Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

[Kakirot83]

@ Li Dao Wen

Tai took the Ogre's arm, and allowed him to order the men around the encampment. It was nice to see that he had no problem taking control of the situation, and the men around the camp looked to her. She merely nodded to Wang Qun, who nodded back, and began to organize everyone they had gathered up.

She leaned against the man who was now in charge of her forces, she assumed this because once she joined the ranks of Ma Dieu, she imagined she would hold low rank. She did not mind the change of pace, rank wasn't something she really cared for, only meant more responsibilities, but she had been in charge of her own little group for a while now.

She wasn't sure what was next, but it didn't take too long for everyone to pack up and get ready to leave, for an actual cause, for an actual Lord. Some people even seemed excited about it, and Tai could hardly blame them. Some of these men had seen some fighting, some had not. She imagined that many of them were looking for something to do, a way to make a name for themselves, a way to be remembered. Perhaps fighting for Ma Dieu would help them find it, perhaps it would help them find graves. It wasn't written yet, but Tai imagined it wouldn't take too long to be seen, as the region was in turmoil. For now.

"What next, Lord Ogre?"

Tai liked the title, the name, it came naturally. She wondered if it owuld cause any problem when she met Lord Ma, she knew many people had their own thoughts about titles and their meanings. Tai used them, in her own way, not recognizing names the same way other people did. So too, did she recognize titles in their own ways, and applied them loosely and liberally.

(OOC: All good to RP here. )

[osiris]

Lai nodded, smiling and seeming to gaze into fond memories.

"Rare are those like us that are able to make a difference while avoiding war. I had a bit of the same ideals, still do. Unfortunately, war and politics are very important to molding the land into something better and strong. I tend to let others dictate that while I prepare to enforce their beliefs. You may not be able to avoid them, but you can surely live with them."

Turning to his old friend, Lai smiled.

"I have known him since my youth, he is my oath brother and Lord now, Ma Dieu. We are heading towards a violent clash with Li Jiacheng from Wu, Brother Ma has always had a way of attracting attention, I suppose conquering three cities within a month tends to raise the alarms of some ambitious Lords."

It was a fair warning to his old friend, the young Master would be confronted to war anywhere he decided to serve, but likely none as dangerous as around here.

Xinrichu nodded slightly as the fellow spoke, "Well really I am more of an administrator. I just hope that I won't see the cities I build burnt to ash or left barren from conscription. Everything has to be taxed right now, for all sorts of wars, so I figure that there is a great need for people who can keep a city prosperous and prepared for war, people like myself."

"But you said your brother conquered three cities in a month, that is quite a feat."
Xuan nodded in agreement, "Unfortunately, most lords are more concerned with war than diplomacy. Its all about power, balancing it, having it. Sadly it is not too surprising that your brother already finds himself waging war."
Xinrichu smiled, "But hey, at least this way you get into the history book and build up a family reputation and thats great."

He was youthful no doubt, lacking the elder spirits that made men wise. He still valued reputation, honor, and glory more than survival and happiness. Were it not for the moderating influences of Xuan, Lingpeng, and old master Gongsun, he may have already done something drastic and foolish.

[Phailak]

Lai looked to his old friend for confirmation before asking.

"Times are difficult right now for us. Our whole focus is on military affairs, it would help us greatly to have someone with administrative skills within our ranks. Problem is I don't know if any of our locations are safe enough..."

Lai rubbed his chin and moaned in thought.

"Perhaps a town to start off, unless you believe you can handle a city? We'd also need someone in charge of recruitment and promotion of internal officers. Perhaps I have misread your intentions, I hope I am not over stepping the bonds of our friendship..." he said as he turned his attention from the young one to his old friend.

"We are indeed low in the officer department, any you can recommended for positions would likely be accepted on your recommendation. If we win the upcoming battles, their might be an even greater need for someone to advise Ma Dieu on civil and military development. The upcoming battles will likely take months, giving you some time to acquire a better knowledge of the potential within our towns and cities."

Lai raised an eyebrow to see if he had his visitors attention still...

[Li Dao Wen]

@ Kakirot

Lord Ogre. The title which she applied for her own personal use was something that he definitely didn't take any sort of offense for. Nay, he actually liked the way the words rolled out of her lips, as if her smooth, sultry voice was the only one in the world that could give it justice. He smiled inwardly, though he stayed silent for awhile as they watched over the dismantling of the campsite.

He looked at their surroundings, surveying it for himself as he paraded Lady Tai around, looking quite smug with her lithe, dainty hands wrapped around his gargantuan armor-clad arm. Their chosen location was prime land; it had natural barriers and is on slightly elevated ground surrounded by trees. She had done well to have chosen it, yet he immediately noticed that it lacked man-made earthworks that could deter onrushing hordes of armies and cavalry charges. In the back of his mind Xun Jiang imagined how they would fare if a sudden attack by some intruding army was made at the very instant. He immediately dispelled it, however, knowing that there was still a big task up ahead. He must lead Lady Tai and her men towards the safety of XIapei at the soonest possible time.

"We head for Xiapei immediately, milady. We can all meet the general there." His arm stiffened at the possible consequences should he delay, his muscles flexing silently with preparedness. Jiaoxi was ripe for a very explosive war that could break out anytime soon, and he was going to enjoy the carnage. What he didn't want to see is Lady Tai's current entourage in the middle of the melee all by themselves, without the support of a stronger army behind it.

He looked down at her, trying to find her eyes as he spoke. The depth behind them made him shudder inside with excitement, but he remained unmoving and keenly observant on the outside. "Do you have a carriage that you can use? I will lead it to the city myself. I shall not have Xiapei's newest noblewoman traveling on a simple horse. If not then I shall ride to the nearest outpost to take one for you."

It was no overstatement; if she was joining General Ma on his recommendation then Lady Tai would never want of anything in her time of service. Ma Dieu, always the exuberant and eager one, would surely be thrilled to know that he had found someone whom he could actually connect with, and knowing how generous the good general is with his friends he didn't have a doubt in his mind that his claims would be fulfilled.

[OneEyedDrgn]

OED

He waited patiently for Zhuwen to regain any semblance of courtesy before he added a response to his last brash question.
"In the instance that you didn't know, some men were waiting outside for you to get drunk to beat you to death, I didn't want them to waste their time, so I sent them off," he raised a thumb and gruffly pointed to the door, devoid of the fifteen or so angry men blocking it earlier.

The warrior he was looking at seemed like he could handle himself in a fight, indeed. A part of him wanted to test that outright, but that would be classified as 'causing trouble; he needed to curb the attitude within himself if he was going to be an unofficial policeman for the general. He could see that the man didn't care one bit about the angry husbands or the minuscule danger they posed to him, given that he was drinking himself dead and amusing himself with pleasures of the flesh. Nonetheless he had been tasked with a chore by his employer, and seeing that his fiddadling was rather disrupting to the patrons, he sneered at Liang's brash attitude.

"You're apparently somewhat famous around these parts for being a trouble maker. We don't like trouble makers here in Ma Dieu's holdings." he looked away and scoffed, clicking his tongue with distaste at his own words. It was a damn, outright lie; he wanted to have trouble, to make trouble everywhere he went, but he had responsibilities to fulfill.

But the whispers were becoming stronger for him, and they sent waves of thunder crashing into his dammed up desires.

Duty...

Desire.

Duty...

The fight.

Duty...

The blood.

With the last premise, his will finally snapped.

Without any regard for Liang or his woman he suddenly pulled a chair from the opposite end of their table, thrust his halberd to the stony pavement, then shouted to the bartender. "Get me twenty bottles of your best wine, now! General Ma Dieu shall pay for it!" A solid hand slammed the table as it retrieved a bowl from their side, spilling some of Liang's wine to the floor. "Why are you drinking this cheap wine? A former man of Chu shouldn't be so cheap. Aren't you all supposed to be ostentatious and boisterous men?"

He paused, then drank the last of the bowl's contents before throwing the bowl away, the porcelain being smashed to bits against the wall. "Today you shall know defeat! Come and share a drink with a former man of the Qin!"

"Gahahaha! Is that right?" the warrior responded with a gruff laugh, seeming not to have cared at all about the danger the other men were posing. "Too bad Miyan, you won't get to see me kick ass." The man again turned his attention to the woman around his arms, squeezing her tight and obtaining more giggles.

"I'm famous here huh? Well ain't that just grand, I don't care much for fame, but a little attention isn't so bad." He lifted his cup for Miyan to pour another drink, and when she did so, took another deep drink. It was then that Xun Jiang sat across from Zhuwen, promoting the man to raise an eyebrow and look at him in curiosity. The girl seemed quite annoyed, indicated by the expression on her face, but said nothing, most likely due to the rank Xun Jiang held. Zhuwen seemed amused for the most part as he made a slight smile when the man ordered more drinks.

"Well now... I don't like eating with men, but if you're going to pay for me then I guess that's fine." Seeing as how his own drink had been thrown aside, Zhuwen simply went for the drinks the man had ordered. He did not seemed to care much for Jiang;s challenge, as he calmly drank another cup poured by Miyan.

"So, you fought under Qin huh? What battles were you in? Maybe we were in some together."

[Li Dao Wen]

@OED

Looking at the pair with inspecting, preening eyes, Xun Jiang didn't mind how they reacted to his presence. Whether they cared or not was not his concern, he was simply there to see if this former man of Chu had more insights about some curious things in his mind than he seemed.

The big warrior smirked at the almost-too-friendly question, continuing to gorge down on the drink before wiping his mouth dry with the collar of his cape. His answer was probably going to be quite the cliche for the warrior, but there was no doubt that Zhuwen would know of this one. "Xianyang. I was there when Xiang Yu burnt it down. The rest of my 'service' was done in piecemeal skirmishes with Chu patrols and raiding parties." He quickly took another bowl of wine down without delay, the excess dribbling down the side of his mouth and into his clean, well-polished armor. It was probably more than clear to the two that Xun Jiang didn't care much for proper manners, or at least, not when he was in the middle of a drink. Such was the way of some bandits.

The look on Xun Jiang's face, despite the sincere interest he held for his inquiries, was dark and disturbed.The image of Xianyang's burning walls and wails of its dying people had left an indelible mark inside him, sights and sounds which he had spent many hours of sleep on. The level of hatred which he felt towards the king's cruelty and barbarity was well-justified, but not for the reasons which the usual person might expect. To him, Xiang Yu is an ominous threat to all citizens of the Middle Kingdom, whether footsoldier or general, peasant or emperor. Somehow he wished to be held in such esteem, to be feared by all as Xiang was.

He would be loathe to admit it, but Xiang is actually more of a goal in life than a mere enemy to be vanquished. Someday he hopes to exceed the man, in both legend and ability.

Tell me, did you serve that man for adventure, or out of loyalty?"

[Mikal]

Once again the forces loyal to the Hegemon King, and not to the Empire, fled before his armies.

As waves of men bearing armor and weapons with the seal of Qi upon it moved into the province, the forces of Ma Dieu melted away, leaving his territory open. While fighting raged in the north, the forces there were still outnumbered, and would likely fall, if not now
then soon enough when Zhefu brought his entire weight to bear.

Strange, that he would think that Zhefu would be more lenient with it than he had been in Liang.
Strange, but accurate.

Rather than the looting and pillaging that occured in Chenliu, the forces of Zhefu quickly took command of most of the region, pacifying any who resisted, educating those who remained regarding the fact that their lord had callously abandoned them.

As for Zhefu himself? It was rumored that he had enter the province itself, traveling to the city of Xiepei. It would be there, in the heart of the land once held by Ma Dieu that Zhefu would bear his flag and provincial authority, bringing the greater part of
Jiaoxi into the greater banner of Zhefu.

Bearing his personal guard as if it were an extension of his own mask and cloak, Zhefu looked through the records of the previous administration, looking for information that may allow him to consolidate his gains. He knew that Ma Dieu would, if he survived the coming months,
seek revenge against this action. Zhefu would be prepared to make sure such revenge is futile.

Gathering his commanders to him, Shao Xie, Caius Secundus Publius, and Tian Rong, Zhefu made his orders plain.
"Allow any who wish to join us to do so. Those in the administration who decline are to be exiled from my lands upon pain of death.
Include any of the mercenary forces which remain that serve under Ma Dieu, including the remnants of the so-called Shadow Guild, if they do not accept our administration. All property from those exiled is to be seized upon pain of death. They may leave the lands of Zhefu, but they will not keep weapons of war which may be turned against us. This includes soldiers and armaments. All forces are to be disbanded before their exile."

[King Tao]

"And if they insist on hiding and making us come to them?" Baihu asked his father, "What then? We hunt them down and kill them all without any further options or chances to surrender? It would seem like a task better suited for myself and Weiqi if that would be the case... Better to send your 'barbarians' to go do the messy work rather than your commander and the Crown Prince of Qi..."

[osiris]

Lai looked to his old friend for confirmation before asking.

"Times are difficult right now for us. Our whole focus is on military affairs, it would help us greatly to have someone with administrative skills within our ranks. Problem is I don't know if any of our locations are safe enough..."

Lai rubbed his chin and moaned in thought.

"Perhaps a town to start off, unless you believe you can handle a city? We'd also need someone in charge of recruitment and promotion of internal officers. Perhaps I have misread your intentions, I hope I am not over stepping the bonds of our friendship..." he said as he turned his attention from the young one to his old friend.

"We are indeed low in the officer department, any you can recommended for positions would likely be accepted on your recommendation. If we win the upcoming battles, their might be an even greater need for someone to advise Ma Dieu on civil and military development. The upcoming battles will likely take months, giving you some time to acquire a better knowledge of the potential within our towns and cities."

Lai raised an eyebrow to see if he had his visitors attention still...

Xuan did tense up, but he knew it was coming, and perhaps the kingdom of an old friend was not so bad a place to serve anyways. It would all have to be considered though. This province was still very dangerous and there were still quite a bit of offers. "Don't worry about it. We are considering everything."

Xinruch and Xuan each tried to talk but kept interrupting one another and pausing to allow the other to talk. Ultimately Xinrichu ended up talking, "I believe I am ready to run a city. I have been observing how cities are run and I think I am ready. Although I understand that there is not so much reason to give one so young as I a city to run so quickly. Its just there are a lot of places we are considering right now. I don't think it could hurt to look at more lords."

Xuan nodded, "Indeed, it will be put into consideration. Are your opponents at least merciful? I mean no offense, but if Xinrichu is captured..."

[Phailak]

Lai bowed.

"Do not worry about that, continue your pilgrimage and all I ask is that you visit me again before making a decision. If our current troubles have gone favorably, then we will be able to provide a positive setting. Is that agreeable?"