Wu Provincial Roleplay
Moderator: Game Masters
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
Wang Mutai gazed at the rising sun on the coast of Wu from the heights of the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The cold, morning air was still. The crash of the waves far below echoed like muted thunder. For a change, the sky was clear, allowing the bright rays of the sun to warm him in his iron armor. Behind him, unattended, his horse Trotski grazed on the razor grass growing along the top of the cliff. He was used to such fare.
Mutai breathed in and out, at peace with his surroundings, but ever aware of the potential for trouble. His hand rested lightly on his sword, Frogsticker. It wasn't a great sword, but it had and would again kill either in battle or for food. His mind was clearing from his meditations and for the moment he sat in silence, listening to the heartbeat of the world as it thumped in time with his own.
When he stood, he was revealed to be a relatively young man of average height. His limbs weren't overly muscled and his continence was calm. But the ease with this he rose and the seemingly effortless way he moved belied a much greater strength than mere appearance would foretell. His face was smooth-shaved. His hair was cut short - too short to grab hold of during a fight - but was thick and dark. His brown eyes seemed to lack any focus, but his gaze caught almost everything in a glance.
Mutai was between jobs, but his last one paid him well. He had trained most of the night with Frogsticker as well as several other exercises to keep himself in shape, then settled down to meditate on his situation. Did he want to settle in a town or keep wandering? Was he ready to fight for a cause or not fight at all? Or even something in between?
The coming of the morning light did nothing to settle these issues in his mind. He wasn't exactly disturbed by them, but he was restless to find something productive to be doing. With these thoughts, he called over Trotski, mounted, put the sun to his back and rode west at a slow pace. One way or another, he knew, something would turn up.
(Open RP)
Mutai breathed in and out, at peace with his surroundings, but ever aware of the potential for trouble. His hand rested lightly on his sword, Frogsticker. It wasn't a great sword, but it had and would again kill either in battle or for food. His mind was clearing from his meditations and for the moment he sat in silence, listening to the heartbeat of the world as it thumped in time with his own.
When he stood, he was revealed to be a relatively young man of average height. His limbs weren't overly muscled and his continence was calm. But the ease with this he rose and the seemingly effortless way he moved belied a much greater strength than mere appearance would foretell. His face was smooth-shaved. His hair was cut short - too short to grab hold of during a fight - but was thick and dark. His brown eyes seemed to lack any focus, but his gaze caught almost everything in a glance.
Mutai was between jobs, but his last one paid him well. He had trained most of the night with Frogsticker as well as several other exercises to keep himself in shape, then settled down to meditate on his situation. Did he want to settle in a town or keep wandering? Was he ready to fight for a cause or not fight at all? Or even something in between?
The coming of the morning light did nothing to settle these issues in his mind. He wasn't exactly disturbed by them, but he was restless to find something productive to be doing. With these thoughts, he called over Trotski, mounted, put the sun to his back and rode west at a slow pace. One way or another, he knew, something would turn up.
(Open RP)
INACTIVE - GONE AWAY - NO MORE
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
@Farthion
Trudging slowly south through Wu was a man slumped across the neck of a somewhat tired looking horse. Pang Jian having ridden far and wide in his delivery of various letters and notices was exhausted and he was nearly all of the way back to his home in Yue. However it seemed that there was one last surprise on his journey and seeing a somewhat youngish looking man ahead of him Pang Jian attempted to straighten up in his saddle and with a quick scrub of his hand through his hair, awaken his tired eyes. Glancing back at his two guards he motions them to makes themselves less obvious and trots his horse towards the mysterious young man.
"Good Morrow young sir, what an odd occurrence to come across a man armoured, mounted and armed as well as you in a place so far from a large city. Before I enquire as to your name, allow me to introduce myself. I am Pang Jian, the Lord of Renzhe a town in Yue to the south of here. Now that is out of the way may I now who you are and what you do here?"
Trudging slowly south through Wu was a man slumped across the neck of a somewhat tired looking horse. Pang Jian having ridden far and wide in his delivery of various letters and notices was exhausted and he was nearly all of the way back to his home in Yue. However it seemed that there was one last surprise on his journey and seeing a somewhat youngish looking man ahead of him Pang Jian attempted to straighten up in his saddle and with a quick scrub of his hand through his hair, awaken his tired eyes. Glancing back at his two guards he motions them to makes themselves less obvious and trots his horse towards the mysterious young man.
"Good Morrow young sir, what an odd occurrence to come across a man armoured, mounted and armed as well as you in a place so far from a large city. Before I enquire as to your name, allow me to introduce myself. I am Pang Jian, the Lord of Renzhe a town in Yue to the south of here. Now that is out of the way may I now who you are and what you do here?"
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
@AaronH
What can be seen by one can be seen by another. Mutail knew the man ahead was guarded, but it didn't appear that the man was, himself, a fighter. Obviously he was a bureaucrat or minor noble. Only leaders, bureaucrats or nobles required guards and it seemed unlikely that a ruler of any kind would be out with such a small entourage.
Either way, Mutai wasn't looking for a fight and given the curcumstances, it seemed unlikely that the approaching fellow did either.
He smiled, pulling up Trotski to a halt to engage in a friendly conversation, "Well met, Master Pang. I am Wang Mutai, and what I do here is, currently, ride around and look for something that catches my interest. Of late I had been providing instruction and training to what few soldiers there are who seek such things in provincial towns. However the times being what they are, I feel there is more to life than teaching recruits which end of the spear to grab and which end to avoid."
He grinned, eyeing the man before him, adding, "If I may ask, what puts you on the road so early, Master Pang? Late night in the local tavern?"
What can be seen by one can be seen by another. Mutail knew the man ahead was guarded, but it didn't appear that the man was, himself, a fighter. Obviously he was a bureaucrat or minor noble. Only leaders, bureaucrats or nobles required guards and it seemed unlikely that a ruler of any kind would be out with such a small entourage.
Either way, Mutai wasn't looking for a fight and given the curcumstances, it seemed unlikely that the approaching fellow did either.
He smiled, pulling up Trotski to a halt to engage in a friendly conversation, "Well met, Master Pang. I am Wang Mutai, and what I do here is, currently, ride around and look for something that catches my interest. Of late I had been providing instruction and training to what few soldiers there are who seek such things in provincial towns. However the times being what they are, I feel there is more to life than teaching recruits which end of the spear to grab and which end to avoid."
He grinned, eyeing the man before him, adding, "If I may ask, what puts you on the road so early, Master Pang? Late night in the local tavern?"
INACTIVE - GONE AWAY - NO MORE
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
Pang Jian's face shifts itself into something somewhere between a wry smile and a pained grimace at the younger man's question. Though to an observant eye the sudden loss of a portion of the tiredness that had seemed to be pulling the body of Pang Jian down almost like gravity spoke of his interest in this currently unoccupied and well equipped young man. Rubbing his right hand surreptitiously against his right thigh he tries to frame a reply which will suffice while not revealing every detail of his current plan.
"Sadly, however much I might have enjoyed the tavern more, my tiredness does not come from any long time spent in the local one, instead I have been travelling for the past weeks distributing various posters and flyers to men of prospects and others who I can trust to pass them on should they hear the rumour of such in their local areas. As this may seem nonsensical without any explanation of why I am doing such a thing I think it is prudent that I do so lest I seem like an idiot; as stated earlier I am the current Lord of the town of Renzhe, however, I hold rightful claim and am the surviving heir to the title of King of Yue, and while the post was banned by the Qin, well, they have fallen and the original creators of such a title, the Kings of Chu are currently in ascendancy. As such I plan to attempt to achieve my title which as you will understand involves the taking of the whole province of Yue, a massive undertaking for one man alone and so I hunt for others to assist me in this cause. That, young sir, is why I am riding through the rural areas of Wu in this early hour."
Shifting himself upon the back of his horse Pang Jian frowns down at his travel stained clothes before controlling his features and settling them into a pleasant mask.
"Sadly, however much I might have enjoyed the tavern more, my tiredness does not come from any long time spent in the local one, instead I have been travelling for the past weeks distributing various posters and flyers to men of prospects and others who I can trust to pass them on should they hear the rumour of such in their local areas. As this may seem nonsensical without any explanation of why I am doing such a thing I think it is prudent that I do so lest I seem like an idiot; as stated earlier I am the current Lord of the town of Renzhe, however, I hold rightful claim and am the surviving heir to the title of King of Yue, and while the post was banned by the Qin, well, they have fallen and the original creators of such a title, the Kings of Chu are currently in ascendancy. As such I plan to attempt to achieve my title which as you will understand involves the taking of the whole province of Yue, a massive undertaking for one man alone and so I hunt for others to assist me in this cause. That, young sir, is why I am riding through the rural areas of Wu in this early hour."
Shifting himself upon the back of his horse Pang Jian frowns down at his travel stained clothes before controlling his features and settling them into a pleasant mask.
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
'Or a leader on the run may have guards,' Mutai thought wryly to himself, amending his initial impression. Of course, being "Lord" of a town could mean anything these days. Claiming to be the rightful king of Yue seemed a bit far-fetched as well. It could very well be true, though it seemed unlikely that Mutai would encounter such a person on the road only minutes after sunup. Still, the man seemed quite tired and Mutai sympathized. If he was on the road from the north and riding this early, it seemed likely that he had been riding all night.
If nothing else, Mutai could offer the man and his guards a meal of fresh boar-meat (well, mostly fresh - he had killed it two days ago) in exchange for stories of other places than Wu. Who he was mattered less to Mutai than where he had been and what he had seen. In times of strife, rumors ran fast and hard but truth had uncertain legs.
"Well, my Lord Pang, if you don't mind my saying so, you look like you could use a rest and a good meal," Mutai remarked with an incline of his head showing at least a minimal respect just in case. "I imagine your guards do as well. Do you have the time to share some wild boar, take a load off and tell me something of your plans in taking a whole province - or at least tell me something of what's happening in places other than here?"
If nothing else, Mutai could offer the man and his guards a meal of fresh boar-meat (well, mostly fresh - he had killed it two days ago) in exchange for stories of other places than Wu. Who he was mattered less to Mutai than where he had been and what he had seen. In times of strife, rumors ran fast and hard but truth had uncertain legs.
"Well, my Lord Pang, if you don't mind my saying so, you look like you could use a rest and a good meal," Mutai remarked with an incline of his head showing at least a minimal respect just in case. "I imagine your guards do as well. Do you have the time to share some wild boar, take a load off and tell me something of your plans in taking a whole province - or at least tell me something of what's happening in places other than here?"
INACTIVE - GONE AWAY - NO MORE
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
Pang Jian nodded his head in a show of mutual respect for the man. I really could do with something to eat. were the words that flashed across his mind almost immediately, as such he allowed a slight smile to turn the corners of hi mouth upwards.
"I thank you for your offer and I along with my guards would be grateful to accept some of this meat you talk of. As to talk of my plans and the other events of the land I am sure I can assist in that also. Though I am sure you have heard of much of the greater events such as the fall of the Qin and the virtual exile of Lord Liu Bang to Shu-Ba? Outside of that the news throughout the lands I have visited seems broadly the same though I am more than willing to describe what I have seen. As to my plans I think perhaps while being seated and imbibing of good meat is the proper situation for the telling of my somewhat, ambitious plan."
"I thank you for your offer and I along with my guards would be grateful to accept some of this meat you talk of. As to talk of my plans and the other events of the land I am sure I can assist in that also. Though I am sure you have heard of much of the greater events such as the fall of the Qin and the virtual exile of Lord Liu Bang to Shu-Ba? Outside of that the news throughout the lands I have visited seems broadly the same though I am more than willing to describe what I have seen. As to my plans I think perhaps while being seated and imbibing of good meat is the proper situation for the telling of my somewhat, ambitious plan."
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
((This part of the RP is closed))
It was already late in the evening when the bell rang, summoning Lan Yin from an otherwise uneventful night spent in her own room. She entered her 'master's' room without any announcement. Upon entering she immediately recognized Mingzi, sitting as he so often did in his personal space, with his legs sprawled out and no sense of culture. It was fortunate that the man chose to wore his customary long brown robes and pants. Mingzi didn't even seem to notice that the young woman had arrived, he focused on a point on the wall with such a trance-like stare that one would easily be able to assume that he was attempting to burn a hole through it. This went on for a few awkward moments before Lan Yin cleared her throat and spoke up, "you called, Master Mingzi?"
"I did," he responded with his usual cheer upon noticing the young woman. Mingzi's usual grin was quick to follow his cheery disposition. "And don't call me Master! Mingzi will do. . . or champion, or master of all things great. Or, you know, lover would do too! Maybe even-"
"Master Mingzi," Lan Yin spoke up, interrupting the man's rambling. She tried to sound polite but one could only do so much when responding to absurd suggestions. "Was there not some other reason that you called me?"
"Yes, I suppose," he replied, his cheerful nature unspoiled by her response. "I was thinking that we've etched out a nice place here."
Lan Yin raised an eyebrow, wondering if she would ever learn what Mingzi's intention was if he kept stopping halfway through. Thankfully for her, after another short pause without being coaxed on by her, Mingzi decided to continue on his own accord. "Well, I'd like to think that the people in our little estate are happier, or at least more free to pursue happiness." At this, the man grew bored with sitting and arbitrarily chose to lean back, ending in him lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "I was thinking that maybe one day I could build a larger estate, maybe even a town, in the same way, the same type of freedom for the common people. I'd need gold though."
Lan Yin shifted a bit as he explained. Despite her loyalty to Mingzi, his ideas were rarely well thought out before they were out on the road, or more often lost in the middle of nowhere, attempting to see those plans through.
"I'd need gold to do something like that. I'd need gold to ensure that the town was relatively peaceful, gold to train a militia if things were to go badly, and gold for other things, of course." The man adjusted to look at Lan Yin, attempting to read her reaction to his plan. The girl had only been with him for 3 years, yet it was easy to tell from a glance that she was worried about the prospect of him founding a town in such a war-torn land. "I'm not interested in an empire," he stated, his smile shrinking in an attempt to reflect his seriousness and calm Lan Yin. "To be honest, I'm not even interested in a city. Just one small town where people pursuing happiness aren't blocked by customs and nobility, that's what I'm after." After his reassurances things grew quiet and Lan Yin seemed comforted, despite the grand nature of his idea. Mingzi wasn't much of a fan of quiet, though. "That's why we're going to become merchants, firefly."
"Wha-?" Lan Yin started, only to be cut off by Mingzhi.
"It'll be fun! We'll travel, see the world," he stated as he bolted back into the upright position.
"B- But."
"We can earn the gold to found a place where everyone will be happy!"
"How will we-"
"We can sell the estate, in fact, I know the perfect person!" In truth, he hadn't actually thought out how he would afford the things necessary to travel until just that second. He had to make it convincing though, so as he exclaimed he hopped up and spread his arms in a grand manner which only came off as silly looking to Lan Yin.
"It's so impulsive, Master Mingzi!"
"I know! That's what's so great about it," he said as he casually strolled over to a small table that also served as a desk to prepare the necessary things to transfer ownership of his small estate. By this point Yin had resigned herself to the man's half-baked plan and couldn't bring herself to do anything but smile and move to the opposite side of the table at that point. Another short, silent pause occurred as Mingzi busied himself.
"Take this to the serving girl, one of the ones who has family with carts, maybe even pack horses" he said, offering the papers.. "Tell her that i'll trade her for those. Maybe ask her if she can get any gold together so we can get some materials too, that's not a sticking point though. Just make sure we get a few carts and horses," he said, grin wide on his face as she took the documents.
Several days later
((This part or the RP is open))
"Okay, I admit that I probably should have thought that one through a little better," Mingzi said, his grin not matching the 'apology.' He was seated on the edge of a parked cart, legs dangling and swinging freely. The carts had made it to a small village along the coast without incident, though they weren't packed with much merchandise, only some of the raw materials needed to make things and some essentials. The big problem was that Mingzi wasn't entirely sure where to start next, obviously they needed to get the word out about their wares but there were many other, less obvious things that needed to be done.
"Master Mingzi," the young woman stated, as if sensing his uncertainty from her more proper kneel-sitting position on the back of the other stationary wagon. "Perhaps we should start by hiring some mercenaries to keep us safe on the road?"
"Ah, great idea! Not mercenaries though, let's hire some peasants who need the work! We can make them into heartless killing machines later," Mingzi replied, satisfied in his ability to 'improve' on Yin's ideas. "You've always got the blind spots in my brilliant plans covered, firefly!"
"Master Mingzi, you're-"
"Too kind? I don't know about that," he stated, fully aware that her statement wasn't going to be a compliment. It was just too much fun for him to try to rattle the otherwise reserved and careful Yin.
"Master Mingzi-"
"Now, now, what did I say about calling me Master," he replied, his grin growing larger. "I think you remember the acceptable alternatives!"
With an iron resolve to remain polite, Yin would try many more times to respond to Mingzi, each of which interrupted by Mingzi's jokes. A pattern that seemed like it would continue for quite some time or until somebody stumbled onto them.
It was already late in the evening when the bell rang, summoning Lan Yin from an otherwise uneventful night spent in her own room. She entered her 'master's' room without any announcement. Upon entering she immediately recognized Mingzi, sitting as he so often did in his personal space, with his legs sprawled out and no sense of culture. It was fortunate that the man chose to wore his customary long brown robes and pants. Mingzi didn't even seem to notice that the young woman had arrived, he focused on a point on the wall with such a trance-like stare that one would easily be able to assume that he was attempting to burn a hole through it. This went on for a few awkward moments before Lan Yin cleared her throat and spoke up, "you called, Master Mingzi?"
"I did," he responded with his usual cheer upon noticing the young woman. Mingzi's usual grin was quick to follow his cheery disposition. "And don't call me Master! Mingzi will do. . . or champion, or master of all things great. Or, you know, lover would do too! Maybe even-"
"Master Mingzi," Lan Yin spoke up, interrupting the man's rambling. She tried to sound polite but one could only do so much when responding to absurd suggestions. "Was there not some other reason that you called me?"
"Yes, I suppose," he replied, his cheerful nature unspoiled by her response. "I was thinking that we've etched out a nice place here."
Lan Yin raised an eyebrow, wondering if she would ever learn what Mingzi's intention was if he kept stopping halfway through. Thankfully for her, after another short pause without being coaxed on by her, Mingzi decided to continue on his own accord. "Well, I'd like to think that the people in our little estate are happier, or at least more free to pursue happiness." At this, the man grew bored with sitting and arbitrarily chose to lean back, ending in him lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. "I was thinking that maybe one day I could build a larger estate, maybe even a town, in the same way, the same type of freedom for the common people. I'd need gold though."
Lan Yin shifted a bit as he explained. Despite her loyalty to Mingzi, his ideas were rarely well thought out before they were out on the road, or more often lost in the middle of nowhere, attempting to see those plans through.
"I'd need gold to do something like that. I'd need gold to ensure that the town was relatively peaceful, gold to train a militia if things were to go badly, and gold for other things, of course." The man adjusted to look at Lan Yin, attempting to read her reaction to his plan. The girl had only been with him for 3 years, yet it was easy to tell from a glance that she was worried about the prospect of him founding a town in such a war-torn land. "I'm not interested in an empire," he stated, his smile shrinking in an attempt to reflect his seriousness and calm Lan Yin. "To be honest, I'm not even interested in a city. Just one small town where people pursuing happiness aren't blocked by customs and nobility, that's what I'm after." After his reassurances things grew quiet and Lan Yin seemed comforted, despite the grand nature of his idea. Mingzi wasn't much of a fan of quiet, though. "That's why we're going to become merchants, firefly."
"Wha-?" Lan Yin started, only to be cut off by Mingzhi.
"It'll be fun! We'll travel, see the world," he stated as he bolted back into the upright position.
"B- But."
"We can earn the gold to found a place where everyone will be happy!"
"How will we-"
"We can sell the estate, in fact, I know the perfect person!" In truth, he hadn't actually thought out how he would afford the things necessary to travel until just that second. He had to make it convincing though, so as he exclaimed he hopped up and spread his arms in a grand manner which only came off as silly looking to Lan Yin.
"It's so impulsive, Master Mingzi!"
"I know! That's what's so great about it," he said as he casually strolled over to a small table that also served as a desk to prepare the necessary things to transfer ownership of his small estate. By this point Yin had resigned herself to the man's half-baked plan and couldn't bring herself to do anything but smile and move to the opposite side of the table at that point. Another short, silent pause occurred as Mingzi busied himself.
"Take this to the serving girl, one of the ones who has family with carts, maybe even pack horses" he said, offering the papers.. "Tell her that i'll trade her for those. Maybe ask her if she can get any gold together so we can get some materials too, that's not a sticking point though. Just make sure we get a few carts and horses," he said, grin wide on his face as she took the documents.
Several days later
((This part or the RP is open))
"Okay, I admit that I probably should have thought that one through a little better," Mingzi said, his grin not matching the 'apology.' He was seated on the edge of a parked cart, legs dangling and swinging freely. The carts had made it to a small village along the coast without incident, though they weren't packed with much merchandise, only some of the raw materials needed to make things and some essentials. The big problem was that Mingzi wasn't entirely sure where to start next, obviously they needed to get the word out about their wares but there were many other, less obvious things that needed to be done.
"Master Mingzi," the young woman stated, as if sensing his uncertainty from her more proper kneel-sitting position on the back of the other stationary wagon. "Perhaps we should start by hiring some mercenaries to keep us safe on the road?"
"Ah, great idea! Not mercenaries though, let's hire some peasants who need the work! We can make them into heartless killing machines later," Mingzi replied, satisfied in his ability to 'improve' on Yin's ideas. "You've always got the blind spots in my brilliant plans covered, firefly!"
"Master Mingzi, you're-"
"Too kind? I don't know about that," he stated, fully aware that her statement wasn't going to be a compliment. It was just too much fun for him to try to rattle the otherwise reserved and careful Yin.
"Master Mingzi-"
"Now, now, what did I say about calling me Master," he replied, his grin growing larger. "I think you remember the acceptable alternatives!"
With an iron resolve to remain polite, Yin would try many more times to respond to Mingzi, each of which interrupted by Mingzi's jokes. A pattern that seemed like it would continue for quite some time or until somebody stumbled onto them.
-
SituJinrong
- Marquis
- Posts: 1839
- Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:13 pm
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
Jiacheng, the most promising scion of the Li family, paced around in his manor in the town of Nanjing, he had sent some invitations out to certain characters known to him and was hopeful for some response.
Checking for the nth time, that the tea pot contained the freshest of the beverage, and that the temperature remain just right and proper, Jiacheng could hardly hide his anxiety. He knew his limitations as a leader, without the adequate support of talents, he would hardly stand a chance in this reckless powerbid for ascendency up the social ladder!
Suddenly remembering an action item that he has forgotten to execute, Jiacheng shouted for his butler.
Guanjia! Get someone to put out recruitment banners outside all my establishments, put in big bold words that I am looking for people who think they have talents to help me run the adminstration of this town! Make it quick, we have no time to lose!
Before too long, banners were prominently displayed in front of several inns across the towns, and some shop fronts in busy streets of Nanjing. Seeking talents of all sorts. Those interested please proceed to Li Manor!
Open RP
Checking for the nth time, that the tea pot contained the freshest of the beverage, and that the temperature remain just right and proper, Jiacheng could hardly hide his anxiety. He knew his limitations as a leader, without the adequate support of talents, he would hardly stand a chance in this reckless powerbid for ascendency up the social ladder!
Suddenly remembering an action item that he has forgotten to execute, Jiacheng shouted for his butler.
Guanjia! Get someone to put out recruitment banners outside all my establishments, put in big bold words that I am looking for people who think they have talents to help me run the adminstration of this town! Make it quick, we have no time to lose!
Before too long, banners were prominently displayed in front of several inns across the towns, and some shop fronts in busy streets of Nanjing. Seeking talents of all sorts. Those interested please proceed to Li Manor!
Open RP
Li Jiacheng (35)
94*-36-45-56-81
Diplomat II, Discipline II, Military Adminstrator II, Politician II
94*-36-45-56-81
Diplomat II, Discipline II, Military Adminstrator II, Politician II
-
yoshi
- Sergeant
- Posts: 247
- Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:10 pm
- Location: "Stop me if you've heard this one..."
Re: Wu Provincial Roleplay
Li Xianglan was in a bit of a pinch.
She had no money. Well, she had her life savings of course - to be more accurate, her husband's life savings (bless his soul). But she wasn't going to spend that money on something as frivolous as food or a place to sleep. She needed to invest that in something of consequence. This meant that Xianglan needed to find a way to make money.
Unfortunately, Xianglan soon discovered that she was uniquely unqualified for finding employment. She'd led a sheltered life and soon discovered that what few unskilled forms of labor she was in theory able to perform (and people were willing to employ her for) were either too much for her rather delicate and physically underdeveloped frame or just as often were simply of no interest to her. In short, the only work she was qualified to perform was too much like... well, work.
Of course she still had her dignity, which is to say that she hadn't stooped to begging yet. Phrased more accurately, she had tried begging and failed miserably - it's hard to look desperate and poor with a fancy hat and jewellery. The point was however, that she hadn't gotten any money out of it, so technically she hadn't been begging; at least, that was the way she looked at it.
As she wandered the streets of some town whose name evaded her, she noticed for the first time the banners flying in front of various establishments. Actually taking a moment to read one of them, she stopped in thought and began to formulate a plan of action. She stopped an old man walking by minding his own business, stepping directly in front of him with a wave and a smile.
Li Xianglan: "Hi, Handsome. Could you spare a minute for a helpless young thing who's lost and tell me where to find the Li Manor?"
Having found her way to the Li Manor, she made herself known.
Li Xianglan: "Please tell the master of the house that his beloved cousin, Li Xianglan, has arrived to take advantage of his hospitality again."
She had no money. Well, she had her life savings of course - to be more accurate, her husband's life savings (bless his soul). But she wasn't going to spend that money on something as frivolous as food or a place to sleep. She needed to invest that in something of consequence. This meant that Xianglan needed to find a way to make money.
Unfortunately, Xianglan soon discovered that she was uniquely unqualified for finding employment. She'd led a sheltered life and soon discovered that what few unskilled forms of labor she was in theory able to perform (and people were willing to employ her for) were either too much for her rather delicate and physically underdeveloped frame or just as often were simply of no interest to her. In short, the only work she was qualified to perform was too much like... well, work.
Of course she still had her dignity, which is to say that she hadn't stooped to begging yet. Phrased more accurately, she had tried begging and failed miserably - it's hard to look desperate and poor with a fancy hat and jewellery. The point was however, that she hadn't gotten any money out of it, so technically she hadn't been begging; at least, that was the way she looked at it.
As she wandered the streets of some town whose name evaded her, she noticed for the first time the banners flying in front of various establishments. Actually taking a moment to read one of them, she stopped in thought and began to formulate a plan of action. She stopped an old man walking by minding his own business, stepping directly in front of him with a wave and a smile.
Li Xianglan: "Hi, Handsome. Could you spare a minute for a helpless young thing who's lost and tell me where to find the Li Manor?"
Having found her way to the Li Manor, she made herself known.
Li Xianglan: "Please tell the master of the house that his beloved cousin, Li Xianglan, has arrived to take advantage of his hospitality again."
Li Xianglan (15)
56-16-77-17-102*
Confuse II, Deride III, Diplomat II, Politician III, Rally II
56-16-77-17-102*
Confuse II, Deride III, Diplomat II, Politician III, Rally II