Xiahouji's lithe body swayed to the music being plucked from the guqin by the servants of house Xiahou. Her eyes were closed as she moved, too nervous acknowledge the audience that was currently watching her. She counted out the steps in her mind and hoped that she wouldn't mess this up. Even though she was a novice and no one would fault her if she did mess up, she wanted so desperately to get every step right. The song wound down and she breathed a sigh of relief as the last string was plucked. Applause exploded around her. She willed herself to open her eyes and finally acknowledge the group watching her. She gave them a bashful smile and a curtsey pleased that she had apparently done well.

Suddenly she felt the ground slip away from her as she was launched into the air. She let out a squeak of surprise which dissolved into giggles as her uncle Xiahou Yuan spun her around. He always did stuff like this and it was exactly why he was her favorite uncle.

"Xiahouji! That was absolutely wonderful! You dance so beautifully!" Yuan said as he placed her back onto the ground and ruffling her silky black hair. She giggled again and grabbed hold of his sleeve to maintain her balance, feeling a bit dizzy after being spun around.

"Yes, beautifully indeed."

Xiahouji looked up to the voice to see Cao Cao staring down at her. She fought the urge to hide behind Yuan but cast her eyes downward. Cao Cao was her cousin, he was family. She knew this yet something about the man gave her an uneasy feeling. She stared intently at the tips of her slippers as she wiggled her toes within them as if such a sight was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Thank you, My Lord," she replied in a small voice. Cao gave a gentle pat to the top of her head.

"Such a well mannered girl. You will make an excellent wife someday."

"Don't marry her off just yet, nephew. I am not ready to let go of my little granddaughter just yet," Lady Ai said. Cao Cao laughed as he put an arm around his aunt to give her a brief one armed hug.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he responded, releasing her from his hold. Lady Ai smiled up to him then shifted her gaze to Xiaolian.

"Would you like to learn dancing as well, Xiaolian? You and Xiahouji can take lessons together!" Lady Ai said excitedly as she clasped her hands together, pleased at herself for coming up with the idea.

Xiaolian stared at Lady Ai with what was now known as her trademark frown set upon her face. This was yet another attempt at getting the two young girls to bond. Since Xiahouji had come back home, Lady Ai, Lady Jiao and Xiulan have been trying to get them to be friends. When they put the two of them together it amounted to little more than Xiaolian staring off into the distance and thinking of the lessons she learned from Dun and Xiahouji staring at her feet with an unnatural amount of interest. It wasn't that she didn't like Xiahouji, she just didn't have anything in common with the shy girl. That coupled with the fact that she wasn't sociable to begin with, trying to force the two girls into a friendship was doomed to fail as soon as it was contrived.

"That sounds wonderful. You would like that wouldn't you, Xiaolian?" Her sister asked with a smile. Xiaolian threw her sister a look of disdain. She loved her sister, but it was evident that she didn't care for what she actually wanted. Xiulan seemed hell bent on making sure Xiaolian was a proper lady. Xiulan seemed oblivious to the daggers Xiaolian was currently glaring at her with. Seeing as her glare did not hold the intended effect, she dropped her gaze to the floor and gave a defeated sigh. Xiulan never seemed to understand her, nor did she seem interested in trying. She just constantly forced her into what she felt was the proper lifestyle for her, no matter how much she showed she disliked it. There was no point in fighting it, Xiaolian knew that she was resigned to her fate, especially since she had Lady Ai on her side.

"The next time Xiahouji goes for lessons, you will attend as well, Xiaolian," Her sister continued. Xiaolian looked towards Dun who was sitting next to Zhuyue. She wasn't sure why, she knew that he wouldn't speak up for her but inwardly she hoped he would save her from her fate. Dun's face was set in his own trademark frown and though she couldn't be sure, the look in his eye and the soft shake of his head screamed disappointment to her. This baffled her. Could he have been disappointed with her? She didn't understand why he would be.

Xiulan began speaking animatedly with Lady Ai, making preparations for Xiaolian to attend lessons with Xiahouji. Her fate was all but sealed. There was no way she could get out of this. Dun wouldn't say anything and she couldn't ask Zhuyue for help either. She felt helpless and that feeling made her feel angry. It was at this moment that Dun's voice echoed in her mind. The very first lesson he had taught her and quite possibly, the most important one: "If a true warrior cannot win a battle one way, they don't give up and run away. They look for another path to victory. Only once they have exhausted all their options would retreat be acceptable."

Accepting a fate that you did not want was the same as giving up wasn't it? If this was Zhuyue, she wouldn't have accepted this. During the time she and her sister had lived with Zhuyue and her father, she saw the two butt heads on many issues. Xiaolian always watched their spats from her hidden corner and would always marvel at Zhuyue's bravery for standing up to her father the way she did, even when he struck her for doing so. Channeling Zhuyue's bravery and thinking of Dun's words led Xiaolian to finally speak up. Even if this didn't work, she wouldn't give up. She would find another way and only when she couldn't find any more options would she give up.

"No," Was the simple word she spoke. It was said in such a low tone that it was barely heard. She managed to catch the attention of Xiahouji, Cao Cao, Dun and Zhuyue, but Lady Ai, Xiulan and the others seemed to not hear her at all. So she tried again, this time she put all of her pent up frustration at being constantly forced to do what she didn't want to do by her sister; her anger at being weak and her resolve to no longer be that way into one loud scream. Her tiny voice shouting the word 'no' carried over the din of the living area and everyone froze to stare at her in shock.

"She can speak? Shit! All this time I thought she was a mute!" Yuan exclaimed with a laugh.

"Xiaolian! What are you doing! I apologize Lady Ai, everyone. I have no idea wha-"

"Let her speak," Dun said. Xiulan froze at hearing his voice. She looked between the two in confusion. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Instead, she lowered her head and acquiesced to his request. Dun let out a disgusted grunt. Xiulan did not have an ounce of backbone. The thought pissed him off for some reason. After everything she went through, you would have thought she would have wanted to become stronger more than anyone, if only to protect herself from something like that happening again. Instead, she seemed to just withdraw into herself, making her an easy target for anyone who liked to dominate others. At that moment, he realized that he definitely did not want Xiulan to become anything like her.

All eyes were now bearing down on Xiaolian making her feel uncomfortable. She wasn't use to speaking to such a large group and hadn't thought out a grand speech for this moment. She just knew she didn't want to take dance lessons. She wanted to become a warrior. She wanted to become stronger.

"I don't want to," Was all she could say, hoping those four words would be enough to convey her feelings to everyone.

"You don't want to what darling?" Lady Ai asked in a soft sweet voice. Xiaolian thought of Lady Ai as a sweet old woman. She hoped that she wasn't hurting her feelings by rejecting her idea.

"I don't want to dance," she mumbled.

"Speak up brat. No one can hear you mumbling like that. What happened to that fire you had a minute ago?" Dun pressed. Xiaolian looked at Dun. He had a look in his eyes that was different from the disappointment she saw earlier. She didn't know exactly what it was but it spurred her own. She knew that he was telling her to be stronger. Her eyes shifted to Zhuyue and she was smiling. She looked...proud? That was a bit surprising to Xiaolian but it filled her with confidence. She stood and spoke as loud as her little voice could.

"I don't want to dance. I want to be a warrior!"

Cao Cao chuckled heartily and clapped his hands together.

"Well said little one! I can see from the fire in your eyes that you will be a force to reckon with when you are older! You boys should take note! This little girl has a fire that is missing in some of you!" Cao said to his sons Cao Ang, Cao Shuo, Cao Pi, Cao Zhang and Cao Xiong. All but Cao Pi looked down in shame at their father's words. Pi instead chose to stare at Xiaolian with a small smirk on his face. A few moments ago, he hadn't even noticed this girl's presence. She was about as important as some of the furniture that sat ignored in the corners of the dining area. Now here she was, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Interesting. Very interesting indeed.

"A warrior?" Lady Ai asked as she tilted her head considering the word. "My, my, my," She looked at Zhuyue then back to Xiaolian.

"This age has bred so many fierce women. So different from my day," she concluded with a soft chuckle.

"Unfortunately, this age of chaos demands change of all of us. I am proud of Xiaolian for being strong enough to change with it," Zhuyue said. Xiaolian gave a small smile hearing Zhuyue's words. This was working! It was really working! Xiaolian let her gaze shift from Zhuyue to her sister who was frowning. She was very unhappy about this situation but she did not speak. Xiaolian had no doubt that she wouldn't let this go so easily but she didn't allow herself to think about such a thing right now. Right now, she would bask in the glow of her small victory.

"I could not have said it better myself, Zhuyue," Cao said with a nod. "But I plan on quelling this chaos and unifying this land. Tomorrow at first light, we shall meet. It will be the first step towards a better future."

Zhuyue, Dun and Yuan nodded to this and Cao gave a nod in reply. He signaled his sons to stand and they did so in unison. Cao bowed to Shan and Lady Ai and his sons followed suit.

"We must thank you for such a kindness in inviting us for this meal. Truly, your generosity knows no bounds. However, I am afraid we must take our leave. I really cannot keep Shuo out for long periods of time due to his ailing health," Cao said. Shuo felt a wave of embarrassment. He hated being such a burden on his family. His father constantly worried over him. He wanted to be strong. Not a day went by that he begged the heavens to heal him and make him strong like his other brothers. Some days when he didn't feel quite so terrible, he could trick himself into thinking that the heavens had answered his call. Then the next day, it seemed that he would feel worse than ever before. He overheard his father and a doctor saying that they weren't sure if he would ever get over his malady. Shan and Ai looked at him with sad eyes. He hated the pity he saw in them. He was tired of seeing it from everyone.

"Thank you," his sons said in concord. Truly, Cao had them all well trained. It was a bit disconcerting yet impressive.

"Oh stop with such formality, Nephew. You are family and always welcomed here," Shan said with a smile. Cao gave a small laugh and gave hugs to both his aunt and uncle.

"Still, we thank you. We probably won't have much time for moments of peace such as this in the future, but I would like to have dinner with you once more when my father arrives in a few months," Cao said.

"Oh? Jugao is coming? It would make my heart glad to see my brother again!" Shan said with a smile. Cao returned it.

"Mine as well, Uncle. It is settled then! When father arrives, we will have another feast. This time, you shall be my guests."

"We look forward to it dear," Lady Ai said with a smile. Cao nodded and bid everyone else farewell. Just as he was leaving, Ling was entering the eating area. The two man stood in front of each other, Ling effectively blocking the path out. He refused to move to the side to allow Cao and his brood to pass. The two men eyed each other.

"Ah, little Ling has finally come to join us. Your presence was sorely missed, Cousin," Cao said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Ling instantly picked up on it an sneered.

"You lot are still here I see? Tell me mother, is there anything left to eat? With our dear cousin visiting I know it was akin to feeding a village with the sheer quantity of mutts he has. Tell me cousin, what number are you up to? Lost count yet?"

Cao chuckled, not bothered by his words at all. Pi bristled behind him, not liking the comparison of he and his brothers being made to that of dogs. Ang , the oldest of Cao's children eyed his younger brother warily. Though he would hate to admit it, Pi scared the shit out of him. Pi was normally a fairly mellow guy but he had a bit of a dark side. He was like his father a lot in that way. His anger never exploded, it was always a subtle and cruel revenge he would enact on those who was stupid enough to cross him. Though Ling was family, Ang knew without a doubt Pi was more than likely contemplating ways to kill him and get away with the murder.

"Lucky for you that you do not have such a problem, Ling," Cao replied.

"HA!" Came the loud voice of Yuan from within the room.

"Well you know, quality over quantity. But I suppose that is a lesson some of us never learned," Ling drawled, refusing to allow Cao to get the better of him. He would have to get that fat shit Yuan later for laughing at him. Cao smiled at him, but his smile was not one of warmth. There was a darkness to it that sent a shiver down Ling's spine but he refused to show fear. Defiantly and with severely misplaced courage he stared Cao Cao in the eye.

"Another lesson some seem to have not learned is that those who practice bravery only in front of crowds that would save them from harm should be wary of who they offend. In the real world beyond your gilded cage there are some who would remember such an offense and would see you pay for it," Cao said in a eerily calm tone that made Ling swallow hard.

There was something different about Cao's ire when compared to Dun's. Dun did not hide his intentions. You knew when he was pissed off and you could be damned sure that he was going to cause some form of bodily harm to you if not kill you out right. You saw it coming. He wasn't the type of person to hide his intentions. It was a bit refreshing to see someone who was so straightforward as that in an age of deceit. Cao was not so easy to read. Here he was, smiling at Ling but everything about him from his tone to his face screamed danger. He heard the threat laced within his words and from what he knew of Cao since they were children was that Cao would not do something to him directly. He would do something to him from within the shadows.

Ling remembered a story he heard about Cao when he was younger. One of Cao's uncle, on his adopted family's side was abusive to him. Cao never respected the man and would go out of his way to aggravate him. He would act like a horrible child, throwing the most fierce tantrums. When the man tried to show Cao Song just how atrocious Cao Cao was acting, Cao would be the picture of calm. This led Song to disowning his own brother leaving the man destitute and branded a liar, all because of the guile of a young Cao. His deceptiveness had only grown as he aged. His plots were much more deadly and men who crossed him regretted it, if they were lucky enough to still be alive at the end of it.

Ling gave up his false bravado and wisely stepped out of the way. There was nothing he could do to Cao at the moment and though this was a blow to his pride, he would rather deal with that than whatever wickedness Cao would conjure for him.

Cao casted one last glance to Ling and smirked before leaving the dining hall. Ling felt anger welling up within him. Damn this family. He hated Dun, Yuan and Cao. One day, he would make these bastards pay.

"There is plenty of food left, Ling. Come, sit and eat," Lady Ai said, sensing the tension hanging in the air and trying to do her duty as matriarch to bring peace back into their abode. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and tried to lead him toward the table.

"I am no longer hungry," Ling hissed and snatched his arm away from her. He stormed out of the dining area, intent on going back to his quarters. Dun stood up quickly, his face set into a grimace. He took quick menacing strides towards the door, intent on catching up to Ling. There was no way he was going to let him get away with disrespecting his mother in such a fashion. Lady Ai jumped into Dun's path.

"Please, no. Don't follow him. Just-just let him be," Dun regarded his mother for a few moments. It pissed him off how she allowed him to get away with so much. He continually disrespected both her and his father and their complacency is the reason he kept doing it. Lady Ai stared at him, her eyes pleading. Dun sighed and took a few steps back before turning and sitting back in his spot. Ai smiled at him and mouthed thank you. Dun merely grunted, feeling wholly unsatisfied at the lack of resolution to this growing problem. As per the usual with one of Ling visits, the family was left in an uneasy silence.

"So...," Yuan spoke up, breaking the thick tension that had settled over the group. "Am I seriously the only one who didn't know she was a mute?"

-#-

It wasn't supposed to be this way. This was the thought that coursed through Lu Bu's mind since their ill fated battle at Chang'an. He killed Dong Zhou. He slaughtered that fat tyrant like the pig he was. Instead of praise and thanks from these pathetic maggots who were too weak to do the job on their own, what did he receive? He was chased out of Chang'an and no city would give them solace. They were turned away at the gates and forced to camp each night in the wild. No one wanted Lu Bu in their city, afraid that he would turn his wrath against them. They cowered behind their gates and denied him access. This was not how it was suppose to be. This is not what he was promised. Wang Yun had said that people would rejoice if he killed Dong Zhou, welcome him with open arms. No one did. No one accepted them.

He turned his head to glare at Wang Yun who was on the horse beside him. He wanted to rip the old man's head off and beat him with it. He felt as if he was deceived. Wang Yun spoke honeyed words and used the promise of Diaochan to manipulate him. He was sure of it. He didn't see it then but he can clearly see it now and it infuriated him. The only thing that kept him breathing was Diaochan's presence.

That was another thing that was angering him. Since they fled and were forced to sleep in the wild each night, he hadn't had the chance to partake in her. To make matters worse, every time he looked at her, he could only remember the sight of Dong Zhou rutting on top of her. He needed to claim her. To make her his own. To fuck that image out of her brain and his. To make her forget that fat bastard's touch and only beg for his. In their current situation, that wasn't happening and he was dangerously close to snapping.

There was also the issue of his daughter. Diaochan and Wang Yun claimed that they couldn't find her and her mother in the residential area. Something about that claim didn't sit right with him. Within his core, something told him that it wasn't the whole truth. He grit his teeth as he thought about it. For the entirety of his life it seemed that he has been manipulated by someone else. Made to serve someone else's whim. Despite his strength, he has never been the master of his own destiny. He became complacent in his life, allowing himself to be manipulated by others as long as he had room and board and the promise of a good fight. He was no longer content to live this way. There was no honor or glory in serving those weaker than him.

After he left Chang'an, forced to flee in shame, he swore that he would no longer be subjected to the whims of others. He saw the chaos this land was steeped in and how the weak fools that lived here were powerless to do anything about it. They needed someone with power to quell this chaos and who was more powerful than he? It was his job, no it was his right as the most powerful warrior in the land to rule over it. He won't just calm the chaos, he would beat it into fucking submission. He would show everyone in the new world he was creating, chaos would not be allowed. Anyone who tried to oppose his will would be annihilated.

He felt his lip twitch up into a sneer as his thoughts took a darker turn. Heaven help Wang Yun if he found out that his gut was true and his deceitful tongue had forced him to abandon his only child. Even Diaochan's presence will not save him from his wrath.

Diaochan's voice cut through his vengeful thoughts. He turned his head to her sharply, his face still fixed in the sneer he had leveled at her father.

"What?" He spat out, not bothering to temper his tone to the kinder one he would normally adopt when speaking to her.

He wasn't sure if she held any true guilt for the abandonment of his daughter but he didn't think she was completely faultless. Didn't he tell her to find his daughter first? Yet, she went to find her father first instead. He supposed he couldn't blame her for that, if he had a father he cared for (and hadn't killed) he probably would have seen to his family first. Still, it rubbed him the wrong way. Diaochan shrank back on her horse to the point where she almost toppled off of it. Her flailing hands managed to grab the edge of the saddle before she completely fell off. With her reaction, you would have thought that he had physically struck her. Since they fled Chang'an, Lu Bu hadn't uttered a word to her or anyone else for that matter. He seemed to have a aura of rage constantly swirling about him and everyone decided it was in the best interest of their health to give him a wide berth. Even so, Diaochan did not think he would react to her with such anger. He never had before. Then again, she never betrayed him in such a way before. Did he know what she and Wang Yun had done? No, that couldn't be. If he did, she doubted either of them would be still breathing at the moment. Still, something was off. Perhaps he suspected something? Diaochan straightened herself on the saddle. If she looked guilty, it would be the same as admitting guilt. She knew how to play the role of innocence. It was a role she knew and played well, even if the deception made her sick to her stomach.

"I am sorry for disturbing you, My Lord," Diaochan said as she lowered her head in repentance. She tilted her head up just enough to stare at him bashfully with half lidded eyes. Lu Bu's rage did not wane as she hoped. It was still there, swirling about him so fiercely Diaochan could have sworn she could feel its head upon her supple skin. He did not however raise his voice at her any further.

"What?" He repeated in a strained calm. It wasn't what Diaochan was hoping for, but it was better than nothing she supposed.

"Forgive my impertinence, but I was wondering if you could tell me where we are going? We have been wandering for days now. Our steeds are worn and without food, they won't last much longer. The same goes for us."

Lu Bu turned his head to focus on the road ahead. He knew the words she spoke were true but it irritated him to hear it again. In truth, he had been thinking about this topic extensively since they were turned away from the last town. They had to find another benefactor. One who wouldn't fear him, or at least was stupid enough to think that Lu Bu truly intended to serve them. Lu Bu had no intention of becoming indentured to anyone else. He would use whomever he served long enough till he can strike out on his own. For this reason, they had to find someone who was fairly doltish. That excluded Cao Cao. Though he knew the man would be eager to have such a power as Lu Bu under his thumb, he knew that Cao Cao would never fully trust him. He would keep him on a short leash and be ready for even the slightest hint of treachery. Sun Jian was also out.* The man wouldn't even accept in into his army. He would deem Lu Bu too much of a risk. For the same reason, Gongsun Zan was also excluded. There was Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu to consider. He disregarded Yuan Shu almost immediately. The man was a spineless coward and Lu Bu did not believe he could pretend serving him long enough to enact his plan. He was certain that the man would make him snap and he would kill him within a fortnight. Yuan Shao, while also a annoying fool was decidedly more tolerable than his idiot brother. He would have to do. Lu Bu looked back at Diaochan to see her staring back at him expectedly. The same was true for Zhang Liao and Wang Yun.

"We will offer our services to Yuan Shao. He will favor us because we killed Dong Zhou. That is the very reason he organized the coalition so he cannot simply turn away the ones who actually accomplished what they could not. We will fight for him and gain his favor."

He purposely left the rest of his plan out. He did not trust Wang Yun and did not want to risk the man tipping his hand before he was ready. He would inform Zhang Liao of his plan when the time was right. As for Diaochan, he needed to get her alone. He needed to make sure exactly where her loyalties lie before he could consider trusting her. Lu Bu refused to be used again.

-#-

Zhuyue was less than amused at the proceeding of this meeting Cao Cao had arranged. She watched as yet another serving girl sauntered her way to their side of the table. It appeared Cao Cao had trained his female servants to treat his male guest very friendly. When doing a simple task as pouring a drink, they would linger and run their hands over them in a sensual manner. Most of the men present seemed very amused and pleased with this but she found it annoying to see them flaunt themselves in such a manner. She of course was largely ignored by the servers, a fact that irritated her. It seemed as though the women did not acknowledge her as a warrior who earned the right to sit amongst the others. Indeed some of them gave her quizzical looks regarding the fact that she was sitting with the men. Dun seemed about as pleased as she was with the attention. He had in a not so polite manner told the women to buzz off, but they kept coming back to him, undaunted by his gruff nature.

The servant had approached them. Once again, Zhuyue's cup had remained empty as her attention was solely on Dun. She leaned forward with the wine cupped in her hands. Her breast pressed against Dun's back. She leaned close to his ear, her warm breath fanning against it.

"Do you want me to refill your drink, my lord?" When he waved her away she allowed her cheek to rub against his, giggling at the feel of the stubble against her skin. Dun let out an audible sigh and pulled away from the woman, his patience at an end. Before he could verbally react to the woman's unwanted affections, Zhuyue had wrapped her hand around the woman's wrist and jerked her roughly towards her causing the jug she was holding to shift perilously within her grip. Zhuyue used her free hand to catch the jug of wine that threatened to fall out of the woman's hand and steadied it. The liquid inside the jug was violently jostled, causing it to spill over its lip and onto both women's hands and a bit onto Zhuyue's robes. Zhuyue lamented that she would now have the stench of wine on her robe for the rest of the evening but chose to ignore that fact for now. The woman regained her hold on the jug and tried to pull out of Zhuyue's grasp but to no avail. With each tug, Zhuyue only tightened her grip, digging her nails into her flesh to strengthen her purchase. The woman gave up her struggle, not wanting to spill any more wine.

"Let me go!" She pleaded, her wrist in terrible pain under the grip of Zhuyue's nails.

"Silence!" Zhuyue hissed. She was aware that her actions had now garnered attention from the others but she didn't care. She would say her piece.

"You've passed by my table three times and not once have you asked to fill my cup. Am I not worthy of serving?"

"I-I-I apologize, my lady," The girl winced in pain. "W-would you like a drink."

"Are you deaf? I asked you if I am not worthy of serving?"

"Y-you are. I swear it."

"Then explain why you ignored me in favor of harassing my betrothed?" The girl turned her head to Dun who had a neutral expression on his face as he watched the events unfolding before him.

"I-I had no idea he was claimed, my lady. I swear!"

"I believe you. For that reason, I will forgive your disrespect. If we have to repeat this conversation, my disposition won't be so calm," The girl nodded quickly and Zhuyue released her hand. She hurried off as quickly as she could, desperately wanting to leave the room. A eerie silence washed over the room as the men stared at Zhuyue. Zhuyue ignored the glares, schooling her face to a mask of indifference as she picked up a cloth from the table to wipe the wine off of her hand. The bubble of quiet was ruptured by by Cao Cao who found the situation widely amusing if his hearty laughter was anything to judge it by. Yuan joined in on said laughter, shaking his head at the fierce nature of his future sister-in-law.

"My my. Such a fierce and possessive women you have there, Yuánràng," The man who was introduced to her as Guo Jia said with a wistful smile. "The sex must be absolutely amazing."

Zhuyue made a quick flicking motion with her hand and Jia heard a thud. He looked down and was surprised to see a dagger had pinned his sleeve to the small table that he was resting his hands on. He hadn't even seen it fly towards him. She was a fast little thing.

"I do not react well to disrespect or stupidity, my lord," Zhuyue said in a flat tone. "You would do well to remember that."

Zhuyue did not look at Dun. She knew that more than likely he was angered by her actions but she could not find herself to care. She had worked hard in the past few months and she refused to be treated as less than anyone in this room simply because of her gender. They will give her the respect that she deserves and if they didn't, she would beat the respect out of them. She blinked at the thought that had come to her mind unbidden. It seems that a bit of Dun was rubbing off on her. Jia wrestled the dagger from the table and examined the newly created hole in his sleeve. His shook his head and chuckled tossing it back at her. He had intended on returning the favor, having the blade imbed itself in the small table before her but to his surprise, she plucked it out of the air by the handle with practiced ease once it was within her reach. Her eyes bore into him as she quickly flipped the blade within her hand, showing the ease in which she wielded it. Jia raised his hands in mock surrender.

"No sex yet then?" Jia asked with that same wistful smile playing on his lips. Zhuyue could only scoff at the comment. This man was incorrigible. He didn't even seem the least bit bothered by her threat. What type of men does Cao Cao attract? She chose to ignore him as she hid the dagger back into her robe.

"Fèngxiào, shut the fuck up. Mèngdé, can we get on with this?" Dun said growing impatient.

"Definitely no sex. He's still much too wound up." Jia murmured as Dun flipped him off. This earned the chuckle of a few men in the room. "He is right though, my lord. There is much to discuss. It would be best if we got underway."

Cao and Yuan's laughter, which had carried on and only increased throughout the entire scene between Jia and Zhuyue began to taper off. Cao dismissed the servants to the disappointment to a few of the men and cleared his throat. All heads turned to the front of the room where Cao sat with his sons Chong, Ang and Pi sitting off to the right of him. Zhuyue wondered if the order in which they sat was based on age or in which Cao favored them.

"Some of you may have heard this already but for those that have not this may come as a bit of a surprise. The tyrant, Dong Zhou is dead."

Gasps of surprise were heard around the room. Zhuyue noted that out of everyone, the slimy man she met earlier known as Chen Gong, Li Dian, Dun, Yuan and Jia seemed to be the only ones that were not surprised. She knew that Gong and Jia were Cao's advisors so it was their job to know such things. She imagined that Cao informed Dun and Yuan earlier due to their familial relation but how did Dian know? Most people took him as a fool but there was an untold wisdom in his eyes. As if he could see something that no one else could. It was intriguing.

"How did he die?" Asked a burly man who was introduced to her earlier as Cao Ren, one of Cao Cao's cousins. He didn't seem to get the information before hand as Dun and Yuan had but she imagined that was only because he arrived just a few moments before the meeting actually began.

"His "son" Lu Bu happened," Cao replied. "It seems they had a bit of a falling out which resulted in Dong Zhou losing his head."

"Hmph. If we would have known Lu Bu's loyalties were so easily swayed, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble," said Cao Hong. Another of Cao's cousins.

"I don't believe that to be true," Jia said. He looked to Cao for permission to continue which was granted. "The Battle of Sishui Gate was one of the many things that acted as a catalyst for Dong Zhou's downfall. From the reports I received, Lu Bu was not alone in taking down Dong Zhou, though he was one of the main contributors. Dong Zhou's deplorable act of burning Luoyang caused many to abandon his cause. There were quite a few that fought on Lu Bu's side though they were eventually forced to flee from Chang'an."

"So where is Lu Bu now?" Asked Xu Huang, a man who had recently came to serve Cao Cao after being impressed with his prowess and command at the battle of Sishui Gate. This time, Chen Gong spoke up. Something about this man rubbed Zhuyue the wrong way. He seemed to be so full of himself and carried himself with an air of superiority. Perhaps he reminded her a bit too much of the nobles she had the misfortune of knowing throughout her short life.

"Currently, Lu Bu is seeking refuge. He has been turned away from many thus far. My Lord," Gong began, turning his body slightly to address Cao personally. "I believe you should offer him safe haven. By doing so at this juncture, he will be indebted to you. Imagine what you could do with such power on your side."

"Respectfully I disagree, my lord. Lu Bu has shown several times that loyalty is a fleeting virtue for him. To offer him haven in your army would be akin to giving haven to a wolf among your sheep. He will sow chaos and quash your ambition before it can truly begin," countered Jia.

Chen Gong shot an icy glare at Guo Jia. He did not care for this man at all. He knew that Jia and Cao had a close friendship and felt threatened by this man's very presence. It was clear that he was trying to take his place as Cao's top advisor. How many times he had found the two of them huddling together and talking out strategies without his council. He clenched his fist in an attempt to stop it from shaking in anger. Jia merely smiled at Gong, the action serving to infuriate him even further.

"Our Lord's ambition can only be obtained by bold decisions. We will gain nothing if we allow cowardice to govern our decisions. History remembers the bold, not the timid," Gong replied, proud of himself from keeping the anger he felt out of his voice.

"There is a difference between caution and recklessness. While I agree that fortune favors the bold, it also punishes the foolish. If we ignore Lu Bu's traitorous tendencies we would be very foolish indeed. Of course we may be able to keep him under our thumb for a time but like a wild animal, he will long to be released from his confines and will take out anyone who stands in the way of his freedom," Jia replied before taking a drink from his cup.

Chen Gong opened his mouth to reply but Cao raised his hand to silence him.

"Enough. I have thought on this matter. While Lu Bu would undoubtedly be a strong weapon for us to wield, he would be too difficult to control. It would be better if we did not allow him within our ranks."

"So you would allow one of your enemies to accept them into their fold instead?!" Gong said, his voice raising a few octaves as the frustration flooded into it. Cao rose a brow at this outburst.

"I do believe I said that was enough, Gōngtái. Be mindful of who you are addressing," Cao said in a calm tone, but with a black look settling over his countenance. Gong bowed his upper body toward Cao and lowered his head to show his remorse.

"My apologies," He said quickly. Cao stared at him for a few more minutes before turning his attention back to the group before him. Gong sat back up and kept his face neutral though he was seething inside. The fire he felt burning inside of him was only further stoked by Jia smiling at him.

"Moving on," Cao began. "It seems that Sun Jian has also met his end."

Again mummers of shock filled the room. Zhuyue felt a wave of sadness wash over her. Sun Jian was a good man and he treated her with nothing but kindness. Sun Ce must be heartbroken.

"He died in battle against Liu Biao. His eldest son, Sun Ce has taken up leadership of his army and they are currently within the service of Yuan Shu. I have heard of Sun Ce's prowess. He will be one to watch. And since we are on the subject of the Yuans'...," Cao sighed, not eager to address this subject.

"Yuan Shao sent a messenger to me recently," He held up a scroll that had been resting on his table. He gestured to his son Chong who stood immediately and took the scroll from his father with a bow. He quickly made his way over to Dun and bowed before him as he held the scroll out to him. Dun warily took the scroll, having a sense of unease that Cao had chosen to personally let him read the scroll. Once the scroll left his hands, Chong returned to his spot leaving Dun to unfurl the scroll and read the words within. Dun's face shifted into scowl.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"What does it say Brother?" Yuan asked. The others looked at him with unbridled curiosity. Dun ignored them all as he addressed Cao.

"What is your decision on this, Mèngdé?" Dun asked. He felt tense. This scroll had put him in a position he did not want to be in. Jia bowed his head towards Cao, who with a wave of his hand gave him permission to speak.

"Even if we gave Yuan Shao what he wanted, I believe he would still find a reason to start a conflict between himself and Cao. He is aware of our lord's ambition and knows that he is in the path of that ambition. It would be best if we ignored his request."

"I disagree!" Chen Gong declared. "If we ignored it, we would be putting ourselves in an unnecessary war between us and Yuan Shao. One that we are not ready for. By acquiescing, we can postpone a conflict with him until we are ready to fight him on our terms."

"What does it say?!" Yuan asked again, louder this time as he was irritated that he was ignored the first time.

"What is your decision on this, Mèngdé?" Dun asked again, ignoring Yuan once more. Cao regarded his cousin quietly for a few moments. He could see a storm of anger brewing in his eyes. It seems he truly did care for her. There was only one answer he could possibly give.

"Apparently, Yuan Shao and Qin Hui, Zhuyue's father had made an arrangement regarding Zhuyue."

Zhuyue's eyes widened at hearing her father's name coupled along with Yuan Shao. It seems that her father wasn't bluffing when he said he had made arrangements for her. She didn't need to see the scroll to know what else was written on it. The only question that remained on her mind was the same as Dun's. What had Cao intended to do about it and if his answer was not a favorable one, what did she intend to do?

"Zhuyue was arranged to marry one of Yuan Shao's sons. He requests that I hand her over as she is already spoken for. Failure to do so would be considered a irrevocable insult and actions will need to be taken," Cao finished.

"Which son?" Li Dian wondered aloud. The look Dun leveled at him would have been enough to stop a lesser man's heart cold. Yuan who was sitting next to him gave a smack to the back of his head. Dian rubbed it sheepishly.

"S-sorry," He muttered.

"In regards to what I am going to do," Cao said leveling his gaze towards Dun and Zhuyue. "Is ignore the protests of this little man. He is just using this as a way to exert his authority. I don't not even want to give him the inclination that he has any measure of control over me. Besides...Zhuyue is family. How can I call myself an honorable man if I gave her away to a cur such as he?"

Zhuyue visibly relaxed while Dun still looked a bit irritated by the entire situation. Chen Gong was livid. Cao Cao would jeopardize his ambition for a mere woman? One who was not even truly related to him? The very idea was insane! Perhaps Cao Cao was not the man he thought he was. If he would let such a simple notion as loyalty get in his way then he was not the man he was meant to serve. Coupled with the arrival of Jia, Gong sensed his time with Cao Cao was at an end.

"Of course, while we will be ignoring Yuan Shao's request, on the outside we must make it seem as if we are in the right to do so. If we just outright reject him, he could plead as the injured party and gather support on his side against us," Jia chimed in while going to take another drink from his cup. He was disappointed to see it was empty and put it down with a small pout.

"What Fèngxiào says is true. Fortunately I have come up with a solution to that particular problem," Cao said with a mischievous look in his eye.

"And what might that be?" Dun asked. He already knew that whatever the answer was, the likelihood of him liking it was small.

"You two simply have to get married as soon as possible."

"And how would that help anything? Yuan Shao would just assume that you got his message and had us rush the marriage. He could still declare war over this," said Dun.

"He doesn't know we got the message yet. His messenger hasn't had the opportunity to report back to him," Cao replied. Dun rose a brow at this but did not respond, understanding what he was implying. "We will simply say the missive never reached us and you two got married as you originally planned. It was no secret that you two were promised to each other. When I introduced Zhuyue to Yuan Shao it was as your betrothed. Even if he decides to still go to war, he would look the fool for doing so over a matter so trivial as this one. He won't get the backing he normally would if it looked as if we had slighted him."

Dun sighed. He had finally come to terms with the idea of marrying Zhuyue so doing so wasn't a huge problem for him. What he did not like is that someone else was dictating when he would do so. If this was the only way to solve the problem however, he would do it. There was no way in hell he was going to let Yuan Shao get his hands on Zhuyue.

"Fine, when?" Dun asked.

"When my father arrives. We can say that his sudden migration to Qiao was for this purpose. This ruse will serve as a means to hide my plans. I was worried that it might have looked suspicious that my father suddenly moved his entire household back home. A perceptive man might see it as a prelude to war, which it very well is."

Dun gave a nonchalant shrug, his face still fixed in a frown while Zhuyue tried to sort out in her mind that she was going to a married woman within the next few months.

"I want all of you to be prepared. After my father arrives and the wedding has taken place, I will began my campaign to quell the chaos in this land. I need you all at your best and I will not suffer anything less."

All present bowed to Cao, acknowledging his words. Cao nodded, pleased.

"Um, My Lord?" Cao's head turned to acknowledge Li Dian who was the one to speak.

"What is it, Mànchéng?" Cao asked.

"Regarding your father, did you send guards to escort him?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you the same thing, my lord. What arrangements did you make for his journey?" Jia chimed in.

"Gōngtái was the one who spearheaded this. I wanted to send a armed escort but he advised that it would draw too much attention. My father only travels with the members of his household and my brother," Cao responded. Both Dian and Jia looked toward Gong. Gong smirked feeling pleased at the acknowledgement. He knew that his strategy was sound and not even Guo Jia could find fault with it.

"I see...," Jia replied.

"Hmm...," Dian added.

"What is it?" Cao asked. He could see the unease in the two men and it was making him a bit nervous.

"It is not the way I would have done it is all," Jia replied. Dian nodded in agreement.

"I don't know, I just have a feeling that wasn't the right decision. I have a feeling that maybe he should have gotten that armed escort," Dian added. Cao frowned at this. He had also been regretting the decision. It has been a thought plaguing his mind for the last few nights.

"Do not listen to them, my lord. If you would have sent an armed escort, it would have brought unwanted attention to your father. My plan is a sound one," said Gong. Cao frowned. He wasn't entirely too sure about that.

"It doesn't matter. It is a bit too late to change plans now. They have already got underway. We will just have to trust that Gōngtái's strategy is a sound one."

All men nodded but Dian couldn't shake that something was about to go terribly wrong.

A/N: *Though Jian was already dead at this point, because Lu Bu has been a nomad, news of his demise hadn't reached him as of yet which is why he was still an option for him.

Thanks to all for reading and feel free to leave a comment.