[ 6:20 ] Morning [ 6:22 ] A good morning is debatable because it looks like shit outside [ 6:23 ] If I saw your face again it would drastically improve though [ 6:25 ] I’m not drunk
😩
Send “ø” for a LATE NIGHT text.
[ 11:23 ] Today was not as troublesome as I expected it to be, but I’d much rather be where you are. I suppose I will tolerate it until next week
“No—shut up—go to sleep,” Zihuan whined, arms wrapping tighter around Yoshitsugu. He was absolutely drunk. Oh, I’ll just have one more, I worked hard today. And then he had two more. And three more. It just kept going. Unfunny jokes made him chuckle, and he knew right then and there that he was wasted. But being in his own bed was too warm, and for whatever reason, Yoshitsugu was cold. Maybe he really was a ghost. Regardless, he nuzzled into his hair and sighed in contentment.
“That depends entirely on who you ask. But given the question is directed toward myself… even I do not know. There are variances in what defines a good person. Some would make me one, others anything but. Perhaps I will become hated. What I do know is that I will strive to do everything I can to unite the land under Wei’s banner – and only the future can tell whether it will make me good or not.”
When he thought it was no problem to work longer, he could eat later, he was not expecting it to also be ridiculously hot. The humidity only made it worse. Granted if he worked entirely in the nude he would likely not be suffering quite as much, but he was not exactly in a private location.
The true suffering was being incessantly bothered by others who would come to him for confirmations and directions. His jaw would clench and the temptation to be petty and call them names increased; he would tolerate their presence and then take deep, long breaths when they departed. But if only he was not so goddamn hot, he would have a much greater control of the temper that boiled–
The brush he had been writing with snapped in his hand when he saw yet another figure enter his tent.
“What–” it was Yoshitsugu. Cao Pi’s agitated expression only decreased slightly, but his fist uncurled and the pieces of the brush dropped to the table. “Where have you been? I would much rather have been dealing with you this whole time. These people are absolute buffoons.”
The crisp cut logic of Cao Pi’s diamond-like mind left Yoshitsugu in momentary silence, unsettled by perhaps how accurately he’d described their circumstances. He hadn’t been used to someone posing an argument that he couldn’t readily counter, and it left him feeling unsettled and somehow ashamed, like he’d said something out of line. What Cao Pi was trying to do was… probably the smarter thing to do. Cao Pi’s fate would likely end in torture at the rate things were unfolding, and yet…
“It’s just hard for me to think of what your land will do without you.” Because if there was anything he knew about the other man, it was that Cao Pi held such unflinching ambition. Yoshitsugu hated to think that their situation might quench that burning dream— that it should have to stop now, forced by the hand of Orochi.
“Even if we don’t go back.” It just didn’t feel right.
Cao Pi’s gaze lowered away from Yoshitsugu. In truth, he did not want to do it, and yet he felt that it was rapidly becoming the last option. His father was gone. His brothers were gone. Many that he loved had perished to the Demon Army and he could not even give them proper burials. All he had lost, and yet he had not shed a single tear. He did not know why, for the thought brought nothing but anguish in his mind. Did he still believe this place to be but a vivid nightmare? Did he reject the reality of being alone, waiting for the end to come?
No, he thought, soon I will be alone, but I am not yet. He looked to Yoshitsugu once more, and with a sigh he swatted the cup off of the table. How was he supposed to end it all when he was around? Yoshitsugu had both impeccable and horrendous timing after all.
“…I will keep some more on me, but I will not take it yet. However, with how things are proceeding, I expect it will not last. Eventually I will leave camp alone, and when I do, know I do so with no intention of returning.”
He had ordered a messenger to make haste to Yoshitsugu, urging him to inform that it was imperative that he drop whatever he may be doing and come to Cao Pi immediately. As for Cao Pi, he was visibly irritated as he ran a finger along the brim of his cup of wine. Heavens, no amount of alcohol was enough of a stress reducer in this place - what was this anyway, flavoured water? A puff of a sigh escaped him and he pushed the cup aside.
Thankfully, he need not fret over his beverage for long as Yoshitsugu arrived. His eyes rose from the wine toward the familiar face - one of his favourite, tolerable people. “You’re here,” he remarked, hands folded on the table in front of him. “Do you know what complete and utter shitthis wine is? Whoever made this has no concept of what he is doing. I did not request your presence to complain about a drink, however; come and sit.”
Before poison would pass his lips, Cao Pi heard the plea of his comrade. His cold gaze met Yoshitsugu’s, and there was a long pause from him before he slowly lowered the cup to the table; but he did not loosen his grasp on it.
What was he going to say, that there was still hope? No - hope died a long time ago. The coalition was dying. People were giving up, he was giving up. It was only a matter of time before all would perish. Cao Pi in particular had worked with Orochi, and he had betrayed him. Was it cowardice to wish for a quick death, or was he supposed to face whatever punishment that creature wanted? He would not give him the satisfaction.
And yet, even in his bitter thoughts, there was an inkling of regret. He had hoped that no one would disturb him until he had passed, yet now one of his trusted allies knew of his intentions. A sigh escaped him, and he ran his finger along the rim of the cup.
“I have done what I can… All of us have. We have fought for our lives, died and returned only to die once again. Those mystics couldn’t stop the Demon Army, we cannot stop them. This world is doomed, Yoshitsugu. Every last one of us will be left behind, fated to whatever bitter end awaits. Will it be today? Tomorrow? Weeks? It would not be up to us any longer. I would rather choose how and when I die.”
To put it simply, Cao Pi likes Yoshitsugu. He is easy to be around, worthy of trust, and an enjoyable conversationalist. Had he not been affiliated with Mitsunari, Cao Pi more than likely would not have bothered to spend any time with him; it would have been an error on his part.
If only Yoshitsugu was of his time, he would be near perfect in Cao Pi’s eyes. He gets the feeling that if he remembers his time in the distorted world, he is going to dearly miss Yoshitsugu’s insight and company.
Cao Pi was familiar with Yoshitsugu’s … condition. Mitsunari had mentioned it to him before, although he did not know the severity of it. How horrible it must be to know that you live on each day knowing that your time is quickly running out. And yet he knew that Yoshitsugu was a good person, just as his brother had been, and many he had known that died so young. Often it made Cao Pi wonder why the Heavens looked away from them. Often it made him doubt that the Heavens existed at all.
Zihuan guessed that the mystics were proof enough – but it only made him all the more angry. Knowing there really were powerful entities that allowed such terrible things to happen to good people; people far better than him.
“I suppose, in the end, no one can be,” he said, quietly so. “At the very least, you can make the best out of the time you are given.”
“I could never understand, as I’m not, and never will be, in position like yours.” Cao Pi carried far more importance to his people than Yoshitsugu did. The difference between them was vast, as Yoshitsugu advised and supported the lead rather than be left responsible for its execution.
“…But perhaps it would do you wonders to carefully pick the right person to confide in. The screams of your enemies might just haunt you less when you sleep at night, and vulnerability is an inevitability.”
Cao Pi did not seem to like that. Not because Yoshitsugu claimed he could never understand, but what came after. Why was it so important? There were greater concerns right in front of their faces. Quite frankly, he did not want to continue the conversation.
“And what, are you suggesting that you are the right person?” Zihuan scoffed and shook his head. “I am not interested in having any heart to heart moments with anyone here. I’m far more interested in returning home as quickly as possible, where everything is back to normal.”
“There’s nothing wrong with taking your anger out on the battlefield,” Cao Pi replied, rather quick to defend his choice. “Confiding in the wrong person about any grievances would do more damage than good. I’d rather not risk that. You understand, don’t you? If someone in my position were to show vulnerability, it would be taken advantage of.”
“Better that attitude than sticking around with someone hated, yes? If I’m ever being an insufferable jackass – more than the usual, I should say – do let me know ahead of time before you flash away. I would always rather receive a forewarning.”
i. First and foremost, please do not steal my headcanons, my graphics, or anything of the sort. I put a lot of thought and care into those. Thank you~!
ii. Cao Pi is not always a nice guy. He can be a sadist and has a crude sense of humour. He doesn't put up with stupidity, and has a lack of patience at times. Do take this in mind that he IS a prince/emperor depending on the timeline, and will more than likely take great offense to being treated like a peasant. Especially if it’s intentional.
iii. Goes without saying, but Cao Pi and I are not the same. He can be a real jerk sometimes, but that doesn’t reflect how I feel, ye? I swear I'm a nice person fkdjlgkj--
iv. Please don’t godmod. That also goes without saying!
v.I don’t accept M!A’s unless posted otherwise. I get pretty bored with them.
vi.I’m totally chill with following/rping with other Cao Pi blogs! I love seeing 'em~
vii.This blog is selectively multiship. Cao Pi is attracted to physical appearance before getting to know someone better, but just ‘cause you’re good looking doesn’t mean he wants a relationship.
- Side note: I will likely not want to ship with you if you are a Lu Xun. Pi/Xun is my otp and I’m very picky about who I write that with whooops.
- I exclusively ship Pi/Mitsunari with sxkichi.
viii. I don’t mind pre-established relationships, so long as it’s discussed first!
ix. OC sons, daughters, siblings or whatever are also okay, again as long as it’s discussed so he doesn’t get bombarded all of a sudden (especially children). I absolutely love family relations, but I also like to know it's coming :'D
x. I WILL NOT SMUT WITH MINORS. I have absolutely no exceptions to this.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce scelerisque nec orci ac elementum. Etiam dictum leo in leo fringilla, at ultricies arcu venenatis. Ut dignissim pretium volutpat. Nullam pharetra, nunc volutpat porttitor congue, libero felis tincidunt quam, at hendrerit velit augue vel odio. Praesent tincidunt lorem vitae maximus porta. Suspendisse hendrerit ut velit eget mattis. Proin malesuada efficitur ligula, a posuere sapien mollis et. Etiam volutpat in lectus at malesuada. Nunc et interdum leo.
Pellentesque a nisl venenatis, ultricies odio et, malesuada est. Mauris eros dolor, rhoncus vestibulum lorem nec, vestibulum ornare magna. Donec posuere ante mattis lectus bibendum, nec fermentum ante ullamcorper. Fusce blandit velit ac metus convallis ultricies. Quisque turpis nulla, scelerisque et orci ac, pellentesque ullamcorper odio. Fusce at auctor elit. Sed eu odio sodales est dapibus dictum in et ex. Nulla a elementum eros.
Proin blandit sollicitudin aliquet. Donec sed malesuada nibh. Sed quis fermentum velit. Praesent tincidunt, lectus in bibendum ornare, odio odio mattis purus, sit amet molestie orci velit et justo. Nunc cursus porta vestibulum. Curabitur elementum volutpat tortor, ut maximus enim. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed tincidunt non tellus at efficitur. Sed id est tincidunt, euismod metus quis, aliquam mauris. Nulla nunc magna, fermentum semper pulvinar quis, facilisis eu tortor. Duis facilisis nulla et nunc fermentum ultricies. Pellentesque quis vulputate dolor. In non gravida arcu. Nunc nec libero fringilla, hendrerit leo sed, imperdiet purus.
Phasellus consectetur vitae sapien sed maximus. Phasellus vel nulla non purus ultricies euismod. Phasellus non orci tincidunt, commodo ligula id, elementum augue. Quisque at elit at justo mattis tristique eget non turpis. Duis euismod, mi ut sollicitudin sollicitudin, sapien lorem dapibus orci, id scelerisque ipsum dui non augue. Donec tortor mauris, venenatis nec finibus in, eleifend ac justo. Morbi a vulputate turpis. Proin hendrerit, urna sed iaculis euismod, est nisi vehicula nisi, vel convallis nibh tellus ac nibh. Vestibulum volutpat pellentesque sapien, nec pretium nulla aliquam nec. Cras ultrices nisl sit amet nulla consequat efficitur.
Nulla tincidunt felis non venenatis euismod. Fusce odio tellus, consectetur vitae erat non, feugiat tincidunt metus. Mauris suscipit ex sit amet arcu fermentum, eu fringilla diam consequat. Nullam imperdiet suscipit turpis, ac semper enim fringilla sit amet. Nullam ac magna pharetra, elementum sapien quis, pharetra elit. Suspendisse faucibus neque ligula, sit amet tempor est venenatis a. Praesent eleifend fringilla enim, vel varius libero laoreet eget. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus tempor mi vitae enim consequat tempor. Cras condimentum quis tellus vel mattis. Cras sit amet est at neque luctus congue.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce scelerisque nec orci ac elementum. Etiam dictum leo in leo fringilla, at ultricies arcu venenatis. Ut dignissim pretium volutpat. Nullam pharetra, nunc volutpat porttitor congue, libero felis tincidunt quam, at hendrerit velit augue vel odio. Praesent tincidunt lorem vitae maximus porta. Suspendisse hendrerit ut velit eget mattis. Proin malesuada efficitur ligula, a posuere sapien mollis et. Etiam volutpat in lectus at malesuada. Nunc et interdum leo.
There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask "What if I fall?"
Oh but my darling, What if you fly?
basic information
Name: Cao Pi.
(Pronounced T'sao Pi).
Style name: Zihuan.
Kingdom: Wei.
Role: Prince/Emperor.
Age: 27
Height: 6'0" (182cm)
DOB: December 23, 187AD.
Death: June 29, 226AD.
Western Zodiac: Capricorn.
Chinese Zodiac: Fire Tiger.
Element: Ice.
Weapon: Dual blade.
history
From a young age, Cao Pi had exceptional talent. He was "the perfect child" as quoted by others, and was also said to have quite the bashful side in his youth. He was the third son of Cao Cao who was known as the King of Wei and Hero of Chaos, and his mother was Lady Bian.
In these early years, he honed his talents in swordsmanship and archery, until he was able to wield almost any weapon ambidextrously, and shoot a bow with great precision from horseback. His skills only improved as his age progressed.
Exceptional as he was, however, he was not initially heir to the throne; his elder half-brother named Cao Ang was. Cao Ang was a man that Cao Pi looked up to greatly, and out of all of his siblings, he felt the strongest bond with him. Often he would follow his brother around, eagerly watching and learning from him. In turn, he was a particular favourite to Cao Ang.
Their time shared was short-lived. When the events of Wancheng occurred, Cao Pi was about ten years old and had almost lost his own life that day. Cao Ang himself had given their father his horse to escape, and he was left behind on the battlefield, never to be seen again.
The loss of his elder brother struck him hard, as it did for many. Coming to terms with never seeing him again, hearing his voice - it was impossible for him. Cao Pi had shut down, wallowing in depression, distancing himself from all those around him. While his connection to his father appeared to improve, he rarely offered a second glance to his brothers and sisters any longer. During his nights of grief, Cao Pi made the decision to do everything he could to succeed his brother. He changed, and was no longer the kind and sweet boy he was before, but rather a hard working and devoted son.
While ambidextrous, he wrote only with his right hand. Cao Pi was an excellent writer; he loved literature and poetry like his father and wrote over a hundred articles on various subjects. He wrote Yàn Gē Xíng, the first Chinese poem in the style of seven syllables per line.
In 200 AD following Yuan Shao's defeat at the hands of Wei, Cao Pi would meet Lady Zhen, who was Yuan Shao's daughter-in-law. He fell in love with her and married her not long after. She bore him two children; his son and heir Cao Rui, and a daughter. However, there were whispers of Cao Rui not truly belonging to Cao Pi, but to Lady Zhen's previous husband due to her pregnancy shortly after their meeting. As such, it was possible that their only child together was really Princess Dongxiang. Even though it was possible, Cao Pi disregarded those rumours and treated Rui as blood.
Wei's victories and morale only continued to grow, until the time came when they faced against the Wu and Shu alliance at Chibi. Cao Pi was left with a physical reminder of Wei’s failure at that time. With their massive fleet, everything was in their favour until the wind changed direction. Through Wu and Shu's schemes, the entirety of Wei's naval fleet was set ablaze, and they were forced to retreat in shame.
As the flames grew higher and he fled from battle, he was struck by falling debris from the ships, which burned through his attire and left a painful wound on his back. By the time he was treated, it was already too severe to heal completely. When he recalls that battle, he notes that he still feels the sensation along the scarred skin. It was this event that increased his fear of failure, and ignited his complete and utter disdain for the other kingdoms.
Indeed, he learned from his father's mistakes through the many years - but at what cost, he continued to wonder.
After his father's death, the kingdom was then ruled by Cao Pi. Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate his throne to fully wipe out the Han Dynasty, however it caused a rift between him and his sister, Cao Jie, due to her marriage to the emperor. His reign from then on was relatively peaceful. Although some internal conflicts were present, there were no major revolts. Due to his paranoia, he had many eyes and ears within Wei, especially around his siblings. They were his spies and reported anything of interest to him.
Though his reputation was that of a man whose heart was frozen to the core, those who knew him personally knew otherwise. His softness was restricted for his wife and children, and he was more relaxed around a particular few of his generals.
Come his late thirties, he grew ill. It was very slight at first, and he thought little of it. However, as time progressed, it worsened. It continued into coughing fits and to the paleness of his skin. His once perfected talents were now something he struggled with, and his hand shook with each stroke of his brush. He gradually became bedridden and unable to recover from illness, and he died at the age of 38 in the summer of June 29, 226. He was posthumously known as Emperor Wen.
side notes
It's noted that Cao Pi was interested in the supernatural, and set aside his poetry to write the occasional ghost story.
Cao Pi had a fondness for grape wine, speaking highly of its richness and sweetness. He was very tolerant of alcohol, but drank in moderation as he had a tendency to get 'carried away' when far too intoxicated.
VERSE NAME.
VERSE NAME.
VERSE NAME.