Accursed Beauty

They sat watching the Qiaos practicing with their new fans.

“I need you to take a message to the Wei forces.” Zhen Ji whispered to Tong Xia.

“What?” Tong Xia couldn’t take her eyes off the graceful movements of Xiao Qiao.

“I need you to take a message to Cao Pi.” Zhen Ji repeated urgently.

“Why?” Tong Xia’s eyes snapped up to regard her friend, surprised.

“You said yourself; we will need an army to defeat Cao Pi. I will ask Cao Pi for his aid.”

“You have a plan?” Tong Xia asked.

“Yes I do, but Da and Xiao must not know, for if they do it will fail.”

Tong Xia looked deeply into her friend’s eyes, and her own widened. “You’re not…” She let the unfinished sentence hang in the air.

“Of course not! I just need to make it seem like I am, that’s why they can’t know. They need to be convincing, and if they think I really have done it then they will be perfect.” Zhen Ji explained, hastily writing a letter to Cao Pi.

When she finished, she held a candle over the bottom right corner and let a couple of drops of melted wax drop onto the letter. She then removed her insignia ring from the middle finger of her left hand and pressed it into the solidifying wax for a few seconds. She replaced her ring on her finger and looked at the wax mark. The design imprinted in the wax was a leopard pouncing.

“I really have to get a new ring.” She muttered to herself. She turned to Tong Xia and handed her the letter. “Take it to Cao Pi. Deliver it personally.”

“Yes ma’am.” Tong Xia smiled as she put the letter in her bag and walked outside with Zhen Ji. As she got on her horse Zhen Ji spoke to her again.

“Xia, I expect you to be back by tomorrow at noon latest. I’ll need you to take another letter to Yuan Xi. Tell no one of this plan.”

“Stop worrying, I won’t tell anyone. Just have the letter to Yuan Xi ready by the time I get back.”

“I will. Farewell!” Zhen Ji called as Tong Xia rode off.

“Where is Xia going?” The young Xiao Qiao came running up.

“She’s just running a few errands for me.” Zhen Ji replied casually.

“Have you come up with a plan yet?” she asked.

“Yes. Xiao, are you a good actress?” ZJi aJi asked.

“I don’t know, why?”

“Because my plan will require you to act a little. But if I tell you, you must promise me you will not tell your sister.” Ji walked into the empty cave and motioned to the young Qiao to follow her. After a brief look over at her sister, who was still training, Xiao Qiao walked into the cave.

“Not tell Da? I’ve never kept anything from her.” Xiao Qiao’s brow furrowed.

“But you will be helping Da by not telling her. And you only hto kto keep it e secret until you’ve been locked in one of the guest rooms-”

“What?” Xiao Qiao interrupted Zhen Ji. “Why would be locked up?”

“Keep your voice down.” Zhen Ji chided the younger Qiao, before proceeding to explain her plan.

When she had finished explaining, Zhen Ji stared intently at Xiao Qiao, who was thinking deeply.

“You’re sure we won’t be harmed?” Xiao Qiao was unsure of whether to go ahead with the plan.

“Dong Zhuo wouldn’t accept spoiled goods.”

“I guess I have no choice but to go along with this plan, since you’ve already set it in motion.” The younger Qiao’s lips curled upwards slightly.

What plan would this be, Xiao?” Da Qiao walked into the cave, surprising its occupants.

Xiao Qiao winked at Zhen Ji, before turning to Da Qiao and whining. “I don’t know. Ji won’t tell me!”

“All you two need to know is that I’ve sent Tong Xia to start the plan.” Zhen Ji said, smiling coolly at the evil stare Xiaoo gao gave her. ‘That girl really is a good actress.’ She thought. “Have you practiced enough with your weapons?” The flute wielding enchantress quickly changed the subject.

“We need no practice; the fans are our preferred weapons.” Da Qiao stated as the trio walked out of the cave and into the meadow.

“Please, don’t be modest.” Zhen Ji said playfully.

“Don’t worry, she won’t be!” exclaimed the younger Qiao.

Zhen Ji picked up her flute and sat on a rock.

“Wanna duel?” asked Xiao.

“Ok, you and Da versus me.” Zhen Ji didn’t get up.

“Ok, but I won’t go easy on you!” exclaimed the older Qiao as she pounced.

Zhen Ji just lifted the flute to her lips and began to play.

The tune was filled with sadness and heartbreak. Da Qiao, who was about to slash Zhen Ji, stopped, her hands fell to her sides and she just let go of her fans.

She looked over at her sister, only to see Xiao stood with her hands by her sides, tears streaming down her face. Da Qiao turned back to Zhen Ji, who was smiling as she blew into the end of her flute.

Da Qiao’s saddest memory tried to surface, but the older Qiao fought it. She shook her head violently, trying to rid herself of the images flooding her brain. She slowly made her way forward, fighting the images. As she got closer to Zhen Ji, the memory became stronger. Da Qiao fell to her knees, her head felt as if it would burst. She crawled to Zhen Ji, and reached up. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was her hand wrapped around a flute and pulling it.

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“So, Lord Cao Pi, will you help us?” Tong Xia had been granted an audience with Cao Pi immediately after she had got into the Wei encampment.

“If I help you, Zhen Ji will join Wei?” Cao Pi made it more of a statement than a question. “What do I get out of this?”

Tong Xia sighed inwardly. “Don’t tell her I told you this, but she would not sign away her independence unless she really felt strongly for the person she was signing it away to.” She hoped the slightly drunk Cao Pi would agree soon, as she had to get back to Zhen Ji.

“Your point?” Cao Pi sounded bored.

“If Zhen Ji joins Wei, you will get the chance to win her heart. She will only love you more if you help her kill the one person she hates. And he is the only person stopping you from making her your wife.”

“No one is stopping me from making her my wife!” Cao Pi banged his fist against the desk.

‘Could this get any easier?’ Tong Xia laughed inwardly.

“I can have any woman I choose!” Cao Pi continued.

“I beg to differ my lord,” Tong Xia cut in, “although a man can have as many wives as he wishes, a woman may only have one.”

“Again, your point?” Cao Pi was losing his temper, as well as his patience.

“Zhen Ji is married to Yuan Xi. Help us kill Yuan Xi, Zhen Ji is free to marry again, and she will be in Wei, so it will be easy for you to woo her.”

Cao Pi stood and walked out of his tent, motioning for Tong Xia to follow. They walked past a couple of tents and into a huge tent made of purple material.

“Sima Yi!” Cao Pi strode into the tent, with Tong Xia following.

“My lord?” Sima Yi looked up from the various maps of the territories.

“This woman has a plan. Listen to her and follow her instructions. We are going to help win a war!”

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