Warlords: Three Kingdoms

“You were fearful of a man who killed many of his enemies, so you decided to make him your enemy... so that he wouldn't do the same to you? Seems a bit counterproductive.” Lei did not like how Yin She was referring to the slaughter of Julu as a genocide and exaggerating the numbers. Lei knew full well that it happened, but figured it was a necessity to stop any further rebellions. “I understand that you may have been caught up in the heat of the moment in your rebellions against the Qin. I too once headed a propogandist post to urge the local talent of Chu to rebel against the Qin. But you must also be prepared to face the consequences of those actions if they go wrong. When I made the decision that day to rebel, I considered myself already a dead man walking. I would give the rest of my life to the service of Chu. What about you? Are you willing to give your life for Qi? Or do you care more for your life?”

Lei ate some more of his soup. He showed Yin She his jade encrusted fingerless gloves on his hands.

“My father was a well known artisan. When I was little, my father was commissioned by a new Duke of Zhao to make these gloves for him. Before my father completed them, the new Duke was assassinated by his own court. My father decided to gift them to me, to remind me of how fleeting and dangerous power can be. I do not even remember the name of that Duke. But I remember the consequences of playing the power game. I wear these every day to remind myself not to get lost in the heat of the moment.”

Lei finished his soup. Motioning for the guards/attendants to take it away.

“As for Zhefu, if he truly wishes to work together with Chu and not threaten them, then he will listen to the Prime Minister's orders. It is as simple as that. And what of your orders? Are you ready to put those calloused hands of yours to work?”

(OOC: I intended this RP to be done before the military phase, so I'm RPing as if the invasions didn't happen yet.)

"I am prepared to die, if that is the case." He said slowly, looking at his hands. "But for now, yes, I can work. Hopefully I will see Qi again before I die."

Jin Shi wrote: The gates were thrown open, and the guard in charge walked the path Cang Gui's carriage would follow. They went through the city streets up towards the palace, with soldiers marching throughout the city, each one with his own mission it seemed. Once they arrived at the palace, the many flag poles that had once adorned the palace had been torn down and left upon the ground in a pile, with a single Imperial flag flying from the palace. A guard detail was marching towards the pile with a few lit torches as the carriage was ordered to stop and Cang Gui and co. were led into the palace.

The palace inside was remarkably clean. A few decorative articles were missing from display stands and the walls, but for the most part the audience hall was in good condition. Cang Gui and co. were led through the lobby, full of guards, and the main doors of the audience chamber were opened, revealing a regally decorated room, with a massive wall rug of red and yellow which depicted a sun rising over the red plains. Below this rug was a throne, and sitting upon it could only be Ma Su. He was conferring with several officers who were pointing at maps and documents they held when Cang Gui's entourage arrived. Su looked up, and smiled a surprised smile. The guard spoke.

"Cang Gui, here to see you sir."
"Master Cang, good of you to come. Bring him and his friends refreshments." He gestured roughly to one of his officers, his attention now focused on Cang Gui. "I hope my guards have not been too rough with you?" He rose from the throne after a few moments and stepped down to Cang Gui's level in a motion of respect.

Cang Gui bowed deeply to Ma Su. "Your guards treated me adequately, Lord Ma. I am most flattered you wished to speak with me. I am a poor man. Both you and several other Imperial Generals have invited me to speak with them. I cannot think why, as my service to Lu Chen and the Chu army was of only mediocre quality at best."

He glanced around, "You seem to keep very tight discipline, Lord Ma. What are your plans here in Liang? Does Xiang Yu trust you with this entire, rich province?"

Ma Su returned Cang Gui's bow with an equal amount of respect. An officer brought in refreshments, and seats were brought out for all parties by some of the soldiers, creating a miniature dining hall of sorts in the middle of the throne room. Seating himself, he replied "Don't underrate yourself, Master Cang. My oath-brother is a peasant, and I'm proud of it. There are may diamonds in the rough, I'm sure you know. Wealth comes and goes." He was handed some tea, and took a large gulp before he continued. "I've been talking all day, I'm a little thirsty..." He grinned a little.

"Well, I'm sure the now General Shen found the same records as I did, that you served with Lu Chen during the war. You were of higher station than I was at that time as a matter of fact." He nodded to himself, as if validating what he said. "The Empire needs all the experienced and loyal officers it can find, what with all these rebellions going on. If you were allowed to serve under Lu Chen, then you are not a mediocre officer, I am confident." Su was very straightforward. He believed, or at least portrayed that he did, everything he said.

"Thank you. The men needed to get their act together or they wouldn't have survived the battle yesterday." He took a smaller sip of tea this time. "And we're keeping high security here at least for a little while until we're sure that there are no more Tang Yo loyalists. Tang Yo was the governor here before I removed him." He smiled, happy at the words he just spoke.

"Liang is indeed a rich land, and I was supposed to watch over all of it aside from Waihuang. However, a court outsider, Hin Wu, has disobeyed orders and instead of moving to Jiaoxi, he has attacked Suiyang, and it looks like he will take it." He paused, his expression turning stern. "He has not answered my letter, and I suspect the worst." He motioned to one of his guards to bring forth a paper he was holding, and, after glancing at it for a moment, he handed it back and looked back at Cang Gui. Smiling faintly, he said "Master Cang, Liang can be a great jewel in Xiang Yu's crown, but I need help in pacifying and administrating it. But before I straight up ask you to join me, what are you looking for in a job? We'll see if I can accommodate you."

VoShay wrote:"I am prepared to die, if that is the case." He said slowly, looking at his hands. "But for now, yes, I can work. Hopefully I will see Qi again before I die."

Lei looked over Yin She as the servants took the plates away, pondering for a moment at Yin She's response.

"Then I must be off to Liang now. I have other matters to attend to. Someone else will tell you your exact orders. You will return to Qi again." Dead or alive, is a whole other matter. If there was nothing else, Lei left the room.

The drills were done, the men were prepared. It was time.

Shen Feng stood at the head of his army, looking out over them. The former minister had traded in his robes for a finely-crafted suit of armor, and those who had known him at the court might be amused at the sight of the small man girded for battle. Still, Feng was no stranger to conflict, but leading a force this size was an entirely new experience to him. Rather than trying to command the drills himself, mindful of his embarassing encounter with Ji Bu earlier, Feng delegated most of that work to his aides and assistants, among them the grand-nephew of the Prime Minister himself. Everything had gone perfectly so far, aside from a lack of interest among the outsiders he'd contacted about joining the army. No matter. This would just mean more glory for the men here now.

"We march this day for Linjiang, men. The province has fallen under the sway of one of the regional lords, a man who not only allows bandits to pillage his lands, but bribes them to aid him in supporting his blind ambition. This man, this Deng Yue, is a threat that must be put down while he is weak, and make no mistake, he is weak. We, on the other hand, are Chu men. Strong, well-trained, well-prepared for the upcoming battle. We have among us Fan Pogu, grand-nephew of the Prime Minister. We have among us Lu Bi, the scholar-general from Ruxu. We have the brave warrior Yangxiu Huangzeng from Guling." Feng looked to each subcommander in turn as he named them, and they clasped their hands before him in turn. "We have these able men and many more, all united under the same banner for the same purpose. To liberate Linjiang and restore order! To punish those who would oppose the Hegemonic King of Western Chu! We move!" The men let out a cheer as their charismatic leader raised his fist into the air.

Falling into line, the orderly march began, heading out of Chen towards the southwest. They marched to Linjiang. To their destiny.

Jin Shi wrote:Ma Su returned Cang Gui's bow with an equal amount of respect. An officer brought in refreshments, and seats were brought out for all parties by some of the soldiers, creating a miniature dining hall of sorts in the middle of the throne room. Seating himself, he replied "Don't underrate yourself, Master Cang. My oath-brother is a peasant, and I'm proud of it. There are may diamonds in the rough, I'm sure you know. Wealth comes and goes." He was handed some tea, and took a large gulp before he continued. "I've been talking all day, I'm a little thirsty..." He grinned a little.

"Well, I'm sure the now General Shen found the same records as I did, that you served with Lu Chen during the war. You were of higher station than I was at that time as a matter of fact." He nodded to himself, as if validating what he said. "The Empire needs all the experienced and loyal officers it can find, what with all these rebellions going on. If you were allowed to serve under Lu Chen, then you are not a mediocre officer, I am confident." Su was very straightforward. He believed, or at least portrayed that he did, everything he said.

"Thank you. The men needed to get their act together or they wouldn't have survived the battle yesterday." He took a smaller sip of tea this time. "And we're keeping high security here at least for a little while until we're sure that there are no more Tang Yo loyalists. Tang Yo was the governor here before I removed him." He smiled, happy at the words he just spoke.

"Liang is indeed a rich land, and I was supposed to watch over all of it aside from Waihuang. However, a court outsider, Hin Wu, has disobeyed orders and instead of moving to Jiaoxi, he has attacked Suiyang, and it looks like he will take it." He paused, his expression turning stern. "He has not answered my letter, and I suspect the worst." He motioned to one of his guards to bring forth a paper he was holding, and, after glancing at it for a moment, he handed it back and looked back at Cang Gui. Smiling faintly, he said "Master Cang, Liang can be a great jewel in Xiang Yu's crown, but I need help in pacifying and administrating it. But before I straight up ask you to join me, what are you looking for in a job? We'll see if I can accommodate you."

Cang Gui smiled faintly. "I wish to be my Lord's chief advisor. I wish to be a Prime Minister of a King. I want to follow a man capable of controlling, without question, a mighty province. I wish, with that army behind my Lord's back, to be able to influence matters of state, and to make my family rich and powerful enough that they will not suffer ignominy similar to what occured in Yin."

He shrugged. "Lastly, I wish my Lord to be his own man."

He looked levelly at Ma Su. Cang Gui was blunt, and it typically got him yelled at. "That, my Lord, is my one question for you. WIth Chu and the Hegemon King only across the river in Chu, will you truly be in command here in Liang? Will you be King of Liang? Or will he be King of Liang, and you be the instrument of his will."

Ma Su was quite surprised. How straightforward! This was the type of man he respected, regardless of his views. Ma Su had gotten in trouble countless times for being so blunt, but he would not judge others the way they had judged him. He laughed a good laugh, and smiled widely. He sincerely enjoyed this. "Master Cang, your one question is one I can answer without hesitation. Think of it this way: when a tiger cub rises to maturity, is he not independent? Does he not start his own pack? While he may be amiable towards his old clan, he no longer hunts when they do, he does it when he feels like it.

I respect the Hegemonic King more than you know. He is a very powerful man, and his advisers are wise beyond all measure. But I was given this army, these men, in order to make this hall my own, because I am trusted as a man who will promote good governance." He motioned to the room around them. "I will keep good relations with the Hegemonic King of Chu, I can tell you that. I have been charged to watch over Liang, but that does not mean that I cannot rule it my way, and expand elsewhere."

Jin Shi wrote:Ma Su was quite surprised. How straightforward! This was the type of man he respected, regardless of his views. Ma Su had gotten in trouble countless times for being so blunt, but he would not judge others the way they had judged him. He laughed a good laugh, and smiled widely. He sincerely enjoyed this. "Master Cang, your one question is one I can answer without hesitation. Think of it this way: when a tiger cub rises to maturity, is he not independent? Does he not start his own pack? While he may be amiable towards his old clan, he no longer hunts when they do, he does it when he feels like it.

I respect the Hegemonic King more than you know. He is a very powerful man, and his advisers are wise beyond all measure. But I was given this army, these men, in order to make this hall my own, because I am trusted as a man who will promote good governance." He motioned to the room around them. "I will keep good relations with the Hegemonic King of Chu, I can tell you that. I have been charged to watch over Liang, but that does not mean that I cannot rule it my way, and expand elsewhere."

Cang Gui smiled, "Lord Ma, your words are what I wished to hear. I do, however, have to beg your leave for now. I do not feel comfortable swearing my families loyalty to your cause until I finish some other business at hand. I have some travel to complete. Do I have your permission to withdraw? You will hear from me within a month.

Ma Su slowly nodded his head. "Indeed, you may depart if you wish. Feel free to spend the night here to rest your horses and get some rest yourself." With that he turned his attention back to the officers he had dispersed earlier, who once again crowded around him and started speaking on matters of state.