Zhao Yun had great faith in the strategist. Anybody who's seen him work his magic had to.

But sometimes, he had his doubts.

"You wish to be relieved of the duty of watching over Lady Sun?"

He cringed. It was just like the other man to point out succinctly when he had just spent the past fifteen minutes trying to be discreet about the fact that he was currently attempting to shirk his duty.

"That is simple, actually."

Maybe it was a joke, he decided. It was rare for the strategist to contribute help so readily to anyone who isn't Liu Bei (and that's only during emergencies or on his better days) after all, least of all private matters, which the strategist has something of an unspoken rule against getting involved in.

"Ah, but this isn't quite a 'private' matter, so to speak." It was unsettling how the other man seemed to be able to read minds, no matter how many times he's seen it. "It can, in fact, affect the entire army." The strategist finished gravely.

He had been overwhelmed by the idea at the time, but now that he had time to think about it, he had to wonder. If it were that important, couldn't he, the army strategist, have just proposed to their lord to remove him from duty?

No, he had to suggest he pretend to seduce his lord's wife.

After all, which man will allow another to remain close to his wife if he knew there was a chance of adultery?

That was the strategist's logic, and that meant it was automatically infallible. But even if it were infallible logic, it didn't mean it had his well being in mind. For one, if he tried that and it worked, watching Lady Sun and her followers might not be the only duty he was going to be removed for. And then even if his lord didn't kill him first, his over-protective and hotheaded brothers would. And no one would be able to stop them from having his head and asking questions later.

He had expressed his concerns to the strategist, who only stared at him with a big smile for a moment, before replying apparently irrelevantly,

"You really are a far-sighted person, General."

And then he'd claim to have a meeting to attend and left laughing. Really, talking to the strategist is a very exasperating matter. After much consideration, he deduced it was his way of saying he worried too much and that he considered it as likely as Cao Cao agreeing to surrender to Liu Bei. He wished he shared his confidence.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death, of course. But dying on the battlefield is one thing and getting killed for suspected adultery is another. It has to do with reputation and all that important stuff.

Once his thoughts came to this, he would decide he would persevere; consider this a trial.

But then, he would feel bad about having asked the strategist for help and then basically pretending it never happened. It is so impolite.

And this is where everything will go back to square one.

Omake

"Zilong seems to have a lot on his mind lately."

"Indeed."

"I wonder what is troubling him."

"I wonder."

"You mean you don't know?"

"So you were fishing for information."

"Well... I... have to care for my generals, of course."

"Of course."

"... Oh, yes. He did come to speak to me before."

"About his troubles?"

"Yes. I believe so, yes."

"So what's worrying him?"

"Well... to tell the truth, I've forgotten. I only recall it having happened because it had been more entertaining than important."

"Ah. Zilong does worry about the slightest things sometimes."

"Indeed."

-end-

Start: 7 Dec 05
End: 7 Dec 05