Author's Note: Hi!! Before I start this chapter, I would like to thank my
reviewers first!
BlueDWGirl – Hiya! Thank you for reading a reviewing my fic! And also for emailing me too!! It means so much to me when my readers actually take the time to do something like that! It's very sweet of you! And to answer your question... well, I'm not sure if Shang Xiang will be happy... you just gotta read this chapter and the next few that follow it to find out! ~.^
Mr.Liz – Thank you for the compliments and the review! And yes, I'm a chick, so it's all good! ^.^ Funny you should mention Kessen 2... actually to be honest with you, when I found out some of the storyline, I was pretty upset. I was thinking, "What the heck?! Liu Bei is supposed to love SHANG XIANG, not frikkin' DIAO CHAN!" Yep... that's me. Lol, actually, Diao Chan's not bad... but in my mind Liu Bei is like, those righteous guys who stick with only one girl. Actually, come to think about it... when I first found out that in history Sun Shang Xiang was Liu Bei's wife, I was pretty upset. I was thinking, "Noooo!! He's sooooo old!! She should be with someone better!" ... geez... I'm weird .
ms. heartilly – Thank you for reading, reviewing, and your compliments! To answer your questions, Liu Bei didn't look at Shang Xiang because he knew that he didn't actually love her and that she didn't love him. In his heart he felt that it was wrong and yea. Like that. Lol. And to answer your second question, the reason he married her was because he had too. If he didn't, Sun Quan would have killed him. I'm pretty sure I added that in the first chapter... but oh well! ^.^
bluephoenix – Awww... thanks! Actually, I thought I didn't do the traditions and the wedding as well as I could have, but I guess it's not that bad then! ^.^ Thank you so much for reviewing!
mystik – Thank you so much for your compliments! Actually, one of the reasons I decided to actually write this fic (and not to leave it in the back of my head and then eventually forget about it) is because I didn't find many Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang fics. The fics I usually find SSX in are mostly either triangles (and most likely Liu Bei is left in the cold =( ) Or she is with someone who is not Liu Bei... so yea! ^.^
CoCo – Thank you for reading and reviewing! ^.^
vegg- Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Okay, so now I can start the chapter! Yay! ^.^ I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
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Chapter 2 – Rejecting Fate
Sun Shang Xiang had woken up by the sound of someone moving about in her room. She sleepily opened one eye and noticed that she was facing the wall. She was about to turn to the other side, when she realized her bed sheet and blanket was something totally different from her normal ones. These were bright red with a large Chinese character in the middle in gold. Her breathing began to quicken. That's right... she was no longer in the kingdom of Wu with her family and close friends. She had married the Lord Liu Bei and is now living under his roof in Shu.
She tightened her grip on the blanket, unsure of what to do next. She didn't want to turn around just in case he was still sleeping in the bed, or if he was the one moving in the room. Must not have fear... must be strong... a warrior never shows any weakness... Shang Xiang repeated over and over again in her head as she slowly turned to the other side. But before she was lying on her back, she heard a familiar 'click' sound. This caused her to bolt upright and face the intruder.
To her greatest surprise, Liu Bei was neither sleeping on the bed nor in the room. Instead there was an older maid there, her hand on the lid of the trunk that Mei Li had brought in from the night before. The trunk itself was halfway open, revealing something that reflected light inside. Surprise, shock, and fear were written on the poor maid's pale face.
"What are you doing?!" Sun Shang Xiang shouted in anger, jumping out of the bed, still in her red wedding nightgown. She rushed towards the maid and slammed the trunk down. "Who are you? How dare you go through my stuff?!"
"Lady Liu Bei, forgive me!" The maid dropped down onto the floor. Her hands and knees thumped against the hard floor and her forehead thudded against the floor. "Forgive me my Lady, forgive me!" She repeated over and over again.
Shang Xiang winced slightly when she heard the maid's head collide with the floor. "Please get up! I didn't mean for you to be like this!" She tried to pull the lady back up, but the maid refused. "Get up!" She finally scolded after she couldn't bear the maid like this any longer.
"I'm sorry my Lady, I'm sorry!"
"Just don't go into this again." Shang Xiang finally decided to let it go. She didn't know how much longer she could stand this maid apologizing over and over again.
"I'm sorry my Lady." She kept her head down, ashamed to look at the Lady. "My name is Fu Ying and I am the head of the maids of the palace. Lord Liu Bei ordered for me to help my Lady get accustomed here. I'm sorry for intruding my Lady, but I was unsure of what was in the trunk. It is my duty to make sure everything here is safe for my Lady."
"It's okay Fu Ying. That is my stuff please do not touch them again. It is the only thing that will bring me happiness here." Shang Xiang muttered the last bit to herself, but Fu Ying caught it.
"Oh my Lady, don't say such things! Lord Liu Bei is a kind, generous, and charming man. I am sure my Lady will be very happy with Lord Liu Bei. There is no other man that can equal Lord Liu Bei, much less surpass him!" Fu Ying finally looked up at Lady Sun and smiled. "Oh! My Lady is an extremely beautiful young girl! You must get dressed! It is nearly time to give thanks to the Gods and pray to the Ancestors! Hurry, hurry, my Lady! There isn't much time!" She opened one of the large closets in the room and pulled out a red dress. Although this dress wasn't as fancy as the one Shang Xiang wore the night before, it was still very pretty.
Fu Ying handed the dress to Sun Shang Xiang. "It is our tradition that the new Lady wears this red qipao dress the day after the wedding. And I must also put up your hair, my Lady."
"My hair?" Sun Shang Xiang brushed her fingers through her short hair. "How? It's too short."
"I will be putting in ribbons my Lady."
* * *
"So how was the night with her, brother?" Zhang Fei asked Liu Bei. The three oath brothers were gathered in his study, going over some plans and ideas to take over the Jing province.
Liu Bei did not answer, instead he continued talking about his plan. "Brother Yu, you, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong will take the pass to the left. And brother Fei, bring Pang Tong and Wei Yan to the right. I'll lead with Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang in the center." He traced his finger down along the middle pass on the map. "Here is where we attack. They won't be expecting anyone except whoever I lead down this middle pass. Brother Yu, I want you to attack with the arrows once my signal is given. When they retreat to the right, brother Fei, I want you to send full force, and we all attack at once."
Guan Yu nodded at the plan and stroked his beard. "They'll retreat back to their camp..." He trailed off to let his brother finish the thought.
"And we'll take over their camp. With their main supply camp under our command, they will surrender and the Jing Province will belong to Shu. It is only a matter of time before Shu is bigger than Wei and Wu." Liu Bei commented. "Tomorrow, my brothers, you and I and a few others will ride out to check our perimeters."
"Brother, did you even rest in your bedchamber?" Zhang Fei seemed unconcerned about the battle soon to come. "Is she even pretty? Or does she look like a boy?"
"Fei!" Guan Yu scolded. "How impolite to ask such things!"
"What? I'm just asking." He defended.
"I don't know." Liu Bei finally replied while rolling the map.
"Don't know? How do you not know?" Zhang Fei continued to pester.
"I did not look at her face." He paused momentarily, but knowing what his oath brother would ask next, he continued. "How can I look at the face of my wife I know I do not love? There is no love in this marriage. And I cannot force her to love me, nor can I force myself to love her, it would only bring unhappiness to the both of us."
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Zhang Fei spoke out again. "Did you two even..."
* * *
"There! My Lady, how do you think it looks?" Fu Ying asked as she finished doing Shang Xiang's hair and make-up.
Sun Shang Xiang looked into the mirror in front of her. She could not recognize the person staring right back. The mirror image looked very different. Her short hair had been pulled up with lots of ribbons, which made it look like her hair was actually long, but wrapped in ribbons. The style was very different from what Shang Xiang normally wore. It looked a lot like those traditional rich wives of powerful Lords or men. And Shang Xiang knew she could never pass as one. She was not a traditional girl.
"You put too much makeup on." Shang Xiang grabbed a cloth nearby and began wiping most of the makeup away. "I don't normally wear makeup."
Fu Ying stopped Sun Shang Xiang from wiping anymore away. "But My Lady, you must follow our traditions here. You must look your best when you pay respect to the Gods and the Ancestors." The maid began rubbing powder on Shang Xiang's cheeks to make them rosier.
Knowing that this maid would not do anything but what she is supposed to, Shang Xiang gave up trying to make things go her way. "Where's Mei Li?"
"Oh, you must mean the maiden you have brought with you. All of your ladies in waiting are in the Servant's Quarters. I'm sorry my Lady, but you cannot see any of them today. This way, you will be able to let go of your past my Lady." She looked down at Shang Xiang and smiled. "It is a custom in Shu."
After what seemed like a very, very long time for Shang Xiang, Fu Ying finally finished dressing her up and led her to the Ancestor's room. Luckily Fu Ying had led her there because Sun Shang Xiang would have been lost trying to find it. Fu Ying had to lead Shang Xiang past two courtyards and three different blocks all in the East Wing of the palace where she would live. Although the size of this place was nowhere near that of her own palace in Wu, she could just as easily get lost here.
As Sun Shang Xiang entered the Ancestor's room, the smell of burning incense floated in the air. Upon the huge shelves in the wall were many wooden pieces. Each one carved in the same shape with golden inscriptions engraved in them. They were the names of Lord Liu Bei's great ancestors. Shang Xiang did as she was told and went down on her knees on the cushion and began to pray to the Ancestor's. She was in the room, praying for about half an hour before Fu Ying came in again and led her out, and brought her back to her room.
"My Lady, you will wait for Lord Liu Bei before you share your first meal with him. Please relax and..." But before the maid could finish there was a loud knock on the door.
"Lord Liu Bei asks for the Lady Sun to eat without him. He is attending matters in his study and will not eat with her." A male voice announced before his retreating footsteps could be heard.
"Oh..." Fu Ying sounded disappointed. "Well My Lady, I suppose you and Lord Liu Bei will share your first meal together tonight. My Lady, please don't do any strenuous activities today, and you are free to wander the East Wing today. If I may, I ask for my leave."
Shang Xiang nodded and watched the maid leave her room. Afterwards she just stared at the plates of food lying in front of her. They smelt very delicious, but Shang Xiang didn't have any appetite to eat it. She was still depressed for being sent off here. She stood up and walked towards the trunk near the bed. Her delicate fingers traced the edges of the trunk.
"I wonder if these would be considered strenuous?" She muttered to herself.
Her eyes scanned the room for the very first time. There were a total of five different rooms to make this whole bedchamber. It was even bigger than her own bedchamber back in Wu. The first room you would step into just as you entered the bedchamber, had a small round table with a nice green cloth with gold embroideries on it. There were also a few chairs stationed along the walls of the room and one slightly more higher than the rest sat directly in front of the door. Sun Shang Xiang presumed that that was where Liu Bei would sit if there was something to be discussed in his room. On the east and west walls behind the chairs, were shelves full of vases, gold and jade figures, and circle porcelain plates with a picture either drawn on it, or engraved in it. The one Shang Xiang liked best was the long gold dragon sitting on the very top of the east wall shelf. It reminded her of her own family crest, although this dragon didn't seem as fearful. It looked much more calm and maybe even friendly.
Also along the east wall was an opening to another room. This room also was decorated with vases, gold and jade figures, and those circle porcelain plate, but there were not as many. However, in this room, there was a desk sitting by the north wall. Behind the desk were shelves full of books. There were even some books among the decorations. On the desk itself, were sheets of paper, books neatly piled in one corner, and a quill inside an inkbottle.
To the right of the desk, along the north wall, was another opening to another room. This room, slightly bigger than the rest, was very different. It was basically empty. There were a few windows, like every room, yes, but other than that, there was nothing much else. Except in one corner lay a shelf-like thing that held a bunch of different weapons. There were spears, swords, halberds, staves, and even some weapons that Shang Xiang had never seen before. Like the one that looked like a spear, with a hooked blade like a scythe on one end and a short pointy blade, almost unnoticeable on the other end. This was most likely a private training room.
The training room opened up to two separate rooms. On the west wall, it opened up to the bathing room. When you enter this room, tripods of white shielded it, with pictures painted on. This was to give whoever was bathing some privacy. Beyond the tripods was a huge bathing area. It looked like a modern day swimming pool, but more elaborate, more elegant, and more established.
From the training room, the opening on the north wall led to the bedroom. But before you entered, you would pass through the strings of beads hanging down the opening. The bedroom itself was spilt into two areas, separated by a wall-to-wall strings of beads. The first area had another small table, and on the table were the remains of Shang Xiang's unnoticed meal. This area was decorated with even more vases, figures, and plates, only ones looked more delicate and a lot more expensive.
Those white tripods, just not as many, also shielded the second area. The bed lay on the east wall. The curtains for the bed were green with golden embroideries. Sitting on the south wall was a table with a small chair in front of it. This table had all of Sun Shang Xiang's make-up, mirrors, jewelries, all the things a typical wealthy lady had. But of course, Shang Xiang would not use much of it. Sitting right beside the table was the trunk full of Shang Xiang's most precious possessions. Hanging on the north wall was a set of armour and a sword. The armour was green with gold on it. And above was a circlet crown-like thing the Lady Sun had never seen before. Beside the armour hung a sword with a medium length blade.
Lady Sun lightly touched the blade, which sent shivers down her back. It reminded her so much of her days back in Wu. Perhaps, she thought, Lord Liu Bei may not be a terrible husband. She sighed, and left the room. She had to do something to get her mind off of her past life. The life she loved. The life she would never be able to return to.
Shang Xiang stepped out of the room into a beautiful bright new day. There was a small garden right in front of the room, but she ignored it and continued to her left along the pathway, unsure of where she was going.
"Mei Li... I wish I had you here with me..." She muttered to herself as she took another turn.
After half an hour of walking around, she finally realized that she was lost. She hadn't been keeping track of where she went, and now she didn't even know which way she had come from. Standing in the middle of yet another small garden, she spun around, thinking on where she could go. After a little while, she knew that she was lost, and she angrily sat down on one of the stone chairs.
"This really sucks. How could I get lost in such a puny place compared to the palace in Wu? And why isn't there anyone around?! Where are the servants? The maids? How can I find my way back without asking someone?" She muttered angrily to herself.
Just then, there was a small cry coming from one direction. Shang Xiang stood up quickly, ready and alert. There was silence for a few seconds before the cry was heard again. Her head turned directly to where the sound was coming from. She carefully took a few steps towards the sound, but there was nothing again. Lady Sun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, thinking that it was only her imagination, when the cry came out again.
It was no ordinary cry. It was different because it sounded a lot like an infant. The cry continued, only getting louder and louder. Shang Xiang stood there a moment before realizing that if it were an infant, she should go calm it. She lightly jogged north to the sound and came upon another area of this palace. To her right, there was a room with an open door. She knew the crying came from that room so she walked into it.
The room itself was fairly small, and only had one window. And in the middle of the room was a small crib. This crib was designed very elegantly with gold and green all over it.
Shang Xiang walked up to the crib carefully and looked into it. Although she had been expecting to see a baby, she was still slightly surprised to actually see one. Just as she looked into the crib, the baby caught sight of her and stopped crying immediately. The baby looked up at her, with his big adorable eyes. There were a few tears sliding down the side of his round face.
Shang Xiang smiled. He was so cute! She reached in and wiped the tears away. "There, there. No need to cry." The baby just continued to stare at her. "Look at you! You're so cute!" She lightly rubbed his cheek with one finger. Still, the baby continued to stare at her. "And who might you be? And why are you all alone here?" She gently poked his little stomach.
This time, the baby giggled. He kicked his little feet up into the air, and both of his tiny hands reached up to grab her finger. He managed to grab her finger and giggled even louder.
"See! All better now!" She pulled her finger away from his grasp and reached down with both her hands to pick up the baby.
Just before you was able to pick the baby, a dagger flew past her face, just millimeters from her nose. The dagger made a loud thud against the wall as it pierced into it and hang on there. Shang Xiang swiftly turned her head to where the knife came from. Her heart pounding against her chest.
To her greatest surprise, there stood a young man. Fully dressed in a white, blue and gold armour. He held a long spear in one hand, and the other on his hip. He looked at her threateningly, but didn't say a word.
"Who are you?" Shang Xiang stood up and took a step backwards with one hand behind her back, reaching to the concealed dagger she had placed there.
He didn't reply.
"Who are you? Speak!" She demanded as she grasped onto the dagger.
Again he did not respond.
Without another word, she threw the dagger straight at him. He however, was already prepared and swiftly swung his spear deflecting the dagger. Panic rushed through Shang Xiang. Her eyes widened, her breathing quickened. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if he would kill her or not. She didn't know what was going to happen.
"Oh, General Zhao Yun!" Fu Ying's voice came from outside. "Have you come to check up on the Little Lord Liu Shan?"
Fu Ying then stepped into the room and was surprised to see Shang Xiang in the room. "Oh! Lady Liu Bei, what a pleasant surprise to see you here also."
"Fu Ying. I thought I told you never to leave Liu Shan alone." Zhao Yun stated harshly.
"Oh, but General Zhao Yun, I was only getting his diapers. I... I... was only gone for a few seconds." Her voice was cracking and fear was in her voice.
"In a few seconds someone could easily kidnap or kill the little Lord Liu Shan." He stared straight at Shang Xiang. His eyes filled with cold hatred towards her.
"This will never happen again." Fu Ying fell down on her knees and bowed at his feet for forgiveness.
He didn't say another word and left. Just as he left, Shang Xiang quickly helped Fu Ying to her feet.
"Who does he think he is?! How could he treat you like this Fu Ying?" Shang Xiang shouted angrily as she picked up her dagger from the floor. "I should have done something to help you Fu Ying. I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? Oh no. No, no, no. I cannot accept your apology. You needn't to apologize to me my Lady. It is quite all right. General Zhao Yun has the right to be yelling at me for such a stupid action. I should have never left the little Lord Liu Shan here all alone. The general is right. Lord Liu Shan could have been kidnapped or killed." She picked the baby up and placed him on the table to change his diapers.
"He is a general! He has no right to not answer my questions. He has no right to throw a dagger to face. I am the Lady here! I have power over him!" Shang Xiang's voice was filled with anger as she took advantage of her position here.
"Oh, but my Lady, if only you knew what the General has done, you would not think the same."
"What?"
"My Lady, General Zhao Yun is one of the five tigers of Shu. He is a strong warrior, intelligent, good-looking, courageous and very, very brave. Why, General Zhao Yun is the one who saved poor little Lord Liu Shan when Lord Liu Bei had to flee." Fu Ying finished changing Liu Shan's diapers and placed him onto the bed again.
"I don't seem to understand." Shang Xiang rubbed the baby's cheek again and watched him giggle with joy.
"Little Lord Liu Shan seems to like you a lot my Lady." Fu Ying smiled at her. "General Zhao Yun once went single-handedly through armies of thousands just to rescue little Lord Liu Shan. Because of this, the general is highly favoured by Lord Liu Bei."
"Single-handedly?"
Fu Ying nodded.
"Wait, little Lord Liu Shan... the Lord Liu Bei has a son?!"
* * *
Liu Bei sat in his study rubbing his temples as Guan Yu went over some plans for the next day.
"Brother?" Guan Yu asked when he noticed that Liu Bei had not been paying any attention at all. "Are you alright?"
Liu Bei nodded his head with his eyes still closed. "I'm just getting a slight headache that is all."
"Brother!" Zhang Fei cried out. "You must be well! We need you here for this next attack! You cannot die on us like this! You cannot leave us!!"
"Oh, bite your tongue Fei!" Zhao Yun snapped at him. "You shouldn't curse Lord Liu Bei! I'm sure he will be well with enough rest!" He then turned to face Liu Bei. "Lord Liu Bei, perhaps you should return to your bedchamber and rest, and get something to eat."
"Perhaps you are right..." Liu Bei mumbled, but did not move. "but I would rather not return to my bedchamber..."
"Don't worry my Lord, I don't believe the Lady Sun would be in there... I saw her wandering the East Wing earlier." Zhao Yun whispered to him.
Liu Bei thought about it for a moment before nodding his head. He opened his eyes and pushed himself up. "Zhuge Liang will take over from here. If there is any important issues to be brought to my attention, inform me immediately Zhang Fei."
Without another word, Liu Bei left his study and the meeting and headed back to his bedchamber. As he neared his bedchamber, he was surprised to see Fu Ying holding a sleeping Liu Shan there. She bowed down politely at him before he reached out to touch his own son.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry my Lord, but I was just checking to see if the Lady Liu Bei had return yet. I had given her directions back here but she has not returned. Perhaps she is still in the garden. If I may, I ask for my leave."
"Fu Ying, don't call her Lady Liu Bei, call her Lady Sun. I'm sure she would feel much more comfortable if you did." He paused for a moment before silently adding, "So would I." Liu Bei walked into his room and closed the door behind him.
He headed straight for his bed, but before he did, he noticed a trunk he had never seen before. His hand touched the gold dragon seal before he lifted the lid up. His eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw what was inside. Inside there were two sets of similarly looking suits of armor. Although they were armour, he had never seen anything quite like it. It looked as if it were made for a girl. Lying on top of them were many different weapons. There were knives, daggers, swords, arrows, spearheads, and even a pair of circle bladed hoops. Liu Bei picked up one and admired it. He had never seen such a thing before.
"Have you no shame?!" A girl shouted out angrily.
She stood a few feet away from him, dressed in the red family qipao dress. Her hair was tied up delicately with many ribbons. So this young beautiful girl is my wife? Liu Bei mused to himself.
Sun Shang Xiang grabbed the sword hanging on the wall and held it at Liu Bei's throat with an unsteady grip. Liu Bei's eyes sparked with amusement as he watched her trembling hands holding onto his sword.
"Who do you think you are? Barging into my room like so and stealing my possessions?! Put them down!"
Liu Bei obeyed, his eyes never leaving hers in curiosity and amusement.
"Do you not know who I am?! I am Lady Sun Shang Xiang! With one single word from me, I could have you killed seven times over!" She re- gripped her hand on the handle several times. "You must be a new servant or something!" She stated looking him up and down. "But judging from your clothes, you might be a wealthy man."
Liu Bei didn't say a word, rather only trying to resist from laughing.
"A soldier? A general? Or perhaps a wealthy Lord?" Shang Xiang continued to guess.
Liu Bei chuckled slightly. His new wife amused him greatly.
"Do you not fear death?!" Shang Xiang edged the sword closer feeling the anger boil within her. No one had ever insulted her like this before!
"No," Liu Bei tried to put on a straight face. "Especially not when you are the one who is threatening me." He motioned at her trembling hands
"Brother Liu Bei," A voice called from the first room after the sound of the door opening. "Zhuge Liang wanted me to inform you that..." Zhang Fei paused just as he entered the bedroom. The sight of Shang Xiang holding a sword to his oath brother's throat infuriated him. "Who the hell do you think you are holding a sword to Lord Liu Bei's throat like so?!" He picked up one of the vases nearby, ready to throw it at her.
"It is quite alright Brother Fei." Liu Bei laughed.
Sun Shang Xiang stepped away from him. "Lord Liu Bei...?" She muttered to herself. Realizing what she had just done, she dropped the sword and fell down on all fours with her head against the ground, facing towards Liu Bei. She bowed at him a few times, begging for forgiveness. "Please forgive me..." She stuttered a few seconds before she continued with the word she had not wished to use. "Forgive me my husband! I did not know! I'm terribly sorry! Please forgive me! It shall never happen again!"
Liu Bei chuckled slightly before reaching over to her to help her up. She stood up obediently, but with her eyes to the floor and her head down in shame. She could not look at her husband for two reasons. One because she had not acted like a proper lady before him and two she was afraid to see his face again.
Zhang Fei, watching the whole scene, slowly putting away the vase, his untrusting eyes never leaving Sun Shang Xiang's figure. "Brother, if I may have a word with you..."
Liu Bei nodded his head and turned to whisper to his new wife. "You shouldn't be so afraid of me. I won't hurt you." His fingers rested on the bottom of her chin to tilt her head up. Although her head was up and facing him, her eyes never looked into his. She bit her lip nervously, her heart pounding faster and faster. "Please, look at me."
Obeying him, she slowly turned to look at him. He smiled warmly at her before letting go of her chin and walking to the next room to talk to his oath brother. Sun Shang Xiang's eyes followed him out. Just as he exited, she collapsed onto the ground once more. Her heart was pounding against her chest to the point where she could almost hear it.
"Mother... have I disappointed you?"
* * *
"Brother! She is not fit for a wife! She could have killed you! She is not a lady! Her attitude could easily be mistaken that of a man's!" Zhang Fei angrily slammed his hand against the desk. He spoke loud enough, making sure that Shang Xiang would hear his words.
"Calm down Brother Fei. You needn't to be so rash." Liu Bei's words were soft and calm. "I don't think she is as bad as you all portray her to be. Besides, she was merely doing so in self-defense. I highly doubt she would have harmed me in any way." Liu Bei chuckled silently to himself thinking back at the recent incident. "Either which way, why did you come here?"
"That's right! Zhuge Liang wanted me to inform you that he needs to speak to you directly tomorrow morning before we leave to check the perimeters. Also, he wanted me to remind you that you should leave one or more generals behind to watch the palace when we attack the Jing Province."
"I already have that all planned. I'll speak to him tomorrow, thank you Fei. I ought to get some rest now, if you don't mind brother." Liu Bei said.
Zhang Fei nodded his head and headed out.
"Oh Fei," He turned to watch his oath brother leave. "Please don't drink tonight."
"Hah! What do you take me for? Some drunkard with an alcohol problem? I can control myself! Don't you worry about me!" Zhang Fei laughed as he exited the bedchamber.
"That's exactly why I worry." Liu Bei mumbled as he headed back in his room. He was greeted by Sun Shang Xiang, who was standing in the middle of the room with her head down, still afraid to look at him. "Tomorrow I must head out and will not return until the next day."
Shang Xiang nodded her head.
"I would like to get some rest."
Again, Shang Xiang nodded her head before leaving the room.
* * *
The next morning, Sun Shang Xiang had woken up bright and early because of the birds chirping near the window. She did not get enough sleep the night before because of the uneasiness she had sleeping beside someone. She knew that Liu Bei hadn't slept well either. He kept making slight movements all night. Shang Xiang knew that he had not gotten used to the idea that he was married just as she wasn't.
Today, she woke up to yet another empty bed. Liu Bei had managed to get up earlier than her and had probably already left to wherever he had to go. She got up from the bed and walked over to her accessory and make-up table. There, sitting upon the table was a basin of warm water and a face cloth. Shang Xiang took the cloth and soaked it in water, then wringed it and wiped her face.
As she was washing her face, the door to her bedchamber opened and Fu Ying entered her room, holding Liu Shan her in arms. "Oh! My Lady! You're awake! I'm so sorry, I should have been here to help you wash, but the little Lord Liu Shan had to be fed!" She exclaimed.
"It is alright Fu Ying, I prefer doing this myself anyway." Shang Xiang being fiddling with the many ribbons still in her hair. "If you don't mind, could you help me take out all this?"
"Not at all my Lady!" Fu Ying walked behind Shang Xiang and attempted to take some of the ribbons out with Liu Shan still in her arms. Realizing that it wouldn't work, Sun Shang Xiang motioned her to give the baby for her to hold. She did so and began working with the hair.
"I never knew Lord Liu Bei had such an adorable son! Actually, I never knew he had a son!" Shang Xiang touched the baby's cheek who giggled in delight.
Fu Ying laughed. "As time passes, you will come to learn more about Lord Liu Bei." She stopped working and looked into the mirror to see Shang Xiang's face. "If my Lady does not mind me asking, what do you think of Lord Liu Bei?"
Shang Xiang blushed ever so slightly. "Well, to be honest, I haven't spoken to him much. But... I did see his face for the very first time yesterday."
"And...?"
"Well... he isn't as old as I thought him to be." She admitted.
"And what does that mean my Lady?" A smile crept upon Fu Ying's face.
"He's... fairly handsome... I suppose. He seems like... a nice man." She laughed slightly, remembering her terrible, yet funny, mistake of him being a servant, a soldier, a wealthy man, a general, everything but her own husband.
Fu Ying grinned happily. "I told my Lady would like Lord Liu Bei as time passes. Lord Liu Bei is a wonderful man, you are a very lucky woman my Lady. Many women dream to have a husband like Lord Liu Bei. Perhaps my Lady is one such woman?" She finished removing all the ribbon and watch Shang Xiang's hair fall freely back down. She then grabbed a comb and began brushing her hair.
Sun Shang Xiang laughed. "I am no such woman. I don't dream of marrying men. I wish to be free. Free like the wind, or like a soaring eagle, going anywhere it desires. I don't like to be locked up or caged. I want to be free."
Fu Ying gasped in shock. "But my Lady!" She stuttered before there was a loud knock on the door.
"Lady Sun?" A familiar voice called.
"Mei Li!" Shang Xiang stood up with excitement. She handed Liu Shan back to Fu Ying and rushed to open the door. "Mei Li! It is so wonderful to see you again!" She hugged her handmaiden tightly.
"It is my pleasure to see my Lady again." Mei Li pulled back from the hug. "I hope all is well for my Lady."
"Come Mei Li! I've been dying to train again! You must come and spar with me!" Shang Xiang grabbed her servant by the wrist and attempted to drag her back outside, but she refrained from moving.
"My Lady! You must get dressed first!" Mei Li cried out in horror.
"Oh! That is right!" Sun Shang Xiang realized after looking down at her white silken tunic pajamas. She rushed back in and quickly pulled out her training outfit from inside the big trunk, quickly changed, grabbed the circle bladed hoops, and pulled Mei Li outside. "I found this garden here yesterday, it's a wonderful place to train!"
Sun Shang Xiang dragged her shield maiden down the pathway, turning in several places as if she had grown up among this place. "Look! There it is!" She pointed straight ahead after a short while. The garden was fairly big, with many different trees surrounding the area. It was a lovely sight especially with the cherry blossoms growing amongst the trees.
Just before they reached the garden, someone had turned the corner and crashed right into them. Shang Xiang's face bumped into someone's chest that was also wearing armour. Mei Li crash into her mistress shortly after.
"OW!!" Shang Xiang shouted angrily.
"Are you alright?" A thick male voice asked as he helped the two girls up.
Shang Xiang looked up to see his face and was very surprised to see a man with a red face and a very long beard. She presumed that he was a general by the way he dressed, but did not say, because she was afraid to make the same mistake she did with Liu Bei.
"My Lady, are you alright?" Mei Li asked worriedly, not bothering about herself.
Sun Shang Xiang nodded her head, her gaze locked on the man.
"You must be Brother Liu Bei's new wife, Sun Shang Xiang." He politely bowed down slightly in respect. "I am Lord Liu Bei's oath brother, General Guan Yu. But please call me Brother Yu."
Shang Xiang nodded her head, not saying a word back.
"I am most sorry for running into you like this, but I must be off."
She nodded her head again and watched him leave. After he turned the corner, Shang Xiang continued on her way to the garden, this time much more careful. Once in the garden, she took her position and stood away from Mei Li.
"Let's spar!" She shouted out with joy. "Oh, and Mei Li, don't go easy on me!"
* * *
Six days had passed since Liu Bei and his generals left to check the perimeters. Although Sun Shang Xiang enjoyed this peace and quiet, and not having to worry about pleasing someone, she did felt bored. Back in Wu, she would have found some excitement stealing Lu Xun's weapons, or sparring with her brothers when they had the time, or even sneaking off to ride the horses. Back then, she was young and freer. She could do nearly anything she wanted. She had a sense of adventure, excitement, and a sense of rebellion, but here, here in Shu, she no longer had that freedom. She no longer had much excitement because there was none to find her. She could not wander off and away from the palace because of the many, many servants and guards that restrained her. The only person who dared to spar with her was Mei Li, and even then, Mei Li would not do much in fear of hurting her mistress. Shang Xiang was no longer a girl, she was maturing into a woman. She would have to leave all her childish dreams behind and learn the ways of being a woman.
When Fu Ying noticed a few of Shang Xiang's unladylike behaviour, she took it as her personal goal to train Shang Xiang. So now, Sun Shang Xiang had to take etiquette lessons with Fu Ying. So far she had only been taught how to walk properly, and how to behave in front of her husband. Shang Xiang always dreaded these etiquette lessons, but knowing what she had promised her mother, she continued to learn them, despite the unhappiness growing within her. There were only two things that made her smiled now. One was being able to sneak off from Fu Ying's watchful eye and train, and the other was Liu Shan.
Although Liu Shan wasn't even her own child or anything such, she still loved him dearly. He was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Everyday when all the maids and servants were busy with their normal duties, Shang Xiang would often go play with Liu Shan. For some odd reason, he would always giggle when she played with him. Shang Xiang loved him so dearly that she even asked Fu Ying to move his crib into her room. It wasn't until she asked did she find out that Liu Shan had always slept in Liu Bei's bedchamber, but the day of the marriage, Liu Bei had asked to move Liu Shan into another room temporarily until his new wife had gotten adjusted to living in Shu with him.
Sun Shang Xiang had not yet gotten adjusted to living here yet, but she still maintained a few habits from her old life. And she would never let go of these habits. It was her dream, her only freedom here.
"My Lady, I must be off, Fu Ying has given me much chores to do today. Although I wish I could stay and spar with you, I must leave." Mei Li bowed down politely at her mistress.
"Fine!" Shang Xiang motioned her to go away. "I'll just practice by myself... and if Fu Ying asks where I am, tell her that I'm sleeping and to not bother me!" She shouted out to Mei Li.
She touched her Sol Chakram delicately and smiled. "If only you were here brother..."
* * *
"My husband!" A young woman cried out happily. "You have returned safely!" She rushed towards the man heading towards the palace gates. "I was so worried about your well being." She wrapped her arms around Zhuge Liang's neck and hugged him tightly.
Although she was not a beautiful woman like Shang Xiang, she was fairly decent looking. Her long shiny black hair flowed behind her in the wind. Her traditional Chinese cheongsam dress danced gracefully along with her. She had a fair face, a calm nature, and elegant movements. She looked intelligent, very kind, and like an absolutely stunning person.
"Yeu Ying, I have missed you so." Zhuge Liang pulled back slightly and smiled at her, his hand touching her face.
She pushed back completely and gave him a childish frown. "You have been gone far longer than two days as you said."
He laughed. "Perhaps next time I should not set a specific date that I will be coming back."
She frowned, but then she noticed the rest of the generals returning as well. She smiled kindly and bowed down at all the generals and the Lord. "Lord Liu Bei, I hope your travels was well."
"Could have been better." He admitted. "But if you will excuse us Yeu Ying, but we must hold a brief meeting."
She nodded her head and stepped out of the way and watched all the men pass her. They headed inside the palace and through the courtyard before they were out of her sight.
Liu Bei led his most trusted generals through the palace, the courtyard, and a few gardens before he stopped dead in his tracks. They had reached another garden, but something was very different about this one. There was someone dressed in a red battle suit practicing with some kind of weapon. But the strange thing was, was that this person was a girl. From her short black, to her outfit, the way she used the weapon, it was completely different from anything any of the men there had ever saw. They were all used to girls with long hair always tied up, always dressed in a traditional cheongsam or qipao or those fancy Chinese dresses. Never in a battle suit. Not only that, girls were not supposed to be using a weapon so skillfully, in fact, most girls were even forbidden to know the art of swordsmanship. But here, this one girl seemed to defy all the rules and all the traditions that the Chinese Ancestors and the Chinese Gods had left humans with. She was something out of the ordinary.
Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei immediately clutched their weapons tightly, ready to strike at Liu Bei's command.
"Stay back my Lord, she may be a spy." Pang Tong stood in front of Liu Bei and held his staff readily. "She looks like a demon to me." He added.
Liu Bei himself, was not at all scared. In fact he was curious. Very curious. Who was this girl that stood in front of him. Although he could not see her face clearly, she looked somewhat familiar. Something about this girl's behaviour and attitude intrigued him. She was most definitely unique.
Guan Yu laughed slightly, stroking his beard, and not feeling at all any uneasy about this whole situation. All the generals including Liu Bei looked at him strangely. Each of them wondering what was wrong with him.
"The demon must have possession General Guan Yu! Everyone stand back, I will free him and kill the demon within him!" Pang Tong held his staff readily in front of him, beginning to chant something.
Guan Yu laughed again. "I am not possessed. There is no demon within me Pang Tong." He used his hand to push Pang Tong's staff away from him. "That young lady there is merely Brother Liu Bei's wife." He stated as he started to continue on his way to the study.
"I knew it! I knew it! That wife of yours, brother, is no lady!" Zhang Fei accused.
"So unladylike." Zhao Yun scoffed, following Guan Yu. "She is no wife."
"And how are you so sure she is Lord Liu Bei's wife? Maybe you're still possessed!" Pang Tong called out to Guan Yu.
"Because I met her before we left."
* * *
"...So in two days we will set forth and attack. Guan Yu, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong will take the left path on the fifth day. Stay clear of being seen until the signal is given. Once the signal comes Guan Yu will lead the shower of arrows. When they start retreating, Zhang Fei, Pang Tong, and Wei Yan will head them off from the right. Do not show yourselves until Guan Yu has made his attack. Remember, we will attack with full force after Guan Yu has fired." Zhuge Liang went over the attack plan on the Jing Province for the third time. "We cannot have any failures here."
All the generals nodded their heads and were dismissed. Liu Bei walked over to Zhuge Liang and patted him on the shoulder. "You have done well Zhuge Liang. You have not let me down yet, I trust we will succeed."
"Your words are too kind for a simple man such as myself."
Liu Bei smiled. "I would like to ask a favour from you."
"Anything for my Lord."
"During our campaign to the Jing Province, I would like to ask if your dear wife, Yeu Ying to watch over my palace."
Zhuge Liang was unexpected for that. He took a step backwards and nearly stumbled on the chair behind him. "My wife? You would trust Yeu Ying to watch over your palace? You would trust a girl?" He was in disbelief. In ancient China, women were always inferior to men. They were never given much power.
"Do you trust your wife?"
"Why, yes. Of course I do."
"Good. I trust you. And I trust your judgment. Just like you, I know she will not let me down."
"My Lord, you honour me greatly." Zhuge Liang bowed down.
"You are well deserved of it." Liu Bei helped him up. "But, we both must get a lot of rest. I do not know what I would do without your brilliance Zhuge Liang. I bid you goodnight." Liu Bei then stepped out of his study and headed back to his room.
As he neared his bedchamber, he was extremely surprised to see two lines of bodyguards at his door. More surprising was that they were all female soldiers. Cautiously he walked closer and closer to his door until he was almost able to open it, when suddenly the two female guards nearest to the door swung their spears in front of him, blocking his path to the door.
"The Lady Sun is resting." They said in unison. "You cannot enter Lady Sun's bedchamber without her permission."
He raised an eyebrow questionably. He was intrigued by this, but also very annoyed. How rude of them to not even know the face of their Lord.
"Am I not even allowed to enter my own bedchamber?!" Liu Bei tried to sound as calm as possible.
All the shield maidens dropped their weapons and fell the ground, bowing down at his feet. The two female guards who stopped him apologized to him profusely, each one of them afraid that he could just end their lives for their disrespect. He gave a disgusted look and pushed open his door roughly. Perhaps, he thought, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun were right about the Lady Sun. She may not be fit for a wife.
"Lord Liu Bei." Another maiden inside the room bowed down respectively. She was the one who had spoke to him the day of the wedding. He motioned for her to leave and she did so obediently.
He headed straight for his room and didn't see Sun Shang Xiang sleeping, so he dismissed the idea that she was even in the room. He slammed down his sword on the table, feeling very annoyed by those women by his door. But when he slammed down his sword, there was a soft whimpering. He swiftly turned around and was surprised to see his son's cradle in his room. He approached the cradle and soothed Liu Shan.
"There, there. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." He said softly to his son. Liu Shan soon went back to sleep.
Liu Bei walked to the table in his room and poured a cup of wine to drink. Just as the cup reached his lips, he heard a quiet splashing sound nearby. He placed the cup down quickly, grabbed his sword and walked into the next room, the private training room. He stood in there momentarily, his hand gripped on the hilt of his sword when he heard another splash. He turned towards his right and walked into the bathing room. Behind the white tripods he could make out a figure of someone in the bath. His clutch on the sword loosened as he silently walked closer and closer.
In his mind, he knew it was a girl in the bath and he knew most likely it was Sun Shang Xiang, but he was a little tempted to take a look, or a little peek. Instead of listening to reason and turning back, he continued to step forward. As he was next to the tripods, he did, indeed, see a girl bathing. Her back was turned towards him and the room was a little misty and the water was filled with the herbal pink flowers.
The girl in the bath brushed the surface of the water with her hands playfully and watched the flowers depart and then return. She the cupped her hands together and used her hands to pour some water on her shoulders. Although Liu Bei knew that he shouldn't watch her any longer, he was rather fascinated and took another step closer. This proved to be a bad move when suddenly a dagger flew towards him. He managed to narrowly dodge it.
When he turned back to face the girl, she was already out of the bath and wrapped in her red silken bathrobe. She held another dagger close to her, but when she noticed who had been watching her bathe, she quickly lowered her weapon and weakly smiled at him.
"My Lord Liu Bei. I did not know you have returned." She said apologetically. "Forgive me for my impoliteness my Lord."
Liu Bei did not know what to say to her. He knew that if he tried to speak, he would have stuttered. So instead of saying anything to her, he turned around and went back to his bedroom to get some rest.
* * *
Two days had quickly passed since Liu Bei had returned from the perimeter check, and in those two days, Sun Shang Xiang had hardly seen him and hadn't spoke to him since that incident while she was bathing. To her, it seemed like he was avoiding her, which upset her greatly. How was she supposed to live with her husband if they could not speak to each other?
Shang Xiang sat in the private study of their room and took the quill, dipped it into the inkbottle and began writing a letter back to her family. She had written three already, but there was no reply back yet, so she could only presume that it had lost its way back to Wu. After a while, she folded the papers and placed them into the envelope.
"Mei Li!" She called out.
Almost immediately, Mei Li came in and bowed down to Shang Xiang.
"Take this letter, and this," Shang Xiang handed her the letter and a gold tael. "And find the most reliable messenger to deliver this letter to my brother."
"Yes, my Lady." Without another word, Mei Li headed off.
Feeling very bored like usual, Shang Xiang left her room to wander the palace yet again. Soon she came towards the main hall and was surprised to see all the generals and a young lady there.
Shang Xiang quickly hid herself near the doorway so she could see what was happening. The girl there was very polite and continuously wished all the generals there good luck. Shang Xiang looked everywhere in the main hall but she didn't see Liu Bei there.
"Much luck and many fortunes to you General Zhao Yun." She smiled at Zhao Yun.
Shang Xiang looked over the girl. The girl was fairly decent looking, but nothing to brag about. Maybe she's one of Liu Bei's consorts. She thought as she continued looking the girl from head to toe.
"Thank you Lady Yeu." He smiled back at her. "You are so much more respectful and kind than that girl Lord Liu Bei was forced to marry. You ought to teach her some manners."
Sun Shang Xiang clenched her teeth angrily, making her fist into a tight ball until her knuckles were turning white and glared at Zhao Yun, hoping that he would burn from his insides for his rude comment.
"Well, I haven't met the Lady Sun yet, but I'm sure she is a very nice girl. Perhaps general, you have gotten off on the wrong foot with her?" She continued to smile.
"Let's hope. I don't want Lord Liu Bei to have to suffer with her."
"Generals!" A voice came from the other side of the room. "It is time." Liu Bei stepped out with Zhuge Liang beside him. "We must leave now."
All the generals there bowed their heads and then headed out the gates to their horses and many troops waiting outside. A part of Shang Xiang wanted to run off and join them, but the other part made her stay put.
"My husband..." Yeu Ying walked up towards the two gentlemen. "Please be careful." Shang Xiang was absolutely surprised when she saw her hug Zhuge Liang. "Please take care, I will be waiting for you here."
Zhuge Liang kissed her on the forehead. "I will be back, don't worry. Take care of the palace. Lord Liu Bei is counting on you."
She smiled and watched as the two went off with the other men. After standing there for a long while waiting until all the troops had left, she turned around and headed back in. As she headed into the hallway, she was surprised to see Sun Shang Xiang standing in the shadows.
"Oh, you must be Lady Sun." She smiled politely. "I am Yeu Ying, the Lady Zhuge Liang." She bowed down in respect. "You must have been standing here all along... why didn't you say farewell to your husband?"
Shang Xiang didn't say a word.
"Perhaps you are still afraid of this new place?"
Again Shang Xiang didn't say a word.
"You needn't to be afraid Lady Sun. Lord Liu Bei is a very kind man. He is extremely virtuous, has a kind face symbolizing the kindness in his heart. He is a strong warrior, a courageous leader, and a loving husband. You shouldn't be at all afraid Lady Sun. "
Shang Xiang smiled weakly at Yeu Ying. "Perhaps..."
"Lady Sun!" Someone called from inside the palace. "Lady Sun, where are you?" Suddenly Fu Ying turned the corner, running towards them. "Oh, Lady Sun! There you are. Today I will be teaching you how to stitch."
Sun Shang Xiang sighed hopelessly. Maybe, she thought, maybe I should get out of here soon.
"Oh! Stitching! Stitching is quite simple. If you don't mind Lady Sun, I can help you with that too." Yeu Ying continued to smile.
"That would be wonderful." Shang Xiang tried to hide the sarcasm, but Yeu Ying caught on to it. Instead of taking offense, Yeu Ying just laughed.
* * *
"We head to the capital, and the Jing Province will be ours!" Liu Bei announced to all the generals as they rode together towards the capital.
It had been three weeks since they left and everything had been going along well. Their first attack on the supply depot was a complete success and now all that was left was to take over the capital. Their enemies were strong; they would not accept defeat just yet.
"The winds have picked up. The clouds are shifting." Pang Tong, who was riding beside Liu Bei mumbled, loud enough for some of the surrounding people to hear. "Something is unrest in these lands..." He paused, looking up into the sky temporarily. "I sense there is trouble ahead."
"Trouble...? Nothing can trouble us!" Zhang Fei bellowed out.
Liu Bei looked around him. Although what he saw did not look troubling at all, but inside, he had a gut feeling that Pang Tong was right, and something was wrong. "Brother Yu." He called out.
Guan Yu immediately trotted beside Liu Bei on his horse. "Yes brother?"
"Do me a favour, if something happens to me along the way, I want you to continue heading to the capital. Do not worry about me." Liu Bei said calmly to his oath brother.
"Worry about you? What do you mean brother? What could possibly..." Guan Yu was cut off when an arrow flew past him and his Liu Bei's armour. The arrow was reflected. "An arrow...?" Guan Yu suddenly realized something. "We're under attack!!" He shouted out loudly.
All the generals surrounded Liu Bei. The troop stopped walking and looked around them uneasily. Panic rose in the air, frightened faces, and trembling hands were everywhere. But there was nothing. Nothing happened. After a long moment of uncertainty and heavy breathing, everyone relaxed.
"False alarm!" Someone shouted.
Suddenly arrows began falling from the air towards them. Many people were hit and everyone were ready and alert once again. Shouting was heard from afar and in the distance there were armed troops heading towards them.
"Enemy ambush!" One of the generals shouted.
"Brother Yu, promise me you will lead everyone and continue on to the capital if something is to happen to me." Liu Bei grabbed Guan Yu's arm.
"Brother..." He began, but saw Liu Bei's pleading look. "I promise."
"Charge!!!" Liu Bei screamed, leading his army towards the enemy.
With Zhao Yun riding close to his side, Liu Bei rode out to meet the enemies' front lines. Both of them easily hacked their way through, and soon the rest of the army marched in with them.
It was yet another bloody battle. People were killed, limbs were slashed off, and families would lose their son, their father, their husband, their uncles, nephews, grandsons... people were getting killed. Blood stained everyone's hands and faces.
About ten minutes in, Liu Bei was suddenly thrown off his famous gray horse, Hex Mark, landing onto the ground roughly.
"Lord Liu Bei!" Zhao Yun shouted out as he turned around on his horse and quickly headed.
Slashing a few enemies, he easily made his way to Liu Bei. He was on the ground clutching his chest tightly, blood seeping through his hand. His face had lost a little colour, but luckily, he was still conscious and alive.
"My Lord!" Zhao Yun jumped off his horse and helped Liu Bei up. "Are you alright?"
Liu Bei slowly moved his hand away from his chest to reveal an arrowhead that had pierced through his armour and into his flesh. He blinked slowly a few times. "Tell Guan Yu to continue on with all the generals for me." He then slipped into a black oblivion and went unconscious.
"BROTHER!" Guan Yu rushed towards them when he noticed his oath brother had been shot down. "What happened?!" He shouted out to Zhao Yun.
"I'm taking Lord Liu Bei back to the Shu." He motioned Guan Yu to help him lift Liu Bei onto Hex Mark. "General Guan Yu, Lord Liu Bei asks you to continue on to the capitol."
Guan Yu nodded. "Make sure Brother Liu Bei is well!"
Zhao Yun nodded. "Yah!" He shouted causing Hex Mark to start running.
* * *
"Lady Sun, do you think it is wise to do this?" Mei Li asked her mistress.
"I must Mei Li. I cannot stand it here any longer. I am deprived here. I am not free, and I am not acknowledged. I must leave. Mei Li, you're with me in this aren't you?" Shang Xiang carried a bundle on her shoulder, with her Sol Chakrams hanging on her belt. All of her handmaidens were with her. Some of them were carrying her belongings, but all of them were dressed in full armour and with weapons.
"Of course my Lady." Mei Li nodded. "There is a horse in the stable. But the horse is very untamed. However, I'm sure my Lady can easily tame and ride it."
"If I am to ride a horse, how will you all follow me? Come, we must leave now. Before anyone notices."
"My Lady Sun, there is a hidden passage in the stables. We can use that to escape." Mei Li pointed out.
"Good. We'll leave from there."
* * *
"Lady Yeu Ying!" A soldier bolted in through the doors of the study where Yeu Ying was currently reading over some strategy books. "Lady Yeu Ying!"
Yeu Ying quickly stood up. "What? What news do you bring me?" She feared for the worst. Something couldn't possibly have happened to my husband! She thought.
"There was an enemy ambush while we were heading towards the capital! Lord Liu Bei has been struck!" The words rushed out from his mouth. He was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath. "Zhao Yun is heading back with Lord Liu Bei. I'm not sure how long the Lord can handle." He said, telling her the grim news.
She gasped. "Oh great Gods, please protect Lord Liu Bei!" Yeu Ying bolted out from her seat and ran to Sun Shang Xiang's bedchamber.
She was surprised to see no one at her door, but she ignored that fact and pushed open the doors. "Lady Sun! Lady Sun!" She ran straight to the bedroom but was surprised to see Fu Ying huddled in a corner, all tied up, with a cloth in her mouth. "Fu Ying! Where is Lady Sun?!" Yeu Ying pulled out the cloth.
"The Lady is escaping! She is leaving!"
Yeu Ying gasped. "Oh no, no, no!" Holding the bottom of her cheongsam, she ran towards the stables. She knew that if Shang Xiang were to escape, she would most likely sneak out through the stables.
"Lady Sun... please don't be gone! Without you there won't be any hope for Lord Liu Bei!" Yeu Ying mumbled, running as fast as she could. "Dear Gods, please don't let me be too late!"
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Author's Note: I am actually rather please with how this chapter came to be! ^.^ Although I must admit that this is a pretty long chapter, but that's alright! I had lots of fun writing this chapter and how it was all going in through my mind.
Thank you for reading this chapter!! If you have the time, please leave a review! Because reviews are really nice, and I like them a lot, and they motivate me a lot! ^.^
Thank you yet again! ^.^
BlueDWGirl – Hiya! Thank you for reading a reviewing my fic! And also for emailing me too!! It means so much to me when my readers actually take the time to do something like that! It's very sweet of you! And to answer your question... well, I'm not sure if Shang Xiang will be happy... you just gotta read this chapter and the next few that follow it to find out! ~.^
Mr.Liz – Thank you for the compliments and the review! And yes, I'm a chick, so it's all good! ^.^ Funny you should mention Kessen 2... actually to be honest with you, when I found out some of the storyline, I was pretty upset. I was thinking, "What the heck?! Liu Bei is supposed to love SHANG XIANG, not frikkin' DIAO CHAN!" Yep... that's me. Lol, actually, Diao Chan's not bad... but in my mind Liu Bei is like, those righteous guys who stick with only one girl. Actually, come to think about it... when I first found out that in history Sun Shang Xiang was Liu Bei's wife, I was pretty upset. I was thinking, "Noooo!! He's sooooo old!! She should be with someone better!" ... geez... I'm weird .
ms. heartilly – Thank you for reading, reviewing, and your compliments! To answer your questions, Liu Bei didn't look at Shang Xiang because he knew that he didn't actually love her and that she didn't love him. In his heart he felt that it was wrong and yea. Like that. Lol. And to answer your second question, the reason he married her was because he had too. If he didn't, Sun Quan would have killed him. I'm pretty sure I added that in the first chapter... but oh well! ^.^
bluephoenix – Awww... thanks! Actually, I thought I didn't do the traditions and the wedding as well as I could have, but I guess it's not that bad then! ^.^ Thank you so much for reviewing!
mystik – Thank you so much for your compliments! Actually, one of the reasons I decided to actually write this fic (and not to leave it in the back of my head and then eventually forget about it) is because I didn't find many Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang fics. The fics I usually find SSX in are mostly either triangles (and most likely Liu Bei is left in the cold =( ) Or she is with someone who is not Liu Bei... so yea! ^.^
CoCo – Thank you for reading and reviewing! ^.^
vegg- Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Okay, so now I can start the chapter! Yay! ^.^ I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
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Chapter 2 – Rejecting Fate
Sun Shang Xiang had woken up by the sound of someone moving about in her room. She sleepily opened one eye and noticed that she was facing the wall. She was about to turn to the other side, when she realized her bed sheet and blanket was something totally different from her normal ones. These were bright red with a large Chinese character in the middle in gold. Her breathing began to quicken. That's right... she was no longer in the kingdom of Wu with her family and close friends. She had married the Lord Liu Bei and is now living under his roof in Shu.
She tightened her grip on the blanket, unsure of what to do next. She didn't want to turn around just in case he was still sleeping in the bed, or if he was the one moving in the room. Must not have fear... must be strong... a warrior never shows any weakness... Shang Xiang repeated over and over again in her head as she slowly turned to the other side. But before she was lying on her back, she heard a familiar 'click' sound. This caused her to bolt upright and face the intruder.
To her greatest surprise, Liu Bei was neither sleeping on the bed nor in the room. Instead there was an older maid there, her hand on the lid of the trunk that Mei Li had brought in from the night before. The trunk itself was halfway open, revealing something that reflected light inside. Surprise, shock, and fear were written on the poor maid's pale face.
"What are you doing?!" Sun Shang Xiang shouted in anger, jumping out of the bed, still in her red wedding nightgown. She rushed towards the maid and slammed the trunk down. "Who are you? How dare you go through my stuff?!"
"Lady Liu Bei, forgive me!" The maid dropped down onto the floor. Her hands and knees thumped against the hard floor and her forehead thudded against the floor. "Forgive me my Lady, forgive me!" She repeated over and over again.
Shang Xiang winced slightly when she heard the maid's head collide with the floor. "Please get up! I didn't mean for you to be like this!" She tried to pull the lady back up, but the maid refused. "Get up!" She finally scolded after she couldn't bear the maid like this any longer.
"I'm sorry my Lady, I'm sorry!"
"Just don't go into this again." Shang Xiang finally decided to let it go. She didn't know how much longer she could stand this maid apologizing over and over again.
"I'm sorry my Lady." She kept her head down, ashamed to look at the Lady. "My name is Fu Ying and I am the head of the maids of the palace. Lord Liu Bei ordered for me to help my Lady get accustomed here. I'm sorry for intruding my Lady, but I was unsure of what was in the trunk. It is my duty to make sure everything here is safe for my Lady."
"It's okay Fu Ying. That is my stuff please do not touch them again. It is the only thing that will bring me happiness here." Shang Xiang muttered the last bit to herself, but Fu Ying caught it.
"Oh my Lady, don't say such things! Lord Liu Bei is a kind, generous, and charming man. I am sure my Lady will be very happy with Lord Liu Bei. There is no other man that can equal Lord Liu Bei, much less surpass him!" Fu Ying finally looked up at Lady Sun and smiled. "Oh! My Lady is an extremely beautiful young girl! You must get dressed! It is nearly time to give thanks to the Gods and pray to the Ancestors! Hurry, hurry, my Lady! There isn't much time!" She opened one of the large closets in the room and pulled out a red dress. Although this dress wasn't as fancy as the one Shang Xiang wore the night before, it was still very pretty.
Fu Ying handed the dress to Sun Shang Xiang. "It is our tradition that the new Lady wears this red qipao dress the day after the wedding. And I must also put up your hair, my Lady."
"My hair?" Sun Shang Xiang brushed her fingers through her short hair. "How? It's too short."
"I will be putting in ribbons my Lady."
* * *
"So how was the night with her, brother?" Zhang Fei asked Liu Bei. The three oath brothers were gathered in his study, going over some plans and ideas to take over the Jing province.
Liu Bei did not answer, instead he continued talking about his plan. "Brother Yu, you, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong will take the pass to the left. And brother Fei, bring Pang Tong and Wei Yan to the right. I'll lead with Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang in the center." He traced his finger down along the middle pass on the map. "Here is where we attack. They won't be expecting anyone except whoever I lead down this middle pass. Brother Yu, I want you to attack with the arrows once my signal is given. When they retreat to the right, brother Fei, I want you to send full force, and we all attack at once."
Guan Yu nodded at the plan and stroked his beard. "They'll retreat back to their camp..." He trailed off to let his brother finish the thought.
"And we'll take over their camp. With their main supply camp under our command, they will surrender and the Jing Province will belong to Shu. It is only a matter of time before Shu is bigger than Wei and Wu." Liu Bei commented. "Tomorrow, my brothers, you and I and a few others will ride out to check our perimeters."
"Brother, did you even rest in your bedchamber?" Zhang Fei seemed unconcerned about the battle soon to come. "Is she even pretty? Or does she look like a boy?"
"Fei!" Guan Yu scolded. "How impolite to ask such things!"
"What? I'm just asking." He defended.
"I don't know." Liu Bei finally replied while rolling the map.
"Don't know? How do you not know?" Zhang Fei continued to pester.
"I did not look at her face." He paused momentarily, but knowing what his oath brother would ask next, he continued. "How can I look at the face of my wife I know I do not love? There is no love in this marriage. And I cannot force her to love me, nor can I force myself to love her, it would only bring unhappiness to the both of us."
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Zhang Fei spoke out again. "Did you two even..."
* * *
"There! My Lady, how do you think it looks?" Fu Ying asked as she finished doing Shang Xiang's hair and make-up.
Sun Shang Xiang looked into the mirror in front of her. She could not recognize the person staring right back. The mirror image looked very different. Her short hair had been pulled up with lots of ribbons, which made it look like her hair was actually long, but wrapped in ribbons. The style was very different from what Shang Xiang normally wore. It looked a lot like those traditional rich wives of powerful Lords or men. And Shang Xiang knew she could never pass as one. She was not a traditional girl.
"You put too much makeup on." Shang Xiang grabbed a cloth nearby and began wiping most of the makeup away. "I don't normally wear makeup."
Fu Ying stopped Sun Shang Xiang from wiping anymore away. "But My Lady, you must follow our traditions here. You must look your best when you pay respect to the Gods and the Ancestors." The maid began rubbing powder on Shang Xiang's cheeks to make them rosier.
Knowing that this maid would not do anything but what she is supposed to, Shang Xiang gave up trying to make things go her way. "Where's Mei Li?"
"Oh, you must mean the maiden you have brought with you. All of your ladies in waiting are in the Servant's Quarters. I'm sorry my Lady, but you cannot see any of them today. This way, you will be able to let go of your past my Lady." She looked down at Shang Xiang and smiled. "It is a custom in Shu."
After what seemed like a very, very long time for Shang Xiang, Fu Ying finally finished dressing her up and led her to the Ancestor's room. Luckily Fu Ying had led her there because Sun Shang Xiang would have been lost trying to find it. Fu Ying had to lead Shang Xiang past two courtyards and three different blocks all in the East Wing of the palace where she would live. Although the size of this place was nowhere near that of her own palace in Wu, she could just as easily get lost here.
As Sun Shang Xiang entered the Ancestor's room, the smell of burning incense floated in the air. Upon the huge shelves in the wall were many wooden pieces. Each one carved in the same shape with golden inscriptions engraved in them. They were the names of Lord Liu Bei's great ancestors. Shang Xiang did as she was told and went down on her knees on the cushion and began to pray to the Ancestor's. She was in the room, praying for about half an hour before Fu Ying came in again and led her out, and brought her back to her room.
"My Lady, you will wait for Lord Liu Bei before you share your first meal with him. Please relax and..." But before the maid could finish there was a loud knock on the door.
"Lord Liu Bei asks for the Lady Sun to eat without him. He is attending matters in his study and will not eat with her." A male voice announced before his retreating footsteps could be heard.
"Oh..." Fu Ying sounded disappointed. "Well My Lady, I suppose you and Lord Liu Bei will share your first meal together tonight. My Lady, please don't do any strenuous activities today, and you are free to wander the East Wing today. If I may, I ask for my leave."
Shang Xiang nodded and watched the maid leave her room. Afterwards she just stared at the plates of food lying in front of her. They smelt very delicious, but Shang Xiang didn't have any appetite to eat it. She was still depressed for being sent off here. She stood up and walked towards the trunk near the bed. Her delicate fingers traced the edges of the trunk.
"I wonder if these would be considered strenuous?" She muttered to herself.
Her eyes scanned the room for the very first time. There were a total of five different rooms to make this whole bedchamber. It was even bigger than her own bedchamber back in Wu. The first room you would step into just as you entered the bedchamber, had a small round table with a nice green cloth with gold embroideries on it. There were also a few chairs stationed along the walls of the room and one slightly more higher than the rest sat directly in front of the door. Sun Shang Xiang presumed that that was where Liu Bei would sit if there was something to be discussed in his room. On the east and west walls behind the chairs, were shelves full of vases, gold and jade figures, and circle porcelain plates with a picture either drawn on it, or engraved in it. The one Shang Xiang liked best was the long gold dragon sitting on the very top of the east wall shelf. It reminded her of her own family crest, although this dragon didn't seem as fearful. It looked much more calm and maybe even friendly.
Also along the east wall was an opening to another room. This room also was decorated with vases, gold and jade figures, and those circle porcelain plate, but there were not as many. However, in this room, there was a desk sitting by the north wall. Behind the desk were shelves full of books. There were even some books among the decorations. On the desk itself, were sheets of paper, books neatly piled in one corner, and a quill inside an inkbottle.
To the right of the desk, along the north wall, was another opening to another room. This room, slightly bigger than the rest, was very different. It was basically empty. There were a few windows, like every room, yes, but other than that, there was nothing much else. Except in one corner lay a shelf-like thing that held a bunch of different weapons. There were spears, swords, halberds, staves, and even some weapons that Shang Xiang had never seen before. Like the one that looked like a spear, with a hooked blade like a scythe on one end and a short pointy blade, almost unnoticeable on the other end. This was most likely a private training room.
The training room opened up to two separate rooms. On the west wall, it opened up to the bathing room. When you enter this room, tripods of white shielded it, with pictures painted on. This was to give whoever was bathing some privacy. Beyond the tripods was a huge bathing area. It looked like a modern day swimming pool, but more elaborate, more elegant, and more established.
From the training room, the opening on the north wall led to the bedroom. But before you entered, you would pass through the strings of beads hanging down the opening. The bedroom itself was spilt into two areas, separated by a wall-to-wall strings of beads. The first area had another small table, and on the table were the remains of Shang Xiang's unnoticed meal. This area was decorated with even more vases, figures, and plates, only ones looked more delicate and a lot more expensive.
Those white tripods, just not as many, also shielded the second area. The bed lay on the east wall. The curtains for the bed were green with golden embroideries. Sitting on the south wall was a table with a small chair in front of it. This table had all of Sun Shang Xiang's make-up, mirrors, jewelries, all the things a typical wealthy lady had. But of course, Shang Xiang would not use much of it. Sitting right beside the table was the trunk full of Shang Xiang's most precious possessions. Hanging on the north wall was a set of armour and a sword. The armour was green with gold on it. And above was a circlet crown-like thing the Lady Sun had never seen before. Beside the armour hung a sword with a medium length blade.
Lady Sun lightly touched the blade, which sent shivers down her back. It reminded her so much of her days back in Wu. Perhaps, she thought, Lord Liu Bei may not be a terrible husband. She sighed, and left the room. She had to do something to get her mind off of her past life. The life she loved. The life she would never be able to return to.
Shang Xiang stepped out of the room into a beautiful bright new day. There was a small garden right in front of the room, but she ignored it and continued to her left along the pathway, unsure of where she was going.
"Mei Li... I wish I had you here with me..." She muttered to herself as she took another turn.
After half an hour of walking around, she finally realized that she was lost. She hadn't been keeping track of where she went, and now she didn't even know which way she had come from. Standing in the middle of yet another small garden, she spun around, thinking on where she could go. After a little while, she knew that she was lost, and she angrily sat down on one of the stone chairs.
"This really sucks. How could I get lost in such a puny place compared to the palace in Wu? And why isn't there anyone around?! Where are the servants? The maids? How can I find my way back without asking someone?" She muttered angrily to herself.
Just then, there was a small cry coming from one direction. Shang Xiang stood up quickly, ready and alert. There was silence for a few seconds before the cry was heard again. Her head turned directly to where the sound was coming from. She carefully took a few steps towards the sound, but there was nothing again. Lady Sun took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, thinking that it was only her imagination, when the cry came out again.
It was no ordinary cry. It was different because it sounded a lot like an infant. The cry continued, only getting louder and louder. Shang Xiang stood there a moment before realizing that if it were an infant, she should go calm it. She lightly jogged north to the sound and came upon another area of this palace. To her right, there was a room with an open door. She knew the crying came from that room so she walked into it.
The room itself was fairly small, and only had one window. And in the middle of the room was a small crib. This crib was designed very elegantly with gold and green all over it.
Shang Xiang walked up to the crib carefully and looked into it. Although she had been expecting to see a baby, she was still slightly surprised to actually see one. Just as she looked into the crib, the baby caught sight of her and stopped crying immediately. The baby looked up at her, with his big adorable eyes. There were a few tears sliding down the side of his round face.
Shang Xiang smiled. He was so cute! She reached in and wiped the tears away. "There, there. No need to cry." The baby just continued to stare at her. "Look at you! You're so cute!" She lightly rubbed his cheek with one finger. Still, the baby continued to stare at her. "And who might you be? And why are you all alone here?" She gently poked his little stomach.
This time, the baby giggled. He kicked his little feet up into the air, and both of his tiny hands reached up to grab her finger. He managed to grab her finger and giggled even louder.
"See! All better now!" She pulled her finger away from his grasp and reached down with both her hands to pick up the baby.
Just before you was able to pick the baby, a dagger flew past her face, just millimeters from her nose. The dagger made a loud thud against the wall as it pierced into it and hang on there. Shang Xiang swiftly turned her head to where the knife came from. Her heart pounding against her chest.
To her greatest surprise, there stood a young man. Fully dressed in a white, blue and gold armour. He held a long spear in one hand, and the other on his hip. He looked at her threateningly, but didn't say a word.
"Who are you?" Shang Xiang stood up and took a step backwards with one hand behind her back, reaching to the concealed dagger she had placed there.
He didn't reply.
"Who are you? Speak!" She demanded as she grasped onto the dagger.
Again he did not respond.
Without another word, she threw the dagger straight at him. He however, was already prepared and swiftly swung his spear deflecting the dagger. Panic rushed through Shang Xiang. Her eyes widened, her breathing quickened. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if he would kill her or not. She didn't know what was going to happen.
"Oh, General Zhao Yun!" Fu Ying's voice came from outside. "Have you come to check up on the Little Lord Liu Shan?"
Fu Ying then stepped into the room and was surprised to see Shang Xiang in the room. "Oh! Lady Liu Bei, what a pleasant surprise to see you here also."
"Fu Ying. I thought I told you never to leave Liu Shan alone." Zhao Yun stated harshly.
"Oh, but General Zhao Yun, I was only getting his diapers. I... I... was only gone for a few seconds." Her voice was cracking and fear was in her voice.
"In a few seconds someone could easily kidnap or kill the little Lord Liu Shan." He stared straight at Shang Xiang. His eyes filled with cold hatred towards her.
"This will never happen again." Fu Ying fell down on her knees and bowed at his feet for forgiveness.
He didn't say another word and left. Just as he left, Shang Xiang quickly helped Fu Ying to her feet.
"Who does he think he is?! How could he treat you like this Fu Ying?" Shang Xiang shouted angrily as she picked up her dagger from the floor. "I should have done something to help you Fu Ying. I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? Oh no. No, no, no. I cannot accept your apology. You needn't to apologize to me my Lady. It is quite all right. General Zhao Yun has the right to be yelling at me for such a stupid action. I should have never left the little Lord Liu Shan here all alone. The general is right. Lord Liu Shan could have been kidnapped or killed." She picked the baby up and placed him on the table to change his diapers.
"He is a general! He has no right to not answer my questions. He has no right to throw a dagger to face. I am the Lady here! I have power over him!" Shang Xiang's voice was filled with anger as she took advantage of her position here.
"Oh, but my Lady, if only you knew what the General has done, you would not think the same."
"What?"
"My Lady, General Zhao Yun is one of the five tigers of Shu. He is a strong warrior, intelligent, good-looking, courageous and very, very brave. Why, General Zhao Yun is the one who saved poor little Lord Liu Shan when Lord Liu Bei had to flee." Fu Ying finished changing Liu Shan's diapers and placed him onto the bed again.
"I don't seem to understand." Shang Xiang rubbed the baby's cheek again and watched him giggle with joy.
"Little Lord Liu Shan seems to like you a lot my Lady." Fu Ying smiled at her. "General Zhao Yun once went single-handedly through armies of thousands just to rescue little Lord Liu Shan. Because of this, the general is highly favoured by Lord Liu Bei."
"Single-handedly?"
Fu Ying nodded.
"Wait, little Lord Liu Shan... the Lord Liu Bei has a son?!"
* * *
Liu Bei sat in his study rubbing his temples as Guan Yu went over some plans for the next day.
"Brother?" Guan Yu asked when he noticed that Liu Bei had not been paying any attention at all. "Are you alright?"
Liu Bei nodded his head with his eyes still closed. "I'm just getting a slight headache that is all."
"Brother!" Zhang Fei cried out. "You must be well! We need you here for this next attack! You cannot die on us like this! You cannot leave us!!"
"Oh, bite your tongue Fei!" Zhao Yun snapped at him. "You shouldn't curse Lord Liu Bei! I'm sure he will be well with enough rest!" He then turned to face Liu Bei. "Lord Liu Bei, perhaps you should return to your bedchamber and rest, and get something to eat."
"Perhaps you are right..." Liu Bei mumbled, but did not move. "but I would rather not return to my bedchamber..."
"Don't worry my Lord, I don't believe the Lady Sun would be in there... I saw her wandering the East Wing earlier." Zhao Yun whispered to him.
Liu Bei thought about it for a moment before nodding his head. He opened his eyes and pushed himself up. "Zhuge Liang will take over from here. If there is any important issues to be brought to my attention, inform me immediately Zhang Fei."
Without another word, Liu Bei left his study and the meeting and headed back to his bedchamber. As he neared his bedchamber, he was surprised to see Fu Ying holding a sleeping Liu Shan there. She bowed down politely at him before he reached out to touch his own son.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry my Lord, but I was just checking to see if the Lady Liu Bei had return yet. I had given her directions back here but she has not returned. Perhaps she is still in the garden. If I may, I ask for my leave."
"Fu Ying, don't call her Lady Liu Bei, call her Lady Sun. I'm sure she would feel much more comfortable if you did." He paused for a moment before silently adding, "So would I." Liu Bei walked into his room and closed the door behind him.
He headed straight for his bed, but before he did, he noticed a trunk he had never seen before. His hand touched the gold dragon seal before he lifted the lid up. His eyes widened ever so slightly when he saw what was inside. Inside there were two sets of similarly looking suits of armor. Although they were armour, he had never seen anything quite like it. It looked as if it were made for a girl. Lying on top of them were many different weapons. There were knives, daggers, swords, arrows, spearheads, and even a pair of circle bladed hoops. Liu Bei picked up one and admired it. He had never seen such a thing before.
"Have you no shame?!" A girl shouted out angrily.
She stood a few feet away from him, dressed in the red family qipao dress. Her hair was tied up delicately with many ribbons. So this young beautiful girl is my wife? Liu Bei mused to himself.
Sun Shang Xiang grabbed the sword hanging on the wall and held it at Liu Bei's throat with an unsteady grip. Liu Bei's eyes sparked with amusement as he watched her trembling hands holding onto his sword.
"Who do you think you are? Barging into my room like so and stealing my possessions?! Put them down!"
Liu Bei obeyed, his eyes never leaving hers in curiosity and amusement.
"Do you not know who I am?! I am Lady Sun Shang Xiang! With one single word from me, I could have you killed seven times over!" She re- gripped her hand on the handle several times. "You must be a new servant or something!" She stated looking him up and down. "But judging from your clothes, you might be a wealthy man."
Liu Bei didn't say a word, rather only trying to resist from laughing.
"A soldier? A general? Or perhaps a wealthy Lord?" Shang Xiang continued to guess.
Liu Bei chuckled slightly. His new wife amused him greatly.
"Do you not fear death?!" Shang Xiang edged the sword closer feeling the anger boil within her. No one had ever insulted her like this before!
"No," Liu Bei tried to put on a straight face. "Especially not when you are the one who is threatening me." He motioned at her trembling hands
"Brother Liu Bei," A voice called from the first room after the sound of the door opening. "Zhuge Liang wanted me to inform you that..." Zhang Fei paused just as he entered the bedroom. The sight of Shang Xiang holding a sword to his oath brother's throat infuriated him. "Who the hell do you think you are holding a sword to Lord Liu Bei's throat like so?!" He picked up one of the vases nearby, ready to throw it at her.
"It is quite alright Brother Fei." Liu Bei laughed.
Sun Shang Xiang stepped away from him. "Lord Liu Bei...?" She muttered to herself. Realizing what she had just done, she dropped the sword and fell down on all fours with her head against the ground, facing towards Liu Bei. She bowed at him a few times, begging for forgiveness. "Please forgive me..." She stuttered a few seconds before she continued with the word she had not wished to use. "Forgive me my husband! I did not know! I'm terribly sorry! Please forgive me! It shall never happen again!"
Liu Bei chuckled slightly before reaching over to her to help her up. She stood up obediently, but with her eyes to the floor and her head down in shame. She could not look at her husband for two reasons. One because she had not acted like a proper lady before him and two she was afraid to see his face again.
Zhang Fei, watching the whole scene, slowly putting away the vase, his untrusting eyes never leaving Sun Shang Xiang's figure. "Brother, if I may have a word with you..."
Liu Bei nodded his head and turned to whisper to his new wife. "You shouldn't be so afraid of me. I won't hurt you." His fingers rested on the bottom of her chin to tilt her head up. Although her head was up and facing him, her eyes never looked into his. She bit her lip nervously, her heart pounding faster and faster. "Please, look at me."
Obeying him, she slowly turned to look at him. He smiled warmly at her before letting go of her chin and walking to the next room to talk to his oath brother. Sun Shang Xiang's eyes followed him out. Just as he exited, she collapsed onto the ground once more. Her heart was pounding against her chest to the point where she could almost hear it.
"Mother... have I disappointed you?"
* * *
"Brother! She is not fit for a wife! She could have killed you! She is not a lady! Her attitude could easily be mistaken that of a man's!" Zhang Fei angrily slammed his hand against the desk. He spoke loud enough, making sure that Shang Xiang would hear his words.
"Calm down Brother Fei. You needn't to be so rash." Liu Bei's words were soft and calm. "I don't think she is as bad as you all portray her to be. Besides, she was merely doing so in self-defense. I highly doubt she would have harmed me in any way." Liu Bei chuckled silently to himself thinking back at the recent incident. "Either which way, why did you come here?"
"That's right! Zhuge Liang wanted me to inform you that he needs to speak to you directly tomorrow morning before we leave to check the perimeters. Also, he wanted me to remind you that you should leave one or more generals behind to watch the palace when we attack the Jing Province."
"I already have that all planned. I'll speak to him tomorrow, thank you Fei. I ought to get some rest now, if you don't mind brother." Liu Bei said.
Zhang Fei nodded his head and headed out.
"Oh Fei," He turned to watch his oath brother leave. "Please don't drink tonight."
"Hah! What do you take me for? Some drunkard with an alcohol problem? I can control myself! Don't you worry about me!" Zhang Fei laughed as he exited the bedchamber.
"That's exactly why I worry." Liu Bei mumbled as he headed back in his room. He was greeted by Sun Shang Xiang, who was standing in the middle of the room with her head down, still afraid to look at him. "Tomorrow I must head out and will not return until the next day."
Shang Xiang nodded her head.
"I would like to get some rest."
Again, Shang Xiang nodded her head before leaving the room.
* * *
The next morning, Sun Shang Xiang had woken up bright and early because of the birds chirping near the window. She did not get enough sleep the night before because of the uneasiness she had sleeping beside someone. She knew that Liu Bei hadn't slept well either. He kept making slight movements all night. Shang Xiang knew that he had not gotten used to the idea that he was married just as she wasn't.
Today, she woke up to yet another empty bed. Liu Bei had managed to get up earlier than her and had probably already left to wherever he had to go. She got up from the bed and walked over to her accessory and make-up table. There, sitting upon the table was a basin of warm water and a face cloth. Shang Xiang took the cloth and soaked it in water, then wringed it and wiped her face.
As she was washing her face, the door to her bedchamber opened and Fu Ying entered her room, holding Liu Shan her in arms. "Oh! My Lady! You're awake! I'm so sorry, I should have been here to help you wash, but the little Lord Liu Shan had to be fed!" She exclaimed.
"It is alright Fu Ying, I prefer doing this myself anyway." Shang Xiang being fiddling with the many ribbons still in her hair. "If you don't mind, could you help me take out all this?"
"Not at all my Lady!" Fu Ying walked behind Shang Xiang and attempted to take some of the ribbons out with Liu Shan still in her arms. Realizing that it wouldn't work, Sun Shang Xiang motioned her to give the baby for her to hold. She did so and began working with the hair.
"I never knew Lord Liu Bei had such an adorable son! Actually, I never knew he had a son!" Shang Xiang touched the baby's cheek who giggled in delight.
Fu Ying laughed. "As time passes, you will come to learn more about Lord Liu Bei." She stopped working and looked into the mirror to see Shang Xiang's face. "If my Lady does not mind me asking, what do you think of Lord Liu Bei?"
Shang Xiang blushed ever so slightly. "Well, to be honest, I haven't spoken to him much. But... I did see his face for the very first time yesterday."
"And...?"
"Well... he isn't as old as I thought him to be." She admitted.
"And what does that mean my Lady?" A smile crept upon Fu Ying's face.
"He's... fairly handsome... I suppose. He seems like... a nice man." She laughed slightly, remembering her terrible, yet funny, mistake of him being a servant, a soldier, a wealthy man, a general, everything but her own husband.
Fu Ying grinned happily. "I told my Lady would like Lord Liu Bei as time passes. Lord Liu Bei is a wonderful man, you are a very lucky woman my Lady. Many women dream to have a husband like Lord Liu Bei. Perhaps my Lady is one such woman?" She finished removing all the ribbon and watch Shang Xiang's hair fall freely back down. She then grabbed a comb and began brushing her hair.
Sun Shang Xiang laughed. "I am no such woman. I don't dream of marrying men. I wish to be free. Free like the wind, or like a soaring eagle, going anywhere it desires. I don't like to be locked up or caged. I want to be free."
Fu Ying gasped in shock. "But my Lady!" She stuttered before there was a loud knock on the door.
"Lady Sun?" A familiar voice called.
"Mei Li!" Shang Xiang stood up with excitement. She handed Liu Shan back to Fu Ying and rushed to open the door. "Mei Li! It is so wonderful to see you again!" She hugged her handmaiden tightly.
"It is my pleasure to see my Lady again." Mei Li pulled back from the hug. "I hope all is well for my Lady."
"Come Mei Li! I've been dying to train again! You must come and spar with me!" Shang Xiang grabbed her servant by the wrist and attempted to drag her back outside, but she refrained from moving.
"My Lady! You must get dressed first!" Mei Li cried out in horror.
"Oh! That is right!" Sun Shang Xiang realized after looking down at her white silken tunic pajamas. She rushed back in and quickly pulled out her training outfit from inside the big trunk, quickly changed, grabbed the circle bladed hoops, and pulled Mei Li outside. "I found this garden here yesterday, it's a wonderful place to train!"
Sun Shang Xiang dragged her shield maiden down the pathway, turning in several places as if she had grown up among this place. "Look! There it is!" She pointed straight ahead after a short while. The garden was fairly big, with many different trees surrounding the area. It was a lovely sight especially with the cherry blossoms growing amongst the trees.
Just before they reached the garden, someone had turned the corner and crashed right into them. Shang Xiang's face bumped into someone's chest that was also wearing armour. Mei Li crash into her mistress shortly after.
"OW!!" Shang Xiang shouted angrily.
"Are you alright?" A thick male voice asked as he helped the two girls up.
Shang Xiang looked up to see his face and was very surprised to see a man with a red face and a very long beard. She presumed that he was a general by the way he dressed, but did not say, because she was afraid to make the same mistake she did with Liu Bei.
"My Lady, are you alright?" Mei Li asked worriedly, not bothering about herself.
Sun Shang Xiang nodded her head, her gaze locked on the man.
"You must be Brother Liu Bei's new wife, Sun Shang Xiang." He politely bowed down slightly in respect. "I am Lord Liu Bei's oath brother, General Guan Yu. But please call me Brother Yu."
Shang Xiang nodded her head, not saying a word back.
"I am most sorry for running into you like this, but I must be off."
She nodded her head again and watched him leave. After he turned the corner, Shang Xiang continued on her way to the garden, this time much more careful. Once in the garden, she took her position and stood away from Mei Li.
"Let's spar!" She shouted out with joy. "Oh, and Mei Li, don't go easy on me!"
* * *
Six days had passed since Liu Bei and his generals left to check the perimeters. Although Sun Shang Xiang enjoyed this peace and quiet, and not having to worry about pleasing someone, she did felt bored. Back in Wu, she would have found some excitement stealing Lu Xun's weapons, or sparring with her brothers when they had the time, or even sneaking off to ride the horses. Back then, she was young and freer. She could do nearly anything she wanted. She had a sense of adventure, excitement, and a sense of rebellion, but here, here in Shu, she no longer had that freedom. She no longer had much excitement because there was none to find her. She could not wander off and away from the palace because of the many, many servants and guards that restrained her. The only person who dared to spar with her was Mei Li, and even then, Mei Li would not do much in fear of hurting her mistress. Shang Xiang was no longer a girl, she was maturing into a woman. She would have to leave all her childish dreams behind and learn the ways of being a woman.
When Fu Ying noticed a few of Shang Xiang's unladylike behaviour, she took it as her personal goal to train Shang Xiang. So now, Sun Shang Xiang had to take etiquette lessons with Fu Ying. So far she had only been taught how to walk properly, and how to behave in front of her husband. Shang Xiang always dreaded these etiquette lessons, but knowing what she had promised her mother, she continued to learn them, despite the unhappiness growing within her. There were only two things that made her smiled now. One was being able to sneak off from Fu Ying's watchful eye and train, and the other was Liu Shan.
Although Liu Shan wasn't even her own child or anything such, she still loved him dearly. He was the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Everyday when all the maids and servants were busy with their normal duties, Shang Xiang would often go play with Liu Shan. For some odd reason, he would always giggle when she played with him. Shang Xiang loved him so dearly that she even asked Fu Ying to move his crib into her room. It wasn't until she asked did she find out that Liu Shan had always slept in Liu Bei's bedchamber, but the day of the marriage, Liu Bei had asked to move Liu Shan into another room temporarily until his new wife had gotten adjusted to living in Shu with him.
Sun Shang Xiang had not yet gotten adjusted to living here yet, but she still maintained a few habits from her old life. And she would never let go of these habits. It was her dream, her only freedom here.
"My Lady, I must be off, Fu Ying has given me much chores to do today. Although I wish I could stay and spar with you, I must leave." Mei Li bowed down politely at her mistress.
"Fine!" Shang Xiang motioned her to go away. "I'll just practice by myself... and if Fu Ying asks where I am, tell her that I'm sleeping and to not bother me!" She shouted out to Mei Li.
She touched her Sol Chakram delicately and smiled. "If only you were here brother..."
* * *
"My husband!" A young woman cried out happily. "You have returned safely!" She rushed towards the man heading towards the palace gates. "I was so worried about your well being." She wrapped her arms around Zhuge Liang's neck and hugged him tightly.
Although she was not a beautiful woman like Shang Xiang, she was fairly decent looking. Her long shiny black hair flowed behind her in the wind. Her traditional Chinese cheongsam dress danced gracefully along with her. She had a fair face, a calm nature, and elegant movements. She looked intelligent, very kind, and like an absolutely stunning person.
"Yeu Ying, I have missed you so." Zhuge Liang pulled back slightly and smiled at her, his hand touching her face.
She pushed back completely and gave him a childish frown. "You have been gone far longer than two days as you said."
He laughed. "Perhaps next time I should not set a specific date that I will be coming back."
She frowned, but then she noticed the rest of the generals returning as well. She smiled kindly and bowed down at all the generals and the Lord. "Lord Liu Bei, I hope your travels was well."
"Could have been better." He admitted. "But if you will excuse us Yeu Ying, but we must hold a brief meeting."
She nodded her head and stepped out of the way and watched all the men pass her. They headed inside the palace and through the courtyard before they were out of her sight.
Liu Bei led his most trusted generals through the palace, the courtyard, and a few gardens before he stopped dead in his tracks. They had reached another garden, but something was very different about this one. There was someone dressed in a red battle suit practicing with some kind of weapon. But the strange thing was, was that this person was a girl. From her short black, to her outfit, the way she used the weapon, it was completely different from anything any of the men there had ever saw. They were all used to girls with long hair always tied up, always dressed in a traditional cheongsam or qipao or those fancy Chinese dresses. Never in a battle suit. Not only that, girls were not supposed to be using a weapon so skillfully, in fact, most girls were even forbidden to know the art of swordsmanship. But here, this one girl seemed to defy all the rules and all the traditions that the Chinese Ancestors and the Chinese Gods had left humans with. She was something out of the ordinary.
Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei immediately clutched their weapons tightly, ready to strike at Liu Bei's command.
"Stay back my Lord, she may be a spy." Pang Tong stood in front of Liu Bei and held his staff readily. "She looks like a demon to me." He added.
Liu Bei himself, was not at all scared. In fact he was curious. Very curious. Who was this girl that stood in front of him. Although he could not see her face clearly, she looked somewhat familiar. Something about this girl's behaviour and attitude intrigued him. She was most definitely unique.
Guan Yu laughed slightly, stroking his beard, and not feeling at all any uneasy about this whole situation. All the generals including Liu Bei looked at him strangely. Each of them wondering what was wrong with him.
"The demon must have possession General Guan Yu! Everyone stand back, I will free him and kill the demon within him!" Pang Tong held his staff readily in front of him, beginning to chant something.
Guan Yu laughed again. "I am not possessed. There is no demon within me Pang Tong." He used his hand to push Pang Tong's staff away from him. "That young lady there is merely Brother Liu Bei's wife." He stated as he started to continue on his way to the study.
"I knew it! I knew it! That wife of yours, brother, is no lady!" Zhang Fei accused.
"So unladylike." Zhao Yun scoffed, following Guan Yu. "She is no wife."
"And how are you so sure she is Lord Liu Bei's wife? Maybe you're still possessed!" Pang Tong called out to Guan Yu.
"Because I met her before we left."
* * *
"...So in two days we will set forth and attack. Guan Yu, Ma Chao, and Huang Zhong will take the left path on the fifth day. Stay clear of being seen until the signal is given. Once the signal comes Guan Yu will lead the shower of arrows. When they start retreating, Zhang Fei, Pang Tong, and Wei Yan will head them off from the right. Do not show yourselves until Guan Yu has made his attack. Remember, we will attack with full force after Guan Yu has fired." Zhuge Liang went over the attack plan on the Jing Province for the third time. "We cannot have any failures here."
All the generals nodded their heads and were dismissed. Liu Bei walked over to Zhuge Liang and patted him on the shoulder. "You have done well Zhuge Liang. You have not let me down yet, I trust we will succeed."
"Your words are too kind for a simple man such as myself."
Liu Bei smiled. "I would like to ask a favour from you."
"Anything for my Lord."
"During our campaign to the Jing Province, I would like to ask if your dear wife, Yeu Ying to watch over my palace."
Zhuge Liang was unexpected for that. He took a step backwards and nearly stumbled on the chair behind him. "My wife? You would trust Yeu Ying to watch over your palace? You would trust a girl?" He was in disbelief. In ancient China, women were always inferior to men. They were never given much power.
"Do you trust your wife?"
"Why, yes. Of course I do."
"Good. I trust you. And I trust your judgment. Just like you, I know she will not let me down."
"My Lord, you honour me greatly." Zhuge Liang bowed down.
"You are well deserved of it." Liu Bei helped him up. "But, we both must get a lot of rest. I do not know what I would do without your brilliance Zhuge Liang. I bid you goodnight." Liu Bei then stepped out of his study and headed back to his room.
As he neared his bedchamber, he was extremely surprised to see two lines of bodyguards at his door. More surprising was that they were all female soldiers. Cautiously he walked closer and closer to his door until he was almost able to open it, when suddenly the two female guards nearest to the door swung their spears in front of him, blocking his path to the door.
"The Lady Sun is resting." They said in unison. "You cannot enter Lady Sun's bedchamber without her permission."
He raised an eyebrow questionably. He was intrigued by this, but also very annoyed. How rude of them to not even know the face of their Lord.
"Am I not even allowed to enter my own bedchamber?!" Liu Bei tried to sound as calm as possible.
All the shield maidens dropped their weapons and fell the ground, bowing down at his feet. The two female guards who stopped him apologized to him profusely, each one of them afraid that he could just end their lives for their disrespect. He gave a disgusted look and pushed open his door roughly. Perhaps, he thought, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun were right about the Lady Sun. She may not be fit for a wife.
"Lord Liu Bei." Another maiden inside the room bowed down respectively. She was the one who had spoke to him the day of the wedding. He motioned for her to leave and she did so obediently.
He headed straight for his room and didn't see Sun Shang Xiang sleeping, so he dismissed the idea that she was even in the room. He slammed down his sword on the table, feeling very annoyed by those women by his door. But when he slammed down his sword, there was a soft whimpering. He swiftly turned around and was surprised to see his son's cradle in his room. He approached the cradle and soothed Liu Shan.
"There, there. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." He said softly to his son. Liu Shan soon went back to sleep.
Liu Bei walked to the table in his room and poured a cup of wine to drink. Just as the cup reached his lips, he heard a quiet splashing sound nearby. He placed the cup down quickly, grabbed his sword and walked into the next room, the private training room. He stood in there momentarily, his hand gripped on the hilt of his sword when he heard another splash. He turned towards his right and walked into the bathing room. Behind the white tripods he could make out a figure of someone in the bath. His clutch on the sword loosened as he silently walked closer and closer.
In his mind, he knew it was a girl in the bath and he knew most likely it was Sun Shang Xiang, but he was a little tempted to take a look, or a little peek. Instead of listening to reason and turning back, he continued to step forward. As he was next to the tripods, he did, indeed, see a girl bathing. Her back was turned towards him and the room was a little misty and the water was filled with the herbal pink flowers.
The girl in the bath brushed the surface of the water with her hands playfully and watched the flowers depart and then return. She the cupped her hands together and used her hands to pour some water on her shoulders. Although Liu Bei knew that he shouldn't watch her any longer, he was rather fascinated and took another step closer. This proved to be a bad move when suddenly a dagger flew towards him. He managed to narrowly dodge it.
When he turned back to face the girl, she was already out of the bath and wrapped in her red silken bathrobe. She held another dagger close to her, but when she noticed who had been watching her bathe, she quickly lowered her weapon and weakly smiled at him.
"My Lord Liu Bei. I did not know you have returned." She said apologetically. "Forgive me for my impoliteness my Lord."
Liu Bei did not know what to say to her. He knew that if he tried to speak, he would have stuttered. So instead of saying anything to her, he turned around and went back to his bedroom to get some rest.
* * *
Two days had quickly passed since Liu Bei had returned from the perimeter check, and in those two days, Sun Shang Xiang had hardly seen him and hadn't spoke to him since that incident while she was bathing. To her, it seemed like he was avoiding her, which upset her greatly. How was she supposed to live with her husband if they could not speak to each other?
Shang Xiang sat in the private study of their room and took the quill, dipped it into the inkbottle and began writing a letter back to her family. She had written three already, but there was no reply back yet, so she could only presume that it had lost its way back to Wu. After a while, she folded the papers and placed them into the envelope.
"Mei Li!" She called out.
Almost immediately, Mei Li came in and bowed down to Shang Xiang.
"Take this letter, and this," Shang Xiang handed her the letter and a gold tael. "And find the most reliable messenger to deliver this letter to my brother."
"Yes, my Lady." Without another word, Mei Li headed off.
Feeling very bored like usual, Shang Xiang left her room to wander the palace yet again. Soon she came towards the main hall and was surprised to see all the generals and a young lady there.
Shang Xiang quickly hid herself near the doorway so she could see what was happening. The girl there was very polite and continuously wished all the generals there good luck. Shang Xiang looked everywhere in the main hall but she didn't see Liu Bei there.
"Much luck and many fortunes to you General Zhao Yun." She smiled at Zhao Yun.
Shang Xiang looked over the girl. The girl was fairly decent looking, but nothing to brag about. Maybe she's one of Liu Bei's consorts. She thought as she continued looking the girl from head to toe.
"Thank you Lady Yeu." He smiled back at her. "You are so much more respectful and kind than that girl Lord Liu Bei was forced to marry. You ought to teach her some manners."
Sun Shang Xiang clenched her teeth angrily, making her fist into a tight ball until her knuckles were turning white and glared at Zhao Yun, hoping that he would burn from his insides for his rude comment.
"Well, I haven't met the Lady Sun yet, but I'm sure she is a very nice girl. Perhaps general, you have gotten off on the wrong foot with her?" She continued to smile.
"Let's hope. I don't want Lord Liu Bei to have to suffer with her."
"Generals!" A voice came from the other side of the room. "It is time." Liu Bei stepped out with Zhuge Liang beside him. "We must leave now."
All the generals there bowed their heads and then headed out the gates to their horses and many troops waiting outside. A part of Shang Xiang wanted to run off and join them, but the other part made her stay put.
"My husband..." Yeu Ying walked up towards the two gentlemen. "Please be careful." Shang Xiang was absolutely surprised when she saw her hug Zhuge Liang. "Please take care, I will be waiting for you here."
Zhuge Liang kissed her on the forehead. "I will be back, don't worry. Take care of the palace. Lord Liu Bei is counting on you."
She smiled and watched as the two went off with the other men. After standing there for a long while waiting until all the troops had left, she turned around and headed back in. As she headed into the hallway, she was surprised to see Sun Shang Xiang standing in the shadows.
"Oh, you must be Lady Sun." She smiled politely. "I am Yeu Ying, the Lady Zhuge Liang." She bowed down in respect. "You must have been standing here all along... why didn't you say farewell to your husband?"
Shang Xiang didn't say a word.
"Perhaps you are still afraid of this new place?"
Again Shang Xiang didn't say a word.
"You needn't to be afraid Lady Sun. Lord Liu Bei is a very kind man. He is extremely virtuous, has a kind face symbolizing the kindness in his heart. He is a strong warrior, a courageous leader, and a loving husband. You shouldn't be at all afraid Lady Sun. "
Shang Xiang smiled weakly at Yeu Ying. "Perhaps..."
"Lady Sun!" Someone called from inside the palace. "Lady Sun, where are you?" Suddenly Fu Ying turned the corner, running towards them. "Oh, Lady Sun! There you are. Today I will be teaching you how to stitch."
Sun Shang Xiang sighed hopelessly. Maybe, she thought, maybe I should get out of here soon.
"Oh! Stitching! Stitching is quite simple. If you don't mind Lady Sun, I can help you with that too." Yeu Ying continued to smile.
"That would be wonderful." Shang Xiang tried to hide the sarcasm, but Yeu Ying caught on to it. Instead of taking offense, Yeu Ying just laughed.
* * *
"We head to the capital, and the Jing Province will be ours!" Liu Bei announced to all the generals as they rode together towards the capital.
It had been three weeks since they left and everything had been going along well. Their first attack on the supply depot was a complete success and now all that was left was to take over the capital. Their enemies were strong; they would not accept defeat just yet.
"The winds have picked up. The clouds are shifting." Pang Tong, who was riding beside Liu Bei mumbled, loud enough for some of the surrounding people to hear. "Something is unrest in these lands..." He paused, looking up into the sky temporarily. "I sense there is trouble ahead."
"Trouble...? Nothing can trouble us!" Zhang Fei bellowed out.
Liu Bei looked around him. Although what he saw did not look troubling at all, but inside, he had a gut feeling that Pang Tong was right, and something was wrong. "Brother Yu." He called out.
Guan Yu immediately trotted beside Liu Bei on his horse. "Yes brother?"
"Do me a favour, if something happens to me along the way, I want you to continue heading to the capital. Do not worry about me." Liu Bei said calmly to his oath brother.
"Worry about you? What do you mean brother? What could possibly..." Guan Yu was cut off when an arrow flew past him and his Liu Bei's armour. The arrow was reflected. "An arrow...?" Guan Yu suddenly realized something. "We're under attack!!" He shouted out loudly.
All the generals surrounded Liu Bei. The troop stopped walking and looked around them uneasily. Panic rose in the air, frightened faces, and trembling hands were everywhere. But there was nothing. Nothing happened. After a long moment of uncertainty and heavy breathing, everyone relaxed.
"False alarm!" Someone shouted.
Suddenly arrows began falling from the air towards them. Many people were hit and everyone were ready and alert once again. Shouting was heard from afar and in the distance there were armed troops heading towards them.
"Enemy ambush!" One of the generals shouted.
"Brother Yu, promise me you will lead everyone and continue on to the capital if something is to happen to me." Liu Bei grabbed Guan Yu's arm.
"Brother..." He began, but saw Liu Bei's pleading look. "I promise."
"Charge!!!" Liu Bei screamed, leading his army towards the enemy.
With Zhao Yun riding close to his side, Liu Bei rode out to meet the enemies' front lines. Both of them easily hacked their way through, and soon the rest of the army marched in with them.
It was yet another bloody battle. People were killed, limbs were slashed off, and families would lose their son, their father, their husband, their uncles, nephews, grandsons... people were getting killed. Blood stained everyone's hands and faces.
About ten minutes in, Liu Bei was suddenly thrown off his famous gray horse, Hex Mark, landing onto the ground roughly.
"Lord Liu Bei!" Zhao Yun shouted out as he turned around on his horse and quickly headed.
Slashing a few enemies, he easily made his way to Liu Bei. He was on the ground clutching his chest tightly, blood seeping through his hand. His face had lost a little colour, but luckily, he was still conscious and alive.
"My Lord!" Zhao Yun jumped off his horse and helped Liu Bei up. "Are you alright?"
Liu Bei slowly moved his hand away from his chest to reveal an arrowhead that had pierced through his armour and into his flesh. He blinked slowly a few times. "Tell Guan Yu to continue on with all the generals for me." He then slipped into a black oblivion and went unconscious.
"BROTHER!" Guan Yu rushed towards them when he noticed his oath brother had been shot down. "What happened?!" He shouted out to Zhao Yun.
"I'm taking Lord Liu Bei back to the Shu." He motioned Guan Yu to help him lift Liu Bei onto Hex Mark. "General Guan Yu, Lord Liu Bei asks you to continue on to the capitol."
Guan Yu nodded. "Make sure Brother Liu Bei is well!"
Zhao Yun nodded. "Yah!" He shouted causing Hex Mark to start running.
* * *
"Lady Sun, do you think it is wise to do this?" Mei Li asked her mistress.
"I must Mei Li. I cannot stand it here any longer. I am deprived here. I am not free, and I am not acknowledged. I must leave. Mei Li, you're with me in this aren't you?" Shang Xiang carried a bundle on her shoulder, with her Sol Chakrams hanging on her belt. All of her handmaidens were with her. Some of them were carrying her belongings, but all of them were dressed in full armour and with weapons.
"Of course my Lady." Mei Li nodded. "There is a horse in the stable. But the horse is very untamed. However, I'm sure my Lady can easily tame and ride it."
"If I am to ride a horse, how will you all follow me? Come, we must leave now. Before anyone notices."
"My Lady Sun, there is a hidden passage in the stables. We can use that to escape." Mei Li pointed out.
"Good. We'll leave from there."
* * *
"Lady Yeu Ying!" A soldier bolted in through the doors of the study where Yeu Ying was currently reading over some strategy books. "Lady Yeu Ying!"
Yeu Ying quickly stood up. "What? What news do you bring me?" She feared for the worst. Something couldn't possibly have happened to my husband! She thought.
"There was an enemy ambush while we were heading towards the capital! Lord Liu Bei has been struck!" The words rushed out from his mouth. He was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath. "Zhao Yun is heading back with Lord Liu Bei. I'm not sure how long the Lord can handle." He said, telling her the grim news.
She gasped. "Oh great Gods, please protect Lord Liu Bei!" Yeu Ying bolted out from her seat and ran to Sun Shang Xiang's bedchamber.
She was surprised to see no one at her door, but she ignored that fact and pushed open the doors. "Lady Sun! Lady Sun!" She ran straight to the bedroom but was surprised to see Fu Ying huddled in a corner, all tied up, with a cloth in her mouth. "Fu Ying! Where is Lady Sun?!" Yeu Ying pulled out the cloth.
"The Lady is escaping! She is leaving!"
Yeu Ying gasped. "Oh no, no, no!" Holding the bottom of her cheongsam, she ran towards the stables. She knew that if Shang Xiang were to escape, she would most likely sneak out through the stables.
"Lady Sun... please don't be gone! Without you there won't be any hope for Lord Liu Bei!" Yeu Ying mumbled, running as fast as she could. "Dear Gods, please don't let me be too late!"
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Author's Note: I am actually rather please with how this chapter came to be! ^.^ Although I must admit that this is a pretty long chapter, but that's alright! I had lots of fun writing this chapter and how it was all going in through my mind.
Thank you for reading this chapter!! If you have the time, please leave a review! Because reviews are really nice, and I like them a lot, and they motivate me a lot! ^.^
Thank you yet again! ^.^