ended upon reaching the entrance, as word was sent inside to the Chief about Li Zar De’s arrival. Men came and left and passed hushed messages from group to group, and after thirty minutes of waiting, the guard detail parted to allow the envoy, Li Zar De, and five men from his retinue to continue on inside. The other soldiers would have to wait patiently on the main square for their lord’s return.

Inside, a complicated system of door panels took the seven men through a proverbial maze, warm light glowing from behind each closed door. The visitors could catch glimpses of men and women alike in the different rooms, some creating art while others sat down over a pot of tea. Down the hall, ministers cut across and diagonally and every which way to get to where they needed to go, the labyrinth deepening with every twist and turn. The messenger that led them here apparently had the layout of the entire building in his memory. The narrow halls would soon open up into a larger area, with much larger and more decorative door panels slowly parting to invite only Li Zar De and the messenger inside. This was the area in which Puyang Shuang held his audiences, outfitted with tapestries, servants, lavish rugs, and silken garbs that were on display. Everyone bowed in respect when the visitors entered, and then all overt attention turned to the Chieftain himself, who sat cross-legged on a raised platform at the other end of the room. He oozed angsty youth, yet his rumored brilliance prevented everyone from disrespecting him as a leader.

“My lord, I present the esteemed Li Zar De from the lands of Yue for your entertainment. He comes to discuss the future of Huainan.”

Puyang Shuang simply nodded, raised a hand, and shooed the envoy away. The latter bowed in a most respectful fashion and spared Li Zar De one last steely look before shuffling out quietly. The Chieftain folded his hands in his lap and waited for the visiting gentleman to begin speaking as the doors to the meeting room slid shut.

[AaronH229]

Li Zar De inclines his head. Allowing the chief to take in his own clothing and armour, equally as rich as anything within the house of this chieftain. Using the time in which he was forced to wait to marshal his thoughts he was easily able to give his reply.

"As your man here suggested I am here to discuss Huainan, but not just Huainan but all of the middle kingdom. As you may have heard kingdoms are marshalling their forces into grand armies, aimed at destroying whole kingdoms at a time. Just recently Xiang Yu's rabid dog Ma Dieu turned on his master and captured Chu, before betraying his long term ally Hin Wu and attacking Liang. In these times I have come into a position of responsibility within the Kingdom of Wu and I have been sent here to see if some sort of....arrangement...might be made with yourself as to your status in relation to the Kingdom. My superiors would have me demand your submission to the Kingdom and immediate annexation. I however like to take a more....mediated route, I would like to ask you, would you be willing to consider an increased relationship with the Kingdom of Wu and if so, to what extent would you feel comfortable with such an arrangement?"

[Unchained Phoenix]

"I would like to ask you, would you be willing to consider an increased relationship with the Kingdom of Wu and if so, to what extent would you feel comfortable with such an arrangement?"

The Chieftain seemed remarkably unaffected by the envoy's statement, most likely expecting a missive with this news to come to his doorstep as the country continued its terrific decline. He blinked slowly and maintained an erect posture. As the guards (a moderate deal removed from the conversation) shifted a little bit here and there, their master remained completely still as he focused on Li Zar De's words. As he wrapped up, one servant emerged from behind a mostly translucent silk curtain, equipped with a tray of tea and ceramic dishware. She poured the tea most delicately as the Chief replied in an uninflected tone.

"Yes, I have been mildly aware of the military tension between the different states. Funny how one may enjoy a peaceful and uninterrupted life if they discard the obtuse notion that war solves our earthly problems," Puyang Shuang commented, sparing his servant a judgmental observation of her poor form. "I would not worry myself with anything close to the likes of Ma Dieu. Any motion of peace on his end will ultimately result in failure, as the country collapses from its perimeter to the center, where Dieu now garrisons his forces. Nay, it would be best for a warlord to gather his resources now in preparation for the storm that is to come, and for this I cannot say that I am too surprised that a man of Yue now finds himself in my hallowed halls."

The ruler took a sip of his tea, savoring it briefly before continuing on. "Although I have gone through great measures to make these rural lands a most difficult challenge to overtake, I too must deal with the reality of the impending wars. As an independent force we may be able to survive for a short while, but we no doubt would be overwhelmed within one season's time. I know this. I would be inclined to cede my domain to that of your Lord's, but with this action comes a series of stipulations. First, I request that my soldiers and servants be freed. They may be well trained and number in the thousands, but they cannot and will not make a false devotion to a domineering lord for the sake of having someone to whom they can bow. Second, I request a rank that is deserving of my talents. Lastly, I require guaranteed participation in the conflicts ahead. Though I am but a mere Chieftain of some remote territories, my knack for military strategy and politics are unparalleled in the Southlands, that I assure you. Deny me any of these three things, and I cannot call myself or my people servants of Yue."