Chu Provincial Roleplay

[Agon07]

Dai Wu chuckles at the woman's words, so transparent, so designed to attempt to blacken his name in the Prime Minister's gaze.

"Now that we have had the version of events from the mouth of the horse so to speak might I explain my side? As was explained to you I was told by the Hegemon King' minister to secure the totality of Yin. However, it seemed that you had sponsored a young lady to take the city of Xiuwu and as such I was in somewhat of a quandary, as such I decided to send a message to her asking her to meet with me where upon I would have revealed the Hegemon King's intention as far as it was made known to me at the time, namely that I should rule the province of Yin. Yet my polite request was met with a curt rebuttal and it wasnt until nearly a month had passed that a junior minister of hers turned up at the gates of Zhaoge. Rather than perpetuate the diplomatic farce that had been created by my reasonable attempts at diplomacy with this woman I instead came here and sought the view of the Hegemon King or his Prime Minister....yourself.

In summary, rather than start a conflict within Yin in an attempt to immediately complete the wishes of the King I tried to seek your advice in regards to the problems therein. Rather than come into conflict with this lady I have instead embarked upon a campaign punishing the rebellious towns and villages within Liang and have brought with me a one quarter part of the goods that were taken from these rebellious towns for proper tribute to his majesty the Hegemon King. Oh, and finally, it seems Ma Su is a little put out that I have accomplished some sort of military victory over the multitude of towns and villages he has not yet pacified and killed my messenger, a crime which I am sure you can agree is heinous."

Horse?...did he just compared her to one? She waited for him to give his side of it.

Lizhi: I guess that minister wasent aware that i had been given that same task when i met with the King and Prime minister before. And im very sorry that i was to busy taking care of the people in Yin, who had helped me. Maybe i should have followed your aproched, and use blackmail and bribes, maybe then i would have had more time.

She said with a hint of sarcasm.

Lizhi: And im sorry that my sending some one later after waiting for some respond from you made your..."reasonable attemptS" at diplomacy a farce

She put obvious enfase on the reasonable attempts. She was somewhat happy that he brought up the conflicts in Liang himself.

Lizhi: Is that how you call it? To me it sounds more like pillages and not a campaign.

She paused a moment before she continue.

Lizhi: Maybe you would like to call the bandits that helped you in these pillages...loyal subject of the court?

She chose to keep that "gift for later"

Lizhi: Are you honestly suprise by Ma Su's reaction? He who is a suporter of chu...sees an army allied itself with bandits to pillage villages in his reagion.

She wonder if he was actualy realy suprised at it...

Lizhi: Surely you have to realise that your actions made things only worst for everyone. How do you think it will afect Ma Su and Hin Wu? When they will whant to unite those villages you raided? Do you belive the people will have forgoten that is was another "servent" of Chu that raided them? Did you even bother to think about that? Or was the atraction of the coin to hard to ressist?

She though now might be a good time to bring up the "offering" point.

Lizhi: and that...offering, im sure its safe to assumed the bandits you worked with got there share. So for some coins you have made an ennemy of atless Ma Su...and possibly Hin Wu aswell. And thats not mentioning how other who truly suport Chu will treat this. For some coins you have put in danger Yin, harmed the unity between those that would suport the court.

She softly shook her head before she resumed.

Lizhi: so i wonder, how much did it took for you to destroy everything?

[AaronH229]

Dai Wu yawns at the woman's continued jabbering in her broken Han Chinese.

"I merely took inspiration by the raiding campaigns which the Hegemon King ordered against the rebellious Zhefu within Qi, surely you are not implying that the employment of a raid is wrong if it is the chosen method of the Hegemon King himself to give out punishment to those who rebel against him? As to the problems of Hin Wu and Ma Su, if anything I have made their tasks easier and more bearable, with most of the rebellious elements who would wish to fight against the Chu eliminated in my raid. The point remains however that Ma Su did not turn to the Hegemon King or his Prime Minister for guidance as would have been apt, but instead he proceeded to declare himself at war with me. I fail to see where the following of the Kings example in regards to the method employed to aid in the pacification of a province can be seen as wrong, after all, who can doubt the intelligence and will of the Hegemon King?"

[Agon07]

And now he was yawning at her...was there any low he would not go? The more she hears him speak the more her hatred for him grew. But still waited for him to finish even if she whanted to interupt him on so many ocasion.

Lizhi: Excuse me, but if you find this so...boring maybe you would like to leave so you can rest. And you could come back when your actualy up to this and not only lisen parts of the discussions

He had only mentioned things he whanted, ignoring most of what she had said. And even then his respond to it wasent any bether.

Lizhi: Is that head of yours only for aperences? Comparing these towns and villages to Qi, is like comparing a bird and a turtle. Qi has openly declare themself against the king, those villages did not.

She realy couldnt belived he was still thinking that his actions made it bether for Ma Su and Hin Wu.

Lizhi: and that you would think your actions made it easyer for those two who have been ask to unite this province for the king, is redicule. Try and pretend you are one of those people you robed of there hard earned money. By a man who worked with bandits, in...the name of the king. Now another man who serve that king arrives and whant you to serve him and his king. Would you whant to do it? When the last impression you got was that there just a bunch of thief.

She paused a moment, she was starting to be actualy happy he never came to her city.

Lizhi: and you speak of going and ask for the king or the prime minister for guidence. Did you do that before you decided to pillage Liang?. If the roles where reverce, and that there where unoccupied towns and villages in Yin and that Ma Su came and raid them. You wouldnt take that as a sign of agressions?

He was even comparing his actions to that of the king.

Lizhi: you compare yourself to the king?

She let out a small laugh.

Lizhi: thats a good one! All you have done is add oil to the fire. And you fail to even see this. You didnt help pacify it, you only serve to raise the anger some might have had.

She decided to bring back the "generous donation" back up, since it was just another thing he had decided to ignore, along with his siding with bandits, amongs other things.

Lizhi: And this generous donation...

She spoke with obvious sarcasm.

Lizhi: its more like a poison fruit, though it may look tasty and sweet, its actualy deadly. And if im behing to subtle to you let me explain why its so. Should they accept this "fruit", all it would do is make people belive the court is corupted. That one can do anything aslong as they provide the gold for it.

[AaronH229]

Dai Wu steepled his fingers and laughed again.

"Anyone who hasn't declared for the King works against the Hegemon King. Now stop your babbling and let the Prime Minister settle things without your rabid accusations."

[Agon07]

Lizhi: So by your logic, everyone who havent declare themself your allied are your ennemies?

The more things whent the more she no longer belived things would work out.

Lizhi: So by that same logic...that would means you are at war with...everyone?

It seemed he whanted to atemp to just dismissed what she said and try to avoid those subjects.

Lizhi: I guess i too in your place would try to dismissed what i said as meer acusations. To try and avoid those subjects.

She laugh a little thinking of his so call negociations he whanted to do in his letter.

Lizhi: with your logic and the way you are acting, cant help but feel like those negociations where more to ask for my surrender. For i never declared to be on your side thus making me your ennemy by your logic. Even if i am the one who clontrol most of Yin, even if acording to reports i have, my armys are larger...bether trained and armed. And that i have not antagonised other suporters of the court for meer gold. With the delusional belife that i have done them a favor.

She turned her atention back to the prime minister, she realy didnt think even he could make things go smootly.

[AaronH229]

Dai Wu looks at the Prime Minister confusion painted on his features.

"I am sorry, but I never once said anything of the sort, might I be speaking too fast for you perhaps? What I said was that ALL those who have not declared their loyalty to the KING not me, the KING are his enemies until either brought back into the control of himself or one of his vassals, nothing was mentioned about my own relations to anyone else or for that matter your relations to anyone else.

Alongside this, it seems that once again you talk of nonsense, when have I even mentioned to you the idea of a union between our lands to you, much less the surrender of your lands to me?? Instead all I have done is aim to bring about this impartial adjudication by the Prime Minister when all you seem to be interested in doing is sitting their and mud slinging in the hopes of sullying the character of a fellow vassal to the Hegemon King, based on your actions alone I would feel that an official reprimand of some variety is in order, you have impigned my honour and that of my family, you have insulted my loyalty to the Hegemon King and you have called my actions, which were following the example of the King, not me comparing myself to the King, in the hopes of being granted the right to assault my lands along with the seeming warmonger Ma Su.

Now be quiet and wait for the Prime Minister to speak, I tire of your constant misunderstandings."

[Agon07]

Dai Wu looks at the Prime Minister confusion painted on his features.

"I am sorry, but I never once said anything of the sort, might I be speaking too fast for you perhaps? What I said was that ALL those who have not declared their loyalty to the KING not me, the KING are his enemies until either brought back into the control of himself or one of his vassals, nothing was mentioned about my own relations to anyone else or for that matter your relations to anyone else.

Alongside this, it seems that once again you talk of nonsense, when have I even mentioned to you the idea of a union between our lands to you, much less the surrender of your lands to me?? Instead all I have done is aim to bring about this impartial adjudication by the Prime Minister when all you seem to be interested in doing is sitting their and mud slinging in the hopes of sullying the character of a fellow vassal to the Hegemon King, based on your actions alone I would feel that an official reprimand of some variety is in order, you have impigned my honour and that of my family, you have insulted my loyalty to the Hegemon King and you have called my actions, which were following the example of the King, not me comparing myself to the King, in the hopes of being granted the right to assault my lands along with the seeming warmonger Ma Su.

Now be quiet and wait for the Prime Minister to speak, I tire of your constant misunderstandings."

Lizhi: So, your painting the king to be a warmonger, one who lack farsight to see shades of gray. As for the surendering part, its meerly the feeling you are giving. Forwhat was there to split? When i controled nearly all of Yin except for the town of Henei and the city of Zhaoge. What was there to split? Also, if we now take into acount your teaming up with bandits to raid inocent and defenceless people, and add the fact that once you learned that i couldnt make it, you abandon all talks withough a word. Dosent help the credibility of your ententions.

She stop a moment and looked back at the prime minister, she knew he was likely growing impatient and so would try to finish it soon.

Lizhi: as for mud slining you, all i did was state the facts. I do not need to sully your name, if theres one thing you seemed capable of is doing it yourself. And if all i whanted was to invade you, i wouldnt have spent the past week here.

She smiled a little before she concluded

Lizhi: its not of the "misunderstanding you tire...but of my speaking the truth. But it seemes i cant get trough your thick head of yours...hopefully the priminister will have more luck.

[Lurking Tyranny]

Fan Zeng realized that the task at hand would not be an easy one. He had not expected the two to hate each other so. It was true they were individuals of different methods and character, but he could see both were loyal servants who merely had their own ideas and vision of service.

After the long tirade by both of them continued on for too long, Fan Zeng held up his hand. "All this has been recorded and I hope for both your sakes that I do not need to bring the King Xiang Yu into this mediation as he is far more direct in his application of justice then I am. This business with Liang and the former contradicting orders in Yin are things of the past and do not go to the root of the issue we have assembled here today to deal with. Let us discuss the situation civilly from this point forward."

"The Province of Henan is currently controlled by Bai Jia Le, a man who I actually know little about. What I do know however is he has not been authorized to govern the two major cities he has taken by the King, nor has he made any attempt to formalize relations with the court in Chu. As such, we must consider him a rebel. What we shall decide here today is who among you two will be given the new task of governing the province of Henan for the emperor and the Hegemonic King."

[Agon07]

So now this meeting wasent about Yin, but about Henan? She was a bit taken by suprised by this, she had not expect this since it was supose to be about about Yin initialy. She remained silent trying to analise the situation and the dealing with Henan.

Lizhi: If the wish for the court to invade Henan, i could offer my analise of the situation.

She paused a moment, she knew Dai Wu would likely try and do somthing and so would need good arguments.

Lizhi: Acording from reports, there was around 13k soldiers at the start of the battle. But i heard there was quite a lot of casulty. If i where to make an estimate, with the mens they must have captured, they must have close to...10k left after that battle. And if we take into acount this was last month and so they likely have recruited more soldiers. A rough estimate would be to say each of his city where able to draw in 2500 soldiers, making another 5000 mens, but estimating the recruiting efforts in his other holdings would say another 1500 mens, totaling 16500 mens.

While only an estimate, and it was a more conservative one. For if he had focus himself more in recruiting there might be more then this.

Lizhi: Im aware this is but an educated guess. But i belive it to be rather same numbers that one can expect to see. Though there maybe more then this.

She knew that from her reports, Dai Wu was unlikely to be able to even face a force like this even if he where to send his whole army.

Lizhi: And if we take in acount logistic, an army leaving from Xiuwu would be easyer. Plus from the report i had of Dai Wu's forces, even if he where to send all he had, it would prove a very dificult battle. Especialy if we take into considerations that Ma Su is not in the bests of terms with him.

She knew well that while she didnt had some one who had declared himself against her, she knew that she herself would need to send most of her force to ensure a victory. And she didnt trust Dai Wu to just stand there, that he might well attack her while her own army was away.

Lizhi: To be honest, it would require most of my own force to hope to have a chance. More then i would feel safe to send. As such i would require the help of the court. With its help im confident i could do as asked.

[Lurking Tyranny]

So now this meeting wasent about Yin, but about Henan? She was a bit taken by suprised by this, she had not expect this since it was supose to be about about Yin initialy. She remained silent trying to analise the situation and the dealing with Henan.

Lizhi: If the wish for the court to invade Henan, i could offer my analise of the situation.

She paused a moment, she knew Dai Wu would likely try and do somthing and so would need good arguments.

Lizhi: Acording from reports, there was around 13k soldiers at the start of the battle. But i heard there was quite a lot of casulty. If i where to make an estimate, with the mens they must have captured, they must have close to...10k left after that battle. And if we take into acount this was last month and so they likely have recruited more soldiers. A rough estimate would be to say each of his city where able to draw in 2500 soldiers, making another 5000 mens, but estimating the recruiting efforts in his other holdings would say another 1500 mens, totaling 16500 mens.

While only an estimate, and it was a more conservative one. For if he had focus himself more in recruiting there might be more then this.

Lizhi: Im aware this is but an educated guess. But i belive it to be rather same numbers that one can expect to see. Though there maybe more then this.

She knew that from her reports, Dai Wu was unlikely to be able to even face a force like this even if he where to send his whole army.

Lizhi: And if we take in acount logistic, an army leaving from Xiuwu would be easyer. Plus from the report i had of Dai Wu's forces, even if he where to send all he had, it would prove a very dificult battle. Especialy if we take into considerations that Ma Su is not in the bests of terms with him.

She knew well that while she didnt had some one who had declared himself against her, she knew that she herself would need to send most of her force to ensure a victory. And she didnt trust Dai Wu to just stand there, that he might well attack her while her own army was away.

Lizhi: To be honest, it would require most of my own force to hope to have a chance. More then i would feel safe to send. As such i would require the help of the court. With its help im confident i could do as asked.

"Help from the court will not be necessary." Fan Zeng said bluntly. He looked over to Dai Wu for a moment. "Your two forces together should be more then capable enough to defeat this rebel and bring the order of the Chu court to Henan. What we need to decide here is which one of you will move your administration to Henan."

He looked between Lizhi and Dai Wu "Given lord Dai's current difficulties with general Ma Su of North Liang, my natural inclination is to have Dai Wu lead this expedition with the assistance of Lady Zhu. He would abandon Zhaoge and allow for it to come under her supervision, while she in turn would provide him with full support in the capturing and pacification of Henan. Furthermore, the prestige of capturing Henan would be his." Fan Zeng said calmly.

"These are only my initial thoughts however and I am open to other discussions to be held. I am only here to mediate and I wish for both of you to be pleased with the decision rendered here today."