Warlords: Three Kingdoms

Rue Goung wrote:the rain dropped it what seemed to be buckets. the battle that took place not to long ago, depleted what was once a large army. many of the men sat around the fires moping in the fact the emperor was killed. Jang sat in the command tent listening to the drops of water hitting the canvas above him. looking to the right slightly, jang looked over the resting Fan Zeng. it was not Jangs first choice to knock out the prime minister, but the alternative was already out of the question. shaking his head he contemplated how he could have avoided the situation that unfolded. the death of the emperor caused much pain to Jang, more so then his wounds from trying to save him. especially with the oath Jang took to protect both the men. shaking his head Jang awaited for Fan Zeng to awake before making a plan.

Fan Zeng awoke with his head on fire. His left elbow was throbbing with pain and swollen and his vision was swimming. He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue felt like a dried out piece of leather flapping against his cracked lips. He flailed a little in the camp bed, before falling back to rest for another ten minutes. When he next stirred, the venerable Prime Minister was more clear headed. Carefully, he lifted himself to a seated position. His eyes went to Jang and he said nothing for a long while.

When he spoke, his voice was low and it was clear he knew the grim truth of what happened despite asking. "Where is the Emperor? Where is that rat Qing Bu and his scoundrels?"

Fan Zeng's head still throbbed and his elbow was in a great deal of pain but he remembered clearly what had happened. He knew that the Tattooed bandit was none other then Xiang Yu's favorite dog and that like any loyal hound, he would not have orchestrated such an treacherous attack without his master's approval. Xiang Yu was further implicated due to the knowledge of the escorts path. They were attacked within the borders of Chu after all.

Lurking Tyranny wrote: Fan Zeng awoke with his head on fire. His left elbow was throbbing with pain and swollen and his vision was swimming. He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue felt like a dried out piece of leather flapping against his cracked lips. He flailed a little in the camp bed, before falling back to rest for another ten minutes. When he next stirred, the venerable Prime Minister was more clear headed. Carefully, he lifted himself to a seated position. His eyes went to Jang and he said nothing for a long while.

When he spoke, his voice was low and it was clear he knew the grim truth of what happened despite asking. "Where is the Emperor? Where is that rat Qing Bu and his scoundrels?"

Fan Zeng's head still throbbed and his elbow was in a great deal of pain but he remembered clearly what had happened. He knew that the Tattooed bandit was none other then Xiang Yu's favorite dog and that like any loyal hound, he would not have orchestrated such an treacherous attack without his master's approval. Xiang Yu was further implicated due to the knowledge of the escorts path. They were attacked within the borders of Chu after all.

when Fan first woke up, Jang lifted his head and partially stood to his feet. when he closed his eyes again and fell asleep, Jang could only sit back down and contemplate the future. as time passed the prime minister stirred to life. Jang stood to his feet and rushed to the prime ministers side. kneeling by the side of the bed, Jang lowered his head before he tried to answer the question. a single tear started to fall from his right eye.

" im sorry master Fan, i have failed you and the emperor. i swore to defend you both, but that BASTARD qing Bu had him killed. i cant believe the king is this foolish! he wanted us dead and declared us traitors for what? his paranoia has reached untold heights! what are we to do now that the emperor is dead and we are branded?"

Rue Goung wrote:
when Fan first woke up, Jang lifted his head and partially stood to his feet. when he closed his eyes again and fell asleep, Jang could only sit back down and contemplate the future. as time passed the prime minister stirred to life. Jang stood to his feet and rushed to the prime ministers side. kneeling by the side of the bed, Jang lowered his head before he tried to answer the question. a single tear started to fall from his right eye.

" im sorry master Fan, i have failed you and the emperor. i swore to defend you both, but that BASTARD qing Bu had him killed. i cant believe the king is this foolish! he wanted us dead and declared us traitors for what? his paranoia has reached untold heights! what are we to do now that the emperor is dead and we are branded?"

Fan Zeng stared at the flap of the tent as it bent and swayed with the rain and breeze. In truth he was staring off into nothingness, trying to understand everything that had occured and put reason to it. His chest hurt and he felt his spirit deflated. He had been like a father to Xiang Yu and had helped create something from the horror and pain of the Qin, but now it appeared that Xiang Yu was no better then the first emperor. How could he have been so mistaken?

"You mistake yourself Colonel Rou." Fan Zeng eventually found himself saying. "We have not been declared traitors, nor have we been branded. None of that has happened. I still hold the rank of Prime Minister and you colonel. These soldiers that remain are still proud men of Chu. If anything it is Xiang Yu who has branded himself as a traitor." Fan Zeng spat out those last words with a rattling cough.

"Why do you think that Qing Bu and his goons did not carry the flags of Chu? Do you think it was unimportant that they dressed themselves as bandits?" The Prime Minister said when he had finished coughing. "No, Xiang Yu was clever enough in his treachery to keep himself at least partially removed from this despicable act. What we need to do now is find a place of shelter where we might marshal allies. Where do you believe we should go?"

Lurking Tyranny wrote: Fan Zeng stared at the flap of the tent as it bent and swayed with the rain and breeze. In truth he was staring off into nothingness, trying to understand everything that had occured and put reason to it. His chest hurt and he felt his spirit deflated. He had been like a father to Xiang Yu and had helped create something from the horror and pain of the Qin, but now it appeared that Xiang Yu was no better then the first emperor. How could he have been so mistaken?

"You mistake yourself Colonel Rou." Fan Zeng eventually found himself saying. "We have not been declared traitors, nor have we been branded. None of that has happened. I still hold the rank of Prime Minister and you colonel. These soldiers that remain are still proud men of Chu. If anything it is Xiang Yu who has branded himself as a traitor." Fan Zeng spat out those last words with a rattling cough.

"Why do you think that Qing Bu and his goons did not carry the flags of Chu? Do you think it was unimportant that they dressed themselves as bandits?" The Prime Minister said when he had finished coughing. "No, Xiang Yu was clever enough in his treachery to keep himself at least partially removed from this despicable act. What we need to do now is find a place of shelter where we might marshal allies. Where do you believe we should go?"

Jang lowered his head a listen to the old man, nodding his head to his words. it was interesting to think he was on the other side of the fence. if he and fan was to be the last of the standing righteous of chu, then it was imperative to find allies to whole they could trust. Jang bowed his head once more and let a smile pass his lips.

"if what you say is true, then we are in need of allies. i can only think of three options, but each bear there own weight. one is the general known as Ma Dieu. he had contacted me before for help. he might still be inclined to assist us in our need. currently i have heard he is hard press in the east and i wounder if he can truly survive the onslaught. the east is exploding and i dont think it is safe for us to go that far. the other is Zhang Han, i never trusted him. as such he might have a hint of ambition to strike forth at the king of chu to claim his own lands. he is a renown general who might be able to match the kings. but he is unpredictable at least. and that might not bode well with us. the last is in my opinion the best option but i leave it to you. Liu Bang, he has the ear of the people. as well he was once in your opinion the largest threat to the kings rule. so much you tried to have him removed, only for the foolish king to have it called off. i believe he is still the largest threat to the king. as such he might be our best option to not only redeem ourselves but to strive to remove the king who has shown himself a tyrant. as i have said, ill leave it to you to decide as you would be much more knowledgeable on this matter then i. we must treat carefully though, for as you well know. whoever takes us in will be scorned by the kings ire as well."

Jang lowered his head and keep silent waiting for the old man to say something.

"Ma Dieu is not trustworthy enough to consider for such an action." Fan Zeng said with no small amount of scorn. He remembered what Xu Lei had told him during his mission there and also knew something of the recent movements of the man's forces.

Fan Zeng helped himself out of bed and rubbed at his eyes. He considered some of what Rue Jang had said, but also found himself disagreeing with the brunt of it. "I fear that he would betray us to the King for a few scraps from Xiang Yu's hand. His recent activities against men such as Wen Xu and his unnecessary attack against Wu have only proved that he is a man of ambition and intrigues. While he is a good counter to the River lord, I would not trust the future of Chu to him."

"Seeking out Liu Bang would be akin to seeking out Tian Rong. Both would give Xiang Yu the minimal amount of evidence he wished to confirm his wild paranoia's. One can not save Chu by embracing Han or Qi." It was true that he knew Liu Bang to be capable and dangerous, but he also felt the man was a vile rat, willing to sell out his own family for power. No, he would not crawl on his knee's to Han. While Liu Bang would likely elevate him now, eventually all that was Chu would be discarded.

"The Marquis is an option, but what of more reliable vassals? What would you think of Shen Feng, Baocen Peng, or even the lord of Wei? There we might gain the support to question the recent decisions of the King. Undermine his authority and return legitimacy to the Chu Empire."

Lù​ Chén​ was silent as he sat within the dark and chilling confines of the Department of the Interior. Before him laid several reports, messages from across the land. Letters that had been sent back and forth throughout the last week. While across from that desk sat two men. All three of those men bore a striking resemblance to each other, from the builds of their face to the build of their body. Yet, while Lù​ Chén​'s beard and hair had given to white, the two men before him had just begun to see gray within their beards, adding a further hint of maturity to their hardened expressions. "Is this accurate?" Lù​ Chén​ finally questioned, his voice low.

"From everything our spies has reported, it is true." one of the two men solemnly began. "Reports claim bandits have killed the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, His Holiness the Emperor of Chu." he continued before bowing his head.

"Bandits... mere bandits. You expect me to believe mere bandits overcame the soldiers of Chu? We sent ten thousand veteran soldiers with the Emperor and the Prime Minister! What else did the reports say?" Lù​ Chén​ snapped, his eyes narrowing upon the younger men.

"It is said a tattooed bandit led a massive raid against the the Emperor's army." the younger man continued. "That he led a army of cavalry against the Emperor's procession and managed to capture the Emperor."

"But, how could bandits grow so large within the heartlands of Chu? How could they gather the supplies and weaponry needed to support such a large host? How did none of our spies detect them?" the second of the men continued.

"Jian has a point, Fei." Lù​ Chén​ commented as his narrowed eyes returned to those reports. "Has the King made any official proclamations relating to this incident?"

"No, the King has made no proclamations relating to the Emperor's death. It seems as if the King intends to ignore it. How is this possible?.. The Emperor lays dead and the Prime Minister shamed. All the people of Chu know of the Prime Minister's talents. For him to be defeated by mere bandits.. it's impossible." Fei whispered as he hung his head. "The Prime Minister is an amazing tactician and general."

"They must of been surrounded. The Prime Minister was a tactician without equal who more than once saw the armies saved through his decoys and traps." Jian lamented.

"Is there any news of the Prime Minister?" Lù​ Chén​ questioned as he reached forward and grasped at a letter. "This report claims he lived the combat even if injured. Where is he? Where is the remnants of his army?"

"We heard reports that he remains within the area. That he gathers his forces and is preparing to flee from Chu... could be it possible, father?" Fei questioned.

"Hold your tongue, Fei! Do not waste father's time with your unsupported fears!" Jian snapped only to be stopped as Lu Chen raised his hand.

"What do you fear, Fei?" Lù​ Chén​ softly questioned as his eyes came to rest upon his son.

"Is it.. is it possible the rumors are true? That the Prime Minister does indeed plot with the former Kings of Qi? Perhaps Fan Zeng was not defeated. Perhaps he allowed that tattooed bandit to seize the Emperor and kill him. Perhaps he planned it all along with those men. Only an actual army could of stood against Fan Zeng's host and even had a chance to defeat him." Fei excitedly began only to pause as he caught his father's features.Lù​ Chén​'s features had grown wide and his body had gone lax as he sat back into his chair.

"Father?" Fei and Jian questioned together only to pause as once more Lù​ Chén​'s brow creased and he weakly waved a hand at them for silence. "Begone... I will summon you later to discuss what I have planned. Speak of this conversation with no one and make no proclamations about the Emperor. Return to your duties, you are dismissed." Lù​ Chén​ commented as his thoughts reeled. A tattooed bandit... how had he not realized it sooner?

Only after his sons had departed and closed the doors to his office did Lù​ Chén​ rise. With his form tense from anxiety he put away those letters upon his desk and sealed the cabinet he put them within. Yet, opening another cabinet, Lù​ Chén​ swallowed hard as he gazed upon those military reports. With a trembling hand, Lù​ Chén​ picked up one of those letters. Bringing it before his face, Lù​ Chén​ nearly paled as he gazed upon it and whispered "Ying Bu... what have you done?"

Lurking Tyranny wrote:"Ma Dieu is not trustworthy enough to consider for such an action." Fan Zeng said with no small amount of scorn. He remembered what Xu Lei had told him during his mission there and also knew something of the recent movements of the man's forces.

Fan Zeng helped himself out of bed and rubbed at his eyes. He considered some of what Rue Jang had said, but also found himself disagreeing with the brunt of it. "I fear that he would betray us to the King for a few scraps from Xiang Yu's hand. His recent activities against men such as Wen Xu and his unnecessary attack against Wu have only proved that he is a man of ambition and intrigues. While he is a good counter to the River lord, I would not trust the future of Chu to him."

"Seeking out Liu Bang would be akin to seeking out Tian Rong. Both would give Xiang Yu the minimal amount of evidence he wished to confirm his wild paranoia's. One can not save Chu by embracing Han or Qi." It was true that he knew Liu Bang to be capable and dangerous, but he also felt the man was a vile rat, willing to sell out his own family for power. No, he would not crawl on his knee's to Han. While Liu Bang would likely elevate him now, eventually all that was Chu would be discarded.

"The Marquis is an option, but what of more reliable vassals? What would you think of Shen Feng, Baocen Peng, or even the lord of Wei? There we might gain the support to question the recent decisions of the King. Undermine his authority and return legitimacy to the Chu Empire."

Jang listen intently and nodded his head to the old mans words. jang sat silent kneeling next to the bed the old man was laying in. tugging gently on hsi beard , he thought long and hard on the names presented to him. it was strange to try and deduce who the more able of them would be, for Jang did not knwo much about any of them. standing to his feet, Jang moved back to his chair he sat in while the old man was sleeping.

"hmm, its hard to say. i know both Shen Feng and Baocen Peng are good men,i know very little of the one in wei, known as Cheng Dang. if i was to chose from this list i would have to say Shen Feng would need us most, as well deserve your support the most. but if we are to talk to shen, what will we tell him? do you think he will accept us with open arm? i hear Changsha is divided between him and xiang Jun. us being there might cause problems with xiang jun that Shen might not want."

Yue paced back and forth. All his requests were denied time after time, despite his efforts in the Qin rebellion, he was still only considered a general in Xiang Yu's army. Now his home city lay in ashes in Jiaoxi while the masked rebel paraded left and right, sacking cities. Despite this, he remained confined within Chu, given menial tasks and distractions.

When word came to his ear of the Emperor's demise, Yue grunted in anger. Once more he had been kept from an important event.

He rubbed his face in frustration. He was a man of action and there was too much going on without his involvement. If Xiang Yu wished to ignore him, so be it.

He started gathering certain contacts and assessing what he could muster in terms of support and men, one way or another, Peng Yue would not be denied.

He requested a visit in secret with Lù​ Chén, hoping to find an ally in his quest.

OOC: Closed RP for Belial

Rue Goung wrote:Jang listen intently and nodded his head to the old mans words. jang sat silent kneeling next to the bed the old man was laying in. tugging gently on hsi beard , he thought long and hard on the names presented to him. it was strange to try and deduce who the more able of them would be, for Jang did not knwo much about any of them. standing to his feet, Jang moved back to his chair he sat in while the old man was sleeping.

"hmm, its hard to say. i know both Shen Feng and Baocen Peng are good men,i know very little of the one in wei, known as Cheng Dang. if i was to chose from this list i would have to say Shen Feng would need us most, as well deserve your support the most. but if we are to talk to shen, what will we tell him? do you think he will accept us with open arm? i hear Changsha is divided between him and xiang Jun. us being there might cause problems with xiang jun that Shen might not want."

"Shen Feng and Baocen Peng are good men. Men who should not yet be forced into the situation where they must oppose Xiang Yu." Fan Zeng said after some time. He had been considering what Jang said and it made a lot of sense. Why would they want to instigate a further conflict against Xiang Jun and Xiang Yu when it was not yet time for such an action.

"Xiang Yu would suspect us of going to Shen Feng or Wen Xu. Let us not give him the chance to lump them into the same category. So long as we keep our distance from the South, so too will Xiang Yu suspect the lords in those regions from being in our camp." Fan Zeng reasoned out loud, looking at Jang as he spoke. It was an honest truth that he would have been more comfortable seeking asylum in the courts of his old friend Baocen Peng, the capable Shen Feng, or the reliable Wen Xu. Yet he would not put them at risk. Ying Bu might yet be sent south to reek havoc on their domains.

"But we can not take shelter with men whom the King despises either, otherwise we would confirm his paranoid delusions. While I may now even wish Tian Rong some success against the Hegemon King, his path is not our own. We must go to the land of ruined Daliang."

The Hegemon King of Chu was in his private chamber meditating on various difficulties when an attendant scurried in. The man was clearly afraid but carried a scroll which he presented to the King without any comment. Xiang Yu sighed realizing that this must not be good news. He took the scroll and read it slowly. It was a report on the actions of some of the men to whom he'd given forces. His fists tightened and his brows drew together over his fierce eyes. He looked up and thrusting the scroll from him commanded the attendant to send a scribe.

When the scribe arrived he found the King pacing the room like a caged animal. Having some experience in the court, the scribe knelt immediately and prepared to go about whatever work the King might have for him.

"You will prepare a proclamation! Let all know that Ma Su is an outlaw to Chu! He no longer has our support." The King calmed himself and dictated such a proclamation and then directed the scribe to produce fair copies to be shown around the land. The scribe was grateful to leave the King's chamber and did so quickly.

Muttering to himself the King began to pace again. "He ignores our commands, defies us, goes against our wishes. Who is helping him do this?" Xiang Yu could not imagine that Ma Su would defy him without some support the man had failed in battle and could not be especially brave on his own. Perhaps the former Minister had been whispering to the coward. Who else had he been whispering to? Perhaps it was Tian Rong?

The pacing continued for some time ...