Disclaimer: I'm neither a KOEI employee nor ancestor of Luo Guanzhong, and therefore have no claim to the characters used appearing in this fanfiction.
Zhen Ji, the Lady in Jade:
A Yuan No More
Years after Cao Cao's triumph at the Battle of Guan Du, Yuan Shao, the aloof patriarch of the Yuan clan, succumbed to illness and died. Having failed to nominate an heir, Shao's three sons entered into a bitter struggle, the victor of which would succeed their late father. Meanwhile, having had his eye on the north for some time, Cao Cao took advantage of the turmoil and moved in to secure the Yuan Family's territories for himself.
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A perfect crescent moon hung low in the night sky above the city of Yecheng, where anarchy reigned in the streets. Cao Pi's only order was to have the city sacked by sunrise. This left his troops free to rape, pillage and murder as they pleased, burning as they went.
Atop a hill overlooking the city stood Yecheng Palace, the Yuan Family's stately residence, all but deserted in the midst of the Wei invasion. Other than the palace guards, the building's only occupants had crowded into the bed chamber of Lady Liu, Yuan Shao's aging widow. The ailing woman lay beneath the silk sheets of her bed, back propped up against the ornate headboard. Nestled close to her bosom were her grandchildren, offspring of her late son Yuan Shang. The lady's ever loyal handmaidens, stood in an orderly manner, backs pressed against the wall nearest the bed. They broke composure not once, maintaining a reverent silence, prepared to do their mistress' bidding at a moment's notice.
Other than the children's muffled sobs, a deathly silence hung in the air. However, this was soon changed by the room's only other occupant; Lady Liu's daughter-in-law and widow of late Yuan Xi, Zhen Ji. Blowing through lips, slender fingers moved up and down the iron body of her flute as she played a soulful requiem, as if to mourn the loss of Yecheng. Eyes shut tight, Zhen Ji played the tune from heart, unaware she alone would be spared from the fate that awaited her extended family.
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Galloping up the hill, Cao Pi dismounted his steed outside the Palace's main gates, followed by Xu Huang and the twenty elite troops that made up his bodyguard. The heir to Cao Cao's throne was more than happy for his army to run riot as they ransacked the city, he had more pressing business to attend to. Under orders direct from his father, Pi was to execute all members of the Yuan Family within the walls of Yecheng.
In a storm of wood and splinters, Xu Huang's poleaxe put a gaping hole in the Palace's lacquered gates. Leading his elite contingent through the breach, Pi was confronted by twelve guards in the courtyard. Nimbly evading their thrusting pikes, Pi went into a killing frenzy, slitting throat after throat with his Dual Fang. The only soldier his weapon didn't connect with was torn asunder by a swing of Huang's awesome polearms. His bodyguards, battle-hardened veterans as they were, looked on in awe.
Decapitating his last victim, Pi stopped for a moment, signalling for half his bodyguard to go on ahead. Tearing a section off his muddied cloak, the son of Cao Cao wiped his weapon clean of crimson. Then, with Xu Huang and his remaining troops in tow, Pi initiated a room-by-room sweep of Yecheng Palace, in search of any lurking Yuans.
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Back in the Lady Liu's bedchamber, Zhen Ji's requiem had been interrupted by the final screams of palace guards posted outside. As Cao Pi's soldiers began beating upon the chamber door with spear butts, the widow of Yuan Xi dove for cover. Meanwhile, her nephew broke free from his grandmother's embrace. Ignoring Lady Liu's repeated calls to re-join her, he strode over to an ornamental rack laden with weapons.
Being six, his father would have already tutored him in the basics of swordplay before he'd left the little boy's side forever. Examining the array of weapons, the youngster heaved off the largest sword his small hands could support. His grandmother and sister looked on in horror as the brave little warrior, his battle blade unsheathed, positioned himself in front of the door. He was ready.
Soon enough, the door collapsed under the weight of Xu Huang's foot. Yelling the Yuan Family's ancestral war cry, the boy swung low with his weapon (as per his height), forcing Huang backward to avoid losing his foot. Seeing their esteemed general back away from the empty doorframe, a newfound fear suddenly overcame the Wei soldiers; if the mighty Xu Huang could be warded off, what grisly fate awaited them. Fortunately, an impatient Cao Pi pushed his way through the petrified mob, stepping up to the empty doorway.
Foolishly thinking he had the upper hand, the son of Yuan Shang lunged at the Wei commander, sword held aloft. Pi's counter-attack was so swift; the little boy's body was still in motion as his severed head landed on the floor. So utterly terrified, the boy's sister failed to notice the dagger sweep across her throat.
"I save you from a life in hell" remarked her grandmother grimly, pushing the infant's corpse off the bed. Noticing Lady Liu was poised to throw the bloodied knife; Pi hurled his Dual Fang, impaling Yuan Shao's widow through the shoulder. The ear-splitting scream brought Xu Huang charging in.
"Huang, send her to join the rest of her accursed clan," the son of Cao Cao ordered, staring daggers at the Lady as he retrieved his weapon. Brandishing his weapon, the warrior brought his poleaxe down with such force, the entire bed was crushed.
Spitting upon Lady Liu's bloody remains, Pi looked away from the gory spectacle, only to be met by the icy glares of her eternally loyal handmaidens.
"Do you want done with them?" questioned Huang as he liberated his weapon from the pile of wood, silk and things unspeakable.
"Anyone loyal to the Yuan Family will suffer the same fate. Have them executed along with the other prisoners," replied Pi decisively, gazing about in awe at the lavish décor. Too bad it was all to be burnt to cinders.
Once the room had been emptied of the handmaidens and any valuables, Cao Pi was left on his lonesome, erecting a makeshift funeral pyre for the late children of Yuan Shang. Yuans or not, Pi knew bravery such as that shown by the boy deserved to be honoured. It was only now that Zhen Ji broke cover, crawling out from behind the dresser. At the faintest whisper of sound, the Wei commander had his Dual Fang in hand, trained in the sobbing beauty's direction.
Perceiving no threat, Pi cautiously lowered his weapon; "Who are you, girl?" he questioned as he edged towards her.
"Zhen Ji of Zhongshan," answered the girl, speaking between sobs. The tears she shed weren't in mourning (except for her niece perhaps); Zhen honestly thought her death was just moments away.
"So you're not of the Yuan Family?" asked Pi, continuing his interrogation
"Only the wife of one," she blurted, shaking her head frantically. Now close enough, the man got down on his knees, and, setting his Dual Fang aside, brushed strands of pristine hair out of her face. The son of Cao Cao was naught but awestruck by the elegant beauty he'd discovered.
"Then will you come with me?" he asked, looking upon her with adoring eyes.
Without a second thought, Zhen nodded, her fear dissolved by the softness of his voice. Calmly, she gathered her wayward raven hair into a bun. Not another word passed between them as Pi helped the widow of Yuan Xi to her feet, escorting this barefooted beauty of just 19 out of the palace.
Shielding her eyes as they passed Xu Huang in the courtyard, who was currently overseeing the executions of the palace attendants, Pi guided Zhen through the breach in the gates and heaved the girl onto his horse. Their grim duties nearing completion for another day, Cao Pi's bodyguards assembled outside the palace, two men worse off; looks like they'd met some effective resistance after all. Brandishing bows, the contingent lit their arrowheads on a flaming torch before firing off a volley, setting Yecheng Palace ablaze.
An hour or so later, as the Wei army rode away, Zhen Ji glanced back once to behold the sight of Yecheng burning. This event didn't just mark the end of the Yuan Family line; it marked the beginning of a new chapter in this young woman's life.
She had been Yuan Xi's. She was now Cao Pi's.
A/N: As some readers may have noticed, this is the re-edited first chapter of a fic I aborted just under a year ago. The good news is, this one will be seeing completion. Thanks for reading. Any reviews will be greatly appreciated.