Guo Jia - Fèngxiào
Zhang Miao - Mèngzhuō
Zhang Liao - Wényuǎn
Cao Cao stood watch as his troops tossed another body onto the growing pile of corpses. As per his instructions, Guo Jia had their troops slaughter the civilians living outside of Xiapi. Cao wanted to have their carcasses propped up looking towards Xiapi so Tao Qian would know the gravity of his failure. So he could feel as powerless as Cao did at the inability to protect that which he cared for. After many hours of deliberation, Jia managed to sway him from this idea. Now his troops gathered the bodies to burn them. Part of Jia's argument for doing so was to stave off possible diseases from leaving the dead bodies festering near them and to keep up their own troop's morale. A lot of them were uneasy about slaughtering civilians and seeing dead corpses strewn about would be a constant reminder of what they had done. They followed his orders as they were expected to, but he could hear the discourse amongst the men questioning if Cao was going too far in his quest for revenge.
Cao rolled this question around in his mind as well. Had he gone too far? What made this situation any different from when Dong Zhou had sentenced the people of Luoyang to a fiery grave just to stop the alliance from catching up to him? Had he allowed his emotions to guide his actions rather than a clear mind? These people truly did nothing to him and realistically, what could they have done to stop his family from being butchered in such a cowardly fashion? They were powerless to stop his army from ransacking their homes, slaughtering their families, neighbors and children; what reasonable hope would they have had against Tao Qian's men?
Cao dismissed the thought. No. He was different. This situation was different. These people…they were not his people. They were Tao Qian's people and he failed to protect them. Cao would never sacrifice those that put their faith in him and looked to him for protection. They were powerless so they could have done nothing? That was just an excuse. A man has to learn to take control of his own life, with his own two hands. If he cannot manage that much, then he is destined to fall victim to the whims of those who do. That is the way of the world. That is the law that this land of chaos has created. It was for that very reason that he set out to tame this land from the madness that was consuming it. He refused to live under the whim of those less capable than he any longer.
Jia sided up next Cao, a frown on his face. It was a rare sight to not see to the man smile but he had rarely done so since he stepped foot on the battlefield.
"What are you so upset about? You got your wish," Cao remarked.
"Now, now, Lord Cao, it was not a request made for personal gain, It was one made out of necessity."
Cao made a grunt of acceptance in reply.
"As for my mood, it is because I have a bit of bad news."
"I'm getting rather tired of hearing that from you, Fèngxiào."
"And I am quite tired of delivering it, My Lord, however as your strategist, such is my burden," Jia replied with an exasperated sigh to emphasis his point.
"So it is. What is this news you speak of?" asked Cao.
"As we expected, upon the news of us slaughtering his people, Tao Qian has sent out emissaries petitioning aid."
Cao didn't respond, indicating that Jia should continue.
"We were able to stop the one heading to Yuan Shu and Gongsun Zan but it seems that Tao Qian sent out a third we were unaware of."
"Heading where?"
"That's the problem…we aren't sure. We have reports that he might have been heading towards Qing province but that isn't confirmed."
"Qing province? That is Gongsun Zan's territory. He sent two messengers there? Why? Yuan Shu has the bigger army. Wouldn't it had made more sense to send two messengers there to ensure delivery rather than Gongsun Zan?"
"You are correct. It would have made more sense. My only guess is that he figured that he had a better chance entreating Lord Zan rather than Lord Shu. Lord Shu wouldn't send forces unless he was absolutely sure that he could defeat us, otherwise, he risks the possibility of you turning your sights to him."
"Yes, his cowardice has served him well so far," said Cao. He sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "So we failed to completely cut Tao Qian off from reinforcements? Very well, ensure that we aren't taken unaware from any possible aid."
"Already in progress, my Lord. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware."
Cao nodded in approval. "What is the morale like amongst the men?"
"After the…," Jia paused as he searched his mind for the proper word. "Expurgation it has dropped fairly low."
"Give a half ration increase for anyone who did not personally take part in it and double the rations for those who did. After the bodies have been burned and the stench clears up, move our camps into the town. Give the largest houses to our generals," Cao commanded.
Jia bowed and turned to leave but hesitated. He looked over his shoulder to Cao and spoke.
"How is your son?"
"He still draws breath," Cao replied.
"A small bit of good news in dark times," Jia replied with a smile.
"Is it? Currently, he is in a constant state of agony as his body tries to fight off the fever. If he does manage to survive it, life as he knows it is over. Few men will respect him and no woman will want him. Sometimes, there are worst things than death."
There was a forlorn look on Cao's face as he spoke. It was plain to see that he was distraught over his son, yet instead of sitting by his side, here he was, overseeing the work of his men. It was hard for Jia to discern whether this was he was a cold blooded man or a focused one? Jia wondered if he was in Cao's shoes, could he do the same? Jia bowed his head to Cao again and went off to do his master's bidding.
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Xiaolian lifted herself from Zhuyue's lap with a wince, her face still throbbing from the wound. She could hear the thumping of the approaching hooves and knew another battle was imminent. Zhuyue gave Xiaolian a weary smile and got to her feet before helping Xiaolian to hers. She led her to Lady Ai and the others, Pi and Ang joined them.
"Something isn't right. They found us too fast," Pi muttered. Zhuyue nodded her head once in agreement. It was strange that they were able to find them so quickly, but this wasn't the time to ponder such curiosities. Zhuyue prayed to the heavens that it wouldn't be Lu Bu that she saw when they did.
"Ang, you need to take the others and flee," said Pi.
Ang bristled at the command. Pi had been bossing him around since this entire debacle began. It was grating on his nerves. He was the oldest and should be respected as such. That is what his heart said. His mind knew that Pi was the strongest out of the two of them. He also knew that he was still injured from the last battle and if he chokes the way he did before, he was as good as dead. He knew this and knew that he should hold his tongue but his pride would not allow it.
"That's enough, brother," Ang hissed. "I am the eldest. Father left me in charge. You should be following my orders, not the other way around."
Pi scoffed. "I don't recall father leaving anyone in charge and the fact that you are arguing with me while we have enemies approaching us rapidly shows exactly why you don't need to be in charge of anything."
Ang took a menacing step towards Pi. Enough was enough! His pride had taken enough of a beating at the hands of his brother and he refused to take his brother's disrespect any longer. Zhuyue stepped in between the two boys. This wasn't the time for them to have their pissing contest.
"I'm in charge," said Zhuyue in a sharp tone."Ang, take them and run."
"You don't command me, woman!" Ang spat. "I can fig-," Ang let out a wail, cut off by Zhuyue punching him in his wounded arm.
"Yes, I can see you would be immensely helpful. I don't have time for your foolishness boy so do as I say. Your grandstanding is the last thing we need right now," said Zhuyue.
Ang looked between Zhuyue and Pi, his anger boiling to the top but he felt powerless to do anything about it. They were both right. He wasn't fit to lead and he wasn't fit to fight. He clicked his teeth in annoyance and commanded the others to move further into the woods. Pi turned his back, not bothering to watch the others leave. He instead focused on the direction of where their opponents would emerge. Zhuyue followed suit, brandishing her weapons. She checked the hidden compartments of her robe. She was out of hidden daggers. There weren't going to be any tricks in this battle. She would have to fight straight up. Wonderful. She took a deep breath and waited. The sound was close now. The riders would be emerging into the clearing in any minute.
Zhuyue could feel her instincts sharpening, her fatigue being drowned by a wave of adrenaline coursing through her body. The first rider broke through the tree line and into the clearing. He halted his horse upon seeing Pi and Zhuyue.
"They're here! I've found them!" He shouted out to his companions. For a moment, Zhuyue lamented the loss of her daggers. She could have silenced him with the flick of her wrist. Within a few moments, others joined him, their commander pulling up the rear. Zhuyue breathed a sigh of relief when she was that it was Zhang Miao and not the mighty Lu Bu. This revelation only relaxed her slightly. There was still the chance that Lu Bu could be on his way and the numbers Miao had with him were worrying. They were vastly outnumbered but luckily, only ten or so were on horseback, the other forty were infantry.
"So, you somehow made it this far. You have a debt to fulfill girl," Lord Lu Bu wants you alive to make you pay for what you did to Lady Diaochan...but I owe you for the wounds you inflicted on me. Perhaps I could tell Lord Lu Bu that you fought back and had to be killed. I'm sure he would be just as satisfied with your corpse."
"I would tell you to hobble over here and face me, but you strike me as the type of coward that will let others do your dirty work for you," Zhuyue retorted.
"I will not be baited by you. A wise man doesn't waste his time doing things that could be accomplished just as easily by others."
"So you've betrayed my father, Mèngzhuō," Pi said, injecting himself in the conversation.
"Your father is a fool. He deserves everything that is coming to him. Lord Lu Bu will be the one to tame this land and those who stand at his side will be rewarded."
"Zhuyue, I do not know the history between the two of you, but he deserves death for betraying my father. Allow me to be the one to deliver it to him."
"Understood. I'll do what I can to keep the others off of your back."
Zhang Miao snorted. "Idiots. Do you not see the force I have with me? You think the two of you can stand against fifty men? Men, attack. Show these fools that Lu Bu's forces are not to be looked down upon."
A battle cry resounded from the infantry forces as they began to charge. Pi and Zhuyue got into their battle stances, ready to repel the attack. Before they could even get close, three dropped. This surprised the men behind them who stopped, looking around for the source of the attacks. The others continued to charge when four more were felled in the same way. A portion of the infantry was thrown into disarray as they looked for unseen enemy. Pi and Zhuyue looked at each other in confusion as well. They were unsure who their unseen benefactor was but they were grateful for the assistance. Whoever helped them managed to subdue a portion of the infantry for them. Instead of dealing with all fifty, they currently only had to contend with thirty-five. The odds were still not in their favor, but it was much better than before.
The soldiers reached Zhuyue and Pi embroiling them in battle. Her body danced around her enemies, recollecting its familiar steps as it pushed through her exhaustion. Her blades sliced through the throat of one enemy moments before being buried in the sides of another. She felt blood from her enemies mingle with her sweat as it rolled down her face. Another down and another. How long could she keep this up? Her mind was aware that more of their enemies were felled by their mysterious helper but it wasn't enough to stem the tide of men coming at her. Pi looked like he was holding up well but she could see the exhaustion peek through on his face as well.
She blocked an attack and dodged another. Her body gracefully moving as she weaved around her enemies attacks. Keep going, just keep going. She told herself, afraid that the adrenaline that burned through her veins will unexpectantly exhaust itself and leave her for dead. An explosion of pain bloomed from her left arm. She hissed and dodged an attack, countering with a death blow. She managed narrowly to block an incoming arrow, which would have lodged itself in her throat if she was even a second too late. So that was what hit her? The archer was none other than Zhang Miao. She risked a chance glance at her arm and saw an arrow protruding through it. She couldn't pull it out. They weren't letting up. One after another, they came at her.
Her blood flowed from the wound making her hand slick with her own blood. It was hard to grip her weapon. She needed to make her way to Pi. He could watch her back. During the fighting they had gotten further and further away from each other. They probably orchestrated it that way, divide and conquer. She dodge the tip of a spear, kicking the shaft to the side and stretching as far as she could, slammed her blade into her enemy's chest. She had no choice but to use her injured arm and pain ran up and down her arm like lightning. She grit her teeth to muffle her cry as she jerked her blade out of his body. Another blade came her way. She managed to block it, locking his blade within hers. In the corner of her eye, she saw Miao notching another arrow. With a sneer, he aimed his bow at her and fired. Desperately, she jerked her weapon in front of her. As she hoped, her enemy did not let go of his weapon and was brought along for the ride. He stumbled in front of her just in time, the arrow embedding in his head instead.
The man fell, hands still gripping his sword. Zhuyue's blade still locked with his was pulled down with him. She quickly disconnected the weapons and moved to stand only to see the shadow of another sword bearing down on her. Shit! She couldn't block this one and she wasn't sure if she would be able to dodge in time. It was her only option though and she would take it. Zhuyue rolled to the side as the sword came down. She wasn't moving fast enough. It was going to get part of her shoulder at least. She grit her teeth to brace for the pain but it never came.
She looked up to the broad back of the man shielding her. That wild hair was unmistakable. He was here, he was really here! But how could that be? He went off to war with Cao Cao. Dun pushed back the sword he had blocked with his own, throwing the surprised man off balance. Before he could steady himself, Dun's blade slammed into his side, the force of the blow slicing him in half. The man was thrown off his feet into two of his approaching allies.
Zhuyue got to her feet. Before she could say anything to Dun, he charged forward to the oncoming enemies. She chastised herself. This wasn't the time for reunions. They were still embroiled in a battle. Following Dun's example, she charged back into the fray.
Miao's eyes widened in alarm at the sight of Xiahou Dun. What was he doing here? How could Cao Cao have gotten word of the assault on Puyang so quickly? The whistle of an arrow reached his ears. He wasn't able to dodge in time and it embedded in shoulder. Miao let out a howl in pain, nearly falling off his mount. He gripped the reigns with his good hand and struggled to turn the horse around.
"Cover my retreat, I have to report this!" Miao shouted to one of the soldiers still by him. The soldier beat his fist against his chest in salute and shouted out Miao's commands to the others. Quickly they gathered around, standing as a barrier between Miao and the others. The fight ensued. Along with the addition of Dun and the mysterious archer, they were able to turn the tide against Miao's forces easily. The rest of his forces retreated and no one made a move to follow. There was little point in doing so as they were still only five people against a force of unknown size.
Zhuyue, Dun and Pi made their way to each other as the last of Miao's forces ran out of the forest clearing. Zhuyue felt the adrenaline leaving her body along with the threat. In its place was the feeling of sludge coursing through her veins. Something as simple as moving her arm felt as if she was fighting against some unseen pressure fighting against her. She wanted nothing more than to sleep or at least sit down but that wasn't an option nor was it going to be for awhile. Miao got away and would be telling Lu Bu of his findings shortly. They would have people coming after them soon. They had to keep moving.
From his hiding place behind the trees, Xiahou Yuan emerged, bow in hand and a sour look on his face.
"You missed," remarked Dun as Yuan joined their side.
"I didn't miss. I NEVER miss," Yuan replied sulkily.
"He's still alive, so you missed," Dun replied as he swiped his blade through the air in an effort to get rid of some of the excess blood that stained it. He sucked his teeth in disapproval as much of the blood remained.
"A bird shat on my head when I took the shot!" Yuan exclaimed pointing to the remains of bird feces in his hair.
"That's pretty shitty luck you got there, Brother," said Dun with a grin. Yuan's frown deepened.
"That was a shitty joke, Brother," Yuan replied, the irritation evident in his voice.
"I don't know…for Cousin Dun, that was actually rather good," Pi said with a half smile, a rare thing to be seen on his face.
The feeling of relief swelled within Zhuyue. They had been fighting since last night with barely any rest. There were so many times in which she thought she was going to die but here she was, still alive and here he was. Xiahou Dun. Somewhere in the back on her mind and deep within her heart, she wished that he would come and as if the heavens heart her silent plea, here he was, standing before her. Her emotions spilled out of her into a laugh drawing the other's attention.
"Oh come on, Zhuyue, you can't really think that was funny!" Yuan said with a pout.
"No, it's not that…I'm just …relieved to see the two of you."
"Ah, so that's it…" Yuan said, his pout morphing into a mischievous smile. He sided up next to Dun and nudged him towards Zhuyue. Dun glared at his brother in annoyance at the sudden move. Yuan nodded his head towards Zhuyue. Dun's glare shifted into one of confusion. Yuan slapped a hand against his forehead. How thick could his brother truly be? He tried to discreetly gesture towards Zhuyue. Dun stared at Yuan blankly. Pi, who had grown tired of this charade spoke up.
"He wants you to say something to her. Hurry it up, we need to join the others." Yuan shot Pi a glare and he shrugged.
"He was obviously oblivious to that ridiculous gesturing you were doing."
Yuan sucked his teeth and turned away from Pi, mumbling something akin to insufferable little shits under his breath.
Dun looked to Zhuyue, his arms roaming over her disheveled appearance. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it immediately after. He looked back to the two men that were still present. Yuan to his create was at least pretending to not listen but Pi didn't even put up a front. He stared at the two of them with a bored look on their face. Dun looked back at Zhuyue. A small weary smile was on her face as she stared at him. He wanted to reach out to her and wrap her within the safety of his arms. He wanted to breathe in her scent again and feel the soft touch of her lips against his. He wanted to do all of these things right then and there but instead he folded his arms across his chest and spoke.
"Your form is still sloppy. You still make too many unnecessary moves when fighting and you keep thinking about reacting when you fight, just fight."
The smile on Zhuyue's face dropped immediately. That familiar fire sparked to life in her eyes as her gaze hardened.
"I understand." She said before spinning on her heels and heading into the forest where she saw Ang lead the others.
"Wow…" Yuan said as they watched Zhuyue's retreating back. "That was…that was pretty terrible, big brother."
"Shut up," Dun grumbled as he followed behind her, making sure to leave distance between them. Pi and Yuan followed silently behind the both of them.
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Miao did not slow his steed until he made it to the gates of Puyang. Not once did he turn back to see if any of his men managed to survive. He was a pitiable sight, drenched in sweat with his head sitting askew atop his head. His arm was imbrued in blood as his wound cascaded the thick red fluid freely. Even the arrow that penetrated him still remained imbedded in his arm to further sell the hardship he had to go through. Surly when the others saw him, they would not question his decision to retreat. They would feel pity of his plight and offer him solace and sanctuary not suspicion and scorn. At least, this was his hope. After all, Zhang Liao came back to them in a similar state and with the exception of Lu Bu showing interest in finding out who managed to best him in battle, he wasn't treated as a craven who let the enemy escape. It should be the same for him.
"Open the gates! I have urgent news!" he cried as he waved his hand to get the attention of the gate guard. Immediately a blaze of pain rushed down his arm, quickly reminding him of his wound. He dropped his arm promptly and squeezed it in an effort to soothe the pain burning within it. The gates opened with a creek and he nudged his horse forward with his good arm.
Once safely inside, he dismounted carefully as to not aggravate the pain in his leg from his earlier wound. He hobbled painfully over to Cao's former home. Lu Bu had said that he was claiming it as his own, it being the largest one in Puyang. Things were still chaotic in Puyang from the recent take over. Bodies of those putting up resistance were strewn about. The ones that didn't resist were huddled in a group, grasping each other in fear as if the gesture could provide comfort in such a tremulous time.
He could hear the sobbing of women and children as the soldiers corralled stragglers towards the city square with the others. Lord Lu Bu and Master Chen Gong were most likely about to address the people. How shocked they will be when they discovered that their fears are correct. Their Lord is no longer the weak Cao Cao but the mighty Lu Bu. Miao wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lu Bu, Chen Gong and Ling when they made the announcement. He wanted to stare into the faces of those he knew for years and show them that he betrayed them. It would be possible to do so now. He refused to show himself in such a state. He continued on to Cao—no Lu Bu's home in hopes to speak with him before the declaration was made.
He slowly made his way to Bu's commandeered home. The guards moved aside from him hastily. He could hear the whispers as he passed by, each wondering what hellish battle he managed to get away from. Inwardly, he smiled. Good. That was a good reaction. If they saw it that way, surely the others would as well. He finally caught sight of Lu Bu, Chen Gong and Ling. Lu Bu was seated atop the mighty stallion Red Hare. The sight of such a powerful man on an equally power steed made Miao swallow hard. What a foreboding sight the two of them made.
"Among men, Lu Bu; among horses, Red Hare," Miao muttered as he recanted the adage he heard once during the recounts of Lu Bu's triumphs from some of the men at Hulao Gate.
They trotted towards him, Lu Bu in the lead. Curiously enough, it seems that Zhang Liao was not present. They were on the way to address the crowd, just as Miao had surmised. It seems he caught them just in time. They would be in such a rush, they would deal with him quickly. They wouldn't take too much time having him recount his story and he would be dismissed quickly to go get his wounds seen to. This was the perfect time to speak with them. Any later could spell disaster for Miao.
"My, my," began Gong with a flagrant gesture. "I see you, looking a great deal more pitiful than when you left." He paused and leaned forward on his horse, making a show of looking behind Miao. "But what is this? You have no prisoners in tow. Tell me Mèngzhuō, the prisoners are being brought along by your men, yes? You haven't failed us too have you?"
"I wish that it were so, My Lord. I bring dire tidings," said Miao. He hung his head low to sell the contrite look as much as possible.
"Oh please, regale us with your tale, Mèngzhuō," said Gong. "I always did find a tale of failure to be most entertaining. Go on, speak."
"I-I swear to you my lords, my men and I fought as hard as we could. We did everything you told us to do. I wouldn't have returned here unl-"
"Tch, I'm not in the mood for this crap," said Bu, cutting off Miao's servile ramblings. Red Hare breathed loudly through its nose, mimicking its master's irritation. Miao gulped, it was if the beast was staring right at him with hatred, but that was impossible. Horses didn't have the capacity to hate. They were idiotic beasts.
"Wényuǎn wouldn't tell us much about who he fought with," Bu continued. "Only that it was honorable and he lost fairly. I'm not accepting such a shit answer from you. Who was it that you fought with? Was it that bitch from before? The one that hurt Diaochan?!"
"Yes, yes! It was her, my lord. But she was not alone! Cao Cao has returned! His forces ambushed us in the woods."
Chen Gong dropped the smile. His eyes narrowed and his expression hardened as this new information took root in his mind. Cao Cao was already onto their plan? How? There was no way he could have known unless someone betrayed them.
"Speak clearly. I must know for certain, It was Cao Cao's forces that attacked you?"
"Yes! There is no doubt! Xiahou Dun himself came at me. I was lucky to es-"
"Silence your idle prattling. I don't care a whit about your troubles. There are bigger things at foot. Now answer me. How many men were there? Was it Cao Cao's full force?"
"I don't know for sure, my men and I were overwhelmed within a matter of minutes. There was so much confusion I could not see."
"Did you see Cao Cao in the fray?"
"No, I did not."
"Tch, you have given me useless information. Be gone. Go lick your wounds and contemplate how truly useless you are. If you feel the urge to commit suicide, know that I am in favor of it. The world wouldn't be less with your loss you fool."
Miao bowed low, prostrating before the three men before hobbling off. He was glad to put as much distance between himself and them as quickly as possible. That did not go the way he had hoped and he knew that he was lucky to escape with his life.
Lu Bu was incensed. He ordered the men to bring forth his halberd. Red Hare exhaled through its nose once more and stomped its hooves against the ground. It could feel the tension in its master, sense the rise of his murderous intent and it was ready to go to battle with him.
"My Lord, I understand your frustration but that is a terrible idea."
"I don't care if Cao's whole army is there, I'll kill them all! That bitch will pay for what she did to Diaochan."
"I agree, I agree!" Said Gong. "But we mustn't be rash about this. If Cao Cao's army is out there, we risk losing Puyang mere hours after we seized it! We need to fortify our defenses and ensure that Cao Cao cannot reclaim, Puyang!"
Lu Bu let out a sound that was between a grunt and a growl. Gong has been with Bu long enough to know that sound meant that he was listening, albeit begrudgingly. This was good. If he pushed the issue just a little more, Bu would be swayed to his way of thinking.
"I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you will get your revenge, but please, I implore you, do not let our hard work on seizing Puyang go to waste."
"You've been making a lot of promises to me, Gōngtái. If you don't start delivering soon, I am going to start questioning your worth to me."
"I would expect no less! If I fail to delivery on anything I have promised you, I will gladly offer your my head."
"Hmph. You say we need to address these peasants. Let's get on with it," said Bu.
Gong let out a dramatic sigh, relieved that he could keep Bu in check. He nudged his mount forward before looking back to the silent Ling.
"Your family is proving to be more trouble than it is worth," said Gong. "Tell me, how reliable is your ally? Can we continue on their support?"
Ling was startled that he was being addressed. He straightened himself on his horse and cleared his throat before answering.
"Yes. If they are able."
"Such a confident answer, how can you be so sure?"
"She has no love for the Cao or the Xiahou family. She has sworn her allegiance to me as long as promise that she will be spared."
"Hmph...well, we will just have to see, won't we? Come. We've dawdled enough. Time for us to let the ignorant masses know who is in charge now."
Ling nodded and followed after Gong to the city square.
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Dun leaned against one of the crumbling walls of the abandoned temple. His eyes glanced over at the surrounding courtyard bathed in the moon's light. The overgrown grass had began to reclaim the surrounding land. Its vines crawled like fingers across the forgotten decaying structures, wrapping itself around them as if it were strangling them. This place was a mess. A former shadow of its original glory but they couldn't afford to be picky about places to stay. His parents were elderly and could not go on as long as the others. The women slowed them down as well, not use to the hardship of traveling by foot. Well, all the women with the exception of Zhuyue and Xiaolian. The two of them didn't give so much as a whisper of complaint, despite the fact that Zhuyue looked just about dead on her feet.
Dun tried to ask Zhuyue what happened to Xiaolian's face but she rebuffed his attempts and told him that it wasn't important at the moment. It should have ignored him more than it did, but it didn't. He didn't like being in the dark. It was clear that something went down while he was away. Besides being injured, Xiaolian was sticking close to Zhuyue and she seemed to exuded a protective aura around the small girl. He also noticed that Xiulan was sticking with the other women from the Cao household. Dun wanted to know exactly what he missed but she was right, it wasn't important right now. The important issue was that they lost Puyang. It seems that Jia and Cao's suspicions were correct. Unfortunately, Dun and Yuan arrived just a bit too late to do anything about it. Dun stifled a yawn. His watch was almost over and he was thankful for it. He and Yuan had been traveling non-stop for an extended amount of time only to go right into a battle. He could use a few minutes to rest.
He wondered how to himself how long it would take Ang to reach his father in Xu Province. Ang was sent to bring the unfortunate word to Cao. Dun didn't approve of this decision but Ang was so ardent about it that he gave into the decision along with the others. He personally would have preferred that Pi went, but Pi refused, claiming that he was tired from fighting and wouldn't be able to make the journey. Dun didn't buy it. He believed that Pi was tired, but not as much as he alluded too. There was still a fire burning in his eyes and power in each step he took. He could have easily made that trip. No, he chose to stay for a reason, but that reason eluded Dun at the moment. He let out a frustrated grunt. There were so many things he didn't know at the moment, it was pissing him off.
"Something wrong, my son?" Dun's attention turned to his father. The feelings of frustration were pushed aside to make way for concern. Luckily, within the temple, they were able to find a few bandages that were only slightly sullied. His father's wounds were draped in them. Dun felt a mixture of anger and worry at seeing his father in such a state. He turned his head to the moon that hung overhead, not wanting his father to see the worry in his face.
"You shouldn't be up," said Dun.
"I've had enough rest for now."
"Father, you need to go-"
Shan raised his hand, cutting Dun off.
"I'll sleep when I am dead."
"It looks like you came pretty close to that today."
Shan let out a chuckle.
"That I did. Your mother was quite cross with me."
"Going to tell me what happened? I don't want the basic overview that I've already been given. I want to know everything."
"Ah, yes of course," Shan replied. He let out a light sigh as he thought of where to start his tale.
"Zhuyue is a remarkable woman."
Dun blinked and looked at his father. Whatever he was expecting his father to say, that wasn't it. Shan smiled at the confusion that was painted so plainly on his son's face. He decided to humor his son and give him a deeper explanation of his comment.
"If it wasn't for her warning, we would have died. Her and little Xiaolian."
Shan gave Dun his account of events. This filled in a lot of the blanks for Dun but there was still more that he was in the dark about. How did Zhuyue manage to get away from Lu Bu? Despite how talented she was, there was just no fucking way she would have been able to stand up to Lu Bu and he doubted that Lu Bu was in a magnanimous mood and let her go. He would have to ask her about this later. His father also didn't give any details about Xiulan and why she was sticking so closely to the others of the Cao household. With more answers came more questions. At least he had some idea about what was happening now. Pi stepped out of the temple.
"I'm taking over. Go sleep," said Pi. Dun eyed him. What a bossy little shit. His father may be the man he serves, but he didn't take orders from this kid.
"I'll sleep when I'm good and ready. You aren't even the next person to take watch so why don't you go back inside and sleep," Dun replied. Shan could hear the irritation in his voice. Pi had a habit of rubbing people the wrong way. Pi on the other hand didn't seem to be bothered by the tone in which Dun spoke at all. Instead, he surveyed the area. He found a suitable spot on the side of the temple, shrouded in shadow.
"I switched with Miàocái," he finally replied before headed over to the spot he had chosen and sitting down. He was completely engulfed by the shadow of the temple, amplified by the cover of darkness that the night provided. If Dun hadn't seen where he went, he wouldn't have even known he was there.
"You do look tired, my son. I heard you rode all day and night to reach us. You should rest," said Shan.
Dun wanted to argue the point but the truth was he was tired. He didn't like the thought that he was essentially obeying Pi's commands but he body was making him aware of his fatigue as the thought of sleep entered his mind. He was too tired to argue at this point. Dun looked at his father then shot a glare at the space in which he knew Pi sat before heading inside.
Shan waited until Dun was inside before addressing Pi. "If you are to succeed your father one day, you need to know how to speak to those that fight under you. They may be the ones to save your life one day...Of course, if you draw their ire too much, they can also be the ones to orchestrate your fall."
"I don't need to become friendly with the help to ensure obedience," Pi replied.
"Are you so sure? Look at the situation we are currently in. Had your father paid closer attention to his subordinates, it is possible that this could have been avoided."
"Oh really? Because I was under the impression that it was your treacherous son was one of the core members of this betrayal."
Shan winced at the comment. The reminder of Ling's role stung his heart. It hurt to be reminded of the dishonor his son had brought to their name and his own failings as a father."
"I blame that on myself...," Shan replied.
"Why? Do you blame yourself because your honeyed words weren't enough to sway such a rotten man from the path of deceit?"
"No, I blame myself for not killing him when I had the chance...my role in this is a debt that I owe your father and I am afraid I will not be able to repay that debt in my lifetime."
Pi was silent. The pain in Shan's voice was clear. He had gone a bit too far in his words. After a few beats of silence between the two of them, Pi spoke.
"I-..." Pi paused, searching for the right words. "I may have been rash. Your words have...some merit. Ling would not have been able to get as far as he had without Chen Gong's assistance. Father knew that he was unhappy with his current station but he did nothing to appease him because he valued Guo Jia's council more. I should have considered that before speaking."
"Careful, young nephew. I may think you are trying to apologize to me, said Shan with a small smile. The smile however was brief and his face slipped back into one filled with melancholy. "Your words rang true. I will leave you to your duties. Stay vigilant," said Shan in so soft a voice that Pi could barely hear it.
Pi was left alone in silence, he replayed the conversation in his mind. He truly did not see the merit in being friends with underlings. What good would it have done? If a person could be turned by the mere clink of a few taels and bolts of silk, then they weren't honorable to begin with. What good would kindness and friendship do? When you swear loyalty to a lord, you are honor bound to uphold that pledge. If you are so dishonorable that you would betray them, than you are worse than dirt. A man driven by material wealth is one of the most untrustworthy people out there. They would kill their own mother for their own gain. Friendship wouldn't change their hearts. It was all so pointless, wasn't it?
Pi pondered this question, going over it again and again in his mind. His thoughts were interrupted by the soft rustling of cloth in the night breeze. He looked up to see someone peeking their head out of the darkened temple entrance. Pi went unnoticed in his hiding spot. Once they felt that the coast was clear, the figure stepped out into the night and walked as quickly as they could without making too much noise in the direction of Puyang. Pi's eyes narrowed, it seems that his hunch has paid off.
