Shu invades Wu Ling

[Liu Bei]

Shu general Mi Zhu invade Wu Ling!



Mod: Sun Quan

Attackers go first; so feel free to post arriving.

[Sarugaku Jouten]

Sarugaku Jouten's Arrival

The male, along with Mi Zhu had their orders. Their orders were to simply go and take the land of Wu Ling. Of course Sarugaku's attitude he would think that this would be nothing at all. And so they rode to the area of Wu Ling to take it over at any cost. But to be peaceful about it as much as possible. Secretly though the male wanted to slaughter them all, no matter what the cost he wanted blood to be spilled. But he knew that it would cause problems so he tried to quite his blood lust as much as possible.

At this point in time the three kingdoms were thrown into an all out war, at the moment it was a land grab situation. Grab as much land as possible and be able to defend it before someone else takes it from you. Sarugaku understood this concept but thought they were going about it wrong, but of course his opinion would not be heard on this matter for reasons unknown.

After riding for quite a long while, about a day or two they finally arrived to the fortress of Wu Ling. The bright morning sun hit the face of the male as he rod in on his silver horse. With a sudden stop he looked outward toward the fortress, the men behind him lining up behind him completely. Head shifted toward the left, the mask covering his face as he looked toward the men that he was put in charge of. The only time that he wore the mask was when he wanted a blood bath, and he did want a blood bath."Set up camp here."He said in a some what nice tone of voice.

Right hand lifted upward, middle and index finger moving forward. This a sign for 15 scouting units to spread out and check the area of Wu Lin just in case of any traps or ambush's. The male shifted his horse around and landed on the ground, walking toward one of the general tents that they had set up in a couple of minutes.

The male moved inside and shifted onto the soft bed like structured and laid down. Looking up toward the sky, mask still on and his silver armor covering his body. He awaited his companion general, and his scouts to show up so they could start the planning of attack.

"Messenger!"he called outside of the tent. A messenger came running from outside. "Tell the lord of Wu Ling that we request a council with him to decide the terms."The messenger quickly bowed and got on a horse and rode off toward Wu Ling.

Figure shifted toward the bed once more and laid upon it, gently shifting onto his side he stared at the empty desk to the right of him. In this once more thinking of all the possible strategies he could use in this fight against Wu Ling.

SPOILER: Click to show

Sarugaku Jouten's Unit

• 2,500 Levy Peasants
  
• 1,000 Bowmen
  
• 1,000 Swordsmen
  
• 1,000 Spearmen
  
• 500 Veteran Swordsmen
  
• 500 Veteran Bowmen
  
• 100 Scout Calvary
  
• 1,000 Lancer Calvary
  
• + Personal Units
  Total 7,600 Troops

[Mi Zhu]

Chaos reigns, the land divided in three. Many fought for it's control but only one would reign supreme. Mi Zhu had come here to Wu Ling to further establish a strong base for his own lord Liu Bei to expand more than he already had. In the end the land would only have one true kingdom and Mi Zhu would ensure it was Shu. With his men at his back and his sword at his belt Mi Zhu advances to just outside arrow range. Before the battle would truly begin he would have to confer with his fellow general and marching alone to Sarugaku's camp he steps before him and says:

General, I think our first priority must be to try and take Wu Ling with as little bloodshed as possible, we must aim for a peaceful solution, if not my rams will destroy the walls before us. What say you?

Mi Zhu arrives with his personal troops and the following kingdom troops:

2,500 Levy Peasants
1,000 Bowmen
1,000 Swordsmen
1,000 Spearmen
500 Veteran Swordsmen
500 Veteran Bowmen
100 Scout Calvary
1,000 Lancer Calvary

[Sarugaku Jouten]

"I must speak from my heart when I speak these words..I hate Shu, I hate everything about it. Even if it saved my family I must follow my heart in this situation." The male quickly stood upward toward the male named Mi Zhu. He handed the male a letter. Which inside of it contained the troop info and the males strategy. "This is all you will need to know about this battle. This is all the info I have collected and everything that has been set to work..I apologize."

The male quickly shifted outward, and got on top of his horse. "MEN THAT BELONG TO ME AND ONLY THOSE MEN WE RIDE TO JIAN YE!" The person units and him quickly road to Jian Ye with all the speed they could. Getting away from the Shu empire as quickly as possible.

[Fai]

The Hawk Swoops In

The former bandits had stopped to rest in a nearby spring. There horses were tired from days of travel, and many of the men had grown hungry from the march. Men gathered in groups behind a campfire as night slowly approached, and the cool air of the sun setting steadily giving some of the men bumps on their skin. Xin Fai, the leader of these former outlaws, sat at the largest circle. Alongside him was his apprentice, Lu Huo as they ate their rice gruel in peace. All two thousand disciplined soldiers did not talk much as they ate their meal. They were as one. Although Xin Fai’s former bandit group was a mere one hundred men, he had managed to gather many other groups to ally with him to become soldiers of Shu-Han.

Their little camping break felt like old times when they once ransacked villages and killing innocent civilians. No longer were they untrained barbarians fighting for a measly scrap of meat, they were now a trained army under the rightful command of General Xin Fai. They had heard of his story of what happened at the palace and were impressed by Xin Fai’s straightforward attitude. Many had their doubts that they would simply be hunted down for even being near Chang Sha, but to be so readily accepted by others was a rarity. Their morale was high, and it was clear that all of them had a deep loyalty for the handsome, educated young archer.

“Xin Fai! We have spotted a messenger that bears the Shu flag!”

The Hawk stood up from his seat by the warmth of the flame. Lu Huo eyed him curiously before settling back to eating, it was not his business. A man in light armor was atop of the horse that was foaming at the mouth from sheer exhaustion. The messenger got off from his tired horse and panted heavily as he dropped to the ground on his knees. It appeared as if he did not rest for days! Xin Fai approached messenger after thanking the man who had spotted the messenger and ordered him back to his original post. He examined the exhausted man even further and mentally took a note at how impoverished he looked.

“You…you are Shu soldiers?” The messenger asked wearily. His eyes darkened as he looked at Xin Fai’s troops who were looking his way. He was terrified by their startling glares and was afraid that he had stepped into a bandit’s camp that was posing as a Shu army.

“Yes. I am General Xin Fai, I have recently been appointed an officer of Liu Bei’s army. We have come to assist Lord Mi Zhu and Lord Sarugaku Jouten.” The young man said calmly and reassuringly to him. He gave him a warm and inviting smile as he helped up the poor man. He turned some random man and ordered him to fetch a bowl of rice for the newcomer. After the bowl of rice had been delivered, the messenger greedily began chomping down the contents as Xin Fai led him to his campfire he had sat beforehand.

The messenger and Xin Fai took a seat next to Lu Huo. The newly appointed officer remained patient as he waited for the messenger to finish eating before saying, “Now tell me. Why have been frantically travelling for?”

A grief-stricken look appeared on the messenger’s face as he shook his head, “General Sarugaku Jouten has left the Shu-Han army. He stated his hatred for Shu and took his men with him. He is planning to defect to Wu!”

Xin Fai tensed slightly as his knowing smile faded from his face. Instead, it was replaced with a concerned expression. The bandits that have heard turned to listen. Everyone did not tolerate traitors in this company. If you were in a bandit group and you betrayed a comrade, then you’re scum and deserve to die. They needed trust to successfully survive and manage to have a great and functioning army. He looked straight at the messenger’s eyes with a cold, unfeeling glare and asked, “I see. Then we need to move posthaste.”

He stood up from his position and turned to one of the patrol guards that were on duty. “Tell the sergeants of each squad that we are to leave immediately tomorrow. I had planned to give us a day of rest, but the situation has changed.” The guard nodded at the orders and ran off to fulfill his duty. Xin Fai turned back to the messenger and sighed, “Please rest tonight. We will give you supplies and a new horse for your journey back to our lord to tell the news.” The messenger couldn’t help but nod frantically before Xin Fai had two men escort him to Xin Fai’s own private quarters.

He sat back down and tiredly ran his fingers through his long, black hair. Lu Huo, noticing his nervous gesture, began to talk, “It appears that there may be some trouble.”

“Mhm. Lord Liu Bei informed me that Mi Zhu is more of a diplomat than a fighter. I’m afraid that without an equal balance of commanders, the army at Wu Ling may be in disarray.” Xin Fai said knowingly. The others at the campfire only nodded their heads in agreement. The only one that was intelligent enough to understand ‘strategy’ and ‘politics’ were the sergeants, Lu Huo, and General Xin Fai themselves.

“Isn’t this a good a chance though? You can fill in the leadership role of that traitor Sarugaku. It would put you in Liu Bei’s good grace.”

“I suppose. However, we have to be quick…it’s no different than the time when we were bandits…” Xin Fai stood up and began walking to his quarters with Lu Huo in tow.

“I suppose you want me to go ahead and meet with Lord Mi Zhu?” Inquired the fourteen year old boy. Xin Fai looked at him and nodded. He walked over to a scroll that lay on his bed as his eyes rested on the messenger that was sleeping in another bed in the same tent. He took the scroll and handed it to Lu Huo.

“Take this scroll to Mi Zhu. It would tell him who we are. Who I am, and what we plan to do. We are allies from the same kingdom after all. Now be quick. You’re our fastest rider.”

Lu Huo nodded as he quickly exited the tent to find his stallion. Meanwhile, Xin Fai plopped down onto his makeshift bed to get some sleep.

-----

Xin Fai and his troops arrive in the area near Wu Ling. His decision to quickly move out in the morning was a success and had made it when it was still day. Although he was not tired from their tiresome journey, he was sure that his men may need their rest. From atop of the hills that overlooked the city from afar, he noticed mass of soldiers together far away from the city walls.

The flag had the symbol of Shu on it.

"Raise the flag! We're going to rendezvous with Lord Mi Zhu!" Xin Fai called out to his men. The men assigned to hold the flags raised it high as they began descending from the hilltop. Their charge was swift and controlled, no less can be expected from this united band of former bandits.

Xin Fai rode towards the entrance of Mi Zhu's emcampment and hailed the guards with a smile a wave of his hand. As he neared, he gave the order for his army to make camp close to Mi Zhu's. Of course, they happily obliged. They needed the rest if they were going to do well in the battle that may happen in a few hours. He turned his attention to the guards and said, "I am General Xin Fai of Shu. I believe I have sent a messenger previous to tell you of my arrival?"

The guards nodded in response and allowed him entrance, not knowing who he was. As he entered the camp, he spotted a certain young boy's crazy grin as he ran towards him. Lu Huo, with his ever present childish grin on his face called out to Xin Fai, "Big brother, I have did what you have asked!"

"So you have, and with such quickness I may add. Our troops had made camp close to this one. I need to speak to Lord Mi Zhu." Xin Fai ordered, his tone casual and the demand for the order wasn't exactly all that needed. His men's spirits would be lifted if they knew that their young ward had survived the arduous journey.

After the young boy left, it was up ot Xin Fai to find Mi Zhu. He started off first by inquiring some of the high ranking soldiers of where their general was at the moment. It took some time, but he had finally managed to track down where Mi Zhu was in the camp. Stepping down from his horse, Xin Fai began taking several steps to the much more experienced gentleman.

"Lord Mi Zhu! I am Xin Fai, I have been sent forth by Lord Liu Bei to aid you in capturing Wu Ling. Although I am young, I am experienced with war itself. My troops and I are standing by for your orders, and we are currently resting from our travels."

SPOILER: Click to show

Troops
The Hawks
100 Cavalry Archers [Command]

Main Army
1900 Cavalry Archers

Total: 2000 Troops


OOC: Mi Zhu, feel free to talk and control Lu Huo to tell you that Xin Fai is arriving with his own troops.

I edited to fit what Sun Quan said. Looks like I made it.

[Sun Quan]

You can arrive on time, I still have yet to post as there is no map up. Once there is, I'll make my post.

[Mi Zhu]

As the general of Shu approached Mi Zhu, Mi Zhu himself was speakig with many of his junior officers, dispensing orders on te setup of the Shu camp, being that he was as of that moment the senior officer of the battle's troops. With their orders given to them, the officers go off to perform their respective tasks. As this is being done another man walks up behind Mi Zhu and following his question to Mi Zhu, he turns about to face this young man. With a step forward Mi Zhu looks the younger general up and down, hoping to figure out his fighting ability. With a smile Mi Zhu fires a single arrow just past the officers face and into a nearby pole and with a good natured chuckle walks forward to shake the hand of the young general.

Sorry for that general, quite simply I wanted to show you before the battle started that I can be trusted in a fight. Without trust an army will not be able to properly function. Now to the point of your being here. Pardon me, I forgot to ask your name. I am Mi Zhu of Xia Pi. It is nice to meet you general. Now in the business at hand I think the best idea is for me to handle strategic and diplomatic needs for the battle, while you yourself will likely be best suited to personally leading the troops into battle. Also you will take over the troops of the Wu traitor if you so desire.

[Sun Quan]

[yellow]"So that is Shu.. eh?"[/yellow]

"Aye, that must be them my lord."

[yellow]"..Ferocious, aren't they?"[/yellow]

Shi Ron smiled at his adviser, laughing with him for a moment. Such was his nature, a small, humble lord living deep in the south west. It's not like he could go around boasting, after all. "Glory to your name, my lord," the loyal adviser smiled warmly to his lord.

Wu Ling, a city that seemed forgotten in the age of the land. Shu had finally come to make its visit. What would come of this? Death? Did the heroes of Chi Bi decide that they too have to play the villain?

[yellow]"Form the archers up on this wall, facing the enemy. For now, we shall find out their intentions."[/yellow] With a tumble the gates beneath where the two were standing shook open, dust seeming to cascade into the eastern winds.. This would be an interesting exchange- the new, emerging Shu army vs an army that could hardly be considered one. Shu's time to shine, perhaps?

A single rider waving a white flag flew from the gates, he traveling very quickly, his white armour making him look like a bolt of lightening. He'd always been his lord's Vanguard, whether in diplomacy or in times of war. But then again, he was one of the few young warriors that his lord possessed, so who else would he pick?

The rider, Chang Ting, rode up to the enemy encampment, one hand holding a long spear, the other a white flag. His voice seemed unnaturally calm, but then again, he'd fought the Nanman, and there wasn't much you couldn't handle after facing their hordes. [white]"Hello, I am my lord's envoy. Shi Ron wishes to understand Shu's intentions in the land of Wu Ling."[/white]


Outside, further down the way, a Chieftan gazed over the scene. His 'army' had arrived in the area a few days before, anticipating the entrance of the Shu army into the region. Things were finally getting exciting..

SPOILER: Click to show

500 Spearmen
250 Veteran Swordsmen
400 Bowmen
200 Crossbowmen
100 Veteran Bowmen
250 Lancer Cavalry

[Mi Zhu]

As the rider arrives Mi Zhu orders his men to lower their arms, after all this man did not seem to be having any sort of aggresive overtone. It would seem that the army of Wu Ling was in a desperate shape and that it was not exactly the strongest army in the land. Smiling at the young officer who had approached him Mi Zhu takes a very diplomatic approach.

Ahh, hello young man. We have simply come here to bring Wu Ling into the Kingdom of the Shu-Han. This will bring us one step closer to returning the land to the Han. I myself had recommended to our lord that Wu Ling would be an excellent city to bring into the growing lands of the Han.

Young man I am Mi Zhu of Xia Pi. And who am I addressing? Also what is the name of this city's prefect? I think it wise to know who I am dealing with here in Wu Ling. As I said before I do hope that we are not forced to engage in battle here. Being a diplomat myself, I am not fond of bloodshed personally.

[Fai]

Xin Fai remained passive as he stood his ground in front of Mi Zhu. His feet were parted as his hands were behind his back. He smile politely at the older man and did not falter in his stance as the older man grabbed a bow and arrow and aimed it at him. As a bandit, and a warrior, he felt no killing intent from his comrade. The arrow flew through the air, cutting through any resistance that was in its way. The arrow whizzed past his face as it hit a pole that was next to Fai’s body. As the old man smiled, Xin Fai’s countenance changed to that of a grin. It was interesting.

As Mi Zhu explained his actions, he only nodded in understanding .His eyes closed as he nodded, but opened them when the older gentleman finished his explanation and his description of his personality. It was true; he would rather prefer leading the troops into battle than staying in the camp and coming up strategies. Each army had to have some sort of leader that would just as recklessly charge into the fray along with his soldiers. However, at the mention of the traitor’s troops, he frowned slightly. “With all due respect general, I don’t believe that is such a good idea. The men had been through a betrayal of its own commander, they need someone they would trust. Namely you. I am merely a newcomer, a young man, and a former bandit. Distrust for the commander will lead an army to its impeccable doom.”

Suddenly, the rushed gallops of a horse, a sound that had been heavily imprinted into his mind, could be heard as it entered the Shu encampment. Immediately, Xin Fai reached for his bow and an arrow from his quiver. However, at the glimpse of a pure, white flag, he immediately let go of those weapons and instead decided to observe. The man appeared to be an envoy from Wu Ling’s leader. Although he was a rough man, Xin Fai knew the etiquette of war. He turned to gaze at Mi Zhu, the man in charge of the diplomatic proceedings. He crossed his arms; a subtle movement of his hands placed it close to the hilt of his sword. Just in case the dealings when awry.

As the two spoke, a young man with wild, brown hair wearing a red headband rushed towards Xin Fai. It was none other than Lu Fon, his personal assassin and bodyguard. The young man’s eyes were sharp and cold as ice. His face remained in a perpetual intense glare, a difference from Xin Fai’s aloof one when he didn’t smile. He strode towards his leader and stood next to Xin Fai. As Lu Fon became comfortable, he whispered to Xin Fai, “The men are nervous. We are in Nanman territory, an enemy we hardly fought before. The men have began telling stories of their atrocities.”

Xin Fai grimace slightly from the news. He had hoped that his troops hadn’t heard of them. “Tell the lieutenants and sergeants to tell them that now that we have the Shu flag with us, they would dare not attack our army. It would keep their minds off of them for now.” He ordered. Lu Fon nodded and walked away, returning back to the encampment to spread the orders around. Xin Fai returned back to the scene in front of him and gazed at both Mi Zhu and the young rider. If things went down peacefully, it would mean that none of his men would die today. That was good, but it would fail to bring any reputation to his person.

Instead, Xin Fai opted to be patient for now.

[Sun Quan]

Chang Ting chuckled at Mi Zhu, a man whom he was lead though a man who also didn't look like the sort that would be ready for an expedition into the south. Even still, he was here, ready to take that long and wild road.. it reminded Ting of his earlier days, when he was so young.. when they'd fought them back, when the sky ran red with pain, the hills slick with blood and their hearts cold with the trials of such a war.

That had pain had forged him into a man.

It forged all in Wu Ling, they were all warriors in a way.

Ting spoke again, his voice empty of the casual tone from before, [white]"Simply? You have simply come here to take a city that you do not even know nothing about?"[/white] He sighed, these were the folk that he would feel sorry for. They would learn all too well just how 'simple' it is to lose one's mind, lose one's soul in the jungles of this land.

[white]"We all came here once, carrying those flags.."[/white] the warrior pointed at the Han flag, just below the Shu one. [white]"We were so proud then, too- we'd 'simply' take the south as well.."[/white] Turning around, facing the city, the warrior smiled, his eyes filled with the image of Wu Ling. [white]"My name is of no importance, but my lord's is Shi Ron... I am his eyes and ears for now, so tell me, what are you prepared to do to take Wu Ling, man of Shu?"[/white]

[Mi Zhu]

With a worried look upon his face Mi Zhu takes a moment to think. It would seem that the conquest of Wu Ling would not be as simple as he thought. Mi Zhu would pour a class of tea for himself, offering another to the envoy from Wu Ling. In the end what was he willing to do in order to take Wu Ling. Of course he did not wish to engage the enemy in combat despite the presence of troops on both sides. Nonetheless in order to have an effective takeover of the city they would have to not spill to much blood and instead win over the people by words and will.

However if there was a need for it Mi Zhu was not afraid to fight for this land, after all was he not a general of Shu, not just a simple diplomat alone by any means.

As he is thinking on the matters of what to do about Wu Ling, Mi Zhu notices the presence of some form of tribal warriors also outside the walls of the city, furthur from the city. He sends a rider to go and see what aims this army has in Wu Ling. Finally he turns back to the envoy of Wu Ling and his thoughts collected says:

Well sir though I am a diplomat, I myself am ready to do whatever is necessary to return Wu Ling to the lands of the Han, however I do hope you and your lord will be wise enough to not force us into such a situation. I am not here to kill the people of Wu Ling, I am here to bring them back into the fold. I promise should you and the Prefect allow us to take hold here in the city that you shall have my protection and that of my lord.

Also after this conflict is over I hope to do some work here in Wu Ling to improve the city in a variety of things such as infrastructure and agriculture. And of course I can guarantee your lord will keep his position here, we do not wish to depose those in charge at the moment. In the end as I said I am willing to do what is necessary to bring Wu Ling into the lands of Shu, short of harming the innocent civilians within the city, this I can promise I shall not do, whether you and your lord give in to my lord or force us to fight. All that would breed is distaste for Shu.

[Sun Quan]

Mi Zhu's lone rider would not live to tell of small groups intentions. Their commander did well to draw the horseman in, grab him off his mount and slice is throat after his back thudded on the ground.

The army did well to hide out of sight, they had been the entire time, it was a wonder that Mi Zhu could see from so far, and around the hilly landscape of Wu Ling.

Further back, the warrior from Wu Ling spun back round, his eyes meeting Mi Zhu's as the diplomat finished what he was saying. Sad that his words seemed true, but he could not understand such a situation as complex as this. Deciding that much, the warrior smiled firmly yet then bid him farewell, leading his way back up to the palace. [white]"Well spoken you are Mi Zhu, but your words mean nothing to Wu Ling. It is what we see, that we trust the most:"[/white]

After returning to the walls and climbing them Chang Ting relayed the information to his lord.

[yellow]"Interested I am to see what our enemy does, both of them.."[/yellow] The aging general point off to the south, a small army of Nanman coming from the forest. They looked ready for war, and seemed to want to make short work of the Shu troops and then take the castle. What else could they be here for? Peace? Hah...

Nanman Troop
100 Veteran Swordsmen

[Mi Zhu]

Mi Zhu frowns at the departure of the envoy from Wu Ling, he truly had hoped to take the city without bloodshed but it would seem that such an outcome was something that only existed in his dreams, rather than the reality of this situation. Quickly he calls his officers to his tent to speak with them.

The time had finally come for Mi Zhu to begin the siege of Wu Ling. With such a small garrison there was no possible way that the city could hold out for a terribly long time, but in order to furthur ensure this and also to ensure he lost as few men as he possible could, he would begin to besige the walls of the enemy, rather than engage in a head on assault. Before gathering his own men he goes to Xin Fai to speak to him:

Xin Fai, I have something I need for you to do. Today we will begin to besiege our enemy, I think myself and my troops can handle that. However I think it would be best if first you would take your own troops, along with the cavalry, 1,000 lancers and 100 scouts, to scout out the area to ensure that no enemies are hiding out anywhere who could themselves attack us from behind should we be busy doing things like constructing pits, walls, or whatever may be needed for this siege. At the same time you and these troops can also forage for food so that our troops do not become weary of this siege. What say you my friend?

Mi Zhu sits in his chair within the tent, awaiting the general's response.

[Fai]

Xin Fai knew men that resisted like the men from Wu Ling. How many have he come across villages where many decided to make a stand against his bandits? These people were sick of being conquered, and they were sick of being subjugated by a new warlord. Despite Liu Bei's reputation as a kind lord, there were always doubts in the people. The common people had resilience, that much Xin Fai knew. Never belittle a commoner or else he may get you back one day. They were not spineless cowards, they would do anything they can to retain their freedom.

However, it was Xin Fai's job to break them. He watched at the failed negotiations between Mi Zhu and the envoy. It was certain from the start that no peaceful victory would come out of it. If Liu Bei were to conquer the South, he would have to be aggressive as well. Xin Fai had read the documents of Sun Ce's conquest that laid to the foundation of Wu. The man under certain 'pretences' managed to invade his way and make his own kingdom; making the pillars of what makes Wu great today. The same can be said for Cao Cao who sacrificed his image to get what was done. However, what would Liu Bei do now?

Some time later, Xin Fai approached Mi Zhu's meeting with his officers. He stood to the side, unsure if he was welcome in their meeting. However, before the gathering even began, Mi Zhu instead walked up to him. He listened with his ears and kept an open mind to Mi Zhu's orders. He was indeed wise and experienced, but there were some mentions in the orders that he found to be unpractical given the circumstances. He remained silent until the grand diplomat ceased speaking. He took a seat in his chair, and Xin Fai acknowledged that it was his turn to reply.

"I will do all that you command, but let us save the food for later. We still have supplies, and having an unknown army out there that may be watching over us may ambush us during our foraging. I'll only need 200 of my men to come with me. I wil bring back results soon."

Xin Fai left the tent and walked back towards his encampment. He was unsure if it was the proper etiquette, but he did not care at the moment. This was war. Such manners should be saved for later. As he walked back into camp, he was approached by Lu Huo who nodded in acknowledgement. As they walked side by side, Xin Fai began talking, "Lu Huo. Gather the Hawks and one hundred of our men. We shall be scouting the area." Lu Huo didn't need to be told twice.

An hour later, all one hundred of Xin Fai's personal troops, the Hawks and one hundred of the cavalry archers, were on their horses ready for action. Xin Fai was on his own steed inspecting them. They were all wearing their leather armor and had their bows strung tightly. Xin Fai raised his hand and the Hawks followed. Xin Fai turned his horse around and started galloping out of the camp. Of course, Xin Fai's army copied his movements.

They began by searching through the nearby fields around the city that were not occupied or scouted already by Shu soldiers. However, Mi Zhu had mentioned that the lone rider he had earlier sent had gone missing and so, Xin Fai would begin his search in the nearby forest area in the south. Perhaps then they would find some action. The Hawks and the other one hundred soldiers had one thought in mind. They see any unknown forces that did not bare the Shu flag, they would immediatey fire their bows on sight...

SPOILER: Click to show

Troops
The Hawks
100 Cavalry Archers [Command]

100 Cavalry Archers

Total Scouting Party: 200 Troops

Orders:

• Gathered The Hawks and 100 Calvary Archers
  
• Xin Fai and troops personally went to investigate the Southern Forest area first.

Reasoning: If Mi Zhu had sent a scout there that did not come back, it is logical for Xin Fai to assume that there might be enemies there.