Liu Jin's Audience Hall - Shou Yang

[Alchemicsoul]

Lang Long Zhuan saw the towering city in the distance. This city had just come out of a rebellion lately, and yet it looked so peaceful. Lang had a sudden vision of his body under a tree sleeping. A common thug stealing from the local bazaar. Lang woke up and looked around from under the tree, an oak if he had guessed correctly. He saw a man run him. "A common thug?", he whispered to himself as he planted his feet on the ground. Lang rubbed his eyes clean of sleep particles and set his focus on the thief. "Turned left", he said to himself as he began to sprint past a small house on a path intersecting the criminal. It took aproxamately five seconds to get the thug in sight again. Lang backed up out of the thief's path and crossed his arms, leaning against the side of someone's home. "Three...two...one", he counted, again to himself and stepped out meeting the culprit face to face. "Hi!!! My name is...", Lang sidestepped a punch reversing their positions. "...could've talked...your choice i guess", Lang said as he threw a right straight directly into the man's left cheek. The fall was beautiful and during the landing Lang noticed the thug's body bounce on the soft dirt. Lang turned around to talk to the rather large man that had been victimized. The man's eye's widened suddenly and Lang turned around to see a knife coming at him. Lang whipped up his left hand to parry and his right palm met the thugs chest staggering him back. Lang noted the snap the hit made. Lang's eyes widened as Nan grabbed the man from behind and snapped his neck to the right. "Are you awake Lord Lang?", Lang's eyes began to haze at the sound of Nan's voice. Suddenly he was directly in front of the great hall. "Are you awake sire?", Nan's voice was notably audible this time. "Yeah yeah I'm awake, I believe i dozed off...you were in my dream", Lang said. "Oh really?" Nan retorted, "I'll expect details later sire we have work to begin." "Noted.", Lang said entering the hall.

[Krimzon]

One of the guards caught glimpse of the approaching figures and slid a glance to his right, where the two men walked. He saw that the men seemed to have no intention of stopping their conversation and so thought it prudent to step in their path... if only to get their attention.

"Halt. Here lies the Audience Hall of the Marquis of Wei. Please state your business here. Should you be seeking entry, I have been ordered to take your weapons."

The guard held his post with the highest regard and utmost importance. He dared not show any weakness in front of the strangers.

[Alchemicsoul]

Lang took the backpack of armor off his back. "Be it noted my friend that my backpack contains no weapons.", he said as he handed it over. He took the buckler shield off of his right hip and brought it to eye level. "These are the weapons i use", he said showing the finely sharpened edge to the guard captain and giving both shields and his backpack to the guard and walking past. Nan approached, "I apologize for his brutal honesty, he means nothing by it.", he said noticing the guards hands were full. Nan took the backpack and his quiver from his back and placed them on the ground at the guard's feet. He stayed close to the ground, kneeling and pulled out a sheathed knife and layed it on the ground, stood up and pulled off his belt catching his sword hilt as the belt slid out of it and layed it too on the ground. "That should be all", he said noticing his concealed throwing blade and layed that on the ground too, "woops". Nan ran to catch up with Lang, "moments please sire!!!"

[Krimzon]

The guard stood dumbfounded and just stared at the array of weapons that lay at his feet. He looked around in a panic and hoped to find someone else to deal with the menial task of transporting them into a store room, but to no avail.

"Wait, you need to be escor-" he then sighed and muttered something under his breathe.

Lang and Nan are eventually caught up with just moments down the path. They are shown the way into the Audience Hall.

The moment the door to the Audience Hall opened Yuan Shu rose to his feet and bowed to Lang Zhuan and Nan Cen in greeting. He was slim, wearing a silk tunic cut with a sash that fell loosely by his hip, barely covering the hilt of a sword.

"Greetings gentlemen, what brings you here to the province of Wei? Shou Yang welcomes its guests. I'm afraid the Marquis is currently away on business but I'm sure I can assist you."

[Alchemicsoul]

Lang looked at Yuan Shu and stood up a little straighter feeling as if he was in the prescence of royalty. "You look very ornate my friend...", Lang said out loud and was given a glare by Nan making him realize the statement was rude, "what i mean to say my friend is that our business here is a simple matter of being in your lord's prescence in this great hour of need". Nan spoke up on that note, "we wish to offer our services to your lord as we are able bodied men." Lang nodded at Nan and both knelt in honor of their words.

[Krimzon]

Yuan Shu cocked his head and gave a slight nod.

"Indeed... these robes came from a trader beyond our borders. Exotic robes such as these do not come cheap though I see the tael is well spent." he grins.

Yuan weighed the two man, seeing in them a flicker of the same fire that sustained the soldiers outside. They burned, these people, whether they were rich or poor, blessed or cursed in their lives. They wanted to lead and be led.

"The kingdom is in need of able bodied men and your pledge of service shall not fall on deaf ears. On behalf of the Liu Jin and the people of Wei, I welcome you."

Lang Long Zhuan and Nan Cen recruited! Please post in the Officer OI!

[RuffRydeR]

An imposing procession came down the mountain trails to Shou Yang, a dazzling display of beautiful ponies, even lovelier maidens, all armed with gleaming assorted weaponry and polished armour.

In the midst of it all was a fine elaborate carriage, with banners carrying a single character. Yin.

A maiden rode up ahead to the gate and dismounted, then, pulled out a scroll, and announced,

"Good people of Shou Yang. We are here, on this very day, just after the start of the new year, a new cycle, a new chance for hope and peace, because our mistress and liege by blood and will, the Daughter of the Western Water, descendant of the Erlitou, Child of the Great Yu, Virtuous Maiden of the North and West, beauty of Nanyang, gracious possessor of three lines of the Seven Ascendant States, Grand High Duchess of Yin Zhou, Lady Crown Princess Regnant of the Xia, the most honourable and respected., and of course beautiful, Lady Xia G-"

And at this, the Lady Xia came walking right past, having already gotten out of her carriage and paid no heed at all to the scrollbearer, who, not having paused for breath, as required by protocol, had started to go slightly off tone...

"-ongzhu...Ugh, really oughta make sure she waits for procedure next time..."

The maid sighed, to which the amused driver, a singular male in the group, laughed at her side, and said,

"I think you forget 'Heir to the Lord Regnant Protectorate General of Zhao', Royal Prefect of Xiashu, Grand Champion of the Tianxia, High Captain of the Armou..."

The maid shook her head and grumbled,

"I know! I know! So many titles...ugh...And I can't even stop to breathe...I hate announcing Queens..."

The driver laughed even more,

"Hah! Queen? Try Lady Crown Princess Regnant!"

The maid kicked a stone and went to sulk, whining,

"Stupid technically correct titles..."

Meanwhile, paying them no heed, armoured in her own dazzling outfit that was a mix of fashionable gold trimmed crimson silks and her own usual weaponry and military attire, stylish as well, if a bit uncomfortable in their form-fitting tightness. But beauty always cost something, so she didn't regret it. Whipping her pony tail back, she stared straight at the guards and asked,

"Which way must I go to meet your Lord? I would like to tighten this friendship my regent informs me we have. And of course, to visit a few friends I hear have settled around here..."

[SituJinrong]

Sergeant on duty @ the gate: "Good day your highness, your procession will have to be quartered outside the city. We will arrange some refreshments for them." He signalled for a female attendant to do the routine security search.......

but the officer on duty caught the scene and hurriedly waved the attendant away.

"Forgive the insolence demonstrated by my man, Lady Xia, but he is only carrying out his duties to the letter. Security has been uptight since the last assasination attempt on our beloved leader. However, Marquis Liu had recently given instructions that royalty who have show no ill will to us, be granted full privelleges and be exempted from a security check.

I will go as far as to allow a single attendant to accompany you, but that is all I can do for now. If you will please follow this Lieutenant to to audience hall, he will ensure your safety from this gate to the audience hall"

A squad of 8 fully armed men led by another junior officer and a sergeant stood at attention, displaying battle honours for inspection by the princess. A runner was sent ahead to inform the Audience Hall of the impending visit by a royalty. Another 2 men were sent slightly ahead to clear the streets for the princess and her escorts.

OOC: Assuming Ruff agreed to the above arrangements, she is led to the audience hall where Liu Jin was waiting. Tea are served blah blah blah

Liu Jin was slightly surprised by the visit of the princess. "It is a pleasant surprise to see you my lady, may I enquire the purpose of your visit?"

[RuffRydeR]

"Just one? My...that's rather restrictive...And I'm guessing Lord Liu's not an eunuch either. So I can't just take anyone..."

She turned to the girls and apologized,

"Sorry, I guess you all know the protocol during something like this. Gibei, come over here, you lazy louse!"

And the driver shrugged, and slowly shuffled over. The Lady Xia then turned back and followed the escort inside, her rapier rattling at her hip as she strutted proudly along, with the odd, pessimistic fellow who always drove her cart following in her wake.

Her maids sighed at being barred entry and went to amuse themselves by having a good communal snack from the carriage compartments, right in front of the gate...

Meanwhile, the Lady Xia finally reached the hall and sat down to have the tea, which was prepared specially to her taste with a bit of spice by the driver Gibei, who oddly enough, was surprisingly versed in all the maidenly functions...

"Well," she chuckled, "I would hope it was a pleasant surprise. I'd be insulted if it wasn't pleasant. Anyways, I'm here because I wished to meet the neighbouring lords of the kingdom I have been called upon to inherit one day. It was an advice of one of my teachers and all. Wei is one of our newest neighbours, so, since, we have barely had any formal communication so far, I decided I might as well start here to formalize things, as well as I familiarize myself with your Lordship. I barely know anything of this place, though I've heard some people I know may or may not have settled here."

She paused, and with a sly smile, looked at the man, and noted as she leaned back,

"And I know nothing of you. I guess some sort of introduction is in order. Though, I'm curious. Have you heard anything of myself?"

[SituJinrong]

Jin laughed heartily

"Whether the surprise is pleasant or not is for me to know, and you to find out.

You really ought to give your political advisors a sharp knock on their heads, it is unbelievable that they have not updated you on the happenings in Wei, and of my background or perhaps we are too insignificant for your busy staff to keep tabs on.

Anyway, while I remain obscure and relatively in the background for you, I have heard of you. In fact we have had prior communications and even the chance to meet in Shennong Mountains once. I must have have been too unimpressive back then, since you have largely ignored me.

It is good that we finally managed to talk. About these friends of yours, are they by anychance Jiangbao and his sworn brother Weilong? I could summon them if you will like to meet them, though Marshal Wu may be a little busy coordinating military maneuvours."