Ah. I was going to post up the final chapter on Friday night, but sadly my computer hard drive crashed and I had no choice but to say good bye to everything. So instead of waiting for it to get fixed, why not just re-write it and get it done with! But first, I would like to thank all of you for taking your time to read my story and for reviewing my chapters. It really means a lot. Thank you.
Since its final chapter, let's talk to some people!
(Lu Xun: Me?)
No not you, everyone talks to you.
(Lu Xun: That breaks my heart. Tear.)
Cypress: 200 AD Paris Hiltons…thinking about it frightens me. Imagine the Li daughters doing burger commercials like her! Or in their case…dumpling commercials! Glad you think Jiang Wei's such a good boy in here, he seems like a good guy anyways!
Zhou Yu's Girl: OR WILL he make it in time…then again it's me. We all know something will happen! Or will it! Ahh!
Kiki: Yep! Final chapter! Hope you're ready!
Now let's get rolling!
xx
Disclaimer: If you're imagining most of these characters, most likely you're thinking ROTK wise, so that means those images in your head belong to Koei!
Chapter 36: Time
Jiang Wei sat quietly in the main halls of Wu; he had arrived in Wu territory late at night and didn't get a chance to see Qing Wan or anyone else for the matter. It was early in the morning when he was asked to wait in the hall for the little Wu maiden. He smiled to himself while he excitedly waited for her arrival, even though Qing Wan wasn't his sister. Qing Wan was someone who made him laugh and smile just as much as Hua Yi. To him, Hua Yi may have died but Qing Wan had left a spot in his heart as a little sister. Hearing faint footsteps outside of the hall, he looked over to see the girl rush in.
"Bo Yue!" she squealed, hugging onto the general like a giant rag doll. "I missed you so much!" she buried her head into his shoulders. Sun Ce, Gan Ning and Lu Xun walked in behind her, it was usually an odd situation to see the bride to be hugging a grown man, but they all understood the feelings Qing Wan kept for Jiang Wei. The feeling of family.
Noticing others in the room, Qing Wan grabbed onto his hand andpulled him towards the three men. "Bo Yue, meet my brother Bo Fu."
The two men gave their formal introductions as Qing Wan looked around curiously, just incase someone extra came along with the Shu tactician. Her wide grin slowly disappeared to only see a few Shu soldiers and Wu servants around the room. Noticing her hand slip away from his, Jiang Wei turned around to see her stare. "Zi Long had some business to attend to." He lied, knowing what she wanted to know.
"That's alright." She looked at the ground, looking back up at her friends with a forced smile. "I just thought he'd give me a gift!"
"I don't have a gift from him, but he wishes you and Lord Lu Xun the best." Qing Wan nodded softly as she headed towards the table Jiang Wei was sitting at. She peered at the large item wrapped in red silk that the Shu soldiers carried. "That is for later." Jiang Wei pointed out, Qing Wan snarled. Preparing to sit down she was suddenly grabbed onto by her sister and the Qiao's.
"Where'd you come from?" she shouted in surprise as she was being dragged out of the hall. The men all stared at the group of girl's funny, confused at what just happened.
"The wedding isn't until 3 hours, why are they getting ready so fast?" Gan Ning asked.
"Who knows?" Lu Xun scratched his head, "Let's go on a tour Bo Yue."
xx
Zhao Yun's white horse galloped down the dirt paths of Shu-Wu boarder fast. Zhao Yun looked up into the sky to see the sun already half way up, "I have to hurry." He muttered tapping the sides of his horse hoping it would go a bit faster. Instead his horse began to slow down as it shook his head in a horrible tantrum. Jumping off to prevent him being thrown off, He pulled on the reins roughly stopping the horse. Sighing he started to walk the horse down the path hoping to find a river or any water source.
"Your horse seems a bit worn out young one." An elder man hollered from across the field as Zhao Yun trudged down the path. Zhao Yun looked over to see a pudgy old man walk over with his brown horse that neighed softly as if it was greeting his own horse.
"He's a battle stallion; I don't understand why he's tired this fast."
"It's because he was not trained for this long trip." The elder explained, patting the white mane softly. "A man will not run a mile without losing his breath unless he gets practice." He paused and looked over at Zhao Yun, "You seem to be in a hurry, I'm guessing your horse hasn't gotten the proper exercise yet."
"I…I have to get to Wu."
"Attending the Wu wedding?" The old man guessed, seeing how well dressed he was. "You won't make it there in time by walking." He snickered.
"I know, but I'll have to try."
"Determined aren't we." He took off his hat and fanned himself, the wrinkles on the mans faced drenched with sweat. "But sadly to say, if you walk there you won't make it until night time at least." Zhao Yun leaned on his white horse in despair. "Don't be so down young man." He patted him hard on the shoulder,his eyes were diverted to a golden plaque on thewaist of Zhao Yun that gleamed with the sun."It's you…" he looked up into his eyes, "I've finally found you!"
xx
"Ow!" Qing Wan mumbled as her sister and friends tried to place the heavy head-dress on her head. "That's heavy." She smacked their hands, "I'm not wearing that for two hours."
"You have no choice! The Taoist said for you to gain eternal happiness you have to wear it earlier!" Xiang slammed the table with her two fists and glared at her elder sister. Since Sun Jian wanted this wedding to be perfect, they hired a Taoist to handle any superstitious stuff to make up for the date.
"You guys can't believe those things." She pushed Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao's hands away. "I'll be fine no matter what time I put this thing on." She got up from her seat and threw her arms in the air. "You guys have to stop worrying! It's my wedding! Let me be free for at least my final hours!" Xiang Wan noticed her eyes shift to the edges.
"THE DOOR!" the little sister screamed, but it was already too late. Qing Wan had dashed out of the room, "We'll never catch her!" She exclaimed as the three friends approached the giant field. "She runs too fast."
Qing Wan chuckled to herself as she ran past all the generals and servants who all stared at her in surprise. "Where's Lord Jiang staying at?" she pulled a random handmaid from the corner, frightened the maid pointed to the apartments across from them. "BO YUE!" she screamed when the door opened and out came the Shu general tying his hair.
"What is it Qing Wan? Weren't you getting ready?" He wanted to ask more questions when Qing Wan dragged him into his room. "What are you doing? I have to go meet Lord Lu Xun."
"What's the real reason Zi Long's not here?" she glared.
xx
"Excuse me?" Zhao Yun stepped back as the man threw himself onto the ground, "What are you doing?" he hurried and lifted the man off his feet.
"I finally found you." He said his eyes all teary. Zhao Yun looked at the man confused, just minutes ago this man was sarcastically insulting him. Now he was crying and thanking him? "My daughter can finally rest in peace."
"Your daughter?"
"Four years ago, my daughter was left at the altar by her husband. She was hopeless and hoped to commit suicide on that tree." He pointed behind him, "When my wife and I found out, we rushed towards the tree to see her crying silently. She had told us a man with a golden plaque of a dragon on his waist prevented herself from doing stupid things. And I've finally found the man that saved her life." Zhao Yun frowned a bit because he couldn't remember the situation; he had saved many lives before. As a prefect, it was his job that everyone lived in peace and harmony.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I remember."
"It's alright." The elder man smiled, "My daughter's final wish before the plague struck her was that we thank you. Now that we have done this, she should be happy." He looked over to the tree again; Zhao Yun squinted and noticed a small tombstone that rested in front of the tree. "She wanted to be buried here, just in case you past by again." He said softly, tears rolling down his bony cheeks. "Here." He handed him his horse, "He may not be fast, but if you go now. This horse will bring you back to Wu."
"I couldn't take your horse."
"Don't worry about it."
"No, I don't think I'm going to go to the wedding anymore. It was just silly to think I could change anything. Consider it fate." He placed the reins back into his hand but it was forced back into his own.
"Sir, you told my daughter something that changed her mind about life. Why don't you use it against yourself?"
"What?"
"Fate can control someone at will, but you do have the power to fight back." Suddenly Zhao Yun remembered the windy day four years ago. He was riding out in the prairies because he needed time to not think about Hua Yi's death. That was when he saw a young woman trying to hang herself on a tall tree. He rushed over to the young maiden and pulled her down. The woman was dressed in her wedding gown as she sobbed angrily; her husband had died in a recent war accident. To make matters worse, she had his baby.
"How's her child?" he suddenly spat out, as the scene replayed in his head.
"They're doing well." The elder chuckled, happy that he could remember her. "She had twins. She named one, Xi Wang (hope)and the other Xi Long. She felt that you gave her hope to go on, and since she didn't know your name but only saw your plaque." He referred to the plaque that hung on his waist, "She named him Xi Long."
"That's good to hear."
"Now, go." He grabbed onto Zi Long's horse, "You can pick up your horse if."
"You keep it." Zi Long smiled as he reached over to his waist and pulled off the plaque. The plaque was a gift from Hua Yi when he was elected to become the Prefect of Cheng An. In the front it had the name Zhao Zi Long and on the back a engraved picture of a ferocious dragon. "And this is a gift, for the children." Getting on the horse, he waved as he continued to gallop down the roads.
xx
"I told you why." Jiang Wei said his voice getting high from being stared at funny by her. "It's the truth!"
"You know you're lying Bo Yue." Qing Wan glared then became silent for a bit. "You know Bo Yue." She laughed softly, "I've been so confused these weeks. Ever since I came back, I thought I would be happy with Lu Xun again…but I'm not."
"But…"
"I was going to tell him, but Father and everyone looked so happy." She buried her face into her hands as her voice became wobbly, "I just couldn't let them down again."
"You mean."
"I don't love Bo Yan."
"Who do you love?"
"Someone, who I can never have a chance to be with." She whispered softly.
"How are you so sure that the person doesn't love you just as much?"
"Because I am the daughter of Sun Jian, I won't let my family down again. Everyone is happy for me and him. I will try my hardest to be happy for us too." She smiled getting up, "Thanks Bo Yue, I just wanted to tell someone just incase I regret thirty years later."
xx
Jiang Wei walked down the pathway leading to Qing Wan's room, she was asked by Lu Xun and Gan Ning to escort her to the Wu temple where the wedding was going to take place. Half-way through he began to feel paranoid at something, or someone. He turned around multiple of times frowning when he saw no one. "Who's out there?" he finally snapped.
"Shh." He heard a familiar voice call out as Zhao Yun's head stuck out behind a giant tree.
"Zi Long?" Jiang Wei said in shock as he rushed over to his messy friend, "Why are you here? I mean how'd you get here? Or how'd you get in?" The Wu security was tight around the front, and he had no invitation.
"I jumped over there." He pointed to the roof near them, "How lucky there was a tree there. So where's Qing Wan?"
"There." He pointed to the room in front of them, "I'm going to go get her in the carriage now."
"Don't!" Zhao Yun exclaimed, "Let me talk to her first. Okay?"
"Of course." Jiang Wei gave his friend a pat on the back, "Just knock on her door. I'll be waiting over there." Zhao Yun took a deep breath before he headed towards the two wooden doors. Knocking softly on the rim he heard a faint reply.
"Qing Wan?" he said softly, but was answered with silence. "I know you're in there Qing Wan, please open up for me?" He waited quietly when the door creaked open, he could see Qing Wan's eyes through the small slit. The jewels on her head dress dangling as she slammed the door. "Qing Wan!" Zhao Yun tried to keep the door open but was too slow.
"Go away. You're ruining my wedding." She growled, trying to keep her emotions inside her.
"Can I talk to you?"
"No." she scoffed, Zhao Yun closed his eyes and pushed the door. "Stop breaking my door! I don't want to see you! You're ruining the ji shi!"
"Can I at least give you something?"
"No."
"Too bad." He took the hair stick out of his pocket, and stabbed a hole through her paper window. Slipping the rest in, he knew she was actually sitting in front of her door because of her silhouette. So he was certain she would catch it in her hands or anywhere on her body. Qing Wan watched the paper in her window slowly rip as a small silver hair stick fell into her lap. Her eyes watered as the broken hair stick she cared about so much in Cheng An was in her hands.
"I don't know why this is so important to you." He whispered, his head resting on the rim of her door. "But I just felt, I should have fixed it."
"This was from Lu Xun." She replied meekly, "It was my sixteenth birthday present. I broke it when I came to Cheng An. I wanted to fix it. I cared for it so much." Zhao Yun was a bit torn to hear the true identity of the accessory. "But when I got my bag back and saw your gift. I totally forgot about this." With his head still on the rim of the door, he fell over when the door opened suddenly. Qing Wan stood in front of him wearing her red wedding gown, in her hands she held the hair piece. "I totally forgot about him." She repeated, snapping it in half. A small smile formed on her face as she threw her arms onto the general. Zhao Yun in shock breathed a sigh of relief as he held onto her.
"What's taking so long Jiang Wei?" they heard the voice of Zhou Yu as Jiang Wei started waving his hands like mad at the couple. Zhou Yu walked into the apartment area and stared at the two who were holding on to one another tightly. "Oh boy." He scratched in between his eyebrows. Qing Wan looked at Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun, looking at the Wu strategist she would think about her duties as a daughter and a Wu soldier to go on with this. Looking at Zhao Yun made her think about her own happiness.
"Zhou Yu," she looked over at one of her best friends and mentors, "I want happiness over duty."
xx
The firecrackers went off as the crowd saw the red carriage approaching the temple. Sun Jian smiled proudly as he got up with the help of his children and a cane. The gongs and flutes played loudly welcoming the bride as Lu Xun straightened out his outfit. Beside him, Er Ling stood quietly with her hands by her side, a forced smile on her lips. Jiang Wei tried not to look nervous as he walked beside the carriage. "You sure this is going to work?" he stuck his head inside the window.
"It has to. Just remember, stall!" The person inside replied as they got closer to the Wu family. The music finally stopped as Jiang Wei tried to hold his laughter with the back of his hand.
"I have something to announce." Jiang Wei cleared his throat and bellowed, "Something very important that Qing Wan wanted to say before she got married." He wiped the sweat from his forehead; he actually had nothing prepared to stall these people.
"Lord Jiang." Gan Ning raised his eyebrow, "I'm grateful that you guys made it, but the ji shi is going to pass if we don't hurry it up." A small knock from the carriage forced Jiang Wei to stick his head back in before clearing his throat to the crowd again.
"Um," he stuttered when Gan Ning shoved the man over and stuck his head into the window. Screaming like a girl seconds after. Jiang Wei backed up as the Wu soldiers all gathered around the carriage. The doors opened as shock and laughed filled the area. Inside Zhou Yu sat there hunched because of his tall figure; he had the head dress on his head so that when the carriage was moving there would be sounds to fool people.
"Wait, where's my sister?" Xiang Wan pointed out after Zhou Yu stepped out and was being pulverized by Xiao Qiao. Zhou Yu coughed and walked over to Lu Xun who stared at the empty carriage quietly.
"She chose happiness." He whispered to him, placing in his hand the broken hair stick. "She hopes you understand."
xx
Qing Wan held on to Zhao Yun tightly as the horse lent to them by Zhou Yu ran down the back path of Wu. Resting her head on his shoulder, they traveled along the emptyroad. She turned around as the view of the Wu Kingdom was getting smaller and smaller. It reminded her of a few months ago when this all started, when she rode out on her own horse. Trying to run away from her problems, but now that they were solved. She was running away for her own happiness. "You think they'll be mad at Master Zhou and Bo Yue?" Zhao Yun asked her.
"I hope they won't give them much problem." She told him, nuzzling her forehead on his back.
"What are you doing?" he laughed at the pressure on his back.
"Why'd you come back for me anyways?"
"Because I don't want to lose anyone else I love."
"Hua Yi?"
"Has nothing to do with you." He smiled, "And it's about time I devote my life into someone else."
"But why me?"
"Because you're the only one who can make the good ginger tea." He joked but received a slap on his back. "Ow! I'm kidding!"
"No more drinking like crazy."
"Qing Wan, I've stopped drinking like that ever since I met you." He stopped the horse and looked at her in the eyes. "You are my reason to stay sober." He laughed, giving her a small kiss on the lips. Qing Wan slapped his back happily as she tightened the grip she had on his stomach.
"You're my only reason for everything." She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.
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Ji Shi : I'm not sure if the pin yin is like this, but it's the certain time a certain ceremony or celebration should be held or it would be considered bad luck.
Lu Xun: God that was really corny.
I don't know how to end things! Ahh! I'm sorry for the corny-ness! And for fun…
Lu Xun: I'll be telling you some, "Did you know?" No I won't actually. HAHA.
Did You Know?
- I had almost six different endings for this story when I first started the story?
- Er Ling was actually supposed to be based off me, but I got really lazy.
- It was going to be a Er Ling/LuXun/QingWan/Zhao Yun type of story. But once again I got lazy.
- Er Ling's original name was Rei Jia (Reika) but rei is not a real Chinese word :P.
-I wrote over 8 chapters before I posted on because I was scared.
- Those eight chapters I wrote when I was 12 years old, thus the really bad grammar. :D!
- The original ending was supposed to be Lu Xun and Qing Wan together.
-The title of this story has nothing to do with the story.
- I had no backbone story for Hua Yi's death until much later in the story.
- I think up most of my story ideas during school, while I'm trying to sleep and while in the bathroom. (Lu Xun: TOO MUCH INFO)
- Many of my ideas were based off combining a lot of imagination and influence from dramas and stories.
-It takes at least 3 days to write a chapter, because I slack off or run out of ideas. Then end up re-writing it over and over again.
- I re-wrote the final chapter 4 times. Not including re-writing it after my computer crashed.
And the last thing… I couldn't have done it without any of your support. Thank You! I've thought of a name for my new fanfiction, it'll be called For Love and Honour and it'll be posted up soon! Hope you guys will read it and support me too! Thanks again! Mucho love!
xReika