Warlords: Three Kingdoms

Ran Diao had been riding for a long time and he was tired. He had been assigned to construct new villages in Chu and, he thought, as far as jobs went it was ok. He was working with two other men, Tien Zhejin and Guan Yin She. Guan Yin She was very good at talking to various farmers and organizing building projects and they were doing quite well. Tien Zhejin was not as good at this work. In fact, Ran Diao thought he might be a little slow. This was saying rather a lot as Ran Diao himself was somewhat slow. But there it was. Tien was clearly unsuited for the work but probably assigned, Ran Diao thought, because Guan Yin She was not a regular officer but a hostage. Ran found this difficult to keep in mind however as Guan seemed so involved in the work and seemed to understand it so well.

When they had completed the first village Guan Yin She suggested that this might be something worthy of a dispatch to the Prime Minister. He offered to go himself and report in. Ran Diao shook his head. He said, "We won't be able to do this work without you. I should go!" At which point Guan Yin She said, "Of course, I've heard much of the banditry after all and I am rather weak." Tien Zhejin and Ran Diao nodded and one said, "We'll all go when we finish this last project."

Not long after this a rider approached from Chen with a message for Tien Zhejin and Ran Diao. Guan Yin She listened as the rider told the men that the Hegemon King had called a meeting and their presence was requested as soon as they were able. The three men stood around and the work parties took advantage of the break lolling in the shade and putting down their tools. Tien Zhejin said, "The King has called we must go immediately!" Ran Diao replied that, "It says as soon as we were able... shouldn't we finish up this work first and then go? The Prime Minister won't like it if we don't finish." Guan Yin She said, "We have work parties in two places ... only two need stay and one can return to represent the others." The men looked at one another and though something seemed a little wrong Tien Zhejin said, "I will return. Ran Diao you are in charge." He turned and left for the city.

Ran Diao nodded slowly and said, "We should finish as fast as possible." Guan Yin She replied, "Yes - perhaps this meeting is about my fate. I am sure my son in law will have taken the Prime Minister's message to heart. Perhaps I am to be able to return to my family." Ran Diao, a very pious man, nodded and felt his eyes grow misty at the very thought of Guan Yin She's daughter and how she must worry for her father. He said, "You are better at this work than I - how should we proceed?"

Guan Yin She began to speak of the work and Ran Diao lost the track of what he was saying. Ran was not a smart man but he was smart enough to recognize the experience and knowledge of Guan Yin She. He interupted and said, "Whatever you think is best so long as we finish quickly so that we may return. I will let you work out the details."

Guan Yin She nodded and said, "You must order these men back to work - and stay to ensure they do not take a break again. They will do so if they are not watched by a superior. And, I will ride quickly to the other village and be sure it is completed. We will not have this one complete but we can at least get to a good stopping point which will allow us to return and finish. But the other was near completion and it would be best to have it completed before we leave."

Ran Diao nodded, it would, he thought, be best. All that Guan Yin She said made sense. Ran said, "I will remain and work with these men, when should I expect your return?" Guan Yin She said, "Oh it should not take more than three hours."

Quickly Guan Yin She made his preparations and gave some detailed orders to various men on the work crew then nodded to Ran Diao and mounted his horse. Ran waved and thought how pleasant it was working with the man - perhaps, he thought, I could learn from him.

In Chen at another time

Xiang Yu, apoplectic with rage over the news from Qi railed at his officers about both the absense of Fan Zeng and Lu Chen. Finally he said, "Where is this masked man's father in law anyway? What cell has he been sent to?"

There was a silence around the great hall and finally Lun Kui stepped forward and said, "Great King, it is my understanding that the Prime Minister tasked him with developing new villages in the province. I had reports that he rode out with Tien Zhejin and Ran Diao weeks ago to do this. Word was sent, recalling them for this meeting, I believe."

The Hegemon King was silent though his eyes grew frighteningly dark and his face seemed to swell with frustration and rage. After a moment he said, "They had better return quickly!"

Then he stormed from the room leaving his officers stunned by events.

Elsewhere

Guan Yin She rode away.

Guan Yin She has escaped

[Closed RP - Wen Xu]

Fi Ran had gained some renown and fame in the little province of Jibei and had decided that it was best for him to sprout his wings and explore other cities and no other province came to mind except the capital in Chu. He marched on the province with his small group of followers and decided to take a small break from marching and so they began their rest by a small village. After sending a messenger to the village stating they meant no harm in resting there, he could relax and enjoy the small break from marching.

As he waited on his small farm Wen Xu had already sent most of his men south under his friends, Peng Yiro and Fan Shuo. The remaining thousand would accompany him in the next couple of days. It was lucky he stayed behind as word came that a large group of men had decided to camp just outside of his village. This was something that got the men worried and so he quickly went around town collecting his men. In under half an hour he had all thousand men marching out of the city half equipped with bows and the remaining half had their spears in hand.

Setting up the men in their ranks Wen Xu looked towards his friends who were acting as his commanders and quickly ordered Yi Dan to take half the infantry and Yue Pi the other half. Jelang Qiong he positioned with the archers, before riding out a little less then half way towards the camp. There Xu stuck his spear into the ground waiting for whoever commanded this unit to ride out and meet with him.

Fi Ran had received word that another army was marching on his position....then he learnt that the leader of the army had marched out in order to meet with him. So he grabbed his sword and took a lowly and slow steed in order to meet him.

Upon reaching the meeting place he saw the man on his horse with an aura of authority around him. "I am Fi Ran, formerly of Jibei. Why do you march on our camp?".

As the man waited for the leader of the army to make his way to him Wen Xu took good care in observing the man. He was suprised to see that the leader was nothing more then a child. The youth could not have been even twenty yet but he had a very powerful build and was probably quite skilled with the blade he carried. No matter though he knew the man was not as well battle tested as he was and if it came to blows Xu knew he would be able to best the child. Youth were quite rash.

His first comment though was one that slightly annoyed Wen. With a scowl on his face Xu said, "You show up outside my home with a thousand men and you ask me why I am marching out on you? If you look my men are stationed between you and my home. I am Wen Xu, now why are you here?"

Ran studied the man as he spoke, he could see that this man was rather annoyed with him and his army setting up camp outside his home.

"We are merely resting our limbs after this journey to the capital. We are on our way there to seek an audience with whomever may help us in our travels". He then petted his horse on it's head before continuing. "If you give us a few hours we shall be out of your hair".

He gave a silent stare to Wen Xu to show that he had no plans on moving his army away from it's position.

Stareing at the man Xu lifted his spear from the ground and pointed it at the man. "Are you giving me orders young pup?" He was not one to take orders from any person especially somebody so young. "I have recently recieved orders from the Prime Minister to pacify Jiujiang and I need to leave now in order to meet up with the rest of my army. I don't have time to make sure you don't bother my home or my people so you will have to continue on to someplace else."

Ran smiled a little at the jibe on his youth and then laughed at it but then his laugh and smile went as he heard the part about the Prime Minister. "Y-you were given orders from the Prime Minister to pacify Jiujiang?".

Ran was a little in shock that the man was given these orders but he wasn't one to bow down to one's in higher positions than himself. "But in any case, I am on my own journey and I am looking for it to build". He then raised his sword to Wen. "I need new experiences and I need to go places I have never been.....I may be young but that just shows that I have a lot to learn though a lot to give as well".

Ran then laughed again. "Though if you wish me to move my men then you must defeat me in a little duel. Now what say you, man of the Prime Minister?".

Kicking the side of his horse Xu rode forward with spear in hand.

(Send tactics to Zhao Ren)

Ran kicked the side of his horse and readied his sword in retaliation to Wen's charging.

[Tactics sent]