Ying Fusu's Audience Hall - Nanzheng

[Etular]

"I see," replied Quan Shao as he exchanged a quizzical look with his underlings. He shrugged, gesturing for the man to be quickly searched. "Supreme Commander Meng and His Highness the King are both on an expedition to Yong. I can perhaps schedule an audience with Chancellor Meng Yi if that is acceptable."

In his mind he couldn't believe his lies had worked. He merely replied "Yes, that appears suitable. I shall meet with him at once." with that he moved forward to enter the gate, too excited to have his first opportunity at defending his liege.

[Taishi Ci]

(I should get this out of the way. This is still in July technically.)

"Hmmph," responded the guard captain shaking his head, "We already have known this information for some time and we have our agents in Luoyang. I'm sure your intentions are well-meaning, but I must question though, what ideas can a village headman offer His Majesty?"

"I have a plan to--" he started, until a runner came up from the road behind them and whispered something in Li Peng's ear. The man's expression changed and he suddenly said, "Forgive me, but I must depart. Something has come up in Sai that I must attend to." And with that the duo quickly left, probably confusing and annoying the guards for the brief encounter.

[VoShay]

A diplomatic column arrived in Nanzheng. At it's head rode five men. Brother Lao Wang Zi, Head of the Brotherhood of Xiyuan sat first, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight. At his right rode The Iron Lion of Qiang, styled Fuyin, a brillant duelist and diplomat. At his left rode Bo Shuai of the Forward Squad, a brillant young general and former student of Meng Tian. Flanking the three as a guard formation were both Zhao Fang and Lu Tzu the Loquacious, men serving as guards for this entourage. They each had a half squad of five men in regal uniforms, half of them in the red and black of the Brotherhood, matching Brother Lao, and the other half in the Silver and Purple of Yong Mei Liang, the new prefecture in Yongzhou.

Brother Lao rode ahead a little, and bowed to the guards. "I am Brother Lao Wangzi, with Brothers Fuyin, Bo Shuai, Lu Tzu, and Zhao Feng. We have come to attend on His Majesty and his ministers; this is a diplomatic mission from both the Brotherhood of Xiyue and Yong Mei Liang, of Yongzhou. We would be honored to meet with Supreme Commander Meng Tian for now, and see his Majesty later if he so desires."

[Cao Chao]

A diplomatic column arrived in Nanzheng. At it's head rode five men. Brother Lao Wang Zi, Head of the Brotherhood of Xiyuan sat first, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight. At his right rode The Iron Lion of Qiang, styled Fuyin, a brillant duelist and diplomat. At his left rode Bo Shuai of the Forward Squad, a brillant young general and former student of Meng Tian. Flanking the three as a guard formation were both Zhao Fang and Lu Tzu the Loquacious, men serving as guards for this entourage. They each had a half squad of five men in regal uniforms, half of them in the red and black of the Brotherhood, matching Brother Lao, and the other half in the Silver and Purple of Yong Mei Liang, the new prefecture in Yongzhou.

Brother Lao rode ahead a little, and bowed to the guards. "I am Brother Lao Wangzi, with Brothers Fuyin, Bo Shuai, Lu Tzu, and Zhao Feng. We have come to attend on His Majesty and his ministers; this is a diplomatic mission from both the Brotherhood of Xiyue and Yong Mei Liang, of Yongzhou. We would be honored to meet with Supreme Commander Meng Tian for now, and see his Majesty later if he so desires."

The diplomatic convoy from Yong was met by a ceremonial force of several hundred soldiers clad in shining armor. Standing on each side of the road, they watched with great discipline as the group passed through the main gates of Nanzheng and through the streets of the city before reaching the small palace that had been erected. At the main gates of the palace, they were greeted by a group of ranking Qin commanders led by Wang Li and Ai Jing.

"Sir Lao," replied General Wang Li, "Supreme Commander Meng Tian awaits your presence in the main receiving chambers. He will speak with you before presenting you and your comrades to the King. If you acquiescence to a search of your persons, we will conduct it quickly."

[VoShay]

"Of course we will. We have nothing to hide from His Majesty's men." He smiled, letting them do their search. "Our guards can wait out here- the party itself is only myself, Brother Bo Shuai, and Brother Fuyin."

[Cao Chao]

"Of course we will. We have nothing to hide from His Majesty's men." He smiled, letting them do their search. "Our guards can wait out here- the party itself is only myself, Brother Bo Shuai, and Brother Fuyin."

The three who were to enter the small palace complex were thoroughly searched. Any weapons that they might've had were confiscated with promises of return upon their exiting of the palace. When all was done, the trio were escorted by Wang Li to the main audience chambers. The fantastical wealth of the Qin had been all but destroyed by the destruction of Xianyang. As a result, the chambers they found were sparsely decorated and mainly with the trappings of war. Armed soldiers in ceremonial armor and weaponry stood at attention on either side.

At the center of the chambers, stood the Supreme Commander, Meng Tian, rocking quietly back and forth on his heels. He was flanked by the menacing figure of the giant Wei Quan. The Meng Tian clasped his hands together and spoke in greeting. "I am Meng Tian, son of Meng Wu, grandson of Meng Ao, Supreme Commander of the Armies of the Kingdom of Qin. Welcome to Nanzheng, Sir Lao, Commander Bo, and Sir Fuyin."

"I have heard so many things about you, Sir Lao," continued the general, going straight to the heart of what was troubling him. "Both good from Commander Bo and ill from those who have sworn fealty to the King in Sai. Now, I have had word of your machinations to destroy the Qin. It was only our recent assault upon Feiqiu that forced your hand. Now I am quite inclined to forget your past crimes and plans if you swear loyalty to the King of Qin, but what guarantee will I and my liege have that you will not attempt a similar maneuver at a later date?"

[VoShay]

Lao bowed deeply to the general, his face betraying no emotion as the man accused him of treason to the Qin, and as he demanded his loyalty. He stood erect when the man had finished speaking, and spoke quietly. "You have spoke truth, for I am both good and ill. I was a simple scholar, disgusted by the excess of pain and wanton destruction of the First Emperor. He was a great, powerful man. He was a true leader. He was a powerful warlord, and the only man at the time capable of uniting China under one authority. For this, he should be luaded. But as emperor, as the one power over all of China, he mis-stepped in many fashions. I was eventually forced to flee the country, to roam the barbariac wastes to our west, and learn what I could. I fought in battles. I brought light and justice to corrupt towns and villages. I made contacts. But most, I thought. I thought of the China I had left. The China I had loved. I thought of the Empire that I both feared and respected. And I learned that it had fallen. I made haste back, and by the time I had returned, the Qin were destroyed. Yes, The King and his false brother may both yet struggle on, but the empire their father ruled is all but gone."

He puased a moment, stroking his goatee, his eyes alight. "I did not know these sons of the First Emperor. I knew only him. I knew that China did not need to be yoked under the opressive regime of a unethical warlord again. Fearing the worse, I expanded my power-base in Yong, and I prepared for a most dangerous mission- to find and raise a champion of the people up into the Imperial Authority, someone who, once peace reigned, would do good without question. And to prevent any who were unworthy from ascending the throne. I knew Ying Huhai was not worthy. I did not know His Majesty was. I knew you a brillant, admirable, and powerful general, but of your charge? He was only the eldest son of the most dangerous man in Chinese history. The man who had done the hardest thing imaginable- to reunite the scattered lands. But since they have been so recently united, another man like him was not only unecessary, but potentially damaging. I could not fathom another bout of cnturies of lawless turmoil until one who could unite such a land appeared again, but even worse would be another short-lived dynasty, followed by intense civil war. IUt was a cycle I wished not to ever see in my lifetime."

He looked back to Meng Tian. "As I said, I did not know His Majesty was worthy to be Emperor. Not only does your record, but one of my best men, Commander Bo, vouch for you. And you yourself have told us that the King of Qin is a noble man. I have no desire to destroy those who wish to and will do good. I have no desire to be at war with such people. If the King of Qin is noble of heart and purpose, we will gladly reunite his empire with him." He bowed again, then, spotting the most prominent of the Imperial Regalia, he dropped to his knees, and kowtowed to it. "I am nothing but a servant.I serve China, and I will see her united under a worthy man once more. If His Majesty serves China, I serve him."

[UMCorian]

Accompanying his lord, Brother Fuyin moved with a calm, collected poison, despite towering over his lord. His armor made him a formidable looking spectacle, yet his face was smooth, calm and collected - quite boyish.

He has turned over his massive axe, and now stands unarmed at Brother Lao's side.

Upon entering, he bows low to Supreme Commander Meng Tian, and when introductions were being made, he speaks in his soft, child-like voice.

Fuyin: "It's an honor to meet with you, Lord Meng. Your reputation for strength and compassion is well known in Yong."

He then falls silent, as his lord speaks, his arms crossed over his chest.

[Zhao Ren]

Bo Shuai, well aware of the regulations of the Qin Empire, consented to disarm and immediately surrendered his sword to the official on duty. With that, he then followed alongside Lao Wangzi. As soon as Meng Tian came into view, a small smile came to Bo Shuai's face, glad to see his former commander once again. Offering him a formal salute, Bo Shuai then bowed to Meng Tian, letting him speak with Lao Wangzi first. Listening to his words, Bo Shuai then looked to Meng Tian and bowed again "If I may, Supreme Commander, I wish a word with you after negotiations are through" With a small, weak smile and another bow, Bo Shuai then took a step back. The smile seemed sincere enough, but it was as though Bo Shuai was hopeful to speak to Meng Tian about something. Seemingly done with the talks for the time being, Bo Shuai let Meng Tian and Lao Wangzi continue

[Cao Chao]

In his mind he couldn't believe his lies had worked. He merely replied "Yes, that appears suitable. I shall meet with him at once." with that he moved forward to enter the gate, too excited to have his first opportunity at defending his liege.

(OOC: ann who RPs as Meng Yi is away until Monday. She takes care of all the audience with civil advisers.)

The man was quickly and carefully searched by the guardsmen. Any weapons that he may have had were confiscated with promises of return after he had concluded his audience. When that was all done, the crippled man was led within, through a series of corridors and passageways before they stopped at a small study where Meng Yi sat with paperwork. The Chancellor of the Qin was flanked by several guards standing raptly at attention.

Lao bowed deeply to the general, his face betraying no emotion as the man accused him of treason to the Qin, and as he demanded his loyalty. He stood erect when the man had finished speaking, and spoke quietly. "You have spoke truth, for I am both good and ill. I was a simple scholar, disgusted by the excess of pain and wanton destruction of the First Emperor. He was a great, powerful man. He was a true leader. He was a powerful warlord, and the only man at the time capable of uniting China under one authority. For this, he should be luaded. But as emperor, as the one power over all of China, he mis-stepped in many fashions. I was eventually forced to flee the country, to roam the barbariac wastes to our west, and learn what I could. I fought in battles. I brought light and justice to corrupt towns and villages. I made contacts. But most, I thought. I thought of the China I had left. The China I had loved. I thought of the Empire that I both feared and respected. And I learned that it had fallen. I made haste back, and by the time I had returned, the Qin were destroyed. Yes, The King and his false brother may both yet struggle on, but the empire their father ruled is all but gone."

He puased a moment, stroking his goatee, his eyes alight. "I did not know these sons of the First Emperor. I knew only him. I knew that China did not need to be yoked under the oppressive regime of a unethical warlord again. Fearing the worse, I expanded my power-base in Yong, and I prepared for a most dangerous mission- to find and raise a champion of the people up into the Imperial Authority, someone who, once peace reigned, would do good without question. And to prevent any who were unworthy from ascending the throne. I knew Ying Huhai was not worthy. I did not know His Majesty was. I knew you a brilliant, admirable, and powerful general, but of your charge? He was only the eldest son of the most dangerous man in Chinese history. The man who had done the hardest thing imaginable- to reunite the scattered lands. But since they have been so recently united, another man like him was not only unnecessary, but potentially damaging. I could not fathom another bout of centuries of lawless turmoil until one who could unite such a land appeared again, but even worse would be another short-lived dynasty, followed by intense civil war. It was a cycle I wished not to ever see in my lifetime."

He looked back to Meng Tian. "As I said, I did not know His Majesty was worthy to be Emperor. Not only does your record, but one of my best men, Commander Bo, vouch for you. And you yourself have told us that the King of Qin is a noble man. I have no desire to destroy those who wish to and will do good. I have no desire to be at war with such people. If the King of Qin is noble of heart and purpose, we will gladly reunite his empire with him." He bowed again, then, spotting the most prominent of the Imperial Regalia, he dropped to his knees, and kowtowed to it. "I am nothing but a servant.I serve China, and I will see her united under a worthy man once more. If His Majesty serves China, I serve him."

Meng Tian regarded the leader of the Brotherhood of Xiyue closely. He nodded at times to his words. The First Emperor had not been a particularly enlightened ruler. He and only he had been unify the entirety of the Middle Kingdom after so many centuries of chaos and warfare. But his reign had been marked with cruelty and ruthlessness. It was not a happy time to live unless you were a soldier and even then, your lives would not have been that great.

He sighed to himself, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "The son is not always like the father," he stated quietly. "The King has shown his humanity when he spoke out against the burial of Confucian scholars. For his troubles, His Highness was exiled into my care along the northern frontier. For years he has been my ward and I hope that I have mentored him as well as I could. I should hope that the King can prove to be a strong and just ruler."

"I have been cruel and merciless at times," he continued, "But in times like this, I have learned that ruthless oppression will do no good. Fear is not the answer and should not have been the answer under the previous regime."

"So Sir Lao, have you come swear fealty to the King of Qin?" he asked.

Upon entering, he bows low to Supreme Commander Meng Tian, and when introductions were being made, he speaks in his soft, child-like voice. [/i]

Fuyin: "It's an honor to meet with you, Lord Meng. Your reputation for strength and compassion is well known in Yong."

"My reputation has been earned with the blood, sweat and toil of my loyal, hardworking subordinates," replied the general, reciprocating the bow with an inclination of his head. "But whatever reputation I may enjoy, it has been tempered by my failure to protect Xianyang and ensure the proper succession of His Highness."

"Compassion? What compassion?" replied the general, shaking his head. "I have sacked cities and soaked the blood of his land with the blood of innocents and my enemies. For a soldier, compassion is a wasted sentiment that is usually left when he marches forth."

Bo Shuai, well aware of the regulations of the Qin Empire, consented to disarm and immediately surrendered his sword to the official on duty. With that, he then followed alongside Lao Wangzi. As soon as Meng Tian came into view, a small smile came to Bo Shuai's face, glad to see his former commander once again. Offering him a formal salute, Bo Shuai then bowed to Meng Tian, letting him speak with Lao Wangzi first. Listening to his words, Bo Shuai then looked to Meng Tian and bowed again "If I may, Supreme Commander, I wish a word with you after negotiations are through" With a small, weak smile and another bow, Bo Shuai then took a step back. The smile seemed sincere enough, but it was as though Bo Shuai was hopeful to speak to Meng Tian about something. Seemingly done with the talks for the time being, Bo Shuai let Meng Tian and Lao Wangzi continue

"Of course," replied the general, nodding his head.