The Crimson Dragon Rebellion

[Ma Chao]

It was not long after the battle at Nanzheng that word had reached Ma Chao’s ear about a group of men intent on Han Zhong’s fall. The leader of said group, the Crimson Dragons, went by the name of Fu Lang. His father was once a high ranking official in the city before it fell to Shu. It seemed that Lang’s father had not taken the events well and ended his own life. This left Lang with a vendetta against Shu and the former city of his family.

Instead of transport units being hit by Wei, it was now the bandits under Fu Lang who were harassing them. A few surviving scouts, of the many sent, told of a mountain encampment which served as the main base of operations. Rough estimates of their numbers were of concern, with the possibility of 3000 men following the cause. Many of the soldiers were bandits, murderers, or just men with no clear path. Living such a lifestyle was exciting, but also rewarding. Carts of food and gold were being stolen and the Crimson Dragons were living well in their mountain stronghold.

The situation for Han Zhong seemed to be slowly becoming worse. It was bad enough that a Wei counter attack could take place at any moment, but now there was the threat of Fu Lang and his followers.

Similar to the Yellow Scarves with their yellow turbans, the Crimson Dragons wore red turbans on their heads and dyed clothing or armor of the same color. At first the group was a mere 50 strong or so, but then a deal was worked out with the Qiang who jumped at the opportunity for grain and gold. Not only that, they hated the kingdoms of Wei and Shu as well as Ma Chao who had constantly ass raped them when he was with his father in Xi Liang.

Fu Lang was getting closer to obtaining his goal and word had reached him of Ma Chao’s recent defeat. More and more men joined with him, making him the newest threat to Shu.

Ma Chao scoffed at the idea that a group of ruffians could contest with him. However, Ma Dai as usual was more cautious.

“Cousin, the men are still weary from our recent battle. Surely, if we send for aid from Lord Liu Bei he will answer with fresh soldiers.”

Ma Chao became angry and turned away from Ma Dai. He moved toward a window overlooking the officer’s district of the city.

“I just ask that you be patient”, Ma Dai said with a look of concern on his face.

“Let Ma Dai and I take a few men and scout the enemy ourselves. Then, with better information you can make the best decision.”

The man that spoke out was Jiang Wei. He had entered and overheard the conversation.

“Very well, find out what you can.”

Ma Chao turned back to look at them and deep down he wanted to tell them to be careful. However, he was too bad ass for sentimental shit so he just nodded.

Ma Dai and Jiang Wei left the palace and moved toward the barracks. There, they gathered 20 men to accompany them. The group would set off at dusk hoping to avoid enemy detection from a distance.

[Ma Chao]

As night fell, Ma Dai and Jiang Wei moved toward the western mountains on horseback. When they got within a few miles from their destination, they dismounted and set off on foot.

As the group moved through the darkness, Ma Dai spotted torches approaching. Enemy soldiers were moving up the main path in the distance. The number of bandits could not be discerned yet, but Ma Dai ordered his men forward.

“Pick up the pace. We can cut them off on the road if we hurry.”

The Shu scout party moved as quickly as possible using the light from the moon for aid. Reaching the path first, which was roughly a mile from the camp, Ma Dai ordered his men to get ready.

As the torches approached, the enemy number could be seen. There were roughly 10 men with a cart and some horses.

“Did you see me skewer that fat fuck?”

One of the bandits was referring to the supply transport they had just attacked. Some brave, but foolish, men thought it possible to get through where the Crimson Dragons were constantly patrolling. However, they were wrong and paid the price. Not only did they forfeit their lives, but they handed over gold and food to the enemy.

“Yeah, not bad, but did you see me teabag the other guy?”

Both men laughed and continued up the path, but then they stopped when seeing a sword laying on the ground.

One bandit moved toward the sword after halting the raid group. He reached down to grab the weapon with one hand, holding a torch in the other, and doing so revealed a little message drawn in the dirt.

F U

“What the hell?”

The bandit turned to speak to his comrade, but he would not be able to. A flying spear tore through his neck, killing him violently. The remaining bandits were under attack by Shu soldiers who ambushed them.

Ma Dai picked up the sword and used it to slay an enemy as Jiang Wei cut down another close by. The other bandits were mauled, but the Shu group did lose two men.

Ma Dai gave orders to strip the enemies down and wear their clothing. Jiang Wei would stay outside the camp with the remaining soldiers as Ma Dai infiltrated.

[Fang Dao]

It had been some time after Ma Chao had arrived in Han Zhong that Fang Dao himself arrived. The state of his men was a miserable one. They had escaped from the battle soaked, tired, and sore....but they were all alive. In truth, they had never gotten to fight, something that irked the mountain warrior himself to no end. He was the type that ENJOYED conflict. The feeling of sinking a blade into a worthy foe was the best. Alas, however, he had to think of them men under his command. When Wei ordered the retreat, Fang Dao signaled his own, the the tired relief force went to follow Ma Chao's own dwindled and tired army. It was a defeat for Shu, but not a total loss. Fang Dao swore he would get another opportunity to prove himself.

When the troops arrived at the city, they were greeted by the city guards, who opened the gates and let them inside. The men were relieved to see the warm stables and barracks; it wasn't a five star residence, but it was a dry place with beds to sleep on. Fang Dao himself quickly changed into a fresh pair of robes, leaving his scale mail to dry; he opted for a small leather lamallier chest armor. As he quickly donned the armor, he turned to the quarter master and pointed an accusing finger.

"You! That armor is special; don't throw it in with your other garbage, and take good care of it! If you don't, I'll mount your head on a pike. If you DO, however, I'll reward you for your special care."

The quartermaster jumped a bit, startled at the statement, but nodded meekly at the command. News had spread fairly quickly about the brigand who had been recruited by Liu Bei to be a general. It seemed they were true; he was rough, crude, and fierce to a fault.

"O-of course, my lord. I will care for it as if it were my child. Oh! I believe Lord Ma Chao may also want to speak with you."

"Fine. I wanted to talk to him anyways. And I'll hold you to your word."

Without even hanging up his weapons, Fang Dao stormed out of the garrison and quickly made his way toward the audience chamber. He was actually almost assaulted by the guard, who thought him to be some brigand or ruffian who had lost his mind and decided to storm the castle on a suicide mission. Fang Dao, however, had come prepared. He flashed his insigna showing his rank as a Vanguard General of Shu, appointed by Liu Bei himself, then waved his hand for them to put down the weapons....before he grabbed them and shoved them up their asses himself. It was also clear he had no intent of surrendering his weapons...at least not yet.

"Quit your damn posturing! I'm Fang Dao of the mountains of Ye! I'm here to speak with General Ma Chao about military matters! Take me to him!"

[Ma Chao]

(Your post should have been in the palace thread, but no problem.)

There were two sets of guards at Han Zhong’s palace. Two men were stationed at the gates to the palace courtyard and another two were at the large doors to the main hall. At each checkpoint, Fang Dao was looked over carefully. He had only recently arrived in Han Zhong and was one of the newest generals of Shu. The guards were not aware of his history or dealings at Cheng Du, but the seal he carried was enough to guarantee access.

“General.”

The palace guards stood at attention and bowed low to Fang Dao, recognizing and respecting his rank. As commanded, they opened the doors for him and one of the men led him through the hall toward a dark hallway. The two men disappeared into the darkness, but shortly after a light could be seen at the end of the hall.

The door to the war council was open, allowing the light from torches to escape into the hall. When the two men reached the room they could see banners of Shu and multiple weapon racks along the walls. Sitting at the head of a large table was Ma Chao and surrounding him were lower ranking officers and many officials. They were looking over a map of the surrounding territory, marking locations with small figurines. The location of Wei’s army under Sima Yi was a strategist looking figure with a funny hat on it. The location of Ma Chao’s army was a figure on a horse with huge muscles. Also, if one looked close enough they could see that there was a large bulge in his pants. Indeed, it was symbolizing his horse size penis.

“My lord, Vanguard General Fang Dao is here to meet with you.”

Ma Chao looked up from his seated position and then stood up. He motioned for the gathered group to continue with the plans. Not only was there the threat from the Crimson Dragons to the west, but also from Wei to the north and east. Strategists were looking over the terrain, looking for possible ambush positions or traps.

Ma Chao moved toward Fang Dao and greeted him. He did not have a chance to speak with him because the last time they were in the same area, it was filled with blood and dead bodies. Not necessarily the best place to introduce yourself.

“Ah, Fang Dao, I did not get to offer my thanks for your aid at Nanzheng.”

Ma Chao looked the man over and nodded slightly. He was impressed that such a new officer to Shu had already obtained the rank of Vanguard General, his old rank. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang must have thought highly of the man. There was no reason that Ma Chao should not as well, but he was more of a man of action as opposed to words. Fang Dao certainly gained respect with him from his bravery during the recent battle, having taken up the rear against the enemy if they tried to pursue.

“So, tell me, have you come to see me for a specific reason? If it is about what the city needs from you, then I would say the threat of a recent group of bandits requires attention. They are intent on burning Han Zhong to the ground and with the threat of Wei already overwhelming the people with fear, this new situation makes it worse.”

[Ma Chao]

Ma Dai and 9 other Shu soldiers, dressed in the red attire of the Crimson Dragons that were ambushed, moved up the main path to Fu Lang’s encampment. There were so many raider groups coming and going, it was hard for them to keep track of who was who. Hopefully, that would aid Ma Dai in infiltrating the enemy stronghold to gather more information. The task at hand may have not come to fruition if Ma Chao had his way. It was why Jiang Wei was so important to him and to Shu. He could offer strong strategies that otherwise would not be available. One of the first rules of warfare was to know thy enemy and that was what this mission was all about.

“Be on full alert, if anything happen to General Ma Dai….Well, let us just not thing about that.”

Jiang Wei ordered his men to move up the path behind Ma Dai, keeping their distance as to not be spotted by the enemy. The darkness made it possible for them to move undetected and the moon made it possible to see. However, once they reached within visible range of the camp, torches could be seen lining the main path. They had to slow their pace and move with stealth.

Ma Dai and the imposters moved toward the main gate to the camp. Two scruffy looking bandits were watching the entrance and one of them noticed the approach of the transport group. The other guard was half asleep and was testament to the laid back attitude of the Crimson Dragons. They were unscathed by battle for quite some time and went uncontested due to Shu’s current engagements against Wei.

“You! Stop right there.”

Ma Dai’s eyes shifted as the guard called him out. It was either time to make some random shit up, trying to confuse the guard, or take the two of them out. The latter was certainly risky, though not many bandits were near the front of the camp. He would just have to see how it played out before reacting.

“What have you rotten scoundrels snatched tonight? I love it!”

The guard was excited and anxious to find out what was being carried. He was crooked and always tried to gain something from the men entering the camp in exchange for no reports of soldiers leaving the camp. Some of the bandits liked to go to whore houses or to just sneak out for other nefarious acts. So, they usually shut up the guards with coin or items.

Ma Dai did not say a word, but instead waved the guard over and lifted the heavy cloth that was draped over the cart. Inside were chests of gold, some weapons, and a bit of food. Some of the raider party were already feasting on the food before bringing it back. Little did they know that it would be their last meal before being ambushed by the Shu scout party.

“So, what are we going to work out here? Hmmm? Let us say, you give me a shiny weapon and I will not rat you guys out if I catch you doing anything stupid. You know that Fu Lang would have you killed or at least cleaning up shit for weeks.”

Ma Dai made a gesture of deep thought, pondering over the deal offered to him. So, he reached into the cart and pulled out a sword. He lifted the weapon and felt the weight, showing the craftsmanship to the guard before plunging it into his chest!

The other guard was slow to reach and paid the price. An arrow pinned him to the gates wooden support, right through his head! The shot was taken from alongside the main path, let loose by a soldier under Jiang Wei.

Ma Dai quickly waved to Jiang Wei and he pointed to the two guards who were dispatched. Jiang Wei instantly knew what he wanted and sent two men to take up position as the guards of the camp. They too would dress in the typical red attire of Crimson Dragons.

The gates were opened and the imposter group entered within.

[Ma Chao]

Inside the camp there was a huge fire at the center where hundreds of bandits were gathered. Ma Dai and his men kept close to the tents that were scattered throughout. A few enemies were approaching, both with drinks in their hands. They moved directly toward the Shu group.

“Hey! How did you guys do?”

One of the bandits questioned Ma Dai as if he knew what was going on.

“Zhen wnet with you, right? Did he get his first kill?”

Ma Dai then realized what was happening. The bandit’s friend must have been part of the raid group that got ambushed. Little did he know his friend was lying face down in the dirt, dead. Ma Dai had to quickly save the situation.

“You know it. He is a natural killer. I think he got two.”

The bandits grew excited and laughed.

“Thanks man, for helping him out. Here, a drink for you!”

Ma Dai did not want to refuse so he took the drink and chugged it down. In retrospect, he wished he had not because it tasted like horse piss.

The bandits moved along and the Shu imposters breathed a sigh of relief. They could see a large tent in the center and it was most likely the location of Fu Lang.

A quick estimate of the enemy confirmed that they were in the thousands.

“This is not good”, Ma Dai said in a low voice.

They moved deeper into the camp and noticed a large supply of food, weapons, and gold. The spoils of their constant raids were within Ma Dai’s grasp, but they were guarded by multiple bandits.

If we could just get some torches into those supplies, Ma Dai thought.

[Ma Chao]

“Over there!”

Jiang Wei could hear yelling and the drawing of blades in the near distance. Smoke was rising from inside the camp and as the commotion increased Jiang Wei feared for the worse.

Suddenly, the camp gates swung open and two Shu soldiers exited. They were shaken and bleeding.

“Hurry! Close the gates, they are coming!”

Jiang Wei’s fear had come true. He questioned one of the men and they said that Ma Dai had been captured.

“Close the gates! Use your spears, jab them deep into the ground to bar them in!”

Jiang Wei called out to his soldiers and they quickly slammed the gates and did as commanded. Six spears were holding the gate closed, but only temporarily. With that done, Jiang Wei led the remaining soldiers back to Han Zhong to inform Ma Chao of what had transpired.

He thought back to what went wrong as he moved through the darkness.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“If we could just get a torch onto those supplies.”

As Ma Dai was contemplating a move against the enemy food supply, Fu Lang had exited his tent and was speaking to a few of the bandits. He was decently tall with a lean build. Finely crafted armor adorned his body and it was most likely stolen.

Ma Dai figured if he took out Fu Lang, the bandits would disperse and the problem would be solved. As he drew a dagger from his clothing one of his soldiers stayed his hand.

“Sir, that is suicide.”

As the imposters were deciding what to do, a bandit captain who had been watching them, walked over. He wanted to know why they were near the supplies and not enjoying ale with food.

Ma Dai thought that he had to act while they were still unknown to the enemy. He started to walk toward Fu Lang and in doing so made the bandit captain more angry.

“Hey, I am talking to you!”

One of the Shu soldiers panicked and cut down the inquisitive bandit. It drew the attention of Fu Lang and his guards who were not far. When Fu Lang looked at the approaching figure that was Ma Dai, he noticed the dagger in his hand.

“Enemies!”

Bandits descended upon the Shu spy group like vultures to a carcass. Ma Dai fought bravely, but he was overtaken and knocked unconscious.

A torch was thrown into the supplies and then the remaining soldiers tried to flee, but most were slain. Two of them managed to escape in the confusion.

[Ma Chao]

The ride back to Han Zhong was one filled with sadness and fear; sadness due to the capture of Ma Dai and fear due to the raging inferno that was Ma Chao. The latter was known to lose his cool rather quickly and usually it pertained to something of little importance. However, this time it was his family.

Jiang Wei felt the most uneasy for he was the one that offered the plan in the first place. It was, of course, not his fault that Ma Dai was captured. After all, he was located outside the camp and had no idea what was happening inside.

No, the fault lay with Ma Dai himself and the fool of a soldier that attacked the bandit captain. Ma Dai could have just set fire to the supplies and disappeared during the commotion, but instead he chose to try and move against Fu Lang. Not only that, the original plan did not entail any of the said plans and was basically just a reconnaissance mission.

The Shu group could see the city approaching in the distance. Jiang Wei was not aware that the soldier who ignited the camp conflict was present among his men. He had survived and was one of the two that had made it out alive.

The only others that knew of what had happened were Ma Dai and the other survivor. When they reached the city, the guards stood at attention and then let them through. The group moved toward the palace grounds and then halted when at the gates.

Jiang Wei turned to the men and spoke out.

“Go to the barracks and rest. You have done well for what it is worth.”

The soldiers looked at one another and then lowered their heads. They did not feel successful in the least and were also dumbfounded as to why Jiang Wei would go at it alone.

“I will face that wrath of Ma Chao on my own.”

The soldiers nodded and bowed out of thanks and respect. They were lucky that Ma Chao would be quite some distance away when the news was given. Although, that certainly did not mean they were in the clear. Easily, they could be summoned and annihilated for their loss of Ma Dai. When Ma Chao was infuriated, all logic and compassion was lost.

Jiang Wei watched as the soldiers moved toward the barracks and one of them turned to look back. They were worried for his safety, but relieved as well.

The guards opened the palace gates and Jiang Wei moved toward the countless stairs leading up to the main hall. At the top of the stairs, two more guards opened the doors and visible in the near distance was Ma Chao. He was seated upon the throne of Han Zhong with his forearms resting on his knees and his head down. Jiang Wei was not sure if he was sleeping, angry, or anxious for the news from the previous night.

An attendant coughed to get Ma Chao’s attention. He raised his head to see Jiang Wei and then rose from the throne to greet him. However, immediately it struck him as odd that Ma Dai was not present to give the update. Not only was Ma Dai the higher ranking officer, but he would always report back to his cousin right away.

“Where is Ma Dai?”

Jiang Wei was having trouble bringing the words from his brain to his mouth and that usually was not a problem for him. Fear began to seize him and as Ma Chao approached closer, he started to sweat profusely.

“What is it, Boyue?”

Jiang Wei informed his leader, after a few more minutes to gather himself, about what had transpired. Needless to say, Ma Chao went berserk. He moved back toward the throne, his eyes wide open in shock, and kicked the large seat right over. He picked up a candlestick that was close by and started smashing it against the wall and floor. An attendant, who needed something signed, entered the hall and quickly turned to flee. The candlestick just missed his head, hitting the wall near the door, as he exited.

“Mengqi, please punish me for this. I allowed Ma Dai to be taken, though I was not inside the camp when it happened.”

Jiang Wei explained what he thought happened inside, but he knew that the two other soldiers, who had made it, would be the ones that would know. He did not want to put them on the spot, but what they knew could help in a possible rescue operation. The names were given and the death certificates signed for the two soldiers that accompanied him. It weighed heavily on his heart, but had to be done.

“Shall I summon them”, Jiang Wei asked.

“No, gather the armies of Han Zhong! I will raze the enemy camp to the ground and piss on the ashes!”

Jiang Wei bowed and made haste toward the barracks to gather the soldiers. He knew that he had survived due to his worth to Shu and Ma Chao. Maybe, if he could prove himself beyond a doubt during the coming battle he would be forgiven.

The two soldiers that had survived at the enemy camp would not be summoned by Jiang Wei, but instead by Ma Chao himself. He ordered an attendant to go fetch them and bring them to the prisons of Han Zhong. There, they would be ‘questioned’ as to what played out inside the camp. If they cooperated, they would maybe be spared. However, that was unlikely.

[Ma Chao]

Two heads adorned pikes outside the Han Zhong barracks after the men were executed for their failure. They failed to bring back Ma Dai, cousin to the Prefect and leader of the Shu Elites, Ma Chao, and doing so should have taken their own lives. One of the men acted foolishly and prematurely, costing a skilled officer and also allowing Fu Lang to know that Shu was spying on him. The latter was not of concern to Ma Chao as he had planned to strike them from the beginning, but the former was bothering him to no end. He felt vulnerable and not so invincible without his dear cousin.

“General, the armies are ready to march. The men await your command.”

Jiang Wei approached Ma Chao, who was seated upon his steed, and informed him of the situation. Ma Chao nodded and was about to order the army out of the city, but then a messenger arrived with news from the east.

“General Ma Chao!”

The messenger was waved forward and he bowed low before delivering the news.

“Lord Cao Cao of Wei has passed! The news is glorious! No?”

Ma Chao did not seem happy and it was surprising to all who overheard. One would think that he would be ecstatic to hear such words, but instead it added to his current misery. Deep down he respected Cao Cao for his abilities and ambition, but hated him for what was done to his father, his defeat at Chang An, and the treacherous things he sometimes did to the people. Still, one of the real heroes of the land was gone and any true warrior who appreciated skill would offer a moment of their time to pay respects.

“So, we did not get to meet again on the field of battle.”

Ma Chao took the sword from his saddle and cut a piece of his white plume off. He held it out and then let the strands fall to the ground.

“Say hello to my father”, he thought, trying to look past the fact that Cao Cao had assassinated Ma Teng.

It was one of the things that Cao Cao was known for; his absolute ruthlessness. If one were to peer into the mind of such a man, they would see that it was more about strategy than something personal. Ma Chao had thought before if he would have done the same if an enemy was a threat to his ambitions. Still, there was supposed to be honor among warriors and leaders.

Ma Chao broke from his inner thoughts and addressed the soldiers.

“If Cao Cao had been as virtuous as our lord, Liu Bei, I would have gladly thrown down my spear and let him unite the land under one banner so that peace could be had. Unfortunately, that was not the case.”

The men started to gather around him and others who were sitting began to stand.

“Cao Mengde did not care who he stepped on to get to the top. Many people suffered at his hands and that will never be forgotten. However, let us pay respect to the man that aided in crushing tyrants such as Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu.”

The soldiers looked at one another in shock, they were about to offer a moment of silence for the kingdom’s hated rival.

“Too bad he replaced the old tyrants with himself, the new”, he thought.

The army was mustered and ready to move. The gates of Han Zhong opened to reveal a mighty host led by Ma Chao. They moved toward the western mountains where they would destroy Fu Lang and his followers.

[Ma Chao]

“So, Ma Dai is it? Your family is well known in this region. I have had many a discussion with people of the Qiang and others whom you have wronged.”

Ma Dai lifted his head and spat in Fu Lang’s face. Needless to say, the rebel leader did not appreciate such an act and quickly punched his prisoner.

“Fuck the Qiang and fuck you!”

Fu Lang shook his head and nodded to his soldiers who started to shit stomp Ma Dai. They had cut him from his bonds, allowing his bloodied and bruised body to fall to the floor, and then they started to punch and kick him. Fu Lang watched with great enjoyment and an expression of satisfaction on his face. He waved his hand and the men stopped.

“Now, seeing as how your pitiful uncle and cousins were assassinated by Cao Cao, that leaves just you and Chao”, he said, pacing back and forth in front of Ma Dai.

“I have heard of the recent defeat to Wei and it made me laugh. It is true that Sima Yi is a skilled commander, but so am I. I am confident that my men will lay waste to Han Zhong’s armies. After all, your foolish cousin knows shit about strategy.”

Ma Dai was badly injured and spitting up blood, but he still had enough energy to start laughing. He found it incredibly funny that a no name scum, such as Fu Lang, would even dream of comparing himself to Sima Yi or defeating Ma Chao in battle.

“Ha ha. And who are you, just some former official’s son?”

Ma Dai shot back verbally, but all he ended up doing was to increase Fu Lang’s anger. It was not the best move to insult the person torturing you, but all the brave bad asses did it.

“And when I mean former, I mean a dead little bitch who killed himself out of shame.”

Fu Lang’s eyes shot open and he pulled a dagger from his clothing. With rage in his eyes he kicked Ma Dai in the stomach and kneeled down with the blade. He held it to Ma Dai’s throat and dared him to speak another ill word about his late father.

“You would be wise to hold your tongue now or I will cut it out!”

Fu Lang took the dagger and sliced Ma Dai’s face before standing up. He looked to one of the soldiers and they stomped their foot on the prisoner’s face, knocking him out.

As he was about to exit the room, a messenger had arrived to inform him that Ma Chao had departed from Han Zhong. It was the moment he was waiting for.

“Excellent! Bring this piece of shit to the barracks and string him up. Prepare the army to move out!”

Fu Lang gathered his officers and gave orders for the army to get ready. They would move out to meet the Shu army on the field of battle.