Disclaimer: I do not own Dynasty Warriors or any other media associated with Koei or its affiliates. The vast majority of the characterizations have been expanded upon by me for the sake of literary format. Individual or minor characters created by me for the purposes of interaction and story depth or my own property. If you wish to know which ones they are please ask.
This is a simple work of fanfiction, meant to be enjoyed by Dynasty Warriors players and those who enjoy the Sanguo/Three Kingdoms epic. Centered around some invented characters serving the Sun family, it helps to be a Wu-phile if you want to read this story. As always, reviews are welcome, flames will be laughed at. Enjoy!
Youth, Enthusiasm & Other Neuroses, Chapter 4- Caught With Your Pants Up
Baifu was a frenzy of activity- people rushed about, accomplishing errands relating directly or indirectly to the festivities, merchants hocked their wares in the grand market and mendicant monks of every sect offered blessings to passers-by in exchange for a single coin. Children ran around excitedly, wearing bright clothes while tailors' shops were ablaze in gold and red garments for sale in honour of this momentous occasion.
It was through this mighty city that Keung and Guiren now found themselves walking, with orders to secure the barracks that the Green Demons would be staying in during the wedding. As accomplished as the two of them might have seemed recently in light of their exploits, they had to admit that they felt like ants among giants here in the capital- mighty warriors were everywhere, guarding important posts and temples. They even espied a few of the legendary Night Tigers, greatest and deadliest warriors in the Southlands.
"Doesn't that figure," Guiren muttered, looking around. "Fresh from our own accomplishments and a chance to get noticed and we're immediately assigned to an event where we're guaranteed no one will notice us."
Keung chuckled. "You are impossible. Endless numbers of regiments would kill half their own troops to be here and you find a way to turn it into a negative. Let me ask you this, oh sage of doom and misery- why do you think we got assigned here?"
Guiren frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Why would a new and green regiment be given quarters inside the city when there are other, more prestigious units that the favour should logically go to by dint of seniority?"
"Are you saying we got lucky?" Guiren asked.
"Possibly, but I would also submit the possibility that our posting here was requested by someone who has some authority or leverage."
Guiren thought about what Keung was implying. "You don't think..."
His friend shrugged. "We cannot ignore such a thing occurring. Wouldn't you rather hope it was that, rather than fate interfering with us?"
Guiren considered and then sighed, as he was wont to do on such occasions when confronted with his comrade's inescapable optimism. They continued walking through the bustling streets, trying not to gape at the splendour around them. Neither of them had ever seen anything quite like this. Even Changsha paled in comparison.
Much of the city was done in white stone (fitting for the capital's name), a shining pearl within the strong, grey granite and concrete walls that ringed the city. The Great Market, through which anyone passed upon entering the Great Gate, was a riot of colours, sounds and smells. It was enclosed by a low red wall, blessed by Taoist priests, that kept the rest of the city sanctified from taint. Only here was unprepared food, especially animal flesh, bought and sold. It was a testament to the sound understanding of feng shui that the Sun family and their advisors commanded.
Once they had passed through the gate from the market that separated the market from the city's various residential quarters, they were once again amazed at what they beheld. Magnificent temples speckled the broad roads, as did elegant shops offering well-made wares and extravagant silks. Tea rooms and small, open theaters were buzzing with patrons. A lively lion dance was in progress on
one stage, to the delight of a throng of onlookers.
"I'd heard the capital was unlike anything we could dream of, but to actually see it," Keung mused as he looked around. "It has such a contrast to it."
"How so?" Guiren asked, hoping the more eloquent Keung could give form to what he too was feeling.
"It feels new, but still very traditional," Keung answered. "This city is younger than you and I by a significant margin, yet it is ablaze in the glory of the traditions of the Southlands and the Sun family. It's large and stately, but colourful and brash, unlike the other great cities of China."
"Like Changsha." Guiren agreed. "It was smaller than Baifu, but felt... older. Some of the buildings were centuries old. A burden of years was upon them."
Keung nodded. "I've been told that several of the temples in Baifu were actually located elsewhere in the Southlands before and were de-constructed and brought here to be given a new life and purpose. They were languishing and falling into disrepair, so the Sun family reverently took them apart and put them back together where they'd be appreciated and used once more."
"That makes for a fine urban legend," Guiren said somewhat churlishly. Though he was completely devoted to the Sun family and the Southlands they ruled so benevolently, he didn't believe everything he heard. "But can you verify that?"
"I've been told that it was the Lady who caused it to happen."
"Oh. Then it's definitely true." Guiren said hastily, changing his mind and meaning it. If Lady Da Qiao said the sky was some ridiculous shade of lavender, he wouldn't have looked up. They continued on their way, trying to find the place their billings would be at.
It was somewhat difficult to stay focused and keep from sightseeing, but eventually Guiren tapped his friend on the arm and pointed at a low, long building, the doors of which had long black and red banners hanging on either side. The banners announced the barracks of one of the companies of the Stone Demons.
"That's our billet, seemingly," Guiren mused. "Nice of the Stone Demons to put us up."
"Probably a favour to the Sergeant," Keung replied. "Well, let's go show the papers and then go back and get our comrades. You know how intolerable Chao gets when he's made to wait."
"Even for the enemy." Guiren chuckled, showing a rare glint of humour. They walked up to the doors, where two Stone Demons stood guard, wearing curved swords on their hips. They gazed down at the two young warriors indifferently, almost as if they were watching a cat walk by.
Keung tried to not swallow loudly and presented them with the papers. One of the guards took the sealed scroll, broke the wax, unfurled it and gave the document a cursory glance. He looked at the other guard before turning and heading inside. Keung and Guiren waited uncomfortably while the other guard just stared ahead stonily.
Several minutes later, the guard who had left appeared. He dropped a key in Keung's hand and a different scroll. He them fixed him with a steady look.
"Your instructions for the upkeep of the barracks are in your hand. We expect them to be returned to us in the condition we have left them. If you do any less, we will mop the floor with your hides. Understood?"
Keung swallowed loudly and nodded. They guard looked at Guiren. "Understand?"
Guiren thumbed at his friend. "He- he's the ranking corporal, I'm just a squad commander."
The two guards shook their heads and left their posts. The two friends just stood there for several moments before Keung turned his head to scowl at Guiren.
"Thanks for throwing me under the chariot, pal," he said darkly. "Can't wait to return the favour."
"Hey, I froze, okay?" Guiren protested as Keung stomped in the door and into the barracks. "Those guys were scary."
"No, the Bailangren are scary," Keung corrected. "The Stone Demons are our comrades, warriors we wish to emulate for their valour and skill at arms."
"And that's why you're on your way to becoming an officer," Guiren muttered. "Because the bullshit you spew smells like lilacs. Let's do this, the princess' wedding is less than two days away."
The two stood at young warriors the door while the other members of the company trudged in, carrying their kits. Last came Sergeant Chun, who stopped and consulted with the two of them.
"Glad to see you two fuck-ups could find our lodgings," he grunted. "Normally you can't find your own asses in the course of the whole morning."
They tacitly ignored his insults, knowing he meant none of it, or at least were reasonably sure he didn't. Keung was pretty certain that the sergeant would have killed them long ago if they were one tenth as bad as he made them out to be.
"It was nice of the Third Company to accommodate us like this." Keung mentioned, moving aside as two of the troopers brought out a Green Demons banner and hung it beside the door. Normally this wouldn't have been necessary for so short a period, but orders from the palace had been explicit- every person from every regiment was to be accounted for in their billet during the ceremonies, no excuses.
"Third Company has graciously volunteered to guard the stretch of road between here and Huo-Lan until Princess Shang Xiang is gone," the sergeant replied. "They'll miss the ceremonies and the wedding, but they'll receive a month's liberty with triple their normal pay for their selflessness."
"Maybe we should have volunteered," Guiren muttered. "Not like we'll be allowed anywhere near the ceremony."
"Oh, that reminds me, you two are pinheads and left without your orders," the Sergeant declared. He fished around in his pack for a moment and held up two sealed scrolls, handing one to each of them. "I don't have time for you two to pretend you can read, so here's the gist of it- the Green Demons will have a place of honour in the Great Hall opposite the Young Tigers. Since I'm invited to stand with the Stone Demons, that means you two idiots will be in charge of our hapless company during the proceedings."
Keung and Guiren were speechless. They just stared at the sergeant dumbfounded.
"That's what I was worried about," the older man growled. "You're going to stand there like morons and humiliate us, aren't you?"
"I- no, sergeant, we won't," Keung said hastily, gathering his thoughts. "It just never occurred to us that this would be happening. We thought that the Green Demons coming to Baifu was a mere formality and sign of respect to Princess Shang Xiang."
"It is, stupid," the sergeant snapped. "What did you think it was?"
"Sergeant, if I may," Guiren interjected, giving Keung time to recover. "Who asked for us to be present? Was it... was it the La-"
"Oh you two are so full of yourselves," the sergeant groaned loudly, looking at the heavens in despair. "You really think that Lady Da Qiao would invite you insects? Don't you think she has more important matters to attend to? Get your heads out of your asses! Face it, Cao Pi is more likely to have recommended you to attend than her!"
"Ow, sergeant," Keung said, a little wounded. "Then who, if not the Lady?"
"Not that it matters, but it was the Young Tigers," Chun explained, rubbing at his eyes. "Thanks to your idiotic valour, they survived that battle and now they're returning the favour. But let me explain something to you before your heads swell and no longer fit up your butts where you keep them- this is quite possibly the greatest favour you will ever be given and you'll have to save the Young Tigers in a hundred more battles just to repay their generosity. Don't doubt that. Those boys are the adopted sons of the Sun family, one and all. The brightest of them are sent to the Sun Zhang Military Academy in Jian An. They'll all be Night Tigers or regimental commanders one day. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yessir." Guiren and Keung said, somewhat deflated. They should have been exhilarated but the sheer magnitude of the privilege being bestowed on them was now clear.
"Good." Chun grunted. "I'll let you idiots explain it to the company. Hopefully they'll accept it with a little more humility than you two. I'm staying with Lord Huang Gai's First Company for the duration, but I'll expect you to report thrice daily. Are we clear?"
"Yessir!" they both said crisply, bowing with precision.
He gave them one more look, snorted and tromped off.
"Do you think the sergeant likes us?" Keung mused as he watched their commander walk away.
"If he does, I'm sure as hell glad he doesn't hate us." Guiren muttered. "I'm barely surviving him liking us."
"Well, we might as well get started," declared the executive corporal. He picked up a satchel of orders left by the sergeant and went inside. "Let's see what Baifu has in store for us..."
"Alright, here's what we know so far," Keung explained as the Green Demons sat around the firepit in the walled-off courtyard behind the barracks. "We're going to be attending the Princess' wedding ceremony as guests of the Young Tigers. I don't know where in the Great Hall we'll be positioned, but I've been told it is opposite from the Tigers themselves and that can't be a bad thing."
"So near the front?" asked one trooper.
"I... no, probably not," Keung replied, getting an inkling of how Sergeant Chen felt, dealing with this day in and day out. "Call me crazy, but I am thinking that certain warriors will be represented the closer you get to the front. Say, oh, I don't know, Lady Shang Xiang's amazons, the Night Tigers, Lord Quan's Wolf Guard, maybe the Bailangren. If you want to go negotiate with them to switch positions on our behalf, I'm sure I can set up a meeting for you."
The trooper said nothing, especially once the White Wolves were mentioned.
"Moving along," Keung said dryly. "We've been over what needs to happen in the barracks if we don't want the Third Company to come back and stuff us up one another's behinds in turn. Let's stay on top of that. The ceremony is two days hence, our assignment until then is to keep the hell out of the way. We must report in with the sergeant three times daily during our stay."
"What does 'stay the hell out of the way' mean, exactly?" asked the trooper named Chao.
"Getting to that," Keung answered. "We have run of the city, except for areas designated off-limits. If anyone tells you a place is off-limits, even if it's a five year-old, don't go there. Further to that, we have a gift..."
He now held up a pouch that jingled when he shook it.
"Cash for expenses," he explained. "As with other visiting regiments and units, we will not be buying from the merchants of the city with cash, we will be getting chits. Once the ceremonies are over, the merchants will come to us and present bills of sale for what you have purchased. Assuming their chit matches up with yours, we pay them from this. Any complaints about unfair dealing will be handled by Lord Elryk of the Bailangren, I am told. Will we be dealing dishonestly with the merchants?"
"No..." said the entire company in unison.
"One final note for now," Keung added, holding up yet another pouch. "This bag of cash, from an anonymous donor, is to be used for the express purpose of engaging the ladies of the Peach Manor. They're courtesans in training and know that they're to entertain us during our stay. So try to behave yourselves, okay?"
The men all cheered enthusiastically.
Keung dismissed the troops and went to his low bed, which he flopped onto. Guiren sat on the cot next to him and sighed. "That certainly lifted their spirits. But I'm not sure how the whole Peach Manor thing is gonna work. I mean, there can't be seventy-five girls, can there?"
Keung shrugged. "Damned if I know. Should we go to the Manor and ask?"
This garnered him a wry look. "I'm sure Min and Lei would love that."
"Did I say we were going over to procure their services? No, I said I want to find out more about how this is supposed to work. It fell to us-"
"You, technically, Master Corporal." Guiren corrected.
"Fine, I think it would behoove us to learn a little more about what we're supposed to do with this money and who better to inform us that the Manor women we'll be dealing with? Besides, even if the girls objected to something as simple as us conversing with courtesans, they're not here to misinterpret the action, are they? They're all the way back home in Pei. Further to that, aren't you the least bit curious about what a courtesan house looks like?"
"Fine, fine," Guiren sighed, accepting his friend's inexorable logic. "Let's get this taken care of so we can explain to our fellow morons. Don't want fights breaking out over the girls."
"Exactly," Keung agreed, grinning. "What's the worst that can happen?"
Once they'd reached the inner gate of the great market, they'd been obliged to climb out of the cart they'd been riding in. The two girls were still agog from all the sights, sounds and frenetic activity of the market, let alone the city they were about to enter. They could see great white buildings looking overhead as they glanced beyond the wall.
"I wonder if this is what the Immortal Jade City looks like." Min breathed, clasping the silk and linen-wrapped package to her chest.
Lei shook her head ever so slightly, equally at a loss for what to say. "I never would have dreamed. Baifu."
Two guards nodded to them as they passed through the red gate and onto the broad boulevard. They both gaped in amazement as they spied the great square in front of them, countless people milling about. Towering over everyone was the unreal structure of the famed waterclock tower. They both felt so... small and out of place.
"This'll never work," Lei murmured, intimidated by her surroundings. "In a hundred years, this'll never-"
"We've got nothing to lose in trying, do we?" Min said gently, giving her friend's hand a squeeze. "Let's ask for directions and keep focused, okay?"
They stopped a scholar and bowed humbly. "Excuse us, kind sir, but could you possibly direct us toward the Peach Manor?"
"Not sure this is what I hand in mind," Keung murmured as he lay on the long, padded table and allowed a scantily-dressed courtesan to massage the tension out of his shoulders. "But at least we'll be able to tell the guys what they're in for if they visit during our stay."
"I think we're doing them a service," mumbled Guiren on a similar table nearby. "Y'know... make sure the product is worth the money and all..."
They had visited the Peach Manor in a secluded residential district in order to make inquiries about how many of their troops could visit at any one time, but once they announced their identities they had been swept directly into the manor with great delight and introduced promptly to the mistress, who bowed low. Apparently the two of them had come highly recommended for their valour and heroism. The mistress lost no time in making sure that the most talented four of her fifteen courtesans were dancing attendance upon them. Unexpected, but the two young soldiers were not exactly in a position to say no.
They'd been stripped of their clothing, cleansed and then put on these tables for relaxing massages, with the promise of baths and other delights to follow. Keung could barely remember his own name by the time the girl known as Ju had worked her way down his back and to his hips. A single, tiny linen sheet covered his behind, draping over the sides to preserve his modesty, at least for now. His toes involuntarily curled as she pushed her thumbs into knots he didn't know existed and he moaned in deep satisfaction.
"Gods above..." he breathed, transported by her unreal touch. "You really need your contract bought, you are a goddess."
Ju giggled and applied more pressure further down, pleased with the compliment. It was not often she got to service young and attractive heroes of the realm. "You are too kind, master," she said in a lilting voice. "I am merely a humble servant. My time with you will be over too quickly, so I will endeavor to make it feel like it lasts as long as you desire."
"So it is for all of us," Nuan added from nearby, where she was massaging Guiren's feet. "For a maiden of the Willow World to take true delight in her work, such as we may now, is a true honour. Warriors such as yourself, whose names are known even by the mighty lord of the Southlands, will be remembered by all of us here in Peach Manor reverently."
They took the two young men and led them into another room which had a partial wall that separated two large wooden baths. They were eased into the fragrant water and then their escorts joined them, having shed their clothes. The four women took great delight in bathing and massaging the two men, often with their own bodies and with predictable physical results. They made a show of giggling and blushing, impressed with Guiren and Keung's attributes.
"Are you in need, master?" the girl named Ru asked coyly, staring at Keung. "It would seem we have not relaxed you completely just yet."
"Likewise, my warrior," Nuan purred in Guiren's ear. "Shall we see to you?"
Both men were about to respond when the door to the room slid open and their eyes went wide- standing at the entrance was the mistress of Peach Manor, along with Min and Lei, their wives. The two women simply stared at their men, not quite sure what to say.
The fate of the Heroes of Pei hung on a thread...
"Damn," Guiren muttered as they lay on their cots back in the barracks they had been billeted to. "We really came close to screwing up, didn't we?"
"I dunno," Keung sighed, pinching his eyes. "Who the hell knew that the girls were gonna show up and that they'd been invited to the Peach Pavilion to be taught a few techniques as a reward for you and I?"
"I admit, they didn't seem really angry or anything, but that's what made it scary for me," Guiren admitted. "They didn't say much of anything, they just sort of... stared."
"Yup," Keung agreed. "Can't begin to imagine their reaction if they'd come by a few minutes later, because I'm pretty sure I was too addled to not have continued with those girls."
"Me either. Come to think of it though... what would their reactions have been?"
The Master Corporal frowned as he tried to envision the circumstances. "Hard to say. I mean, Min has told me that if I become a warrior of renown and a gentleman of quality that I'd probably be expected to take another wife, or at least a concubine and she wasn't completely opposed to it."
Guiren shrugged. "And after all, doesn't old Du keep a second wife and even a concubine? If he can do it on what he makes with his pottery trade..."
"Yes, but I'm not sure I'd want his life," Keung mused, almost smiling. "They fight an awful lot and he seems pretty haggard. Clearly it's not all it's cracked up to be."
"That and neither of them can cook," Guiren added. "Remember those awful dishes they brought to the festival?"
"Ugh, those grey and green ones?" Keung said, making a face. "Not sure I knew where the vegetables ended and the meat began. If that's how old Du eats every night then it's no wonder he looks twenty years older than he is."
They both stared at the ceiling of the lodgings room inside the barracks and sighed.
"Think the girls will learn anything worthwhile?" Guiren asked finally.
"Don't see how they can't," Keung replied. "Whether they choose to use it on us or not is another matter. If I know Lei, she'll withhold those skills until I do what she wants."
"So you just left the sack full of cash with the mistress?" Guiren inquired, changing the subject. "Shouldn't we have kept it?"
"It was meant for the Manor exclusively, giving them the money up front seemed fair. If they don't fulfill their end of the bargain it would give them a bad image, I'd guess. And a courtesan house in Baifu probably can't afford a bad image for reasons beyond counting."
Guiren considered and then nodded, conceding the point. "So how many are coming over tonight?"
"Ten, according to the mistress of the Manor," answered his friend. "They'll be singing and telling stories and serving wine and so on tonight."
"Anything else?"
"That's up to the manor girls," Keung said, his tone now taking on a grim edge. "I'd better go tell the men about this little detail."
Guiren followed his friend in getting up and herding the Green Demons into the common room of the barracks, where everyone sat or stood, waiting to hear what their new Master Corporal had to say.
"Concerning tonight," Keung began. "Of the fifteen ladies from Peach Manor, ten will be coming over tonight and entertaining us with song, dance and wine."
The men all nodded and muttered in approval, grateful for the gift.
"Anything else we can expect from them?" called one man named Wang from where he leaned against the wall, causing several of his comrades to chuckle.
Keung smiled. "I know what you're all thinking and I sort of have an answer for you. The girls, should they want to, may fraternize with you in that manner, but that is their choice. These are courtesans, Yang, not simple prostitutes. They're exquisite students of their many arts."
"Well, you would know." Wang replied, his tone one of thinly-veiled sarcasm. "You're the guys who got to go over earlier and check it out, see what they had to offer."
Keung raised an eyebrow. Everyone else was silent.
"Would you care to elucidate?" Keung asked quietly.
"You heard me," Wang said tersely. "You were gone a long time just to drop off a bag of money and seal a contract."
"Perhaps," Keung replied, levelly. "But that's because I'm the Master Corporal of the Green Demons and you're not. It could've been you, I suppose."
"Sure," Wang shot back, scowling. "If only I could stick my tongue that far up the sergeant's-"
He never finished the sentence as Guiren was on him instantly, pinning him to the wall with his forearm across the man's throat. Wang was paralyzed in shock and fear.
"Get this straight, you piece of shit," Guiren hissed. "Say another word about the sergeant or if you even think about forcing yourself on or bullying one of those ladies tonight, I'll have you up for a court martial and whipped before sending you home in disgrace, with a bag of gold as sympathy for your family for having to put up with such a damned fool!"
He pressed harder on the man's neck. "You got that?"
Wang nodded hastily as his face turned purple. Guiren let him go and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for air and coughing. The squad commander glared around the room. "Anyone else?"
No one said anything.
"Alright then," Keung declared, as if nothing had happened. "Like I said, if they choose to consort with any of you, then you'll probably want to be on your best behaviour. Like it or not, these women are ladies, trained in high arts and sophistication. If you have none to offer, best leave 'em alone. Anyone up to the challenge?"
Several men chuckled and nodded, forgetting Wang's unpleasant outburst.
"They could have given us money for some prostitutes, I guess, and then all of you could get your little carrots wet, but this is something more," Keung continued, readying to use a sly tactic and get the men back on his side, in case anyone else harboured any resentment. "The Peach Manor is one of three courtesan houses in Baifu, each and every one set up under the auspices of the Ladies Qiao."
Everyone began muttering and whispering to one another at the mention of the name.
"This money was donated anonymously," Keung said, knowing he had their attention. "It wasn't the Young Tigers who gave it to us, no other regiment has any call to, so that leaves very few candidates who make sense to do such a thing."
He watched as what he was implying sank in.
"And just so you know, when I was completing the transaction of the contract with the mistress, the funds used were not simple cash strings, they were ta'el. Gold ta'el."
He waited another moment.
"Now who would have easy access to that quality of currency and would have any inclination to waste it on a bunch of bums like us?" he asked, knowing their imaginations were running rampant.
"You can all say it," Guiren said, rolling his eyes. "Because we think it was probably the Princess too."
More excited whispering and muttering amongst the men.
"So there's another reason for you to be on your absolute best behaviour- because I'm willing to bet that every single little thing that happens will make it's way back to Lady Da Qiao's ear. And if you all actually mean what you said that night when we all swore oaths to defend her in all things, then you'll do nothing to dishonour us in her eyes. Right?"
The men all called back loudly, affirming that oath readily.
"Wang," Keung said firmly, fixing his gaze on the trooper who had given offense. "You're not a squad commander, but since Guiren and I will be busy writing reports and coordinating with the sergeant, I'm putting you in charge of making sure that every man in this company acts with integrity tonight. Am I clear?"
"Yes, commander!" the man said, standing up straight.
As the two warriors left the barracks to find Sergeant Chun, Guiren looked at Keung in wonder.
"And that's why you'll be a General one day," he mused shaking his head. "Id've thrown him in the brig and made sure he got none of what was happening tonight as punishment for mouthing off. But you've turned him into an ally."
"Maybe," Keung replied simply, looking around as they walked. "At least I've defused him for now."
"You're a strategist," Guiren observed. "You've got the big picture. I mean, I can handle tactics and so on, but I only ever focus on what needs to be done immediately, what I can see in front of me. You've got an intuition. Wang should have been beaten for what happened. You turned my embarrassing him into the only punishment necessary by making sure he has to behave honourably. You're a strategist."
"Well, you're a better fighter than me." Keung answered. "Not by much, mind you, it's not like I suck, but you've got the definite edge. You'll make a superb battle commander if we don't get ourselves killed."
Guiren considered. "I just hope I'm commanding the toughest regiment in your corps, then."
They found the barracks for the Stone Demons First Company and approached it. Since the Demons were one of the honourary regiments that guarded Baifu, their company barracks were spread around the city. First Company's quarters were near the Awaken-To-Vacuity Temple, the largest temple dedicated to the religion of the Buddha in the realm and not far from the district that housed Baifu's wealthiest families, the Jade Moon District.
No family, no matter how rich they were, was allowed to live there, though, unless one of their sons was sent to become a member of Lord Huang Gai's Gentleman Cadet Corps or had the grades to attend the Sun Zhang Military Academy in Jian-An. Their loyalty to the realm needed to be demonstrable before being given such a privilege and it was one every noble family aspired to.
"Think we'll ever manage that?" Keung wondered as they walked by the Jade Moon district's ornate walls.
"Manage what?" Guiren asked, having no clue was his friend was talking about.
"Attend either the Gentleman Cadet Corps or the Sun Zang Academy."
"Where the hell did that come from?"
Keung shrugged. "We were just walking by the Jade Moon District and it got me thinking."
"Oh, you and those damned scrolls again that you read all the way back here from Pei," Guiren muttered, knowing where this was going. "First, we're not nobles, and you need to be one for your son to join the Cadet Corps of Huang Gai, so no, that's out. And you showed me the entrance requirements for Sun Zhang, and frankly, I don't think the two of us put together are that smart."
They arrived at the First Company barracks and asked the guards if they could speak with their sergeant. He joined them a few minutes later, asking how everything was going so far and receiving an honest and detailed account of how the man had promised to comport themselves.
"Good," he grunted, looking them up and down. "Sounds like your sorry asses might have this handled. I'll take those reports and here are some new ones for you. Keep it up and don't do anything stupid."
He turned and went back inside the barracks. Keung and Guiren stood there for a moment while the Stone Demon guards on either side of the door stared at them. The two young warriors then turned and left, at a loss for what else to do.
"That was a little abrupt." Guiren muttered.
"Hey, we have no idea what he was doing when we chose to interrupt him," Keung pointed out. "Just be thankful we didn't have anything negative to report this time around."
They were silent for some time before Guiren spoke again. "Should... do you suppose we should go check on the girls?"
"I want to, but that's probably a bad idea." Keung replied, wishing he had arrived at a different conclusion. "We should just leave it for now and attend to our duties unless something comes up."
They returned to the barracks, preparing to write up another detailed account of the company's whereabouts and doings for the official reports.
"Oh, heavens..." Lei sighed as a girl massaged her lower back. "Is this what we'll be able to make them feel like?"
"If you choose, yes," the mistress of the Peach Manor replied as she sat between the two tables the girls were being worked on. She'd been given two gold ta'el by the Lady Xiao to teach these two peasant girls how to pleasure their men and two weeks to do it in. It was an easy task with a generous compensation, so she had taken the assignment willingly. They seemed like good girls, so it was a pleasure. "I am glad you're enjoying yourselves, but are you also paying attention?"
Both girls hummed and nodded, hopefully meaning most of it.
"Pay attention to the positioning of the thumbs and the heel of the palms," the mistress said. "It's not just about the fingers, that heel is more vital than you can imagine."
"Gnnnn, you're right," Min moaned as she reveled in the oils being sensuously spread across her body. "Oh, gods, the boys should be doing this for us as well, Lei."
"Who?" Lei murmured.
"The boys, our fiancées?" Min replied, eliciting giggles from the young courtesans attending them and a smirk from the mistress. "Are there even schools where boys can learn this?"
"Maybe, though I know of none in the Southlands," the mistress said. "Any boys so trained are doubtless eunuchs."
"Poo," Lei mumbled. "That won't do for Keung and Guiren, we still have need of them, as breeders if nothing else."
"Is it true, Mistress Min, that there is no courtesan school or manor anywhere near where you live? Pei?" asked the girl massaging Min, now working on her legs and eliciting sighs and moans.
"None," Min said lazily, feeling a deep relaxation in muscles she didn't even now she had in her legs and pelvis. "When civilization comes our way, that's one of the things I'm told needs to be established, along with a Confucian academy."
"Min," Lei drawled from her table. "When they're done teaching us... we could open a small bath house and massage parlour in town. The two of us... make real money."
"S'not a bad idea," Min hummed, biting her lip as something her courtesan did to her toes turned her on. "People from other villages... would come around for it too..."
"They're very nice, your men," the mistress said to them. "They were very respectful of the girls and their services."
"Please be honest," Lei's masseuse said, working her thumbs gently into the soft flesh around her subject's heel tendon. "Would you have been angered if we had pillowed with them?"
Both girls were silent for a moment before Lei responded. "Not with you, no, and probably not with them either, although we might scare them a little about it. We keep hearing that they're heroes, so maybe they deserve to be spoiled a little."
"I'm thinking that the rumours are true, if you must know," the mistress agreed. "It was Lady Xiao Qiao herself, the Mistress of Celebration, who gave us the money to see to the Green Demons and also your training. In this matter, she was quite possibly an envoy from her older sister, the Princess herself."
"It still seems strange to me," Min sighed. "Our boys, the two goofy boys we grew up with and promised ourselves we'd marry, they're some kind of heroes."
"After a fashion, yes," the mistress said. "They performed well enough at some battle in the north called 'Wang Jou' that they were noted for their reckless bravery and it had to be rewarded as an example to others."
"Still weird." Lei breathed.
"Tease them if you must, ladies, but never belittle them for their feats or trivialize them," the mistress said, holding up a finger. "They have the appreciation of the Princess and Lord Sun Ce himself, which is never anything to take lightly. That same appreciation garnered the favour you are now enjoying, it had nothing to do with you two."
"That is true," Min admitted. "If Keung and Guiren had gone after other girls, it would be them lying here right now, wouldn't it?"
"Then remember every single thing we teach you, ladies," the mistress intoned, smiling. "It is a man's world, maybe, but without us they would have nothing to do but fight. Give them the beauty and serenity they'll need to continue on."
Both girls murmured their agreement.
"Now then," the mistress declared, standing. "Let's get you two into the baths and give you a demonstration of what the boys nearly received earlier..."
The evening's revelry was pleasant and boisterous, with the courtesans singing and dancing for the Green Demons, a few of them making the rounds to serve more heated wine while the men watched the entertainment. To their credit, none of the young soldiers disgraced themselves by acting in an untoward fashion.
Guiren and Keung looked in occasionally, but mostly remained in the small office, coordinating paperwork the likes of which they had never seen before. And all for three days' billeting in the city.
"Not sure even a regimental quartermaster has to slog through this much paper," Guiren muttered as he compared two different sheets, having just taken a head count in the courtyard to make sure all the men were still accounted for. "This is crazy."
"Probably not," Keung replied, writing down some figures on a fresh sheet while using an abacus. "The Sun family is being extremely cautious over the course of the Lady Shang Xiang's wedding, and for good reason. It's going to be crazy here in Baifu for the next few days and if enemy spies were to take advantage of that..."
"And do what?" Guiren snorted. "Assassinate her? You've seen her, I'm not even sure Ma Yuan could slay the Princess."
"Maybe, but what if they attempted to kill Lord Liu Bei?" Keung countered. "The alliance against the Prime Minister would be irrevocably dead and nothing could stand against him. Remember how we heard about some clan of assassins moving against him and he survived it? That's the guy Lord Sun Ce is taking measures against."
"Okay, you have a point," Guiren conceded. "Couldn't you at least grumble a little bit more about having to do this while our comrades are having a good time?"
"Nope, waste of energy," Keung said, smirking, knowing that Guiren loved nothing more than grousing. "Besides, we might actually finish against all odds if we stay focused."
There was a gentle knock at the door and then it slid open, allowing one of the courtesans to enter. She bowed and then presented them with a tray of tea and sweet dainties.
"For the heroes of Wang Jou," she said humbly, her hands in front of her lap and bowing humbly. "Courtesy of the ladies of Peach Manor."
"There you go, see?" Keung said cheerfully. "This isn't all bad."
The girl gracefully moved in and poured a cup of tea for each of them, bowing her head as she presented them. "I'll be staying with you here until such time as your work is done."
"Okay, thanks," Guiren said, accepting the cup and taking a sip. "But what about the other-"
She smiled. "Nine Peach Manor courtesans to entertain seventy-five men? I believe the military vernacular is 'overkill'. No, my sisters will be fine without me, and frankly, they're jealous that I drew the lot to serve you."
"Hope you don't get bored easily," Keung sighed, sipping at his cup while looking over another page. "This is what we'll be doing for at least the next four hours."
"I have some skill with the yueqin (four-stringed lute), masters," the courtesan mentioned. "If you want, I can play some soothing songs if that would assist you. It would be my privilege."
Both men nodded, pleased for the chance to break up the dullness of their task. The courtesan bowed humbly and stepped just outside the door, retrieving a short-necked fretted lute that she had obviously placed there in anticipation of its use. She then arranged herself on a small folding seat and began playing a mellow tune.
The work was still dreadfully dull but both Guiren and Keung had to admit that they were far less aware of the passage of time once their companion had begun playing. She finished a slow piece and Guiren put down his quill, sighing and tilting his head, trying to get a crick out of his neck.
"Master, allow me," the courtesan said, putting down her lute and going around to stand behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders and beginning to massage them and bleed out the tension. 'This will help, I assure you."
"It certainly does," Guiren murmured, his head falling forward and closing his eyes. "Thank you for your diligence."
"It is my pleasure," she replied. "You must let me know if there is anything else I can do for either of you..."
The two men said nothing, silently pondering her words. Keung wrote down some more figures while she kneaded her fingers into Guiren's shoulders.
Once Guiren seemed sufficiently relaxed, she moved over to Keung and did the same for him. He could feel her subtly pressing her breasts into his back. He paused in his work and considered the effect she was having on him. She kneaded the knots out of his shoulders before going back to her place and playing her lute again, this time singing a song to go with it, one speaking of a home and hearth far away.
Another hour passed and the two warriors finally finished their paperwork and prepared to bring their final report for the night to the sergeant. The courtesan, who's name was Dai, waited patiently while Keung informed the men that they'd be back shortly and to be on their best behaviour. The three then walked out of the barracks and through the dark streets, which were still jostling with revelers.
They delivered the report to their sergeant, who looked at the courtesan and then at the two of them before sniffing and heading back inside. Keung and Guiren looked at one another and shrugged before escorting Dai back to Peach Manor. They walked quietly on either side of her, noting how people bowed respectfully to her as she passed. It occurred to the two of them that courtesans were quite revered in the eyes of people that they lived among.
The little party arrived at the Manor finally, which was tucked away in a small district consisting of both common folk and also some nobles, with Peach Manor being the largest house that crowned the neighbourhood. When they came to the compound's gate, she opened the wide doors and asked them to come in. They looked at one another for a moment before bowing their heads and entering.
The mistress greeted them as they stepped into the main house, along with two of her senior courtesans. She smiled warmly and bowed.
"Welcome back, young masters," she intoned. "Thank you for returning Dai to us, I trust you have seen to similar arrangements with our other ladies?"
"We have," Keung said. "Do you require anything further form us? We are honoured to be at your disposal."
She bowed again. "Thank you, but there might be two young angels here who would be happy to see you."
She beckoned for them to follow and took them to the room where the two large wooden tubs awaited them. Inside one of the tubs, Lei and Min were naked and squished together in the middle of the tub, giggling as two courtesans rubbed oil into them with their bodies. Everyone paused upon seeing Guiren and Keung, who both stared dumbly.
Min blushed prettily and looked down while Lei giggled and waved. "Hi, boys! How was your night?"
"Clearly not that much fun." Guiren muttered.
"Have we come at a bad time?" Keung asked politely, smirking.
"It'll be an even better time if you two get in here with us." Lei purred, smiling lopsidedly. They must have been drinking.
Both men just stared, torn as to what to do. Their fiancées squirmed against one another, looking at them expectantly while the courtesans wrapped their arms around the girls.
"Don't we have to get back to the barracks?" Guiren asked under his breath, worriedly. "Please tell me we don't."
"As long as we're back by First Call, no harm done, right?" Keung replied.
Their clothes were shed almost instantly and they joined the four women in the tub, who squealed in delight. The mistress smiled.
"I guess this can be seen as part of the payment..." she mused cheerfully.
"Okay, now calm yourself, Lei, and press down with your hips," Jun said quietly, placing her hands on Lei's behind. And while you're doing that, squeeze your muscles like I showed you."
Lei shuddered but did as she was told, eliciting a moan from Guiren, who lay below her. Jun, the courtesan who was with them in their bedroom, knelt next to them, watching carefully and instructing. "Good, good," she said, nodding. "Be methodical, Lei. Now, Guiren, eight short thrusts, followed by five longer ones, matching the timing of her squeezes."
The couple moaned together, following her instructions. She nodded and slowly turned Lei over so she was lying on Guiren but facing up. She knelt between their legs and massaged Lei's body while rocking her back and forth on her lover.
"Excellent," she purred, leaning closer. "Perhaps that's enough of a lesson for now. "Let's just enjoy the rest of our night together, the three of us..."
Fa looked down into Min's face as she lay on top of her, staring into one another's eyes. They were moving together rhythmically as Keung knelt between their legs, thrusting and panting.
"Do you feel it?" Fa asked quietly, caressing Min's cheeks. "Stay in time with it, for your mutual ecstasy. You can help him prolong the lovemaking if you are skillful in how you use your body."
"I feel it," Min replied, trembling as she gazed back into the courtesan's lovely face. "I feel him. I can help him control the rhythm so easily."
"Yes, and now you- mmmmmm-" Fa moaned as Keung was suddenly inside her again. "Oh, he is an eager boy. You are lucky. But there is so much more to teach you still."
"It can wait..." Min murmured, pulling Fa down to kiss her.
It was several hours later, nearly dawn, in fact, when Guiren and Keung walked somewhat unsteadily out of the gate of Peach Manor and began the trek toward their barracks. They hadn't really slept, since the demands of pleasuring their fiancées and the courtesan assigned to them proved both involved and very taxing.
Not that either of them were complaining, but they really hoped their didn't have to use any higher brain functions today.
"Girls've really loosened up," Guiren said as they walked. "Well, around us, anyway."
Keung nodded. "Well, they're hardly unfamiliar with one another, of course. And Min admitted to me that there might have been some trysts with other girls back in the village some time ago."
"Really?" Guiren mused. "Wonder who."
"She wouldn't say, of course," muttered Keung. "Either way, they really like the courtesans. I
think they could probably make a go of that massage parlour and bath house when they get back to Pei. It'd be unique from anything else they could do to make money."
"Provided they don't... y'know..." Guiren added.
"Well yes, dopey, not that," Keung laughed. "At least not with the men, I don't really give a damn about anything with girls."
Guiren smirked. "Can you imagine the look on the faces of all the crotchety old people in our town when they open it up? They'll complain about how it's destroying the morals of our good little village."
"Oh, who cares," Keung grunted. "We're bringing civilization to Pei, the morals and traditions were bring are far older than their backward, small-town conservatism. What would they do if the Bailangren showed up for garrison duty?"
"Wither away and die in terror, I suspect." Guiren concluded. "That or send desperate letters of protest directly to Lord Sun Ce about the yellow-haired abominations."
Keung grinned. "And he would put them in their place for daring to second-guess him, the ruler of the Southlands and tell them to get their heads out of their asses. He's a very genial man, our lord, but I doubt he has much time to waste on the willfully ignorant. Perhaps we-"
He stopped talking as Guiren put a hand on his arm but motioned for them to keep moving. He nodded and walked on, listening to what his friend had to say.
"It may be nothing, I don't know, because I have no idea about the security procedures that are in place, but there's a man hiding on the roof of that building ahead to our left." Guiren said quietly.
Keung nodded again. It was still dark, dawn only faintest gray on the horizon in the east. "I see him now. What do you think?"
"Well, we could report it, but they'll probably think we're crazy or worse, we interfere with something legitimate," Guiren mused. "But let's keep an eye out and mark locations, especially at night."
"Duly noted." Keung agreed. "Let's get back to the barracks."
They didn't even bother trying to sleep but waited for the horns at dawn. Several of the courtesans had spent the night and they arranged a courtesy detail to escort them back to Peach Manor. The women all thanked Keung and Guiren, intent on telling their mistress that the Green Demons comported themselves honourably and with dignity, for which the two were relieved.
Once the women were gone, they informed the men that they could go about the city as they pleased until the eleventh hour, at which point they were to report back. The Demons dispersed enthusiastically. There was supposed to be exercises in the courtyard, but Keung and Guiren agreed to lie on the report and get some sleep instead.
After their much needed nap, they completed the first attendance and report document of the day and then went to turn it in to Sergeant Chun. Once they'd made their delivery, they found a teahouse and decided to partake in the tradition, something neither of them had ever done before, at least in a proper setting.
They were led to a table on the upper balcony that overlooked the main floor and asked what they'd like to drink. Confident in their purse strings (for once), Keung asked for whatever the house speciality was. They sipped at the bitter black tea, listening to the music provided by some players on a small stage.
Someone began reading a poem, accompanied by sombre music, speaking of duties and sacrifice and they both got a cold tingle at the imagery of demons and dragons fighting an implacable foe. Fighting against hopeless odds, the triumph went to the valiant at Wang Jou.
They gaped down over the railing as the crowd applauded the poem and saw some familiar faces looking up at them- Squad commander Lixue and the trooper named Bai, both of the Iron Lotus squad from Princess Shang Xiang's amazon Guard. The two women smiled prettily and waived, beckoning them to come down.
Knowing better than to refuse the invite of warrior-women who had kicked their asses just a few months earlier, they ordered another round of tea and then headed downstairs and approached the table, bowing to their comrades.
"Oh, don't be so formal," Lixue said cheerfully. "We're all off duty and since we've slept together naked, I don't see in any point in it unless we're on the parade ground."
"Well, okay, point taken," Keung said as he sat across from the squad commander. "Still, we're new to Baifu and military formalities in general that don't involve old Chun forcing us to kowtow and grind our faces into the dirt because someone important walks by."
Bai laughed at the image and winked at Guiren as he sat down opposite her. "So, did your fiancée like that scroll I wrote for her?"
"Yeah, thanks a heap for that," he replied dryly. "She took it a lot better than I would have expected her to, had I known what you actually wrote. You're such a troll."
She giggled. "We were just teasing about the wives thing and they knew it, but we did want them to understand what was going on in your world so far away from them."
Lixue nodded in agreement. "I'll be honest, gentlemen. Without you two, the Green Demons would be nothing, possibly literally, because you should have been annihilated at Wang Jou. Even old Chun couldn't have prevented it for long."
She then stood and held up a hand over her head, drawing everyone's attention. Since she was wearing the battle sash of the Amazon Guard across her robe, the crowd all went silent, waiting to see what she would say.
"Ladies and gentlemen, sitting with me are Commanders Ma Keung and Zhu Guiren of the Green Demons, the heroes of Wang Jou! Let them hear you!"
The patrons and staff of the teahouse all began clapping and praising the two young warriors, who blushed red with embarrassment as Lixue and Bai drew them to their feet. Nearly a minute passed before they finally sat down and resumed their tea and conversation. The two men bowed as the host of the teahouse approached and mentioned that their fare was compliments of the establishment.
"A guy could get used to this sort of treatment." Keung mused as he nibbled a dainty from a tray they'd put in front of him.
"Well, just keep performing more heroic acts and it'll keep happening," Lixue said, nodding. "Good luck, though, trying to top your suicidal antics at Wang Jou."
Guiren sighed. "It feels like a big mistake in some ways," he admitted. "We happened to be right in the middle of the craziness, there wasn't much we could do about it. Simply fleeing would have led to death, so what choice did we have?"
"I know what you mean," Bai said, putting her hand on his. "But look at it this way, if you will. Many people do not have what it takes to withstand those pressures of battle at all. So many people would just fall over on their sides, gibbering in terror and curling up into a ball, unable to react. A flight instinct at least makes sense and you did one better by recognizing that your comrades needed your help."
She looked into his eyes, her own deep with honesty. "It's okay to be too scared to be scared. I think you'd have to be a Sun not to be your first time. Heavens only know I was."
Keung laughed. "It's hard to imagine you girls being afraid of anything."
"That's because we've learned to fear failing one another more," Lixue said quietly. "It's something the Sun family instils in their warriors, a furious resolve to not let your friends die because you were not strong enough. It allows even relatively inexperienced units to survive great terrors, even the likes of the Bailangren.
Guiren nodded. "I suppose it helps that you're fanatically devoted to the Princess Shang Xiang, the way our little unit seems to be to Lady Da Qiao. At least superficially, since your devotion is proven in every engagement, ours must seem little more than a flight of fancy to you."
"It needn't seem so, if that's what you desire," Bai mused. "I don't know if you'll ever be assigned to her as a unit, but it is not unheard of for the Sisters Qiao to allow a unit that pleases them to fly a small symbol on their banner as a mark of their favour."
Keung frowned. "Why, then, wouldn't every young unit proclaim devotion to one legend or another in hopes of currying said favour?"
"Because deeds speak louder than words and those deeds would need to be impressive," Lixue said simply. "Think of it this way- you'd need to keep up the heroics of Wang Jou, displaying valour in her name, even though she has an entire regiment to fight for her and defend her honour at every turn."
Both men sighed, knowing they'd probably die if they kept doing anything stupid. The girls both laughed. "Besides, it can take years to be relied upon as able warriors. Start small, just look forward to defeating the enemy in the next engagement. And since you're both set to be married, why don't you start with wearing personal favours and mementos from your girls back home?"
"Funny you should mention that, since they're both here in Baifu." Guiren said. "They're staying at the Peach Manor. Some unnamed beneficiary had them brought here and they're spending a fortnight as guests of the ladies of the Manor, learning their arts as a reward to Keung and I."
Lixue and Bai looked at one another.
"I think we'll take a leisurely stroll through town, possibly by Peach Manor." Lixue announced as they stood. "I always did like the Moon Swan District, such pretty fountains."
The girls both leaned down and kissed the men on the cheek and then walked out, waving back to them. Keung and guiren both sat there, staring dead ahead and saying nothing.
"You and your big mouth." Keung said finally. "This certainly evens the score for me yelling to the Princess the first time we saw her. Worse, I don't see how any good can come of this."
The proprietor came over and presented them with a bill of fare.
"I thought you said our fare was free." Guiren protested.
"It is, masters," he said bowing. "But that of the ladies you were with was not."
They sighed and presented their chits for approval.
They both bowed, trying to not sound urgent. The Stone Demons stared down at them as they stood outside the barracks doors.
"I apologize for our impertinence, sirs," Keung said, still bowed. "But it is imperative we speak with Master Chun, our sergeant."
The two burly warriors looked at one another for a moment before the junior man stepped inside. A few minutes later, Sergeant Chun stepped into the doorway, scowling at them. His eyes were somewhat bleary, he seemed to have been drinking.
"Oh, now what?" he groused. "What did you fuck-ups do now? You look like you accidentally pissed on Princess Kai-Ying's tiger."
"Nothing, sergeant, at least not yet," Keung said hesitantly. "That's what we wished to speak with you about."
Chun sighed and stared at them stonily, waiting for the explanation of idiocy to begin.
"We were passing near the Great Market, sergeant, just after dropping off that midday report to you, when we heard an argument and recognized a voice. It belonged to Zeng from Third Squad. We hurried over and he was on the verge of getting in an altercation with several members of the Bronze Cavaliers."
Chun nodded his head in resignation. "I have a feeling I know where this is going. Continue."
Keung took a deep breath. "We managed to intervene, but not surprisingly the Cavaliers' focus shifted to Guiren and I once they recognized us. They were spoiling for a fight but I told them not right there, because it would dishonour Princess Shang Xiang to behave so disgracefully."
The sergeant grunted. "If I know them, they took that jibe poorly, especially in a crowded marketplace with throngs of people looking on."
"As you say, sergeant," Keung agreed. "But then I told them that if they were that desperate to fight, Guiren and I would meet them outside the city for a trial of skill two hours from now."
Chun stared at them. "And..."
Keung seemed confused. "I... well, what do we do?"
Chun looked at the two Stone Demons guarding the door in exasperation and they shrugged in response. "I guess you two are having a trial of skill against members of a decorated and ancient company. Fight well. I'll send a message to their commander, reminding him to keep things civil, for the Princess' honour. Do us proud, idiots."
And with that he disappeared back inside the barracks. Keung and Guiren looked at one another and sighed.
"Shall we go write out our wills?" Guiren suggested.
"Remind me never to tempt fate by asking if a day could get any worse." Keung muttered.
They were standing outside great walls of the city, in an open area of green grass, not far from one of the roads that led out of Baifu. As unnerving as the task ahead of them was, Keung and Guiren were more anxious about the crowd that seemed to be gathering. A wide circle had been made around the designated area and hundreds of people watched on- civilians and soldiers alike.
Keung had intuitively ordered the Green Demons to stay in the barracks while the trial was underway, not wishing for a brawl to break out. He did, however, allow each squad to elect one man as a representative to accompany he and Guiren and to vouch for their honour, once they promised not to get involved under any circumstances. These ten man now knelt in the grass, wearing their Green Demon uniforms and watching silently.
Opposite them, the Bronze Cavaliers seemed to have brought their whole company out to watch, taking every opportunity to favour the two warriors with ill glances. The crowd seemed to give them a little space, as if afraid to get too close.
The two of them stepped forward toward the center and waited patiently. They had stripped off their uniforms, preferring to not get them torn up. The Cavaliers did likewise, six of them stepping forward. They glared at Guiren and Keung, all of them rotating their wrists or shoulders.
"Am I missing something?" Guiren called out. "I thought this was a trial of skill. Shouldn't that mean we face one representative each of your company?"
"You issued a trial of skill against us," one man said, glowering. "We were the six you took issue with and your words in the market indicated that you would test us all. We have complied. What more do you want?"
"So let me get this straight," Keung said, trying to contain the irritation in his voice. "This fight is us two against the six of you? All at once? We can't even fight you individually?"
"That was not your challenge," his opponent, a squad commander, said coldly. "Do you wish to back down in the name of your company and admit defeat? You may then apologize for insulting us as you did in the marketplace and wasting our time."
"We're sure as hell not backing down," Guiren snarled furiously. "But I'm not surprised either that you're choosing to interpret our challenge that way either! It sure as hell isn't what we meant!"
"I agree!" said a deep voice with a very thick accent from the crowd. Everyone watched as Valamir, commander of the Comitatus warriors that guarded Lord Elryk of the Bailangren, strode forward into the circle. He was easily a head taller than everyone present and broadly built, his physique powerful and meant for the rigours of combat. His long yellow hair fell about his shoulders, decorated with tiny braids clasped in gold rings. His arms were decorated with similar gold bands and a wide leather belt with filigree was around his waist.
"This is a trial of skill between two consenting companies of the armies of the Southlands," he announced, his voice carrying over the assembly. "As such, both parties should agree to the terms."
"Your interpretation of our strictures is not required, barbarian!" said the one Cavalier hotly, glaring at the foreign warrior. "The challenge was theirs to make and we accepted it!"
"Maybe," Valamir said evenly, his Chinese good enough to be understood with ease, in spite of his accent. "But it strikes me as unfair that you would choose to interpret it so. I also would point out that I am the undisputed Lord of Warrior House Zhuang and it's to the members of the Warrior Houses that the task of maintaining the Wu army's honour has fallen."
Everyone present knew the truth of what he was saying- some years before, soon after the arrival of the White Wolves, Lord Sun Ce had done something unconventional and created the Zhànshì zhī jiā, the Warrior Houses, a cadre of warriors of impeccable integrity within the Southlands army. Drawn from companies and regiments known for their honour and loyalty, they were commisioned with showing camraderie and bonds of brotherhood, no matter what regiment they represented. They would spread this attitude amongst the notoriously independant armies of the South, binding them in a way that did not require Sun Ce to resort to heavy-handed laws and regulations.
It had created a matchless elan amongst the corps and Valamir was Commander of the Seventh House. Huang Gai's Shēnshì qīngnián tuán, the Gentlemen's Cadet Corps, was the ceremonial First House, even though it was not formed in the same manner. It was, however, respected by all the other Houses for the nolbility it represented. Seventh House, by comparison, was formed of lowborn warriors, but their was no mark of status in the Warrior Houses, all were equal.
"So here's my thought on the matter of Trials of Skill, as dictated by the tents of honour in the Southlands, my adopted home," Valamir said, making sure everyone could hear him. "The Green Demons did indeed challenge these six warriors. They will face each one in sequence until one side concedes or cannot continue. Should the Bronze Cavaliers take issue with my ruling, then I volunteer to stand with the Demons to even the odds."
There was silence from the Bronze Cavaliers for several seconds and then Valamir nodded. "That's what I thought. Pick your first two warriors to face these men."
Two Cavaliers stepped forward while the other four moved backward to wait their turn. Valamir went and stood by another one of the Germans who happened to be watching. Calls of encouragement went up from the men accompanying Guiren and Keung. They looked at one another and nodded. They still had to fight six men, but Valamir's intervention had perhaps made the odds a little more even.
Silence reigned as the four men faced one another down.
Knowing that they needed to conserve their endurance, Keung decided to see if he could get his foe to make a mistake.
"Could we hurry this up?" he said, trying to sound impatient. "I haven't eaten and I'm expecting your mother for dinner."
The Cavalier's eye flared and he lunged forward, fists up. His comrade leaped at Guiren, taken off-guard by the sudden attack. The shouts from the crowd became general, although most seemed to be cheering on the two Green Demons, fighting against the odds. The two warriors found themselves hoping they wouldn't always be seen as the eternal underdogs.
Keung dodged and tripped his foe, sending him face first onto the grass. He jumped on his back, landing heavily and winding him before pulling back on his neck hard and then ramming his fist into the man's temple. The Cavalier's eyes rolled up in his head and he stayed down, unconscious.
But Keung had no time to recover as another man chosen to face him rushed in and tackled him bodily. Keng stumbled over the prostrate form of the man he'd just knocked out and wentdow to his back, fighting madly to protect himself.
Guiren was ready for his first foe and knocked aside the fist hastily thrown his way before punching the man in the sternum, hard. The Cavalier stopped, as if he were stunned and unable to move. His temper flaring, Guiren shoved the man back a step and rammed his elbow into his nose. The cartilage and bone gave, the man's face dissolving in a welter of blood. He wasn't getting up.
Guiren grunted as his next foe, not far away, jumped in instantly, his knuckles striking hard across the meat of Guiren's shoulder muscles. Pain flared and the arm responded sluggishly, but he ignored it and continued to fight. The man bulled him back toward the middle of the trial area, his fingers diggin into the shoulder he had just punched. Guiren willed himself not to cry out.
He punched his opponent across the head with his free arm but the blow was a glancing one and the man bore him to the ground, twisting the arm he'd already injured. Guiren shouted angrily and twisted around, in spite of the pain, ramming his palm into the man's chin and snapping his neck backwards. The tussled for control, straining against one another. Searing agony lanced through Guiren's arm and he was sure it would snap if he twisted any further, but he kept pushing, doing anything he could to gain leverage...
Keung could barely see out of one eye, which was swelling shut rapidly. He had managed to throw his attacker off but the man had punched him in the face, hard. The Cavalier was standing a steps away, glaring at him and panting, holding his ribcage where Keung had struck him with a spear hand. Blinking away the sweat and wetness in his eyes, Keung tried to take up a defensive posture, daring the man to attack. He tried to remember everything he'd been taught about these situations, how to control your opponent and make him do what you wanted.
His eyes darted to his left to see how his friend was doing and that was all the distraction the Cavalier needed to jump in again, striking furiously. Keung was ready, though, and caught the blow, throwing it wide. He kicked his enemy across the back of the knee and the man staggered and fell with a should of pain. Fury hot inside him, Keung slammed his foot into his foe's side, knocking him over and sending him rolling. He was about to dash in and finish him off when a fist slammed across his jaw, knocking the world spinning...
Guiren's foe shouted in pain as his spine bent backwards, the Demon having gained his footing and begun to overpower him. Of the Green Demons, Guiren was probably physically the strongest and it told here, even if his foe was a more seasoned warrior. Guiren's body shook with the effort, but he slowly leaned over the Cavalier, curving his back while the man scrabbled desperately for purchase on his stronger foe.
He then quit pushing and swift as a serpent, grabbed his opponent's arm and pinned it behind his own back. He wrenched savagely and there was a snapping sound followed by a scream as a bone somewhere in the arm gave. He threw the man aside bodily, whirling about to face the next enemy.
Keung focused past the pain, the thrumming noise in his head. He was sure his opponent was punching him, of maybe battering his head off the ground, but whatever was happening involved his head. The dull ache beneath his mind must have been his body. He felt like he didn't have control of it. He could only trust for the moment that it would do what he thought he was commanding it to do.
Assuming his current foe was the only person nearby, he lashed back and forth with his arms, contacting something and grappling onto it desperately. He was rewarded with the sound of curses in his ears and clinched, holding on for dear life. Slowly, painfully, his vision swam back to him and he was indeed holding on to his foe, who was driving punches into his stomach in response. Gritting his teeth, he rammed his knee into his foe's middle, causing him to stagger back. He lashed out with a kick but the man dodged it and darted in again, tackling him. Keung twisted at the last moment, realxing as he landed on top of his foe, remembering what Lixue had told him about deadweight being more effective the liveweight in these situations.
Guiren's last opponent kept striking at the shoulder the last man had damaged, until the splintering pain gave way to a numbness and he could no longer use the arm. It dangled now at Guiren's side and he glared hatefully at the man. The Cavalier kept circling about him, making sure he was striking at the side with the useless arm, which Guiren could not defend easily. He kept his distance, wary of the Demon's strength.
Unable to stop him, Guiren began allowing the man to strike on his weakened side, hoping that the Cavalier would commit to an attack he could exploit. He flung the arm in his foe's face, distracting him, irritating him with the otherwise unusable limb. The Cavalier got angry and ducked under the flailing arm, driving his fist into Guiren's ribs, but he was ready for the pain and spun around the man, standing over him and wrapping his good arm around his opponent's neck, squeezing hard. The man tried to reach back and grab onto or punched Guiren, but he yanked him back and forth fiercely, preventing an effective counter, even as the man started going purple in the face.
Keung rolled off his foe when the man smashed his forehead into his face, but no sooner had the man surged to his feet than Keung, on his knees, rammed his fist into the Cavalier's crotch, causing him to groan loudly and topple over, holding his groin. With all his remaining strength, Keung scrambled on top of him and began raining blows down on the man, determined to beat him into submission.
"Enough!" called a loud voice from just beyond the trial circle. Keung stopped punching and wearily flopped off to the side of his foe, gasping for air and trying not to retch in front of the crowd. Guiren tossed his foe aside and stood up, panting heavily, his arm still hanging loosely at his side, a huge bruise spreading across his ribcage.
Valamir stepped into the circle, his face one of grim conviction. "The Trial of Skill is ended. Honour has been satisifed."
"How?" demanded the sergeant of the Bronze Cavaliers angrily from his place amongst his men. He glared at his three downed warriors before looking at Keung and Guiren. "There was no submission and no declaration that one side or the other was unable to continue!"
"The skill of both companies has been demonstrated, there is no need for more." Valamir said coolly. "How many more of your men do you plan to sacrifice to this endeavour to beat up two much less experienced warriors, sergeant?"
"I do not accept your judgement, foreigner!" snarled the sergeant. "What do you know of our way of honour?!"
Everyone was silent as Valamir now walked toward the assembled Bronze Cavaliers and towered over them, glowering down at the sergeant.
"If you take issue with my ruling, then it is now me you have an issue with and perhaps a different Trial of Skill is called for," he said menacingly. "If it makes you feel any better, I will allow what's left of your company to take me all on at once..."
The Cavaliers sergeant said nothing, pale with anger.
"Go now," Valamir said quietly. "The sooner you leave, the easier it will be for me to give a favourable account of you in my report of this incident to the Grand Marshall."
The sergeant turned on his heel and stormed away, followed by his company. A few troopers picked up the three who had been involved in the trial and hurried after their comrades. Cries and cheers of victory rose from the Green Demons who had been witness to the trial and they rushed forward to congratulate their heroes. The crowd of onlookers applauded and some cheered for the clear victors, even if one had never actually been declared.
Hoisted onto the shoulders of their comrades, Guiren and Keung tried to not swoon and fall off the jostling men beneath them. They put their shoulders around one another and lifted their arms in triumph. Well, Guiren would have, but his arm wasn't quite working yet.
They looked at Valamir, who gave them a nod before heading back into the city. People crowded around, calling out their congratulations, many referring to them as the Heroes of Wang Jou. Their comrades were shouting enthusiastically, declaring their heroism to everyone.
Keung was still trying to see out of his swollen eyes when Guiren tapped him on the shoulder and pointed up at the top of the great city wall. He squinted but could now make out some familiar shapes, those being Sergeant Chun, Lei and Min and Lixue and Bai. They were all watching the throng below, standing side-by-side.
Chun sighed and nodded before stepping away from the wall. Their fiancees looked on in a mixture of admiration and astonishment before smiling and waving before walking away as well. Lastly, the two amazon warriors clapsed their fists in their hands and bowed before disappearing.
Clearly there would be much to discuss later.
"I take it the Bronze Cavaliers don't like you two?" Bai asked as she watched two healers smear a noxious green goop all over Keung and Guiren's bodies while they sat in the apothecary's residence. She had heard it was crated exclusively by the royal healer Ren Neng and she was inclined to agree with General Huang Gai, who had once said the stuff smelled like 'a demon's ass'.
"Do they like anybody?" Keung asked, trying not to breathe. He felt like hell and he still couldn't see out of his one eye. He apparently looked even worse than Guiren, which meant he looked like death warmed over.
"Well, no," Bai admitted. "But they seem to make a special case for you two boneheads. Still, impressive that you won."
"We're just lucky that Valamir was there," Guiren said with difficulty, his tongue and cheek swollen from several terrible blows to his jaw. "Otherwise I'm pretty sure that the entire company would have gotten in on the action."
"Hopefully they wouldn't have acted that dishonourably," Lixue added. "Hard to say, though, they're a really arrogant lot."
"What's with that, anyway?" Keung asked, bent out of shape about the ordeal. He may have been proud that they'd more or less won, but he hardly wanted to keep going through this sort of thing. "Aren't they one of our companies? Why do they act like that?"
Lixue sighed. "Before Princess Shang Xiang went south to Fujian to pacify it once and for all, the south was barely held by a motley, rag-tag and understrength corps under the command of General Zhu Ran. Originally nearly eight-thousand strong, the corps had been reduced to less than three thousand by the time the princess arrived, thanks to the constant war of attrition with the Shanyue tribes but also the heat and disease."
"I take it the Bronze Cavaliers were a part of that unfortunate army." Guiren posited.
"More than that, they were its bulwark." Lixue answered. "Regiment after regment was ground down and succumbed to sickness or constant raids and morale was suffering. But one plucky company remained resolute and obeyed every order General Zhu Ran gave with an almost suicidal bravery. They held the line when other, larger units were unable to continue. Make no mistake, my friends, the Bronze Cavaliers were the heroes of Fujian for three long years in that horrible first campaign."
Keung sighed. "Well, dammit, why do they have to be such jerks, then?" he demanded. "I want to admire them, but they make it difficult."
"Yes, they do," she agreed. "They respect only the most decorated of units, the most elite warriors, because that hellish campaign did much to shape their psyche as an entity. They may respect the Stone Demons, the amazons, the Long Fangs and the Night Tigers, but not many more than that, because as far as they're concerned, few have suffered more than they have. And they'd be right."
"No reason to be so antagonistic about it, though." Guiren muttered.
Lixue smiled. "Maybe, but I think they see a little green company like yours receiving accolades and letting it go to your heads just happens to bring out the worst in them."
"Don't worry about it, though," Bai added, smiling. "They'll get over it soon enough and- oh, gods, that stuff smells so bad... as I was saying, they've probably got better things to think about. Apparently just seeing you back here in the capital set them off."
Both men were silent while the healers continued to smear the salve on them. They'd been promised that their wounds would be cured by nightfall, although aches and pains would remain. The two amazon warriors rose and announced their departure, they still had duties to perform. They bowed to Guiren and Keung before turning to Lei and Min, smiling and holding their hands briefly before departing. The girls sat down and watched silently again from the chairs in the corner.
"This... doesn't happen as often as you might think." Guiren said to them finally.
"Says you," Lei replied. "Apparently soon after you were recruited, you got into a fight with the Bronze Cavaliers. You come home for a visit, you get into a fight with bandits. You head south for additional training and get into fights with Princess Shang Xiang's warriors. You come to the capital and get into yet another fight with the Bronze Cavaliers. It's almost... episodic."
"Thanks," Guiren muttered. "We didn't even know you were watching. A part of me wishes you hadn't seen it."
The healers now stood up, having covered the two warriors almost head-to-toe in the slimy green concoction. "You'll have to stay still for half an hour now. We'll be back."
And then they left. The men were silent as they fiancees stared at them.
"Having you two just sit there is almost worse than the fight." Keung said finally, causing both girls to break down giggling. They stood up and approached the young warriors, smiling petulantly.
"We're just teasing you," Min said, giving Keung a saucy smirk. "I was really impressed, watching you fight. Watching your body in action, it gives me... well, actions speak louder than words."
"And you, big man," Lei cooed, leaning into to whisper to Guiren. "Choking that Cavalier with one arm? Sploosh."
"Guiren?" Keung said, staring at Min's cleavage. "Pass me a towel to get this crap off."
"No no no," Min chided quietly as she settled onto his lap. "Leave it on..."
Night saw the friends once again walking through the darkened streets of Baifu, hang made sure that the men of the unit were well engaged with the ladies of Peach manor again. To the delight of the Green Demons, poems had alreadybeen composed about the Trial of Skill from that afternoon, lauding their resolve and prowess. They listened to several but then excused themselves, needing to deliver the final report to Sergeant Chun.
They'd been greeted with surprising cheer and levity by the Stone Demons who were guarding the First Company's barracks' doors and even when Chun came to receive their report they could hear more calls from inside, congratulating them for their success earlier thant day. Chun was his normal, curt self before disappearing back inside, leaving them to wander.
"Remember, look to the rooftops and in trees," Guiren said quietly as they walked along a side street. "If we see anything, we may need to act quickly."
"Agreed, but if we're wrong and we interfere with agents of the Sun family, no one will remember our victory from this afternoon." Keung muttered. "So here's hoping we either see nothing or make the right decision if we do."
They couldn't shake the image of seeing the black-shrouded figure lying on top of that roof the night before and they could not shake the feeling that something was wrong with it. They walked along the same route the'd taken the night before, watching carefully. They were approaching the same house when Guiren nudged Keung, nodding at the roof, pointing out a dark figure sprawled almost flat against it.
"The hell's he doing up there?" Guiren wondered. "That's two nights now, if it's the same guy."
Keung looked around, trying to discern what might be happening. "That siheyuan is the tallet building in the immediate area," he mused. "Only thing as tall is that plum tree right beside it. If he hides in the plum tree by day, with all those thick branches, no one'd see him."
"And at night he can be on the roof and almost no one would see him," Guiren followed. "But what can he see from the roof?"
Keung closed his eyes, picturing the layout of the city, as portrayed by the maps he'd studied one their way here. They were near the River of Stars residential district. This house, the tallest immediate house, which was on the edge of the district, could see beyond the low ornamental walls to the southeast. To the southeast of here was the Guanyin Si, the temple of the goddess of mercy.
With the courtyard of the temple facing them.
"Shit," the staff corporal hissed, his face grim. "The courtyard of the temple of Guanyin can be seen from that roof. Sacred ceremonies are conducted there."
"So what's the problem?" Guiren asked. "He might be making sure any ceremonies are not interfered with."
"No," Keung replied, biting his lip in consternation. "The Prefector is the one doing the ceremonies in the temple grounds, and several of them are forbidden to be witnessed except by the participants to keep them consecrated. Both Lady Shang Xiang and Lord Liu Bei are to be blessed there before the ceremony tomorrow!"
"At this hour?"
"Soon enough, because who would be trying to sneak a peek right now?"
That was good enough for Guiren and the two of them crept forward, loosening their knives on their belt. Before long they were next to the house. Clouds had obscured the moon, covering their approach. At the side of the house, they found a ladder which was just tall enough to allow them to climb up onto the gambrels of the roof.
"How's your arm?" asked Keung in a whisper.
"Stiff and sore." Guiren replied. "Guess you're going first."
Keung nodded and laid a hemp blanket over the end of the ladder before laying it against the roof. He ascended quietly, praying the ladder wouldn't creak and give them away. Once he was near the top, he peered over the edge, thankful to see that their quarry hadn't noticed him yet. He went up as far as he dared without getting on the roof and waited for Guiren to follow closely.
Keung took a deep breath and held out his fingers, counting down from three...
He sprang onto the roof, followed by Guiren almost immediately, lunging at the man lying prostrate on the tiles. The man whirled around instantly, a knife in his hand and some sort of blowgun in the other. Keung tackled him swiftly, sending them to the slanted surface of the roof, crushing tiles. A wild struggle ensued as they fought to disarm their foe, who stabbed at them frantically in an attempt to escape.
Shouts of shock were emanating from the manor below, but they paid them no heed as they fought to subdue the infiltrator. Guiren swore as the knife blade cut across his tunic but failed to pierce his skin. Keung received an elbow in his already sore ribs but fought desperatelyt o hold on. He was incredibly fast and obviously more skilled than the two of them, but they had the element of surprise.
He surged up, carrying them both with him as he tried to gain his feet but his legs locked with Guiren's and they all staggered and tumbled, falling over the side of the roof. Keung reached for one of the plum trees' branches in panic, grasping it partially and managing to arrest or at least slow his plummet to the ground, landing on his feet and attempting to roll, without much luck.
Guiren fell straight down, still grappling with his foe, toward the roof of a small coop beside the house. He was mostly on top of the man when they crashed through it, creating a great deal of noise from splintering wood and screeching chickens. The man was groaning, still alive, but barely conscious. Guiren was little better but still had his wits about him after a few seconds.
Keung hobbled up hurriedly, grabbing hold of the man and helping Guiren get to his feet.
"Quick!" he hissed, making sure his friend was alright. "Let's get him to a guard house!"
They shuffled off quickly, with Keung waving to the man who opened the door of the manor and stared in disbelief and fright, holding a small wooden noddle roller as a club."
"Everything's fine!" Keung called. "Someone'll come by and explain in the morning!"
As they hurried along, their captive started coming to, so they threw him to the ground and Guiren pinned him while Keung tied his hands. He had the man's knife, blowgun and darts tucked into his belt for evidence. The picked him up and hurried along again, eventually finding a pair of watchmen walking along, spears resting on their shoulders.
"Get us to your office!" Keung called, gripping the now struggling captive fiercely. "I think there's something this man wants to tell you!"
"You two look like shit. Again." Chun groused as he sat with them in one of the rooms of the guards' office.
"Falling off a roof'll do that to you, sergeant." Keung replied, massaging his shoulder and wincing.
"Oh, shut up, you damned fool," the older man snapped, unwilling to put up with Keung's wit. "You should've landed on your head, maybe you'd talk less."
Keung said nothing but now Guiren spoke. "Well, it's entirely likely that he's an enemy agent, because one would think that one of our people would at least explain himself, rather than trying to kill us and escape."
"How many of your own people have tried to kill you idiots since you signed on with the army of Wu?" Chun asked pointedly. Guiren had no answer and they now sat quietly, waiting for any word from the watchmen. Almost half an hour later, one of the city's guards returned to speak to them.
"He indeed was not an agent of the city and has been remanded to the custody of another department where his interrogation will begin. Your statements have been taken down for evidence and you're free to go. Thank you for your cooperation."
They left the office and walked alongside Chun to the Stone Demons First Company barracks. He turned and looked at them, shaking his head and sighing.
"I have never seen dumber luck..." he muttered. "Make sure the men are ready and on top of things. Today is important. If any of you make us look bad during the ceremony, I'm have you two executed."
He then went inside while Keung and Guiren hurried back to their own billet. What followed would surely be a long day for them.
They stood in the Great Hall of the palace, waiting patiently. Standing on the opposite side of the central procession way from the Young Tigers, the Green Demons watched in quiet fascination as visitors were filed into the hall and shown their assigned place. Long rows of steps had been placed along the length of the hall, allowing not only for more people to attend but also to let them see the ceremony and also regulate movement.
In spite of the fact that thousands of people must have been packed into the hall, Keung could not help but notice it was rather cool. How was this possible? He asked Sergeant Chun, who stood next to him at the front of the Demons.
"I know that Lord Sun Ce once entertained the Emperor Xian here in Baifu a few years ago and built a magnificent pavilion outside the city for him to stay in." Chun replied quietly. "They said that the walls were hollow, with air circulated between them by a complex mechanism to keep the structure cool in the heat. I've no doubt the same technologies were employed here."
Keung nodded. While he pictured it, the mathematics and engineering of the concept were quite beyond him. He looked around the hall again, noting the presence of so many illustrious military units and also guests of the highest rank- representatives from the four great clans of Wu were in attendance, along with other families who had become prosperous since Lord Sun Ce conquered the Southlands.
He could make out an assemblage of people near the dais of the great hall, including the Lord of the Southlands, his younger brothers, the Lords Quan and Kuang, along with Lady Wu, their mother. He could also see the Princess Da Qiao, sitting patiently behind her husband. He was also barely able to see a small retinue clothed in green and yellow, a noble-looking man accompanied by two imposing warriors and a man in white, carrying a fan. It must have been Liu Bei and his sworn brothers, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei Kongming.
Then the doors of the great hall opened and the Bow-Hipped Princess, Sun Shang Xiang, was led in. Everyone stared in wonder, for she was magnificent and radiant in her wedding attire- scarlet robes with gilded tassels, an elaborate headdress adorned with rubies and filigree. Her hands were clasped in front of herself, holding one of her chakrams as she walked.
She was stunningly beautiful, her golden-amber eyes reflecting a sense of solemn duty.
The Demons watched the ceremony from a distance, everyone stunned when the Princess flung one of her hairpins suddenly into the rafters, killing an assassin who plummeted to the floor and crashed through the ceremonial table. He heard the sergeant sigh and mutter under his breath about nothing ever being normal around the Sun family.
The wedding procession walked slowly back down the hall, led by Shang Xiang and Liu Bei, followed by Sun Ce and his wife, along with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Everyone bowed reverently as the wedded couple passed, watching in awe.
And he was absolutely convinced that Lady Da Qiao looked their way briefly and smiled.
Then the doors opened and thunderous cheers and applause from the city beyond erupted.
"So you have permission to wait for us to finish our training?" Min asked excitedly as they sat beneath a shade tree in the back of the Peach Manor courtyard. Keung and Guiren were sitting with Min and Lei, as well as Lixue and Bai, who had become almost inseparable from the girls while they were in Baifu and not on duty. The mistress sat on a pillow next to the girls and they were attended by the courtesans Fa and Jun, who served tea, while Dai played a serene melody on her four-stringed lute for them.
"It seemed sensible enough," Guiren replied, sipping his tea. "We wanted to purchase some extra supplies for the garrison and Sergeant Chun agreed that the town could use some as well, so once the resources are here, we'll all head back together. No sense in travelling separately, right?"
"It's hard to believe little Pei is getting this attention," Lei sighed, thinking about everything that had happened. "Did you see how glorious the princess looked?"
"She is indeed great and glorious," Lixue admitted. "We will miss her."
Min put a gentle hand on her new friend's shoulder. "You'll see her again. She will come back to us."
"And the Lady Da Qiao," Lei mused, remembering the sight of her. "So beautiful. She and her younger sister both. I've never seen women who looked more like goddesses."
They sat for some time, talking about Baifu and the plans for Pei when the doors to the courtyard opened and admitted two people- Sergeant Chun and another man with a genial and diplomatic bearing. The courtesans all bowed low at his approach, as did Lixue and Bai.
"Greetings, my friends," the man said, smiling and bowing his head. "I am Lu Fan, chief counsellor of Lord Sun Ce and I extend his personal regards to you."
Keung and Guiren bowed very low.
"The Lord of the Southlands wishes to express his appreciation for your efforts in capturing an enemy of the people of Wu. Although I cannot go into details, we know now he was an assassin and that your intuition about his intentions were correct. Well done."
They remained bowed.
"As a token of this appreciation, my lord has said that the supplies requested for your town of Pei shall be provided to you at no cost to yourselves or your home. We will also be sending you back with maps that, for the first time in memory, will delineate these territories, both for the purposes of administration and also defence of the lands."
"The Lord of the Southlands has our humble gratitude." Keung said.
"Rise, my friends," Lu Fan said, waiting for them all to do so before joining them in sitting. Even Chun showed a moment of uncharacteristic casualness by kneeling next to the mistress of the manor, who smiled and blushed. "I would ask some questions, if you don't mind."
"Lord Lu Fan, we'd be honoured." Keung said, once again taking over the speaking role so that Guiren didn't trip over his own tongue. "Please, ask us anything."
"According to our maps, which, admittedly, as still sparse about the lands on our western borders, your town of Pei is now the only settlement we have on record south of Lake Dong Ting and the prefectural capital of Wu Ling. Even then, you are a few hundred li away from the capital."
Keung nodded. "We might have heard of Wu Ling, lord, but it might as well be a million li away for all we know about it. Our town sits on the bend of the Yuan river and the closest settlement to us is Zhao Ling, which is nearly five hundred li from us."
"Remote indeed, because Zhao Ling is only recently added to our maps, it is a former citadel of the despot Yan Baihu," Lu Fan mused. "But the Sun family wants to truly make its presence felt, not just with a garrison, but with the culture and wisdom of our ancestors that made this Kingdom so great."
He leaned forward slightly now, interested in the response he would get. "In your opnions, gentlemen, should we send merchants and artisans to Pei, to help build it into a center of commerce and culture in the region?"
The mistress of Peach Manor bowed her head. "I could certainly send one of my courtesans to the region, to help establish a Willow World presence."
Keung and Guiren looked at one another for several seconds before Keung finally smiled and bowed. "Your offers are most generous, my friends, and in time I see them being of great benefit to us. But to be honest, our little town of Pei is so backward and unaccustomed to change that such a transformation almost overnight I fear would do more harm than good."
Lu Fan smiled, tilting his head, interested to hear the rest.
"While a courtesan sounds like a magnificent idea, mistress," Keung continued, addressing the lady of the Peach Manor. "My immediate concern is that Pei will be, well, so dazzled by her because she is from Baifu that they will, stupidly, begin to rely on her for just about everything. They will begin asking her to write documents because she would be by far the most literate person they knew."
The mistress smirked. "That does sound like a waste of a good courtesan."
"Our fiancees should continue with their idea of opening the bath house and massage parlour," Keung mentioned. "Gods know, that should prove scandalous enough for Pei for a while. As for the improvements, as Sergeant Chun can attest to, our townsfolk went enchanted by the sound of the benefits, but groused loudly about the responsibility. We have hemp weavers, rice farmers and ceramicists, perhaps there are documents that could be sent with us teaching these people to improve their craft, rather than merely sending people to compete with them?"
Lu Fan nodded. "A wise compromise, friends, it shall be so. Such texts as you require, and others, shall be sent with you. In return, we would ask that you send us back a census of your town and the immediate region, defining people's trades and who your village elders are. That way, when you are ready, we can send such people and resources as compliment your existing strengths, rather than overshadowing them."
He then put his fists on the ground and bowed his head. "Please excuse me now, I have duties I must attend to."
He rose and left, the courtesans all bowing low in reverence. Sergeant Chun rose as well, bowing simply and turned to leave before pausing and looking at Keung and Guiren.
"One more thing," he said, tossing them a small silk purse. "Get that sewn on the company banner, will you?"
Once he was gone, Keung untied the purse and opened it. Bai gasped lightly while Lixue put her fingers over her mouth as she stared.
It was a silver crane, the symbol of a non-royal unit favoured by the Great Lady Da Qiao.
Author's Notes: One of the interesting things about writing for Guiren and Keung is that they're comparatively normal people. Yes, they get themselves into extraordinary situations, but they are not superhuman and it's important for me to write them as such, often dealing with mundane and everyday situations but still making it interesting to read. Hopefully i'm accomplishing this.
I've no intention of writing a chapter of YEAON every time I publish a chapter for TYC, because that's just too much right now and, more to the point, they're not going to be directly interacting with the Sun family cast all that much. Intermittently, sure, but they cannot keep up and they'd die very quickly.
It's also just nice to write a story that retains a touch of 'real world' feel to it, even if said world is happening eighteen hundred years ago in China.
So as mentioned in the story, they're going to be the garrison in the region of Pei. Go ahead and imagine how annoying that will be for our two young heroes, giving how needy and whiney the people of their little town are.
More later, I've gotta move home to Canada in a week. See you then!
Keep your stick on the ice!
- Management.