CHAPTER 7
Back in the Wei encampment, further down the river, Sima Yi sat alone in his tent, scrawling quietly on a piece of parchment. All had been calm in camp, even after the battle had started - the soldiers on duty silently carrying out their guard responsibilities and the rest, awake and alert as they tensely awaited the outcome of the battle. Sima Yi had returned to the privacy of his chambers and he…had waited too. Till then, he still waited - calm, immovable, impassive. Trying to gather his thoughts, he continued writing - planning already for future battles, listing down all weaknesses and strengths of both the other kingdoms; and of the rapidly rising warlords around the land. Rubbing his temples, he sighed audibly and closed his eyes. Smiling sardonically, he thought cynically, At the rate I'm going, I'll probably be blind before my 30th birthday approaches.
Nevertheless, he adjusted his sleeves, and returned to his work - planning as a strategist would. Sima Yi was confident. Somehow, he knew he would be high commander for Wei soon. And he wanted his takeover to be as quick and efficient as possible.
The soft flutter of the tent's flap quickly drew his attention, to a soldier that stood hesitatingly at the opening. Waving his free hand impatiently, he beckoned for the man to enter.
"What news do you bring from the battlefield?" Sima Yi started.
The man saluted. "The battle has started. So far, our generals have been successful in defending the fleet. But…unfortunately, we have not been able to attack."
"They are on the defensive?"
"It seems that way."
"Is the Wu navy that massive, to give our generals that much trouble…?"
"Well," the man, Chong Man, Sima Yi's bodyguard, commented. "…now that my lord has mentioned it, the Wu army is far inferior in numbers compared to ours. We should have the upper hand…" he muttered thoughtfully.
Sima Yi snorted impatiently. "Of course not, Chong Man. That blasted Zhou Yu is planning something."
Chong Man's eyes widened. "Then, should we inform the lord?"
Brushing his robes, Sima Yi stood. "No. No, we will not."
"No…?"
"No. The lord will not believe us anyway, suspicious as his nature is. We would probably even be charged for disrupting the battle…. We will wait, and see. Even if Wei loses, Wei would be able to withstand such a loss. It would be a good lesson. The next Wei should do is to plan for the future battle, then only will we be a step ahead."
Chong Man stared up at the young tactician in awe, amazed at the boldness and authority he exuded in his every word. He understood now, the reason for Lord Cao Pi's immense trust in the young Secretary of Literature… Sima Yi, was, truly brilliant.
______________________________________________
Zhang He slashed the enemy easily, slicing through their limbs even as, finally, they understood the fear that was the Van leader. Casually, he flicked the thick crimson blood that marred the beauty of his claws. Steadily advancing down the mountain trail, his bottomless black eyes chilled in icy resolve.
Playtime is over, Sun Quan…
______________________________________________
Picking up a stray scroll delicately, Sima Yi turned his purple-clad back momentarily to the stunned bodyguard. "Chong Man…" he began.
"Yes! Lord Sima!" Caught distracted, the soldier quivered slightly in his response.
"I would like to know…" he paused. "…more of the generals so famed in Wei." Turning back, and displaying his full glory, Sima Yi asked, "What are they like?"
Puzzled, Chong Man nevertheless acquiesced. "Well, there is Lord Xiahou Dun. He is the cousin of our Lord Cao Cao and a true master of the scimitar. I've never seen anyone with such courage and calm in the face of adversity. Then, there is his brother, Lord Xiahou Yuan, an equal to all that is great in Lord Xiahou Dun. Both the young generals are immensely trusted by Lord Cao Cao."
Sima Yi waited, nodding for the soldier to continue.
"Then, there is Lord Zhang Liao. He is new to our army, but so far, he has already gained the admiration of Lord Cao Cao." Chong Man scratched his chin thoughtfully, "But, so far, I do not know much about him…"
"And…" Sima Yi prompted.
"And…there is Lord Xu Huang too. He has massive skill with the axe and, I've heard he is close to the General Zhang He. He…"
"Zhang Junyi?" Sima Yi interrupted quietly.
"Yes. But I am not too sure of the details. Lord Zhang He is also relatively new to Wei, and, well, generals do not tolerate nosiness."
"But what do you know about him?" Sima Yi inquired intently, sitting down once again.
"Well…from what I know, the general is quite a lover of beauty." Then, smiling conspiratorially, the man said, "Personally, I myself, find the general quite beautiful…"
As the night wore on, and the solitary candle burned to its wick in the tiny tent, Sima Yi continued to glean all he could from the obliging guard of the illustrious General Zhang Junyi. It was strangely unlike the young tactician to take such notice, but…oddly too, he wanted to know more.
Not too far off, the battle rose in ferocity…
______________________________________________
A warm breeze blew, wafting mischievously through, from where the group of men stood.
Bowing before the tall leader clutching a massive scimitar in his left hand, the young major asked worriedly, "Lord Xiahou Dun…will we not extend our help? Our comrades continue to fall, General Xiahou…"
Not looking at his elite, the eye-patched general replied through thin lips, "We will wait, Fong San."
"But…!! General…!!"
Glaring hotly, Xiahou Dun growled, "Have I ever disappointed you, Fong San? Have I ever abandoned my people?" Then, he looked back into the distance of the sea and shifted. "Tell me."
Lowering his eyes, the major realized his mistake. Never, my Lord. You have never relinquished us in any way. I must have lost my head somehow, in the heat of battle, for even thinking of distrusting you…
Out loud, Fong San kneeled, saying, "I understand, Lord Xiahou. Forgive my insolence. It will never repeat."
The cousin of Cao Cao gave a curt nod, uttering condescendingly, "Return to your position. We must be ready to attack as soon as the moment arrives."
"Yes, my Lord."
Though little had been said, the morale of General Xiahou Dun's unit was soaring.
______________________________________________
Roaring furiously, Zhang Liao swung his Gold Wyvern in an expansive arc, slicing cleanly through a line of Wu soldiers. The rage in his voice, and the fire in his eyes, was enough to make the most stalwart of warriors back down in fear.
For the unfortunate Wu soldiers, it was their undoing. They did not even know what killed them, as the general charged through the crimson mass.
______________________________________________
Zhou Yu watched his sub-commander lead the few loaded fishermen boats into the darkness, towards enemy territory.
A cunning smile lighting his face, he muttered, "Zhuge Liang…you will now lie witness to the power that is Wu. I will never be inferior to you."
Though he spoke with confidence, uncertainty still plagued his heart.
Shaking his head resolutely, he steeled his wits and hurriedly headed back to his battle position. It would not be good to miss the destruction of Wei.
______________________________________________
Blood dripped rivers down his golden talons and Zhang He snarled in distaste. It was just not beautiful, this disorganized frenzy of destruction.
Gliding effortlessly, he resumed his barrage on Lu Xun's unit.
The lost splendor in battle no longer holding his interest, he wanted to quickly get it over with. To return to a more exquisite beauty - one of intriguing violet eyes.
______________________________________________
Sima Yi sat contemplating, long after his bodyguard had left. He was confused. When before his goal had been clear and unmarred, now it seemed distant and hazy. It was vague as to why he pursued it with such passion. Now…he found himself distracted, led astray from the path laid so carefully before him, by the most unreasonable of reasons.
The irrational obsession that he harbored was proof enough. BUT…
… In his heart, he knew one thing for sure. If he succeeded in his ambitions, he would own everything. Even one very disturbing irrational obsession.
Sighing tiredly, he covered his face in his hands.
It would be a long night…
~~~~~
Yay! An almost totally Sima Yi chapter. The poor man has NOT been receiving enough publicity lately, and honestly I had fun while doing this. I luv Sima Yi! ^^; Though, I must admit, he seems rather out of character. My apologies… -_-
I desperately need a Zhang He/Sima Yi scene! I need more Zhang He/Sima Yi action!! -_-;
Don't worry though. The battle will resolve itself in the next chapter. Then, I can hopefully go on from there and get to the juicy parts. :D As it is, I've spent too much time on this battle already.
Oh yes, have I mentioned? I luv luv Sima Yi!!
*pulls shirt sleeves in resolution* Oh yes, I haven't given up on a successful OOC chappie yet! I must try harder!! *blush*
That's about it I guess… Please review! I would love hear your comments. ^^
Back in the Wei encampment, further down the river, Sima Yi sat alone in his tent, scrawling quietly on a piece of parchment. All had been calm in camp, even after the battle had started - the soldiers on duty silently carrying out their guard responsibilities and the rest, awake and alert as they tensely awaited the outcome of the battle. Sima Yi had returned to the privacy of his chambers and he…had waited too. Till then, he still waited - calm, immovable, impassive. Trying to gather his thoughts, he continued writing - planning already for future battles, listing down all weaknesses and strengths of both the other kingdoms; and of the rapidly rising warlords around the land. Rubbing his temples, he sighed audibly and closed his eyes. Smiling sardonically, he thought cynically, At the rate I'm going, I'll probably be blind before my 30th birthday approaches.
Nevertheless, he adjusted his sleeves, and returned to his work - planning as a strategist would. Sima Yi was confident. Somehow, he knew he would be high commander for Wei soon. And he wanted his takeover to be as quick and efficient as possible.
The soft flutter of the tent's flap quickly drew his attention, to a soldier that stood hesitatingly at the opening. Waving his free hand impatiently, he beckoned for the man to enter.
"What news do you bring from the battlefield?" Sima Yi started.
The man saluted. "The battle has started. So far, our generals have been successful in defending the fleet. But…unfortunately, we have not been able to attack."
"They are on the defensive?"
"It seems that way."
"Is the Wu navy that massive, to give our generals that much trouble…?"
"Well," the man, Chong Man, Sima Yi's bodyguard, commented. "…now that my lord has mentioned it, the Wu army is far inferior in numbers compared to ours. We should have the upper hand…" he muttered thoughtfully.
Sima Yi snorted impatiently. "Of course not, Chong Man. That blasted Zhou Yu is planning something."
Chong Man's eyes widened. "Then, should we inform the lord?"
Brushing his robes, Sima Yi stood. "No. No, we will not."
"No…?"
"No. The lord will not believe us anyway, suspicious as his nature is. We would probably even be charged for disrupting the battle…. We will wait, and see. Even if Wei loses, Wei would be able to withstand such a loss. It would be a good lesson. The next Wei should do is to plan for the future battle, then only will we be a step ahead."
Chong Man stared up at the young tactician in awe, amazed at the boldness and authority he exuded in his every word. He understood now, the reason for Lord Cao Pi's immense trust in the young Secretary of Literature… Sima Yi, was, truly brilliant.
______________________________________________
Zhang He slashed the enemy easily, slicing through their limbs even as, finally, they understood the fear that was the Van leader. Casually, he flicked the thick crimson blood that marred the beauty of his claws. Steadily advancing down the mountain trail, his bottomless black eyes chilled in icy resolve.
Playtime is over, Sun Quan…
______________________________________________
Picking up a stray scroll delicately, Sima Yi turned his purple-clad back momentarily to the stunned bodyguard. "Chong Man…" he began.
"Yes! Lord Sima!" Caught distracted, the soldier quivered slightly in his response.
"I would like to know…" he paused. "…more of the generals so famed in Wei." Turning back, and displaying his full glory, Sima Yi asked, "What are they like?"
Puzzled, Chong Man nevertheless acquiesced. "Well, there is Lord Xiahou Dun. He is the cousin of our Lord Cao Cao and a true master of the scimitar. I've never seen anyone with such courage and calm in the face of adversity. Then, there is his brother, Lord Xiahou Yuan, an equal to all that is great in Lord Xiahou Dun. Both the young generals are immensely trusted by Lord Cao Cao."
Sima Yi waited, nodding for the soldier to continue.
"Then, there is Lord Zhang Liao. He is new to our army, but so far, he has already gained the admiration of Lord Cao Cao." Chong Man scratched his chin thoughtfully, "But, so far, I do not know much about him…"
"And…" Sima Yi prompted.
"And…there is Lord Xu Huang too. He has massive skill with the axe and, I've heard he is close to the General Zhang He. He…"
"Zhang Junyi?" Sima Yi interrupted quietly.
"Yes. But I am not too sure of the details. Lord Zhang He is also relatively new to Wei, and, well, generals do not tolerate nosiness."
"But what do you know about him?" Sima Yi inquired intently, sitting down once again.
"Well…from what I know, the general is quite a lover of beauty." Then, smiling conspiratorially, the man said, "Personally, I myself, find the general quite beautiful…"
As the night wore on, and the solitary candle burned to its wick in the tiny tent, Sima Yi continued to glean all he could from the obliging guard of the illustrious General Zhang Junyi. It was strangely unlike the young tactician to take such notice, but…oddly too, he wanted to know more.
Not too far off, the battle rose in ferocity…
______________________________________________
A warm breeze blew, wafting mischievously through, from where the group of men stood.
Bowing before the tall leader clutching a massive scimitar in his left hand, the young major asked worriedly, "Lord Xiahou Dun…will we not extend our help? Our comrades continue to fall, General Xiahou…"
Not looking at his elite, the eye-patched general replied through thin lips, "We will wait, Fong San."
"But…!! General…!!"
Glaring hotly, Xiahou Dun growled, "Have I ever disappointed you, Fong San? Have I ever abandoned my people?" Then, he looked back into the distance of the sea and shifted. "Tell me."
Lowering his eyes, the major realized his mistake. Never, my Lord. You have never relinquished us in any way. I must have lost my head somehow, in the heat of battle, for even thinking of distrusting you…
Out loud, Fong San kneeled, saying, "I understand, Lord Xiahou. Forgive my insolence. It will never repeat."
The cousin of Cao Cao gave a curt nod, uttering condescendingly, "Return to your position. We must be ready to attack as soon as the moment arrives."
"Yes, my Lord."
Though little had been said, the morale of General Xiahou Dun's unit was soaring.
______________________________________________
Roaring furiously, Zhang Liao swung his Gold Wyvern in an expansive arc, slicing cleanly through a line of Wu soldiers. The rage in his voice, and the fire in his eyes, was enough to make the most stalwart of warriors back down in fear.
For the unfortunate Wu soldiers, it was their undoing. They did not even know what killed them, as the general charged through the crimson mass.
______________________________________________
Zhou Yu watched his sub-commander lead the few loaded fishermen boats into the darkness, towards enemy territory.
A cunning smile lighting his face, he muttered, "Zhuge Liang…you will now lie witness to the power that is Wu. I will never be inferior to you."
Though he spoke with confidence, uncertainty still plagued his heart.
Shaking his head resolutely, he steeled his wits and hurriedly headed back to his battle position. It would not be good to miss the destruction of Wei.
______________________________________________
Blood dripped rivers down his golden talons and Zhang He snarled in distaste. It was just not beautiful, this disorganized frenzy of destruction.
Gliding effortlessly, he resumed his barrage on Lu Xun's unit.
The lost splendor in battle no longer holding his interest, he wanted to quickly get it over with. To return to a more exquisite beauty - one of intriguing violet eyes.
______________________________________________
Sima Yi sat contemplating, long after his bodyguard had left. He was confused. When before his goal had been clear and unmarred, now it seemed distant and hazy. It was vague as to why he pursued it with such passion. Now…he found himself distracted, led astray from the path laid so carefully before him, by the most unreasonable of reasons.
The irrational obsession that he harbored was proof enough. BUT…
… In his heart, he knew one thing for sure. If he succeeded in his ambitions, he would own everything. Even one very disturbing irrational obsession.
Sighing tiredly, he covered his face in his hands.
It would be a long night…
~~~~~
Yay! An almost totally Sima Yi chapter. The poor man has NOT been receiving enough publicity lately, and honestly I had fun while doing this. I luv Sima Yi! ^^; Though, I must admit, he seems rather out of character. My apologies… -_-
I desperately need a Zhang He/Sima Yi scene! I need more Zhang He/Sima Yi action!! -_-;
Don't worry though. The battle will resolve itself in the next chapter. Then, I can hopefully go on from there and get to the juicy parts. :D As it is, I've spent too much time on this battle already.
Oh yes, have I mentioned? I luv luv Sima Yi!!
*pulls shirt sleeves in resolution* Oh yes, I haven't given up on a successful OOC chappie yet! I must try harder!! *blush*
That's about it I guess… Please review! I would love hear your comments. ^^