Post by Gryffin on Jun 16, 2010 4:24:15 GMT
It was around midday, as far as Puyang could guess. Nan Pi at midday was about as warm as Yangzhou in the evening, so the only hint for him was the location of the sun in the sky. As it was, even that was hidden from him, as he was inside. To be precise, he was inside a tavern, and was on his seventh drink.
“Feel like givin’ me another cup, friend?” he asked the bartender, holding up his empty cup with a grin.
“I think you’ve had enough for now, pal.” The barkeep replied, eyeing the rest of the empty cups on the counter. “If you want any more, you’re going to have to pay for those.”
“. . .” Puyang was silent for a moment, deep in thought. He hadn’t quite thought out how he had planned to pay for all of these. When he had arrived in Nan Pi the previous night, Puyang’s first priority had been to find a bed. This had been handily accomplished by besting a vagrant in a fistfight and stealing his straw mat. He had awoken with an empty stomach, so he had found his way to this tavern, where he had spent the better part of the morning eating rice and drinking wine. Now that his tab had apparently run out, it was time for some quick thinking. He glanced at the window just in time to see a shrewd-looking man in the robes of a high official walk by the tavern. Puyang smiled and stood up.
“Excuse me for a sec. I’ll be right back.”
* * * * *
Guo Tu hemmed and hawed to himself as he strutted down the streets of Nan Pi. He had only recently returned from his spectacular failure of a mission to Chen Liu. Beyond the simple fact of his failure, he was more galled by Cao Cao’s simple refusal to meet with him. Even the guards had ignored him! What nerve. Guo Tu would have to remember to return the favor to the “Imperial Defender” in Yuan Shao’s council room. In any case, that would have to wait. With much of the army away attacking Gongsun Zan, the remaining forces in Ji province had been devoting themselves to improving the territory’s defenses. Guo Tu may have been petty, but he wasn’t stupid. Revenge would have to come after strengthening their position.
As it was, Guo found himself feeling particularly ill-suited to the task of preparing for war. While at theory the man was an unparalleled genius the likes of Zhang Liang or the Tai Gong of old, Guo Tu was not terribly good at physical activities like building or fighting. The fighting, in particular, he considered an annoying weakness. It wasn’t that he felt a need to assert himself like most of the meatheads of Yuan’s army. He simply had to acknowledge that, for all his brilliance, he couldn’t take a punch. Given the tone of his last encounter with Wen Chou, that might become relevant far sooner than he would like. It was with this mindset that Guo had come to Nan Pi, his old hometown. He found thinking easier when it was done in the streets he grew up on. As Guo Tu thought to himself about Cao Cao, Wen Chou, and Ye, his train of thought was interrupted by a voice.
“Hey there.”
Guo Tu started and looked in the direction of the voice. He found its source standing in the doorway of a tavern. The man looked to be around Guo Tu’s age, with a thin mustache and a pointed beard. He had a wide smile on his tanned face.
“Can I help you?” asked Guo Tu. Judging from the man’s appearance, he was from the south. An agent of Sun Ce’s, perhaps?
“I was wonderin’ if y’might be needin’ a bodyguard.” The man’s grin widened. “Y’see, y’look like an important man, and important men seem to have a way of lettin’ danger find ‘em.”
“Are you threatening me?” Guo Tu’s eyes narrowed and dropped to the weapons on the man’s belt. He could hardly understand the man’s dialect, especially with his thick accent further hindering Guo’s comprehension.
“What? No, no, y’got me all wrong.” The man’s grin faltered for a moment as he held up his hands, then reappeared as he stepped forward and extended a hand to shake. “Let’s start over. I’m Puyang Gan. I just rolled inta’ town last night. Was hopin’ ya’d be on the market for a bodyguard.”
“. . .” Guo Tu hesitated for a moment. The man seemed earnest, and he would be a useful tool to have in Guo’s back pocket should Wen Chou make good on his threats. Still, there was something odd about him. “Why should I hire you? What could you do for me?”
“Ya should probably be askin’ yourself what it is I can’t do for ya. I’ve been around for a while, y’see. Done a buncha things. Soldiered, pirated, thieved, whatever,” Puyang shrugged, hand still extended, “Y’need a bodyguard? Gotcha covered. Y’need a soldier? I can do that too. Y’just need a thug to slit some throats? Sure, it’s all good with me. So, we got a deal?”
“. . .” Guo Tu paused for one last moment. From the sound of it (assuming, of course, Guo understood that garbled mess of a speech correctly), this man was turning out to be exactly what Guo needed. A soldier to help on the walls, a bodyguard to ward off Guo’s enemies, and a cut-throat to punish those who had slighted him. He clasped Puyang’s hand. “We have a deal. My name is Guo Tu.”
“Great!” exclaimed Puyang, “We can talk about payment later. For now, just need ya to pay my tab.” He jerked a thumb toward the tavern, in particular the increasingly impatient-looking bartender, and walked away. “I’ll see ya at the gate.” He called over his shoulder while Guo stared after him.
* * * * *
Puyang Gan grinned as he sat on his newly-purchased horse, courtesy of his new employer. Seemed his gambit had paid off. Not only had he found a way to pay off his tab, but he had also found himself an interesting new employer. Guo Tu was telling him something or other about having to spruce up a city, but Puyang wasn’t quite listening. He just smiled and nodded his head at Guo as the pair rode toward Ye.
“Feel like givin’ me another cup, friend?” he asked the bartender, holding up his empty cup with a grin.
“I think you’ve had enough for now, pal.” The barkeep replied, eyeing the rest of the empty cups on the counter. “If you want any more, you’re going to have to pay for those.”
“. . .” Puyang was silent for a moment, deep in thought. He hadn’t quite thought out how he had planned to pay for all of these. When he had arrived in Nan Pi the previous night, Puyang’s first priority had been to find a bed. This had been handily accomplished by besting a vagrant in a fistfight and stealing his straw mat. He had awoken with an empty stomach, so he had found his way to this tavern, where he had spent the better part of the morning eating rice and drinking wine. Now that his tab had apparently run out, it was time for some quick thinking. He glanced at the window just in time to see a shrewd-looking man in the robes of a high official walk by the tavern. Puyang smiled and stood up.
“Excuse me for a sec. I’ll be right back.”
* * * * *
Guo Tu hemmed and hawed to himself as he strutted down the streets of Nan Pi. He had only recently returned from his spectacular failure of a mission to Chen Liu. Beyond the simple fact of his failure, he was more galled by Cao Cao’s simple refusal to meet with him. Even the guards had ignored him! What nerve. Guo Tu would have to remember to return the favor to the “Imperial Defender” in Yuan Shao’s council room. In any case, that would have to wait. With much of the army away attacking Gongsun Zan, the remaining forces in Ji province had been devoting themselves to improving the territory’s defenses. Guo Tu may have been petty, but he wasn’t stupid. Revenge would have to come after strengthening their position.
As it was, Guo found himself feeling particularly ill-suited to the task of preparing for war. While at theory the man was an unparalleled genius the likes of Zhang Liang or the Tai Gong of old, Guo Tu was not terribly good at physical activities like building or fighting. The fighting, in particular, he considered an annoying weakness. It wasn’t that he felt a need to assert himself like most of the meatheads of Yuan’s army. He simply had to acknowledge that, for all his brilliance, he couldn’t take a punch. Given the tone of his last encounter with Wen Chou, that might become relevant far sooner than he would like. It was with this mindset that Guo had come to Nan Pi, his old hometown. He found thinking easier when it was done in the streets he grew up on. As Guo Tu thought to himself about Cao Cao, Wen Chou, and Ye, his train of thought was interrupted by a voice.
“Hey there.”
Guo Tu started and looked in the direction of the voice. He found its source standing in the doorway of a tavern. The man looked to be around Guo Tu’s age, with a thin mustache and a pointed beard. He had a wide smile on his tanned face.
“Can I help you?” asked Guo Tu. Judging from the man’s appearance, he was from the south. An agent of Sun Ce’s, perhaps?
“I was wonderin’ if y’might be needin’ a bodyguard.” The man’s grin widened. “Y’see, y’look like an important man, and important men seem to have a way of lettin’ danger find ‘em.”
“Are you threatening me?” Guo Tu’s eyes narrowed and dropped to the weapons on the man’s belt. He could hardly understand the man’s dialect, especially with his thick accent further hindering Guo’s comprehension.
“What? No, no, y’got me all wrong.” The man’s grin faltered for a moment as he held up his hands, then reappeared as he stepped forward and extended a hand to shake. “Let’s start over. I’m Puyang Gan. I just rolled inta’ town last night. Was hopin’ ya’d be on the market for a bodyguard.”
“. . .” Guo Tu hesitated for a moment. The man seemed earnest, and he would be a useful tool to have in Guo’s back pocket should Wen Chou make good on his threats. Still, there was something odd about him. “Why should I hire you? What could you do for me?”
“Ya should probably be askin’ yourself what it is I can’t do for ya. I’ve been around for a while, y’see. Done a buncha things. Soldiered, pirated, thieved, whatever,” Puyang shrugged, hand still extended, “Y’need a bodyguard? Gotcha covered. Y’need a soldier? I can do that too. Y’just need a thug to slit some throats? Sure, it’s all good with me. So, we got a deal?”
“. . .” Guo Tu paused for one last moment. From the sound of it (assuming, of course, Guo understood that garbled mess of a speech correctly), this man was turning out to be exactly what Guo needed. A soldier to help on the walls, a bodyguard to ward off Guo’s enemies, and a cut-throat to punish those who had slighted him. He clasped Puyang’s hand. “We have a deal. My name is Guo Tu.”
“Great!” exclaimed Puyang, “We can talk about payment later. For now, just need ya to pay my tab.” He jerked a thumb toward the tavern, in particular the increasingly impatient-looking bartender, and walked away. “I’ll see ya at the gate.” He called over his shoulder while Guo stared after him.
* * * * *
Puyang Gan grinned as he sat on his newly-purchased horse, courtesy of his new employer. Seemed his gambit had paid off. Not only had he found a way to pay off his tab, but he had also found himself an interesting new employer. Guo Tu was telling him something or other about having to spruce up a city, but Puyang wasn’t quite listening. He just smiled and nodded his head at Guo as the pair rode toward Ye.