A/N: So first off I want to apologize for how long this one took to come out. I had a lot of issues going on because 2020 was just determined to be the shittiest year ever. I couldn't work on the story at all for months and when I finally could, I didn't have time. I am so happy to finally be able to get this out. This chapter is kind of slow and I am sorry for that. I have to set up a lot of things for the upcoming chapters so please bear with me. I promise the story will pick up soon. Thanks so much for everyone's patience and thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes, it honestly helped and made me feel good to see that you guys cared 3. I hope everyone is okay and I hope you enjoy the chapter. I will try to get the next one out as soon as I can.

Xiahou Dun – Yuánràng

Yue Jin – Wenqian
Li Dian – Mànchéng
Xiahou Yuan – Miàocái
Cao Ang – Zixiu

Cao Zhi – Zijian
Zhang He – Jùnyì

Xu Shu – Yuánzhí

Cao Chong – Cangshu
Cao Cao – Mèngdé
Zhao Yun - Zǐlóng

-Cao Cao's arrival in Xuchang -

Cao Cao's return to Xuchang was a glorious one. The citizens of Xuchang lined the streets cheering as generals and soldiers returning from war marched by with Cao Cao proudly leading the way. The procession led all the way to the palace where the generals that were already in Xuchang gathered to greet them along with the Emperor himself.

The Emperor, of course did not care to greet Cao or his generals; He was content with never seeing Cao's or any of his general's faces ever again; however, a week before Cao's arrival, Xian received a message scroll informing him that it would be in his best interest to greet him along with the others. The Emperor wasn't a fool. He could see the thinly veiled threat for what it was, which is why he was standing just outside the palace doors at the top of the steps to greet him along with the others today. To his shame he was nothing more than a well-kept pawn and he desperately wanted to keep hold on to the life he had, pathetic as it was.

Cao dismounted and walked towards the palace steps. The generals and soldiers that had been following him remained behind as he proceeded on. At the base of the steps Cao spared a nod to his generals that were lined up. They dutifully saluted him as he passed, keeping their heads lowered until he walked by. He would speak to all of them later, but right now there was something else of import he had to take care of first. He eyed the Emperor with a predatory smile while the Emperor stared back at him with a look of apprehension.

Cao took each step with agonizing slowness; at least that is what is felt like to the Emperor. He was powerless to do anything but watch each menacing step as Cao drew closer and closer. Ten steps away from the landing where the emperor stood, closer than any other man would have dared to get; Cao kneeled and saluted the Emperor.

"I have returned victorious. The last vestiges of Yuan Shao's army have been eliminated. I have ensured that they will no longer be a threat to your divine rule, Lord Emperor."

Oh the irony of the words he speaks, Xian thought to himself bitterly. He knew that he ruled nothing. Cao was the one that ruled and he was nothing more than a paper tiger. The thought vexed Xian but he was too cowardly to do anything about it. He did not want to die or be cast out from the relative luxury he was afforded by playing the puppet here; so he will continue to play the role he must, despite how much he despised it.

"I thank you, Cao Cao. Your loyalty is without question as is your valor," said Xian. He was glad he wore this gaudy headpiece as the beads hanging in front of his face did a good job of obscuring his rolling eyes.

"I live to serve your majesty," said Cao, but his head was not bowed as it should have been when he spoke. His eyes were glued to the emperor, a frown on his face noting that he saw what the others who stood further away could not.

Xian swallowed hard. He had angered him. He was certain that Cao would find some way to punish him for this. Perhaps if he kept going and stroked his ego a bit more, Cao would forgive his misstep? His misstep? HIS MISSTEP?! He was the emperor! The one chosen by the heavens and this is how he was thinking? He had truly lost his spine in the face of this man. Despite his utter loathing for doing so, Xian scrambled to find something good to say about Cao. He truly did not want to face his ire. The last time he did so, he lost his wife and unborn child.

"General Cao, your presence is good fortune for the court and a blessing to the dynasty. You have destroyed the insurgents that threatened our future peace, and as a result an era of greatness is at hand. From today on let it be known that you are the central pillar holding up our realm."

Cao Cao was generally surprised by these words, especially after his blatant show of disrespect. Xian was becoming a well trained little pawn. This pleased him. This time Cao did bow his head and saluted Xian properly.

"Your servant thanks his liege for his benevolence."

Xian let out a sigh of relief as the crowd broke out into a thunderous roar of applause. Cao rose from his kneeling position and turned to face the crowd. He unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip triumphantly towards the sky. This earned him a fresh round of cheers and Cao basked in all of it.

=#=

-Cao Pi & Zhenji arrival in Xuchang-

Pi watched his father's grandiose performance with a tinge of annoyance. Was this really necessary? Why bother intimidating the emperor to keep him in line? In Pi's opinion he should depose him and be done with it. He would be doing the heavens and the land a service getting rid of such a pathetic excuse for a leader.

Cao already ruled in all but name already and Pi did not see the point in keeping up this masquerade. How much did the people truly benefit from thinking that the chosen from heaven ruled them? Did it matter if one was chosen by heaven or not? Wouldn't a competent leader be more reassuring to the people in this age of turmoil? Of course if he voiced these thoughts to his father, he would just tell him that he didn't understand and that was precisely why he was not ready to succeed him. The thought of his father's smug face as he told him he wasn't ready made Pi's left eye twitch in irritation. It was his father who did not understand. In Pi's opinion not everything needed to be steeped in intrigue. A direct approach was sometimes the best approach.

"You seem angry."

Pi turned his attention towards the soft voice to see Zhenji watching him. How long had she been staring at him Pi wondered.

"Do I?" Pi asked.

"You do," Zhenji replied.

"And you think you know my moods so well?"

"Not yet," she replied with a small shake of her head. "But I am learning."

"Hmph," Pi grunted in response. She was becoming more and more brazen as time passed. Pi turned his attention back to his father who was still walking agonizingly slow up the stairs towards the emperor. He could feel Zhenji's eyes still on him. He turned to face her once more to see that she was indeed still watching him, perhaps waiting for confirmation for her earlier observation.

"I do not find these theatrics necessary."

"You do not agree with your father's methods?" she asked as she shifted her eyes towards the man in question.

"In this case, no," Pi replied.

Pi's answer was oddly comforting to her. Even from this distance, Zhenji could see something disturbingly familiar in the emperor's mannerisms. He looked like a scared animal watching a predator stalk ever closer, each step ensuring its inevitable doom. The emperor reminded her of herself and that thought chilled her to the bone. How could one so powerful cower before his subordinate? Cao was a dangerous man and despite Pi's cold nature, she felt comforted that he seemed to differ from his father in most ways.

"Now you look as if you have something on your mind," said Pi.

Zhenji could see Pi watching her in the corner of her eye. She offered him a genuine smile.

"It seems you can read me well."

"Will you not tell me what is on your mind?"

Zhenji took a deep breath and exhaled to brace herself. She swore to Pi that she would tell him the truth even if it was something he would not like to hear, but she still wondered how far she could truly go with this. In her experience no man liked to hear the truth from their wives all the time.

"Your father scares me," she said.

There was only one way to see how he would react to her honesty and that was to put it to the test. Let's see how true he was to his word. The crowd broke into cheer, but she did not know why. She was too focused on Pi and how he would reply. Pi gave her a slight nod as he kept his eyes on the activities unfolding in front of them.

"He should," Pi replied once the gaiety died down enough so that he could be heard without shouting.

"Keep a healthy fear of him; it will serve you in the long run."

Pi's words made her shiver. Perhaps Cao truly was the monster Yuan Shao and his sons made him out to be.

"You will not have to deal with him much. I will see to that. Just stay by my side."

Pi's words washed over her, suppressing the shiver that was flowing through her. She would definitely follow that advice. If Cao could make the emperor so fearful, he was not a man she wanted to deal with.

-Li Dian arrival in Xuchang -

This was taking long. Why was this taking so long? Perhaps it was his imagination or his desperation to leave, but it seemed like Cao was walking incredibly slow up those stairs. He let out a frustrated sigh. He was being ridiculous. He would get to see her soon; there was no reason to be so anxious. He knew this logically, but logic be damned, he missed her and wanted to see her sooner rather than later.

"You look as if you are itching to run away. Something wrong?"

Dian let out a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head. If Yue Jin could see his distress written on his face so plainly, he must have been doing a truly terrible job of hiding it.

"No, no. Everything is fine…just kinda ready to get out of here."

"Eager to see Xiaolian?"

"That obvious, huh?"

"Pretty much. I don't think you are going to miss anything here, why don't you just go?"

"You mean…just leave?"

"Yeah," said Jin with a shrug. "Since Master Yuánràng and Lady Zhuyue are here, you can get a few minutes alone with her."

The idea did sound tempting and the more he thought about it the more he wanted to do it, but he was not one to shrink on his duties no matter how mundane they may be.

"I want to…but skipping out of my duties isn't my style, ya know?"

"Watching Lord Cao intimidate the Emperor is not considered a duty. Just leave your horse with me and slip into the crowd. I doubt anyone will notice."

He was right. It wasn't and with those words he was sold.

"You are a true friend, Wenqian."

"Uh huh. Get going."

Dian clapped his friend on the shoulder and as discreetly as he could, slipped off of his horse. It would draw too much attention if he tried to ride off so he would have to go on foot.

"Have fun," said Jin.

Dian flashed him as smile before slipping through the crowd and into one of the back roads.

It was a long trip to make on foot and in full armor, but Dian finally arrived. He was out of breath from the jogging he had done to get there, but the minute he saw the gates to the Xiahou home his fatigue melted away. He went to the front gates and was greeted by a servant.

"It is very good to see you are well, Master Li Dian."

"Thanks," Dian replied with a smile. He knew the servant that addressed him. He seemed to have been with the Xiahou household for quite some time.

"I have come to visit Xiaolian."

"I thought so," the servant replied with a knowing smile. "Unfortunately she is not here."

Dian's face fell. He hadn't considered that she might not be home.

"I believe she went to visit Lady Xiahouji," the servant offered. "Unfortunately the two of them haven't been getting along as of late."

"Oh? Really?" Dian asked in surprise.

"Well I really shouldn't speak behind the young lady's back," the servant said coyly.

'Oh yeah, because you have been the paragon of discreetness so far.' Dian thought to himself.

"Well thank you for the information you were able to give. It was very helpful," said Dian.

"Of course," the servant replied with a bow. "I will be sure to tell Lady Xiaolian that you visited."

Dian nodded and offered a wave as he walked away. This certainly did not turn out the way he expected. At least the chatty servant had given him a clue as to where she might be. Perhaps he could salvage this trip after all.

Dian made his way towards the home of the younger Xiahou brother. He had visited Yuan's home much less than Dun's and knew it might be much more difficult to call on Xiaolian or Xiahouji than it would have been at Dun's home. Still he was determined to try, though it seemed like it was unnecessary for his intended was not at Yuan's home at all. Walking towards him was Xiaolian with a gloomier face than usual.

Xiaolian seemed to spot him, but instead of running towards him as he foolishly envisioned, she stopped in her tracks and stared at him. Dian stopped as well, unsure of how to proceed. Xiaolian was always hard to read and he was always afraid that sudden action would send her scurrying away like a startled deer.

Mercifully, he did not have to wait long for her to move. She took a few cautious steps towards him as if she was still unsure about whom it was that she was seeing.

"Been awhile huh?" Dian said with an easy smile meant to put her at ease. He had to resist the urge to reach out to her

"Yeah," she replied as her steps became a bit more confident. She stopped in front of him and looked up to him with big brown eyes.

"Heh, this may sound like a stupid question but can I give you a hug? I know it won't be a very comfortable hug with my armor on and every—"

He was interrupted by Xiaolian putting her arms around his waist as best she could. He smelled like sweat, dirt and metal and she could barely wrap her arms around him but it was good enough for her.

Dian smiled wide as he gently returned the hug.

"So does this mean you missed me?" He asked with a chuckle.

Xiaolian pulled herself out of his grasp and looked bashfully to the ground. She shrugged her shoulders in answer to his gentle ribbing causing Dian to chuckle once more.

"Well I missed you too."

Xiaolian nodded indicating that she was pleased with that answer.

"So, what are you doing walking this road by yourself? It isn't safe you know."

"I can take care of myself," she replied quickly as she looked up to him.

"I have no doubt that you can, but I would feel better if you had guards with you. I'm sure your father and mother feel the same way."

Xiaolian's eyes fell to the ground once more. She knew he was right, especially after everything she had gone through in the past, but she was use to going where ever she wanted whenever she wanted. It was hard to adjust to being suddenly guarded.

There was a stretch of silence between them. Dian suddenly felt bad. He was worried about her, but he didn't want to make their first reunion after so long to be him chastising her.

"Sorry. I just want you to be safe."

Xiaolian did not reply so Dian thought a change of topic was in order.

"Did you finish your visit with Xiahouji?"

Xiaolian looked up to him once more. "How?" she asked.

"How did I know? Didn't I tell you? On top of my intuition, I can read minds," he said as he wiggled his gauntleted fingers toward her.

Xiaolian scoffed at this answer and swatted at the air to stop his fingers from getting too close to her. Someone obviously told him. It didn't matter, it wasn't a secret anyway.

"She doesn't want to speak to me."

"Why not?" Dian asked with his brows rising slightly in surprise as he dropped his hands.

Xiahouji was a young woman of very mild temperament and from what he knew the two girls were very close friends. For her to not want to speak to Xiaolian, something very serious must have happened between them.

Xiaolian sighed and turned her back to Dian while crossing her arms across her chest. He couldn't see her face with her standing like this, but he could just imagine the pout he was sure she was sporting.

"She is being foolish."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that. What's going on?"

Xiaolian sighed again and turned to face Dian. Just as he predicted, she was pouting. He found it absolutely endearing but knew better to grin in front of her. He schooled his face to be one of genuine concern and waited for her to vent her concerns.

"Zhao Yun."

"Zhao Yun," Dian repeated.

Xiaolian nodded in agreement. Dian scratched the back of his head, his brows furrowed even more.

"I know him. Heck of a warrior. He was captured recently, but what does that have to do with you and Xiahouji?"

"She wants to free him, like he freed her."

Dian's mouth dropped open. Out of all the things he expected, it wasn't that. "Uh. Come again?"

He had to verify what she was saying, because what he heard couldn't be true.

"She wants me to help her free him. I told her no. She is being foolish. Now she is mad at me."

"Wow," said Dian followed by a low whistle.

"I am right."

Dian wasn't sure if she was asking a question or stating a fact. Either way, he agreed with her.

"Yeah. You are. It is insane to try to break him out. Forget the trouble you two would get with the magistrate, Lord Cao would go nuts. Zhao Yun is considered to be a very important prisoner."

"Will Lord Cao kill him?"

Dian shrugged. "That's up to Lord Cao and Zhao Yun himself I think."

Xiaolian tilted her head and Dian could see the confusion.

"Since Lord Cao did not kill him that means he wants to recruit him. If Zhao Yun accepts, then Lord Cao will have no reason to kill him. If not…well he won't want to release an exceptional warrior like that back into enemy hands," Dian explained.

"Will he accept?"

"I can't tell you the heart of another man, Xiaolian. Only Zhao Yun knows that answer."

"Then we need to ask him."

"Uh…come again?" Dian said for the second time today. He definitely must have heard incorrectly this time.

"Come. We will get Xiahouji. She should hear it too," said Xiaolian as she did an about face and began heading back down the road from whence she came.

"W-wait, Xiaolian. What are you saying?"

"We ask Zhao Yun if he will join. If he joins, he won't die. Xiahouji will be happy and will stop wanting to free him."

"One problem with that plan," Dian said as he hurried to catch up to her. She was rather fast when she wanted to be.

"Xiahouji can't just go see Zhao Yun. He is a prisoner, not a guest; not exactly able to get visitors."

"You can get us in," Xiaolian replied.

"Woah, do you know how much trouble I can get in if I do that and that is IF I can even get us in."

Xiaolian stopped and looked up to Dian. He almost crashed into her as he did not expect her to stop so suddenly. Xiaolian didn't seem to notice this or rather she ignored it as she took his gloved hand into her own.

"Please? Help?"

Dian groaned. She had him wrapped around her finger and apparently she knew it. How could he say no to her when she was staring at him like that? Dian sighed knowing his fate was sealed.

"I...I'll try."

Xiaolian smiled up at him and released her hold of his hand to continue down the path. With another heavy sigh, Dian followed behind.

When they arrived at Yuan's home, Xiahouji initially refused to see them. Xiaolian had to insist on an audience with her and it took a quite a bit for Xiahouji to acquiesce. She met them in the courtyard. She was surprised to see Dian there and was instantly uncomfortable. She didn't necessarily have a problem with Dian, but she didn't know him well nor spent that much time with him. She couldn't understand why Xiaolian would bring him there and the whole situation just upset her even further.

"There is nothing more to speak about," Xiahouji said in her best angry voice. It was not one she had much practice with so it came out more so squeaky and unsure rather than threatening.

"I will help you," said Xiaolian plainly.

Xiahouji's demeanor changed almost instantly. "Y-you would? Truly?" she asked as he grabbed hold of her arms.

Xiaolian wiggled free of her grip. "Not freeing him. You will see and talk to him and see that he will be safe."

Xiahouji looked at her skeptically. "I don't understand…and why is he here?" she asked as she nodded her head towards Dian who was looking around nervously. He was wracking his brain on how he would explain his being here to Yuan should he suddenly pop up.

"He will help us. You can see Zhao Yun and speak to him. If he joins Cao, he won't die. You'll see."

"Is…is that true?"

Xiaolian tugged on Dian's arm to get his attention.

"Huh? Wha?"

"You will help, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. Just to see him. Not free him."

"A-and he w-won't d-die if he joins Lord C-Cao?" Xiahouji stammered nervously. Dian seemed like a nice enough person, but she just felt so awkward around him as she did most people.

"There wouldn't be any reason for Lord Cao to kill him if he joins. Sorry, but can we leave? I really don't want to run into Master Miàocái. Let's get this over with before I realize how bad of an idea this is."

"Y-yes! Just give me a m-minute to get ready!"

True to her word, Xiahouji was ready rather quickly. Dian was thankful for this and he was also thankful that Lady Jiao never came out to the courtyard to greet their guest.

It didn't take them long to get to the yamen, riding there on horseback after borrowing two of Yuan's horses. This is definitely not what Dian imagined he would be doing when he snuck away to see Xiaolian.

"Let me go in first," Dian said as he dismounted."

Xiaolian and Xiahouji nodded and watched as Dian entered the yamen.

"H-how did you get him to agree?" Xiahouji asked.

"I just asked," Xiaolian replied with a shrug.

"He seems nice."

"He is," she confirmed with a nod of her head.

Dian emerged from the yamen with a frown on his face and his coin purse considerably lighter.

"He'll let us in, but not for long."

"T-truly!?" Xiahouji asked excitedly. "W-we can see him?"

Dian blinked, surprised by her reaction. She was truly excited to see Zhao Yun. He wondered if she wanted to free him purely out of gratitude or if something else was at play. His gut told him there was definitely more

Dian helped them dismount and led them into the yamen. The magistrate ignored their entry as he was too busy counting his newfound gains. Xiaolian noticed this. Did Dian have to bride him for entry? It seemed like a decent amount of teals he had to part with. She suddenly felt guilty about dragging him into all of this.

Dian led them to where the prisoners were held. A few guards he knew saluted him and he returned the gesture. They watched the group curiously, but did not question their presence. They had to pass by a few occupied cells before they reached their destination. Pathetic looking men reached for the girls as they pleaded for help from their plight. Xiahouji, terrified clung tightly to Xiaolian. One of the guards seemed to notice this and banged his spear against the gate forcing them to retreat back into the dark corners of their cell.

They came to Zhao Yun's cell. In comparison to a few of the others there, it was better kept than most, but not by much. He sat in a corner, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling with his head propped up against the wall he was leaning on. He heard his visitors, but he did not turn to face them, opting to ignore them as he had always done. He looked better kept than most of the prisoners Dian had seen in his time passing through the yamen. It seems the magistrate was kind enough to provide him with water to clean himself which was interesting as the magistrate was not a man known for his thoughtfulness which was easy to see in the other prisoners. Someone must have given him explicit instructions to treat Yun well, Dian wondered idly who it could have been.

"M-Master Zhao Yun!" Xiahouji exclaimed excitedly. She detached herself from Xiaolian and ran to the bars of his cell.

Upon hearing his name said in such a soft and innocent voice, his head snapped from his aimless wandering immediately towards it. His eyes widened in shock as he took in the visage of Xiahouji. Was he hallucinating? Was she truly here?

He scrambled to his feet and ran to the cage.

"Is it truly you? Lady Xiahouji? Is it truly you?"

"Y-yes," Xiahouji said happily. I am here t-thanks to you. You saved me and I was able to make it back to my f-family."

Yun gave a soft laugh as he rested his forehead against the cell bars. So the heavens haven't truly damned him. Ever since Xiahou Yuan had told him that she lived, he wished to see her face just once more and his wish was granted. If only they had listened to his other pleas. Still, he would not take for granted the gift he was given no matter how short lived it may be.

"It does my heart glad to see you well, Lady Xiahouji. I can die in peace now."

"N-No!" she exclaimed suddenly surprising everyone around her, Yun included.

"I don't want you to die. Please. I want to save your life, like you saved mine!"

Dian was surprised at this sudden burst of determination from Xiahouji. It even seemed to stop her stutter. His gut was right as always. This was about more than just repaying a favor.

"No, Lady Xiahouji. I will not allow you to risk you life for my own. I could not live with myself if something happened to you as a result. Please believe that when I die, I will be at peace knowing that you are safe."

"B-but if you join Lord Cao, you do not have to die at all and I won't be in any danger."

Yun sighed. "You do not know what you ask of me, Lady Xiahouji."

"I know…I know I don't understand anything about this war or why everyone is fighting, but I do know that I do not want you to die. Please…I would do anything for you to stay alive. I…I would even g-give myself to you if you wished it."

"Xiahouji!" Xiaolian exclaimed, surprised by the sudden declaration.

Xiahouji ignored Xiaolian and focused on Yun. Boldly she placed her small hands over his which currently gripped the bars.

"Please don't die," she pleaded.

Yun pulled his hands away from the bars and her.

"Did Cao Cao put you up to this? To get me to join his ranks?"

"N-no!" she said with a vigorous shake of her head.

"Then why are they here?" he asked as he pointed towards Xiaolian and Dian.

"I just helped her get in to see you as a favor to my love," Dian replied. "She wouldn't have been able to get in any other way."

Could he truly believe that? Cao was known as a man of great cunning and he wouldn't put it past him to use such a trick to gain his allegiance.

"You are not some prize to be used at men's whims. I did not save you for such a reason. I go to my fate with my head held high. Please remember that and live your life in peace."

"B-but this is my want. I want you to live. P-please!"

Yun turned his back to her and went back to his corner. He returned to his original position and would not let her words stir him any longer.

"We have to go," Dian whispered to Xiaolian.

She nodded and pulled a protesting Xiahouji away from the bars.

=#=

-Cao Pi-

Finally Cao Cao had ended the ridiculous and in Pi's opinion wholly unnecessary show of power. All of the generals were free to go to their homes for respite but were expected to return in a month's time for a war council. Pi led his future bride up the palace stairs. He imagined she had to be in awe at the sight of the palace despite having lived in Yuan Shao's palace. There was nothing quite as grand as the Palace in Xuchang and that was partly because of it being the home base of Cao's empire and partly because it was the Emperor's gilded cage.

Pi's eyes shifted towards the right so he could watch her in his peripheral . To his surprise she wasn't paying attention to the lavish décor at all. Her eyes were glued firmly on him only taking them off of him for a brief moment to occasionally ensure that her footing was true as she ascended the palace steps.

Once again Pi found himself surprised by her. She looked the role of a noble woman whose only interest extended to what pretty trinkets they can buy with their husband's wealth, but her actions told him that she was something completely different. What that something was, he wasn't quite sure yet, but it pleased him thus far.

They arrived at the stair's summit. Pi had purposely taken his time to allow Cao Cao to get his greetings out of the way. His father had a habit of making situations all about him and Pi didn't have patience to indulge his narcissistic behavior right now.

Pi led the way towards the palace doors but found them blocked by his older brother Cao Ang.

"It is rare to see you here," Pi stated.

Ang chuckled. That was just like Pi. He was never one to waste words on pleasantries. He was always straight to the point.

"Yes. I make it a habit to stay as far away from father's sight as possible. I don't want him to start expecting anything from me."

"You've changed, Zixiu. What happened to your ambition?"

Ang sighed. Sometimes Pi's blunt nature could be bothersome. Still, it was a question he had asked himself over and over the past few years, so he was prepared to answer; yet the answer was not one that brought him joy. His mind briefly flashed back to the incident many years ago with Zhuyue and shivered. He should have died that day. In fact, sometimes he feels that part of him had died. Too many nights did Ang awaken to feel a deathly cold chill his soul; as if a spirit circled a grave he should have filled. Even after Zhuyue was found to be alive, Ang had lost a part of himself he was never able to regain. In the years that followed Ang became a shell of his former self. He found himself losing the will and ambition he once had. He constantly questioned why he was alive, his worth and his goals and realized that all he strove to achieve was because he wanted to make his father happy. He was tired of chasing after his father's approval and simply wanted to live as his own man. Since coming to this realization, he has been able to find peace within himself and found that he was a happier person overall.

"I guess you can say that I came to terms with how far I can go. I know I will never be father's successor. I am not ready for it and to be honest, it is not a title I even want any longer. This family has enough men with insatiable ambition; it doesn't need me. Enough of such topics. You have an extraordinary beautiful woman by your side and I have yet to hear the name of this heavenly creature."

Pi couldn't stop the annoyed tsk from slipping past his lips. It seems his older brother had been spending entirely too much time with Cao Anmin.

"Avert your eyes and wipe that drool off your chin, Zixiu. She is mine."

Ang gave Pi a wide grin. It was the first time his brother had shown any genuine interest in a woman.

"Forgive my rude brother. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Cao Ang, styled Zixiu."

He attempted to take hold of Zhenji's hand only to be blocked by Cao Pi. Ang's grin only widened. A jealous Pi was a humorous sight indeed.

"I didn't think such a lovely vision would be your type brother."

"And pray tell what is my type?" Pi asked highly annoyed with his brother by this point. The two of them rarely spoke and this conversation was reminding Pi why. He found it much more agreeable when Ang was not at the capital.

"Honestly I didn't think you had a type. I always saw you growing to be an old bitter old man shaking your walking stick at the happier couples and secretly lamenting the fact that you never had a chance at love on your own."

Pi scoffed. "To think you have thought so much about my future. Perhaps you should have used that time to better yourself instead. Be gone from my sight and do me the favor of avoiding it for the rest of the day."

Ang chuckled. "That won't be too hard. We are leaving today. We only stayed to welcome father and the others back home. Speaking of father, I believe they are all waiting inside for you."

Pi did not want to waste any further words on Ang. He took hold of Zhenji's arm and led her past his brother to enter the palace. Before he could enter, he was stopped by Ang once more.

"Want to bet I am not the most annoying thing you interact with today?"

Pi gave Ang a curious look, but instead of explaining further, he only chuckled and walked away. Pi watched him leave with a sense of foreboding as to what lay in wait for him behind the palace doors. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. Pi signaled for the guards to open the palace doors and they readily obliged, allowing entry to Pi and Zhenji.

As expected, his mother was waiting for him with his little sister hiding shyly behind her. What wasn't expected was the absence of Chong and his ever present handmaid and lover Jun and the addition of three women who he did not know. His father was still by Bianshi's side and he looked particularly displeased by something. His hands were folded across his chest and Bianshi's head was cast down as if she had just received a scolding which Pi was fairly certain was exactly what had taken place before they arrive.

"Mother," Pi called out.

Bianshi lifted her head and offered him a weak smile. Not the homecoming Pi was expecting.

"I am so happy to see you," said Bianshi.

'Are you?' Pi thought bitterly. That pitiful greeting told him otherwise. Normally he wouldn't have been so disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm in Bianshi's greeting, but Ang had soured his mood.

"And you my little sister are you happy to see me as well?" Pi asked as he lowered himself to her level.

Qinghe nodded and slipped from her hiding spot to wrap her small arms around Pi's neck, a much better reception than the one he received from his mother. Pi heard a scoff from Cao. Though Pi had no idea what caused that reaction it delighted him none the less. Pi returned the affectionate hug with one arm before allowing the child to back away. Qinghe looked up to Zhenji who was smiling softly down to her before scurrying to hide back behind Bianshi.

"You have nothing to say to your other sisters?" Cao asked, a hint of anger lacing his tone as he dropped his hands to gesture to the three unknown women.

Cao's sour mood did not slip by Pi. It was unlike his father to get so mad over something so trivial. Pi wondered what could have irritated him as he looked at the three unfamiliar women. Only one of them bothered to stand next to everyone else, the other two seemed to make it a point to distance themselves a bit from the main group. To Pi, they looked like courtesans and knowing his father, they very well could have been, despite being a bit young. Upon looking at them with fresh eyes however, he could somewhat see the family resemblance.

"Is that who they are?" Pi asked disinterestedly.

"Why else would they be here?" Cao asked with a frown as he folded his arms across his chest once more.

"The schemes of Lord Cao are many," Pi replied sarcastically. "I dare not try to understand them all."

"We have raised some rather annoying children, haven't we Bianshi?"

Bianshi, ever the mediator, took it upon herself to do the introductions to avoid any more bickering between father and son.

"You have met them all, but you were so young you might not remember."

Bianshi moved over to the youngest of the three and placed gentle hands on her shoulders.

"This is your sister Hua. She was just a baby when you first met her."

Hua bowed to her older brother nervously. He was an intimidating fellow and though they were related, she had a feeling he didn't really seem to care about that fact.

Bianshi looked to the other two sisters. She dared not get close to them. They were venomous harpies that hadn't spared her a kind word since their arrival despite her being the woman of the house. Bianshi would later address this with Cao in the privacy of their bed chambers, but she wouldn't bring it up in front of them. She was only Cao's concubine, not his wife, even if he whispered the sweet title in her ear while they were alone. Bianshi had to be smart about how she approached this with him. The best time would be when they were in the throes of passion. He would be much more receptive to any issues she might have.

"And that is Xian and Jie," Bianshi continued. She didn't bother to point out which sister was which and Pi didn't ask.

The sister's gave graceful bows to Pi. While their father was present, they would put up the front of pleasant women. Pi did not return the greeting, choosing to level them with an icy stare instead.

"They will be living with us at the palace going forward," said Cao.

This news surprised both Bianshi and Pi, the former had thought they were only visiting.

"Hmph," was Pi's only reply. It didn't take a genius to figure out why they were there. All of his "sisters" were of marrying age. Cao no doubt planned on using them for that end. The real question was to whom. It was just as Pi said, the schemes of his father were many, Pi just didn't know truly how far reaching his father's plans were.

Bianshi on the other hand was quite upset to hear this news. There would be no point in speaking to Cao now. She knew her man well. If he planned on having them here, it was because they had some use to him which means that whatever issue she had would not matter. Nothing got in the way of Cao's ambition…nothing. Bianshi needed to distract herself from the fact that she would be stuck with these miserable wenches for the foreseeable future. It was then that she noticed Zhenji. She was stunningly beautiful. This was a fact that wasn't missed by Xian and Jie as the two were staring daggers at her. Bianshi liked the girl already.

"Who is this beautiful woman by your side, Pi?" Bianshi asked. Her curiosity was genuine. Whatever funk she was in before it seemed as if she was beginning to shake free from it. And while she truly did think Zhenji beautiful, she made an extra point to call her so to further irritate Cao's oldest daughters and from the looks on their face, it worked.

"This is Zhenji—," Pi began before pausing. His eyes shifted to his father. He was mildly surprised that Cao hadn't told her already. He always did like to be the one to share news, even if it wasn't his to share. Cao however looked completely disinterested in the conversation; he was watching something further down the hall, just out of Pi's view.

Before Pi could continue with his introductions, the source of Cao's distraction made itself known.

Rushing towards them at a harried pace was his brother, Cao Zhi. Pi's earlier sense of foreboding was realized as was Ang's prediction; just as he said, he was not the most annoying person he would have to interact with today. If Pi remembered his brother, which he unfortunately did, Zhi would effortlessly take that title.

Zhi slowed his steps and tried to regain some of his haughty bearing despite the illusion of such already being shattered since those gathered in the hall already witnessed the lapse.

"Father," Zhi began breathlessly once he was in front of them.

"My apologies father," Zhi continued once he caught his breath. "I would have been here to greet you properly had I known you were arriving," he casted a withering gaze towards Bianshi who looked shocked at the implication. She had told Zhi several times about his father's and the others arrival and just as he did with everything else she tried to speak to him about, he seemed utterly uninterested.

Pi clenched his fist. He knew his mother. There was no way she wouldn't have informed Zhi of their arrival. She was annoyingly loyal to his father and would have definitely ensured that everyone in the palace knew when they were coming.

"Is that so?" said Cao flatly. "Tell me son, is that all you have learned during your time away?"

"W-wha—"

"Blaming others for your own incompetence," Cao said, answering the question Zhi was about to ask.

"If this is all you have to show then brining you back here was a mistake. It is obvious you are not ready to succeed me."

Succeed? Had Pi heard correctly? His father had brought Zhi here to succeed him? Pi tried to maintain a façade of indifference, but it was rapidly slipping. What had he been working towards all this time? Had everything he done mean nothing? He felt his composure slipping even further. Did his father take joy in testing him so?

Pi didn't realize he was shaking until he felt slender fingers slip over his balled fist to calm him. He looked down to see Zhenji looking up at him with concern in her eyes. He was usually in such control of his emotions. How shameful it was to lose it in front of Zhenji, his father and Zhi of all people. He felt disgusted with himself. If Chong was here, he would have probably teased him about. That's right…where was Chong? It was not like he and Jun to miss their return. Pi heard his father and Zhi still talking but he had drowned them out. He wanted to find Chong. He could give him much needed clarity on this situation.

Pi pulled away from Zhenji and walked away from the group without a word. Zhenji looked momentarily stunned by the action but quickly recovered, giving a graceful bow to the others before quickly following after him.

Bianshi reached out to Pi in an effort to stop him but she herself was stopped by Cao. He gave her a barely perceivable shake of his head. Bianshi wanted to protest, but she knew better than to do so. Zhi didn't seem to care about Pi's abrupt departure. He only wanted to save face with his father.

"Do not judge me by this, father. I assure you, I am more than capable of succeeding you."

"Hmph, time will tell, won't it?" Cao replied, turning his attention back to Zhi.

"I look forward to seeing which of my sons will inherit my will."

With that said, Cao took his leave with a flustered Bianshi and Qinghe following behind him.

=#=

- Zhang Liao and Lingqi's return to Xuchang –

Upon hearing a girlish giggle, Zhang Liao looked over to Lingqi. It was so rare to hear such a sound come out of her, but it wasn't displeasing to his ear.

Liao saw that Lingqi was staring at him. Whatever caused her momentary elation apparently stemmed from him.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

"I am," Lingqi confirmed. "You are as well, aren't you?"

"I suppose I am," he said after a brief moment of thought.

Lingqi smiled. "I knew it."

Liao did not understand why this made her so pleased, but he did not question it.

They were near their home now, but they did not change the speed of their leisurely trot. There was a sense of calm that they were unwilling to break. After fighting and traveling for so long, it felt good to have such an atmosphere of calm surrounding them.

They finally arrived home and before they could even dismount, that bubble of peace was abruptly popped. A haggard man ran to Liao's side and grabbed at the hem of his battle robe. Liao nearly drew his weapon on the man, but stopped himself after he recognized him as one of his servants.

"What is this? Why is your appearance so wretched?" Liao asked as he dismounted. He treated his servants well and to see one of them in such a pitiable state was confusing.

The servant dropped to his knees and grabbed hold of his hem once more.

"Lord Liao, Lady Lingqi, the heavens finally smile on me to bring you back home."

Lingqi dismounted and joined her husband's side.

"What has happened?" she asked, echoing her husband's earlier query.

"Lord Fan happened! Forgive me my Lord, but I could not serve him. He spent your taels foolishly and sullied your name. I could not serve such a man, even if he is of your blood."

Liao's features hardened upon hearing his servant's words. Fan. Unfortunately that was a problem he failed to solve before he left. He wanted to get a meeting with Cao Cao regarding a position for his brother but could not as Cao was too busy preparing for war. He did not think leaving his brother to his own devices would have been much of an issue, but apparently he was wrong.

"We should go in—" Lingqi began as she looked towards her husband. It seems her words were unnecessary as Liao was already heading towards the home.

Lingqi was familiar with that purposeful stride. Her husband wanted to get to the bottom of whatever was going on and he was not in a good mood.

"This is not going to be pretty," Lingqi muttered aloud as she started off after her husband.

The servant, unsure of what to do followed after them.

Lingqi was shocked upon entering their home. For a brief moment, she thought she had entered the wrong place. The furniture was different; their modest furnishings were replaced with that of a much more elegant flair. Every surface now had beautiful and expensive pieces of art adorning it and their plain carpets were replaced with those of higher quality.

"W-what is all this?" Lingqi asked obviously overwhelmed by what she was seeing.

"Lord Fan thought your furniture was a bit too mundane. Not long after both of you left, he took it upon himself to spend teals to improve it. He claimed both you and Lord Liao would thank him from the changes, but we didn't believe him. Of course we could not speak against him as he was the Lord's brother, but I could not hold my tongue any longer after he began cutting the amount of food we received. You and the Lord Liao never did such a thing. You always made sure we were well taken care of. Lord Fan didn't seem to care. He ate well every day while we had to get by on scraps. I spoke up and he kicked me out of the house. Told me if I didn't appreciate what I got I didn't have to have anything."

"So that is what happened," Lingqi muttered. She sighed and pressed on. She had no doubt that Liao had already found his brother and she couldn't imagine that the reunion was going to be a pleasant one.

Surprisingly, she found Liao in their room. Even more surprising she found Fan in their room…in their bed. What's worse, he was in their bed with a woman she did not know. The woman was holding a blanket, their blanket, up to her chin to cover her modesty with one hand while pointing an accusatory finger at Liao demanding that he get out of her Lord Zhang Liao's home. What the hell was going on?

"Another one?!" The woman screeched upon Lingqi entering the room. "Where are you servants Lord Liao? Why haven't they come to get these brigands out of here?"

"Shh!" Fan urged as he clamped a hand over her mouth. If the woman wasn't livid before, she certainly was now. Her eyes widened as her squeals became louder beneath his hand. Her free hand flailed wildly for a few moments in frustration before she decided to concentrate her efforts on trying to pry the tight grip he had on her face off.

"Brother, I can explain," Fan began, ignoring the woman's efforts to remove his hand from his mouth. This would prove to be a mistake as the woman used his distraction to finally successfully pry Fan's off of her mouth.

"Brother? This is your brother? Why does he barg—"

Fan clamped his hand over her mouth once more, this time with a tighter grip than before. She continued with her muffled cries, but they went ignored by the other occupants in the room.

"I don't want an explanation right now. I want the both of you out of my room," Said Liao through gritted teeth. Fan and Lingqi both knew that he was doing all he could to reign in his anger.

The woman's screeching tapered off and realization seemed to fill her eyes. It quickly shifted to an accusatory glare directed at Fan, but she no longer seemed interested in fussing.

"Of course, of course. Do you think that you and Lingqi can just leave so we can dress ourselves?"

"Be quick," Liao replied.

He walked out of their bed chambers leaving a flustered Lingqi behind. She gave one last look to the couple currently occupying their bed before following behind him.

"Are you sure my lord?"

These were the first words Lingqi heard upon re-entering the hall in front of their door.

"Yes," Liao said in response to one of their servant's inquiry.

The servant bowed to him and hurried away. The servant that had first warned them of Fan's misdeeds stepped forward.

"My Lord…what of me? If you would still have me—"

"Go with them, get yourself cleaned up and have something to eat. Your loyalty will be remembered."

The servant was elated with this news. He bowed several times to Liao and hurried off. Lingqi waited until he was gone before speaking.

"Can you tell me what is going on here?"

"You saw, did you not?"

Lingqi frowned. "But I don't understand it."

Liao frowned. "My apologies. I should not be curt with you. My anger should be reserved for one person and one person alone."

Liao paused and unfurled the fist he had since entering his home. His fingers tingled upon feeling blood circulate freely back into them.

"I can only imagine you are as angry about this as I am," Liao began as he let his hand drop to his side.

"I cannot believe Fan would do this. He has always been a frivolous with his wealth but I never imagined he would be that way with that which was not his."

"Are you saying—"

Lingqi did not get to finish her question. The door to their bedchamber opened and the woman that had been in bed beside fan stomped out of it. A momentary look of shock crossed her visage upon being face to face with Liao and Lingqi.

She bowed her head to them. "My apologies My Lord, My Lady. I would have never disrespected you or your home in such a way. I was deceived."

Upon her utterance of the word deceived, her head turned back to the room she had just exited to glare at Fan. It was impossible for Liao or Lingqi to see his reaction from where they currently stood, but it didn't seem to matter as the moment didn't last longer than a few seconds. She bowed to them once more and hurried past, eager to put her shame and embarrassment behind her as quickly as possible.

Fan exited the room, but there wasn't a shred of remorse on his face; something which Lingqi felt was strange as he should definitely be showing contrition to them after what they just witnessed.

"Ha, well…I certainly did not expect you to arrive today. I would have made sure to not be in your bed if that was the case."

Liao gave his brother a long hard look then shifted his eyes to Lingqi.

"I need to speak with Fan. Get rest."

Lingqi wanted to argue that she wanted to be present as she had a few words for him as well, but with the look Liao had on his face, she already knew what his answer would be. Instead she nodded her head and watched the pair walk away, Liao leading him to another part of the house. She looked towards her room and made a face. He told her to rest, but she had no intention of going back in there. Perhaps she should go to a guest room? She could ask one of the servants to get it ready for her.

The servant Liao was speaking to when she exited the room was heading down the hall towards her. He was flanked by two other servants. Perfect timing.

"My Lady," they called as the trio bowed before her. "We have finished preparing the guest room for you and the water for your bath should be fully heated soon."

"But how did you—" She stopped herself. Obviously Liao told them to prepare the room. Perhaps that was what they were speaking about earlier.

"Thank you," Lingqi nodded with a nod of her head. She suddenly felt exhausted. This was a rather dismal homecoming and she wanted nothing more than to sleep and forget.

"My lady, if I may ask, Lord Liao did not give us instructions to order a new bed. Shall we go and have a request put through? It will take some time for a new one to be made. It would be best to have them start on it now."

"New bed?" said Lingqi as she voiced her confusion aloud.

"Yes. Lord Liao has asked that this one to be destroyed then burned, but had no words for us regarding a new one."

So that was it. Lingqi couldn't say she blamed her husband. She didn't like the idea of sleeping in it even if it was clean. Who knows what Fan was doing in there and for how long. The thought made her skin crawl. Honestly she wasn't even sure she wanted to sleep in that room anymore. Their sanctuary had been violated and it no longer felt pure to her, as silly as that may sound.

"No. If he did not give you orders for such, then do not worry about it."

The servants bowed their heads and waited for Lingqi to pass by before moving to enter their bed chambers to start on the task Liao had given them. As Lingqi made her way to the guest room, she wondered what Liao was saying to Fan. Was there any dialogue involved at all or was he beating his brother senseless for his sheer stupidity. Honestly she wouldn't be too remiss if that was the case. Fan had certainly crossed a line this time and she wasn't quite so keen to forgive him.

Lingqi had arrived at her destination. She slid open the door and looked around the room. She hadn't been in here since they first moved in. It seems this room managed to escape Fan's redecoration. It had only simple furnishings adorning it. It was smaller than their bedchambers, but it was still large enough to be comfortable for two people. She wouldn't mind staying here for a few days…or perhaps permanently, if Liao was not against it. Lingqi knew that no one had ever used this room as they never had visitors except Fan and Fan had a room of his own. Perhaps they should be rid of the furniture in that room too once he was gone. Her mind wondered to the brothers once more. What was Liao saying to him? Had she listened to Liao in the beginning, they could have avoided such trouble today. She regretted her decision and made a note to follow Liao's lead in the future. She could only hope that today he would right her previous wrong.

=#=

Fan squirmed in his seat which was surprising as he was not a man easily intimidated. Liao had been staring at him without saying a word for what felt like hours now though in reality it had only been thirty minutes. It wasn't the staring that bothered him really. It was the fact that he did so while standing completely motionless. Not so much as a single muscle twitched as Liao's gaze penetrated his brother's own. To see such a sight would have been intimidating to any man. Intimidating. When did his younger brother become so intimidating? Fan wondered to himself. Perhaps he underestimated just how much his little brother had changed.

"How much longer will we sit in silence, brother? If you wish to scold me, do so. I know that I have erred."

"I am trying to calm myself. To speak now would likely result in your death."

There wasn't a hint of levity in Liao's voice. Did he truly mean that? Would he really kill his brother over such a small thing?

"You don't mean that."

Liao did not reply. He only maintained his statue like stance and stared at Fan.

"Mother, father, our ancestors, they would not forgive you for such an act."

"I am sure they would understand," Liao replied in a chilling tone that made Fan think that he actually believed what he was saying.

"Brother—"

"Save whatever pitiful words linger on your devious tongue. Despite my anger, you are still my brother and reminding myself of this fact is the only reason why I stay my hand now."

Fan let out a breath of relief. The gesture caused Liao's already deep frown to crease even further.

"You think this absolves you of all that you have done?"

"But you said—"

"I said I would not kill you, which I won't, but you will pay back every tael you have stolen from Lingqi and I."

Fan gulped at this proposition and Liao immediately knew that this was much worse than he initially had expected.

"How much did you spend?"

"Brother…many of those pieces were specially crafted."

"How much did you spend?" Liao repeated.

"You cannot put a price on much of what I purchased for you—"

"HOW. MUCH. DID. YOU. SPEND?" Liao demanded. Each word was punctuated with a spike of anger letting Fan know that any further attempts to distract from the topic at hand would not be best for his health.

"Your coffers are empty. When I realized how low it was, I put in my best effort to preserve what little was left but I could only do so much…," he replied in a meek tone.

Liao just stared at his brother. The silence that stretched between them was even longer than when Liao first confronted Fan.

Fan dabbed sweat from his head. Liao's eyes hardened as he watched his brother and Fan gulped. Surely he couldn't be so irate at such a simple gesture as him wiping his forehead? It took only a few seconds for Fan to realize why Liao was so angry. The cloth he used to wipe his head was made of the finest silk, courtesy of the taels from Liao's coffers. Fan tried to discreetly put the cloth away. It was a pointless gesture as Liao had obviously already seen the offending garment, but he wanted nothing else to stoke the fires of his anger.

"You will pay everything back. EVERY single bit of it."

"I have no means of earning taels brother—A fault that is your own might I add," the last sentence was said under his breath, but Liao heard it all the same.

"I will speak to Lord Cao and get your miserable hide a position within his court. Every bit you own will come to me until your debt is paid."

"But brother! How do you expect me to live?" Fan cried out as he shot up from his seat and banged the table with the palm of his hand in undeserved outrage.

"How did you expect Lingqi and I to live?" Liao retorted in an icy tone that forced Fan to retake his seat. For a moment, he had forgotten that he had no moral high ground in this argument."

"Brother, you cannot steal all of my wages and condemn me to the streets."

"I can actually and part of me wishes to do so, but no Fan. You will remain under our roof until your debt is paid. But you will be moved from your current room to the servants' quarters. You shall no longer enjoy the comfort and luxury you covet so much."

"Brother! Please reconsider!" Fan pled, but Liao would not be swayed.

"To get a head start on paying off your debt, I suggest you sell back whatever ridiculous items you purchased."

"I-I can't sell them back! They were specially crafted items! You cannot just go back to a craftsman and tell him that you no longer appreciate the work that he put his blood and sweat into! Think of how such an act would sully your name."

"Why would it sully my name? It may have been my taels, but I did not buy it."

Fan cleared his throat and lowered his head, no longer willing to look his brother in the eye. At that moment, a memory popped into Liao's head. The woman they had caught Fan with, she had referred to him as Liao. At first Liao thought he misheard her, but it was clear now that he hadn't. She seemed to be under the impression that Fan was Liao and Liao had no doubt that misconception was perpetuated by Fan himself.

"You used my name," Liao said, speaking his revelations aloud.

"B-brother you must understand that your name carries weight. I was quite shocked that you hadn't used it more to get what you want."

Liao had to stop his hand from reaching from the weapon he still carried. He really wanted to kill him. Why in the heavens would he think this was okay?

"You will sell this useless junk and you will work off the debt you owe. Once that is done, you will get out of my life for good."

"You don't mean that, brother."

"I mean every word. If you have a problem with this arrangement, we can walk to the yamen right now."

Fan dabbed the sweat from his forehead once more. "Of course, brother. No need to threaten me. You know, what I did was out of the goodness of my heart. I tried to elevate this barren hovel you call a ho—where are you going?"

"I can't stand to be in your presence anymore," said Liao from the doorway. He turned just enough so he could see the plaintive look on his brother's face.

"It would be in your best interest if you avoid harassing myself or Lingqi for the rest of your duration here. When I want to speak with you, I will find you."

"But—"

Fan's pleading would only be heard by the still air as Liao had already left. He huffed. It always seemed that Liao got the last word. It was irritating. Still he knew better than to complain. He was well aware that he was currently on thin ice with his brother and had no intention on cracking it any further.

Instead of heading directly to find Lingqi, Liao headed outside. He suddenly felt stifled being inside. Seeing all that gaudy furniture irritated him and made him feel uncomfortable in his own sanctuary. How would he explain this to Lingqi? Despite Fan telling him that he spent all of their taels, Liao wanted to see the coffers for himself. He just couldn't believe that his brother spent everything they had. He and Lingqi had a considerable amount saved away for a rainy day and it was hard to believe that it was all gone though he had a sinking feeling that it was as bad as he thought. They would probably have to get rid of most if not all of their servants. It was unlikely they would be able to keep them around. They would have to probably hunt for their food and that meant asking Lord Cao for permission to hunt on his lands. Liao sighed and rubbed his still gauntleted hand against his forehead. That's two favors he needed to ask of him now. He would have to work twice as hard to pay these favors back. Liao sighed again. Life would be difficult for them for some time thanks to his selfish brother. He looked back to their home. There was no point in delaying it any further, he needed to tell Lingqi the full extent of his brother's stupidity. He only hoped she would be understanding of his decision to allow him to continue living in their home.

=#=

-Zhang He and Ju Shou's return to Xuchang –

Zhang He had been depressed since their return to Xuchang. While everyone was watching Cao's theatrics with the Emperor, Jùnyì's eyes were firmly on Zhenji. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt at freeing her from one cage only to have her confined to another. Ju Shou tried to console his friend with words but it they fell on deaf ears so he did the next best thing; he took him out for a night of drinking.

While Shou's heart was in the right place, his tolerance wasn't. Halfway through the night, he was highly intoxicated and crying on Jùnyì's shoulder as he lamented his loneliness since the loss his beloved wife. In an odd way, this served the purpose that Shou hoped. Jùnyì having to console Shou all night was enough to sufficiently distract him from thinking about Zhenji.

The next day saw the two meeting up again. Luckily they made plans before their night of drinking because neither of them remembered much of what happened during that time. Shou looked as if he had been through hell while Jùnyì looked as elegant as he always did. Shou's expression soured upon seeing Jùnyì.

"Why don't you look as miserable as I feel?"

Jùnyì lowered a hand he held against his forehead and let out a dramatic sigh. What looked like one of Jùnyì's patented poses was actually him nursing a rather sizable headache.

"I assure you that I do not feel quite as good as I look. Still…I couldn't leave my domicile looking like common rab—"

Jùnyì paused and looked at Shou's disheveled appearance. He looked exactly like the common rabble he was about to refer to. Not wanting to insult his friend, he decided to hold his tongue.

Shou didn't need Jùnyì to finish his comment. He knew he looked like shit because when he dragged himself out of bed he didn't put any true effort into his appearance. This was hardly the look one of Cao's advisors should have, but at the moment he really didn't care. He honestly wanted to go back to his bed and hide under his covers until his throbbing headache receded.

"Let's just get this over with," he grumbled as he squinted from the harsh light that seemed to make his headache worse.

"Now, now dear friend, don't take such an unseemly attitude to this visit. We are all Yuanhao has."

Shou sighed. "You are correct, of course. My apologies. I am not use to this feeling. I've never been much of a drinker…and I doubt after this I will be."

Jùnyì placed his hand on his forehead and threw it back in a dramatic fashion. To anyone looking at him, it would have seemed as if he was randomly striking a pose in the middle of the road.

"Yes. It does lead to some rather unbecoming moments," he replied holding his pose

Had Shou not been use to his friend's antics, this certainly would have been a strange sight. Luckily, he was very use to it so he ignored Jùnyì 's dramatic flair and started walking, sparing a nod in agreement to Jùnyì's words. Seeing he was being left behind, Jùnyì smoothly moved out of his pose and followed.

The two men walked through the streets of Xuchang mostly in silence, each trying to deal with their hangover in their own way. They weren't in a hurry to get to Feng's home because while they felt obligated to check on the elderly man, it wasn't a task they truly enjoyed. Feng was like a grouchy grandfather on the best of days and their visits usually involved Feng berating them or complaining about…well everything. It certainly wasn't a situation you wanted to deal with when hung-over. Still the three men shared a bond gained over their unjust incarceration. That bond wasn't one that was easily broken so they would visit him and endure his scolding because in all but blood, they were something akin to a family.

They arrived at the residence they had procured for Feng. It was a small yet comfortable domicile that was big enough for Feng and the woman they hired to care for him in their absence. They were greeted at the door by the caretaker who looked harried. They assumed it was simply because of Feng's prickly nature, but they soon learned it was for a far worse reason.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Shou asked. The news was sobering. His hangover was temporarily forgotten as he tried to reconcile with what he had just learned.

The young woman lowered her head and shook her head. "According to the doctor, no," she replied remorsefully.

Jùnyì sighed and place a hand delicately onto his forehead. He suddenly felt so shameful that despite his words to Shou, during the walk here he internally groused that he would rather spend his time getting beauty sleep than visiting Feng.

"Does he know?" Shou asked.

The caretaker nodded.

'And I bet he did not take the news well', Shou thought grimly. He was a cantankerous man on the best of days. Hearing that your death was imminent probably made him downright insufferable.

"We should go see him," Shou said to Jùnyì.

Jùnyì silently agreed and the two men made their way to Feng's bedchambers. They requested permission to enter, but their request was not acknowledged. Fearing that he had passed before they could say their goodbyes, they entered the room to find him lying in bed, staring aimlessly out of his bedroom window. It was easy to see that he was not well. Despite being old, Feng always still seemed strong. Now he seemed so wizened; a husk of the man they saw over a year ago. He turned his head to acknowledge his visitors. Once he saw who they were, despite how frail he looked he still managed a scowl.

"W-we knocked. When you didn't answer we thought you had—"

"What died? I wish I had so I wouldn't have to deal with you two. I didn't answer because I wanted some peace. That woman you have watching over me is a constant nuisance."

"Don't say such things, Yuanhao. She is just trying to take care of you," said Shou.

"Bah! I am old and ready to die. I don't need her bugging me."

Feng's words ignited a spark of anger in Jùnyì. Life was one of the most beautiful gifts bestowed upon them by the heavens. How could Feng be okay with dying? How could he not cherish this gift? That anger made him speak his next words carelessly.

"Always so boorish, Yuanhao. You speak so lightly of your impending death. Is that how you wish to greet your ancestors?"

As the last word slipped past his lips, he regretted it, but the deed was already done.

"Yuanhao, my apologies—"

But Jùnyì's apology fell on deaf ears. Feng was struggling to rise from his bed, his hand reaching for his wooden cane that rested nearby. His struggle was futile and he let out a wheezing sigh as he abandoned his efforts. Had he the strength he would have grabbed his cane and whacked Jùnyì with it.

"Save your damned flowery words for the young," Feng said in-between wheezing breaths. "I have served my time."

He paused and allowed himself to catch his breath. Neither Shou nor Jùnyì dared to interrupt. Feng let out haggard sigh. "I deserve my rest."

Jùnyì lowered his head in shame.

"Oh don't give me that face," Feng wheezed. "I know you two idiots mean well, but don't waste your time on an old man like me. You have a life ahead of you. I am content."

Shou frowned. "Is there truly nothing that can be done?"

Feng took a few ragged breaths before forcing his words out. "Only the heavens can stop the flow of time. No…it is my time to join my ancestors and I am glad for it. I am tired."

The three men sat in silence. The weight of Feng's words weighed heavily on all of them.

"Enough of this gloominess," Feng wheezed out. "You are here so you might as well entertain me. Tell me of your last battle."

Jùnyì and Shou agreed, regaling the tale of their last battle to Feng, their hearts and minds heavy with the knowledge that this visit could very well be their last. A sad smile played on Feng's lips as he listened to their tale. He let out a weary sigh at the end of it.

"So ends the line of Yuan. I wondered how I would feel upon hearing of their demise. Would it be pity? Regret? Perhaps it is bitterness in my old age, but I only feel joy that they are gone. Yuan Shao spat on the legacy left by his ancestors and I am glad he can disgrace them no further."

Jùnyì and Shou nodded silently in agreement. Feng gave an annoyed grunt

"Both of your gloomy faces are irritating me. Be gone now…let me get my rest."

"But—" Shou began to object but was stopped by Jùnyì.

"Rest well, Yuanhao," said Jùnyì as he ushered a frustrated Shou towards the door.

Jùnyì stopped at the threshold and looked back to Feng in time to see his eyes slide close. For a moment Jùnyì thought he had breathed his last, but after a beat he saw his chest rose and fell slowly. Jùnyì let out a shaky breath of relief. He wasn't gone from them just yet, but he knew that Feng's time would come soon.

=#=

- Two weeks later –

"So good of you to make time in your busy schedule to meet with me," said Cao as he bowed before Emperor Xian.

Xian stopped himself from scowling. Cao Cao was obviously trying to get a rise out of him. Cao knew as well as he that this meeting was not optional.

"Of course I would make time for one of my most loyal generals—" Xian had to pause. He could feel bile rising in his throat. He hated kissing up to this man. It was physically sickening.

"Please, tell me what it is you need to speak with me about?" Xian continued, trying to maintain his royal bearings. It was nothing but a front because he no longer had any real power but he refused to continually look weak in front of Cao, even if he truly was.

"For many days and many nights, I have laid awake with a great sorrow on my heart," Cao began. "You are the source of that sorrow."

Xian swallowed hard. Was this it? Had Cao finally had enough of the false pretenses and decided that keeping him around was no longer worth it? With a quavering voice, Xian had to ask the question.

"A-are you done with me?"

Cao gave him a wolfish grin that made Xian want to whimper.

"Done with you? I have told you, My Lord, you are a symbol. You are needed."

For some reason, Xian did not find Cao's words comforting.

"What I refer to is your loneliness," Cao continued. "Since the untimely death of your treacherous wife, you have been alone and this has caused me great sorrow."

Xian balled his hands into a fist. He was visibly shaking now. What was the point of this? For Cao rub in how much misery he had caused him? The gall of this man!

"As your humble servant, I vowed to do everything in my power to ease the pain of your loneliness; So I have brought you a gift…three in fact."

Cao turned and signaled the guards standing at the entrance to throne room. They gave him a brief salute and opened the doors allowing entry to three women.

Xian tilted his head to the side and watched in curiosity as the women walked the length of the room towards the throne. The robes they wore, one peach, one light green and one light blue, were not overly elegant, but they complimented them nicely. They were not great beauties but they were attractive enough. Were these courtesans? What was the meaning of this?"

The three women stopped beside Cao and bowed making the ornaments on their golden headdresses jingle from the motion. It was an elegant and refined bow. It was clear that these women had formal training so the theory of them being courtesans could be ruled out.

"Allow me to introduce my daughters," Cao began as he gestured to the woman wearing the peach robe. Cao Xian stepped forward and gave another bow as her father introduced her.

"This is Cao Xian," Cao announced.

Xian looked up to the emperor with a smile. Xian could see that the smile was not a genuine one. Her eyes stared defiantly into his own and it was easy to see that she was a strong willed woman…a bit too strong for Emperor Xian's liking. She reminded him a bit too much of Cao.

Xian stepped back in line with her sisters and Jie in the green robe stepped forward.

"This is Cao Jie," he continued.

Jie bowed to the Emperor and like her sister she looked the Emperor in the eye with a smile. Unlike her sister, she coyly lowered her eyes before bashfully looking up at him once again for a brief moment then lowering them once more. Her smile seemed warmer than Xian's by far and she happened to be wearing his favorite color. From a first glance, the Emperor could tell she had confidence, but not quite as much as her older sister. He would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by her.

"And this is Cao Hua," said Cao.

Jie stepped back in line with her sisters and reluctantly Hua stepped forward. She bowed quickly and without grace. She did not smile nor did she make eye contact. The Emperor looked her over briefly before passing her over in his mind. She was utterly unappealing to him. He did not like the color of her robe either. Nothing about this girl was redeeming in his eyes.

"You said you mean to ease my loneliness…am I to gather that you are offering one of your daughters to me as a wife?"

"That is correct, my lord."

'And with this wife you gain a spy to watch my every move' Xian thought bitterly.

"Words cannot express my gratitude for your offer, Cao Cao, but I must decline the offer," Xian said aloud.

Cao ceased smiling, but Xian pressed on.

"The loss of my wife still weighs heavily on my heart. To take another wife so soon—"

"Is the best way to ease that pain," Cao finished.

Xian and Cao locked eyes; A battle of will that Xian only had the courage to briefly fight. He lowered his eyes and nodded with a frown. Cao wasn't going to let this go. This was the final step in the game he has been playing with Xian and it was a step that would give him an assured victory. Xian will need to take one of Cao's daughters as his wife; Cao will no longer need to pretend to be subservient to Xian, not when he becomes father of the son of heaven. Who will question his authority then? Xian will no longer be needed. Will Cao decide to be rid of him completely or will he just put him somewhere he could be forgotten? Either way, Xian knew his reign as Emperor will be at an end.

"Your…generosity knows no bounds, Cao Cao," said Xian said sadly. He no longer had the heart to even keep up his royal façade.

"Your daughters are all so lovely. It will be hard deciding which to have as my bride."

"But choose you must," said Cao. All pretenses of being the dutiful servant were forgotten. This was going to happen whether the Emperor wanted it or not.

"I…I know. Just please, give me some times to think on it."

Cao nodded with a smile. Xian reminded him of a wounded animal; pitiful and broken. He should honestly put him out of his misery, but there was no need to do such a thing. Xian had no teeth, no ambition and no backbone. He was a suitable puppet and a puppet he shall remain.

=#=

"You seem so far away my son."

Xu Shu looked up from his bowl to his mother. He let his wooden spoon fall against his bowl with a clunk and pushed it away from him, no longer in the mood to eat.

"I suppose I am."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I suppose you could say my future."

Madame Xu stared sullenly into her own bowl. "Will you be leaving me again?" she asked sadly.

Shu put a hand on his mother's own. A week ago he might have told her that he wasn't sure, but after an impromptu conversation with Xiahou Dun, he had a much clearer idea of what he wanted to do.

=#=

-Five days ago-

Shu lay atop his bed with his arms crossed behind his head; a scroll he had been reading for the fiftieth time teetered precariously across his legs. Teaching Cao Chong had been going well. He seemed aloof on the surface, but Chong was surprisingly a very studious man and he gladly absorbed all information Shu had to provide. He did so well in fact, Shu was certain that he would have nothing left to teach him in a matter of months. He found himself quite envious of Chong. He managed to absorb what took him several years to learn in a fraction of the time. Shu also found himself concerned about what the future held for him.

Teaching Chong became an excuse for Chong. In his mind it gave him a reason to continue residing in the Xiahou home, but knowing that it would soon be coming to an end, Shu felt uncertain as to how to proceed. He certainly couldn't stay in the Xiahou household indefinitely. While they did not give him time limit on his stay, he didn't want to wear out his welcome. The question is what would he do next? What path should he take?

A loud knock shook him from his ruminations. He shot up in surprise sending the scroll tumbling to the ground.

"Y-yes?" Shu asked as he dropped to his knees to pick up the fallen scroll.

The door slid open revealing the master of the house, Xiahou Dun. Shu stood up, scroll in hand and swallowed the hard lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He always felt anxious when it came to interactions with Dun. Dun was never unkind to him, but he always felt as if he was being silently judged and the judgment was not a kind one.

Dun looked around the room for a few moments before letting his eye settle on Shu.

"Busy?"

"W-what?" Shu asked dumbly.

"Pretty sure I didn't stutter."

"No. No you did not. I was just doing a bit of studying," Shu said as he lifted the scroll he held in his hand.

"You can do that later. I need someone to train with. Zhuyue said you were a decent sparring partner."

The memory of Zhuyue and Shu's last training session briefly flashed in his mind; the injury he inflicted on her. Had she told Dun about it? Did she want to get back at him for it? It would certainly be within his right.

"I see," Shu replied. "I understand. I guess part of me expected this."

"That so? Well then, let's do this."

Dun led the way to the training grounds with a sullen Shu following behind him.

Dun chose a training sword from the rack and swung it around experimentally. Shu grabbed a sword of his own and checked its weight and the feel of it in his hand. Satisfied with his selection, Shu took his up his position across from Dun and watched him roll his head then shoulders before getting into his fighting stance.

"Whenever you're ready kid."

Shu charged and attacked. From his forward movement to the first strike, it was clear to see that it was a half-hearted attempt. Dun easily blocked it and Shu launched another easily blocked attack. Shu stepped back and the two men stared at each other.

"What was that?" Dun asked clearly disappointed.

"What do you mean?"

Zhuyue said you were a competent fighter; good enough to land a hit on her. Yet here you are moving like an old woman."

"There is no need for this pretense. You know that I injured Zhuyue during training. It is within your right to get revenge and I have no intention of stopping you."

"Something wrong with your brain kid? I said I wanted to train. I have no idea what you're going on about."

Shu was confused. Had he erred? Did Dun not want revenge? Dun was staring at him, waiting for some sort of explanation. Shu pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course he erred; yet again he made a fool of himself in front of Dun.

"Is it possible we can just forget I said anything?"

Shu was amazed that someone with only one eye can convey so much. That look told him that he would probably beat him within an inch of his life if he didn't cut the bullshit and explain himself.

"I-I thought this training session was a thinly veiled excuse to get revenge…but you don't want revenge do you?"

"Cangshu said you were smart…I'm not seeing it."

Shu looked a bit hurt by the insult. "That is a bit rude."

"It is the truth," Dun replied. "You know my wife, correct?"

"Obviously."

"Does she seem like a delicate person to you?"

"Well…no but—"

"Did she vow revenge?" Dun asked, cutting Shu off.

"No…" he admitted. "In fact, Zhuyue told him not to worry about it and that she looked forward to training with him again.

"So if that is the case, why would I be here looking to get revenge for something she wasn't bothered by?"

Shu didn't have a good answer. Dun's words made sense. Why had he thought that? Perhaps he thought of his own past, when he flew off the handle in the name of revenge.

Dun shook his head at Shu's silence. "If Zhuyue was truly angry at you, do you honestly think you would still be living here? In fact do you think you would have been living at all? If she hadn't killed you I certainly would have the same day I found out."

"So your request to train—"

"Was exactly that; a request to train."

"I feel quite foolish now."

"You should. Make it up by training and I do mean actually training."

Shu nodded and got back into his fighting stance. The minute he saw that Dun was ready, he charged. This time he struck with amazing speed that surprised Dun. Left, right, left, right. Each successive strike was faster than the last. Dun had to constantly keep moving back to keep Shu out of his blind spot. It was hard for him counter attack with the flurry of attacks he was throwing at him. Dun smiled. This was more like it.

Shu made a feint attack to the left which Dun moved to block. Seeing that Dun took the bait, Shu launched his true attack. He jumped up and kicked off Dun's chest in an attempt to hit him with his back leg in a somersault kick. This attack was a mistake as Shu quickly learned. What Shu failed to realize is that while Dun blocked his attacks, he only did so with his right hand. He hid his left hand behind the blade to make it seem as if he had been using both.

The minute Shu's foot landed on Dun's chest, his left hand shot out and grabbed hold of his ankle. Shu barely had time to understand what had happened before he found himself being spun around mid-air. After two quick rotations, Shu suddenly found himself airborne. His stomach churned at the unexpected weightlessness and Shu just barely managed to twist his body enough so that he could land with minimal damage.

There wasn't any time to fully recover from that attack because Dun was charging him now. Shu would have been impressed by the sheer speed the larger man if he had the time, but Dun made sure that he didn't. Shu dodged out of the way of Dun's attack and flipped himself to his feet, immediately putting up his sword to block a second attack launched by Dun.

Shu didn't notice that Dun's attack had slightly cracked the training blade as his mind was racing with ways to counter attack. He needed to put Dun back on the back foot so he used his superior speed to do just that.

Shu rushed at Dun once again. Instead of slowly ramping up to his top speed as he usually did, he started off at it. He attacked in rapid succession alternating between left and right. To ensure that Dun stayed on his toes, he would randomly switch things up by attacking twice on the same side. For the moment, Dun could do nothing but block. This plan was working out for him thus far, but it wasn't a sustainable one. He would tire eventually and Dun would be able to take advantage. He had to find a way to take Dun down.

Shu decided the best way to do this was to take advantage of Dun's blind side. Shu kept up his frantic attacks to keep Dun on the defensive. Shu made another attack to the right but it was yet another feint. As Dun went to block the attack, Shu maneuvered himself to Dun's left putting him right in Dun's blind spot. Shu wasted no time in attacking, striking at Dun's side. Shu could hear Dun curse upon realizing what was happening. He tried to counter attack but it was a few seconds too slow. Shu's attack struck his side. Had this been a real battle, Dun would have been badly injured.

Breathless and proud, Shu relaxed himself, thinking the battle was over. It was this lax attitude that made him forget that Dun was in the process of a counter attack. Dun's sword came barreling down towards Shu and it was entirely too late for him to dodge out the way. Shu could only block, but the earlier attack that damaged his sword spelled the end for Shu. Dun's sword broke through Shu's own and struck him on his left shoulder. Even if these were training blades the attack hurt like hell. Shu fell backwards as he dropped the now broken sword and nursed his injured shoulder.

"Tch…that was a good move," Dun remarked as he placed a hand to his side, perhaps imagining how bad the injury would have been had this battle been real.

"Thought I had my blind side covered but you totally exploited it," he continued.

"It doesn't matter," Shu said as he got to his feet, his hand still on his shoulder. My attacks are not very powerful. If this were a real battle, I am certain you would have survived and I would have had my body split in two."

"It does matter. I might not have died but I would have been badly injured. Not too fond of getting injured. I have to keep working on covering that blind spot. Thanks for sparring with me. Proved to be enlightening. You aren't half bad with a blade. Why did you choose to be a scholar instead of a fighter?"

Shu hesitated. His reason for stopping his pursuits in the martial arts was also the reason he was forced to leave his mother's side and assume a new identity.

Dun seemed to notice his hesitation. "Don't have to answer if you don't want to. Was just curious."

"No…I am living in your household after all. It seems unfair to not tell you the truth of my past."

Shu took a deep breath and dropped the hand that had been nursing his shoulder to clasp his hands in front of him instead.

"When I was younger I helped a friend get revenge on someone who wronged him. My friend was not a fighter, but I was. A battle ensued; the man was not skilled with a sword, but I was. Since we started the fight, we could not claim self defense. It was murder, plain and simple. I tried to hide from the officials, but I was caught."

"I wouldn't speak so they tied me to a cart and dragged me through the streets asking that someone identify who I was—"

Shu paused as he relived the moment in his mind. He could remember the only thought on his mind at that moment was regret. That grudge was even his yet he bore the burden of its aftermath. He prayed to the heavens for another chance and swore to change his life for the better should that chance be granted.

Shu continued. "—fortunately, the good people of our town knew me and my mother so they kept quiet. I was eventually rescued by a few of my friends. That night I had to bade farewell from my mother and my name. I renounced my old ways and took up scholarly pursuits instead. I hadn't had a need to use my sword until Zhuyue requested to train with me."

Dun who had been silently listening to Shu's tale found himself laughing at the end of it.

Shu frowned thinking the laughter was aimed at him. He suddenly regretted his decision to share his past with him.

"I never would have guessed you were a hot head," said Dun with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

"You seem so reserved. To think we share a common past—"

"What?" Shu interrupted, surprised by Dun's sudden admission.

Dun gave a nonchalant shrug while scratching at his chin.

"When I was a kid…probably thirteen or so, some asshole with a grudge against my teacher insulted him. I can't even remember what the fool said, but it was enough to make thirteen year old me blood boil. I challenged him to a duel. I can still remember him laughing in my face, asking what a scrawny kid like me could do against an adult like him. Last words that fool ever spoke."

"A-at thirteen?" Shu asked in shock.

"Yup. Developed a reputation of having a temper after that…can't say I have done much to dissuade said rumor…In fact I probably prove it more often than not. Heh my teacher was furious with me. Told me my temper was going to get me in trouble one day."

Dun tapped his eye-patch with his forefinger. "Glad he wasn't around to see this. I would have heard "It is exactly as I foresaw" for years."

"You did not get in trouble for your actions?"

Dun shook his head. "The guy wasn't from our city. He showed up one day causing trouble. He didn't have family around to demand justice. Even if he did, it was a duel that he agreed to. Once the deed was done, I didn't exactly leave his body out in the open. My brother and I made sure to get rid of it just in case some officials sniffed around. I was young, but not dumb. There were rumors of what I had done but no proof. Nothing they could do to me."

Shu sighed. "I wish I had the foresight to hide the body. Then again, it probably would not have mattered. His family was determined to not let the matter go."

"So what was your name?"

"My name?"

"Yeah, you said you bade farewell to your name."

"Ah…yes I did, didn't I? Shan Fu. My name was Shan Fu. Only my mother calls me that nowadays."

"Been a long time since all that happened and you are far away from your old town, right? Why not reclaim your old name? Why do you keep living under a false one?"

"I suppose it is because I am no longer that person…and I suppose it is also because I have grown quite fond of the name Xu Shu."

"And what plans does Xu Shu have for the future?"

Shu couldn't hide his wince. This was coming sooner than he had hoped. He hoped to have a solid plan before he was asked.

"Honestly, I was thinking about that very thing before you came to me. I know that you and Zhuyue have been kind enough to allow me to stay here. While I haven't exactly figured out what I wish to do just yet, I have no intention of overstay—"

"You are assuming shit again," Dun interrupted. "You are capable with a blade and Cangshu says you are a capable strategist. Those skills are going to waste just sitting in a room. Mèngdé...that is Lord Cao is always looking for capable warriors. But now that I think about it, perhaps you aren't a good fit."

Shu was surprised by this. Not that Dun asked him to serve under his Lord, but that he rescinded his offer immediately after making it. He was a bit insulted by the immediate dismissal.

"May I inquire as to why you don't believe I would be a good fit?"

"You don't seem to know what you want to do with your life. Mèngdé has no use for someone with such a lack of ambition."

Shu gave a mirthless laugh. "That's the third time I have heard such words. The first was from one of my teachers; the second from your wife. You two really don't hold your tongue, do you?"

"Not when we see potential going to waste, but it's your life to live kid. You can stay here as long as you need to so you can figure out what you want to do. We owe Madame Xu that much."

Shu was left alone in with those thoughts and they weighed on his mind heavily since.

=#=

-Present day-

"Will you be leaving me again?"

The sadness in Xu's voice as she asked the question hurt Shu. He was a filial son and with every choice he made, he wanted to make sure it was one she would be proud of. While she never complained about any of the things he has done in his life, he knew he had disappointed her. One of the reasons he left back then was because he did not feel worthy to look her in the eye. Shu knew what he wanted to do, but would she approve? Would she be proud?

"Tell me mother," Shu said as he gently squeezed the hand he still held clasped in his own. "What would you say if I told you I wished to serve Lord Dun and Lady Zhuyue?"

"Serve them how?" Xu asked. The look in her eyes told Shu that she knew exactly what he meant, but she needed to hear it from his lips.

"They are fighting for the peace of this land. Though a bit rusty, I am still a competent swordsman and while I am not the most knowledgeable scholar, I believe I can still be of some assistance to them in that regard as well."

"Tell me my son, why do you want to fight? Do you feel as if you owe a debt to them because they took me in?"

"It would be a lie if I didn't say that was part of it, but honestly…it is because I am curious."

"Curious?" Xu repeated.

Shu smiled. "I am curious to see for myself this potential that they see in me. They make me almost believe that I can be something more than I am."

Xu smiled and gave her son's hand a gentle pat. "Had you told me this was merely for a debt, I wouldn't want you to go. Going to fight a war just to fulfill an obligation is a good way to get yourself killed. Going to better yourself…well…then I think you will be just fine. All the same, please be careful for me, my son."

"I will mother and I swear to make you proud."

=#=

Xiahou Yuan was in a great mood. War wore down both body and soul and it made the time he was able to spend home with his family all the more precious. Yuan grinned inwardly. He especially enjoyed the time with his wife. He wouldn't be surprised if she was carrying his child once more after the time they spent reacquainting themselves with each other.

He entered the Yamen and gave a half nod to the magistrate. He didn't like dealing with the man, he considered him untrustworthy with taels being the only thing he would truly show loyalty to. Yuan couldn't understand why Cao put him in charge of the Yamen.

"Come to visit Zhao Yun again? He is quite the popular prisoner."

'Odd comment,' Yuan thought to himself. He wouldn't ask the magistrate to elaborate. The less interaction they had the better.

Yuan was led to Yun's cell by a guard. Once there, the guard bowed and moved further down the hall to give them relative privacy.

"Yo! Sorry I didn't come to visit till now. Had to spend time with the family. Are they treating you okay in here?"

Yun, who had been in deep thought lifted his head at the sound of Yuan's cheery voice. He looked over and could see a smiling Yuan beaming at him, washed in the torches orange light.

"That you could be so cheerful about your daughter being a political pawn says a lot about you. You are not the man I thought you were. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but foolishly I am."

Yuan was surprised by the sudden accusation. "The hell are you talking about? Not sure what you've heard, but Xiahouji isn't being used for anything political."

"You honestly expect me to believe that after Xiahouji came here to offer herself to me in exchange for my loyalty?"

Yuan was silent for a full minute as he tried to process what Yun had just said. No matter how he thought about it, his words didn't make any sense.

"I think being in here is getting to you, Zǐlóng. Not sure why you are imagining seeing my daughter—"

"Do not insult me. You know very well that I am in my right mind. Lady Xiahouji was here and she offered herself up to me as if she were nothing more than a piece of meat. I didn't rescue her just to leave her to such a fate."

"Zǐlóng I don't know who the hell you saw, but it wasn't my daughter. There is no way Xiahouji was here! The girl jumps at her own shadow in torchlight; there is no way she would willing come to a place full of criminals by herself!"

Yun paused. When he resolved to confront Yuan about Xiahouji, he thought he would see the same deceitful eyes as those he once called companions, but what he saw was something he hadn't expected. He could clearly see Yuan's face and at that moment it was abundantly clear that he honestly had no idea what he was talking about. The confusion written on his face was much too honest to be faked. That would mean that he didn't send Xiahouji to him and if his words were to be believed Cao Cao hadn't manipulated Xiahouji to come to him either which meant that…oh no…she really had come on her own…her declaration that she would give herself to him was of her own volition and no one else's.

Yun lowered his head eager to avert Yuan's eyes. He erred and in doing so, he may have put Xiahouji and her friends in an awkward position. Yuan immediately notice the avoidance. As far as he knew, Yun was not a bashful person. If he was trying to avoid looking at him it was because he was hiding something.

"She really was here," Yuan muttered in disbelief.

Yun tensed at these words, but remained silent.

"But she definitely wouldn't have come here on her own," Yuan said aloud, though it was clear to Yun that he wasn't speaking to him, but rather to himself as he attempted to work out this puzzle in his mind.

"So that means Xiaolian was involved as well," Yuan continued.

Yun shifted uncomfortably. Xiaolian must have been the young woman that accompanied her. Yuan was getting closer and closer to the truth. Should he say something? Try to deny that she even came? Would he believe it? Yun did not think so. Yun was a terrible liar. He was certain that Yuan would be able to suss out his deceit with little effort.

"Even if it was just the two of them they wouldn't be able to get in alone," Yuan concluded as he stroked his chin. He turned his attention back to Yun.

"Who were they here with?"

Yun remained silent. He did not want to be the cause of any further trouble for Xiahouji.

"Fine," Yuan replied. "I'll just ask the magistrate who's been visiting you beside me."

"Wait," Yun called stopping Yuan mid-step.

"She only meant to save my life. Please do not be angry with her."

"She just did the exact same thing I had been trying to protect her from and you tell me to not be angry? I can't even fathom what was going on in the girl's mind. I know she liked you but I had no idea it was this damn much."

Yuan shot Yun an accusatory glare. "And exactly what was your answer to her declaration?"

"I rejected her of course—"

"What the hell do you mean of course?" Yuan growled. "You saying she's not good enough for you or something?"

"N-no of course not," Yun stammered. He was thoroughly confused. Shouldn't that be what he wanted to hear? He thought Yuan would be relieved at such news, not angered.

"Lady Xiahouji is a lovely woman and she would be a suitable wife for any man lucky en—"

"No! No. Stop right there. Whatever you are about to say I don't want to hear it."

"I assure you it wasn't anything lewd. I was only saying—"

"And I am telling you I don't want to hear it alright? Just the thought of a guy looking at my daughter in anyway romantically honestly makes me sick. She's great. I know. Just…just leave it at that okay? Ugh if Yuánràng saw me now I would get shit for weeks."

Yun did not fully understand why Yuan was freaking out in such a way, but he would respect his wishes and not speak any further about how fetching a wife his daughter would be. Wait...fetching? Is that what he truly thought? Yes. Yes it was. When he thought of her the word slid easily into place defining her. Fetching, beautiful, kind. All of these words and more applied to her. He hadn't given it much thought until this very moment but now that he had, these words swirled in his head as he thought in her. She truly would make a wonderful wife for any man lucky to have her. The question is, would the man who got her be worthy? He felt a pang of unease at that thought. The thought that she might wind up with someone that did not appreciate or treat her the way she deserved to be treated. If possible he wanted to protect her from any harm; she was the last pure thing in this land and he wanted to ensure that she remained untainted.

Yuan wanted to believe that Yun had made it all up. He wanted to believe that Yun telling him that Xiaolian had visited him in the Yamen was some sort of very unfunny joke. The problem is, in the short time that Yuan had gotten to know Yun, he knew that he was not the type of person to joke about such a topic. Yuan cursed under his breath. What the hell was that girl thinking, coming to a place like this? Since when did she get so independent and strong? He was perfectly happy with her being so scared of her own shadow that she rarely left their home. He would have to talk to her about this. He didn't want talk to her about this, but he knew he had to. He had to right? For a brief moment Yuan considered just pretending that none of this happened. That he never got news that his precious innocent daughter had an apparent crush on Zhao Yun.

"Aaargh!" Yuan growled in frustration as he scrubbed his hand over his face. He definitely had to talk to her about this. He definitely wasn't prepared for this. Not by a long shot.

Without another word to Yun, Yuan abruptly stormed out of the Yamen. He was simultaneously dreading and anxious for the upcoming talk with his adopted daughter.

=#=

Dian walked sullenly back towards the barracks. Today – for lack of a better word – sucked. He went to spend time with Xiaolian; the second attempt since he had been back. His duties prevented him from attempting to do so until today so he was excited to be able to spend some time with her alone. Unfortunately that isn't what happened. Xiaolian explained to Dian that she wanted to keep an eye on Xiahouji because she wasn't taking Zhao Yun's rejection well. The girl was fraught with worry that Yun was not going to accept Cao Cao's offer to join his army and that he would be put to death. She swore that on the day he died, she would die as well. Xiaolian took it upon herself to ensure that best friend saw reason.

And just like that, Dian became the third wheel to his own date. Dian idly ran a hand through his messy hair. He felt a bit guilty thinking like that. Xiahouji was a sweet girl and one of Xiaolian's only friends. He understood her desire to protect her. He just selfishly wished she cared about him the same way he cared about her. How foolish it was that he was a bit jealous of Xiahouji, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes he wasn't quite sure how much Xiaolian cared for him; she wasn't exactly open about her feelings.

Dian sighed and tried to push the thoughts out of his head. He was close to the barracks now. Perhaps he should do some training to get his mind off of things.

'Oh, there goes Master Yuan. Perhaps he would want to train with me? Hm. He is stalking rather purposely in my direction,' Dian thought.

He suddenly got the feeling that he should run in the other direction, but foolishly, he ignored the warnings and remained rooted in his spot as he watched Yuan get closer and closer. He looked rather angry. That nagging feeling only got worse . Alarm horns went off in his mind telling him to put as much distance between them as possible. Why did he feel this way? What reason would Yuan be angry at —oh shit. He found out.

Finally heeding his body's warning, Dian turned and started speed walking in the opposite direction. Dian didn't have to turn back to know that Yuan was right on his tail. When he finally did muster up the courage to look behind him, Yuan was right behind him, arms outstretched to grab him. Dian ducked just in time causing Yuan to stumble forward.

Yuan regained his footing and spun to face Dian.

"What are you running for?!"

"Why are you chasing me?" Dian retorted.

Yuan paused. It was a fair question. "Xiahouji visited the Yamen—"

'Shit'

"—And she apparently offered herself to Zǐlóng."

'Double shit' Dian felt the urge to run again. If he put more effort into it, he was sure he could outrun Yuan.

"There is no way she would have gone herself so I know she had to have gone to Xiaolian. Xiaolian wouldn't have been able to get them in without help. So I thought to myself, who would Xiaolian trust to get them into the Yamen?"

Dian groaned. The list of people that Xiaolian trusted was a small one. It wouldn't have been hard to figure out that he was the one that took them.

"I can explain."

"Oh? Please do explain why you let Xiaolian talk Xiahouji into going to the Yamen to see Zǐlóng ."

Dian's brow furrowed. He thinks Xiaolian dragged Xiahouji there?

"You got it the wrong way 'round, Master Miàocái. Xiahouji dragged us there."

"Bullshit!" Yuan spat. "My innocent sweet little Xiahouji wouldn't have even thought to go to such a place. Xiaolian obviously talked her into it."

Dian frowned. It didn't sit right with him that Yuan was trying to put all the blame on Xiaolian. Oddly enough, Dian knew that Xiaolian would gladly accept the blame to cover for her friend.

"Miàocái, I hate to tell you this but it was Xiahouji's plan, not Xiaolian."

"Look, Xiaolian is my niece and I love her, but I know that she is a wild child with crazy thoughts in that head of hers. She probably thought she was helping Xiahouji by convincing her to offer herself to Zǐlóng—"

"Woah, hey, sorry but I am not going to let you paint Xiaolian as the villain here. Xiahouji likes Zhao Yun; I mean really lik—OW"

Dian was swiftly cut off by a hard jab to his forearm.

"You hit me!" Dian said as he rubbed the affected spot, clearly offended by the hit.

"I don't want to hear that," Yuan replied in a gruff tone.

"Hear what?"

"I don't want to hear about who Xiahouji may or may not like."

"And you hit me because of that?" Dian asked incredulously.

"Hitting me won't change the truth you know!" Dian added with a frown.

"I know that! I…I know it's just…this is weird for me okay? I don't know how to act about this. I kinda just want to pummel any guy that talks about her in any way other than the sweet little girl she is."

"Except she isn't quite so little anymore. Jeez I thought that Master Yuánràng was bad. I hope I don't get as crazy as you two if Xiaolian and I ever have a daughter—OW!"

Yuan delivered yet another hard jab to Dian's other arm. Dian's eyes widened in surprise at the attack. What the hell did he say this time to deserve it? He can't believe Yuan could move so damn fast.

"I don't want to hear you talking about my niece like that," Yuan explained.

"But we are getting married! It is kinda a given that we are going to have children eventually!"

"I know! I know, but knowing and hearing are two different things!"

"Jeez, what crazy family am I getting into?" Dian griped as he rubbed his throbbing arms.

Yuan was prepared to defend his irrational reaction to this entire situation when they spotted Yue Jin heading towards them. Both men remained silent, not willing to argue in front of a third party.

"Hey," Jin said in greeting once he was at their side.

"Hey Wenqian," Dian said in greeting as he stopped rubbing his arms while Yuan grumbled a hello. Anyone could tell something was up with the two of them, but Yue Jin was never the type to pry.

"More dumplings?" Dian asked as he pointed to the bamboo container Jin held in his hands. He was eager to get the attention off of them and onto anything else.

Jin nodded and pulled off the lid sending a waft of steam billowing into the air, carrying the scent of the plump dumplings inside to their noses.

"Take some?" Jin asked as he pushed the container in Dian's direction.

"I never turn down free food," Dian said with a grin as he took two of the steaming buns.

Jin turned to Yuan with expectant eyes.

"No thanks," he huffed out.

"Oh come on, Miàocái take one. Trust me they are good," said Dian as he took a bite of his first bun.

Yuan shot Dian a glare before begrudgingly taking a bun from the container. Jin replaced the lid and nodded to both men before heading off in the direction of the barracks. Yuan watched Jin walked off until he was no longer visible then he looked to the dumpling he still held in his hand. He hadn't intended on eating it, but his stomach gave a rather loud protest to that line of thought.

"You should try it. They are pretty good," Dian said before taking another bite of his dumpling.

Yuan looked at the dumpling curiously once more then finally relented and took a large bite. Dian was right. It was good. Hungrily he finished it off in two bites, his stomach rumbling in discontent; unsatisfied by the meager portion. Dian seemed to notice this and offered him his second dumpling.

Yuan eyed it suspiciously. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Dian replied with a shrug. "Wenqian's been buying tons of them since we got back and he can never finish them all. He always winds up sharing it with the others in the barracks. I guarantee they'll still be some left over by the time I get back."

Yuan decided to take him at his word and plucked the dumpling from his offering hand. He kept his eyes focused on it.

"So Xiahouji really did drag you two to the Yamen?"

"Yep," Dian confirmed though he eyed Yuan warily in case he decided to hit him again.

Yuan groaned. "What the hell is she thinking?"

"You might not like hearing this but she seems to really like Zhao Yun. I mean really like."

"You're right. I really didn't want to hear that."

He paused.

"It was wrong for me to hit you. I don't know what's going on with me. I thought when it was Xiahouji's turn, I would be the calm and understanding one, but here I am losing my mind."

"Don't worry about it…I gotta say though, you have a pretty good punch," Dian replied with a lopsided grin.

Dian meant for his words to ease Yuan's mind, but he still wore a frown.

"I shouldn't have blamed Xiaolian like that. Good on you to stand up for her like that."

"I wouldn't be worthy of her if I didn't do that much."

Yuan nodded. "I'm a pretty shitty uncle, putting it all on her like that. It was just easier for me to accept than the fact that I have to make a very hard decision about my little Xiahouji."

"I understand," said Dian with a nod.

"Do you?" Yuan asked. "Before Jiao and I adopted her, that kid had a pretty shit life. Her parents died when she was young and her grandparents seemed eager to be rid of her. Being with us was the first time she ever had a stable life. It was the first time I was able to protect her."

Yuan sighed. "I knew this day was going to come soon. The minute Mèngdé mentioned it, I knew it was going to come sooner than I wanted. Foolishly I thought I had more time."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Have a very difficult conversation with my daughter," Yuan replied. "Thanks for the dumpling."

He said as he tipped his head towards Dian before leaving to head towards his home and one of the most uncomfortable conversations he will probably ever have in his life.

=#=

It had been days since Xiahou Yuan returned to the Yamen. Mostly because he was trying to delay the exact talk he was going to have today. He would have happily continued to avoid this conversation for a few more days if not for the fact tha the end of the month was rapidly approaching and they would be summoned for the war council that Cao had called. There was no question that Yun's fact would be decided at the upcoming war council so if something was to be done, it had to be now.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Yuan asked the young woman by his side.

"I am," Xiahouji replied.

Yuan was simultaneously proud and dismayed. Proud of the fire he saw in Xiahouji's eyes. It was unlike anything he ever seen from the mousy girl before. She was truly determined and it did his heart proud to see such will power from her. Unfortunately, this newfound backbone came about because of her feelings for Zhao Yun. While Yuan wasn't too thrilled at the idea of potentially giving his daughter away to another man, at least that man was one of honor.

They were close to the Yamen now. Yuan had purposely took his time in getting there in a pitiful attempt to delay as much as possible. Thankfully Xiahouji hadn't seemed to mind. She seemed content with the slow pace in which they traveled, perhaps using the time to steel herself for what was to come.

Waiting for them at the Yamen, they found Xiahou Dun and Xiaolian. Yuan was surprised to see his brother and niece but the sense of relief upon setting eyes on them was undeniable.

"Took your time getting here," Dun said in lieu of a proper greeting.

"What are you two doing here?" Yuan asked.

"I recall you laughing at me when I was in a similar situation. Figured I would be here to return the favor."

Yuan's face fell. His brother couldn't possibly be that cruel.

"Heh, that face was exactly what I wanted," he said with a smile.

"That's pretty messed up, brother. I have a lot going on right now you know! It isn't fair for you to tease me like that."

"I know," Dun replied. "That's why we are here. "I knew you would be a big baby about all this so I came to make sure you don't wind up a blubbering mess in front of Zhao Yun."

Yuan gave a pout that made him look like rather childish. "I wouldn't be a blubbering mess," he muttered, but without any conviction as he knew his brother was most likely correct in his assessment.

Xiahouji left her father's side and took hold of Xiaolian's arm. Though she was determined to see this through, it did not stop the butterflies that were currently running rampant within her stomach. She hugged her best friend's arm hoping to gain strength for what was to come. Dun led the way into the Yamen and in what was entirely too soon for Yuan, they stood before Zhao Yun's cell.

"What is this?" Yun asked as he turned, hearing the sounds of many footsteps stopping in front of his cell. He was surprised to see the array of faces lined up before him. His eyes scanned them all in wonder, but stopped on the delicate face of Xiahouji. Feeling his gaze upon her, Xiahouji's cheeks flared up and even in the dim light of the Yamen, Yun could see the red color now adorning them.

"Aaargh, I don't know how to start this," Yuan said aloud, drawing Zhao Yun's attention back to him.

Everyone remained silent at Yuan's proclamation. It seems he wasn't going to get help from anyone. He was on his own.

"Okay. Do you remember what you said to me the other day? Well you weren't right then and you sort of aren't right now, but you are kind of right?"

Yun's brow furrowed. He had absolutely no clue as to what Yuan was talking about. Dun only shook his head at his brother. This was worse than he thought. If he kept floundering like this he would have to throw him a lifeline soon.

"I mean I have honor. Contrary to what you may think after I tell you this I do. Also, you need to understand that this decision wasn't one made lightly and –"

"Miàocái, you're rambling," Dun interrupted.

"S-sorry," Yuan said to his brother as he scratched his chin. "This is hard for me."

"Then let Xiahouji explain," Dun said with a shrug.

"M-me?" she said with wide eyes.

"It's what you want isn't it?"

After a heartbeat she nodded her head, the determination from before reigniting in her.

"Y-yes."

She stepped closer to the bars, pulling Xiaolian along with her.

"U-um," she looked down to her feet, unable to look into his eyes.

"Y-you saved me," she whispered.

Yun's brow furrowed. He knew she said something but she was speaking so low he couldn't make out what it was. Xiaolian used the arm that Xiahouji still held onto to nudge her. Xiahouji did not need words to know what the nudge was for.

"Y-you s-saved me," she said in a tone that was barely louder than the last, but was just enough for Yun to hear her.

"N-now I want t-to save y-you," she concluded.

"I did not save you because I expected payment of some kind. You have no need to—"

"No!" Xiahouji shouted suddenly surprising everyone around her.

"Y-you don't understand! I said I want to save you, but that isn't c-completely true. I w-want to save myself as well. I m-must m-marry. If I don't, Lord C-Cao will send me off to s-someone for a political m-marriage. If you m-marry me, you can s-save me and I can s-save you."

"Lady Xiahouji," Yun said in a pained tone.

"P-please," she said as she released her hold on Xiaolian and gripped the bars with her tiny hands.

"There is no one else I want to marry. I want you. Please."

Yun sighed and looked up to Yuan.

"Is what she says true? Cao Cao will use her in a political marriage if she is not married off soon?"

"I'm afraid so," Yuan replied with a frown. "I've been trying to delay it; let Xiahouji find someone she wouldn't mind being with, but she hasn't shown any interest in any man except for you and Mèngdé has been getting impatient. Honestly I think he might make his move soon. We are running out of time."

"And there is no one else? Someone more worthy of her hand?"

This surprised Yuan. "You don't think you're worthy?"

"I know I am not. Someone as pure and innocent as Lady Xiahouji…I do not deserve her," he said with a frown as he cast his eyes to the ground.

"T-That's not true."

"Lady Xiahouji, you do not know what you speak," Yun said as he looked up to her. "I am not the man that you think I am."

Had he been the man she thought he was, that despicable act of cannibalism would not have happened. He would not have remained after hearing about such barbarism and he certainly would not have continued to serve.

"I don't c-care what you say. I want you and only y-you!"

Yuan let out a loud groan. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take.

"My Lady, You should not make such declarations aloud."

"I have to. To make you see. Please," she begged once more.

"Alright. I'm getting tired of hearing my niece beg you to accept her. You obviously don't get how significant this is. I've known the girl my whole life and she still looks at me like I'm going to eat her. The fact that she is here before you talking to you the way she is means a lot. So get your head out your own ass and either accept her or don't. Either way, stop wasting our time with your bullshit."

"Brother!" Yuan exclaimed in surprise. He was partially glad that Dun stepped in, but he was always so brutally blunt.

"Forgive him," Yuan said to Yun hastily before turning back to Dun.

"Brother, you gotta give him time to wrap his head around this…I know it took me a long time," Yuan muttered the last sentence mostly to himself.

"He might have a family that is still with Liu Bei and the others or maybe he has qualms about serving Mèngdé and fighting against his people," he continued aloud.

Fighting against his people. That's right. If he joined Cao Cao, eventually he would have to face Liu Bei and the others. He couldn't bring back those he failed to protect, but serving under Cao Cao, he could avenge them. He looked to Xiahouji. He still did not think he was worthy of her, but in his opinion, no man was. To be offered the chance of revenge and the chance to have her as a wife, he would be a fool to not accept such favorable terms. He could save her from a potentially bad political marriage and watch over her to ensure that she was safe. This was the path to his redemption. How could he NOT accept this?

"I accept," Yun said.

"Wait…what?" Yuan said in surprise.

"T-truly Lord Zhao Yun?" Xiahouji said with wide eyes looking up at him.

Yun reached towards her to touch her cheek through the bars but pulled back at the last minute. He was unclean having been locked in this cell for so long.

"If you truly think I am worthy of being your husband—"

"I do!" She exclaimed as she surprised him catching hold of his hand before he could fully pull it back.

"Then if you would allow me the honor of doing so, I shall make Lady Xiahouji my wife and I will swear my loyalty to…Lord Cao."