Xiahou Dun – Yuánràng

Li Dian – Mànchéng
Xiahou Yuan – Miàocái
Man Chong – Bóníng

Guo Jia – Fèngxiào
Cao Cao – Mèngdé
Yu Jin – Wenze
Cao Pi – Zǐhuán
Zhou Yu – Gōngjǐn

Lu Su – Zǐjìng

Lu Meng – Zǐmíng
Lu Fan – Zǐhéng

Zhang Zhao - Zǐbù
Zhang Hong - Zigang
Sun Quan – Zhòngmóu
Sun Ce – Bófú
Guan Yu – Yúncháng
Zhang Fei - Yìdé

Xun Yu – Wénruò
Cao Ren – Zǐxiào
Cao Ang – Zǐxiū

Zhang He – Jùnyì
Tian Feng – Yuanhao

Shi Huan – Gōngliú

Xun You - Gōngdá

Li Dian usually paid attention to the War Council, but today he found himself distracted. And what was the source of his distraction? Dian decided that today would be the day he would finally speak with Xiahou Dun and Zhuyue about his intentions to marry their daughter. Just the idea of speaking with them was nerve-wracking. He wished he could get one of his gut feelings about how the talk was going to go but his intuition was annoyingly silent on the matter. He was going into this blind and that was probably what scared him the most. He knew that Dun and Zhuyue liked him as a person, but would they consider him to be good enough to marry their daughter?

Cao shifted the topic to Liu Biao. Dian tried to ignore all thoughts of the impending talk to focus on the topic at hand, but stubbornly it stuck in his mind. How should he approach them? Should he ask to join them at their home to speak about an important topic? It might be better to do it with Xiaolian there…perhaps she could stop her father from killing him. The thought made him laugh internally despite knowing how very real that possibility could be.

"I wish to marry Xiaolian off to him."

Cao's words punctured through Dian's thought bubble leaving him feeling as if cold water had suddenly been dumped over him. He heard that right, right? Cao Cao said he wished to marry Xiaolian off? The look on Dun and Zhuyue's face told him all he needed to know; that was exactly what Cao said. Dian felt sad, angry and anxious all at once. How could this be? Why would Cao decide this today of all days?

"There is no problem with this, is there? Yuánràng? Zhuyue?"

Dian's mouth moved on its own; the words spilling out before his brain could tell him to think about what he was about to do.

"There is a problem, my lord," Dian said in a loud clear voice. His face was the picture of determination as he looked Cao in the eyes.

He couldn't allow this to happen. Not so soon after they finally admitted their feelings for each other. He would not allow this to happen. Not without a fight.

Cao rose a brow as he looked at Li Dian.

"This should be amusing. Tell me Mànchéng, why do you have a problem with this?"

"Because Xiaolian is to be my wife," Dian replied quickly.

In his peripheral vision he could see Yue Jin wince. Internally, he was wincing as well. His mind had thankfully just come up to speed with his mouth and he finally realized what he had just done. Dun and Zhuyue were staring at him now...or perhaps glaring would be the more apt term. This certainly wasn't the way he expected to tell them and coincidently this was quite possibly the worse way he could reveal his intentions.

"Is that so?" Cao asked. "This is the first I've heard of it and from the look on Yuánràng and Zhuyue's faces it seems that this is the first time they have heard about it too."

Dian swallowed hard. His pathetic attempt at stopping Xiaolian from being married off was about to be cut down and there would be nothing he could do about it.

Dian saw Dun's jaw clench and unclench a few times before relaxing completely. He turned his gaze back to Cao and gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Mànchéng got a bit ahead of himself. We didn't say anything yet because we were still working out the details."

Hallucinating. He had to be hallucinating. There is no way Dun just said that. Dian felt as if he should say something, but his brain wisely told him to keep his mouth shut. He tried his best to look as normal as possible, but the thoughts running through his mind were making that pretty damn hard.

"That so?" asked Cao as he looked between Dian, Zhuyue and Dun.

"Yes," Zhuyue answered in place of her husband. "Xiaolian will marry Mànchéng."

Cao sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but he will not."

"W-what?" Dian stammered, stunned that Cao rejected him so easily.

"It is very convenient that news of your impending marriage to Xiaolian surfaces today…the very same day that I call for a political marriage. It makes the entire affair seem quite contrived, doesn't it?"

"But my lord, I assure you, it is true!" said Dian. He couldn't believe that this was happening. So soon after admitting their feelings for each other, they were to be pulled apart like this.

"Hmph, very well," Cao said a tinge of irritation in his voice. He could smell a bluff a mile away and he knew that was exactly what this was. So be it. If they wish to bluff, he would call them on it.

"If it is true then marry her…today."

"That isn't fair!" Zhuyue argued. "You need to give them a chance—"

"A chance to what? Certainly not to get use to the idea. This was something that was already planned wasn't it? It shouldn't be a problem. They will get married today or she will get married to Liu Biao's son later. Choose."

"This is a pointless argument," Pi interjected before a fuming Dun and Zhuyue had a chance to react to Cao's words.

Everyone seemed surprised to hear Pi speak up in this instance. He usually made it very clear that he didn't care about anyone outside of his immediate family. The Xiahou's fell outside of that sphere and he usually let them know exactly where they stood with him.

"If you do not see the point then perhaps you aren't the one to succeed me," Cao replied in a biting tone.

Pi folded his arms across his chest and let out a tsk of annoyance at his father's comment. Cao was angry. That was abundantly clear and Pi usually went out of his way to avoid making his father angry; yet here he was purposely doing it for the sake of the Xiahous. Why did he open his mouth? Better yet, why had he let Chong talk him into this? Chong seemed to take his future role as adviser rather seriously. He has taken it upon himself to give Pi pointers on things he could improve for his potential reign. One of his many suggestions included Pi trying to build a relationship with the men who may one day serve him. Pi wasn't ignorant of history; he was well aware of many powerful men that were taken down by betrayal from disgruntled officers. He didn't want to be undone in the same way so he ceded to his brother's point.

Still, perhaps he should have started small. This was a bothersome issue and might be more trouble than it is worth. The only reason he spoke up was because he didn't mind Xiaolian as a person. Unlike the others, she was quiet and moderately less annoying. It would be a waste to marry her off to someone unworthy, which he deemed both of Liu Biao's sons to be. This was as good enough as a chance to build up his relationship with the Xiahous as any.

"Or perhaps your plan is not quite as clever as you think?" Pi retorted, resolved in the path he had chosen.

"Hmph, now you presume to know more than me? Speak then, but I warn you, it better be something worth hearing," Cao snapped angrily.

"We have no reason to make a traitor our ally," Pi replied simply ignoring the ire emanating off of his father.

"I have no times for riddles boy. Speak plainly."

"Very well, father, you seek to marry Xiaolian off to avoid having Liu Biao attack us while we deal with Yuan Shao's sons—"

"You are stating what has already been said," Cao interjected.

Pi ignored him and continued. "But he consorts with our enemy, Liu Bei."

This gave Cao pause. He looked to his advisors for confirmation and Jia Xu was the one who stepped forward.

"Weeeell we do not know if that is entirely true," Xu began, throwing a quick salute to Cao as he spoke.

"But we can infer it. After turning tail and running away from us, he headed to Jing province and apparently has been hiding there since. So far, we do not know if Liu Biao has made an alliance with him, but he certainly hasn't tried to run him off."

"He will make an alliance with him," said Guo Jia.

"How can you be so sure?" Cao asked through clenched teeth.

"Because he hasn't chased him off," Jia replied in a matter of fact tone. "Liu Biao knows that if we were to attack him, he couldn't defeat our army. He will use Liu Bei as a shield."

"The fact that he is even allowing Liu Bei to stay within his lands is kinda telling too isn't it?" chimed in Man Chong. "I mean if I truly wanted to claim neutrality, I wouldn't allow one of Lord Cao's biggest enemies to stay there…I mean that's just me of course."

"I must agree with the others," said Xun You as he saluted Cao Cao. "He practically spits in your face by allowing Liu Bei to remain on his lands."

"And there you have it, father. Allying with him will gain us nothing and I truly believe that he is much too cowardly to attack us when we deal with Yuan Shao's sons. Once we are done with them, we will crush him under heel like all the others. I will personally lead the charge against them if you will it."

Cao didn't reply immediately. It was clear that he was weighing all this information in his mind. Time stretched on but no one spoke a word. They would wait as long as necessary for Cao to finish is ruminations.

"It looks as if there will be no wedding today," Cao finally said, breaking through the silence that had filled the hall. "Liu Biao is now considered an enemy and we will deal with him after we have dealt with Yuan Shao's sons."

Cao stood from his seat and looked out to the other generals. "In a week's time, there will be a feast to celebrate our victory over Yuan Shao. You are all required to attend."

His final words spoken, Cao left with the thick tension that was suffocating the hall following in his wake. The hall's inhabitants let out a breath of relief. Cao was more or less a fair ruler, but when he exerted his will it showed exactly how ruthless he could be, even to those in his inner circle.

The hall began to quickly empty. Many of the generals were eager to put distance between themselves and what had just occurred.

"I'm going home," said Zhuyue as she watched the generals quickly file out of the hall. Her eyes flittered over to her husband. "I'm going to have a little chat with Xiaolian. I imagine you want to do the same with Mànchéng."

Dun didn't reply. He only focused his eye on the man in question. Zhuyue studied her husband with a critical eye. His whole body seemed taut as if he was doing all he could to hold himself back from ripping Dian's head off. It was quite a shock to suddenly hear him declare that he was going to marry their daughter but certainly it didn't merit death; at least in her mind it didn't. From the look on Dun's face he obviously did not share that opinion. It was fortunate that looks did not kill because if they did, Dian would have been dead a thousand times over.

"Husband," Zhuyue called out to Dun as she placed a hand on his arm. "Give him a chance to explain. Don't lose your temper."

"Who says I was going to lose my temper?" Dun asked with a frown.

"Ha! You think I don't know who I'm married to?"

"Tch," I'm not going to lose my temper."

"You are losing your temper now."

"I'm not losing my fu—" Dun paused. He actually heard the snarl in his voice as he spoke. He was losing his temper. Part of him felt annoyed at how well she knew him.

"I'm not losing my temper," he said after he had taken a moment to calm himself down somewhat.

"Uh huh. Just remember what I said," she said as she released her hold on his arm and headed out of the hall. She passed Yuan on the way. "Talk to him for me, will you?"

Yuan gave her a nod and headed over to his brother. They stood there for a few moments in silence. Dun had resumed his glare of Dian and the man in question seemed to be doing everything possible to avoid looking in Dun's direction. Yuan needed to distract him.

"Mèngdé looked pissed," said Yuan. It wasn't the best conversation starter, but it was the first thing that came to his mind.

"I don't really give a shit," Dun replied as he finally shifted his glare off of Dian to look around the hall to the remaining generals. His eye spotted Pi who had been speaking with Jia Xu. He wanted to have a word with him.

"Yeah…I can understand that. He kinda went hard on you guys and I know for a fact if Xiaolian did get married he would have went after Xiahouji next—" Yuan paused and exhaled loudly.

"–I don't know what I would have done if he did that."

"Then get her married…sooner rather than later," said Dun as he turned his head from Pi to look at Dian once again. He was currently speaking to Yue Jin in nervous hushed whispers. Today's incident made it clear to Dun that he needed to practice what he preached. They could not wait any longer to get Xiaolian married.

Yuan followed his brother's line of sight to Dian. "Don't be too hard on the kid. He tried to help Xiaolian out by speaking up like that."

"You don't just declare you are going to marry someone's daughter."

"Yeah, I get that, but she likes him...I mean really likes him."

"How the hell would you know?" Dun said as he turned an accusatory eye toward his brother.

"Um…I don't know?" Yuan said with a nervous laugh. "Educated guess? Uncle's intuition?"

The frown on Dun's face told Yuan that he wasn't buying either of those excuses, but fortune favored Yuan in that moment as Pi had just finished his conversation with Jia Xu and was heading in their direction.

"We'll talk about it later," said Dun as he moved to intercept Pi. Yuan had no intention on staying around for that interrogation and he took that opportunity to make himself scarce.

He gave Dian a pat on his back as he passed him. "Nice knowing ya kid," he said with a grin.

Dian watched Yuan as he exited. He swallowed hard, his nervousness seeming to cause a lump to form in his throat.

"That didn't sound good…did it?" he asked Jin.

"No it did not," Jin confirmed.

"I was hoping for reassurance," Dian replied with a grimace.

"Not much I can give after you stupidly declared you were going to marry someone's daughter before talking to them," Jin retorted.

Dian let out a groan. Luckily, his fated encounter with Dun and Zhuyue would have to wait as it seemed that Dun was currently engaged in a conversation with Pi.

"Zǐhuán," Dun called out. Pi halted his steps at the sound of his name but he did not turn to face him.

"I don't know why you stood up for us like that…but I wanted to thank you."

"Stood up for you?" Pi asked. He finally turned his gaze to Dun. "I did not stand up for anyone. I merely stopped my father from doing something foolish."

"Hmph…well in doing so you helped us so thanks is still owed."

Pi shrugged. "If you wish to give thanks to someone perhaps you should give it to those who truly deserve it. Mànchéng did far more to help you than I did."

"So everyone keeps telling me," said Dun with a grunt.

"Xiaolian can certainly do better, but he isn't…terrible."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me too."

Pi shrugged. "Do what you will, but if you do not wish for father to use her as a tool in his political schemes, I suggest you do it soon."

"You don't sound as if you approve of your father's ways."

"Not in this. Political marriages are a messy thing and are often not worth the trouble. Besides, the same goal could easily be achieved by other means. I personally wouldn't resort to such means and I honestly wish father would stop using them."

"Hmm," Dun hummed as he rubbed his chin. "I think this is the longest conversation you and I have ever had."

"Indeed?" Pi replied with mild surprise. "I suppose it wasn't quite so terrible."

"No. It wasn't," Dun agreed.

"Enjoy your chat," Pi said as he walked out of the hall leaving Dian, Jin, Dun and a few guards as the remaining occupants.

Dun strode over to Dian, his heavy thudding footsteps echoing within the silent hall breaking through Jin and Dian's hushed whispers. Dian looked up and suppressed the sudden urge he had to gulp. It was time to have the talk and it came entirely too soon.

"Walk with me," Dun said not stopping his stride.

Dian bid a quick farewell to Jin and hurried after Dun.

=#=

The two men walked in silence; Dun in the lead with Dian following close behind. Dun hadn't said a word since the two set out and the silence was beginning to get to Dian. There was also the matter of where Dun was leading them. After leaving the palace, they had walked through the crowded streets of Xuchang, but Dun had turned off to a back alley and Dun was well aware of the sudden lack of people.

"You aren't leading me to some desolate alley to kill me, are you?" Dian asked with a nervous laugh.

"This would be a good place for it," Dun replied.

"W-what?" Dian asked, surprised by the response.

"It's just a joke," he replied gruffly. Dian tried to force a laugh but it died quickly as his mind pondered the sincerity of Dun's words.

"So uh…I imagine you want to talk to me about what happened during the war council."

"Amazing that you managed to deduce that all on your own," Dun replied.

"Ha…yeah…I've never felt this nervous around you before. I know you said you weren't, but I keep feeling like you are seconds away from hitting me."

"I never said I wasn't going to hit you," Dun replied as he stopped in his tracks and turned to face Dian.

Dian stopped as well. "But you said—"

"I said I wouldn't kill you…which I won't. Now as to whether I will hurt you, well that entirely depends on your answers."

"Okay?" Dian replied.

His voice cracked slightly showing his insecurity and nervousness. That wasn't the way he wanted to approach this. He wanted to show Dun he was a man worthy of his daughter's hand. He took a deep breath to center himself. He knew he was a good match for Xiaolian and he only needed to prove that to Dun. No pressure, right? Feeling more confident than he had a few moments ago, Dian nodded his head.

"Okay. I'm ready."

Dun noted the subtle change in his demeanor. He seemed less skittish and more focused. He respected him for it. Dun would have flat out refused if he cowered before him.

Dun leaned against a nearby mud brick wall and braced his right boot against it. Once comfortable, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eye as his mind replayed the memory of the first time he saw Xiaolian.

"I remember when we first met Xiaolian," Dun began as he tilted his head up towards the clear afternoon sky. His head bumped gently against the wall preventing him from tilting his head any further, but it was enough for him to catch the gentle caress of the sun that hung overhead.

"I remember wondering why this mousey little brat was following me around so much. Never would I have guessed that the scrawny little girl back then would be who she is today—"

Dian smiled a little at this. Xiaolian truly had come a long way. When they first met, Xiaolian wouldn't even speak to him. Hell she wouldn't speak to anyone. At such a young age she went through such turmoil and it was amazing that she was even adjusted as she was. He was proud of her and it was just another thing that he loved about her

"—and I certainly wouldn't have thought I would grow to care about her as much as I do," Dun continued. "It doesn't matter that we aren't bound together by blood. She's my daughter, period; I would kill for that girl…I have killed for that girl and I wouldn't hesitate to do so again. For me to give my daughter over to someone else, I'm going to need some serious convincing…so convince me. Why should she marry you?" Dun finished, tilting his head back down so he could level Dian with a piercing glare.

"Heh, that's a tough question, Master Yuánràng. I'm not really sure how to answer that."

"Then our business is done here."

"Woah! Hold on! I didn't say I couldn't answer it. I just said I'm…not sure how to."

"Uh huh," Dun replied. "Then speak. I don't have all day."

"Okay…um…well I remember when we first met Xiaolian as well. I saw this beautiful but sad girl who went through so much pain at such a young age. I didn't even know her, but I wanted to help her. I wanted to make her smile and make her forget all that pain she had to go through and protect her from enduring anymore in the future. As time passed and I got to know her…that feeling only got stronger. She's an amazing girl, you know?"

The look Dun gave Dian spoke volumes.

"Of course you know," he said with a nervous chuckle. "What I mean is that to me she is someone that deserves happiness. I want to give her that. How can I not? She is the first woman that ever accepted me for who I am. She doesn't think I'm weird…well actually, she calls me weird all the time—"

Dian couldn't help but laugh aloud at this. It didn't bother him when she called him weird. There was never anything malicious about it. The same couldn't be said about a few of the other women he's known over the years.

"Even though she calls me weird, she doesn't seem to care that I am weird. I feel like I can be myself around her. I want to be that for her too. I feel like when we are together, she isn't so guarded. I see her smile and it makes me happy; it makes me want to make her smile more and I love her…I truly do…and…and…I'm rambling now. Heh, I should probably stop."

"That was incredibly sappy, Mànchéng."

"Haha, yeah I know," Dian replied as he shook his head and rubbed his forehead. It even sounded sappy to him but it all just came out. He sincerely hoped that Dun wouldn't tell anyone about all of that.

Dun pushed off the wall and started to walk once more. Dian started to panic. What did that mean? Did he approve? Did he disapprove?"

"Uh, Master Yuánràng?"

"Shut up and follow," Dun replied before disappearing around a corner leaving Dian to wonder if he just blew the only chance he had. With a heavy sigh Dian hurried after him.

=#=

Zhuyue watched Xiaolian practice through the lattice on the door leading to the inner courtyard. Chong was also out there beside her, swinging around a small stick presumably giving to him by Xiaolian though without the same grace or focus as his older sister.

Zhuyue sighed softly. How exactly should she approach this? This was the first time she would have to speak to Xiaolian about something like this and she had no idea of how to even begin the conversation. She watched Xiaolian for awhile longer. Her skills were noticeably better than when she first begin her training. It made her proud to see her improvement. That was when it hit her. She knew exactly how to start the conversation.

Zhuyue slowly opened the door leading out to the inner courtyard to avoid making any noise. Silently she crept across the courtyard like a panther on the hunt for its prey. Zhuyue took hold of one of the practice swords, slowly sliding out of its confines to avoid tipping Xiaolian off. Her efforts weren't in vain. It seemed she was so focused on her training that she hadn't noticed Zhuyue's presence at all.

Zhuyue then crept over to Xiaolian and smacked her right in the bottom with flat of the practice sword. Xiaolian was understandably startled and when she spun around to face her attacker, she tripped over her own feet and sent herself careening straight towards Chong. Moving quickly Zhuyue grabbed the collar of Xiaolian's robe halting her descent.

"Watch out for your brother," she chided.

"You startled me," Xiaolian replied with a frown as she steadied herself on her feet.

Zhuyue released her hold on Xioalian's collar once she was stable. Chong, oblivious to how close he came to injury greeted his mother with little hands reaching up towards her and sprouting a series of nonsensical words.

"Your lack of awareness is startling," Zhuyue said as she knelt down in front of her son putting him within range of her face which he grabbed with his hands.

"If I was an enemy, you would have been dead. You need to work on that. You must always be aware of your surroundings. Don't get so focused on what you are doing that you close out the world around you—Ew!" Zhuyue exclaimed with a laugh as Chong placed a very wet kiss on to his mother's nose. Zhuyue tickled his stomach with her free hand causing him to burst out into a fit of giggles and fall to his butt on the ground.

"Yes mother," Xiaolian replied softly. She felt a bit disheartened to be chided by her mother. It only served to remind her how far she still had to go with her training.

"I'm curious to see how far you've come in your training," said Zhuyue as she wiped her son's slobber from her nose.

"Yes mother."

Zhuyue called for a servant and asked them to keep an eye on Chong while they sparred. The servant moved over to one of the stone benches across from the training area and sat there with the fussy baby who kept trying to escape her grasp and rejoin his mother and sister.

"Let's go," said Zhuyue as she readied her training sword.

Xiaolian readied her own blade and charged at her mother. She first launched an attack from the left and followed that up with an attack from the right then the left again. Zhuyue blocked each strike easily, but did not make any moves to counter. Xiaolian did not let this dissuade her; eager to prove her skill to her mother, she attacked again. This time she pushed herself to move faster, attacking in quick succession from the right twice and following up with a forward thrust. Zhuyue blocked the first two attacks but parried the last. She used the brief opening to side step Xiaolian and smacked her backside with the flat of her blade once more. Xiaolian stumbled forward from the strike but she was able to maintain her footing. She turned to face Zhuyue, the look of disappointment evident on her face.

"I'm still nowhere near you," Xiaolian muttered.

"That so? I saw something different. You've gotten faster and your strikes are more precise. I think your speed will surpass my own if you keep improving as you have."

"You aren't just saying that?" Xiaolian asked with a hint of hopefulness.

"Have I ever given you empty praise before?"

Xiaolian thought about this question then shook her head no.

"Then why would I start now?" Zhuyue asked as she got back into her fighting stance. "Come, let's go again."

So they did; their training falling into a groove of attacks and parries.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" Zhuyue asked as she side stepped another of Xiaolian's attacks.

"No?" Xiaolian replied a she quickly recovered and launched another attack at Zhuyue which was blocked.

"So there is nothing going on between you and Li Mànchéng?"

Xiaolian froze in the middle of her attack and looked into her mother's eyes. "He spoke with you and father?"

"So there is something going on…"

Xiaolian hesitated to answer. Did Dian speak with them? If so, why was she asking her for confirmation? She lowered her sword arm and gnawed at her bottom lip. A bad habit she picked up from her deceased older sister, though she would never admit it. Deciding it would be best to tell the truth, Xiaolian nodded her head.

"I want to marry him."

"And how did you come to this revelation?" Zhuyue asked lowering her own sword.

Xiaolian shrugged.

"Did he coerce you into it?"

"Coerce?"

"Forced you into it," Zhuyue explained.

"Oh…no," Xiaolian replied with a shake of her head.

"So you genuinely like him?"

Xiaolin nodded her head yes.

"Well if this is what you truly want, then you have my blessing."

Xiaolian dropped her training sword and hugged her mother. Zhuyue returned the hug. It was a bittersweet moment. She was happy that Xiaolian had found love, but at the same time she felt as if she was losing her daughter. Zhuyue tightened her hold on Xiaolian. Xiaolian didn't say anything at first, but when it became increasingly difficult to breathe she couldn't remain silent any longer.

"M-mother…"

"Too tight?"

"Yes."

Zhuyue sighed and released her grip on Xiaolian who immediately sucked in a deep breath to refill her depleted lungs.

"Sorry about that," Zhuyue said with a wry grin.

"It's okay. Xiaolian said with a small smile of her own. "It was still nice."

"You are such a sweet girl," Zhuyue said as she dropped her sword and cupped Xiaolian's face in her hands. "Mànchéng better treat you right. If he doesn't, it'll be the last thing he ever does."

"Don't worry. He won't."

"He better not," Zhuyue replied before going to retrieve a struggling Chong from the servant. The servant gave Zhuyue a relieved look a she handed the fussy child over to her.

"What happens now?" Xiaolian asked as she followed behind her mother.

"Well…I'm okay with the marriage, but I do not have the final say. That belongs to your father."

"Where is father?"

"With Mànchéng."

Xiaolian perked up at this. Her head swiveled towards the door leading to the main house then back to her mother.

"He…he won't hurt him, will he?"

"AWBWABUWAH!" Chong declared loudly.

"What your brother said."

Xiaolian was not impressed with this respond and fully intended on telling her mother so. "Mother—"

They were interrupted by the door to the main house opening. Dun led the way into the inner courtyard with Dian following behind. Upon spotting his father, Chong let out a happy squeal and reached out for him.

"Welcome home," Zhuyue declared as Dun reached her side and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and took the clamoring Chong into his arms.

"And Mànchéng looks to still be intact…good talk?"

"I found out what I wanted to know," Dun replied as he pulled his chin away from Chong's grasping fingers which continuously tried to tug on his beard.

"And I found out what I wanted to know," Zhuyue replied. "So the question is…what happens next?"

"Looks like we are going to have a wedding."

Dian perked up at this. "Really? Master Yuánràng?! We can get married?"

"Pretty sure I didn't stutter, Mànchéng."

"No. I know. I know. I just…I just thought you were going to say no?"

"Well I didn't. But I will say this; you better treat my daughter well because if you don't you I will kill you…slowly."

"And I will personally make sure you suffer before you go," Zhuyue added.

Dian laughed thinking their threats were made in jest; the looks on their face tempered his jovial mood quickly. Dian coughed in an attempt to cover up his previous laughter. He turned to face both Zhuyue and Dun fully and saluted them as he made a declaration.

"I swear to both you and the heavens that if I ever cause Xiaolian even a moment of unhappiness my life is yours to take."

"I'll hold you to that," Dun said as he eyed Dian.

"Okay, okay," Zhuyue said as she put her hand on Dun's shoulder. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Our daughter is getting married!"

"Gwahemaha!" Chong exclaimed happily.

"See! Chong gets it," Zhuyue said as she leaned over to her son in Dun's arms and rubbed her nose against his. Chong squealed in happiness at the attention.

"Yeah…yeah…," Dun muttered grumpily.

"Oh don't mind him you two. He's just sad that he is losing his only daughter."

"Don't speak for me woman," Dun groused.

"And you get to look forward to all this marital bliss," Zhuyue said with a grin as she gestured to her husband.

Dian couldn't help but laugh at this. Xiaolian however took this moment to hug her father.

"Thank you, father."

Dun tsked, but gave Xiaolian a one armed hug. Chong, also joined in on the hug which amounted to him patting his sister on the head with both hands.

Zhuyue watched the touching scene with a smile. She looked over to Dian to see him watching it with a smile as well. Xiaolian pulled back from Dun and Chong and Dun turned his eye back to Dian.

"You'll need a place to live," said Dun.

"Yeah. I was thinking about that—," Dian began but he was cut off by his bride-to-be.

"I want to stay here," said Xiaolian.

Dun rose a brow as he looked towards the currently vacant portion of their home his parents once stayed in. At one point Madame Xu resided there, but after Chong's birth, she moved into the main house with them so she could better take care of him.

"You don't mind, right?" Xiaolian asked as she looked to Dian.

"Oh…uh, I'm okay with it if that is what you really want."

"I like the idea," Zhuyue said as she looked at Dun.

"Well then…that's settled. There's no rush for you two to make things official, do it in your own time, but we'll have to make the formal announcement that you two will be getting married so Mèngdé won't pull that political marriage bullshit again," said Dun.

Dian and Zhuyue agreed to this. Xiaolian was a bit lost about what they were talking about but she didn't bother to question them about it. Her mind was busy swimming with thoughts of her future with Dian.

=#=

"More wine, Master Gōngjǐn?"

"Yes, you have my thanks, Zǐjìng," said Zhou Yu as he held his cup up to Lu Su's awaiting wine jug.

Su filled Yu's cup then turned to Lu Fan and gestured to him with the wine jug.

"Would you like a refill, master Zǐhéng?"

"I would, but why do you serve us? You have servants don't you? This is beneath you."

"I consider it an honor to serve such distinguished men," Su replied with a chuckle as he filled Fan's cup.

"Such a silver tongue you have. Did you teach him that too, Gōngjǐn?"

Yu chuckled. "No, no. I cannot claim any credit for that. That is a skill all his own."

Fan let out a hmm as he took a sip from his newly filled cup. Fan lowered his cup and looked over to Lu Meng who was sitting a bit away from the rest of the group, his eyes pouring over a scroll.

"Zǐmíng, does Zǐjìng not allot you time to rest? Come, join us for a drink!"

"Yes join us, Zǐmíng. You have studied enough for today. Relax with us," said Su as he poured the man a cup of wine.

Meng looked at the other three men then back to his scroll and rolled it up.

"Thank you master, Zǐjìng," said Meng as he accepted the drink.

"So how has your training under Zǐjìng been thus far, Zǐmíng?"

"I have learned much under master Zǐjìng," Meng replied. "I am grateful that he has taken me under his wing."

"The thanks should go so master Gōngjǐn," Su replied. "Shamefully, I was hesitant to take you as my student let alone meet you. I heard tales of your past and thought you would be unpleasant and unwilling to learn. If master Gōngjǐn did not insist that I take the time to at least meet with you, I never would have witnessed first hand your vast knowledge. Each day that goes by, I grow more and more impressed by you."

"Thank you, master Zǐjìng . I have only come as far as I have due to your tutelage. And thank you as well master Gōngjǐn."

"The future of Wu looks bright with such talented warriors in our ranks," said Fan as he raised his cup in cheer to Meng before taking another sip.

"Indeed," said Su as he took a drink from his own cup.

"Lord Quan certainly does have a have an eye for talented warriors," said Yu.

"Indeed. Lu Xun, Bu Zhi, Gu Yong, Shi Yi, Yan Jun, Xu Sheng and Zhu Huan…all exceptional warriors that have recently joined us. Lord Quan was wise in going after them," said Su.

"How fortunate we are that he at least has the aptitude to do that," Fan muttered bitterly.

"Come now, Zǐhéng. Do you still take issue with Lord Quan's rule? He has done well since Lord Ce's passing."

"No, WE have done well," Fan corrected. "Lord Quan barely has a hand in the day to day rulings of Wu."

"Oh come now, that's not tru—"

"Zǐbù handles the economy," Fan interjected, ticking the names off his hand as he spoke.

"Zigang handles the domestic affairs, Master Gōngjǐn, Demou and I handle all aspects of the military. And while we work hard for the glory of Wu, Lord Quan indulges in drinking parties with his courtesans. Pfft He is probably having one right now," Fan scoffed as he drained his cup.

Su winced. It was hard to dispute anything Fan said because it was all very true. Foolishly though, he would try.

"Now, now, Master Zǐhéng, while you may have a point that his vassals do much for Wu, I must disagree that Lord Quan has no hand in the day to day rulings of Wu."

"His mother, Lady Wu has more of a presence in the ruling of Wu than he does. She has even held court on his behalf when he was too drunk to get out of bed!" Fan argued.

"That...well…"

"He is not his brother," Fan continued. "Now, Lord Ce…that was a man of ambition and promise. He had a hand in all that happened within Wu and with him at its head, Wu would have been unstoppable. He truly was a man cut down much too early. I mourn his death with each passing day."

Su was finding it increasingly difficult to dispute Fan's claims. He turned to Yu for help.

"Master Gōngjǐn, you agree with me, don't you?"

"No. Zǐhéng is quite right. Zhòngmóu pales in comparison to Bófú. But that is why we are here for him. We will teach and support him to be a ruler worthy of succeeding his brother."

"Do you honestly think he can be a man worthy of succeeding Lord Ce?" Fan asked.

"For the future of Wu, he has to be," Yu replied.

"And what do you think, Zǐmíng? You've been quiet this entire time. Tell us your opinion," said Fan as he turned his attention to the man in question.

Meng mulled over this question for a few moments before answering.

"Lord Ce was truly an exceptional man. I do not think there are many who can measure up to him."

"Exactly my point!" Fan exclaimed triumphantly.

"But I believe that Lord Quan also has his own merits," Meng continued. "It was through his encouragement that I took up scholarly pursuits to improve myself. If it wasn't for his influence, I am not certain I would have done so on my own. You also agree that he has a skill in finding talented warriors to fight under his banner. I do believe that if we help Lord Quan, he can become a very capable ruler."

"Hmph," said Fan, his previous enthusiasm deflated in the face of Meng's reasoning. "Well I certainly hope he learns soon. I shutter to think what would happen to Wu if we lose any of its current pillars."

"Enough of this talk," said Su as he held up the wine jug once more. "We are supposed to be enjoying each others company and forgetting about the tedium of work for a few hours. Now, who wants a refill?"

All of the men held up their cups as they silently agreed to steer their topic of conversation to something a bit more lighthearted for the remainder of the night.

=#=

-The next day -

Lianshi aimed her bow and drew the arrow back. She took a deep breath, focused herself, and released the arrow. It sailed through the air and embedded in its target; a deadly blow had her target been alive.

"Nice shot Lianshi!"

Lianshi turned and was surprised to see Sun ShangXiang standing not far from her.

"Thank you, My Lady."

"It seems like you are getting better everyday. I have to constantly keep training just to keep up with you on the battlefield."

"You give me too much credit, My Lady," Lianshi replied with a smile.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," ShangXiang retorted. "Ugh, my brother is so stupid. He should have definitely married you instead of Xie."

Lianshi visibly flinched at ShangXiang's words.

The subject was still a sore spot for Lianshi. At one point, it looked as if she would be Quan's wife. Once Quan had told Lianshi of his feelings for her, the two became inseparable. After Sun Ce's death however, something changed. Quan seemed to put their relationship on hold and Lianshi understood that he needed to put his responsibility towards Wu before his own happiness; which is why she was completely blindsided when he announced that he would be marrying Lady Xie. When Lianshi asked him why, Quan simply told her that he was doing what was best for Wu and that he would keep her as a concubine. This hurt Lianshi, but she had no choice but to accept his decision.

"Oops, I guess I shouldn't talk about that, huh?" said ShangXiang with a frown. She could see the hurt in Lianshi's eyes and it made her feel terrible. Sometimes she just did not know how to keep her mouth shut.

"It is fine, My Lady. I know my place."

"Know your place?" ShangXiang echoed.

"Lady Xie comes from higher standing than I. It only makes sense that Lady Wu would have thought her to be a better choice for Lord Quan."

Oddly enough, had Lianshi's family maintained the wealth and prominence they once had, she would have definitely been in a higher standing than Xie and it is almost guaranteed that Lady Wu would have chosen her for Quan's wife instead. Alas fate seemed to have different plans in mind for the two of them.

"Do you resent my mother for choosing Xie over you?"

"Of course not," Lianshi replied. "Lady Wu made the best decision for Lord Quan and Wu."

"Yeah, but—"

"I'm sorry, My Lady, but it is time I make your brother's meal. Please forgive me for cutting our conversation short."

ShangXiang knew her brother was having one of his drinking parties with his other concubines and probably hadn't eaten in awhile. Out of all his brother's women, only Lianshi seemed to truly care about his health while the others seemed to be content with just satisfying him sexually.

"No worries," said ShangXiang with a nod. "Go ahead. I'll speak to you later."

Lianshi bowed to her and turned to leave.

"Lianshi," ShangXiang called out.

The woman looked over her shoulder back to ShangXiang.

"Thank you for always looking out for him."

Lianshi gave her a warm smile and walked off. ShangXiang watched her go and wondered if Quan knew how good of a woman he had looking out for him.

=#=

-An hour later-

Lianshi walked down the hall leading to Quan's room with a tray in hand. She made heavy foods to help absorb the copious amount of wine he no doubt had in his system. Finally at his door, Lianshi could hear the giggles of women from within. It looked as if Quan was still indulging in his little drinking party.

Lianshi put the tray down and knocked on the door.

"Lord Quan, it is me. I bought you some food."

"Liansheee?" he asked in a slurred voice. "Liansheeeee! Come…come in."

Lianshi opened the door, picked up the tray and entered the room. She set the tray on a nearby table and closed the door. She looked towards the bed where Quan sat, flanked by two concubines Xie and Zhong. It was clear what they were doing as Quan was surprisingly still wearing his robe but it was half open revealing part of his chest. The concubines were in a similar state of undress clad only in their small clothes.

"Have some more wine!" said the concubine Xie as she held up a filled cup towards Quan.

"Ooh!" she squealed and giggled as some of the wine spilled over the lip of the cup and splashed onto her arm and bed.

Lianshi walked to the bed and plucked the cup from Xie's hand. The woman looked at Lianshi angrily.

"What are you doing?" she huffed.

"Lord Quan has had enough, don't you think?"

"We are still having fun," said Zhong with a whine.

"Yeah! Go away Lianshi! Lord Quan doesn't need you," Xie added.

"Get out," Quan slurred out.

"What?" Xie asked in surprise as she looked back to Quan.

"GET OUT!" He shouted startling the two women.

They scrambled off of the bed and hurried out of the room leaving Lianshi and Quan alone.

"That wasn't very nice, My Lord," Lianshi chided as she went to retrieve the tray of food from the table.

"I…I didn't like the whay she sphoke to you," he slurred as he tried to pull his messy hair from in front of his face so that he could see Lianshi better.

"I am not so thin skinned," Lianshi replied as she placed the tray in front of him. "It did not bother me."

"I don't—hic—care. I didn't like it," he replied.

"I thank you for always looking out for me, My Lord," she replied. "Please eat and then perhaps you should visit Lady Xie. She has been unwell the last few days and I am certain a visit from you would lift her spirits."

"Come here," said Quan as he pat a space beside him.

Obediently she went to the spot he pat and sat down. Quan was on her almost immediately, kissing her neck and letting his hand roam across her ample bosom.

"My Lord," Lianshi said as she tried to stifle the moans that threatened to spill from her lips.

"Please, My Lord, you must eat."

"I mish you, Lianshi," Quan said as he pushed Lianshi onto her back and climbed on top of her.

"Please, My Lord," she urged once more. "You must eat."

Quan didn't seem to hear her as he fully opened his robe revealing, to her surprise, his nude form beneath. His eyes were glazed over as he stared lustfully at Lianshi beneath him.

"My Lord, I want you as much as you want me, but you need some food in your system. Please eat and then I will gladly give myself to you."

Quan hovered over her, seemingly fighting with himself. Finally he moved off of her and sat back onto the bed.

"I don't deserve you," Quan muttered as he closed his robe once more.

"Nonsense, My Lord," she replied a bit breathlessly as she sat up.

"You are too good to me," he continued.

"You deserve all of my love and more," she replied as she pulled the tray towards him. "Please, eat."

Obediently Quan pulled the tray onto his lap and began to eat.

=#=

"Come my dear," said Guan Yu as he offered a hand to his new wife.

She took it and giggled as he helped her out of the carriage.

"You needn't spoil me so much, Lord Husband."

"But I do," Yu replied as he put a hand against the small of her back and the other on her stomach.

"You are my beloved wife and you hold my child within you."

She smiled and put her smaller hand on top of his larger one which rested on her still relatively small stomach.

"So is this where your sworn brothers are?"

"If what we were told was true, yes," he replied.

"I'm so nervous! Do you think they will like me?"

"I do not see how they cannot," Yu replied with a smile. "You are so very charming and beautiful."

"Oh stop!" she said with a giggle. "Well, shall we go?"

"Indeed," Yu agreed as he lowered his hand from her stomach and guided her forward with the hand that remained on her back.

As they walked down the dusty road, Yu took in his surroundings. Xinye County was fairly small and very out of the way. To Yu, it seemed as if Liu Biao had stationed his sworn brother here to get him out of the way. There was another thing that stuck out to Yu; where were the soldiers? He should have passed some by now, but the people they passed were commoners; mostly women and elderly men. There was a large group of young men working the fields when they rode in on their carriage but those were clearly farmers. They couldn't be soldiers.

"Lord Yu?"

Yu turned around to see a young man standing behind him with a bamboo pole hitched across one shoulder and two buckets of water dangling precariously on each end.

"It really is you!" the man exclaimed excitedly.

Yu recognized him as Li Hu, one of the soldiers that had once fought under him. The man slowly lowered himself to his knees so he could safely relieve himself of his burden. Once the buckets were safely on the ground, he rested the pole atop the two of them; shot to his feet and quickly saluted Yu.

"Liu Hu, it is good to see you," said Yu as he clapped the man on the shoulder. "I was beginning to wonder if we were in the wrong place."

"You remembered me…"

"Of course," Yu replied. "You were an exceptional fighter and served well. Tell me, Liu Hu, what has happened here? This place seems so deserted. Where are our men? Where are my brothers?"

"Lord Yu, we all thought you were dead. So much has happened…so much—" he paused and quickly swiped at a tear that had fallen from his eye with the back of his hand.

"I'm just so happy you are alive. Lord Bei and Master Fei…they will be happy too. I'll take you to them and they can tell you everything."

"Please do," said Yu.

Yu's wife gave him a questioning look and he could understand her uncertainty. It was obvious something had happened and Yu was certain that it wasn't good, based on Hu's reaction. It seems he would have to wait until he saw his sworn brothers to get the full story and finally that time was soon at hand.

"Yes, My Lord!" Hu stated proudly. He stooped back down to the carrying pole and once again hoisted it up. Once it was properly situated on his shoulder he wrapped an arm around it to stabilize it then nodded in the direction ahead of them.

"Follow me, Lord Yu," he announced before hurrying off."

Yu and his wife followed as Hu led him to Liu Bei's home. While it was certainly the largest house within Xinye County, it was still fairly modest and Yu certainly thought that Bei deserved better. Yu didn't have time to observe the exterior for long. The moment he was in sight of the guards stationed outside of Bei's home they surrounded him, each expressing disbelief and joy in equal measure upon his return.

Hu bid farewell to Yu and his wife as they were led inside by Bei's guards. Yu only got a brief glimpse of the humble interior as he was ushered to the room where his sworn brothers were currently at.

Now standing in front of the door to Bei's drawing room, Yu could hear their muffled voices within. A smile spread across his face upon hearing it. It felt like it was so long ago when he last heard it and after everything that had happened, he wasn't sure if he would ever hear it again. One of the guards opened his mouth to announce Yu's presence but Yu stopped him. He wanted to surprise his brothers. He silently sent them away and they left without argument, understanding what it was that he wanted to do.

They were alone now. Yu noticed the voices from within the room had stopped. Perhaps they heard the footsteps just outside of the door and wondered what was going on. Without further delay, Yu opened the door to reveal himself to the room's inhabitants.

Just as Yu expected, they were already looking in his direction. The shock on both his sworn brother's faces was immediately evident. Fei was the one who jumped up first, his hands grabbing Yu's arms and squeezing them as if to make sure that he was real.

"BROTHER!" he exclaimed loudly before pulling the man into a bear hug. Yu returned the hug, just as happy to see Fei as the former was to see him.

Bei stood, his eyes glued to Yu as he stared at him in disbelief.

"Is it really you?" Bei asked cautiously. He dared not hope that what was happening was real only for fate to cruelly rip it away.

"It is truly me, brother," Yu confirmed with a smile.

Bei embraced Yu in a tight hug. "Brother! We have truly been lost with out you."

"Brother, you have to tell me…what has happened?" he asked as they pulled away from each other.

Bei took a deep breath. "There is a lot to talk about there, brother. Before that, I feel as if we are being incredibly rude. Please, come in and sit down. Share a drink with us."

"Thank you brother," said Yu as he turned back to his wife and ushered her forward.

"Oh…who is this?" Bei asked upon noticing the woman for the first time.

"This is Feiyan, my wife. Feiyan, these are my sworn brothers, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei."

"Wife?" Fei asked as his eyes roamed over Feiyan.

"Your wife?!" Bei exclaimed in surprise.

"It's good to finally meet you Lord Bei, Lord Fei," Feiyan said as she bowed to both of them.

Neither man spoke. They only continued to stare at her in obvious surprise. Feeling uncomfortable under their gaze Feiyan edged closer to Yu.

"You do not need to be afraid my love," said Yu as he placed a comforting hand against her back.

"Yes, our apologies for staring Feiyan. We were just surprised. Please, allow me to greet you sister," said Bei as pulled the shy woman into a hug.

"So while we were worried sick over you, you were shacking up with a woman?" Fei asked as his eyes raked over her frame once more.

"Brother!" Bei admonished.

"Ha! I've missed your honesty. It is refreshing after being surrounded by such deceitful men," said Yu.

"You are probably the only one that still cares for my honesty," Fei muttered.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

Bei sighed. "Sit brother. We have much to talk about."

So Yu and Feiyan joined Bei and Fei on the floor around a small wooden table. Fei called for a servant who rushed in with two cups and a fresh jug of wine. The servant filled the sworn brother's cup first then made his way to Feiyan.

"Oh, no thank you," she replied with a shake of her head.

"You don't want to drink with us?" Fei asked with a bit more venom in his voice then necessary.

"Brother, peace," said Yu as he saw the fear in his wife eyes. He put a comforting hand on her stomach.

"If she could drink she would, but my Feiyan is carrying my child. There are many things she can no longer indulge in."

"Oh," Fei replied with his head bowed. "Sorry about that," he muttered. "Things have been rough for me lately brother. I've been on edge."

Yu frowned. "It seems I have missed much."

Yu looked at his wife. "Feiyan, you must be tired after our long journey. You should rest. Brother, is there a spare room she can use?"

"Of course," Bei replied.

Bei called for a servant and Feiyan was led away. With his wife now out of the room, Yu looked at his sworn brothers.

"Now tell me. What has happened?"

Bei took a deep breath and looked at Fei then Yu and dove into his tale. Yu listened carefully as Bei told them their woeful story, careful to leave out any mention of their cannibalism as they were ashamed to let their brother know what they had done to their own people so survive.

Once the tale was done, Yu shook his head in disbelief. "To hear that my brothers had to suffer through such hardships in my absence; I am ashamed that I had gotten captured and was unable to help you."

"Do not blame yourself brother," said Bei as he put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You could not have known that you would have been captured. I am simply grateful that you have been returned to us."

"It is time for you to tell us your story, brother," said Fei. "I am curious as to how you are here alive before us. I thought for sure that, that villain Cao Cao would have killed you."

"Indeed," said Yu with a nod of his head. "I would have thought the same, but I was fortunate in that Cao Cao wanted to recruit me rather than kill me."

"Truly?" Fei asked in disbelief.

"Truly," Yu said with a nod.

"But you obviously did not join him…what happened?" Bei asked.

"Believe it or not, Cao Cao treated me well. He showered me with gifts in hopes that I would join him. He even gave me Lu Bu's horse, Red Hare."

Fei let out a whistle. "That is a magnificent beast brother."

"Indeed it is…too bad it is no longer in my possession."

"What happened to it?"

"It was stolen from me by some of Cao Cao's men. When I made it clear that I would not join his army, I fell out of Cao Cao's favor. The small freedom he once allotted me was stripped away and he kept me under constant guard. When I heard that you two were still alive and well, I hatched a plan for escape and to my fortune, it worked…but just before I could ride out of the gates, I was accosted by Cao Cao's men and that is when Red Hare was taken for me."

"And they just let you walk out alive?" Fei asked.

"They did…and I believe that it was because of Zhang Liao."

"Tch, that bastard?" Fei muttered.

"He is an honorable man, brother. He stopped the others from killing me on the condition that I give them Red Hare which I did."

"If he was so damn honorable, he would have let you keep the horse. It was gifted to you!" Fei argued.

Yu chuckled. He truly did miss Fei's brutal honesty. "It is okay brother. In the end, I am glad he took the horse. Had he not, I am certain I would not have met my wife."

"Yes…how did you meet Feiyan?" asked Bei as he poured another round of drinks.

"Feiyan and her father were traveling merchants. While they were traveling to another town to peddle their wares, they happened to see me on the road and offered me a ride in exchange for protection against bandits. Their last guard parted ways with them in the last town and they were understandably nervous traveling without one—"

"Get to the good part, brother!" Fei interrupted. "How did you and Feiyan end up together?"

Yu chuckled at his sworn brother's eagerness. He truly did miss both of them.

"Her father offered her to me as a wife when I saved them from a bandit attack. He decided that it was much too dangerous to continue traveling on the road with the land the way it was and wanted a better life for his daughter. I accepted."

"And now you are going to be a father! HAHAHA! Congratulations Brother!" Fei said as he slapped him on the back. Yu wasn't sure how many drinks Fei had but from the red in his cheeks and his increasing boisterousness he was already sloshed.

"I am truly happy for you brother," said Bei with a smile.

"I thank both of you brothers," Yu said as he drained his cup and picked up the jug to fill the cups once again.

"Now you two need to join me. Find women of your own and get married so our children will be as close as we are!"

"Yes! Let us make a vow right now! Our children will be as close with each other as we are!" Fei declared.

Bei chuckled. "That is a fine vow," he said as he offered his cup up in cheer.

The two brothers' offered their own cups up in cheer as well and they drank in honor of their new vow. The three spent the rest of the night drinking in cheer at their reunion.

=#=

"Father!"

Cao Cao slowed his stride and turned around to see Chong being wheeled towards him by Jun.

"Is there something you need?" Cao asked once Chong was within range.

"A moment of your time," Chong replied. "I have been trying to speak with you for days but you keep putting me off."

"Ah…and I am sorry but I must do so again. I am leaving on a short trip and it must get underway as soon as possible.

"Then we can talk as you head to your carriage. It won't take long."

Cao sighed. "Very well, let's go then."

"Please leave us Jun."

"Yes, my lord," she replied as she bowed to Cao and Chong.

"Wait. If she leaves, who is going to push you?" Cao asked with furrowed brows.

"The only other person here I would suspect," Chong replied in a deadpan voice.

"You expect me to push you?"

"Well I cannot exactly walk beside you, father."

"Just have your woman do it," Cao replied with a tinge of annoyance.

"Father, this conversation needs to happen between you and I alone. Please stop being so difficult."

With an annoyed sigh, Cao took his place behind Chong and begin to push him down the hall.

"I think this is the first time I've done this."

"Yes, it is," Chong confirmed. "Tell me, am I not still your son, father?"

"You still live here don't you?" Cao quipped.

"There was a time when I held your favor…and now it seems like you can barely stand to be near me."

"Don't be so dramatic. I speak to you all the time."

"No father. I speak to you and you are forced to respond. If I do not reach out to you, I would never hear from you."

"That isn't true."

"Oh? Then why wasn't I invited to the feast?"

"The feast was for my generals who fought in the war against Yuan Shao—"

"Then why was Zǐxiào, Anmin and Zǐxiū there? They did not fight against Yuan Shao."

"They were there because of their exemplary work in defending Xuchang."

"Yet I assisted in that. I am sure they told you my role in it…but I was forced to eat my meal hidden away from the others."

"I…did hear you had some input, yes. But it was Zǐxiào and the others that actually fought so they were commended for it."

Chong paused as a realization hit him. "You did not put me in charge when you left…"

"Of course I didn't…" Cao replied with a snort of laughter. "Why would I do that? Zǐxiào was in charge."

So Ren was the one in charge yet Ren told Chong that he was in charge. Why had he done that? Did he feel pity for him? Did he not want him to feel left out? This would be a question he would have to ask him later.

"So my contributions to that battle meant nothing? Do I no longer mean anything to you father?"

"Is this what you wanted to speak about?"

While Chong did want to know the reason for his father's apathy towards him, it wasn't the reason why he sought him out. Who knows when the next time he would be able to speak to him would be. Begrudgingly, Chong answered Cao truthfully.

"No…"

"Then I suggest you say what you have to say while you have the time."

There was a moment of silence between them. Cao seemed to feel guilty about his dismissive attitude and broke the silence before it could stretch even further between them.

"It is difficult to see you like this. You had so much potential and now…"

"Now I am a crippled."

There was another brief pause. Chong knew that it was his disability that made his father so withdrawn from him. In Cao's eyes, he was no longer useful. It was a sobering realization and had he been told this a year ago, he might have killed himself because of it. What reason was there to live if even his own father did not see him as useful anymore? Chong was lucky to have Pi and Jun with him. They truly were his strength.

"I feel as if I failed you," said Cao breaking the silence. "Your broken legs are a mark of shame for my failure to protect my most promising child. Part of me wishes you died instead so you wouldn't have to live such a difficult life."

And there was the truth. Exactly as Chong had predicted and this was one of the few times he wished he was wrong.

"I am glad I did not," Chong replied. "Yes it has been difficult and some days are worse than others, but good has come from it as well. For example, I have met the woman I wish to make my wife."

Cao halted his steps. "You have found a wife?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

"I have," Chong confirmed.

"And who is she? She is willing to have you despite—," he did not finish his sentence, but he did not need to. Chong knew what he was asking.

"Surprisingly, yes. She seems to accept me as I am. I could not ask for a better woman."

"Who is she?"

"Come now, father. It isn't that hard to figure out. It's Jun."

Cao went silent. Chong felt his chair being pushed forward once more as Cao resumed their trek to their destination once more.

"Father?" Chong called out. The silence was unnerving to him. Why had he suddenly shut down? It gave him a feeling that Cao's next words would undoubtedly be ones he did not want to hear.

"What is it?" Cao asked.

"Jun and I wish to marry…do we have your blessing?"

Cao remained silent for a few moments then with a sigh he replied. "No. I am sorry, but no."

Hearing the words were like a dagger through Chong's heart. He knew it. He knew there was something off about Cao's initial reaction. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself even though all he wanted to do at the moment was scream at his father and demand a reason for his refusal. Once he felt he had gotten his emotions in check enough to carry on the conversation, he spoke.

"Why?"

"Because she is a whore. You do not marry whores, son."

"She is not a whore," Chong replied angrily. He was seething at this point, but if Cao was aware of it, he did not seem to care.

"I found her in a courtesan house and she wasn't simply there to clean," Cao replied flatly.

"She has left that life behin—"

"I slept with her," Cao said cutting him off. "She is a whore and I will not have my son marry a whore. You will not shame our family name in such a way. My father clawed and fought to get us to the level that we are. We will not throw it all away because you have a fancy for a courtesan. If you like her, keep her as a concubine, but she will not be your wife."

At that moment they emerged from the palace. Cao pulled to a stop near the palace doors and moved Chong off to the side so he wouldn't be in the way.

"I trust our talk has finished? I truly must be off."

Chong no longer trusted himself to speak. He could feel nothing but venomous words sitting on the tip of his tongue, waiting for the moment to strike out at his father. So instead, Chong mutely nodded.

"Good," Cao replied as he instructed a guard to take Chong back inside while he descended the stairs to the awaiting carriage.

=#=

"Do you want me to wait outside?"

"No, I need you with me," Cao replied to his trusted bodyguard Dian Wei.

Wei nodded and followed Cao as he approached the wooden gate that surrounded the home they had come to visit. Cao gave a slight nod of his head and Wei banged his meaty fist against the gate door. It did not take long for someone to answer. The moment they caught a glimpse of their guest, the gate door was flung open and they were allowed entrance.

"S-shall I go tell Lady Ding you have arrived?" The nervous servant asked.

Cao Cao did not visit his estranged wife often…or more accurately, ever…but the servants all knew who he was.

"No. I wish to surprise my dear wife," Cao replied with a devilish smile.

The servant swallowed hard and nodded. He knew it was not wise to argue. He led Cao and his burly companion across the courtyard to the front door. He opened it and allowed Cao and Wei to enter before following behind them.

"I shall go get the L—"

"I am capable of finding my own wife," Cao interjected.

The servant bowed and watched as Cao set off down the hall in search of Ding. He didn't make it far before being confronted Ding herself. Cao noted that her robe was disheveled and her hair was hanging loose as she came running down the hall, her bare feet thudding loudly against the wooden floor as she hurried to him. Her chest was heaving and her face was scrunched up in anger with her teeth bared.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"It is good to see you too," Cao replied. "You look rather…messy."

"What are you doing here," she repeated.

At that moment, Ding's father arrived. He had heard the commotion and decided to investigate. He nearly went as white a sheet when he laid eyes on Cao.

"Cao Cao?" He asked as he leaned forward and squinted to get a better look at the man that stood before him.

"Yes. It has been a long time."

"Indeed it has. My daughter did not tell me you were coming."

"It's because I did not know!" Ding snapped angrily.

"Why Ding, It almost sounds as if you are not happy to see me—"

"I'm not! Why are you here?"

"Before we get to the bottom of things, there is something I would like to see."

Cao pushed passed Ding towards the room she had come running out of. Suddenly alarmed, Ding jumped in his path and tried to block him.

"You can't just go anywhere you want."

Cao rose a brow and an amused smiled curled on his lips.

"I believe I paid for this lovely abode…I can go anywhere I want," Cao replied as he attempted to gently push Ding aside.

She refused to move, planting her feet to root herself to that spot. Cao sighed and waved a hand at Wei who lifted the woman as if weighed nothing more than a feather. With a loud squawk of surprise, Ding began to claw at Wei to get free.

No longer blocked by Ding, Cao went to her room and entered just in time to see a man attempting to unsuccessfully squeeze himself out of the window.

"Tsk tsk tsk," said Cao as Ding's father joined his side. His eyes went wide with surprise as he spotted the man who seemed to be currently be stuck.

"Oh dear," her father mumbled as he looked toward Cao.

"This…this looks bad, but I assure you that my daughter hasn't been unfaithful to you."

"Ahahaha, what a dutiful father you are to lie for your daughter. We both know the truth though, don't we? Dian Wei, won't you help this poor fellow out?"

With a nod Wei let Ding go who immediately ran into the and to the man's side to stand as a barrier between him and Wei.

"Do not kill him! He has done nothing wrong!"

"He fucked my wife…that seems pretty wrong to me," Cao replied.

"He showed me love and affection when you refused to!"

Ding's father winced upon hearing his daughter so blatantly admit the truth. There was nothing he could do to save her now that she had admitted her guilt. He could only hope that Cao was merciful in his punishment.

"I don't show you affection? Is this house not a token of my affection for you?"

"Oh please! We didn't need your taels! We have plenty of our own."

"Let's not lie to ourselves, shall we? I have been supporting you and your father for years now. Yes, you had taels of your own, but that well had run dry quite some time ago…hadn't it?" said Cao as he turned his head to Ding's father.

Her father frowned and lowered his head in shame.

"What is he talking about father?" Ding asked as her eyes darted between the two of them.

Her father padded his way into the room and stood by her side. He put his hands comfortingly on her arms and looked at her with sad eyes.

"We lost the small fortune I had long ago," he began in a soft tone. "Cao Cao has been providing for us in the meantime. I did not want to admit my shame to you and asked that he not tell you."

Ding could only gasp at the revelation. She had to hold on to her frail father for support as she felt the ground sway beneath her. The realization of what her actions had caused finally weighed on her.

"I…I…he forced me," Ding said as she looked at Cao with pleading eyes.

"Please believe me husband; he made me sleep with him. He threatened me."

They could hear muffled protested from the man in the window as he struggled to wiggle himself out.

"He seems to think differently on the matter," Cao replied.

Ding left her father's side and knelt before Cao. She wrapped her arms around his legs and pretended to weep, laying her head against his thigh as she did so.

"Please my husband! Believe me! I would never be unfaithful."

"Get off of me," Cao said as he pulled away from Ding's grasp.

Ding fell forward, catching herself before face planting on the floor.

"I am on my hands and knees husband! Please, believe and forgive me!"

"I am sorry Ding…but no. I originally came to ask for a divorce. I was prepared to offer you a considerable amount of taels so we can sever our ties amicably but thanks to you, that is no longer necessary."

"Husband! Please!"

Ding reached for Cao once more but he backed away from her grasping hands once again.

"Please…I know my daughter has done something unforgivable, but please do not have her punished. She is all I have left since her mother passed on."

With obvious effort, Ding's father dropped to his knees before Cao. "Please have mercy."

"I know what it is like to lose the woman you love and I know what it is like to lose a child. The pain that comes from such a thing is…indescribable."

Cao turned his back to Ding and her father.

"We will be getting a divorce. I trust after everything that has happened there will be no argument with that."

Ding opened her mouth to speak but her father clamped his hand over her mouth.

"No. There will be no problem."

"You can keep the house and the last taels I have given to you, but expect no more to come from me. You are on your own now."

Cao looked over his shoulder to Ding.

"Thank you father, Ding. You owe him your life."

With those words spoken, Cao headed out of the room with Wei following behind him.

=#=

-Over a month later-

Shi Huan the tea house and scanned the area. He spotted Zhang He and Ju Shou sitting at a nearby table seemingly entranced by the music being strung on the guqin. Huan quickly crossed the room and invited himself to sit at their table. Neither reacted to his presence and Huan seemed content to let it remain that way, at least until the end of the performance.

Once the performance ended and a round of applause was given to the performer, Huan spoke up.

"Beautiful music they have here right? That's why this is the best tea house in Xuchang."

Shou jumped at hearing the voice and nearly fell out of his chair when he noticed the newcomer sitting at their table. Jùnyì on the other hand turned to Huan with a blissful smile.

"Indeed. Such beautiful music spoke to my soul."

Jùnyì's smile faltered a bit as the memory of the melancholic melody from Zhenji's flute played in his mind. Jùnyì's eyes slid close so he could see the beautiful visage of his dear friend in his mind's eye. He wondered, as he often did, how she was doing. Did she still get to play? Was she even still alive?

Huan noticed the sudden shift in Jùnyì's expression. He was curious as to what caused the change but doubted that Jùnyì would tell him if he asked so he decided to ignore it for now.

"Did you find out what we asked?" Shou questioned once he managed to recover from his shock.

"I did," Huan replied with a grim smile.

"It isn't good news, is it?"

Huan shook his head. "I am afraid not. I found Tian "Yuanhao" Feng in the cell just as you said, but I am afraid he had already joined his ancestors."

Shou gave a heavy sigh. "Damnit. I knew it," he said as he banged a fist against his desk.

"Was his passing…peaceful?" Jùnyì asked.

"I'm afraid not. It looked as if Yuan Shao tortured and starved him."

Jùnyì closed his eyes and shook his head. "Such an appalling way to go," he said sadly.

"Tch, you two idiots will believe anything!"

For the second time, Shou was startled, this time successfully falling out of his chair. Jùnyì was shocked as well though he handled his surprise with far more grace than his friend.

"Yuanhao, you are alive," Jùnyì with notable surprise. He turned his attention to Huan and gave him a disapproving tsk.

"Lying is an unseemly trait."

"Lying is pretty much the basis for my work…but don't blame me for this one; the old man made me do it. Dark sense of humor this one has."

Feng chuckled as a stunned Shou managed to scramble back into this chair. "It was well worth it to see the look on their faces. Now are you idiots going to make an old man stand or will you give him a seat?"

Huan stood. "My role in this is done. I'll let you three catch up while I go get some things smoothed over."

Jùnyì stood and gave Huan a graceful bow. "You have done far more than we could have ever expected. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Yeah, you caught me in a good mood," Huan replied with a shrug.

"We owe you one," said Shou as he stood and saluted Huan.

"And I will collect one day. Till then, enjoy your reunion."

"Later old man," Huan said with a wave.

Feng waved a wrinkled bony hand in his direction. "Next time a man says leave me to die listen you nitwit."

"What's that? You are happy I saved you from that dank little dungeon? Oh you are welcome. It was all my pleasure to prolong my trip home to do a favor for two men I barely know for another man I know even less who is about as pleasant as a sword through the gut."

"Tch, whiner," Feng grumbled.

Shou winced at Feng brusque nature. "My apologies, Gōngliú. I am sure he is truly thankful."

"Yeah he is just a regular ol' cuddly codger. Later."

Huan left leaving the trio alone and Shou poured a cup of tea from the pot left on the table for Feng.

"It should still be warm," Shou said as he pushed the cup towards Feng.

Feng picked up the cup and took a sip. He savored the warm liquid as it slithered down his throat.

"I am glad Gōngliú found you," said Jùnyì.

"Who says I wanted to be found?" Feng huffed.

"Come now, Yuanhao. You truly did not wish to die in that that cell did you?"

"It is as good as an end as any. I am old. Old people die. What difference does it make if it happens now or later?"

"It matters to me," Jùnyì replied. "For the work you have done, you deserve so much more than to be forgotten and condemned to a dreary death."

"Hmph, seems like the older I got the more people had forgotten what I had done, perhaps I have forgotten too," he said with a sigh.

"Well we haven't which is why we practically begged Gōngliú to search for you before we left for Xuchang," said Shou.

"You should have forgotten like the rest of them. I don't deserve to be remembered. I couldn't even stop my lord from destroying his own army. I have failed as an advisor and to be remembered will only mean that my shame will never be forgotten."

"The shame belongs to Yuan Shao and Yuan Shao alone. He had no ears for sensible words."

Feng let out a weary sigh. "I suppose it no longer matters. Yuan Shao is dead. What happened anyway? That sarcastic whiner who brought me here wouldn't tell me how the war ended; told me to wait to speak with you two. Why are you here serving Cao Cao anyway?"

Shou relayed his side of why he turned against Shao and Jùnyì told his. Feng only sat and listened quietly, occasionally sipping his tea as they both relayed how the war with Shao ended. With their tale over, Feng could only shake his head in disappointment.

"I thought he was a fool before but to hear how far the depths of his stupidity have gone—"

Feng paused and shook his head once more. "I cannot fault you for your decision to turn your back on him. Better to break away from stupidity than to be dragged down by it."

"Knowing what you do now, do you still regret not dying in that cell because you couldn't convince Yuan Shao to change his ways?" asked Jùnyì.

Feng gave a tired sigh and rubbed his eyes. "Knowing what I know now, I doubt I would have ever been able to convince him to make a good decision; he seemed determine to consistently make bad ones. My death would have been a vain one; at the same time had I not been rescued I would have been ignorant to the truth and I wouldn't have known the difference. It doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

"I suppose it does not, but I could not help but get your opinion. I find your perspective intriguing," said Jùnyì.

"Tch, I'm not here for your entertainment, boy," Feng grumbled.

"Of course not," Jùnyì replied with a charming smile.

"Yuanhao, would you consider serving Lord Cao? I'm sure he would appreciate having a man with you—"

Feng rose a hand to stop Shou from speaking. "No."

"No?" Shou repeated.

"No," Feng repeated.

"Why not?" Feng asked with furrowed brows.

"I am done serving idiots."

"Lord Cao isn't an—"

"He is an idiot. All warlords in this foolish war are. I am done with it all. I am old and I just want to live in peace before I die."

"Such a dreary outlook on life. You have plenty more marvelous years left in you," said Jùnyì.

"No need to pander to me boy. I know my time is coming soon. There is no need to need to lie to me."

"I respectfully disagree, but let's not argue. It is gauche and unnecessary instead, how about some more tea?" Jùnyì asked as he reached for the tea pot.

"No. I am old and tired. I need sleep."

"Of course, Yuanhao, forgive us. We were so excited to see you that we forgot the immense traveling you had done to get here. Come, we'll take you to get some rest."

=#=

-Three months later-

Time passed much too quickly for Dun's liking. Tomorrow they would be marching to war against Yuan Shao's sons. Dun idly fingered the white stones in his bowl as he waited for Yuan to make his move. Yuan sat hunched over the Go board with his face scrunched up in deep though.

"Ugh! What the hell am I going to do?" Yuan asked with a groan.

"If I told you where to move, this wouldn't be much of a game," Dun replied.

"No, no. I don't mean the game; I meant with Xiahouji. Me and Jiao wanted to do what you and Zhuyue did for Xiaolian but the girl is so damn skittish she'll never pick someone to marry. I bought the subject up to her and she went so red I thought she would faint. I tried bringing it up again yesterday and got the same result."

"Then you are going to have to pick someone for her."

"I know!" Yuan took a moment to calm himself. None of this was Dun's fault and no good would come to blowing up at his brother who was clearly just trying to help.

"I know…" Yuan repeated in a calmer tone. "I just have no idea who to pick. How can I think of this shit when we are marching to war tomorrow?"

"If it makes you feel better, I think you have more time than you think."

"What are you talking about? You've seen how insistent Mèngdé has been with this lately."

"True, but Liu Biao was the last person logical person Mèngdé will try to ally with."

"Bullshit, what about Sun Quan?"

"You really think Mèngdé and Sun Quan will ally together? Especially since we killed the Little Conqueror? Nah. I doubt they will readily forget that."

"Shit…you've seriously have given me some hope, brother. How the hell did you get so smart about stuff like this?"

"As much as I'd like to take credit, I can't. I asked Gōngdá during our last tutoring session."

"You asked him about Xiahouji for me?" Yuan asked as his face split into a wide grin.

"Well I knew he would have ha—"

Dun's explanation was cut off by Yuan launching himself across the Go board sending its pieces flying into the air before scattering across the wooden floor. Yuan caught Dun in a bear hug and with a laugh he began to chant "You love us, you really love us!"

"Get off me you idiot!" Dun shouted as he tried to wiggled out of his brother's grasp.

Yuan finally relented, the wide grin still on his face as he let Dun go.

"This is exactly why I don't do nice things for you," Dun hissed as he fixed his disheveled robe.

"Haha! You love me and you know it. If I died tomorrow, you would mourn me for years to come."

"Pfft you sell yourself pretty high."

"Because I know it is the truth, brother," Yuan replied as he set about the task of picking up the scattered stones.

"Bad game?" Zhuyue asked as entered the drawing room and swept her eyes over the mess that Yuan was currently cleaning up.

"Idiot brother," Dun replied as he got to his feet and walked over to his wife.

"Loving brother," Yuan corrected.

Zhuyue grinned. "You two are adorable."

"Don't encourage him," Dun replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ready for tomorrow?" he asked as he pulled her closer.

"About that…"

"What?" Dun asked as he pulled back a little to look at Zhuyue.

"I won't be going?"

"What are you talking about?"

Zhuyue twisted in Dun's arms so her back was now facing his chest. She placed her hands over his and pulled them upwards till it rested on her stomach. It took Dun a full minute to understand her intention. He spun her around and looked into her in the eye.

"You serious?"

"I am," she replied with a smile.

Dun lifted her in the air and spun her around. Zhuyue laughed as she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck to hold on to his enthusiastic gaiety.

"Oh shit! Congratulations Sister! Brother!" Yuan exclaimed as he tossed the Go stones he had just picked up into the air in his excitement.

Yuan ran over to Dun and Zhuyue and grabbed both of them as best he could in a bear hug.

"Get off you idiot," Dun grunted as he shrugged his brother off and placed Zhuyue back onto the floor. "You are supposed to be cleaning up the mess and you just made another one!"

"Oh, sorry about that," Yuan said with a boisterous laugh. "I overheard the news and I got excited too."

"Just clean this shit up," said Dun as he ushered Zhuyue out of the room.

"Okay, okay. Congratulations!" Yuan called out as the two of them left the room.

"Honestly, you should be nicer to your brother," Zhuyue said as Dun led her towards their bedchamber.

"I would if he wouldn't be such a moron."

"He loves you," Zhuyue replied.

"He loves to annoy me," Dun corrected.

Zhuyue only laughed as they entered their bedchambers and Dun closed the door behind them. Zhuyue sat down on the edge of their bed and Dun placed himself on knees between her legs, his hands and eye roaming over her stomach with wonder. The look on Dun's face suddenly changed; his elation suddenly changed to something between anger and sadness.

"I won't be here when it's born."

Zhuyue frowned realizing that there was a chance that what he was saying was true. "You might make it back in time for the birth."

"I doubt it," Dun replied. With an army our size, the march alone will take months. I won't be here to see my child being born."

Zhuyue placed a hand on his cheek. "As long as you make it back to see it, that's good enough."

Dun nodded but his frown remained. It was clear that he did not completely agree with her sentiment. It was something they knew would possibly happen; as long as Cao had designs on controlling the land, war would be inevitable and would not be put on hold for their personal lives. Still he did not want to leave on a sour note. It will be months until he would be able to see his wife again. He wanted their time together to be a pleasant one.

"Ugh, without you there, Yuan is going to bug me all the time," Dun said as he forced his face to shift from one of anger to a simple scowl of annoyance.

Zhuyue laughed at this. "You deserve it. You know I am pissed that you did this to me yet again during a war."

"Oh, I was the only one involved in this, huh?" Dun asked as he lifted himself up while simultaneously pushing Zhuyue back so he could climb on top of her.

"Oh no you don't," she said as she tried to block his progress by lifting a knee and pushing him away.

"No?" Dun asked in a teasing tone as he pushed her leg aside. Zhuyue continued to put up a mock resistance but it didn't last very long. With a few soft well placed kisses in the right places from her husband, Zhuyue melted in his hands. Instead of pretending to push him away, she welcomed him with open arms. They took their time enjoying each other as much as they could knowing that it would be the last time they would do so for months.

The next morning, Zhuyue, Xiaolian, Chong gathered together to see Dun off. Dun said his farewells to Zhuyue first. He savored his wife's lips for as long as he could knowing that it would be a long time until he tasted of them again. He whispered in her ears words of love that only she would ever hear. Zhuyue smiled and held back her tears warning him that if he failed to come home, she would make him regret it.

Chong seemed to realize that something was amiss and cried as Dun tried to say his goodbyes to his son. His tears stopped as Dun sternly told him that Xiahou men did not cry. Of course Chong could not have known what his father was saying, but he seemed to feel his father's energy and eventually his tears tapered off.

Dun said his farewells to Xiaolian next and much to his chagrin, she asked him to look out for her fiancée a request that he begrudgingly agreed to.

Dian also arrived early that morning to bid farewell to Xiaolian. The two of them were too shy to do anything more than hold hands in front of Zhuyue and Dun as they said their goodbyes. Final farewells said, the two men went to join with the others in their army to march against Yuan Shao's sons.