The thoughts that flowed through young Yuan Yao's head as he approached the enemy camp should have been filled with dread. As the crown prince and heir apparent to "Emperor" Yuan Shu, however tentative that title was with the chaos engulfing the nation, Yao should have been concerned about the myriad of assassins and bandits that would make a tidy profit off of his head, or a literal king's random should be captured. Even his esteemed Yuan bloodline was having little success quelling the dissention that was splitting the Han Dynasty apart like sand against the tide, and so Yao was a prime target for Shu's many enemies.
But at Yao's insistence, he accompanied his father's general Ji Ling into the enemy camp near Xiaopei. Unlike his father and uncle Shao, who had earned impressive reputations as successful warlords in the chaotic times, Yao had spent almost the entirety of the turmoil in the security of his castles. The esteemed Yuan family were strong advocates of enjoying the succor that their nobility allowed them, and Yuan Shu's dreams in particular were grandiose with excess and wealth. Because of this, Yao had spent all of his life under the full protection of the Han, knowing nothing else but a life of privilege.
Yuan Yao hoped to change that as he stepped into the camp, with the enemy's troops tending to his horse while he dismounted. "Your swords, please," one of the soldiers said to them.
"...you cannot be serious," Ji Ling growled as he reached for the hilt of his blade, causing the attending soldiers to reach for their own weapons. "Do you think us foolish enough that we would enter this unarmed? My lord Yuan Shu has come to you with the intention of taking this land, and your heads! What reason to believe that you will not do the same to us when we let our guard down?"
"Do as he says, general," Yao said softly before removing the sword from his hilt and handing it to the attendant. "These are talks of peace, and there is no need for a blade if the enemy abides by the same standard."
"And how do we know that they have done so, my lord?" Ji Ling retorted, still holding onto the hilt of his sword.
Yao's answer came in the form of pointing his finger to the halberd that lay outside the general's tent, and this was all Ji Ling needed to confirm the enemy's sincerity. Though Yao had never seen the weapon in person, the craftsmanship of the tall weapon was unmistakable. The famed Sky Scorcher was a weapon that was sought after by all warriors, for claiming the weapon would result in adulation and confirmation as a true legend of the era. This was because the wielder of the weapon was rarely seen without it, and all who had tried to wrest it from him met a bad end.
Once the general relented and gave his sword to the attendant, the two were escorted into the tent with the setting sun giving the abode an orange hue while day gave way into night. The reactions of the two men as they entered the tent gave evidence to the stark contrasts of their upbringing. Ji Ling's face hardened through years of conflict revealed a sense of high anxiety as already seated in the tent was the very man that Yuan Shu ordered Ji Ling to slay, and the reaction of his target was more than mutual. Both of them were disarmed, and they assessed this the moment their eyes met.
But Yao, whose clean face still held the youthful beauty of innocence, and whose hair that shone like the blade of the sword still fresh from blood, had a very different reaction. As soon as he was shown his spot at the table, Yao brought his hands together and bowed to his father's enemy. "Master Liu Bei," Yao said with the polite friendliness of a noble that was taught to respect his elders. "It is an honor to finally meet you. I am Yuan Yao, son of Yuan Shu, and I have heard many tales of your valor."
Liu Bei nervously returned the greeting before again looking to Ji Ling's wary glare, troubling him so much that he found considerably more comfort in Yao's eyes that revealed a more steady soul. "...please forgive my confusion, Lord Yao," he finally said through a puzzled grin. "I was not expecting your company this evening. I received word that your father had called your army to arms against me and that we were to prepare for battle. Had I known his mission was nobler, I would have extended a more appropriate reception."
"Then why are we sitting in here in your tent...unless you are conducting some sort of scheme," Ji Ling released an accusation before preparing to leave the tent. "Come, my prince: we should leave before-"
"You will do no such thing."
The voice was low, but its intentions were unmistakable like the thunder before a lightning strike. Without even having a chance to turn their heads, both Liu Bei and Ji Ling found themselves frozen in place by the host of their meeting as he stepped into the tent, dressed in his full battle armor. Yuan Yao, who had been placed so that he was facing the tent's entrance, caught a full glimpse of their host, but unlike the other two, he did not freeze with fright.
The tales of this man were almost abundant, and even his steed had a name among the legends of war that China had to offer. Lu Bu the Destroyer, Lu Bu the Flying General, Lu Bu the Betrayer...and in Yuan Yao's secrets, Lu Bu the God of War. Lu Bu was even more awe-inspiring than his father described: tall, but not thin. Muscular, but not large. A strong face that carried itself with power and intimidation even in a neutral setting such as this. What Yuan Yao witnessed was the aura of warrior perfection. By stepping into the tent and simply sitting down, Lu Bu had turned his father's trusted general and the popular hero Liu Bei into mere children.
Lu Bu's glare turned to Yuan Yao, who snapped to attention and bowed his head. "...boy," he said curtly. "State your name."
"I am Yuan Yao, son of Yuan Shu, come to observe this meeting with my father's blessing," Yao said with his head still bowed. "It is a supreme honor to meet the man who saved our land from Dong Zhuo's tyranny."
"...tyranny is a very subjective terms these days, boy," Lu Bu said as he turned to Ji Ling, and then to Liu Bei. "For example, I received a decree from the Imperial Court that I should do everything in my power to rip the throat from the neck of your father, who believes that he is now the Emperor just because he has the Imperial Seal...and my little brother Liu Bei has been called by some as a pretender who uses his surname to claim fame and prestige to which he has little right."
Yao sensed that Lu Bu was trying to intimidate him by mentioning the death warrant that has been placed on his father, and by extension himself, but the prince's naivete gave him the bravery that came from not seeing first-hand the butchering of soldiers that Lu Bu was capable of. To that end, he pressed on. "Litigation and distribution of power can come after we have united the land. The sooner we as gentlemen and servants of the Han can come to an agreement, the sooner we can smite those that would bring destruction to us."
"Quite right," Lu Bu spoke up as Ji Ling and Liu Bei continued to avoid eye contact with their host. "In these times of chaos, it is important for us to stay together or be washed away in the torrent of change. Yuan Shu has requested that I aid him in his campaign against Liu Bei and has given me gifts as incentive...but Liu Bei is my little brother who offered my men a home when they had none. I am sure both of you understand my predicament."
Ji Ling gulped as he felt Lu Bu stare a hole into him. "...do you mean to cut me down, Lu Bu?" Ji Ling whispered in fear.
"Not at all," Lu Bu shook his head before turning to Liu Bei, who Yao noticed that although he had been called the Flying General's little brother, trembled with fear as much as Ji Ling. "...and do not worry, Brother Liu, I will not cut you down this evening. No one will die today, for I have been called upon by the Heavens to bring peace."
Talks of peace were thrown around by warlords and generals in these chaotic times with reckless abandon, to a point where even the hail of arrows from all of the archers in both their armies paled in comparison to the declarations of virtue tossed around. But there were few who could talk of peace and still make men tremble in fear like Lu Bu: a trait he must have inherited from his former commander Dong Zhuo. But like a child, Yao stared at Lu Bu in wonder as the general stood up.
"You might find this hard to believe, gentlemen, but I absolutely detest conflict. I see my dominance on the battlefield not as an instrument to wage war, but an asset used to make peace. All my life I have prided myself on stopping arguments and promoting harmony," the general motioned to one of the guards, who moments later came back with Lu Bu's halberd. Ji Ling and Liu Bei both broke into a cold sweat in a cool sunset air as the killer of tens of thousands of warriors stood before them in all of his glory.
"...why do you cower?" Yao said in his infinite bravery.
"They cower because they only see me as the reaper of lives," Lu Bu grunted with a faint hint of the violent intent that backed up his guests' ideas of him. Turning around and motioning for his guests to follow him, Lu Bu handed the halberd to another attendant, who then rode out onto a horse. The guests watched as the attendant rode the horse to the outskirts of the camp, and into the open fields, where the halberd was firmly planted into the ground.
Once the attendant returned, Lu Bu was handed a bow and quiver while he continued where he left off. "I was granted unlimited might so that I may make peace, and so I come to you with a wager. I will hit the left branch of my halberd with this shot, and if I am to miss, you are to return to your respective camps and do what you will. But if I hit my mark, Yuan Shu will withdraw his forces upon drafting an official truce between him and Liu Bei."
"Lord Lu Bu, that's insane," Liu Bei protested. "You'd wager the safety of my men on a foolhardy bet? That's easily 150 paces away from where you are now, and in that exact spot? I refuse to go along with this insanity!"
Lu Bu's expression quickly curled into a snarl as he turned to Liu Bei and pulled back on his bow. "If you'd prefer, I'll save Yuan Shu the trouble and put this arrow through the back of your head!" When Liu Bei backed off, he heard Ji Ling chuckle before he turned his arrow on him, and the general sucked his breath inward like quicksand. Seeing that he made his point, Lu Bu turned to Yuan Yao, who only watched with great enthusiasm.
"Your skepticism is painful, but so is the naivete of the prince, for none of you have witnessed what I'm truly like. I've been condemned as a monster, hailed as a god, but these are only part of the might of Lu Bu. I am also the hero who slew the traitor Dong Zhuo, and will now bring everlasting peace to this region!" Pulling back on the bow in full, Lu Bu turned to the halberd that reflected the last gasps of the day, and fired just as the sun fully set into the mountains. "By my unlimited might, I now bring upon you all...PEACE!"
Though the light was diminishing rapidly, everyone in the camp clearly saw what happened next. Just as Lu Bu has promised, the arrow bounced off of the hook of the halberd, much to the relief of Liu Bei and astonishment of Ji Ling. Yao was quite impressed, and enthusiastically praised his host. "Truly awe-inspiring, Master Lu Bu," he pipped as Lu Bu reached for a second arrow with a grin on his face. "Father says you are a demon who eats men's lives, but I see now that he is wrong! You are a hero...no, you are a god!"
"A god? HMPH! You discredit me, boy," Lu Bu said with a scoff before firing a second arrow, this time through one of the tiny slits of the halberd. Then he fired a third, a fourth, and a fifth arrow, and each one struck true. "Gods come and go, but my strength and deeds with echo throughout the ages, long after all of us have passed on! I am Lu Bu, and my power defies all logic and time!"
"...I don't believe it," Ji Ling said incredulously. "How am I supposed to tell my lord, who has given me 100,000 men to overtake this region, that we are to retreat just because you managed to hit an impossible shot like that!"
"Then it's a good thing your prince decided to tag along and witness it," Lu Bu replied bluntly before he handed the bow and quiver back to the attendant while another fetched his halberd and arrows. "If Yuan Shu doesn't even believe the word of the one who wants to succeed him, then I'll write a letter confirming it...AFTER we have a banquet to commemorate this truce."
The attendants once again came to the generals' aid, leading them to the tent where they would eat and drink and be merry, or at least as merry as they could be with Lu Bu intimidating them. Ji Ling and Liu Bei did not say a word to each other as they were escorted to the banquet, but Yuan Yao did not need such prompting to look forward to the evening. With a simple show of strength, Lu Bu had quelled his father's army without taking a life, and spared thousands of lives as a result. He knew that when he would become Emperor, Yao would be fortunate to even remotely emulate that show of power. He happily trailed Lu Bu towards the banquet tent, where he would eagerly ask his hosts of tales of his might and valor...
...until someone passed by the corner of his eye. It was only a fleeting moment that came to his attention, but it was often fleeting moments that turned the wheels of fate, and though Yuan Yao did not realize it at the time, this fleeting moment would be the push that would turn his wheel of fate into a gradual acceleration out of control. Though even if he had an inkling of what this moment would do to his life, it was unlikely he would do anything about it.
He fully turned his head to what caught his eye, and immediately his life was changed forever. Gone was the reason he came to this camp, gone was the eagerness to prove himself to his father, and even his admiration of Lu Bu's strength dwindled. Now all of his attention was fixated on...this woman. This perfectly crafted young thing wearing black armor, but left her luscious legs exposed for him to see. And her face...truly the visage of a goddess, with short light hair, jewel-like iris, and lips that silently beckoned him to turn away from his party.
Though Yao was still young, even he was not oblivious enough to the handsome looks that he was blessed with, and was quite popular with the women of the court. Moreover, there had been a few occasions where he would court the dancing girls and share tea with them, though never a bed. But this young lady, who danced with her weapon with such bravery and skill that she might as well have been wielding a paintbrush, defied all of the pleasurable company in his kingdom.
Yao carefully hid himself behind a tent and watched this stranger train as vigorously and skillfully as any man, wielding twin pikes that she soon put together to create a cross of blades that she proceeded to spin around over her head. Slowly at first, but soon the blades were spinning with such fury that the blades blurred into it was like she was holding nothing at all. All the while, her short war dress started to gradually elevate, revealing more and more of her legs...even going as far as her undergarments for a very brief moment.
Yao quickly turned away when he caught that glimpse, ashamed of himself for taking such lewd delights in a woman that he had never met. He did not even know her name, but how could he dare ask a woman such as this her name? Would a mortal dare ask a god their name and not expect to receive severe punishment? This woman of almost mystic beauty was wielding weapons that must have been almost as heavy as she was with such ease: what would sort of wrath would she incur upon him if she knew what he saw just now?
"Who's there!?"
The whooshing of the pikes suddenly stopped as the weapon came to a halt while her voice was directed at the tent Yao was behind. "You, behind the tent! Show yourself, or I will come over there and cut you in half!"
Yao steeled his nerves and revealed himself, believing in the woman's threat and deciding that if he were to be sent to the afterlife by her, it would be best to see his death coming rather than to have it take him when he wasn't ready. The youth bowed his head to the girl and introduced himself. "I am Yuan Yao, son of Yuan Shu, and I apologize if I upset you. I could not help but be mesmerized by your dance, for it exhibited the chill of the winter and the beauty of the spring."
The young lady seemed unimpressed, but at least now Yao could start with the sweet talk if he hoped to act upon his desires. She did not say a word, which Yao took as an opportunity to continue introducing himself. He spoke to her about his lineage, his father, his reason for being in the camp, and the exploits of the Yuan family name. With his political wit honed through years of sitting in his father's council, he assessed what she took interest in, and focused on those areas. What she seemed interested in most of all was his admiration for Lu Bu.
"...Master Lu Bu is truly a legend of our time. My father has had doubts about his sincerity, but after witnessing him make peace between my father and Master Liu Bei, I do not doubt that he will help bring prosperity back to this land," Yao celebrated his host's praises, to which Lingqi nodded in agreement.
"Our lord's pursuit of strength is an inspiration to all of us to who take up the martial arts. Even in these chaotic times, he is driven by the pursuit of self-improvement, and conquers everything that stands in his path. Even his own pride in his strength is nothing but a minor hindrance as he seeks perfection."
"Perfection...like you, my lady?"
There was the faintest twinkle in the girl's eye as Yao said that, and it did not escape his notice. Even a woman as heavenly beautiful as she had some sort of warmth, and it was here that Yao gained the courage to stare deep into her eyes and hold onto her hands. To his good fortune, she did not recoil or punish him for his forwardness. "My lady, Master Lu Bu is holding a fine banquet in one of the other tents. I would be honored if you would join me and share some tea."
"...my lady Lingqi?"
The girl turned away from the youth as she was called by her name, to where Lu Bu's strategist Chen Gong was waiting for her near the entrance of the camp. "Lingqi..." Yao repeated softly as he realized that in his eagerness to spend the night with this girl, he didn't even have a chance to ask her name. He repeated the name once more, and once he had her attention, he asked her what her name was in a proper fashion.
"...Lu Lingqi, daughter of our lord, Lu Bu..."
The words resonated through Yao's mind like a gong. Whatever belief he had that Lu Bu was of mortal origin dissipated as he realized that the goddess that walked into the tent at Chen Gong's behest was sired by none other than the man that his family could thank for the lack of bloodshed that evening. No mortal man could possibly be the father of one so breathtakingly beautiful, putting even the most brilliant flower to shame. And not only that, but she had the same aura of danger as her father, but it was the kind of danger that men would challenge in hopes of attaining fortune.
In Yao's case, what he sought to gain was a woman's heart, and a life of everlasting love and tranquility, in lieu of wealth and notoriety.
Yao followed Chen Gong into the banquet and finally joined his host. Ji Ling and Liu Bei were understandably not as eager to engage in merriment with each other as with the other guests, but other than the tension between two would-be foes, the party was agreeable. Lu Bu was a gracious guest, still intimidating but not overly aggressive and cruel after a few drinks, but overseeing the party to make sure that there was no foul play. Lu Bu's lover Diao Chan even performed a dance for the guests, much to the men's enjoyment.
But even the fabled beauty of Diao Chan did not hold Yao's interest for long, as the only person he had any interest in was the woman who quietly sat next to her father, eating sparingly and speaking only to her father. Every now and then she would glance in Yao's direction when speaking, but to Yao's good fortune, her father did not look to him with any menace. If he did, Yao was certain that he would meet a grotesque end for daring to lust for his daughter.
Yao enjoyed the meal and drink, but held off on indulging himself as he was necessary for Ji Ling to return to his horse and to the camp as he had become quite drunk. Lu Bu drafted his letter confirming the truce as promised, and Yuan Shu's forces prepared to return to their camp. However, as Yao waited for Ji Ling to make himself decent, he was approached by Chen Gong once more. Chen Gong's reputation as a clever man was known almost universally throughout the land, and was considered by Yuan Shu as a key reason why Lu Bu had yet to be put down like the animal he was. With a charming smile, Chen Gong bowed to Yao and referred to him by his honorary title of Crown Prince.
Yao returned the bow with a smile as Chen Gong stated his business. "I take it you enjoyed meeting with our lord's daughter Lingqi?"
Yao nodded his head but showed a hint of lamentation in his admitting this. "I feel like I have sinned by being so enamored by the daughter of such an esteemed general. No...even ignoring her bloodline, she carries herself with such strength and valor, that a humble prince like myself cannot hope to please her."
Chen Gong smile became warmer as he offered the young crown prince solace, for as a master of people, he was quite familiar with how a man acted when he was in unrequited love. "Lady Lingqi is very much like her father, and loves him dearly, so it is understandable that she would be cold to the son of one who would do our lord Lu Bu harm. However, I am sure that if relationships between your fathers improved, then even someone as aloof as her would warm up to your limitless affections to her."
"But how?"
"You leave that up to me, young master," Chen Gong replied as Yi Ling's retainers helped the drunken general onto his horse, and Yao prepared to leave the camp with both his father's general and the letter he carried in lieu of his sobriety. "For now, return to your father's kingdom, and look forward to the day where you and the Lady can enjoy the nuptial apartment."