Diaochan awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar room, laying on an unfamiliar bed. Her head ached and her memory was fuzzy. She had no idea how she got to where ever she currently was. She sat up and did a quick survey around the room hoping to find something to tell her where she was. Nothing looked familiar or could indicate exactly where she was. She placed her hands on her temples and massaged them gently, trying to soothe her aching head and piece together what happened. The last thing she could remember was sneaking away from Dong Zhou and running to the battlefield. It was a stupid idea. She was completely out of her element but she wanted to help Lu Bu. Help him? What a fool she was. He was the strongest warrior in the land. Why would he need her help? She didn't go there to help and deep down inside, she knew it. She went out there because a part of her hoped she would die on the battlefield. Her suffering would be at an end at last. When she confronted that grungy woman she thought her unspoken wish was going to come true, but it seems that it was not yet her time to go. Was this a sign from the heavens telling her that she was still needed? Did Dong Zhou still live? Did the coalition fail? She sighed lightly. There was no point in guessing. She would have to go and find out what happened.
Diaochan threw her legs over the side of the bed and was startled to see a young girl standing in the corner with her arms folded that she had missed seeing before. The young girl stood motionless with her arms folded across her chest staring at her with a scowl plastered on her face. Had she been captured by the enemy? The girl looked younger than she was. Her short grayish black hair framed her face and she was clad in black armor that with a red trim that seemed custom made for her as it was modified into a skirt along with long black greaves that reached her mid thigh. The girl made her feel uncomfortable, probably even a little scared if she had to be honest. The girl remained quiet, her eyes boring into Diaochan. Diaochan nervously cleared her throat and spoke.
"Um, hello. Can you tell me where I am?" The girl did not respond. Diaochan frowned, feeling even more uncomfortable than before.
"Am I a prisoner here?" The girl still did not respond. Diaochan placed her hands onto her lap and fiddled with her fingers nervously. She was at a loss of what to do. The girl suddenly moved from her spot. Diaochan flinched at the sudden movement and was relieved when the girl headed out of the door instead of towards her. Should she follow? She wasn't sure but surely she couldn't just stay here right? Hesitantly she stood and walked over to the door, peeking out to get a better idea of where she was. Diaochan saw the girl head over to a large man. Her eyes widened when she realized that man was her Lord Lu Bu! Relief filled her seeing that he was safe. It was also a relief that she was in his care and not Dong Zhou. Had it finally happened? Had Dong Zhou finally been killed?
Diaochan watched from her hiding spot as the girl stood in front of Lu Bu. The girl did not seem afraid of him which surprised Diaochan. Even though she knew she had Lu Bu's affections, she sometimes still feared him and the power she knew he wielded.
"Your whore has awoken." The girl said speaking to Lu Bu. Hearing the word made her flinch. How many times she had been called that? Even though it was true, the word stung. Lu Bu's response was a back hand. She fell to the knees at the connection of the blow, her hand holding her injured cheek. A woman ran to her side putting her arms around her and begging Lu Bu for his forgiveness.
"You forget your place Lingqi. You will not address me without proper respect and you will not call her that in my presence." Lingqui shrugged the woman's arms off of her and stood to face Lu Bu once more. She cupped a hand over her fist and bowed to him.
"My apologies father. Forgive my insolence. Your guest has awoken."
"Better." He said walking past her towards the room where Diaochan stayed. Diaochan quickly ducked back inside before Lu Bu could see her and ran back to the bed dazed by what she just saw. She couldn't believe that her Lord Lu Bu had defended her like that! He didn't see her as a whore like so many others did. She couldn't help the warm feeling that spread throughout her. She loved him, she truly loved him and she will do anything for him.
Lu Bu entered the room and went to Diaochan's bedside. "Diaochan..." He said. She immediately threw her arms around him.
"My Lord Lu Bu! I am so happy to see you unharmed!" Lu Bu pulled back from the hug to examine her.
"Are you feeling okay Diaochan?" She nodded, smiling brightly at him.
"A small headache, but it will pass My Lord." She ducked her head shyly, not wanting to seem over eager at asking the next question, but she was dying to know. "My Lord? Does Dong Zhou still live?" Lu Bu's face shifted to one of anger making Diaochan draw back in fear.
"He does. He fled to Chang'an after burning Luoyang to the ground." She gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. How could he do such a cruel thing!? There were innocent civilians there! They did nothing to deserve what Dong Zhou unleashed on them. After the initial shock of the news passed, another question cropped up into her mind.
"My Lord, if Dong Zhou still lives why am I here and not with him?"
"Would you rather be with him?!" Lu Bu asked, the anger in his voice unmistakable.
"N-no My Lord" She replied shrinking back from Lu Bu. "I just don't understand." Lu Bu frowned seeing that his brusque nature was scaring her.
"I'm sorry Diaochan...I'm just upset." Upset was putting it mildly. He was pissed off that he walked away from that battle without claiming the head of a single worthy general. Those bastards had to jump him. Cowards, all of them. What's worse, Diaochan was injured. Dong Zhou was suppose to be keeping an eye on her! In fact that fat bastard he called his foster father still being alive pissed him off more than anything else. Those cowards in the coalition couldn't even get that right. He didn't realize he had been balling his fist until he felt the soft hand of Diaochan upon them. He relax the fist and opened it, taking her hand into his, rubbing her knuckles gently with his calloused fingers.
"You do not need to apologize to me, My Lord. I am sorry for pestering you with my questions." Lu Bu shook his head.
"You did not pester me Diaochan, you had a right to know, but now I have a question for you. What were you thinking running onto the battlefield like that? You could have been killed." Diaochan frowned, feeling like a child being scolded by her father. She knew she had acted irresponsibility and he had every right to be angry at her. It wouldn't bode well for her to tell him the full truth, that she went to the battlefield to help him out with the secret wish of being cut down to end this miserable life her father had forced her into. Who knows how he would react if he found that out? It would be best if she stuck with half truths.
"I was worried for you My Lord and I wanted to help you in any way that I could. I asked rashly, I wasn't thinking and I am sorry."
"Do you doubt my strength, Diaochan?" Lu Bu asked. She shook her head no quickly.
"No, My Lord! You are the greatest warrior in all the land. But I didn't want to just sit back with Dong Zhou and wait. I wanted to help too."
Lu Bu sighed and pulled her into his arms. "I appreciate the thought, Diaochan, but please, in the future, stay away from the battle. I couldn't bear to have you hurt. For my sake?" She looked up to him, her cheek resting against his chest. She rarely saw him out of his armor. Through his robes, she could feel the hard outline of his muscles.
"Anything for you, My Lord." Diaochan replied with a smile, felt safe in his arms. Lu Bu placed a hand under her chin and lifted it up further. He descended upon her with his lips, kissing her roughly. There was no tenderness in that kiss. It was rough and filled with unbridled passion it overwhelmed her. He kissed exactly the same as how he fought full of strength, dominating his opponent. Her lips felt as if they would bruise from the sheer force of the kiss. He pulled back from her and she gasped for air. Lu Bu slipped a hand between the slit of her dress, running a his hand along her inner thigh. She put her small hands on his large one, stopping his ascent.
"My Lord, if Dong Zhou were to find out-"
"He won't find out." Lu Bu said, pushing Diaochan's hands aside and continuing his ascent.
"My Lord." She said, stopping his ascent again. "You don't understand. Dong Zhou will kill you if he finds out."
"You think I'm scared of that pig?!" Lu Bu said, his harsh voice invoking that fear once more.
"N-no, My Lord. But you don't know the way he...examines me. He looks over every inch to ensure that no one but he has touched me." She shuddered at the memory. When she first arrived, Dong Zhou hadn't been so possessive, but after seeing how desired she was among the other men, his mindset changed. He accused her several times of wanting to be with them instead of him, punishing her in perverse ways and subjecting her to a degrading examination to make sure no one else has taken her. She was his favorite whore and he intended on keeping her as his and his alone.
"I would hate for something to happen to you because of me, My Lord." Lu Bu shook his head and pulled his hand away from her leg, resting it on her waist.
"I told you not to worry about me, Diaochan. However, I worry about you. If that pig found out you were with me, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you. I couldn't have that."
The words of her adopted father, Wang Yun came unbidden to her mind. 'Make Dong Zhou and Lu Bu fall madly in love with you, then when you are sure you hold their ear, whisper treachery into it. Sow seeds of discontent, turn them against each other. Make both fools kill each other. It will be tough, but you must sacrifice your innocence my daughter, for the glory of the Han to rise once more.' The next words she spoke tasted bitter in her mouth. Though cautioned by her father to not grow attached to either man, she foolishly fell in love with Lu Bu. It felt horrible to use him for her own whims even if it was to save this land from chaos. She quelled her feelings. She made an oath to her adopted father and she had a duty to save this land. Diaochan spoke, knowing exactly which strings to pluck to get Lu Bu to dance to her tune.
"If only Dong Zhou was no longer around. Then there would be nothing to keep us apart. I could give myself to you freely." She said, punctuating the sentence with the soft caress of his cheek and the tender kiss of her lips on his. When they pulled apart from each other, she could tell that her words had taken purchase in Lu Bu's mind. He was carefully considering her words. Finally he murmured the words she longed to hear.
"Perhaps he won't be an issue for much longer." Diaochan felt elated at these words. Lu Bu stood and leaned down to kiss Diaochan once more. That same powerful bruising kiss.
"Rest while you can Diaochan. We leave for Chan'an in a few hours."
They had won the battle but it didn't feel like a victory. The coalition failed to kill Dong Zhou and Luoyang was in ruins thanks to his cowardice. No, this didn't feel like a victory at all. Cao Cao watched as various warriors from the coalition sifted through the rubble in hopes to find survivors. So far they were rewarded with nothing but burnt ashes. It seems as if they weren't going to find anyone else alive beyond the initial survivors. A brutal reminder of the chaos that Dong Zhou wrought upon this land. Yuan Shao however failed to see the bigger picture. He considered this a victory. Cao scoffed, irritation flaring up within him as he thought of Shao's narrow and woefully inept perception of battle. Yes, the coalition had made the enemy flee, but in turn, he slaughtered innocents and was free to do so again, should the whim take him. Only a fool would call this a victory and indeed a fool Shao was. He and several other generals toasted their victory while they left the recovery to the warriors beneath them. Shao did not deserve to be in command of the allied forces. A man like him had no place on the battlefield at all. If only Cao could have made a name for himself in this battle, he could make a change, a step in bringing this land of chaos back to peace. Damn it all!
Cao sighed and released the fist he had balled so tightly that it turned his knuckles white. This wasn't the time to sit here and lament a past he could not change. No, he had to plan for the future.
"My Lord?" Cao turned to see a messenger on bended knee, head bowed and waiting for Cao to acknowledge him. Cao already knew what this was about, in truth, he was surprised this took so long.
"What is it?"
"Lord Yuan Shao requests your presence immediately." Cao nodded and made his way, mentally preparing himself to deal with Shao's ignorance.
Cao entered Shao's tent and immediately noticed he was not alone. With him was his Yuan Shu. They planned on teaming up against him huh? Cao was not worried, even with the both of them together they still only equaled half a brain. He was sure he could talk his way out of most if not all of Yuan Shao's complaints.
"You called for me Běnchū?" Cao said with a smile, bowing to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, trying to appear as non threatening and utterly unaware as possible.
"Sit down, Cao Cao." Shao replied. Disrespectful from the start, using his given name instead of his style name. They had been friends for years yet he treated him as if he was a complete stranger. Cao didn't let it bother him, he had expected it and made sure to school his face wearing a smile as he complied with Shao's commanded.
"I am not happy, Cao Cao." Shao continued as soon as Cao had taken his seat.
"Yes I understand, My Lord. I feel the same way. Dong Zhou getting away was a terrible but I am confident that the villain will meet his end soon."
"That's not what I am talking about and you know it!" Shao said slamming his hand on the desk in front of him. Cao blinked, faking an expression of surprise.
"What do you mean, My Lord?"
"You and your men blatantly disrespected the chain of command on several occasions. You-" Yuan Shao pointed a finger accusingly at Cao Cao. "Ignored two direct commands from me! The first telling you to fall back from Si Shui Gate so that I can lead the advance and the second to fall back and assistant me while I was under attack! If it wasn't for Sun Jian we would have been overrun by the enemy! You jeopardized the entire alliance by not assisting me! A crime punishable by death! But that's not all oooooh-no." Shao continued, walking to the side of his brother who looked positively distraught. "Even those under your command do not know how to respect their betters. A warrior which I know to be directly under your command disrespected my dear brother! In front of all his men no less! He had to suffer snickering! SNICKERING from the men under his command throughout the rest of the war due to it. His noble name was sullied by rabble and recompense must be made!"
Yuan Shu let out an odd garbled wail as if the very memory of the event wounded him. Cao inwardly snickered. Yuan Shao was truly in an uproar and the funniest or perhaps saddest part was that both he and his brother were so obsessed with their noble image, they failed to see the bigger picture. Perhaps Cao and those under his command did ignore direct commands and yes, Zhuyue had rightly called Shu out on his cowardice but look at the good that came from such actions. Zhuyue's berating of Shu had whipped him into action. He finally sent the long awaited provisions to the front lines which allowed Sun Jian to hold it. Cao knew of the one sided rivalry Shu had against Jian. The man was positively jealous of Jian due to the respect and awe he commanded from his men and others. Cao had no doubt in his mind that if Zhuyue hadn't stepped up and said anything he was certain Shu wouldn't have moved an inch and would have let Jian suffer. Jian would have had to fall back and they would have lost Si Shui Gate. His noble pride being bruised is what lit the fire under him and spurred him to action.
Cao also knew he was right to ignore Shao's stupid command to fall back. If he would have pulled back from Si Shui Gate and regroup as he wished, they would have lost the small advantage they had. Also the ambushes discovered by his warriors would have gone unnoticed. The trap would have been sprung upon the coalition and they would have been weakened before reaching Hulao Gate. They could not see that while their actions were certainly to be frowned upon, it was necessary. No, Cao thought. It wasn't that they could not see, they did not want to see. They refused to see anything past their petty pride. Nobles did not like being treated as anything but nobles. They were use to being pampered and having their every command followed without hesitation and certainly they did not like being called out on any faults. Cao had to make sure he spoke with Zhuyue when he left here. He was dying to find out exactly what she said to cause Yuan Shu to be ridiculed by the men under his command. He was certain it would be a good laugh.
Cao bowed his head low and folded his hand over his fist, holding it above his head and out towards Yuan Shao. It was a submissive stance to show Yuan Shao that Cao utterly respected him. Doing such a thing to a man he deemed unworthy of such respect made Cao's blood boil, but he knew the necessity of it and would play the role he had to. "My Lord, I am confused. What orders are you referring to? I vaguely remember hearing in passing that you had begun your advance on Si Shui Gate. I did not receive a direct message regarding it. I recall fearing fear in my heart, no my very soul for your safety but I quickly pushed it away and scolded myself for such ignorance. A man of such noble bearing could more than handle himself on the field of battle, how foolish of me, a man as lowly as I to think any different. Had I known you would have need my humble assistance, I would have immediately ordered my men to turn around."
"You lie Cao Cao! Gōnglù!" Shao said, now looking at his brother. "Go get the messenger." Shu rushed off to do as he said and returned quickly with one of the messengers Cao Cao had remembered speaking to on the battlefield. Cao lowered his hands and gave a long hard stare to the messenger, the intensity of it made the man gulp. The unspoken message was clear, if you say anything against me, nothing on this Earth will be able to stop his wrath from being brought down upon him.
"My Lord, you mean to insinuate that my honor is lower than a mere messenger? You would take his word over mine?" Cao Cao asked, his voice calm, not displaying the rage that currently churned within him.
"Tell him peasant! Tell him what you told me. You saw Cao Cao, gave him the message and he rode off. Go on! Tell him." The messenger looked between the two men nervously and weighed his options. Neither looked good for him. With Yuan Shao, the penalty would probably be death for lying. It wouldn't be a long drawn out one, it would be quick, simple. With Cao Cao, he would suffer. That gaze let him know that he would suffer. He decided to take his changes with the simple death.
"I-I'm sorry, My Lord!" The man dropped to his knees kowtowing to the men before him. "The battle was raging around me, It was hard to think straight. I was confused." Yuan Shao's eyes widened. What was this? Now the man was confused? He made him look like a fool in front of Cao. He grit his teeth utterly frustrated and resisted the urge to scream out his frustration.
"My Lord-" Cao began, returning to his gesture of respect once more. "As he said, the battle was raging around us and it was easy to be confused. I do not fault him his mistake, however my honor was insulted and it would only be fitting if I was compensated." Yuan Shao balked. The gall of this man. Now he was asking for compensation! Damn you Cao! At this point, Yuan Shao was greatly chagrined. He had to remain silent for several moments to calm himself down. He needed to remember his noble rearing. Do not let this peasant get the better of you. He repeated to himself over and over until he felt himself calm down.
"Of course, Cao Cao." Yuan Shao said after several minutes of silence. As this messenger was under my command, I will compensate you personally. Three Hundred gold should suffice." He looked at the messenger and said with a hiss. "This will come out of your wages until the debt has been fully paid." Cao Cao hid his smirk.
"Your generosity knows no bounds, My Lord." Yuan Shao waved his hand dismissively and commanded the messenger to leave his sight.
"There is still the matter of the disrespect foisted upon my brother. Not only did she disrespect someone above her station, she did so in front of the men he led. There are several accounts of her doing this so you cannot refute that it happened. This crime cannot go unpunished."
"I demand recompense for this insult!" Yuan Shu shouted out, his fist shaking with anger in the air. Yuan Shao smiled, you will not be able to talk your way out of this one Cao Cao.
"As you are the injured party, brother I will let you decide how best you should be compensated."
"I want that little whore's treacherous tongue cut out, in front of everyone! Better yet, I want to be the one to cut it out!" This was bad, Cao thought to himself and couldn't help but find himself even more curious as to what she said to Yuan Shu to piss him off so much. There was no way he was going to let his cousin's betrothed get her tongue cut out. There would be no sating Dun's anger if that happened. Cao was fairly certain that not even he would be able to stop the impending rampage. Besides, he happened to like Zhuyue. He admired her fire, her will and her skill as a warrior. He would do everything in his power to help her.
"My Lord-" Cao began, now facing Yuan Shu with the same gesture of respect. There was no way he could go for deniability. There were too many people who witnessed her crime. He would have to approach this from another angle. "I understand that her actions were rash and foolish, but she is young. She has not yet been taught on the proper etiquette for addressing nobility. The failing is mine for not seeing that she was properly trained before interacting with you. I humbly request that you accept my apology and allow me to compensate you on her behalf. I offer one thousand gold from my personal coffers and fifty of my finest mounts. Please, accept them with my apologies and promise that I will discipline her myself the moment I leave here."
"Well, that sounds resona-" Yuan Shao started only to be cut off by Yuan Shu.
"No! I do not accept. Gold and mounts will do nothing to assuage my fury. She must be made an example of!"
"Certainly, we must take into account her efforts on the battlefield? She personally slew several enemy generals and allayed Sun Jian's suspicions regarding why the supplies had been delayed. We cannot reward a warrior of such caliber by cutting out her tongue. It will bring into question what type of men the warriors of this coalition have followed. Again, I offer to compensate you with fifteen hundred gold from my personal coppers and seventy-five horses. Please accept them with my apologies" Cao replied calmly. This was getting costly. Zhuyue and Dun owed him for this one. Cao could see Shu hedging on his decision. Cao suspected it was the comment about Jian that gave him pause. He knew that the coward had no desire to face Tiger of Jiangdong nor lose an alliance with him.
"I will not take your gold or horses Cao Cao." Shu said after a long period of silence. "However, I will not take that wench's tongue either. I still require recompense for her disrespect so I will offer you two choices and I will not accept anything other than one of these two options. The first being that she is given to my son, Yuan Yao as a wife. The second, is that she is publicly given fifty strokes with a bamboo cane on the buttocks which I will personally deliver. Which do you choose for your vassal?" Shu asked, a triumphant smile on his face as he inwardly praised himself for his cleverness.
Cao remained quiet as he considered the options. Both were horrible and Shu knew it. The first was not even truly an option. Zhuyue was already betrothed to Dun and his cousin was not the type to share, nor did he react well when things were taken away from him. Also, Cao knew that Shu wouldn't truly let Zhuyue marry his son. He would only say that he would but as soon as he got his hands on her, he would probably cut out her tongue and make her his concubine if not kill her outright. The second option was made to simply humiliate Zhuyue. He wanted to display his power while reminding her and all of his men who was in control. Dun wouldn't react well to this news he knew, but it was the best option. Zhuyue would be able to recover from it. It was a lot better than losing a tongue at any rate. Cao sighed, unhappy with this decision. At least he could try to retain some of her dignity.
"If a choice must be made, My Lord then it would have to be the strokes with the bamboo cane. However, I ask that the strokes be made to her back rather than the buttocks. Though she is a warrior, she is still a woman surrounded by men. For you to beat her in the buttocks it may be viewed as a perverse act rather than punishment you intended." Shu thought on this for a few moments then nodded his head in agreement. Yes...yes...we wouldn't want that. I agree. I will comply with your wishes Cao Cao. The strokes will be applied to her back instead of her buttocks."
"When will the thirty strokes be carried out, My Lord." Cao Cao asked, not feeling like he won much of a victory for Zhuyue.
"I said fifty strokes, Cao Cao and it will be carried out within the next hour." Cao cursed under his breath. He hoped he wouldn't have caught that. He could have tried to argue later that he confirmed the number of thirty. Shu was smarter than Shao, but not by much. Cao Cao did not have much time. He had to find his cousin and Zhuyue to explain the situation. He did not look forward to the task ahead of him at all.
"Understood, My Lord. Please excuse me, I need to make preparations."
"You wouldn't be planning on fleeing would you, Cao Cao?" Yuan Shao asked. In truth, Cao Cao had briefly considered it but thought better of it. If he fled, it would give Yuan Shao the justification to hunt him down. He could not face him, not just yet. He would however remember this slight he and his brother wrought upon him and repay them ten-fold.
"Of course not, My Lord. I must simply explain the situation to my vassal. I would rather her not go into this blindly."
"Her name is Zhuyue yes?" Cao nodded slowly, annoyed that they were wasting the little time he had to speak with her and Dun. Yuan Shao stroked his chin.
"I swear, that name sounds so familiar to me but I can't quite put my finger on it. Tell me, Cao Cao what is her family name?"
"I do not know." Cao Cao answered truthfully.
"No matter." Shao said. "I will ask her personally before her punishment is carried out.
"If that is all, may I leave?" Cao asked, trying his best to keep the annoyance he felt from being reflected in his voice.
"Yes yes. Go." Shao said waving a hand at him. Cao bowed to both men before hurrying out of the tent to look for Dun and Zhuyue.
Zhuyue's body ached. She hadn't fought for such an extended period in well...ever. If this was going to become a habit, she was going to have to train her body to get use to the stress of battle. Right now, her muscles groaned in protest as she dragged away a piece of rubble to see if someone was buried beneath. The atrocities Dong Zhou had committed here were unforgivable. These people did not deserve to be dragged into this. He didn't have to sacrifice them to make his escape. She sincerely hoped that Cao Cao would be part of the next campaign to go against that bastard. She wanted to make him pay. Zhuyue frowned, seeing the scene she revealed by moving the debris. The charred body of a small child, it's lower half partially crushed by more debris holding the hand of a larger burned husk which Zhuyue assumed was the child's parent. She turned away from the heartbreaking scene and took a seat on the ground, her body demanding that she take a break. Curling up one of her knees to her chest, she rested her arm against it and rested her head on her arm.
"Terrible isn't it?" Zhuyue looked up to see Sun Jian and another man with him. The man next to him was fairly young. To her, he resembled Sun Jian quite a bit. Perhaps that was his son? She noticed that Sun Jian was not wearing one of the smiles she had come to associate with him. Dong Zhou's actions seemed to have shook him to his core as well. Zhuyue nodded somberly.
"I am glad to see that you made it out alive though. I heard quite a few stories of your exploits. It would have been a shame to lose someone as talented as you here." Zhuyue gave Jian a small smile his flattery lifting her spirits slightly.
"Thank you, My Lord."
"Ah, but it seems you were injured?" He knelt down beside her and examined the bloody cloth Dun had tied around her wound before. He gently removed the cloth and examined the wound. "This is a pretty deep cut. You will need to have this properly stitched for it to heal. I have a clean cloth here, it will have to hold until you can get this looked at." He said, pulling a red cloth from a hidden pocket within his armor."
"My Lord, please do not worry about me." Zhuyue said, feeling embarrassed by the attention he was giving her.
"Nonsense. We are allies are we not? This wound should be cleaned again." Jian looked around spying a well. "Ah, I will go see if there is some water left. Son, will you keep Lady Zhuyue company?" Jian's son grunted in response, obviously unhappy about something.
"Ah, where are my manners?" Jian said as he rose to his feet. My Lady, allow me to introduce you to my son, Sun Ce.
"Honored to meet you, My Lord." Zhuyue replied getting to her feet and bowing respectfully to him.
"Yeah, hey." Ce replied returning the bow. Jian gave Ce a hard elbow into his ribs causing him to grunt in pain. He shot his father a look who returned it with a hard stare. Ce sighed and looked at Zhuyue.
"Um, I mean it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, My Lady." Jian beamed, a look of pride on his face that can only come from a father.
"Forgive my son's rudeness. He is a bit sore that he didn't get to fight as much as he wanted."
"You stuck me in a garrison, father. I didn't get to fight at all."
"You had to fight to take the garrison." Jian pointed out, a smile on his face. He clearly enjoyed ruffling his sons feathers a bit.
"Pfft, that barely counted. They all went down too easy." Zhuyue couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the two. They may bicker but she could definitely see the strong bond between them. Jian joined in on the laugh as did Ce, he had to admit, he was acting rather childish.
"Don't worry my son. Your time will come, and all will know the name of my little tiger." he said ruffling the portion of Ce's hair that wasn't pinned up.
"Father!" Ce said, pushing his hand away, feeling embarrassed that his father actually did that in front of Zhuyue. Jian barked out another laugh as he made his way towards the well. "I'll be back you two!" He called over his shoulder.
"Sorry about that..." Ce muttered. Zhuyue shook her head and smiled at Ce.
"Don't be. I think it's sweet. I can see you two are close."
"Heh, yeah I guess we are. Though I wish he wouldn't treat me like a child all the time you know?"
"He left you in charge of a garrison though right? That's pretty impressive. You were responsible not only for the protection of the men in that garrison, but he depended on you to hold that location. If it would have fallen, we would have lost part of our means to escape."
"Huh...I didn't think about it like that." Ce said rubbing his chin.
"And I'm pretty sure you did better job at defending it than others..." She continued, still frustrated with Shu's unwillingness to defend his own garrison. Ce laughed at this. His laugh wasn't quite as loud as his father's but it was still louder than the quiet dark chuckle she was use to hearing from Dun.
"I heard about that! I heard from some of the men under his command that you gave him quite the tongue lashing." Ce leaned forward, not wanting his next words to be heard. "To be honest, I've wanted to speak out against that bastard for awhile now. My father keeps telling me to bite my tongue because we serve under him. So I personally thank you for that." He said, leaning away from her with a huge grin. Zhuyue smiled back finding that she liked Sun Jian and his son Sun Ce. She hoped they would get a chance to work together again.
Jian had arrived at the well. He could hear the laughter from his son and Zhuyue and smiled inwardly. He asked around and heard that contrary to Dun's word, Zhuyue was not fully taken just yet. She was promised but that promise hadn't yet been fulfilled. He knew that she and Ce would hit it off if they got to know each other. If Ce truly did like her, Jian would offer her the chance to marry his son. He felt that Ce would only flourish with a strong woman like Zhuyue by his side and she would get along wonderfully with his daughter, Sun Shangxiang. While they were allies now Sun knew it wasn't an alliance that would last long. He truly did not like Cao Cao and his underhanded ways. He wouldn't feel right leaving her with him or that leashed animal Dun. Jian drew the bucket up from the well when something caught his eye. Within the bucket was a object made of jade. Jian dipped his arm into the bucket pulling it out and holding it up to get a better look. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. Immediately he lowered the object and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. It didn't look as if anyone had but he couldn't be sure. He knew that right now he had to leave immediately. If Yuan Shao caught wind of what he found, he wouldn't allow him to leave with it. This object was the key to set the Sun family on the path to greatness. In his hands, he held the Imperial Seal.
"You know, you should definitely meet my little sister. I think you two would get along well." Ce said enjoying the comfortable conversation he was having with Zhuyue. He wasn't exactly sure why his father was so adamant on him meeting her but he was glad that he did. Before Zhuyue could respond three armed men approached them. Ce eyed them discreetly putting himself between them and Zhuyue this gesture however did not go unnoticed by Zhuyue.
"What do you want?" Ce asked, the friendly tone he used with her gone.
"Lord Yuan Shu commands Zhuyue's presence." Shit, she had a feeling he wouldn't let her little outburst go but at the time she couldn't care less about the consequences.
Zhuyue place a hand on Ce's arms and offered him a smile. "I'll be okay, My Lord. Thank you." She looked to the men. "I will come with you, but can we please inform my master first? I wouldn't want him to wonder about my whereabouts."
"We were told to bring you directly to Yuan Shu immediately and by force if necessary." The men leveled their weapons at her and Zhuyue could feel her instincts for self preservation kicking in. She had to remain in control, if she lost it and killed these guys, who knew what repercussion this could bring on Dun and Cao? Still, the entire situation made her feel uneasy. Shu wanted to meet her without her master present? Did he intend to exact his revenge on her without their knowledge?
"Like hell you will." Ce growled pulling Zhuyue behind him once again. The men got into a defensive stance, ready to fight Ce.
"Hold!" Came Sun Jian's voice, the power behind it made all turn to him, waiting for his next word.
"Surely such treatment of an ally is not necessary. She already stated she is willing to go with you, she simply wishes to inform her master first."
"I am sorry my lord, Sun Jian but we were told to bring her directly to Yuan Shu with no deviations." Sun Jian frowned. He had to act fast. He needed to get his men and leave here immediately but he couldn't leave Zhuyue alone like this. He looked to Ce.
"Find Cao Cao. Inform him of this then return to me at our camp immediately. Move quickly. Go!" Something in his father's voice told him that something was amiss. He nodded and ran off to complete his task as quickly as he could.
"Will you come with us willingly or do we need to use force?" One of the men asked Zhuyue. She nodded slowly. She casted a glance at Jian and mouthed a thank you to him. He nodded a frown on his face, wishing he could do more for her.
Cao found Dun in his tent, finishing up the stitching of the wound on his shoulder. He never let anyone dress his wounds. He didn't trust anyone that much. He always took care of it himself, no matter how long it took. Cao burst into Dun's tent completely out of breath. He had just spent the better part of the limited time he had running around camp looking for Dun. The conflicting reports had him going from one location to another coming up short each time. It was if the heavens themselves were conspiring against him.
"What's wrong with you?" Dun asked as he put his armor back on, not use to seeing his usually calm cousin in such a state. Cao raised his finger, the gesture requesting that he gave him one minute to catch his breath. Dun shrugged and continued putting on his armor.
" Yuánràng, before I say anything else I need you to promise me that you will be calm and wait until I finish. I also need you to promise that you will not do anything rash." This made Dun pause. He fully turned to Cao analyzing him for a few moments. Whatever Cao had to say, it was going to be bad. Real bad. He already felt his body tensing in anticipation of the news.
"Okay..." Dun said slowly as he continued fastening his armor. Cao narrowed his eyes at him noticing how his body suddenly tensed up. His movements stiff as if he was warring with himself to keep control.
"You're lying."
"Fine. Then I'll try. Best you're gonna get." Cao cursed under his breath knowing that Dun's version of trying was going to last all of two seconds once he heard the news.
"I just had a meeting with Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu." Dun did not verbally respond but his eye twitched as his mind started to go through possible scenarios that may piss him off.
"Yuan Shu wants recompense for Zhuyue's slight against him."
"Spit it out Mèngdé." Dun said through gritted teeth, his composure already slipping.
"Originally he wanted her tongue but I got it reduced to a lesser sentence. The punishment is fifty strokes with a bamboo cane across her back. I did all I could, Yuánràng." Dun did not respond. He calmly donned the last of armor and grabbed his podao. Hefting it over his shoulder, he walked past Cao who eyed him warily.
" Yuánràng, Where are you going?" Cao asked making him stop at the tent flap.
"To kill Yuan Shu." He respond calmly, leaving before Cao could respond.
"Shit!" Cao said aloud running behind him. He caught up with Dun quickly who was taking long powerful strides quickly through their camp to get to Yuan's camp. Cao put himself in front of Dun, blocking his path. Dun did not respond, he simply tried to walk around his cousin. Cao followed his path and blocked him again.
" Yuánràng, listen to me. I know you are upset but you have to let this one go. We cannot risk starting a war with Yuan Shao right now. He has too many people behind him." Dun did not respond, he instead tried to walk around Cao who blocked him once more.
"Cousin, you are my lord and you are of my blood. Please, do not make me move you." He spoke through gritted teeth. Cao saw that it was taking all he had to maintain his composure.
"I cannot do that cousin. I cannot allow even you to jeopardize my dream before I have a chance to even begin realizing it. I swear to you on this day, on the blood we share in our veins that Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao will pay for this." Dun stared at Cao, a wild look in his eyes as his gaze bore into him. His face was contorted, showing that he was having difficulty accepting this. It was hard for him to reign the beast that dwelled within him when he was angered. He wanted satisfaction now, not years in the future.
"FUCK." Dun yelled as he slammed his podao into the ground with so much force that it made Cao take a few cautious steps back. "You promise me, Mèngdé swear to me here and now that I get to be the one to rip that fucker's head off." Cao nodded, he didn't know how he would accomplish that at this moment but he knew he would make it happen somehow.
"Fine." Dun said, his blood still boiling but the fire burning inside his gut being quelled at least a little for now. "Does she know?" Cao shook his head.
"I was going to find her after talking to you."
"Let's get this over with then." He said, pulling his blade from the ground with as much force as when he stabbed it into the ground. He was still pissed and his attempts to quash were failing miserably. He really hoped that Zhuyue didn't flip out when she found out that news because he doubted he would be able to stop her, especially since he was barely able to stop himself. A man which Dun guess was a few years younger than him came running up to them. If he had to guess from the armor, he was from Sun Jian's camp. He really didn't feel like dealing with any one right now. He leveled a gaze at the man who was now in front of him which conveyed exactly that. To the man's credit, he didn't flinch or shrink back from Dun's gaze. He met it head on returning an equally heated gaze of his own. Cao saw this pissing contest and wanted to end this immediately. Dun was not in the best of moods and anyone challenging him would only end up in a fight.
"You are Sun Jian's boy right? Sun Ce?" Ce broke the gaze at the mention of his name, remembering his mission. He bowed to Cao Cao.
"Yes, My Lord. I come with urgent news. Yuan Shu has taken Zhuyue under armed guard. My father bade me to warn you." As soon as the last words left Ce's lips, Dun was off, breaking out into a run towards Yuan's camp. Cao sighed. Damnit, he just got him to calm down. What the hell was Shu thinking? Taking his vassal under armed guard without his knowledge. Also, he was certain an hour hadn't been up yet. That little prick was really playing with fire. Cao thanked Ce for delivering the message and hurried to catch up to his cousin.
Zhuyue stood next to a post encircled by a large group of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu's men. She wasn't sure what was going on but she had a feeling it was bad. She had seen groups like this before, mobs of people gathering around to watch as someone was punished for a crime. Some of them were usually pretty gruesome, ranging from cutting off a man's genitals and turning him into a eunuch or cutting their nose off, cutting off a foot or two. She would never stay to watch. Not because she couldn't take the gore but because she didn't see the point in drawing out someone's torture. Kill them and be done with it. Anything else was a waste of time and only served to show ones dominance over another. Such tactics were used by small men who needed to feel bigger than what they truly were. Speaking of which, a section of the crowd parted to allow Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to walk through uninhibited to the center.
"You are probably wondering why you are here." Yuan Shao asked.
"Not really." She responded. She knew exactly why she was there. It was because she told the sniveling little shit that stood next to Shao the truth.
"Ah, well...this will go faster then." He said, feeling a bit off put by her indifference. "You are hereby sentenced to fifty strokes with a bamboo cane.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me. My words hurt you that much Yuan Shu?" She said looking past Shao to Shu. Shao blanched, as if her curse somehow hurt him. How uncouth the peasants were.
"You see! You see!" Yuan Shu said pointing a finger excitedly at Zhuyue. "She has no respect. We should ignore what Cao said and cut her tongue out anyway brother!" Zhuyue's eyes widened. So Cao knew? Did Dun know? They originally wanted to cut her tongue out but he somehow dissuaded them of that? She would have to speak to Cao to get the full story dshe supposed. If he did talk with them, it would probably be in her best interest if she reigned her tongue in. She didn't want to screw up whatever deal he made for her. Though, why wasn't Cao and Dun here? In fact, no one from their army was here. Did they even know this was happening right now? Zhuyue eyed the two men in front of her warily having a sneaking suspicious that something was afoot here.
"Yes, yes I see brother. You must remember, she is uneducated. She cannot help her barbarism." Zhuyue wanted to laugh. Yuan Shao had no idea what he was talking about. She had the same useless training he did. She was just never good at holding her tongue despite the constant beatings her father was so generous to impart on her. "Well." Shao continued. "Before we meed out your punishment, I have a question for you, though at this point I am not sure it matters. What is your family name?" Shit, had Yuan Shao finally recognized her name? Her father had said he had corresponded with Yuan Shao regarding her hand in marriage.
"I have no family." She responded.
"Is that so?" Yuan Shao responded, his eyes roaming over her for a few moments as if he was deciding whether she was telling the truth or not. They were interrupted by the yelp of a man followed by another and another. All three turn to the source of the cries to see men being thrown about haphazardly. The few men remaining in front of the perpetrator wisely scrambled to get out of his path revealing it to be a very pissed off Dun followed by a Cao who was probably the angriest she has ever seen him.
"What is the meaning of this Cao Cao?!" Yuan Shao asked defiantly stepping towards him.
"You tell me." Cao Cao responded, not bothering to put up his usual fake front. He spoke with unbridled anger.
"You said we had an hour, yet I see that you have all but kidnapped my vassal and intended to deliver your judgment without me present?"
"We are busy men, Cao Cao. We couldn't wait for you." Shu replied.
"What did you say you little shit?!" Dun asked, his eyes wild as he surged forward. Shu scrambled backwards, nearly tripping as he back peddled. If not Cao placing a tight grip on Dun's arm, Zhuyue was sure Shu would have died that day.
"Control your dog, Cao Cao." Shu screamed after seeing Cao had restrained him. They were really pushing it. It was almost as if they were purposely goading them.
"Remember what I swore to you, Yuánràng." Cao whispered to his cousin who barely heard him over the thundering of his blood in his ears demanding that he end the life of the miserable little man before him. Dun took a deep breath and nodded.
"By our time it has been an hour, Cao Cao." Yuan Shao lied. "There was no intent to deceive you. We were just carrying out the punishment we agreed upon." Cao did not reply, his eyes flickered to Zhuyue to gauge how she was taking the news. She seemed surprisingly calm and for that Cao was grateful. He didn't want to have to try and restrain both of them.
"Zhuyue is to be my wife. I volunteer to take the punishment on her behalf." Dun said, surprising all around him, especially Zhuyue and Cao. By this time Li Dian, Yue Jin and several other generals from their army had arrived. After seeing Cao and Dun tear through the camp towards Yuan's camp, they couldn't help but investigate. They watched in silence, their weapons ready, unsure exactly of what was going on.
"Your wife?" Shao looked between Zhuyue and Dun, his lips twisted up in a disgusted sneer. The poor marrying the poor only to breed more poor. The very idea nauseated him. "That is very...honorable." He said, though the look on his face said he thought it was anything but.
"No, NO! I will not allow it! She is the one who offended me. SHE is the one who has to pay. I have no interest in you." Shu screamed. Shao frowned. His brother was being a bit unreasonable but he often got like that when he felt slighted which due to his fragile ego seemed to be rather frequently.
"What does it matter who it is you beat as long as the punishment is served?" Dun asked, beyond annoyed with this little man. Soon not even Cao was going to be able to keep him from ripping his head off right then and there. Dian watched on in shock. So that's what this was about? What Zhuyue said at the garrison? He knew she had probably gone a bit too far but he didn't think it merited a public beating.
"My Lord." Zhuyue said, siding up next to Dun and placing her hand on his chest. "Do not worry, I will be fine."
"Idiot girl." Dun growled. "You won't be fine." Zhuyue smiled. Though he sounded pissed, his words somehow warmed her. She knew that his anger was out of concern for her. Perhaps he actually did see her as more than just a warrior. Why else would he be willing to take this beating for her?
"I am stronger than you think. Don't underestimate me." She said giving him a smirk trying to reflect the confidence she truly didn't feel. Dun regarded her in silence. She wasn't sure if he believed her or not but it didn't matter now. Shu was no longer content to wait.
"Let's get this over with!" Ordered two guards to lead her over to the big post. She moved away from Dun and followed them willingly.
"Strip her." Shu ordered. Dun stepped forward, heading right to the men.
"Restrain him! Restrain him!" Shu yelled at Cao who didn't move a muscle. He knew his cousin well. If Dun had any ill intent, his sword would have been unsheathed and he wouldn't be moving as slowly as he was.
"I'll do it." He said in a tone that brokered no argument. The men nodded and uneasily stepped back, allowing Dun to step in front of her undo the clasp and straps in the Zhuyue's light infantry armor stripping her down to the her breast band. Dun stood in front of her, blocking the view from the men behind him.
"That too. Remove that too!" Shu said pointing at the breast band. Dun leveled a gaze at Shu filled with pure hatred. He looked back at Zhuyue and instructed her to lift her arms. She did so and he pulled the band up over her head, averting his gaze from her now exposed breast. He pulled off the custom made sleeves robe he usually wore over his armor and held it up in front of her. She gratefully took it from him and hugged it against her chest. He leaned down and whispered something into her ear. She looked up to him and nodded slowly showing she understood before making her way to the awaiting post while Dun made his way back to Cao.
The guards returned and tied her arms around the post, the robe doing its job of keeping her modesty. Shu stepped forward and held his hand out. A guard rushed forward and placed the bamboo cane in his hand. He eyed her unblemished back and licked his tongue, eager at the prospect of being the one to mark it up. Zhuyue closed her eyes, waiting for the first strike to hit. She could smell Dun's scent from the robe. It was a mixture of sweat, wood and wine. So very Dun; It made her smile as did the words he whispered to her.
'Don't you cry, don't you fucking cry. Don't give that bastard the satisfaction.' She kept this in mind, as the first strike landed against her back.
