Dynasty Warriors : Rise of the Wang Empire
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Death's Head - I do not own Dynasty Warriors 3. Koei and THQ have that honour. All I own is a copy of Dynasty Warriors 2 and 3. This is my first Dynasty Warriors fanfic, so if you flame me for it, I'll send Wei Yan and Ma Chao to deal with you!
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Inside Wei territory, the castle of Cao Cao :
Zhen Ji, a woman of exquisite beauty, looked out of her window and sighed. It had only been a month since the death of Cao Pi, the man who had taken her as his wife, and she was now a free woman once again. Free to make her own decisions in her life, free to love again. She was busy thinking to herself, that she didn't hear the knock on the door to her chambers, until she heard a voice.
"Lady Zhen Ji…"
Zhen Ji turned and allowed a gracious smile to spread on her face. The man standing there smiled nervously at her.
"Lord Cao Cao, has requested your presence immediately."
Zhen Ji sighed a little and nodded.
"I understand Lord Xiahou Dun. Tell me, will there be another campaign this summer?"
Xiahou Dun, one of Cao Cao's most trusted and loyal officers, nodded.
"Undoubtedly. With Liu Bei and Sun Jian's forces, gaining more troops and support, we would be foolish not to take this opportunity against them."
Zhen Ji nodded adsently, as she walked behind a dressing screen, and took off her robe.
"And will I finally get a chance to prove my worth, on the battlefield?"
Xiahou Dun frowned.
"My lady, a battlefield is no place for one such as you."
Zhen Ji hissed silently, as she dressed in her usual attire. She had fastened all the clasps in place and stepped out from behind the screen.
"Xiahou Dun, I am a warrior. You forget, I have been trained and I am quite capable of defending myself in battle."
Xiahou Dun sighed and places both his hands on his hips.
"Lady Zhen Ji, please understand. I do not make the orders here, I follow them. Lord Cao Cao…"
Zhen Ji snorted and folded her arms across her chest.
"Lord Cao Cao. Do you always follow him like a puppy? You are a man, are you not? Why don't you act like one?"
Xiahou Dun shook his head sadly.
"You don't understand Zhen Ji. I follow Cao Cao, because I choose to. When you married his son, Cao Pi, you also married his family. You have a duty, as a member of his household, to do what he says, without question."
Zhen Ji glared at Xiahou Dun.
"Get out of my room."
Xiahou Dun looked at the woman before him, sighed and nodded. As he shut the door to her chambers, he heard a smash against the door. Xiahou Dun shook his head as he imagined the broken pieces of a vase on the floor, near the door.
"Women."
As Xiahou Dun started down the corridor, Zhang He approached him.
"Lord Xiahou Dun, I have some information for Lord Cao Cao, rather urgent information that is. I believe you may want to hear it is a well."
Xiahou Dun nodded.
"Very well. Follow me."
Both Wei Generals, headed down the corridor towards Cao Cao's throne room. Inside the room, sitting on a massive throne, their lord and regent, Cao Cao sat, listening to one of his other generals, Xu Zhu.
"I'm telling you, if we take that village, we'll…"
Cao Cao waved at Xu Zhu to be quiet and motioned for Xiahou Dun and Zhang He to come forward.
"Lord Xiahou Dun and Lord Zhang He, tell me you some more, important information for me, than that of Xing province's fishing and wine making talents."
Both generals and their lord glanced at Xu Zhu, who blushed and looked at his feet.
"I just thought, it'd be nice to…"
Cao Cao rolled his eyes, and looked at the other two generals. He then noticed that Zhen Ji wasn't there either.
"Xiahou Dun, where is Zhen Ji? Did I not ask you to bring her to me?"
The one eyed general.
"She was…"
"Getting dressed my lord."
Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao turned and faced Zhen Ji, as she walked into the throne room. She bowed to Cao Cao.
"I did tell Lord Xiahou Dun, that I would be here, as soon as I was finished. Forgive me, for delaying you."
Cao Cao settled back into his throne, and glanced at Xiahou Dun from the corner of his eyes.
"I see… As long as you are here, that is all that matters. Lord Zhang He, has some information for us, I am told. So let us not keep the good general waiting, and pray that his information is warranted, and not a waste of time."
Zhang He swallowed as he knelt in front of his lord.
"I have received word, from one of my lieutenants, that one of our outposts, near the border we share with the Wu, has been completely destroyed. All of our forces, stationed there, obliterated."
Cao Cao was on his feet, anger on his face.
"Sun Jian. He dared to attack ME!? To attack one of MY outposts, within MY domain?!"
Xiahou Dun hissed and let his hands clench into fists.
"My lord, let me take my force, as well as Dian Wei and Xu Zhu, and their own troops. We will retaliate in kind for this act of transgression against us."
Before Cao Cao could respond, Zhang He spoke again.
"Lord Cao Cao, wait! I haven't finished yet."
Cao Cao glared at Zhang He.
"Then hurry up and do so! My patience has worn very thin."
Zhang He nodded, then continued.
"To verify that it was the Wu, who perpetrated this act, I sent scouts into their territory, to ascertain if the Wu had the resources to do this. They came back, with more information. Several villages within the Wu, have been razed to the ground, and one of the Wu outposts, destroyed."
Xiahou Dun looked at Zhang He, an eyebrow raised.
"Could the Shu be behind this? Manipulating both us and the Wu into attacking each other, weakening our own forces, so we could not stand an attack from them?"
Cao Cao looked at Xiahou Dun.
"That could be. Liu Bei is a wise and efficient leader for the Shu, and with Zhang Fei and Guan Yu by his side, the three of them could come up with something like this. Add Zhuge Liang into the equation, and it is indeed possible."
Zhen Ji, who had been quiet throughout this exchange, looked up at Cao Cao and spoke.
"Lord Cao Cao, I know that war is not my indeed forte, but what if the Shu were not behind this? After all, when Zhang Jiao led the Yellow Turbans against the three kingdoms, he attacked villages within all three kingdoms, before his defeat at . And even with Dong Zhuo, and his general Lu Bu, they did the same as Jiao. Could this be an attempt, by another group, to try and undermine the 'balance' between the three kingdoms?"
Xiahou Dun looked at Zhen Ji, an appraising smile on his face, for she had raised one of the points he had in his own mind. Zhang He, wore a look of exasperation, as if to say Zhen Ji should mind her own business. Cao Cao on the otherhand, looked thoughtful.
"Indeed Lady Zhen Ji, that is a possibility, I myself, had not even contemplated. A rather dangerous probability as well. Lord Xu Zhu, I want you, and Zhang He, to take your forces and gently, and I mean gently, investigate the area around the Hu Lao gate, and the same area where Zhang Jiao fell. Back track the movements, of both Dong Zhuo and Zhang Jiao. Who knows, where a nest vipers sprang from once before, another could be waiting."
Both generals bowed to their leader.
"As you wish, my lord."
Cao Cao nodded, and bade them to undertake their mission, with the utmost speed. As soon as the two had left, Cao Cao faced Xiahou Dun and Zhen Ji.
"I have another mission for the two of you. Lord Xiahou Dun, I would like you, to go and visit Liu Bei. I want to know if he is experiencing the same troubles we are. You will have your full troop complement accompany you."
Xiahou Dun bowed to his lord.
"I shall serve you fully to my abilities my lord."
Cao Cao nodded, and then looked at Zhen Ji.
"Lady Zhen Ji, as of this moment, I am appointing you one of my generals, and as such, you will have a suitably sized troop assigned to you. Your first mission, will be to journey to Sun Jian, and ask the same of him."
Zhen Ji flushed, as she realised she was getting what she had sought after for so long. She bowed to Cao Cao.
"I shall serve you, faithfully and fully to my abilities my lord. I shall not let you down."
Cao Cao nodded as he settled back into his throne.
"I shall hold you to your word Lady Zhen Ji. Do not fail me."
Cao Cao motioned for them to leave, and as soon as they had stepped outside the throne room, Xiahou faced Zhen Ji.
"Zhen Ji, I won't try and persuade you not to do this. But I will insist, you take the utmost precautions on this mission, and request one thing of you."
Zhen Ji raised an eyebrow.
"And that is?"
"Don't try and be a hero. If it looks like a trap, get out, and return here at once. Promise me, you shall do that."
"If the need arises, then yes, I will."
Xiahou nodded, satisfied.
"Very well, I wish you success and safe journey, Lady Zhen Ji."
"As I do you, Lord Xiahou Dun."
Both generals stared at each other, for a fraction of moments, then turned and went their separate ways.
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Death's Head - Firstly, I do not have planned to have Zhen Ji and Xiahou Dun get 'together'. I may change my mind, then again I may not. R&R please.
Sneak peak, next chapter - Before Zhou Yu could respond, the neighing of horses interrupted the two. Strategist and maiden turned and saw the source of the sound. Sun Ce, Lu Xun and Huang Gai sat on their horses, their troops behind them. Sun Ce smiled and rubbed his chin.
"Well, well, well, it would seem my sword brother and his maiden, were having a little dispute."
Zhou Yu sighed.
"Nothing of the sort Sun Ce."
Lu Xun smiled.
"Really? It seemed that way to the three of us."
Xiao Qiao's face had flushed red, and Zhou Yu sighed once again. Huang Gai reined his horse, and looked at his fellow Wu warriors.
"My lords, might I remind you, we have a job to do. I suggest we do it."
Zhou Yu nodded.
"I agree. Let me get my horse, and I'll accompany you."
Xiao grabbed his arm.
"Wait one minute! I am not letting you out of my sight! If you go, I go."
Heh, I know. The 'sneak peak' is bigger than the last one. Still, I've got other things planned for our erstwhile Wu warriors. Stay tuned, for another update, hopefully in a week's time. Unless I've gone stark raving mad, and think my computer is for eating. Nuff said.