Fateful Meeting (Cao Cao)

[Cai Yan]

It was a beautiful and sunny day. The weather was neither humid nor cool, it was just right. Tree leaves rustling as the calm serenity of the wind blew against them. Peaceful was the village in Yu Prefecture. The only missing of course was...music! Cai Yan left her house and grabbed her seven string zither. It was rather big for her to carry but some of the village neighbor's offered to help. "Good morning Lady Cai! Let me help you with that Zither." said one of the village men. "Good morning Mao Wu. I appreciate your help." Cai Yan said softly with a light bow. "Oh no no, the pleasure is all mine! I'm always willing to help when it comes to your music." Cai Yan's lips curled into a smile as his comment warmed her heart. The maiden watched the village man hold her zither without even the slightest struggle. "Where would you like me to place it Lady Cai?" the man said happily. Cai Yan looked around the village and a large tree caught her graceful eyes. "There!" the long haired woman pointed. The village man quickly walked over towards the tree and swiftly placed it on the ground. Before Cai Yan could even thank him once again, the village man smiled at her, bowed his head and left on his way. Cai felt slightly uncomfortable with him leaving and she not thanking him. But since they lived in the same village and she sees him every day, there will be plenty of times where she can thank him.

Cai Yan sat down below the tree in front of her zither. Before placing her delicate hands on the instrument, she thought of what to play. Suddenly two golden butterflies passed by her and it gave her the idea of what exactly to play. "I shall call this piece, Butterfly Lovers." she said contently. The brown eyed woman played her fingers on the zither and hummed the song before playing. Just after humming, she then started to play her beautiful music. Positioning her in a graceful manner, she looked beautiful with each pluck and lift, creating a crisp and clear sound. The music matched the setting perfectly and it seemed she has attracted a bit of attention in Yu Prefecture. Men, woman and children alike came before her, surrounding her to see her play such beautiful music. The people who continued working seemed to enjoy her peaceful song. Cai Yan closed her eyes and tilted her head like a graceful song with each movement like a graceful swan. When she played, she felt as if she were floating amongst the clouds...

[Xiang Yu]

[[sorry for the delay.]]

Music had not come naturally to the man who patrolled the streets of Chen Liu; to him, it was all just a clatter of thumbs or the exasperating beats of a plucked string, it was merely a sound generated and forgotten – nothing concrete, nothing worth savouring or living for.

Of course, Cao Cao, who had often played music when writing his poetry was not that man, instead, he was Cao Hong. Relative of Cao Cao and a royal commander within the forces of Cao Wei. He had in fact left the palace to patrol the barracks, and had not intended to patrol the outskirts of the palaces perimeter, but time had been a dwindling thing for the youth, and his ears could not help but sense the masked beauty of a swan fluttering within the lustrous gaze of the sun.

It was an odd thing, to listen to music when the heart could only beat in rhythm with the drums of a forgotten war. It was even unsettling to some extent, but the thought pleased him, and he had given the time to accompany the woman who lay placid by the oak tree ahead.

She was in fact a beautiful creature, though his eyes did not shift from the instrument within her hand as he approached her calling.

“You play well.” He started, though sheepishly, “My lord would no doubt appreciate your songs better than those who work to meet the requirements of their families. Please.”

He smiled as he beckoned her forth, though his heart hastened when men and women peered at his stature. He was a general, a man of talent – and he for a second hated thinking about his lord over his civil duties.

“Lord Cao Cao is a composer himself, though he dabs in the art of poetry, maybe you can play a tune to match his wording?”

He laughed slightly, “Though I must apologise, haste has left me without a name. I am Cao Hong, commander of Cao Cao’s forces here in Chen Liu.”