The Young Conqueror
Disclaimer: I did not invent Sun Ce or any other major character in this fanfic. Konami is responsible for the general appearance and mannerisms of the characters contained herein. I drew on the game personae for the sake of variety.
Since this is a story about Sun Ce, I've changed a few events to focus more on him. After Guan Yu he's my favourite character in the game and a li'l gratuitous action for the oldest Sun boy can't be a bad thing, right?
Enjoy.
Chapter 23 – Conquest of the Wu Territory
"My lord, a message from Wuchang!" the messenger said, kneeling and holding out a small scroll that had arrived by carrier bird. Taishi Ci strode forward and took the message from the man, delivering it to Sun Ce, who waited in his chair on the low dais that had been constructed in the center of the fortress he had wrested from Liu Yao.
At Ce's left hand stood Da Qiao, silently observing. Standing at the steps of the dais on the right-hand side was Ce's corps commanders- Sun Shang Xiang, his formidable sister, followed by the tough veteran Huang Gai, and then Ling Cao and the dour Lu Meng. A company of Ce's fearsome Night Tigers stood guard around the perimeter of the courtyard.
Da Qiao watched Taishi Ci passively. Part of her still could not believe that this man, days ago her husband's most formidable enemy here in the Southlands, was now the commander of his Night Tiger bodyguards. But the past few years had also taught her that Sun Ce was a flawless judge of character and it was always best to give his instincts the benefit of the doubt.
How else could her current command of the Valiant Cavaliers be explained?
She observed Taishi Ci as he moved. He was exceptionally large and powerful, easily the largest man in the entire army of Jiang Dong- taller than Zhou Tai and brawnier than even Huang Gai. The only mortals she had ever seen who were larger were Hua Xiong, Guan Yu and the mighty Lu Bu.
Taishi Ci, healed and whole again after his savage beating at her husband's hands, was actually a rather striking and handsome fellow, with wavy black hair and steely eyes that were incapable of deceit. Here was a man of honesty and integrity, there was not a disingenuous bone in his entire body.
His body was powerfully built, not chiselled muscles like Ce's but sheer strength and mass, like Huang Gai. Interestingly, this incredible mountain of muscle did not slow him down. She had seen him practicing exercises some monks had taught him and his reflexes were deceptively fast. If she were to spar or fight with him, she was not sure what she would be able to do.
Taishi Ci was not wearing his customary armour, since the smiths had yet to finish repairing it after Ce had ripped and beaten it off his body. He wore a simple black robe decorated with stylized tigers made of gleaming silver thread.
He knelt before Sun Ce and presented the tiny scroll. The young lord took it and began reading silently. Moments later he whistled and sat back in his chair.
"Well, how about that…" he remarked to no one in particular. "Dong Zhuo has been murdered."
There were mutters and gasps of surprise around the courtyard.
"By whom, my lord?" Ling Cao asked, bowing.
"You're not gonna believe this… by his adopted son, Lu Bu." Ce replied. "Love the irony."
"And where is Lu Bu now, my lord?" Huang Gai queried.
"The letter's not too clear, but it says he fled from Mei and is now wandering the north, terrorizing everyone in sight." Ce said, musing as he reread the missive.
"The stark and barbaric north for the stark and barbaric Lu Bu," Da Qiao said quietly. "He can sleep in cracks in the Great Wall and make friends with the nomads beyond."
Ce shook his head. "I'd just as soon not think about Lu Bu teaming up with the Xiongnu, thank you very much. But hopefully this puts an end to the crisis Dong Zhuo created. Sounds like Cao Cao is already moving on Mei."
Lu Meng pursed his lips as an unpleasant thought occurred to him. "I am not certain I am pleased with Cao Mengde getting his hands on Dong Zhuo's riches, my lord."
Ce shrugged. "Perhaps, but there's not much we can do about it. Lots of lords who participated in the Coalition will be demanding a cut, but I won't be one of them. That money belongs to the people Dong Zhuo plundered."
Da Qiao put a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder. "That may be, my lord, but they will not see any of it, I think we can be assured."
"Yeah, but I won't be one of the rulers withholding it from them," Ce said firmly. "We will prosper without Dong Zhuo's gold. We came here to conquer the Southlands and secure territory for ourselves that was safe from aggression, right?"
The generals all nodded in confirmation.
"Alright then," Ce said, rolling up the scroll and passing it to a scribe. "On to business; we have Liu Yao on the run. In four days we've seized over half of his territory. What reports do we have from the scouts so far?"
Ling Cao bowed. The scouting units for this campaign had come from his corps. "My lord, they report that Liu Yao seems to have fled, taking shelter with another local ruler named Yan Baihu."
Ce nodded. "According to our spies who came south before we invaded, Yan Baihu is the strongest ruler among the warlords," he said, his chin on his hand as he pondered. "He's got a large army, although it's not well-trained, apparently. He also has Viet and Nanman mercenaries in his employ."
Da and Xiao Qiao both grimaced, along with Shang Xiang. They had fought Nanman troops during the campaign against Dong Zhuo and it had nearly destroyed their unit. Only the amazons' sheer ferocity and indomitable will had allowed them to prevail of the Southern barbarians and their exotic monsters.
Lu Meng now bowed. "Even if his troops outnumber ours, my lord, if we attack from several directions we will have the advantage, I deem. His so-called kingdom is central and he cannot defend everywhere at once, at least not equally."
Ce looked at Ling Cao. "What do we know about his troops?"
Ling Cao opened a scroll, handed to him by a nearby scribe. "A recent census estimates maybe a total of a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers, my lord, only ten thousand of which are cavalry. Horses are a rare and valuable commodity south of the Great River, seemingly."
Ce reflected on what Ling Cao said. "Well, then the cavalry will be well-trained at the expense of the masses of foot-soldiers. The tough troops will be the horsemen and the mercenaries, I guess."
He stood up and nodded, his hands on his hips. "We hit them hard and fast from several directions. We'll demoralize them so badly that his infantry will just not show up for battles. We sweep through a region and give the peasants gold to pacify them."
"What of Zhou Yu and your brother Quan, my lord?" Huang Gai asked.
Ce waved dismissively. "Zhou Yu'll know what to do and Quan will figure it out too, once he sees what we're doing. I'll make sure they get our intelligence reports."
The generals all bowed. Ce smiled and folded his arms over his chest.
"Now… I need a volunteer to destroy those mercenaries…"
Da Qiao closed her eyes and prayed that Huang Gai would not volunteer.
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"Y'know, Huang Gai was all set to volunteer, you didn't have to beat him to the punch." Xiao Qiao groused as she rode alongside her commander. True, the battle against the Nanman mercenaries had been over two years ago, but Xiao had an acute memory for unpleasant experiences. If she never saw another tiger or elephant in this lifetime, if would be too soon.
"Stop whining, Xiao," Sun Shang Xiang said plainly, looking straight ahead as she led the column of amazons south. "You are always complaining about wanting to distinguish yourself, so here's your opportunity. We've defeated the southerners before, why will this be any different?"
"We don't have my fireball-throwing sister, for one thing." Xiao grumbled under her breath. She reached up and grasped at the tiger tooth that hung around her neck. Normally she would never dream of hurting an animal, let alone a fuzzy cat, but there were exceptions to every rule and Nanman tigers happened to be one of them.
She didn't really share Shang Xiang's confidence; after all, Shang Xiang hadn't been the one swatting a six-hundred pound tiger with a fan. She had been trying all manner of dumb exercises, to try and figure out how to throw fire like her sister, but all she ever did was wind herself or fall on her butt. Xiao firmly believed that everyone had a special gift, even on the battlefield. Just what the heck was hers, already? She had to find out before she got killed.
"The last known location of the mercenaries is about ten li to the south, commander." Fu Chin Ran said, pointing with her sword. It always amused Xiao had Fu Chin Ran addressed Shang Xiang formally in front of the troops, in spite of the fact that everyone knew they were lovers and both of them had spent time with most of these women. It no doubt had something to do with maintaining discipline or some such thing, but Xiao's eyes glazed over just thinking about it.
Shang Xiang nodded, her eyes still focused ahead. She had formed her regiment into a column, riding three horses wide, to help conceal their numbers. Speed and surprise were to be their principal weapons here, and she would use every advantage she could. They would doubtless be outnumbered, so a fair fight wasn't really at issue.
"We know of the Nanman beast masters, but what of these Viet troops?" she asked. "Did Lord Zhou Yu provide us with any intelligence on them?"
Fu Chin Ran unrolled a vellum scroll she had been keeping in her pouch and scryed it briefly. "Little of a valuable tactical nature, I think; mostly they seem to wear light armour, since the heat of their jungles would prohibit metal. Wicker and bamboo armour predominates and… oh, now this is rather interesting…"
"Are you going to keep it to yourself?" Shang Xiang asked.
"They are a very mystical people, seemingly, and they tattoo their bodies heavily, believing that it imparts divine protection." Fu Chin Ran said, still reading.
Sun Shang Xiang pondered that statement for a moment. "Normally I would be rather sceptical of such a thing, but given what I have seen in the campaigns of late, perhaps I should keep an open mind, yes?"
"Open-mindedness is good." Fu Chin Ran said, smirking. "After all, who had ever heard of a battalion of women-warriors before?"
Xiao pursed her lips as she pondered that point. "But… isn't it to our advantage for men on the battlefield to underestimate us? If they don't think we're a threat, doesn't it become that much easier to give them a good thrashing?"
Shang Xiang and Fu Chin Ran but went silent and stared at her. Xiao began to blush.
"Sorry, that probably was pretty stupid, huh?" she mumbled.
Shang Xiang laughed and Fu Chin Ran tittered behind her hand. "Actually, Xiao, I think that's quite possibly the smartest thing I've ever heard you say… it shows a grasp of tactical advantage."
Xiao brightened up almost instantly. "So I was right?"
"In a manner of speaking," Fu Chin Ran said, smiling gently. She really liked Xiao, even if she wasn't the sharpest sword in the armoury. "For now that is possibly true. But if we keep triumphing, it will not always be so, will it?"
"Hmmm, I guess not." Xiao admitted.
"Besides, I would rather be feared for our martial prowess than be underestimated." Shang Xiang added, nodding, a glint in her bright green eyes. Xiao had always thought the Sun daughter was beautiful, even if she had many qualities that most would consider 'mannish'. She was certainly afraid of no challenge, she kept herself physically strong and she could speak, ride and drink like a man.
But for all this, she was still a woman and these traits always shone through to Xiao. She revered Shang Xiang as a leader and a noble, but she held no mysteries for Xiao the way that Ce or Quan did. Quan seemed so distant and unfathomable while Ce was larger than life, like a legendary hero who insisted on being your best friend. Having Sun Ce as your good friend probably meant a lot more to you than it did for you to be a good friend to Ce.
At least, that's what Xiao thought.
"There they are." Fu Chin Ran said tightly, keeping her voice low and pointing. "An encampment, flying the Nanman symbols."
Sun Shang Xiang nodded, making gestures with one hand that her amazons understood and instantly obeyed. The women organized themselves into squads and began a slow walk forward, their hands on their weapon hilts, waiting to draw.
"Xiao, if I gave you command of a squad, would you be able to lead a diversion?" Shang Xiang asked quietly, not looking at the younger girl.
Xiao went wide-eyed at the question. "Me?" she squeaked.
"Yes you. You always said you wanted to try command, here is your chance. If you feel you're not up to it, I'll simply assign-"
"No, I'll do it." Xiao said hastily, cutting her commander off. "You just explain what a diversion is to me and I'll do it."
Fu Chin Ran pinched her eyes wearily.
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"Lord Sun Ce, I am Yan Yu, the brother of Lord Yan Baihu of Donghai." The man said as he knelt before the dais. "I come to you as an envoy of peace."
"Welcome, then, Yan Yu." Sun Ce said casually, resting his chin on his fist as he observed the man. His body language was unmistakeable- he was nervous and trying to steel himself, either because he expected to be seized and executed or because he was about to take some action that he was unsure of.
"Please, be at ease and make yourself at home in my camp. Envoys are always safe in my care, if they act appropriately."
The man seemed to relax, at least part of his fears allayed. "Thank you, Lord of Jiang Dong. Your reputation for magnanimity has preceded you, as has your martial prowess. I have come from my brother, the lord of Donghai, to speak with you about issues that concern you both."
Da Qiao, standing beside her husband's chair, watched the man intently. He was obviously referring to his brother as the ruler of the large and nebulous region he claimed as his rightful territory, to try and establish Yan Baihu as a peer of Lord Sun Ce.
It was ludicrous, of course. Yan Baihu was little more than a bandit-warlord, whereas Sun Ce was from a family of ancient lineage that came to conquer the south with the blessing of the Son of Heaven. The very notion that peerage was even considered sang loudly of Yan Baihu's pretence and desperation.
It also caused her to wonder, however; obviously if men such as Yan Baihu controlled large swathes of territory here in the south, the Imperial Family's power and influence had indeed waned. It was time to take these wild lands in hand- and who better than the renowned Sun Ce?
"I would be happy to discuss such matters, Master Yan," Ce said easily. His referral to Yan Yu as 'master' was courteous enough, but did not necessarily imply any sort of noble title, a veiled slight that was not lost on the messenger. "Perhaps we could discuss your brother's concerns in private over dinner in my tent?" he suggested, smiling amicably.
"Nothing would please me more, my lord." Yan Yu replied, still bowed. His body language once again changed, losing still more of its nervousness. Whatever he anticipated having to do, the security of a private audience seemed to embolden him slightly.
"Excellent," Ce said, rising and bowing. "Please refresh yourself and meet me in two hours in my tent. My personal guard, Taishi Ci, shall make himself available to you."
Taishi towered over Yan Yu, silently looking down at him. Whatever mischief Yan Yu had planned, it would most certainly have to wait.
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"This?! This is a diversion?!" Xiao Qiao squealed as she sped through the woods, dodging tree branches that threatened to knock her from her mount.
"Yes, Xiao, this is a diversion!" shouted back another girl who galloped alongside her, keeping her head low. "What exactly were you expecting?"
"I don't know!" Xiao complained, swatting her horse's flank in an attempt to get it to move faster. "I hate being chased by tigers!"
"You've never been chased by tigers before!" the other girl shot back.
"Yeah, well, I am pretty sure I'm hating it right now!" the diminutive squad leader retorted.
The diversion seemed to have worked. Xiao had been assigned ten women, all of whom were riding light steeds, ideal for scouting. The idea had been for Xiao to expose her little group to the enemy and then flee, as if they had been a scouting party. The Nanman and Viet mercenaries immediately sent swift units after the intruders. While their attention was diverted, Shang Xiang led the rest of the battalion in a sudden and savage attack on the camp, weapons ready and torches blazing.
Xiao hoped the attack was going well. She was certain that Shang Xiang and Fu Chin Ran would insist that she had been given the easy assignment, but here, fleeing headlong before dozens of enemy horsemen and ferocious tigers, she wasn't really in the right frame of mind to agree.
She spared a glance behind herself, making sure all of her women were still present. So far so good, although a few seemed to be slowing down, wary of headlong flight through the trees. The tigers, keen on the scent of flesh, seemed to be gaining. Xiao's heart pounded in anxiety as she debated what to do. Her mission, as described to her, must have been fulfilled by now.
"Well, I guess that means my next mission is to survive my mission. What would Zhou Yu or Sun Ce do if they were in this position?"
What would her sister do?
She immediately slackened her speed and allowed her warriors to speed by. Several looked at her in confusion but she waved them on, insisting that they not slow down. She swept her bow off her back and knocked an arrow. She took a final look forward, making sure no low branches were destined to collide with her and then drew the string, taking careful aim at a pursuing rider…
The bow sang, the deadly dart hummed and then buried itself in the man's neck. He pitched from the top of his mount and became tangled on the horse's side. The animal screamed as it became suddenly unbalanced and crashed to the ground, head over heels. One of the tigers broke off the chase and pounced on the fallen animal and rider, savaging them. Several riders shouted and swerved to avoid the carnage, but many could not slow down quickly enough. Horse and cavalrymen piled and smashed into one another. Xiao swept out her fans and gave a loud shout, wheeling her horse about and charging back toward the confused foe. Her women hastily turned around and sped after the little lunatic, their blades now gleaming in their hands.
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Shang Xiang had dismounted and continued to fight on foot, once the press of bodies had slowed her horse's momentum. She didn't actually mind fighting on foot- in fact, she preferred it. She had so much more freedom of movement this way and her style of fighting was at its most lethal when she was slashing in great, graceful arcs with her chakrams.
She side-stepped a fearsome thrust from a spear, allowing the deadly point and the sturdy shaft to pass through the wide-open middle of her circular blade. She yanked down hard, pulling her foes weapon from his grip and slashed him across the neck with her other weapon. His body fell backwards while his head tumbled through the air, still registering the shock of his final moment.
She vaulted gracefully over the head of a man wielding two swords and landed behind him, slamming her foot into the small of his back. The man staggered and slumped to the ground, his spine crushed. Without wasting any momentum Shang Xiang spun around in a low arc, severing the legs from under another two foes, both of whom cried in anguish and fell.
"You're such a show-off!" Fu Chin Ran called out from nearby, squaring off against three opponents. She was effectively keeping them from surrounding her, feinting and thrusting, keeping them guessing as to where she was headed. The secret to fighting more than one foe was to always keep moving. The minute you were hemmed in or surrounded, you were dead.
Fu Chin Ran lunged in rolled, a risky manoeuvre, but she had determined that her foes could be kept off-balance in this manner. As she rolled up into a low crouch she stabbed, sending her blade deep into the vitals of one man. He wailed in agony and collapsed. Undeterred, the remaining two men rushed in and slashed at her savagely, but she was ready. She sprang forward, away from them and somersaulted. She spun about and faced them, her sword in one hand, a shield now in the other.
The men were on her almost instantly. She lunged forward, smashing the shield into the face of one foe, sending him tumbling backward, his skull broken. She spun behind the last man and drove her blade between his ribs. He crumpled to the earth silently.
Shang Xiang watched her lieutenant with admiration. Fu Chin Ran, with her no-nonsense style of combat, was the perfect foil for the princess, the dramatic warrior whose flair in battle distinguished her above all others, except, perhaps, her brother Ce.
There was a thunderous trampling sound and a shrill bellowing behind Fu Chin Ran while a harsh shout emanated behind Shang Xiang. With barely a nod, they raced by one another to engage their chosen foe. Shang Xiang would take on the war-elephant while Fu Chin Ran would attack the massive warrior who had emerged from somewhere in the camp.
Shang Xiang was reasonably certain that Fu Chin Ran might be able to handle the great beast, but she was not as agile as her commander, and avoiding getting squashed was obviously the priority when dealing with these monsters. Fu Chin Ran was, on the other hand, more than capable of taking down a large warrior wielding twin axes.
The elephant charged forward, its head swinging wildly. Its tusks were covered in fearsome spikes, as were its knees. The beast's forehead was protected by a gruesome bronze mask. The man riding atop the beast was guiding it by pulling on reins that were fastened to its ears.
Despite the fact that he was sitting nearly fifteen feet off the ground, he was still the most vulnerable part of this war-machine. She would defeat this foe and her exploits would be sung of for generations.
Do the unexpected.
She launched herself directly at the beast's head and as it swiped at her, she grappled on to its mask. Many people would have taken a moment to steady themselves, but she knew better. The elephant had but to shake its head and she would be impaled on the wicked spikes that adorned it tusks. She used her arms to push herself upwards, grappling onto the straps that held the bronze mask in place. The rider shouted in shock and attempted to draw his short sword.
Shang Xiang was too quick, however, and had already swung herself around and slammed her feet into the side of his head. With a cry, the man toppled from the back of the elephant and fell to his death. Wasting no time, Shang Xiang grappled onto the reins and attempted to turn the beast around. The elephant trumpeted in protest but began to wheel about.
The Bow-Hipped Princess let out a whoop of triumph, echoed by her warriors. She steered the animal back and forth, chasing down her foes, trampling them where possible and scattering them.
She had done it. She would bring this monster back as a prize and her renown would grow throughout the land.
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Fu Chin Ran eyed her foe warily. He was a huge man, a head and shoulders taller than herself, and she was not exactly short. He was easily the height of Huang Gai or Zhou Tai, perhaps even Taishi Ci. His build was massive and coarse, his features ugly and brutish. The tattoos that adorned his body seemed to writhe and move, as if possessed of a will of their own.
"Well, now we'll find out of these mystic tattoos of theirs work…"
The massive axes he carried were crudely constructed and the blades were ragged and uneven. She had no doubt that the wounds they inflicted were terrible and nigh-impossible to recover from. The heads glinted dully in the light of the camp's fires.
The warrior bellowed and stomped forward, swinging the axes about himself. Fu Chin Ran backed up slowly, gauging his speed and skill, relative to her own. He was quicker than he looked, and his strikes were fierce but controlled.
What about his defence?
She timed her attack and thrust with a spear she had picked up. She had discarded the shield, figuring that it would be little or no use against his power. The warrior seemed to ignore the strike, continuing to swing his axes about. The spear point struck his forearm and glanced aside.
Fu Chin Ran dodged hastily, avoiding one of the whirling blades. She spun behind him and drove the blade of her sword home. She stumbled as the weapon was turned. Cursing, she rolled away and spun about. She still had her sword but had lost the spear. The hulking brute grinned at her savagely and lumbered forward again, into on bifurcating her.
"And to think I gave up fighting an elephant for this…" she thought darkly to herself. "I guess there is some truth to the rumour about their mystical protection after all."
He had to have a weak point- if these tattoos made them invulnerable, why would they need to fight at all?
If she was to find his weakness, she would have to convince him to commit to an attack that he would not readily recover from. Perhaps a precision strike was the answer.
She backed up and feigned a stumble over a body. Her foe shouted and slammed his axes down toward her in a great arc. Deftly she slipped between his strikes and, standing beneath him, she drew two thin daggers from her hips and rammed them into his flanks. She gritted her teeth as she fought against the enchantment that protected him but after what seemed like an eternity, she felt them slide into his body. The behemoth stiffened and let out a grunt but did not fall.
Fu Chin Ran tumbled aside, avoiding his savage counter-strike. He glared at her, flecks of drool flying from his craggy mouth. His brown skin seemed to writhe as the tattoos reacted to her violation of his body.
"So… not invulnerable after all…" she commented, a defiant smile crossing her face. She did not know if the savage could understand her words, but she was certain he would understand her expression. With a howl of rage, he charged after her, his axes whirling about in a frenzy of deadly motion. Temporarily devoid of weapons, she moved backwards, avoiding his window of death. The moment he was open, she would find a way to exploit his growing ferocity.
She stooped as she retreated and picked up a shield, flinging it at his eyes. He many not have feared direct injury, but being deprived of sight, even for a moment, could be deadly. As he swatted the projectile aside, Fu Chin Ran had made her move- she leapt in on the outside of his parry and rolled over his shoulder. She wrapped the crook of her arm around his neck and threw him backward, over his own body.
Anyone else would have been killed instantly, their neck snapped. But whatever enchantment protected this brute kept him alive, despite the horrendous damage her attack must have done. As he slammed to the ground he roared in rage and drove his fist into her midsection, knocking her away. She collapsed backward into the remains of a tent. Fu Chin Ran tried to rise but found she was stunned and winded, deprived of the ability to coherently defend herself.
Seconds after his fall to the ground, the man was back on his feet and stomping toward her, bellowing hatefully. She tried to back up but the loose folds of the tent and a grinding pain in her ribs prevented her from moving. She goggled up at him as he lifted a massive stone block over his head and glared down at her balefully. Her eyes never left his- she refused to die with her eyes squeezed shut in fear…
The man disappeared beneath a massive grey tree trunk of a leg, instantly crushed. Fu Chin Ran goggled up in disbelief. Far overhead, Sun Shang Xiang grinned down at her from atop the elephant.
"Ce's not the only one who can make a dramatic entrance or rescue…" she said, evidently quite pleased with herself.
"Don't make me come up there." Fu Chin Ran said testily, grasping onto one of the elephant's tusks as she wearily hauled herself to her feet.
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"So, Master Yu…" Sun C began as he sat across the low table from Yan Yu inside his elegant but not opulent tent. Scarlet and vermillion were the décor and racks of weapons and skins of animal provided the embellishment. This was meant to be the field residence of a warlord, there was no mistake. Da Qiao sat dutifully off to one side, kneeling patiently and staring at nothing in particular.
Ce let his first words hang for a few moments and then looked down at his food. The fare was simple but also exotic, composed mostly of local vegetables and roots, garnished some fish and a spicy sauce. He used his lacquered chopsticks to eat slowly and thoughtfully.
"What is it you wished to discuss with me?" he asked finally.
Yan Yu cleared his throat and composed his thoughts. He had contingencies planned, but he had to see if Sun Ce would accept compromise first. He seemed a reasonable man, in spite of his reputation for loving a good fight.
"Lord of Jiang Dong," he said, looking at his plate of food. "You and Lord Yan Baihu are two of a kind here in the southlands. Strong and able, no other rulers compare to the two of you. The southlands, so long neglected by the Han, have become wild and lawless, held together only by the will of men such as my brother."
Ce nodded. "Yeah, time the matter was seen to, I think."
He could see Yan Yu bristle at the statement but the man kept his head and continued with his train of thought. "Indeed, my lord. These lands are vast, rich and fertile- there is plenty of room for those who can effectively rule."
"So what's your brother's concern, then?" Ce asked.
Yan Yu frowned, obviously confused by Ce's question. Was it not obvious what Yan Baihu's concern was?
"My… my lord, there is no need for this impending bloodshed. My brother, lord of Donghai harbours no quarrel with you. If you were to agree to not invade his lands, Lord Yan Baihu would in return acknowledge your Imperial sanction to pacify such regions as you have already taken."
"So we would split the Southlands." Ce said simply.
Yan Yu nodded. "Yes, my lord, even so. There is more than enough room for two such munificent lords as yourself and my brother."
"I see…" the young warlord said, his voice betraying no inclination to agree or disagree with his guest. Yan Yu actually began to harbour some hope that his mission might be accomplished diplomatically. His brother had made it very clear to him what the price would be for returning in failure.
"I have a few concerns, mind you…" Ce said as he took a sip of heated wine from the shallow cup that sat at his right hand. Da Qiao refilled it as he lowered the elegant vessel. "Y'see, your brother Baihu is currently harbouring a fugitive I am determined to capture and bring to justice. You might have heard of him, a little thug named Liu Yao."
Yan Baihu was silent for a moment. "He is known to me, Lord of Jiang Dong. And yes, you are correct, Liu Yao currently resides with my brother."
"Well, that's kind of a problem." Ce said, fixing his gaze squarely on Yan Yu. "As I've liberated the people in his lands, they've been tellin' me that he's a real bastard, who bled them dry for years with taxes, took the majority of the crops for himself and even took the attractive daughters and wives from their families. If people protested they'd be beaten or even killed."
Yan Yu bit his lip before answering carefully. "My lord, one must not put too much stock in the word of malcontent peasants- they no doubt told you what they thought you would want to hear, since you have entered their lands in force."
Ce eyes became hard now. They were discussing the suffering of the common people and he was not about to bandy words with this man. "I saw these people with my own eyes. They are malnourished and often starving. They bore scars the of savage beatings. Was Liu Yao looking thin and hungry when he fled to your brother?"
Yan Yu said nothing, temporarily at a loss for words.
"Let me make this very clear, Yan…" Ce said levelly. "As far as I'm concerned, all you so-called lords here in the South are the same- petty thugs who rule with fear and the threat of deadly force. Liu Yao is already convicted. If your brother expects me to think any different of him, he'd better not keep that little rat away from the justice I'm bringin' with me."
Yan Yu flushed. "Lord Sun Ce, I remind you that the rulers here in the South have held these lands together while the Han overlooked them, neglecting those who languished here. You say the Han turns its eyes here now and dislikes what it sees? I say to you that the Han need only look into a calm pond to see the cause of these people's suffering."
"I ain't the Han, pal." Ce replied. "The Han may be dying, that's no secret; but these lands belonged to my family once and I'm here to set things right. The people are gonna know peace and prosperity again. Your brother and the other punks like him are out."
Yan Yu was silent but growing paler by the moment as rage filled him. Who did this arrogant whelp think he was?
"Tell your brother this for me- if he hands over Liu Yao and submits to my authority, I might allow him to stay on as a local administrator, provided he can be trusted to treat the people well. Those are my terms and they are not negotiable."
Yan Yu's knuckles whitened as he fought to master himself. He seemed to have been making such good headway- had he lost Sun Ce or was the brat merely stringing him along?
Ce watched his guest casually, awaiting his next move. "Unless you've got another bargaining point I need to know about, I'd say we're done here."
"I do indeed have one last negotiating point, Lord of Jiang Dong…" Yan Yu said quietly, opening his eyes slowly and staring back at his foe. With the speed of a serpent he pulled a long knife from his sleeve and thrust the deadly blade at Da Qiao…
He keened in pain as Sun Ce's powerful hand clamped down on his wrist, crushing the bones within. As his eyes welled with tears, Ce twisted Yan Yu's hand around and slammed the knife back into the messenger's throat, still tight in his grip. Yan Yu's eyes widened in shock and dark blood began to pulse and flood from his mouth.
Within two seconds, Taishi Ci and Lu Meng had barged into the tent, ready to defend their liege. They watched as Yan Yu tottered and fell backwards, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Ce's eyes were blazing and Da Qiao knelt quietly, her eyes still closed.
"You might say the negotiations are over…" Ce said, letting out a sigh. "Get this guy outta here before he bleeds on my stuff."
Lu Meng and Taishi Ci quickly and quietly removed Yan Yu's corpse. Ce now knelt next to Da Qiao, who knelt, unmoving. As he looked at her intently, he could see the beginnings of a tear glistening in the corner of her eye.
"Is that all I am to you? A diversion?" she asked in a tiny but poignant voice.
More than anything he wanted to reach out and hug her, to hold her tight. But he owed her an explanation first.
"Da, I told you that you didn't need to attend to us during this meeting. I wasn't certain that he'd try something, but I had to accept the possibility."
Her pretty eyes fluttered open and they stared at him, full of hurt. "Why did you not tell me?"
Ce drew a deep breath. It was always so hard to explain how he thought or acted the way he did. "Da, if I'd told you, you might have reacted differently than you did."
She nodded somewhat indignantly. "Yes, I might have decided to not serve you."
"Bullshit," he said firmly. He never used such vulgarity around her unless he meant business. "If I'd told you, you have been more insistent than ever that you belonged at my side, as my wife."
"You always have an answer for everything, don't you?" Da said, her voice quiet but carrying something of the sharp edge of accusation.
"Da, I did what I thought was best, given the circumstances." Ce insisted.
"And what circumstances were those?" she asked.
"That there was no way this meeting was goin' ahead without you. If I'd had my way, you would've been safe and sound somewhere else while I handled this."
"My place is at your side, Lord of Jiang Dong." Da snapped, her temper flaring.
"Yeah, and you were. And some bastard tried to stab you." Ce said quietly.
Da Qiao was silent.
"Da, I hate to say it, but if I'm gonna conquer China with you by my side, this is pretty much what we're in for." Ce said, regret tingeing his voice. "I didn't want this, remember? I wanted to be back home, with your and our daughter."
He now took her gently by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. She could see the earnestness in his expression.
"Da, I am sorry. I hated having to let that happen. I wasn't worried about being able to stop him, but that doesn't mean I liked putting you in that position."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Da asked again.
"Because you would have reacted differently if you'd known he was likely to try that. You might have unwittingly stayed farther away from him and he might have resorted to another tactic, like a poisoned dart- the only way to stop that would have been to get my body in the way of it."
"Oh…" Da said, looking down at the ground. She had no doubt that if Yan Yu had released some sort of poisoned dart, Ce would have readily thrown himself in harm's way. Then what?
"I knew about the concealed knife, Da, I could see it in his body language. And a knife is slower than a projectile. You know it is customary to not disarm messengers who come to discuss terms."
She looked at him with an expression that was a medley of wonder, exasperation and a desire to understand. "When do you have time to think of all this stuff, Ce?"
Ce shrugged. "I pretty much do all my thinking moment to moment. I was prepared for him to try something when I knew you were gonna be there. I knew a little more when I saw he had a concealed knife. So I just kinda forced his hand in the most predictable way I could think of."
"Why did he choose me as a target instead of you?" she groused.
"Because you were closer." Ce replied. "He knew he was a dead man and his little knife wasn't gonna reach across the table to do me any harm. Couldn't you tell how scared he was of me?"
"You're still annoying." Da mumbled, determined to enjoy her mad while it lasted.
"Sorry, babe," Ce said, taking her hands and helping her rise gently to her feet. "You know I would have had you somewhere else, right?"
"Oh, shut up and kiss me already," she said testily. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"
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The generals waited patiently for Sun Ce to speak. It was not often that he sat silently, brooding, but this seemed to be one of those rare exceptions. It would pass and they would have their new orders. The entire army knew what had nearly happened to Lady Da Qiao and everyone was in an uproar.
Sun Ce's fist thumped down onto the wooden armrest of his chair and his eyes flashed as he spoke. His voice rang through the camp, clear and forceful.
"Yan Baihu's goin' down, and I mean now," he said. "Not only is he harbouring Liu Yao in his capital, but his messenger attempted to kill my wife. I allowed him to dine with me and negotiate but he came prepared to assassinate someone."
The troops that stood at attention muttered and whispered amongst themselves about this outrage.
"We're gonna divide up the army and strike everywhere at once," Ce announced, standing up. "We know that their armies may be sizable but they're poorly trained and equipped. Even if our forces are smaller, with good planning and determination, they'll be no match for us."
He stepped down off the dais and strode forward toward his horse. The roan snorted and pawed the ground as Ce mounted.
"The Southlands will be ours!" he called out loudly. "I am setting a timetable of two weeks! You'll each be given a zone to capture and pacify! Call for whatever supplies you need, because failure is not an option!"
The generals and commanders all nodded, their minds already set to the task ahead.
"Each of you will report to me for your assignments! As for me, I'm headin' to Donghai. I've got some issues to bring up with Yan Baihu and Liu Yao." Ce announced.
A cheer went up from those assembled.
Standing amongst Huang Gai's lieutenants, Da Qiao nodded silently. While she might have desired revenge against Yan Biahu for his treachery, she knew that it belonged to Ce and not herself. Her revenge would come in excelling at her job and destroying her foes' forces systematically and with lethal efficiency.
No one would ever underestimate her again.
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"Well, I'm impressed, sis." Sun Ce mused, looking up at the enormous elephant she had ridden into the camp. Shang Xiang had dismounted and led the skittish animal away, since it terrified the horses. She slapped its side fondly and grinned at her brother.
"Has it got a name, yet?" he asked.
Shang Xiang made a show of thinking. "Maybe Dong Zhuo."
Ce scowled up at the grey beast. "It's not that fat."
"I meant for the purple and gold livery, dopey!" she said, laughing.
"Maybe you should allow Xiao to name it." Ce suggested.
"Oh, gods, no…" Shang Xiang said with mild horror. "She names her dumplings before she eats them, I'm certainly not letting her name something the size of a house. She named her dildo Hanwei, remember?"
"I was trying to forget, thank you." Ce said dryly. "But never mind that right now, we've got a war to fight."
"I heard about what happened with Da and Yan Yu." Shang Xiang said, her mood suddenly serious. She put a hand on her brother's shoulder.
"Ce, she is like a sister to me and dearer to me than almost anyone or anything. Please understand that if the Southlands have enraged you with this treachery, then I shall willingly tear it apart in revenge. Nobody betrays the Sun family."
Ce nodded, his eyes grim. "Then you do understand. We're not gonna stop until every last punk despot in the Southlands is gone, sis. Rampage until they're destroyed. Just leave the people in peace. The sweetest revenge will be letting these bastards see the people embrace and revere us before I have their heads chopped off."
She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You have my word, Ce."
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The conquest of the Southlands proceeded with an almost inhuman rapidity. Town after town and fief after fief fell to the forces of Jiang Dong. Zhou Yu's plan had consisted of hampering the defender's ability to move or resupply. Large battles were avoided when possible; in favour of pitched battle, Sun Ce's troops engaged smaller enemy forces or obliterated munitions and captured baggage trains. As the disheartened southland forces retreated, streaming towards their strongholds or capitals, Ce took the supplies he pillaged and distributed them amongst the people. The troops of Jiang Dong were often greeted by cheering throngs and relieved citizens.
To those soldiers who surrendered, he granted a full pardon, allowing them to return home in peace or to join his own forces, acting as scouts and agents in areas his armies were advancing into. The only people not shown clemency were administrators or so-called 'nobles' who had been demonstrably cruel to the people. These individuals were brought before Sun Ce, bound and stripped to their loincloths. Those guilty of greed and impoverishing the people were lashed and expelled from the Southlands, while those who had been guilty of torture and murder were beheaded.
Before long, the thugs of outlying territories were suing for peace, vowing allegiance if Sun Ce would show them clemency. He accepted the surrender of some (those of milder temperament) while others were harshly rejected and their lands overrun.
Within a week, most of the Wu territory had been conquered, leaving only the major warlords to deal with, and their territories had been greatly diminished. Zhou Yu had anticipated a rapid pacification and was prepared- in addition to gold and food being distributed to the people, Ce appointed local scholars as interim regional administrators, bringing advisors from Jiang Dong to assist these men in assimilating the people into 'proper' Han society. Sun Ce told these men that if they performed their duties faithfully and with integrity worthy of the Tao, he would grant them permanent positions.
Everywhere the young warlord rode, he was greeted with cheers and tears of joy. The multitudes of marriage offers he received from men with pretty young daughters were politely but firmly refused, especially when Da Qiao was standing nearby, her look one of ice. Ce arranged for these women to married to exceptional officers in his army, a solution that fathers, daughters and officers all agreed to willingly.
"My lord, this is so inspiring." Da Qiao said as she rode alongside her husband at the head of a column of cavalrymen. "Word of your family's return is spreading through the lands like a fire and people everywhere flock to your banner."
Ce nodded. "Yeah, but the people need to be patient, Da. I don't want a repeat of what happened in the village of Yao two days ago."
Da Qiao nodded gravely. Not many days' ride away from their current location, a village known as Yao had become so inspired by Sun Ce's exploits that the people openly rebelled against their overlord. In an act of brutality worthy of Dong Zhuo, the overlord had every living thing in Yao put to the sword, down to the smallest child or animal. Ce's scouts reported the atrocity to him and Ce was visibly shaken. He had not been close enough to save these people from their enthusiasm. He sent word to his agents throughout the southlands to counsel the people to exercise patience, in the name of the people of Yao. He would come for them soon enough.
"There's not many foes left," he said, his eyes hard as he thought of what remained still to be done. "I think we can still do this quickly if we proceed with caution."
"Do you think some of these men might surrender?" Da asked.
"Not likely," he replied, shaking his head. "The guys who remain are the toughest bandit-lords in the entire south. They didn't get to where they are by being weak or compromising. They'll fight until all their people are dead. I'm gonna spare all the enemy soldiers I can, but it won't be easy."
Da Qiao was silent for a few moments, realizing that the hard work was yet to be done. Garrisoning the Southlands would be a challenge all on its own, but victory was doubly essential- any reversals of fortune could damage the fragile devotion and morale of the people they so recently liberated. Decisive victory was required the keep the region pacified, not just to defeat their remaining foes.
"Zhou Yu's wrapping up things in his zone already; hopefully he'll be joining us in the next two or three days, because we could use his troops for the assault on Donghai. Quan's still in the west, pacifying some really wild regions and fighting the Yunnan tribes."
"Will he be alright, my lord?" Da asked, concerned for her brother-in-law.
Ce nodded. "He'll be fine, Quan's tough in a fight and he's got a good head on his shoulders. He's methodical when he wants to be."
Da looked out toward the west, where the sun was now going down. Not too far behind, she could hear her Valiant Cavaliers, singing songs about her that old Ming Ji had composed, espousing her virtue and her martial prowess. She blushed as the words reached her ears.
"I really wish they wouldn't do that…" she said quietly so only could hear her.
Ce laughed. "Get used to it, they're devoted to you."
Before long, the other regiments in the column had taken up the songs, lauding Da Qiao and praising her limitless qualities. Only the Night Tigers rode silently, following their young warlord, menacing in their black and gold armour, their sable banners flowing in the evening breeze.
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