Penpals

Wusian Palace, Jianye, 216 AD

"My lord, it is my sincerest regret to inform you that General Guan has refused your marriage offer. He claimed that 'a daughter of a tiger shall not marry the son of a dog.' Based on General Guan's outburst, Young Master Sun Deng might not be welcome in future state visits to Shu." Cheng Bing, an old advisor of the Sun family, bowed low.

"Typical. Liu Bei's toadies continue to disregard our acts of friendship. Do they see us as a convenient buffer against Cao Cao? His men have taken Yizhou, yet they continue their grasp on Jingzhou. When will we take what is rightfully ours?!" The Marquis of Wu groaned loudly, his voice echoing across the palace.

In his quarters just above his father's throne room, Sun Deng sat at his desk. He could hear father's outbursts quite clearly, and knew that, sooner or later, some poor minister would get a tongue-lashing, no doubt the bringer of bad news Cheng Bing himself. It was unfortunate that the marriage proposal fell through: Yinping seemed like a nice girl, but her father refused and he had priority.

Still, a correspondence with the girl wasn't out of the question, was it? With a mischievous smile, he began to write:

To the Begonia of Chengdu:

The sages say that those who are truly wise understand the stark horrors of war and conflict. Would it not be wise to emulate them? There may be ill feelings between the heads of our houses, but we have no need to maintain such ill will, do we? I hear that you are a renowned duelist, and that my aunt Shangxiang taught you the way of the spear. I am your typical scholar, locked away in a tower of books and proper ettiquite. It would be fascinating to hear about battle tactics and combat techniques from one as talented as yourself.

Guan Family Estate, Chengdu, A few weeks later

Guan Yinping, the only daughter of the House of Guan, had been training for a horseback riding competition held in the city's barracks. Many young men had claimed that she, with her boyish demeanor and enthusiasm for "manly activities," would still fail to succeed because of her sex. Whispers in the wind suggested that she could never find a husband, especially not when she was so physically built and her father was the mighty General Guan Yu.

Yinping's eyes flared at these rumors, yet as the daughter of one of Shu's most renowned of houses she had to act ladylike and proper. It would be an embarrassment to Shu itself any other way!

Propriety this, femininity that, she had no time for such nonsense! And so when a letter came from some mysterious sender to the east she eagerly opened it. Her father didn't like the people in the east for some reason, her uncles would claim that they were barbarians and bandits, yet the handwriting on this letter was neat and tidy.

She smiled at its contents, and quickly found a pen of her own.

To the Caller of the East:

If you are so kind, dear sir, to call off this alleged family feud, I will be kind enough to oblige. Indeed, it seems foolish to maintain hatred and anger when we've hardly met. I'm not sure what you have heard. No doubt there are snickers even in faraway lands that I am a man in disguise and that my paltry skills in combat are strange and unnatural, but I guess I can tell you what I know: Never fail to keep track of your opponent's position, never use a weapon that's too heavy for you, and most importantly of all don't get into fights if you are indeed a scrawny, weak, typical scholar!"

He laughed as he read the letter.

Dearest Riverland Begonia,

My aunt and I are very close. Just before I came of age she would emphasize to me the importance of appreciating a woman for her strengths, to not succumb to the strict, stubborn, and perhaps foolish idea that women and men must follow certain protocols. I noticed that you did not answer my question, is it true that my aunt personally trained you in the art of the spear? She gave up on me after five bouts and told me to focus on my other talents. She pointed out that some leaders become so beloved and so essential for their force that their subordinates simply would not allow them to enter the battlefield, and she suggested that if I was to survive I ought to become such a leader. I envy you, milady, as you have strengths which I lack, and can experience the excitement and terror of combat..."

Yinping shook her head as the skimmed the letter and quickly penned her own.

Young master,

Lady Shangxiang did indeed teach me the art of the spear, but more importantly she tought me not to let my fears or my hesitance get the better of me. If there is any skill that one must have when one faces the rage of war, I would insist that it is one's ability to stay calm and not succumb to fear, to hate, or to anger. One who succumbs to such emotions becomes a puppet for one's opponent, and can easily be led to any trap they desire.

You may be surprised that I know exactly who you are. You are Lord Sun Quan's firstborn, a man known for a gentle aura. Even here in the Riverlands there are more than a few ministers who hope that you will take your father's place. But if you hope to do that, you must express your resolve. You have talents of your own, and such obsession over your flaws only gets in the way of that...

Sun Deng laughed. With reddened cheeks he penned his reply.

The Flower of the House of Guan,

Thank you for your kind words and support. I simply find your skills to be a great foil to mine: you have experienced events and scenarios that I can barely comprehend, and having spent most of my life in the palace surely you can understand my frustration at my lack of similarly provocative experiences. It is as you say: how can a leader, how can a ruler truly understand his people if he's never experienced what they have? My aunt has seen nightmares that the rest of my siblings and cousins in the palace cannot comprehend, and I'm sure you've seen some things yourself. I hope that our correspondence can help both of us better understand each other...

For the next few years their letters continued, seemingly undetected by the leaders of Wu or Shu.

Until Lu Meng conducted the Battle of Jingzhou...

The Begonia of the Riverlands,

I have received terrible news, but I am sure you are already well aware of it. Your father has been murdered by my father's men, and with his death Jingzhou has been taken by Wu. I would be an evil man if I demanded forgiveness, and a callous one if I insisted that you try to understand, but as your friend I feel I must explain myself. I hope that you will listen.

For the nation of Wu, Shu's claims on Jingzhou are an offense. When Lords Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang defeated Cao Cao at Chi Bi, Zhou Yu quickly took Jiangling, hoping that Wu could not only liberate the citizens of that city, but could also utilize its resources to help our nation rebuild. Yet, without all of Jingzhou, Gongjin felt that Wu could not fully recover from the battle. Without Jingzhou's resources, we could not take the initiative and go on the offensive against Cao Cao. We would always be passive, always be at a disadvantage, always be unable to assert ourselves against threats in the north.

Master Lu Su saw the Wu-Shu alliance as more important than Wu's ability to assert itself, and I understand that perspective, but as the heir to the Wu throne forgive me when I say that I see Zhou Yu's point. From the perspective as Wu's heir, I feel that Lu Meng did his duty. But as your friend know that I weep as well. With this betrayal, the alliance is gone. With this betrayal, our clan's blood feud has become genuine. My side has shed blood, but I swear that if there is any way I can atone for what my father has done...

No. In a way, that is selfish as well. I guess I am callous and cruel for expecting you to understand and asking you to forgive somehow. I- thank you. Your council has been most reassuring for me, and with your words of wisdom I will do what I can to be a good ruler-."

Her eyes were still stained with tears as Yinping stared at that letter.

What should she say to him? What could she say to him? There was a blood feud now, and if she admitted her complicated emotions, if she even suggested that she did not truly hate him, could not truly hate him, would that not be a surrender to Wu? Wouldn't she be betraying her family, her father and brothers?

She could not betray her clan. She could not betray her nation. She could not- damn him! Even with that, she could not hate this enemy either.

Her uncle wanted to avenge his brother and conquer Wu, and she was not going to stop him. As Liu Bei's armies prepared to march upon Yiling, Guan Yinping chose never to write a reply.

Ten Years Later

Even after the alliance was restored, Lady Yinping never sent another letter and never received one. Until a curious message arrived.

To Lady Guan Yinping of Chengdu,

As a minister of Wu's court I regret to inform you of the death of Master Sun Deng. The young master fell ill, and when he lost consciousness for some time various letters were discovered as sent by you. Judging by their content, we assume that he sent you various letters as well.

We are curious as to how the two of you maintained a correspondence for years, but we leave you this message as a courtesy. Thank you for having provided him with some friendship and kindness.

She saw the letter, and threw it in the fire.

The Lady of the House of Guan sobbed into her palms.

Damn him. She couldn't hate him, but in a way wasn't she a traitor as well?

AN: Sun Deng was indeed Sun Quan's first heir. He had a reputation for being gentle and kind. Sun Quan once proposed marriage between Sun Deng and Guan Yinping as allegedly a way to cement the alliance between the Houses of Sun and Guan. When that plan failed, legend says that Sun Quan allowed Lu Meng to plan out the conquest of Jingzhou.

Yi Province, the heartland of the nation of Shu Han, is also known as the Riverlands. Thus, much of Wu is to the direct East of the Riverlands.

I suppose you could add "Romance?" to this fic's categories...