The Empire Long United Chapter 10
Three Kingdoms Redux: The loyal kingdom
Two people on horse back stood on a cliff. 'Look at that. Pathetic. With all the urgency from the south, you'd think Song's warriors would be demons. But do we get demons? NO! We get weaklings my grandfather can beat.' One of them said. 'You're surprised? We do have the best army next to the main one.' The other said. The first spat. 'Still, the main army should've been able to handle this!' He said. 'They haven't stationed a very good general here. If they had stationed Matriel, Ji Hua, Fei Daorong, or had Ji Jia himself been here, the battle wouldn't have been so easy.' She replied. A soldier ran up to the two. 'We have recaptured Chang An. Yong is ours.' The soldier said. Both nodded. 'All we have to do is retake Yi. Once that is done, we can take Jing and then the capital.' The first said. 'Yes. A simple yet genius plan. Perhaps you should stay here in Yong, then invade from the east to make it seem even more genius Lord Tian Meng.' The second replied. Tian Meng smirked. 'And let you have all the fun? I think not lady Yuan Nyaru.'
The halls of Xia Pi's palace echoed with the sounds of laughter and music. The banquet room was filled to capacity with generals and soldiers. At the head of the large table sat Liu Fan. To his left and right, in seats of honor, were Zima Hui and Xiahou Shang. Liu Fan rose and raised a glass of wine. 'To our two generals Zima Hui and Xiahou Mei, who were returned to us from Song's grip. And to Xiahou Shang, who organized and carried out the rescue on his own, I offer a toast to all three of them!' Everyone raised their glass and said in unison. 'A toast!' With that, the feast began. Son Kai was talking to Taishi Yuan, Huan Jian was flirting unsuccessfully with Cao Li, Xiahou Jue was glaring at Huan Jian, Guo Xun and Qiao Ren were discussing various stratagems and tactics, Lu Xi and Sun Liao were arm wrestling, Zima Qi and Zhen Gong were holding hands, and Zima Xue and Li Guo were in an eating contest. Zima Hui looked over the table and whistled. 'Hard to believe we're at war.' He said. Liu Fan nodded. 'The result of your return. It's boosted morale.' He said. 'So you are Liu Bei's descendant.' Xiahou Shang said to Liu Fan. 'Yes, though I've not done anything to even hold a candle to what he has done.' Liu Fan replied. 'You're doing your best to retain the Han line despite all of your set backs. Liu Bei would be proud of you.' Xiahou Mei looked at Zima Xue and laughed. 'Zima Xue and Li Guo are still going at it?' She asked. 'Yes. Ever since the drinking game they've been trying to outdo one another. Chess, mahjong, eating, sleeping, horse back riding, archery, everything.' Zima Qi said. 'My sister has a weird way of flirting.' Zima Hui said. At that moment, two knives embedded themselves near Zima Hui's right hand. He looked up to see Li Guo and Zima Xue glaring at him. 'I think I'll shut up now.' He muttered.
'The Xi Liang forces have recaptured Yong and are preparing to continue south to Yi.' A soldier reported. 'My suspicions were correct. Xi Liang's two guardians are more then a match for us.' Ji Jia said, sounding bored. 'Two guardians? What makes Liang so special a province it needs two protectors?' Ji Hua asked. Though Xiahou Shang's attack had meant to kill, it missed Ji Hua's vitals. Aside from wearing a lot of bandages around his lower torso, he also had a deep hatred for the Unholy Xiahou. 'Xi Liang was thought by the fourth Shu emperor to be too vast and wild a territory to have a single protector. So the province was split into east and west. The two families in charge of guarding it were Tian and Yuan. Tian Meng, the descendant of Jin's assassin Sahaqiel and Yuan Nyaru, descendant of Yuan Shao. Apart, formidable opponents. United, they are Shu's saviors. We're in quite a compromising position.' Ji Jia said calmly. 'And you are entirely relaxed about it my lord. You must have a plan.' Matriel asked. 'The plan, you bumbling roman fool, is to let me take over the planning!' A dark voice said. Matriel and Ji Hua began looking around franticly, weapons drawn. 'Who goes there?' Ji Hua yelled. 'Drop your weapons fools.' Ji Jia said. Ji Hua and Matriel turned back to Ji Jia and saw a dark shadow floating next to him. 'Brother!' Ji Hua yelled. 'Be silent!' Ji Jia yelled, his call echoing throughout the hall. 'What you see is the spirit of Dark Wolf. The one who takes dying souls and binds them to it's will.' He said. 'Your brother is a fool Xinzhu. And even though Matriel was the leader of the Roman army that helped Jin his strength lies in his intelligence, not his brute strength. I don't know why I kept so useless a soul.' Dark Wolf said. Matriel growled, but knew better to say anything. 'Are you almost strong enough master?' Ji Jia asked. 'Nearly. I still require a great many souls, but soon I will be ready.'
The party in Jian Ye continued on late into the night. The tables had been cleared away and now the floor was occupied by pairs of dancers. Most of them were soldiers in their casual clothing, but there was the occasional pair of generals. Sun Liao, dressed in crimson robes, was dancing with his wife. Lu Xi and Cao Li were dancing, as were Liu Fan and a heavily blushing Yue Mei, and Li Guo and Zima Xue appeared to be having a contest to see who was the better dancer. Zima Qi walked over to Zima Hui and smirked. 'Why don't you ask Xiahou Mei to dance?' He asked. Zima Hui shook his head. 'She's over talking with Xiahou Shang.' He said with a dejected sigh. 'Besides, she's got just about every soldier after her.' He said. Zima Qi snorted, and then walked over to Xiahou Shang and Xiahou Mei. 'Might I be able to borrow your ancestor Xiahou Mei?' Zima Qi asked with a smile. She nodded, and Zima Qi led a bewildered Xiahou Shang away. He walked over to Zhen Gong and began whispering something to them, and they smirked. The three of them dispersed, Xiahou Shang walking out to the balcony. Xiahou Mei went to follow him, but had her path blocked by Zima Qi. 'Care to dance?'
Zima Hui sat, watching the rest of the soldiers dance. The real reason he hadn't asked Xiahou Mei to dance was because he didn't know how to dance. He would've humiliated himself. A shadow fell over him and he looked up. Zhen Gong, wearing a dark blue dress, was standing over him. 'Not going to dance Zima Hui?' She asked, her voice smooth and seductive. Zima Hui looked down and shook his head. 'I don't know how to.' He muttered. Zhen Gong smiled and grabbed his arm. 'Then how about you learn?' Not waiting for an answer, she pulled him up and onto the dance floor. She put her hands on his shoulders and smiled seductively. 'Now put your arms around my waist.' Zima Hui did so reluctantly, and the lesson continued. After a few more minutes, Zima Hui was looking very uncomfortable. Zhen Gong laid her head on his shoulder and smiled. 'What's wrong Zima Hui?' She asked. 'My cousin's lover is coming onto me.' He said with a nervous chuckle. Zhen Gong had the urge to punch him, but resisted it. 'That reminds me, shouldn't you and Zima Qi be dancing?' He asked. He looked past Zhen Gong and saw Zima Qi dancing with Xiahou Mei. Zima Hui felt a twinge of jealousy surge through him. Zhen Gong smirked. 'Yes. I should.' Zima Hui felt her spin him around, and when he came back around, he found his partner had changed to Xiahou Mei. Zima Hui blinked, then looked over at Zima Qi. Zima Qi was grinning fiendishly, while Zhen Gong had a triumphant smirk on her face. Finding his voice, Zima Hui laughed. 'I think we were just set up.' Xiahou Mei said. Zima Hui shook his head. 'They planned this. That's my cousin.' He said. 'Well, his plan worked.' Xiahou Mei said. The music changed to a slower song and the two continued dancing, neither saying a word. After a few more minutes, Xiahou Mei broke the silence. 'That song you sang to me. What was it?' She asked. 'It's a lullaby my mother sang to me when I was young. She said a foreigner taught it to her. I've always remembered the words, but not what they mean.' He said. Xiahou Mei smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. 'It was beautiful.' Her voice was barely a whisper. After a few more moments of silence, Xiahou Mei took her head off his shoulder and stared into Zima Hui's eyes. Their faces slowly inched closer, and the two found themselves sharing a passionate kiss.
Tian Meng let out an impatient growl. 'This is the only part of being at war that is annoying. The long march between battles.' He said, resting his zanbatou on his shoulders. Yuan Nyaru chuckled. 'Impatient as always aren't you love?' She asked, smiling at her life time friend. Tian Meng chuckled. 'As always.' He replied, chuckling at the name she gave him when they were children. Yuan Nyaru chuckled as well. She looked ahead and spotted the mountains of Yi rising in the distance. 'The natural fortress of Yi. The province that Shu began in and conquered the whole of the land. We have to take it back from Song.' She said. 'We have two choices in getting into Yi. We can either take the main road and attack the Saber Gateway, or we can go through the pathless mountains. Either way we will lose a great deal of troops, but going through Saber Gateway will be quicker.' Tian Meng said. Yuan Nyaru closed her eyes. 'Which of the two poisons is less deadly?' She muttered. 'I believe we should take the gateway.' Tian Meng said. Yuan Nyaru considered it another minute, then nodded. 'Time is of the essence if we wish for the plan to work.' She said. Both of them turned towards the two armies behind them. 'Riders of Xi Liang! This day, we approach the province of Yi! To take it, we must fight through the legendary Saber Gateway!' Tian Meng yelled. 'Yi is overseen by Song's general Feng Xian, The general who defeated both Ji and Bing! However, his victory will not come this time! He no longer has to deal with men unaccustomed to battle, but the stalwart riders of Xi Liang!' Yuan Nyaru said. Yuan Nyaru swung her spear. 'Let us show them the power of our warriors! We are the warriors of Chu, the loyal kingdom to Shu!'