Return of Wen Chou

[Wen Chou]

Ye, the provincial capital of Yuan Shao's kingdom. It was also the home of Wen Chou, one of the fiercest warrior generals ever to serve the Yuan family. And today was the day that Wen Chou came back from leave.

He arrived in a majestic fashion, full clad in armor riding on a white stallion that looked like it belonged to the Baima unit. Two other calvary men rode on his sides, carrying the banner of the Yuan family. Wen Chou's entourage included his personal army of two-thousand men. Raised from the countryside, and trained personally by Wen Chou during his leave. Perhaps then, it wasn't really 'leave' for Wen Chou then it was work.

The gates opened, and Wen Chou's personal army entered the capital. Wen Chou was at it's head, waving to the gathering crowd. The people loved Wen Chou, he was their savior, their hero. The man was renowned for donating his payroll to the peasantry.

Wen Chou smiled to them, flowers were thrown and cheers erupted. The general detached himself from the main body and dismounted from his steed.

"Take the horse to the stables," Wen Chou nodded to a nearby guard. The guard took the horse by its reins and lead it on.

The general walked up the palace steps two at a time. His cape billowed wildly behind him as he did so, showing his eagerness to see his lord Yuan Shao. Wen Chou reached the tops of the steps and with a hasty walk burst through the large palace threshold.

Wen Chou smiled widely towards the throne.

Then his smile dissipated as he realized his lord was not on the throne.

"Where is Yuan Shao...?" Wen Chou asked to no one in particular. Right now would usually be domestic hours.

Yuan Ti, dressed in advisor attire seemingly appeared from thin air as he approached Wen Chou from the right. In his hands were a bowl, and it stank a familiar smell.

"The lord Yuan Shao is out testing a new weapon with Shen Pei, here look at it!" The advisor shoved the bowl into Wen Chou's hands. Wen Chou looked back horrified. Not sure what to do with the bowl in his hands.

( Wen Chou joins Yuan Shao yah! )

[Yuan Shao]

Shao entered soon thereafter, watched as Chou shoved the pot of shit back toward Yuan Ti. He laughed slightly before coming up behind Wen Chou and grasping him by the shoulder, his arm slung around the man, leading him forward.

"Ah Wen Chou, my fiercest general. Your cohort Yan Liang is moving north, but I have other plans for you.

For now, however, I want you here, in Ye, or in Nan Pi."

He eyed Chou suspiciously, gauging the man's reaction. He didn't really take the reaction into account, as his mind was set already.

"No. Go to Nan Pi, and prepare with Yan Liang. You won't be riding with him against Gongsun Zan, but you'll be riding against Bei Hei when we have the troops. In fact!

That is your job. Go get some follower out of NanPi. They haven't contributed to the army in a significant way in a long time.

Now shoo! Go!"

Shao moved towards the throne, leaning over and grabbing a small pellet of the opium that coursed through his veins. He put it in the pipe and began the vaporization of it, it's soothing effects immediately curing all of his aches and problems.

Bliss.

[Wen Chou]

Surprised by the sudden heaviness of the footsteps behind him, Wen Chou knew the sound of his lord's feet. He quickly shoved the bowl of shit back in Yuan Ti's hands, whom looked disturbingly too happy to accept the wooden bowl with a wide grin.

Wen Chou's brows creased in a quizzical fashion as he looked back at the advisor. This was not the kingdom he had left a month ago for leave.

As if to solidify his thoughts, Yuan Shao grasped his shoulder from behind and beckoned him towards his throne as if he was to indulge himself in something there. Wen Chou was overjoyed to see his lord, but in a string of sentences too packed together his meaning was lost in the confusion that Chou was experiencing.

The... aroma... The smells were now getting to him, causing a headache. A mixture of feces and smoke. He saw it now, the discomfort on all the soldiers' faces, they wanted to go outside and breath fresh air. But that lunatic Shen Pei had made a weapon which caused all of them to relieve themselves at intervals they did not decide. And Yuan Shao... Wen Chou saw it know what his lord eyed with desire. A pipe next to his throne; yes, that was the smell in the palace, feces and opium.

Wen Chou finally snapped into thought, Yuan Shao was looking at him intently as if he had just said something; and expected an answer. Wen Chou opened his mouth to say something; anything, but he had no idea what his lord had just said.

And his headache was getting worse.

"No. Go to Nan Pi, and prepare with Yan Liang. You won't be riding with him against Gongsun Zan, but you'll be riding against Bei Hei when we have the troops. In fact!

That is your job. Go get some followers out of Nan Pi. They haven't contributed to the army in a significant way in a long time."

Oblidged to honor the orders of his lord, Wen Chou simply nodded. It was possibly the safest thing for him to do.

Wen Chou was hesitant to speak, but then decided to do so, where at that very moment:

"Now shoo! Go!"

Yuan Shao almost vaulted the few meters left to his throne and grasped the pipe in his hand. Wen Chou watched as his lord succumbed to the drug, bliss and ignorance filled his eyes. Wen Chou felt strangely dejected. He had not seen his lord for a full month; as he was on leave. Now Yuan Shao would send one of his most trusted generals to a separate region, and spend the little possible time with him smoking his worries away.

Wen Chou did not smile, he almost didn't think, and as Yuan Shao smoked himself into another world, Wen Chou turned and advanced a few steps towards the main threshold. Perhaps it was the headache caused by the aroma. Or the strange lose of pride. But Wen Chou almost forgot to kneel before his lord.

The soldiers saw it as well, Wen Chou had never left court without a kneel. And all of their eyes trailed on him.

Wen Chou turned back to Yuan Shao, and as is custom, began to lower himself to one knee. "I will do what you asked my lord."

Wen Chou turned fast, and was facing the door before he was even standing fully up right. With a flourish of his green cape, he descended the palace steps as fast as he could. After his encounter with Yuan Ti, Yuan Shao and the aroma of the palace, Wen Chou escaped with haste.

The general took in deep breaths of the outside air. His lungs desperately filled themselves with unpolluted oxygen. His headache suddenly alleviated and disappeared.

The countryside of Nan Pi seemed like a godsend.

Bliss