#and i could keep tactician rui

[revelry-in-severity]

Here's to hoping that when Rui gets a new year's card it has something to do with war (assuming they all get one)

I have such a neat idea with kirin kasa but it only works if Rui is involved with war

[audriel]

fourteen

Why is Fang Rui Chinese Glory Team number 14?

This is a QZGS Secret Santa gift for En (empatbelas) to which their two of their prompts are combined into interaction between China Glory Team members and something heart-warming, involving Ye Xiu, Yu Wenzhou and Fang Rui. Thank you @gloryproalliance for this event.

Also published in AO3

Afterwards, the meeting was over, and everyone left. No one lingered around to talk to Ye Xiu, not even Fang Rui.

Fang Rui leaves the room with the others. However, he makes no move to join them or to head to his designated room in the training center. Instead, he lingers by the door with his head bowed looking at the phone in his hand. Only when he receives confirmation on his screen, he starts moving. Arriving at his destination, he only knocks on the door once before barging in. 

“Yo, Wenzhou.” Fang Rui greets the owner of the room casually. “Or is it Captain now?”

Yu Wenzhou is seated comfortably on the sofa in the middle of the spacious room. His Blue Rain jacket was already discarded, leaving him in a short-sleeved polo shirt, with open notebook and laptop on the coffee table in front of him. 

The captain of the national team chuckles, much too used to Fang Rui barging into his room back in their Blue Rain training camp days. “Just call me like you usually do or I’ll think you have ulterior motives.”

“What, me? What ulterior motives would I have? Look at my sincere eyes.” Fang Rui feigns a hurt expression. Yu Wenzhou knows better than to take him seriously.

“Is there a particular reason you want to talk to me without Shaotian present?” Yu Wenzhou raises an elegant eyebrow, not losing his amused smile at Fang Rui’s familiar antics. Fang Rui inwardly marvels at the ability. He himself can never quite pull it off. 

“Eh, you know Shaotian. He has his heart in the right place, but he’s not exactly subtle.” Fang Rui carelessly throws himself on the sofa across Yu Wenzhou, picking up a pen from the table to play with.

“Is this about Senior Ye?” Yu Wenzhou guesses.

“Man, are you sure you’re not a mind reader?” Fang Rui doesn’t hide his surprise at being seen through. However, having the brightest minds (and dirty-hearted tacticians) in the Alliance as his long-time friend and his captain in the past season, Fang Rui easily shrugged it off.

“I just know you and Shaotian.” Yu Wenzhou smiles. 

Fang Rui knows that Yu Wenzhou is right. It’s one of the reasons why he and Huang Shaotian get along so well. They care about people, particularly the ones considered as theirs. They can be loyal to a fault. 

Fang Rui’s futile attempts in keeping Lin Jingyan in Wind Howl is similar to Huang Shaotian’s strong reaction towards Yu Feng’s transfer to Hundred Blossoms. However, ultimately rationale kicked in and Fang Rui was able to give his blessings when his old captain transferred to Tyranny and managed to keep in touch with him. Huang Shaotian? Not so much. 

He even heard from Zheng Xuan that the moment Wind Howl confirmed the news that he was leaving the team, it took the whole Blue Rain to keep Huang Shaotian from giving Tang Hao and Wind Howl management a piece of his mind. That’s why Fang Rui chose to exclude Huang Shaotian in this conversation related to Ye Xiu. He knows they are close, closer than Huang Shaotian and himself. If Huang Shaotian reacted that way to his own situation, he can only imagine it’ll be worse when it comes to Ye Xiu.

“Old Ye can be sarcastic, but when he said that he was kicked out of the house before he could set up the bed, he meant that literally.” Fang Rui knows Yu Wenzhou catches on immediately, his gaze narrowed.

“The time is too short.” The time between the finals and the invitation to the players that make up the members of the national team is already short. It could only be shorter for Ye Xiu from the time he came home to the time he was chosen as team leader. Both of them glance at the numerous videos of other countries’ players they have copied. It was already organized based on the country and class. Even if Ye Xiu had help in collecting them, it is unlikely he merely looked through the VODs without editing and analyzing them one by one. 

As his (former) teammate, Fang Rui knows how much the finals, and that particular 6.5 second triple kill exhausted Ye Xiu. When he finally packed up and left Forest Park to go home, the former Happy Captain hadn't fully recovered. He can still recall his slouching figure as he stood by the entrance as he said his goodbyes to the team.

“I know you said as the team captain you didn’t have many responsibilities, and that team leader was the one with total authority over the team-”

“You want me to take some of the load off the team leader.” Yu Wenzhou continues his sentence knowingly.

“Well, yes but not quite.” Fang Rui waves his hand casually. “The thing with Old Ye is that once he’s given total authority as a team leader he will go above and beyond to make sure that nothing will disturb us, so that we can focus only on the games. He will take on everything on his own, not only dealing with all the officials, but also the press, on top of helping us with training and strategizing, while saying he won’t be playing since he’s only a substitute.”

“That sounds very much like Senior Ye.” Yu Wenzhou agrees, his expression grave as if the thought only occurs to him. He might be initially relieved when he found out his responsibilities weren’t as many as team leader’s and that the expert was Ye Xiu. If it was him, he would be more than capable in shouldering them and doing the job well.

However, Ye Xiu is an old player from the pioneering generation, and he had spent the later half of his professional years carrying a team that refused to cooperate with him and then building a team from scratch. Han Wenqing, the last of their generation, turned down the opportunity to stand on a higher stage due to his limited energy. 

Fang Rui knows what’s running in Yu Wenzhou’s mind and he cannot fault him for that. Honestly, team Happy is as bad as team Tiny Herb in their regard for their captain and core. The only difference is that they do not put him on a pedestal, so they do not fail to see all the painstaking efforts that Ye Xiu put into the team. Fang Rui himself has been vice captain and partner to a second generation pro player, so he knows to look beyond the calm, unaffected expression. In Ye Xiu’s case, it’s particularly challenging, because he’s too strong. He’s so strong, so powerful, that everything seems to come easily to him. If Fang Rui hasn’t been paying close attention, he will have fallen for the same mistake.

“And… Sis Mu brought Lord Grim.” Fang Rui found out when he asked Chen Guo before he left for Beijing. He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, his gaze on Yu Wenzhou. Having Ye Xiu and Lord Grim in the lineup and not having them play is a complete, utter blasphemy. This is China’s Number 1. Even his good brother Zhou Zekai is willing to concede about this.

“This is the grand stage. These are the world’s best players and best teams we’re up against. This might be the opportunity of a lifetime. We may never have a chance like this again.” 

The veterans surely won’t. 

It’s not just Ye Xiu, Zhang Jiale and Wang Jiexi are also among the last of their generations. The generations who have opened the path for the younger generations. The generations who have laid the foundation for them.

“Ye Xiu and Lord Grim. Don’t tell me you haven't thought about letting him play.” Yu Wenzhou smiles, Fang Rui can see the devious glint hidden well behind those eyes. The player and character that has caused headaches for the entire Alliance is now his teammate. He won’t be Yu Wenzhou if he misses such an opportunity.

“I've caught some loopholes we can take advantage of. I was about to discuss it with you since the rules and regulations are in English.” This is actually how Yu Wenzhou becomes his first friend in Blue Rain. Both of them have parents that only allowed them to become a professional player so long they received their high school diploma. English has been the subject Fang Rui is good at, while History has been Yu Wenzhou’s. 

It might be the reason why among the newcomers, Fang Rui was the quickest to get close to future captain of Blue Rain, he was immediately exposed to Yu Wenzhou’s quick wit and sharp intellect before his supposed handicap. And while personality wise Fang is better matched with Huang Shaotian, intelligence (read: cunning) wise, he is better matched with Yu Wenzhou. They used to discuss every opportunity to take advantage of, not limited to in-game mechanics.

“Good to see we’re on the same page.” Fang Rui grins, then stops. “With one condition though.”

“Huh?” Yu Wenzhou blinks in surprise.

“Don’t let the others know I can speak English fluently, or any other languages.” Fang Rui hastily adds, knowing to make it as airtight as possible in dealing with these dirty tacticians. “I just want to play games, I don’t want to translate for others.” Yu Wenzhou laughs at that. He can already imagine what happens if the others find out. For many of them, this is their first time going abroad, and for competitions, nonetheless. They are going to meet top players from other countries. They will definitely want to get to know them outside the matches and talk about Glory with them.

“Noted. Don’t worry, we’ll have team translators for that.” Yu Wenzhou assures Fang Rui. The General Administration of Sports working with Glory Pro Alliance have pretty much considered and prepared everything, fortunately. Before the official announcement of the World Invitationals were made, they were already looking for translators with expert knowledge in Glory.

“Thank God.” Fang Rui pauses, “are they people we know?”

“Guess.” Yu Wenzhou smiles.

“I think I know who they are. This is gonna be fun.” Fang Rui is delighted. 

***

When Fang Rui steps into the cafeteria of the training center, he isn’t surprised to see that almost every member of the Chinese Glory team has already been helping themselves to lunch. This time there’s only the muted colors of the Chinese Glory team uniform instead of the colorful ones of their original teams. 

Huang Shaotian has piled food on his plate while chattering with the staff. The youngest members of the team are not far behind. Fang Rui whistles in appreciation when he sees the veritable banquet on the table. There are dishes from all parts of the country. There should be no complaint of the food being not suitable for their tastes. The Glory Pro Alliance and the General Administration of Sports are sure to pull all the stops out for this Worlds Invitational. 

They would have settled down with their own plates and drinks with their choice of companions if it weren’t for loud protests of one chatterbox, complaining now that they are teammates they should sit together. Unsurprisingly, he gets the support of Captain Yu, and Team Leader Ye, who just goes along with it. So with little grumbling, they rearrange the tables so it becomes one long table.

Fang Rui picks the end of the table that’s the closest to the serving table, right across Huang Shaotian. They exchange grins when they realize they have the same thought. Before he can mention Blue Rain training camp, Fang Rui notices a shadow looming over him only to find it’s Zhou Zekai with a helpless expression. Quickly catching on, he scoots over and lets Zhou Zekai take the outermost seat. 

“Yo, what’s the Gunner King doing sitting with us?” Huang Shaotian asks.

“Getting away from his watchdog.” Fang Rui answers for Zhou Zekai. 

“Watchdog?” Huang Shaotian follows Fang Rui and Zhou Zekai’s line of sight to find Sun Xiang with an expression of a kicked puppy, wanting to be seated next to his captain, but losing his courage when he sees his seating partners. It seems he still has a working survival instinct. In the end, he sits next to Tang Hao. Huang Shaotian bursts into laughter. Fortunately, Fang Rui is quick to pull Zhou Zekai away, lest the most handsome person in the League gets sprayed with food.

“It’s Jiang.” Zhou Zekai sighs. Fang Rui doesn’t need further explanation, he’s fluent in Zhou Zekai. Samsara’s vice captain is rightfully worried of Zhou Zekai and asks for Sun Xiang to watch over their captain. However, Sun Xiang takes it too literally. Fang Rui saw the hilarious scene of Sun Xiang being kicked out of Zhou Zekai’s room. Well, not so much being kicked out, more like having the door slammed in front of him, when he insisted on following Zhou Zekai into the room. And it’s just the first day.

“Why don’t you ask for Little Jiang to be more specific in his instructions?” Fang Rui suggests. Zhou Zekai’s eyes light up, before dimming in doubt.

“Will it work?”

“The way he’s going, he’s probably going to follow you to the toilet too. Just tell him that.” Fang Rui raises an eyebrow, ignoring Huang Shaotian snickering in the background.

“Okay.” Zhou Zekai nods in determination. Now that’s out of the way, Fang Rui starts commentating on the dishes, which is enthusiastically corroborated by Huang Shaotian, even Zhou Zekai has an opinion or two. Zhang Jiale who overhears them, also joins in. Somehow the end of their table becomes a serious discussion of Chinese dishes, which eventually leads them to wonder whether there will be Chinese food abroad, which in turn makes them ask their leaders of the food and accommodation during World Invitationals. This brings the whole table into a discussion about how different competing outside their own country will be.

“I know it’s no different with what we’ve been doing, going away for matches, chasing victory after victory to get the championship. However, this is the first World Invitational...” Xiao Shiqin trails off, but everyone knows exactly what he means. 

They cannot completely ignore the weight in that this is the first of its kind and not to mention the scale of the competition. They are representing their country, away in a foreign country, against foreign players, and they don’t even have a month to prepare themselves, working with former opponents instead of their own teammates. The competition ahead seems daunting.

“Don’t think about it too much.” Ye Xiu breaks the silence. “It’s still Glory. All you need is to win. ”

Fang Rui and Yu Wenzhou exchange looks over the table.

“Besides you have me as your team leader. What are you afraid of?” Ye Xiu is greeted with boos. 

While it is indeed reassuring to know that the team leader the Administration picked for them is indeed an expert, not merely a government official who knows nothing about Glory, it’s something else to openly acknowledge it right in front of Ye Xiu, whose ego needs no further boosting.

“Old Han is more reassuring than you.” Huang Shaotian jeers, just to be contrary.

“Truly, it’s a pity. I’d like to see the internet explode when they don’t only see Old Ye and Old Han, but also One Autumn Leaf and Desert Dust working together.” Zhang Jiale has the look of wanting to see the chaos. There are agreeing nods to his statement. They have all seen this happen in this season’s All Stars, and they remembered how long the silence lasted, followed by loud shouts in the Tyranny’s stadium when they discovered that the archenemies were put together in the same team. They have also seen the comments in the online forums and social media about the cooperation between the two alongside the numerous highlights from the team competition. The devil works hard, but the fans work harder.

“The internet will definitely explode when they find out Captain Han is not part of the national team.” Li Xuan adds in an afterthought.

“They’ll be definitely curious about who is taking his place in the team,” Chu Yunxiu is quick to grasp the opportunity. Fang Rui has overheard the exchange between her and Su Mucheng, and he can tell that Li Xuan regrets bringing it up when he had intentionally cut into the conversation before it could disturb the team’s atmosphere. Now, he has inadvertently brought it into everyone’s attention.

Fang Rui doesn’t fail to notice the underlying tension due to the statement. No one likes to be considered as a second choice, or to be questioned of their place in the team.

“Really? You gotta ask?” Fang Rui cuts in before the wild speculations can start. “Look at the numbers on our uniform.” Everyone looks at the number on their and others’ uniform in surprise, finally noticing that there’s significance in the number they wear.

“I’m number 14. If it’s based on the team, Captain Su is number 8. If it’s based on the year of debut, Little Zhou is number 3. So… who else can it be?” Fang Rui leans back on his seat, opening his arms wide to prominently display the number on his jacket uniform.

“Sun Xiang and Tang Hao of the same debut year are number 12 and 13, respectively.” Zhang Xinjie observes.

“I’m number 9 and Vice Captain is number 10.” Zhang Jiale checks the numbers of the Tyranny teammates.

“Senior Ye being number 1, Captain Yu and Captain Zhou being number 2 and 3 are reasonable.” Xiao Shiqin joins in.

“It’s still pretty random though.” Huang Shaotian frowns. “It just looks like the All Stars’ ranking.” And All Stars are based more on popularity rather than ability.

Fang Rui inwardly facepalms. Huang Shaotian is certainly perceptive, worthy of his name as the greatest opportunist of the League, but sometimes he just cannot read the room.

“Hello, have you forgotten that I didn’t even get into All Stars?” Fang Rui reminds them.

“Only this year.” Zhou Zekai protests.

“Because I’m no longer a Thief. I’m a rookie Qi Master.” Fang Rui purposefully uses the word rookie to emphasize his short experience as a Qi Master, championship title or no. The national team is undeniably the gathering of the Chinese top players, the most skilled and experienced in their class. Among these gods, Fang Rui’s Qi Master is the least skilled and experienced due to its conception in Season 10. That’s an indisputable fact.

“I know I’m such a downgrade from Old Han. Sorry that I cannot cow our opponents into submission with a glare.”

Either it is the image of the infamous wallet face or his own attempt at one–Fang Rui can only guess–snorts eventually gives way into full blown snickering and laughter. Before they know it, the tension disappears.

“Alright, alright.” Ye Xiu knocks on the table. “If you’re done gossiping like old ladies, finish your lunch. We’ll have a meeting in an hour. Bring all your notes, drinks and snacks. We won’t leave the room until we have a satisfactory plan for training and competition.” Those words immediately sober them up.

“As we all know, we are pressed for time, so we’d kindly ask for your cooperation.” Yu Wenzhou smiles apologetically. There’s not a single word of protest. They understand very well what is at stake and they’re willing to work hard to bring back the first world championship title to China.

Soon everyone finishes up their lunch and leaves the cafeteria, likely heading towards their rooms to get the aforementioned items or having an early discussion before the meeting itself. Fang Rui is among the last to leave. After he hands over the dirty dishes to the cafeteria staff, a familiar package of tong sui dessert suddenly appears next to him.

“Is this a bribe?” Fang Rui laughs, taking the free dessert regardless. The dessert brings back memories of Blue Rain training camp. Yu Wenzhou merely smiles warmly.

“Just a little gift.” Fang Rui raises his eyebrows, not believing his words at the slightest.

“Seriously. We’re teammates now… Though I won’t refuse gifts like these now and then,” Fang Rui shakes the cool package. “Now I gotta eat this before Huang Shao catches me. Don’t blame me if I’m late for the meeting.”

Yu Wenzhou chuckles, “Duly noted. See you later.”

“See ya.” Fang Rui waves his hand casually to his departing figure. In his periphery, he notices there’s still someone left in the cafeteria. When the staff hands him the requested spoon for the dessert, he asks for another item.

Fang Rui sets down the ashtray on the table by the open window. “You might need to cut down your cigarette intake, Old Ye. I heard it was pretty strict abroad.” He plops down unceremoniously in the seat across from Ye Xiu, who has a tablet in one hand and a burning cigarette in the other. It seems the cafeteria is one of the few places Ye Xiu can openly and freely smoke in the training center.

“Unfortunately,” Ye Xiu has a disdainful look on his face, making Fang Rui snicker. He breaks open the packaging and starts eating the tong sui.

“Fitting snack for the useless dim sum.” Ye Xiu doesn’t fail to mock him.

“Oh, shut up.” Fang Rui rolls his eyes. “This useless dim sum is quite helpful in maintaining the team’s atmosphere.”

“Are you fishing for compliments now?” Ye Xiu takes a drag out of his cigarette.

“Eh, I am just telling the truth.” Fang Rui shrugs. “I am Old Han’s replacement. No need for speculation.”

“Why so sure? Not many can boast successful class change and return to godhood. There’s definitely no one like you in the World Invitationals.”

“Yeah,” Fang Rui agrees only to refute. “But I’m also the master of playing dirty and a vulgar looking Qi Master. 

“It’s the first international Glory tournament. Even the government gets involved. Don’t tell me they don’t care about the country’s pride and image. That’s why the national team roster looks like the All Stars lineup. So…” Fang Rui drags it out purposefully. “How difficult is it to convince them to add me to the roster?”

Ye Xiu merely looks at him. He is silent for so long that Fang Rui thinks he will not say anything. His–and Yu Wenzhou’s–silence is enough of a confirmation for him, and truthfully, he doesn’t really care that much anyway. He ends up joining the national team after all. He is ready to give it up when Ye Xiu proves him wrong.

“They’ve already finalized the roster when I came aboard. By then the invitations were already sent out.” Fang Rui is taken aback. He doesn’t expect Ye Xiu to give information willingly. Even back in Happy, he tends to shoulder everything alone to the point of not appointing anyone as vice captain, not even Su Mucheng. It’s not that he won’t give an honest answer when asked, but when he thinks it’s unnecessary and it can be handled by himself, he usually won’t tell them anything.

Moreover, Fang Rui doesn’t miss the implication: Ye Xiu vouched for him. 

Ye Xiu picked him among all other top tier players to fill the vacancy left by Han Wenqing, especially when they are sorely lacking melee class. His Qi Master is a Fighter class, but it cannot compare with Strikers at close range.

It was the same in Happy.

Fang Rui had repeatedly underperformed during the playoffs. He felt like he should have already lost his position as core player of the team. However, Ye Xiu continued to send him up. 

He thought that it was because Happy had no other choice. The team mainly consists of young, inexperienced rookies, however amazing their growth is, and the other experienced player is pretty much an elderly grandpa.

Back then, the team’s–Ye Xiu’s–trust in him made him feel pressured. But now… 

It might be because he is now a champion himself. It might be because he has been standing next to Glory’s greatest god in his pursuit of the championship as his teammate.

Ye Xiu is uncompromising, unyielding when it comes to Glory, when it comes to chasing victory. When he fought to have Fang Rui in the national team, it can only mean that he thinks him, the dirty-playing Qi Master, is necessary for the Chinese Glory team to win.

“How stressful.” Yet all Fang Rui feels is calm. “Well then. I’ll make sure to live up to your expectations, Team Leader.” Fang Rui picks up the empty cup and stands up from his seat to leave. “I’ll see you in the meeting room later.”

“Fang Rui.” Fang Rui turns around in surprise, it’s rare for Ye Xiu to call his name with such seriousness.

“You never fail to live up to my expectations.”

***

Follow up author's note for this story here.

[shijiujun]

Okay I’ve decided to do a single rec after I finish one novel hahaha because if I wait to get around to it all it’ll never happen! Anyway because @sarah-yyy​​ has been reading it and I’ve gotten a lot of asks/replies on this, I’m just going to do one huge list for one of my faves so everyone knows what’s going on and where to find things XD

- Part of Min’s ‘Why You Should Read’ Series -

Summary: 

This is set in a historical setting where men can marry other men, but it’s usually reserved for sons who were not borne by the official main first wife of the patriarch of the family, i.e. a son born by a concubine in a family may be forced to marry a man to keep him from being able to become the next family’s patriarch for example. This is because any family’s next leader needs to be able to have children with a wife who married in as a zheng shi (lawful wife), and not a ce shi (second wife) or any other concubines/mistresses etc. Most of these men who marry other men have to take them as their zheng shi and lawful spouse in a sense, and the same goes for the royal family.

The story starts with third prince Jing Shao, who was forced to marry Mu Han Zhang, a Marquis’ second son, by the Empress and Emperor, thereby officially and effectively cutting him out of the race for the throne. He’s mocked by the public as everyone knows what this means, and for the next 10 years, he neglects Mu Han Zhang, blaming him for his predicament, and deliberately showers his three other concubines with affection in front of him, but 10 years later, when Jing Shao is accused of treason, everyone leaves him except for Mu Han Zhang. They are chased to the edge of the cliff by soldiers, and Mu Han Zhang dies in his arms having taken an arrow meant for him earlier, and Jing Shao jumps off the cliff with his dead body, and promises that if there’s a next life, he will do everything Han Zhang says, and love him.

He wakes up immediately on the night of his marriage with Han Zhang, and realizes that he’s been given a second chance to make everything right. Han Zhang is definitely afraid of him, humiliated and angry when he first wakes up after how rough Jing Shao was with him earlier on their wedding night, and he has no memories of their past life. Jing Shao then sets to SHOWER HAN ZHANG with affection, love and basically everything, because he realized that this is the only person who stayed by his side until the end, and then he falls in love with Han Zhang properly this time, and also deals with every single person who maligned and schemed against him in his previous life, with Han Zhang by his side.

Read: 

Novel (Online) | Novel (Print) - Not Available | Novel Translations | Manhua (You’ll have to download the KuaiKan app, the chapters are currently all free)

Characters:

1. 景韶 Jing Shao - 3rd Prince and is the first out of his three other brothers to be given a title 成王 (cheng wang). He’s referred to as 王爷, and also 小勺 (xiao shao) by Han Zhang. Went out on his first war when he was 14, and was thus given a title before any of his brothers. He’s known for being a merciless, cold and fierce army general/commander, but this was before his second life with Han Zhang, where he puts on like his doting mode and is basically a dumbass XD who listens to Han Zhang with a lot of trust, which is cool and all.

He marries Han Zhang when he’s 19, and in his first life he was very reluctant and resistant, and neglected Han Zhang for 10 years, until he was charged with treason and hunted down. 

In his first life he wanted to snatch the throne, even from his blood-related brother Jing Chen, but more out of spite than anything else because he felt he was dealt an unfair hand by having to marry Han Zhang. Not only that, but Jing Shao is not his father’s favourite son, and he always felt that the emperor was biased against him. Anyway, a huge accumulation of daddy and anger issues, which is fair.

When he realizes that Han Zhang died for him, he decides he will be good to Han Zhang if they are reborn in their next life.

2. 慕含章 Mu Han Zhang - The 2nd son of Marquis Bei Hou’s, born to a concubine. He’s called by his 表字 which is 君清 (jun qing) by Jing Shao. Official First Wife Bei Wei Hou-furen and her son (who is in line to inherit the Marquis title from his father) has bullied him all his life, and wanted to push him into greater desperation by marrying him to Jing Shao, knowing he will suffer at the hands of the supposed merciless/heartless wangye. He has a weak body because of an accident when he was younger, and in his first life he was really sick after being neglected for 10 years, and knowing this in their second life, Jing Shao does everything he can to take care of him.

He is incredibly smart, has a brain for business and sales, and is also very good at handling people, especially scheming ones. He aids Jing Shao in the beginning of their second life, and then Jing Chen later as well, as both brothers begin to fight to put Jing Chen on the throne, against the 1st and 4th Princes. Is an incredibly good tactician in war as well.

3. 景琛 Jing Chen - 2nd Prince, Jing Shao’s blood related older brother who is handsome af too. His title, given later in the novel, is 睿王 (rui wang). He was misunderstood by Jing Shao in the first life as Jing Shao thought it was his brother who led to him marrying Han Zhang, and because he’s not very good at expressing himself and shows his concern to Jing Shao by nagging at him, Jing Shao always thought he hated him. In their second life, Jing Shao already knows that Jing Chen loves him and did a lot for him in his first life, and so trusts his brother and supports him right off the bat, because Jing Chen is indeed the most suited person for the throne.

He has a wife and a concubine, 3 sons and 2 daughters at this point. He ends up helping Jing Shao a lot, and when he realizes that Han Zhang is way more adept at politics and the whole scheming thing than Jing Shao is, he begins trusting Han Zhang a lot more as well! There’s a surprise with Jing Chen hahaha which I loveee and could see, but wasn’t sure until they confirmed it in the last few chapters AHAHAHAHA.

Other Notable Characters:

1. Song Ling Xin (Second Wife) on the left, and two other concubines on the right

They’re pretty much vying for Jing Shao’s attention, but at this point apparently he hasn’t slept with any of them before. Song Ling Xin is the daughter of the Military Department’s Head Song An, and Jing Shao married her initially out of interest. The right most concubine (I forgot her name oops) was a gift given to him by his oldest brother, the 1st Prince. The two of them played a huge role in Jing Shao’s downfall back in his first life, and so in his second life, he especially detests Song Ling Xin. Plus the three of them keep bullying Han Zhang in the beginning, but thankfully Jing Shao is like: “Anything my Jun Qing wants”. They don’t stay around for long either, watch as Jing Shao gets rid of them like he’s swatting flies.

2. Xiao Yuan & Zhou Da-Ge

This is another male couple who’s been married for 7-8 years if I recall. Xiao Yuan is one of Jing Shao’s important allies and friends in the second life, because in Jing Shao’s first life, this was one of the only young officials in court who spoke up for him when the accusations of treason came about. Zhou Da-Ge is his husband, who is a cook running a restaurant in the city. Whenever Zhou Da-Ge bullies Xiao Yuan in bed a little too much, Xiao Yuan punishes him by making him wear colourful clothes out (pink, bright yellow, purple, etc.) and thus he has a reputation for being eccentric and a weirdo, but oh well, all for love.

3. Gu Huai Qing

One of Jing Shao and Jing Chen’s most powerful allies, and he becomes blood-sworn brothers with Jing Shao without realizing who he is. Later he takes a liking to Jing Chen.

(Will update with photos when they come out, but they’re a bit further into the story so we won’t have them for a few months yet ahahaha)

Amazing Scenes:

Jing Shao & Han Zhang first looks in the manhua

Jing Shao being THAT clingy husband and helping Han Zhang to wear his clothes properly so cute!!!!!

Han Zhang and Jing Shao in their first lives (10 years later), about to die, sad and then Jing Shao jumps down the cliff with Han Zhang’s corpse, regretful cuz he a dumb bij

Jing Shao unable to resist kissing Han Zhang’s cheek, realizes what he’s doing, and gets embarrassed LMAOOOO 没出息!!!!!!! (This is different from the novel, because in the novel Jing Shao just kisses and is done with that, the embarrassment part is drawn in only in the manhua hahaha)

Other Things I Like in the Novel:

Jing Shao is like, he does a 180 entirely and he is very cognisant of all his faults and what he did wrong previously, and how badly he treated Han Zhang, so he legit forces his brain to go “I will listen to Jun Qing from now on” and he really sticks to it!

Loves kissing and teasing Han Zhang, but doesn’t force him into bed after their wedding night, and instead goes to Xiao Yuan and asks for tips on how to make his partner feel less scared about sex

The both of them end up with a pet tiger?!! That’s called Xiao Huang (little yellow) LMAO

They nap together a lot which I love <3333

Jing Shao knows he’s bullied at home, so when they go back to the Marquis Bei Hou manor, he holds Han Zhang’s hand in front of everyone to let them know Han Zhang has someone to back him up

Brings Han Zhang to war because he “cannot concentrate if Jun Qing isn’t with me at all times” - and asks for special permission to do so

Han Zhang notes that since he married Jing Shao, as the ‘wife’ he is supposed to serve Jing Shao, but it’s always Jing Shao serving him - Getting water for him, bringing him to baths, putting clothes on for him, putting food in his plate if it tastes nice, massaging his back and waist etc. - and best is he doesn’t have to deal with any in-laws?!! HAHAHA

Jing Shao gets revenge on those who hurt Han Zhang when he was younger for him, and the outcome is pretty hilarious but well-deserved

EPILOGUES are cute af!!!!

[the-archlich]

So uh... Thoughts on the 17 new characters? (Xu Shu, Lady Mi, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Lady Bian, Wang Lang, Gao Shun, Ji Ling, Zhang Hong, Zhang Zhao, Yan Yu, Li Yue, Zhou Tai, Cheng Pu, Liu Yao, Yan Baihu, Chen Gong)

First, people I assume are factional leaders, because those are really the only ones that matter in a game like this:

Li Jue - Including him seemed inevitable for scenarios in a certain frame of time. He controlled Han’s emperor and the capital for several years, and a lot of warlords leaned on him for some legitimacy. While not a major warlord, or even especially influential, he was still a factor. For a scenario set between 192-198, he’s worth including

Liu Yao - One of the best choices they could make. The southern regions are badly underpopulated in TW, and Liu Yao was one of the most important southern warlords. He was Sun Ce’s chief obstacle and, for a time, one of Yuan Shu’s biggest concerns. He was also an interesting person. I think he’s a historically relevant figure who adds something that the game badly needs. An excellent choice.

Wang Lang - Another great choice. He was initially sent to Kuaiji by Tao Qian, who appears to have had hopes of extending his control into the southeast before Yuan Shu got driven into Shouchun and ruined that plan. While nominally subordinate to first Tao Qian and Liu Yao, he was effectively independent. He offered stubborn resistance to Sun Ce at first and, after arranging a favorable surrender, went north to become one of the keystones of Wei. A good choice.

Yan Baihu - the leader of a tribal confederacy in the hills of Wu commandery, he was a persistent enemy to Sun Ce. He led several revolts against Sun Ce, often with some aid from northern actors like Cao Cao and Yuan Shu. For this type of game and this particular scenario, I think he’s a good inclusion. Although it is a bit weird to have him without Xu Gong.

As far as the officers go, I don’t really care. I don’t feel like making them special provides a whole lot to a game like this. For anyone you could pick, there are another 15 who would have been as good or better. Something has to be really egregious to make an impact.

Chen Gong - Depends on what is covered in this scenario. He was a key part of Lu Bu’s army from 194 on, so if that factors into any of this, I suppose he’s an acceptable choice. Not really a major figure of the time, but whatever.

Cheng Pu - Always solid. He was a key supporter of Sun Jian and was Sun Ce’s most accomplished commander. Under Sun Quan he helped command the key campaigns at Chibi/Wulin and at Jiangling, along with Zhou Yu. I can’t complain about him getting some publicity.

Gao Shun - Much as with Chen Gong, it depends on how much emphasis is on Lu Bu’s group in this one. He was a key part of that, so if we’re looking to expand Lu Bu’s circle he’s the natural choice.

Ji Ling - The first one of these I really object to. The only thing he’s known for (in history and even in fiction) is a battle that didn’t happen. He led an expedition against Liu Bei in 197, but Lu Bu brokered peace between them. That’s the end of it. Nothing actually happened there. I’m all for expanding Yuan Shu’s group, but generals like Qiao Rui and Zhang Xun would be far better. They were the generals he actually relied on (even if none of them were especially accomplished).

Xu Shu - This man is an irrelevant figure. I don’t know why he keeps coming up. He has an interesting personal history, but as far as his career goes there’s nothing to it. Any resources spent on him are a waste.

Yan Yu - He’s probably one of the most famous of Liu Zhang’s followers, though not for any particular reason I can think of. I’m assuming there’s some popular fictional story about him. I’d be more interested in expanding Yi with some additional warlords. And even if you’re just looking to give Liu Zhang more substance, I think there are better choices (like Zhao Wei). Seems like a very random choice.I was thinking of Yan Yan (and getting his named mixed up with the later official Yan Yu, who helped manage the country along with Jiang Wei in its final years). This Yan Yu is probably Yan Baihu’s brother, which makes more sense given the nature of this DLC. He was known as a brave man, though he was killed by Sun Ce during failed negotiations.

Zhang Hong - I’ve hired this man repeatedly and I’ll do it again. He was one of Sun Ce’s advisers, providing both tactical and military assistance. Later he was sent to the capital and acted as Sun Ce’s (then Sun Quan’s) primary ambassador to Cao Cao. He helped keep the peace between them and ensure Cao Cao’s backing for the Sun expeditions. He was later sent back south and welcomed back by Sun Quan (though some officers doubted his loyalty). He was an excellent scholar, a good administrator, a remarkable diplomat, and a reliable tactician. He’s a good person to give more brainpower to the Sun in their early years, before Sun Quan recruited all those good scholars.

Zhang Zhao - Much like Zhang Hong, he was both a military and political adviser (though he’s best known for the latter). He was one of Wu’s longest-serving ministers and an absolute pillar of the state. He always gave honest advice and never backed down; nor did he have any patience for Sun Quan’s bullshit. He was one of Wu’s most important figures, and he’s another good choice for smarting-up the Sun before Quan got all those nerds.

Zhou Tai - He’s as good a choice as any, I suppose. I like him and admire him. He was an exceptional warrior who served first under Sun Ce, then as a bodyguard to Sun Quan. In later years he became one of Sun Quan’s most trusted commanders. There are plenty of similar people who could also have been chosen, but this is fine.

The women have to be judged a bit differently, given the lack of records on them. I’m willing to let more slide with them because there’s just so much less to go on.

Lady Mi - I see the logic to this. Her family was very important in helping Liu Bei take Xu in 195, and in funding his army after he lost everything in 196. She’s an adequate enough choice, although I’ve always been much more fond of Lady Gan. No reason not to have them both, though.

Qiao sisters - It’s hard not to let the terrible DW versions of these characters influence my opinions. Given that this new scenario is about Sun Ce’s expansion in the south, they make sense. They were the daughters of a local leader in Lujiang, and by marrying them Sun Ce and Zhou Yu secured loyalty in that commandery. It’s impossible to say what influence, if any, they had beyond that. It’s fair enough to include them, given the circumstances. As always I think there are some better choices, but I can live with this if I set the DW baggage aside. That isn’t fair to them.

Lady Bian - I’m surprised she wasn’t already a special character, though I guess I shouldn’t be. I certainly have no objections to this.

[thepilgrimofwar]

Effigy

5.

“So that concludes our tour,” Shinmen announced, turning towards Ruì Yīng “which brings me to your first assignment.”

“Sensei?” Ruì Yīng stood at attention, still dazed by the discovery of her role in all this but suddenly proud to be of service to the Kohai Project.

“Can you cook Yanxian cuisine?”

The girl blinked once, then twice at her superior. “Uhm, yes? I used to help in the family kitchen with my sisters.”

“Good, then assist Sawashiro. Because the arrival of much needed supplies calls for celebration and I can think of no better way than a feast using the very ingredients sent to us by Lord Kien.” Shinmen turned to his ward. “Help her to get acquainted and ensure that the feast is ready by nightfall. Hideshi and I need to catch up.”

“Understood,” Kaijin nodded.

“And Ruì Yīng,” Shinmen added, “about Disgraced Zhang, Captain Diem would like to have a word with you about him, likely to decide what sort of unsavoury fate awaits him should he survive his fever. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I-” she felt her mind reel as the topic was brought up, but did her best to remain composed. “Thank you,” she said.

Hideshi followed up. “Would executing him compromise our mission to link the liberation fronts?”

Shinmen shook his head. “Considering his crimes, I’d say his mission is already compromised.”

“And what of Lord Kien’s reaction? Surely the beheading of a diplomat of foreign relations would not sit well with him.”

Shinmen merely shrugged. “He has no jurisdiction here and is wise enough to know that,” the older man glanced at Ruì Yīng as if he were addressing her. “We get to decide what justice is, I only hope we’re wise enough to exercise it properly.”

–

They waited at the Northern Pagoda outside what used to be the audience hall of the head abbot. It had been since converted into the war planning room of the Nagxian Liberation Front. Rui Ying could hear the voice Captain Diệm amongst many others and imagined the things that were being discussed beyond the heavy hardwood door. Troops numbers, scouting reports, quartermaster ledgers, and maps that would decide the fates of thousands of soldiers on either side of the conflict. She wondered for a moment if she would've made a better tactician if she hadn’t been picked for the Kohai Project. But came to the conclusion that, given her age and gender, she would've most likely ended up as a secretary to some Doman Lord. She shuddered at the thought.

The doors to the war room opened and a number of officers strode out with purpose. Kaijin stepped forward, announced his name and rank in Nagxian, and entered at the behest of the captain.

"I hope you're doing well," Captain Diệm said through Kaijin.

Rui Ying, who had gotten used to the proxied communication, bowed her head politely at the officer. "I am, thank you for asking."

"I won't keep you long, but I must ask. What would you have us do with Diplomat Zhang? I feel like his actions have tainted both Liberation Fronts by mere association."

She looked at Kaijin, "I was half expecting this to be swept under a rug."

The boy almost translated her response to the Captain before realising it was directed at him. "Unlike our own, almost half of the Nagxian Liberation Front consists of female volunteers, so crimes like these are taken very seriously and severely punished. They do not take kindly to men like Disgraced Zhang."

Rui Ying nodded and made up her mind about his punishment. "Tell him that he is to be kept here, continuing his duty as a diplomat for the Doman Liberation Front until the end of the conflict."

Captain Diệm regarded her with curiosity. "The end to the conflict is unclear."

"Exactly," Rui Ying held the captain's gaze. "Send him back to Doma and he will walk free as a government official, and enjoy all the privileges of his station. I would deny him that. Indefinitely."

"As you wish," the Nagxian man folded his arms. “But why not simply execute him? That's the usual response for these sorts of crimes.”

"I'd rather not sour the relations between our Liberation movements. Kill him and they'll likely replace him with someone worse–Besides, for men like him, living with a disgrace is often worse than death.”

The captain laughed. “May we never be enemies, Fu Rui Ying,” Diem said, bowing his head. “We'll make arrangements to keep him here permanently and inform Lord Kien of his crimes. The jungle will serve as his prison."

–

"Before we head for the kitchens, I'll show you to our quarters," the boy said as they passed the war table that dominated the chamber, covered in maps and reports. "Our quarters?" Ruì Yīng asked in surprise, following him outside and towards the overgrown Southern pagoda. "You'll be the fourth member of Section 0, my team." Kaijin responded, before it finally dawned upon him. "But considering that you're the only girl in our ranks...and…what happened at the waystation, perhaps it might be better if you stay in the female quarters with the Nagxian Resistance?" "No," Rui Ying replied without hesitation. "I'm a soldier first, and a girl second. I’d rather not be treated any differently.”

Kaijin nodded. "Very well then," he said, continuing on his path towards the Southern pagoda.

Rui Ying looked around curiously as Kaijin led her deeper into the complex, crossing under stone gates that led into the southern compound. Overrun with vines and trees that sprouted cracks in the stone, it looked as if the entire pagoda was being slowly swallowed by the jungle that had come creeping up the nearby cliff. She made a mental note as they entered the pagoda itself, charting out the other walkways that branched off to either side of her as she followed the boy through the maze-like temple. 

When they reached the end of the corridor Kaijin opened a large wooden door that had been freshly fitted, revealing a simple room with four bedrolls and a small table at its center. There were no windows; illumination only came from a single aetheric lantern that hung near the doorway.

"This is home," Kaijin stated, “it isn’t much but it’s ours.”

“Where are the others?” Rui Ying asked.

“Out on patrol, they’ll be back soon enough,” he explained, “when we aren’t on special assignments or training, we’re usually assisting our allies in one way or another.” 

“Like sentry duty?”

“Or translating for Captain Diem,” Kaijin nodded before nudging a small chest nearby with his foot. "I know you didn't bring much with you but anything you put in here is off-limits to the rest of the Section."

Rui Ying sat down on the cushioned bedroll that was assigned to her, and stared at the empty chest next to her. She had never been allowed such a luxury since she had left her home. Under Hideshi's strict regimentation, she only owned what she could carry on her person–and this empty space gave her a profound sense of permanence she hadn’t felt since.

"Are you okay?" Kaijin asked, sitting down on the bedroll opposite from her.

"It's...nothing," said Rui Ying, shaking her head dismissively.

The boy took a moment to weigh his response before continuing. "As your Section leader, it may be my duty to look after you…But as your friend, I’d like to hear what’s bothering you.”

Friend. 

That word hadn't been part of her vocabulary for a painfully long time.

She decided to take a chance. “My family had given me up because food was scarce and I was another mouth to feed. The least important of their five children. Then I trained for two years under Hideshi, who made it clear that because I was a girl, I did not belong in this realm of men. So, I’ve had homes, only none of them were mine.”

“Maybe this time will be different,” Kaijin said before growing silent, deciding to return her favour. “I was told that I was conceived after Doma fell,” Kaijin replied. “Named after what my family had left behind.”

“Ashes?” she replied as if she were answering a riddle.

“Our ancestral home was burned to the ground when the Garleans set Yanxia ablaze. My family hid in the mountains with the Doman armed forces and did everything in their power to support them. To avenge what was lost. To free our homeland.” Kaijin stared into the middle distance. “I was born with that in mind.”

沢城灰燼。 

Sawashiro Kaijin.

灰 

燼

。

Kaijin.

It suddenly began to make sense. As she rolled the characters of his name off her tongue one final time, she spat out the realisation like it was poison.

“You had said you were Sensai Shinmen’s blade, an instrument to Doma’s liberation. A thing.”

“Born for a single purpose: a tool for their revenge. A sword to be wielded by the Liberation Front. An…offering to the homeland they loved so much. Once I was old enough to fight, I was given up like you were. Sensei Shinmen has raised me ever since, and we’ve travelled to every corner of Othard, laying the groundwork for the Kohai Project.”

“I’m sorry,” Rui Ying replied. “I guess you’ve never had a home either.”

The boy shook his head. "Not until I got here."

"The Blessed Cliffs?"

He nodded. "It's been mine for the past year and now hopefully it can be yours too." Kaijin then got to his feet and offered her a hand. "Welcome home, Rui Ying." he said, as he made the first smile since she had met him.

–

As the duo made their way towards the open kitchens at the back of the pagoda, news of a returning patrol drew them instead to the courtyard. Logistics officers and other sections from the Kohai Project came to receive them. It was only then did the word of Rui Ying’s presence spread like wildfire and met with an excitement that only teenage boys could muster. They couldn’t help but stare at her as if she was some sort of legendary beast, stealing glances and looking away sheepishly when they caught themselves staring. 

The boys returning up the Pilgrim’s Path and beneath the fortress gates were no different, save but one. Instead of gawking at her like the others, he held her gaze for a moment before giving her a short sharp nod of acknowledgement. With side-shaved hair and olive complexion, he stood taller and larger than the rest of the boys giving him the frame to carry a massive ngaw blade staff on his back. Rui Ying’s eyes were then drawn to the armbands on his biceps–pra jiad made from wound multicoloured threads.

"That's Khamhaeng," Kaijin mentioned, noticing her interest. "He's our Section mate."

The handler who led the patrol snapped his fingers repeatedly at the distracted teenagers that he was in charge of. “Oi, oi, oi, stare at the eye candy after the debrief.”

Eye candy.

Rui Ying sighed, and Kaijin continued, not giving her time to dwell on the off-handed slight. "And that's Seri Ram, Kham’s handler. Both are Udayans from the central highlands."

“Udayan?” she said, surprised that they spoke Hingan. But she quickly figured that with all the nationalities present, anyone part of the Kohai Project would need to speak the lingua franca.

The boy nodded as the patrol's debrief commenced. "A peaceful people whose capital was an impenetrable mountain fortress not unlike this one. They were humiliated when the Garleans flew a cruiser over their walls, threatening to bombard them into oblivion and forcing their surrender. They never forgot, even now, a generation on. Now they’re the fiercest fighters in the region.”

When Seri Ram had dismissed the patrol, the boys scattered towards the Southern pagoda and Kaijin stepped forward to introduce the newcomer to his comrade.

"Ram, Kham," he greeted them, pressing his palms together into a wai. "This is Rui Ying, the fourth and final member of Section 0."

The girl bowed her head and attempted to replicate the gesture Kaijin had made. "I look forward to serving with you," she said.

The two Udayans looked at each other and then began to scrutinise her. 

Ram, a young man with tied back hair, began to circle her. "For all of Shinmen's talk about her potential, she doesn't look like much. Far too skinny." the handler appraised her like a war beast, only falling short of checking her teeth.

"There is more to her than physical power," Kaijin stated as if it explained everything.

"I don't doubt that," Kham replied, "but it seems odd to accept a weakling into Section 0."

Rui Ying felt her blood suddenly rise. "Say that again if you want to have your ass handed to you by a 'weakling'," she snapped back before she could stop herself.

Kham looked at his handler, amused by her challenge, and with an unspoken approval between the two of them, Khamhaeng shoved her.

She stumbled at first, caught off guard, but Rui Ying's reflexes quickly took over. Recovering her balance, she fell into a crouch and drew her broadsword before launching herself at the Udayan boy with the flat of her blade.

Kham smiled, pulling at the sash that fastened his bladestaff to his back and respected her attack. Deflecting it with a strong but deft manoeuvre, he let her close the distance between them before shoving her back once more with his shoulder.

Rui Ying caught herself, skidding backwards into a low combat stance and sprung into another attack.

Ram laughed and clapped his hands as he watched his student stumble backwards from the relentlessness of this unexpectedly fierce girl. Others came to observe the source of the commotion while Kaijin simply observed with his arms folded. Ready to intervene should things escalate into bloodletting.

"Strength is merely a fact," Kham said as he struck her with the end of his polearm. She caught the blow with her weapon, but it sent her reeling backwards from the force alone. "Your height, your weight, your physique. You’re a girl. Try as you might, you'll have to admit your weakness sooner or later."

Rui Ying landed. "There are girls far stronger than you ever will be." she said and began circling him, running through everything that Hideshi had taught her about levelling the playing field against a stronger opponent. He was faster than she had given him credit for, skilled too.

Kham simply let her circle him, standing like a statue as he observed the girl curiously for her next move. "Well, I can't wait to meet them. So far they've been lacking. Like you are."

The goad made her snap and before she knew it, she was charging at him from behind. Kham sidestepped her impetuous attack then proceeded to sweep her to the ground with his weapon.

"Alright that's enough," Ram announced, stepping in and waving off both Khamhaeng and the rest of the small crowd that had gathered.

Kham offered a hand to Rui Ying who slapped it away. She didn't want his help. Neither did she want to stroke the boy's ego.

"A feisty introduction, but she's a welcome addition to Section 0 nonetheless." Ram said.

The girl shot daggers at the young man, upset that she had inadvertently been playing some sort of game of the Udayan's design.

Ram studied her for a moment more before confirming this for her benefit. "Shinmen's right, you're quicker than Kaijin. Now if only your blows landed as hard, or hit with the backing of your very soul, you'd reach the potential he claims you have. I'm sure your training will remedy this."

"And a polite conversation wouldn't have been enough to tell me this?" Rui Ying stated, trying her best to quell the simmering anger from the fight.

She noted for a moment how her body flinched, expecting to be struck by a figure like Hideshi. But Ram did no such thing. If anything, he felt like an annoying older brother.

"Politeness has its place. But it is not here, there simply isn't the time. A fight tells so much more." Ram explained. 

Kham spoke. "From our fight, we've already learned that you're easy to rile up, have complete confidence in your abilities, and absolutely cannot take a joke.”

“A joke?” Rui Ying spat.

“The Kohai Project doesn’t accept weaklings. You're fast, relentless, and fight with barely controlled chaos. I look forward to the day you actually do put me on my ass." Kham added before puffing out his chest. “But for now, you ought to respect your betters.”

--

Part 4

Part 6