This story is a "choose your own adventure." Rather than reading it
through chronologically, start with chapter 1 and follow the instructions
at the end of every chapter.
Chapter 8
Immediately, you sense that the man cannot be trusted, but the only way to escape him would be to lie. "I will join you," you say quickly. He is surprised by your answer, but quickly describes the plot to you. He wants you to kill Guo Jia and then meet him in the garden outside of the palace so that together you can escape blame. Then, after Cao Cao has realized that Guo Jia's death is a blessing in disguise, the two of you will return.
He shows you to a room where you are to wait until the second watch of the night, but after he leaves you, you rush off toward a guard post. To a large, bald man at the post, you exclaim, "The minister's life is in danger!"
He stands up from his chair, surprised to see a stranger in the palace. Taking hold of your arm, he demands to know who you are. You tell him everything, about how you had come to see Cao Cao, but were intercepted by Xiahou Dun and told to kill Guo Jia for him.
"I don't believe a word of it," the man says, "but I will take you to Cao Cao myself. Only a fool would make up something like this." He takes you, quite forcefully, to Cao Cao's chamber.
"Dian Wei," Cao Cao says, looking up from his desk where he is working. "What are you doing here?"
The guard captain holds you forward so that Cao Cao can get a good look at you. "This intruder came to my post with a message about your cousin."
Cao Cao, quite intrigued at this, stands up and walks over to you. Looking straight into your eyes, he asks you what Dian Wei means. Again, you explain everything and then wait to see if Cao Cao will believe you. He thinks for a while and then says, "If what you say is true, than I have been betrayed by my own flesh and blood. If what you say is a lie... Than you will suffer a fate far worse than death." He turns around and grabs a cloak from off a hanger and then moves to the door. "Follow me."
Dian Wei pushes you forward after Cao Cao and after assembling a detachment of one hundred soldiers, you all go out to the garden. Suddenly, you realize that you will only be believed if Xiahou Dun holds up his part of the bargain and is there in the garden waiting. If he isn't... You will never be believed.
No one is in the garden, so Cao Cao orders his soldiers to hide and he along with you and Dian Wei, hide together among the bushes not far from the meeting spot and await Xiahou Dun's arrival.
With each passing moment, you grow more and more terrified. Dian Wei's grip on your shoulder is becoming more intense as if he himself is coming to believe that the whole story is a lie. You start to wonder if you can somehow escape his grip and the one hundred soldiers that lie in wait...
Finally though, a movement is seen in the shadows across the garden. In the feint light of the moon, you see a hooded figure emerge from he darkness and step out into the middle of the garden. "It's him," you whisper.
Suddenly, Cao Cao gives the signal and the soldier's rush out and grab the hooded figure. He struggles against them, but cannot escape. Cao Cao walks out after the man is bound. "Take his hood off," he tells the guards.
The pull back his hood and reveal the man's face - It's Xiahou Dun!
"Cousin," he says quickly. "I can explain everything to you. This man," he says, pointing to you with his eyes, "He told me to meet him out here and was going to try and get me to betray you..." He is desperate and incoherent. The guilt seems to ooze out of every pore in his body.
"Betrayed," Cao Cao says forcefully, cutting him off. "Betrayed by my own cousin!" He pulls his sword from it's sheath and raises it high above his head.
Xiahou Dun makes one bloodcurdling scream before the blade falls down and slices cleanly through his neck. The body collapses to the ground as the head rolls away. Without saying another word, Cao Cao drops his sword and walks away toward the palace.
"What should I do about the prisoner?" Dian Wei asks him.
"Hold him until tomorrow," Cao Cao replies, and then disappears into the shadows.
--------------------------------------
The next day, you are taken from your holding cell and taken into Cao Cao's presence. In his court room, he looks completely different from the night before. He is not adorned in the finest gown and covered in precious jewels.
Dian Wei removes your chains and then forces you to kneel before stepping back. "Tell the court your name," Cao Cao states.
You do so, rising from the ground and looking up at the Emperor. You have no idea what is about to happen. You could be killed, or asked to join him. Neither decision would have surprised you. Nothing was certain - not after what transpired the day before.
"Rather than join my cousin in his scheme to control the court," Cao Cao says, "you have proved yourself worthy and loyal to me though we had never met. Yesterday, you came here to offer your services, but already you have served me more than any other man. I would be humbled if you would join me in my quest to reunify China."
For once in your life, you are at a lose for words. After some time, you manage to say simply, "Thank you my lord. I will not let you down."
"I am quite certain now that you will not. You risked your life for mine, proving your loyalty and now - you will again prove your worth, this time on the battlefield. I am sending you with a force of 10,000 soldiers to capture a city of your choosing. If you succeed, you will be raised above all others in Wei by becoming the Supreme Commander of my forces."
Now, more surprised than before, words truly fail you. You bow reverently at your new lord and master.
"Shu and Wu prove equal in their threat to me," Cao Cao continues. "I will leave it up to you to decide which of them should be attacked first. The strategic points that we will need to capture in order to defeat them are He Fei and Han Zhong."
Which city will you attack?
If you decide to attack Shu at Han Zhong, go to Chapter 13
If you decide to attack Wu at He Fei, go to Chapter 14
Chapter 8
Immediately, you sense that the man cannot be trusted, but the only way to escape him would be to lie. "I will join you," you say quickly. He is surprised by your answer, but quickly describes the plot to you. He wants you to kill Guo Jia and then meet him in the garden outside of the palace so that together you can escape blame. Then, after Cao Cao has realized that Guo Jia's death is a blessing in disguise, the two of you will return.
He shows you to a room where you are to wait until the second watch of the night, but after he leaves you, you rush off toward a guard post. To a large, bald man at the post, you exclaim, "The minister's life is in danger!"
He stands up from his chair, surprised to see a stranger in the palace. Taking hold of your arm, he demands to know who you are. You tell him everything, about how you had come to see Cao Cao, but were intercepted by Xiahou Dun and told to kill Guo Jia for him.
"I don't believe a word of it," the man says, "but I will take you to Cao Cao myself. Only a fool would make up something like this." He takes you, quite forcefully, to Cao Cao's chamber.
"Dian Wei," Cao Cao says, looking up from his desk where he is working. "What are you doing here?"
The guard captain holds you forward so that Cao Cao can get a good look at you. "This intruder came to my post with a message about your cousin."
Cao Cao, quite intrigued at this, stands up and walks over to you. Looking straight into your eyes, he asks you what Dian Wei means. Again, you explain everything and then wait to see if Cao Cao will believe you. He thinks for a while and then says, "If what you say is true, than I have been betrayed by my own flesh and blood. If what you say is a lie... Than you will suffer a fate far worse than death." He turns around and grabs a cloak from off a hanger and then moves to the door. "Follow me."
Dian Wei pushes you forward after Cao Cao and after assembling a detachment of one hundred soldiers, you all go out to the garden. Suddenly, you realize that you will only be believed if Xiahou Dun holds up his part of the bargain and is there in the garden waiting. If he isn't... You will never be believed.
No one is in the garden, so Cao Cao orders his soldiers to hide and he along with you and Dian Wei, hide together among the bushes not far from the meeting spot and await Xiahou Dun's arrival.
With each passing moment, you grow more and more terrified. Dian Wei's grip on your shoulder is becoming more intense as if he himself is coming to believe that the whole story is a lie. You start to wonder if you can somehow escape his grip and the one hundred soldiers that lie in wait...
Finally though, a movement is seen in the shadows across the garden. In the feint light of the moon, you see a hooded figure emerge from he darkness and step out into the middle of the garden. "It's him," you whisper.
Suddenly, Cao Cao gives the signal and the soldier's rush out and grab the hooded figure. He struggles against them, but cannot escape. Cao Cao walks out after the man is bound. "Take his hood off," he tells the guards.
The pull back his hood and reveal the man's face - It's Xiahou Dun!
"Cousin," he says quickly. "I can explain everything to you. This man," he says, pointing to you with his eyes, "He told me to meet him out here and was going to try and get me to betray you..." He is desperate and incoherent. The guilt seems to ooze out of every pore in his body.
"Betrayed," Cao Cao says forcefully, cutting him off. "Betrayed by my own cousin!" He pulls his sword from it's sheath and raises it high above his head.
Xiahou Dun makes one bloodcurdling scream before the blade falls down and slices cleanly through his neck. The body collapses to the ground as the head rolls away. Without saying another word, Cao Cao drops his sword and walks away toward the palace.
"What should I do about the prisoner?" Dian Wei asks him.
"Hold him until tomorrow," Cao Cao replies, and then disappears into the shadows.
--------------------------------------
The next day, you are taken from your holding cell and taken into Cao Cao's presence. In his court room, he looks completely different from the night before. He is not adorned in the finest gown and covered in precious jewels.
Dian Wei removes your chains and then forces you to kneel before stepping back. "Tell the court your name," Cao Cao states.
You do so, rising from the ground and looking up at the Emperor. You have no idea what is about to happen. You could be killed, or asked to join him. Neither decision would have surprised you. Nothing was certain - not after what transpired the day before.
"Rather than join my cousin in his scheme to control the court," Cao Cao says, "you have proved yourself worthy and loyal to me though we had never met. Yesterday, you came here to offer your services, but already you have served me more than any other man. I would be humbled if you would join me in my quest to reunify China."
For once in your life, you are at a lose for words. After some time, you manage to say simply, "Thank you my lord. I will not let you down."
"I am quite certain now that you will not. You risked your life for mine, proving your loyalty and now - you will again prove your worth, this time on the battlefield. I am sending you with a force of 10,000 soldiers to capture a city of your choosing. If you succeed, you will be raised above all others in Wei by becoming the Supreme Commander of my forces."
Now, more surprised than before, words truly fail you. You bow reverently at your new lord and master.
"Shu and Wu prove equal in their threat to me," Cao Cao continues. "I will leave it up to you to decide which of them should be attacked first. The strategic points that we will need to capture in order to defeat them are He Fei and Han Zhong."
Which city will you attack?
If you decide to attack Shu at Han Zhong, go to Chapter 13
If you decide to attack Wu at He Fei, go to Chapter 14