ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS
CHAPTER THREE: LOVE AND WAR
A young person in green armor is heading through a deep wood. She stumbles on a high root and falls to her face. Before she picks herself up and starts to flee again, she begins to doubt herself.
Sun Shang Xiang is having an argument in her head, the italics are her other voice.
I can't believe I just ran out like that, on my father! What has he done so cruelly that I decided to leave? Did I really just leave to find some man on the other side of a battle? No, I didn't, I went to find love. The kind of love Fu Xi had for Nu Wa, the love that exists only in fairy tales and fables.
Besides, it's not as though I left the best stuff, either. Zhou Yu, you callous bastard! How can a person live after they are given the gift of another's heart and then snub it?
In all honesty, you didn't ask him if he loved you. A person can hate love and still feel it.
Shut up! The answer would still be the same; anyway, I truly love this man.
Really, if after only a few moments of study you love someone; how can Gongjin be the fool?
Why do you torment me? I seek only the love that all people need.
But not all people need it. Some of us live perfectly happy lives without a human to slather affection on.
What manner of demon are you? Is your only purpose to destroy me?
Not at all, I only serve as reason in a troubled mind. If your quest is so noble, why do you leave in the thick of night and in the armor of a man?
My father would not let me go even if we ended the war. Besides, if I were to show him the man I love, he would have him killed immediately, and I must go undercover.
Morning is coming; I wonder what will happen to us, since we are in the middle of the battleground. I also wonder, what is your father doing? Is he asking all the officers about where they saw you going? What does Zhou Yu feel?
I care not a damned thing for Zhou Yu.
Then why did he appear in our thoughts?
In the Wu encampment
"Zhou Yu, you fool!! How could you do such a thing? You are lucky Lu Xun isn't quite your caliber in the war room or there would be an execution tonight!"
"Sir in all respect, Lady Sun never asked…Oh who am I kidding? Zhou Yu, you screwed up, big time," spoke Lu Xun in a feeble attempt to restore the position of his teacher.
"Well then, the only answer is to look for her after battle, I am truly sorry my lord, I know that no amount of forgiveness can cleanse me of this horrid sin. So in some penance, I shall lead the search party myself."
"I am quelled for the time being, but be forewarned, if she is not found, you will pay the price."
Zhou Yu gulps, "Understood sir." But I would feel compelled to find her myself. I cannot see you unhappy. I don't know why, but I also don't want to lose my brilliant head either.
"In fact, after the council, you will search for her," commented Sun Jian with a clever grin gracing his face.
"Even in the thick of battle, Lord Sun Jian?" Zhou Yu simply exuded fear from each pore of his body.
Sun Jian, his face stern, his mind unforgiving, replied, "Yes, even in the midst of battle," his voice lost every tone, not joy, not sadness, not even anger. But his voice was the lesser frightening of his countenance, what scared Zhou Yu was his eyes. Yes, his eyes, which seemed devoid of life, compassion, even rational thought. Zhou Yu thought that he had best leave before things got ugly.
Just inside the Shu camp, a man sat in a white robe. His white pumpkin-shaped hat lying next to him, his jet black hair and beard flowing and his elegant hands holding his cup; Zhuge Liang thought, over his cup of tea, Today will be interesting, very interesting.
Just outside the Shu camp, Sun Shang Xiang thought, this is it. Then, a mass of soldiers leaving camp nearly trampled her. After surviving the onslaught, she wandered inside the camp of the enemy; she marveled at the formation, it was masterfully done. Protected at the rear and the sides, it opened at the only discernable exit to the forest, so any soldiers that decided to leave would be caught. She ran into an officer, of whom only she had heard legends, Ma Chao. A sliver shine had glanced the light back at her eyes and temporarily blinded her. His helmet was open-faced with a dragon at the back and it looked as though the dragon would eat his head. The rest of his armor covered his chest and arms like scales. They also had claw-like extensions at the shoulders, hips, and calves. His voice was rather high, and cut through the air like a sharp knife.
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you fighting those Wu dogs? The council will deal with you."
He lifted her by the nape of her neck, like a mother cat lifting her kittens, and carried her to what she assumed was the council building. Once inside she was forced by Ma Chao into a bowing position and then was instructed to look up.
The first image she saw was that of Liu Bei, the King of Shu, he sat in a makeshift throne, he wore a regular set of armor with green and gold. He also had on cream-colored pants, his crown was most interesting, for it was a rather plain crown whose only true adornment was a relatively large jewel set in the center.
To his right sat Zhuge Liang, and at Liu Bei's left was Pang Tong. At Zhuge's right was her new project, Jiang Wei. She smiled slightly, and then got smacked on the back of the head by Ma Chao's heavily armored hand.
She barely held onto consciousness. All she heard was "What unit does she belong to?" she could not discern any voice, but assumed it was Liu Bei. "Mine." She also could not tell where this voice came from, but had a feeling that, if her luck was going to remain the same as it had been, it wasn't going to be Jiang Wei. She then succumbed to the blackness.