Disclaimer: Characters depicted in the story aren't mine. They belong to Koei and W-Force.
Of Exquisite Beauty
"That tactic will not work against Liu Bei!" The Lord of Wei, Cao Cao, slammed his mighty fist on the table, causing the brush and the ink resting on it to rattle. He grabbed the parchment where their recent strategy has been written and crumpled it. "Use your brains! Liu Bei can easily defeat us with that foolish proposal!"
"But he doesn't have an army to speak of." Li Dian, one of his high ranking officers, answered. "Surely he doesn't have enough soldiers to—"
"He does." The white turbaned Xu Huang cut in calmly. "The spies have reported that he and his people are traveling to seek assistance from Wu because of his defeat in Jing. We not only have Shu to fight against but Wu as well."
"Then we should attack him now!" The stern and inflexible warrior Xiahou Yuan roared. "We must crush him before he reaches Wu!"
"Yes, we should." His one-eyed brother, Xiahou Dun, agreed. "But not without a good strategy. The terrain of the area is quite treacherous. We must be careful."
"True, but Liu Bei's pitiable force could not possibly hope to match ours." The easy going third son of Cao Cao, Zhi, interjected. "He stands no chance against us. I say we attack him at once!"
"No, brother. A strategy is needed." Cao Pi, the sharp and cautious second son of Cao Cao, stood up. "Liu Bei is no ordinary foe. Surely he has some sort of a back-up plan. Attacking him head on could prove disastrous."
"You are being overly cautious!" One officer shouted. "Or perhaps you are afraid to face Liu Bei?" With that taunt, the loud argument about the strategy started.
Zhang He tried to stifle a yawn as he lazily leaned on one of the cold stone walls of the conference hall. His fellow officers were bickering like children again. To have a lot of strong and stubborn generals in the army could be advantageous, but it can also be maddening. No one was willing to listen to the other's opinions. And the poor table could very well break into pieces any moment now with all that hand slamming.
He watched as the officers continued to argue and bang their fists on the wooden table to prove their point, veins popping out of their necks from all the shouting and cursing. Zhang He sighed and looked out the window, at the clear morning sky.
What he would give to get out of the room and go to the castle garden to relax…
His sigh was echoed by the warrior standing beside him. "Can't decide what strategy to use; now they're squabbling like women." Zhang Liao muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Zhang He to hear. The younger warrior also leaned on the wall and watched his fellow officers fight with words. "If our opponents see us now, they'll be laughing their heads off."
Zhang He chuckled, much to Liao's surprise. The long haired warrior rarely showed any emotions, be it anger or amusement. He always just looked… bored. "Yet Lord Cao Cao seems to enjoy the little spectacle he is witnessing right now."
Zhang Liao followed his comrade's gaze and, true enough, their overlord was quietly sitting in his chair. Amusement lighting up his eyes as he watched his generals argue in front of him. "Hm… how odd." He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"No, it isn't." Zhang He replied as he straightened up from the wall. "Lord Cao Cao merely wants his officers to… shall we say… get heated up for the upcoming battle in Bo Wan Po. What better way to do it than by taunting and underestimating our proud comrades?" He smirked. "That way, their hatred toward Liu Bei increases. And defeating him will be foremost in their minds.
"Heh." Zhang Liao chuckled. "Just like boosting their morale, eh? How devious."
"Indeed." Zhang He agreed as he walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"To the gardens." He answered with a careless wave. The room was getting too loud for his liking. He figured that the strategy will form itself somehow in the argument. His fellow generals were capable of doing that anyway. And besides, he wanted to spend his time in the peaceful garden and perhaps take a little nap on a high branch of his favorite tree.
With that in mind, he walked toward the door and opened it. And was quite surprised to find Lady Zhen Ji standing in front of him. Zhen Ji was surprised herself, but she quickly masked it with her usual serene look.
"What are you doing here?" Zhang He asked with mild curiosity, blocking her view of the room with his tall frame. But the angry shouts of the people inside didn't escape her notice.
"Is there a disagreement going on inside?" She asked instead of answering his question. Zhang He shrugged.
"It doesn't concern you."
"It will once I announce that I am joining the army." Zhen Ji answered indignantly. She pushed right past the stunned warrior and stepped inside the room.
"What?" She heard Zhang He's incredulous response but decided to ignore it. The moment the men noticed that she was inside the room, they quickly quieted down. All eyes were trained on her as she stood a few steps away from the door. Zhang He closed the door behind him and leaned casually on it.
This is going to be interesting…
"Why, Lady Zhen, what brought you here?" Cao Pi stood up and walked toward his beloved. Once again, his breath caught at the sheer loveliness of his future wife. He just couldn't take his eyes away from her. And he would wager his life that everyone in the room felt the same way as he did.
She wore the colors of Wei. And it wonderfully complemented her ivory white skin. Her long dark hair, which was gathered at the top of her head and fastened in a way for it to hang freely down the small of her back, was silky and shiny just like the golden Phoenix headdress crowning her head. He will be the luckiest man alive when he marries Lady Zhen, and the men in all of China will envy him for that. His chest swelled with pride.
Yes, she will be mine. He thought.
"I have decided to join your fight against Liu Bei." She said in a clear voice, her air of elegance and hauteur apparent. "I am strong. My skills surpass that of an average warrior." Her words were met by silence as the men continued to just stare at her. Then she saw the moment when the men stopped ogling at her, when they finally understood what she was saying. They were starting to scowl at each other.
Murmurs of disbelief and outrage were heard. Most of the men were insulted and the others were quite amused at her announcement. Zhang He was amused himself. Some of the men were already red with anger, but they wisely held their tongue in respect for their lord's future wife.
"We cannot let her do this, Lord Pi." One of the sub-officers said. "The battlefield is no place for a woman." The statement was quickly agreed upon by most of the officers.
"Besides, we don't have proof that she can indeed fight." Another piped in. The rest quickly nodded their agreement. "It will be too dangerous for her."
Zhang He inwardly shrugged. What did Lady Zhen expect? He knew his fellow officers wouldn't let her join. Their pride demanded it. He watched the rigid form of Zhen Ji as she gripped tighter onto her flute. Too bad for the Lady Zhen. And he was quite hoping to see her dance in the battlefield once again…
He turned toward the door to leave the room when Cao Pi suddenly spoke up.
"She can fight." Pi said, remembering the moment he met the beautiful Zhen Ji. "She has fought evenly with Zhang He during the battle in Guan Du."
All the men in the room looked past Zhen Ji's shoulder, at the frozen warrior by the door. Ji quickly whipped her head around to see Zhang He's reaction. His back was to her but she could see the tension on his broad shoulders. She winced. She has gotten him in trouble again.
Surely they wouldn't think his skills inferior now that they found out she "fought evenly with him" back in Guan Du. Would they? The lithe warrior actually lied for her back then. And he has experienced nothing else but humiliation because of her.
She has to do something for him in return...
"L-Lord Zhang He's strength is unmatched." Zhen Ji tried to explain in the long silence. "I couldn't possibly hold a candle to him. He was merely giving allowances when we---"
"She is being modest, my lords." Zhang He suddenly cut her off in mid sentence with a careless wave. He leaned back on the door again and crossed his arms in front of him. "Lady Zhen is indeed powerful. She was like an avenging angel when we last met in battle." He nodded toward Zhen Ji and almost laughed out loud at the quick incredulity that crossed her lovely features. Lord Cao Pi, who was standing beside her, wore a gloating expression, as if he was the one being complimented.
Damn, he already thinks she's his. Zhang He thought and almost frowned at his lord but caught himself from doing so. He mentally shook himself. What the hell was he thinking? Of course she was his. Lord Cao Pi already claimed her, didn't he?
"Lady Zhen is like a flower." Zhang He continued as if reciting an ode. "A beautiful red rose to be precise. Seemingly harmless on the outside, yet dangerous for she hides her thorns beneath her beauty." His eyes met Zhen Ji's. "I got too close to her in battle and was pricked by her deadly thorns. I still wear the scars from that battle. She is not a warrior one must think lightly of."
Zhen Ji continued to stare at him with wide eyes. Was he complimenting her skills? Did he really think highly of her? Or… was he merely trying to help her again? She sighed and tore her gaze off him. Yes, that's probably it. She thought. After all, he hasn't seen me in battle, has he? Her grip on her flute tightened as she fixed her gaze on the officers in front of her. It didn't matter what he thinks of her. What matters was what these officers think of her now.
Still, it would be nice if Zhang He respected her skills as well.
The men were silent for a moment. Then one of the officers, Yu Jin, finally spoke up. "If she has fought evenly with Lord Zhang He, then I believe she is worthy of being part of the Wei Army." He nodded toward Zhang Liao who stood not far away from him. "After all, Lord Zhang He dueled with Lord Zhang Liao before and none of them was victorious. And if Lady Zhen is as strong as they are…"
"Aye. And Lord Cao Pi thinks highly of her as well." Cheng Yu, one of the sub officers, agreed.
"Well then, looks like Lady Zhen is one of us!" Cao Zhi announced as he grinned at Ji.
"Hurray! Does that mean we now have a female officer in our ranks?" Zhen Ji's gaze flew to a large officer behind Lord Cao Cao. The man wore a goofy grin on his face as he looked at her expectantly. Xu Zhu. She remembered him introducing himself. "She looks strong and so pretty. We're so lucky! We're going to have the loveliest woman fighting for Wei! Shu and Wu will be envious!"
"Well said, Xu Zhu!" Cao Pi laughed. "We indeed have a jewel within our midst!"
"Here! Here!" Jia Xu raised his fist. "No other female can surpass out Lady Zhen when it comes to beauty. We are graced by her presence!"
The declaration was followed by cheers of approval from other officers. She hid a smile. Finally, she was one of them. And she had to thank Zhang He for that. But before she could turn around, she felt Cao Pi drape a possessive arm around her shoulders. She looked up and found him smiling down at her, his eyes dark with emotion. She forced herself to stop from cowering away from him.
It was the same look. The kind of look her late husband always bestowed on her when he first met her. Lord Cao Pi desired her, like Yuan Xi did before him. And she almost shivered with loathing. It's happening again. What she feared and hated the most.
Her cursed face had done it again.
Concealing her emotions with a serene look, she politely stepped away from Pi and bowed before him. "Thank you, my lord." She then turned to face Zhang He. But found that he has already left the room.
She felt… disappointed.
He should have been there with her, smiling down at her instead of Cao Pi. He's familiar presence always comforted her, even though they weren't exactly friends. Just comrades. Still, he should be the one congratulating her. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. She suddenly felt alone and unprotected. Damn him for making her feel this way.
Cao Pi grabbed her arm before she could walk away from him. "Where do you think you're going?" He chuckled as he pulled her close toward him and kissed her. Zhen Ji shut her eyes and her mind as she endured his kiss.
Damn him!
* * *
The relaxing sound of the brook running in the garden welcomed Zhang He as he entered the garden. Birds chirped their welcome as he walked toward his huge elm tree. He stopped and looked up at it. Its branches were spread high and wide as if reaching for the heavens, the leaves like the colors of fall. Castle dwellers feared this particular tree. They said that it was haunted by evil spirits and whoever dared come near it will be cursed. Zhang He scoffed. What nonsense. To him, it was just like a large bonsai.
"Mind if I take a little nap here?" He asked the tree as he stroked its mighty trunk. He jumped up to a high branch and sat himself there. He stretched his long leg along the sturdy branch, while the other one dangled below him, and leaned back on the trunk.
His arms serving as a cushion under his head, He closed his eyes and listened to the soft tapping of the bamboo stems against one another as they swayed with the wind. The rustling of the trees caused by the soft breeze was music to his ears. It was nature's sweet lullaby. And it's lulling him to sleep.
Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps approaching him. All traces of sleep were wiped away from his mind as he raised his guard. He didn't open his eyes but waited for the intruder to make himself known. The stranger didn't come to kill him, He was sure. He didn't sense any outright hostility from him. Yet…
The stranger merely stood, for quite a long time, not doing anything. Zhang He almost let down his guard. But when he heard something wheezing in the air toward him, he automatically reached out and intercepted the thrown object aimed at him. He flipped in the air and landed on a branch higher than the last one. Prepared to fight back, He glared at his attacker until he realized who stood under the tree.
"Lady Zhen?" He hid his surprise with a bored look. Zhen Ji looked bloody furious and he had no idea why. He looked at the object in his hand. A pebble, huh? He threw the stone over his shoulder and resumed his resting position. He closed his eyes.
"Get down from there." Zhen Ji commanded through clenched teeth.
"What are you so angry about?" He yawned. "You got in the army, didn't you? You should be glad."
"You left me in there!"
"So?" Zhang He sat up and looked down at her flushed face. "I never knew you being helpless, Lady Zhen, but this---"
"That came out wrong." Zhen Ji cut him off. "What I meant was that you were assigned by Lord Cao Pi to escort me and you neglected that duty by leaving me in the conference hall."
"Now, hold on." He jumped from the branch and landed gracefully behind Ji. She involuntarily took a few steps back; away from He's rather close proximity. But he followed her until her back pressed to the elm's trunk. "I was to escort you only on our way back here. I have accomplished my duty as far as I'm concerned."
"You must have misunderstood your orders." Ji replied calmly, retreating to her serene mask. But deep inside of her, she was trembling. At first glance, He looked bored. But something burned deep in his beautiful eyes. Anger? But why? "Lord Pi's orders were for you to accompany me until I am comfortable here. And I am still far from comfortable."
"Why are you doing this?" Zhang He muttered.
"W-What?"
Zhang He suddenly moved away from her. "Oh? Are you saying you are quite comfortable with me? I'm flattered, my lady." He smirked. The anger she saw in his eyes disappeared. And she wondered what triggered it.
Ji let out the breath she was unconsciously holding. "I-It's not that…"
"Then what is?" He asked nonchalantly as he jumped back to the branch he was resting on earlier. He resumed his lazy position and closed his eyes. "I'm going to take a nap for a while, Lady Zhen. If you want to return to the castle, then please do so."
"I'd like to stay here." Ji replied curtly.
Zhang He didn't answer. Ji looked up at the handsome warrior's relaxed position. Sleeping already? She thought as she settled herself on a flat rock nearby and faced the running brook. She raised her flute to her lips and started to play her favorite song, a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was little. She missed her family and her home village. And it looked like she will be stuck here for quite a long time.
The soft notes from her flute reached Zhang He. He sighed as he opened his eyes and looked straight ahead. He didn't know why Lady Zhen preferred to stay with him than go back to the castle. Was it because they both came from Yuan and that she trusted him more than anyone else? Was it because he's the lesser of the two evils?
It's a mistake if she thought him her friend. In fact, she should be wary of him. After all, he found out that she was the one who started the rumors that stained his integrity back in the Yuan Force. He should be angry, aye, but it was already all in the past. And if she ever did that to him again, he would kill her. For real.
Why she would spread a rumor about them sleeping together was beyond him. If she had a personal grudge against him, it seemed that she has already forgotten. After all, she wanted him to accompany her until she gets used to the castle and its people.
He sat up and looked at her.
Still, he wanted to know… why she spread those rumors about them.
"Ji." Zhen Ji started when she heard He call her by her first name. She lowered her flute and slowly turned around to face him. And met his dark eyes with a surprised look. Did he just call her Ji? A warm sensation enveloped her. It was nice… hearing him say her name.
"Yes?"
"Why did you spread those rumors about us?" She didn't expect the question, He noticed, as she continued to just stare up at him. He then saw the flush that slowly crept up Ji's neck and then to her flawless cheeks. She was completely taken aback by his question and was embarrassed by it. Yet, he wanted to know… Will she answer him? Will she be honest about it? He watched as she bit her lower lip nervously. She opened her mouth to answer him but quickly clamped it shut. Finally, she lowered her eyes.
"I'd rather not answer that question today, my lord." Ji replied as she returned her gaze to the brook. "Perhaps another time. I'm sorry."
Zhang He watched her rigid form as she turned her back to him. He sighed. All right, another time then. So what will they do for now?
"Ji." He called her again and waited patiently until she looked back at him. He raised his hand in a careless wave. "Come up to the tree. I'll show you the beauty of this garden." He smiled as he offered his hand down to her. After a long moment of indecision, Ji finally smiled back and reached out to grasp his outstretched hand.
* * *
A/N: Thank you for the reviews! And for the pointers as well. I hope this story lives up to your expectations. Although I think I messed up this chapter. Gomen if this was a little boring. I'll do better next time! I promise! ^_^