Categories > Games > Dynasty Warriors > Make way for the Queen
Make way for the Queen
Chapter 1:
Zhu Rong sat under the palm trees, overlooking the Nanman territory. Her territory. The birds tweeted overhead and the sun shone brightly. It was a magnificent day outside and anyone would be mad not to be out and about. Zhu Rong leant back on the moist, refreshing soil and closed her blue eyes. She couldn't deny that living here was bliss but sometimes, and she would never dare tell anyone else this; sometimes, she yearned to be in other parts of China. She wanted to look at the cities that everyone talked about, see the market stalls and the palaces that were owned by rich nobles, laugh at how sophisticated the women of China were to her... but she knew she would probably never get this wish. They never went to war unless they needed to; and anyway, Zhu Rong didn't want a war. She wanted peace and exploration. But with Meng Huo as a husband? No chance. His idea of exploration was finding a new elephant calf or tasting new food. He didn't seem to have the will, the ambition to look for new things. To see more of China than just beyond the Southern regions. And Zhu Rong wouldn't tell him of her dreams. Although he acted like a tough guy a lot of the time, Zhu Rong knew that deep down, he was just an overgrown teddy bear. His feelings could be hurt quite simply, and Zhu Rong had learnt that the hard way in the four years she had been married to him.
"But I'm 20 years old. Isn't it normal to have the urges to see different things? To want to do different activities?" she asked herself, as the sun beat down on her exposed flesh.
"How ya doin' sweetheart?" Meng Huo asked as she entered the kitchen in their cosy little hut. "Enjoyin' the lovely morning's weather?"
Zhu Rong smiled. "Of course darling! What else is there to do? And a girl has to top up her tan ya know!"
Meng Huo gave one of his fierce chuckles. He cupped Zhu Rong's pretty face in one hand and kissed her gently. "Man, you don't know how much I love you, do ya?" he asked.
"Well I have a pretty good idea" Zhu Rong joked. "And I love you too. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't!"
"I know baby, and I think I'm the luckiest man in the whole of China. Who else has such a beautiful and easy-going gal as their wife?"
Zhu Rong blushed gently. “God, you’ve always been such a charmer haven’t you? No wonder I wanted you!”
Back in Han Xuan’s Clutches…
Huang Zhong watched as Guan Yu fled, giving him a quick nod of gratitude before he went. Huang Zhong knew it was wrong of him, but there was something about him, something that made him unable to kill him. But he knew he would have to face Han Xuan’s wrath if he ever found out that he had let the enemy escape. He turned to his good friend, Wei Yan with a sheepish look on his weathered face.
“I’m sorry” was all he said. Wei Yan shrugged and gathered himself to his full height.
“No matter” he said matter-of-factly. “He seemed like good man. No need to kill” Huang Zhong gave him a grateful smile. Wei Yan smiled back, although it was hard to see under his mask.
“Well should we go back to Lord Han Xuan then?” he asked. “But you won’t tell him what has happened will you?”
Wei Yan shook his head fiercely. “I no traitor. Secret safe with me”.
And back to the South…
Zhu Rong lay in bed, listening to Meng Huo’s loud snores and faint mumblings. She couldn’t sleep. She didn’t even know why but she just couldn’t. There were so much thoughts in her head that were preventing her from settling down properly. Now that it had come up in her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about exploring China, seeing interesting things. She wanted to do them now. If only there was a way, a reason for her to go beyond the south; she would take it straight away. But for now, she just had to be content with the Nanman soil beneath her feet and her husband to kiss goodnight…
And we go back to Han Xuan and co. (this is like some kind of tennis match! Back and forth, back and forth, back…)
Huang Zhong straightened the collar of his shirt, which was beginning to get unusually tight on him. He cleared his throat slightly before whispering to Wei Yan, “Should I go in yet?”
Wei Yan nodded. “Go” he said. “Maybe… he wants you for help. May not be ser…seri-“
“Serious?” Huang Zhong offered, still whispering in fear.
“Yes. S-e-r-i-o-u-s” Wei Yan said slowly.
They were back in Han Xuan’s kingdom now and the moment they had arrived, there had been a message directing Huang Zhong to Han Xuan immediately. The old man had been immediately terrified, thinking that Han Xuan must have been told about his little incident with Guan Yu but Wei Yan tried to assure him otherwise. In actual fact, Wei Yan was a little worried himself.
“Wish me luck, young’un” Huang Zhong tried to joke, patting Wei Yan’s broad shoulders. He opened the hall door slowly, gave Wei Yan one last nod and closed the door. He slowly made his way across the long hall which seemed to stretch on forever, and finally reached Han Xuan, who had had his back turned to him the whole time. “My lord” Huang Zhong began, trying his hardest to sound brave. “May-’’ He was interrupted by Han Xuan, who had held one hand up in the air in a signal to stop. He turned towards Huang Zhong, with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Now, now, Huang Zhong. The old warrior worth two hundred men, one of the best archers in the whole of China” he began, in a patronizingly slow voice, which was silently driving Huang Zhong mad. “I hear that you did rather well in the last battle, which was against those wretched territory stealers, Shu, am I correct?”
Huang Zhong didn’t know what to say. So he just agreed. Han Xuan nodded slowly before carrying on.
“Yes, you and your little native friend were doing very well… and then you met “The Great Guan Yu”. Is that correct?”
Huang Zhong nodded, knowing exactly what he was going to say next. He was well and truly doomed.
“Speak aloud!” Han Xuan commanded, his face angering for a moment.
“Y-Yes Sir. I did meet Guan Yu”.
“Right. And then, you fought him for a time, and knocked him to the ground. Do I speak true words when I say this?”
“Yes Sir. Your words are true”.
“Hmm… and then, you…you were able to kill him, which would have really put a huge dent in Shu’s morale and yet…what did you do Huang Zhong? You tell me this time”.
“And then sir, I stopped fighting and let him escape” Huang Zhong said, not daring to look into his lord’s face to see his reaction.
“THAT’S RIGHT. YOU LET GUAN YU, THE ENEMY ESCAPE!!!” Han Xuan thundered, so loud that Huang Zhong could hear the windchimes on the wall tingling slightly. “And now, Huang Zhong” Han Xuan continued, getting back to the calm, patronizing voice. “Now you shall pay the price”.
Huang Zhong looked up long enough to see Han Xuan lifting his sword out its sheath. The old archer closed his eyes, not wanting to see Han Xuan bringing the sword down. Goodbye, Wei Yan…
There was silence for a moment and then the sound of a sword slicing flesh. He heard something that sounded a lot like a head rolling around on the floor. Was this what death was like. You could hear your head dropping on the ground but you could not feel it? Death was very odd indeed…
A hand on his shoulder caused him to open his eyes suddenly. It was Wei Yan! He didn’t think he had ever been so happy to see his good friend. He embraced him, finding it odd that he could see him although he had just been beheaded.
“Wei Yan? Did you get murdered as well? I’m sorry to hear that young ‘un. But look on the bright side, we’re together so we can still explore this place, wherever it is. It seems weird though, it looks like the spitting image of Han Xuan’s hall. Maybe you see the last place you were in when you get killed. But then, I’m surprised I can see and hear anything at all without a head! Hope it doesn’t put you off me too much young’un”.
Wei Yan was just staring at him through his mask, obviously speechless. Finally he spoke.
“You not dead. Han Xuan dead. Me kill him before he kill you. No good”. Huang Zhong was shocked.
“You mean, I’m really alive? You saved me? You?”
Wei Yan rolled his eyes. “Yes. Me save you. Han Xuan, no good. Bad man”. Wei Yan shook his head fiercely to emphasize the point he was making.
“Wow, thank you young’un. I guess I’m forever in your debt then! I’ll try and make it up to you one day, if at all possible. But what now, young warrior? The commander is slain and we’ve nowhere to go. Have you any ideas?”
Wei Yan thought for a moment before finally deciding on something. “Liu Bei. New leader”.
Huang Zhong nodded. “Sounds reasonable enough to me chappy. Well, hadn’t we better be off?”
Chapter 1:
Zhu Rong sat under the palm trees, overlooking the Nanman territory. Her territory. The birds tweeted overhead and the sun shone brightly. It was a magnificent day outside and anyone would be mad not to be out and about. Zhu Rong leant back on the moist, refreshing soil and closed her blue eyes. She couldn't deny that living here was bliss but sometimes, and she would never dare tell anyone else this; sometimes, she yearned to be in other parts of China. She wanted to look at the cities that everyone talked about, see the market stalls and the palaces that were owned by rich nobles, laugh at how sophisticated the women of China were to her... but she knew she would probably never get this wish. They never went to war unless they needed to; and anyway, Zhu Rong didn't want a war. She wanted peace and exploration. But with Meng Huo as a husband? No chance. His idea of exploration was finding a new elephant calf or tasting new food. He didn't seem to have the will, the ambition to look for new things. To see more of China than just beyond the Southern regions. And Zhu Rong wouldn't tell him of her dreams. Although he acted like a tough guy a lot of the time, Zhu Rong knew that deep down, he was just an overgrown teddy bear. His feelings could be hurt quite simply, and Zhu Rong had learnt that the hard way in the four years she had been married to him.
"But I'm 20 years old. Isn't it normal to have the urges to see different things? To want to do different activities?" she asked herself, as the sun beat down on her exposed flesh.
"How ya doin' sweetheart?" Meng Huo asked as she entered the kitchen in their cosy little hut. "Enjoyin' the lovely morning's weather?"
Zhu Rong smiled. "Of course darling! What else is there to do? And a girl has to top up her tan ya know!"
Meng Huo gave one of his fierce chuckles. He cupped Zhu Rong's pretty face in one hand and kissed her gently. "Man, you don't know how much I love you, do ya?" he asked.
"Well I have a pretty good idea" Zhu Rong joked. "And I love you too. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't!"
"I know baby, and I think I'm the luckiest man in the whole of China. Who else has such a beautiful and easy-going gal as their wife?"
Zhu Rong blushed gently. “God, you’ve always been such a charmer haven’t you? No wonder I wanted you!”
Back in Han Xuan’s Clutches…
Huang Zhong watched as Guan Yu fled, giving him a quick nod of gratitude before he went. Huang Zhong knew it was wrong of him, but there was something about him, something that made him unable to kill him. But he knew he would have to face Han Xuan’s wrath if he ever found out that he had let the enemy escape. He turned to his good friend, Wei Yan with a sheepish look on his weathered face.
“I’m sorry” was all he said. Wei Yan shrugged and gathered himself to his full height.
“No matter” he said matter-of-factly. “He seemed like good man. No need to kill” Huang Zhong gave him a grateful smile. Wei Yan smiled back, although it was hard to see under his mask.
“Well should we go back to Lord Han Xuan then?” he asked. “But you won’t tell him what has happened will you?”
Wei Yan shook his head fiercely. “I no traitor. Secret safe with me”.
And back to the South…
Zhu Rong lay in bed, listening to Meng Huo’s loud snores and faint mumblings. She couldn’t sleep. She didn’t even know why but she just couldn’t. There were so much thoughts in her head that were preventing her from settling down properly. Now that it had come up in her mind, she couldn’t stop thinking about exploring China, seeing interesting things. She wanted to do them now. If only there was a way, a reason for her to go beyond the south; she would take it straight away. But for now, she just had to be content with the Nanman soil beneath her feet and her husband to kiss goodnight…
And we go back to Han Xuan and co. (this is like some kind of tennis match! Back and forth, back and forth, back…)
Huang Zhong straightened the collar of his shirt, which was beginning to get unusually tight on him. He cleared his throat slightly before whispering to Wei Yan, “Should I go in yet?”
Wei Yan nodded. “Go” he said. “Maybe… he wants you for help. May not be ser…seri-“
“Serious?” Huang Zhong offered, still whispering in fear.
“Yes. S-e-r-i-o-u-s” Wei Yan said slowly.
They were back in Han Xuan’s kingdom now and the moment they had arrived, there had been a message directing Huang Zhong to Han Xuan immediately. The old man had been immediately terrified, thinking that Han Xuan must have been told about his little incident with Guan Yu but Wei Yan tried to assure him otherwise. In actual fact, Wei Yan was a little worried himself.
“Wish me luck, young’un” Huang Zhong tried to joke, patting Wei Yan’s broad shoulders. He opened the hall door slowly, gave Wei Yan one last nod and closed the door. He slowly made his way across the long hall which seemed to stretch on forever, and finally reached Han Xuan, who had had his back turned to him the whole time. “My lord” Huang Zhong began, trying his hardest to sound brave. “May-’’ He was interrupted by Han Xuan, who had held one hand up in the air in a signal to stop. He turned towards Huang Zhong, with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Now, now, Huang Zhong. The old warrior worth two hundred men, one of the best archers in the whole of China” he began, in a patronizingly slow voice, which was silently driving Huang Zhong mad. “I hear that you did rather well in the last battle, which was against those wretched territory stealers, Shu, am I correct?”
Huang Zhong didn’t know what to say. So he just agreed. Han Xuan nodded slowly before carrying on.
“Yes, you and your little native friend were doing very well… and then you met “The Great Guan Yu”. Is that correct?”
Huang Zhong nodded, knowing exactly what he was going to say next. He was well and truly doomed.
“Speak aloud!” Han Xuan commanded, his face angering for a moment.
“Y-Yes Sir. I did meet Guan Yu”.
“Right. And then, you fought him for a time, and knocked him to the ground. Do I speak true words when I say this?”
“Yes Sir. Your words are true”.
“Hmm… and then, you…you were able to kill him, which would have really put a huge dent in Shu’s morale and yet…what did you do Huang Zhong? You tell me this time”.
“And then sir, I stopped fighting and let him escape” Huang Zhong said, not daring to look into his lord’s face to see his reaction.
“THAT’S RIGHT. YOU LET GUAN YU, THE ENEMY ESCAPE!!!” Han Xuan thundered, so loud that Huang Zhong could hear the windchimes on the wall tingling slightly. “And now, Huang Zhong” Han Xuan continued, getting back to the calm, patronizing voice. “Now you shall pay the price”.
Huang Zhong looked up long enough to see Han Xuan lifting his sword out its sheath. The old archer closed his eyes, not wanting to see Han Xuan bringing the sword down. Goodbye, Wei Yan…
There was silence for a moment and then the sound of a sword slicing flesh. He heard something that sounded a lot like a head rolling around on the floor. Was this what death was like. You could hear your head dropping on the ground but you could not feel it? Death was very odd indeed…
A hand on his shoulder caused him to open his eyes suddenly. It was Wei Yan! He didn’t think he had ever been so happy to see his good friend. He embraced him, finding it odd that he could see him although he had just been beheaded.
“Wei Yan? Did you get murdered as well? I’m sorry to hear that young ‘un. But look on the bright side, we’re together so we can still explore this place, wherever it is. It seems weird though, it looks like the spitting image of Han Xuan’s hall. Maybe you see the last place you were in when you get killed. But then, I’m surprised I can see and hear anything at all without a head! Hope it doesn’t put you off me too much young’un”.
Wei Yan was just staring at him through his mask, obviously speechless. Finally he spoke.
“You not dead. Han Xuan dead. Me kill him before he kill you. No good”. Huang Zhong was shocked.
“You mean, I’m really alive? You saved me? You?”
Wei Yan rolled his eyes. “Yes. Me save you. Han Xuan, no good. Bad man”. Wei Yan shook his head fiercely to emphasize the point he was making.
“Wow, thank you young’un. I guess I’m forever in your debt then! I’ll try and make it up to you one day, if at all possible. But what now, young warrior? The commander is slain and we’ve nowhere to go. Have you any ideas?”
Wei Yan thought for a moment before finally deciding on something. “Liu Bei. New leader”.
Huang Zhong nodded. “Sounds reasonable enough to me chappy. Well, hadn’t we better be off?”
Sign up to rate and review this story