Dewirix: I hadn't thought of that before, but yes, Achilles is a good comparison! Glad you like Lucille, I do too.
Boris: We shall see.
Sather: Aww.
mkhuh: Lurking...always lurking. And pretty pissed off too.
Sorry for the delay, ZHANG KU...this is your cameo!
And also...note the stats of Houlong. I've discovered that the stats of a Pretender/Rebel directly influence their ADM/DIP/MIL stats when they get into power. Which means of course that by increasing Houlong's general stats he becomes 9/9/9!
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GAOZHI I PART 2
With more and more lands submitting to the Shang faction Gaozhi was limited to only the central and south of the Empire to draw a new army from. This he duly did, pulling some of the last troops from the far south in order to create an army large enough for one final throw of the dice.
In the new year he advanced from the central west of the Empire, moving to force a decisive battle with his opponent, Houlong Shang. He had planned to cross the river quickly to the south of Nanchang, and quickly march across country However, unknown to him, his scheme had already been betrayed by one of his own.
XXX
24/4/1513
Talena was starting to enjoy herself again. It was not something she had really decided, as such. Rather, over time she had tried to forget the past...or future...and lived in the present. She had taken up horse riding and practiced fencing in the snow with some of Houlong’s best teachers. She hadn’t spoken much to Lucille, even though that upset both of them.
It was while she was sitting with Min and learning some of the intricacies of the Chinese language that a guard came to the tent.
“Excuse me, Lady, a man has come to us with information you might find useful. Lord Shang and Lady Lucille are not in camp, or the other generals.”
“So you came to me as a last resort?” Talena asked snidely. She felt bad for that. “Please show this man in.”
A few moments later a bearded, armoured man entered. He had no weapons, but he looked like a long service soldier.
“My name is Zhang Ku, and I have information you might like,” he said.
“And where did you come by this information? Are you a servant of the usurper?”
“Not anymore,” Zhang Ku replied meaningfully. “I was Captain of a mercenary company which was disbanded. He believed us treacherous.”
“He was right, I see,” Talena said.
“I was loyal to him until that point. But he is a coward, a thief and a liar. And so he ordered me killed, but I escaped, and now we will fight for you.”
“And what information do you have?”
“The usurper is marching, and plans to cross the Gan River some miles to the south of Nanchang. He has great boats and store of timber to build a bridge.”
Talena leaned forward. “If this is true then surely he will know you have left with this knowledge?”
“No. I was not supposed to know. I only discovered because of a secret order found by one of my soldiers intended for one his generals.”
Talena laid out a very rough map of the area. Even allowing for the primitive nature of it she could see that a crossing there could be dangerous to the Shang.
“Thank you. If you serve with us loyally you will be rewarded.”
After he had gone Talena pondered matters.
“When Lord Shang returns you will take him the message?” Min asked.
“Yes, of course I will. I’ll tell Lucille when she gets back.”
“Tell me what?” Lucille poked her head in.
Talena explained matters to her, and pointed out Zhang Ku, who was waiting a short distance away.
“Thank you, Talena. I’ll go talk to him now.” She paused. “Can you give us a moment, Min?”
When they were alone Lucille sat next to Talena. “Look...I’m sorry about anything that’s happened between us. “I know it’s not easy for you. It’s not easy for me either. Just remember...I’ll find a way to help you. Even if it takes a thousand years.”
Talena smiled. “Alright, Lucy. Thanks.”
“Any time, Tally.”
XXX
27/4/1513
Not knowing his secret had been betrayed Gaozhi created his bridge across the Gan and begun his march east. On the 27th of April as his army crossed, they were being closely watched by the Shang. In their two columns they were walking directly into a trap.
Talena watched from the shadows as the enemy passed unwittingly below her. They were led by cavalry and followed by long lines of infantry. It was as they were passing through the end of the pass that they saw a line of Shang soldiers waiting for them. Determined to break free of a trap they now new was imminent, the cavalry charged. But as it turned out, they charged right onto a trap created by the Shang.
Barrels of explosive had been piled either side of the road, and these now exploded with terrible force, throwing down horsemen and blocking the road.
All along the cutting Shang soldiers appeared and fired bows, crossbows and guns down into the trapped soldiers. Far to the left Talena could see cavalry sweeping in across the plain to catch and destroy the bridge and those Imperials near it.
It was brutal and terrible. Trapped, unprepared, the Imperials were slaughtered by the hundred in the cutting. Many fell to the ground and faked death, or held their hands up in surrender.
Talena ran forward, shouting at the soldiers to cease fire and take prisoners. She could see Lucille and other leaders doing the same. In moments it was over. The last army opposed to Houlong Shang’s Imperial destiny was destroyed.
It was as Talena was riding down the road that she was forced to take a detour into the forest before she could reach the plain. There, as she passed out of sight of the road she was suddenly attacked. A man came out at her from behind a tree and grabbed at her. Oddly, he didn’t go for the horse, and Talena realised he likely wanted to take it for his own.
Surprised, she was pulled from the horse and to the ground. The man, an ornately dressed leader with a sword came at her, and she barely managed to draw her own weapon before he was on her.
This fight, unlike the previous one with Cade was something less of a trial for Talena. Moving with relentless power she drove the man back, landing a heavy kick to one of his legs. She followed up with a flash of her sword across his arm so he was forced down to his knees.
“It’s you...they warned me of you. I didn’t recognise you,” the man said.
“Who warned you?” Talena asked, standing over him with sword raised.
“The pale men. The demons. They came to me, but I refused to take their advice. And you are another one. No woman can fight in the way you do.”
“I am no mere woman. So you are the man who claims to be Emperor?”
“I am the Emperor, by blood.”
Talena smiled. “But not by right.”
“So...kill me. Isn’t that what you’re going to do?”
Looking down on him Talena considered her options. It would be easy to kill him right now, bring the head to Houlong Shang. It would be harder to drag him to the camp, but hardest still to do something unexpected.
“Do you know, one thing I’ve learned in the hundred and forty years I’ve been alive, is that life itself soon becomes meaningless to me. I get to the point where I feel it doesn’t matter if I kill you or not...because your life, even as Emperor, is unimportant. And that is where I don’t want to go.”
Gaozhi looked confused, and said nothing.
“Which means, get out of my sight. I promise, if you ever become a problem again I will find and kill you. Now go away.”
Not waiting to be asked twice the now deposed Emperor tossed away his ornate armour and vanished into the forest.
When Talena returned to the camp Lucille was waiting. “No sign of the usurper.”
Talena smiled slightly. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him anymore.”
Lucille obviously got the wrong message from her comment, and nodded. “Well, that’s done. Now...to restore peace to China.”
(Note, I changed the government back to Admin monarchy)