Attack on Zu Yanghei (Sai)

[Phailak]

Lai gave a smile to the woman his childhood friend held.

"Congratulations to both of you."

As others undoubtedly gave their respects, Lai waited patiently if any of the freed prisoners had any questions or concerns. He decided not to attach too much attention to the new bride, surely the woman was uncomfortable.

"Are there any of you that would forfeit their freedom to help us unify the land in the Son of Heaven's name?"

[Li Dao Wen]

With a muted sigh, Ding Yi nodded slightly and followed Xiang Jun, keeping a short distance behind him while they walked. She was dumbfounded when he asked for her opinion on the land he would rule. Clearly she had not expected to be posed this question, having been forced to make a life-changing decision only a while ago, and in fact still reeling from its consequence. Furthermore, she was not used to making such important and calculated choices, content to leave such matters to her superiors and play a supportive role in the cause. Despite this, her upbringing prompted her to speak when spoken to, and answer whenever asked a question. Yi contemplated staying here, in Sai, to rebuild the city. But to her, Sai is forever changed, and she could not bear the guilt of inhabiting the domain which was once her Lord-Scholar's. "Anywhere but here.." Yi replied. Of that she was certain. But she struggled to provided anything more specific. She was not well-travelled, and did not know much of Ma Dieu's conquests throughout the the land. There was a moment's quiet, with only the sound of rustling grass under then duo's feet. Still rather fearful of really conversing with the imposing man, Yi hesistently queried, "W..Where are you from..?"

Xun Jiang let out a strange laugh, a rather easy laugh, when Ding Yi posed her own question. Despite the darkness which his origins entailed--his life as a bandit lord, and the times of hunger and poverty before that--it was a legitimate inquiry which brought a very quick answer. "I hail from the only land which I can never rule, which I would never choose to rule. I come from the heart of Chu."

Merciless bandit and butcher as he was, he had long discovered that even men of his ilk would have their own bright spots; his was, to his eternal surprise, loyalty. While his loyalty to Ma Dieu and Fei Lai had once been tottering around on the prospect of glory on the battlefield, the same loyalty which those two had lavished on him had earned for them his sublime, unchanging respect. In all actuality, he considered them the only two men he would never think twice about dying for.

His lumbering steps ground to a halt for a moment as he turned to face Ding Yi, his eyes showing none of the darkness which she obviously attributed to him. They were mild, even emotional; it was as if he just had a beam of light shot through his stone-covered core. "The time for war will soon be at an end. There are but a few men abound who are willing to oppose the Emperors will. I wonder then..." his voice trailed off as he continued to walk towards the tent. "I wonder, how I can contribute to the coming peace."

It may have been a shortsighted analysis of the times to come, but Ding Yi was of course entitled to her own opinion. For his part, Xun Jiang, the Black Ogre, had finally found contentment in his loyalty to King Ma, as well as the fame and glory he had received as promised.

Ding Yi tensed when the Orge pulled her close to him, keeping still as much as possible. Her cheeks blushed red and her heart began to race, with a mix of embarrassment and confusion. There were so many people..what could they be thinking of her and of the Orge's brash words? Looking rather uncomfortable in Xun's vice-like grip, Yi looked around trying to spot the man known as Ma Dieu, the conquerer.

He felt the girl go rigid the moment he touched her, but he held off being considerate until he had made his announcement. Once the deed was done, his hand retracted from her shoulder, allowing her some space to breathe easy, and waited in silence for anyone who would take up Fei Lai's offer of service to the Emperor.

His eyes trailed before each and every one of the prisoners, pausing for a longer moment upon the sight of Mei Ji, observing the general and his bearings.

[Zhao Ren]

OOC: Man I'm lame. Sorry for the delays in posting here.

No doubt the Marshal of Qin would have found the concentration camp setup even more disconcerting than the loss he had just suffered at the hands of Chu; it was dark, moist, and every now and then something would slither beneath one's toes. There was a pervading sense of decay, of impending death hanging over the prisoners' heads. And no matter where you turn, there was no escaping it. Their fates belonged to the word of Ma Dieu.

After a whole day's worth of languishing in prison, Mei Ji finally got company in the form of his jailor, who was quickly unlocking his cell. "We have orders from the King of Chu for you to be brought to his presence," he spoke in a stiff voice, then waved for him to follow, leaving the cell's door open. It would have been foolhardy to try to escape, for the place was a veritable labyrinth prowled by guards at every corner.

A few minutes later and the Flying General would be breathing in the sun again, his hands left unbound due to his stature as a general of prominence. He was led to Ma Dieu's tent, where the jailor flapped open the tent for him to go on. The Chu congregation and his fellow prisoners awaited the Mei Ji; he was the last one out, judging by the multitude of men arrayed before the King and his generals.

Mei Ji arrived just in time to hear the news that he had been set free, along with every other prisoner save for three: Ding Yi, who had been taken by the Black Ogre, and Han Xin and Guan Ying, who face the executioner's blade.

Though Mei Ji may have been a soldier of the frontier, imprisonment is a difficult and trying thing to anyone. Still, Xiangzhi was a disciplined man, and a meager day's stay within the encampment of Ma Dieu was patiently borne. Finally, however, a jailer arrived to bring him before the King of Chu, as Ma Dieu had taken to calling himself. Mei Ji, stoic save for the slightest scowl, rose and followed after the man, his thoughts full of hatred for the men of Chu that had brought ruin to the land between the passes once again. He was the last one to be tried. Looking about at his fellow prisoners, then the generals of Chu, and lastly the King of Chu himself, the frown upon Mei Ji's face deepened yet further. For now, he remained silent, standing defiant to the self-proclaimed King, awaiting to hear what his fate might be.

[Li Dao Wen]

As the men of Qin-Sai were led out of the tent after their release, it appeared that only one of them had more to say after the verdict had been read. For his part, Xun Jiang didn't like the crass defiance to be found in Mei Ji's face, and this sentiment formed a growing bile of dislike inside his head.

His hand slithering away from Ding Yi's shoulder, the enormous giant began to move closer to the vaunted Flying General, neither caring nor knowing who Mei Ji was. If he was not going to budge, he'll be doing it for the man himself. But having become more placid and contemplating after the gigantic victories over Xiang Yu and his like-minions, he growled his warnings first before acting upon them. Just so the Duke won't hurt his image.

"What are you doing, staring down at us men of Chu? Do I need remind you that you are a beaten man, vanquished by our hand, who has no right to arrogance? Why, you should be grateful to have your life spared, for by the magnanimity of King Ma Dieu, you a free man despite your resistance to the Emperor's army."

Knuckles cracking inside hollow metal gauntlets, Xun Jiang served to reinforce his warning by lumbering closer to Mei Ji, the difference between their sizes now in full view. Xun Jiang knew he wouldn't be afraid, but if that didn't work, his halberd was there to clean the job up. "Why then, do you stare us down, as if you're etching our faces inside your skull? Will you seek vengeance against us? We are on the path of reuniting this fractured land; if you will not be joining us, then leave us be. Or else, you will die."

It was his turn to stare the man down -literally. With burning eyes of suppressed evil, he uttered a few more words for his own benefit. "You may leave. Now. The King has spoken, we are through with you."

[Phailak]

Lai let his old friend say his peace, but decided now to intervene.

"Rui, let him say his what is on his mind, since when do we curb a man's thoughts, even should it be those of vengeance? You are speaking to a man that should of been leading the men of Sai but instead was betrayed by his Lord for the vagabond Commander, you know, the one that keeps fleeing from battles at every opportunity? The scouts report that the northern armies of Lin Yue were on a forced march and would have been here quickly had the Sai armies held a bit longer. This defeat does not lie at his feet, the ones that made sure to get away should be blamed for that, his Lord and Supreme Commander."

Lai did not say this to gain any favor from the defeated man, he simply stated facts and bowed his head to emphasize his thoughts.

[Meia]

Xun Jiang let out a strange laugh, a rather easy laugh, when Ding Yi posed her own question. Despite the darkness which his origins entailed--his life as a bandit lord, and the times of hunger and poverty before that--it was a legitimate inquiry which brought a very quick answer. "I hail from the only land which I can never rule, which I would never choose to rule. I come from the heart of Chu."

Merciless bandit and butcher as he was, he had long discovered that even men of his ilk would have their own bright spots; his was, to his eternal surprise, loyalty. While his loyalty to Ma Dieu and Fei Lai had once been tottering around on the prospect of glory on the battlefield, the same loyalty which those two had lavished on him had earned for them his sublime, unchanging respect. In all actuality, he considered them the only two men he would never think twice about dying for.

His lumbering steps ground to a halt for a moment as he turned to face Ding Yi, his eyes showing none of the darkness which she obviously attributed to him. They were mild, even emotional; it was as if he just had a beam of light shot through his stone-covered core. "The time for war will soon be at an end. There are but a few men abound who are willing to oppose the Emperors will. I wonder then..." his voice trailed off as he continued to walk towards the tent. "I wonder, how I can contribute to the coming peace."

It may have been a shortsighted analysis of the times to come, but Ding Yi was of course entitled to her own opinion. For his part, Xun Jiang, the Black Ogre, had finally found contentment in his loyalty to King Ma, as well as the fame and glory he had received as promised.

Ding Yi appeared confused; for a moment she felt like she was conversing with another person altogether. During the encounter with Xun Jiang in the cell, she saw what seemed a cruel, fearsome beast of man, who only cared to brutalize and manipulate others with threats. Yet now he displayed calm, perhaps even an amicable warmth. In the face of this contrasting demeanour, Ding struggled to re-evaluate her impression of him, but came up with no satisfactory conclusion. Should she trust him or fear him? Yi had not even a remote clue, for she really did not understand the man.

For a moment, she thought of his question regarding what land he should demand for as his base. Given that Ding did not desire to stay in Sai, her most likely choice was to go east – to Liang, Jiujiang or Nanyang. While the latter regions located in the south may be more stable, Liang would be more strategic towards a northern campaign. Perhaps she could even make Shi Tong pay for his treachery with the Black Orge on her side.

She continued to walk behind him, gazing at his back while she silently pondered..

[Ma Dieu's tent]

Her eyes were wet with tears at the sight of the bound prisoners, as a strong guilt response began to kick in. Naturally she wanted to turn away from the prisoners’ sight; ironically towards the hulking figure who had coaerced her defection. Her heart was in her throat when Xun skulked menaceingly towards the defiant general Mei Ji, fearing for him if he did not fear for himself.