Jewel of the Jiangdong (Open to Wu)

[Cheng Pu (Demou)]

Jian Ye, the seat of the Yang province, a jewel among jewels in China. It sat along the southern bank of the Changjiang river and was a prosperous river-trade hub. Barges, merchant fleets, sometimes even army fleets, crossed this river daily at five different spots. There was Yi Ling, there was Hua Rong Dao, Chi Bi, Chai Sang and of course, Ru Xu Kou.

Ru Xu Kou was the naval depot for defense of Jian Ye. It saw no action as the forces of Imperial Inspector Liu Yong collapsed during the battle of Jian Ye. Since there was no naval action to really speak of during the battle, Sun Ce's Men were naturally kept to the city to repair and defend the territory they had just acquired.

As a result, however, it came to pass that a particularly nasty group of pirates had taken to pillaging merchant barges and fleets as they crossed from the naval station. In their perceived freedom, a land of lawlessness had come to exist there in the absence of a true governor. Several local militias had formed to deal with the increasing bandit and pirate threats. Of course, as this was the far reaches of the prefecture, and indeed the province itself, these areas had found little relief, even under Liu Yong's rule. If the pirates weren't bad enough, the bandits were somewhat worse, if a slight bit less numerous. It would appear that Jian Ye's trade would slowly be strangled, as goods that came from the North were being intercepted almost regularly. In fact, the pirates and bandits grew more bold with each passing day. The village about the docks was raided not four days ago, with the village defenses in ruin, the local militia undermanned to deal with the increasing threat, and tensions running high as the Sun clan came to replace Liu Yong's failing government, something had to be done!

Demou checked out the barracks complex within Jian Ye, their conquering army growing fat off the spoils of war. Good that they had come to crush Liu Yong completely, but other threats still loomed in the distance. Yan Baihu and Wang Lang had scattered eastward, eluding capture during the fall of the city. Their armies were small by comparison, weak as well, but still so many clung to their liege lords, thinking they would come to bring peace to an already bewildered soul.

The troops were drilling, routine troop movements, marching, sparring. As they continued, Demou noted a lack of gusto in their movements. It seemed the sheer bravado of their men had left them post combat. Figured, adrenaline only lasted as long as one was in a life or death situation. Sluggish movements was one thing, a sluggish grasp on control of the prefecture was another.

As the Sun clan entered the emptied audience halls, reports of bandits began streaming in from the north border of Yangzhou. Ru Xu Kou, a vital naval station along the northern bank, and gateway to Yang was under siege by bandit forces?

The runner they sent was fatigued and poorly supplied.

"How did you even make it across the river?"

"M'lord, the ferry I took barely managed to escape a pirate vessel as it was launched. We are in dire need of assistance, I beg of you, please send someone at once to deal with this! Our villages are being pummeled right now, their attacks are relentless. Our local militia is on the breaking point!"

Demou's mouth dropped visibly, How could this be happening? I must dispatch a force to deal with this threat. But, it would pay to see that the job is done correctly the first time.

"Thank you for giving us word of your plight! Rest yourself, then send word back to your village that aid is on the way. I will assemble a force to deal with this threat to our security!"

As the runner was escorted out by a pair of guards, Demou stood there and thought to himself. How much could they afford to send. He went immediately before his lord and laid out the pleas of the people, to see what Wu should do.

[Sun Quan]

Zhou Yu had attended the entourage of Wu generals and warriors into the palace, looking at the grand hall of Jian Ye, one of the most opulent cities on the Changjiang. It stood as a bastion to the power of maritime trade, and that was why Zhou Yu was especially drawn to it; he loved the water, loved being on a boat, loved the gentle sway of a calm sea and the turbulent jarring of a boat stuck in a storm...

He stood in the palace and caught himself swaying slightly on his feet, his mind lost in a dream. He yearned to return to the ocean, all too long since he held command of his own boat or navy, longer still since he saw open battle on the seas. He feared that the upcoming wars would be fought mostly in fields and cities, and both offered little opportunity for his preferred method of fighting.

Oh well. He was good at picking apart his enemies no matter the terrain.

He watched with stoic appreciation as the beleaguered scout presented himself inside the palace. Astounding that the man had made it across a river plagued by pirates, even more astounding that he made it back to Jian Ye.

Zhou listened to his plight, nodding appreciatively as the man regaled those in attendance about the problems on the Changjiang. Inside, Zhou Yu was positively beaming; finally, a chance to return to the water that he called his home. He gripped his fists instinctively as Cheng Pu offered his assistance.

"Thank you for giving us word of your plight! Rest yourself, then send word back to your village that aid is on the way. I will assemble a force to deal with this threat to our security!"

Zhou Yu slinked up next to Cheng Pu, moving with a grace that betrayed none of his excitement, instead hiding it behind stealth. He waited for the scout to leave and the rabble to die down before leaning towards Cheng Pu, whether the man knew of his proximity or not.

"Perhaps... Perhaps together we could quell this problem? I see no reason why the most favorite of Sun Jian's generals shouldn't be capable enough to root out this problem, but with my strategies, our casualties will remain minimal.

Shall we head out then, Master Cheng? I would dare not make these helpless peasants suffer anymore from these pirates."

[Cheng Pu (Demou)]

He heard the sly devil Zhou Yu's calls. Like a siren he was, playing to Demou's surprisingly unfed desire for glory.

"One of Sun Jian's favorites," the words rung in his head, like a million bells all chiming at once. The late Sun Jian had employed Demou in the area of slaying pirates and banditry along the river before taking these things to the extreme during the revolution. Slaying scum of the earth, it seemed this was second nature to Demou. It really seemed to play into this righteous frame of mind Demou had embraced. This could not be better!

As the generals drew close, Zhou Yu whispered, a stealthy hollow whisper, like the sound of death followed. His tone like the seeking death, wreaking like the stink that hung about a thousand drowned corspses. Ambition was this, it was subtle in its onslaught, like madness. And as it grew to its peaks, it was devastating, unpredictable.

He turned to face him, slightly, just from a turn of his neck, "Well, Master Zhou, shall we then set out? I intend to route out all the bandits along the Changjiang. These lands, they are ancestral property of the Sun clan, and my own clan, the Cheng, shall stand by the rightful rulers of this place until our bloodline is snipped."

Hr somewhat doubted Zhou Yu's intentions with this. He seemed all too eager to get underway with the killing, granted, the blight upon the peasantry and the trade routes would be secured once more, but it was queer.

"General Zhou, put together a peace-keeping force, we shall venture to the northern banks of the Changjiang. By way of the Mengchong Fleet, we break up the pirate blockade around the village of Ru Xu Kou. And master Zhou," he added, with a quiet undertone, "please, do what you can to ensure as many of the vessels are captured rather than having been burnt. We can replace vessels of our own, but it would be better for us if we can capture some ships. The rogues plundering the land however, they are expendable."

He wanted to make sure that his intentions were clear, there would be no survivors among the enemy of the Sun clan. Especially those that went out of their way to plague those whom had entrusted their lives to the Sun.

[Liu Feng]

The young naval commander received word that her fleet was to be used against the pirates who had blockaded a crucial port. Always a few steps ahead, Ulayne had already known that this battle would come and she had already prepared her ships for action. She donned her blue-plume helmet and grabbed her voulge before setting out to aid her fellow Wu generals.

The fearsome Mengchong Fleet sat docked in the port of Jian Ye, but weapons and supplies were already being loaded onto the ships as Ulayne arrived. The old quartermaster, a veteran long past his fighting prime, approached Ulayne and asked what weapons should be most effective in defeating the pirates. She chose the crossbow.

Pirates would almost definitely sail in merchant ships, or at best doujian (long ships build to ride up on others and board them). Mengchong ships could not be boarded, for anyone who boarded one would have to evade multiple crossbow bolts and spears before even reaching the protective structure that defined these ships. They'd then have to hack their way through these structures if they were to attack the protected soldiers. The pirate ships would be inferior to the Mengchong ships in both ramming and fighting. Pirate bows and crossbows would have difficulty piercing the Mengchong's protective structures, and the superior Mengchong ships could ram through the pirate lines.

The quartermaster began to load crossbows and a few spears onto the ships. Ulayne handpicked from the men that had served her in the Jian Ye battle enough soldiers for this task, but she did not dare defy her fellow generals and set out without them. When the ships were finally ready, she sent messengers to both Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu, calling them to the port from which they'd mount their attack.

[Sun Quan]

Zhou Yu smiled as he turned away from Cheng Pu, his face contorting into an evil mask of his former self. He quickly regained composure as he wrote out the order to march, quickly and efficiently, receiving the letter from the Admiral of Wu's naval forces that she was prepared.

Her. Ulayne Umi. The only Wu obstacle in his glorious return to the ocean. He wanted nothing more than to drown this vile bitch of a 'commander' under his keel. She would be crushed along his path to victory, if she dared to continue standing in his way.

Woah, where'd that come from? Zhou Yu shook his head. He would never attempt anything against a Wu officer. He was a despicable and devious man when it came to his tricks, and his demeanor and manner were often dark and twisted and almost unbearable to those outside his inner circle, but by no means was he a traitor, or at worst a defector.

No, Zhou was just ambitious, as Cheng Pu smelt of him. He signed the letter as the Grand Strategist, and the forces would be assembled by the many captains of the Wu army. He handed off the note to the nearest administrator who would see that it's terms were carried out. Being the master of strategy of Wu afforded many pleasantries, and an army on beck and call was one of them.

He smacked Cheng Pu on the back as he walked out of the palace, a large and ubiquitous smile masking the contrivances that tumbled in his head.

"Come, revered one. We must make haste to the Changjiang. Ulayne Umi is awaiting us, and we must not make the good admiral wait. I have the troop orders drawn up, and they will join us at the port.

And I agree to all of your stipulations, though the people who inhabit these ships should not be driven to the sea so quickly. They should be infiltrated, and we should try to sway as many of them back to our side as possible. Our lands can not sustain the economic burden of such great loss of life; though these pirates are malicious in their intent, they still spend their ill begotten gains like any other member of our country. Imagine if they not only spent the same, but also started earning a taxable income?

We must revitalize these malcontents. I will order the construction of a penitentiary, that I will personally oversee. I will hold these convicts there, and I will oversee their rehabilitation. It is the least I can do for these poor souls.

But enough of future talk. Let us go skewer us some pirates!"

Zhou Yu set off at a trot down the steps to the palace, hopeful that Cheng Pu would follow with him. Together, they would set off towards the port, and to Ulayne Umi's awaiting fleet.

[Cheng Pu (Demou)]

Cheng Pu scowled slightly as Zhou Yu slapped him on the back. It was queer, a man so young palling around with an old person like him. He knew the sly man had a plot on his mind. His brain was like a death trap, it was full of sharp pointy corners, the shape of it asymmetrical. This made him hard to figure out.

As he trotted out of the palace towards the docks he beckoned Demou to follow. He caught up fairly quickly, listening to Zhou. A prison? Revitalizing poor souls? They would not be so poor if not for past misdeeds. Perhaps the pirate fleets can be repaired and added to our own, mayhaps turned into sailors, but a prison?

"We shall see," was all he could say aloud. They made haste for the barracks, gathering their forces to put down the insurrection of sorts. Perhaps a plot by Shi Yiguan was the source of this calamity now; Probably Cao Cao, the "Hero of Chaos".

Either way, with Liu Yong out of the picture, Yan Baihu and others stood in the way. Stepping stones or stone walls on the path to conquest, that remained to be seen, but they would be dealt with, one way or another.

This by comparison was like a bunch of pebbles brought together in a small mound, in as much as Demou desired to see freedom in the people, he knew that lawlessness led to cobbling the road to hell.

"I require five hundred men! Those whom volunteer will see double pay for this month!"

The shout rung out, the soldiers shuffled into place. Neat rank and file platoons, that soon formed up into a small battalion. Half size, of course. Gathering up volunteers as he went, he soon made out to the port as well, troops in tow. Some were apprehensive about the upcoming mission. He would brief the men while en route to the theater of combat. He and his soldiers made their way to the docks.

[Liu Feng]

As Cheng Pu and Zhou Yu arrived at the docks with five-hundred men, they found the a section of the Mengchong Fleet prepared and rearing to go. The five-hundred soldiers would be bolstered by a hundred or so rowers that would help them as the sailed into the pirate blockade. Ulayne hailed the General and Lord Strategist as they reached the docks, walking down the makeshift wooden stairwell from one of the docked ships to the docks themselves. Her ceremonial armor clanked as she did, indicating that she was wearing battle armor under her usual ceremonial garb. A large voulge rested on her shoulders.

"Grand Commander, Grand Strategist," Ulayne said with a low bow, "Hai Xiangli reporting for duty. The Mengchong naval fleet is prepared for the task you have assigned. We can leave anytime after your men board and take their positions on each ship."

If the men began to board, Ulayne would instruct them that on each ship there was a captain, an experienced seafarer of Ulayne's choice, who would explain what their positions were and what to do when the fighting began. It really was quite simple: just pick up a crossbow and shoot through the arrow-slits. The rowers already knew what Ulayne's orders and different drum patterns meant.

Ulayne's oddly-highlighted shone brightly in the sun's light, and she tossed some of it behind her head before donning her battle-helm. She nodded as she awaited further orders from her superior Wu generals.

[Sun Quan]

Zhou Yu didn't let the perceived pessimism of the general ruin his mood. He trotted down to the river with a hop in his step, the 500 men of their retinue following lively behind. They arrived at the docks and immediately began boarding the Mengchong Fleet.

Zhou Yu listened to the greeting of Ulayne Umi, but he mostly ignored her, instead taking himself directly to the front of the ship. He raised one arm up, and pointed towards the east.

"I care not for pleasantries... Admiral. We make haste for those pirates. We're not there to wipe them out; we are trying to take as many ships as possible, and as many prisoners.

Do not wantonly slaughter. I don't know if you and your men are capable of following these commands, but I dare say that the order is simple enough. Cheng Pu, please join me."

Zhou Yu awaited Cheng Pu to come closer ot him, and in a hushed whisper, hes poke quickly to the older man.

"This admiral will be the weak point of our offensive. She hasn't proven herself on any field of battle I've been upon, nor you. We should watch her closest of all. I am not saying she will be a problem, but no man has achieved victory without considering any possibility."

[Liu Feng]

The young mystic almost chuckled in response to Zhou Yu's orders. Why call for the strongest naval fleet in the land if you want to convert the pirates? Ulayne immediately responded with a suggestion.

"With all due respects, Milord, if we are to demoralize and force the surrender of the pirates, there is a much simpler way. I have been combating pirates since my youth, Grand Strategist, and while they will definitely flee after seeing the destructive power of the Mengchong, there is a way to take their ships and men with only one death."

Ulayne paced slightly, tapping the shaft of her voulge on the wooden planks that made up the Mengchong ship that they currently stood on.

"Pirates respect strength of arm, not strength of mind. Luckily, your skill with a blade is legendary, Grand Strategist. If you were to challenge the pirate's leader, he would have to accept, and would surely be defeated. Thus, with only one death, you would receive the utmost respect and surrender of the enemy. Of course, if you wished to avoid the risk, a champion could be chosen in your stead."

[Sun Quan]

Zhou Yu's face betrayed no hint of the ire he felt towards this upstart. He turned from the admiral, considering her plan. It reeked of an attempt to remove Zhou Yu from the picture, through use of a clever planned pirate ambush. It would be extremely difficult for him to trust this plan, but it's intent would give him everything he ever wanted; an entire crew of men that would follow him to their death.

If he could count on Cheng Pu, this plan would unfold quite well.

"Very well. When we come within range, send out the hail to the pirate lord that I wish to fight him. I would send no champion in my stead, lest the enemy think that Wu is run by cowards.

Ulayne, I ask that you be my second in the duel. Should I fall, I expect you to retain my honor."

Zhou Yu turned from the girl before he could acknowledge any agreement. He stood at the front of the ship, looking out over the cresting waves as they floated down the river towards the rampaging pirates.

[Liu Feng]

The young admiral nodded and waited patiently as the ships sailed down the river's fast current. Her blue-streaked hair blew back and forth in the wind, and she occasionally donned her helmet. To pass the time, she sparred with some of her soldiers atop her flagship, mentally preparing herself for if the duel actually did come. In all honesty, she trusted Zhou Yu to defeat the pirate lord and win over their hearts. His bladeskill was well known throughout the Wuyue region, and Ulayne hadn't even heard of this pirate lord's name, despite her connections in naval affairs. She was not at all excited to fight in melee, though she had a few tricks up her sleeve that she knew to be effective against less-educated opponents.

As the rode downstream, the small Mengchong ships moved in perfect unison, as the drum signals from Ulayne's flagship kept them in a tight wedge formation. The captain of the vanguard ship was instructed to send for parley and deliver Zhou Yu's challenge to the pirate lord. Though this sounds like a dangerous undertaking, even the pirates had a code by which they lived, and they would refuse no challenge. Especially not from a renowned warrior like Zhou Yu, the pirate lord would likely see this as a god-given opportunity to prove his might in front of his soldiers.

A loud drum sounded from the vanguard ship as the pirate blockade slowly entered into view. It was time.

[Sun Quan]

Zhou sat with his feet under him while the smaller boat detached from the Menchong fleet, the parley with the pirates a success, their want for Zhou's blood outweighing their intelligence for the minute. Zhou sat placid, his extra clothing removed, his sword placed in front of him. He thought back to the conversation he just had with Ulayne Umi...

"Ulayne, we have our differences. It is time to set them aside. These pirates would be beneficial to both f us. With two fleets holding the Changjian, we would be unchecked to expand south, Cao Cao and whatever northern lords held back by our two forces.

I need your support in this. I will defeat the pirate lord. You're going to have to make sure that his men don't interfere. After he is dead, we will be able to take them under our wing."

Zhou's eyes opened as the two boats seemingly met in the middle, their planks soaring their sides to make the two ships connected. The pirate lord boarded Zhou's ship before he could even really get off his feet, but he was up with his sword in hand as the lord came into view.

The pirate lord was a bruiser of an individual, his armor a smattering of leather straps and jagged metal. His weapon was a large axe, hefted with both hands. He immediately came forward, obviously not a man for many word.

"You're Zhou Yu? I take your head now."

The big man swung hard, his axe coming down from high above directly towards where Zhou Yu stood. The axe smashed hard into the deck of the boat as Zhou Yu dodged right, immediately landing on his right foot and driving his sword forward, directly between the ribs of the big champion of the pirate bandits.

His eyes bulged as he realized the tactical mistake and the damage it cost him. He gargled once as blood filled his lungs, his strength sapping, disabling his ability to use that giant axe of his. Zhou Yu pulled his blade from the big man with a flourish, twirling on his right foot, spinning with the sword, with one quick movement severing the poor bastards head directly from his shoulders. The head popped off the body and tumbled to the deck, rolling slightly due to the turbulence.

Zhou Yu took two steps towards his side of the boat before turning around back to the pirate party, standing in stunned silence as their champion's neck bled out all over the deck.

"I don't think that was your leader, only one of your brutes. Bring your real leader forward."