Since you guys haven't reviewed this story I don't know where you want this
to go or how good you think it is. Oh well, I'll just have to keep going
the way I think this story should go.
*~*
As Jiang Wei looked at his reflection in the mirror, trying to remove any visible signs that he had been crying, and as he finished his eyes fell on the blue sword that Zhao Yun had given him. He remembered that day vividly.
It happened about eight months after he had joined Shu. When he had first defected, Zhao Yun was the first to welcome him. On the day in question Jiang Wei had spent half the morning sparring with Zhao Yun, then, as he realised he was an hour late for his lesson he ran to Zhuge Liang's chamber. "You are late yet again." Zhuge Liang said in his usual calm manner.
"Master, do you ever get upset or angry?" Jiang Wei asked, "You always sound so. calm. Every time I arrive late and yet you have never once shouted at me."
"Would you like me to shout at you?" asked the Shu prime minister, "I have just learned to accept the fact that you will always arrive late. I am not angered by such trivial things. Now, shall we begin the lesson?"
After the lesson Jiang Wei went to his room to get changed, but on his way there he was confronted by Ma Chao and his bodyguards.
"Where are you going, Wei scum?" Ma Chao asked.
"What do you want this time? Aren't you tired of making my life hell? Because I am, and if you give me one single excuse I'll rip off that small head and pull out your brain, if I can find it, that is." Jiang Wei said, a smug smile creeping across his face.
"Are you calling me stupid?" asked Ma Chao, confused.
"Hey, he got it in one, give the guy a gold star." Said Jiang Wei mockingly.
"Why you little runt, you will pay for that with your life!!" and with that Ma Chao threw his spear to the ground and dove at Jiang Wei, who side- stepped and threw his spear to the ground.
"I don't want to fight you, please leave me alone." Said Jiang Wei. Ma Chao's bodyguards were upon him the moment he turned away.
"You thought you could just walk away from me, did you? Take this," Ma Chao said and he hit Jiang Wei in the stomach repeatedly. Jiang Wei's bodyguards ran across the grass and Ma Chao's bodyguards, watching them, dropped Jiang Wei and got ready for a fight. Ma Chao kept hitting and kicking the bruised body of Jiang Wei. Suddenly there was a huge thudding sound and Ma Chao's eyes widened in shock, and then he fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Are you ok?" asked the green eyed, black haired officer as he knelt down to help the bruised and battered officer to his feet. Then, realising Jiang Wei was in too much pain to walk, Zhao Yun picked him up and carried him to the healer's quarters, and as he walked he felt Jiang Wei's arms slide around his neck and his head rest against his chest. "You rest now. Everything is okay now, I'm here to protect you." Zhao Yun whispered, and as he said this he felt Jiang Wei's arms hug him tighter.
"Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday dear Boyue, Happy birthday to me" sang Jiang Wei quietly, as tears slowly trickled down his cheeks.
"Jiang Wei, what's the matter?" asked Zhao Yun as he entered the room and saw the tears.
"Don't worry yourself, it's just a trivial thing. Pay it no mind." Said Jiang Wei as he wiped away the tears.
"Please tell me, I hate to see people crying," 'especially those I love' added Zhao Yun silently.
"If you must know, it's my birthday today, and instead of taking my elderly grandmother around the capital, I'm stuck in a hospital bed." As he said this, fresh tears filled his wide, brown eyes. He didn't bother to wipe them away.
"What?" Zhao Yun was surprised. "I'll kill Ma Chao for this. How dare he!!!!"
Don't, please don't."
"But he - he - he beat you up on your birthday. How can you not want him dead."
"He shall pay in due time. The prime minister will have him punished, as will Lord Liu Bei. Then I will have him punished, according to a promotion that I have received, and will be announced at the special feast held tonight." Said Jiang Wei. He looked out of the window with longing. How dare Ma Chao do this to him on his birthday? But, he would pay. A little demotion for a month or two would do him some good. He can share a tent with ten other soldiers for an expedition. An expedition to see the Hei Fei castle ruins, a twenty-day march from Cheng Du. That would teach him a lesson. "Zhao Yun, I don't mean to be rude or unpleasant but could you leave for a while, I'm feeling tired and I need to sleep."
"I will leave you then, but I will come back to help you get to your room to get ready and to the feast. How well can you use a sword?" Zhao Yun asked, a smile slowly edging its way across his face.
"I am an expert. When I was in Wei, I damaged my wrist, so I was unable to use my spear. Xiahou Dun taught me everything he knew about wielding a sword. Why?"
"I was just curious. I will see you in a while."
And with that, he left.
*~*
The feast was a blur. All he remembered was the punishment of Ma Chao. Zhuge Liang gave him twenty days demotion on the expedition to Hei Fei castle. Liu Bei then gave him a further twenty days demotion. Then Jiang Wei gave him forty days demotion, each demotion was to soldier under Jiang Wei.
After the feast, as Jiang Wei entered his room, he saw a big package next to his mother's and grand mother's presents. He approached it and unwrapped it. He stared in amazement at --------------------, the blue sword Zhao Yun had used to rescue the infant from the battlefield. "I can't accept this." Jiang Wei said to himself. I shall return it tomorrow.
*~*
The next day, Zhao Yun came to see how Jiang Wei was feeling.
"I can't accept your gift, its too valuable." Said Jiang Wei, handing the sword to Zhao Yun, who was refusing to take it.
"It is a birthday present. Please keep it, besides, I have no use for it. I can't even use it very well. Please keep it."
"But it has an immense value. I just can't take it. I appreciate the thought, but this sword is too valuable." But, as he saw the hurt, disappointed look on Zhao Yun's face, started to think of a way that he could accept the sword without undermining his principles. Then he had an idea, "What if I keep the sword, and on your birthday I can give you something equally as valuable?"
"Okay, that would be great!!!" Zhao Yun's face lit up, "Now I won't have that sword in my way constantly. Well, it looks like you're feeling better, so there is no need for me to stay. I'll see you later, I promised Guan Yu that I would spar with him. Bye!!"
"See you later," Jiang Wei called down the passage as Zhao Yun walked away. Jiang Wei sat down at his desk to finish the plans for the Expedition to Hei Fei castle, but he started to think about Zhao Yun. Why couldn't he have just taken back the sword? It was priceless, and a valuable asset. Its blue blade could cut through flesh and armour alike as if it were butter. 'Where will I find something of equal value?' thought Jiang Wei to himself. 'That sword is priceless. I'll never find something anywhere close to its value.' Looking out the window, he saw Zhao Yun and Guan Yu sparring. Zhao Yun was wearing his armour, as was Guan Yu. Both sets of armour were green. 'They're really giving it all they've got.' Jiang Wei observed, but looking up, he saw the sun had nearly set. He watched Zhao Yun dance elegantly ay around Guan Yu, the sky awash with reds and pinks and lilacs.
"I am not disturbing you, I trust." The ex Wei general spun round to see his teacher standing in the doorway.
"Prime minister, I was just finishing off the plans for the Expedition to Hei Fei castle." Jiang Wei said, bowing his head.
"I have some more plans for you. Please could you plan an expedition to the forest around Hei Fei castle, as I need to find the Wei generals that survived. If you plan the expedition, they will surely recognize your handiwork."
"I shall begin immediately." Said Jiang Wei, taking the scrolls Zhuge Liang handed him. As Zhuge Liang left, Jiang Wei pulled his curtains shut and settled down to finish his plans.
*~*
As Jiang Wei thought of that day, he felt happy. He remembered the soft, gentle hands of Zhao Yun as he was carried to the hospital wing. He remembered his kindness and generosity. But then he remembered that Zhao Yun was unlike Zhang He and himself. 'I should have accepted Zhang He's proposal' thought Jiang Wei. 'But,' said another voice in his head, 'I don't love him, and I can't be with someone I don't love. Zhang He should have stayed with Sima Yi. Now he has no one.' Jiang Wei suddenly felt really sorry for Zhang He. 'Why do I feel anything besides hatred towards Zhang. He is the most intolerable man alive.' Not wanting to think anymore, Jiang Wei ran to the Banquet.
*~*
When Jiang Wei got to the banquet everyone else was seated. He stopped in the entrance, looking for his seat.
"You are never going to arrive on time for anything, are you?" Said Zhuge Liang, a smile on his face. "Your seat is next to Zhao Yun."
Jiang Wei immediately saw an empty chair next to Zhao Yun. He walked to his chair and sat down. Liu Bei made a speech about the expedition to Hei Fei castle, who was going and where they would be; as per the scroll Jiang Wei had given the prime minister that afternoon. Then they started to eat and talk.
"Why were you so late?" asked Zhao Yun, gazing into the big, deep pools of mahogany that were Jiang Wei's eyes.
"I was deep in thought."
"I hope you didn't think too hard. This banquet is supposed to be a time to relax."
"I can't do that." Jiang Wei said absent-mindedly as he stared at Zhang He, who was talking animatedly to Zhen Ji.
"Why can't you relax?" Zhao Yun asked softly, trying not to disrupt Jiang Wei's train of thought.
"Because Zhang He keeps bothering me and I have a lot of things that are depressing me at the moment. So I'm never relaxed these days." Jiang Wei was whispering, and only Zhao Yun could hear him.
"Why does Zhang He keep bothering you?" again, the question was asked softly.
"Because he wants to be with me, but I don't feel that way about him." Suddenly, Jiang Wei realised what he had said, and turned to look at Zhao Yun, who was smiling. Blushing Jiang Wei ran from the room. All talking stopped and everyone turned to stare at Zhao Yun, who chased Jiang Wei all the way to his room.
"Why did you run from the banquet?" Zhao Yun said as he finally caught up with Jiang Wei in his room.
"Do you not know? Try guessing." Jiang Wei said aggressively.
"Was it because of what you said?" The older man asked tentatively.
"Yes it is!!! How could you ask me questions like that when I'm deep in thought? I say things that I shouldn't without even realising it!! How could you?"
"Well, who do you feel 'that way' about?"
"I can't tell you."
"You told Zhang He."
"What? How do you know that?"
"I was in the hall. I heard the argument with Zhang He. I know who you feel 'that way' about." Then Zhao Yun grabbed Jiang Wei's shoulders and gently pulled him close. "I just want you to know that I feel 'that way' about you." Then Zhao Yun leaned down and softly brushed Jiang Wei's lips with his. Jiang Wei pulled away and turned to look out of the window. "Jiang Wei," Zhao Yun said, "Boyue? What's wrong?" At the sound of his style name Jiang Wei turned and looked deeply into Zhao Yun's eyes.
"Nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is perfect." Then Jiang Wei pulled Zhao Yun close and kissed him, weaving his fingers into Zhao Yun's silky hair. Zhao Yun was aware of another presence in the room, but did not pull away from Jiang Wei. They had both waited for this moment for what seemed like an eternity. No one was going to spoil it. When they finally pulled apart, they both turned their heads, arms around each other, to see who was at the door.
"Your secret is safe with me. Not a word of this will pass my lips." Said the observer in the same calm, clear, instantly recognizable voice.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~*
As Jiang Wei looked at his reflection in the mirror, trying to remove any visible signs that he had been crying, and as he finished his eyes fell on the blue sword that Zhao Yun had given him. He remembered that day vividly.
It happened about eight months after he had joined Shu. When he had first defected, Zhao Yun was the first to welcome him. On the day in question Jiang Wei had spent half the morning sparring with Zhao Yun, then, as he realised he was an hour late for his lesson he ran to Zhuge Liang's chamber. "You are late yet again." Zhuge Liang said in his usual calm manner.
"Master, do you ever get upset or angry?" Jiang Wei asked, "You always sound so. calm. Every time I arrive late and yet you have never once shouted at me."
"Would you like me to shout at you?" asked the Shu prime minister, "I have just learned to accept the fact that you will always arrive late. I am not angered by such trivial things. Now, shall we begin the lesson?"
After the lesson Jiang Wei went to his room to get changed, but on his way there he was confronted by Ma Chao and his bodyguards.
"Where are you going, Wei scum?" Ma Chao asked.
"What do you want this time? Aren't you tired of making my life hell? Because I am, and if you give me one single excuse I'll rip off that small head and pull out your brain, if I can find it, that is." Jiang Wei said, a smug smile creeping across his face.
"Are you calling me stupid?" asked Ma Chao, confused.
"Hey, he got it in one, give the guy a gold star." Said Jiang Wei mockingly.
"Why you little runt, you will pay for that with your life!!" and with that Ma Chao threw his spear to the ground and dove at Jiang Wei, who side- stepped and threw his spear to the ground.
"I don't want to fight you, please leave me alone." Said Jiang Wei. Ma Chao's bodyguards were upon him the moment he turned away.
"You thought you could just walk away from me, did you? Take this," Ma Chao said and he hit Jiang Wei in the stomach repeatedly. Jiang Wei's bodyguards ran across the grass and Ma Chao's bodyguards, watching them, dropped Jiang Wei and got ready for a fight. Ma Chao kept hitting and kicking the bruised body of Jiang Wei. Suddenly there was a huge thudding sound and Ma Chao's eyes widened in shock, and then he fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Are you ok?" asked the green eyed, black haired officer as he knelt down to help the bruised and battered officer to his feet. Then, realising Jiang Wei was in too much pain to walk, Zhao Yun picked him up and carried him to the healer's quarters, and as he walked he felt Jiang Wei's arms slide around his neck and his head rest against his chest. "You rest now. Everything is okay now, I'm here to protect you." Zhao Yun whispered, and as he said this he felt Jiang Wei's arms hug him tighter.
"Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday dear Boyue, Happy birthday to me" sang Jiang Wei quietly, as tears slowly trickled down his cheeks.
"Jiang Wei, what's the matter?" asked Zhao Yun as he entered the room and saw the tears.
"Don't worry yourself, it's just a trivial thing. Pay it no mind." Said Jiang Wei as he wiped away the tears.
"Please tell me, I hate to see people crying," 'especially those I love' added Zhao Yun silently.
"If you must know, it's my birthday today, and instead of taking my elderly grandmother around the capital, I'm stuck in a hospital bed." As he said this, fresh tears filled his wide, brown eyes. He didn't bother to wipe them away.
"What?" Zhao Yun was surprised. "I'll kill Ma Chao for this. How dare he!!!!"
Don't, please don't."
"But he - he - he beat you up on your birthday. How can you not want him dead."
"He shall pay in due time. The prime minister will have him punished, as will Lord Liu Bei. Then I will have him punished, according to a promotion that I have received, and will be announced at the special feast held tonight." Said Jiang Wei. He looked out of the window with longing. How dare Ma Chao do this to him on his birthday? But, he would pay. A little demotion for a month or two would do him some good. He can share a tent with ten other soldiers for an expedition. An expedition to see the Hei Fei castle ruins, a twenty-day march from Cheng Du. That would teach him a lesson. "Zhao Yun, I don't mean to be rude or unpleasant but could you leave for a while, I'm feeling tired and I need to sleep."
"I will leave you then, but I will come back to help you get to your room to get ready and to the feast. How well can you use a sword?" Zhao Yun asked, a smile slowly edging its way across his face.
"I am an expert. When I was in Wei, I damaged my wrist, so I was unable to use my spear. Xiahou Dun taught me everything he knew about wielding a sword. Why?"
"I was just curious. I will see you in a while."
And with that, he left.
*~*
The feast was a blur. All he remembered was the punishment of Ma Chao. Zhuge Liang gave him twenty days demotion on the expedition to Hei Fei castle. Liu Bei then gave him a further twenty days demotion. Then Jiang Wei gave him forty days demotion, each demotion was to soldier under Jiang Wei.
After the feast, as Jiang Wei entered his room, he saw a big package next to his mother's and grand mother's presents. He approached it and unwrapped it. He stared in amazement at --------------------, the blue sword Zhao Yun had used to rescue the infant from the battlefield. "I can't accept this." Jiang Wei said to himself. I shall return it tomorrow.
*~*
The next day, Zhao Yun came to see how Jiang Wei was feeling.
"I can't accept your gift, its too valuable." Said Jiang Wei, handing the sword to Zhao Yun, who was refusing to take it.
"It is a birthday present. Please keep it, besides, I have no use for it. I can't even use it very well. Please keep it."
"But it has an immense value. I just can't take it. I appreciate the thought, but this sword is too valuable." But, as he saw the hurt, disappointed look on Zhao Yun's face, started to think of a way that he could accept the sword without undermining his principles. Then he had an idea, "What if I keep the sword, and on your birthday I can give you something equally as valuable?"
"Okay, that would be great!!!" Zhao Yun's face lit up, "Now I won't have that sword in my way constantly. Well, it looks like you're feeling better, so there is no need for me to stay. I'll see you later, I promised Guan Yu that I would spar with him. Bye!!"
"See you later," Jiang Wei called down the passage as Zhao Yun walked away. Jiang Wei sat down at his desk to finish the plans for the Expedition to Hei Fei castle, but he started to think about Zhao Yun. Why couldn't he have just taken back the sword? It was priceless, and a valuable asset. Its blue blade could cut through flesh and armour alike as if it were butter. 'Where will I find something of equal value?' thought Jiang Wei to himself. 'That sword is priceless. I'll never find something anywhere close to its value.' Looking out the window, he saw Zhao Yun and Guan Yu sparring. Zhao Yun was wearing his armour, as was Guan Yu. Both sets of armour were green. 'They're really giving it all they've got.' Jiang Wei observed, but looking up, he saw the sun had nearly set. He watched Zhao Yun dance elegantly ay around Guan Yu, the sky awash with reds and pinks and lilacs.
"I am not disturbing you, I trust." The ex Wei general spun round to see his teacher standing in the doorway.
"Prime minister, I was just finishing off the plans for the Expedition to Hei Fei castle." Jiang Wei said, bowing his head.
"I have some more plans for you. Please could you plan an expedition to the forest around Hei Fei castle, as I need to find the Wei generals that survived. If you plan the expedition, they will surely recognize your handiwork."
"I shall begin immediately." Said Jiang Wei, taking the scrolls Zhuge Liang handed him. As Zhuge Liang left, Jiang Wei pulled his curtains shut and settled down to finish his plans.
*~*
As Jiang Wei thought of that day, he felt happy. He remembered the soft, gentle hands of Zhao Yun as he was carried to the hospital wing. He remembered his kindness and generosity. But then he remembered that Zhao Yun was unlike Zhang He and himself. 'I should have accepted Zhang He's proposal' thought Jiang Wei. 'But,' said another voice in his head, 'I don't love him, and I can't be with someone I don't love. Zhang He should have stayed with Sima Yi. Now he has no one.' Jiang Wei suddenly felt really sorry for Zhang He. 'Why do I feel anything besides hatred towards Zhang. He is the most intolerable man alive.' Not wanting to think anymore, Jiang Wei ran to the Banquet.
*~*
When Jiang Wei got to the banquet everyone else was seated. He stopped in the entrance, looking for his seat.
"You are never going to arrive on time for anything, are you?" Said Zhuge Liang, a smile on his face. "Your seat is next to Zhao Yun."
Jiang Wei immediately saw an empty chair next to Zhao Yun. He walked to his chair and sat down. Liu Bei made a speech about the expedition to Hei Fei castle, who was going and where they would be; as per the scroll Jiang Wei had given the prime minister that afternoon. Then they started to eat and talk.
"Why were you so late?" asked Zhao Yun, gazing into the big, deep pools of mahogany that were Jiang Wei's eyes.
"I was deep in thought."
"I hope you didn't think too hard. This banquet is supposed to be a time to relax."
"I can't do that." Jiang Wei said absent-mindedly as he stared at Zhang He, who was talking animatedly to Zhen Ji.
"Why can't you relax?" Zhao Yun asked softly, trying not to disrupt Jiang Wei's train of thought.
"Because Zhang He keeps bothering me and I have a lot of things that are depressing me at the moment. So I'm never relaxed these days." Jiang Wei was whispering, and only Zhao Yun could hear him.
"Why does Zhang He keep bothering you?" again, the question was asked softly.
"Because he wants to be with me, but I don't feel that way about him." Suddenly, Jiang Wei realised what he had said, and turned to look at Zhao Yun, who was smiling. Blushing Jiang Wei ran from the room. All talking stopped and everyone turned to stare at Zhao Yun, who chased Jiang Wei all the way to his room.
"Why did you run from the banquet?" Zhao Yun said as he finally caught up with Jiang Wei in his room.
"Do you not know? Try guessing." Jiang Wei said aggressively.
"Was it because of what you said?" The older man asked tentatively.
"Yes it is!!! How could you ask me questions like that when I'm deep in thought? I say things that I shouldn't without even realising it!! How could you?"
"Well, who do you feel 'that way' about?"
"I can't tell you."
"You told Zhang He."
"What? How do you know that?"
"I was in the hall. I heard the argument with Zhang He. I know who you feel 'that way' about." Then Zhao Yun grabbed Jiang Wei's shoulders and gently pulled him close. "I just want you to know that I feel 'that way' about you." Then Zhao Yun leaned down and softly brushed Jiang Wei's lips with his. Jiang Wei pulled away and turned to look out of the window. "Jiang Wei," Zhao Yun said, "Boyue? What's wrong?" At the sound of his style name Jiang Wei turned and looked deeply into Zhao Yun's eyes.
"Nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is perfect." Then Jiang Wei pulled Zhao Yun close and kissed him, weaving his fingers into Zhao Yun's silky hair. Zhao Yun was aware of another presence in the room, but did not pull away from Jiang Wei. They had both waited for this moment for what seemed like an eternity. No one was going to spoil it. When they finally pulled apart, they both turned their heads, arms around each other, to see who was at the door.
"Your secret is safe with me. Not a word of this will pass my lips." Said the observer in the same calm, clear, instantly recognizable voice.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*