Thanks for the reviews! Mucho sorryness for lack of updates. First, I got The Sims 2 and played that all during my free time. Second, my brother rented Fable and I've been playing that during my free time. So, yeah. I had writer's block when I was writing this, so it might not be very good. And I was listening to music and singing most of the time to, so I might not have been paying good attention. Lots of notes on the chapter, like usual. I like to try and explain some things about the story incase something doesn't make sense or for other things. My last story made no sense whatsoever because I didn't do that. But then again, that one was way weirder.
Okay, anyway, I need to know something. How many of you want Sun Shang Xiang to marry Liu Bei? I don't really like the pairing all that well, but if enough people want them to get married then I'll add it in next chapter, maybe... I don't know. They'll get married eventually if enough people want them to.
Notes on this chapter:
1. I wanted to take a break from battles, so I decided to write a chapter about Liu Bei being in Wu.
2. I made up most of this chapter. Maybe only one or two things in this chapter that's in the game or novel, though I'm not sure. I'm just saying that incase there is something from it.
3. Me thinks Liu Bei's army was called Shu by this time? No matter. If it wasn't, then it is now.
4. Yes. Sun Ce. The guy you would want to have around when you were talking politics, though he doesn't talk anyway.
5. "Of which all of the details would most likely bore you." - further down in story, Maybe not, but I don't really feel like typing up an entire conversation. I suck at politics anyway.
6. "and in others say they were immense" - Forgot the word I was thinking of. Had to look it up in a thesaurus and then choose which one I wanted to use, heh. So sorry if immense doesn't sound right when you read it.
7. Okay, don't really know if dazing off is appropriate, but that's what Liu Bei does.
8. -points to 7- Sort of the same thing with Yue Ying. Don't know if she would do that, but you gotta admit a lot of people would if they were bored and tired.
9. Don't know if there were such things as reserve castles, but there are now. I doubt the castle where Sun Jian stays at would be big enough for two armies...?
10. I don't know anything about Chinese food. Sorry.
11. I made Gan Ning talk weird. I don't really know why. I guess cause he used to be a pirate and pirates usually talk weird.
12. I'm not saying Xiao Qiao is annoying, ...wait, yes I am. Don't get mad at me, I have nothing against her. She's actually my 2nd fav. female character because she acts exactly like me, well sort of. I'm annoying most of the time, and a bit immature at times, but I don't scream almost everything I say.
13. Ah... The two people normally portrayed as drunkards once again being portrayed as so.
14. Don't know about in DW3, but in DW4, Sun Jian, Sun Quan, and Sun Ce all call Sun Shang Xiang tomboy when your playing a stage.
15. Also! I don't think Zhuge Liang is ugly, that's just was Xiao says. I personally don't think he's all that handsome either, but better than some.
Disclaimer: I do not own Koei or their characters. Or Romance of the Three Kingdoms if any of it is used in this chapter.
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CHAPTER 5 START
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"Halt! Who goes there?" called a voice. Liu Bei and his companions looked up at the guards on top of the the wall. They had reached the castle in the Wu capital.
"I am Lord Liu Bei of Shu. I have come to propose an alliance with Lord Sun Jian." The guards looked at each other and conversed for a few moments before one called back down.
"Hold on. We will send a messenger to our lord and see if he wishes to allow your entrance." One of the men disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later and told what appeared to be the head guard something. The guard nodded and called, "Alright, you can come in. We'll have a few of the guards escort Lord Liu Bei and his strategist to Lord Sun Jian. The others of you will wait in the courtyard." And so the gates opened and allowed them to enter. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang continued to follow the guards while the other officers waited in the courtyard.
"I hope all goes well..." sighed Yue Ying.
"There is no need to worry. Lord Sun Jian really doesn't have a choice if he wants to beat Cao Cao's onslaught." Guan Yu said and Zhang Fei nodded in agreement.
"Besides, even if they didn't need our help, I'm sure Master Liang could convince them to accept the alliance anyway," said Zhao Yun. Ying thought for a bit before nodding herself.
"Yes, you are right."
x-x-x
Sun Jian had taken Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang into his council room. With him he had Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan. They began discussing the alliance and the attack Cao Cao was planning, of which all of the details would most likely bore you.
"Yes, I agree completely, Lord Liu Bei. You say Cao Cao attacked you on your way here? What happened exactly? What were your losses?" asked Sun Jian.
"I believe Cao Cao knew I was trying to get to your territory to propose an alliance, and he did not want that. So he attacked us to try and stop us from getting here. My men and I traveled through Chang Ban, and of course over the Chang Jiang. I suppose in some ways you may say that my losses were minimal, and in others say they were immense..." answered Liu Bei as he sort of dazed off for a moment.
"Excuse me for asking, but what exactly does that mean?" inquired Zhou Yu, watching the Shu lord. Liu Bei snapped back and answered,
"Ahh... Yes. Well, I didn't loose to many troops. Cao Cao was weakened by the encounter we had at Bo Wang Po and his soldiers didn't exactly have the highest moral at the time. On the other hand, I almost lost my son as well as one of my two wives. The other wife I had was lost during the battle."
"That is... quite unfortunate..." said Sun Jian. "Well, if you would please give my officers and I a chance to discuss this alliance. You and your strategist here may go to the courtyard and wait with the rest of your generals while you wait. It shouldn't take to long to decide." And so left Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, being led by some guards back to the courtyard.
x-x-x
"How did it go, brother?" asked Zhang Fei as Bei and Liang walked into the courtyard to join the others.
"Uhh..." answered Liu Bei, looking at Zhuge Liang. "I suppose it went well." Liang nodded and began to fan himself.... again.
'Why does he always fan himself like that? It gets annoying. Especially when he does it when it's cold and there's no need to try to cool yourself off.' thought Yue Ying absent mindedly. She had gotten quite bored waiting for so long and was still tired from the last battle. Her mind tended to wander off at times when she was bored and tired. She caught herself and drew her attention back to Liu Bei, who was telling the others about how the council went.
x-x-x
After an eternity, or so it seemed as there was nothing to do, a few guards came back out to the courtyard.
"Lord Liu Bei and Lord Zhuge Liang, Sun Jian has a decision. If you would please follow us," said one of the guards and walked off with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang following. They reached the council room and one of the guards opened the door and bowed. The two continued walking into the room and walked up to the table. Sun Jian and his officers stood up and everyone bowed to each other before sitting down.
"Lord Liu Bei, I have made my decision. I accept your offer to form an alliance. It would be quite difficult for my army alone to defend against the attacks from Cao Cao. If our two armies work together, then we can indeed defeat him and push back into his own land." Liu Bei bowed his head.
"Thank you, Lord Sun Jian. I am very grateful. If we did not have your cooperation then my army would surely be destroyed by Cao Cao and my people would be under the rule of a tyrant."
"No, I should be thanking you. I had not even considered the threat until you came here. Anyway, you left the rest of your army outside the city, did you not? We have another small castle for the purpose of any extra troops we may have nearby. If you wish, you may send one of your generals with one of mine to take them to it."
"Yes, I thank you again, Lord Sun Jian."
x-x-x
"Wow! These people really know how to throw a banquet!" said Zhao Yun. The Shu and Wu generals, including the two lords, of course, were sitting around a large table full of all different types of delicious foods.
"I must admit, this food is some of the best I've ever tasted," said Yue Ying, taking a bite of some chicken and rice. After she said this, the doors burst open and in came Zhang Fei and Gan Ning. Liu Bei had sent Zhang Fei to take the army to the reserve castle and Sun Jian had sent Gan Ning to show him the way. This meant that they would be rid of the two who would get the most involved in the banquet, if you know what I mean, at least for a little while.
"Hey! Who started this banquet without us?!" Called out Zhang Fei, then spotted the wine. "Oh... wine!"
"Oh no!" groaned everyone from Shu.
"Hey! Save sum o' dat fer me!" called Gan Ning, running after Zhang Fei towards the wine.
"Oh no!" groaned everyone from Wu.
x-x-x
During the banquet, everyone got acquainted with those from the other side, such as the following conversations.
"So your one of the famous Qiao sisters?" asked Zhao Yun.
"Yes, I am Da Qiao."
"Wow! I heard you were beautiful but I never thought you were this beautiful!"
"Oh... Uhh, Thanks," said Da, blushing a bit.
"This might sound sort of strange, seeing as we just meet, but do you have a, you know, boyfriend or something?"
"Yes, Lord Sun Ce is my husband." Zhao Yun looked down the table at Sun Ce.
'Darn it! Why couldn't it have been some weak ugly guy? Then I could have stolen her heart!' he thought. He turned back to Da and changed the conversation to something else. A little bit further along the table, Yue Ying was talking to Xiao Qiao.
"My name is Xiao Qiao! I'm married to the great Zhou Yu! See! He's down there! Isn't he handsome?!" Yue Ying looked down the table. The guy she was talking about seemed to be the serious and reserved type. This Xiao girl seemed to be immature and liked to scream everything she said.
'What an odd couple...' thought Ying before turning back to Xiao and saying, "Uhh... yes, I suppose so."
"Are you married?!"
"Yes, my husband is Zhuge Liang."
"The one talking to Zhou Yu?! He looks ugly! Why'd you marry him?!" Ying sighed, looking quite annoyed with the girl. Around the room walked a very drunk Zhang Fei and Gan Ning, hitting on any of the servant girls they found.
"Ar... 'ey... let's... 'ave... a... drinking... contest...!" said Zhang Fei, hiccupping.
"Yeerrrr...! That... sounds... fun...! Hoooo... can... drink... da... mosts...?" answered Gan Ning and the two of them went over to an empty spot on the table. Both took a cup of wine and drank it, and then both passed out. A few of the servants came up and started dragging the two men to their rooms. At the top of the table sat Liu Bei and Sun Jian, who were conversing. While they were doing so, a woman came up to Sun Jian.
"I think I'm going to go to bed now, Father. I' m tired from training so much."
"Alright, goodnight then, tomboy." The girl nodded and walked out of the room. "That's my daughter, Sun Shang Xiang," Sun Jian said to Liu Bei. "Quite a tomboy. She refuses to wear dresses or skirts unless it's a very special occasion and won't grow her hair out past her shoulders. She's a good fighter though, a good asset to my army."
"Yeah. Pops is real upset about her though. He doubts anyone will want to marry her, not anyone who's worthy enough, anyway." said Sun Ce, who was sitting beside his father.
"I see..." said Liu Bei. He, on the other hand, thought she was quite pretty and would make a good wife. It would be a nice change to have a wife who liked to fight like that. All the wives he ever had came from a noble family and were raised to sew and weave and that sort of thing. But it really wasn't his say about Sun Shang Xiang, her father would most likely never let her marry him, and to tell the truth, he didn't exactly want to. If they did get married then she would be caught between sides once the alliance broke and Shu and Wu were at war with each other.
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CHAPTER 5 END
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I redid my bio, not like anyone reads those things anyway. I really have no clue why I'm telling you peoples that. Anyway, on a side note, Yeah! Go George W. Bush!! Woo!!!
