Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warriors and Koei don't own the Three Kingdoms novel.
A/N: This is something that came into my mind. I need to give readers something till I post chapter 2 of Warlords of Later Han. Please note, Zhen Ji and Cao Pi's relationship had already taken a huge nose dive before all this I'm writing happened. This fic wouldn't matter in Dynasty Warriors because of Wei's DW 8 Hypothetical ending. I still dislike ShuHan's Hypothetical ending.
Without Further Discretion
She waited half a year after the death of her father in law. Now it's time for her to decide if everything she gone through to survive the chaos has been for the better of her family's reputation or worst for her own.
Feelings aside, she is in debt to Lady Bian so why is she still hesitating? Now is the time to fully commit her piety to the Cao family for the stake of a wife's duty and a mother. This is it, her commitment to love. Her son wanted this, her nephew, her 'husband', but after nearly two decades, she could hear the deposed Empress Fu's laughter, Cao Zhi's late wife's sorrow, and Scholar Lu's screaming hollow from the depths of the dungeon he was send.
Was all this for her?
"Your highness?" Jia Xu stood with the guards carrying the Empress garments that were formerly worn by Cao Jie.
Now that's how people will formally refer her as. He became King of Wei, so she's technically the Queen, but with the sudden change of Imperial regime, this is so premature according to her conscience. Why this?
"I'm getting too old and can't live longer to carry out the duties as his majesty's senior advisor. Heh, you remember the last time I was send to you by his majesty? Haha, please, I'm getting tired going back and forth from the capital to here," Jia Xu smirked; he was one of the people responsible for this sudden abdication.
Her servant tried to take the garments until her lady finally spoke, "Take it back."
"Huh" her servant paused and shivered.
"I said, take it back," Zhen Ji raised her voice strictly, ordering her maid to obey.
"This again…" Jia Xu grunted and had the empress garments taken back to him. Soon he'll be on his way to hear more of his Majesty's frustrations.
"Tell my husband, I will escort myself to the capital even if he didn't officially summon me. I will be at Luo Yang, Minister Jia," Zhen Ji informed him.
"That would be wise, your highness. And its Chancellor now," Jia Xu gave her a generous bow, not knowing if he's just being snarky again.
"You may leave…now," Zhen Ji eyes looked harden and stoic in front of one of the oldest and remaining figures during The Great Rebellion shortly until her father died. Had he lived, her fate would never have led her here.
When Jia Xu finally left, her servant argues with her. She is a replacement to Zhen Ji's old friend. Zhen Ji doesn't want to think about what happened to her old friend. She's already depressed for so long after her death.
"My lady, you must accept it!" Her servant kneed down trembling with worried eyes.
"I will…just not here…" Zhen Ji moved towards to where her collection of hanfu.
She choked; her eyes are flicking and her small teardrop shred. She has to bear this sorrow for the rest of her life for her dead friend, her family, and her son. She will live and wait till her natural death. No need to cause a tantrum on him because no one will side with her.
"Do you need your hair to be redone for the trip to Luo Yang?" Her servant asked.
Zhen Ji shook her head in refusal. She'll leave her hair style more casual. She's done with overusing many clasps, wearing so many jewelries, yet his mother barely wear any exquisite wear and why still have her linger to expensive things!
"People are still suffering from war, corruption, and rebellions and here I am, a useless tramp who loss the most important person in my life…" Zhen Ji muttered.
She should have done something to prevent her best friend's death, prevent the deposed Empress Fu's reckless actions against Cao Cao, prevent Lady Cui's death, prevent meeting Cao Pi's scholars and prevent the rebellion. But, she couldn't because of her position, her children, and her piety.
Lady Liu must be feeling terrible to have given her away to spare her own life like a coward. The Yuans were cowards, she could have supported 'him', but her family supported the cowards for the stake of the people. She was far too late to know the truth about the wars, about Ma Chao's family's execution, about Xun Yu, and about the Han loyalist who can't coexist with Cao Cao.
'He' is still at Shu, she can see a vision of his anger over her husband's indignity towards the Imperial throne. She's a useless political tool for her husband. The terrorizing sight of Ma Chao and his remaining sibling also felt unparallel hatred towards her. She's the basis consensus to her husband's ambition.
She's almost done with the choosing violet hanfu as her servant finish adjusting the bottoms. Now there's one more thing that frustrates her to no end, that woman, Lady Guo.
"He 'loves' me, but there was another woman before me," Zhen Ji scoffed at the 'love' of Cao Pi for years after her marriage. What kind of love does he truly illustrate? She and him were married by war. Why must he start having natural love with a woman who wasn't a war prisoner like her?
Lady Guo must be happy to finally restore her nobility that was loss. She knows who Lady Guo is and it's pissing her off. She wants to leave, but the ties of her son and daughter and the immeasurable fortune of the Cao family trapped her.
"Damn him, damn her, now I carry more weight on my reputation than my family's," Zhen Ji thought.
She doesn't have a choice. If she gets in the way of her husband's true happiness, then there's only death. She will never see her mother, her brother, and her children again. So, now she must live through this alittle longer. They can't make Lady Guo legitimately Empress unless she chooses to die.
"Forgive me, Ziyan…" Zhen Ji whispered.
"You still look stunning, my lady," Her servant gave her a comfort reaction.
She felt it is meaningless to enlighten her beauty. What do everyone see in her now? Everywhere she goes, problems happened. When she appears, they stay away from her.
"Now, we shall leave. Have the guards be ready to escort me out," Tomorrow, she'll give her 'husband' her answer.
"Yes my lady," her servant carries out her orders.
Lady Zhen took out her mirror from the small drawer next to her bed and look into herself. It's the other side of her, the more elegant and enigma her.
"Ohoho, you finally decided to stop complaining like an imbecile and accept our glorious fate. That woman won't stop us from becoming what we're born to be," the voice of her other self echoed in her mind.
She grunted at the imaginable voice of her other self. Being something too big to hold, a position that takes so much blood to spill for her to earn it. This is Cao Pi's happiness.
"I pray it will last and then…" she closed her eyes imagining what could possibly change her fate from here.
Her son becomes Emperor and she can convince him to abolish her royal influence and live a normal life back to her family's home as a widow. But, what would her son want with all that power earned by blood and corruption?
"It's useless; this power can make you do anything you want. Like, didn't you want to act as the country's mother and bring true prosperity back into this land?"
"Not like this. There's no virtue to stealing something that doesn't belong to me. I'll be held accountable to the late Han empress death and the deaths of those that were framed and murdered," Zhen Ji held her breath heavily and sighed.
She lost her happiness. It doesn't matter anymore as her decision been made. Will 'he' hate her for this? Will 'he' loathe her because she chooses her son's happiness over her virtue?
"But I never blamed 'him' for leaving me to save Liu Bei at Guan Du. He was there, but his objective was never to aide Yuan Shao, but Liu Bei," her cheeks were red with mix of compassion and sorrow.
Every year, her father in law proposed campaigns against Liu Bei in 'the name of the Han' now look at what's happening; his son took the throne. What do the people believe in now?
She'll be lingering in the so called 'palace of happiness' with a bunch of noble wives of Pi's ministers, nobles who can't change. This is the same fate her family suffered two centuries ago.
All this is her husband's happiness, not her's.
At Luo Yang…
A day and half after Jia Xu's visit, he returns to Luoyang with little more strength in his old body. He outlived Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Lu Bu, almost every figure that were involved in the Great Rebellion. He's at the end of his life. One more duty, just one more and the records will commence his life and works for generations. Now, his lord has no favor over Lady Zhen, but he cannot make Lady Guo legally empress, so Wenhe must act.
"She's truly a beauty that can ruin a country. The late lord Zhen Yi must be wailing in the afterlife seeing his daughter forced into a hopeless situation. Your Majesty, you're truly a cruel man beyond me and your father. The way you treat that woman right now, I've seen few men put such a woman at her place," Jia Xu said to himself.
Cao Pi, officials, and generals all stood at the grand hall where the imperial court is at Luo Yang. The fate of Lady Zhen is the policy for the day. Those still supporting Lady Guo, must wait for Lady Zhen's decision.
Sima Yi could see Jia Xu coming towards his majesty. It'd be his last day as Wei's Prime Minister and soon, Sima Yi will be in the top. He did wonders with protecting 'Cao Cao's legacy' for the good of Wei China. All they had to do is get Wu to turn against Liu Bei secretly and there will be no real resistance to his majesty's coronation as the legitimate Emperor of China.
"Having difficulties with a woman, Wenhe? She is a very aggressive woman indeed," Sima Yi snickered.
"Says the guy with a wife who threatens her own maids," Jia Xu grinned.
Not your usual passing the torch chatter. They respect their ingenuity at this time. Though, Sima Yi could have done more if he joined earlier.
"So, what of my 'wife' Chancellor?" Cao Pi shot the question with a serious look of discern.
"She finally submits. She said she'll be on her way here, but these garments, she'll wear it when she confirms her answer to the audience, your majesty," Jia Xu said calmly.
"I want her to wear them …now…" Cao Pi's hissing voice iced the audience.
"If it were my wife, she would wear them instantly. Heaven, she's the empress in my house…" Sima Yi whispered to Guo Huai.
Suddenly, Zhen Ji's presence appears. She came to Luo Yan ahead of Jia Xu and is alone without her servant.
"On the contrary, we don't have to wait any longer," Jia Xu sighed and move aside to the right where Sima Yi on the left side.
All eyes are on Lady Zhen and Lady Guo appears next to Jia Xu standing on the right with her advisor's fan.
"It's so easy to manipulate you, 'my lady'. I must comply with your feeble attempt at bravery despite your foolishness earlier that caused our Lord angry," Guo Nuwang thought.
Zhen Ji moved closer to the throne where Cao Pi is sitting and her presence stood close to the sight of the woman who became her enemy.
"I know you want me dead, but I choose to live for Rui," Zhen Ji glared at Guo Wang when she thought those words to herself.
Cao Pi threw the empress garments at the carpet near Zhen Ji's standing, "Go and get yourself dressed so we can proceed the coronation."
"Yes…your majesty," Zhen Ji bowed slowly and took the garments. When she turns, she stares at Lady Guo and Guo's gaze shot back at her threaten. This woman is wise and use deceit to her witty advantage, a wise woman not to be underestimated.
Zhen Ji knows the people around her believe she's jealous of Lady Guo. But, that's ludicrous. That woman is ambitious and all in Zhen Ji's life was being piety and obedience like any stereotypical over submissive noble wife. So, why would Pi fall in love with her when he has finally found natural love in Lady Guo? What is Zhen Ji to Cao Pi?
"Yes, see the audience around you, Zhen Ji. This is how you understand power and what comes with it. Your beauty means nothing here and all you had to do was complain about what your dear husband and I did together. You're not a true empress, my lady. Does Wei need an empress who is only dense and lazy? Mother won't be here to save you," Lady Guo coldly thought to Zhen Ji.
Zhen Ji does not see Wang Yi, Xin Xianying or Cai Wenji in the audience. It's just her and Lady Guo. Her only true friend is Ziyan and she's dead. Lady Bian is protecting Cao Zhi from the very man she now despises.
"Without further discretion, I shall get dressed into an empress," Zhen Ji thought and she quietly head to her new quarters in Luo Yang, the one where Empress Fu once lived.
It's been a long summer nightmare for Lady Zhen, surrounded by cruel, greedy people who associate avarice. This is the land Cao Pi created and he's satisfied with it. Her meddling is in the way of his satisfactory.
Hours later…
"She's taking so long for the coronation," Cao Pi shot an annoyed glare at Jia Xu.
"It's only a woman's wear, your majesty," Jia Xu chuckled.
"Her highness Empress Zhen!"
Everyone stood with dignity and witness Empress Zhen coming her way to the throne with the royal attendants. This time, she wore as much to astonish the audience with her unparalleled beauty.
"Am I intruding, your majesty? I'm here all in grace and elegance like I've been for ages," Zhen Ji bowed sincerely.
"Please be seated, 'my wife'," Cao Pi commanded.
She walked to the throne and stood next to Cao Pi's chair. She doesn't want a seat with him.
Now with that settled, it's time for Cao Pi to finalize his Empire. The presence of the Ding family is an eye sore since his pursue to succession.
"Are you planning another murder, 'my husband'?" Zhen Ji dare shoot the question at the Emperor of Wei.
"That's none of your business," Cao Pi glared at his empress.
"I'm the empress, so it's my business to know what you're doing. If that's the way you're going to treatment me now then let's get our son to know about being a tyrant," Zhen Ji grinned.
"Zhen…" Cao Pi warned her.
"Let's encourage your successor to become another Cao Cao," Zhen Ji soundly rhymed her words into a song.
"Zhen…" Cao Pi now is getting hot over his wife's sarcasm.
"Oh and you can give your new favorite sex slave the title of Queen," Zhen Ji continued.
"I don't mind, you imbecile," Guo Nuwang glared at Zhen Ji.
"And let Rui find all the beautiful girls in this land for his harem. How about Sun Quan's daughters I heard about? They are Lady Bu's daughters, correct? Hahaha.." Zhen Ji chuckled.
Sima Yi whispered to Guo Huai again, "All of sudden, our Empress is taunting his majesty."
Guo Huai could only nod. He never been one to involve himself in royal family affairs. Getting involved with this woman means trouble.
"Fu, if you don't be silent right now, you'll embarrass not only the audience but yourself. I warn you, this complaining ends now," Cao Pi hissed.
"My lords, behold your Empress Wenzhao! The dignified and virtuous Empress! Does that make sense?! Hahahahaha," Zhen Ji starts acting hysterical in front of the audience.
Cao Pi stresses his nerves while his wife continues babbling rubbish at the audience. How long had they been married? What had changed?
"You know how many people died to get me to become an empress?! My best friend was one of them! My only, true friend, killed from a rebellion at my palace because of people like you all!" Zhen Ji took the necklace Cao Pi gave her on their anniversary and threw it.
"If you're done complaining, then I command you to leave. Leave now! You're useless here, Zhen!" Cao Pi ordered her as her emperor to leave.
With that, Zhen Ji holds her tears and scanned every single person in the audience. Lady Guo, Jia Xu, Sima Yi, Guo Huai, Cao Ren, Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, Zhong Yao, Chen Qun, Man Chong, Hua Xin, Wang Lang, she could barely see Zhang He far away. He loss Xiahou Yuan and all Xiahou Yuan wanted was to reunion with Lady Xiahou, not Cao Cao's hopeless ambition. It's tearing this land apart for almost 40 years. She could no longer trust these men.
"Heroes of Wei, forgive my imprudence. I will leave now," Zhen Ji prepares to leave the throne room, not caring if that woman making that face at her.
"All you do is complain. I'll admit, it sad to see a loyal servant die. Now you know what I've been going through when growing up, Luo," Lady Guo waved her fan as she watched her embarrassing foe take her leave.
Zhen Ji continues to hold her tears back struggling to walk properly. The royal attendants assisted her leave until she's no longer in the imperial court and outside the palace heading towards her new room.
There's only the summer darkness outside the palace as her presence begins to fade. Her mind has been showing thoughts on her entire life until now.
"A woman's life is 40 years. After 40 years, her flower becomes fickle as autumn skies. Hahaha…" She found an ideal poem for this.
She will be 40 in a few months before the New Year. Why do they still get her birth wrong? Not that she care what her ex husband's scribers are writing after her ruckus at the imperial court. She's tired of calling him her husband, tired of his lies, but she'll continue to be the Empress of Wei by name.
Long Live the Virtuous Empress Wenzhao. Long Live the Goddess.