Yuan Yao had fantasized about this moment for a long, long time. Ever since he joined Wu, he dreamed of the chance where he would be allowed to lead a force for the express purpose of punishing those that destroyed Lu Bu and his ilk at Xia Pi. He fantasized and roleplayed the glorious blood soaked campaign that would be told in stories for years to come, lionizing the tale of the prince that sold his kingdom for a chance at avenging his lover and bringing justice to her enemies. He pinned and wept for every day that passed by where sat in the court instead of fighting his nemeses, often cursing how he was disappointing his Goddess of War who gave him a reason to thrive.
But at last, the time had come for Yuan Yao to act with the blessing of the Sun family. While Sun Quan might have chastised his brother-in-law for his failure to contain his fury at those who he perceived as traitors, the Emperor of Wu held the exact same contempt in his heart for the forces of Shu. Having already lost his father and brother to the chaos, Sun Quan had secretly resented Liu Bei for stealing away his younger sister and plotted meticulously to return her to Wu. But as Emperor, he reluctantly hid those desires as he did not want to seem petty to the other lords, and his sister regularly wrote letters to him declaring her contentment serving Liu Bei.
When Zhou Yu passed, Lu Su became the supreme commander of Wu and Sun Quan's chief military advisor, and he brought with him a non-aggression policy that Zhou Yu only explicitly abided by. According to Lu Su, Wu's primary focus should have been on their enemies to the north, as the kingdom of Wei pressured their neighbors almost perpetually. The kingdom of Shu was founded as a direct challenge to Wei, and it would be far better to have Shu as an ally rather than engulf the country into an ugly three-way struggle. Free-for-all wars were guaranteed to end in a high death toll, possibly higher than the world would ever see.
That was before Sun Quan found someone better suited for his wishes.
Citing how Lu Su's strengths were more apparent in politics than in warfare, Sun Quan reassigned Lu Su to a high court position, and succeeded his military post with Lu Meng. Lu Meng's philosophy was the exact opposite of Lu Su, as he strongly favored campaigns against Liu Bei. Following Zhou Yu's death, Lu Meng painstakingly studied and re-enacted the ex-strategist's contingency plans should Liu Bei ever turned against them, and almost all of them resulted in two very negative scenarios. Either Liu Bei would gather enough support from the other lords to topple the Sun family, or his defeat would spark a revolt among the people and eliminate Wu from the game via internal conflicts.
The only plan Zhou Yu outlined where Wu would be successful, keeping in mind that Liu Bei now had an independent state to unite soldiers under, was to provoke Liu Bei into attacking them first. If that were to happen, Wu could declare that they are the victims and Liu Bei was showing his true colors. This would give Wu the support of the commoners, and give them the excuse to eliminate Liu Bei and end the threat he posed to them. After that, Wu and Shu could mend their differences with the passage of time, and focus all of their efforts on conquering the much larger state of Wei.
Yuan Yao arrived at the Western castle just as his bruises and wounds had almost fully healed, leaving the residents none the wiser to the carnage he indulged himself in at his previous placement. Even if he were to tell them of the visions that visited him on that night, it was unlikely anyone would have believed them as truth. Yuan Yao recognized that there were many in Wu's office that deemed him insane, and he acted on his best behavior so that he was not deemed unfit for the task Sun Quan had promised him. After all, there would be plenty of time to do battle when the operation was officially underway.
Lu Meng greeted Yuan Yao upon his arrival and escorted him into the war room, where Zhuge Jin and an unknown youth awaited them. The stranger was introduced as Lu Xun, a younger officer who was showing great promise as a military genius and was being groomed for a major tactical seat in the Wu forces. Once pleasantries were exchanged, everyone took their seats and began their delegation.
Lu Meng divulged to the council that Sun Quan had long been suspicious of Liu Bei and wished to remove him from the stage of battle, but he held too much favor with the common people that doing away with him outright would spark a good deal of outrage. But now that Liu Bei had founded the state of Shu by usurping Cheng Du from his relative Liu Zhang, his popularity had declined and was being considered as the same as Cao Cao: another warlord who only cared for conquest. All that remained now was for Liu Bei to again make himself the aggressor, and Wu would have the support of the people.
"When Liu Bei conquered Cheng Du, he did so without Guan Yu and Zhang Fei," Lu Meng explained as he pointed to the marks on the map spread across the table. "The state of Shu is so expansive that Liu Bei has spread his officers thin so that his borders can be defended, while at the same time having a capable general to mount offensive attacks against Wei or Wu. This means that, as you can see here, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are not with their lord."
Zhuge Jin reminded the council that the relationship between Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, and Liu Bei went far beyond the common bond between solider and lord. The trio shared an oath bond that they would be brothers until the land was united under a single banner, and swore that they would all live until that mission was fulfilled. Should they meet their end, they would do so on the same day, and that oath had kept them strong. Therefore, the plan would involve targeting the two brothers and dispatching them.
"If we take the life of even one of the brothers, Liu Bei will fly into a rage and call an immediate attack," Zhuge Jin stated, pointing to the area on the map marking the city of Fan Castle. "Currently, Guan Yu is preparing to attack Wei at Jing Province, where he will focus all of his manpower to breach the castle walls and occupy it. While Guan Yu is distracted, Master Lu Meng and Lu Xun will ambush Guan Yu's rear and dispatch him."
"Lord Sun Quan has already sent a letter to Cao Cao informing him of this plan, and he has agreed to keep it a secret," Lu Meng added before turning to Yuan Yao. "Master Yuan Yao, our lord knows how badly you want Zhang Fei's head, and applauds you for showing restraint for this long while political affairs were stabilized. As a reward, you will be tasked with the capture and execution of Zhang Fei, who is currently making camp here."
Yuan Yao looked at the map and immediately recognized Zhang Fei's location. It was in a region just outside the northwestern tip of Wu, located near his old castle where his father declared himself Emperor, and the city his capital. Even though Yuan Yao had not been there personally in several years, he knew the townspeople well enough that if they were involved in this plot, they would side with Wu out of respect for the Yuan family. Yuan Yao took great care in not alienating his men when they were first annexed to Wu, and he expected them to return the favor.
Lu Meng emphasized Sun Quan's ordered about the level of power Yuan Yao would have for his branch of the operation, telling the former prince that he would be given complete command over the assassination of Zhang Fei so long as it was done in a way that did not make Wu look like the aggressor. To that prospect, Yuan Yao gave the situation some careful thought before putting forward a suggestion. "For this to work in a way that does not stain Wu, our attacks will need to be coordinated so that news of their demise will reach Liu Bei simultaneously. Losing one brother would be strenuous enough, but both of them at once? He will call for blood in a way that will make even Dong Zhuo tremble in fear!"
And thus, they came to an agreement. Zhuge Jin, Lu Meng, and Lu Xun would travel to Jing Province and subjugate Guan Yu, while Yuan Yao would stay behind and focus on the assassination of Zhang Fei. The lifeblood of the scheme would be the willful containment of information being spread around the kingdom, isolating the two brothers long enough until news of their death reached Liu Bei. This would prevent reinforcements from throwing a wrench in their scheme, and allow themselves the freedom to act as deviously as they wished until it was time to reveal their recipe for war.
Zhuge Jin, as the elder brother of Shu's Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, feigned friendship when he arrived at Guan Yu's camp and offered yet another marriage alliance to strengthen the paltry bonds between Shu and Wu. When he was put forth before Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping, and explained the specifics of the marriage between Guan Yu's daughter and one of Sun Quan's sons, Guan Yu immediately and predictably flew into a rage.
"My tiger lass married to that dog's whelp!? If you were not Master Zhuge Liang's brother, I would cut you down where you stand! Leave my sight and tell Sun Quan that I not only denounce his offer, but spit at it!"
Zhuge Jin conveyed that message all too enthusiastically, and Yuan Yao made sure to relay that quote to the Wu Imperial Court when the messenger arrived. "For years, the royal families of Wu and Shu have been united through the marriage of our princess Lady Sun and their lord Liu Bei, but it has now become clear that we have been exploited. We offer Guan Yu a chance to join the royal family of Sun, and he not only declines, but insults our entire state for even suggesting it. This is an act of treason, and should be punished accordingly!"
The court agreed with this notion and motioned for a swift punishment for the so-called God of War. Sun Quan agreed and sent the confirmation to Lu Meng, who had his forces lying in wait when Guan Yu mounted an offensive at the Wei-occupied Fan Castle. With the secret agreement between Cao Cao and Sun Quan in effect, Wu and Wei collaboratively turned back Guan Yu's forces and chased him away. Lu Xun and Lu Meng gave pursuit until they cornered Guan Yu at Mai Castle, where the general prepared to make his last stand.
As per the plan, Wu took every precaution in isolating Guan Yu, capturing or killing any messenger that tried to escape the battlefield. Little by little, despair set in the minds of Guan Yu's men, and piece by piece his army broke apart to surrender to Wu. But Guan Yu and his eldest son Guan Ping were made of stronger stuff, preparing that they die in battle over surrendering like weaklings. For a time, their bravery inspired the men to continue fighting, but when rations grew low, it became a tiresome trait. Guan Yu, like Lu Bu before him, found himself standing alone among an army of dissenters.
On the local front, Yuan Yao kept a close watch on the movements of Zhang Fei in preparation for his own assault. There was a good reason why Liu Bei and Guan Yu were the ones who received the bulk of the glory when the three brothers stood united in battle. Zhang Fei might have thought himself a hero like his brothers, but his multitude of bad habits made him a villain in the eyes of his own men. Every so often, some of his soldiers would visit Yuan Yao's castle and admitted to not being overly fond of their lord.
When Yuan Yao last encountered Zhang Fei, he was an arrogant, boastful, headstrong general who relied on his brute strength and inability to feel fear to get him through battles. Thanks to those less desirable traits, combined with his drinking habits that had not improved with the passage of time, he would often denigrate his subordinates in a very public manner. One soldier passing by the castle recalled of a tale where one of the soldiers declined Zhang Fei's offering for more wine at dinner, resulting in that soldier almost being killed by Zhang Fei's temper. When his comrades attempted to calm his fury, he lashed out at them and left two of them in a broken heap.
If Yuan Yao had any misgivings about putting Zhang Fei to death, the recollections of abuse and humiliation from his own men was doing a fine job in clearing his mind of doubt. Day after day, more and more of Zhang Fei's men would visit the castle and lament of their poor treatment, wondering if there was a way for them to be free of his service and be moved to a more reasonable camp. There certainly wasn't much news of this dissention from the camps near Cheng Du.
Finally, Yuan Yao had heard enough, and took the initiative to implement his plan. His first order of business was to personally speak to one of Zhang Fei's men and invite him and his comrades for a banquet at his castle. Recognizing Yuan Yao as an official of Wu, there was some initial distrust at first, but Yuan Yao assured him that the banquet would be a strictly informal affair. "I am a man of Wu, and you are a man of Shu, but we are both men. Why should it be such a sin for us to eat and drink as men, from one kind act to another?"
Yuan Yao added that they were welcome to bring their general along if they so wished, to make it clear that his intentions were "noble." Of course, it came as little surprise to him that when Zhang Fei's men came to his castle to have dinner, they came without the legendary warrior. Free from their violent commander, the men ate and drank to their heart's content, and Yuan Yao made it a truly festive event by having songstresses and dancers entertain the men after they had their fill. Yuan Yao's guests were grateful of his hospitality, and he told them that they were welcome to return whenever they wished.
When news of his men's travels into Wu territory to make merry with one of their officers reached Zhang Fei's ears, he very publicly and brutally humiliated them with as many lashes as he could muster. Given Zhang Fei's exceptional strength and endurance, "as long as he could muster" resulted in three straight days of him flaying the skin off the backs of each and every soldier who had dinner with Yuan Yao. However, this proved to be the spark that set off the powder keg of his camp. Having fought alongside these poor souls and won many battles with them, even Zhang Fei's officers decided that the abuse had to end.
They sent a messenger to Yuan Yao and begged for him to grant them amnesty in his castle and accept them as citizens of Wu, in exchange for the head of Zhang Fei. Finally, Yuan Yao would be able to appease his Goddess of War and offer her the head of her killer at Xia Pi! He sent the messenger back to their camp and agreed to take them in, but guidelines would need to be followed if they wished to enjoy the pleasures of his wealth and prestige.
A date was agreed upon, as well as the terms of the defection, and Yuan Yao spent the preceding days in deep prayer to his shrine to Lu Lingqi. Given how long he had waited for this moment, and the embarassment Zhang Fei doled out to him at Chi Bi, a simple murder would not suffice for his Goddess of War. Zhang Fei's death needed to be slow and intimate, consisting of many acts before the crescendo that sent his soul to the afterlife. For that to happen, a sword would not be the proper tool.
Yuan Yao's devout training to the art of war had given him a mastery of several types of weapons, each one carrying its own capacity for painful deaths if used correctly, but for this dark task, Yuan Yao commissioned something unique from the weapons blacksmith. It would be a weapon that could be used in many different capacities, able to defend from enemy attacks while simultaneously striking fear into his victims. Zhang Fei's neck would be the first to taste its steel, and if it could remove the neck of someone so powerful, then Yuan Yao could rest easy knowing that it wouldn't fail on lesser heads.
The weapon was completed just in time for Yuan Yao to head to Zhang Fei's camp, where the fruits of his labor were ready for harvest. Through his cargo that he carried on horseback, he felt the heartbeats of his goddess press against his body as vividly as they did in the village where he slew villains and phantoms and absolved his sins of hesitation through the blood of warriors. The blood of Zhang Fei, who for all of his faults was still a vaunted warrior, would no doubt reward Yuan Yao with even greater passions from the Goddess of War. All Yuan Yao needed to do was make sure that the method of execution was acceptable.
When Yuan Yao arrived at the camp, the former prince expected a more impressive reception for the anticipation. Unlike the fantasies of glamour Yuan Yao might have envisioned in his more imaginative states, the sober reality was that Zhang Fei's men went about their betrayal as quietly as possible. The men performed their duties and maintained their posts as if their commander were still watching over them, and they greeted Yuan Yao the same way they would greet any officer coming to visit their camp. He found their lack of enthusiasm off-putting and attempted to lift their spirits.
"Rejoice, noble soldiers and warriors! Tonight is the night where you rise up and strike down your oppressor, and emancipate yourselves from the shackles of the tyrant! In the arms of Wu, you will find enlightenment and prosperity beyond your wildest dreams, as a reward for the gift you have given me on this fine evening!"
Soon afterwards, Yuan Yao was introduced to the camp's former commander, tied to a post with his eyes yellow with intoxication. Zhang Fei's moments preceding the revolt were not spent in paranoia or fear, but by indulging in his common routine of drinking until his soul threatened to spill out of him in a puking fit. This made it all too easy for his men to escort the inebriated warrior to his undoing, binding him with ropes until he was able to move about. Anti-climatic to say the least: they hoped that the ordeal would be as magnificent and as rewarding as a victory in war.
Thankfully for Yuan Yao, Zhang Fei was sober enough that he realized the situation he had found himself in. The deposed general looked up to the former prince and sneered at him. "I bet you feel real proud of yourself right now, buying off my men like the whores they are and turning them against me. You really think you sissies from Wu can take us over just because you take me out? I'd say you're brave, but I don't think highly of morons."
"Strong words coming from someone who abuses his men and steals the lives of the innocents he purports to protect," Yuan Yao replied with a sneer of his own before reaching for the weapons hanging from his horse. The weapons in plain sight were a bow and quiver, far from uncommon for even a court official like himself to have. But the sword Yuan Yao had kept at his side had been abandoned in favor of the considerably larger weapon that he pulled from the straw bag and brandished with glee.
Having drawn inspiration from the buckler which he used to return the phantom of his idol Lu Bu to the afterlife, Yuan Yao decided that a buckler would be his weapon of choice for delivering the punishment and execution of his nemesis, and anyone else who stood in his way from that point onward. Yuan Yao's buckler was made of the finest wood and the sturdiest steel, with the shield possessing the emblem of Wu. But at the end of the buckler were two shears that jutted out like the horns of a beetle, designed to open and close whenever the buckler's handle was pressed with more than enough speed and power to sever flesh and bone.
"Release him."
Yuan Yao issued his request as calmly and clearly as even the most hardened general, fully aware of what would happen if Zhang Fei was untied from the post and left to decide his own fate. The other men were less than eager to do so, fearing that the general would turn his wrath upon them and rip their limbs off of their body. "Release him, or our agreement is rendered void," Yuan Yao reiterated his request, and then turned to Zhang Fei. "Master Zhang Fei, your men are about to let you go. What will you do once that happens?"
"Tying you up in knots sounds like fun," Zhang Fei shot back.
"Then if you can do so, we will let you go free," Yuan Yao offered while Zhang Fei's men finally started to untie him. Any smart general would have used that opportunity to escape and warn his superiors of the treachery that had overtaken his camp, but Yuan Yao was counting on Zhang Fei's stubbornness to keep him from doing the right thing. The Goddess of War had ignored Yuan Yao whenever he attempted to avenge her through trickery, but gave him a sample of her love when he dirtied his hands with direct conflict.
Therefore, Yuan Yao would take Zhang Fei's life when the general was able to defend himself, even though in truth, his defense was about as viable as a wall of paper.
As soon as the binding was undone, Zhang Fei grabbed onto the ropes used to hold him still andgave them a hard yank, pulling the two men who undid his bonds into his powerful grip. With a twist, he snapped their necks like twigs, and tossed their bodies at Yuan Yao like they were as light aspieces of corn. Yuan Yao was not impressed with the gesture and swatted the flying bodies aside so that they fell away from him. A diversionary tactic, Yuan Yao mused, and not a very graceful one, but Zhang Fei was not a graceful man.
Zhang Fei charged at Yuan Yao was a war cry, lifting his fist to crush the arrogant politician's face. "First to go shall be the arm that tries to stop the justice you have so painstakingly evaded all these years." Yuan Yao lifted his bow and fired off an arrow at Zhang Fei's knuckle, piercing it to lodge it within his arm from the hand upwards. Tearing through flesh and tendons, the arrow made even Zhang Fei stop to cry out in pain, but it was only a temporary setback as he rampaged onward without even pulling out the arrow.
"Next is the arm that claimed the lives of countless men who died only to feed your undeserved reputation," Yuan Yao lifted a second arrow and again skewered Zhang Fei's hand, leaving the general completely helpless to do much more than continue charging towards Yuan Yao and tackle him to the ground with his shoulders. The pain he was in was truly maddening, as his eyes were wide with rage and resembled a wounded tiger more than a wounded man.
Two more shots later, and Zhang Fei's legs were rendered useless, forcing him to collapse onto his knees mere inches away from Yuan Yao, who caught the general's neck between his shears. "What...did I ever do to you?" Zhang Fei hissed through blinding pain as he lifted his head to see Yuan Yao's eyes of sadistic ecstacy look down at him. "This isn't between Wu and Shu, is it? Does this have something to do with that crazy father of yours?"
"Yuan Shu was a fiend, and I took great pride in ending that cur's life," Yuan Yao boasted while his fingers danced happily along the grip of the shears, eager to cut Zhang Fei's life off in a gruesome and abrupt matter. "No...you, Zhang Fei, have committed a far worse crime by ending the mortal existence of my beloved fiancé. You, who claim to be a man of virtue, shall die in shame, abandoned by your subordinates while your punishment is carried out!"
"What...what are you babbling about? I don't kill women and children!"
"When faced with inescapable peril, the hero feigns denial, hoping to stay his executioner's hand," Yuan Yao turned to the other men, who had become uncomfortable with their host's slow method of dispatching their former commander. But the former prince cared little for their opinion: he could already feel his Goddess of War's embrace in his soul as he prepared for the rush of satisfaction that would fill him. "Zhang Fei, for the inexcusable crime of executing the Goddess of War Lu Lingqi at Xia Pi Castle…I judge you and deliver your punishment…"
"Wait…Lu Bu's kid? You got the wrong man, boy! I never-"
"DEATH!"
Zhang Fei's words and neck were severed from existence, never to return as Yuan Yao pulled back on his grip and beheaded the once-proud general. With great elation, he held his head balanced on top of his shears and watched the life drain from its eyes. When the last twitches of life ceased, he turned to his former men and held the head high in the air. "Men of Wu, raise your voices! You have been liberated from your aggressor, and can now bring prestige to your families!"
With great haste, Yuan Yao returned to his castle with the head of his nemesis, laughing with maniacial glee as he anticipated what awaited him when he returned. Zhang Fei was a warrior who had slain tens of thousands of men who sought the very same thing that Yuan Yao carried with him, but only he had the wherewithal to claim his head. The prestige from such an accomplishment had the potential to learn the lowest soldier into an officer of legend.
But Yuan Yao cared little for fame and infamy from the common man, for the head of Zhang Fei was a gift reserved for his Goddess of War, who spent years waiting for the day where her mortal death was avenged by her most faithful servant. Upon arriving in his quarters, the prince placed the head of Zhang Fei in front of his altar and prayed deeply, thanking his Goddess of War for giving him the strength and ambition to carry though with their revenge. Justice had finally been served, and as such, a weight was lifted from Yuan Yao's heart.
He went to bed without cleaning the blood from his body, feeling that doing so would wash away the elation he felt from completing his dark task, but it paled in comparison to the elation he would feel later that evening.
It started with a gentle kiss to rouse him, causing the servant to slowly open his eyes and notice his mistress giving him the reward she promised. "My Goddess," he managed to whisper as he was allowed to return her affections, giving her the kisses he long sought to bestow upon her in the nuptial apartment. "My sacred Goddess…I am not worthy of your benevolence. I hesitated for so long…denied myself of you…"
She said nothing, responding only through her increased passion and clear intentions. Gradually, the pair disrobed, and the mistress allowed her servant to claim his reward through the long-awaited consummation of his devotion to her. For many years, Yuan Yao made good of the vow he made that he would not enjoy the warmth of a woman as such an act was reserved only for the woman promised to him by Lu Bu. Now, he had made good on his vow as he held Lu Lingqi close to him, letting himself succumb to her seduction.
Yuan Yao was pleasured until he reached exhaustion, returning to his dreams with a long kiss from his beloved. But even in his dreams, his reward was not yet completed. After many years of nightmares with his Goddess of War as the star attraction, Yuan Yao was finally treated to more enjoyable favors by his beloved. She praised him and loved him, and in turn he returned her love with vows of loyalty and faithfulness. In return, she promised him her own vow of faithfulness, so long as he could provide her with the final gift he promised her.
When daybreak came, Yuan Yao found himself alone once again, but his lack of garments upon his awakening was proof enough that what he experienced was no mere dream. The blood he went to bed with the prior evening had been completely cleaned off his body, no doubt accepted by his Goddess of War. A part of him already longed for her touch once again, as the pain of losing his love once more made his scar ache terribly.
But Yuan Yao quickly took solace in the fact that the Goddess of War was returning his faith in her. All he needed was one more head, and her return would be complete.
