Sai Provincial Roleplay

[ann]

For roleplay in Sai.

[Radical Dreamer]

Sai. So many things came to Ranzhen's mind as he looked out over his former homeland. Thoughts of joy and triumph, of beautiful courts and venerable elders, destruction, fire, rape, murder - every range of every emotion was conjured by this once-grand land. The majestic Wei River cut through the province and flowed past the former capital. It was by river that Ying Ranzhen and his bodyguard were traveling. Massive fur trees lined the river as the boat gracefully slipped through the water. A mild January wind filled the sails and chilled the air, but this weather was bred into Ranzhen's bones. He was a child of this land.

After paying his fee at a local wharf and rented horses. The ride to Zhongxin Zhishi would be a pleasant one through the forests. Zhang Ban was content to lead the part, always looking out for threats to one of the last remaining Qin royal relatives. Ranzhen's mind was wandering again, though. He would look into the trees and see himself and the other castle children playing amongst their embrace. They would often climb to the tops and gaze at the Qinling Mountains in the distance. He had been told by his court tutor that they were the spine of the world and the Qin, thus the dynasty was as strong as the mountains themselves. How wrong that old man had been.

"Sir, we're here."

Ranzhen nodded distractedly. This small village looked untouched, but that was to be expected from the former records keeper. He was an odd man, but one that distinctly stood out as one of the few people who would have probably escaped the fall unscathed. The young man approached the door to the village leader's home while Zhang tended to the horses. After a moment of arranging his robes and composing himself, Ranzhen knocked.

[Brother Dun]

The former Imperial record keeper had been intently focusing upon a book that was well over two hundred years old when the scion of Qin arrived at his home. Too far within the recesses of his own mind, he hadn't even noticed he had company. He was attempting to preserve the aged writing of this book, but the Wei dialect that it was written in was giving him fits. The faded inks did not help that matter either. "Blasted outdated writing... If Qin Shihuangdi did one good thing, it was surely the unification of official script," he mumbled to no one in particular.

It was at this time that Gongsun Duan, the bodyguard and steward of Zu Yanghei's personal villa arrived in the room. Normally, he would not bother the master of the house with a mere visitor at the door. Normally it would be a peasant or two asking to see the village headmaster over some inane topic. However, the man who now stood outside was one that he had not seen before, and was far too impeccably dressed for a peasant. "Master Zu," Duan said in a calm tone, "There is someone at the door, a man whom I've not seen before."

This statement was only met with a grunt from the man behind the table, brush still moving in his hand, "Send him away, it is probably just another worthless peasant, asking for some money so that he may hire help to plant his seeds in the upcoming season."

"But sir, this man is different, he is dressed far too well to be a peasant. He... Is not from around here."

Zu Yanghei sighed deeply, and finally looked up from his work. "Duan," he said, hiding a tinge of annoyance, "If you're not sure what he wants, then go and see why he's bothering me! I didn't give you the power to deal with my visitors so that you would come and bother me whenever someone who is wearing an actual robe instead of a ravage cloak and tunic comes knocking. I'm far too busy to deal with him, you do it. Now don't bother me again," he said, giving a slight pause, "Unless of course it's the Qin coming to cut off my head for breaking their rules about owning the treasure of knowledge," he exclaimed excitedly, before giving a slight chuckle.

"Barbarians," the librarian muttered under his breath as Gongsun Duan left the room.

----------

After a rather questionable wait, Ranzhen's knock on the door was answered by a well built, middle-aged man. The man looked at him suspiciously, even moreso when his eyes turned towards Zhang Ban, "Hello, and who may I ask, are you? I am Gongsun Duan, steward of this household, why have you come unannounced to the home of Zu Yanghei?"

[Radical Dreamer]

Ranzhen inclined his head as a show of respect to his host. Done tying up the horses, Zhang bowed respectfully from a distance behind his companion.

"I am Zhang Ranzhen of Chu, a minor courtier of Xiang Yu's court." Realizing how that sounded, the young man stated further, "I am not here on official business, however. I wish to speak with Zu the Records Keeper. Could you please inform him that a party interested in the history of the Qin wishes to meet with him?"

[Brother Dun]

Gongsun Duan inclined his head slightly as he looked over the man from Chu. Duan hoped that this man did not come at the bidding of Xiang Yu, for he knew the tongue-lashing he would receive for allowing the man to even step foot on Yanghei's doorstep. However, he feared that if Xiang Yu was looking for his master, then perhaps the Hegemon of Chu had decided to try and eliminate all facets of the Qin from the face of the Zhongguo. If that were the case, it would probably be more dangerous to deny him entrance. He looked Ranzhen over once more, and then back to Zhang Ban, deciding that Ranzhen would not be much of a threat on his own, he made up his mind, "I suppose I shall see if the Master wishes to speak with you, although should he do so, I would suggest you not call him the 'Records Keeper.' You may wait in the foyer while I go and speak to Master Zu, but your man will have to wait outside for now..."

[Radical Dreamer]

Zhang didn't look comfortable waiting outside, but his master was already walking past the threshold of the house. The young warrior did take up a position by the door, regardless of what the doorman said. With keen ears he could most-likely hear a scuffle in the house.

"I'll keep it in mind," Ranzhen said in response to the Gongsun's earlier advice. "That was his title though, was it not?"

[Brother Dun]

Gongsun Duan smirked as Zhang Ban moved closer towards the door, he recognized the man's behaviors. He acted much the same way in regards to his duties to the scholar. There was a modest level of respect that Duan felt stirring within him towards Ban's sense of duty. He then turned his attention to the man who just entered the house, "You are correct, he was indeed a Records Keeper in the Qin Empire. However, Master Zu does not necessarily wish to continually relate himself to the Qin, it is a dangerous time to do so. Not to mention he does not necessarily agree with the policies of Qin Shihuangdi, Li Si and Zhao Gao, three very destructive men in their own rights. If you want his attention, simply call him Master Zu," Duan said with a slight chuckle.

Gongsun Duan led Ranzhen past the foyer and down a hallway to a set of double doors, he briefly disappeared into the room on the other side, and then returned, motioning for Ranzhen to follow. When Ranzhen entered the room, Duan motioned for him to take a seat across from a man whom did not look amused, "Master Zu, this is Zhang Ranzhen, a minor courtier of Chu, looking to speak to you."

The man across from Ranzhen sighed a bit and then rubbed his temples. He then waved Duan off, "Duan... For interrupting my work, go fetch some tea. I need something to drink," he paused and then focused on Ranzhen, "So... Zhang Ranzhen, why is it that you have traveled to 'Sai,' as your lord calls it, to bother me? I am a very busy man, and you have interrupted some important work... So I hope that your business here holds some importance," he said flatly.

[Radical Dreamer]

@ BrotherDun

"Nothing official, Master Zu." This time the young man did bow. His long hair flipped down nearly as long as the sleeves on his robes, though neither touched the floor when the man bent over. "I have traveled a very long time just to come back to where I started. It was very nice seeing Qin once again."

Ranzhen did take the offered seat and he sat on the very edge like a child who had a banquet set before him. He eyed the walls full of scrolls and script with wonder; the libraries in Chu could not match this hermit's house.

"Truly a wonderful retreat you have - I am envious. My home in Chen does not allow for much in the way of space." Though his smile was still pleasant, there was a real sense of longing in the young man's eyes as he looked at the work. Or perhaps it was reminiscence? "I've come to you at both the ending of one pilgrimage and the beginning of another. I am hoping that you will be able to point me in the correct direction."

"I wish to search the city of Xianyang for records much like yours. I am painfully aware that the city was burned to the ground, but I wish to try my luck nonetheless. It is a labor that has been twenty years in the making; you could say it's in my blood to do this." The joviality in Ranzhen's voice was strained. He had learned to put on a pleasant face at the palace in Chen, but within the boarders of Qin it was slipping. There was a real animosity brewing behind that smile. "In return for your direction, I will share any materials I come across. Surely that is a good trade for a few words, Master."


@ GoGo

Trips to Sai were few and far between for Ying Ranzhen, thus he had decided to check in on one more rumor before heading to Zhongxin Zhishi. It was only one simple stop at a small waterfront village: the boat's captain wanted to restock on food there anyway.

Stepping off the gangplank and onto the pier, the young noble looked around at the village struggling to carve out an existence. If the Qin were still in power, this place would have been a major thoroughfare for traffic on the Wei river. Xiang Yu had destroyed that future, though. Only a revitalized empire in Qin would bring life back here.

"There's a man named Shou in this village somewhere, Zhang Ban. We will find him." Zhang Ban nodded and accepted what his master had said as truth. Very rarely the young man was incorrect...

[GoGo the Monkey]

Sitting below a tree near the banks of the river Shou stared out at the small station the village called their 'port'. He could not help but snicker at some of the faces that came through the village. He did not need to ask these men and women why they would seek out such a desolate place. He knew some came to find pleasure in the destruction of the former Qin lands. Other came to simply take advantage of the situation, men of different countries. Men like those from Zhao, or Qi, or Chu who simply wanted to capitalize on the chance to advance in position.

"Well, I guess its time to go..." Shou mumbled aloud as his gaze shot over to his horse. "I think we should probably get somewhere warm and with a roof. Its no fun catching a bad cough, it can kill you. We both know how the rain will do that to us too." he continued as if it were almost an everyday thing for him. Pushing himself upward he used the hilt of his billhook as support. Using one hand he brushed himself off briefly before mounting his stead. Slowly trotting down the road his eyes stayed fix upon the small pier and the men standing around. "I know, I know..." he begun to mumble to his horse once more. "I'm probably shouldn't get any closer. Don't need another one of those damn merchants complaining that I frightened some man of prestige from another country again." Throwing his weapon over his shoulder he paused for a long second to take one last stare before deciding against pressing further. Nobody liked a man with no clothing on but tattered pants and a band holding his hair back. It did not help that his body which was so visible had be subjected to much abuse. The scars covering him from head to toe only working as a reminder of what had happened to the once great Qin army.

[Brother Dun]

For Dreamer

The scholar gave the man a questioning look, it was not often that any cared about Xianyang, let alone wanted to look through the ruins for records and books! Usually if anyone went to sift through what had become of Xianyang, it was merely to find some of the treasures that may have once adorned the palace of Epang. For a moment, the librarian smiled, but then quickly returned to a business-like demeanor. "Hmm... You wish to go and sift through Xianyang for some records? Would it interest you to know that I have already done the same on several different occasions before this? Most official documents have been destroyed, you may find a fragment or two here and there, but if one thing is certain, Xiang Yu was quite thorough in his destruction. Are you sure you wouldn't be more interested in sifting through what remains of Epang Palace? Perhaps to find some expensive trinket or treasure that once belonged to the Second Emperor? Those would most certainly be worth more than books or scrolls you could find... It is a shame that no one truly cares about that which actually matters. Treasures are merely decor, they do not give you any actual power... Knowledge, on the other hand, can give you the world," he said growing suddenly serious, "Tell me, what exactly is it you seek, minister... Zhang?"

For ZR

On a cold, crisp morning in the middle of January, the librarian of Zhongxin Zhishi makes his way into the ruined city of Xianyang. The remaining populace of the once magnificent city was moving about, some heading off to work, others simply milling about waiting for the markets to open. The merchants were busy preparing their stalls and shops for the days business as Zu Yanghei and his bodyguard, Gongsun Duan, made their way towards the new governors "palace." Zu Yanghei had never met the man, nor had he really known much about where the man stands. Today was to be the day that he tested the man's mettle, to see if he was truly fit to bring this city back. Zu Yanghei had called this place home for much of his life, it wasn't until a mere six years ago that he began building his new home in Zhongxin Zhishi, and it was up until two years ago that he still made his home in Xianyang. The city still held a bit of nostalgia for him, however he could not figure out why. His family was all dead, and the building that used to be his family home had been completely destroyed by the fires and soldiers of Xiang Yu. He had been back to the city on several occasions, mostly sifting through the ruins to find anything that could still be worthy of his attention in the wreckage that was once the record hall of Qin. Perhaps he would visit that site once more on this day, after he was done attending to his business.

Upon reaching the governor's "palace," if it could be called that compared to the structures that once stood in Xianyang, he stopped outside and gave a slight bow to the guards on duty, "I am Zu Yanghei, a scholar of these parts, and formerly a citizen of this city, and this is my steward Gongsun Duan. I request an audience with the governor of the city."