Disclaimer: I don't own Three Kingdoms and Dynasty Warriors.
A/N: Ok, I can get back to this story now. I re edited Chapter 4 due to my laziness.
Zhen Ji- What's taking you so long…?
Cai Wenji- Indeed, he seems to have forgotten my debut.
Zhao Yun- He's been busy, my ladies.
Me- Yes, I've been busy and occupied with other interests. By the way, I play too much three kingdoms games and came to realize the lack of a real Shu history book makes the history rather incomplete.
Zhen Ji- That's because everybody likes Wei and Wu before the novel. Hmph, I'm still infuriated with my death and my son doesn't help things with my legacy other than make my death more controversial.
Zhao Yun- I was still a nobody before everyone started caring at 15th century.
Zhen Ji- No, you were so popular Zhao Yun….I was cancer to Han Dynasty's fall.
Warlords of Later Han
Chapter 5-Poetess of the Wind
Two centuries ago, there was a Han court lady known for her beauty. She was the most beautiful woman of her time and wiser than few women who were taught to study from their scholarly fathers. Emperor Yuan of Han Dynasty, at first sought her because she was from the Wang family noble branch, but did not make her his concubine. Later, the Xiongnu tribe chief Huhanye visited the Emperor for tribute and to continue strengthen relations with the tribe. To avoid war, she decided to become a bride to the Xiongnu Chief Chanyu, but due to the deceit of Painter Mao, who made a false portrait of her beauty, the Emperor tried to reconsider her marriage to the barbaric tribes, but was too late.
By her own free will, she had gone to the Xiongnu territory, not for her beauty, but for her virtue, a woman of true virtue and honor. Lady Wang Qiang styled Wang Zhaojun(1), was forever known as The Beauty of Peace. Some women worked hard to become just like her.
Now…
The Xiongnu became as aggressive and ambitious as its warlord neighbors in Han territory. Since the Great Rebellion, tribes used kidnapping as means to take a bride. Cai Yan, styled Cai Wenji, was one of whom they kidnapped as a bride.
"It's been three years and no one has come from the Han to send me back. No one has read my secret poem," Cai Wenji was alone in the hut carrying her second child she bore. She never wanted this life, she should never had gotten married before her captive. Her father left her and she had not heard from him since the news of a new Han emperor came to the tribal chief.
A girl from the tribe came towards her hut and bowed, "Excuse me, the chief wanted to see you. You must bring his new born child with you."
It wasn't the girl's fault that she hated this life; she hated the Xiongnu for taking her against her will. But, staying alive is more important than bickering outside in front of her current husband, Liu Bao.
"Tell him, I will be there at once," Cai Wenji told the girl and she got up carrying her second child and stare at him.
"Yes madam," the girl soon returned to inform the chief.
"You are my son, but from a man I could never truly love," Cai Wenji thought coldly. He's just a child, but she's not mad at the child, but the chief.
There has been a time of peace between the Han and the Xiongnu, but not now, not here. War can occur between two counties, but the Han has all, but weakened and her former home might soon be theirs for the taking.
She checks her face in the mirror. Her pale face enchants her loneliness white as snow. Everything around her, the winds, the plains, and the mountains, all of it was cold and lonely. She missed the spring weathers in the middle kingdom. This place rots with war and barbaric guile. She had no idea what's happened at Han territory.
To the left of the hut is where her harp had been placed. Those people often wanted to see her play her harp and sing songs for their understanding. Do they understand her? She's been pretending to be at home with those people, but deep down, they never truly understand her and she still don't understand them.
Why did they kidnap her? What had she done to them? Does the Chief know she doesn't truly love him? The question remains a burr like the winds of this landmark.
At the Chief's hut…
Liu Bao leads the Xiongnu as his men sat chattering rumors of other tribal rivals' movements. Yufuluo, the former chief died and Huchanqan was at the southwest dealing with the Xianbei.
Liu Bao carried his son Liu Yuan on his lap, "Look at this my son. This will be your army much like the Hans. And soon, you'll be a king."
His son was only three years old, curious child born with the mixed blood of a great Han beauty and a warrior king. Liu Bao loved his son as much as ruling the most powerful tribe in East Asia.
As Cai Wenji lead her way outside to meet the chief, her inner feelings of hate emerge. The Xiongnu were to be equally an empire compare to Han, but their standards, their quality of education, and violence nature was so foreign and distasteful to her. Do they really have class? This region is too cold to be her ideal home, but how did they manage it? How did the Xiongnu tribe last so long while the Han was in danger of fading? These people show their unity and she had a hard time to acknowledge their unity and strength. Maybe she preferred her wealthy life of scholarly livehood from the Cai family and her father's reputation over a kingdom of warmongers who sought violence as salvation.
Liu Bao and his men laughed compling their conversation on the other tribes. The men abruptly stopped laughing when Cai Wenji appears with Liu Bao's second son, "I'm here with the child."
"Haha, here is my second son!" Liu Bao ejected from his chair and hurried to see his second son born twelve hours ago.
Unlike Liu Bao, his sons were handsome, thanks to the nature beauty of Cai Yan. Just like the former beauty Wang Zhaojun, Cai Yan bore two sons soon they'll become kings. But for Lady Cai, she is not happy, never was, and never will be.
"He looks just like you," Cai Wenji said leaving behind the sarcasm of Liu Bao's features and the baby.
"Yes, but greater. Thank you Yanzhi!" Yanzhi is her current courtesy Liu Bao called her as the Chief Consort. He has not yet called her queen.
There were many women of Xiongnu, but none of them stood before Cai Wenji. Liu Bao's men shouted with cheers to celebrate the newborn.
"Bring your harp, we wanted to listen to your song for the newborn intermediately," Liu Bao told her with a satisfying smile, a smile she finds it slimy.
She returned to her hut and let out her frustration and checked her current writings. One of them stained with her tears and the other she nearly wanted to rip it to shreds.
"So, I'm just his mate to have as he pleases! What's next, I bore him a daughter and she'll be a princess to these violent people!" Cai Wenji burst into tears. Her delay will bring trouble between her and the chief, but she doesn't care anymore.
Five miles away from the village, Zhao Yun, Zhen Ji, and the army almost arrive in time for the difficult diplomacy mission that's about to happen.
"Zhang He hasn't caught up with us yet," Zhao Yun said.
"Maybe he's shy to see Cai Yan. He's still against the idea because of bad rumors against you, my lord," Zhen Ji joked.
"Jinyi can't afford to ignore beauty. So I'm leaving him to either come with us later or remain in Ye with Tian Feng," Zhao Yun chuckled when he joked.
"Hahaha! We're trying to save one of our own. Man or woman, right?" Zhen Ji glanced at the White Rider.
"Exactly, however, the matter with the Xiongnu is the other reason I'm going there. Now that I 'invaded' them, I must get them to speak over my demands. We ought to get them to understand what they're doing is ruining the peace between Han and Xiongnu. We've been enemies for centuries over cultural domination. Now with the state of Han in danger, I must get them to come in terms with us," Zhao Yun said.
Behind them, Ziyan was shivering from the cold hilariously, "How did those people in a place too cold from ours?"
Zhen Ji turns to see her servant struggle to adapt the weather, "You'll gradually get use to it, my friend."
"I don't share the same physically as you my lady," Ziyan glared at Zhen Ji.
"I know we trained together. Perhaps, we shall train more by immune ourselves to cold attributes," Zhen Ji grinned.
"Is there a barbarian tribe that lived in very hot places? Oh, I don't want myself and my lady to get melted," Ziyan thought.
Tian Yu continue to take measures on Yan Rou. There has to be something fishy behind that guy.
"Wait up, Zilong, my lady!"
The voice behind them came from a flamboyant man on a white horse donning two claws.
"Zhang He?" the pair unison. Hours ago, they made a short stop waiting for him to join, but the longer he did not show up, the more it appeared he did not want to come.
"At last, the Constable Zhang Jinyi is ready to save a beautiful lady kidnapped by the Xiongnu Horde!" Zhang He announced himself.
Everyone stopped and stare at Zhang He's arrival.
"Did he win the horse race?" Lu Kuang whispered his brother Lu Xiang.
"Beats me…" Lu Xiang let out both his hands in the air and shrugged.
"We're almost at the Xiongnu's self made capital, Zhang He. I'll rephrase myself again, we're not going to war over a woman," Zhao Yun and Zhang He exchanged looks, the former is content with the latter's decision to join.
"Don't flatter yourself, Zilong. The Confucian scholars are still eyeing on you taking Zhen's request over saving the Han Emperor," Zhang He crossed his arms sternly.
"Get over it, Junyi. Heroes save people in distress. It's your job as a military official to protect the innocents," Zhao Yun grinned.
"I'm just saying," Zhang He sighed.
"And you don't want to miss seeing Lady Cai in person. Since you had a fascination over her when we were at the military barracks during the Great Rebellion as teenagers; you ought to take this diplomatic mission with heart," Zhao Yun said as Zhen Ji giggling was heard.
"Granted?" Zhang He shrugged.
Zhao Yun nodded, "Granted. You'll earn great fame for saving the daughter of the late Cai Yong. You always sought fame, old friend."
"Alright, let's head over there. Those hordes might be leaving Lady Cai agitate to no end," Zhang He said.
Zhao Yun's forces marched the last couple of miles towards the Xiongnu village there Cai Wenji is waiting for her freedom. Zhao Yun's confident felt more assured.
"I'm also curious about the way those people lived. It's unlikely she would adapt this nature without understanding those people. She must have been living with hate," Zhen Ji thought.
The trio were envious of Cai Wenji's condition. What comes within the Xiongnu will surprise them.
Cai Wenji's hut…
"Yanzhi?" the servant girl from before showed up in Cai Wenji's hut.
"My name is Cai Yan!" Cai Wenji shot back at her uncharacteristically leaving the poor girl in shock.
"I…I…the chief is waiting," she shuddered.
"Waiting?" Cai Wenji scoffed.
"You know what he's like when you make him wait. I beg you, do not get the chief irritated," the servant girl exited the hut hastily.
"….I made that poor girl terrified," Cai Wenji sighed. She took out her porch and inside it was a keepsake from her father before he died during Wang Yun's plot.
After taking her harp, she prepares to entertain her current husband's men.
Liu Bao's Hut…
"Why is she so late?" Liu Bao demanded the servant girl to speak about her lady's tariness.
"She appeared upset when last I saw her," the servant girl answered.
"What could she be upset about? She gave birth to another prince and we should celebrate with brew and songs, right boys!" He turned to his men who cheered louder.
She can hear them outside, "Pack of wolves who see me as just a mating tool."
Suddenly, someone rushed behind her and entered the hut before she could. What could this mean? Is there news from the scouts on any people from Han like traders?
"Chanyu, we have a problem!" the scout burst inside the hut at the same time Cai Wenji slowly entered holding her hopes up for what she expected the news he'll bring.
"What is it? I got another boy and we're celebrating. Speak," Liu Bao stumble back to his chair bored.
"There is an army approaching! They appear to be troops from the middle kingdom!" the scout finally report to his chief.
The tribesmen murmur and Liu Bao's eyes formed a crack as shown widen. The Han been weakened and most of the region lords may be fighting amongst each other which lead the Xiongnu to raid Han territories easily.
"How could this be? I wasn't notified about Han troops coming! Wasn't the entire middle kingdom at war over the land?!" Liu Bao exclaimed.
"I don't know!" the scout answered.
Liu Bao took his halberd and ordered the men alert the village then he turn and sees Cai Yan wandering her own thoughts of hope. He may not want to lose this adorable flower as his possession, a gift for his succession as prince.
"No matter what your feelings are about me, I don't belong here!" Cai Wenji thought with her eyes starting at Liu Bao stoic like.
"Hmph…" The Xiongnu King leaves his hut with the men while Cai Wenji followed behind.
Zhao Yun and his envoy reached the village where their expectations of the village's architect mass looked more like a medium city at their home. It's not as big as Ye, but nonetheless. It's more of a city than a stereotype tribal village. The Xiongnu is slowly advancing in civilization.
"It's fascinating," Zhen Ji scanned the village in bewilderment. This is outside her cultural knowledge. She's lucky to see what's outside of civilization and Ziyan is as surprised to see the people as her ladyship.
"Ye is better. Those barbarians have a long way to go to know the beauty of a civilized kingdom," Zhang He scanned around to find any Han people who were taken as captives.
"They still use rawhide and flax to make their wear," Ziyan told Zhen Ji.
"I see…so trading more silk is essentially valuable here," Zhen Ji nodded.
"We have not provided enough silk for the envoy, Luo. Don't worry, I know how to make this work," Zhao Yun said.
"I have faith in you, my lord. Your speechcraft has already gotten the attention of the Hebei scholars, with the Xiongnu, there should be less words to convince them," the pair exchanged looks hoping they'll succeed in this diplomacy.
"State your business! I'm Liu Bao, the current chanyu! You show a lot of bravery crossing beyong the Great Wall!" Liu Bao and the Xiongnu men march towards the envoy and stood face to face with Zhao Yun's men.
"And those men of his are suppose to be generals? They look more like uneducated ruffians," Zhang He scoffed and Zhen Ji shot an annoyed look at him.
"I don't care what they are, they look dangerous and shouldn't be provoked, General Zhang He," Ziyan look worried at the situation. She must be aware of her lady's safety at all times.
"Greetings, Chanyu. I'm Zhao Yun of Changshan, Governor of Jizhou, and the current White Horse General of Han," Zhao Yun dismounted and bow.
"Did you come here to threaten my domain? You Han people are so arrogant," Liu Bao smirked.
Cai Wenji had enough of hearing Liu Bao and came forth, "I'm Cai Yan, daughter of the late Han Consultant and Minister of Literature."
"My lady, that's her!" Ziyan pointed towards where Cai Wenji stood in front of Liu Bao.
"It appears she is alive and well…." Zhen Ji gasped.
"So this is the late Cai Yong's daughter," Tian Yu muttered.
"…" Yan Rou remain silent for the entire journey, but seeing Cai Wenji, a fellow Han native forced to live through nomadic lifestyle intrigued him. Since she never experience the harsher realities he gone through as a child, she's lucky to finally be free.
"The rumors about her beauty were true. Three years she spends after the death of her father it's such a tragic turn of events. I'll never forgive them!" Zhang He dismounted after thinking about what Cai Wenji going through.
"We're here as envoys and want to gain a audience to you for Cai Yan's release," Zhao Yun told the Xiongnu chief.
"You come barging in here for my wife?! Men!" Liu Bao signaled his men to seize the envoy, but Zhao Yun's men quickly dismounted and sheathe their blades.
"We're not here to fight! We come in peace, Chanyu! Your tribe as violated and broken the old oath your tribe swore two centuries ago. You kidnapped an innocent woman and we're here to take her back in exchange for trade," Zhao Yun warned him.
"The old oath? Are you talking about the days of the old Chanyu Huhanye?" Liu Bao turned to his men and each exchange puzzled looks at each other. Some don't remember about their tribe's alliance with the Han two centuries ago, but this comes with a shock to Liu Bao as his father Yufulo, the former Chanyu rarely told him about it.
"Yes, in the days of Emperor Yuan, the former Chanyu and the former Emperor tried to establish ties between to cultural in form of a political marriage," Zhao Yun said.
Cai Wenji gasped, "He don't mean…? But, that was a long time ago."
"Come, let's talk about this inside. But if you and your men try anything suspicious, it's war!" Liu Bao warned Zhao Yun and the latter nodded cooperatively.
The men had gone ahead leaving the young ladies meet face to face. Zhen Ji and Cai Wenji, to reknown beauties.
"Did he say Emperor Yuan?" Cai Wenji questioned Zhen Ji on Zhao Yun's last comment.
"He's indeed referring to Liu Shi, the Han Emperor of that time. Shall we talk about what we're going to do with your release, Lady Cai?" Zhen Ji nodded and offered the poetess some company.
"Yes, please come to my hut. It'll be the last time I'll live in such harsh environment," Cai Wenji smiled. It's the first time in a long time she shown any positive feelings now that Han envoys found her.
The young women went into Cai Wenji's hut. Inside the servant girl is holding Cai Yan's second child. She bowed to the three ladies.
"So even Xiongnu royal women have servants just like me," Ziyan stares at the Xiongnu girl.
"She is the daughter of one of Liu Bao's so called generals. I trust her to watch over his sons," Cai Wenji explained the duo about her servant girl.
"Nice to meet you," Zhen Ji greeted the servant girl.
"Please, I'm just a lowly servant for the Yanzhi," the servant girl shrugged her shoulders.
"Yanzhi?" Zhen Ji wondered what means.
"Yanzhi is a term for Royal Consort or Queen. Basically, she calls me her queen. I never wanted to be that man's queen, yuanzhi, whatever. Sigh…I was forced into a life I don't want or need. The two sons I born, it never change my empty feelings for the Chanyu. I'm like his sex slave than a queen. Everyday I've spend my time writing poems about my true feelings over those people," Cai Wenji went to get those wooden scrolls that were her poems and show them to Zhen Ji.
"These were your poems?" Zhen Ji unfolds the scroll and read out, "Poem of Sorrow and Anger. My dwelling is often covered by frost and snow. The foreign winds bring again spring and summer."
"I hate this place. There's no substance to living this inhabitance territory. It took me three years to understand how those people get used to living here," Cai Wenji sat down holding her harp and twitched her gaze at the servant girl.
"Living away from civilization does feel foreign according to you. I live in Zhongshan, so it's understandable," Zhen Ji nodded sadly.
"I miss the spring and summer warmth. Three years were like three years of neverending winter in this place," Cai Wenji sighed.
"That's rather…boring," Ziyan frowned.
"It is, it is," Cai Wenji then looks at her newborn baby thinking about whether it was worth living through her asylum.
Zhen Ji looks at the baby and note it's features, "What kind of methods they use for child birthing?"
"That's the most depressing part of my life with Xiongnu. Because of the cold weather, only the hard labor and pangs gave me real warmth, but instead, it gave me pain, alots of pain and humiliation. You could describe how painful I gave birth to him and Liu Yuan. I hold on to the clothing handle tightly. At first, I wanted to…end my life there, but heaven was on my side. If I could endure the pain of an unwanted life, then there's a chance I'll be free. Once Liu Yuan was born, my fate became clear," Cai Wenji explained her experience.
"He names the baby after Emperor Yuan. It's clear, these people consider you the second coming of Wang Zhaojun, formally Wang Qiang," Zhen Ji put it together and Cai Wenji got started by the sudden comparison to her and Han's Beauty of Peace, the famous beauty Wang Zhaojun.
"This isn't fair! I was kidnapped and a prisoner to his lust! I've lost my previous husband to natural causes and became a widow! Do the Xiongnu have no honor or dignity to disgrace a noble Han woman like myself!?" Cai Wenji shouted.
"I've learned that in war, nothing's fair. Xiongnu raided at the perfect time our land's in chaos. I felt that something will happen to me if I ended up just like you. Right now, you must have faith in Zhao Yun. He accepted my request to save you," Zhen Ji never leave her eyes away from her new friend who share a common altercation, the mistreatment of women.
"I had almost started losing faith in my own country because it's in dangerous of declining. These people and their country…it doesn't quite fit my class. I see them as lowly, but this girl here, deep down she shows the same innocent face I've shown at her age. Maybe we're not so different to the Xiongnu. Even a Xiongnu woman get treated as bad as myself," Cai Wenji wiped the tears off her eyes.
"But, some of those women can fight," Ziyan added.
"Yes, yes, but I absolutely hate violent. It's what they're being taught for. I wish I could have given the children a chance to learn the literature arts, noble values, and other things our civilization is far superior to theirs," Cai Wenji said.
"Hahaha, we're not just sex objects! Both of us born in the scholarly family were taught greater qualities of education. Though, we are still forbidden to go into schools. Lady Cai, I cherish your bravery to write that poem my brother found when a local trader came to my town a year ago. That right there, shows how mentally strong you are," Zhen Ji gave Cai Wenji the poem she received from her brother.
"Oh! This was indeed written a year ago! I'm glad it reach your home," Cai Wenji compliment Lady Zhen's efforts.
"I'm also forced in a marriage, but it's ludicrous. Yuan Shao, who formerly governors Jizhou, had made an arrangement for my premature marriage to Yuan Xi. That happened before I learned the truth about what happened to Han Fu from Zhao Yun and the Battle of Jieqiao. I wish that could had been avoided, however, Gongsun Zan won the Battle of Changshan so that victory has brought a huge blow into my marriage, now I'm sort of self arranging my divorce," Zhen Ji retold her experience in a political marriage to Yuan Shao's son Yuan Xi.
"Yuan Shao? I barely remember Yuan Shao leading the Anti Dong Zhuo coalition. How could such a heroic man stomp that low into getting you married too soon?" Cai Wenji asked.
"He's greedy, but the worst thing about my marriage to Yuan Xi is not the marriage, but how uninterested we both were together. It was just bad, politically bad. We continue to being married as two people who don't' have much in common by personality. I continue to be selfless and filial, but there's really no interest between me and Xi. I didn't bear any children from him either before I start living with him. Can't you believe it? Being married before you're barely 15 or 16?" Zhen Ji scoffed.
"And here I wanted to tell you how I truly feel on marrying an uneducated savage," Cai Wenji gave a hilarious look of debrief.
"The Xiongnu chief appears to be aware of the previous history of Han and Xiongnu relations. He knows Wang Zhaojun, which assumes he's educated alright. Not in our level to be frank," Zhen Ji grinned.
"Hmph! He just wants my body! If he knew about Wang Zhaojun, why didn't he tell his father Yufuluo that Wang Zhaojun decided her own free will to be a political figure for the marriage into Xiongnu. There the Xiongnu were honorable given the Liu surname. He took me as a wife against my will!" Cai Wenji angrily said.
"I don't know. Our knowledge in the barbarians' ways are akin to our knowledge in Han history. But both men of Han and Xiongnu had something in common, they still view us as their bed makers," Zhen Ji placed her hand on Cai Wenji's hand, "Let Liu Bao witness the error of his underestimation of your own bravery and courage into writing that poem and sending it to our territory. One thing the Xiongnu King lacks that you as a woman had is intelligent. You could have became his advisor, but choose to separate yourself from him thus weaken his ability to be a wise king."
"I don't think he's even cut to be a wise king. I've learned that there was a schism between the Xiongnu chief leaders of different regions. Huchunqan was viewed as the leader, but Liu Bao is the legitimate successor to Yufuluo," Cai Yan uttered by her discretion.
Zhen Ji and her servant Ziyan look at each other blinking.
At Liu Bao's hut…
"Hahah, you wish to take my wife from me?" Liu Bao glares at Zhao Yun who was standing by the wooden round table. It was an hour after their arrival as it becomes late afternoon.
"She never chooses to be your wife. You kidnapped her and I'm demanding you to free her in exchange for a trade of silk," Zhao Yun gave a firm look of determination at the Xiongnu chief.
"But, she is my wife now! She gives birth to kings and my people see her as another Wang Zhaojun," Liu Bao urged.
"Wang Zhaojun made a choice to be the wife, but Cai Yan was kidnapped and forced to become your wife. You ought to consider the differences of two centuries ago and right now," Zhao Yun corrected the Xiongnu King.
"Your kingdom is dying. How will you cope with this demand?" Liu Bao grinned as his men laughed.
Zhao Yun now sees it's time to put his speechcraft to test against the barbarian king. Can he capitalize? Will Liu Bao not see the threat within his own position? The fate of Cai Wenji's life is about to reach its conclusion.
Next Chapter: Yan Rou's Plot
1. Wang Qiang(Zhaojun) 50 BC-? was a famous beauty during the Western Han Dynasty. So her existence brings familarity to the Xiongnu on Cai Yan. She was forever known as the Beauty of Peace.