Shi Huan – Gōngliú
Xiahou Yuan – Miàocái
Zhao Yun – Zǐlóng
Xiahou Dun – Yuánràng
Zhang Liao – Wényuǎn
Cao Cao – Mèngdé
Li Dian – Mànchéng

Yue Jin – Wenqian

Guo Jia - Fèngxiào
Zhao Yun – Zǐlóng
Zhuge Jin – Ziyu
Zhuge Liang – Kongming
Lu Su – Zǐjìng
Yu Jin – Wenze
Zhuge Jun – Bóyáng
Liu Bei – Xuándé
Xun Yu – Wénruò
Zhang Fei – Yìdé
Xu Shu – Yuánzhí
Cao Pi – Zǐhuán
Cao Chong – Cangshu
Li – Zheng - Siqian

Shi Huan left his meeting with Cao Cao with a sense of foreboding. The last time he was given a mission to infiltrate like this it turned out to be a prelude to war against the Yuans. War was never something he looked forward to, but he knew it was a necessity to heal this land. With a heavy sigh Huan meandered toward the garden. To everyone he passed it seemed as if he was doing nothing more than taking a stroll, but he had a destination in mind. He tried to seem as nonchalant as possible, but he couldn't deny the excitement he felt. If this was anything like his mission to infiltrate the Yuans, he would be gone for a long while. It would be nice to see Cao Hua before he left.

Huan arrived at his destination. The lone dove tree lay just a few feet away and he could see the rock sitting at its base as always. He and Hua had used this system to meet a few times already, but he still found himself wary when it came to picking up her note. Huan loitered around the garden, all the while scanning the area to ensure that no one was around. Once he deemed the coast was clear, he headed over to the tree and removed the rock to retrieve the note. He replaced the rock and made his way to a group of trees and ducked behind one of the thicker ones and leaned against it. He carefully unfolded the note and froze. There was no leaf. In all the times they had done this, there had been a leaf. Huan frowned. There were two options here. Either she truly did forget the leaf or someone found her note after she placed it there. The dread building in the pit of his stomach told him it was the latter and his instincts were rarely wrong. Listening to his instincts was how he survived for so long and he had no intention of ignoring them today.

Huan tucked the note away and contemplated his next steps. If someone got to the note first as he thought, he needed to warn Hua. Leaving a note wouldn't be wise as there is a high chance it will just be intercepted as the original note was. He would have to find another way to contact her. This complicated things as he truly had no reason to speak with someone of her status. He would have to find a way to subtly get the message to her.

"Gōngliú."

The voice made his blood run cold and were he not a man that had years of experience in the art of subterfuge he would have visibly shivered. Luckily he was a man with years of experience and he was able to suppress the shiver that threatened to quite plainly display his guilt. He schooled his features to one of impassiveness and turned to face Cao Pi. He saluted him.

"My Lord?" he asked questioningly.

"What are you doing here?" Pi asked. His eyes scrutinizing as he looked at him.

"Just enjoying the palace gardens," Huan replied smoothly. He was taken off-guard by Pi's sudden appearance, but his experience kicked in and his mask was on. This wasn't the first time he was caught somewhere he wasn't supposed to be and the fact that he is still alive speaks to his skill in deception.

"Whenever I come to the palace I cannot help but stop by to admire them," he continued.

"You are admiring them from behind a tree?" Pi asked.

"Well, I didn't exactly get permission to come here. I thought it would be best if no one saw me. Forgive my trespass, My Lord. I hope you can keep this little secret between us?"

Pi observed him in silence for a few moments. He looked completely at ease and he couldn't sense any deception coming from him, but his instincts told him that some was off, especially considering what he found in the garden just yesterday. Could Shi Huan be the mystery person Hua intended to meet? He would follow up this line of thought later, for now he needed Huan's particular skill set so he would let him believe that all was well.

"I will forget that I saw you here if you do a favor for me."

"I am ever at your service, My Lord."

"My intended Zhenji, find out what she has been up to."

Huan shot Pi a puzzled look. That wasn't much information to go on.

"Find out what she has been up to?"

"Yes. Follow her."

"I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand. Find her, follow her and tell me what she has been doing."

Pi turned and walked away, effectively cutting off any further conversation.

"As prickly as ever," Huan muttered under his breath.

Though he groused, Pi had unwittingly done him a tremendous favor. He had just provided the perfect excuse for him to roam around the castle. Now he could contact Hua under the guise of completing Pi's task. He would of course have to make it look convincing. Just running straight to Hua would look odd, but he was confident he could pull it off. Huan pushed himself off of the tree eager to get his new task underway.

=#=

Cao Hua leaned against her window sill, her eyes focused on a bird that had taken a moment to perch upon a tree near her window. After idling for some time the bird launched itself back into the air and flew off. Her eyes followed the bird till it was nothing more than a tiny speck in the sky. Hua sighed heavily as the tiny speck faded from view. How foolish it was to be envious of a bird, yet here she was, jealous of the freedom it had.

Unlike her sisters, she never felt comfortable in this life, but because of who her father was she never had a choice in the matter. Whenever she would bring such topics up, her sisters would chide her and call her foolish for thinking such things; why would she want to live in squalor when she had a life of luxury? She wouldn't deny that there were some good things that came with being the daughter of Cao Cao, but she knew that given the option in a heartbeat she would give up all she had to be as free as that bird.

"My Lady?"

Hua pushed herself away from the window sill and looked to her handmaiden Zhi Ruo.

"You have a visitor," Ruo said.

"Tell them to go away," Hua said with the bearing of a spoiled child.

"I thought you might say that, but he said it was urgent," Ruo replied wryly.

Hua sighed heavily once more and returned her gaze to the window. Knowing her mistress, Ruo took this action as her begrudging acceptance and showed Hua's guest into the room.

"Greetings, My Lady."

Hua's eyes flew open wide in surprise. She knew that voice, but it was impossible for her to be hearing it right now. She turned her gaze from the window once more and saw what her mind tried to tell her could not possibly be true; It was Shi Huan standing before her. Hua could only stare at him, mouth agape as he respectfully bowed to her. She unconsciously bowed back, years of training guiding her movements.

"My Lady, it is good to see you again. Do you perhaps remember me?"

Of course she remembered him. Why would he ask such a silly question? She was about to say exactly that when she caught sight of her handmaiden in the corner of her eye. That's right; they weren't supposed to know each other. No one else knew the time they spent together away from watchful eyes.

Hua feigned as if she was in deep thought, trying to recall the man standing before her.

"I believe so," she replied finally. "You were one of the people who escorted my sisters and I to Xuchang, correct?"

"I am honored that you remembered someone as lowly as I," Huan replied as he bowed to her once more.

Hua fought the urge to smile and instead chose to nervously twirl a lock of her hair between two fingers. In a sudden burst of recollection she came to realize how she was dressed. Whenever she would meet Huan, she would put in as much care as possible to see him. She had no desire to look appealing to the Emperor, but for Huan? She made the effort. At this moment however, Hua had no plans to even leave her room today. She was content to sit staring out the window for the rest of the day out of the gaze of the rest of her family. She often did this as she felt uncomfortable in the castle. As such, she wore plain robes which she found much more comfortable than her normal ones and she wore her hair down. She positively hated having her head skewered with multiple hairpins. Huan had never seen her in such a state and she felt positively mortified that he finally had.

Hua hastily pulled her hair back and smoothed out her robe, but there was not much she could do on such short notice. Ever the consummate professional, Huan did not show that he noticed her distress.

"I must admit I was surprised to meet your handmaiden. The two of you bear a striking resemblance to each other."

"Though I must admit, your natural beauty far outshines her own," Huan added low enough so only she could hear.

"O-oh. I…uh," she smiled and hid her face hoping he didn't see her face turning bright red.

"I am sorry to bother you, My Lady, but I come to you with a question."

"O-okay…"

By this point, Ruo had moved to another part of the room and busied herself with tidying up to give them some semblance of privacy. Huan took the opportunity to discreetly drop a scrap of paper to the ground.

"Lord Pi has asked me to look into the matter of his intended. She has been leaving the palace without guard. Would you happen to know anything about that?"

As Huan spoke, he used his eyes to signal to the scrap he had dropped on the ground. Hua's eyes spied it and Huan nudged it towards her with his foot.

"No?" Hua said in a bewildered tone.

"No?" Huan repeated.

"No," Hua replied more assured as she took the note from him with her own foot and slid it closer to her before hiding it beneath her feet.

"The only time I have spoken to her was when we first met," she continued.

Huan flashed her a discreet smile upon seeing her hide the note. "I see. I am sorry for disturbing you."

"It is no problem. I hope you find her."

"I am sure I will," Huan said with a bow. "Thank you for your time."

Hua bowed back and Huan left the room, escorted out by Ruo. Her eyes followed him out. She took a few deep breaths to slow her rapidly beating heart. It was certainly a surprise to see him so suddenly and she wished the visit was longer. She couldn't understand why he went through all that trouble to deliver the note instead of using their usual method.

The note! Hua was so flustered by his visit she nearly forgot about it. She quickly moved her foot and snatched the note up. Moving back to her spot by the window, she dusted it off and unfolded it, her eyes quickly scanning it, eager to see the content within. Unfortunately, the note was not what she expected. Her breath hitched upon reading short message.

"Midnight. Dove tree."

That was all. Huan wanted to meet tonight? Had something happened? An uncomfortable coil twisted in her stomach at the thought. Something had to have happened. Why else would he suddenly want to meet? Her musings would have to wait as Hua could hear her handmaiden returning. She hastily folded the note and tucked it away into her robe. She leaned back against the window sill just as Ruo entered the room.

"He seems nice," Ruo commented as she went back to straightening up the room.

Hua shrugged indifferently and was infinitely grateful that Ruo couldn't see the goofy smile on her face in that moment.

"Strange about Lady Zhenji."

"Uh-huh," Hua replied.

"What do you think she is doing?"

"I don't know, but I envy her."

Ruo sighed. "This again, My Lady?"

"Is it so bad to want freedom?"

"My Lady, you have such a good life. I would trade places with you in a heartbeat!"

"You can have it," Hua replied in a dyspeptic tone.

Ruo laughed. "Come, My Lady, you will feel better if you get out of this room."

"Maybe later," Hua whispered as thoughts of her impending meeting with Huan filled her thoughts once more.

=#=

Hua crept through the palace, using the hung lanterns to guide her path. Despite having to duck into the shadows several times to avoid patrolling guards, she managed to make it to the garden without being seen. Taking a few moments to collect herself, Hua hid in the shadows of the garden and looked in the direction she knew the dove tree to be. She had gone there so many times recently she could probably make it there unassisted by light, but she was grateful for the lit braziers that lined the path.

It was time to move. She darted out of her hiding space and ran as fast as she could to another shadowed area then repeated the process moving steadily towards the dove tree. She paused to catch her breath. This was much more physical activity than she was used to, but it was so exciting! She was about to slip out of her hiding spot once more when a hand grabbed her from behind. She was about to scream when another hand clamped down over her mouth. Fear flooded her mind as she struggled against the strong hands holding her.

"It's me. Stay still," a rushed hiss of a whisper was spoken in her ear. She froze. She knew that voice. Her body instantly relaxed as relief washed over her and in her relief, she leaned into her capture. A patrol passed by the pair. She now understood why he stopped her and she was relieved for his intervention. She wished the patrol would have moved just a little slower so she could stay wrapped up within in arms, but alas they passed by and she was released.

"I'm sorry for grabbing you like that," Huan began. Hua could hear rustling and she heard his whispers of sorry from somewhere beneath her. Hua frowned knowing that he dropped to his knees and was bowing in front of her. It was a pointless gesture as she could barely see him in the shadows they were hidden in.

"Huan, stop it. You know you never have to do that for me," Hua said as she waved her hands wildly in the darkness trying to grab hold of him and pull him up. His hands caught her own as he pulled himself to his feet.

"You are kind. Still I shouldn't have grabbed you in such a way. It isn't appropriate," Huan replied as he released her hands.

"I didn't mind it," she muttered, very happy that he couldn't see the blush creeping onto her face at this very moment.

Huan seemed to not notice her words or rather he chose not to acknowledge them.

"I apologized for calling you out here so suddenly. I thank you meeting me on such short notice."

"Something happened, didn't it?" Hua said softly.

"Yes," Huan replied. "I'm afraid someone found your last note."

Hua gasped. "Are you certain?"

"You put in a leaf as always, right?"

"Yes—"

"Are you certain?"

"I am. I made sure of it," Hua replied.

"It wasn't there," said Huan.

"W-who found it?" Hua asked, her voice trembling. Huan knew the fear she felt was not necessarily for herself, but him.

He wanted to reach out to her, but thought better of it. It was bad enough he was meeting up with her in the dead of night. For him to be seen with his hands on her would only seal his already doomed fate.

"I do not know, but please do not despair. We were careful in our notes. It would be difficult to discern who the notes were to or from."

Hua let out a sigh of relief. "That's right…that's right," she whispered, trying to convince herself that his words were true.

"Still, it does mean that we cannot carry on as we have."

"W-what? But…" she paused as she tried to calm her raging emotions. "Do you mean we will never be able to meet again?"

"I don't know. Honestly it would be dangerous for both of us to continue doing so."

"B-but—"

"You do not need me anymore, Lady Hua. You are not in any danger of being married to emperor anymore."

"You think that is the only reason why I wanted to see you?"

Huan remained silent. He didn't want to admit that he knew that it wasn't. Admitting it would be dangerous…admitting it would make him acknowledge why he also wanted to see her and it would make him accept a fact he long tried to deny.

"Is that the only reason why you kept seeing me?" Hua pressed.

"No," he admitted softly. "But I was foolish. You are out of my reach. I selfishly visited you to lie about that fact to myself, but it is time we both admit it."

"I don't want to! Perhaps if I ask father—"

"Lady Hua, stop. You may not be marrying the emperor, but you will still be named his concubine. For a lowly spy like me to even think of being with you is punishable by death."

"This isn't fair," Hua said through sniffles.

"I am sorry, My Lady. For what it is worth, I enjoyed the time we had together."

"So did I," she said with a wavering voice. Huan could tell she was doing all she could to stop herself from crying. They stood engulfed in darkness, the silence between them broken only by the sound of boots against the stone ground as another patrol passed by.

"Will this be the last time I see you?" Hua asked once they could no longer hear the guards.

"I am afraid so. I leave on another mission in four days. I—I am glad to be able to meet with you one last time."

"Where are you going?" Hua asked.

Huan noted that her voice sounded a bit stronger. That made him happy. He didn't want to leave her saddened.

"A mission from your father. I am to go south to spy on a potential enemy."

"And you leave in four days?" she asked.

"Yes. Unfortunately I will be busy looking for Lady Zhenji so I will not be able to meet with you again."

"I guess you will be leaving rather early to get started on your journey."

"Yes; before the light peaks over the horizon. I will not be able to see you before I go."

"Okay," Hua said in a bright tone. "Good luck finding Zhenji."

"Um, t-thank you," Huan stammered out a bit taken back by her sudden change in attitude.

Without another word and a bit of a pep in the step, Hua slipped out of the shadows and ran back towards the palace leaving a bewildered Huan to stare after her.

=#=

Li Dian adjusted his grip on the containers he carried once more. He was grateful that they were bound by a cloth to make the task of carrying them easier. He really owed Yue Jin for getting all this food ready in such a short time and even buying it for him.

As grateful as he was, Dian couldn't shake the feeling that Jin was hiding something. Dian asked him where he normally got the steamed buns he had recently been eating a ton of; he wanted to pick some up for a planned outing today. At being questioned about the shop, Jin became rather Jittery. Jittery is not a characteristic Dian would normally associate with his best friend so it was certainly a surprise to see. Instead of telling him of the shop, he offered to pick it up himself on his behalf. When Dian tried to go with him, Jin was adamant about going alone. He returned with the bundle of food, beautifully bundled and piping hot and would not accept a tael for it. The entire scenario screamed strange, and Dian's gut told him something was up, but he wouldn't press his friend on something he was trying so hard to obviously hide.

He arrived at Xiahou Yuan's home and sucked a deep breath before letting it out. Truth be told, he wasn't looking forward to this. He didn't have a problem with Xiahouji or Zhao Yun, but the idea of going on a picnic with them wasn't something he really wanted to do, especially since he still hasn't had any alone time with Xiaolian since he returned from the last war. He was beyond frustrated with the lack of one on one time. He foolishly thought that with Zhao Yun in the picture, they would have some more time to themselves, but it seemed Xiahouji was glued to her side more than ever. The girl was terrified of being left alone with him and would beseech Xiaolian to accompany them. Dian was dragged into this more than once and it almost always resulted in them staring awkwardly at each other in Yuan's garden. At least they would have a change of scenery today; he had suggested a picnic to them and after a bit of convincing, they had agreed to go.

The change of scenery wasn't just so he would have something different to look at while they stared awkwardly at each other; Dian had a game plan. Xiahouji and Yun hadn't had much of a chance to get to know each other because of a constant presence hovering around them. Dian knew Xiahou Yuan meant well, hell he experience something similar when he first started to openly court Xiaolian from Xiahou Dun; but Dian knew from experience that the constant presence of a father figure did nothing to help a budding relationship. He and Xiaolian got much closer once they slipped from under Dun's watchful eye and got to just be with each other. He hoped to create a similar experience for Xiahouji and Yun so he could get back to enjoying Xiaolian's company and ONLY Xiaolian's company.

Dian was led into the garden where his three companions for the day awaited along with their ever present shadow Xiahou Yuan.

"I don't like this idea," Yuan grounded out before Dian even had a chance to greet the group.

Dian let out a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

"Everything will be fine Master Miàocái," Dian assured.

"He is my responsibility. If he decides to flee—"

Yun gave Yuan a sour look at the mere suggestion that he would run after he vowed to not do so. Yuan turned his head to avoid his gaze. He knew deep down that Yun wouldn't flee, but he was desperate. The idea of leaving Xiahouji alone with him filled him with an unreasonable amount dread and he wanted to prevent it by any means necessary.

"Now, now Master Miàocái, I think you know that Zǐlóng wouldn't do that."

Yuan gave a grunt in response.

"Well, we should get going—"

"I still don't understand why you aren't taking any guards or handmaidens with you," Yuan groused.

"Well it would be a bit crowded and I only have so much food," Dian replied holding up the bundle of food he held. Besides, Zǐlóng and I are capable warriors. We will ensure no harm comes to them."

"I swear on my life that Xiahouji will be fine," Yun said, speaking up for the first time since this conversation began.

"Now, now husband. Let them go."

Jiao made her away across the garden to the group and snaked her arm around her husband's own.

"You really trust these guys with Xiahouji?" Yuan asked grumpily.

"I do and I know deep down inside you do as well. Let them have their fun."

Jiao pushed herself up to her tiptoes and leaned in close so she could whisper her next words into Yuan's ear.

"There is also the fact that I have arranged us to have the house all to ourselves—once they leave that is."

Yuan's face remained turned down into a frown until the meaning of Jiao's words finally took purchase in his mind. His frown shifted to one of surprise then quickly to a grin of anticipation. Not knowing what Jiao said made watching the myriad of emotions that suddenly played out on Yuan's face all the more confusing to the others that watched him.

"Okay, get out," he declared suddenly. "Come on, scoot!"

"B-but," Xiahouji weakly protested, surprised by the sudden change.

"Go on Xiahouji! You need to get to know your intended better if you two are to be married. Go on now! Take care of them you two!"

They were kicked out of the garden in such a flurry by Yuan that they barely had time to process what was happening. The group was left standing awkwardly by the stables and Yuan didn't spare them another glance as he hurried back to the garden where his wife waited. Yuan scooped Jiao up into his arms eliciting a pretty giggle to bubble out of her. He plopped a quick kiss on her forehead before rushing them off to their room for some alone time.

=#=

Dian, Xiaolian, Yun and Xiahouji arrived at the field that would host their picnic. Dian shifted his hold of the food so he could dismount and looked over to Xiaolian and Xiahouji who was being helped off their horse by Yun. This trip already started off on a sour note for Dian. He wanted to ride with Xiaolian, but Xiahouji was apparently too shy to ride with Yun. As Xiaolian had skill in riding, she was able to ride with Xiahouji and the men were left to ride by themselves.

Dian looked around the field. It was nice enough. The apple grove would have been a better setting. He had thought about taking them to there, but ultimately decided against it. That was a special place for him and Xiaolian and he was sharing more than enough with Xiahouji already. Dian felt a bit guilty at that thought. He needed to be more understanding. Xiahouji couldn't help being so skittish and she really needed Xiaolian's support. He and Xiaolian had their whole lives ahead of them. He could certainly loan her to her cousin and best friend for a bit longer. Biting back a sigh and slapping on a false smile, he joined the group with food in hand.

Yun offered a hand to help Xiahouji off the horse which she shyly accepted. The minute her feet hit ground she scurried away, putting distance between them. Yun was not offended by this. By now he had become accustomed to her skittish nature and came to accept it. Knowing what he knew now made her confession in his cell all the more meaningful. Xiahouji was not one to come out of her shell unless it as for a good reason. She truly wished for him to live and he vowed to do so if only to protect her for the rest of his days.

Yun offered his hand to Xiaolian and it was ignored as she hopped of the horse by herself. Truly these two were quite different in manner. It was a wonder that they got along so well.

"So shall we eat? I am kind of tired of holding this," Dian remarked as he held up the bundle he still held.

The girls nodded and went off to pick a spot they could sit leaving Yun and Dian to secure the horses.

The group finally set up at a spot with the food spread out before them. Predictably Xiahouji chose to sit next to Xiaolian which left Yun and Dian to sit next to each other across from them. Dian had been joking when he thought to himself that he would rather sit awkwardly in another location so he would have something new to look at, but that was exactly what they were doing. The change of scenery, so far, has not been the ice breaker he had been hoping it would be. Perhaps they just needed a little push.

"Soooo, Lady Xiahouji, are you excited to be getting married?"

Dian can honestly say that he has never seen someone blush as fast as Xiahouji just did. Almost instantly her face bloomed in a delightful red hue which was quickly hidden by her hands. To further ensure that no one could see her, she turned her face to the side so only Xiaolian could see her face.

"Oooookay," Dian said as he shifted his gaze to Xiaolian. "How about you? Are you excited to be getting married?" he asked with a grin.

Xiaolian gave him a noncommittal shrug and Dian's face fell. That one hurt. Xiaolian was always hard to read so he was often left wondering just how much she actually cared for him? He thought he was getting better at reading her as time went by, but it was moments like this that made him realize just how much he still needed to learn. He wanted to believe that she did care for him as much as he cared for her, but her actions said sometimes said otherwise.

Unfortunately this thought has been prevalent in his mind for a few weeks now. Since he had returned from the war, the two of them hadn't had a private moment together and it wasn't from lack of trying on his part. Xiahouji had been dominating a lot of her time and unfortunately for him, Xiaolian seemed content to allow her to do so. Despite trying to be understanding, he couldn't help but feel spurned in favor of the soft spoken girl. It didn't help that only time Xiaolian had actively sought him was when she wanted to ask for something. Dian's mood had tanked rapidly as these thoughts swirled around in his head and he suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here. He took one of the remaining meat buns, which were only lukewarm at this point, and shoved it into his mouth. They wouldn't have to worry about him trying to strike up a conversation again.

A silence fell over the group once more. Somehow, this one felt much more awkward than the last. Having finished off the meat bun, Dian reached for another one when Xiaolian surprisingly spoke up.

"Yes."

Dian paused, his mouth still hanging open to accept that awaiting meat bun he had picked up. He snapped his mouth closed, lowered his hand and focused his gaze on Xiaolian.

"Yes what?" He asked as he eyed her curiously.

"Your question," Xiaolian answered matter-of-factly.

"My question?" Dian parroted. His eye widened slightly as realization hit. "You mean to the excited question? You are answering that just now?!"

Xiaolian shrugged. "I had to think about it. Wasn't sure…if I was more excited or more nervous."

Dian stared at his intended in disbelief before bursting into laughter.

"I did not take that long," Xiaolian grumbled softly.

To her surprise, Dian somehow heard her over his boisterous laughter.

"Y-you really did!" he managed out in-between his laughter.

Xiaolian gave him a sour look which sent Dian into another round of laughter. Finally he managed to reign his laughter in, though he was impressed that Xiaolian managed to maintain her look of irritation for so long.

"I-I'm sorry," he breathed out, his body still shaking in silent laughter. "It's just…I was sitting over here worried and you managed to alleviate it all with a single word."

Xiaolian's face softened somewhat. The word 'worried' stuck out to her. Why would he be worried? She wanted to ask, but Yun spoke up causing her to swallow her words.

"You two seem to get along well."

Dian looked startled for a moment as he turned his attention to Yun. He had honestly forgotten he and Xiahouji were there as quiet as they were.

"Do we? Ha, that makes me happy to hear."

"Forgive my bold words, but it is strange that someone of your status is being allowed to marry her. Did—" he paused for a brief moment, it was still strange for him to call Cao Lord and he had to actively remind himself of such.

"—Lord Cao…did he promise her to you to earn your loyalty?"

"No. I served Lord Cao for years now and before you ask it wasn't a reward for said service either. I know Lord Cao is…uh—"

Dian scratched his head. What was the best way to say this without getting in trouble?"

"Driven? I guess? He will do anything for the sake of his ambition, but he tries to be fair. He gave Master Yuánràng and Master Miàocái time to find someone their daughters would like. I was just lucky enough to be that guy for Xiaolian," Dian finished with a wide grin.

Xiaolian turned her head to face away from the men as she began to feel embarrassed by Dian's words.

"Weirdo," she said, keeping her face hidden and willing the blush she knew was surely showing on her face to go away.

Dun chuckled and tried to lean over to see Xiaolian's blush. She was adorable when she blushed, but Xiaolian only moved with him in determination to keep him from seeing it. Dian finally gave up with a laugh. His intended was a stubborn one.

"Did Lord Cao do this with all of those who serve under him that have eligible daughters?" Yun asked drawing Dian back into the conversation.

"Nope, but to be honest it isn't as if Lord Cao really has to coerce them into it. A lot of those guys want to gain favor with him so they actually offer their daughters up for Lord Cao to use them as he sees fit. In fact, a lot of them do so hoping that Lord Cao would take them for himself or for his sons. To guys like that, their daughters are just tools to be used and Lord Cao doesn't dissuade them from it. I mean why would he? It aids in his ambition after all," Dian said with a shrug.

Dian gave Xiaolian a fond look as he continued.

"Master Yuánràng and Master Miàocái aren't like that though. They actually care about their daughter's happiness. I think that's why Lord Cao gave them a choice in the matter…well that and because they are his cousins. It's no secret that he favors them"

Yun thought on Dian's words. After a few moments of contemplative silence, he spoke once more.

"So what made you first decide to serve Lord Cao?"

"What made me decide to serve?" Dian repeated as he put a hand to his chin in thought.

"I guess it would be because of my uncle."

"Your uncle?"

"Yeah," Dian said with a nod.

Yun noticed that his expression became dejected. It was obvious that something happened to this uncle and whatever that something as, Dian still wore the wound across his heart from it. He wouldn't ask any further for details as it was not his place to do so. Perhaps if they got to know each other better—

"A bunny! Xiaolian look a bunny!" Xiahouji suddenly exclaimed completely breaking the somber moment and effectively startling the group. They turned their attention to the fluffy white rabbit that looked positively terrified of the various eyes suddenly fixed on it. The rabbit quickly turned on its heel and began to hop away as fast as its little legs could carry it.

"Come back bunny!" Xiahouji cried as she scrambled to her feet and hurried after it.

"L-Lady Xiahouji, please wait!" a flustered Yun called out as he hurried after her.

=#=

Zhao Yun and Xiahouji

"Come back bunny!" Xiahouji cried as she chased after her fluffy prey, a flustered Yun following closely behind. Xiahouji had managed to catch up to the rabbit. Gleefully, she extended her arms and reached for the furry critter. So wrapped up she was in catching the bunny, she failed to notice the rock in her path.

Xiahouji's foot collided with the rock and for a few seconds she found herself airborne. Her flight was a temporary one as her body soon crashed into the tuft below.

"Lady Xiahouji!" Yun cried out as he moved to help her.

"NO!" She admonished. "Forget about me. GET THE BUNNY!"

Yun blinked in surprise. He had never seen Xiahouji like this before. He could barely reconcile that this girl was same meek girl he had come to know.

"Hurry!" Xiahouji urged.

Yun snapped to, quickly picked up three stones and aimed at the bunny.

"D-don't kill it!"

Yun let the stone fly, it landing just before the rabbit. It changed direction and Yun threw the second one causing the rabbit to correct its course once more. Yun aimed carefully and threw the third. In response, the rabbit changed once more, right into Yun's path. He dove forward and quickly grabbed hold of the squirming bunny.

Yun could hear Xiahouji approaching his side. He turned to face her, holding his prize out to her.

"You got it!" she exclaimed happily as she grabbed hold of the squirming creature. The bunny struggled to get out of her hold and it almost succeeded. Yun quickly helped her secure it, not wanting his hard fought prize to escape.

"It's so cute," Xiahouji said in a dreamlike voice as she stroked the bunny. Her soothing ministrations slowly began to calm the frightened creature.

"Thank you," she said, her focus still on rabbit in her eyes.

"I live to serve you," Yun replied.

Xiahouji peeled her eyes away from the bunny to look at Yun. Their eyes met and Xiahouji found herself sucked in. In his beautiful eyes she felt as if she could see the depths of his soul.

"D-do you regret j-joining?"

"No," Yun replied quickly.

He was telling the truth. She could see it in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" he asked, blinking in surprise and breaking the hold he had over her. Xiahouji immediately averted her eyes and focused back on the bunny in her hands.

"I h-haven't been a very good wife. Um w-well intended w-w-wife."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I did not join you because I wanted something from you. I am content just to protect you and ensure that you are happy."

"But I want to make you happy. I m-meant what I said that day. I want to be a wife to you."

Yun remained silent. He didn't trust himself to speak. He told himself that he would be fine with just being her protector; for the atrocities he allowed to happen, this was all he deserved. Deep in his heart, however, he yearned for more.

"I am not worthy of you, Lady Xiahouji."

"N-no! I don't believe that!"

Yun looked at Xiahouji in surprise. Feeling suddenly embarrassed, she turned to the side so he could not see her face.

"You are the nicest, handsomest, strongest, bravest man I know. Y-you stood up to your Lord's brother for s-someone you didn't even know. It would be an h-honor to be your wife."

"Lady Xiahouji," Yun whispered in disbelief.

"But please…just give me some t-time. This is all new for me and I am a bit s-scared. But do not think I do not want to be with you. I do…"

Yun found himself nodding at her. He knew he should have argued with her, told her that the vision she had of him was wrong, but he did not want to. Perhaps he was not the man she thought he was at this moment, but he would become the man she sees him as.

"Take all the time you need, My Lady. I will wait for you for an eternity."

Xiahouji giggled. "That would be too long."

She stroked the bunny's head. "Do you think father will l-let me keep it?"

"I do not see why he wouldn't," Yun replied.

"We s-should name it. What name do you t-think would be good?"

"I am not sure. I am afraid naming rabbit's are not in my skill set."

Xiahouji giggled.

"How about Chang'e? I love the story of the moon goddess."

"That sounds like a perfect name…but is that rabbit a she?"

Xiahouji lifted the rabbit up so its genitalia was at eye level. She poked around its body to search for evidence of its gender causing the bunny to squirm wildly in her arms.

"Yup!" she exclaimed happily. "It is definitely a girl!"

Yun couldn't help but give her a wild smile. Did she know just how adorable she was? He gave the bunny a few soft strokes on its head.

"Well Chang'e, I hope you will be very happy with Lady Xiahouji. You could not have gotten a better owner."

Xiahouji smiled up at him. "I want to show Xiaolian!" she declared before dashing off back towards Xiaolian and Dun.

"Lady Xiahouji, please be careful!" Yun called out as he followed her. He did not want a repeat of her tripping over again.

As they neared the picnic spot, Yun noticed that Dian and Xiahouji were awfully close. It seems that while they were away chasing the rabbit, they decided to spend some intimate time together.

"Lady Xiahouji, maybe we should—"

"Xiaolian look at the bunny!" Xiahouji cried out happily, oblivious to the intimate moment she had just intruded upon.

=#=

Li Dian and Xiaolian

Dian watched the pair utterly bewildered by what he had just seen. In all the time he knew Xiahouji, that was perhaps the most animated she had ever been and that is including the time she pleaded for Yun's life in the Yamen. Dian looked to Xiaolian for some sort of explanation and she gave him a nonchalant shrug.

"She likes bunnies," she said in way of explanation.

Dian looked at the pair again. They were a decent distance now and it looked as if they were getting farther still. He turned his attention back to Xiaolian and grinned. This was the first time they had been alone in what felt like forever. He quickly made his way over to her side, grinning all the while.

"You are happy now," Xiaolian remarked.

"Of course I am. I get some alone time with my intended. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"You looked…sad earlier," Xiaolian replied.

Dian's grin faltered as he thought back to his uncle.

"Well…yeah I guess I was a bit sad. You know what happened to my uncle…"

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"About him. You…seemed close."

"Oh. I guess I really only told you about his end, huh?" he sighed. This wasn't something he spoke about for quite some time, but she deserved to know.

"Well…where do I start," Dian pondered as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"I guess the best place would be to talk about my family. In my family, I was…well I guess you can say the odd one. I was never content to just laze about; I always had to be doing something. I really enjoyed reading and studying. I always had a scroll in my hand reading some tale or other. A lot of my family members didn't understand this about me. Why work or study when you didn't have to? They always accused me trying to show off and make them look bad."

"Look bad?"

"Yeah," Dian replied as he scratched his chin. "They weren't working or studying. I was the only one who did so they accused me of sucking up to my uncle to gain his favor. Oh… I should probably also explain that my family was fairly well off and that was because of my uncle Li Qian. He was a pretty influential guy in Juye County. We had thousands of retainers and he was well respected by everyone in the Shanyang Commandery. My uncle worked hard and he took care of his family…all of us and believe me when I say there are a lot of us."

"When I was young, I actually didn't have any interest in military affairs. My mind changed about that because of my uncle. He was the only one never looked down on me because of my intuition. Oh I didn't talk about my intuition did I?"

Xiaolian shook her head in response.

"That was probably the main reason why I was ostracized within my family. I would tell them about my intuition and basically said I was full of it. They said it was something I read out of a tale and it wasn't real. When I insisted, they stopped ignoring me and started admonishing me instead. They would call me a fool and said I tried to bring shame to my family. My…my parents were especially hard on me. I was their only child and in their eyes I was an embarrassment. The only people who didn't treat me like a fool was my uncle Li Qian and his son, my cousin Li Zheng."

Dian paused and a smile appeared on his face. He stared off at the distance, but he wasn't looking at the scenery in front of him. What he saw was a fond memory of the times he and his uncle shared in his mind's eye. It was so clear to him it felt as if it happened just yesterday. Dian closed his eyes banishing the memories and continued his story.

"My uncle, he was a great man. His kindness was boundless and he always smiled even in the darkest of times—"

"Like you."

Dian smiled at Xiaolian's words.

"Heh. Yeah. I guess I tried to emulate him a bit because I admired him so much. He always encouraged me in everything I did; told me to always follow my gut. I was grateful to him and Zheng for treating me…well like a person instead of a fool. My uncle was more of a father to me than my own father and I still hold Li Qian in my heart as a brother. Because of them, I no longer read fanciful tales. I switched my focus to military strategies and began training. As soon as I became of age, I swore myself to my uncle's service. I was determined to help him in any way that I could."

"Lord Cao called on my uncle during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. I met him around that time and my intuition told me that one day this man would unite the land and I would be there to help him. Initially, I thought that it would be by my uncle and cousin's side."

Dian paused and sucked in a breath. He let it out with a shake of his head.

"One day, my uncle received a visit from one of Lu Bu's subordinates, a guy by Xue Lan and he was accompanied by none other than Zhang Liao."

"My uncle sent my cousin and I on an errand that day. I told him that I had a bad feeling. That something was telling me that one of us should stay one of us should stay, but he refused. He clasped my shoulder and told me that his gut was telling him that both of us needed to go to complete this errand."

Dian lowered his head. "Initially I thought he was mocking me. I remember being so angry about it. How could he tell me he believed in me all this time only to mock me when I come to him with one of my intuitions?; but after hearing how everything turned out, I think he saved our lives. Had we been there, I think we would have also met my uncle's fate."

"Wényuǎn…he killed your uncle."

Dian's fist clentched tightly at her words. He took a few deep breathes before looking at her with a small smile that in no way reached his eyes. He was trying so hard to not show his sorrow. For some reason that bothered Xiaolian. She reached out and took his clenched fist in her hands. The move surprised Dian and his fist loosened enough for her to slip her fingers into his hand and run them across his palm. His flashed her another smile…this one he truly meant.

"I don't know if Wényuǎn dealt the final blow, I just know that he was there. They asked my uncle to join Lu Bu. He refused and was killed for it."

Dian shook his head and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Heh, you asked about my uncle and I wound up telling you my life story. Sorry about that."

Xiaolian gave a small shake of her head. "I'm glad. Thank you."

Dian took her other hand in his and turned so that he was fully facing her.

"I know this is sudden, but can I kiss you? It feels like it has been forever and I really miss it."

While surprised by his bold request, Xiaolian found herself nodding in agreement. Dian smiled and released his hold on her hand so he could stroke her cheek. He ran the back of his finger down her cheek just before gently taking hold of her chin between his thumb and fore-finger. He used his hold to guide her head up as he leaned forward slowly, his eyes closed and Xiaolian allowed her own eyes to slide close.

"Xiaolian look at the bunny!"

Xiahouji's sudden outburst startled the two and they jumped back from each other. Xiahouji, oblivious to the moment she just interrupted kneeled next to Xiaolian and thrust the frightened bunny towards her. Dian sighed. He was so close. With a mirthless chuckle he got up and returned to his spot opposite of Xiaolian. Xiahouji slid into the spot Dian previously occupied and chatted excitedly with Xiaolian about her new furry friend.

"I am sorry," Yun began as he took his spot next to Dian once more. "I tried to stop her but—"

"She really likes bunnies," Dian offered.

Yun chuckled.

"I think like is putting it mildly."

Yun and Dian fell into a comfortable silence as they watch their future wives play with the bunny that seemed just a bit less skittish than before. After some time had passed, Dian stood and stretched. This was a good day, but it is time for it to come to an end. He announced this to the group and they agreed. They packed up the remaining food and headed back to the horses.

Xiahouji halted her steps suddenly. She stroked the fluffy creature in her arms and tried to summon up her courage. Realizing she was no longer in step with them, the group stopped to look at her.

"Lady Xiahouji?" Yun asked questioningly.

"Oh…Um I—think…I think I would like to ride with you," Xiahouji announced.

This declaration surprised all of them, but none more Yun. He gave her a nod and helped her onto his steed. He climbed up after her and Xiahouji did everything in her power to not jump off the horse in apprehension of his close proximity. Yun put on arm around her waist and Xiahouji immediately tensed up.

"My apologies for not giving you warning," Yun said as he removed his arm. "I have to hold onto you securely to ensure that you do not fall off since you cannot hold on yourself," he said as he pointed to the rabbit still clutched in her arms.

"O-oh. Okay," she said with a small nod.

Yun replaced his arm around her waist and she tensed again. He went to remove his arm once more, but she shook her head.

"It's okay. I-I am fine."

"Okay," Yun replied as he grabbed hold of the reins with his other hand.

"We ready to go?" Dian asked from astride his own horse, Xiaolian was close by atop her own steed.

"We are," Yun confirmed.

Dian nodded and lead the way back to Xuchang.

=#=

The sound of a snapping twig made the foraging deer's head shoot up at attention. It looked towards where it heard the sound and quickly turned on its heel to flee in the opposite direction. Mere moments later, an arrow landed harmlessly in the spot it once occupied. Even if the deer had remained in the spot where the arrow now lay, it wouldn't have gotten anything more than a surface wound.

Lingqi let out a frustrated growl. "Again! How many has that been now?"

"I haven't been keeping count," Zhang Liao replied.

He lied. It was seven. He just didn't want to tell her because he didn't want her to get discouraged.

"Ugh, maybe you should just take my bow. I think you would do a better job than me."

Liao held up the remains his broken bow, a result of him drawing it with a bit too much power.

"If you gave it to me I fear we would both be without a bow before long."

"We are really bad at this."

"Indeed we are," Liao confirmed.

And they were. These two warriors were not made for the subtle art of hunting. They were warriors of pure power; the earth around them quaked whenever they did battle. Under Lu Bu, they never had a reason to learn to taper their power so they didn't. As a result, they lacked the finer details of stealth and patience, the very skills needed for hunting.

Lingqi let out an exaggerated sigh as she sat upon the forest floor.

"What are we going to do?"

"Things are not quite so dire. We still have rice and a few vegetables left."

Lingqi made a face reminding Liao of that stubborn young girl he trained many years ago.

"We've had rice and vegetables for days now. I want meat."

Liao averted his eyes. His pride stung knowing he could not adequately provide for his wife and servants. This was quite the predicament his brother had put him in and he will never forgive him for it.

"I have an idea," Liao began, causing Lingqi to sit up at attention.

"Master Yuánràng asked to meet with me today. I told him I could not because we were going hunting today, but I think I shall take him up on his offer. I believe he said Master Miàocái would be in attendance as well. After our meeting concludes, I will ask Master Miàocái for tips on hunting."

Lingqi wrinkled her nose. "Won't learning how to be a better hunter take days?"

"Yes," Liao confirmed. "But we will be better off for it in the long run. I am sorry I cannot give you what you want now, but please give me time and I will provide for you as a husband should."

Lingqi stood and surprised Liao by wrapping her arms around his neck and laying her head beneath his chin.

"I've been acting like a brat, haven't I? It was not my intention to make you seem as if you have been lacking as a husband; It your brother and your brother alone that is to blame. Even so, I should not have complained like a spoiled child. Our lives could be much worse and I would rather eat rice at your side than eat a meal fit for an emperor without you."

Liao pulled Lingqi away from his chest so he could get a good look at her face. She smiled softly at him and he placed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Your words warm my heart, Lingqi. I do think you are a bit too harsh on yourself however, as you are well within your right to complain. I will ensure that you eat well soon. I swear on my life."

Lingqi giggled.

"We do not need such serious declarations for a task such of this, husband. I believe your words and will wait patiently. Now let us go."

"You are coming with me?" Liao asked as Lingqi pulled herself from his arms and started to walk out of the forest.

"Yes. I would like to see Zhuyue and the little ones."

Liao did not miss how her face lit up when she spoke of Dun and Zhuyue's children. At that moment he imagined Lingqi with her belly round with his child and a soft smile on her lips. He found that he did not dislike the image.

=#=

"Wasn't expecting you here today," Dun said as he led Liao into the room he usually used for meetings.

"Yes, my apologies for cancelling. I had some urgent business to attend to attend to, but I finished earlier than I anticipated and decided to come. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you?"

"Not really," Dun said with a shrug as he moved towards his desk. He began to push aside the various scrolls strewn upon it leaving its center clear.

"You said that Master Miàocái had just left?"

"Uh-huh," Dun replied as he set the last scroll aside. He turned to fix his eye on Liao. "Why, you have some business with my brother?"

"No," he replied quickly, unwilling to give any hints to why he wanted to see Yuan.

"Huh," was Dun's only reply. He did not push the issue and Liao was grateful for it.

"May I ask why you wanted to see me?"

Dun moved to the back of his desk and hefted a chest up from the floor. He plopped the chest down on the newly cleared area of his desk with a thud, the wood creaking from the newly added weight.

"Going to be blunt. I'm bribing you."

"Bribing me?" Liao repeated with furrowed brows.

"You and Lingqi to be precise. Take a look," he said pointing with his chin towards the chest.

Liao hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward towards the chest. In one smooth motion, he unlatched and opened the chest and peered at the contents inside. Liao felt grateful at the moment that he wasn't the most expressive individual. He was sure that if he was, his eyes would have quite possibly bugged out of his skull at the sight before him. Liao closed the lid, his lips pressed into a tight line.

"What is the meaning of this? Did Lord Cao tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Dun asked as he lifted the brow over his right eye.

Liao pressed his lips into a tight line once more, unsure of how to proceed. If Dun and Cao hadn't spoken, he would be telling Dun about the financial situation he and Lingqi currently found themselves in.

"Why are you offering me a chest full of taels?"

"I told you, it was a bribe. Mèngdé wants my brother and me to govern Jinyin and Chenliu. We are going to need to take a few people with us as vassals. You are one of those people we want to take. Zhuyue especially wants Lingqi to come along. She is practically refusing to have anyone else serve as one of her guard; says it is too much work to train anyone else," Dun said with a roll of his eye.

"Lord Cao could have simply commanded me to go with you. There is no reason to offer me such a large sum of taels," Liao replied, suspicion lacing his tone. Cao Cao had to have told him about his pathetic predicament and Dun was taking pity on him. It was a kind gesture on Dun's part but it wounded his pride.

Dun's brow quirked up once more.

"You are right. He could have, but that is not the way I do things. I know that you built yourself a home here and you and Lingqi have set down roots. Asking you two to suddenly uproot yourself to serve us is a selfish request hence why I am bribing you, hoping that you will accept these taels and our offer," he replied.

Liao remained silent as he found himself speechless. It was truly hard for him to discern whether Dun truly did know the truth or if this was just as it seemed on the surface; an offer for their service that could not have come at a better time. Dun's face gave away nothing so it was left for Liao to make a choice. He decided to believe that this was simply as Dun said…his pride desperately wanted him to believe that. It truly was a good offer. It was a chance to get away from the home that his foolish brother had sullied and to take care of his wife and loyal servants. He would be a fool to turn down such an offer.

"I did not mean to seem ungrateful. Your offer is a generous one and we shall humbly accept it."

"Good," Dun said with a nod. "Now I am sorry to press you into service so quickly, but I would like you to accompany us to visit the region that will become our home."

"Us, My Lord?"

Dun cringed at the use of the title. He never was a big fan of formality, but being thrust into this role he would have to get accustomed to it."

"That would be Mèngdé, Miàocái, Mànchéng, Wenqian, Zǐlóng and Fèngxiào…provided the last four accept serving as our vassals."

"I was the first person you asked?" Liao asked in surprise.

"That's right," he confirmed. "You were the biggest unknown…we decided to work our way from hardest to easiest."

"I see. When do we leave for our trip?"

"Within a week's time. Mèngdé has some business to attend to."

"I will be ready—Zhuyue isn't coming?"

"She is actually," Dun said with a sigh. "Mèngdé was adamant about having her come along which is a bit odd. Lingqi is more than welcomed by the way. If you are anything like me, I am pretty sure you would rather not travel without her."

"That is correct. We will be ready to leave on your word, My Lord."

Zhuyue had waited for Liao and Lingqi to leave before joining her husband in the room.

"So has he accepted?"

"He has," Dun replied as he pulled Zhuyue into his lap the moment she was within reach.

"Did he suspect anything?"

"No. Your idea to make it an offer to become our vassal was a good one."

"I still can't believe the trouble they are in—For them to sell Red Hare—"

"I know and I am pretty sure that if it wasn't for your little deception, he wouldn't have accepted those taels. He's a proud man...though I can't begrudge him that as I would most likely be the same way were I in that position."

"Well then I guess we should be grateful that a Drunken Mèngdé has loose lips," Zhuyue said with a smirk.

Dun let out a short laugh, his attention focused on something behind her.

"I'm excited to go on this trip."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Feels like it has been awhile since I've left Xuchang. I love being here with our children, but I don't want my skills to dull.

"Doubt we are going to be fighting anything on this trip though," Dun replied.

"You never know. Maybe bandits will think of us as easy targets."

"Why are you smiling as you say that?"

Zhuyue only smiled wider in response causing Dun to sigh at his wife's antics.

"You know that Mèngdé isn't just going there for business, right?" Zhuyue said as she shifted her position on Dun's lap.

"Probably not."

"And he wants to drag you all down to his debauchery."

"Like he could; I doubt he will even try to with you around anyway. He has Fèngxiào for that stupid shit anyway."

"And I guess that's why he isn't bringing Bianshi along. I doubt she would look kindly upon it were she there."

Dun only gave her an hmm in response which sounded more like a grunt than anything.

"Are you excited to go?"

Another grunt.

"I have no idea what that means," she said with a frown.

He let out another grunt in response.

"Are you even listening to me any longer?"

"We haven't had sex on this yet," Dun replied as he turned his eye back to her."

"Uh…what?" Zhuyue asked as she pulled away from him slightly.

"The desk. We haven't had sex on it the entire time we've lived here. Don't know why…"

"What do you mean you don't know why? A desk isn't a normal place to have sex!"

"It's sturdy though. Held up that chest well enough."

"Two people weigh a bit more than a chest Lord Husband."

"Hmm…let's test it."

"A-are you serious right now?"

"What? You are so worried about me going along with 'Mèngdé's debauchery' as you put it then you better make sure that I am satisfied."

Zhuyue's eyes narrowed.

"Is that a threat, Lord Husband?"

"Just a suggestion wife," Dun replied with a grin.

In a huff Zhuyue pushed herself off of Dun's lap. For a moment he thought she was going to storm out of the room, but instead she didn't; instead she showed him exactly why he fell so deeply in love with her so long ago. Zhuyue stripped out of her robe, each movement slowly and purposeful, knowing that his eye was on her the entire time. Once she was completely nude, she sauntered over to him and leaned against the desk. Dun reached for her waist, but she lifted her leg and pressed her right foot gently against his chest. He allowed himself to be pushed back into the chair as she used him as a stepping stool to mount his desk. She slid forward till her bottom was at the very edge then laid back as much as she could. She propped herself up onto her elbows and slowly spread her legs open, resting her feet against the armrest of his chair and giving him an eyeful of her most intimate parts.

"Well then, you better satisfy me so my eyes won't wander," Zhuyue said in a sultry tone noting the pure look of lust Dun was currently giving her.

"Is that a threat?" Dun growled as he stood positioning himself between her legs and brushing against her teasingly. He leaned as far over her as she could, his rough hands running down her nude body. A smirk played on Zhuyue's lips.

"Just a suggestion, husband."

Dun gave her a wolfish grin before discarding his own robes and quickly burying himself inside of her. Zhuyue let out a loud moan, a sound Dun had grown to crave whenever they were intimate. How foolish she was to think he would replace her with some random woman. She had absolutely ruined him and he had no desire for anyone other than her. He was determined to prove this fact every day until they left for their trip. Sadly, Dun was wrong about the desk as it broke midway through their second bout.

=#=

"Brother, you are finally home!"

Zhuge Liang's sister, Zhuge Lien greeted her brother and his wife as they crossed the threshold.

"Lien, you look well," Liang remarked with a smile.

"So you have finally arrived," said a voice from further down the hall. Liang and Yueying looked behind Lien to see Liang's older brother, Zhuge Jin along with their younger brother Jun.

"You've managed to get here before me I see," remarked Liang as he met his brother half way.

"So I did. It is good to see you again," said Jin as he embraced his younger brother.

"It is good to see you as well, Ziyu," said Liang as he returned the embrace.

It truly was good to see him again. It had been years since they laid eyes on each other. Their last meeting was when Jin tried to convince him to leave his mountain retreat and join the forces of Wu. He declined and while Jin was disappointed, the two managed to part on good terms.

"And you, dear sister. I see that you are looking as beautiful as ever," said Jin as he embraced Yueying.

"I see your silver tongue has not dulled," said Yueying as she returned the embrace.

"I only speak the truth, tell her, Kongming."

"He speaks the truth," Liang replied as he looked at Yueying.

Yueying was not a woman prone to blushing, but she felt that at that moment she could. She knew she wasn't beautiful, there were many in her life that seemed to make it their life's mission to inform her of this. It was so odd for her to hear otherwise and even though she knew deep down in her heart that she was unattractive, it still felt good to hear someone say otherwise.

"It is good to see you as well, Bóyáng," said Liang.

"Yes. I have missed you, brother. Both of you," Jun replied as he greeting Liang and Yueying.

"Let's go to the tea room!" Lien piped up. I already have everything ready.

They followed Lien to the room and sat as she and Yueying served them tea.

"Such a homemaker you have become, Lien," Liang remarked. "It is past time that you are married."

Lien sighed lightly. "I am afraid that time may have passed for me brother. I face competition from many younger women and I am afraid that I do not catch the eye of many men."

"Nonsense," Jin replied. "Ju is older than you and she got married."

"Speaking of Ju, have you heard any news of her?" Liang asked as he turned his attention to his older brother.

Jin nodded. "Not much has changed for her after that coward Liu Cong pledged his loyalty to Cao Cao. She still resides in her husband's lands, just under Cao Cao's rule."

"So Cao Cao hasn't attempted to dispose of Kuai Yue?"

"There was no need. It seems that he had always been a fan of Cao Cao. In fact, Ju has told me her husband fully supported Liu Cong's surrender to him."

"I see," remarked Liang before taking another sip of his tea.

"How are Huifen, Qiao and Ke?" Yueying asked, breaking the momentarily silence that had fallen over the group.

Jin smiled upon hearing the names of his wife and sons.

"They are doing well. You should come by and visit. You haven't seen Huifen and Qiao in quite some time and you haven't met Ke at all yet. He will be approaching his third summer now."

"We would love to see them, Ziyu—"

"But," Jin supplied, his easy going smile fading as he eyed his brother.

Liang allowed himself a small smile. "There is still not much I can put past you."

"Well I did teach you much of what you know…and then you decided to go ahead and surpass me in every way."

The comment may have seemed like one borne of jealously, but Liang knew that it wasn't. As Liang had told his brother before he is the man he is now because of him. Jin was proud of his brother's accomplishments and seeing him succeed was akin to succeeding himself.

"My wife is right; your silver tongue shines as brightly as ever."

Jin let out a small laugh. "I keep telling both of you that I never engage in idle flattery. I merely speak the truth. But enough procrastinating brother, as much as I wish you would have asked to meet me just because you missed me, I know better. Are the rumors that you have aligned yourself with the hapless Liu Bei true?"

"A hapless character he was before I aligned myself with him, but that description fits him no longer."

Jin rose a brow. "Is that so? I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. When I asked you to join me in serving Lord Sun Quan, you refused and told me that the heavens had already stolen those worthy of serving, yet you now tell me that you serve Liu Bei? You must explain this to me. How has this man turned your heart?"

"What you say is true. When you asked me to serve with you under Sun Quan, I did not feel as if he was a Lord worth serving. Had it been his brother Sun Ce, my answer would have been different, it seems as though fate had other plans in store for me."

Jin sighed. "I cannot fault your words. Sun Ce is a man that not many can compare to."

"Including Sun Quan?"

Jin pressed his lips together not wanting to speak ill of his lord nor give Liang the satisfaction of knowing that he was right.

"I suppose we could get back to that later," Liang said with a knowing smile. "Regarding your earlier question; I honestly did believe that there was no one left in this land to serve…until I met my Lord Liu Bei."

"Really?" Jin asked not bothering to hide his disbelief.

"When he first showed up to my door, I turned him away. He came back, over and over again, his head bowed and humbled as he begged for my assistance. After the third visit, seeing that he was a virtuous and honorable man, I accepted his offer."

"A virtuous and honorable man, huh?" Jin asked as he rubbed his chin. "I suppose the stories I have heard of his cowardice and treachery were grossly exaggerated."

"Perhaps," Liang replied.

"Or, perhaps it is your telling of his virtue and honor that is exaggerated."

"What reason would I have to lie?"

"Because you need people to think he is virtuous and honorable. The people cling to symbols, which is why Cao Cao keeps the Emperor around. Liu Bei will be your symbol."

Liang smiled. "As I have said, there is not much I can put past you."

Jin smirked.

"Still, you uncovered my plan rather quickly. I wonder if it is because you are in the same situation," Liang asked as he feigned a look of deep thought.

Jin chuckled.

"Impressive as ever, brother. Lord Quan's performance thus far has been—"

Jin paused to search for the right word.

"Disappointing," he settled on. "The only reason why Wu currently thrives is because Lord Sun Quan seems to have a talent for picking capable men. Those that serve Wu currently are exceptional. Under them, I believe that Wu can go far—"

"Yet you still need Sun Quan to serve as a symbol."

"Correct," Jin confirmed. "The people still remember Lord Sun Jian and Lord Sun Ce and revere that bloodline. Even if Sun Quan is a drunken lout that cannot hold a candle to his predecessors, he is still an effective symbol."

"Is he malleable?"

"What a strange question to ask, brother," Jin said with a twinkle in his eye as he sipped his tea. "Why would you ask such a thing?" he continued after swallowing the warm beverage.

"I have a plan; one that I believe will bring true peace to the land, but for it to work it would require Sun Quan's cooperation."

"Tell me of this plan."

Liang knew this was his one chance to convince his brother. If he failed here, his plan would be dead before it could truly get off the ground. In Liang's opinion, this was perhaps the toughest hurdle he would have surmount.

"If things continue the way they are, Cao Cao will control the land. Sun Quan does not have the strength to contest him, nor does my Lord Liu Bei."

Jin gave no reaction to Liang's words. He wasn't saying anything he did not know.

"There needs to be a power to contest Cao Cao's own. It is the only way we can hope to stop him. Separate, our Lords cannot hope to match him, but together they can prove a challenge."

"Even together it will not be possible. Your Lord does not bring much to the table."

"Our forces are meager, this is true, but there are those that are drawn to Lord Liu Bei because of his virtuous nature. Liu Qi is such a man and I am sure that you know the force behind him is considerable."

Jin sighed. "Yes. It is, but it still is not enough to take on Cao Cao. In a stand up fight, he simply has more forces than us."

"Only if we do not choose the arena in which we fight. There are ways to swing the battle in our favor, despite the number of forces he has."

"You sound so sure of yourself," said Jin as he drained the rest of the tea from his cup.

"More brother?" Lien asked.

"Please he said with a nod.

Lien filled his cup as he Liang continued.

"That is because I am. I have no doubt that we can win the battle if we join forces. I am more concerned with what happens after. Defeating Cao Cao in one battle will not stop his ambitions for long, merely delay it. To stop him in his tracks the very land must change as well. I propose that it is divided against three powers. My Lord Liu Bei, Sun Quan and Cao Cao."

Jin's lips curled into a smile. "Interesting."

"Does that mean you see the wisdom in my plan?"

"It does…and I do."

"And you will speak with your Lord Sun Quan and convince him to join forces with my Lord so we can stop Cao Cao from taking over the land?"

"Unfortunately it is not that easy. While I can whisper into Lord Sun Quan's ear and possibly convince him of your plan, he is not truly the one you have to convince."

"What do you mean?"

"As I said, My Lord Sun Quan is a drunken lout whose only interest is his wine and his women. The ones you need to convince are the pillars of Wu."

"The pillars of Wu…I hadn't heard of them."

"You wouldn't have. It is a secret within Wu about who really leads them. It is because of them that Wu has not fallen into ruin and the Sun name still lives on in honor."

Liang stroked his chin in thought.

"Are you one of the pillars?"

"I am, but I am afraid my backing will not go far once they discover our relation. You need to convince someone else."

Liang frowned. This changes things. He thought that he only needed to convince his brother to convince Sun Quan, but the news he had just told him threw that plan out of the window.

"Do not despair, brother. I know the perfect person you can start with. If you have this man on your side, convincing the other pillars will be easy."

"Truly?"

"Truly. I will see that you get a meeting with Lu Su, styled Zǐjìng. I believe he is the best person to start with as you two had similar plans."

Liang's eyes registered a moment of surprise before narrowing.

"This man had the same plan as I?"

"Not quite. His plan was for two kingdoms, Wu and Wei, not the three kingdoms your plan calls for. You will have to convince him that your plan is the better one."

"Did he not bring this plan before Sun Quan?"

"He…did, but as I said, Lord Sun Quan is only concerned with his wine and women. He is comfortable ruling the small patch of land he has and does not see any reason to confront Cao Cao."

"Does he not realize that Cao Cao will come for him eventually?"

Jin sighed.

"I think he is choosing to burrow his head in the sand…or in between a woman's breast as it were."

Jun, who had been silent up until this point let out a loud sigh. "Such intrigue you two are involved in. You have both come so far, while I remain still and steadily get left behind."

"Then it is time you move, brother," said Jin as he clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"I agree," said Liang.

"I know, which is why I decided today to ask you brother if I can join you in serving your Lord."

Liang looked to his brother in surprise.

"You would chose him over me?" Jin said in mock shock as he held a hand to his chest and feigned a look of being wounded by his words.

"Forgive me, brother. From your words, there are so many talented within Wu that I fear I would not stand out amongst them. Liu Bei is still without many talented warriors. If I go with brother, I can make a name for myself."

Jin clapped his brother on his on the shoulder once more. "Sound reasoning, but do not always look for the easy path. Those that learn to walk amongst giants stand taller than those that walk amongst men."

"I understand brother, I will not dishonor our family name."

"I know you will not. I expect great things from you," said Liang with a soft smile.

"Are you done with your talks now?" Lien asked.

Liang looked to Jin and he nodded.

"There is nothing more that we can do now. The next step will be getting Lu Su to meet with our brother here."

"Good. It is so rare that we are all here together. Can we put all this aside for now and spend the rest of our time together as a family?"

"Of course sister. It was not our intention to ignore you, but it was important that we settled this issue."

"I know…I just have a feeling that after today, everything will change for all of us."

"All things do change, dear sister. But we shall still be family through it."

"Will we? Look at Ju. Besides the note telling us she was fine, we haven't heard from her. Her husband does not allow her to get word out to us. You two serve opposite Lords. If this alliance doesn't work out, what will happen between you two?"

Jin and Liang looked at each other. Jin was the first to break his gaze and look back to Lien.

"The alliance will work. Brother and I will see to that. There is no need for you to worry."

Lien did not look convinced, but she did not raise an issue again. She did not need to. Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud that hung over the Zhuge's once happy reunion. Change does come for all. Only time will tell if that change will pull this family apart.

=#=

Shi Huan had been watching Zhenji for two days now. He did not understand why Cao Pi had any issue finding her as she never seemed to stray too far from the castle. She frequented the garden, preferring to stay in a relatively isolated area of it where she played her flute; Huan thought she was quite good. If not in the garden, she remained in her room. This was a pointless assignment, but Huan did not overly mind because it gave him the chance to check in on Hua; at least it would if she actually left her room. He knew she wasn't particularly social, but he didn't have any idea it was to such an extreme degree. He didn't judge her for it. To be honest he was the same way, unbelievable given his profession.

Huan stretched, allowing his stiffened muscles to pop and loosen. He wasn't sure what Pi was talking about, but Zhenji wasn't doing an out of the ordi—"

The thought immediately was interrupted upon Zhenji exiting her room. Huan immediately ducked out of view. The brief glimpse he got of her, Huan noticed that Zhenji's face was not the serene visage she usually walked around with. This face was one of determination. He would not get to see her face for long as she pulled the cloak she wore tighter around her and pulled the hood up around her head to cover her face.

"Well this is different," Huan muttered to himself.

Huan discreetly followed her as she made her way out of the castle gate without guard, just as Pi had said. She walked quickly, clearly with a destination in mind. Huan followed, suddenly excited to see where this mystery would lead, but was surprised to find that the path ended at Guo Jia's home. Zhenji was let in without question or hesitation. It was clear that she had been there before and had been a frequent guest.

A thoughtful hum rumbled within Huan's throat as he took in the information he had just learned. Jia was known to have his way with women, but he would have thought the man to be smart enough to not have his way with the intended of his Lord's son.

"Damnit Fèngxiào," Huan cursed under his breath.

This was a difficult situation to be put in. On one hand, Jia was a good person, not quite a friend, but a respected colleague. He was extremely useful to Wei and he knew that if he were to tell Pi what he currently knew, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him. The Cao's were known to deal with betrayal in brutal ways after all. It would be a major blow to their army. On the other hand, if he did not tell Pi what he knew and Pi found out on his own, they would probably both be killed; him for withholding information and Jia for well…not knowing when to keep his hands to himself.

Information. Huan needed more information. He prayed to the heavens that what he thought was happening between them, wasn't happening between them for all of their sakes.

Unfortunately for Huan, getting that information was proving to be difficult. Jia's walls were not easily traversed and he purposefully made sure to remove all trees around to ensure that no one could sneak in that way. If Huan wanted to know what was happening, he needed to sneak in through the front door.

Huan walked up to the entrance and was greeted by one of Jia servants.

"Hello, is Master Fèngxiào available?"

"He is busy at the moment and does not wish to be disturbed."

"Oh, I see. Can you give him a message for me then?"

"Of course," the servant replied with a nod. "What would you like me to tell him?"

"Please let him know—"

A crash. The servant spun around to see one of the vases had broken.

"W-what happened?" The servant asked in confusion as he hurried over to the smashed vase and knelt down beside it.

Preoccupied with the shattered vase, the servant momentarily had forgotten that Huan was even there; perfect for him. Huan used that time to slip in behind the servant and ducked out of sight. He will have to pay Jia for that vase later, hopefully it wasn't too expensive. The servant retrieved a rock from the vase remains and held it up at eye level.

"How did this get here?" he wondered aloud. This was a mystery he had to solve another day. For now he had to see to his Master's guest. The servant finally turned back to the door only to see that his visitor was nowhere to be found. The servant, befuddled by this stepped further out of the home to look around. Huan used this opportunity to slip further into Jia's home, making sure to avoid the gazes of the rest of Jia's guards and servants as he searched for him and Zhenji. Huan did find what he was looking for and what he saw surprised and relieved him in equal measure.

"Again," Jia commanded.

Zhenji nodded her head and lifted her flute to her lips. She played a tune and this was not like the melodies she played in the garden. This melody was cold, deadly and shook Huan to his core. It was only at this moment that Huan noticed Zhenji stood in the middle of a circle of stones. The stones around her rose up as she played, held by unseen hands. A sharp change in note and the rocks violently shook and exploded. It was a sight to behold.

"Very good," Jia said as he clapped his hands slowly. "You have learned to manifest and control your chi in a brief period of time.

"Am I good enough to fight beside My Lord Pi?"

"Hmm…You have come far, but to be ready for a true war, you need more work. Enemies will not remain still like these rocks. They will come at you from all sides and their attacks will be relentless.

Zhenji cute lips dipped into a pouty frown; her shoulders slumped and it was clear to see frustration and disappointment in her eyes.

"Don't look so down," Jia said as he closed in on Zhenji and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Come let me give you a massag—oof!"

Jia's words were cut off by a swift elbow to his gut.

"How many times must I remind you to keep your hands to yourself, Master Fèngxiào?"

"Can you hardly blame me?" Jia asked with a fox-like grin as he rubbed a hand over the spot she elbowed. "I just feel compelled to comfort you when you look so down."

"That is not your job," Zhenji hissed. "Lord Pi will the only one I would accept such comforts from."

Jia sighed. "I do hope he is worthy of such devotion."

"He is," Zhenji replied without hesitation.

"Yes, yes," Jia said while waving a dismissive hand.

"I think we are done here for today, My Lady Zhenji."

Zhenji nodded. "When will we train again?"

"It won't be for some time I am afraid. I will be taking a trip with Lord Cao and a few others soon."

Zhenji pouted once more. "Do let me know when you are back. If you say I need to improve my skills then I need to learn as much as possible."

"As you command, My Lady," Jia said with a bow.

Zhenji eyed him for a moment before turning her back to him and sashaying away.

Jia rose from his bow once she was gone though he kept his eyes focused on the direction she had left, though he could no longer see her. He stood there in silence for a few moments, almost as if he had been waiting for something. Suddenly his head turned, right in the direction where Shi Huan had been hiding. Huan was shocked. Had Jia sensed him? He remained still, holding his breath to see what Jia would do next. Jia finally allowed his gaze to move from Huan and he left the garden. Huan let out the breath he had been holding. That was entirely too close. He did not envy the task of explaining what he had been doing.

From his hiding spot, Huan looked around Jia's garden. While the outside did not have anything that could let someone sneak in, the same could not be said for the inside and sneaking out. Huan plotted his escape, grateful he did not have to use the front entrance once more. Once he ensured that the coast was clear, he slipped from his hiding spot and out of Jia's garden.

=#=

Zhenji heard the soft knock and voice of her handmaiden. She had come to wake her up; a pointless task as Zhenji had already been awake for quite some time. She had repeatedly told her it was unnecessary, but the girl would not shriek in her duties. Zhenji decided it wasn't worth fighting her over it and let her do as she will.

Zhenji opened the door to show her that she was up and awake as normal, but found herself immediately surprised to see Cao Pi standing before the door with her handmaiden off to the side respectfully bowing.

"Lord Pi," Zhenji said in a half whisper.

Pi did not wait to be invited into her room, moving past her inside.

"Close the door," he commanded.

Zhenji did so and she could hear the footsteps of her handmaiden as she hurried away.

"Lord Pi I am surprised to see you."

She tried to sound composed and while she was successfully pulling it off, she swore he could hear the loud thumping of her heart.

Pi did not respond as he seemed to look around her room, his eyes falling onto her flute. He strode over to it and picked it up. It was an old well worn flute; one she has had for many years and despite its age, it was clear that she took good care of it. Zhenji flinched at seeing him handle it. Her mind briefly flashed back to her time with Yuan Xi and how in his drunken rage he would destroy her items, flutes included. This was the only one that managed to escape his wrath and she grew to treasure it.

"This is old," Pi remarked.

"It is. I had some in better condition once upon a time, but they were…destroyed."

Pi looked over his shoulder to her expecting to see a forlorn expression, but was met with a confident gaze.

"Play," he commanded as he held the flute out to her.

"My Lord?" she questioned.

"Play," he commanded once more.

Zhenji hesitated no longer. She took the flute from his hands and waited until Pi settled into a seat within her room. She lifted the flute to her lips and played. Pi immediately found himself lost in the beautiful melody. His eyes slid closed as he let the music flow over him.

It was over all too soon. Pi's eyes opened upon hearing the music stopped and he found Zhenji staring at him. He stared back at her, taking in her appearance for the first time today. Huan had not lied; her clothing was much more daring. Pi found his eyes tracing each area of exposed skin. The robes she wore when he first met her hid such a delectable body underneath. Uncharacteristically, Pi wondered what her skin would feel like beneath his fingers.

"I have not heard you play since we first met," Pi said as he forced his eyes away from her body and up to her face.

"It is a shame. You have talent," he concluded.

Zhenji was surprised at this. She bowed her head gracefully. "Thank you, My Lord."

Pi stood and walked over to her. Zhenji forced herself to not stiffen as he neared her. She would not revert to the meek woman she once was; not at all the work she put herself through to get this far. Pi looked down to her and boldly, Zhenji returned his gaze. They gazed into each other eyes for what seemed like forever to Zhenji. She dug her nails into the palms to stop herself from getting lost in his beautiful light-gray eyes. At that moment she wanted nothing more than for Pi to grab her and kiss her, but would he? Did he approve of her new look and her renewed personality? Pi broke eye contact first and Zhenji thought she had her answer right then and there.

"Follow," Pi commanded just before stepping out of the room.

'Or perhaps not' Zhenji thought to herself as she looked towards the now open door. She could hear Pi's footsteps as they echoed loudly in the hall. The footsteps began to fade, Pi was getting further away. Zhenji composed herself and followed after him.

Zhenji was surprised that Pi had led her to the training grounds for the Wei army. She could feel the eyes of the training soldiers shift to her as they passed by; hushed whispers sprouting among them as they stared in awe before their commander barked at them concentrate. Within moments the synchronized shouts of the soldiers resumed as Pi lead her to a clearing adjacent to where they trained.

Pi came to a stop in the middle of a clearing and turned to face her. He drew his blades and connected them at the hilt with practiced ease. An unbidden memory of Yuan Xi came to Zhenji at that moment. She remembered her departed husband brandishing a blade against her throat, threatening to kill her because another man dared to look at her. She could almost feel the spray of spit against her face as he spewed hateful words at her over something she had no control over. Before her memory could go any further she banished it from her mind. Pi was not Xi and she knew that despite the fact he was now pointing a blade at her, he wouldn't truly harm her.

"Play," Pi commanded once more.

So he knew. She wasn't quite sure how he knew, but time for such musing would have to be saved for later. She had to prove to him here and now that she was committed to him; committed to helping him achieve his dream. She would be more than just a trophy on his arm.

Zhenji lifted the flute to her lips and played a deadly tune. Pi could immediately sense the difference from the calming melody she had played for him in the room. This one was just as enchanting, but there was something to it, something dark and angry. Pi could see the manifestation of her chi. It circled her like a ring rippling outwards. He lazily thrust his sword towards her and was surprised when it was ripped from his hands and thrown backwards. Interesting.

Zhenji's ceased her song as Pi went to retrieve his blade from the ground. She noted that once again the chanting from the training soldiers had stopped. She had a feeling that if she spared them a glance, their eyes would be fixed on her, but she kept her own eyes fixed on Pi.

Pi disconnected his blades and sheathed them. "Am I correct in assuming you cannot move when playing?"

Zhenji nodded, feeling a prick of shame. She wished he hadn't confronted her till she got a bit further in her training.

"That is something we shall work on."

"We?" Zhenji echoed in surprise.

Pi leveled her with a glare. There was something in that glare that she was use to seeing with Xi, but unlike him, it did not feel her with fear. Instead it filled her with something else…desire? Pride? She wasn't sure just yet. That look was that of a man who felt threatened by another, a need to stake his claim on what was his; pure and unfiltered jealously. To imagine that Pi felt such a way for her! She thought he barely registered that she existed yet the look in his eyes was unmistakable.

"You will train with me and me alone going forward."

So he truly did know of her secret training sessions with Guo Jia. Had he told him? Perhaps it did not matter now, especially if the outcome was for Pi to be her teacher going forward.

"You smile as if you are pleased by this news. Perhaps you shouldn't be. I do not intend to go easy on you. I will train you hard to ensure that you are of use to me."

"I would ask for nothing less," Zhenji said with a bow of her head.

Pi regarded her in silence once more. There it was. That fierce beautiful woman he saw on the battlefield. The woman he fell in love with at first sight. So she was there, hidden beneath the surface. He wasn't sure what got her to shed that demure façade she had after arriving in Xuchang, but he was happy she did.

"That flute," Pi began.

Zhenji lifted the flute in question and Pi frowned at the sight of it. "An odd weapon, but it seems as if it could be an effective one," he continued. "If that is to be your weapon of choice, we will have to get you a new one. That is unsuitable for battle, nor is something so old suitable for the woman that is to be my wife."

"I wish to oversee its creation," Zhenji piped up.

Pi's brow shifted up slightly and Zhenji hurried to explain.

"To ensure that it is made correctly; if I have difficulty playing it, it will not be of use to me in battle."

"Hmph, very well. Now come."

"Where my lord?" Zhenji asked as she followed after Pi who was already walking away.

"I wish to go back to your bedchambers—"

Zhenji steps slowed as his words sunk in, her heart thundering against her chest at the implication. Pi seemed to have noticed as he looked over his shoulders at her.

"I want to hear you play more and we will be undisturbed there."

As you wish, my lord," Zhenji replied with a bow of her head before following after him once more. Whether or not she was disappointed that she would only be playing for him, she would not say.

=#=

"Here you go, Master Yuánràng, Master Miàocái," said Yue Jin as handed the brothers each two neatly wrapped containers of meat buns.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't bring any for you," Jin said apologetically to Xu Shu.

"That's…okay?" Shu said in confusion. Why had he brought them food at all? Was this a normal thing to do? Should he have brought food? Luckily for him, Dun asked one of the questions that had been at the forefront f his mind.

"What is this?" Dun asked clearly perplexed as he tipped the two containers he held in his hand slightly to the side.

"Meat buns," Jin replied.

"Ask a stupid question," Dun muttered. "I meant why are you giving these to us," he clarified.

"Oh, to eat."

Dun stared at Jin with an imperceptible look on his face. Dian silently wonder if Dun was debating whether to beat him with the containers or thank him.

"Hey if you don't want em—" Yuan began as he made a grab for Dun's containers only to be blocked by his elder brother's elbow.

"I didn't say I didn't want them I was just wondering why he randomly brought us meat buns."

"I had extra," Jin said with a shrug. "Oh don't worry, they are still fresh."

Dun then looked to Dian for an explanation on the random gift, but Dian only shrugged in response. He was as much in the dark about the random meat stuffed gift as Dun was.

"Woah! These are pretty good!" Yuan exclaimed suddenly.

Dun looked to his brother to see he had already opened one of his containers and had taken a big bite out one of the buns. Resigning himself to just accepting the gift for what it was, Dun gave a grunt of thanks and set his containers aside.

"First things first; I'm sure you have all seen him around before, but let me properly introduce him. Xu Shu styled Yuánzhí, meet bun boy Yue Jin styled Wenqian and Li Dian styled Mànchéng."

"Oh, I'm not really called bun boy…though you can call me that if you would like. I don't mind," said Jin as he saluted Shu.

"Haha no cool nickname for me?" Dian asked with a cheeky grin.

"How about dumbass?" Dun quipped.

"Heh, I think I would rather not have a nickname."

"That's what I thought."

"Anyway, it's nice to formally meet you."

"Yes. It is nice to meet both of you as well," Shu replied as he saluted both of them. "You are to be Xiaolian's husband, are you not, Mànchéng?"

"That I am!" he said proudly earning himself a grimace from Dun.

"Look, let's get on with it. We called you here because as you may have already heard, we are moving from Xuchang—"

"Yeah! We are already comfortable working with you guys so we wanted you to come serve under us. Mèngdé already gave the okay."

"You already know my answer," Shu replied.

Dun nodded in acknowledgement. "And you two?"

"Well it's not like I have a choice—Wait…do I have a choice?" Dian asked as he looked at Dun.

"No," Dun quickly responded in a half growl. Dian let out a nervous laugh.

"Yup, that's pretty much what I thought. You are coming too, right Wenqian? Not like there is much to miss around here."

Jin however didn't seem to hear his friend as he was mired in deep thought. It was only after the forth call of his name that he finally responded.

"Um. I would be honored to serve both of you...are we done? I'm sorry but there is something I must do."

"Just one more thing, can you two show Yuánzhí the ropes? Train with him, get him use to how we do things. If he is going to be fighting with us, I want him know how we work."

"Yes My Lord," Jin and Dian said simultaneously.

"Good. We are done here," Dun replied.

"Thank you," Jin replied quickly with a salute before hurrying off. The four looked after him, their faces each mirroring confusion.

"What was that about?" Yuan asked through a mouthful of meat bun.

"Close your mouth when you speak," Dun chided. "But yeah, what was that?"

"I don't know," Dian replied honestly. "He's been acting kind of strange for a few months now."

Having chewed and swallowed his food, Yuan spoke up once more.

"Well he said it was coming with us so it doesn't really matter either way, right?"

"I kinda have a feeling something is going to change," Dian said as he folded his arms across his chest, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Over time, Dun had learned that Dian's hunches were not to be ignored, his missing eye was a testament to that. So if he said he had a feeling about something, he would not ignore him.

"Something good or something bad?"

"Good I think," Dian said. After a few seconds he nodded with confidence. "Yeah. I think it will definitely be good. I don't think we have to worry."

"Then we won't worry," Dun replied.

The absolute faith Dun had in Dian's gut feelings made him happy. Coming from a family use to tease and ignore him, it was a welcomed change. Dun would never know how grateful he was to him.

"Hey," Dian began "Just out of curiosity, if we said no—"

"YOU couldn't say no," Dun quickly corrected.

"I know! I know! But if I could or if Wenqian or Yuánzhí said no, what would have happened to us?"

"I would not serve were it not under Lord Yuánràng."

"Ooookay," Dian said with a slight nod. It was okay for him to say such things in front of them, but he knew a few people within Lord Cao's army that may take offense to that.

"Not even me?" Yuan said as he pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. The effect was dulled by him taking another bite out of his meat bun.

"Oh…um…I meant no disrespect, Lord Miàocái."

"Ignore him. He's being an idiot," Dun said with an exasperated sigh. Yuan threw his brother a grin before focusing his attention on Dian.

"To answer your question, Mànchéng, Wenze has been trying to get you two under his command for a while now," Yuan answered before taking another bite of a meat bun.

The sheer look of horror on Dian's face made Yuan burst into laughter and subsequently choke on the bun he had been eating. With another sigh, Dun slapped his brother hard in the back to help him dislodge the trapped food.

=#=

Upon his return, Zhuge Liang found Liu Bei and his apprentice Xun Yu awaiting them. He immediately feared that in his absence, Liu Bei or his hot-headed brothers had somehow managed to break the fragile truce they had with Liu Qi. As he got closer to them however, he quickly realized that his fears were unfounded as Liu Bei was wearing a wide smile. Bei's sworn brothers seemed to be absent from the welcoming party and Liang preferred it that way. They were distrustful of him and jealous of the closeness between him and their sworn brother. As a result, most interactions with them were rather uncomfortable. Liang knew he had to prove himself in their eyes before they could fully accept him. If everything continued to go according to plan, he would be able to do so.

"Kǒngmíng! Welcome back!" Bei greeted once Liang and the others were in range.

Liang saluted Bei respectfully. "My Lord, for you to come and greet me personally, I am not worthy."

"Nonsense!" Bei said as he put a hand on Liang's shoulder and gently pushed him up so his head was no longer bowed. I consider you a close friend. What kind of man would I be were I to not greet my friend?"

"You words honor me," Liang said with a smile.

"Was your mystery trip successful?" Bei suddenly blurted out.

Liang had to suppress a chuckle. So the true reason Bei had come out to meet him was revealed. He was surprised he was able to hold out on asking the question that long.

"It was."

"And you still will not tell me where you went?"

Liang suppressed a smile. He could tell not knowing was killing Bei.

"I am afraid I cannot, but rest assured that everything I do, I do in your name."

Bei frowned. It was the same words Liang spoke to him before he left. He trusted Liang, but his sworn brothers did not. For the duration of Liang's absence, they made sure to hammer doubt about Liang's intentions into his mind and heart. Unfortunately, those planted seeds had taken root and Bei found himself wondering why Liang could not tell him of what he was doing if it was in his name.

"If it is in my name, why are you unable to tell me?"

Liang heard the harshness in his tone and though Bei spoke the words, he saw Guan Yu and Zhang Fei behind them. He gave Bei a soft smile.

"Very well, My Lord. I can see that I do not have your trust so I will tell you what you wish to know."

"I-I didn't say th—"

"Your words were spoken loud enough for me to know the true meaning behind them. I do hope one day you will trust my words as a Lord should trust the word of his advisor. It seems we have a long way to go before we are achieve such trust."

"I do trust you," Bei said in a panicked tone.

"Apparently you do not," Liang replied calmly. "For if my Lord truly did trust me, he would not question my intentions when I assured him that I act in his name."

Bei's brow furrowed. Liang could tell there was an internal debate raging within in. Does he give into the words of his brothers and question Liang or does he put faith in Liang that he acts for his benefit? While Bei strugged with this internal conflict, everyone watched on in silence, not daring to interfere, but none looked more closely at the happenings than Xun Yu. His master was just that; a master at manipulation. Bei had expressed his doubt to him before Liang's arrival and even though Xun Yu tried to assuage his worries, he would not be dissuaded. His brothers' words had taken root too deep to be dislodged. But here comes Liang, and with a few simple words, he managed to shake that seed of doubt from the root Xun Yu had thought was buried too deep.

"I-I trust you. I am sorry to give you reason to think otherwise," Bei had finally said; the internal conflict apparently resolved in Liang's favor.

And just like that, Bei had been swayed back to Liang's side. Truly, Liang was a master and Xun Yu could only stand in awe of him.

"I am pleased to hear that, My Lord. If we do not have trust, our efforts to stop Cao Cao will be over before it begins in earnest."

"Yes…of course. My apologies once again and please know that I trust you completely."

"That is good to know, My Lord. Now that, that bit of unpleasantness it out of the way, I trust all has been well in my absence?"

Xun Yu saluted his master and nodded. "Welcome back, Master Kǒngmíng. Everything has been fine. May I ask who that is by your side?"

Bei looked at the person Yu had been referring to in surprise as if he had only just noticed him.

"Please allow me to introduce my younger brother, Zhuge Jun styled Bóyáng. Brother, allow me to present My Lord Liu Bei styled Xuándé and my apprentice Xun Yu styled Wénruò.

Jun stepped forward and saluted Bei first then Xun Yu.

"It is a pleasure to meet both of you."

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well," said Bei as he returned the salute.

"Yes, it is an honor to meet the brother of my Master," Xun Yu chimed in.

"My Lord Bei, I have come here in the hopes that I may serve you."

Bei's eyes widened in surprise.

"So this is what you were up to!" he said delighted.

Liang suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. If this is what he thought he was doing, so be it. He would not correct him.

"Of course! I welcome you with open arms! To have the brother of one of my most trusted allies offering his service to me—I would be a fool to refuse. I am sure you will prove to be as invaluable to our cause as my dear friend Kongming."

Liang heard a soft scoff from his wife and he could understand her sentiment. Bei was really laying it on thick after his earlier faux pas.

Jun saluted him once more. "You flatter me, My Lord. I only hope I can live up to such praise."

"Come! We have some food prepared for your arrival. Let us eat and drink so you can rest your wary bones after travel."

"You needn't go through such trouble on our account, My Lord, but we thank you for your kindness," Liang said with a bow.

"Nonsense," Bei said with a wide smile. "You are most definitely worthy. Come, come!"

And so the group allowed themselves to be led towards their feast by Liu Bei. As they made their way to Bei's borrowed residence, Yu sided up to Liang and spoke in a whisper.

"Master, in regards to that person you wanted me to find—"

"Later," Liang said quickly, cutting him off. "When we are away from prying ears," he said as his eyes shifted to Bei who had been walking just a few feet in front of them.

Yu nodded in understand and said nothing more.

=#=

The modest feast over and their bellies reasonably filled, Liang took the opportunity to slip away from the group that was becoming increasingly boisterous as the wine continued to flow. Or rather it would be more precise to say that Zhang Fei became more boisterous as the wine pass by his lips. Truly that man was little more than a violent drunkard. Had he not had skill with a blade, Liang would have found a way to get rid of him long ago.

Predictably, Yu followed Liang out. He checked his surroundings to ensure he was not followed before making his way over to Liang.

"Are you well, Master?"

"I am. It is just that I can stomach the company of an inebriated Yìdé for long."

"I am of the same mind," Yu said in agreement. "Though I must say I cannot stomach his company much while he is sober, either."

"Enough of that," Liang chastised lightly. Though he felt the same way, he wasn't going to tell Yu that. Fei was still needed and he would wield that drunk tool as much as he could before he disposed of him.

"What of the person I asked you to locate."

"It was not easy, but I managed to find him. He is currently in Nan Commandery."

"Hmm. It would be best to leave at first light then."

"W-what? You are leaving again so soon?"

"Yes. It is imperative that I meet with him. Also I am not going alone. I would like you to accompany me."

"Yes! Um I mean, as you will, Master," Yu said as he tried to taper his excitement. He yearned for any opportunity to spend time with him and learn from him.

"Then rest now, for we leave in the morning."

Yu saluted Liang and hurried off to his borrowed quarters, excited for what he would learn on this journey.

=#=

Shi Huan adjusted the bundle on his shoulder as he made his way to Xuchang's main gate. The time for him to embark on his journey to the South had come at last. He suppressed the urge to look over his shoulder to the palace that loomed proudly in the distance. It wasn't like he would be able to see her anyway. Huan frowned. Though he told Cao Hua he would not be able to see her again, he secretly wished he would have been able to. Huan shook his head. What are these thoughts? They are dangerous and would only serve in getting him killed. Best to forget about them…about her.

Huan saluted the guards who returned the gesture and opened the gate for him. He waited patiently for them to do so, trying unsuccessfully to keep his thoughts off of Hua. The gate was opened enough for him to pass through. He gave his thanks to the guards and stepped through. Alright. Time to focus on the task ahead. He thought he would go with the disguise of being a refugee from Cao Cao's land displaced by his cruelty. This cover often gained him pity and was a lot easier to maintain. Resolved, Huan began down the trail. He would walk to a neighboring town, rest for a bit for a bit then see if he could find a kind caravan heading south to travel with.

Huan did not make it far beyond Xuchang's walls before he noticed that someone was following him…clumsily. They were doing a terrible job of hiding their presence other than turning their hooded head to the side whenever he looked back. Whoever this was had to have just come from Xuchang which made them an ally. Why bother hiding at all?

"Something you need friend?" Huan called out while secretly readying a dagger just in case his assumption was wrong.

"How did you know I was following you?" asked an unexpectedly feminine voice.

No. Not just a feminine voice. It was a voice he knew very well.

"L-lady Hua?" Huan stammered out.

In response to his words, Hua slipped the hood from around her head and smiled brightly at him. A smile he could see radiantly shining even in the dim light of the dawn.

"What are you doing here? You can't be here!"

"It's okay, Gōngliú! I have everything worked out—"

"Worked out? What are you talking about!? We have get you back to the palace."

"No!" Hua declared stubbornly as she shrugged the hand he put on her arm off. "I am coming with you!"

"Are you crazy?! I will be killed for kidnapping you."

"You won't! They won't even know I am gone. No one saw me even leave the palace and when I was in town, no one even recognized me in my disguise."

"Disguise," Huan said flustered as he fully took in her appearance for the first time. She was dressed in commoners robes, her hair pulled back into a bun without anything adorning it. Indeed at first glance, you wouldn't think her to be the daughter of the most powerful man in China.

"Where did you get this?"

"My servant," Hua answered proudly. "We switched places!"

"W-wha?" was all Huan could manage.

"I came up with the idea when you told me you were leaving," Hua explained. "Since we look so much alike and no one really ever pays attention to me, I thought why not let her be me? She jumped at the opportunity. I pity her in a way because she has no idea how empty that life it, but I won't let her change her mind now. Now that she is pretending to be me I am finally free! I can be with you!"

"This…this is insane," Huan said shaking his head.

"Indeed it is, but it could work."

Huan and Hua nearly jumped out of their skins from the voice they heard. Coming out of the rapidly receding shadows was Cao Pi and Cao Chong.

"B-brother," Hua gasped.

Chong let out an exaggerated yawn as he shielded his eyes from the encroaching morning light.

"You know, Zǐhuán when you dragged me out of my bed and told me that our dear little sister was going to make a move tonight, I did not believe you. But what a sight we have spied. I guess I don't have to make you pay for making me lose sleep."

"Tch, and exactly how would you have made me pay?"

"Oh…I have my ways," Chong said cryptically.

"Lord Zǐhuán, Lord Cangshu," Huan said as he saluted them. "I was surprised that Lady Hua deemed me worthy to see me off, but both of you as well? I am truly not worthy."

"Should we tell the spinner of lies that we won't fall for his words because we heard everything?" Chong asked in a mock whisper.

"You already did," Pi replied in a bored tone.

'So they did hear everything, damn,' Huan thought to himself. He looked at Hua; the poor girl had gone nearly white with fright. Whatever happened, he had to make sure she wouldn't bear the fault for this. This was his fault. His reached for something he should not have. Hua was the unattainable. He knew that and yet despite knowing that they could never be together, he was content with just being near. Her presence was intoxicating to him and he found himself drunk off of it, wanting to be near her more and more. That greed got them into this situation and he would do anything in his power to ensure she bore no responsibly for it.

Huan threw his bundle to the ground and dropped to his knees instantly. He prostrated in front of Pi and Chong.

"Please, this is all my fault. I will take any punishment you deem necessary."

"It's not your fault!" Hua cried out as she tried to pull Huan to his feet. "This was my idea."

"It definitely was," Chong confirmed. "We heard your whole confession."

"No! It was my idea! Punish me and me alone," Huan insisted.

"Get up, Gōngliú. I have no need for your groveling," said Pi.

"Lord Pi—"

"I said get up," Pi repeated. His tone icy enough to send shivers up Hua's spine and unnerve Huan. Reluctantly he stood once more, not bothering to shake the dust that now clung to his clothing.

"How curious…when I first found that little message, I wondered who it was for. I had no idea I had found its recipient so long ago. That is why you were in the garden that day, wasn't it?"

Huan paused before answering as a lie was ready to roll effortlessly off his tongue, but a lie would not serve him well here especially when they both clearly already knew the truth.

"Yes, my lord," he finally answered in a strained voice as he betrayed his every instinct to lie his way out of this sticky situation.

"I honestly believed that lie you spun for me. Goes to show you that your tongue really is skilled at weaving lies."

"H-how did you know we would be here?" Hua asked. "I told no one and I know Ruo would not have said anything."

"I followed you," Pi replied nonchalantly. "I knew you would eventually lead me to the recipient of your message so I kept an eye on you."

'So this is why Pi asked him to keep an eye on Zhenji. He was too busy keeping an eye on Hua to do it on his own. How could he have been so blind?' Huan thought to himself as he clenched his fist, silently cursing how he overlooked something so simple.

"I was just dragged along for this little adventure in case anyone was wondering," Chong supplied followed by another yawn.

"What will you do, My Lords? I am at your mercy," Huan spoke up, his hands still pressed into tight balls at his side.

"So you are," Pi said as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Brother, please. Spare Gōngliú. The fault lies wit—"

"Stop it, Lady Hua," said Huan.

"But—"

"The blame lies solely with me," Huan repeated with finality. If he were to die, it would be with his head held high and no regrets.

"Hmph. I respect that you would not cower behind a woman to save your own skin."

Huan frowned at Pi. "I would never do such a thing. Please let's just get this over with."

"What is the nature of your relationship with Hua?"

"There is no relationship," Huan replied. He ignored the hurt look in Hua's face. For both their sakes, this had to be said.

"I helped her once with a problem she had, nothing more."

"I doubt Hua would want to run away for someone who once helped her with a problem," Chong quipped.

"Nor would they exchange secret notes," Pi added.

Pi looked back to Chong.

"What do you think brother? Death? Exile? Perhaps torture?"

Huan flinched as Pi listed his possible fates. None of them sounded very appealing if he were honest. He could hear Hua sobbing behind him. He wanted to comfort her, but he was certain doing so would just make the situation worse.

"We really have to work on your sense of humor, brother," said Chong with a shake of his head.

"There is nothing wrong with my humor," Pi retorted.

"Hua is crying," Chong stated matter-of-factly.

Pi regarded her for a few moments before let out a tsk.

"I will not punish you, Gōngliú."

"Why?" Huan asked skeptically. In all his life, he never met anyone that did something for nothing and he did not believe that Cao Pi or Cao Chong would be any different.

"Not one to take something at face value, eh? Smart man. You will be useful," said Chong with a cryptic smile.

"Useful for what?" he said eyeing him warily.

"To us, when I succeed my father," Pi answered in place of Chong.

"What?" Huan asked in confusion.

"When my brother succeeds father, he will need loyal people on his side. We wish to count you among those people."

"So you think holding something over me will ensure my loyalty? You will have me as a servant, but I will always hold animosity in my heart for what you will hold over me."

Pi tsked again. "I am not my father. I have no intention of holding something over you."

"How can you not? I have been caught with Lord Cao's daughter in a very compromising situation. I know how this looks…I knew how it looked when I first started meeting with her. Why would you not use that against me? You would be a fool not to."

Pi shook his head. "Perhaps you are not as smart as I thought you were. Did you not just say someone that has something over you does not ensure loyalty, only animosity? I want loyalty; not servants. I want people I can trust."

Huan's brow furrowed as he tried to figure Pi and Chong out. Hua stepped forward, wiping her eyes and steadying her breathing before speaking.

"I-I don't understand. What does this mean? What do you want Gōngliú to do?"

Pi looked at Hua and stepped forward. She flinched reflectively and he frowned. Was he truly that scary? His younger sister Qinghe certainly didn't think so. Actually, Hua kind of reminded him of Qinghe. Perhaps that is why he was actually able to tolerate her. Pi took another step forward and this time, Hua did not flinch. She tried to look Pi bravely in the eyes even though her knees felt as if they would give out at any moment. Pi swiped the pad of this thumb across her cheek, wiping away a remaining tear. Both Hua and Huan were stunned by the gentle action.

"Cangshu and I are not fans of how father treats his children as nothing but pawns for his gain. If I had my way, I wouldn't have forced you to be the concubine of such a useless waste of air. You seeking to free yourself from such a burden…how can I begrudge you?"

"Do you speak truly?" Hua asked, hope lacing her tone.

"I do not waste my time with petty lies. I find it tedious and pointless."

"A shame too. With that stone face of his, he would be an amazing liar," Chong said with a chuckle.

"It almost sounds as if you are giving your blessing for me to be with Lady Hua," said Huan.

"As much as we could," Chong spoke with a half smile on playing across his lips. "For you two to truly be together, no one can find out who you really are, Hua. If you do this, you can never show your face in the palace ever again. You would be leaving it all behind for good. Do you understand this?"

Hua nodded quickly. "I already made that decision when I chose to follow Gōngliú."

"How beautiful young love is," Chong remarked with a smile making Pi roll his eyes. "Well as long as…Ruo was it? As long as Ruo performs her role well your little plan should work, but this may only be enough to fool father and the others in the castle. I foresee issues with Jie and Xian; they are the closest to you, are they not? Won't they notice that Ruo is an imposter?"

"No. They won't notice. Trust me."

There was a sadness in her voice that was palpable for all present. Huan knew this of course. He had gotten to know Hua over the course of their time together and he knew that she was "the forgotten child of the Cao family" as she called herself. He wanted to reach out to her and comfort her, but present company deemed that impossible at the moment.

"Well then…it should be no problem. Wouldn't you say, brother?"

Pi shrugged in apparent indifference so Chong took that as his cue to continue.

"Hua is obviously taken with you and I believe we both find you to be a better match for her than Xian so why should we get in the way? Of course our father wouldn't agree, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"And you would do this without asking for anything in return?"

"We only ask for loyalty."

"And if I refused to pledge my loyalty?"

"Unfortunate and disappointing, but I will not hold what we have learned here over you. I have no need for such underhanded tactics," Pi spoke up.

"Honestly, after working for Lord Cao, I find all of this a bit too good to be true," Huan said honestly.

"I am not my father," Pi said in a hiss. "But if you keep questioning my integrity, you will gain my ire and that is something you do not want."

"Be calm, brother. You have to admit this situation would be hard for anyone to believe. There aren't many that wouldn't take advantage of something like this."

Pi let out a hmph in response to his brother's words, but said nothing more.

"My apologies, Lord Pi. It is Lord Chong says. I have seen lives ruined with secrets much less damning that this one, especially in my line of work, but I truly meant no disrespect."

Huan dropped to his knees once more.

"I told you I have no use for groveling."

"But you have use for my loyalty."

Huan saluted both brothers.

"I pledge myself to you Lord Pi. When you succeed Lord Cao, I shall be at your side, ever faithful."

"That's all we ask," said Chong with a smile.

"But truly, this does not seem like enough. My loyalty for only when you succeed your father? For the gift you are giving me that is not enough so let me say this; I pledge myself to you now and eternally. Till my last breath, I shall serve in your name."

"Hmph, an excellent proclamation. Rise to your feet Gōngliú," said Pi.

Huan rose and saluted them once more.

"You have my loyalty too!" Hua spoke up as she bowed to her brothers.

"And would good would that do me?" Pi asked.

She flinched at the sharpness of his tone.

"Brother, you are being scary again," Chong chastised. "What he means is you only need to take care of yourself, Hua. Hmm Hua, we can't very well call you that any longer. You should probably think of a new name for yourself."

"Y-yes! I will," she replied enthusiastically. "Thank you! Both of you!"

Hua threw her hands around Pi in a hug. Pi was surprised by the sudden gesture and before he could react she had already moved on to give Chong a hug. Hua quickly moved back to Huan's side with a bright smile. She looked so happy that Pi could even feel the corners of his lips threatening to turn upwards. He stamped that feeling out immediately. He had an image to uphold after all. Can't go smiling for something so frivolous.

"My first order, Gōngliú, you better make sure not a hair on her head is harmed," Pi said coolly.

"That is an easy order to follow, My Lord," Huan said with a salute.

"Then go. Serve my father as you were ordered, but remember who it is that you truly serve."

"Now and forever, My Lords," Huan said as he saluted once more.

Retrieving his belongings from the ground he looked to Hua.

"Are you sure about this?"

In response, Hua wrapped her arm around his and smiled up at him. Taking a deep breath Huan nodded and led her towards the main road leaving Pi and Chong to watch them depart.