102 A place to hide; a place to train

Chun Xian looked up at his commanding officer and wept silent tears. He knew the mess Mu men would have made, he'd had them on his family's land many a time and fought to stay in control.
His listened to the speech about rising to the fight; he was ready. He had a thought and went in search of his unit officer.
"Sir, may I have a word with you? It's regarding a place to train. My family has a fairly large estate not far from here." His superior nodded and Xian continued, "My father is the Governor of the province of Shipao and has a villa not far from here. It has fields, game, fresh water, fishing and accommodation blocks. The villa itself has many rooms where the sick could rest and be attended to, as well as a large yard where men could train, say one hundred at a time. Would something like this be useful?"
The officer looked at Chun Xian, he appeared sincere enough. "I'll take you to Major Chen, see what he thinks."
With that Chun Xian was swept away towards the officers wagons.

"I won't be quiet! If I want to tell my son something then I will!" The Senior Master had started kicking off again and was getting more volatile with each outburst. "Tell him to get himself here, now! I don't care what he thinks he's doing! Tell him, I order him as his commanding officer, to get to my wagon straight away! I'll not stand for this confinement any more! Tell him, I expect him here, now!"
The physicians were fighting a losing battle and were becoming wary of each successive outburst. He'd begun throwing things and they both feared he would start aiming his fury directly at them.
Second Master looked at the anxious attendant. "This is not the best time! Oh, why now! Okay, okay, I'm coming but stand back all of you, this will be loud and potentially vicious."
Squaring his shoulders and clenching his fists, Second Master stormed off in the direction of his father's wagon. Men parted as he walked. They'd not seen this man in full flow and the muscles flexing in his arms and across his shoulders, told them, this man was not only angry, but dangerous too.
He flung open the door to the wagon. "Yes?" It really wasn't a question, more a statement. "You demanded my attendance! I am here, but be warned, I am in no mood to parry words with you. Now spit it out father! What do you want? I'm rather busy at the moment!"
"Oh, you've condescended to come and see your commanding officer!"
" Before you go any further, father," the words were spat out with venom, "you are not, repeat, not, the commanding officer,  you were relieved of duty over half a year ago!" 
His father looked surprised and a dark hatred appeared in his eyes, usually reserved for his younger son. "What do you mean, relieved? When did you commit such a mutinous act? How dare you think you can...."
Second Master cut his rant, "you are incapable of leading the men.  Your folly has lost us a battalion of men. Your arrogance has lost us our house, and your ego, our land, our people and their livelihood." He stopped, panting with fury. 
The two men glared at one another, but this was a fight between two alphas and one was on the decline. "Father! I took the seal from you well over half a year ago! Now I give the orders! I was the one who smoothed things over with Commander Zhang! I was the one who gave the order to leave and now I am the one who gives the order to retrain and fight for our lands! The men follow me and they will follow me to their death, willingly, not because they have the threat of a court martial waiting for them if they don't. 
I will lead them from the front and fight beside them! I will not sit in a quiet wagon somewhere safe, letting others die for your narrow minded, bigotted pride!" He paused as he looked at his father. This was the last time he would give him that title.
" Your time is over! You were a lousy father and an even worse Commander in Chief. I will be going to the War Office on my return and informing them of what has been happening."
" But...but," his father stammered as he felt himself losing the battle.
" No, Sir! This is it! I have said all I came to say, now I have work to do, none of which involves you. Settle back and be quiet. If you want to get out of your wagon, you will be chaperoned. You cause any trouble, you will be brought back and placed under arrest, do you understand? These are my orders and as from this day forward, Sir, any communication between us will be done formally. Do not call me son! I am Acting Colonel Chen. Address me as such!"
The old man nodded, his frailty showing in his face and in the slight tremor in the hands.
"I will give you full courtesy as my elder but will not parry as your son any more, those days are over." 
He looked at the man in front of him. The stuffing had been knocked out of him leaving a frail old man sitting in a chair which no longer suited him.
"I hope you understand Senior Master Chen." Second Master paused. His battle for the Alpha slot was over.
"As you wish," was all his father said. He'd lost and he was crushed.

"Major Chen?"
"Yes?"
"Can we have a word with you? This is Chun Xian, the son of the Governor of Shipao. He has a proposal which I think you'll find interesting."

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