Ying Fusu's Audience Hall - Nanzheng

[Cao Chao]

As he was led through the parade grounds, Wei was amazed and became excited as he saw the soldiers training. War was not something he feared, it was his dream, his ultimate goal. How lucky was he to be born into a period of unrest. As Meng Tian introduced himself, Wei prostrated himself once again, and did not rise until the General spoke. As Wei rose, a serious look appeared on his face, gone was the awkward smile he had shown to the guard at the gate.

"General Meng, it is an extreme honor to meet you. I, uh, have trained since I was a small boy in hopes of someday serving under the banner of the Qin."

Wei stopped for a second. He wasn't sure what to say, and he had never been the best speaker growing up. He had hoped to show some sort of display of his might, but looking around, he couldn't really think of any way to show his strength. With the same serious look on his face, he started stumbling through his words again.

"Um, and ever since I heard of your exploits under the late Emperor, and your, ahh, loyalty to the King of Qin, I have wanted to serve under your leadership. I was hoping to show off my strength and martial ability to you, but I can't think of any way to do so. So, without any, um, proof of my ability, I must humbly ask that you accept me into your ranks, and I will prove my worth in time."

Meng Tian quickly lowered himself, his right arm extending to help lift the giant warrior to his feet. "There is no need for such ceremony. We are soldiers and we shall greet each other in a manner befitting of men of war and not like the conniving sycophants in Luoyang."

"I am but a simple soldier," he answered, shaking his head with grave dignity. "What honor I have accrued have been through the loyal service of countless worthy subordinates. It is their blood and toil that I have earned my name, but alas I did not do enough to save Xianyang and the Qin Empire."

"My exploits mean little to nothing when everything that my family has worked to build has crumbled so," he continued, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. His grip on the pommel of his sword tightened until the knuckles turned pale from the lack of blood flow. He stood quietly, swaying on the balls of his feet.

Patting the younger man on his broad shoulders, Meng Tian spoke. "If we are to restore Qin to its former glories and restore the King to his rightful throne, we will need men like you."

Ordering a man to retrieve Wei Rong's weapons, Meng Tian drew his sword. "It has been some time since I last dueled an opponent. How about I test your abilities?"

(OOC: Friendly Duel. Duel tactics to me! )

[TGYKnow]

Wei Rong's expression changed to a more excited one when he heard Meng Tian challenge him to a duel. Any type of combat excited Wei, and a duel with such a respected man would be all the more thrilling. As Wei reached for his halberd, he smiled.

"It would be an honor General Meng."

((OOC: Tactics sent))

[Cao Chao]

The duel between the two lasted three bouts. At first, Meng Tian's greater speed and experience negated whatever strength difference that existed. Meng Tian quickly landed more blows than he took. But it soon became evident that strength difference was too much to overcome, as Meng Tian was blown back by a crippling strike to the abdomen during the second bout. He grunted in pain, but chose to continue the duel. After another bout, Meng Tian prudently ended it, knowing defeat when he saw it. Sore, he patted the younger man's shoulder, acknowledging Wei Rong's victory.

"Good job, lad," he said with a smile. "Your strength is overwhelming . . . But alas, your skill with a halberd has not reached the pinnacle level. Hone your skills for future battles."

(OOC: Please post your OI in the relevant thread! Welcome to Fusu's Faction)

Duel:

Bout 1:

Round 1:
Meng Tian HP: 82 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 100 Might: 100

Meng Tian lands the attack.(6)
Wei Rong fails to hit with the attack!

Round 2:
Meng Tian HP: 82 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 94 Might: 100

Meng Tian lands the attack.(6)
Wei Rong fails to hit with the attack!

Round 3:
Meng Tian HP: 82 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 88 Might: 100

Meng Tian lands the attack.(5)
Wei Rong lands the attack.(9)

End of Bout 1:
Meng Tian HP: 73 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 83 Might: 100

Bout 2:

Round 1:
Meng Tian HP: 73 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 83 Might: 100

Meng Tian lands a counterblow against Wei Rong's attack!(+5 damage)
Meng Tian lands the attack.(11)
Wei Rong lands the attack.(7)

Round 2:
Meng Tian HP: 66 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 72 Might: 100

Meng Tian attempts a combination attack on Wei Rong.
Meng Tian's combination attack on Wei Rong fails.
Meng Tian lands the attack.(8)
Wei Rong attempts to land a crippling strike on Meng Tian!
Wei Rong lands the attack.(10)

Round 3:
Meng Tian HP: 56 Might: 82
Wei Rong HP: 64 Might: 100

Meng Tian attempts a combination attack on Wei Rong.
Meng Tian lands a combination!
Meng Tian lands the attack.(11)
Wei Rong unleashes a critical blow!
Meng Tian injured during attack - reducing might by 15
Wei Rong lands the attack.(15)

End of Bout 2:
Meng Tian HP: 41 Might: 67
Wei Rong HP: 53 Might: 100

Bout 3:

Round 1:
Meng Tian HP: 41 Might: 67
Wei Rong HP: 53 Might: 100

Meng Tian attempts to counter Wei Rong's attack, but fails!
Meng Tian fails to hit with the attack!
Wei Rong fails to hit with the attack!

Round 2:
Meng Tian HP: 41 Might: 67
Wei Rong HP: 53 Might: 100

Meng Tian fails to hit with the attack!
Wei Rong attempts to land a crippling strike on Meng Tian!
Wei Rong lands the attack.(10)

Round 3:
Meng Tian HP: 31 Might: 67
Wei Rong HP: 53 Might: 100

Meng Tian lands the attack.(5)
Wei Rong attempts to land a crippling strike on Meng Tian!
Wei Rong's crippling strike fails to land on a vital point.
Wei Rong lands the attack.(8)

End of Bout 3:
Meng Tian HP: 23 Might: 67
Wei Rong HP: 48 Might: 100

[TGYKnow]

Wei was tired, but tried to hide it. He was actually surprised that Meng Tian had put up such a good fight. It was actually quite humbling to the young warrior to start off losing to the older general.

"Thank you, General Meng, I hope to use my talents for you rather than against you next time."

Had anyone else said the words that Meng Tian had used in his advice to Wei, the Crimson Warrior would have been offended. However, due to his immense respect for the man, Wei took his criticism in stride. Meng Tian had done well in his bout with Wei, and yes, there were things he could improve upon.

"And, yes, um, I will hone my skills in battle and hopefully by the time my expertise is needed, I will have improved my skill with my blade."

[Cao Chao]

"So, let's get something to drink," stated Meng Tian, sheathing his sword and gesturing for one of the subordinates to take over the training. "Come on, let's go."

(OOC: To the Province RP, here)

[fireshade]

"We will surely need your talents when the armies loyal to the King march north to Xianyang," answered the general after a few moments of consideration. "The restoration and rebuilding of what had been the capital of Qin for nay 150 years will be a massive undertaking."

He paused briefly, turning his head towards the diorama before him. "You are a man of Yan. Is there a particular reason that you wish to serve the King of Qin? The land is now in chaos and the royal family of your home state will inevitably rise to attempt to reclaim their throne and domains. Why Qin? Why not serve your homeland?"

"I choose the King of Qin because I seek a man of worth, and to my eyes, there is no such person in Yan. In Yan, all I saw were lesser men who had rise, or sought to rise, beyond their rightful station. Here, though, I see a great man who has been denied his rightful place, and who seeks to reclaim that place and do honor to the legacy left by his noble father."

[Cao Chao]

"I choose the King of Qin because I seek a man of worth, and to my eyes, there is no such person in Yan. In Yan, all I saw were lesser men who had rise, or sought to rise, beyond their rightful station. Here, though, I see a great man who has been denied his rightful place, and who seeks to reclaim that place and do honor to the legacy left by his noble father."

"What qualities do you see in His Highness, the King," asked Meng Tian reasonably. "What raises him above those lesser men that you speak of?"

[fireshade]

Quan tried to weigh his words carefully. He did not want to inadvertently say something that might speak ill of the King's brother, even if the two were technically at war with each other.

"I fear that I have only heard a little of the King's true worth, but from what I have heard, he has shown a decerning mind both in the past and in more recent matters. He has seen past the traps of those who are tearing his family apart, and yet he still shows humility and nobility. Humility in his taking the title as the King of Qin instead of insisting that he be addressed with his rightful authority, and nobility in seeking to restore the prestige of his father's legacy and the honor of his family name. That is what I know from what I have heard."

[Cao Chao]

"I see," responded Meng Tian, as he considered the man's words. He carefully considered the man for a few moments, allowing the silence to weigh heavily in the air, before speaking again. "You are an interesting individual Master Wei Quan, an interesting individual, indeed. Few in this time and hour search for men of virtue to serve, instead remembering their loyalties to their homeland, when the First Emperor proved that all was united."

Meng Tian turned and motioned to a scribe. "The Qin has a long history of soliciting talents from abroad. Who was Shang Yang but a member of the minor nobility of the Kingdom of Wei (not the big Wei, the little Wei (卫)), just as Lü Buwei was a former merchant of that state. The great engineer Zheng Guo hailed originally from the Kingdom of Hann. Fan Ju hailed from the Kingdom of Wei (the other, bigger one). I have decided to provisionally enroll you amongst the officer corps of the King. Report to my brother, Meng Yi, the Prime Minister tomorrow morning. He will assign you duties befitting of your abilities. If you prove to be of service, you will be retained as an official of Qin."

(OOC: Please post your OI and Kymvir will add you to the usergroup when he is able to,)

[ann]

Qian knelt at the opposite side of the table as Meng Yi, and poured two cups of tea, making care to hand one to the Prime Minister before taking his own. The magistrate preferred wine, though not in the amounts that would cloud his judgement too much. However, he realised that tea was a dignified drink, and he clasped the cup in his hands, letting the warmth run through his cold fingers before he answered the question.

"I issued a first call to arms a few days ago, and five hundred men immediately came to the call. I expect the number to rise when needed, for the townsfolk are hardy and realistic, and the vast majority echo my own thoughts in the glory of the King of Qin. The problem that many of them will not know the basic actions of war is something I will be striving to change in upcoming weeks. Though, I am expecting the knowledge that our cause is the same as that of you here, especially considering the exploits of the troops you command that performed so admirably in securing the north, will drive the townsfolk to exceptional standards."

Meng Yi took up his cup and sipped the hot liquid slowly. He inhaled the delicate scent and, for a moment, missed his home. The tea was a special blend he'd brought with him. It was hard to have come so far but it had been the best move and he had urged the Crown Prince to take this course.

Meng Yi was pleased to hear that the local people supported the Crown Prince and that they were making moves, apparently, to support him. But Yi also knew that such things could change quickly and that it was best to solidify influence.

"It will be necessary, as you know, for the King of Qin to consolidate support in order to put right what has gone wrong." Despite the mildness of his tone, Meng Yi's hands tightened on the cup as he spoke. After a moment he said, "Perhaps you would be willing to undertake a more active role in this endeavor?"