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Dynasty Warriors: More Then Meets The Eye (Yajirobe and FemShep)

"Hello, Lady Shan, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Sun Yi, I am Lu Xun's wife. He has written to me often about his new talented student, and call me impressed," she said with a warm smile as she looked at her, the natural radiance came from the young woman as she looked at Lu Shan. There was grace to her as well as she put Lu Shan's plate in front of herself, "Now, I thought think what you are doing is a inspiration to women everywhere, we can be just as good as any men," she said proudly feeling proud about the accomplishments of Lu Shan and the fact that she had managed to do everything as a woman.

"Good morning Lu Shan," Lu Xun commented as he looked at the young solider who was staying in his home. "I heard that you did a wonderful job yesterday, that you did everyone proud and you have made a heck of a impression on Ling Tong, he has asked me if he can have you serve him on a regular bases as his second in command for his unit or at least as a important officer in his unit. "I told him that it would be up to you, that you can decide such things, if you want to be attached to Ling Tong's unit from now on or not, of course this will mean more responsibilities for you, and your men as each of you would raise in rank or the ones that wish to go with you to his command," he commented to her, "he said you held yourself like a pro given that it was you first time in combat and are a model solider that others could follow,"

Lu Xun gave Shan a bit of time to taken it all in the news, the possible promotion which was impressive for a young woman. He wasn't sure if Ling Tong was just interested in Lu Shan as a solider but he knew he wouldn't make the declaration if he just wanted to sleep with her. Still he wondered if the confident young man was growing to have feelings for the woman solider. It was possible, he wanted to check in on her personally that morning, but he would let that play out however it would. He figured that those things took the path that nature had for them. He knew most arranged marriage were risky minus his which was more the exception then the rule.
 
Lu Shan imagined that Lu Xun's wife was a kind and loving woman, but the compliments and praise she showered with was simply too much. The woman was giving her too much credit for doing what she did, but still it was flattering to receive someone's admiration. Along with being kind, Sun Yi was no doubt a beautiful woman which wasn't too surprising for a man like Lu Xun to proudly have at his side. There was something about her that just chased away all of tiredness and any other bad feeling Lu Shan was experiencing. Lu Shan smiled warmly at Sun Yi with her cheeks blushing embarrassingly from all the compliments. "Thank you very much, but really you're too kind Lady Yi."

Once Lu Xun spoke up, Lu Shan returned her attention to him to see what he had to say. Though the news he had to give her truly did surprise her in a exciting way. Ling Tong wanted her to be his second in command!? She's barely handled herself on her own, but working with a man like Ling Tong might be exactly what she needed to learn to be a better leader and a warrior. To Lu Shan this seemed like nothing more then a opportunity to better herself unlike Lu Xun who expected other intentions in store. Along with working so closely to him, her men had the opportunity to become officers themselves. If anyone deserved to raise up it was her men after the strength they demonstrated from the battle. They truly did deserve to become something more, but she'll leave the choice up to them since they all had what it took to be an officer.

"This is wonderful news! Yesterday was difficult, but I didn't think that Ling Tong would be so impressed by us. Actually it was because of him that I realized how difficult it was to combine leadership and being a warrior. Being his second in command could help me even further and my men deserve to become officers. They were strong, if not, stronger then me." She smiled at him with excitement in her eyes. After hearing this she definitely felt like celebrating with her men and give the news to her men. Besides she wanted to give Ling Tong her answer unless Lu Xun made some sort of argument against it. Out of everyone, Lu Shan listened to Lu Xun the most and if he thought something badly of this then she'll take it into consideration, but otherwise, she couldn't wait to say yes.
 
Lu Xun nodded his head as he knew that it was big news, but he wasn't surprised that she would take the news to her men and get her input, she cared about her men and their opinion mattered, btu he was sure when they decided they would stick by the choice no mater what. He like that about her, she was a interesting woman, he wondered if Ling Tong had taken a interest in her that was more the professional. He knew his friend was a confident type and that he would do his best at all time working for the good of the kingdom. but that didn't mean that this woman hadn't caught his eye and drawn his interest. He knew that she was a beautiful woman, not as beautiful as his love in his opinion, but he was sure she would find him attractive.

"Well, your welcome, you have some us women that we can be as good as any man. My aunt and my mothers are kind of like you, they went with there husbands to the battlefield sometimes, but even they didn't fight like you, not even Lady Xiang Shang fought with Liu Bei like you fight for this army," he said comparing her to the bow princess herself and smiling. "Well, anyhow, the fact your doing this for your family is pretty neat too, Lu Xun told me about it in his letters and Lord Quan things your story is rather interesting too, he is most impressesd," she added referencing the leader of Wu, and how even he knew about her situation.

"Yi, leave the girl alone, she had enough on her plate," Xun said calmly taking Yi's hand to tell her that she didn't need to say more. He then looked at Lu Shan, "Well Lady Shan, I think you have a busy day, your men all share the same housing, so finding them should be really easy for you at least," he said kindly as he looked at her. "Tell them to do what seems right to them, this promotion will come with a lot more pay, but also responsibility as well as work and training," he said to her calmly as he knew she would understand it, but reminding her cause she would have to tell her men about this fact.
 
Lu Shan didn't expect to have such a influence on other people, especially women, because of her disguise, but the more Sun Yi complimented and praised her, the more she learned about the impact she made on other people. She always believed women were equal to men despite the biological and mental differences, but it was surprising to see that women really weren't trained to be as powerful as men. Because of her training, Lu Shan proved women could be just as good as a man, but she honestly thought it was too much to compare her to the great Lady Xiang Shang, especially since it's only been one battle so far. Though, to her great surprise, even Lord Quan, leader of Wu, knew of her existence and story! Lu Shan only decided to go on to war because of her family, but instead started to see amazing results she didn't expect to happen. The shock of the news was enough to send Lu Shan chuckling softly in disbelief, but it was clear Sun Yi was overwhelming her with so much praise and humbling admiration.

Luckily, Lu Shan didn't have to say anything more since Lu Xun could easily tell how overwhelmed she was becoming. Now, she and Lu Xun could discuss the important news for a moment while Lu Shan could calm down. Lu Xun was right, he always seemed right. Lu Shan didn't know how her men where going to react to the news, but she wanted them to chose their path. It would be sad to see any of them leave her command, but if they could become something greater then they were now then she wanted them to have it. If they felt ready to leave then they should have the right to do so, but if they wanted to stay with her then she would happily accept them; the choice was their's alone. "I understand...I want them to choose their own path. These men deserve to be something great, but if they don't feel ready then I'll be more then happy to keep them under my command, but I'll let them choose. I'll let them understand the consequences and benefits to their choices...to help them understand their responsibilities, just like you have done for me Lord Xun." She smiled warmly at Lu Xun then at his beautiful wife to show the appreciation she had towards her.

"I should be going soon, after all I have the news to tell them and I'm sure they'll want to celebrate our first victory as well. Hopefully, I'll get to find Ling Tong soon too to let him know my decision. So, thank you Lady Yi for the delicious breakfast and boost in my confidence and to you, Lord Xun...for being the greatest mentor a solider could ask for." Lu Shan smiled and bowed softly to them after finishing up her breakfast. Then she got up from the table and cleaned up her mess, but before heading out, Lu Shan decided to take a warm bath to relax her muscles and clean off her body. After that, Lu Shan dressed herself in a clean pair of casual clothing and head out to the camp. As she made her way to her men's housing, Lu Shan smiled warmly seeing soldiers either resting and relaxing or training hard. The sun, the sky, everything that's happened so far...was enough to put a smile on her face and feel this whole experience was worth having.
 
Her men were lazing around most of them were resting tired from the day before some work cooking, some where even still training as well, they were all doing their own day this day none of them worried about getting on a mission. Oto and Koto were out training their archery skills and were the first ones to notice Lu Shan as she came up to their unit's bunk house, the two saluted their boss as she walked by neither one had any clue why she would be heading towards their housing, but it was always good to see her, they all liked their leader and trusted her a great deal and were all very loyal to their commander. That included Yan, the defacto second in command of the unit and when Shan wasn't around the one who put the orders and commands into place for her. He was sitting with is feet up the redhead was wedeling a piece of wood down to make something with it when he saw Liu Shan and got to his feet much right away, this was pretty much what happened when the others realized that she was there.

The men looked at her ready for her orders, "Lady Shan, what is it, do we have training today, do we have a mission to undertake?" Yan asked respectfully as she stood before the young woman. He wasn't sure what was up, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if their free time had just been taken away and they were going to be marched into some other battle fast. It was something that could happen and the pirate actually knew this well from his meetings with other who had joined his crew back in the day who had been part of various armies on the various sides. "We are ready as we can be if we need to march, it will take us a half our or so to pack up our things and be ready to march, so if you could stall them I am sure we could even make it seem that we were ready for this all along which will make us not look so bad and you look good too," he commented figuring they were about to head off to another battle.
 
It wasn't surprising to see that most of her men were lazing around since it was a day most people would take advantage of to relax; though it was nice to see that some were working hard at training. When she walked by the first two men to see her, Lu Shan spotted that they saluted her. Flattering as it was, it brought joy to her to see that her men had respect for her. As she walked, it warmed her heart to see how they grew up and became stronger in such a short time. Each of them took their training seriously and had amazing skills that began to show. In the beginning it didn't seem like they would get very far, including that most of them couldn't even use a bow and arrow before, but just like Lu Shan did, they proved themselves to be something much more then what the eye can see. They were strong, loyal, and intelligent men; especially Yan who has proven himself to be quite the leader himself. All of them she could proudly say were her men.

Once again, she wasn't surprised by her men's alertness when they saw her arrive. It wasn't too common that their superior officer visited them too much unless it was something important. The news she had to give was very important, but they all seemed to be expecting her to push them to train or gather them for battle. Seeing Yan use his intelligence to comment about a possible upcoming battle was exactly why she was so impressed with him. He knew exactly how much time it would take and what measures would be needed that very moment. Yan had the makings of a great strategist if he so desired to be one. Softly she chuckled warmly and smiled at Yan. "At ease Yan, there isn't a march or battle expected for a few days, but I do have some wonderful news to share with everyone."

After Lu Shan gathered the attention of all her men, she took a breath and began to speak with a confident tone. "This morning I received some news from Lord Xun. It seems that the effort and performance we displayed yesterday impressed a lot of people. With that, I found out that Lord Tong offered to make me his second in command." She paused for a moment to let the information sink in for a moment before continuing. "I've decided to accept his offer, but there's something else as well...because of change of position, there's a opportunity for the rest of you as well. You all have an option...you can choose to stay with me under my command or...you can become officers yourself, but if you choose to be a officer you're training will become even more intense and strict. Also you must have the leadership and accept the consequences of the lives that will be under your command. You all have the makings of great officers, but I want you to decide what path you want to take. You deserve to become something greater if you feel ready for it..."
 
The group of them looked at each other as they heard the news, and gathered round and whispered for a moment as they talked about the possibilities and then it was fastly decided as they told Yan what to tell Lu Shan, before he stood before her again. "Well, this is a super easy choice, every one of your men have decided upon the same thing and were of one mind in what we are thinking right now," he said looking at her calmly as he paused just for a bit of theater, he was a former pirate after all and knew how that type of thing could play out and he knew that Lu Shan was wanting an answer which would come in a moment or two after he made that statement.

"We are not going to leave you, Lady Shan, we know you decently well and we trust you, if we work for you, we know you care about us and you want us to do well. That might not be the case otherwise," he said looking at her with a smile, "We also know that you will need our help to show them that your not some fluke and that you are as amazing as a second in command as a lowly officer," he commented as he looked at her, "plus if we aren't around who is going to tell your new men all the things they have to know about training with you like to be careful not to hit the commander on mistake or to cut her some slack for various thing, and so on," he said with a smile the last part just mostly messing with her more then anything else.

"To be honest, from my time in battle which I have seen a lot of it over the years, the most amazing thing one can do is serve someone who cares, fight for each other and be able to depend on the person on either side of them. We all know that we can do that, and we are sure you are a rising star, we just are attaching our future to you," he said pausing as the men cheered her and said various small statements that were in agreement, her men wouldn't want to leave her. They knew they could handle being officers but why leave someone who they knew so well and who they believed still need them as much as the army as a whole. They felt they could be better as a group then alone basically.
 
She waited patiently for their answer, but she suspected they would choose to become officers. Why wouldn't they want to be something bigger and better paying then the ranks they already were? It would be sad to see them go, but she just wanted what was best for them. They deserve to be praised and respected by everyone and she wanted nothing, but the best for them. Though the answer that she was given was a surprising one. Even with the promise of a higher rank they still chose to be with her. Lu Shan couldn't be more happy with their decision, but she couldn't help wanting them to rank up despite this, it was their decision and she'll respect it as such.

For a moment she looked at them surprised with the answer Yan dramatically gave, even the silence between them reflected the question and surprise she faced them with, but the rest of what Yan had to say warmed her heart. Softly, her face turned warm and she smiled brightly at his words, even chuckling softly when he messed with her. Lu Shan found herself struggling to stay professional and keeping her eyes dry. They weren't just doing this for themselves, but for her too. Truth be told...they were right. Lu Shan needed them much more then they needed her. These men...they weren't just soldiers under her command...they were her friends and they were fighting not only for their country, but for each other. Her heart was so warmed by his words and filled with joy that she nearly had a tear escape her eyes. These men...were the best that any officer could ever have; their futures were tied together.

She smiled at them warmly, "As much as I want you all to raise your ranks, I've realized that I need you all. Your presence by my side was what made me determined to be strong and lead you all to see another day..." She paused for a moment to take a breath. "You're all strong and loyal...and I need you all to be the best I could be and I'll work even harder to make you all as strong, if not, even stronger then I...you all are the best men a officer could ask for..." Lu Shan couldn't stop smiling, feeling her heart full of warmth. She really didn't want them to leave and they didn't want to either, they needed each other to be the perfect team. After taking a breath to calm herself down, Lu Shan added, "And I believe a celebration is in order for our first successful battle. You men deserve it, but I should report to Lord Tong before I take part. Just focus on having a good time the rest of the day and that's an order." She smiled brightly at them.
 
The men gathered around her were so very happy to be able to know that their leader, their commander was as happy with them as they were with her. It was a great relationship that they had, and they knew that she was right, that they needed a celebration a proper one at that. Of course they knew that Lu Shand would have to go and talk to her new boss, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't have the party, they still could after all. "Well now, Lady Shan, there is a easy answer to this," the former farmer Oto commented as he looked at Shan. "You go have your meeting with your new boss, it won't take all day, then when your done we will have gathered up all we need for a small party, I hope you don't mind that your going to be the only female at said party, but we can have it for sure, it will be a celebration of our small victory to other minor but to us something awesome."

"Yeah, well you know that you can bring Ling Tong if he wishes to come with you, I figure he led the battle so he would fit in without it being odd, and if he is your new boss and your our boss then he is our boss too" Ma commented as he thought about it for a moment and then smiled. "Well get going, I am sure that Lord Tong wont' wait for you forever and I am sure he most likely is nervous thinking you will or won't take the promotion."

Ling Tong was going over maps and thinking. He hoped that Lu Shan would agree, but he would have to wait for her to come and tell him one way or another. He smiled as he thought about it and had a feeling that she wouldn't. She seemed the type who wouldn't want this for it would be something that would split up her group. He didn't know they would be so behind their leader they would follow her to her new role. He hoped they would, if they would that would be a great sign in and of it self that she was a great leader and would be worth putting a lot of time and effort in making better. He of course wanted her to join for more personal reasons, but those were lesser reasons honestly ones that were minor in the view of him, as he knew he had to put the needs of the army ahead of his own still.
 
"I don't mind it at all, to be honest I've gotten use to being around so little women so it's not a problem being the only girl, but you're right. I bet he'll love to come besides he deserves a break too. I'll be back as soon as I can!" She smiled brightly at them before turning to find Ling Tong. To be honest, the sound of a celebration sounded more fun the more she thought about it. After all, the stress and work that this war has brought on everyone has been taking it's toll on everyone. It would be nice to have a small celebration with some close friends. She hoped Ling Tong would want to come since he works so hard, besides it would be good for them all to get closer to their new boss. He seemed like the type who would come to celebrations, but she couldn't be sure if it was something he liked to take part in or not, still it would be great if he would.

It took Lu Shan a moment to find Ling Tong, but when she did, she tried not to disturb him. The way he was studying the maps made her think he would be too busy to join them, but she still had to let him know her answer. Besides the main reason she wanted to see him was to give him an answer while the celebration was more of a minor thing. Still, she wanted him to come. She took a moment before approaching him, hoping she wouldn't be bothering him. Ling Tong really was handsome, seeing his eyes focused on the map had some sort of attraction. Lu Shan shook her head knowing now wasn't the time to day dream. So, she took a breath and walked towards him. "Lord Tong? Lord Xu informed me of your offer..." She paused for a moment to see if she caught his attention or not.

Once she did gain his attention, Lu Shan continued, "I wanted to give you an answer...I agree." She smiled at him. "I've already talked to my men about it and they decided to stay under my command despite the opportunity to rank up. When I heard of this, I knew it would be best to accept your offer. You're a man we could all learn from and I'm truly honored to have you offer such a position to me." She explained wanting him to know all that has already happened and why she chose to agree despite the risk of loosing her men. Lu Shan remained quiet, but kept a smile on her face, waiting to hear the response he had towards her answer.
 
Ling Tong looked over as he saw Lu Shan approach and smiled welcoming her in with a smile on his part. "Well now what can I do for you," he asked as he looked over figuring that she was there to give him the answer, but not wanting to force her to give him the answer right away if she didn't want to. Sometimes people had ways of talking around the answer, like Lords Ming and Xun giving you the answer in a non-direct way. He figured with Shan this was possible due to the fact she had been living with Lord Lu Xun for so long that some of his thoughts and ways had rubbed off on her. So when he heard the direct answer he smiled glad to hear that there was a direct answer and not something he would have to somehow decode. The later in his opinion mostly a pain in the ass.

"Alright, I will accept this answer, you will start in a couple of days, and your training will increase as you will have to learn how to defend yourself in martial combat more then just with a bow," he explained as he knew that it was possible that in larger battles she would have to use a sword or spear, and she would need to find a weapon that would fit her best and style of fighting that would fit her best as well. He had no clue what would fit her well, but he figured she would figure out in time. "We are having a convoy coming in today there is a chance for you to write mail to your family if you want to send the letter with them, so to get to your family," he commented as he looked at her, pausing for a second.

"Your men will be your own units leadership I am guessing your going to have to learn how to delegate task as well now, as you are going to be commanding many more then nine men, you will be in charge of something like 50 to in some cases up to 100 men of your own now, and these men will fall into units under your nine men that your are bringing with you. So having a trusting relationship with those right under your command is very important," he told her as he gave her some advice, "Now most likely this next fight from what I have heard won't be as easy as the last one and your going to be far more prepared, but I know you can do it. I expect great things from you Lady Shan, and I will be there to help you as well."
 
Lu Shan smiled hearing he accepted her answer, but it wasn't too much of a surprise to hear her training would increase. Martial combat did sound like something she would need to know especially if something happened to her bow in the middle of battle. It would be best to get as much fighting experience as possible; hopefully to fit any situation she would get into and honestly she felt a bit excited to do something more besides shoot arrows. The problem was finding what style of martial arts and weaponry would fit her most. Ling Tong probably already had something in mind, so she'll leave it to him to handle that part unless he directly asks her otherwise. At least she'll have a couple of days to prepare herself for this before her intense training will begin.

When she learned that a convoy was coming today, Lu Shan knew it would be best to write to her family. She hasn't done it in awhile and she wanted to make sure that her family was doing well. As far as she knew, they were worrying about her so it would be best to let them know that everything's fine. Besides, she really did miss her mother, father, and sisters; hopefully they were all okay. Lu Shan wondered if they would be proud to hear how well she was doing. There was so much to tell them too: the first battle, her men, Lu Xun and his wife, and especially Ling Tong. There was no telling how long she'll be away from them, it could be years as far as she knew, so Lu Shan wanted to stay in touch with them as much as possible.

As Ling Tong started to speak again, Lu Shan immediately pushed aside her thoughts and paid attention to him again. To her surprise, there was going to be even more men under her command, more then twice then what she already commands. It will become a even more challenging to handle this many men, but it should be expected of her in her new position. This step up was going to be her most difficult experience yet, but Lu Shan wasn't going to back down. The next battle wasn't expected to be as easy, especially with all the men she'll have to learn to lead, but she couldn't get cold feet now. Not after telling Ling Tong that she wouldn't and agreed to this position. Ling Tong's words of encouragement did lift up her spirits, even causing her to smile softly. She couldn't let him down...she wouldn't. "Thank you sir. I understand and accept my new responsibilities, I look forward to learning from you." She smiled warmly then added, "If you don't mind me asking...the men and I were planning on having a small celebration for our success so far...we were wondering if you'd like to join us...after all you deserve to relax too."
 
Ling Tong knew that this woman would be able to handle the more responsibilities that were being put on her plate. He was sure of it. she was a most amazing and interesting woman. He smiled as he looked at her and then motioned her over to him. he took out a very large box and put it on the table before her, "this is a gift that I have for you, this is very important, and I hope that you understand just how big of deal this is to get, it is something you will have to get used to but it is a mark of your new rank as well," he informed he calmly as he took the top off of the box so that Lu Shan would be able to see what she was getting from himself. He knew she would be surprised by the gift, but it was custom as much as anything.

There were a number of things in the large box, first there was the armor for her to wear, it was beautiful and shiny with markings that had been craved onto the armor by the best of craftsmen, under it was the finest of silk robes, red in the color of Wu, with gold trim as well, and a uniform that was also silk and red that was more simple that was meant to go under the armor. Then next to both things was a ornate long iron bo staff, he was pretty much recommending her new weapon with this, he had talks with Lu Xun a long time before this moment and this was agreed upon between them and Sun Yi had brought it from the capital when she came to visit and her husband.

"Now, I will join you are the get together, tell them it should be a lot of fun," he said as he smiled confidently, "got to know my new soilders if they are going to be the underlings of my second in command and right hand girl as it were," he explained as he knew most likely she was still taking in the fact she had just been given so much. She would need it and she would be able to put it all to good use, he was most sure of that fact. "It has all been already fitted to you, when you got your things, we found ways to find your size and such, so it should fit you like well."
 
The moment Lu Shan saw the mysteriously large box, she immediately gave Ling Tong the look of curiosity and confusion. A gift for her? That's really nice of him, but he didn't have to do such a thing. It seemed pretty important that she accept the gift seeing how he mentioned it as a mark of her new rank. When she looked inside, her breath was taken away. The beautiful armor inside was far better then her father's old, worn-out, and unmarked armor. The designs, craftsmanship, and colors was like the armor that every official and respected Wu officer, but like theirs, hers was specially designed for her. Along with the amazing armor, Lu Shan spotted a special staff, beautifully decorated, and with iron on the ends. This must of been the next weapon she would learn to wield, must like the famous Lord Zhou Yu. "Th-Thank you so much Lord Tong. They're perfect, there's not enough words to express my gratitude." She smiled warmly then reached in the box to feel the silk fabric of the clothing that went underneath her armor. Then she felt the powerful staff, her hand gently running up the length of it. "I'll change into it as soon as possible." She smiled at him excitedly.

Once she heard that Ling Tong agreed to attention their get together, Lu Shan smiled more excitedly, eager to hear he was wanting to come for the right reasons. She was happy to see he wanted to come and learn more about them, after all it was better that they become close since they were going to be working together so closely. It's was a bit exciting to get closer to him and hopefully become a even better team with even more trust between them all. "That's wonderful! The others will be so happy to hear you're coming. Thank you for everything, my Lord." She smiled and bowed gently. "Now if that's all, I'd like to change into my new armor and write to my family. Have a wonderful day sir." She smiled then turned to leave.

For a few minutes, Lu Shan returned to her room in Lu Xun's home. Immediately, she began to write a letter to her family telling them all about her success and progression. She asked about how each were them were doing and how the home was going without her there. Lu Shan truly was worried about them and hoped they were doing well, especially with the payments she's been sending them. Once she was done, Lu Shan readied the letter to be sent then got up to put on her new armor. Luckily, it wasn't too complicated to get on. Shockingly it was wonderfully comfortable because of the silky under clothes, but still heavy where the armor protected her body. It fit perfectly to her body as well and looked pretty beautiful on her. In the end, Lu Shan pulled up her hair in a ponytail that laid down against her back, but pulled the end over her shoulder. With a satisfied sigh, Lu Shan left the home to met up with her men and Lord Tong.
 
Ling Tong smiled as he watched the young woman walk out of the room. He looked at a list of people who were coming into join the units in the camp, his own, Lu Xun, and Lu Meng, he knew that most likely based on the information they would have a good couple of weeks as they gained more and more troups and then then would be headed for something big, they were preparing for a big movement. It would explain why the number of troops were coming into the area. He figured they would hear about what other units from what other camps they would be joining with and where they would be attacking. He knew that this would take more time then he wanted, but he still had a few days before those orders came and till then he could spend his time working on getting his new officers set up.

Ling Tong, leaned back as he thought about Lu Shan, and smiled, she was something beautiful, brave and so unique. Something about the woman made him want to protect her from danger. Something also made him want to bring her back to his tent and ravish her as well. He worried about her when he found out that she was a woman, but she proved so far she could keep up. He knew the new armor would help a lot as it would allow her to move easier as it was made for her unlike her other armor. He wondered if his father would approve of this woman if he presented her to him before he passed, and knew that Ling Cao, his father would in fact approve of her. He was confident if he had a chance he would make his intention towards her known at some point.

Ling Tong to the party early and started to talk with her men getting to know them, they were a odd bunch the pirate was different from Gan Ning at least, which surprised him. He had a plan for the unit of them, they would make great officers each of them, even he could see that. He helped put up the declarations as he waited for Lu Shan to come in and join the party as he talked about things and spread the news they had leave to go into the town the following day, he figured it would give Lu Shan a chance to get to know her men better if she went as well and give her a true chance to relax too.
 
On her way to the party, Lu Shan dropped off her letter to her family, hoping it would get to them soon. Her little sisters were growing up into young women, as far as she knew they already had suitors lined up for them. It's a shame she couldn't watch them grow up anymore, but at least they'll be safe and be able to eat with a roof over their head. She prayed her father would be okay too, after all he was reaching a difficult age. One of the things she feared about leaving them was something happening to their father and with her missing, Lu Shan didn't know what would happen. She couldn't leave the army like this suddenly, she didn't want her sisters to marry a man they don't love either. They were too young to be forced into marriage, if anything, Lu Shan would marry to have her husband take head of the household, but if her sisters could marry for love then it was worth her own happiness; hopefully those things wouldn't come for years to come. Even if she had to marry...she hoped she could find a man like Lord Ling Tong or Lord Lu Meng.

Both men were admirable in Lu Shan's eyes, but she believed that they wouldn't be romantically interested in her. Ling Tong was confident and brave; he seemed like the type of man who would protect anyone he cared about deeply with his life. Lu Meng was intelligent and a natural leader; he practically took care of Ling Tong when he was younger and kept him from getting into fights with his rival Gan Ning. Still, Lu Shan didn't expect them to be attracted to a girl like her. Most men would want a housewife that would bare sons and daughters for them, but Lu Shan didn't know if she could make a wonderful wife. She never learned how to cook very much or clean very well, since her time went to learning how to act like a man. Her sisters on the other hand, got the teachings and training to be perfect wives. In a way, it was upsetting that she never got to be a girl until now, but at least now, she had men who respected her and with the help of her superiors, became stronger. As long as her family was safe and secure, then she was happy.

Now wasn't the time to think about such upsetting things, now was the time to relax and bond with the men she would be working beside for awhile. She wanted Lu Xun to join them, but she figured he would want to spend some time with his lovely wife. It would be nice if Lu Meng wanted to join as well, but she figured that he, out of all people who needed to relax, would be far too busy anyway. Still, at least Ling Tong would be there with them. When she returned to the men, she smiled seeing Ling Tong and her men working together already to prepare for the celebration. They seemed to be getting along well already and bonding nicely too, which was a fantastic sight. She approached them smiling and asking, "I'm back, is there anything I could help with?"
 
Lu Meng was looking over his paperwork as he noticed one that was an announcement of the advancement of rank of Lu Shan, the dark eyes of the commander scanned it and he rose an eyebrow at the news. Ling Tong had let this one slip though somehow, but it was his choice that he was able to get her as his second in command. He almost kicked himself as he thought about doing something similar after he had read the information and the report about how she had done during her first battle. It was a strong and good report by her men and by Ling Tong. The woman was very talented and would have a bright future, sadly it would seem as though that future would come in Ling Tong's unit but he was sure that he would get to work with the female officer again, that he was very much sure of. Perhaps he could find a way to get her to join with him to work on training somehow. He would put something together.

Ling Tong and the others looked over at the young woman who had gotten Ling Tong to show up as well was the connecting factor between himself and the men who were also in the room. Ling Tong looked over at her and shook his head, "no, nothing at all, but I did forget to tell you tomorrow you have a pass to go into the town," he commented to her as he looked at her and then smile as he looked at her. "We will have everything in here ready in a short period of time," he commented as he looked around to see that almost everything was ready. He went over and helped pull up the last banner and then set in place, "Well, it is good to be able to enjoy company of people right," he said looking back over at Ling Tong after he put the last thing up.

Yan and Oto walked over and smiled as the pair of them offered Lu Shan a plate, "Lady Shan, I am sure that you want some good food," Oto commented as he looked at her as he was able to handle to her the food, the plate was made of amazing food that Oto himself had made, he had been a cook when he was younger and was rather good at it. "I hope you enjoy the dish Lady Shan," he said with ever his most respectful tone as he gave her a smile before slipping away. Yan, looked at the pair, "Also, remember that there is pleny of stuff to drink, but I couldn't bring that to you here, cause well don't have a cup yet," he said with a smile before he left the area in fornt of Lu Shan. Ling Tong looked at them and blinked, "you do have a lot of characters who work for you don't you?"
 
While Lu Shan was a bit disappointed that they didn't have anything for her to do, her spirits were lifted up hearing that tomorrow she had a pass to go into town. It's been so long since she's been outside of the Wu camp, other then to go to battle, that the idea of finally going somewhere. She remembered having to go into town with her sisters to shop, they would get so excited to go with her. Normally Lu Shan would buy them warm buns or some other sweets while they shopped for food, but since they weren't here with her, then perhaps she'll buy one for herself for old times sake. Besides it'll be nice to remember what it's like to see what a normal life was like through the people in the town. Seeing children and dogs playing, lovers and families together...all those things that made this whole fight worth all the sacrifice and hardships. "Great! It'll be nice to take a trip into town after all this time." Lu Shan smiled happily up at Ling Tong.

It was nice learning that it wouldn't be long before everything was ready for their little gathering. Lu Shan decided to sit back and watch everyone work since there was nothing she could do, besides as long as everyone was here then she was happy. When Yan and Oto came to her with a plate of delicious looking food, Lu Shan smiled at them warmly, "It looks delicious! I can't wait to try it, especially if you men made them." Looking at the plate, the treats on it truly did look delicious, her stomach even rumbled a bit from the sight of them. Delicious food, plenty of drinks, decorations, and surrounded by friends...this looked like it was going to be a amazing party and one that Lu Shan hoped would take everyone off edge for awhile.

Hearing Ling Tong, Lu Shan looked over at him and even found herself chuckling a little bit, "Yeah, all of them are a colorful bunch, but that's what makes them so great. Different background, different personalities, different views...it makes each one of them unique and special, but looking at the entire army, there are a lot of colorful people. And you're no different, Ling Tong." She teased playfully, playfully bumping shoulders with him as she watched her men ready for the party. Just as expected, the party was ready to go very soon and luckily it didn't take long for everyone to start enjoying themselves. The food was absolutely delicious and worth the wait, Lu Shan even found out that Oto made it himself and praised him for it. While their were different types of sake available, Lu Shan decided to take it easy and drink the more weaker ones to keep herself from getting drunk too quickly. She found herself laughing and enjoying each second of the party, especially hearing Ling Tong's stories of his youth when he was more lazy and carefree. Lu Shan couldn't be more happy to see everyone around her having fun and enjoying themselves and relaxing from the high tensions of war.
 
The meal was amazing, the food was amazing, Ling Tong telling stories about his adventures with his friends and when he was a underling under his father back when he was still alive too. He had such good times, they were adventures that would live on in his memory, just like his father would live on in his heart forever. He never in his own judgement would be as good as his father Ling Cao, but he would do his father honor by carrying on his legacy as a warrior of Wu. He also told stories about when he was working with Ning and their battles before he got his own unit which wasn't that long before he had meet with Lu Shan, it was one reason why it was so easy to be able to make her his second in command so easily.

Yan told stories, too, he had a common link as he worked with Gan Ning as well, having both been pirates they worked together when they attacked and raided various places to make money before Ning went legit long before Yan had decided to go legit himself. He knew that he was a good man and had loved the adventures he had with Ning. He spent time with other former pirates who would join Wu as officers some of which he actually was in charge of as a pirate which made him smile telling stories of how he attacked a wagon carrying rice as they got bad info about how they thought that it was gold that the ship was carrying or the time they attacked expecting a group of soldiers to stop midway to find out that it was a group of beautiful maidens who they escorted to their destination after they found out.

The group shared stories and had fun though out the night. It was great, Ling Tong took Lu Shan's hand, "come on, I will walk you home," he said late that night. Truth was he wanted to be near her, but this gave him a reason to be near her and that was good. He walked along the path with her enjoying the night air as he smiled looking at the beautiful woman. "I think the next battle will be a big one, which means a bad one, you will lose people this time, I am sorry to tell you this, but you might need to get prepared for it as best as you can, it will be a fight against Cao Cao and his forces," he explained as he stopped in front of Lu Xun's and her place now, "I just wanted to give you these days so you would have memories of your men at their best if anything should happen to them."
 
The entire party couldn't have gone more perfectly, the stories and laughs, the entire group bonding together...it was a night Lu Shan wouldn't forget. She learned so much about Ling Tong and her men through their stories, but she had to admit, it was pretty nice learning about their pasts through their stories. For hours and hours into the night, Lu Shan almost forgot that they had a battle coming up. Tonight, Lu Shan got to see something special, everyone laughing and enjoying themselves after months and months of pain and hardships. She never wanted this night to end, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

With her guard lowered, the moment she felt a hand touch hers, her cheeks turned a bright red. Lu Shan looked to see that it was Ling Tong that was touching her which only made her cheeks blush brighter. Seeing he wanted to take her home, Lu Shan couldn't find herself to say no. "Oh, s-sure." She replied holding onto his hand for a moment before getting up to walk with him. The night air was soothing against her skin and the moonlight was shining so brightly. She looked over to him and smiled warmly enjoying the walk she was having with him, but when he brought up the upcoming battle, Lu Shan was reminded of what nightmares were to come. Softly she sighed and looked down at the ground knowing that she really should be preparing herself for it. Cao Cao's forces were a force to be reckoned with...she knew it was only a matter of time before she would lose someone or herself.

Once they were in front of Lu Xun's and her home, Lu Shan stopped and turned to face him so her eyes could look into his as he spoke. Her smile returned hearing his sweet words. Ling Tong really was a kind man, even though the worst has yet to come, he wanted her to enjoy the last few days of peace they might have. Softly, Lu Shan's hand touched his as she spoke, "I know what's to come, but...thank you...you really are making these days the best of my life. Even if horrible things are coming our way...I'm just happy we got to have some fun together and enjoyed ourselves." She smiled warmly looking up at him with warm eyes, but her heart was starting to race. The soft moonlight lighting up his handsome features and seeing how her hand just couldn't let go of his, made her cheeks blush and found herself unable to look at him directly. Lu Shan wanted to run, but her body was frozen. She just couldn't move or speak anymore, but...why?
 
He knew that war wasn't going to last forever that war would end or have at least breaks to it, but he knew also that in this war, he too could die, he could pass away killed in any battle. The death of his father had proven this fact to him so well. He looked at Lu Shan her beauty was absolute in his mind. He knew that he could lose her or be killed himself. His words also applied to him as he looked at her. He smiled as he knew that he had to remember then in his dealings with her as well as his dealings with other people who worked under him. "Now, tomorrow, you have fun, but tomorrow night, we are going to a dinner date you and myself," he said as he showed the normal confidence as he looked at her, "A real date to relax and have fun," he said as he looked into the eyes of the woman warrior.

He pressed his lips against those of Lu Shan for a moment pressing close to her for a moment letting the moment wash over him as he enjoyed it completely. He smiled as he broke the kiss with the woman and smiled, "Well, now, you do need your sleep, and I do too, to sleep off all I drank tonight," he said as he looked at her, "but Lu Shan, I do very much like you, and hope that you enjoy this date with me tomorrow, before that though have fun with your men find what ways you can help them find their fun day too," he said with a smile as he looked at her and then caressed her cheek, "heck what am I worried about, you will do find, your men are very impressive, they are just like their boss impressive."

Ling Tong pulled away waving to her as he walked off with a smile heading to bed. He didn't look back as he showed his confidence in another way, he was very self assured and believe in himself, but that was because he believe in his friends and those who supported him. He headed to his home finding his way quickly to bed. He knew that Lu Shan would have things to do the next day in town with her friends and himself and a few others. He figured she would get to spend more time during the day with he men as she wanted and then later that day she would be on that magical date with him. He was going to do everything possible to make it magical as well knowing that it was going to be big and important for her, and himself too.
 
Immediately, as Lu Shan heard Ling Tong's confident declaration that they would be going on a date, she looked directly at him surprised, yet he was his usual confident and cool self. She honestly didn't know what to say about it, especially since he talked about it like it was already decided and he was so sudden about it that Lu Shan found herself frozen in shock, "D-date?!" The idea of going on a date with a warrior as cool as him wasn't...a bad one, but shocking that someone like him was interested in her. He such a handsome and talented, he was completely out of her league. No, this had to be a joke to pick on her and see her all flustered. Ling Tong was probably just picking on her or maybe just the alcohol talking. Though at least, that's what she was thinking at first.

The moment she felt his lips touch her's without warning, Lu Shan's eyes widened and her cheeks blazed red. That was when she realized...Ling Tong wasn't kidding...he really was interested in her. She felt so light headed all of a sudden, almost like she was going to faint. His lips were so warm and soft against hers and it felt so wonderful. Eventually her eyes started to close and fully accept his kiss, but before she could do anything Lu Shan felt his lips pull away. She looked up to meet his gaze feeling her entire face was blushing red. Listening to him actually say that he really did like her sent her heart racing. His hand felt so warm against her cheek, she just wanted it to stay there, but she knew that he was right...they both needed some sleep, yet she couldn't find herself to say a single word. Lu Shan wanted to say a lot of things, but she just couldn't put her words in order to make full sentences. As he walked away, at least Lu Shan managed to say, "Oh, um...good night then!"

Lu Shan found herself staring at Ling Tong's back as he walked away...was he going to look back to see how she was reacting? Though, he didn't even show any signs of wanting to looking back, somehow it brought a smile to her face. Ling Tong really was confident in himself, even borderline arrogant, but...how could she say no to him, especially since he was walking away. Softly she sighed, shaking her head softly in disbelief as she walked inside of the house. Lu Shan didn't know if Lu Xun or his wife were awake, but she didn't hesitate to walk straight into her room. She was worried if anyone saw her face they would question why she had a bright smile and her face was completely red. When she made it to her room, Lu Shan closed her door and and leaned against the wall, putting her hand on her chest to feel her heart was still racing. Ling Tong and her...together? Somehow she felt so excited for this...date they were doing to have. Eventually, when her heart finally settled, Lu Shan decided to get some rest, after all...tomorrow was going to be a big day. After getting into bed, it wasn't long before sleep took over her despite the excitement of tomorrow's events.
 
The following day thing started off early in the morning for the group who had been out all night. They all knew that they had the day off and they could go into town. The gathering of the group for the trip into town was something that was super easy as again, they all lived in the same place, so when the first person woke up, they would then go and wake up the next person and then they next person would be woken up and so on. It would only be a short period of time before all of them were up and about and getting ready to go on the trip. Each member of the group had different aims and goals from Oto wanting to go into town to get supplies from his cooking to a couple of them wanting to send out letters to friends or families or Yan who just wanted to be in a city and have some general fun at that moment in time. Each wanted to have fun and enjoy the time they had around each other.

Ling Tong himself was up early as normal as he thought about Lu Shan mostly, his mind think about the exotic and different female. He found her so amazing, and a woman who wouldn't leave his mind no matter how much he tried, which wasn't much. He got up and had a quick breakfast before he went and started to make sure they had all they would need for the trip to town gathering up a large troop transport carriage that could be used by all of them and would be pulled by a pack of horses into town. It would take them to town easily within a hour or so. It was a simple thing, with four hours pulling a open box like wagon that had two benches inside of it and plenty of room for all eleven of them.

He had all the things ready as he notice that the group was already showing up. He opened up the back of the wagon and let them in, as each of them got in, he noticed some had a lot of letters in bags to take with them where as others had nothing on them. He waited now just for the last person to show up. He looked around the camp, where they were, it didn't help. They were between two large buildings that blocked the view, so he could only really hope that Lu Shan would see them or would of seen the him or one of the others walk to the transport. He sat up in the transport as he was wondering if he had told here where they would be. He blinked, he didn't damn it, he forgot to tell her. He sighed as he knew that they would have to get going, and would hope that the smart young woman would be able to figure it out on her own. He looked at the others who were ready to go, and moved to his seat, he figured a few more minutes wouldn't hurt anything.
 
When morning came, Lu Shan woke up fairly early and immediately last night's development crossed into her mind. Seeing Ling Tong's face getting closer and closer until she felt the heat of his lips upon hers. She could still remember that warmth like it was fresh, like the kiss was still lingering on her smooth lips; he was so confident too. Ling Tong didn't even give her a warning before taking her first kiss. Her face already started to blush deeply remembering his sharp eyes and warm lips along with the mention of a date that left her speechless. How could he be so confident? It's like he knew she couldn't say no to him, not that she would anyway. He was a amazing fighter and leader after all...and such a handsome man...even though Lu Shan was entirely nervous she decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to go on her first date, after all he already kissed her...and embarrassingly enough left her wanting more.

After finally getting out of bed, Lu Shan got ready for the day expecting to have a full day of fun with her men before she...went on her date. Lu Shan shook her head to chase the thought away knowing it would just make her blush again. Even as she got ready, Ling Tong just couldn't get off her mind...she didn't know how she was going to react once she saw him again, but she really wanted to go. It didn't take long for her to get dressed and ready to go as long as she tried her best to keep Ling Tong out of her mind, which proved to be difficult. After having breakfast and saying goodbye to Lu Xun and his wife, Lu Shan stepped outside taking a deep breath to ready herself, but before she could take a single step Lu Shan realized something: she had no idea where they were suppose to meet. Realizing this, Lu Shan began to panic a bit knowing they wouldn't wait too long for her. She had to find the wagon quick!

Lu Shan looked around camp and to her luck, it was surprisingly quick to find the wagon even in a camp as large as Wu's. Though when she approached the wagon she figured that Ling Tong was waiting inside. Her hands trembled at the thought of seeing him again or even sitting next to him. Hopefully she looked good enough to his liking...after taking a deep breath, Lu Shan steeled her nerves and walked into the wagon. She smiled seeing her men waiting inside and said with relief, "Oh good, I'm not too late." Though her fears came true when she saw the only seat available was right beside Ling Tong. Just seeing his handsome face again made her blush, but she hoped that the dim lighting would make it hard for her men to see her face red or at least thought it was due to the heat. Lu Shan felt her heart racing as she walked closer and sat down next to Ling Tong, but found herself keeping herself closed up and tense with her legs closed tightly together and her hands remaining in her lap. She was scared just to touch him and couldn't find herself to meet his gaze. "G-good morning, Lord Ling Tong." She greeted trying to look normal in front of all of them.
 
The group of them noticed that Lu Shan had joined them, Ling Tong felt a bit awkward naturally having her along, but he knew she would feel that as well. He nodded his head as he looked at her, "glad you can make it, it is a honor to have you here with us," he said with a calm confident tone as he looked out side, "I am going to be taking care of business today, well mostly today. I know that you can handle yourselves and take care of what business each of you have. I am sure that we will meet up at the large outdoor eatery tonight where we will be able to spend time together talking and getting to know each other well. As you are all my subordinates it shall be rather interesting."

Oto looked over and smiled as did Yan, the farm boy and the pirate were good friends despite being rather different from each other. The group of them rode into the town, it was a good sized one with a large market area, with lots of different place to eat and have fun and relax as well. It was the best place to spend a freeday off. It would be great for each of them to have the fun that they hadn't most likely had since before they were in the army. The whole trip wasn't that long as the village wasn't all that far from where their camp happened to be either. As they arrived, Ling Tong waved to the group, "I shall see you all later," he commented as he looked over at her and then headed out into the town.

Oto looked and grabbed Lu Shan before she could follow Ling Tong, "Commander, I need your help," he requested as he looked at her, "I have a girl back home and I need to get her something, I was hoping that you would be able to go into the market and be able to help me pick up something for her to send back," he asked wanting her help to find the best gift for his girl back home. He figured that with her being a female, she would have a greater idea of what he should get and what would go over the best with her as well. He knew that if he did well with the gift he would be able to show that he was achieving higher ranks and give her a reason that she should be willing to wait for him too.
 
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