Disclaimer: I don't own them.
A/N: I'm going enjoy writing Zhen Ji and Oichi's friendship.
Koei and I
Act 3: Zhen Ji and 'Friends'
After overhearing Guo Nuwang's comments about her along with Zhang Chunhua, Dong Bai, and Da Ji, Zhen Ji left Koei HQ and returns to her apartment.
She's now a divorced mother living alone. But, she's not alone. Oichi pays a visit into her apartment for some budding comfort.
"My whole life's been living through a lie," Zhen Ji was on her couch lying with an elegance pose.
"I know, Ji. I've been living through the humiliation of my brother's twisted atrocities," Oichi nodded.
"You've gone through far worst experiences in war, Oichi. I'm just a prisoner with no free will…Don't think Koei cares about how I suffered through the war and made me go blindly in love," Zhen Ji said and took a slip of water she's drinking.
"And now Chacha ends up sharing the same suffering. I don't approve of that monkey's lust for my daughter," mentioning the fact that her daughter became the mother of Hideyoshi's legitimate heir still fuels her hatred for the Monkey. It's his fault her husband died. If he cared, he could have done nothing for her brother, but no. She knew the Monkey's hidden ambition just before her death with Katsuie.
"My daughter was long dead…" Zhen Ji frowned.
"…"
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Oichi went to answer it.
"Who is it?" Oichi called.
"Zhen, it's me. I wanted to talk to you about my son," Lady Bian answered.
"She can enter…." Zhen Ji sighed.
Oichi opened the door and Bian Ling enters with a group of women appearing. Yue Ying, Yuan Shao's wife Liushi, Wu Guotai, and Aya Gozen.
"When I learned of Guo Nuwang's vile Anti Zhen Ji meeting, I decided to come to your home and talk it over," Lady Bian told Zhen Ji her reason coming here.
"I know what you're going to say; Cao Pi sought forgiveness. He's the one who stole the authority of the Han government that your husband was supposedly restoring. Things didn't turn out the way your husband wanted and I've spend my last year's in Ye crying and shouting," Zhen Ji said.
"I'm at fault too. As a mother, I was disgusted with his actions. Its politics and women like us couldn't inference. I wish there was a way to save you, but I choose to save Cao Zhi from him first," Lady Bian nodded.
"He was always a jealous douchebag because of Zhi and Zhang. He couldn't afford to be selfless like myself. You do know, how hard it was living through your husband's propaganda, Ling," Zhen Ji complained.
"He has his father's ambitious nature after all…" Lady Bian muttered.
"And these misfortunes, they have nothing to do with me, but why do I get this awful feeling after Pi became emperor that these murders, Wei Fang's rebellion, the injustices, all linked to the conscience on my marriage. Koei is not going to write a tragic story of me like that because they're trying their hardest to make our marriage look unbelievably romantic, just like you and Cao Cao!" Zhen Ji's argument on her marriage made Lady Bian more ashamed.
"That's why we shouldn't inference, Luo," Lady Bian winced.
"Lady Bian, you of all people know Cao Cao a paranoid jerk just like his son. My husband bear a grudge on Cao Cao over Xuzhou," Yue Ying began to join the conversation.
"I know he's never one to let his emotions get in the way of his judgment. He blames the system for being imperfect. I may not agree with the massacre, but he's trying to make a point," Lady Bian said.
"That's why I don't want to end up being his son's wife…." Zhen Ji took another slip of water as the whole group felt looks of sympathization over Zhen Ji.
"Whatever my husband did, it's not your fault," Lady Bian comforted her.
"I finally learned the truth about what happened to Kong Rong. He may not like me, but I never wanted his entire family slaughtered over criticizing me. Koei would make me want to put Kong Rong out of his misery for comparing me to Da Ji. That can be a side story in Legend Mode," Zhen Ji glared at Lady Bian when telling her about Kong Rong's death.
"…..It's ….it's Mengde's way of caring about you…" Lady Bian burst into tears.
"Kong Rong defends Liu Bei's heroism, Zhen Ji. That makes you get portrayed into a villainess," Yue Ying said coldly.
"This is my fault for giving you away to Cao Pi in order to spare our lives…" Lady Liu shook her head.
"I couldn't stay quiet for too long after everything that happened during my time mothering Cao Rui and reading," Zhen Ji choked.
"And Guo Nuwang starts spreading garbage about your first time with Cao Pi. I think she needs a therapist," Aya chuckled.
"Pi was having his teenage fantasy. He can't control his sexual desires, so why blame me over the sex and getting pregnant with a son," Zhen Ji groaned.
"Remind me not to allow my daughter to be wed to that pervert," Wu Guotai shook her head in disbelief.
"But, you let her get married to a guy who couldn't love her back because of her personality," Aya Gozen shot back at Lady Wu.
"I know, I know. That's my fault and Quan started using that marriage as a political tool for Jingzhou. I'm ashamed of myself for seeing Shang Xiang being used like that," Wu Guotai nodded.
"In war, there's no such thing as true love," Oichi sighed.
"Heheh, Zilong never told me that Liu Bei doesn't like tomboys," Zhen Ji chuckled.
"Zhao Yun never wanted to comment on Liu Bei's private life," Yue Ying said.
"Zhen Ji, look on the bright side. We mothers understand your discrepancies with your marriage to Cao Pi and the ultimatum that ended your life," Oichi placed her hand on Zhen Ji's and the bond between them grew larger.
Zhen Ji started to temble. All the struggles, all the misunderstandings of her historical life, other people may have experience the same difficulties as her centuries later.
"Come to think of it, Lady Wu. We need to visit our daughters on this matter. We're both at fault for their misfortunes in their marriages just like Lady Zhen. I struggled to keep Kagetora from losing the integrity of the Usuegi against my biological son and watch my own daughter commit seppuku," Aya told Lady Wu.
Wu Guotai nodded, "Yes, I'm also beginning to understand that arrange marriages are bad."
"Not all arrange marriages are bad," Oichi said.
"Yours were great until your brother went mad…" Yue Ying's tone on mentioning Nobunaga became stoic.
"He's no brother of mine anymore!" Oichi spat.
"If I knew Cao Cao was going to spar us, Ji, I would never thought of the idea of giving you away to save ourselves. I beg you forgiveness," Lady Liu knee in front Zhen Ji begging.
"You should have kept the Yuan family together, but your greed for your son's succession led to this," Wu Guotai glared at Lady Liu.
"I know, I know! Everything about the Fall of the Yuans was my fault," Lady Liu cried.
"She didn't tell me to kill myself, so I forgive her," Zhen Ji sighed.
"I must lecture Pi about my conflict with Lady Ding. Cao Cao allowed his marriage to Ding be divorced. But, I knew he was becoming so greedy. Cao Cao's victories and postisge had spoiled this boy," Lady Bian grunted.
"He will never allow anyone else to love me, so his love became selfish," Zhen Ji shook her head.
"The greedy bastard he truly is…." Oichi shows a deep hatred for Cao Pi.
"And it's no surprise, he is a jerk," Aya Gozen grinned.
"A royal jerk. Would Liu Bei try to tell my daughter to kill herself if he wants to fell better about Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's deaths?" Wu Guotai looked at Yue Ying upon asking that question.
"He's not that crazy during Yi Ling," Yue Ying answered honestly.
"And he likes grapes," Aya Gozen trolled.
"HAHAHAHAAH!" the women laughed.
"A crazy son with a thing for grapes and a tendency of being above others; who wants a son like Cao Pi?" Lady Bian blinked.
"Basically that describes my son Yuan Shang alittle," Lady Liu facepalmed.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Comparing Yuan Shang to Cao Pi, they're both arrogant, but other is much smarter than that," Lady Bian said.
"It's comparing a Nissan to Toyota," Aya Gozen tapped her finger on her cheek thinking over the differences on the spoiled brats.
"I could have made him smarter if only the advisors stop fighting over advice to my husband…" Lady Liu sighed.
"I could have made Cao Pi benevolent," Lady Bian shrugged.
"Cao Pi….benevolent…" Zhen Ji gasped.
"That's like making Nobunaga benevolent," Oichi shuddered.
"But, Nobunaga is a consistent military leader, not Cao Pi," Yue Ying grinned.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Come to think of it, I should have lived to see Cao Pi ranting on his losses. Just the sight of him whining over losses he should have won make me happy," Zhen Ji cooed.
Suddenly, smoke erupted and the appearance of a girl in ninja clothes reveals herself, "Big sister. I spied on Lady Guo and her mean supporters."
"Kuniochi, what did you find out from Lady Guo and her goons," Zhen Ji asked.
"Guo Nuwang finding other female antagonists of fiction and history on supporting her being in the Warriors franchise along with her position as the Empress of Wei," Kunoichi reported.
"I wonder who those villainous women that support Lady Guo are," Yue Ying wondered.
"She frequently keeps searching for supports. That mad woman's ambitious aura is terrifying," Kunoichi said.
"She wants to prove to the world that she's the more important woman over me…" Zhen Ji sighed.
"Well, she helped Cao Pi abdicate Emperor Xian after all," Lady Bian got up from her seat she sat since she came to Zhen Ji's apartment and went to get something to drink.
"Oh and that's not all, I went into the internet and found images of Lady Guo in different three kingdoms games besides Koei's ROTK series. She gets to wear more revealing dresses than you do with a theme of malice," Kunoichi showed all the pictures of Guo Nuwang.
"She has her own drama just retelling my life with Cao Pi, but from her point of view," Zhen Ji checked all the images of Guo Wang's looks in different games.
"What's her point of view?" Wu Guotai asked.
And then Zhen Ji is about to show everyone the video of Guo Nuwang's meeting, "Hear all about her rantings. She knows I was just a bargain chip for Cao Pi's rise to fame. Dark Prince charming saves a hot lady from an execution that never been planned by Cao Cao from the start. It speaks for Nuwang's perspective. I'm a useless whore to her."
"I don't see what Cao Pi did is 'saving' you from death. You told me, you felt worried about your family and wanted to return to watch over your widowed sister in law and her son," Oichi watched the whole Anti Zhen Ji meeting held by Guo Nuwang.
"We both were worried about dying, so I went for the idea of giving her away. Like I said, we had no idea Cao Cao was going to spar us," Lady Liu explained.
"And Nuwang tried to make a big deal about you losing your virginity to Cao Pi and the day after feeling assured of being alive? What a sadistic woman," Aya Gozen gave a look of disgusted.
"That's disgusting," Kunoichi crossed her arms.
"Now you all know why I'm the most disliked three kingdoms female figure in the novel. I couldn't be in the 2010 Three Kingdoms drama because they're glorifying Cao Cao and Cao Pi in a positive light," Zhen Ji stressed her nerves when saying that.
"You barely had any more scenes in the novel and Guanzhong made you be jealous of Lady Guo," Lady Bian said.
"You had more love in the 2010 Three Kingdoms, since you are the Lady of Wei, not me," Zhen Ji smiled.
"It's nothing special. I'm the bridge between my sons conflict," Lady Bian shook her head.
"Interesting, the conflict between Kagekatsu and Kagetora is more tragic," Aya Gozen stated.
"I feared something like that will happen between Cao Pi and Cao Zhang," Lady Bian nodded.
"No wonder Cao Pi wanted to kill his brothers over power. Some husband I end up with," Zhen Ji finished the last ounce of water.
"What changed you, Ji? First you were terrified and now became fearless to end your own life?" Yue Ying curiously asked.
"That was an exaggeration. I wasn't terrified. I knew what the war would bring me, but my own family was the only thing I think about before 'that guy' took me as his wife. I've always been a quiet, caring person, it strengthen me enough to get back at him over losing my honor," Zhen Ji stand corrected with her side of the story.
"Ok, sorry to think you were a timid person. It's hard for me to understand why Lady Liu put your body for sale when Confucians condemned things like that when it comes to women," Yue Ying sighed.
"I thought it up, she had nothing to do with it," Lady Liu urged.
"It makes sense," Wu Guotai nodded.
"I, on the other hand choose to end my life as a woman of Azai, but Nagamasa wouldn't want that," Oichi told them the story of her choices during the Siege of Odani.
"I did want to die because my first marriage left me empty…" Zhen Ji thought.
The ladies went in silence for a couple of minutes. The idea on giving up your body for sale brings up a lot of criticism towards women in ancient times and stir up more on the blame of fallen kingdoms.
"So now you have to be wowed by Cao Pi for beating your former husband to get satisfaction," Aya Gozen breaks up the silence.
"I'm not a greedy rich woman. Thanks to Luo Guanzhong's foolishness into making me jealous of Lady Guo," Zhen Ji facepalmed.
"The need for a woman's satisfaction in life during warring periods, no wonder women back then had little to no free will," Aya Gozen said in a singing tone.
"My life was NEVER satisfying. I've been humiliated for years to keep myself neutral on affairs," Zhen Ji shot back at Aya.
"Yes, yes, my dear," Aya Gozen nodded.
"Can I ask you a question, big sister?" Kunoichi asked.
"Ask away," Zhen Ji looked at her sworn little sister in the Orochi wars.
"Why didn't you escape Yecheng? If that happened, then your meeting with Cao Pi wouldn't end up like that," Kunoichi asked.
"Yecheng's surrounded. Everything happened so fast. Yuan Shang abandoned us so the idea of escaping didn't get into motion. All we could do was hope we're sparred, but I never thought 'that guy' would break a military law and come to find me. I didn't know his motivation until after my marriage to him," Zhen Ji explained.
"Again, ew. Does he have some dignity?!" Kunoichi questioned frustratingly.
"No and I knew he doesn't show any dignity in front of me. We just wanted to know what will happen to us. 'That guy' doesn't give a damn about dignity or my honor. I'm just what he's been looking for since his father got a harem," Zhen Ji picked up one of Guo Nuwang's pictures and gaze at it.
"So once he found you, all the gossips on your marriage to Cao Pi blew up," Wu Guotai said.
"Exactly," Oichi took a different picture of Guo Wang and gaze it.
"In the end, he's just an indignify perverted boy. He put the moves on me, but he's obviously not my type. Not handsome enough to beat Yukimura either," Kuniochi snorted.
Lady Bian put both her hands on her face head down in shame. She couldn't bear the humiliation of Zhen Ji's death at the hands of her son all for that dreaded moment in the beginning of their marriage life.
"I'm treated like a low class citizen just by being arranged to an indignify perverted boy," Zhen Ji sighed.
"And Guo Nuwang is still making a big deal out of it? She ought to be thrown in pit of spikes," Aya Gozen scoffed.
"There's no such thing as true love in Three Kingdoms," Zhen Ji said nonchantlanty.
"You call this whole marriage between you and Pi as true love?" Yue Ying raised an eyebrowed.
"That was Lady Guo's point of view on me. She thought I found true love from Cao Pi just because he 'saved' my life and then just enjoy myself being alive. Plain and simple, she considers me a whore. Took advantage of Cao Pi's ascend and prove her point by spreading the rumor that I wish Cao Rui was Yuan Xi's son. Everybody assumed I was jealousy of Lady Guo in the end," Zhen Ji glared at Yue Ying.
"And your point…." Wu Guotai asked.
"I call that BS! He and his father lied about everything; they used me for power and fame, put misfortune on others who I don't have a beef with for example: Kong Rong, Cao Zhi's supporters, Lady Cui, Empress Fu, and scholar Lu Zhen for refusing to bow to me! I had nothing against those people and yet all those people connected to me because of Cao Pi's succession and dethronement of Emperor Xian of Han!" Zhen Ji's shouted angrily.
"Gratuitous politics in Ancient China," Aya Gozen coughed.
"I couldn't inference! I wanted to stop them from harming those people! That's the kind of person I truly am! But, no, I have to be committed to the two Caos ambitions! Mahahahaahah! Ugh! Lady Guo wanted what I don't want! She wants the power, the wealth, and the love to restore her clan status! I just want true happiness! Why can't Koei and Omega see that?!" Zhen Ji continued.
"Gosh, my beauty is cursed! There's no justice for a woman's marriage rights in 3rd century China!" After Zhen Ji shouted the last sentence, Lady Bian and Liu couldn't hold their tears back any longer.
"If she wants to lose her virginity to Pi that badly, why didn't she go up to him? He's not born rich and his father born to a slave. If that happened, he wouldn't be interested in finding me at Yecheng!" Zhen Ji then torn up the picture of Guo Nuwang's ROTK 12 portrait.
"And that's what the whole Zhen Ji vs Guo Wang rivalry been about," Oichi finished.
"Well, if we ignore all these and just watch the awesome DW 8 Wei Hypothetical ending, then we'll forget about Zhen Ji's tragedy and think about Zhen Ji and Cao Pi as the best couple in Three Kingdoms," Aya Gozen blinked.
"….."
"Historically, Wang Yuanji and Sima Zhao had won the title of the best couple in Three Kingdoms and with that, their son ended the Three Kingdoms. It's not even debatable. Yuangji was committed to Sima Zhao's ambitions and both of them after Shi's death, took the whole abdication of Cao Wei in motion," Zhen Ji commented.
"I don't know…they're not a popular couple in the fandom right now," Kunoichi shrugged.
"Still, they're the winners. Not even Cao Cao and I could beat them. I struggled with all my children and keeping Mengde sane," Lady Bian said.
"Zhen Ji?" Yue Ying prepares to ask Zhen Ji the biggest question.
"Yes, Lady Huang?" Zhen Ji awaits the question giving to the wife of one of the greatest inventors of mankind civilization.
"Why? Why didn't you fight her back? It was your life on the line," Zhuge Liang's wife asked.
"Technically speaking, my life was on the line. Guo Nuwang calling me out on this whole Empress title that lasted nearly a year after the Later Han ended. You wanted to know why?" Zhen Ji stared at Yue Ying hard as they're still in even terms with their relationship. Yue Ying acknowledges Zhen Ji because she's a wise woman, but Yue Ying isn't a beauty and values her interest in studies and ideology over lady like things.
The rest of ShuHan women are on bad terms with Zhen Ji….
"Yes, I have a lot of female friends blaming you for the complete end of Han dynasty starting with your marriage to Cao Pi to his ascends to the imperial throne he stole. Most of them don't want to value beauty anymore," Yue Ying gave Zhen Ji a stern look awaiting an honest answer.
The whole group listens in to her answer. Oichi remembers her love for Nagamasa and that remains a relationship to be honored. Wu Guotai faces the criticism of Sun Shang Xiang's marriage to Liu Bei and the world sees it as a historical sham. Lady Liu takes the guilty of giving Zhen Ji's life away. Lady Bian takes the guilty of her son ending Zhen Ji's life.
"I'm to decide a false love or my lost honor. In the end, I was being used. When I decided one or the other, which is the more heroic choice? I had Cao Rui and that automatically made me the winner of the empress contention…" Before she could finish, the doorbell rang.
"Oh, that sudden, who could it be this time?" Oichi went to answer it.
"Lady Zhen, it's Lady Bu…." Lianshi called out the door.
"It's my older sister's daughter in law," Wu Guotai smiled.
"Come to think of it, I want to know more about your sister who is the mother of Sun Ce and Sun Quan," Aya Gozen said.
As Lady Bu comes in, she greeted the ladies turn to see Zhen Ji who's already going through so much for a single day.
"Guo Nuwang isn't it?" Lianshi got Zhen Ji's message on the cell about the Anti Zhen Ji meeting.
"Yes, at least, you and Xu had a different result. She became empress because of her sons and your husband's men supported her over you. And you had no problems with it despite being Sun Quan's favorite," Zhen Ji then prepare to tell the ladies her ultimate answer.
"A false love or a lost honor, Lady Zhen?" Yue Ying returned to the subject of why Zhen Ji didn't fight over Lady Guo.
"I didn't tell Cao Rui the truth about my feelings for his father. Heaven I wouldn't tell my dead daughter the same had she lived. If I value Cao Rui, then fighting over a mere title wouldn't even be a fight just like what happened between Empress Xu and Lady Bu. But, no…all this time, it wasn't meant to be. I'm exhausted, tired, and sought resolve to my own relevance in the chaos; it's my lost honor that mattered. Who I was before 'that guy' came into my life needed resolute. So, you know why, Lady Huang. You know why I choose my lost honor over a false love," Zhen Ji answered.
"He missed you after you died. He realized, he couldn't live without you," Lady Bian told Zhen Ji on the aftermath of her death.
"He missed me?! HAHAHAHAHAH! He missed me! Oh, how the mighty had fallen! First he went all bad ass declaring himself emperor and now it took my death to make him look sorry for himself. Hahaha, what a bastard he truly is. He doesn't know anything about love!" Zhen Ji laughed.
"Then he should be the one who is hopeless," Yue Ying turns at Aya Gozen who nodded.
"He pursuits fool's gold and the next thing you know, I died, he comes crashing down losing something he considers more precious than his ego. Sorry, Zihuan, you don't own me! I own you! You wouldn't be where you were had I not met you at the east palace where the rest of Yuan Shao's family were at! Greed and selfless don't mix!" Zhen Ji then showed the ladies the most prized possession of Zhen Ji and Cao Pi's relationship. The necklace.
"That's a very expensive necklace! Look at those gems attached to it?!" Kunoichi gasped.
"As for Lady Guo, she thinks she won just by bringing up that crap about Yuan Xi and I? Xi wasn't interested in me the first place. If that were the case, I would be very desperate to move to Beiping or remain in Zhongshan before Cao Cao's army entered Jizhou! She thinks I'm an imbecile for not being fully committed to Pi's actions that's why I'm being portrayed like that in the Warriors series. Now she wants to be in the game because I'm using Koei's script to be committed to Zihuan. I like to be mean to Cao Pi for finding true love in Lady Guo before he realizes the right woman for him had already been in his father's forces before we met," Zhen Ji said.
"Is he that insecure to know who the right woman for him is? One day, he saw you and the next couple of years, his female servant was more supportive. I wanted to feel sorry for Lady Guo," Lianshi said.
"I only support Cao Pi's innovative literature. I don't support his political needs. Everything else about us was sex," Zhen Ji sighed.
"Hahahahah, he's not even a faithful husband to begin with," Aya laughed.
"It's not about being faithful! He's just downright petty and ridiculous in the end!" Zhen Ji glared at Aya.
"Cao Pi the hopeless bachelor who can't understand real love," Oichi shook her head.
"The peasants might be the only ones experiencing real love in three kingdoms," Wu Guotai said.
"Seriously, you should let your daughter find the right man for her," Aya Gozen told Wu Guotai.
"Lady Uesugi speaks the truth," Lianshi complied.
"Thank you all for supporting me. I rather be a tragic heroine than be a villian's puppet," Zhen Ji smiled.
"You are a heroine, big sister," Oichi hugged Zhen Ji.
"Maybe not to some people, but probably a few sees me as one," Zhen Ji said softly.
"All the women in Cao Pi's life, you're the one he still considers the best," Lady Bian said.
"Well, I'm not satisfied. He died from mating those women after my death," Zhen Ji smirked.
There's a rumor that Zhen Ji's ghost was the cause of Cao Pi's death….