Endless Perspective

Lucifer · Wei Yan's Plight (Thu Jul 06, 2006 1:27 am)

Wei Yan, styled Wenchang, hailed from the Yiyang region. He was 8 spans in height, had broad shoulders, burly arms, and his complexion was equal to that of a ripe date. Wei Yan had trained in martial arts since his youth and was master horseman. By the time he was thirty, he had enlisted in Liu Xuande’s army along with his friend, Huang Zhong. It was mid-summer when Cheng Du, the capital of Liu Bei’s forces, was attacked by the Di barbarians. When asked who to send, both Ma Chao and Wei Yan stepped forward.
“Who are you that could compare himself to me?” Ma Chao retorted.
“Though I am of meager talents and have little merit for myself, I humbly request that his Lordship would grant me permission to suppress these rebels to repay the kindness he has shown me.” responded Wei Yan.
“You would not do well on the harsh terrains that these barbarians inhabit. I have spent time with the Qiang in the north, I am more suited for the task.” said Ma Chao.
“Then I beg your Majesty,” Wei Yan said, “to allow your vassals to have a trial at arms to see who is more suited for the job!” After much thinking and some persuasion from Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei agreed and the event was declared. When the noon sun was at it’s peak, they would do battle in the royal courtyard. A large crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle. The crowd had grown impatient, but finally, the warriors emerged. Ma Chao arrived first riding a brown charger and brandishing a long spear. He wore silvery armor and had a white battle gown, his breastplate engraved with tigers and horses. Then arrived Wei Yan, mounted on a black stallion and wielding a long broadsword. His armor was brown and gold, somewhat shoddy, and overlaid a green battle garment. If one were to base the outcome of the fight on appearances alone, Ma Chao was far the superior. Suddenly, there was a ring of the gong and the warriors charged forth. The two warriors had over 100 passes at arms, yet neither could prevail. Sweat dripped from their faces and chins as they did battle. A spear thrust here and a sword strike there, but a victor could not be determined. Another gong sounded and the two warriors retreated for a small break. Neither warrior showed any sign of fatigue or willingness to submit, despite the ferocious heat projected by the mid day sun. A third gong sounded after a long rest and the warriors resumed their battle until the first watch. The air had become cool, augmented by the sweat covering their tired muscles. Spectators watched in awe as these warriors fought on. Thousands of bouts were fought, but Wei Yan was unwilling to falter, nor was Ma Chao. Finally, the gong sounded and the weary warriors retreated. Liu Bei then stepped forward.
“Both warriors have shown determination and skill in arms, yet could not prevail over each other. Thus my decision is made. I shall send Wei Yan so that he may put his talents to use and earn merit. Ma Chao, however, will reinforce him.”
“Send not that man from Xiliang, I can eliminate this threat by myself. Lend me 1,000 crack troops and I will dispose of any who would not accept your Majesty’s rule.” Wei Yan boasted.
Liu Bei replied, “I shall grant you 1,000 crack troops and 500 cavalry. You will set out tomorrow when the sun rises.”
Then Zhuge Liang appeared from the courtroom, waving his goose feather fan, and said, “Wenchang, we are sending you with the hopes that you would succeed. How can we assure that you would do as good a job as Ma Chao who has already showed his valor in battle?”
“If I fail, I will receive any punishment that Military Law dictates!” Wei Yan said. And so, his name was put into writing on a military edict, he was given a fresh steed and new armor, and then he set out to vanquish the rebels in the west. After much traveling, Wei Yan set up camp just outside of the Cheng Du region. He occupied a high hill top and could see the Di barbarian camp below. He consulted his advisors and decided to initiate a night raid at the third watch. By the second watch, all but a few torches were still lit in the Di camp and Wei Yan had fashioned half of his cavalry with long swords. The Shu commander and his company set out and made their way down the hill. He sent the command to still the drums and gag the horses. The element of surprise was vital to the success of this mission and, ultimately, this war. In the Di camp, a man rushed into the command tent and knelt before his chief.
“My Lord, we should prepare defenses against a night raid. A flag staff broke earlier, a bad omen, and the enemy on the hilltop is too quiet. A night raid seems likely!”
“Bah! Who is this Wei Yan that they sent? He is nothing to be feared.” the Di chief announced. But as he spoke, bombards sounded and drums rolled as flames reached skyward. Wei Yan and his force of cavalry charged in from the east gate and threw the enemy camp into disorder. Countless Di troops were slaughtered in the ensuing melee and numerous heads of Di officers were claimed by Wei Yan. Try as he might, however, Wei Yan could not locate the Di chief and so gave up searching. The battle lasted until the fourth watch when the Di forces finally retreated, mostly wounded, led by only their commander. Wei Yan rewarded his cavalry heavily and had a new camp established in the old Di fort. The following day, Wei Yan was woken abruptly when a messenger rushed in to inform him of Di reinforcements.
“They number some 5,000 and are led by a fearless commander famous for wielding a mountain splitting battle axe. And apparently, there will be Wei reinforcements soon as well.” Upon hearing the news, Wei Yan flared with fury.
“Those rats of Wei dare to mettle with our affairs?! I’ll slaughter them all!” So saying, Wei Yan mounted his horse and led his forces outside of the fort to await the enemy. It wasn’t long until the Di army came into view. A young commander flourishing a great spear rode forth and issued a challenge. Wei Yan eagerly accepted and rode forth. His blade rose and fell; the young commander lay dead on his horse. Rallying his troops, Wei Yan charged forth and commenced in a bloody slaughter of the Di forces. Suddenly, a fresh contingent of troops joined the fray and pushed back Wei Yan’s army dealing him a devastating blow. Most of his cavalry had been killed in the counterattack. Then came forth a man who was 9 spans tall, wore fur around his head, and wielded a mountain splitting battle axe.
“Wei Yan! I know your name and it means nothing. Come face me and we shall see who the real warrior is!” the commander bellowed.
“Hold your tongue, rebel! Wei Yan is here, now who does he face?”
“I am Yang Bao, hailing from the Di lands. Tell me now, do you face me or fear me?” he shouted back. Wei Yan, sparing no time, rushed forth to meet his new adversary. Sword met axe in a series of devastating clashes, some 50 of them, yet neither could prevail over his foe. Shouts and drums rang out on opposing lines as the two commanders dueled. With a brief surge of energy, Wei Yan commenced in a furious assault against the Di warrior, but it was to no avail. Finally, stricken by fatigue, Yang Bao turned and fled. Wei Yan followed in hot pursuit, not realizing that Yang Bao had fitted an arrow into his bow. Before he had reached his lines, Yang Bao turned and let fly; the arrow struck Wei Yan in the arm. Unfazed, Wei Yan galloped forth and took his opponent by surprise. He thrust with his blade and pierced Yang Bao’s stomach. Yang Bao fell from his horse and was drug along by his foot which had gotten caught in the reins. At the sight of their leader’s demise, the Di troops scattered in all directions. Again, Wei Yan led an assault on the chaotic ranks of Di warriors and took a bloody toll numbering in the thousands, hundreds personally killed by Wenchang himself. In the heat of battle, gongs rang out and drums resounded. Lo, in the north was a fresh body of troops led by Zhang He. Wei Yan ordered a swift retreat back to the fort and had the gates barred, permitting no entrance to outsiders. The Wei forces surrounded the encampment and hurled taunts day and night, but the Shu troops remained persistent.
Wei Yan consulted his advisors, “How many troops do they have?”
One advisor, Gong Yu, replied “They have no more than 2,000 troops under their control. But it is not their numbers to be feared, it is their leader. Zhang He is a phoenix among chickens in the ranks of Wei. Do not take him lightly!”
Wei Yan brushed his warnings aside and said, “I shall lead the troops out of the east gate at the first watch. Then, I want the rest of the gates opened and campsites left as they were. Despite Gong Yu’s pleas to send for reinforcements, Wei Yan’s plan was put into action. At dawn the next morning, noticing that the camp had been deserted, Zhang He sent a scout to investigate. The scout returned with news that the camp had indeed been abandoned.
“Could this be Zhuge Liang’s trickery?” Zhang He pondered. Zhang He finally led the call to retreat, thinking he had defeated his enemies. Suddenly, drums and bombards sounded as Wei Yan charged down the hillside and straight into Zhang He’s ranks. A general melee ensued which took the lives of hundreds on both sides. After much fighting, Wei Yan spotted Zhang He and charged forth to meet him. Wei Yan struck, but his blow was parried by Zhang He’s spear. The two warriors continued to exchange blows until Wei Yan’s horse gave out and threw him to the ground. Wei Yan stood up just in time to dodge the spear thrust of Zhang He. Wei Yan caught the shaft of his spear under his arm and tugged, pulling Zhang He down from his saddle and the two warriors grappled on the battlefield amid the chaos. Wei Yan reached for a sword and struck at Zhang He who deflected it with a shield he’d found on a dead soldier. Horns and drums sounded and the ranks of the two armies resumed their former lines and recalled their commanders. Wei Yan was given a fresh steed and weapon; Zhang He was given the same. It was nearing the first watch when the two warriors rode out once more to do battle. They fought hard and exchanged many bouts while soldiers on each side watched in awe of the prowess that was displayed by the two combatants. In the midst of their duel, the sound of the gongs was heard and the two warriors retreated to their respective sides.
Zhang He consulted his advisors, “Our grain is limited from such a long march, yet the enemy has a steady flow from Cheng Du. This campaign is hopeless and the Di have already been obliterated. I wish to hear your opinions.”
One advisor spoke out, “Wei Yan is too formidable to overcome. Though our troop numbers are superior to theirs, ours are exhausted. Their grain is ample, ours is all but gone. You would do well to organize an orderly retreat.”
“That coincides perfectly with what I had in mind.” replied Zhang He. And so the issue was given for a retreat. When informed of this, Wei Yan cocked his head back and laughed.
Gong Yu questioned him and he replied, “Zhang He is out of grain and fears our troops. Yet earlier, you raised concern for him. Truly, this is an event worth laughing at.”
“My liege,” Gong Yu said, “now is the opportune time to strike at the rebels. Why do you not chase them?”
“I have a mere 500 troops left, he has more than 1,000. They are exhausted and miss home; they would fight to the death if we chased them in retreat. I have come to defeat the enemy as I promised Liu Bei. As such, I shall wait for their retreat before returning to Cheng Du to report the success of our mission.” Gong Yu was satisfied with this answer. Upon returning to Cheng Du, Wei Yan was met at the city gates personally by Liu Bei in a carriage.
They entered the grand hall and Liu Bei spoke, “For your recent success in vanquishing the rebels and upholding the house of the Han, I grant you the rank of General Who Conquers the West and Governor of Hanzhong. I hope that you would continue to serve this kingdom with loyalty.”
Wei Yan bowed and replied, “If Cao Cao led the entire world to come here, my only request is that your lordship would allow me to smite him. And if an enemy force of 100,000 soldiers decided to invade the region you have trusted me with, my only request would be that you, Liu Bei, would let me obliterate it.”
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I understand that you probably don't know who many, if any, of these characters are. If you're interested in learning about anything mentioned, ask and I can assist.

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Thunderstruck05 · (Fri Jul 07, 2006 7:17 pm)

Nice, nice....just 3 things I found.

1. Wei Yan never said anything smart souding.

2. Wei Yan didn't have a sword, he used a double sided spear, Double Voulge I beliee is it's name.

3. Zhang He didn't have a spear, he used claws.

Those are just things from the game though. Razz

Other than that great story. Smile

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Lucifer · (Fri Jul 07, 2006 7:39 pm)

This is based off of the novel and history (though an entirely ficticious scenario), so I didn't incorperate anything from the game. Zhang He used a lance/spear in the novel and Wei Yan used a sword. Plus, Wei Yan was actually pretty smart, much smarter than he gets credit for.

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Thunderstruck05 · (Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:01 pm)

Ah, I getcha. Yea he's pretty retarded in the game. Razz

But that was my negative side coming out of me. Very Happy

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