Chen Rising Chapter 3
Battle of Tian Shui: Chen's first test
It was still early when the rams began battering the stone walls surrounding Tian Shui. 'The Shu army is here!' was heard throughout the city. Zima Shao and Xiahou Shang walked onto the city wall. 'I told you they would strike here.' Xiahou Shang said. 'Indeed. I shall remember to consult you when it comes to strategy.' The pounding on the walls resumed. 'Speaking of strategy, what do you suggest for this matter?' Xiahou Shang grinned. 'What would you do?' Zima Shao thought for a minute. 'I would bombard the rams with rocks and arrows, while sending a unit through the east and west gates to attack.' Xiahou Shang nodded. 'Your thinking mirrors my own. All that's left is to decide whom to send.' Xiahou Shang said. Zima Shao turned towards a soldier. 'Tell Huan Xong and Son Mia to prepare for battle.' The soldier bowed. 'Yes sir!' Within minutes, the two units charged out separate gates. 'Don't mind the stones or arrows men! Continue attacking the walls!' Zhang Fei yelled. His son, Zhang Bao came up to him. 'Father! Two units are coming at us from both sides!' Zhang Fei nodded. 'Just as Lord Zhuge said. Retreat! Leave the rams!' Zhang Fei's unit retreated towards the forest. 'Tell them not to pursue!' Xiahou Shang yelled. 'It's too late sir! They're out of range!' Zima Shao pulled his sword out. 'Then we shall go to support them! All units! Prepare for battle!' As Son Mia and Huan Xong travelled through the forest, an eerier silence dominated. 'I don't like this one bit.' Huan Xong said. 'Stay on your guard men. Anything can happen.' Son Mia said. 'Now, attack!' Out of the trees, Zhang Fei's unit dropped to the ground and attacked. 'What's this? They send children to fight a man?' Son Mia charged forward. 'I'm not a child, and I shall prove it!' Son Mia charged forward, pulling out her Typhoon Spear. 'I shall meet your challenge Zhang Fei!' Son Mia charged forward, cutting down troop after troop. Zhang Fei laughed. 'Fine.' Zhang Fei's Cobra Pike and Son Mia's Typhoon Spear locked. They exchanged blow after blow with neither gaining an advantage. Then, it happened. Son Mia left her left side open. Zhang Fei saw this and knocked her off her horse. 'This is what you get for fighting Zhang Fei!' He pulled the pike back and brought it down. Son Mia shut her eyes, expecting the blade to slice through her. Instead, she heard a metallic clang. She opened her eyes to see Huan Xong blocking the Cobra Pike with his twin swords. 'Go!' He yelled. She nodded. A soldier came up to Son Mia. 'Ma'am! Reinforcements have arrived!' Zhang Fei heard this. 'What? Zhuge Liang said nothing about this! Retreat!' The Shu forces began to retreat. 'Zhang Bao! Go and tell Lord Zhuge we need reinforcements!' Zhang Fei said. The young warrior sped off to where the rest of the Shu army was in hiding.
Meanwhile, Huan Xong was dueling Zhang Fei and doing well against him. 'Well boy, you've got more strength in you then I thought.' Zhang Fei said. 'If you're trying to catch me off guard, it won't work.' Huan Xong said. As the two duelled, neither noticed the two armies closing in on their units. 'Brother! We've come to your aid!' Guan Yu shouted. 'Huan Xong! We are here to assist you!' Zhen Xhu said. The two armies converged, throwing all battle plans aside for an all-out melee. Among the confusion, Zima Shi found himself facing a young girl. 'I am Mai Ling, sister to Zima Shao. I shall be your opponent. What is your name?' Zima Shi shook his head. 'Not another one.' He said. 'What's your name already? If I don't know your name, I can't know who I'm going to kill!' Zima Shi sighed. 'If you must know, my name is Zima Shi!' Mai Ling gasped. 'What? Then you're?' He nodded. 'Family. Men retreat!' Mai Ling started to ride after him. 'Wait!' A Chen soldier rode up to her. 'Ma'am! The resistance is too strong! We can't pursue!' She stopped the horse, and watched the retreating Zima Shi. 'Until next time.'
After Huan Xong had saved her, Son Mia had been fighting off soldiers. Suddenly, she ran into an officer on a horse. He had a magnificent sword. 'Are you the next victim for the phoenix tail?' he asked. She laughed. 'You're real funny. My typhoon spear will defeat you!' The two warriors charged towards each other exchanging blows, one after another. Neither backed down. A few nearby soldiers stopped fighting to watch the duel. Their battle raged on. All of a sudden, the Gongs from both sides rang, recalling the troops to their respective bases. The battles raged on for days, neither side gaining or losing ground. After one month had passed, both sides were prepared for peace.
'My lord, an envoy from Liu Bei has arrived.' Zhen Xhu said. 'Send him in.' Zima Shao said. Into the room stepped none other then Zima Shi. 'Lord Zima Shao, my master, Lord Liu Bei, has grown tired of this endless battle and wishes that there be a peace between us.' Zima Shi said. Zima Shao nodded. 'I shall give you my decision tomorrow. That aside, I insist that you stay for the night. We shall have a feast to welcome you. Xu Zhaoning! Have the servants prepare the banquet hall!' The feast began with casual conversation between the officers. 'Zima Shi, while this siege has been going on, I managed to find some documents that prove our relationship as blood brothers.' Zima Shi looked up. 'Well, this is going to take some time to adjust to. Until now, I've never known any family.' Zima Shao nodded. 'Indeed. Ah well. The hour grows late, and I suppose that we should retire for the night. Mai Ling take our brother to his room.' Mai Ling bowed. 'All right.' They walked through the halls of the palace. 'So I suppose that you're my brother.' Mai Ling said. Zima Shi nodded. 'I suppose so. This is going to take some getting used to.' They arrived at the room Zima Shi was given. 'Well then, good night big brother.' She quickly hugged him, then left. Zima Shi stepped into the room and lay down on the bed. Within a few minutes, he was sound asleep.
It was still early when the rams began battering the stone walls surrounding Tian Shui. 'The Shu army is here!' was heard throughout the city. Zima Shao and Xiahou Shang walked onto the city wall. 'I told you they would strike here.' Xiahou Shang said. 'Indeed. I shall remember to consult you when it comes to strategy.' The pounding on the walls resumed. 'Speaking of strategy, what do you suggest for this matter?' Xiahou Shang grinned. 'What would you do?' Zima Shao thought for a minute. 'I would bombard the rams with rocks and arrows, while sending a unit through the east and west gates to attack.' Xiahou Shang nodded. 'Your thinking mirrors my own. All that's left is to decide whom to send.' Xiahou Shang said. Zima Shao turned towards a soldier. 'Tell Huan Xong and Son Mia to prepare for battle.' The soldier bowed. 'Yes sir!' Within minutes, the two units charged out separate gates. 'Don't mind the stones or arrows men! Continue attacking the walls!' Zhang Fei yelled. His son, Zhang Bao came up to him. 'Father! Two units are coming at us from both sides!' Zhang Fei nodded. 'Just as Lord Zhuge said. Retreat! Leave the rams!' Zhang Fei's unit retreated towards the forest. 'Tell them not to pursue!' Xiahou Shang yelled. 'It's too late sir! They're out of range!' Zima Shao pulled his sword out. 'Then we shall go to support them! All units! Prepare for battle!' As Son Mia and Huan Xong travelled through the forest, an eerier silence dominated. 'I don't like this one bit.' Huan Xong said. 'Stay on your guard men. Anything can happen.' Son Mia said. 'Now, attack!' Out of the trees, Zhang Fei's unit dropped to the ground and attacked. 'What's this? They send children to fight a man?' Son Mia charged forward. 'I'm not a child, and I shall prove it!' Son Mia charged forward, pulling out her Typhoon Spear. 'I shall meet your challenge Zhang Fei!' Son Mia charged forward, cutting down troop after troop. Zhang Fei laughed. 'Fine.' Zhang Fei's Cobra Pike and Son Mia's Typhoon Spear locked. They exchanged blow after blow with neither gaining an advantage. Then, it happened. Son Mia left her left side open. Zhang Fei saw this and knocked her off her horse. 'This is what you get for fighting Zhang Fei!' He pulled the pike back and brought it down. Son Mia shut her eyes, expecting the blade to slice through her. Instead, she heard a metallic clang. She opened her eyes to see Huan Xong blocking the Cobra Pike with his twin swords. 'Go!' He yelled. She nodded. A soldier came up to Son Mia. 'Ma'am! Reinforcements have arrived!' Zhang Fei heard this. 'What? Zhuge Liang said nothing about this! Retreat!' The Shu forces began to retreat. 'Zhang Bao! Go and tell Lord Zhuge we need reinforcements!' Zhang Fei said. The young warrior sped off to where the rest of the Shu army was in hiding.
Meanwhile, Huan Xong was dueling Zhang Fei and doing well against him. 'Well boy, you've got more strength in you then I thought.' Zhang Fei said. 'If you're trying to catch me off guard, it won't work.' Huan Xong said. As the two duelled, neither noticed the two armies closing in on their units. 'Brother! We've come to your aid!' Guan Yu shouted. 'Huan Xong! We are here to assist you!' Zhen Xhu said. The two armies converged, throwing all battle plans aside for an all-out melee. Among the confusion, Zima Shi found himself facing a young girl. 'I am Mai Ling, sister to Zima Shao. I shall be your opponent. What is your name?' Zima Shi shook his head. 'Not another one.' He said. 'What's your name already? If I don't know your name, I can't know who I'm going to kill!' Zima Shi sighed. 'If you must know, my name is Zima Shi!' Mai Ling gasped. 'What? Then you're?' He nodded. 'Family. Men retreat!' Mai Ling started to ride after him. 'Wait!' A Chen soldier rode up to her. 'Ma'am! The resistance is too strong! We can't pursue!' She stopped the horse, and watched the retreating Zima Shi. 'Until next time.'
After Huan Xong had saved her, Son Mia had been fighting off soldiers. Suddenly, she ran into an officer on a horse. He had a magnificent sword. 'Are you the next victim for the phoenix tail?' he asked. She laughed. 'You're real funny. My typhoon spear will defeat you!' The two warriors charged towards each other exchanging blows, one after another. Neither backed down. A few nearby soldiers stopped fighting to watch the duel. Their battle raged on. All of a sudden, the Gongs from both sides rang, recalling the troops to their respective bases. The battles raged on for days, neither side gaining or losing ground. After one month had passed, both sides were prepared for peace.
'My lord, an envoy from Liu Bei has arrived.' Zhen Xhu said. 'Send him in.' Zima Shao said. Into the room stepped none other then Zima Shi. 'Lord Zima Shao, my master, Lord Liu Bei, has grown tired of this endless battle and wishes that there be a peace between us.' Zima Shi said. Zima Shao nodded. 'I shall give you my decision tomorrow. That aside, I insist that you stay for the night. We shall have a feast to welcome you. Xu Zhaoning! Have the servants prepare the banquet hall!' The feast began with casual conversation between the officers. 'Zima Shi, while this siege has been going on, I managed to find some documents that prove our relationship as blood brothers.' Zima Shi looked up. 'Well, this is going to take some time to adjust to. Until now, I've never known any family.' Zima Shao nodded. 'Indeed. Ah well. The hour grows late, and I suppose that we should retire for the night. Mai Ling take our brother to his room.' Mai Ling bowed. 'All right.' They walked through the halls of the palace. 'So I suppose that you're my brother.' Mai Ling said. Zima Shi nodded. 'I suppose so. This is going to take some getting used to.' They arrived at the room Zima Shi was given. 'Well then, good night big brother.' She quickly hugged him, then left. Zima Shi stepped into the room and lay down on the bed. Within a few minutes, he was sound asleep.