STATE OF ZHAO: KANRIN
Just after the battle of Nanan and the siege of Sui City concluded…
With victory against Qin, the state of Zhao scored another victory against the state of Wei. Great Heaven Ren Pa, the living legend, added yet another win to his impressive score. This time, he took on three of the 7 Wei Fire Dragons, halting the Wei forces before pushing them back to Shi City. This was all before the Great Heaven invaded and captured both Shi and Shiyou.
The two cities were major commanderies for the State of Wei, and the loss of them was a grievous wound to the military pride of Wei.
"Mister Gen Pou." Rinko presented a rolled-up parchment to the wise strategist of the Ren Pa army. Gen Pou raised a brow at the already broken seal before looking at Rinko, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, whistling to the side and commented, "I didn't open it!"
"If you already know what is written, then why don't you tell me all about this message?" Gen Pou said he purposely refrained from chastising Rinko for doing what he always did with his messages. He knew his fellow General long enough.
"Victory against Qin, but I stress that you must read what is written, even I read it twice and thrice over just to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me." Rinko's reply piqued Gen Pou's interest.
Gen Pou swiftly unfurled the parchment and started to read. Once he reached the bottom, his eyebrows nearly reached his non-existent hairline before he quickly read it again, and then again and once more just to be sure before furling the parchment.
"Heavens… That… That genius boy, has our Lord heard of this yet?" He asked, and Rinko nodded his head. "Our Lord was the first to know of the news; a messenger sent by Sei Chou arrived earlier to tell him all about it."
"Hahaha, come quickly, people, we must use this opportunity to replay how we think this battle concluded." Gen Pou smiled widely as he beckoned his fellow strategist towards where a map of Nanan was. Small figures marked out those of Zhao and Qin. Later on, the messenger Sei Chou had sent to Ren Pa would find himself amongst the many strategists in the Ren Pa army.
All of them with their own strategies and tactics on just how they would best utilise the Ren Pa army to defeat both Ko Shou and Oukotsu… However, none of them would quite succeed in being able to perfectly match just how Sei Chou had scored these two consecutive victories.
….
254 BCE
STATE OF ZHAO: CHUUZAN
SEI CHOU POV
Returning home after several months at war and then several days in the capital had been much welcomed. A second hero's welcome awaited us when we returned from war. There were some tears from those who had lost their loved ones, which was still bitter for me to see, but with time, the bitterness lessened. I only hoped that as I continued on this path, that feeling wouldn't leave me completely and make me numb to it.
I knew I would lose people who wanted to travel this journey either by my side or chasing after my back; it was just how the world was. This was an era ravaged by war, ambition and glory. An era of blood, flesh and steel. I stepped into this knowing that fully, yet still…
A sigh left me before I shook my head, "Ahh, that's enough of that." Stretching my neck, I heard the door open and caught the mesmerising sight of my wife, Chun Li, swanning into the room. She had a slight smirk on her lips as she caught me drinking in her figure.
"You like what you see~" The teasing lilt as she stood in front of the table sent a thrill down my spine. I pushed the low table away from me, spreading my arms wide with a smile that was wider and hungrier.
"Words can't describe how much I've missed you," I replied, as Chun Li dropped into my lap and placed a kiss on my lips.
"Mwah, I know~" She turned around and rested her back against my chest. Instinctively, I wrapped my hands around her stomach, and she overlapped her hands with mine.
"What are you thinking about?"
I rested my head on the crook of her neck and said, "About you and Yuu Sui training together. The sight in my mind paints an amusing picture." Chun Li whipped around and gave me a light slap on the shoulder. The hit did have some kick to it and made me acknowledge that my dear wife not only had an image of Chun Li and the name, but also the talent of the martial artist as well.
I faked the wince, "Ouch," and Chun Li inclined her head hauntingly, "That's what you get, how dare you say our training is amusing." Anyone could've believed her outrage to be genuine, but me, and that her lips were struggling to keep the haughty mask up.
"It's good that you're training with Yuu Sui, what man wouldn't want…" A sharp look made me halt my words, "Talking about other women when you have me in your arms?" Shaking my head vigorously in denial, "Won't say another peep about it."
"...Though she is watching us. Maybe…"
"Your mind is…" Chun Li wriggled in my lap as if she were attempting to get up, but I tightened my hold around her even as she continued her wriggling. "Forget I mentioned it, now back to your training, have you two wrestled yet?"
"Nuh uh," She parroted me, "Then I will teach you first, and so you can get the upper hand." I quickly said before lifting Chun Li into a bridal carry and walking over to the bed.
Placing her down, I saw the intense look on her face as she saw me begin to disrobe; there was a fire in her eyes and a slight redness to her cheeks. "A personal lesson for you," I said, joining her, but soon enough I found myself on my back and Chun Li standing over me in all her glory.
"Hahaha, so you lied?" I questioned; the flip was too quick and clean, too practised for someone who'd never gotten close and personal with another fighter.
"Did I?" Chun Li retorted as she started to disrobe so seductively that all the blood in my body rushed downwards. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a pair of eyes watching, and I could hear the rustling of clothes.
"If you want to join, then join," I said, only to hear the rustling stop for a beat. "If you can't handle me, how will you cope with the two of us?" Chun Li suddenly raised a challenge.
"Oh, I'm sure I can take both of you," I replied with the confidence of a man who'd just earned his spot as one of Zhao's Great Heavens.
The sound was so deft that I almost missed it, but two feet landed on the ground to the side of the bed where a half-naked me lay and a slightly dishevelled Chun Li was. Yuu Sui decided to make the one-on-one lesson a two-on-one.
"I've been here before, you know?"
"Not like this, however."
"Never like this."
….
254 BCE
STATE OF WEI: THE SHI RESIDENCE
SHI EI POV
It was the place he cherished the most, the place he would never truly leave, the arms of his dearest and most beloved. They stayed there together in silence; a flame burned in the corner of the room, giving little heat, but he preferred the one coming from Shi Kika more.
"He won, and you lost?" Shi Kika said softly, her hands began to playfully drum against his chest, Shi Ei closed his eyes, and his face was still, but it seemed to not deter her playfulness in the slightest; Shi Kika continued to drum against his chest. Even with his eyes closed, he could see the slight smugness in her smile.
"I regret the day I ever told you about him." It wasn't a lie; ever since then, Shi Kika had made it her mission to continue to compare the two of them, and why wouldn't she? They were both similar in age and had entered their respective militaries at similar times. The only difference was that he was from Wei and Sei Chou was from Zhao. "Also, I didn't lose…"
"That's a lie." Shi Kika was quick to retort, falsely, Shi Ei might add. He didn't lose; in fact, Shi Ei held and fought Ren Pa, and whilst he was doing that, his other two Fire Dragons, Ba Tou and Tai Ro Ji, were tasked with facing the rest of the Ren Pa army.
"Ren Pa and I duelled, while Tai Ro Ji and Ba Tou were losing. Those two lost, I didn't." Shi Ei replied, the reports Shi Ei had received informed him that Kai Shi Bou, Kyou Ren and Gen Pou had caused them no small amount of terror, and Shi Ei had to send the two of them reinforcements.
The next day, he'd met Ren Pa with 5,000, and the Zhao Great Heaven had brought the same amount.
"Yes, but the result is still the same, is it not?" She said, looming over his head, Shi Ei opened his eyes slightly to see her place a kiss on his forehead. Then one to his lips for good measure, "A salve for your wounded heart." His heart wasn't even wounded, but Shi Ei knew when to keep his own secrets.
"I'll get the next one and then when I do…", 'I'll ask that man to marry us.' He loved her, and she loved him; they were not blood-related, coming from different mothers and fathers, and the taboo of the situation was not there. Everyone but the head of the house resented the match, and it was frustrating that they needed his approval. "He will approve of it."
"And what if he doesn't?" The question had crossed his mind, and he'd thought about what he would do should that man decide against it, or even think of tearing them apart. That would be the final straw for him; his anger and frustration would not be able to hold themselves should he and Shi Kika be separated.
"I will do what needs to be done." That was all he could reply.
Shi Kika went silent, and so did he.
"... I wouldn't want that for you." She said softly that her playful pats had stopped.
"I know, but it is the only way. I told you before the fame of Wei Fire Dragon and becoming Earl means nothing to me if you're not by my side." Shi Kika sighed at his words.
"... How simpler things would be if we were both somewhere else." She said, moving around him and positioning herself on his lap, straddling him.
"We could always be like this, together without the thought of ever being torn away from one another. I could always be by your side."
His hand brushed against her silk robe; it was new and felt better in quality than even the one the servants had dressed him was of similar quality.
"Since when were you so interested in clothing?" Shi Kika asked him with a teasing lilt in her voice. He didn't say anything but kept feeling the silk.
"It's nice."
"Um hmm, they were sent as a gift." He raised a brow at that, "...From whom?" He asked.
"No name was given, only that it came from Zhao."
'...Zhao?' That got his attention, as there was only one person from Zhao who he thought would send him a gift, but before he could ask anything, Shi Kika moved a warm hand down his chest and lower.