Disclaimer: I don't own them. Koei doesn't own the history.

Koei's Bane

Prologue

Zhao Yun's POV

Why are Japanese game developers so interest in the Three Kingdoms? Why create an action game based on the novel when the history was so ambiguous to begin with? Why me and not Cao Cao, Liu Bei or Zhuge Liang?

After checking out at the hospital reception, Luo and I are ready to go back to 'work'. When I say 'work' I mean our job as historical figures turned celebrities from a Japanese game company making games based on our era. There are different interpretations of the Three Kingdoms from Japan. Cao Cao is the greatest anti hero in China as Japan glorifies him in the same honor as Oda Nobunaga. And history glorifies him. Liu Bei was his rival by inferiority as a simpleton to following the old traditions compare to Nobunaga's rivals. Does that make any sense? How did I end up being Koei's posterboy in a franchise targeted towards the action genre? I thought about it over and over.

Zhen Ji's POV

Hanfu Day was the happiest thing I ever done and now she dare tries to take away my one chance at reviving my image. How I felt towards those fans who only see me as a feline version of the man who destroyed my life has slowly started to resonate until Guo Wang made that malicious portrait of me from ROTK 12 and 13 with a CGI image nude hack. I finally got to show the fans the real me until that…ugh…why can't that shank leave me alone!? I'm going to give her the most pleasurable beaten the whole cast are going to witness. Cao Pi will be gritting his teeth knowing I'll never let corrupted, two faced men control my life again.

Zilong and I head outside looking happily committed to our bonding, but something inside me felt sore. Just an hour after my last check up at the hospital, Yun wasn't amicable. He look at me pale and souless. Like I'm a harbinger. I know he texted to his friend Deng Zhi about my condition, but also told me about his own game coming out. I couldn't be more shocked that it's finally happening, a game centred on Zilong by Koei. Yes Koei and not some indie Chinese developer making a game about him or that Legend of Cao Cao mod. I'll get back to that later. Zilong wasn't himself or was that just my imagination….?

Zhao Yun POV

I was never the main character in the Three Kingdoms lore. My history sucks, mainly who I was before the world knows I'm just a guy good at saving a woman and child. And then, you have a guy with a long beard, a guy who cuts for being a hobo wielding a pike, a guy with a lion's helmet that makes you think he's a psycho, and an old man who can really kick your butt at age 70. Compare to them, I had the worst historical bio. The Five Tiger Generals, four of them are believable compare to myself. I save a woman and child by breaking through a cavalry of 3000 and it's not easy to believe how I did it. Luo Guanzhong over glorified the event making it longer than the record indicated. It wasn't a battle, it was a tragedy. Why celebrate me over a tragedy when Cao Cao has the Battle of Guan Du, Zhuge Liang the Battle of Mt Qi, and Zhou Yu the Battle of Chi Bi? I'm mostly overshadowed by the flashiness of big battles participated by the ones with the better bio. I understand I'm the ideal hero, but…

Zhen Ji POV

I get that I was the wife of Cao Pi, so what? He put me to death. I don't care anymore. Rui had to face the reality behind my life with his father. But today, there are people guessing, assuming that my love was true with Zihuan. How amusing….. I look at Zhao Yun who still looks like the prince charming Zihuan could have remained from the beginning.

Zhao Yun POV

I posterize myself on every Warriors relate material and still thought about my relevant, my history, and why I was chosen. It makes more literature sense that Zhuge Liang could have been the posterboy, but he opted out earlier this morning. Liu Bei too had opted out. So now I'm left with some choices, however I'm also thinking about my relationship with Luo. Why am I hesitating? Is her heart still lament to resolve her relationship with Pi? I'm being too nice and honorary over a doomed couple because it had its history of lore and misunderstandings. Misunderstandings….I don't have it with Tong and Guang's mother because their mother was absolutely nothing like all the three kingdoms female figures and was honored to become my wife just for the sake of getting me kids. Save for Deng Zhi's wife of course… So why is Koei still pursuing the 'perfect' wife as my OTP? Why are all three kingdoms game developers, Chinese, Taiwanese, etc. are trying?

Zhen Ji POV

We can't separate ourselves from our respectable sides again. Shu, Wei, what do I care? We were born to serve the people of Han! Don't you understand, Zilong?! I free myself from suffering under that contention, now you must do the same. You have all those beloved fans, people from our home country celebrating you as a symbol of righteous, courage, and….well we're in a world with shades of grays right now.

Zhao Yun POV

1,800 years from now, what did I deserve to the honor of being the posterboy from Koei? They took away things that improved my character ability and change it to make me more bland and unlikable. Other officers deserve the spotlight because they have the better biography. Yukimura was very easy to get into because everything about him on the record was complete except his motivation to help Chacha and Hideyori. Blame it on the Tokugawa propaganda. Mine is very hard to analyze because my actions saving a woman and a child speak louder than Cao Cao's authority above the Han emperor and Zhuge Liang inventing a wheelchair. My home country suffered centuries of government manipulations, tyranny, bad reforms, and people like Cao Cao and Zhuge Liang had not solve those problems from China, but my heroism saving a woman and a child. This has been dragging me for so long and now I have to face the inevitably announced game Koei is developing. How will the entire cast cope with a game about me? What does everybody in Three Kingdoms have to do with me?

Zhen Ji POV

Are you still worrying about the perspectives on our histories, Zilong? Are you thinking about the same problems you're having on being Koei's posterboy?

Zhao Yun POV

Would it be better if they make a game based on Wu instead of a game based on myself? Sans the Death of Guan Yu. You play as Sun Ce and united ancient china under the Sun family. I will play my heart to it.

Zhen Ji POV

We road in his car and said nothing after we depart from the hospital. Honestly, I'm worried about him because there's a lot I must know about his life with Liu Bei after the Battle of Guan Du. Word of him breaking through the enemy lines saving Lady Gan and Liu Shan does not impress Zihuan because he state "Guan Yu is better" Heavens, everyone I know at Wei says "Guan Yu is better." I was sick and tired of hearing that and Cao Rui thinks Zhang Liao is better….

Zhao Yun POV

I'm still upset with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang on everything that happened during the Yi Ling drama. That drama was the root of my flaws. But no…Guan Yu matters…why don't they just make a game with Guan Yu as the central character instead of myself…

Zhen Ji POV

It's audacious really because Guan Yu got himself betrayed, captured, and killed. Zilong would never get himself capture and killed because I know from his appearance, he's too smart for that. Yuan Shao's men can't kill him and I know this because I saw him at Zhongshan when it was still struggling from drought and famine. Sometimes, I hope Yuan Shao lose the war, but reality describes how Zilong been ignored at Gongsun Zan's army and hardly did anything in the army other than being there with the people at my home and the farmers. Cao Pi would scroll through those people and act above them because he's been destined to become their 'savior'. All the men of Wei tremble before Cao Cao, but you Zilong, you stood face to face with the most cunning of warlords defiance. I was glad to be in your DW 5 XL stage Battle of Hanshui. It's a shame I had to fight against the very will of the people…

"Zhenji, what's your opinion on the Liu Bei army?" Zhao Yun finally starts speaking after moments of thinking over their points of views. She takes his question shyly.

"That time I couldn't speak on military affairs, but from Lady Bian's perspective, the Liu Bei army sought to disrupt the order and prosperity of the Han Empire as barbarians. So, I have to say you are an army barbarians judging by the side of the loser," Zhen Ji answered.

"And Cao Cao is the side of justice…" Zhao Yun said grimly.

Zhen Ji scoffed at that subtle comment, "That should be sarcasm, but you're brooding. I knew Cao Cao was a cruel man. He sought power no different to Yuan Shao. So what kind of justice does my former father in law's paranoid caused the death of Hua Tuo? That's when he lost Cao Chong afterwards."

He didn't disagree with that because that's something he also wanted to ask about her opinion of it, "How did you feel about Hua Tuo's death?"

"You know how the people felt towards Cao Cao putting him to death," Zhen Ji glared at Zhao Yun as if he made a dumb question.

"Good point. But, how did you feel about it?" Zhao Yun asked again.

She let out an annoyed sigh, "Terrible, honestly. Had he still lived, my daughter would live."

Zhao Yun POV

That's the missing piece on her relationship with Cao Pi. What happened to her daughter Cao Dongxiang?

Zhen Ji POV

What's going on, Zhao Yun? First we look happy and now we're on the brink of arguing over the past. Is this why you're being…dark over me.

Zhao Yun POV

I had no idea about what happened to her daughter. I knew Cao Pi forced her into marriage. It's assume she'll have children with him, but the lost of a child….is she really going through this marriage in agony? And Zihuan didn't feel as much sorrow over a daughter's death compare to a son?!

"It must be hard on you. Your history with Cao Pi I mean," Zhao Yun sighed.

"What's wrong with you? You sound like you're upset with something," Zhen Ji looked at him widely.

"When we reach Koei's HQ, there's going to be a lot of adversary over getting my own game, Luo. Cao Pi, Zhou Tai, Wen Chou, Yuan Shao, Xiahou Dun, I feel like we're on the verge of another backlash like what happened after the Three Kingdoms records got translated in English and read on the internet," Zhao Yun's face became more sophiscating as he continues driving.

"Oh please, studying my history will only make things about my marriage life with Cao Pi more problematic. And those men you mentioned aren't as heroic as yourself," Zhen Ji put her elbow on the door's window and watch the cars passing them.

Zhen Ji POV

Seriously, people should have forgotten that the Three Kingdoms, the Fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty ever exist. It was a physical and mental nightmare for all of us! But Luo Guanzhong wrote a book based on the era and people started believing superstitious gossips like I was a greedy lady in hopes of wanting to live in a grand palace and become the Empress of China without understanding what Fu Shou aka the Liu Xie's first wife and the Han Empress before Cao Jie had suffered under Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang summoned the wind at Chi Bi, Liu Bei was a cannibal, Xun Yu killed hisself, Ma Chao was a hero, gosh do I have to remind the part where I WAS JEALOUS OF LADY GUO! How did that guy ever wrote the book and alter what happened? I wasn't jealous of Lady Guo! I was mad at Cao Pi!

Zhao Yun POV

We're almost reaching our destination at Koei HQ. First I will settle the matter with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. They're happy to know that I have my own game, but I still haven't gotten over their mistakes. Kongming for one, I was dead when things at his campaign became malicious. It's no secret that Shuhan becomes corrupted because of the people at the court he had connections with. People like Yang Yi…. He could not resolve the issue between Yang Yi and Wei Yan. I can't look over this mess. This harms my reputation as an honorable, incorruptible man. So why does this have to do with me? Because I'm supposed to be Shu's example of a soldier. No need to go over with Liu Bei because he was a ruler….

Zhen Ji POV

At least, you could forgive Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. I had to deal with two men whom dishonored me and my family. My former daughter in law never wanted to speak with me because of Cao Rui. My nephew wants nothing to do with the Cao family anymore. Yun, your situation isn't worse than mine. It's hard for me to be as popular as you because of what 'they' had done. Sun Shangxiang gets a free pass because she was Liu Bei's wife and could fight. Wang Yi couldn't be as popular as Shangxiang because people feel bad about Ma Chao more than myself and her. So please don't throw away what you stand for the people.

Zhao Yun POV

Even if I forgive Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, it doesn't change the fact that fans are tired of me. My new game would either make or break my popularity. It's not for everyone. I'm afraid Zhen Ji might not make the cut in my new game because…..no, let's leave that to the developers.

"Luo, you're only relevant because of Yuan Shao and Cao Pi. But history states you involved yourself on public relations at Zhongshan before marriage," Zhao Yun said.

"And it didn't matter…." Zhen Ji sighed.

"It matters to me because I pay attention to people who are suffering from droughts, from brigand raids, and heaven knows what else could have endangered those people including your clan," Zhao Yun retorted.

Zhen Ji POV

I heard him grunt. What good does it make for ancient chinese women getting involved in that stuff when it could attract bad men like Cao Pi? This is why Koei made me into Lady Macbeth by canon!

"That's how war did to our lives, Zilong…" Zhen Ji groaned.

Zhen Ji POV

Gongsun Zan allied with the Black Mountain Bandits and that ruined the momentum on your end Zilong. People would be afraid of you if you're with the most wanted criminal of the Han Empire, Zhang Yan. I won't judge the morality of your side because Yuan Shao's side wasn't any different. People told me his soldiers committed hideous acts within the ranks.

"You can call me the bad guy, Zhenji! I prolonged the war and made the people suffer! I know you hated war as a child from Zhen Yan!" Zhao Yun shouted.

"Why are you shouting about it?! Please just tell me what's been on your mind!" Zhen Ji begged him.

A brief second later he scanned his surroundings on the streets after the traffic signal went red light. His face appear thrived by suspense. He think over everything that started the DW franchise spawning the three kingdoms genre in the gaming industry with the same biases based off the novel.

Zhao Yun POV

The only reason I'm the posterboy was because I captured the hearts and imagination of the people of China and the action genre. But, Cao Cao was the most influential man in the era after he died and I'm a nobody. Yukimura on the other hand was the Nation's Samurai and a prince. He got a big battle, while I'm stuck with being an extra on many battles except Hanshui. No….Wei historians treated me like an extra. Chen Shou just wrote carefully that I'm a great person. So why did Zhen Ji, the good country girl gets slandered in Chinese culture as the root of Eastern Han Dynasty's decline despite Cao Cao being the most heroic person of all time?

"You know what, people should have left the Three Kingdoms history forgotten! There was nothing happy about it all! People never learned and repeated the same tragedy over and over until now!" Zhen Ji burst out her frustration over him.

"So what changed after 1,800 years? Wars still exist! North Korea ruled by a spoiled brat who could give Cao Pi a run for his money! What's his name again, Kim Jung Un right?! Those people still cried for help and I'm powerless! Stuck as a celebrity relic from the past two millennium where getting married at 16 was legal! People are still confuse and divide into what they believe is either right or wrong!"

Zhen Ji POV

See, that's the problem. Nobody could tell from right or wrong. There were thousands military and state personnel. The governors were cut off from it's Empire because of the Anti Dong Zhuo coalition. I watched outside as those people were in dire need of the capital's support for resources and only those provincial lords would provide it. It was a frustrating period for them…and for me. Zilong, I know what it's like to be one of the few benevolent people to exist. I'm truly sorry for how much you suffered on your end because of the men I know from Zihuan. But now is not the time to think about that crap from our past. It was a failed generation. I lived being all beautiful because of how little Cao Cao and Cao Pi cared for the people after their families established royalties. What made matters worse was how little my family involved in the corruption and greed on that side. Do you understand Zilong? I was humiliated in all my life! You are not alone!

"What Cao Pi did to me was the wrong. Now, shall we resume our ride back to work?" Zhen Ji pointed at the traffic where the green light been lit.

Zhao Yun stepped the petal to move the car pass the traffic before other drivers behind him will punch their horns. The modern world is not so pleasant with him compare to the people he saw in the past life: Changshan, Zhongshan, Bei Ping, Ye, Xin Ye, Gui Yang, Jiang Zhou, Cheng Du, and Han Zhong.

The modern world never saw the Three Kingdoms in person. They shouldn't know because it was the bloodest period in history of East Asia. Those people, those soldiers he fought, all accounted for over a man's twisted ambition to kick the Han emperor off his throne after the hardships with honor and loyalty.

Zhao Yun POV

Even thought, I believed Liu Bei was fighting for the people and was loyal to the deposed Emperor….

"I've killed and self pitted those men serving Cao Cao for the Han…" Zhao Yun sighed.

"You're not to blame for their choices on serving him. It's what they're paid to feed their poor families. You know how Cao Cao's agriculture reform works to get more troops to maintain order. I don't speak for the men who died, but I knew about lost. My life was nothing, but tragedy Zilong," she hated that part of her life. The women and children who lost their husbands, fathers, and sons during wars unbeknownst the risk on serving Cao Cao.

"Couldn't tell if they're Cao Cao's men or the Emperor's men, but I continued to fight because of what they did at Changban," Zhao Yun turned his eye quickly to see she's frowning on his reasons fighting against Cao Cao.

"Remember, I can't do anything. Just look all beautiful to make Cao Cao and Cao Pi happy. It's depressing…" Zhen Ji looked at him, but his eyes retreated to his concentrating on driving.

"Everything was depressing back then, Luo," Zhao Yun added.

"Yes, everything. So you must put yourself at the center of the tragedy and say, 'I care!' with that reassuring smile! That's charisma!" Zhen Ji nodded.

She's trying to cheer him up, so he take it as a compliment.

Zhen Ji POV

I was never truly happy with myself, Zilong. But being next to you restores a part of me I struggled to obtain a long time ago. I look sly in the games and checked myself on the mirror and said 'Is this the real me whom people that read the novel believed?' That can't be me. I don't remember ever being snarky. The script I read during dialogues, I talked that way before. Tedious as it was, how could that be me? I know it was for entertaining the theme of Honor vs Reason, it's so hard for me to appreciate the role I'm given on the franchise other than kicking butt with my lethal kicks. Then after Dynasty Warriors 8, I became an annoyance. I started acting like I represent all women in general. I look at myself in the mirror and compare myself to the rest of the female cast. Had I became the joke that loathe feminists? Compare to Cao Pi who acts like he's better than anyone else, I'm not even likable like Wang Yuanji. Zilong still gets to be the most popular male character in the game, but I'm starting to fade…

Zhao Yun snapped her out of deep thought, "We arrived our destination, Luo."

He parked his car at the parking lot and the roaring engines on the car stopped. The window contrasted by the morning sun's reflection. He covered front view with sunshades. Zhen Ji helped him during adjustments.

"I can't wait to see our friends inside!" she sang.

Zhao Yun POV

She loves the celebrity life more because of me. Am I an inspiration to her? Am I truly an inspiration to the fans? What about the people inside?

"Yun, remember to show that charismatic smile. Think about the children that will grow up and not the haters that loathe you," Zhen Ji advised him.

"I will gladly heed your wisdom, my lady," Zhao Yun smiled back.

"That's it, my lord! The white knight!" Zhen Ji prepares to get out of the car while Zhao Yun watches her.

Zhen Ji POV

I got out of the car and engage in fresh and clear spring air. I love the amiobe smell of spring and next month will be Mother's Day. Koei Card Collection will be ready to release a new version of my card. I feel bad about players milking 30 bucks to get my cards. Koei loves ripping off their fans. Now that we're finally here, I will check up on Oichi. ZIlong is going to settle his personal issues with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang may have life difficulties, but so does Zhao Yun.

Inside the Koei Building…

"My guess is correct, Xuande. The whole cast is divided on Zilong getting his own game. It's my fault he's been under scrutiny for getting covered more than 10 titles. It's my fault, people don't believe he did the Empty Castle in history and it's my fault I cost him a loss…." Zhuge Liang with Liu Bei, saw the other cast at an uproar over Zhao Yun getting his own game.

"We had our own games decades ago and we've been the main characters longer than before Omega developed Dynasty Warriors…" Liu Bei groaned.

The famed Sleeping Dragon checked on the Wu and Wei strategists arguing, "The odds are heavily weighted upon him. He was mostly known in the novel on fighting. It's like the world's against him getting his own game."

Liu Bei gazed at his beloved 'son' chastity. It's adoring that he, like Zilong, acting like a little brother worrying about his big brother's well being.

"We know he'll come through all this jeering here. Everyone in Shu remain quiet and would not dare question his right to have his own game. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei seen it coming a li away. Huang Zhong boasted over it. Pang Tong and Xu Shu have no words to say over the good news," Liu Bei said firmly.

"And Ma Chao…" Zhuge Liang shot a frown.

"Hahahah…he doesn't give a damn as long as he can kill Cao Cao in the new game!" Liu Bei laughed.

"Everyone 'exclude Fa Zheng' on our side hates Cao Cao for many reasons," Zhuge Liang chuckled.

"And history favors Cao Cao," Liu Bei nodded.

"I hate to agree with it, but the brat who wrote our history against my wishes had slander my reputation as a military leader because of how I treated his father. He exposed our flaws…our struggles on stabilizing ShuHan and resisting Cao Cao," Zhuge Liang grunted.

"History will not forget us, old friend. Chen Shou was fated to reveal our struggles against Cao Cao…" Liu Bei sighed.

Zhao Yun and Zhen Ji soon arrived from where Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are standing. The Sleeping Dragon's senses dart at Zhen Ji's presence.

"You scandalous woman….if you had the courage to take your own life before that wicked man saw your filthy body, all the people of Han China would never have suffered under the greed and tyranny of your favorite in laws!" Zhuge Liang slowly confronted Lady Zhen face to face with wrathful eyes upon the voluptuous woman.

Liu Bei made a loud groan, "Not now Kongming, she was just a woman. Remember, I abandoned Lady Gan and Mi, they would have ended up the same way if it weren't for Guan Yu."

"But she's different! Deep within this whore's personality, she wanted a greater fortune so in exchange for her body, she became Cao Pi's wife and sold the fate of our dying country for disgusting lust! She set a bad example towards all Chinese woman in general! Every Confucian scholar knows what she represents in the chaos!" Zhuge Liang's loud criticism towards Zhen Ji brought the entire cast of Dynasty Warriors attention on them.

"Zhen Ji!" Cai Wenji hurried to embrace a hug, but Zhen Ji did not fetch. She is staring at the famous Shu strategist angrily.

"You're pissed because what I said about you is the truth," Zhuge Liang waved his fan satisfyingly.

"That's only true in Dynasty Warriors!" Zhen Ji snarled.

"And the novel…." Zhuge Liang continued, but Zhen Ji cut him short.

"Luo Guanzhong doesn't know how I truly feel on that incident! I could tear his book in a half and holler over his biased crap about me!" Zhen Ji refuted.

"But, you were happy, you scandalous whore…"Zhuge Liang's wrathful expression did not change and his eyes never escaped her femme anxiety.

"That was after Chi Bi! It wasn't easy getting adapted into Cao Cao's family!" Zhen Ji now fed up with his comments.

"Kongming!" Zhao Yun came to her defense looking very disappointed with the man he trusted the most for a lifetime.

"Zilong…." Zhuge Liang didn't look at him and kept his eyes on what he considers 'cancer'.

"If you have a problem with her existence, I suggest you take it out on me…" Zhao Yun stared at him.

Zhao Yun POV

Now I put myself at the center of attention. The people who respect me, the people who hated me, and the people whom I inspired. Zhuge Liang is one of them. I helped him become a military leader because of my experience and was the first to trust him. He's one of the people who will be in my game.

To Be Continued.