Journey to the North [Fan Xiang]

[Cheng Qi]

Goodbyes had been the worst, goodbyes to Xie Yue, she didn't want to leave him, nor him her; she was the one thing that comforted him, truly relaxed him, and he would have to do without that for over a month. The cunning minister was going full-time, and the hidden passionate, soft-side of the man was on hiatus, for duration of the journey to the north.

He was conflicted in how he felt on this trip, he would have much prefered to have stayed in the capital, there was a hunger awakening in him, a hunger that meant to keep him in the capital. The hunger for power. His knowledge gave him power, but the conversion of that particular kind of power into real power, was almost ready to begin. His inner beast was growling, ready to bear its teeth. It's only a matter of time, he told himself.

He did not plan on showing this side of him, his vicious side with Xie Yue, she had fallen in love with his personal side, the scholar he once was, the suppressed side of himself. But his past had changed him, it was like he had two personalities, a public and a private one, and the former was soon to turn fowl for the worse of those close. It's only a matter of time, he kept telling himself.

The King of Wei's council had reached the unanimous decision that Fan Xiang was to go north to treat with the self-styled King in the North, Cheng Qi too, tagging along. He wanted to see the north again, that much was true, and he wanted to see this King in the North, but gods be damned. He had to cross that fowl river again. There always has to be a huge fucking river, always. And he'd have to cross it twice too - assuming Bai Kun was the kind of person they assumed, courteous to envoys; for all they knew, he and Fan were simply going north for an execution.

He and Fan Xiang were going to Chenliu first, from Xuchang. They would find a ferry at Guandu and cross the Yellow River to Yanjing. Damned river. From there they would follow the riverbank west to the wealthy city Henei. Cheng Qi had insisted on travelling through Bingzhou, rather than Jizhou. For two reasons, first, Yuan Shao's seat of power was in Jizhou and with a revolt brewing under the surface, he did not trust in the hospitality of the Yuans. Second, he had a gut feeling that they'd find Bai Kun in Bingzhou, he was based at the wall yes, but that feeling was unshakable. Going through Henei would offer the means to skip Gu Pass too, travelling through the mountain ranges instead to bring them straight to Shangdang, it was in there best interests that Yuan Shao not know that Cao Cao had envoys present in Hebei.

The King of Wei had the Imperial Treasurers fill the two scholar's pouches with gold and silver both, travel expenses enough make the round trip three times over if truth be told, they'd be able to afford more than their fair share on the trip. With any luck the coin could buy Cheng a taxi-cloud to bypass the river in it's entirety. If only.

The night had been rather uninteresting, Cheng had shared pillow with Xie one last time before he had to leave in the morning. He had put his household in the charge of the He brothers, ordering them to keep everything inside safe, specifically Xie Yue. She was his only weak spot if truth be told, and he'd hope no one ever found out about her. He prefer not to make that choice. He arose before dawn, reminded them all of their duties, broke free from the embrace of Xie with some degree of effort, and said his goodbyes, goodbye to the lady in his life, his two loyal guards, and the tranquility of his home.

Cheng kept his travel kit simple, sword, dagger, the clothes on his back. He also had a long overrobe with a hood packed up in a shoulder-slung pouch at his waist, with which was a load of dry rations and a skin of wine that Xie had been hell-bent on him taking, despite the fact he'd be supplied with some upon their departure.

He met the King, the officials of the court, and his companion Fan Xiang, at the Imperial Palace, where they were showered with their travel money, dry supplies and water enough to see them as far as Yanjing without a pang of hunger. The King was generous enough to personally escort them all the way to the city's northern gate. A fine gesture. He had bid the two men a fond farewell, and seen them on their way. It would be more than a month until Cheng Qi would see him, and this city again.

They set about their way, both were rather uncomfortable around each other, and Cheng Qi was not social, so that didn't help. They made their way, on horseback, in content-silence, or so Cheng thought, Fan kept trying to bring up topics of conversation, but none of them stuck to keep any converse between the two, it was more awkward if anything. But you can't blame a lad for trying. They made their way towards Chenliu, they'd have to ditch these horses at Guandu most likely, unless they could find a big enough ship. If they could then, they'd have to be rid of them at Henei, there was no way they could cross the mountain range atop a horse.