Our Legend
Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warriors or Romance of the Three Kingdoms; these are semi-fictional interpretations on people who actually existed. Point is…its just fan fiction.
Authors Notes: These are almost original characters but not really because these people really existed and this is just my take on them. Seriously inspiration hits in the weirdest places. Also mind you this is fiction and in dynasty warriors has time ever really mattered? So certain people will be alive who wouldn't be and the like. Screw history! Enjoy the read. I needed a small break from my other fic.
Prologue: Pi, Lin, and Shi
"Up!"
"Go away…" He groaned rolling over burying his face back into his pillow trying to drift back to the sweet bliss in which he called sleep. It was one of the few times he got peace from everyone in this mad house. He had to damn Cao Chuang, because of his young death he was being pounded with a work load that was synonymous nightmare.
"Okay…" The gentle voice cooed.
Another moment of peace, until he felt his long hair being given gentle tug from three different places on his scalp. He was used to this sort of thing of course after all he knew very well who this little voice happened to be. His half-sister Cao Lin, daughter of Lady Du, who was daughter of a concubine. "Lin… Stop braiding my hair." He growled finally rolling over onto his back letting his strands of hair slip out of her small hands.
"It looks pretty though, Pi" She protested knowing very well he wouldn't change his mind about the subject. Still she waited for him to open his eyes and sit up already wearing her smile for the day. His eyes indeed opened, and he spent a few minutes simply laying there before rising up giving his sister a stern expression before reaching to feel the bottom of his long hair braided. Quickly he unraveled it sighing slightly. "Junyi also thinks so."
"One reason I intend not to sport the braid and I don't want Uncle Dun spending all day calling me "Princess" again." Glancing down at his feet he noted Lin was blocking a straight path for his legs to escape his blanket. Focusing on Lin for a moment he sighed in defeat knowing exactly why she was here this early besides to pretty him up. Folding his legs he pushed back the blanket before spinning and putting them down upon the ground. Sitting on the edge of his bed he glanced down at his sister and sighed, "…Get on."
Happily Lin clapped her hands together before crawling on the bed on all fours, before wrapping her arms about her brother's neck. His hands reached wrapping up under her legs then rising to his feet. The boy would never understand why women liked piggy back rides so much, but it was one of Lin's favorite hobbies. While his peers knew him to be an arrogant jerk, apparently to his sister he was an idol of worship. Not that he minded all the time, if only all women thought that way.
Cao Lin giggled in delight as the two left the room and headed down the hallway, her eyes searching the rooms as if they were new to her. They weren't, but she knew she might just discover a new sibling or relative in the palace that she hadn't yet met. Her father was always coming home with new ladies that were staying, some partially clothed, others nearly stripped to their birthday suits, and there was the occasional royal looking ones but they were never so nice as the ones brother referred to as 'whores'. Apparently her grandmother was a whore, but Cao Lin hadn't any idea what the meaning of such a word was. Did her grandma like to walk around with little cloths on too? Maybe she had inherited it… Cao Lin couldn't blame her, royal cloths didn't breath as easy as the other ladies' cloths do.
Entering the dining hall he found himself entering in the midst of a conversation he would have preferred to miss. His father sat at the table already digging into his meal, his mother Lady Bian sitting listening in as Sima Yi read off the morning status reports of Xu Chang. Most of the reports were people bickering over cattle and the city idiot would come up with a daily report of someone else long established in the city being a spy for Dong Zhuo, who had been dead for years.
"About time you go up," His father noted interrupting Sima Yi's monotone droning of the reports. "and good morning princess." He added with a slight smile as he saw Cao Lin latched onto her brother.
"Morning Daddy!" The girl replied delightedly squirming a little for Pi to pick up the clue she wanted to be let down. Doing so she ran up greeting her father with a hug by jumping into his chair, which he responded somewhat still always surprised by the girl's openness. Bian would give her a stiff glance finding it inappropriate behavior for a lady, but with her son the heir to the kingdom she had little to worry about.
"Little Lin sit yourself down, you too Pi come have breakfast." Bian patted the seat near her motioning for her son to cover and sit. Mengde set Lin down in the seat next to him.
"You may continue." Cao Cao waved his hand towards Sima Yi.
"Right sir," He cleared his throat glad that the annoying childish interruptions were now over. While with four wives of his own Zhang Chunhua handled the children quite well. "This morning a one Pi Nis…" He paused his face turned red flustered a bit while Cao Cao only snickered a bit, Cao Pi doing so a bit more being a preteen boy.
"Zhongda," Bian addressed him in a sarcastic affection, "Maybe you ought to have someone proof read those before you read them in front of Cao Cao, especially with children pleasant."
"Right ma'am" He cleared his throat skipping this said claim and looking back down the scroll, "Here we are, last piece of business to be addressed is the matter of the soldiers' morale decline with in the city."
"Festival!" Cao Lin would shout in a manner that Cao Pi was certain would cause Sima Yi to pop a blood vessel that was pulsating so bolding on his forehead. In fact he was so amused and hoping the man would fall dead that he moved to encourage his sister onward.
"Festivals are never a bad idea to get people in a good mood." Cao Pi smirked before taking another bite from the food set in front of him by the servants. If his sister were next to him he'd give her some sort of pat on the head just to spite the man and for giving him more reason to make him cringe. "Really ought to consider holding an annual festival. A day off work for the soldiers and yourself…"
"And fire works!" Cao Lin cheered in delight as her brother supported her behavior.
"A clever girl," Sima Yi commented rolling his eyes a little bit which brought Cao Cao's eyes to rest upon him piercingly.
"I do believe my daughter has quite the idea there. Clever indeed. You know, I've been toying the idea to have her mind expanded a little, the little princess is always stalking about naively piecing things together she shouldn't." Such as over heard conversations in which she would repeat to him, which took a nice bribe or to with some sort of sweet to keep her mouth shut. Not that she was blackmailing him but it was a move to motivate her to do as he said. "Maybe I ought to have you over see some of her studies Zhongda,"
Bian's expression changed a bit as he mentioned Lady Du's daughter perhaps learning from Sima Yi. What was she to think of this? Well quite obviously she was concerned, the man Sima Yi was ambitious man and Little Lin was no matter how much she may not of approved of the behavior, was Cao Cao's little girl. Cao Lin innocently blinked her eyes looking towards a fairly speechless Cao Pi then towards her father.
"S-sir you cannot be serious! I teach only of strategy of war, not anything of domestic espionage for women to be in with the latest gossips." The man tried to argue nearly stunned at this proposal.
"Who said that she wouldn't go to battle? You train her, and when she is of age to enter the battlefield you will oversee her abilities. Not as if Cao Pi will not be there to watch her, this is hardly baby sitter work." Cao Cao smirked a little, "Then again if it's a challenge you can't d-"
"There is NO challenge that I cannot overcome, Lord Cao." Sima Yi's expression changed a little figuring this was once more a test. Did the man not realize he had children of wives of his own he could certainly train a little princess. "I have handled that bast – I mean coward named Zhuge Liang, a little Cao Lin should be an easy task. She will receive no special treatment from any other soldier though."
"I expect nothing less, Pi go with Lin and Zhongda for the day. You could use to catch up on your studies instead of standing in the presence of officials and showing them up. You'll eventually run out of witty, smart ass remarks if you don't pick up a damn scroll once in a while." Cao Cao waved his hand towards the three, "Finish your meals then go. I have to contemplate with festival idea." He could use a holiday, a day off to as his wished, his eyes slyly looking to Bian's figure at this point. Not a bad idea at all Lin.
Xxx
This was no task for him, nothing that he ought to be left up to doing. The way the child acted anyways only led him to believe she was some nitwit like every other girl. Not as though Cao Cao could really be serious about it, he could easily marry her off to gain more power with in some noble line. Hell all four of his wives gave him great connections, and was positive proof that he was not sleeping with the fairy who liked to steal his robes and mock him.
Pushing open the door to the library Sima Yi led in the two Cao children who were following after quickly. Cao Pi hadn't any trouble keeping up, though Little Lin had been running at points to keep up with them. Her royal gown was hardly something to run in, so she stumbled a few times but avoided tripping which was an accomplishment in itself.
In the library sat two children both on the floor their lower halves nearly covered by scrolls.
"Shi! Zhou!" He snapped looking to the two boys whom instantly looked up, Shi oddly holding an expression not too different from Cao Pi's own.
"Yes father?"
"Surely you know the young Prince Cao Pi already,"
"We've met." Shi lip curled a little looking to the other boy only a year or so older then himself. The two had already established some boyhood rivalry keeping them at odds. Never had it resorted to violence, but they'd both by the end of an argument they'd abandon all logic and start using words and terms said by their fathers to gain the upper hand failing to realize the actual meaning or the occasional immature 'Your mom' comment.
"and this would be Princess Cao Lin" As Sima Yi introduced her with a wave of his sleeve he looked down to find the girl gone. His eyes widened as he looked side to side, then sighed realizing where she was. "Lin come out, I'm not spinning my neck around."
"Oh I was looking forward to seeing this one hundred and eighty degree turn your head could do." Cao Pi replied reaching to grab his sister out from behind Sima Yi.
"Prince, while I still have several reports to do maybe you and Shi could start by helping Zhao and Lin ought with learning their basic characters alright? Literacy is a key in learning," Sima asked though it was a basic order before he turned to exit the room with out another word. He was developing a severe headache because of them.
The moment the door closed Sima Shi's eyes set upon Cao Pi, two boys both uncommonly attractive paired with intelligence were now in a setting that could easily start up some new competition. Sima Shi, like Cao Pi sporting long dark locks of hair, dressed in fine silks, the man looked nearly as decorated as Cao Pi. The ambition of the Sima's that made Pi ever wary of the man. "Here we are again…"
"Quite," Shi remarked, "Only I do believe last time we met you were sporting some braid."
"Yes…" Cao Pi bit his lip glaring angrily at the constant reminder of that memory. "My hair dresser just happens to like to dress me before I wake."
"I thought it looked good…" Cao Lin frowned a little more before looking towards Shi sitting there reading the scrolls. She had met neither of the boys, and Sima hadn't done the best job of introducing the two of them. Were they his sons? "Are you training too?"
"Training?" Shi's brows furrowed a little at the question, "I'm just indulging in my studies girl, something your brother neglects so often for the lime light."
"Ah?" Lin was about to question further before the doors flung open and Bian was seen staring eyes burning furiously as she rested her eyes upon her eldest son.
"Pi… Come with me, now."
Pi swallowed hard, he knew what was going to happen. His mom was about to kick his ass, Zhang must of ratted him out. "Mother…"
"I'm not in the mood, what were you thinking switching Zhi's juice for wine?!" Didn't help he was begging for more, Pi may have just succeeded in creating an alcoholic of his younger brother!
"His poetry is better when he's drunk." Yet Pi only got dragged off by his mother who had managed to even strike fear in both Sima Shi and Zhou. The door slammed shut leaving Lin standing there with the two boys.
"You're not her daughter are you?" Shi inquired worrying that one day he might had to spend his days ducking from this girl during certain periods of the month where women went insane. His nice lovable mother turned into this monster that he was certain could of defeated the mighty Lu Bu with mere scolding.
"No…" Cao Lin replied, "My mommy is Lady Du."
"Okay…" He was safe.
"…"
"Well what are you waiting for, pick up a scroll and start reading."
"Pi was supposed to teach me characters…" Lin replied with a small frown on her face.
Sighing Shi rolled his eyes a little, "Come over here and sit down, I'll teach you. These aren't hard to read though." He commented simply. Quickly Lin walked over and sat down next to the boy looking to the scroll in his hand. His eyes shifted to Cao Lin for a moment before moving back to the scroll.
"What was your name?"
"Sima Shi," He stated coldly looking from the appropriate place to start teaching the girl her characters. His eyes shifted to her and noticed her lips moving her eyes fixated on the scroll, "Wait are you reading that?"
"Yes…" Cao Lin replied absent mindedly, "Its boring."
"That's the city reports for you." Shi frowned his eyes also shifting through the city reports. Tossing the scroll over his shoulder the piece of parchment clipped his brother in the side of the head.
"Ow!" Zhou shot an unpleasant look at his brother, "Watch it!"
"Shut it," Shi grumbled before looking towards Cao Lin who was still looking at him, "What are you doing here anyways?"
"Your father is teaching me," Lin stated, "Daddy said that Zhongda was going to teach me about strategies or something. Then he mentioned going on the field when I was 'of age'"
"Wait you on the battlefield?" Zhou laughed a little looking at him, "But you're a girl."
"So what?" Cao Lin frowned, "A girl can be on the battlefield!"
"Girl's are to marry and have babies!" Zhou argued his eyes shifting to his brother looking for some back up, "Imagine mom fighting, she'd probably use her cooking supplies." The boy chuckled in delight at the very thought of it this seeming to only infuriate the small girl.
"A girl can fight just as good!" Cao Lin glared, "Besides Bian says girl's are smarter. Behind every great man is a greater woman."
Zhou burst into a fit of tears and laughter finding the idea absolutely ridiculous in his opinion. Cao Lin's face flushed red with anger though she wasn't the type to hit him, she was the type to well up in tears and force herself not to cry. Shi rolled his eyes before looking to Cao Lin who was about to cry, crap there was one thing he hated to see and that was girl's crying in front of him. A good thing that he didn't have any sisters. Taking hold of another scroll it became the weapon he used to smite his brother with a good smack across the head. "You also forgot Mother taught us how to talk to women."
"Ooow… Shi!! I'm telling!!" He cried getting up holding his head an running out of the room.
Shi's eyes shifted to Lin noticing the girl's head was bowed and she was trying to hold back a giggle of delight. "Problem solved." He smirked a little before suddenly feeling girl's body weight on his own, "W-what the!?"
"You're funny Shi!" Cao Lin declared delightedly, "I like you!"
Oh boy.
This was the start of everything.