Li Zhu's Audience Hall - Zhaoge

[RuffRydeR]

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.

Liangyu, hearing of the commotion, had been caught busy training, and, not wishing to miss out and have her curiousity go unsated this time, she quickly sheathed her weapons and had them taken away except for her bow, which always stayed at her hip anywhere she went anyways. She straightened the undershirt under her armour, and brushed most of the dust of it. A maid was walking behind her to fix up her hair while in motion as she rushed to the hall of her Father, where, excited, the bouncy, well, as bouncy as one could be in bronze armour, princess informed her Father so he could prepare,

"Father! The Prime Minister is at the gate. He's come!"

Chuckling, she called a maid over, and smiled,

"Get some refreshments ready."

Then, turning back to her father, she giggled,

"Nope, I'm not getting them this time! I don't want to miss him come!"

.................................................................

Meanwhile, the guards bowed at the entrance and moved aside for the Prime Minister and his servants. A couple even offered the beleaugered leger carrier assistance in carrying his burden. And the guard captain said,

"Come this way, Master. Lord Xia has been expecting your Lordship for some time..."

And he ushered the Prime Minister to the Audience Hall at a steady pace, hoping someone had informed the Prefect to get ready...Though it was curious how he called him District Manager...

[nstroud]

Huang bowed again before saying " Forgive me for my bluntness, but I believe that i could help expand your influence in the North." He paused and collected his thoughts before going on to say " I would tender my allegiance to you while retaining my autonomy to an extent. In exchange for my loyalty I would like you to provide me with troops and armaments and perhaps a few retainers to expand our influence." Huang Fu then bowed once more and said "Please honored sir, consider my entreaty."

[Brother Dun]

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.

Huo Xing smiled at the Prefects words. The man was a realist, he liked that. "At least you are honest, Prefect Xia. A fool would lie to himself about his rise to power, a bastard would simply lie to everyone else. You, on the other hand, are an honest man. I don't know exactly what that makes you, something in between no doubt."

The scholar paused a moment and thought over the Prefect's question, "As for your position, it is indeed a precarious one. The King of Chu is looking to assert himself, even more now that Wu Chen has betrayed him. Meanwhile, I spoke with Wu Chen purposely, and he has been preparing to expand his territory, quite aggressively need be. I do feel that the Qin are perhaps the least of your concerns though, especially since Chen She is looking for blood, and Wu Chen will not back down. The Qin meanwhile are more concerned with fighting one another, you could easily benefit from the war between the Princes. At least, that is my take..." he said, trailing off for a moment.

"As for the other lords I mentioned, I have no problem with telling you about them. I like you, and if I am able to help you with my experiences, then I have no problem doing so. You do not really need to concern yourself with Xue Jin. Zhao Yue has only recently come to power, I was not really able to draw too many conclusions about the man, although his overall aims seem rather limited, small. This Brotherhood though... They could be an issue. The Brotherhood controls Rui Jiao Jin's kingdom, as well as several towns and villages throughout Zhongguo. He also claimed to be behind Xue Jin's rise to power, but I could not substantiate that claim during my meeting with Xue Jin. Nor does it even matter anymore, as Xue Jin no longer holds any power. However, the extent of the Brotherhood's influence goes far beyond Yong. They have also allied themselves with Ying Fusu and the Meng family, which gives them a powerful ally. However, I feel that the Brotherhood and the King of Qin will come to blows, the ideals of the Brotherhood are too far from the line of strict, Legalist Qin. If you should find yourself in a battle with the Brotherhood in the future, perhaps an attempt at undermining the relationship between the two would be to your best interests," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Do you have any other questions for me, Prefect? Or perhaps you would be willing to entertain a few of my own?"

[RuffRydeR]

"Do you have any other questions for me, Prefect? Or perhaps you would be willing to entertain a few of my own?"

The princess now interjected. Liangyu had stifled a yawn as she felt the man's discomfort when speaking about the Brotherhood. She wondered what was so worrisome about them...

"Umm...one question though, if you would forgive this little girl for asking...What's so unsettling about this Brother Lao? You never did tell us what the Brotherhood's goals are or interests and how they are necessarily opposed to our own. Besides, aren't thye just like any other powerful group out there, wanting to rule Tianxia? What makes them different?"

[Xiang Zhuang]

In Ferro Veritas

Zhenfeng felt himself starting to slip into a fouler mood as the visitor spoke, but he tried to relieve himself of it. It wouldn't be wise to make a scene. That she was upsetting his daughter was evident, but at the same time, he didn't think it was wise for her to leave. In response to his daughter, he said, "No, Liangyu. We don't leave when we are entertaining guests. You can go back after we are done here."

Facing the visitor, he said, "I assure you, I put the appropriate amount of weight behind titles and ranks. I know what it means for someone to claim a rank that would burden them, and I know what it means when somebody doesn't claim a rank that they could otherwise take. Throwing away my daughter to someone who holds such a poor rank would indicate that either my daughter was undesirable, or that, even though I carry a higher rank, I see myself as the weaker of the two. Part of my grip on this province depends upon the people seeing me as a strong ruler."

He shook his head. "Your assessment is not correct, actually. I bear the seals and cords of Prefect under the authority of His August Majesty, the Emperor of Qin." He started to casually write something down on a slip of paper. "I have really had no contact with the King of Chu at all." He folded the slip of paper. "I think, from this discussion, I believe that I would be unable to use you as a diplomat for my administration. I don't think I could persuade you fully to my own line of thinking, and I think you undervalue the usefulness of a woman--a daughter--to an administration. I do think you could be a wonderful asset to someone, however." He motioned for an attendant to come over, and then he said, "Hand this to our guest." Turning back to Xiao Jing, he said, "I have a suggestion where you could go, though. From what I know of them, your two styles would mesh very well. Not to mention that I think your own view of politics could be enhanced."

The attendant hands the note out for Xiao Jing to take.

((PM'd))

<hr>
nstroud

Xia Xi frowned a bit at the suggestion. "What you are asking of me is fairly forward," he replied. "I know very little of you at all, and you are asking me to weaken my own defenses here by aiding you. I don't think you realize how perilous this would be for me. Besides, at this point, there's little for me to gain from your loyalty, and who is to say that once you no longer need me, you would seek out another suzerain?

"I think, at this point, you would be better off seeking out a more nearby warlord for assistance, anyway. The King of Zhao would be suspicious if I were transferring troops through his territory to assist you, but at the same time the King of Zhao might be willing to offer you the same assistance if you were to go directly to him. I believe he had some intention toward the province of Changshan, and might support your efforts there."

<hr>
Charlemagne & Ruff

((This is actually only for Ruff; I will get to Li Si as soon as this is clarified.))

Xia Xi was a bit nervous when his daughter arrived; especially when she was apparently dressed in her best uniform. The news that the Prime Minister was here wasn't unexpected, although he still had some things in preparation to do before he would be ready to see him. But his daughter seemed intent on staying. Xi gave her a nod and said, "Thanks for letting me know, Liangyu. If you want, you can oversee the preparations. But I don't want you in the room when I meet with the Prime Minister. I'd rather have you on the battlefield, risking your life, than to be here with me as I speak to the Prime Minister. The carnage of fighting on the battlefield can pale in comparison to what we might see today here in this hall. I don't want you to have to witness your father having to potentially humiliate himself in front of the Prime Minister. It's not something a daughter should ever have to witness from her father."

<hr>
Brother Dun

Zhenfeng started to say something, but his daughter interrupted him. Instead, he just smiled and waited for a reply.

[RuffRydeR]

In Ferro Veritas

Zhenfeng felt himself starting to slip into a fouler mood as the visitor spoke, but he tried to relieve himself of it. It wouldn't be wise to make a scene. That she was upsetting his daughter was evident, but at the same time, he didn't think it was wise for her to leave. In response to his daughter, he said, "No, Liangyu. We don't leave when we are entertaining guests. You can go back after we are done here."

"I-"

She caught herself, and shrugged, sighing,

"Yes, Father."

She settled back down into a cushion in the hall, gripping it so tightly that it seemed likely to rip in her hands. Her head was bowed as she attempted her beast to close her ears...Unsuccessfully, of course...

nstroud

"I think, at this point, you would be better off seeking out a more nearby warlord for assistance, anyway. The King of Zhao would be suspicious if I were transferring troops through his territory to assist you, but at the same time the King of Zhao might be willing to offer you the same assistance if you were to go directly to him. I believe he had some intention toward the province of Changshan, and might support your efforts there."

She bowed, and said,

"Father, may I suggest something as well?"

If permitted, she continues,

"Actually, I remember meeting another man, a good warrior from Changshan. He works for a newly risen Lord Xiong, who leads a city there. If you aren't inclined towards working with the Good Lord Wu, maybe the Lord Xiong could be a more adequate person to work with. I am on good terms with the Master Zhang, his second and loyal follower, and from what he has spoken to me about, their ideals seem quite similar to ours. Maybe he would be someone you could talk to..."

Then, she faltered, as she was always so uncertain when it came to politics, lapsing once more into just watching the conversation...

Charlemagne & Ruff
Xia Xi was a bit nervous when his daughter arrived; especially when she was apparently dressed in her best uniform. The news that the Prime Minister was here wasn't unexpected, although he still had some things in preparation to do before he would be ready to see him. But his daughter seemed intent on staying. Xi gave her a nod and said, "Thanks for letting me know, Liangyu. If you want, you can oversee the preparations. But I don't want you in the room when I meet with the Prime Minister. I'd rather have you on the battlefield, risking your life, than to be here with me as I speak to the Prime Minister. The carnage of fighting on the battlefield can pale in comparison to what we might see today here in this hall. I don't want you to have to witness your father having to potentially humiliate himself in front of the Prime Minister. It's not something a daughter should ever have to witness from her father."

"L-l-like feet washing? Yuck!"

She frowns, and winces, learning of this reality... Then, scratching her chin a bit, she says,

"If you say so...I'll go see to those preparations, Father. But first, I wish to sneak a peek at the Prime Minister. I've never seen what he looks like...After that...well, you won't hear from me until he's gone."

She sighed, restlessly grasping the hilt of her rapier. Dejected, Liangyu walked off, pondering this new knowledge...

[In Ferro Veritas]

Zhenfeng felt himself starting to slip into a fouler mood as the visitor spoke, but he tried to relieve himself of it. It wouldn't be wise to make a scene. That she was upsetting his daughter was evident, but at the same time, he didn't think it was wise for her to leave. In response to his daughter, he said, "No, Liangyu. We don't leave when we are entertaining guests. You can go back after we are done here."

Facing the visitor, he said, "I assure you, I put the appropriate amount of weight behind titles and ranks. I know what it means for someone to claim a rank that would burden them, and I know what it means when somebody doesn't claim a rank that they could otherwise take. Throwing away my daughter to someone who holds such a poor rank would indicate that either my daughter was undesirable, or that, even though I carry a higher rank, I see myself as the weaker of the two. Part of my grip on this province depends upon the people seeing me as a strong ruler."

He shook his head. "Your assessment is not correct, actually. I bear the seals and cords of Prefect under the authority of His August Majesty, the Emperor of Qin." He started to casually write something down on a slip of paper. "I have really had no contact with the King of Chu at all." He folded the slip of paper. "I think, from this discussion, I believe that I would be unable to use you as a diplomat for my administration. I don't think I could persuade you fully to my own line of thinking, and I think you undervalue the usefulness of a woman--a daughter--to an administration. I do think you could be a wonderful asset to someone, however." He motioned for an attendant to come over, and then he said, "Hand this to our guest." Turning back to Xiao Jing, he said, "I have a suggestion where you could go, though. From what I know of them, your two styles would mesh very well. Not to mention that I think your own view of politics could be enhanced."

The attendant hands the note out for Xiao Jing to take.

((PM'd))

The woman was slightly bewildered that her interpretation of the prefect had been claimed to be wrong. She folded the paper and placed it in a pocket without reading what was written on it. Against her better judgement, she chose to make a bid for the last word.

"My decision was made before I ever came to this city, Prefect. I chose to come to honor your daughter's steadfast faith in her father and devotion to an ideal greater than herself; a trait that, if this land is ever to be as great as it once was, will need to be reflected by many. Diplomacy is about truths, lies, and half-lies, as you no doubt know -- my visit here was a combination of the three. If I am to serve in some noteworthy capacity to any ruler, I will need to understand the thoughts and rationalization of the men who will shape China's future, an esteemed class to which you doubtlessly belong.

"But before I depart, I will give you the most important piece of advice I ever gleaned from historical accounts: to be a truly great man, to be remembered throughout the ages, you must be magnanimous when superior, proud when inferior, and objective in all things. You have demonstrated your ability to be objective, and you have been noble in your treatment of a woman you clearly disagree with, but time shall tell if you truly are as magnanimous in victory as you are in this hall of forked tongues and sharp words."

Offering a slight bow and her first genuine smile of the visit, the woman concluded. "May Heaven guide your path, honored Prefect."

As the woman turned to depart, she offered a smile to the princess. As she left the audience hall and entered the entrance hall, she nonchalantly dropped the piece of paper into a brazier, never having read it. Inquiring for a piece of parchment, the woman quickly penned a last message, before finally exiting the building and departing the city.

[nstroud]

Huang Fu frowned, and scratched at one of his scars before dropping to one knee and saying " I had no idea you were in such a perilous position, I would like to tender my services to you and bring with me over two thousand men and spears." He then looked up shyly and said " That is if you will have me." He then bowed his head and waited for a reply.

[RuffRydeR]

"But what of your village, Lord Huang? Will you just leave it there?"

Liangyu frowned...She wasn't so sure that was a good thing either...

[nstroud]

" I will ask them to join me here in Yin. Those that come will settle where they will, those that cant or wont will have to look to others for protection. My people will understand what I am doing. They will understand that I must protect and help others, that my services are needed for a more noble cause. At least I hope so."