Disclaimer: I don't own Dynasty Warriors.
A/N: My sickness is slowly fading. Sorry about the lack of updating because I've been thinking about discontinuing one fic because of the upcoming of Musou Orochi(Warriors Orochi). And should I have finished this fic earlier, there would not be any problems with my lack of attention on Dynasty Warriors. Ok, only two DW ladies left, Sun Shang Xiang and Zhen Ji, so lets start off with the supposedly hated Liu Bei x Sun Shang Xiang in DW fanfiction.
Romance of the DW Pairings 2
Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang
Jiang Ling….
Months after the wedding of Liu Bei and Sun Shang Xiang, the talk of the couple died down as the news of Fa Zheng's visit become the latest event in the audience. Shang Xiang spends the rest of her time with Liu Chan treating him as if the kid was her real son.
Xing Cai was also there because she admire the bow princess a lot. At times, she learned how to fight from Shang Xiang.
"Lady Sun, do you really like being here with us? It can be a pain to miss your home," Xing Cai said.
"To be honest, I'm not feeling so homesick being here. It was my own decision and mine alone to be responsible for," Sun Shang Xiang said as she watched the young Liu Chan who was four years old that time.
"How does one held responsible for their actions?" Xing Cai asked.
"When someone been giving a duty, he/she must assign the task without regretting it," Sun Shang Xiang explained.
"….." Xing Cai nodded. Still couldn't understand why the daughter of the Sun family is doing this for herself.
"When I was at Wu, there were many men who could possibly marry me, but the one who makes those decisions was my brother…" Sun Shang Xiang sighed and continue, "I met Liu Bei that day and how I felt about him was kind of awkward…so awkward."
"So, you don't love the imperial uncle as much as you love someone else. Is that why the marriage became awkward?" Xing Cai questioned.
"No no, I do love Liu Bei that much, but our marriage, it's just there was no real motivation and it was so sudden. I mean, this is all my brother's orders," Sun Shang Xiang said.
"I don't understand, my lady. You marry someone you've just met and there is someone else you're in love with, but can not have an approval from your brother because he make the choices," Xing Cai shrugged.
"That's the way of royal marriages and politics, Xing Cai. Someday you will understand," Sun Shang Xiang put a sad smile on her face as she turn to see the very man she married coming it's way forward.
"I see you two are enjoying yourselves in a chat. How is Au Dou?" Liu Bei checked his son who was reading.
"Liu Chan is fine, more importantly, how's the meeting coming along with this Fa Zheng person," Sun Shang Xiang crosses her arms focusing all her attention on her "husband".
Of course, Shang Xiang is no ordinary woman since she's interest in such manly things like warfare and martial arts. She is a tomboy, which is hardly the type of woman Liu Bei is attracted too. Liu Bei is still trying to get use to her attitude.
"Fa Zheng is requesting me to visit Liu Zhang in Yi zhou for an proposal of alliance," Liu Bei announced.
"I see, then when shall we go to Yi?" Sun Shang Xiang moved closer to Liu Bei engaging a hug.
Liu Bei gives a troubled look. That is the main problem of the meeting. He turns to see Xing Cai with Liu Chan trying to help him phrase the sentences out correctly. It must be hard for the 4 year old to be alive in a chaotic land learning his way through education.
"Xing Cai, will you go meet your father for a while? I must speak with my "wife" in private. Take Au Dou with you since his tutor will be here soon," Liu Bei said.
Xing Cai nod and takes Liu Chan with her. She complains a little about her father's jokes to Liu Chan as the two left the room. Shang Xiang reminds those two kids like the children of her best friends Da and Xiao Qiao.
"Liu Chan is going to be five and Xing Cai is becoming a teenager," Sun Shang Xiang chuckled.
"Ah, yes…they'll grow up into a fine couple in the future," Liu Bei sighed.
"Maybe…." Sun Shang Xiang quietly thought.
"Shang Xiang…I'm afraid I can't take you with me. Zhuge Liang and the other ministers did not agree with it, also it concerns me about your brother Sun Quan," Liu Bei said.
"What about my brother? He should mind his own business," Sun Shang Xiang urged.
"Shang Xiang, if this alliance with your brother doesn't work out…." Liu Bei didn't finish what he will say when Shang Xiang protested.
"I am going at my own will! You can't keep me locked in this palace doing nothing, but certain things a normal woman does," Sum Shang Xiang let go of the grip and stared at Liu Bei getting serious with the way she's treated.
"Shang Xiang, this is something only a few people who were trusted to go to Yi zhou with me. But, the council doesn't trust you enough to assign this expedition. I'm sorry, Shang Xiang, to them, you're a stranger while I'm their faithful leader," Liu Bei sat down on the chair after he told her.
Sun Shang Xiang grunt while she thinks about those months not doing much in the Liu Bei army and had no one to know a little more about herself besides not making many friends here. The marriage really is a gimmick to provoke her brother to break the alliance. She's the sister of the very man who might betray Liu Bei and nobody can take her serious as a 'friend' except a few.
"Don't worry about it, Shang Xiang. I want you to stay here and help out the defenses in Jing," Liu Bei smiled.
"That also means I'm still locked in a cage…" Shang Xiang glared.
"Shang Xiang…" Liu Bei muttered.
"So be it, living with you is no different to how I lived in Wu," Shang Xiang faced away from the imperial uncle and left to comfort this alone. She is so alone in the other world where even the nicest stranger is still not trustworthy in the side of virtue.
Liu Bei wanted to get this straight with her, but she is gone and a presence of a maiden appear asking if something wrong and Liu Bei told the maiden that everything alright.
"What's so different to living with a bunch of boring people compare to my overprotective brother and his officers?!" Sun Shang Xiang angrily thought. She tried not to let anyone see her tears as the way to her chambers is by the hall of the castle.
Suddenly, a voice was heard behind her, but she didn't pay attention. When she gets inside her room, she sobbed and became so frustrated with her life. If it was Gan Ning, it'll be the same conscience.
A lady appears in her room as she turns to see the wife of Zhuge Liang, Yue Ying. She frowns when seeing Shang Xiang so miserable because of her husband's suspicions and the rest of the court.
"My lady, I called your name out and you didn't hear me. What's troubling you this time?" Yue Ying sat next to her as Shang Xiang told the story.
"Lady Huang, am I really a stranger to everyone? Why did the result of our marriage lead to distrust of the alliance with my brother?" Sun Shang Xiang questioned.
"Come to think of it, my husband and the ministers been raising all those suspicions about that. I do not think you're a stranger to me. Be satisfied because our lord doesn't treat you as a trophy. The proposal of the marriage just happened to be offguard after mourning the death of Lady Gan," Yue Ying said. She comfort Shang Xiang's shoulders as the crying stopped.
"I'm sorry about his two wives from what I heard of the rumors at Wu," Sun Shang Xiang sighed.
"They never had a very good marriage with the lord since Cao Cao, Lu Bu, and Yuan Shu were threaten his life at Xu Zhou. So you're not alone in this marriage trouble. To Lady Gan and Mi, they married Liu Bei out of duty, especially Gan who followed him since he first rise an army and knew each other during childhood. It's very difficult for them to be happily loved with the war and chaos in conflict," Yue Ying explained.
"…." Shang Xiang said no more as she thought about her life in Yang zhou comprise to Liu Bei.
"Please endure the burden of this political marriage, because you are the only one who can keep both sides of the alliance from breaking apart," Yue Ying said
Yue Ying wants to spend more time assuring her advice can settle the Wu princess's complains on living here. Shang Xiang's attitude is very impatient while Liu Bei is a patient man.
"Lady Huang, I will like some time alone…please?" Shang Xiang glared at Yue Ying, not very conventional with her advice, but is still thinking about what she said.
"Of course, my lady. I'll excuse myself then," Yue Ying bowed.
Once the wise woman left the room, Shang Xiang takes a deep breath and lay down her bed. It's been a frustrating life with those people because of political issues with her brother. When will they learn that she got here at her own will escaping from the very same routine she experience at Wu. They say, "Freedom isn't free", but does that make sense to her life problems because she's a woman?
"Ok, so I've just got into my first real battle at Chi Bi in order to fight for my oldest brother's honor and Zhou Yu's who claimed the lands of Wu until they died. How long does it take to show the world what I'm capable of?" Sun Shang Xiang thought.
At Chi Bi it was different. When she met Liu Bei, the only way out of the shadows of her family's legacy is that very man. She agreed to her own will to be his wife, but the react to the men she's close with whom couldn't have her because of her brother were disappointed especially Gan Ning who doesn't have a problem with that because she'll be free from the barrier of three Suns. Gan Ning joined her brother to be free from Huang Zu's scoundrel and his bad childhood. She can join Liu Bei to represent her own legacy as a Han woman.
Suddenly a knock was heard at the other side of her room. Liu Bei enters the room with a passionate smile. He is confidence with marriage difficulties like this because it's nothing new, but Shang Xiang is acting like she's the only woman there, which isn't true.
"Shang Xiang…" Liu Bei thought.
"Are you leaving for Yi Zhou right now?" Sun Shang Xiang curiously questioned.
"Yes and before I go, there's something you must hear from me, so please take it as a consideration," Liu Bei cleared his throat and continued, "When I'm gone, you're free to do whatever you want here, but that is up to you, Shang Xiang. I'm sorry that you can't come with me to see Liu Zhang, but do not take this the wrong way,"
Sun Shang Xiang wonder why he's letting her be all of sudden? Some of his officers haven't trust her to freely express her desire to serve Liu Bei and how dangerously close she is with Liu Chan. The suspense is getting excessive.
"You want me to do whatever I wanted despite the amount of distrust of your advisors and my brother's intention to getting us married? What's the catch, Man of Virute?" Shang Xiang glared with amusement.
"When I last visited your home, I've learned alittle more about you. Xing Cai has been training herself to be quite a female warrior, since I'm encouraging women to be supportive with the men who serve my cause to restore the Han Dynasty. Even if it's prohibiting, do not worry about Zhuge Liang or someone else. Zhao Yun will be watching you when I depart," Liu Bei prepared to leave the room when he finishes talking.
Sun Shang Xiang mutter to herself that he's bluffing and is putting her into a trap set by his strategist. If she did go and make her own rules around contributing this side, will they suspect she's making a private army so that her brother can take advantage of Liu Bei's absent and take Jing zhou. Or another scenerio would be how the people will dislike her independent behavior because she's disrespecting the Han laws which turns out she's an outlaw much like the people of Wu are referred as. Seriously, this era was plague by political confusion, plus Cao Cao made up his own Han laws that aren't the ones her "husband" had enforced including the doings of pillaging by policy. Cao Cao on the other hand didn't do it by policy.
After Liu Bei is completely out of sight, she quickly change her clothes and don her battle outfit then takes her bow and arrows and decided to go out for while, maybe teach Xing Cai some archery. Of course, there is Huang Zhong, but he's with Liu Bei going to Yi Zhou.
Outside Jiang Ling castle…
"My Lord wait!" the voice of a male echoed.
Liu Bei knows that voice ever since he first met that man. The most complimentary thing about his bond with that man is inspiration, "Zhao Yun."
"Why aren't you bringing her with you? At least, let her come so she won't suffer anymore as a stranger to us. I find nothing suspicious about her," Zhao Yun urged.
"She might get the wrong idea about our plan of liberating Yi zhou. I have no regrets because this alliance with Liu Zhang is a plot unlike our alliance with Sun Quan," Liu Bei shook his head.
"And if that did happen when she finds out, she'll alert her brother about the threat of attacking Wu. But, what if she realize what our true intention to the expedition is?" Zhao Yun stared at Liu Bei on his defense to his big brother's relationship with Shang Xiang.
"You believe that love can show trustworthy? Shang Xiang and I have not been married by love, but by questionable intentions from her brother. If what Zhuge Liang said is true about our marriage then something might arise to the solution. Until you find out what the solution is; I want you to watch over her when I'm gone," Liu Bei then turn his horse back and prepare his journey to Shu.
"I know what Wu is plotting…." ZhaoYun thought. He scorn at how someone use it's own sister as a mole without telling the true about why she is here in Jing. "She just doesn't know and still been treated like a stranger which disrupt her behavior with my lord. What should I do?"
Later…
By nightfall, Liu Bei looked up the stars thinking about the women in his life including Sun Shang Xiang. Politics had caused a lot of problems with his relationship with women. He remembered persuading Zhao Yun to marry Lady Fan, but was denied because what Zhao Yun is true. Marrying someone as a trophy can really bring bad rumors about his leadership. But, what can a fine man live his life without a woman? He admit Zhao Yun is smarter than him so perhaps it's a good idea to leave his marriage problems to Zhao Yun, hopefully Shang Xiang can settle her marriage life in peace.
"Shang Xiang, the true is…I really do love you, but as a friend for now. When this campaign is over, I shall bring you to Yi Zhou so we can start over. But, if you desire to return to Wu, what is the price of virtue to our marriage?" Liu Bei thought as the stars brighten lighter in the dark sky.
Next Pairing: Zhao Yun and Sun Shang Xiang
