The Gathering Storm (open, Wu only)

[Gan Ning]

Location: Jian Ye
Characters: Gan Ning, Sun Ce, Lu Meng, Zhou Tai
Terrain: Royal Palace
Music: Dynasty Warriors 7 - Tales of Wu

Zhang Liao. That was the name that kept plaguing Gan Ning's mind. The man that had managed to hold off the entire Wu forces. Admittedly, it was not through his own doing, but rather through the lack of tactics on the side of Wu, Sun Quan specifically, who had allowed so many blunders and holes to be shown. The fool. Any other man would have been killed for being so callous and careless. Yet because he was the brother of Sun Ce, he was absolved of his stupidity.

So it was that the north remained in complete control of He Fei. And Zhang Liao had been given name to being a fierce fighter. Of course, Xingba was happy to finally have a skilled opponent and that was why he was truly frustrated with Quan's incompetence. He had a good match going against Zhang Liao that had to be cut short because of Quan's retreat. That prince needed to stay behind in the city and play with money. That was what he was best at, not leading generals and soldiers. Royalty...

Taking another swig of the wine that was beside him, Gan Ning looked at the maps and reports around him. He was in a large room inside the royal place in Jian Ye. For it was here that he was planning his next attacks against Shou Chun. That city needed to fall before it was built into a keep that could be used to invade the lands of Wu. Which the kingdom did not need to have happen. War with Shu was on the horizon, and they needed to be protected against possibly incursions by Wei.

Shu. Gan Ning had not been in that region of the land since he served Liu Zhang's father. To think that he could of have now been in a war with Liu Bei was a little amusing. But it was Zhou Yu who was leading the charge in trying to take back Jing. His failed plan of wedding Sun Ce's sister to Liu Bei in hope of kidnapping Bei's son failed in misery. Now they were left facing a war on two fronts, one with Bei and one with Cao Cao.

Gan Ning knew, though, that a strike fast into the north would give them breathing room when it came to Cao Cao. After all, the man had most of his resources dedicated to the fight with the upstart Ma Chao. Though from all reports, Ma Chao had joined with Liu Bei after a falling out with the generals of his father's. Though hopefully Cao Cao was still focused on protecting his western empire instead of his eastern.

Convincing Sun Ce to strike again, though, would prove hard. After all, they had already had a failed campaign against He Fei and Zhang Liao, would it not likely happen again? But Gan Ning knew that it was still not as reinforced as it could be, and maybe with dissenters in Wei, it would prove even less problematic. After all, rumors had been going around about a rebellion in northern Wei that hinted of others in Wei's ranks looking to strike out on their own.

Woken out of his thoughts as a servant brought wine, Xingba gave the man a stern look. "When are the rest of the generals getting here?" He demanded.

The servant bowed and looked abashed. "I am unsure my lord, soon though I'd imagine. Shall I fetch more wine?"

With a heavy sigh, Gan Ning sunk into his chair and waved the man away. He needed to gather his thoughts and put plans into motion to move against Wei. How could he convince Sun Ce that it was in his best interest to do so?

[Zhou Tai]

Zhou Tai had received the message earlier in the day, Gan Ning was calling an audience. Although to say he was calling it implied he had any power over the other generals, and more importantly, Sun Ce. It is always tricky business, convincing your liege to meet with you without coming off as being insubordinate. Such are the games we must play with authority. He mused to himself as he walked slowly, carefully, down the long hallway toward the meeting room. As always Zhou Tai was armed, and armored, such were the benefits of being the personal bodyguard of the ruling family; none ever asked him to disarm, and none would dare try, even when given a private audience with a member of the Sun family, he carried a blade. Such was the way of things, and such was Zhou Tai's loyalty to Wu.

He pushed open the door with more force than was necessary, flinging the door back to hit the wall with a loud pop. Zhou Tai strode in unconcerned with the noise he had cause, and immediately took in his surroundings, and involuntary habit at this point. The table was strewn with maps, no guards in the room, a servant had just retreated back through the serving door, this meeting would be very private indeed. When his subconscious survey of the room was completed and it was determined there were no threats in the room, Zhou Tai let his eyes fall on the man who was already present.

Gan Ning was already seated, with a cup of wine, Gods grant he isn't drunk yet, he thought while glaring at the other, I do not feel up to dealing with his drunken antics this early in the day. A quick glance at the maps on the table told Tai a few things, the most important was that his mind was focused on Wei, and more importantly, that Gan Ning was focused on a specific area. Shou Chun, he surmised. "Still bitter that Zhang Liao bested you?" he asked with no hint of malice or superiority in the question, an honest inquiry.

He moved to the chair that was obviously meant for Sun Ce, gave it a cursory inspection as he passed, and seated himself immediately to the left of it. The two men had never not gotten along, in fact between the two of them, their goals nearly always lined up, it was the method of reaching those goals that tended to differ. The two men shared many qualities, but the one major difference was that Gan Ning was very hot blooded, and Zhou Tai never loses his temper. Without looking at the other man, Zhou Tai reached into the center of the table and snagged an importantly looking roll of parchment off a stack, and began to look it over. He always found it best to be knowledgeable on the subject he was required to discuss.

Neither of the two at the table were cut out to be generals. They were soldiers. Criminals. Killers. And yet here they sat, in the war room of a palace, playing their parts.

[Lu Meng]

No wonder they need Lu Meng to enlighten the matter with his ideas! It was a miracle this Zhang Liao had been able to fend off the grand Wu army and it's generals. Though rumors among the higher officials and commanders was that Sun Quan was the sole reason of the defeat at He Fei. Lu Meng was not interested in pointing fingers though. No, it was time to take his rightful place among the lords of Wu and this He Fei matter could be a great springing plank to gathering fame and prestige throughout the realm. He is making his way to the meeting room, where he is supposed to meet Sun Ce and the two generals present at He Fei when Sun Quan ordered the retreat. The door is still open and Lu Meng moves into the room.

"Good day, good sirs."

He bows to Gan Ning and Zhou Tai, who seem pretty busy respectively with a cup of wine and a scroll of paper. They both look a bit downhearted, but who would not be after a humiliating defeat? A sudden urge erupts in Lu Meng to ask about the battle. How great were odds actually? didn't it sounds impossible for a Wu army of 100,000 to lose from a band of a mere 1,000? Lu Meng is unable to suppress a small grin on his face, but he quickly realizes he should keep his cool and not kick these men while they are down. He looks at the table and decides to go sit next to Gan Ning. He glances at the maps on the table and turns to Gan Ning, thinking Zhou Tai is too occupied with reading the scroll of paper.

"So Shou Chun is our next target? A target well chosen by our lord Sun Ce! Shouldn't he be arriving soon? I thought the meeting is soon to commence. Ah well, no matter. So tell me, Gan Ning, what is it that kept us from winning at He Fei and how can we ensure that it will not impede our march to success when it comes to Shou Chun?"

[Sun Ce]

The Battle of Xiaoyao ford was an utter disaster from a military standpoint. Wu had the upper hand in almost all circumstances, but still they came off second best: a description far too kind in its sounding. It had been rumoured that Sun Ce had let his brother off from the usual punishments, but made no mystery about his displeasure and utter anger at the final outcome; to say he was furious was an understatement.

Would Sun Quan lead the attack the second time around? Or would Bofu himself lead the Wu forces over the river like he had done all those years previous, with such resolve and might? A lack of time at the palace taking part in political issues and tedious work gave rise to the latter as the most likely notion.

Somewhat quiet as the three generals contemplated how they would speak to their lord and leader and as the seconds past, surely they would wonder and even worry about the temperament of the little conqueror, surely they would fear how the one with such little forces once took the lands south of the great river, took to being humiliated by such a turnabout in fortunes.

The door opened finally, but the brother of Sun Quan was not to be yet seen, instead an attendant made his presence known.

“Please stand for the son of Sun Jian, our lord Sun Ce.”

With his red cape in tow, linked to his royal armour, Sun Ce entered the room and took off his helmet. It was clear he had not been to court that day, instead he drilled some of the lesser known officers, giving them a master class in battlefield discipline and strategy, making it clear, failure would not accepted in the future.

A stern look over the three was accompanied by no words, until the awkward silence was disregarded and a smirk rose to the pleasant features of their ruler.

“In this room we have four of the finest men to ever walk a battlefield, experience and expertise hard to compare with another four from any those annoyances in the north or west. His features turned from respectful and full of pleasure with the services of the three others, to a frown. “Failure at Hefei will not be accepted, ever again.”

He meant his words, he respected the three and he would always back himself to shine, even as his age reached the four-O’s. There was an underlying decision already built in to his words: he would attack Hefei yet again.

He had been summoned, the ruler of Wu, an uncommon ask for someone of his unrivalled rank, but he had arrived and on time, the act alone was the most respectful thing he could have done for them.

“I presume you want me to endorse an immediate strike at Wei? Or why else would the newly crowned rival of Zhang Liao call for such a meeting of the minds?”

His eyes glanced towards Gan Ning, again that renowned grin of Sun Ce’s rose, respecting a warrior’s courage and desire to do battle, even whilst a defeat loomed over ever over him.

Clearly mixed emotions showed from the ruler of Wu. He seemed intent on one day attacking Wei, but had not given a hint to when, nor did his mention of Gan Ning and Zhang Liao give any further indications of a date predetermined in his mind; as always he was hard to read.

[Gan Ning]

The sounds of a loud smack forced Gan Ning to whip his around toward the rude general. In strut Zhou Tai, Sun Quan's personal bodyguard. The man always seemed rather arrogant to Xingba. Holding his head high while he waged war in the back. He had heard it said that he could also be a general if he wished it, but he found more honor in protecting cowards. In fact, it had been Zhou Tai who prevent Zhang Liao from killing Sun Quan the first time. If only he had allowed the fool to die then maybe they would have Shou Chun by now.

Instead the haughty man walked in, unopposed into the council chamber, his weapon still sheathed. Ning may not have liked his attitude today, but he was a decent fighter, able to hold off Liao till Wei was pushed back. Of course, had he been out on the frontline of Xiaoyao Ford, then maybe he could have pushed Liao back sooner.

He could feel Tai scanning the room, looking for some hidden trap or weakness. Or maybe it was assassins in the room he was looking for. Ning rolled his eyes, but quickly turned back to the various scout reports of the area. He was being told of a massive build up of troops in the northern city, yet not very many generals. In fact, it appeared that only Wenyuan was there, and two others, and that was it. They were still drunk with pride after their victory before hand, now would indeed be the perfect time to strike.

Then he heard Zhou Tai mutter something. Regardless how he said it, Ning knew it was meant as a barb. "Bested? Tai, I was reinforcements. The fact that it was myself who kept him from rushing and killing your Lord while all of you retreated speaks volumes. Instead of trying to poke me, maybe you should thank me. If it wasn't for Ding Feng and I, you'd be buried in the mud." Gan Ning didn't look up as he spoke, instead he kept his face down. Hiding a smile.

Yet his eyes looked up as Tai took a parchment from the center of the table. It was a document about the strength of the walls, and the archers positioned on the top of it. It talked of various patterns of patrols both inside the keep, and outside it's walls. Xingba raised an eyebrow at the rudeness of Youping, but said nothing. After all, he knew he was ten times worse. Pirates to the end?

Yet before he could say anything, the door swung open to admit a rather unique fellow. Lu Meng stood there, looking his normal, disheveled self. A mane of hair that seemed wildly out of place formed around his head. Gan Ning simply shrugged his shoulders, though truth be told that he was happy Meng was here. He was one of the true allies he had here, considering it had been himself and Zhou Yu to pled for Xingba's life when he surrendered to Sun Ce with Huang Zu's head. But sometimes he could be a true character, a wild card.

"Greating, Master Lu Meng." He bowed his head, slightly, upon Meng doing the same. The man then takes a seat beside Xingba. He then proceeds to ask a myriad of questions about the upcoming campaign that had yet to be announced.

Gan Ning sighed, looked up at the ceiling before turning to face Meng who was only a couple feet from himself. "No, a campaign has not been called. Not yet. But I am hopeful that Sun Ce will see the chance for such an incursion into the lands of Wei. We stand to profit much from a victory in Shou Chun. Far more than sitting here and waiting to be killed by Wei and Shu." He shrugged his shoulder's as he finished with that line of thought.

"Toward you third question, I am not sure. I was only their briefly and only as reinforcements. Perhaps Zhou Tai would be better equipped to answer that question, as he was there the entire time we lost. I was only there for the last part of the battle to allow Lord Sun Quan and the rest of the army retreat." He turned his eyes, though not his head, toward Tai.

He then opened his mouth to speak once more. "And as toward Sun Ce arriving..." It was then that the door opened and a man strode in to announce Sun Ce. "It would appear the answer is now."

Xingba stood as Sun Ce entered from the antechamber into the much larger War Council. His lord was still dressed in full armor, and still was ready for war. That was one thing he liked about Ce over Quan, he was not afraid to get his hands dirty and defend his own lands. The same could not be said of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Quan. The gods protect him till his sons are old enough to rule. Quan would run this kingdom into the ground. Of that, Xingba had no doubts.

He bowed his head as Sun Ce glared over the officers. He was not sure what the Little Conqueror was thinking, but he could be assured it was not nice. Yet the man broke into a grin only a few seconds later, and heaped some praised upon his men. Gan Ning brimmed at the compliments from Sun Ce, knowing that his words were not simply flattery, but truth from his own heart. Yet he bristled slightly as his voice changed to disapproval. Would Xingba always be grouped in with that failure? Even though he turned the tide enough for the generals of Wu to escape? Probably.

Xingba stood, walking out from the table. He placed his hand on Lu Meng's shoulder before coming to stand before Sun Ce. He bowed respectfully and his pheasant feathers flowing around behind him. He himself was dressed for war, though his silk robes still covered much of his frame.

"My Lord Bofu, thank you for coming on such a short notice." He made a wave with his hand toward the royal seat that had been arranged for him in his absence. Whether Ce decided to sit or not was of little concern to Xingba. "As you know, Wu suffered a horrible defeat at the hands of a much smaller force from Wei. That had nothing to do with the fighting spirit of the Wu soldiers, nor the bravery of Wei. It had to do with overconfidence on the part of Wu." He didn't mention Quan, though the name was in the heads of all present. "It has proved even more problematic that we had failed to take the area, as now Cao Cao has seen our minds and has moved to secure his borders with Wu. And Zhang Liao, my 'rival', has been seen there still.

"Yet Cao Cao has only moved troops to Shou Chun, he has not moved any of his generals. Instead, he keeps them on his western flank as he attempts to halt Ma Chao and Ma Teng. No doubt he fears their rise more than he fears Wu in another attack." Xingba had, by this time, walked over to a large map that hung on the wall. He pointed to the Wu territory that bordered Shou Chun.

"Your Majesty, while I would love another stab at Zhang Liao, this is not about him, this about reversing the people's minds in thinking we cannot protect them or provide for them. If we cannot take a city from a much smaller force, how are we to protect our own lands. Furthermore, with Mengda's attention focused elsewhere, it would be unwise to not take the chance as it is now presented. Instead, we should strike, while the momentum has been nullified in Wei."

He had done his best not to slander Quan, and he had not mentioned him by name, though he did wonder what Ce himself thought of his younger brother. Xingba would have loved to have Bofu lead the charge into Shou Chun, but he would offer himself it need be. The city needed to come down, and he was the best at leading that charge. Of only Ce would allow the attacking to commence, that was all that Xingba truly wanted. Even if it was just himself and Youping.

[Zhou Tai]

Zhou Tai acknowledged the arrivals of Lu Meng with little more than a brief glance from what he was reading. As the two others began a conversation, Zhou Tai kept a careful ear, but did not join in. Gan Ning even directed a statement his way, one which he was obviously meant to annoy Tai and force him into an argument. He let the barb pass, not even bothering to break his gaze from the report in his hand, a report which was turning out to be quite enlightening, and he was able to guess the nature of the conversation Gan Ning was hoping to begin here.

The arrival of Sun Ce was treated with a little more pomp, Tai rising from his seat temporarily as his liege was introduced. He bowed to the level that was expected of one of his station, though it looked stiff and slightly less than respectful, despite his intentions. Every movement Zhou Tai made always seemed to be slightly threatening, from the manner of his speech to a simple movement of the hand, it seemed that Youping was always expecting a battle to break out. Misunderstandings were common with this man, and Zhou Tai tended to cause insult with innocent questions. Court politics was not where he belonged.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise as he took his seat once more, Sun Ce had implied that he wished to assault He Fei once more, whether this was wise or not, Zhou Tai was unsure. It was an interesting development, though he was uncertain whether that statement was simply talk, or whether it would come through into actual plans.

Zhou Tai caught the smallest of smiles begin to develop as Gan Ning stated what Tai had been suspecting since he arrived. He wished to take Shou Chun. That Gan Ning's pride allowed him to go after any target that was not Zhang Liao was impressive, Youping had not known the man to ever be content with letting a duel go undecided. Perhaps there is sense yet left in his head Tai mused.

Gan Ning had laid his idea out on the table, no dancing around the issue, he simply stated it to let Sun Ce make his decision. "Wei must know defeat once more. Shou Chun is a ripe fruit." He stated simply, to let Sun Ce know that he approved. The more agreement, the better the chance Ce would look upon this favorably, he would not let Gan Ning pitch an assault without support.

[Lu Meng]

Lu Meng listens in interest to Gan Ning's words directed at him and realizes there is some tension between him and Zhou Tai. He looks at Zhou Tai as Gan Ning mentions him being at the battlefield of He Fei far longer then Gan Ning. Seeing no reaction from Zhou Tai, it is obvious he doesn't want to acknowledge, nor deny this fact. After all, they were all just mere men, capable of failing, but like any other man in this world, not very capable of taking blame. As Gan Ning mentions the arrival of Sun Ce, the servant comes in the room and draws all attention. He announces Sun Ce and like the other two generals, Lu Meng raises from his seat and bows to Sun Ce to greet him.

After this, Lu Meng goes to sit again, like the other. He listens carefully to Sun Ce's words and notices that his lord does not want to lay the blame of the defeat at He Fei, not mentioning any lords by name. However, he does give a warning to all. No more failures. He should tell that to his brother Sun Quan, but Lu Meng does not have the guts the mention this to his lord. After Sun Ce's speech as a sort of opening to the meeting, Gan Ning starts laying down his proposition. It turns out that Shou Chun is indeed his main target for a next assault, which means all must remain quiet at the western border with Shu. Logic, seeing how Cao Cao is busy fighting Ma Teng in the northwest, which Gan Ning also mentions. He is able enough to set his rivalry with Zhang Liao aside and Lu Meng nods in agreement to Gan Ning. It seems he is becoming more a general, not letting his own pride and prestige get in the way of the bigger picture that is the warfare of Wu. Zhou Tai remarks Shou Chun is a good target as well and seeing a window of opportunity to lay down his own opinion, Lu Meng starts to speak.

"A well thought out proposal of Gan Ning. I too feel we must expand our border to the north, as we still have a contract with Shu that guarantees us that they will hand over Jing once their power base in the west is more established. If my lord will allow me, I will personally see to it that this is brought under the attention once again of the Shu governor of Jing, Guan Yu. I will remain positive and refrain from any threat on their address, as our resources will not be sufficient to fight a two front war at the moment."

Lu Meng points at the large map of China in the center of the table as he mentions the current situation the realm finds itself in. Deep inside, everyone knows Shu will not be honorable enough to hand over Jing without a fight, as Liu Bei has shown his ideas of honor by being willing to destroy his own family, Liu Zhang, to expand his own influence. However, diplomacy is still the only option to put pressure on them. But obviously, the diplomatic position of Wu would be considerably improved if the fight against Cao Cao would prove more fertile.

"I will see to it that relations with Shu will remain warm and calm, so the conditions for the fight in the north will be perfect. I might even be able to support the battle of Shou Chun by sending some of my men if necessary. Also, I would like to lay down a suggestion for the assault on Shou Chun."

"Considering our naval superiority, I would like to suggest a naval assault on Shou Chun in addition to the main assault. Let our sailors sail from Jian Ye along the coast to the north and start by threatening and assaulting the coastline on the east of Shou Chun. If my lord wishes, the assault could even be spread out further north to spread out Wei's recourses and defenses. They would have to make choices and lower the defenses at the direct border with us at Shou Chun."

Lu Meng crosses his arms and looks in anticipation to the men around him. It was a daring proposition and it could be turned down easily, but at least it would show Lu Meng has dome some preparation for this meeting. If Sun Ce feels nothing for this plan, as no resources can be spared to organize such a naval operation, Lu Meng realizes the rumor he has heard from the north could prove helpful as well.

"If the naval operation does not tempt my lord enough, I also wish to mention the situation of the north. Word has reached my ear that Yuan Shao is mobilizing and could soon to be another thorn in the side of Cao Cao. We could start establishing diplomatic relations with his faction, and as your late father Sun Jian had a good relationship with Yuan Shao, I think we could persuade him to ride up and harass Cao Cao's rear in co-ordination with our assaults."

[Sun Ce]

The ruler of Wu had been there for only half a minute and already he found his head beginning to feel that strain, as the mentions of Hefei and Shouchun began to resound around the room. It was clear to him that a seat would be the most welcoming of commodities, and so with the royal chair set up, he walked towards it, listening as ever, to the words the three men had to offer him and each other.

He took his seat as Lu Meng started on his opinions and ideas. Showing his ear was open and ready, Sun Ce leant forward on his seat, propping his head up right hand; his thumb under his chin and his fingers enclosed in his palm. It was through virtue of the strategist’s time of speech and Sun Ce’s arrival to the seat, which meant that Meng seemingly had the Lord’s greatest audience, but as his words would soon divulge, he had heard each equally.

“I likely believe Wei to feel the same about us. We lost many a man at Xiaoyao, it is no mystery to Wei that as a military unit we are hurting and whilst the injured tiger is perhaps the most dangerous, it does not guarantee him revenge.”

The words were meant to remind all present that Wu’s military position was not smelling of roses, in fact it was in a very difficult position and to attack Wei would force a serious lowering of the western front’s ability to counter a potential Shu attack. Under Yuan Shu, Bofu had many moments where he was forced to think with a strategic and civil mind, he was therefore no dummy to the numbers that would be required to supply another attack on Wei.

He moved his hand from his face, not realising it had been there all through his first response. Now removed, he spoke with more freedom and more power to his force, reminding them all of who he was and exactly what he was not: he was Sun Ce, son of Sun Jian and Wei feared him.

“I am the little conqueror, and that upstart, Zhang Liao, will not best me for long, I know that, Cao Cao knows that, and Wenyuan sure as hell knows that.” He looked to Gan Ning on that note, giving the hint that if he did not finish the man on their next meeting, he would. “Yet maybe something can be done… Lu Meng, you say Yuan Shao at his age, wishes to revolt? I daresay he will give himself a heart attack, but what chance do we have of such an ally showing himself in the north?”

Comic relief showed at the end of an otherwise intense speech, where the three still did not break the Wu lord into giving an absolute answer. Sun Ce smiled after he mentioned a possible heart attack happening to the 70 year old, former ruler of Ye, but it was a more than interesting development.

As he confirmed nothing, he did not reply to anything else; he did not give permission for Lu Meng to speak with Guan Yu, nor did he respond to the widely known information about Ma Teng and Ma Chao, striking worry to Wei’s forces in the west and nor did Zhou Tai’s input get any response other than consideration and a glance over, as did anything else not answered.

He had once fought for his father’s dreams, then he fought for his own, but under the pressure of ruling he had found a deeper part of his heart, one that cared for his men, that wanted there to be no pointless wars, only those that bred victory and fulfilled a mission. He did not want failure.

[Lu Meng]

Lu Meng can't believe it. Having given him so many options and possibilities in such a short time and Sun Ce is unwilling to agree to the brilliance of the plans. He does not even give his opinion about it! He is almost willing to slam with his fist on the table and subdue this warlord to agreeing to his plans. Lu Meng makes a fist, but realizes it is to no avail. Not words nor showing of power would satisfy Sun Ce. Only victory would... And victory could only be achieved by taking risks!

"A heart attack you say? I don't know, but Yuan Shao has many sons who can succeed him and who will all be able enough to keep a few regiments and officers of Cao Cao's army busy. Though their loyalty to us or even their own father may be questioned, remember they are no real allies any way. We will use them as partisan forces, behind enemy lines. They will probably not survive until we reach them, so why not spend a diplomat to inquire on their fighting spirit?"

Lu Meng hopes to get at least something out of this. Waiting for Sun Ce's reply, he glances quickly at both Gan Ning and Zhou Tai and wonders how they think about this display of nonchalance of their leader. For even though Lu Meng definitely remembers himself saying he could negotiate with Guan Yu of Shu to keep him quiet, Sun Ce does not even mention it, but he does tell them the obvious fact that their resources are not big enough to fight a two front war! That's why Lu Meng will take of the west! What was wrong with their leader?!

[Gan Ning]

Gan Ning nodded as the other two generals of Wu spoke. Zhou Tai, in his normal gruff self, spoke with few words. Yet with those words he made his thoughts known. He knew that the adage of attacking Wei now would strength Wu and weaken Wei. What more would they need from this fight than that? After all, did not Cao Cao deserve the fall? Did they not need to expand their influence?

And Lu Meng, perhaps one of Sun Ce's top strategists and tacticians also saw the benefit of attacking Wei now. He even suggested a coalition with Yuan Shao, should the other man see fit to rebel against Cao Cao. He would assist with the fighting against Guan Yu and Shu. Surely Sun Ce would see the that his men were behind this.

Yet when he heard the other man speak, he almost smacked his own self in the forehead. He found himself nodding in agreement with Lu Meng's own voiced frustration with lack of his Lord's respect for them. His points about Yuan Shao quite valid.

"Your majesty. If I might speak frankly here," which he was going to, with or without permission. "We are not your enemies. Trying to not answer us gain neither of us anything besides us wondering what you're trying to say. Are you trying to confuse your generals by being vague. If you are, what's the point of that?" His voice lacked any sort of emotion to it, yet it also lacked respect for Bofu's wasted breath.

Sun Ce was not acting like a leader, more like a spoiled child who thought it funny to have a dog roll over. And that did lose respect in Gan Ning's eyes. A true leader would have already committed to something and would have treated his own men with respect enough to say it. So what was that to say about how he was acting now? Did he not respect his generals? Perhaps that was indeed the case here.

Gan Ning sighed, sitting and facing Sun Ce. "Your majesty, Cao Cao is assaulted by several enemies right now. He has Ma Chao and Ma Teng in the east, with Shu perhaps pushing them along, and in the north, there are tales of a rebellion with Yuan Shao at the head of it. I find it highly unlikely he would join with us, as we did kill his son, yet if he attacks Cao Cao the same time we do, Wei will be stretched thin. We only have to worry about Shu. Yet we have men and resources to wage a campaign against Cao Cao. Will you have us sit here and do nothing? Are you so worried that there will be another disaster like Xiaoyao Ford?"

[Zhou Tai]

Zhou Tai was hardly paying attention by this point. Sun Ce played these games quite often, and Tai had no taste for them. The games politicians played were quite childish to him, in fact, and it seemed Sun Ce had been practicing.

He had gone through three of the reports on the table in front of him, and already he had seen half a dozen faults in the defenses, weaknesses which could be exploited by an experienced leader. He continued to inspect the next report, intent on learning whether these weaknesses were more than a fluke.

He had always appreciated that Sun Ce had been a man of action, one of the very reasons he chose to directly serve Wu and put his days of 'independent work' aside. He had confidence that Ce would put his resources toward a renewed offensive, the men of Wu never sit idly, waiting for the enemy to come to them, it did not suit them. Still, an embarrassing withdrawal from a siege could do strange things to a man. While the battle at Xiaoyao ford could have gone differently, all things considered everything had gone quite well, in his opinion. It was hardly the setback the others thought it to be.

Wu was strong as ever, but Wei was restless. Cao Cao will come for us. But will it be on our terms, or his? Youping wondered to himself. He did not bother to speak up again, his position was already known, he simply had to wait out the inevitable back and forth that court politics requires.

[Sun Ce]

Ridiculous was the notion of Bofu’s idiocy. The Wu leader found himself caught amidst concerned, confused and otherwise irritated faces. Did he care? Sure he did, they were three of his finest generals and he would be damned if he ever lost such respect towards them. It was perfectly clear why they disapproved of his latest words: they lacked the cutting edge, action orientated potency of his earlier years, but whereas the looming threat of Cao Cao’s fleet sent Sun Ce into an immediate call for strategy, the current threat of Wei allowed a certain degree of time, time he knew he had in relative abundance, compared his follower’s own opinions.

“I think you all misunderstand me. Hefei will fall to Wu, sooner rather than later, but timing is the key to success. I know our troop numbers and I know what it will take to topple the threat of Zhang Liao, I need no man to tell me my forces are any different. He again speaks sternly, trying to regain control of the three men, who at the moment seemed intent on questioning their lord’s methods more and more. “Gan Ning will of course lead the attack, with Zhou Tai as chief naval officer. To your earlier suggestion: it seems sound of thought, Lu Meng, you will therefore meet with Guan Yu and ensure that peace is kept in Jing for the time being.

He gave the three partially what they wanted, finding a middle ground he hoped would please both sides of the discussion, however he still had a few topics to discuss further that he had not mentioned so far in his own words.

“Now if I may return to you, Field Marshall Lu Meng, how likely do you think it is that Yuan Shao will rise up and strike for Cao Cao? I will of course have one my finest men approach the former lord of Ye with urgency, but for now I would like to know what we’re dealing with.”

He had positioned his body leaning forwards on the chair, watching intently as he spoke, to the reactions in the room, but as he finished he leant back and seemed far slightly more relaxed, that was until he saw their cogs turning inside of their heads and the realisation they again pick up on his lack of any plans of his own, he aimed to correct that, just before anyone could respond.

“As always I have my own additions, but I wish to hear the thoughts of my men before my own manifest themselves.

[Lu Meng]

The rage of earlier slowly fades away, as Sun Ce begins to show why he is their leader again. Maybe he was just being caught up by his age? Lu Meng carefully listens to Sun Ce's words and hears him agree to an attack at He Fei and delegating diplomatic powers to himself to negotiate with Guan Yu in and about Jing. This satisfied Lu Meng a lot and before he has the chance to thank his lord for this opportunity, Sun Ce moves on the the topic of Yuan Shao.

"Word has reached my ears that Yuan Shao is willing to plot against Cao Cao. However, there is another lord in the north, one Bai Kun. It is said he and Yuan Shao have already had a meeting which did not go too well for Yuan Shao. However, it is clear that both men are against Cao Cao's rule and, like I said before, we should not care too much for them. But they can provide a great distraction for Cao Cao's forces, allowing us to expand our borders to the north. I don't know if we have to wait for them to raise in rebellion or they wait for us to strike first. Suffice to say, Liu Bei, Ma Chao and Ma Teng are keeping Cao Cao quite occupied in the northwest as well."

A small sigh comes from his mouth. He realizes all the time they are spending here in this room is wasted time. They should get into action and Lu Meng decides to give his leader a taste of his own methods.

"Anyway, it is not my decision whether or not you will make use of the current political situation around us. I will gladly take up responsibility of protector of the west. I will promise you that no blood will be spilled as long as I have not had a message from you, my lord Sun Ce, that it is time to strike. I will bide my time and strenghten the defenses. I will leave all decisions to you, my lord."

He places his hands on the table and leans backward, signaling he is done at this meeting. Knowing it is too rude to step up and walk away, he will sit, wait and see what is about to happen next. If Sun Ce is aware of the essence of timing, he would give the generals their final orders and tell them to move out.