Indeed, such an impressive sight could only stun the guards who were attending the gate. They faltered a moment, overwhelmed by what was before them, and it took them a second before they were able to speak to the man. A new sense of pride and joy for their city swept over them. "Of course." They began, bowing deep in respect to the master. "We are happy to let an officer such as yourself attend an audience with our prefect." He bowed again, duly impressed by the mans presence. "If you please, the main audience hall is right down this way."Zhao Ren wrote:Early one August morn, the sound of a mass of infantry, all marching in step could be heard resounding down the main street of Haozhi. It must have surely been an impressive sight, with all the troops uniformed in black leather, their spears polished to a sheen, and their banners flying in the wind. The banners, black as the night, bore a few simple characters in white, "锋队" (Forward Squad). As the troops arrived before the audience hall, the man at the fore stopped.
He, by almost anyone's opinion, was a rather handsome individual. His flowing black hair held back in a ponytail. He wore a taupe jacket with a grey floral pattern on the back, the collar lined with black fur. Underneath this, he wore black pants. At his side was an ornate blade, held in a black sheath with a gold design running down it. Holding up his hand, he then spoke, his voice booming yet clear all the same "Halt!"
Instantly, the troops stopped their march, snapping their heels as they came to a halt. His army taken care of, the commander then approached one of the guards and saluted "Greetings and good day, I am Bo Shuai, commander of the Forward Squad. As promised, I have come to serve the new leader of Haozhi, in accordance to the Brotherhood's wishes. I have brought with me four hundred men, all adequately trained in the art of warfare. Now, I request to speak to the new ruler" With that, Bo Shuai awaited the guard's response
Heading down the corridor that lead to the main audience hall, the guard marched with as much discipline and form as he could muster, not wanting to disappoint such an austere individual. They arrived shortly in front of Rui Jiao Jin's desk. "Bo Shuai, commander of the Forward Squad and member of the Brotherhood!" The guard announced in a loud, clear voice. The young lady sat reverently in her chair, scribbling on some papers, seemingly unaware of the man's presence, or the guards' for that matter. After a quiet grunt from the guard, she looked up, startled.
"Oh. Oh!" She said quietly, jumping to her feet. Placing her pen down on top of her papers, she regained her posture and took a moment to straighten out her dress robes. A smile spread from her lips as she made her way around the desk to greet the man. "Yes... Greetings, Master Bo Shuai. My name is Rui Jiao Jin, but you may call me Jin if you prefer. I am glad that you have made it here so promptly. My transfer to Haozhi was made only recently." She said happily as she held out her hand to him. "I must say, your assembly of men is quite impressive. It will be a sight to see them out in the field. Now, is there anything that you would like before we get down to business? Perhaps something to drink?"
"You may take a seat right here, if you'd like." She said, motioning to the chair in front of her desk. "I'm sure you would enjoy a moment to relax."
"Of course, you may." The guard said in a friendly manner. "Anyone is allowed an audience with our Prefect." Obviously in a happy mood, the guards lead the way towards the main room. "Prefect Jin is just inside here." He said as he pulled the grand doors open. "Enjoy your visit." He said, turning to run back to the main gate.Yen Ai wrote:"But Tan... Weren't we going to-"
"Nothing is certain yet. If nothing else comes up, we will. Don't worry about it."
Chen Tan and Qiao Mi were slowly walking up to the gate. Tan was a little wary about this visit considering how pointless and annoying the last one had been. Still, he wouldn't judge prematurely.
Tan had eight guards with him this time, two of them were by Qiao Mi while the remaining six shadowed Tan. He had left the remainder of his troops behind though, not wanting to be slowed down by them. "Shall we then?" Qiao Mi nodded in response.
They approached the gate, stopping in front of the guards. Mi spoke up, "We recieved a letter from your leader, asking to see us. May we see her?"
((Sorry, not my best, but my mind is elsewhere.))
Inside the hall, Rui Jiao Jin could be seen sitting at her desk, tossing a tattered rubber ball against the floor with one hand as she scribbled furiously on some parchment paper with the other. Upon hearing the crack of the doors being opened, she looked up.
"Ah, good day to you my visitors." She said, standing to greet them. "I am sure you are tired from your travels. Please, have a seat." She motioned to a couple chairs at one of her dining tables. "Would you care for anything to eat or drink while we talk of business? I am delighted you have shown an interest in assisting my cause."