Zhang Liao Wenyuan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
800isenough) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
calvino2014-07-05 07:54 pm
800isenough) wrote in calvino2014-07-05 07:54 pm
I try to focus but everything's twisted
[The warrior does not fear death.
That much Zhang Liao is confident about. No matter the odds against him, he knows with iron clad certainty that death's threats and mocking tones fall on deaf ears.
And yet there is something still that trembles within his being. He isn't scared of dying, for that is part of the path of a warrior, and he accepts. But what gnaws at him, like a small but steady drill that slowly but surely chips at a chink in his diamond-hard resolve...it cannot be described with words, but can only be felt with his heart. And in matters of the heart, Zhang Liao has no mastery of them at all. He had thought himself stronger than this, and it's both painful and loathsome to him to stand outside the door and knock three times.
But the whispers of his conscience has turned into a roar, and he can no longer bury and deny them. Not when they are buried with the screams of the dead and departed.
Zhang Liao knocks and announces himself to the one man that could give him the clarity he seeks.]
Master Chen Gong. Pardon me for this intrusion but may I have a few words with you?
That much Zhang Liao is confident about. No matter the odds against him, he knows with iron clad certainty that death's threats and mocking tones fall on deaf ears.
And yet there is something still that trembles within his being. He isn't scared of dying, for that is part of the path of a warrior, and he accepts. But what gnaws at him, like a small but steady drill that slowly but surely chips at a chink in his diamond-hard resolve...it cannot be described with words, but can only be felt with his heart. And in matters of the heart, Zhang Liao has no mastery of them at all. He had thought himself stronger than this, and it's both painful and loathsome to him to stand outside the door and knock three times.
But the whispers of his conscience has turned into a roar, and he can no longer bury and deny them. Not when they are buried with the screams of the dead and departed.
Zhang Liao knocks and announces himself to the one man that could give him the clarity he seeks.]
Master Chen Gong. Pardon me for this intrusion but may I have a few words with you?
i like the twist you did there, saying that Chen Gong spread rumors.
He settles down slightly but looks no less troubled than when he had his slight outburst just moments ago. If nothing, Chen Gong has only made him more confused and uncomfortable.]
Of course not. I will never doubt his strength. I will follow him even if it leads me to death's door.
[He can say that with a straight face and a clean conscience, because he's technically given an answer that he's used so many times to reason out why he still believes in his lord.]
To say that I had no choice in the matter...that would be true disrespect to those who have fallen by my hand. I was the one who chose this path. And it is I who their eyes beheld as their last earthly sight before I sent them to their graves.
It is as you said; one must have might to conquer the land and end the chaos. I believe that Lord Lu Bu is the strongest man of our times, and the only one capable of putting an end to these troubled years.
he's slimy enough to do that... but thanks i will work out the other holes SOON
Then we joined him for the same reason. [Not, because Lu Bu is the strongest man of their times and the only one capable of spreading his name with ease across the country. Never again will he fight for glory amongst the other strategists choking up Cao Cao's army. It was always Guo Jia who won, anyway.]
If you know that, then why are you still troubled? Seeing the brutality of battle may be unsettling, but the bigger picture should help quell most feelings. [...] Surely, it means you have some smidgen of doubt.
[Right? He has to. ...Right?]
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[It’s hard for him to spit out his true thoughts; hard because it feels wrong to speak ill of his lord, hard because it’s to admit that Zhang Liao has been wrong all this time, and that he’s been fighting for all the wrong reasons.
The warrior does not shirk reproach, he reminds himself. He must know when to admit his faults. Yet it is a bitter pill for him to swallow, to finally admit to Chen Gong his greatest fear.]
We do not fight for the good of the people or to restore the Han. We fight because we seek war. We seek the challenge that the other warring lords provide us, and we care not for those we trample, drunk in our own blood lust and power.
There is no honor, in such a fight. Only selfish desires and reckless abandon.
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Master Lu Bu seeks the challenge, you mean. [Are the doors shut? Yes, they are. Will Zhang Liao kill him for this? ...] The others follow him because restoring peace to the land is a bonus they believe is his main goal. His daughter included.
[If he's gonna get beheaded, well... he should've gotten beheaded already. When Cao Cao approached the castle to tell them to surrender, Chen Gong was the one who shot a fucking arrow at Cao Cao's head that took the red plume of his helmet.
They are not surrendering. If they do now, his name-] He would make a better ruler than our current one [that's not saying much] if he sought it out more.
By the way, as long as I'm still alive, you won't be defecting. [Just putting that out there.]
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Not just Master Lu Bu. I-
[….well, there goes that heartfelt confession. Zhang Liao doesn’t get angry very often, but he will not sit here and have his loyalty questioned by a two-timing slimeball right after he’s declared that he’s not going anywhere.]
Master Chen Gong, you confuse my quandaries with cowardice! I have sworn that I will lay down my life for our lord and fight to the very end; that you would even question my loyalty is a far graver insult than any that has been laid before me. I would rather die a hundred deaths than turn my back on Master Lu Bu!
[He’s never lost his cool in battle. Clearly Chen Gong has crossed some lines. Damage control is needed. Urgently.]
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Now, don't be so hasty! [After that pause, however, that wily speech comes back.] You must understand- I don't intend to insult you, but the fact remains that a strategist's role is to question even what most would consider absolute truths.
Especially with the situation now. ['Situation now.'] I've no choice but to assume. Don't take it to heart; I've said that to many, not just you.
[And clearly Chen Gong has no idea exactly how deep that 'honor' goes.]
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To be fair if Chen Gong had tried to cool him down with his usual flattery and buttery words, it probably would’ve riled Zhang Liao even further. He despises flatterers and liars on principle alone, which is another reason why he’s maintained a professional yet distant working relationship with Chen Gong all this time. He’s had to patiently endure all the prancing and gesturing and syrupy praises that this clown piled on Master Lu Bu, and he would rather not spend any time with the slippery man if possible. Tonight his mind and his heart are in such conflict that he had to force himself to see Chen Gong despite his dislike of the man. Surely Chen Gong should’ve been able to clue in on at least that aspect of Zhang Liao’s personality.
Isn’t it a strategist’s job to see the unseen and uncover the thoughts of men? Perhaps Chen Gong needs to reattend Strategist 101, because
Guo Jiaanother strategist might’ve been able to discern that Zhang Liao takes such slights very seriously. He came to Chen Gong with a hope that the strategist would have the wisdom and knowledge to at least paint a clearer picture of his struggles, not to have his loyalty questioned by a man who abandoned one lord for another, just for a chance of glory. Zhang Liao hadn’t even considered glory or material gain when he decided to fight under Lord Lu Bu’s banner. No, he had started out an idealistic fool, who had thought that might meant right, but that honor was imperative to walking the path of the warrior. Now he feels that he has neither might nor honor, and is instead being judged by a man who has no right to do so at all.It is enough to make a man weep.
Or punch the other in the face in an uncharacteristic fit of bottled up rage and humiliation.]
Enough! I’ll not stand to be scrutinized by the likes of you!
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Don't mention Guo Jia in comparison to him, because Chen Gong might just punch back if you do.It should be mentioned that Chen Gong was recorded down in history for his morals more than his genius. He's a good manipulator, which may be surprising, seeing that his thickly-laid flattery might be off-putting at first. But acting so jocular just means people expect less from you.Perhaps Zhang Liao may have unwittingly uncovered the reason for why Chen Gong always works for other people other than trying to fight his way to the top. You would think, with ambitions like his own, he would at least try. But if there's one thing Chen Gong is good at doing, it's to acknowledge his own shortcomings so he can cover them up or find his way around them. That's why he's here, because he knows he's not exactly good at reading people outside of battle. And that's why the punch still comes completely out of nowhere- Chen Gong would've expected either a blade or nothing at all.
A punch is. Something.
Give him a moment, he's getting up from the floor.] 'Likes of you'? The way you speak makes me sound like some kind of abomination. [He's holding his hand over one side of his face, because god, it hurts, dammit Zhang Liao you can really throw a punch. Nothing unmanageable, but it's more than a bit annoying.
Throw him against the wall and kick him more, maybe that will get the message through.]
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[
Good thing he doesn't know Guo Jia enough to make the comparison, or he damn well would have. It’s not as if Chen Gong’s puny arms are going to even leave a mark on him anyway.That growl that escapes Zhang Liao should be Chen Gong’s que that that may not have been the best comment about the situation. Advancing purposefully on the strategist, he grabs the man by the shoulders and slams him against the wall, hard. Intimidation and threats are not him, and when he’s not so wound up he’ll definitely feel terrible on how he just shelved good judgment and rational thought in favor of raw anger but god damn Chen Gong he has wanted to punch you since day one and as much as he won’t admit it to anyone, it feels damn good to finally wipe that smirk of your face.]
You can spin your lies to the people, spread your rumors to the soldiers, flatter Lord Lu Bu and the young Mistress Lingqi with your silver tongue, but you’ll not fool me. There’s no loyalty or honor in you, not a shred of either. You left Tsao Tsao and followed us for your own personal gain, and it’s only for your reputation that you stay. That you should seek to draw a comparison between you and I disgusts me, and I am ashamed that I have never rebuked you or mentioned your viperous nature to our lord!
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...That's true.If Zhang Liao thinks Chen Gong is going to stop at that, he's really got the wrong idea of him. His ambition, his pride- it's basically nonexistent now, but struggling to take hold. The feeling of being slammed against the wall does make him pause, though.
What is he doing? Why is he letting this soldier boss him around? Sure, Zhang Liao is much more than an ordinary goon, but the sheer ridiculousness of the situation finally clicks in his stress-clouded head. And his look of pain at the force Zhang Liao just used turns into a glare.]
What I'm surprised at is how you think Master Lu Bu doesn't know. [About his 'viperous nature', he means. Wait, he's not finished, don't kill him.] But fine, you look upon me with revulsion.
Give me whatever you think is the due punishment, then. [...] I just wonder how the army is going to do if the strategist is injured.
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But Chen Gong is still correct. As much as he loathes it, the army can't operate without a strategist. Master Lu Bu may not listen but Chen Gong's directions are very effective; if they wanted any chance of coming out of tomorrow alive (victory is impossible if the leader of the army refuses to listen to his strategist, so defeated but alive to fight another day is the best he can hope for), it would be from this man's mouth.
...and what on earth is he doing in the first place? Shame fills him and he immediately drops and pulls away from Chen Gong. He's a general of this army, not some ruffian that solves his problems through brute force. And tonight, of all nights, tonight should be a time for solidarity, not for internal bickering and quarrels over petty matters. How could he have let his own inner turmoil spil into what is supposed to be a civil discussion between two men? How could he claim to have a warrior's honor when he's trying to bully and intimidate Chen Gong?
He cannot be a warrior without honor.
And there is no honor in muscling your way through things; he had strength, but he had not the warrior's might because without honor, one cannot be a warrior.
The realization sinks in and he falls to his knees, chastened.]
I beg your pardon, Master Chen Gong. I have wronged you tremendously. If anyone should be punished, it is me.
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But Chen Gong hasn't been using his normal demeanor for days. Maybe even weeks.
(He knows what it's like, to be lost in your own ideals and philosophy. Every rumor has a smidgen of truth.)]
Well, by your definition, I've wronged you as well. So I suppose I can consider us both even. [...He's being civil also because he doesn't want to get punched again. That's definitely a contributing factor. But no human is a completely hopeless slimeball, Zhang Liao- he does have some empathy! He just doesn't pay attention to it much. Chen Gong would only spill about his real feelings when death is truly staring down at his face, though- so he'll not tell anyone about his own annoyances. At least, not now.
And thus, he never will.]Do you believe we can unite the lands now?
[Do you, Zhang Liao?]
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I believe that we will accomplish what our lord wills.
[And what Lord Lu Bu wills is the fight, and the fight alone. Don't lie to him Chen Gong, just...just don't. It's your job to tell them all the unpleasant truths.]
And what do you believe, Master Chen Gong?
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Except someone will probably invade and kill you. Eventually. Tough times.]
Lord Cao Cao has overstepped his boundaries. [He should've killed him when he had the chance.] This will eventually result in his undoing. I do believe that, should Master Lu Bu listen to my tactics, we will have nothing to fear.
[Which should be the 'unpleasant truth'. They have everything to fear, because nothing will make Lu Bu listen. Not even his own daughter.]
You know of my history with the enemy. Loss is not an option for me.
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Zhang Liao doesn't say anything for a moment. He merely regards Chen Gong with weary eyes, the fire in them having dimmed down after his outburst. Perhaps Chen Gong hasn't noticed admist the flurry of blades and the bloodbaths Zhang Liao leaves behind when he's done with the enemy, but those have been his eyes for the past few battles. The battles could be quicker, cleaner, if Chen Gong's plans had been adopted. It is almost as if Lord Lu Bu turned a deaf ear to choose the bloodiest path ahead.
Such a path will eventually lead to destruction. What is more chilling though, is that that is a path that Lord Lu Bu will wilingly walk on. Zhang Liao...he can't say he agrees anymore. Not after everything that's happened, and not when so many lives are at stake. He thinks of the men under his charge, of the hopes everyone has for Lord Lu Bu. That they perish for the sake of one man's battle lust...he isn't so blinded by his own pursuit of his path to ignore their plight.
An outsider might comment on how strange it is that two men who have fought side by side in the same battles for so many years could grow so differently.]
Master Chen Gong, forgive me for my impunity and my boldness to presume, but we both know...that Lord Lu Bu will not listen.
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Chen Gong's expression turns even more despondent, because if even this guy thinks that... he's tried everything. From begging, to endless persuasion. Hell, he even brought up Ling Qi at one point. 'If you don't follow my orders, what will become of her?' He only ended up with a weapon very near his face and searing the tip of his mustache.
Lu Bu isn't just bloodthirsty. He's bloodthirsty and delusional. He honest-to-god believes that muscling his way through everything will make the pieces fall into place. What happened to that ambitious, far-looking warrior of unmatchable strength Chen Gong met at Hulao Gate?
Never existed. Well, he existed, only in Chen Gong's mind.]
A strategist's job is to overcome all disadvantages. [Including their own leader failing to listen.] If you follow my orders, you will not die.
[He means that if you want to escape and run, I'm going to make a route out if possible and leave Lu Bu to die. And most likely Ling Qi, seeing how devoted she is to her father.]
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Perhaps he and Chen Gong were more similar than they both thought. And Zhang Liao finds that he has no one to blame but himself for his own short-sighted failings. Lord Lu Bu had only ever been true to himself. It was Zhang Liao who had fabricated this illusion, and landed himself in this mess once that mirage vanished with the wind.]
I do not fear death, for as a warrior lives by the blade so must he accept his death by the blade. I only wish that when I enter tomorrow's battle, I will do so with no regrets.
[And...he can't do that, can he? He has regrets piling up fifty feet high. Though for Lingqi...Zhang Liao falls silent for a moment, before he speaks with careful consideration of his words.]
Someone must take care of young Lady Lingqi.
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Born to a tyrant. Lived by a tyrant. Chen Gong could've killed Cao Cao when he has the chance, and he's not sure if he regrets his decision. But Ling Qi's only real freedom was the choice to participate directly in battle, or not. Obviously, most women don't have too many choices in life, but Ling Qi especially less so. None of them had much choice after Lu Bu's campaigns went downhill.
It's almost kind of terrible. So, if Zhang Liao is so worried...]
Just make sure that Lord Cao Cao does not get his hands on her. Most would underestimate a woman, and she'll be able to fight them off just fine. [...] But Lord Cao Cao has a tendency to take the women he encounters in battle as concubines.
[He's gonna be frank here. Chen Gong's guessing you probably don't want her to end up as his concubine, Zhang Liao.] Master Lu Bu himself should be watching over her, though. [Basically, if Lu Bu ends up fighting for anyone to live, it's gonna be Ling Qi.]
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And of course everyone's hear of Tsao Tsao's...war trophies. Not only Lady Ling Qi, but Lady Diaochan as well...these two would definitely be dragged off to join the range of women in the inner palace, forced to serve Tsao Tsao for the rest of their lives. The thought makes his stomach twist and is enough to spark some of his old fighting spirit.
Maybe if he couldn't fight for himself, he could fight for them instead.]
Would you have any say on where she will be positioned?
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What are you planning? Why does he have a faint idea of it?]
Of course I do! If there's anyone who listens to me without question, it's her. [Which is just another sign of how horribly deluded she is. Chen Gong isn't a backstabber or an unpleasant man of any sort in her eyes. No, he's one of the people working valiantly to lead her father to victory. A man wiser than any other she's known, one to seek advice and guidance from.
That is an incredibly unhealthy impression of Chen Gong.]
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[If she ever found out Zhang Liao had been discussing this, he knows she'll never forgive him. But that's fine with him.]
Therefore, please ensure she is near your person at all times. My blade can cut through steel and iron but in terms of tactics and strategies, I fear that once Tsao Tsao makes his move I may be hard pressed to ensure her safety. I will be fighting with our lord and he will surely be the target of the enemy. It would not be wise to have her near us.
I believe that your understanding of the battlefield far outshines mine. And as you say, she listens to your counsel; should the tide turn against us I will entrust her to your best judgement of the situation.
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Understood. [Did he really just say that-] She isn't as hard to manage as Master Lu Bu, thankfully. It won't be hard to ensure the survival of one person.
[She'll live, then. If anything, Lu Bu himself will make sure of it, as long as he is alive.]
...My, we're speaking as though we're already on our death beds! My genius could very well turn the tables. [Haha. Ha. Yeah.]
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Still, he is grateful that Chen Gong is helping him out here. So in return he says nothing on that. And this chat with Chen Gong has at least helped him to see his position a little clearer; he's gone astray quite badly but at the very least he can ensure that the most innocent out of them all escapes with her life. It doesn't sit well with him that out of all of them, she'll have to be the one to pick up the pieces after they're all dead and gone (would Chen Gong perish along with them? He has no idea). But so long as she breathes she'll be able to chart her own path, hopefully one that isn't as destructive as the one her father walked on.
This isn't honor. Nor is it might. Could it be weakness? He's not sure. But he doesn't...think it's so terrible to consider other people's lives ahead of his own.
So just briefly, he allows the smallest of smiles to flicker, and he'll express his gratefulness to Chen Gong.]
Thank you, Master Chen Gong. It eases my spirit to know that at least she shall be safe. I've watched her grow from a girl to the young woman she is now; I would not want her cut down in her prime.
[And the smile turns off, fading back into something that betrays how sad Zhang Liao is about this.]
...though if it should come to it, it is sad for a child to grow up without a father.
[He sounds like it's something that personally doesn't stick well with him.]
tl;dr: shoehorned family angst from ROTK
Moving on, though. Zhang Liao's last sentence actually strikes a chord in the strategist, which is incredibly rare. And perhaps somewhat of a good thing in a situation like this. When he decided to follow his ambition and follow his goal, Chen Gong left quite a handful of people behind in order to spread his name across the land. And if he succeeded (he will succeed he will), they'd hear it too. And they'd know he got what he left for.
But it looks like his mother and daughter will never hear his name again, besides each other's lips. And while he doesn't let the fact that it kinda hurts show at all, that doesn't render it null and void. He opposed Lu Bu's various attempts at marrying his daughter off for alliances, and while he was pretty sure they were simply due to strategic reasoning, everything he's believed in is being questioned now. Including his own thoughts. Not to mention the fact that Lu Bu eventually grew quite attached to his daughter...
It's kind of familiar. And kind of sad. When was the last time he even saw...?]
Such is the way of war. And least, when the land is eventually united, things will change.
[Chen Gong might be intentionally trying to sound indifferent right now.]
headcanon headcanon HEADCANON
But then again, Zhang Liao isn't one to talk. He's never revealed anything about his life before he joined the army. No one will know that he's leaving a fair number of younger siblings behind and an ageing mother, though he has made an effort to keep in touch with them. His last letter...he sent that back when Liu Bei was still at Xiaopei. How time flies...]
As cruel as it sounds, I have to agree with you.
[And if he had known Chen Gong was leaving a daughter behind, he might have actually spoken up right here and now; take Lady Ling Qi with you, take her and go back to your family and live. Glory is a dead thing to Zhang Liao; he doesn't know what it means anymore.
Unfortunately, what is communication between these two? Such private matters are sacrosanct, though he raises the issue in a slightly different way.]
...would you consider it a warrior's might, to care for those under his command?
delicious nutritious headcanon and history-matching
on nom nom nom
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You used the B word.
i used the B word so many times my clothes turned green
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