Zhen Ji sighed. Of course things had to be this complicated. It was a normal occurrence in the court of Wei. It was days like this, however, that made her wish she had been married off into a slightly saner family. Perhaps one that had no plotting, power struggles, or war plans. Oh, and certainly no Sima Yi. That would be a good life. A knock on the door jolted her from her reverie.

"Who is it?"

"Me."

"Wu?" The prospect of her sister-in-law spending time with her made Ji want to dive out a window.

"Yup! Can I come in?"

"I'm tired."

"I bear gossip of the the epicest quality."

"Oh?" Ji dragged herself to her feet and opened the door. Gossip was good, no matter what. The younger girl, Cao Wu, giggled happily and bounced into the room, ponytail flapping.

"You would never believe this...!" she squealed.

"Try me. By now there are very few things I wouldn't believe."

"So... You know Master Sima Yi, yeah?"

"Obviously..." Ji didn't like where this was going already.

"So did you know that I heard from Zhang Liao who heard it from Xu Huang who heard it from Xu Chu who heard it from some guy that he was, get this," Wu stopped for dramatic emphasis, "with Princess Shangie?"

"... Truly? Define 'with'." Ji said tiredly. Of course no one ever got the rumors straight to her. Ever.

"Like, I donno... But they were probably like kissing and stuff and that's really good gossip because of big brother."

"Oh?"

"Because like of course you know that he married Princess Shangie -isn't her hair so cute? I wish I could pull off short hair! Anyway - but I got it from the palace servants that he cares more about Master Sima Yi! Except, except, that Master Sima Yi is really with Junyi and not really because he's really manipulating everyone and he's really a demon with three heads and three brains which is why he's so smart," Wu paused, "That's what I heard anyway."

"... All right then."

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Sima Yi was oddly happy. This was a very uncommon state of being for him, but it was pleasant nonetheless, he decided. Currently, he had forsaken the stack of scrolls that would need reading, editing, rewriting, and grammar-picking, and had chosen instead to spend his few minutes of free time lounging on a pile of two dozen pillows and cushions which he had stolen from multiple locations that he could not quite remember. Not that it mattered. He was I comfy /I. And really going insane if he was using words as childish as 'comfy'.

"All is going well... I can afford this..." The strategist laid his head back down on a stack of soft, downy pillows. It was a good day. Sunlight bathed his office in a warm glow. He allowed himself a glance out the nearest window. Flowers bloomed on every single flowering plant in the area. It looked... pretty. Innocent. Nice. Not adjectives Yi would even consider using under normal circumstances. Clearly these were not normal circumstances. A laugh escaped Yi's lips.

"No, not normal at all..."

––––––––––

"Damnit damnit damnit damnit!" Shang snarled as as she beat her fists pointlessly against the wall. This was bad. This was very bad. No matter which way she looked at things, at least five people were lying to her about everything. Of course, she didn't even know the right way to look at things at this point; if she had, she wouldn't have been having a meltdown trying to get Sima Yi's voice out of her mind. He was a lying bastard. He had to be.

But, but, he had seemed honest. Concerned. Interested. He had looked her in the eye and treated her like she had a right to know as much as anyone else. He had smiled at her. He had been charming. He had complimented her and it had seemed real. He had touched her arm to console her and she had felt a spark,

But, but, he was untrustworthy. Villainous. Ambitious. He had manipulated the whole court into doing his bidding, it seemed. He had said everything she wanted to hear, and everything she had feared since she had arrived. He had been too forthcoming with information. He had smiled at others. Charmed others. Used others. She had looked into his eyes to analyze him, and she had seen a wolf.

But a beautiful wolf.

But one with bloodstained fangs.

"Damnit!"

––––––––––

Cao Pi scowled at his little sister. There was no way that any part of that rumor was true, but the mere thought made him angrier than he had been in quite a while.

"Wu, what in the name of the heavens gave you the idea that my," here Pi practically choked on a runaway train of thought; 'my Zhongda' would not be the best thing to say in front of his gossipmongering sister, "My strategist is... in a relationship with my new wife?"

"Well, my sources say that they were seen together. What would you say to that, brother dearest?" Wu watched his reaction carefully. She may not have been brilliant, but she was a Cao, and Caos were masters of manipulation and of getting information.

"I would- wait what?! That- no... No, I would say that you need new sources, little sister," Pi managed a quick save of face. He hoped.

"Oh, really?" Wu asked with a smirk. This was going perfectly.

"Yes. Really."

"Really really?"

"Really. Your sources have mental difficulties."

"You should meet them, then."

"Fine."

––––––––––

The blue-eyed young man watched the approaching siblings. He hadn't wanted this. Now, clearly, he was needed again. Now everything was going to start again. And it was not going to be pretty.

"Hello again. I take it you were looking for me?" he asked, emerging from behind a tall tree to face the duo with a bitter smile. He got the expected response. Pi's jaw dropped.

"A-Ang?" he finally choked out, "You-? How-? You're supposed to be dead!"

"Yeah. Except, I'm not. And I don't want to be king, so stop the panic."

"Wait..." Wu suddenly realized something, "You know each-? Waitasec- ANG? What- You said your name was Kai, not-!"

"Well, little sister, I had to keep my secrets somehow, didn't I?" Ang gave his best Cao smirk. No matter how much time he had spent away from his family, he was still one of them. Wu fainted. Pi came close to following her, but steeled himself, shook his head, and turned to his prodigal older brother.

"So, so, th-that thing about Zhongda was...?"

"A slight twisting of truth. Slight. I needed an excuse to face you two. Otherwise, my plans would never bear fruit. So, little brother, you must understand- I have been running from who I am too long. I realized the virtues of our father's way, so I used the very path I once so hated to make myself into something worthwhile. Wouldn't father be proud...?" It was, all in all, a very properly Cao speech.

"Hn. Father would still abandon you. You lack ambition, like Zhi always has. Neither of you will ever make father proud because you are too weak. I am his only worthy heir because I am the only one who is capable of bringing plans to fruition. I know you: you will abandon anything worthwhile the instant you realize that people will be harmed. Why do you even bother with this? You will fail because your heart will rule you. Abandon your pathetic quest." It was, all in all, a very properly Cao speech.

"Little brother, you are pathetic."

"No, you are!"

"No, you a- Let's help Wu first, all right?"

"This is what what I was saying about you being pathetic," Pi grumbled, helping to lift his sister up.

"This is where you are wrong. And pathetic," Ang replied. They argued all the way back up to the castle.

(A/N: So, there is PLOT! :D )