nstroud wrote:Huang took a second to consider how to phrase the coming words " I would like to work towards a greater cause, while maintaining my freedom." He shifted uncomfortably before continuing "I would like to work for your father, to expand his influence throughout Changshan. Unfortunately my forces are not ready to fully expand throughout the province, and we might require trained men and good equipment. In return, we would provide your father with military service and contributions to his coffers."
"Well, that's a mite complicated. You'd do that in far off Changshan? Hmm...Let me try and get a handle on this..."
Liangyu pondered for a bit, before sighing...
"I, I think it's best if you discuss it with Father himself. This is a bit complicated, the way it sounds...Would you like to speak with him?"
Xiang Zhuang wrote:Seeing that his daughter didn't take the bait ((Actually, her internet went haywire...)), Zhenfeng motioned for the attendant to go get a maid to do as the visitor had requested. He left in short order.
Liangyu stirred. Apparently, she was half-asleep, a bit tired from training earlier in the day. Rubbing her eyes as she forced them to come open again, she saw the visitor, and flustered, she turned to her Father, whispering,
"Oh my, sorry...I think I dozed off..."
Shaking her head a little, she focused on the visitor, and then, with a whisper to her father, asked, rather awkwardly...
"A diplomat, eh?" Xia Xi idly shuffled his papers, thinking briefly. "You've picked an interesting place to come, then. As you can probably see, I am surrounded here by two kings and one emperor; all of which hate one another and would use this province to wage war against one another. Up to this point I have managed to keep them away, but such reprieves in violence are rare in troubled times as this.
"Tell me, which of these three powers do you claim allegiance to? Which do you see as the strongest currently, and which do you think will eventually win?"
"You are fortunate," the young woman began, "that they are three and not two. There can never be balance between two, as one will always be superior. Between three, however, you must divide the attention of the strongest. But these three men have friends and foes on their flanks, something one must take advantage of. All of their strength will be dispersed throughout their cities, not posed on the edge of your territory to plunge in at a moment's notice.
"Xiang Kai of Liang, Pang Li of Jiujiang, and Yi Liang of Jiujiang could all pose a considerable threat to 'King' Chen. He does not have the power to wage war simultaneously with, for example, you and Xiang Kai. If he does, he'll be too weak to maintain his cities when Ying Fusu intervenes against his weakened army.
"This process repeats itself against the other two as well. They do not dominate the region near them, and they do not so greatly overwhelm you as to make you insignificant. You do not need to be strong enough to defeat them, lord. You need to be strong enough to weaken them to the point they cannot resist an incursion by whichever competitor decides to intervene."
The woman paused, pondering on the issue of the warrior princess.
"But you will not escape this situation without allying yourself to one of these three men. And in so doing, you must, at least temporarily, neglect your authority in name only. But you must also remember that you cannot side with the 'strongest' of these men, simply because they will value your assistance less, and they will reward you less for your service. A dying man thinks more of a helping hand than a proud, strong man.
"You ask which of these men may win. The answer is simple; any of them. In fact, you may very well triumph in the end and be called Emperor. It depends entirely upon your ability to adapt, your ability to hide your true strength. Achieve much, appear little."
The diplomat stopped, seemingly abruptly. She appeared to be finished, then an idea sprung immediately into her head.
"Marry the princess to Xiang Kai of Liang. Solidify your common ground by marriage and make him as your brother. 'King' Chen will not be able to move against you openly without jeopardizing his rear. A coalition, if you will, would bring the tyrant to his knees without a blow being struck. But you ask me all this, lord, in the knowledge I am a diplomat and not a strategist; why?"
Xue Xia
36-35-79-89-59
Civil Administrator II, Engineer II, Propagandist II, Public Planner II, Entrench I, Poison I, Doctor
Huang smiled before saying "Yes, I think that would be for the best. It would be much easier to talk directly with the man who will have to approve of all my provisions."
Liangyu almost choked at the suggestion. Her eyes widened, and she looked to her father in surprise...
She couldn't really speak. She didn't even know who Xiang Kai was. The princess could only wait on her father, hiding the turmoil inside her. Was this what happened to women when they were told a marriage had been arranged?
And she was supposed to accept this demurely, meekly, happily?
She balled her fists, continuing to keep quiet, a parade of emotions flowing across that expressive face of hers. In the end, she looked down, head bowed, and clutched that jade pendant she had...
Why she did so, she wasn't sure. But she knew none of this was her decision to make. Her fate was only to watch. Maybe that was why she had taken to the art of war. After all, women had always been stuck watching the two terrible things men did to them. Making them wait in war, and making them hurry in peace.
She'd gotten around problem, but she found she was helplessly meek against the other. Well, father...What would you say?
Liangyu didn't even know if she wanted to hear it, but she stayed in place. Why delay knowing of the decision...She could run afterwards, cry if she wanted to...
But she'd hear it now.
nstroud wrote:Huang smiled before saying "Yes, I think that would be for the best. It would be much easier to talk directly with the man who will have to approve of all my provisions."
"Well then, sir..."
Liangyu started, finishing her juice, as she stood up, and started walking,
"Come and follow me. I'll introduce you to Father..."
And so they got to the hall where her Father sat, and she smiled pleasantly as she introduced him,
"Father, Lord Huang here wishes to speak with you..."
Xiang Zhuang wrote:Seeing that his daughter didn't take the bait ((or, more likely, isn't online at this time)), Zhenfeng motioned for the attendant to go get a maid to do as the visitor had requested. He left in short order.
Nodding to the visitor, he said, "Visiting the north? So that means you are from the south, then? And to be desired by so many people! I am a bit jealous." He smiled awkwardly, but then thought on what he had just said. "Well, not really. But it sound exciting." He scratched at his goatee for a moment. "While it is a personal question, I would be interested to know what other 'lords', as you put it, have also sought you out. Not that I wish to pry, but I'm just curious. After all, every person has their own unique situation they exist in, and I'd love to compare theirs to my own. Perhaps in discussing them you could give me advice upon my own issues as well?" He gave a slight shrug, as if to accentuate that he wasn't incredibly vested in the venture to where he might be upset if the visitor declined.
RuffRydeR wrote:Liangyu stirred. Apparently, she was half-asleep, a bit tired from training earlier in the day. Rubbing her eyes as she forced them to come open again, she saw the visitor, and flustered, she turned to her Father, whispering,
"Oh my, sorry...I think I dozed off..."
Shaking her head a little, she focused on the visitor, and then, with a whisper to her father, asked, rather awkwardly...
"Did you call for refreshments already?"
Huo Xing smiled at his host, drawing a slight chuckle from the weary moves of the lord's daughter as well. "It would seem that your daughter has had a rough day, lord Xia. As for myself, yes, I am from the south, Yue province. I must admit, I am a bit perturbed by the amount of people who have sought me out. I have gone to great lengths to keep my life private, but it would appear my safeguards and money were all for naught! Many of these men know so much about me, it's disturbing!"
"But I digress, it has been... interesting to travel across the Middle Kingdom. As for who I have seen," he said, pausing and giving a wry smile, "I have no qualms with telling you who they are. Originally I was sought out by some crazy cult, the Brotherhood of Xiyue. I traveled all the way to Yong and met their leader, 'Brother' Lao, as he preferred to be called. He was quite an unsettling man to be around, and I think I am most disturbed about him knowing of me. On my way home, I ran into a man in the service of Li Peng in Sai. The man, Ba Zhan by name, told me about Li Peng and that he was preparing to war with the Brotherhood. After that, I returned home, only to have messengers bothering me once again! One from Xue Jin, the former lord of Wuzhong. The poor man was betrayed during a battle, trusted a band of mercenaries to fight for him. They turned on him, and now he's a vagabond. After that, the King of Zhao, Wu Chen sought me out. I visited him, he treated me well. He has grand plans for himself and Zhao... You may need to be wary of him. From there, I traveled to Shangdang in Wei, and met with the new Governor, Zhao Yue. After that, I came here, to visit you, Prefect Xia. Once I am done here, I will no doubt return home to Yue and think about what I have learned, about the various individuals I have met."
Zhenfeng listened earnestly, curious for an outside analysis of his own situation. He was a bit surprised, though, that much of what was said were offers of strategy and the like. This, of course, wasn't bad in any way, but it surprised him some. When the lady finished, he noticed a restlessness from his daughter. He knew why; the same restlessness rose within him. The topic of his daughter's marriage was something he was avoiding as much as possible.
He let out a small sigh. "I didn't actually mean for you to say all of that," he replied to the visitor. "I was mostly just wondering how an outsider to the situation, and someone with a diplomat's eye might see things. I do appreciate the analysis, though. These other warlords you mentioned... I know little of them. I do not think I am a position to be organizing any sort of offensive against any one of them, though, or that I necessarily would want to. While they each would like to use me against the other, that doesn't necessarily mean that any are wrong.
"As for my daughter, I think you underrate her value in two ways. First, the amount of support and worth she has to my administration as a Lieutenant General. It's safe to say that I would not have come this far without her efforts. Losing her to any marriage would weaken my own administration, so I would not do it until I had to. And second, I think her value as a bride is being underestimated. As a Prefect here, it would make more sense to offer her to a King, not to a next door District Manager. Yes, I know that Xiang Kai's own power and position likely makes him a larger force in this area that myself, but at this point it would be a condescension that I could not abide."
He thought to say more, but since he had disagreed with the visitor, he thought she might want to add something to what had been said.
<hr> nstroud
Xia Xi was where he always seems to be; at his desk upon a dais at the rear of the room. Today he was discussing some military matters with a couple of lieutenants who were near. He gave his daughter a warm smile when she arrived, although a little bothered again that she was bringing a strange man here. He said, "Welcome to Zhaoge, visitor." He paused for a moment, because he clearly could not call this man lord, but wasn't sure what his name was beyond his family name. "So, what sort of business is this about?" The question seemed directed at Huang Fu, but he was looking at his daughter as well.
<hr> Brother Dun
"Yes, Liangyu," he said quickly, with a chuckle, before the visitor started to speak.
He started to chuckle when this man expressed his surprise at being sought out. If his own scouts could pick up this man's scent all the way in Yue, likely he was not being as private as he thought. Either that, or somebody in his offices deserves a promotion. He nodded appreciatively. "I had not even heard of some of these people: Zhao Yue of Wei, Xue Jin of Wuzhong, and this Brotherhood. Well, I have heard of the latter, although the reports are generally negative. If you wanted to talk in more detail, I'd be most interested in hearing about them. But, of course, that discussion would be more for my benefit than your own, I think.
"I am surprised that you are surprised that you were sought out. There are many men nowadays hoping to take advantage of the chaos in the land to either gain power for themselves or to try and bring some peace to their corner of the land. The former tend to cause the need for the latter, unfortunately. Those who strike for power seek out short-term solutions to problems, and thrive on whatever benefits them the most in the immediacy. The latter tend to rise against these people, hoping to protect something they find important. They, however, usually do not realize the gravity of the current situation in the land, though, and themselves cannot obtain the power to fully repel the former. I imagine that you have witnessed elements of one or the other in these same lords."
He started to chuckle a bit in his awkward way. "But I cannot count myself as being separate from this. As a matter of fact, I consider myself both. I have come from Qi to Yin to seize an opportunity present here. And from a District Manager of the town of Puyang I have now come to control all of Yin. To an outsider, I might seem as if I am here for power. If that were truly the way I have acted, I might soon find myself having trouble retaining control over this province. But just as I came to Yin to gain power for myself, I also realized the immense trouble the province was in. Having been caught between Chu and Qin, it was already suffering some scars from a war that has yet to really manifest itself. I knew that, given time, Chu and Qin would find themselves fully at war with one another. So, in coming to Yin, I have hoped to be able to protect this land from any further disaster. But to think that I could just sit here and force neighboring Kings and Emperors to stay out would be pretty silly, indeed." He started to laugh again. "And now, Zhao makes 3. It's a curious situation, wouldn't you agree?"
About midway into all of this, a maid came and offered the visitor some tea or some water; whichever he preferred.
Fáng Ai (防哀) hao Aishī (皚獅, White Lion), Duke of Yan (Yan Gong)
101*.87*.44.78.39
Dash I, Gongshu II, Jianshu II, Smith II, Trainer II, Wall II
The prefect's response was enlightening. He put great stock in titles, a conservative line, while placing a great deal of stock in his daughter that most men in his position wouldn't. The prospect of a man who valued women as more than breeding mares of the state intrigued the diplomat.
She chuckled slightly at the man's uncertainty in his position.
"You put too great a stock in titles and ranks, my lord. Your neighbor the east may well prove to be an invaluable asset in the future, or he may well prove to be instrumental in your isolation and collapse. But whatever you decide upon, remember that a man who is king today may be a captive the next. In such uncertain times, men advance and fall with great... rapidity."
She paused for a moment, then changed the topic.
"If you do not mind me being so blunt, it would appear that your grasp of the political situation around you is... less than what it should be. A pragmatic man such as yourself most likely will not adhere to Qin. I imagine you have, however, polarized your position and already sided with one liege over another, or have made your decision on this matter?"
She paused for a moment, then glanced at the princess, who remained still somewhat infuriated. So very amused, the woman turned back to the prefect.
"You previously specified your daughter would only be married to a king, barring exceptional circumstances. This leads me to believe that you have no intention of entering into an alliance with the 'emperor' to the west, and that you have thrown your lot in with either the king in the south, or the king in the north.
"But since you immediately refuted my implication to enter into an alliance with the de facto governor of Liang, going as far as to mock his rank, I believe you have entered into an agreement with King Chen. Am I correct in this assessment?"
Xue Xia
36-35-79-89-59
Civil Administrator II, Engineer II, Propagandist II, Public Planner II, Entrench I, Poison I, Doctor
Xia Xi was where he always seems to be; at his desk upon a dais at the rear of the room. Today he was discussing some military matters with a couple of lieutenants who were near. He gave his daughter a warm smile when she arrived, although a little bothered again that she was bringing a strange man here. He said, "Welcome to Zhaoge, visitor." He paused for a moment, because he clearly could not call this man lord, but wasn't sure what his name was beyond his family name. "So, what sort of business is this about?" The question seemed directed at Huang Fu, but he was looking at his daughter as well.
"Well...This man resides in Changshan, but he seems to be looking for a way to help us work towards our goals. I wasn't sure how one would go about such things, so I brought him to you, Father."
She frowned, still racking her brains for a manner in which Master Huang could assist them...
In Ferro Veritas wrote:
She paused for a moment, then glanced at the princess, who remained still somewhat infuriated. So very amused, the woman turned back to the prefect.
"You previously specified your daughter would only be married to a king, barring exceptional circumstances. This leads me to believe that you have no intention of entering into an alliance with the 'emperor' to the west, and that you have thrown your lot in with either the king in the south, or the king in the north.
Liangyu clutched her necklace harder, murmuring unintellligibly. She had relaxed slightly as her father had denounced such a sudden marriage as unthinkable and was even filled with pride as his reiteration of the fact that she was doing so much good around here.
But still, the two continued to discuss these things so openly in front of her. Was this what was said when important political visitors came to visit her Father too? Had some others already asked to marry her that she didn't know about? It was too much...
Liangyu got up, and coughed a little, before bowing and interrupting the two,
"I think I'm feeling a bit under the weather. May I have permission to retire to my rooms?"
The Imperial Procession into Zhaoge was no small thing, when viewed by the simple folk of Yin. There were no less than six hundred cavalry, as well as forty carriages, one thousand men-at-arms, and nearly half as many scribes, politicians, and servants. The gathering camped a little more than a li from the city, as one carriage and a dozen or more cavalry pushed forward.
Into the city, and through the streets, the Qin banners flew atop the four corners of the carriage, and the liveries of the cavalry made it clear that these men were in the employ of the Emperor. There was mixed reaction from the people. The new followers of Xia Xi were mostly silent, while the loyalists to the regime of Gen Qin seemed to cheer the arrival of the progress. As the carriage made it's way to the gate, the leader of the cavalry, a stout but muscular soldier pulled ahead and announced to the guards at the gate. "Make way for the Prime Minister. He has come to speak with District Manager Xia. He is expected, and must not be kept waiting."
The cavalryman fell back into formation with his colleagues, as the door to the carriage was slowly pushed open, and a young servant made way for Li Si, whom trailed behind. A second servant, carrying some ledgers was seen to be following, and doing his best to catch up.
