Accursed Beauty

“He called me his love! The brute!” Zhen Ji and Tong Xia had reached the Wei camp and were in Cao Pi’s huge tent, talking.

“Ji, whatever you think of him, he did love you.”

“Tong Xia, you know not of what you speak. He didn’t love me. I was a possession to him.” Zhen Ji was inspecting all the ornaments in the tent, whilst talking fiercely. “He preferred that over made-up hussy to me! But he can have her.”

“Ji-”

“No Xia, I won’t listen to what you’re saying about him loving me and truly cherishing me. When I came to Cao Pi he was angry at me. Angry! Not shocked, not hurt, and not broken hearted. Angry.” Zhen Ji sat on the bed wearily.

“So if he didn’t love you, why do you care so much?” Tong Xia asked tentatively.

“Because it hurt me!” Zhen Ji shouted, her eyes filling with tears, but she blinked them back. ref refused to cry over him. “I tried so hard to please him when we first wed, but after we were married he didn’t want anything to do with me. And it hurts to know that all the time I spent with him was in vain. That’s why we slept in separate rooms. I told him that if he was sleeping with her he wouldn’t sleep with me, so he threw me out of his room.”

Tong Xia walked over and sat down next to her friend and pulled her into a hug. The sound of a horn startled them.

“Soldiers, to the gates, they’ve been pushed back!!”

Zhen Ji and Tong Xia picked up their weapons and ran out, prepared for a fight.

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The gate opened and the Wei troops rushed out, led by Zhen Ji, Tong Xia, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan.

“You can fight, my lady?” Xiahou Dun asked, sounding surprised. He looked at Zhen Ji’s lithe frame sceptically.

“Better that most men.” ZJi wJi was staring straight ahead, and as soon as the gate was open she rode out, followed closely by Tong Xia. Xiahou Dun watched her and sighed.

“Brother, you know who she is, don’t you?” Xiahou Yuan didn’t wait for his older brother to respond. “You saw Cao Pi’s guards leading her in.”

“Yes, that may be true,” Xiahou Dun said, a tiny smile playing on his lips, “but I didn’t see Cao Pi with her.”

“Whatever are we going to do with you?” Xiahou Yuan chuckled as they rode into battle.

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“Come on! You’re not even trying! Give me some real competition!” Zhen Ji was mercilessly ploughing through Yuan Shao’s forces.

“You show off!” Tong Xia shouted over to her.

“It’s not my fault none of you can fight!” She retorted playfully. She sensed something behind her. Instinctively she swung her flute round, just in time to deflect an arrow. A flurry of arrows followed, and Zhen Ji deflected them as fast as she could. Left – right – left – up – right – down – up – left. She advanced on the archers whilst easily deflecting the arrows. They turned to flee but Zhen Ji was already upon them, beating them to a pulp with her flute.

Yuan Shao’s troops had stopped fighting and were backing away slowly, when a mysterious carriage emerging from the forest caught her attention. She remembered a conversation she and Tong Xia had over heard. She glanced at Tong Xia, who was already on her way over, having mounted her horse.

“Tong Xia! Wait for me!!” Zhen Ji called, mounting her horse and digging her heels into its sides.

The carriage driver spotted them too late. Zhen Ji rode past Tong Xia and as she did so she past her friend and bodyguard the usual message. “When I get right next to the carriage driver, cover your ears.”

Zhen Ji smiled as she jumped easily from her horse onto the seat next to the carriage driver, who tried to push her off. She whacked him just below the neck and lifted the flute to her lips. One short sharp note and the carriage driver was bleeding through his nose, ears, eyes and mouth. Zhen Ji took hold of the reins and drove the carriage through the gates and into the fortress.

When the coach stopped, Tong Xia, who had brought Zhen Ji’s horse back, opened the door to the carriage and climbed in. All the generals crowded round as out of the carriage stepped the most beautiful women ever seen.

“The two Qiaos.” Zhen Ji was astounded by their youth. She instinctively bowed low, her head down, as a sign of respect.

“Ladies Da and Xiao Qiao, I would like to welcome you to the Wei fortress.”

“My lady, why were we brought here?” the Qiao dressed in a skimpy pink dress with blue on the front that came down to her thigh, with red socks just above her knees and finished with pink and red shoes asked.

“Yeah, why were we kidnapped?” asked the other Qiao, also dressed in a skimpy outfit, but her dress was slightly longer, as it covered her thighs, and it was green and red above the waist, white below, and orange sleeves, and knee high red socks and the same style shoes as her sister.

“I apologise, dear ladies, but it was not us who kidnapped you, it was Yuan Shao. You were going to be given to Dong Zhuo as concubines.” Zhen Ji was appalled. Their youth was obvious, and Yuan Shao had intended to give them to Dong Zhuo.

“Well, I thank you for rescuing us,” the first Qiao said respectfully, “but we need to get back to Wu, for we are about to be married and our fiancés will worry.”

“We can’t get you back as yet because we are fighting Yuan Shao.” Tong Xia spoke to them frankly.

“So when will we get back? I miss Zhou Yu.” The other Qiao whined.

“Xiao, stop whining this instant!” The first Qiao, obviously Da turned to reprimand her sister, but stopped when she saw the unhappiness in the girl’s eyes. “Oh, Xiaoas aas all she said before pulling Xiao Qiao into a hug to try and comfort her.

“My ladies, I’m sure you would like to rest after your ordeal.” Zhen Ji turned to the officer who had addressed her just before they had entered the battle.

“Would you mind if one of the Qiaos used your bed to rest?”

“Not at all, in fact, my brother would let you use his tent as well, if you so wish.”

“Thank you my lord.”

“Please, my name is Dun. Xiahou Dun. My brother, the fat one over there,” he said, pointing to a group of officers talking, “is called Yuan.”

Zhen Ji turned back to the two young beauties in front of her. “Lady Da, Tong Xia will take you to Xiahou Dun’s tent. Lady Xiao, I will take you to Xiahou Yuan’s tent.”

The two Qiaos parted, with Zhen Ji taking Xiao and Tong Xia taking Da.

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“Zhen Ji, I have arranged for a carriage to take you, Lady Da Qiao and Lady Xiao Qiao to the castle in the capital, Xu Chang.”

“But my lord, I am the best fighter here. With all due respect to the other officers,” she said turning to acknowledge them, “Tong Xia and I trained with Yuan Shao’s forces. We are best suited to fight them now.”

“So Tong Xia can stay here and show the troops how the enemy fight.” Cao Pi was getting annoyed at this woman questioning his authority.

“No,” Zhen Ji almost shouted. “Tong Xia is my bodyguard. She stays with me.”

“Fine, she goes to Xu Chang with you. I suggest you start packing, you leave in the morning.” Cao Pi stood and started to walk out of the huge main tent where all the officers, except for the two Qiaos, were congregated.

“Cao Pi-” Zhen Ji started, but Cao Pi’s verbal onslaught silenced her.

“How dare you! I am a lord and you will address me as such-” it was Zhen Ji’s turn to silence Cao Pi.

“Only when you address me as a lady! I will not leave tomorrow; I am staying to fight Yuan Xi.”

“No you’re not!”

“Tong Xia, gather your belongings, we leave now.” Zhen Ji stormed out of the tent and into the stable, to saddle her horse, followed by Tong Xia.

“I heard you fighting with that guy back there. Big meanie!” the younger Qiao was stood in the entrance to the stables. Da Qiao pushed past her.

“Are you really leaving now?” she asked.

“Yes.” was Zhen Ji’s emotionless reply.

“Then we’re coming too! You rescued us, and we owe you one. So we’re gonna leave with you.” The two Qiaos had saddled their horses and the four girls were approaching the gate.

“Open the gate!” shouted Zhen Ji.

“Anyone who so much as tries to open the gate will be decapitated.”

Zhen Ji dismounted and turned to face the man she was quickly tiring of. “Cao Pi, why don’t you want us to leave?”

“Lady Zhen Ji, I wish to make a deal with you. I wish you to stay, but I hate my authority being questioned. You hate my authority, and wish to leave.”

“Get to the point.” Zhen Ji snapped. By this time a crowd of officers and soldiers had come out to witness the scene. They all gasped at how this strange woman could be so disrespectful.

“I propose a duel. If I win, you will stay, follow my every order without question, and you will be my wife. And if you win-”

“If I win,” Zhen Ji interrupted, “we will be free to leave here, and if anyone tries to stop me, woe betide them.”
Zhen Ji walked forward, and then stopped. “Tong Xia, your rapier, if you don’t mind.”

Tong Xia Smiled and dismounted, handing Zhen Ji her rapier and taking the dark moon flute. “Don’t kill him.” Tong Xia whispered.

“I’ll try not to, but I can’t promise anything.” Zhen Ji whispered back playfully. Suddenly her smile disappeared, and her features turned dark and cold.

“You’d better unpack!” Cao Pi shouted as he lunged forward.

“Why? I’ll be leaving in a few minutes!” Zhen Ji retorted as she blocked Cao Pi’s attacks with finesse.

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