“Turmoil”: Battle for the Han Empire sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne
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Dian Wei found Cao Cao after hours of searching; Cao was riding his saddled horse
along the road, and he was obviously mortified.
“Are you hurt…?” Dian Wei asked.
“They will all die, Dian Wei, every last one of them,” Cao Cao replied. “I want
some men to visit the home of Qin Bonan; his family will need support, and his body requires
proper burial.”
Dian Wei was confused.
“…A man gave his life for me, Dian Wei, and I will not let his sacrifice be without purpose or
reward,” Cao Cao explained. “Qin Bonan’s immediate household will know my generosity, and
his murderers will know suffering. Where is the army…?”
“At the ruin,” Dian Wei replied. “And Cao Xiu is safely with them.”
“…Very good,” Cao Cao said tonelessly. “We press on as one, so that there will be
no more mistakes. We must kill them all.”
“I will grind them to paste, Lord Cao,” Dian Wei replied.
Jing Province’s governor, Liu Biao, received word of Cao Cao’s activities via
a polite letter from Xun Wenruo; he retired to his private meeting room to read it.
“…Well, at least he’s letting me know,” Liu Biao grumbled. “Mister Kuai, are we
likely to see any of these ‘bandits and Xiongnu renegades’ adding themselves to our own troubles…?”
Liu Biao’s only company - his senior adviser, Kuai Liang - smiled and replied, “No, Lord Liu.
The Runan mercenaries sit between them and Jing if they go southwest, and they’re unlikely to try and
seize Nan County, since that means deviating from the path that would take them back into Bing Province and safety.”
“…So it is the Sun clan and Yuan Shu that I must concern myself with, as usual, but nothing
more,” Liu Biao sighed. “I am so… tired of all this now, Mister Kuai. They all want
Jing, and… and there are days when I would gladly cede it to know peace.”
Liu Biao’s strong physique had long since withered from time spent in various courts around Jing, and his
handsome features were eroded by age and stress; he covered his face with his hands and exhaled noisily.
“I shall leave you,” Kuai Liang said.
“Keep me informed!” Liu Biao ordered. “I must know everything…”
Cao Cao led his army toward the closest enemy camp and arrayed the infantry and cavalrymen at
some distance away from it; Fixed Gaze got word of the activity and gathered his senior allies.
“It sounds like a proper military array,” Fixed Gaze said. “We’d do well to avoid it and
stick to shock attacks when he isn’t prepared.”
Yufuluo entered the meeting with his own followers and shouted, “We won’t run again, bandit! I
will break his stupid army this time, with or without your help!”
“…Well then we have to help, don’t we?” Fixed Gaze sighed.
“Where’s your son, ‘Nobody’s Chanyu’…?” Big Eyes heckled. “I
thought he was helping us, or has he gotten scared…?”
“Quiet, runt!” Yufuluo barked. “My son is no coward!”
“Don’t upset the help, Big Eyes,” Fixed Gaze complained. “We’re dead enough as it
is. Any word from Poison Yu…?”
“No, and don’t expect it either,” Big Eyes replied. “His lot are set on attacking Yè again.”
“…If they were hitting Henei, I’d understand,” Fixed Gaze said.
“Are you helping me smash Cao or not???” Yufuluo asked.
“Yes, yes!” Fixed Gaze grumbled. “Get ready, lads.”