Chen Gong - Gōngtái
Zhang Liao - Wényuǎn
Xiahou Yuan - Miàocái
Cao Cao - Mèngdé
Guo Jia - Fèngxiào
Li Dian - Mànchéng
Diaochan inched forward and strained her hearing as much as she could. Currently, Lu Bu was in council with Chen Gong. At first, this didn't mean anything to her. Of course he would take council with his advisor, it was only natural. However, it has become more frequent in nature. Once, Lu Bu would shrug Gong off in favor of spending time with her. Now the situation was reversed and she didn't like it one bit.
Lu Bu has also been a bit cold towards her. He no longer asks her to warm his bed at night and when she initiates, while he accepts the offer, he isn't as attentive as he once was. Before he was gentle, treating her as fragile glass, afraid that the wrong move would shatter her. She always thought this as sweet and a welcomed change to how Dong Zhou use to treat her. Now, however, he wasn't quite so gentle. His touch was rougher and she would sometimes be left with bruises against her porcelain skin. She would ache for days after their love making sessions and he would command her to go to her room afterwards, instead of holding her and stroking her back as she fell asleep against him as he once did.
Disturbed by the change, she sought council with her father. He seemed worried about the change in Bu's behavior and advised her to eavesdrop on what Gong and Bu spoke about during their numerous meetings. Whenever she was present, they only spoke about the boring day to day that came with governing a district. She had to find out what they spoke about when she wasn't around which led her to where she was now. It was nearly impossible to hear what they were saying. They were speaking in such hushed tones. Diaochan leaned forward more. If only she could get closer...
"Is there something you need, Lady Diaochan?"
Diaochan jumped at the sound of the voice, her back hitting the wall with a thud. Her hand flew to her chest, settling over her thumping heart. Zhang Liao stared at her, a stoic look on his face. Diaochan remained quiet as she regained her composure. Zhang Liao's eyes stayed focused on her, making her feel uncomfortable. It wasn't that she disliked him. He was never rude to her, but he wasn't exactly cordial either. It seemed as if he tolerated her presence because of Lu Bu. Diaochan moved her hand from her chest, letting it slide down her cleavage slowly before falling to her side. Zhang Liao averted his eyes from the show but otherwise didn't react. She took note of this. It seemed that her charms still didn't work on this man. He didn't seem to find her desirable in the least.
"Is there something you need, Lady Diaochan?" he repeated.
Diaochan responded with a nervous giggle. "I-I just wanted to see Lord Lu Bu, but it seems that he is busy so I thought I'd wait. I didn't want to disturb their meeting."
"I doubt, Lord Lu Bu would mind if you listened in," He replied sliding the door open wider to reveal Lu Bu and Chen Gong staring in their direction, no longer engrossed in their conversation.
"Oh, I-I..um," Diaochan stumbled feeling increasingly uncomfortable at being caught.
"My Lady! What a wonderful surprise! Please, join us!" exclaimed Chen Gong with a smile. Though his voice sounded as if he was pleased to see her, there was an undertone that told her he was not.
Diaochan walked further into the room, followed by Zhang Liao. She hugged her arms around herself, suddenly wishing that she was anywhere but there at this moment.
"To what do we owe the honor of your company?"
Diaochan froze, she had to come up with a plausible excuse for coming to see Lu Bu. All eyes were on her.
"I-um, I have heard murmurs from some of the men that there will be a great banquet?"
"But of course! Master Lu Bu, you haven't told her?" Gong asked, his voice taking on a mock scolding tone.
"Hmph," was his reply.
"Lady Diaochan, please forgive him. I'm sure it merely slipped his mind, with everything going on. The banquet is within a few days. Not much notice, I know but I am sure you can still find something suitable to wear for the occasion," said Gong.
Diaochan frowned. She truly did hear whispers of a banquet from the men but didn't give the rumors any credence since Bu never spoke to her about it. It was a bit sobering to hear that the rumors were true. Why wouldn't he tell her before? Did he not intend on telling her at all? Why was there even a banquet at all? Was it to mark their recent achievements? In the past few weeks, they had gotten almost all of the towns in Yan Province to surrender. If so, why wouldn't he tell her?
"Is this banquet to celebrate our recent victories?" she asked.
"That is correct, my Lady!" Gong replied clapping his hands together. "With such little time to prepare, you should do what you can to get ready. After all, as master Lu Bu's woman, you must look your best standing beside him," Gong continued as he ushered her out of the door.
Before she knew it, she was outside of the room with Gong bidding her farewell before sliding the door closed. She blinked, suddenly realizing that she was just dismissed by that cunning snake. Now she was left with more questions than answers and she knew that Gong would be more cautious of her attempts to eavesdrop in the future. There was nothing more she could do for now. Solemnly, she headed back to her room to try and find something to wear for the upcoming banquet. Little did she know, that night would change her life forever.
They waited until they heard the soft footsteps of Diaochan move away from the door before they began speaking.
"There was a reason why I didn't tell her about this stupid banquet of yours," Bu began. "I didn't want her or her father getting wind of what was to come. I don't want them fleeing before I get answers."
"Why would they flee? The only ones know about your daughter are the three people in this room. Your odd behavior is what caused her snooping. We need to keep up the veil of secrecy for just a few days more. It would be prudent if you acted a bit more affectionate to her, to assuage her worries," said Gong. He made sure to speak the last sentence carefully. He knew his master's temper well and as he predicted, Lu Bu didn't react to the suggestion positively.
"You expect me to pretend that everything is okay with her when she possibly left my daughter to die?" Bu roared. Gong sighed. This was exactly what he did not want.
"Ah, yes. I can see how that would be difficult to do, but think of it this way, there is a possibility that she did nothing wrong. She could be completely innocent and your treatment of her would be wholly unjustified and unnecessary," Gong replied.
"And if that is the case, Gōngtái, it will be your head that lies at my feet for trying to create a rift between us!" Bu said, his voice had an underlying growl to it as he spoke.
"I would expect nothing less, master Lu Bu," Gong replied, bowing his head. Bu gave a grunt in acknowledgement to his words before heading out of the room. Gong sighed and rubbed his temples.
"This is a dangerous game you are playing, Gōngtái," Liao began. "If it turns out that
Lingqi is mistaken in what she saw, your life is forfeit."
"If one always plays it safe in life, they would lead a boring life indeed. Besides, there is more evidence that shows that Lingqi speaks clearly than not. My life is as safe now as it ever was," Gong replied speaking to Liao over his shoulder as he left Lu Bu's home. Liao followed behind dutifully.
"Whatever you say. Why did you call me?"
"I have a job for you. I need you to-"
"Sir!" A soldier called out as he ran up to Liao and Gong. Gong flashed the man an annoyed looked before acknowledging him.
"You better have a good reason for interrupting us,"
"Lord Ling has returned. He said he has pertinent information that you must hear about," the soldier replied.
"Pertinent information huh? This should be good. Indulge my company a while longer, Wényuǎn. Let us see what the ousted son has to say," said Gong. They followed the soldier to Ling who was standing by with his men at the gates of Puyang.
"Why Ling, you are alive. It seems that the heavens ignored my wish for you to meet a timely demise on your grand adventure," said Gong once he was within a few feet of Ling. Ling grimaced at Gong's words. He truly disliked this man, but he was Lu Bu's right hand man. If he valued his life, he had to stay on good terms with him. At least until he could show Lu Bu his worth. Then he wouldn't have to go through Gong any longer.
"Master Gong, your jests sometimes cut too close to the bone. One may think you truly don't care for me," Ling replied sharply.
"Oh Ling, I don't care for most people. You are not particularly special in that regard. Now, regale me with the tale of the adventure that had us blissfully devoid of your company for weeks."
Ling frowned. He truly hated this man. "I located my spy," he replied after a few moments.
"And what is her status? Come now, don't leave me on bated breath."
"Dead. She is dead. It seems they found out where her true allegiance lie and they slit her throat for it. They left her out in the open, possibly for us to find.
Gong frowned at the revelation. For that moment, his sarcastic nature seemed to vanish. When he spoke, his tone had a sincerity to it that is rarely heard. "I see. So your delay was because you wanted to put her body to rest and guide her soul to the heavens?"
"What? No," Ling replied, completely oblivious to the change in Gong's demeanor. "Since she failed, I wanted to ensure that I had reliable information on the whereabouts of our enemy. We found her body not far from Chuancheng but when we tried to enter the town, we found it under heavy guard. I scouted out the town for several nights and found that my bro- that Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan assist with guarding the town."
Gong pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened. A weary smile appeared on his lips, the sincerity in his voice replaced once more by his biting sarcasm. "Oh Ling. For a brief moment, I saw you as a man, but alas, you dispelled that by revealing yourself to be the spineless worm I always suspected you were."
Ling was taken aback by this insult. He looked around to the faces of the men that followed him on his scouting mission. They lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze. He then looked to Liao who only shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. He didn't understand. Why did they all look at him in that way?
"What?!" He said louder than intended. Several passerbys startled by the sudden outburst slowed their walk to see what was going on. "What have I done wrong?!" he continued, his voice becoming louder and louder with each passing second. "How can you look down on me so? I got you valuable information-"
"Information we were able to garner ourselves a week ago," Gong interrupted. Unlike Ling, his voice was calm, collected.
"W-what?" Ling replied, dumbfounded.
"While you were off on your grand adventure, we sent emissaries to the other towns, demanding their surrender. Master Lu Bu's name carries much weight and practically all the towns surrendered with no fuss. There was only one town that did not respond to our request for surrender. Care to guess which town that was?"
"Chuancheng," Ling muttered in reply. "So all my work was for nothing?"
"Not necessarily," Gong replied, folding his arms across his chest. "Thanks to your inept bumbling-I mean scouting, we now know without a doubt where our missing prey has fled. Before, it was just an assumption based on process of elimination." Gong lifted one hand and rubbed his chin.
"We also now know why they did not surrender. They have the backing of Cao's main force, though from the sound of it, said force has not yet arrived...though you have been gone for so long, that bit of information may no longer be relevant," Gong finished with a sigh, crossing his arms once more.
"So my information helped! Even if it wasn't as substantial as I hoped it would be, it helped. Why do you treat me with such scorn?" Ling exclaimed loudly.
"Indoor voice, Ling. You have already drawn a crowd, must you continue fussing like a child?" Gong replied. Ling looked up, only now aware of the gathering crowd who listened to the pair intently.
"Get out of here! This has nothing to do with you! Go!" He roared, pulling out the sword he had sheathed at his side. The crowd quickly dispersed. Gong shook his head.
"Terribly handled, Ling," Gong remarked. Ling turned on him, sword still in hand. He advanced on Gong who rose a brow but didn't otherwise make a move.
"Why! Why do you treat me with such scorn? What have I done to you? I helped you!"
"Unless you are prepared to use that sword, boy, I suggest you stop waving it at me," Gong replied. Ling heard the threat weaved in Gong's words. He took a few steps back from Gong and sheathed his sword. When he spoke, his voice was markedly softer.
"W-why do you dislike me so much? What have I done to earn your hate?" Ling asked again.
Gong shook his head in disapproval. "Exactly that," he replied. Ling's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"I don't...I don't understand," he replied.
"And I have no inclination to explain it to you, but there is a lesson I will teach you, though I wonder if I am wasting my time. Tell me, that woman, what was her name?"
"Woman? My spy? Her name was Xiulan, why?"
"She was your lover as well, was she not?"
Ling's eyes widened, how did he know about that? He told her to keep it secret and he certainly didn't tell anyone.
"S-she was a tool to be used. I held no true feelings for her," Ling replied.
"Yet she died in service to you and you left her to rot. My, my, my, how the Xiahou's happened to spawn such a detestable man is a mystery I don't have the strength to solve," Gong mused aloud.
"Oh spare me the sentimentality!" Ling hissed. "She was a tool! If your bucket gets a hole, do you mourn its loss? No! You throw it away and get a new one."
"Ah, only a true fool would compare a living, breathing being to an inanimate object. How is this such a hard concept for you to grasp? She was an ally. Contempt is to be saved for one's enemies, not their allies. Even if you were to die, despite your utter uselessness, I would have ensured that your corpse received the proper burial rights. Perhaps though, just for you, I will follow your example."
Gong flashed Ling a wide smile and unfolded his hands. He clapped one hand down on Ling's shoulder and spoke cheerfully. "Should you die while still in my employ, rest assured little tool, I will leave your corpse to fester in the sun."
Gong gave the shoulder his hand rested on a light pat before walking past him. Ling was left dumbfounded. Gong suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder to Ling.
"A banquet will be held in a few days. Though meager, your contributions have been acknowledged and you will be honored for it. Further details will be sent to you later today."
Without waiting for a reply, Gong continued on his way. He could feel Ling's gaze boring into his back but the man was spineless. He would take Gong's tongue lashing and complain but he would never truly raise a hand against him. That was one of the many reasons why Gong did not respect him.
"I must admit, I did not take you to be a man of such honor," said Liao as he quickly caught up to his side.
"Shame on you, Wényuǎn. I happen to be a very honorable man...to my allies."
"Was Cao Cao not your ally when you chose to betray him?"
Gong scoffed at this remark. "That buffoon ceased being my ally the moment he showed that he did not have what it takes to conquer this land. My genius was wasted on that fool. Instead of heeding my council, he chooses to listen to that talentless hack Guo Jia. It was I that helped him get Yan Provenience in the first place. It was because of me that he was even able to establish a base here. I am merely taking back what I so graciously gave him."
"Whatever you say. What did you call me for?" Liao asked, repeating his earlier inquiry.
"Always to the point, Wényuǎn. Very well, we received a missive. Lu Lingqi and her mother will be arriving sooner than expected. Nothing can be allowed to go wrong." From the sleeve of his robe, he produced a rolled small rolled up scroll.
"Here are the details. We need to be discreet about this. Take only three other men with you. A full guard will draw too much attention from Cao Cao's men. I do not need to tell you how important it is that you do not fail this task, do I?"
"No," Liao replied taking the missive from Chen Gong. Without wasting another moment, he went to gather his best men. He was determined to bring Lu Lingqi home safely.
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"Train?"
"Full sentences, Xiaolian," Dun replied.
This frustrated Xiaolian. She hated speaking. No one could figure out exactly why since Xiaolian refused to explain, but Zhuyue suspected it had something to do with witnessing the murder of her family.
Xiaolian was a silent child. It was more odd to hear her speak than not. It was an accepted fact by all...all except Dun that is. Dun would consistently force her to come out of her shell. He wouldn't even acknowledge her if she didn't speak, something she had gotten everyone else to do quite readily.
Even after she became moody and sullen after being forced to speak, Dun persisted on making her talk to him whenever she wanted something from him. Eventually, Xiaolian began to get into the habit of having to speak when interacting with Dun and Zhuyue, thanks to Dun's insistence. These interactions however would only consist of one word. Not one to rest on such a meager victory, Dun began to insist that she speak in full sentences in order for him to acknowledge her. Xiaolian resisted this fiercely in the beginning. She rebelled by not speaking to him at all. Dun responded by completely ignoring her. He would go as far as pretending as if she wasn't even there. Zhuyue thought this was an extremely childish way of handling this problem, but Dun refused to relent. Being the child she was, Xiaolian caved first. She craved contacted with Dun as he was an important person in her life. So against her wishes she would force herself to speak in full sentences when interacting with him. At times, she would lapse into her old behavior. Dun blamed it on the fact that no one else followed his methods and gave into her whims. Whenever she would slip, he would reminder her that he wouldn't tolerate her behavior, just like now.
Xiaolian gave a pout that she knew would be ignored by Dun before speaking again.
"Can we train?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
"Why?" she asked angrily.
Dun chuckled, amused by her temper tantrum.
"Because you only have one eye at the moment. Wait until it fully heals," he replied as he gave a light tug to the bandage that was wrapped snuggly around her head. She gave him another pout but did not argue. She knew that Dun rarely changed his mind once it was set on something.
"Um...," she started, deciding to ask him about another thing that had been on her mind.
"What now?" Dun asked gruffly, though his tone didn't hold any true annoyance in it.
"Is something wrong with me?" she asked as she stared at him with her uncovered eye.
"That's a stupid question. Why would you even ask that?"
"Everyone keeps asking me if I am okay. They keep asking me if I am sad. They say if they were me they would be sad and it is okay to be sad...but I'm not sad. Should I be sad? Is something wrong with me because I'm not sad?"
Dun sighed. It had been over a week since Zhuyue told Xiaolian about her sister's demise. To their surprise, Xiaolian took the news well...a little too well for a seven year old. Unlike most children her age, Xiaolian got to have first-hand experience with the concept of death. After seeing everyone she knew and loved die right in front of her, Dun is not surprised to the fact that she had become numb to it. Xiaolian knew that her family was gone due to Xiulan's actions. Despite her age, she was able to understand what evil was, being forced to look into its eyes everyday for years. It wasn't surprising to Dun or Zhuyue that she wasn't sad over Xiulan's death. Unfortunately for Xiaolian, this wasn't understood by the others. Dun had witness them trying to force her to talk about her feelings, an action that only caused her to become more reclusive.
"Ignore them," Dun replied. "Nothing is wrong with you. They just don't understand."
Xiaolian pondered his answer. She didn't understand what it was they didn't understand but she trusted in Dun's words. If he said to ignore it, she would ignore it.
"Brother," Came the voice of Xiahou Yuan. Dun and Xiaolian turned to the sound of his voice. He approached them, an unusually serious look on his face. He mussed Xiaolian's hair when he got to her. Xiaolian didn't mind it. She wasn't as close to Yuan as she was with Dun and Zhuyue, but like Lady Ai and Shan, she was getting use to him and knew he was someone she could trust.
"Hey kid," he said with a lopsided smile. His voice didn't hold the usual jovial tone it had when he normally spoke.
"Brother, I have good news and bad news," Yuan stared.
"Hold on," said Dun. He looked at Xiaolian and spoke. "Beat it kid, this has nothing to do with you."
Xiaolian nodded and went on her way. Yuan however was shaking his head in disapproval.
"Brother, you really have to learn how to speak to children...well people in general but children especially. That girl looks up to you, you know. You could be a little nicer."
"I don't tell you how to raise your kids, don't tell me how to raise mine," Dun snapped.
"I'm just saying, being nicer could-," Yuan paused as he thought over Dun's words. "Wait, your kid? You're adopting her?"
"You said you had news?" Dun said, completely ignoring Yuan's question. Yuan frowned, he would get the answer out of him later, but this was more important.
"Yeah, which do you want first? The good news or the bad news?"
" Miàocái, just spit it out," Dun replied in an annoyed tone.
"I have to speak with Zhuyue about what she is doing with you because you are still cran-OW!" Yuan yelped as Dun's fist collided with his shoulder.
"Stop saying stupid shit," Dun said, giving his brother a stern glare.
"Okay! okay. Bad news first," Yuan began. "Lu Bu has been making moves. He has been systematically taking over the other towns within Yan Province. Worst part? He didn't barely had to lift a finger. Those cowards all surrendered."
"Tch, that's the work of Chen Gong," Dun replied. "Lu Bu only knows violence, he would have went to war with each town if he had his way. Surrender probably wasn't even in his vocabulary until recently."
"I agree," replied Yuan. "Though I suppose the who doesn't matter right now. What matters is what we are going to do?"
"How many towns has he taken over?" Dun asked.
"Um...all except this one...," Yuan replied.
"What? That's impossible. We didn't see his armies mobilize. You had sentries posted like I told you too right?!"
"Yeah, I did and you are right, no armies mobilized. At most, just a few people went between the towns...all of them dressed as civilians, but the last report I got says that all the other towns chose to forsake Cousin Mèngdé in favor of Lu Bu's rule."
"That doesn't make any sense! They seriously expect Mèngdé to lose? Why surrender?" Dun balled his fist in frustration.
"I'm guessing it's because they heard Mèngdé was forced to flee Xu Province before he got his revenge on Tao Qian. They are probably assuming that his troops are in low morale after the failed attack and he won't be able to stand up to the oh so mighty Lu Bu," Yuan replied.
"Fuck..this is a mess. Any word on when Mèngdé will get here?"
"That is the good news. Received word that he's a few days away," Yuan replied.
Dun sighed and ran a hand through is hair making the style messier than it previously was.
"I want to have a group meet up with him. There's a possibility that Chen Gong would have an ambush waiting for Mèngdé as he tries to make his way here, but-"
"But we don't have enough forces to divide for protecting this town and going out to meet him," Yuan finished.
"Exactly," Dun replied. " Mèngdé is going to be on his own for now. If we lose Chuancheng, there won't be any place for him to return to. Increase the patrols. I don't want to be caught unaware by Lu Bu's forces. I'll see about shoring up our defenses. If they attack, we have no choice but to hold them here."
"I'm on it brother," Yuan replied. Dun eyed Yuan noticing that he hadn't moved an inch.
"Something else?"
"So you are going to adopt, Xiaolian?"
"For fuck's sake, is that really important right now?"
"It is to me. Your life is important to me and infinitely entertaining," Yuan replied with a grin.
"Fuck you, I told you I'm not here for your entertainment."
"Ahahaha, I'm just messing with you, brother," said Yuan "I do really want to know the answer though."
Dun sighed. "Yes, I'm adopting her."
"That's good. That girl...she's gone through so much. She needs some stability after all that crap," Yuan turned to leave, giving a wave over his shoulder. "Alright, I'm off."
Dun grunted, leaving to make his own preparations.
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Lu Lingqi clutched the reigns of her horse tightly. She squinted in the darkness but could only see the area directly in front of her, illuminated by the lantern. Normal travelers would never think to traverse the road so late at night, with the threat of bandits and other horrors that could be waiting in the darkness. Yet that is what they were pretending to be. Dressed in ragged hooded robes, she and her mother were spirited away from Chang'an on a night much like this. She was warned that she had to keep her identity secret because of who her father was. If any were to find out she was the daughter of the mighty Lu Bu, they would hold her for ransom. She laughed bitterly at the thought. As if that would make her father submit. He wouldn't fight for her. He didn't in Chang'an.
She felt tears pool in the corner of her eyes. She wiped them away immediately. No, she will not cry. The daughter of Lu Bu does not cry. The pain in her heart betrayed the words that repeated in her mind. She was the daughter of Lu Bu but what did that mean? Did that even matter to him? Did he even love her? Her entire life, he has been hard on her. She assumed it was because he wanted her to be strong like him. She took his tough training and strove to be the best pupil that she could be. When he didn't praise her efforts or dote on her as other father's did their daughters, she accepted it as his way of making her stronger. She rationalized his actions as his way of making her a stronger person. His way of making sure that she can survive on her own in this world of chaos.
Then he left her. Left her and her mother alone in Chang'an. That very action could have spelled her death. What was he trying to teach her there? She tried to find an answer, tried to rationalize it in her mind but she couldn't. He left her. He left her and her mother for dead or worse. If not for Gao Shun sheltering them, they probably would have died. What hurt the most was that she heard from Shun that Lu Bu fled with Diaochan. Lingqi remembered seeing Diaochan on that day. She went to fetch her father. There was time for her own father to retrieve her and her mother but he had not. Was his lover more important than his own flesh and blood? She felt the tears fill her eyes once more and did nothing to stop them. She needed to know why. Why he left her and why Diaochan was so much more important than her, but a part of her was afraid. If she asked the question, would he push her further away?
A flickering light could be made out before them. Lingqi pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and quickly wiped her eyes and cheek. The light got closer and closer. She sucked in a deep breath. They could be travelers but that thought was unlikely. More likely was that they were bandits. Lingqi unhooked her weapon from where it rested on her mount. She couldn't die here. She had to confront her father. She needed to stare him in the eye and ask him why. Until she did, she would not fall here. She will show these brigands what the daughter of the world's greatest warrior can do.
"Gao Shun, if things look bad, take my mother and flee,"
"Lady Lingqi, what are you planning to do?"
Lingqi slowed her horse and pulled her feet up until she was crouching low on its back. She steadied the steed.
"I'm not going to wait for them to attack us. I am going to strike first," she replied as she focused her attention on the light that drew steadily closer. She could just make out the outline of four horses. Even with the odds against her, if there were only four of them, she should be able to take them. Most bandits were poorly trained fighters. Some were not even trained at all.
"But what if they are travelers?" Gao Shun asked, keeping pace with her mount. One hand held the reigns and the other rested on the hilt of his sword.
"No traveler would travel so late at night. And I can see the outline of a sword on the side of at least two of them. Simple travelers would not be armed."
"What you say is true, but I cannot follow your request. Were I to show up to Puyang and stand before Lord Lu Bu without his daughter, my life would be forfeit. I stand and fight with you," Shun said as he drew his sword.
Lingqi wanted to believe that her father would be so incensed with her death that he would kill a capable man like Gao Shun, but a part of her did not. It didn't matter now, the light from the mysterious travelers was drawing closer. There were definitely four of them and she couldn't see any others. Luck was on their side. Just a bit closer and they would be in range for their attack.
The four riders came at them quickly and with purpose. Just a few more feet. There! Lingqi leapt from the back of her mount into the air. With a cry, she bore her double-edged cross voulges to the closest enemy. To her surprise, her attack was blocked with two axes. The enemy gave a grunt as he blocked her attack but remained firmly seated on his mount. Their weapons locked together, Lingqi suddenly found herself airborne again as she was hurled over the shoulder of the rider. She landed on her feet and separated her voulges, ready for another bout.
"Always so impetuous," said the rider as he dismounted. She knew that voice! "But I must admit, that was an impressive attack," he concluded.
" Wényuǎn!" she exclaimed, dropping her voulges and throwing her arms around him. This momentarily stunned Liao but after a few seconds he returned the gesture. Lingqi couldn't believe how happy she was to see him. She didn't realize how much she missed him until this moment.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she released him and regained her composure. Now that the moment had passed, she felt embarrassed at her actions. She was happy that the shadows hid her undoubtedly blushing face.
"We've come to ensure you get to Puyang safely," Liao replied. By this time, Shun and Lingqi's mother had joined them. Shun dismounted and bowed to Liao. Liao returned the gesture.
"You've done well to get them this far. It couldn't have been easy," Liao said to Shun.
"You have no idea. But I knew this was a mission I could not fail," Shun replied.
"That mission isn't over yet. Come, we will ensure you reach Puyang safely."
Lingqi, Shun and Liao mounted their horses and started on their way once more.
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It was the early hours of the morning. The sun had barely rose in the horizon. Dun's watch finally over, he crawled into bed next to Zhuyue who had awoken when he arrived. Too tired to do much of anything, Dun laid back and Zhuyue took her place snuggled beside him. Dun had only just began to fall asleep when a sound near their room door woke him up. From the sunlight filtering into the room from the ajar window panels, he could see that Zhuyue was already awake. A mixture of fatigue and anger was displayed on her face. Dun silently moved from the bed to his feet. He unsheathed his sword and held it at the ready. Simultaneously, Zhuyue slipped out of bed and took hold of her own weapons. Just as she wrapped her hands around her duck blades, the door slide open. In the doorway stood Cao Cao, accompanied by Ang.
" Mèngdé? What the fuck?" Dun asked in a voice thick with sleep. Cao's quirked a brow as he took in the room's occupants. He only expected to find Dun. He should have expected this to happen sooner or later, but he could never be sure with Dun. He seemed uninterested in women, preferring to train or pretty much anything else rather than deal with them. Out of the dozens of times he, Dun and Yuan had visited a brothel together, Dun only partook three times. When they questioned why he wouldn't sleep with the women, Dun would simply say he wasn't interested in having his bed warmed by a courtesan that's fucked a dozen men before him. It seems he just had to find a woman worthy of his attention.
Cao averted his gaze from Zhuyue who was currently standing in her undergarments. She was still trying to process Cao's sudden arrival and didn't seem to pick up on the fact that she was wearing so little in the presence of other men. Ang however did not have the tact of his father. He openly ogled Zhuyue. His eyes traveling up her long bare legs stopping for a moment at her waist before traveling up to her breast which were bound by a her breast wrap. Dun caught the leering. He moved quickly to Ang's side and slapped him on the side of his head. Ang winced in pain and cupped the side that was hit. Dun shoved him out of the room forcefully. Ang stumbled backwards, eventually tripping over his own feet and landing hard on his backside. Cao didn't make a move to stop him. In his mind, Ang was a moron and should have known better than to look so blatantly. That boy didn't know the first thing about subtly.
Within that moment, Zhuyue seemed to snap out of her stupor. She pulled the cover off of the bed and wrapped it around her body. Her annoyance was now overtaking her fatigue.
"Doesn't look like we interrupted anything...shame," Cao remarked with a smirk.
"When did you get here?" Dun asked, ignoring Cao's comment.
"Moments ago. Fèngxiào went to retrieve, Miàocái. I am holding a council," Cao explained.
"Right now?" Dun asked. The irritation in his voice was clear.
"I heard you only recently finished your watch. I apologize cousin but we have much to discuss and little time to discuss it," Cao replied.
Dun sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. Get out, let us get dressed,"
Cao nodded and turned to leave the room before being stopped by Dun.
He looked over his shoulder. "I know, I know. Going forward, I'll be sure to knock."
Dun nodded and Cao gave him a smirk before facing forward once more to find Ang still on the floor where Dun tossed him. He gave a sigh of disappointment.
"Get up," he said before walking off leaving Ang to scramble to his feet and follow behind him.
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Zhuyue stifled a yawn. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into her bed but knew that being able to do so again was a long way off. Resigning herself to her fate, she stared at the other faces in the council. There was a mixture of tired and angry faces all around. It was easy to see that morale was at an all time low. She watched as Li Dian gave a loud yawn only to receive a sharp glare from Yu Jin which made him sit up immediately. The sight would have made her laugh if she wasn't so tired.
Cao sat at the head of the council. He looked over the faces of the warriors who served him. He knew the path to quell the chaos was not going to be an easy one, but he did not expect things to go so very wrong. Part of him felt as if he let these people who followed him down. Many of their families remained in Puyang and the other towns that were now under Lu Bu's rule. It was his thirst for revenge that made him leave his district so unprotected. That was a mistake he cannot repeat.
" Fèngxiào, outline our situation. I want everyone up to speed on what is happening," said Cao.
Jia bowed to Cao Cao and began to recap the events. He went over the details of the war with Tao Qian, outlining their losses and where their army currently stood. Cao raised his hand to stop him.
"Before you get into where we are with Yan Province, I think we need to hear about exactly how everything came to pass. There are a lot of things I do not understand. Yuánràng, Miàocái, can one of you fill me in on the details
Yuan looked to his brother for guidance. Dun bowed to Cao and spoke. "I can only tell you up to when I arrived. I got the story from Zhuyue, but it would probably be better hearing it directly from her rather than me attempting to rehash it."
All eyes were now on Zhuyue. She didn't expect this. She assumed that Dun would relay the information to the others on her behalf. She swallowed, and nodded to Dun. She bowed to Cao and told her tale. They seemed to be enraptured by her tale. At times Cao would interrupt her and ask her questions for clarification. Oddly enough, Ang looked increasingly uncomfortable as she went on with her story, especially when she got to the part about the fight with Zhang Liao. Pi on the other hand looked highly amused.
She was thankful when she got to the point in her story in which Dun arrived. The attention shifted from her and back on Dun and Yuan. Once they finished their account of events, Cao lifted his head from the fist he had it propped up on.
"That is a decidedly different tale than the one you told me, son," Cao said as he turned his attention to Ang. "Your version made you out to be much more heroic than this one. It seemed to also be missing a few key facts that were in this version."
Yuan barked a laugh. "Heroic huh? If heroic is hiding under his mother's skirt crying about a flesh wound on his arm then he certainly was heroic."
Ang shrank back as they waited for him to speak. He felt pressured by the sudden attention. Why? Why would his father do this? Why did he need to hear what happened again? The expectant faces of the generals remained focused on him, waiting for an answer. There was no way he could lie to everyone's face. They would call him out on it. He had no choice but to come clean.
"I-I...um. Well p-perhaps hero is a bit strong. I mean we all helped."
"Do not be shy, son!" Cao exclaimed. "You told me that if it were not for your quick thinking and intervention, our family would be as good as dead."
"Father...please..." Ang pleaded. Cao's face became stern.
"Next time think before attempting to play me for a fool. If you want me to honor your achievements then achieve something. Don't try to steal someone else's deeds for your own. Get out of my sight!"
Ang nodded sadly and took the walk of shame past the other generals. Not a sound was made as he walked past them. They waited until he left the room to continue their meeting.
"Now you all know what I know. You know what has happened and you know what is at stake. I do not intend to leave Puyang in the hands of Lu Bu for long. I have vowed to quell the chaos in this land and I will. Lu Bu is but a pebble on that path. He will be kicked aside as well as anyone else who dares stand in our way. This will not be an easy task. As we are tested here now, we will be tested in the future. I need only the strong of heart and will to stand at my side. Is there anyone among you that wish to turn your back on me? I give you this chance and this chance only to leave. Speak now."
All the occupants in the room looked at each other. No one moved. Everyone was dedicated to Cao's cause.
"It gladdens my heart to see so many that are strong of heart serving under me. I make this promise to you here and now, we will retake Puyang. We will retake Yan Province and we will quell this chaos!"
Cheers erupted in the room. Cao gave out instructions on how to fortify Chuancheng. Once done, they began to disperse. The only ones left was Dun, Yuan, Cao, Wei his sons, Jia, Zhuyue and Dian.
Li Dian bowed to Cao. "May I have a word, my Lord?"
"Is something wrong, Mànchéng?" Cao replied.
"Not really sure something is wrong...I mean maybe there might be something wrong but maybe not?"
"Spit it out," Dun barked.
Dian gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, right. Well um. This may sound strange but I think we should devote some resources to stockpiling food."
"And why is that?" Cao asked, his eyes danced in amusement.
"I really can't explain why. It is a gut feeling. I just know that we really, really need to," Dian replied.
Cao burst into laughter. "That gut feeling of yours. I am finding it incredibly interesting. You told Yuánràng to leave Zhuyue in Puyang when we first set out to Xu Province, correct?"
"Ah...yeah...I did," Dian replied avoiding Zhuyue's gaze, afraid that she was still angry with him.
"Imagine how different things would have turned out had she joined us. How curious that gut feeling of yours is..." Cao mused as he stroked his chin. " Fèngxiào, do you find any fault with Mànchéng's suggestion?"
Jia shook his head. "No. It isn't a bad idea. It certainly won't hurt us."
"Then do it. Let's see where his prediction will leave us this time," Cao said with a smile. Jia nodded and made a note to allocate some of the troops to that task. Dian bowed to all the occupants in the room.
"Thank you for listening, my Lord. You won't regret it...probably...I hope...heheheh. Okay I should probably go now."
He bowed once more and made his way out of the room.
"So what now? When do go after Lu Bu?" Yuan asked.
"We don't," Cao replied.
"But you just said-" Yuan began only to be cut off by Cao.
"I know what I said and I mean it. I don't intend on leaving Puyang in Lu Bu's hands for long but we cannot go after him right now. We are still licking our wounds from the last battle. Doing so would spell certain defeat for us. For now, we train and we see exactly how strong Lu Bu's hold is on the other towns. Perhaps we can get some of those traitorous cowards back on our side."
"My Lord, may I speak?" Dian Wei spoke up. Cao waved a hand granting permission.
"Why would you want these people back on your side? They betrayed you."
"Oh there will be repercussions for some of the traitors, but a lot of them joined Lu Bu under false pretenses. He does not have the control he thinks he does."
"We had messengers from some of the towns waiting for us when we arrived. They have sworn their allegiance to us. They are ready to strike the minute Lord Cao is," Jia interjected.
"When you are ready to punish those bastards, let me be the one to do it," Wei said as he rammed his fist into his open hand. I'll make em' regret betraying you.
"Your loyalty and enthusiasm is noted, Wei. I will be sure to keep you in mind for the task," Cao replied with a sly smile. Wei bowed to his lord, pleased with his answer.
"We done?" Dun asked, his voice a mixture of fatigue and irritation from lack of sleep.
"One more thing," Cao replied. "It is about your impending marriage."
Dun quirked a brow at this. Likewise, Zhuyue straightened up at this as well. Cao waved a hand at Jia to explain the situation. Jia gave a short bow to his lord before addressing Zhuyue and Dun.
"After we received the first notification from Yuan Shao regarding his claim to Zhuyue, we sent someone to question your father regarding the supposed agreement...," Jia began. Zhuyue looked at Dun in confusion. She didn't know about this, did he? Dun gave her a non-committal shrug. As usual he was being vague. Zhuyue decided to drop the topic for now as it wasn't that important.
"Your father refused to answer any questions regarding you," Jia continued. He tilted his head to the side and stared at Zhuyue thoughtfully. "He seems to dislike you quite a bit."
"The feeling is mutual," Zhuyue replied.
"Is that so? That is good...you won't be sad to hear then that passed away then?" said Jia.
Zhuyue stared at Jia then Cao who's lips were curled into a strange smile. Once could even say it was cruel.
"Did you have him killed?" She asked calmly.
"Would you be upset if I did?" Cao asked.
"No, I would thank you."
"How strange!" Cao remarked. "He was still your father, was he not?"
"That man was never truly my father. A father does not beat his daughter on a daily basis then tries to sell her off as soon as she reaches of age." Zhuyue gave a bitter chuckle.
"Actually, the first time he actually verbally acknowledged me as a daughter was when he was disowning me. There is no love lost in his death. I thank you for the favor of ridding me of that detestable man if you in fact did so, Lord Cao," she concluded formerly bowing to him. Cao burst out into laughter and clapped his hands together.
"My what a wonderfully cruel woman you have cousin! You two are truly made for each other!"
"Yes, I dare say they are," said Jia with that same whimsical smile he always wore. "Before his death, we did manage to getting in writing that he did in fact disown you. Since he, as he wrote himself has no daughter, Yuan Shao's claim is now a moot point."
"I was going to say that you two no longer have to marry if you truly do not wish to, but after what I saw earlier, I trust that will not be the case?" Cao said with a lecherous grin.
"Woah, wait, what did you see earlier?" Yuan asked, perking up at the potential for gossip.
"He saw us sleeping, something I'd like to get back to. We done?" Dun replied.
"Is the wedding still on? Inquiring minds would like to know" Cao asked with a grin.
"Have I said otherwise?" Dun replied. Fuck sometimes he really wanted to just beat the shit out of Yuan and Cao. They seemed to always enjoy fucking with him just to see how he would react.
"Wonderful, it will be an affair to remember!"
"It will be a small affair attended by only a few people," Dun replied.
"Nonsense. I cannot let my favorite cousin-" Yuan shot him a look and Cao corrected himself. "One of my favorite cousins, get married in a small affair. It will be an event to remember!"
"I don't even have the energy to argue with you now. I'm leaving." Dun replied. He left the room. Zhuyue bowed to the others in the room before following after him.
As they headed back to their temporary abode, Dun turned to her.
"I didn't know that he was going to have him killed," he said. Zhuyue did not reply.
"Are you truly okay with it?" he asked. Zhuyue remained quiet for a few moments before nodded in the affirmative.
"I truly did hate him. Every day, when he got sick...I would beg the heavens to hurry up and end his misery and mine. It just took them a bit longer than I expected," she replied.
Dun stared at her for a few moments to see if there was any deception. He couldn't find any. He knew that she was strong, he knew that she had a temper but he didn't know that she could disconnect her emotions so easily. It wasn't a trait that most women had. He wondered if it was always within her or did being with him bring it out of her.
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Lingqi paced inside of her room. It was a temporary residence within Liao's home. As per Gong's orders, she and her mother were to reside there as to not give wind of their arrival to Diaochan and her father until the night of the banquet. The night in question had finally arrived. She hadn't seen her father since she arrived in town. There was so much she wanted to ask him, so much she wanted to say to him. Her stomach felt as if it was twisted in knots.
Her mother knocked on her door before opening it.
"Are you sure you will not wear something more suitable?" She asked as she looked over Lingqi in her armor.
"I am the daughter of Lu Bu. I must be ready for battle at all times," she replied. Her mother sighed.
"I doubt you need to be ready for battle at a banquet, Dear."
"You never know," Lingqi muttered just as they heard the door to Liao's home open. Lingqi pushed past her mother and went into the hall to see the owner of the house there.
"Is it time?" She asked, her voice came out with a lot more uncertainty than she wanted.
"It is. I am sorry, but I need you wear your travel robes with the hood up again. Gōngtái is being especially dramatic tonight," Liao said with a sigh.
"It's fine," Lingqi responded quickly. She checked her emotions. They were bouncing all over the place. She felt giddy, terrified, nervous and excited all at the same time. "It's fine," she repeated calmer than before.
She and her mother donned their robes and followed Liao to Lu Bu's home, where the banquet was being held. Liao had them wait outside of the main hall. She had to scold herself to stop her hands from fidgeting. She wished Liao would have allowed her to carry her weapon but he told her she wouldn't need it. She would feel much better if she had her weapon in hand.
From what she could hear, the banquet had been going on for some time already. It seems they were providing rewards to certain generals for something. It was hard to make out. Time seemed to crawl as she waited for this to finish. Her mother was the picture of calm. She wondered how she could be so at peace at a time like this.
She asked her before how she felt about father leaving them for Diaochan but her mother only smiled and said that he would come back for them. It didn't matter whether he would come back for them in Lingqi's mind. What mattered was that he left them at all. Why wasn't she bothered by it? Lingqi couldn't wrap her head around her mother's way of thinking and her mother didn't seem inclined to explain it.
The main doors opened. Lingqi could feel her heart beating wildly against her chest. This was it. She could hear someone speaking. He had a very odd voice. It was somewhat high pitched and sounded like it should belong to a performer rather than a general.
"My Lord Lu Bu! How generous you are giving gifts to all others for their accomplishments. I wish to give a gift to you for all you have done for us," said Gong with a grin. He was positively giddy. How long he has waited for this moment. Diaochan sat by Lu Bu's side blissfully unaware of what was to come. This would be the moment. The moment he gets rid of her influence.
Liao having heard the signal from Gong exited the hall and went outside to retrieve Lingqi and her mother. The two woman were led to the center of the room. All occupants stared curiously at the hooded figures.
"My Lord, I give to you the gift...of your family," said Gong said with a dramatic flair.
At the word family, Lingqi threw off her robe, revealing herself to the crowd.