REQUEST and ONESHOT. Cao Pi and Zhen Ji paring.
Enjoy!
Black Wealth
Disclaimer - I do not own Dynasty Warriors.
Cao Pi raised and ascended on the throne. "The old man's finally dead! He couldn't have lasted long, besides, that Zuo Ci, 'for the righteous' tried did us all a favor. Wei is in my hands."
Leaning on his hand, he ordered a servant to get him a bottle of wine.
"If only that Physician, Ji Ping killed him earlier, I could have reigned longer. Oh well. If he did kill that father, I would have been Ci's target. Ha, Cao, if you hadn't made that ridiculous move in Hefei and had Gan Ning slay you, perhaps you would have lived...to see another day. I would have killed you, but that would ruin my reputation and trust of our fellow Wei-ists. Anyway, if you had not listened to my advice...you would have lived; you listened to me, crazy old man."
Cao Pi laughed, scratching his head. "And what of Zhen Ji? She grew annoying after she learned of my ploy. So I forced her to commit suicide on the black phoenix cliff, so I still have our fellow Wei-ists trust! How clever am I!" He laughed, but then muttered, "I'm only second as long as Sima Yi's still here..."
The servant came back, handed him the glass, bowed and was about to take his leave before Cao said, "Aren't you forgetting something?" The servant bowed and replied, "I don't think so any more, Emperor Cao Pi." He left.
Cao Pi laughed. "I have but a perfect life now! No controlling father Cao, no controlling wife, no one to order me around! I am the emperor! I do the ordering! No one outranks me!" He drank.
Later on that night, he had called everyone together for a dinner banquet; many were mourning the death of Cao Cao, some were gossiping about Cao Pi, and the rest were silent. Cao Pi had absently mindedly drunk more and more that night, unable to detect why he was doing so. Sima Yi had noticed this and called the Wei emperor outside so many times before he had listened; Cao Pi didn't want to leave the castle because he was just being stubborn. He left eventually because of his drunken state, but not in a regular fashion. Sima Yi had lured him out with a bottle of wine, stepping closer to the entrance and finally, outside the castle.
"What could be the matter with this pathetic fool?" wondered Sima Yi. He handed the bottle to Cao Pi and began, "Now, what's the matter with you? Your father's death? I think you of all people should be proud."
"You know me too well, Sima Yi!" Cao Pi took a drink. "Perhaps you can figure it out instead of me telling you."
Sima Yi cursed under his breath. He knew what was wrong; he was hesitant to tell the emperor. "I know the exact source of this behavior, Emperor Cao," said he, "But I am reluctant to talk. Do you want to know what is causing this to...express from you?"
"You think you know everything," the Emperor mumbled. "So smart, are you, Sima Yi?"
"More of a genius than you!"
"Well then," said the Emperor, "You should have known better to serve me when you think you're superior to me! I am the emperor! No one tells me what to do! I do the telling!" Cao Pi smashed it on his head. Sima Yi slumped over lifelessly.
"Well," said Cao, "Just another less to obey. You know, listening to someone commanding you in a battle, Sima Yi, have always been annoying. Guo Jia, Jia Kui, Jia Xu, and even Zhen Ji have been easier to listen to than you. Three annoying people died because of me. I am so proud of myself."
Cao Pi drunkenly walked back to Luoyang Castle and seated himself on the throne again. "I love doing this," he said, "Now who else dares to try and control the great Cao Pi?"
Feeling a sense of death, Cao Pi shot forward and pivoted. "What the hell was that?" He stared at the throne, then, laughing, said, "Ha, father Cao, you think that if you followed Sima Yi's little strategies you could kill me?"
"Sima Yi and Cao Cao? They are doing this to you not."
"Eh?" Cao Pi looked around the imperial room. "Who said that?"
"I'm not surprised that you understood me not," said the voice. "Why would I expect you to learn anything?"
"Sima Yi!" said Cao Pi, drawing his swords. "You will get nothing as long as I am emperor!"
"I am not Sima Yi! Nor am I Cao Cao!" said the voice, aggravated. "You can't learn!"
Cao Pi grew a little nervous. "...Zhen? Where are you?"
"Oh, I'm not alone," she said, "But not with Cao Cao or Sima Yi. You see, they actually fought for their own purposes and the people, thus ascending. I, unfortunately, died with an impure heart, a black soul. With the last of my energy and a final wish, I have come back just to see you
"Like I'm afraid of your commands," replied Cao.
"I'm quite proud to say that my little commands will mean nothing, especially since I have someone who wishes to do away with you as I do."
"I'm not afraid of Ji Ping," snapped Cao Pi, disassembling his twin swords. "I can tell who is ready to rebel or not, and not only that, I am faster than father Cao."
"Then you should have realized then, oh mighty Cao Pi...that I wasn't!"
"I could tell you were!" said Cao Pi, stepping back, his swords in the air. "You were a hair strand away from rebelling!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Maybe learning from Sima Yi would have done you good, Pi."
"That's EMPEROR to you!" said Cao Pi, attacking the air in front and behind him simultaneously. "Show yourself! Where are you hiding?"
"I'm not hiding," said Zhen Ji, appearing in a ghostly form on the throne. "Why don't you come and get me?"
Cao Pi laughed and charged for her. "You never reveal yourself to your opponent! You still have plenty to learn, Zhen!"
"Oh, I have nothing to learn," said the ghost, vanishing when Cao Pi drew his swords down. He couldn't stop himself in time, so the throne was dented. "Not the throne!"
Zhen Ji reappeared, sitting on top of a chair. "Pi, you should know the only kinds of men who abuse their wives are known as a pimp, yes?"
Cao Pi muttered and charged for her again.
"And again, you never learn." Zhen Ji disappeared, causing Cao Pi to run into the chair, injuring his leg.
"You...!" he snapped. "What do you want so I could get you out of my life?"
"Why, I am out!" Zhen Ji said, reappearing in front of a portrait of Cao Zhi. "Cao Pi, I'm dead!"
Cao Pi struggled to sit up. "Then how come I can see you?"
"You should have listened to Sima Yi when he was alive," sighed Zhen. "Pity."
"I've got all I ever wanted!" said Cao Pi.
"Something tells me you missed something then." She vanished again.
"ZHEN JI!" cried Cao Pi, slicing his swords through the air in the entire room. He destroyed the portrait of Cao Zhi, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Shu, Jia Kui, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Cao Ren, Dian Wei, Xu Zhu and even a portrait of Cao Cao! He had thought he finished destroying all pictures except for his when his eyes caught a portrait of him, Zhen Ji and Cao's son, Cao Rui.
He laughed and said, "Like this will live!" He took his swords and slit the picture, but nothing happened. He took another stroke in a full 360, but still nothing happened to the picture. He was sure he felt the force of the picture on his swords, so how come nothing happened? He took a step back in fear.
"You want to destroy that?" asked Zhen Ji, reappearing on the debris. She pointed at the picture; both her finger and the painting turned blue for a moment. "Go ahead."
Cao Pi gulped and then took a slice at the image of Zhen Ji. Instead, he had slit himself in the picture. "What...happened? I aimed for you!"
"Maybe you should try again," said Zhen, examining her nails.
Cao Pi took another stroke, but this time, it was aimed for his son. Once again, another stroke hit him in the picture. His neck was slit and his arm attacked. "Why isn't it working?"
"It's you, Pi," said Zhen, appearing next to him. "Can't you tell?"
Cao Pi gulped and backed away. "N-No it can't be."
Zhen Ji laughed. "Phase two, in progress. Take a look at your left arm, Cao!"
Cao Pi looked at his arm. It was slit...just like the painting! Cao Pi rubbed his neck, noticing blood was pouring out. "What am I doing?"
"You're so selfish," said Zhen Ji. "And while I was dead, I talked to Master Black Horn, in other words, Zuo Ci. I learned one of his techniques. You now have what's called, black wealth, Cao Pi."
"Black...wealth?" asked Cao Pi, straining his tone. "What do you mean?"
"See if it can be fixed," said Zhen Ji, disappearing.
"Black wealth," mumbled Cao Pi, running out of the throne room. It was not long before he encountered Deng Ai. He said, "Ai! I have a problem!"
Deng Ai was working on a stronger catapult when Cao Pi asked. "What is it?"
"Black wealth!" said Pi. "I have Black Wealth!"
"Ask Master Sima," was his reply. "No one else can do that kind of thing."
Cao Pi walked back to the throne room, getting quite dizzy from the blood loss. "Zhen Ji!" he cried. "Please, help me!"
Zhen Ji reappeared. "You want help now?"
"I've figured it out!" said Cao Pi. "Please help me!" He went to hold her arm, but just passed through it.
"You're too late," whispered Zhen Ji. "Maybe next life you'll have better luck..."
Cao Pi shouted and slumped on the floor...
---
He continued yelling in the night until Zhen Ji took his shoulder and shook him violently. "Pi-Pi, what's the matter with you?"
Cao Pi jerked up. He was in his room, next to Zhen Ji, who was able...to hold his shoulder? He looked over at her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Cao Pi reached over and pulled the woman closer to him.
Two figures ran inside. "I heard yelling!" said Cao Cao. "Is Zhen pleasing you too hard again?"
"Why did you drag me into this?" inquired Sima Yi, fixing his hat, yawning. "It's like three in the morning..."
"I'm...fine." Cao Pi rested back and added to himself, "Now that you three are back with me and I'm cured of black wealth."