[Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Kivutar » Wed Jan 31, 2018 2:26 pm

Once the meeting is over, Dewang steels himself and approaches Baozi. This is not something he has any choice about.
“There is something I need your advice about,” he says, and stops, ostensibly to gather his breath. Irrationally, he wants to prolong this last moment, where Baozi still looks at him with warmth in his eyes.

“A few days before we arrived, we heard that the village of Bei Ye was harbouring a thousand rebels. Of course, we attacked and…”

No. There is no way he can talk about that, not yet.

“Afterwards, there were orphans. Many orphans. We brought them here, not knowing what else to do. You have the Governor’s ear - do you know if he is likely to take pity on two hundred homeless children? Are there any men in Ji who have the heart and the means?”

Baozi thinks about this for a moment. “If it were a few orphans, I should be glad to help - I don’t like to think of the little ones suffering. But this is far beyond my means.

“Governor Liu could do it, of course - his purse wouldn’t even notice. I am not certain if there is anyone else - not to look after two hundred. He is not greatly given to charity, but if he thought it would advantage him to do it, he might be persuaded.” He smiles at De Wang, “You are a good man, to have such concern for the unfortunate, even when they are the children of your enemies.”


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Last edited by Kivutar on Sun May 20, 2018 3:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Scarik » Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:54 am

The next day court convenes as it did the previous one and once everyone is seated the Governor enters and takes the throne.

"I have meditated on the virtues of each plan, and the words of the senior advisers and have reached a decision. The army will remain at Jicheng and train until the ford is clear. In one month a detachment will be selected and sent south to seize the ford just as the waters abate enough to allow passage. Skirmishers will be sent immediately to cross up river and harass the rebels until the army is prepared."

Then Liu Yan stands with the sword of office in his hands.

"General Lu Bu will lead the skirmishers until the main force arrives. General Gongzun Zan will command the army. When the time comes I will appoint a commander for the first detachment."

With that he sits back down and court then proceeds as normal with petitioners being heard, grievances settled, policies discussed and reports reviewed in detail until noon.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Ladki96 » Fri Feb 02, 2018 9:37 pm

Wenchang finds no fault with the Governor's decision. General Lu Bu selects some of the elites, talented men from his company for the raids but does not particularly require him, thus he stays and gets to work training those who remain.

Wenchang starts with conduct. He tries to set the tone with his own actions, encouraging the seargents and the like to look to him, so in turn the rest of the men may follow their example. He is a harsh disciplinarian at times but never needlessly cruel.

Trust is also vital when fighting alongside comrade-in-arms, so Wenchang has soldiers from the original platoon teach occasionally, leading the new recruits through the exercises, and with luck instilling a feeling of loyalty and fraternity.

However of course, the arms training takes priority. Given the short time they have before they will be sent out, Wenchang chooses to drill the troops thoroughly in the spear, so they may excel at one weapon rather than be half-trained in several.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Kivutar » Sat Feb 03, 2018 4:52 am

Even with Baozi's help, it is several days before Dewang is able to have an audience with the Governor. During that time, he repeats what he wants to say to himself so many times that when the time comes, he is actually able to get the words out.

Taking care that his manners are impeccable, he praises the Governor for his wisdom and judgement before giving a brief account of the burning of Bei Ye.

"And so," he finishes, "because we did not want anyone to call His Majesty's army unnecessarily cruel, we did not kill the surviving children who were too young to fight. We feared that it would have turned the peoples' hearts toward our enemies. Instead, we marched them to Ji with us, thinking that perhaps there might be a place for them here. Our intent was to show that His Majesty is merciful to those who merit mercy, but now we are at a loss as to what to do with them. My lord, would you be so kind as to advise us in this dilemma?"

Dewang bows low and waits with trepidation.
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Last edited by Kivutar on Sun May 20, 2018 3:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Scarik » Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:01 pm

Governor Liu Yan sits behind his desk, drinking tea while he takes private audiences. His secretary, Mao Xu, sits to his right side at a small writing desk while several more attendants and scribes are off to the other.

He listens impassively as Dewang speaks and for several moments after before he responds,

"Zhiteng, you are wise to come to me with this. The law is quite clear that the sons of thieves are to be treated as thieves and so those who died alongside the traitors did so according to the law. But a fine gentleman knows that mercy is a virtue and is invested by the same law to offer it."

He takes another sip of his tea to consider before he continues,

"I commend you for this initiative, but must say it was presumptive of you, a scorned priest and middle official, to offer so much more than you can be expected to afford. However I am moved by the plight of these young ones and so I will forgive your conceit and find them a place here in Jicheng as wards of the state. In the fullness of time they will become servants in this house to pay their debts until such a time as your temerity proves prescient and you gain the means to employ them at your own expense."

The governor let's that sink in for a moment and then adds, "You will remain responsible for their education, however. How you do so is up to you."
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby CarrieVS » Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:14 am

Baozi had wondered a little at how there came to be so many children from Bei Ye who could not be found anywhere to go in their own town, but had not wanted to question his friend, remembering how he had upset him previously. When De Wang gives his account to Governor Liu it all becomes clear. He ventures to meet De Wang's eyes and give him an encouraging smile, but quickly looks down at his notes again, anxious of giving an impression of favouring him unduly, after he made sure that the Administrator was given this appointment, out of all those wishing to petition the Governor.

After he has answered De Wang - it could have gone a lot worse, Baozi thinks - there are more audiences, and he is kept busy.

When he is finally released from his duties for the day, there are a few hours of good light left, so he fetches his jian and heads to the courtyard. It has been a couple of days since he last had time for sword practice, and after hours of sitting still he desires movement.

It is the customary place for officials to exercise and play games, and there are other people there, but Baozi finds an unoccupied corner, somewhat sheltered from the spring shower that the sky is threatening, to go through his routines of solitary practice. He does not see anyone he knows well enough to venture to invite them to spar with him, although he would welcome it if anyone were to ask him - not for the first time, he reflects that it is strange he should find it so much easier to fight someone than to talk to them.
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Last edited by CarrieVS on Wed Feb 14, 2018 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Cpt._Funkotron » Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:32 pm

Junyou sits in bed, smirking down at a love letter from his mistress back in Bingzhou. He contemplates making use of the campaign's forestallment to ride back, duel her husband and his former superior, and claim her all for his own in the only way he has yet to already, but he decides against it. He has three hundred troops now, one third of whom are scarcely better than herdsmen now then when he had conscripted them, and half who are barely off their mother's breasts. He's needed here. He holds the letter up to his bed-side lamp and lets it fall to ashes. The pair of serving maids in bed beside him exchange puzzled looks. He shoots each of them a smile, gives the closest one a parting pat on the rump, climbs up, dresses, dons his swordbelt and his signature green sash and cloak, and takes a step out of the door when he runs face to face into Kongzhi.

"Oh...Morning" he says, startled.
"Dewang met with the governor this morning, he's agreed to take the children. Are you going to thank him or should I?"
He looks up and down the corridor and avoids the question. "How long have you been standing here?"
"Well?"
"The governor you mean?"
"Dewang, you idiot. You've got bad habit of alienating lovers and THAT has a habit of bounding back to bite me."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh really? Don't remember the blacksmith's wife, the tax collector's daughter, the tax collector's son, the BULL, the-" at that moment the two serving maids brush past from behind Junyou adjusting their clothes as they go. Kongzhi folds her arms and inclines her head, nonverbally resting her case.
Junyou averts the dissection of his character and opts for another dodge. "Dewang and I were hardly lovers, we frittered some time together, nothing more. Just because you spend all your time pining after men you can't have doesn't mean I have to."
He has her on the back foot now, her pale Silla skin just barely blushing. "What do you mean?"
He laughs. "Captain Wei of course, don't think I haven't noticed. He pisses down on us, and you give thanks for the rain."
She grabs the collar of his shirt in a flash of anger and her hand goes down to her knife. "Breathe one more word of that filth and it will be your last!"
His smirk fades, and he knows he's gone too far. His eyes pivot over to the four young children sat in a line along the wall, his new pages since Bei Yei, and Kongzhi follows his gaze. She is reminded of their shared childhood, their days picking pockets for scraps, their hungry nights, and softens. Most importantly, she realizes she can't very well gut him like a pig in front of witnesses. She lets go of him, and sheathes her knife.
Junyou adopts the voice of an officer. "If that's quite enough, II do need you to stop in on Dewang, and put in for the recquisitions we'll need. Thank him from me while you're there. Then you will find a suitable field nearby, and get the men assembled. We're going to make the best of these two months, I'll make gentlemen out of these lillypluckers and litle girls, or they'll die trying."
"Aye, Captain." She bows, and leaves him. comes

Junyou exhales, and resolves that he needs to clear his head. He laments the departure of his bedfellows. He wanders the palace until he comes to the courtyard, there he sees the Governor's secretary, Boazi, drilling by himself. For some reason he cannot explain, it catches his particular attention and he finds himself watching and judging the quiet man's strokes. He certainly seems to have the fundamentals down, good form, solid posture, flexible motion, and Junyou's hand begins to itch. In the idleness of marching, and the total incineration of Bei Yei, Junyou has had little call to practice his swordwork of late. He silently walks up behind Boazi, unslings his cloak to cast it aside, and as the secretary's sword swings around, he draws his own to cross it with a metallic clang, guiding it away in a curve downward, no doubt startling the man.

"The air flees before you. Perhaps you would care to spar with a heavier opponent."
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Last edited by Cpt._Funkotron on Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby CarrieVS » Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:02 am

Baozi has fast reflexes. When another blade intercepts his own, from behind, he springs forward, away from the danger, and spins around, bringing his sword back up ready to strike if he can.

He sees that the man who had thus interrupted him is standing relaxed and apparently unconcerned at the same moment that he registers his words. He hurriedly lowers his weapon, flushing with embarrassment.

"I am so sorry. I did not mean... I was not expect..." He lets his words tail off, feeling foolish. Of course he knows Baozi wasn't expecting it. That was obviously what he intended.

It is the younger of General Lu's Captains. Baozi has scarcely spoken to him since the distinguished guests arrived, but the man is little older than he is, and seemingly Lu Bu's favourite. He must be a talented man.

The less said the better, so far as Baozi is concerned: he had much rather take up Junyou's invitation to fence. "I should be very pleased to," he says. "I am no warrior, but I do have some little skill." Though in truth he is good - very good. He studies his opponent for a moment as they take up their positions: Junyou is lightly built, like him, and it would seem that he favours the same weapon - will he also use a similar quick, strike-and-evade style? Although doubtless his first lessons in fighting were not with a cat's claws.

Almost immediately, Baozi knows he is outclassed. Junyou is more than merely good. But there is nothing to fear in such a contest as this and he strikes boldly - slightly neglecting his own defence. He does not manage to win a bout, but for the most part acquits himself well enough. The match ends when Junyou deftly disarms him as he aims a thrust at what he was sure ought to have been the man's unprotected side.

Baozi bows to his opponent. He ought to say something, but he is not sure what. Now that they have finished their sparring he is not at all sure how to interpret the strange way Junyou introduced himself. Was it meant for a joke? An insult? A test? He remains standing silently, and rather stiffly, waiting for the other to take the lead.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Cpt._Funkotron » Tue Feb 06, 2018 12:45 am

Junyou chuckles at Baozi's feline lurch of surprise. This beuarocrat is well taught, thinks Junyou, his unassuming frame concealing an animal's dexterity. Animal to animal, Junyou plays with Baozi like a tiger plays with his prey. A crowd has gathered to watch the fight. Always the crowd-pleaser, he ends the duel with a flourish. He strikes his opponent's Jian high up into the air, catches it behind his back without looking, brings it forward with a twirl and points it between the secretary's ribs. The display merits a round of applause from the audience. Junyou relaxes, flips the sword to catch it by the flat of the blade, and hands it handle-first back to it's master.

"Your sword is more talkative than your tongue, secretary. A master salutes another, and I would know your name to do it. I am Captian Liang Ju, of the Gentlemen of the Hills and Streams, those who would be my friend call me Junyou."
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby CarrieVS » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:00 am

Baozi receives his sword back from Junyou.

"I am Mao Xu Baozi."

He must say more than that, after being paid such a compliment from such a swordsman. "I am surely no master, but I know enough to recognise one... I thank you for your kind words... Junyou." He certainly should not like this man to think he would not be his friend.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Kivutar » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:05 am

Dewang steps out into the courtyard blinking. His eyes are swimming from hours of going through documents, and, he feels, a short walk will do him good.

On the other side, he notices Baozi practicing with the jian, and watches for a few minutes, mildly surprised by the shy young man's lithe strength.

Then, a very familiar form steps into view, and De Wang stiffens. He stays where he is, just barely out of earshot, as Junyou and Baozi begin to spar. A feeling of foreboding grows in his chest. Baozi has no idea who he is up against - not only in terms of a friendly sparring match.

Junyou inevitably wins, and begins to speak to Baozi, graceful as always. Dewang continues to linger, uncertain about what exactly he fears, or what he will do if anything happens.

"Dewang."

He turns around and stops. This may or may not qualify as something happening. "Yes?"

Kongzhi tilts her head towards her brother. "He sent me." She clears her throat. “Official Business.”

Dewang considers saying that Junyou is not twenty yards away, but decides against it. All in all, he'd far rather deal with Kongzhi.

"But before we get into that, he said to thank you for appealing to the Governor," she says, and pauses. Dewang narrows his eyes, reading in her hesitation that Junyou had said nothing of the sort.

"Is that so?" he says, and is surprised to hear no bitterness in his own voice. "And what is it he wants, then?"

He watches Kongzhi deflate a little. "Well, you have my thanks at the least," she says, and no longer looks stiff, only gruff as usual, perhaps tired.

Dewang takes a breath and nods. "The matter is far from over. I doubt it ever will be." As understanding crosses her face, he adds "I- I am taking on a certain responsibility. If I must do it alone, I shall, but..." He trails off.

"Perhaps. We’ll see..."

"Thank you." That's as good as he can expect. Dewang looks back at the pair of swordsmen, seeing that their display has attracted some distinguished spectators. He gestures towards Junyou.

"And what did he really want?"

A faint smile flickers across Kongzhi's face. "Equipment." She pulls out a scrap of paper. "Full requisition writ, two hundred Jian’s, as many light harnesses, half as many shortbows, it goes on” She hands him the paper. “But believe me when I tell you that the Captain truly is grateful, in his own way. For many things."

Dewang tries to smile in return. "Equipment, that's easy. Let me have a look, I'll see what I can do."

This is a joint production, so give Funk some thumbs you guys.
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Last edited by Kivutar on Sun May 20, 2018 3:29 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Scarik » Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:55 am

After a few moments Junyou and Baozi begin to attract spectators. Its not often one gets to witness a demonstration by a master such as Junyou, a swordsman almost peerless in all of China, but to see that the humble secretary is in fact nearly as master himself.

Many of the courtiers he's known since becoming Liu Yan's adjutant are quite surprised and bets are placed as to how long he will hold off the more skilled warrior. To the side, under a cherry tree, four men in particular look on. Two are the powerful warriors, Guan Yu Yunchang and Zhang Fei Yidi whom have made a wager. Yide believes it will be quick and embarassing for Baozi but Yunchang believes things are not as they appear. Yide grumbles and hands his brother a few small coins.

The others are Jian Yong Xianhe and Colonel Liu Bei Xuande himself. The colonel likes to drink tea in that spot when it rains as it reminds him of his childhood.

Liu Bei gets up to go over two the two fencers once they have completed their demonstration and applauds. his brothers and adjutant follow him.

"Remarkable, " he says, "To see such skill with a sword to to discover a hidden tiger has been among us all for months. Captain Liang, now I see why Fengxian favors you. And Secretary Mao, what other talents do you disguise behind that modest face?"

Perhaps the strangest part, to Baozi at least, is that Liu Bei is entirely sincere.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Ladki96 » Tue Feb 06, 2018 7:39 am

Wenchang observes the duel from a distance where he is leading the men through the drills. Surprisingly the secretary holds his ground as well as any swordsman could. Of course, the Captain wins in the end. That Junyou is an expert in the art of the jian, even Wenchang wouldn't deny. That he is a show-off who delights in attracting attention and doesn't know the 'h' of humble, well, that couldn't be denied either. He snorts, looks up at the sky, and turns back.

"That's it for today. Report back here tomorrow at the same time. Dismissed." Wenchang chastises one or two of the recruits who were late in the morning, and then as the men retreat makes his way over to De Wang, near the entrance of the courtyard.

He is speaking with that adjutant of Junyou - Kongzhi, he recalls - as Wenchang arrives. She smiles at him, and he returns it. He may not like her brother, but that dislike shouldn't and doesn't extend to her - certainly the more sensible sibling. A pity she is not the one in charge.

He looks at Dewang. "I heard that you requested the Governor to take wardship of the orphans of Bei Ye. I commend you for your good deed. They don't deserve what would befall them otherwise. Is it true you are going to take care of their education all on your own? I will not allow that. Excepting the amount I require for my own sustenance, please accept my salary."
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby CarrieVS » Wed Feb 07, 2018 1:26 am

Baozi glances apprehensively around him. Had he realised how much attention they would attract, he might not have accepted Junyou's offer, as much as he enjoyed the contest. He does not look away quickly enough to avoid meeting the eyes of Zhang Fei, who is standing near to his brothers and not looking entirely happy. But he has said nothing yet, and surely won't interrupt now, out of respect for the Colonel.

He looks back at Liu Bei. He must reply, or else he will be unforgivably rude. And apart from all else, that would make Zhang Fei hate him even more. "It is very kind of you to say such things, Colonel Liu," is all he can think of to say. He accompanies it with a respectful bow, and a smile which is only half forced.

And then he stands quietly still, hoping that some of these people will go away soon.
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Re: [Fate RP] Romance of the Three Kingdoms: CE184

Postby Scarik » Wed Feb 07, 2018 2:18 am

"I only say that which is obvious now to all, Baozi," Liu Bei says with smile, "I should like to hear how you came to study the sword, please meet me for dinner this evening. I will be meeting with General Gongsun tomorrow and I simply must learn more before then."

He turns and adds, "You are welcome as well, Junyou if your duties do not take you elsewhere."
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