Trinity

By Gingivere the Shadowreaver

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Disclaimer: I do not own any character in this fanfic unless otherwise stated. Lu Xun, Gan Ning, Lü Meng, and all other characters are copyrighted to KEOI Productions and are used for fan reasons only. Please do not steal or alter this fic.

Look at that... I'm on a role! No, no, not really. I'm just lucky to have gone over some later scenes in an RP session with my best buddy in the whoooole wiiiiide woooooorld (Quicksilver, mind you). She often helps me with the chapters and I thought I'd give her recognition. Yes, ACCEPT THE RECOGNITION, DARN YOU! clears throat You people are going to HATE me but... pan to other kingdoms! Our three heroes need their break.

Ning: chugs beer Yeah! I'm going to Hawaii!

Xun: Hawaii? Where's that?

Meng: grumble I hate planes.

Note: Don't be alarmed if Zhang He and Xu Huang seem kind of friendly to one another... I always saw them as good friends, but if you YAOI fangirls want to think of it as THAT way, go ahead. We all know Zhang He is blindly devoted to Sima Yi anyway...

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Chapter Eleven: The Flower Child's Dance

Lady Wu did not believe the maidens until she looked for herself, and sure enough, as he stared out of the window of her bedroom, she could see two men upon two white horses, walking down the road towards them. No, she definitely did not recognize them, but by their flag, anyone could tell which kingdom they came from. As the Qiaos and her granddaughter gathered around the window, she could only wonder now... who's bright idea was it to leave the castle unattended?

"Oh grandmother... whatever shall we do?!"

Looking at her granddaughter to see her draped in the garments for fitting, Lady Wu sighed, unable to answer at the moment, as Xiao Qiao grew worried. "What would they be doing here?! And where's the rest of them?!"

Da Qiao raised a hand to her chin, cocking her face in contemplation, "Perhaps they merely wish to discuss a peace of some sort? That would be the most logical explanation..."

"Since when did Lord Cao Cao send two generals for peace offerings?" Lady Wu pointed out, narrowing her eyes. "He would have came himself!"

"Yet, my Lady Wu, what other explanation fits the facts? These two generals ride with no armies, not even bodyguards! Surely that is a symbol of trust?"

They knew of Lady Wu's distrust of the northern kingdom, but she was trying so hard now, not to let that prejudice interfere with the situation. Finally, they were stopped by the two lonely guards at the castle's walls, and she nodded, looking to the three women that were there. "Though they may seem like they're here for some sort of peace offering, we can't be sure. If we allow them into the castle with no Lord available, they could tell their lord, and that would bring nothing but trouble. We're wide open for attack now."

Her granddaughter peeked from behind Lady Wu, giving a gasp, "Oh, Grandmother! Look how beautiful they are!"

Now Lady Wu was surprised, grabbing her granddaughter's arm and gently removing her from the window. She dared not look for herself, as she scolded the young lady. "Now that is not something a bride-to-be is suppose to say unless it is her husband-to-be! Now you go back to the servants and get your dress done!"

With a sigh, the girl obeyed, "Yes Grandmother... but have a look at them yourself, before you judge my words so harshly!"

As she trudged her way out of the door, her aunt in pursuit, Lady Wu shook her head. Da Qiao wore a slight smile, as she stood up for her daughter's defense. "You cannot blame her; she's as nervous as it gets. Besides, take a look for yourself!"

Lady Wu sighed, "Oh very well... let me take a look at these men, since you both command me to do so."

And so, doing her best to put aside her prejudice, she did so. The man to the left was the one that caught her gaze first, for his outfit alone was what a natural mother would have adored. Clean as if it was newly washed, something that most soldiers and generals lacked. Then she let her gaze venture towards his face, and a cleanly shaved man wearing a small white turban glanced towards her for a second, then went back to the guards, as if to try to talk his way in. "Oh my..."

It was the one on the right, however, that truly took her breath away. Long hair, dark as midnight and kept in two long ponytails crowned his perfectly pale and angelic face. He was shirtless, with a strangely mesmerizing tattoo on his flesh, and his stunning purple pants made her wish the color of Wu was not red.

"Your mouth is open..." Da Qiao smiled. "Shall we let them in to see what they want?"

As if to deny it, Lady Wu covered her mouth, giving a sigh, "Alright... maybe we can get some information out of them too. Perhaps they are here to help..."

"It is truly amazing how many doors will open to a pretty face..."

Without another word, Da Qiao left, and now that she was alone, Lady Wu rushed to her closet, to dress for the occasion. Maybe she could convince them to help their army and ease her poor granddaughter's mind. Yes, that was what she could do... but still, as she smiled, seeing some new faces was a relief, even if they were rather beautiful and from that horrible northern kingdom. "Well, a girl is allowed to have her fun, I suppose..."

Da Qiao rushed to the guardsmen, flashing them a cheerful smile, "Open the gates! Do these men appear dangerous to you?"

The two men looked down at her as if she was crazy, and as they began to obey her orders, Xu Huang and Zhang He waited, their horses growing lazy from underneath them. They had traveled quite a distance, and their owners could not blame them for being tired. Xu Huang did not mean to rub his eyes, as Zhang He grinned, "Tired?"

"A bit, yes," the axeman admitted. "Though I would not say that around these people of Wu... especially not with you. No offense is meant, of course, but you know how rumors fly..."

Zhang He could only laugh, as the gates slowly opened before them. "You have a good sense of humor... not that you talk much. I had the impression that I was talking to myself the whole trip..."

"Oh no, I was hanging on every word. I simply did not have much to contribute," Xu Huang smiled. "Besides, I like to hear your talk. You make every word sound precious... my gruff voice was unfit after such glorified speech."

Now, Zhang He looked at him, his expression indescribable as the gates were finally opened. They did not have much time to discuss the issue, as they now looked at the woman in front of them, greeted with a humble bow. They were surprised that besides the two guards on the wall, there were no more present, as Da Qiao welcomed them. "Welcome to Jian Ye, kind sirs. I assume that you are here for official business?"

Xu Huang responded, "Indeed, my lady. We would like to speak to whomsoever is currently in command."

There was slight hesitation in Da Qiao's voice, but she covered it up. "Our lord is not present at the moment, so the castle is left in the reliable hands of our lord's mother, Empress Wu."

Zhang He smiled sweetly, "Clearly a wonderful lady perfectly capable of such a responsibility. May we come to speak with her?"

Oh, it took everything possible for Da Qiao not to melt at that smile, and Xu Huang tried to fight off any sense of jealousy as the lady replied, "She'll be presentable within a few minutes... I will escort you both to the garden, there you may talk with her. Please leave your horses here."

Stroking the poor beasts, Xu Huang asked, "Could someone please take them to the stable and care for them? They have been working hard all day... they really do need a rest..."

"Of course... guards, see to it that these horses are given the proper attention." Da Qiao ordered, meaning every word of it. She flashed Xu Huang a smile and could not help but comment, "You're rather kind for a general... you remind me so much of Lord Lü Meng if you don't mind me saying so."

Xu Huang bowed, "Thank you, my lady. That is a great compliment indeed."

Again, she smiled, and as Zhang He dismounted, the man poked at Xu Huang, "I see that smile... why don't you smile often, Huang? It fits you more than that brooding face of yours..."

Without missing a beat, the man responded, "Perhaps if I had someone to make me smile, I would smile more often, General Zhang He."

"Oh... is it that our strongest warrior is a bit lonely?" Zhang He did not mean to badger, but he quickly backed off when he caught a glimpse of his cold blue eyes. He sighed, handing the reigns to his white steed to the guard. "I see. Well, kind sir, let us be off, before the Lady leaves us in the dust."

Da Qiao laughed, "I would never dream of it. I have to keep the other ladies from seeing you, lest you take all of their hearts away when you leave."

Now Xu Huang blushed, but lucky for him, Zhang He diverted the attention away from it. "Are we going to cause problems, dear Lady? I am sure we mean no such thing!"

"Come, come. Lady Wu will be delighted to see you; she does not often get many visitors, so having two as courteous as you will truly make her day." Da Qiao turned, allowing them to follow at their own speed as she thought to herself. She would definitely have to keep these men away from her daughter... she didn't want to give the poor girl anymore doubts.

When they entered the gardens, she heard a sharp intake of breath, before Zhang He spoke, "This is truly beautiful, my lady. All the flowers..."

"Yes... our Empress has made it her personal hobby to get as many flowers as possible within this garden."

"It is magnificent..." Zhang He was in complete and utter awe, and he did not mean to be awestruck, but he could not help himself. They were so beautiful, and so many, too! He spotted a bush full of red flowers, and he ventured towards them, to observe them up close. "Your Empress has an eye for beauty indeed... I see why your kingdom does not seek to unify the land as we do!"

Da Qiao smiled, giving Xu Huang a questioning look, "And you, sir? What do you think of our garden?"

Xu Huang said nothing for the longest of time, before finally muttering, "It's nice..."

Zhang He chuckled, picking one of the newly fallen flowers from the ground and reaching to place it upon his companion's turban, "You must not mind dear Huang. He speaks softly and with little grace, but he always speaks the truth. I believe 'nice' is one of his highest compliments."

That arose a giggle from Da Qiao's throat, as Xu Huang hesitantly removed the flower. "I understand... it's not often that a man can express himself so easily. Thank you for the compliment, General Xu Huang."

"You're... welcome..."

Now the blush could not be hidden, and Da Qiao contained her giggles, as Zhang He teased him, "Ah, Huang, you wish to be a flower yourself? I'm afraid that though you many have the same tent of red on your face, that you're just too strong to be a little flower!"

"G-General Zhang He! Stop your nonsense, least we waste anymore of the precious lady's time!"

"Do not worry... Lady Wu shall be down soon." Da Qiao tried to hard not to laugh, but it seemed inevitable, even for her! She gave them a bow, "I'll leave you two men here, then. Please, make yourself comfortable and she'll attend to you."

Xu Huang, his face still flushing, whirled on Zhang He, "Why must you always tease me? You know I dislike it!"

"Why must you always hide? Under all that armor you are human, after all..." Zhang He smiled, slipping his arms around the others neck. "We have been friends forever, Huang, and you're still as tense around me as you are around our Lord! You need to relax..."

The general sneered, trying to flee from his hold but unable to do so. "Zhang He-"

"Relax, Huang... relax. Look at this beautiful garden, realize you are with a friend, and relax," his friend murmured, his own eyes sparkling.

Once again, he tried, but to no avail. "How can I relax when you hold me that way? It's none of your business... we're here for business, general."

Smooth hands began to massage his neck, "You live your life in business, dear Huang. It would not hurt you every now and then to try and find some pleasure in it."

"I... have no time for pleasure!" Xu Huang felt immobilized, and he tried to find no comfort in this, yet it seemed impossible. Maybe Zhang He was right... he DID need to relax. But where was the time for that?

Those same hands slid down the curve of his back, massaging some of the knots they found there, "Only because you never allow yourself time for any! Promise me that, after this mission, you will. You're going to work yourself to death, Huang..."

"Fine... I promise."

"That's a good boy... maybe I'll reward you with massages more often." Zhang He smiled, seeing Xu Huang's tensed face now relaxed. "Oh, you've been needing this for a long time, dear friend... you need to ask for time off."

"You and I both know I can't, Flower Child. I can relax a bit more, yes, but I cannot ask for time off..." Xu Huang replied, not meaning to make Zhang he pause, to ponder about the nickname for a second before continuing. "That would be asking for all war to stop... and that... will never happen."

Sighing, Zhang He nodded, resting his head against his friend's shoulder, "Unfortunately. Though, perhaps for right now everyone can at least be on the same side..."

Xu Huang had no words to say at the moment... he truly did want peace, but after so many battles, he knew it would not come. And to fight on the same side would seem nice, but that, too, seemed too good to believe. He knew that there would be an ultimate cost for Wu, and for them, as well. He sighed again... there was no honor here.

A discreet cough filled the air, "I -do- hope I am not interrupting anything?"

Both men jumped to their feet, and out of old habits, Xu Huang saluted. When Zhang He spoke, he quickly went to bow instead, as the kind man addressed the mother of Sun Quan. "Nothing that shouldn't be happening, my dear lady. Please excuse us, but I was merely trying to relax my friend... he is very stressed at this very moment."

With a grin, Lady Wu responded, "Indeed, and if anyone could make a man or a woman relax, it would be your most capable hands."

Now Zhang He blushed slightly, "Thank you, dear lady."

"Now now, why don't you both just follow your own advice and relax? Surely an old lady like me cannot frighten or disturb you!" Lady Wu giggled, as they felt free to relieve themselves to a more comfortable position. Oh, these men were definitely worth looking at over and over again, but she tried to stay professional before them. After all, Jian Ye was under her watch right now. "Now, may I ask who you two brave men are?"

Xu Huang bowed his head, "I am Xu Huang, and my companion is Zhang He. We are, quite obviously from our flag, two generals of the Wei army, and we have been sent by Lord Cao Cao to perform a very special function."

"Oh really? What is this special function?"

Zhang He smiled, placing a soft finger over his lips, "That, my dear lady, is a secret, for now."

Lady Wu wasn't the type that liked secrets, however, she did not argue. Instead, she wore a bright smile, and directed her next question towards Xu Huang, "You look tired, general. Perhaps we can give you a room to rest in tonight? The two of you would do well from a bit of relaxation!"

Xu Huang bowed, "That would be most appreciative, my lady."

"Yes, the general definitely needs to relax... don't you think he's looking a bit pale?" Zhang He teased, ignoring his fellow general's glare as he continued. "If it would not be too much to ask, could we possibly work to get a meal in as well, dear kind Empress?"

"It seems to me that the two of you could make a meal of each other, they way you act." Neither one could truly believe that this came from such a woman, however, she gave them no time to ponder, as she clapped her hands, to call forth the maidens. "Ladies, ladies! Tell the cooks to find that pig that we're saving for the army's return and have it roasted! These men look as if they have quite an appetite!"

Playfully poking Xu Huang's stomach, Zhang He teased, "Oh yes... I do believe it has been some time since this poor fellow has had a decent meal..."

Xu Huang said nothing, too angered and embarrassed by his fellow general's behavior to thank the empress of Wu for her hostility. Instead, he just flashed Zhang He another glare, before shaking his head and looking at the maidens that entered the garden, to guide them to the dining hall. He spoke up against it, trying to remember his priorities, "Kind Lady, as you might know, your kingdom is off at war. Do you really think this is necessary?"

Lady Wu raised a single brow, "Do you think it is not? To the best of my understanding, these pirates are not only a danger to us, but to your kingdom as well."

Once again, Zhang He interrupted, "As well we know, my lady."

"Then why do you feel the need to question us? The war is certainly necessary... even if we must fight alone." Lady Wu said, unable to contain a sigh. "I wish we were not, gentlemen, that I tell you with sincerity."

Neither man could blame her for her honesty, and it was Zhang He that tried to soothe that tension, speaking with words that Xu Huang only began to wish he had. "Dear Empress, please understand our kingdom's dilemma as well. We, too, see this as a threat to us, however, after our harsh pasts, we only fear that your son would not accept our help without suspicion."

"But accept he would, sir, for he has no real choice!" Lady Wu proclaimed, then paused, to smile. "General, has anyone ever told you what beautiful EYES you have?"

To this Zhang He laughed, giving his long hair a toss, "Many times, dear lady... but I never tire of the compliment."

Xu Huang could only give a small smile, shaking his head. Even the older women loved him... why did the truth come to him now? That truth being exactly how lonely he really was? Now, more than ever, he wanted to be more like Zhang He...

"You -are- a character, aren't you? I'm certain you make someone amongst you very happy..."

'More like envious...' Xu Huang thought.

Zhang He smiled, "I, sweet lady? Oh no... I am not some great hidden prize of Wei. There is another, far more deserving of that title..."

Again, Xu Huang thought alone to himself, 'Lord Sima Yi would take that title...'

Lady Wu smiled, "Oh? Who is then, for if they are greater than either you or your companion, I will one day have to let myself be captured simply to meet them!"

They both laughed, leaving Xu Huang only to wonder. Why was he wasting his time here again?

"You are in luck, Lady Wu, for indeed the man I do speak of happens to be traveling with me today." Zhang He pointed out, catching Xu Huang's attention as they came to a stop. He pointed to his comrade, his smile ever so obvious, "He is merely too shy to admit it."

Lady Wu raised her eyebrows, "Oh? Tell me about him then, you who are so graceful and flattering with words, since he will not speak for himself."

"General, I don't think we have time for this now..." Xu Huang stated, his voice firm. "The invading army has surely reached the shores by now, and we can't waste anymore time here-"

"Hush, young man, I will not hear any protests! I insist, as your hostess!"

Xu Huang flashed Zhang He a look that said 'Don't you dare!'

Zhang He smiled, but it was a softer smile than normal, with sadness in it, though hidden, "What can I say about him? He is loyal, brave, and true. He never questions orders, unless they need to be questioned. He has the strength of a tiger, but the gentle heart and soul of lamb. What more need be said of him?"

And it was definitely his words that left Lady Wu in awe, and she took them to heart, as she turned to the now blushing Xu Huang. "Oh, if everything he has said about you is true, then you need to smile more. We cannot do with that frown of yours!"

"M-my lady, Zhang He certainly flatters me more than I deserve..." Xu Huang did not mean to stutter. "I only am meant to serve..."

"What did I tell you, sweet lady? He feels inadequate for no reason whatsoever..."

Xu Huang was surprised to feel Lady Wu's finger tighten around his cheeks, forcing a smile onto his face. She giggled, as Xu Huang's face turned bright, bright red. "Oh, now smile, darn you! Don't be so modest!"

Zhang He could not help but laugh, "That's the way, Lady Wu! Force him to see his worth... even if I cannot."

Now Xu Huang caught a glimpse of Zhang He's frown, and he could only wonder about it as Da Qiao came running down the hallway. She gave them a look before drawing Lady Wu's attention. "My lady, could you please see your granddaughter for a second? She wants to see you..."

"Oh, of course, of course! Please do excuse me, gentlemen! I am in the midst of planning a wedding." Lady Wu smiled, "But please, feel free to wander about as you wish. Whenever the meal is prepared, I shall send someone to find you."

They both bowed, "As you wish, my lady."

As she bustled off, Xu Huang saw his companion's smile slowly fade, almost as though he were taking off a mask he had worn for her. What ever was going on? He took a brave step forward, to approach the subject, "What's wrong? If anyone should be upset, it should be me."

Zhang He laughed softly, "You? Whatever for? Because I spoke truth?"

"You embarrassed me, but whatever..." Xu Huang went back to the topic at hand. "Was it about the ship we saw earlier?"

Piercing blue eyes turned to him, and Zhang He murmured, "Ask me not about that horrible ship..."

Now Xu Huang backed off, "I see... then I won't."

"I... I am sorry, Huang. I did not mean to snap at you..." Zhang He quickly apologized, trying to smile, to cover his real emotions. "I just... do not wish to remember that ship, that is all."

Crossing his arms, Xu Huang felt it was unfair that Zhang He was allowed to tease him in front of the ladies, yet he was not allowed to ask a simple question, "No... don't hide from me. We're friends, right?"

The smile never faded, "I just... have a past with that ship, that's all."

"A past? With a pirate ship?" Xu Huang was surprised. "I'm a little shocked to hear that... if you don't mind me saying, but you're not their type."

"How I wish... they had thought the same, so long ago..." Zhang He sighed, and Xu Huang felt horrible to even be asking him this. Now he did not want to know, not if it hurt him so much. He forced that smile through, though, as he shrugged, "Guess they're unpredictable after all."

Xu Huang could only nod, once again resorting to silence in his friend's mist. Suddenly, Zhang He faced the axeman directly, "What you called me earlier... 'Flower Child'. Why did you call me that?"

Surprised that he had remembered, Xu Huang shrugged, "I don't know... I suppose I wanted to get even with you for embarrassing me in front of the Lady."

"I have never lied to you, Huang... please show me the same courtesy."

Again, Xu Huang could not admit it, "I just assumed you liked flowers, so... why does it bother you, anyway? Why are we even talking about it; we have better priorities than this, general."

Zhang He sighed, "Because... I want to know. You are not the first... to use such a term..."

"I... didn't mean it!" Xu Huang knew he was blushing, and he knew it called him a liar. "It was... just..."

"You just what?" The man asked softly, his sapphire blue eyes turned to him. "I just want to know, Huang... I... I have to know..."

Alas, Xu Huang had no nerve, so he said nothing, merely walking past him to go look around the castle on his own. How could he answer when he was not sure of it himself?

"The pirates... often called me the same, Huang."

Xu Huang came to a dead stop, unable to turn around to say anything. He truly did not know that... how could he have known that!?

There was a hint of sadness in Zhang He's rich voice, "I just thought... maybe you would know why anyone would grace me with such a term. I was their Flower Child too... but somehow I think I would rather be yours..."

Now, for the oddest of reasons, that struck Xu Huang the hardest, and whatever pain Zhang He was feeling, he felt it at full force. Still, he could not collect the strength he was so used to in the battlefield to turn to him to say anything at all. Instead, he started walking away... he could not face this challenge.

"Huang... please... don't leave me..."

That voice alone stopped him, and he curled his fist and sighed. Why did it stop him?

Zhang He's voice was soft, so soft, "I will tell you anything you wish about my past... but promise you won't leave me..."

"Why? If it hurts you to talk about it, I don't want to force you to hurt yourself," Xu Huang stated plainly.

A chuckle, one so light, yet so filled with sadness, "No. Pain is no mystery to me, Huang. I merely hope that, afterwards... you can still look at me and call me a friend."

"You're my friend, no matter what." Xu Huang sighed. "You shouldn't judge that."

"I was captured by pirates when I was very young. Well, I say very young... I was probably near my teenage years when it happened..."

Xu Huang tried to stop him, "Zhang He..."

Oblivious to him, Zhang He continued, "I had, of course, known that my looks were good. Everyone I knew said so. But I did not know that beauty was enough to leave me alive... when so many others were killed..."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" Xu Huang blurted, grasping his friend's shoulders. "Stop it if it hurts! I don't want to see you in pain!"

The general was surprised for a second, before smiling, "I'm sorry... I guess I got too carried away. How rude of me."

"Oh... why do you DO this, Flower Child?!" Xu Huang asked, not meaning to use that name but did not take it back. "Why do you hurt yourself so much when you don't have to?"

"You said you wanted to know, Huang... it does not hurt me so much..." Zhang He sighed. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't burden you with my problems, especially now."

"No... I want to know... it's just... I can't bear to see you in pain..."

Big blue eyes gave the question, "Really?"

Feeling the first beginnings of a blush rising, Xu Huang nodded, "Really. W e will have to face the pirates later, and... we both need to be in our best form... that's all."

"Oh, am I interrupting again?" The voice of Lady Wu filled the air, as the gracious lady could not contain her smile. "I do apologize... I must seem terribly bothersome and forever meddling..."

The two jumped in alarm, separating themselves as they bowed to her respectively. Once again, Zhang He put up his defensive charm, his smile ever so obvious. "It's quite alright, my lady."

"I was just going to say I would take you to seated for the meal... but perhaps you would like to see your rooms first?"

"I'm not really hungry at this moment..." Zhang He proclaimed. "The rooms seem nice, if they go along with this lovely castle."

Lady Wu smiled, "And you, sir? Would you prefer to join him or come to dinner?"

It was a much harder decision than he originally thought, but giving a small glance at Zhang He, he gave his answer, "I'll join him, if you do not mind."

Lady Wu's smile broadened, and Xu Huang, for what seemed like the millionth time, felt a blush color his cheeks, "I see. I shall see the two of you are not disturbed then."

"Thank you, my lady."

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"They did what?!"

Sun Shang Xiang snuck about behind the curtains, hands behind her back and a mischievous smile across her bright face. If anyone had seen her, they would have known why she smiled so brightly now, and the glint in her eyes told all that her plan had indeed worked.

The messenger tried not to tremble at Liu Bei's voice, and she, too, was rather surprised to hear it sound so rough. Her husband hardly screamed at all... still, she smiled, trying so hard not to giggle when the messenger spoke aloud, "Generals Huang Zhong and Wei Yan have gathered their troops and are on their way to Wu as we speak, my lord!"

"Seems like trouble," Zhuge Liang stated the obvious, only making Sun Shang Xiang's laughter worse to control. She clamped both hands over her mouth, as the calm man sighed. "They're moving faster than we expected... they'll blow our cover."

Liu Bei didn't seem bothered with that at all, as it was for another reason why he did not wish for them to move out. "How big are their forces combined?"

"No more than a few thousand, my lord."

"They'll be slaughtered for sure then!"

A sense of guilt hit the young woman, but she did not back down from her plan, silencing herself and listening all the more as Zhuge Liang spoke, to calm his lord down. "Sir, there is still time to stop them. Jiang Wei is stationed not to far from where they were, and we can send him out to stop them."

"Do so... I don't want to lose two good generals and innocent lives over this... no more than we have to."

Now that kind of angered Sun Shang Xiang, and she stopped her foot on the ground, not realizing she just gave away her position to the men that were searching for her. She held back her scream, as she felt a strong hand grasp her own and pull her out of the curtains. She fought back of course, causing even more of a ruckus as now everyone in the courtroom turned their attention towards her. She planted a firm kick to Zhang Fei's knee, releasing herself only to be caught by a strong man. She was unable to free herself from Guan Yu's hold, however, as Liu Bei asked, "What's going on!?"

"We have a little spy," Guan Yu stated, still trying to contain her as he looked to his elder brother. "Forgive me for saying so, Brother, but I think she has something to do with Huang Zhong's movement."

"Damn right I do!" Sun Shang Xiang openly admitted, making her husband gasp slightly as she drove her elbow into Guan Yu's gut, only for it to bounce off. Still, she tried, as she confessed loudly, "I just talked to them, really!"

Zhuge Liang shook his head, as Liu Bei asked, "But why? Don't you realize that they could be killed?"

And of course, her voice alone made Liu Bei back down, letting everyone know exactly who was on the top part of this relationship. Liu Bei may have been a lord, but she seemed to be a Goddess. "And don't you realize that some of my former officers, my friends and family, could be killed too? You may not care, but I still do! I love them still, and I don't think we should have to forsake them over some stupid province!"

Oh, what held Guan Yu and Zhang Fei down from slapping her was amazing, as Zhang Fei looked ready to snap, "Hey, you need to speak a bit nicer, little lady!"

"Shang Xiang..."

"Look, do whatever you want... but I'm going to go help them, even if you won't!" Sun Shang Xiang couldn't even bare to look at him, not wanting to see his slightly hurt expression as she now tried to free herself from Guan Yu's hold. He wasn't letting up, and she growled, "Let me go already!"

It was Zhuge Liang that made the suggestion, "Perhaps we should lock her up for the time being... she could very well be harmed, my lord."

"Then do so... I won't let you get hurt, Shang Xiang," Liu Bei made the order, and Guan Yu was quick to obey, practically dragging the woman out of the courtroom. You could tell how much he held back, his face turning bright, bright red as she screamed the entire way out. Finally, the room grew silent once again, and Liu Bei fell to the throne, too mentally exhausted to take anymore. "What a woman..."

"I'll never know what you see in her, Brother..." Zhang Fei commented, scratching his nose and giving a slight grin as his older brother laughed, in spite of the predicament. "So, what ya going to do?"

Liu Bei did not hesitate, not wanting any of his men to die. "Send Jiang Wei out... tell him to bring them back, no matter what the cost."

"And their punishment?"

He couldn't ignored Zhuge Liang's question, as he sighed, "I'll come up with one later... right now, all I want to do is to make sure they're safe."

"Of course my lord... we'll do that right away." Zhuge Liang wasted no time, quickly getting to work to write the letter to his prized pupil. He would expect this kind of thing from Wei Yan, the brute... but the fact that Huang Zhong was in on it too surprised him slightly. 'Better make things right again...'