Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warirors/3K.
A/N: Can't wait for Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires on Xbox360, since I'll be able to play Deng Zhi's NPC and Zhao Yun's son Zhao Guang even thought, they're already in RoT3K 11 and Deng Zhi was unique in Resurrection of the Dragon. I still hate Sun Quan.....
Bribing the Little Dragon
At Jiang Zhou…
Zhao Yun having an overwhelming time governing a city with his advisor Deng Zhi until one day, several envoys come to visit him.
"General, this envoy is sent from Wu, he's an emission to Sun Quan," Deng Zhi told him.
"Bring him in…." Zhao Yun sighed, it's not like he's bored of doing politics, there have been several interruptions during his working hours and Ma Chao's was the most irritating.
The Wu envoy bowed and presents Zhao Yun a letter from Sun Quan of Wu. Whatever it is, it's another bribe to get him off guard.
"General, the heavens have praise your excellence after the Han Zhong war. We heard about your accomplishment at Han River and rescue Huang Zhong who we also were amaze by his strength against Xiahou Yuan for such an old man. My lord is thinking about reestablishing relations with Liu Bei. Right now, your lord married to another woman replacing Lady Sun…" the Wu envoy paused and change his sincere look into a hearty smile.
"And…?" Zhao Yun pretends he's interest in the subject.
"And now that Lady Sun is available again, she's still a virgin and had not conceive a child yet. Our lord is pleased to offer his sister into marriage again. This time someone like you may suit better as her newlywed husband!" Envoy announced.
Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi look at each other briefly, this is like something that could have been done a few years ago had the Jing Zhou conflict not trigger hostilities between two forces. Furthermore, forcing your own sister to marry someone she doesn't know is not love.
"AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!" Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi laughed out loud.
"What's so funny? Sun Quan had long been looking to find the perfect match for her," The envoy took it as an insult.
"Haha….sire, you want my opinion on the proposal? It's not wise having your greatest asset to distract a clever man like Zilong. You see, Zhao Yun saved the young lord from being kidnapped by your lord had Lady Sun knew about the plan before she was married to Liu Bei. I suggest you tell your lord about the General's refusal and get serious with a trustworthy alliance," Deng Zhi said.
"And stop treating women like crap…." Zhao Yun nodded.
The envoy becomes entice by Deng Zhi and ZhaoYun's remarks, he then quickly leave the office as the Wu soldier escort him back to Jiang Dong.
"I hate Sun Quan…" Zhao Yun shook his head disappointed.
"It's not like you don't like his sister," Deng Zhi sat down on the chair next to the window view.
"I do like Shang Xiang, it's just that I barely knew her and Xiande can't stand tomboys," Zhao Yun explained.
"Compare to her with Ma Chao's sister," Deng Zhi smirked.
Suddenly, the obvious guy shows up.
"Speaking of the sister of my next envoy…" Zhao Yun muttered.
"Big brother, I apologize for my behavior after we first met. But, you could have killed Cao Cao…" Ma Chao frowned.
"Had I killed him, the central plains and He Bei will be let loose by would be warlords and his sons," Zhao Yun rolleyed.
"It doesn't matter, Cao Cao is evil and he killed my family, stole my home, my clan, and ruined my life…." Ma Chao whimpered.
"Are you here to talk to me about the same boo hoo story that lead to your downfall at Tong Gate or are you here for something else?" Zhao Yun crossed his arms annoyed.
"It would have been better if Zilong captured Cao Cao. The Han would have been saved there! Unfortunately, Koei made Mengqi kill Cao Cao at the end of his DW 6 special Musou mode just to make Ma Chao the best character again," Deng Zhi thought.
"Uh…I forgot why I'm here," Ma Chao chuckled embarrassingly.
"Dumbass…" Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi thought with a sweatdrop.
"Big Brother, my sister been bothering me all day after she became lovesick. She wants me to have you marry her and entrust you to preserve the Ma clan legacy. With this marriage, together we can fight in the name of Justice!" Ma Chao raised his fist with shiny eyes.
"…….." Deng Zhi stared at Ma Chao speechless.
"Will you repeat that again?" Zhao Yun asked.
"She wants me to have you marry her…." Before Ma Chao continued, Zhao Yun shook his head.
"No, the last sentence," Zhao Yun said.
"Oh, with this marriage, together we can fight in the name of Justice," Ma Chao smiled.
"Massacring a village, bringing the Qiang and Xianbei to invade China was justice? You want me to accept all this for the sake of your sister's marriage?" Zhao Yun questioned Ma Chao's motivation.
"Wait, where did you get the village massacre part?" Ma Chao looked at his 'sworn brother' confused and rebuked by the question.
"A deserted Cao Cao soldier told me that before I defeated Cao Cao's main army at Han Shui," Zhao Yun answered.
"…….damn….I could have killed all the witnesses just so this marriage proposal is seal," Ma Chao thought nervously.
"I'll have to refuse and if this breaks Ma Yun Lu's heart then you are to blame for making her miserable. That's how you come to a good resolve," Zhao Yun said.
"….but…she really loves you! She's been looking for the perfect husband," Ma Chao argued.
"She's not Mrs Right and shouldn't Ma Dai be taking the responsibility to preserve the Ma clan; well there's always Wei Yan who needs a wife like her. Maybe Wang Ping, Zhang Yi, or Liao Hua can have her," Zhao Yun returned to his desk and resume work.
"She loves you, not these mid tier wannabes! Ugh, since you didn't join the invitational, I say let's have a one on one fight outside and the winner gets to make the decisions!" Ma Chao declared.
"I'm busy right now. Work and you have work to do also Mr. Justice Guy. Weren't you supposed to be ranked higher than me?" Zhao Yun shrugged.
"Hahhahahahah! Mengqi, you're making me laugh. You're acting inferior to the general in talent!" Deng Zhi clapped his hands. He enjoys the enthusiasm of Mengqi's inferiority to Zilong.
"Watch your tongue before I give you fifty lashes!" Ma Chao warned.
"Leave Mengqi before I tell the whole country about your village massacre," Zhao Yun warned back at the prince of Qiang.
"No, anything but that! I don't want to have to lose my reputation again! Ok, you win this time, but next time I'll prove you and show everyone that I'm the better guy," Ma Chao prepares to leave the office.
"Come back till you officially have a resolve to your past actions and tell Ma Yun Lu to stop stalking me!" Zhao Yun looked away bored.
Ma Chao left and Deng Zhi continue laughing harder.
"Boy, he's an aggressive one," Deng Zhi wiped the tears out of his eyes from laughing.
"……"
"The two of you barely get along and he calls you 'big brother'," Deng Zhi mentioned.
"It came from another three kingdoms novel, not LGZ. The brotherhood was a myth," Zhao Yun resented.
"Lu Bu called Liu Bei young brother," Deng Zhi chuckled.
"The EXACT concept between me and Ma Chao…" Zhao Yun nodded.
"I'm impressed how some 3kingdoms stories turn out swallow, you being a sworn brother to a ruthless renegade and marry his sister who doesn't exist and Lu Bu having an IQ of 175 in Ravages of Time comic…" Deng Zhi brought up the fictional references.
"And Zhen Ji being a snobbish, spoiled whore for the Cao family who actually accepts her husband's vicious behavior, let along being a villainess who gets what she wants cold hearty, Sun Quan looking cooler than Sun Ce, Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang actually love each other, Cao Cao killed Lu Balshe and the assassinate plot on Dong Zhuo, and Zhuge Liang using the Empty Castle plot on Sima Yi at the first northern campaign let alone…the Wei propaganda on my defeat and Xiahou Mao, and my lord dropping Liu Chan is a fiction, Zhou Yu hating Zhuge Liang," Zhao Yun rolleyed.
"Such three kingdoms fictions…" Deng Zhi nodded to agreeing his lord, its pure amusement.
"Although, those are entertaining quite bit…." Zhao Yun returned a smile.
"What about those stories of you being Zhen Ji's love interest?" Deng Zhi asked.
"It's an honorable gift to sympathize our hardships in the three kingdoms era. I know nobody will accept the pairing, nor find it believable as long as people believed LGZ and Dynasty Warriors," Zhao Yun scanned the tax lease after he spoke.
"Hm" Deng Zhi turns to the window watching the people at the street.
"How ludicrous…this guy here been paying 95 percent of his earnings," Zhao Yun scoffed at the information on the document. Deng Zhi checks the record of that guy Zhao Yun shows him.
"Why he's being over paid. That man was the same guy who was Liu Zhang's secretary," Deng Zhi said.
"So we have a greedy neighbor in our presence…" Zhao Yun muttered.
"My lords, a secret envoy has come from the capital!" The guard reported outside.
"Bring him in," Zhao Yun ordered.
"From the capital, why haven't the border guards notified this?" Deng Zhi
"If that happens, he'll be convicted as a spy from Cao Cao. It seems he wants to keep his arrival a low profile," Zhao Yun assumed.
"Not many from Cao Cao came here as envoys because they feared of being executed," Deng Zhi said.
Once the envoy enters the office, he bowed to the general.
"Zhao Yun, I'm here on behalf of Lord Cao Cao," the envoy said.
"Lord or you mean your majesty?" Zhao Yun raised his left eyebrow suspecting the envoy's allegiance to Han.
"I'm a Han loyalist, not a Cao loyalist honest. Please hear me out?!" Envoy nervously begged.
"You're brave to come here in secret. I won't let the imperial uncle know of your visit. Now by all means, speak. What does Cao Cao want with me?" Zhao Yun politely allowed the envoy to speak.
"Duke Cao addressed the ministers and generals in the audience after his defeat that he wishes to set things right with the administration of Yi zhou. He does not agree with Liu Bei's choices most commonly Ma Chao's rank," the envoy said.
"I can see why he criticizes Ma Chao's employment into Xuande's ranks, but that doesn't change the fact that he massacre Xu Zhou," Zhao Yun said.
"I agree, Cao Cao deserves to forgive those innocent lives lost in the Xu Zhou massacre, Ma Chao can be no different to his actions after Tong Gate. Well then, Lord Cao Cao wants to give you an official Han rank of the same title as Ma Chao. Will you approve sire?" The envoy announced.
"I don't give a damn about rankings," Zhao Yun boomed.
"….." the envoy look stunned by the reaction.
"Titles, ranks, fame, money, and all those depicted by the petty ministers Cao Cao gained…" Deng Zhi mischievous smile put the envoy into even more nervous reaction.
"But half of those 'petty ministers' are Han loyalist others aren't petty, they're just greed or excusably doing their jobs in the name of the emperor. Cao Cao's intimidation to uphold the authority is a crafty display of power," Zhao Yun turns to the envoy giving more fearsome look to Cao Cao's intentions on bribery.
"W…wait…I'm only doing this to get paid. I disperse Cao Cao, but I have a wife and kids please!" the envoy became belittled by the two men criticizing Cao Cao's authority.
"We know, so I suggest you return to the Capital and tell Cao Cao about my refusal. I only apply the authorization of the Liu family, not the Cao family," Zhao Yun suggested.
"Right, will do, we hope you win. There's not much time left and I know it's important to maintain order in a city after capturing it," The envoy nodded and prepare to take his leave.
"I wish Liu Bei allow me to lead the army and capture Tian Shui and An Ding. We would have a greater chance to recover the Han capital from the Cao family instead of waiting for Guan Yu to make his move…" Zhao Yun sighed.
"Our lord's favorite generals are his sworn brothers, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong…." Deng Zhi add a list of Liu Bei's favorites.
"And Wei Yan," Zhao Yun added.
"Zhuge Liang and his friends don't like him," Deng Zhi reminded the moment Wei Yan caused an incident in Kongming's gathering.
"Hahahaha, I like him better than Ma Chao," Zhao Yun grinned.
"It's a shock that Wei Yan is governing Han Zhong," Deng Zhi nodded.
"You allow ethical tribesmen to govern a city?" The envoy widened.
"Wei Yan is not your typical savage as Cao family put it, he was raised by scholars," Zhao Yun explained.
"Incredible…Cao Cao doesn't put someone like Xu Zhu to govern a city yet, but Xu Zhu is firm with the protection of the Duke," The envoy said.
"That is NOT what my job indicate and those historians have the nerve to call me a bodyguard when I'm suppose to share the city affairs with Kongming, Sun Shang Xiang was part of the task to keep an eye on her," Zhao Yun escort the envoy outside and Deng Zhi followed.
"Well, almost everyone in Cao Cao thought you're just another Lu Bu," The Envoy shrugged.
"In Chang Ban, they assume I am, but in Han Shui, I beat the greatest general crafty, the same way Zhou Yu did at Chi Bi," Zhao Yun nodded to the guard to send the envoy's carriage.
"Yes, a splendid accomplishment, Cao Cao couldn't stop praising that, but he's upset at Xiahou Yuan's death and many urge you wounded his pride and thinks you're a petty officer who once serve Gongsun Zan who executed Liu Yu," The envoy frowned.
"I'll admit, I could have stopped it, but due to personal issues between them and my brother's death, it's very difficult to overcome my early life hardships. You know the Zhao family came out embarrassed and discouraged due to Zhao Zhong's corruption. He doesn't deserve to be my relative, most of my family from Ji zhou despise him that was the reason why I'm trying to redeem my surname, but Yuan Shao ruined a part of my life…." Zhao Yun look disarray by thinking about the past, then one person he knew comes into his mind, "You know…the lady, how is she by the way?"
"The Lady?" The envoy thought what he's talking about.
"Lady Zhen," Zhao Yun clarified.
"Oh, the deputy prime minister's wife…" The envoy muttered.
"Lord Zhen Yi's daughter," Zhao Yun glared at the envoy.
"What do you want to know about the successor's wife? I'll be put to death of word goes out so make it quick, I have to return to the capital" The envoy warned.
"How is she?" Zhao Yun voice turned into a dark tone.
"She's as elegant as ever to her beauty, but the word goes out that she barely attend with the Cao family on campaigns, let along the consorts Li and Guo been watching her children to their activities…I have no idea why because she excuse herself to be ill. I thought that woman was healthy. Something fishy is going on," The envoy replied.
"…….You're right, we don't have much time left. Go to the capital now and give Cao Cao my thanks and my refusal," Zhao Yun turn away from the envoy just before the envoy enters th carriage.
"Farewell General, hope the Han will be restored," The envoy called out inside the carriage and soon left the block.
As the two return inside the office, Zhao Yun wondered about the condition of Lady Zhen and the timing to make the next move to attack Yong Zhou. There is not much time left, but patience is virtue. Does all this depend on Guan Yu's success? What happens if Guan Yu failed? Why wait now when the morale is still high? It's frustrating….
"We should have taken advantage of Cao Cao's loss and take Tian Shui and An Ding threaten the borders to the capital province," Zhao Yun cursed.
"I concur, leaving our greatest enemy recovering with the huge advantage of talent and land resources will be our greatest mistake," Deng Zhi exhaled.
"Has the Imperial Uncle back to his sense?" Zhao Yun asked.
"Nope, he's still talking about Guan Yu and wanted to massacre Jiang Dong to make Sun Quan pay," Deng Zhi gave a disappointed answer.
"…….." Zhao Yun nodded and resumed his work.
"My lord, did Liu Bei ever try to bribe you?" Deng Zhi asked while reading a document.
"Yeah, marriage…." Zhao Yun sighed.
"It's difficult to refuse the imperial uncle, I presume," Deng Zhi said.
"I wanted to, but the whiner begging me to have kids in a time like this, Ruan Er been a good wife to me, but I felt a little depressed because of my feelings for another woman," Zhao Yun said.
"Your marriage is to have children instead of love," Deng Zhi assumed.
"Marriages these days barely have anything to do with love, it's all about fame, popularity, power," Zhao Yun groaned.
Suddenly, a soldier arrives with a scroll. He bowed to Zhao Yun and presented the scroll on the desk.
"From our lord, General," The Soldier said.
"Thank you," Zhao Yun said.
He takes the seal off and unfolds the paper. It's a title, to his impression, his lord promoting him drastically due to the stubbornness of not taking part in Liu Bei's revenge.
"Take a look at this," Zhao Yun showed the paper to Deng Zhi.
"My word…." Deng Zhi eyes popped out anime style.
"Xuande had underrated my contributions long enough and now he's giving me three promotions," Zhao Yun shook his head.
"These are noble titles!" Deng Zhi winced.
"…….."
"With these, the people and the followers would understand your accomplishments in serving the imperial uncle," Deng Zhi said.
"He's an Emperor now….." Zhao Yun sighed.
"Only by acting as deputy to it in case we save Emperor Xian from the Cao family," Deng Zhi defended Liu Bei's coronation.
"You think Xuande cares about Liu Xie's treatment now? He's not paying any attention to it and now he's going to war against Sun Quan and these promotions just add insult to my motivation serving him," Zhao Yun scoffed.
"……"
"No, I will not accept these promotions. Go to Kongming and tell him my refusal," Zhao Yun demanded.
"But…." Deng Zhi resented.
"GO!" Zhao Yun glared at the minister and Deng Zhi slowly walked out of the door leaving the office.
A few minutes later, The Little Dragon remains quiet in his office thinking about all these bribes and past events. Cao Cao is now dead, Cao Pi becomes Emperor of Wei dethroning Emperor Xian, Liu Bei waging war against Wu, last, but not least, Guan Yu's dead.
"I hate my life…..!" Zhao Yun scowled. He ought to cuss the heavens for toying with his loyalty to the Han.
The End