Imperial Seal

The very next day the army packed everything up while the cooks were handing riceballs to the soldiers. Yun received some dried-up meat which he asked of the cooks yesterday since he was accomodating a child that was growing.

The armies moved together much to Sun Ce's disappointment with Sun Jian and Yun in the front. Wei Mei and Huixiu were being protected by Dian Wei and Wei Yan at the moment.

They were advancing slowly towards the Luoyang as Yun was hoping to buy time for Lu Bu who was already planning the retreat towards Chang'an with Dong Zhuo who didn't want to hear anything of it.

That was until scouts returned to Luoyang with information regarding the army marching towards the city.

That was the moment Dong Zhuo realized that he couldn't keep Luoyang any longer. He listened to Lu Bu who had already prepared everything without Dong Zhuo's authority.

After five days of slow marching, they reached the capital finding smoke rise to the sky which implied to Yun that Dong Zhuo already started the fire in Luoyang.

Yun saw that and clicks his tongue. He was hoping for Dong Zhuo to still be around Luoyang and begin the fire once the army was inside.

But it seems history changed because of his appearance which triggered some events earlier than expected.

"We need to rush towards the city and help the civilians," says Yun to Sun Jian who was beside him.

"I agree with you. If Dong Zhuo went this far it means that he already left the city to the mercy of the fire," says Sun Jian as Yun looks at Sun Jian.

"I will go ahead and try to kill the fire with my men. So we can save as many lives as possible," says Yun as he turns around and shouts at his men to march faster since they saved most of their energy because of the slow pace they were going.

The men followed Yun while Sun Jian told his men the same thing. They marched now at full speed and Sun Jian's army soon found out why Yun's army was so strong as for every step they took Yun's army took two.

Soon a gap opened between both armies as they all rushed at the capital except for one unit which approached the city at the same pace as before which was Dian Wei with his men and Wei Yan. They didn't need to rush to the capital since they had other orders.

Yun reached the open gates of the capital finding people panicking while others were fighting against the fire. Yun commanded his men to help the people with extinguishing the fire.

Yun was holding a bucket which he passed on to his men being active about extinguishing the fire with his men since he knew that the Campaign against Dong Zhuo will be officially over once everyone hears that Luoyang was freed of Dong Zhuo even if the young Emperor was still in Dong Zhuo's clutches.

Once the fire was extinguished, Yun brought forth what he found in a well. He looked at a piece of Green Jade that had a Dragon on top and something engraved at the bottom.

"To think that the Imperial Seal looks so simple," says Yun to himself as he walked for a while seeing his men help the people by giving them food.

He put the Imperial Seal away from the gazing eyes since he didn't need to drag too much attention to himself.

He didn't want to keep the Imperial Seal since it would only bring him trouble going down the road. So was thinking of handing the seal over to Sun Jian to not change more of what will come next.

Sun Jian was in another district of Luoyang taking care of the people there as he send a messenger to Luyang to inform Yuan Shu about him and Yun having conquered Luoyang back.

He sees Yun walking in his direction when he says, "General Zhao, what brings you here?"

"I came to you because I want to entrust something to you. But it would be good if we are alone," says Yun sounding mysterious to Sun Jian.

They were on the open street and Yun didn't want people to see the Imperial Seal since rumors would spread faster than the fire did in Luoyang.

"Of course let us go somewhere more quiet," says Sun Jian as they walk towards a quiet place where no eyes could see what was going on.

Yun then takes out the Imperial Seal and Sun Jian's eyes open wide from the shock of seeing it in Yun's hand.

"Is that...," says Sun Jian still not believing what he was seeing.

"It is," says Yun as he stretches his hand towards Sun Jian who was a bit nervous now.

The Imperial Seal represents the Emperor. It might look useless but it contains so much responsibility and power that Sun Jian was even afraid of touching it.

"Why do you have it?" asks Sun Jian now a bit suspicious of Yun.

"I found it in a well while taking water out of it. I could hide it under my chest piece but I can't keep it since I live in the Central Plain," says Yun as he looked at Sun Jian seriously.

"I see," says Sun Jian knowing that once words travel that Yun had the Imperial Seal the whole Central Plain would turn against him like hungry wolves to get the Imperial Seal.

"You are a man of the people and a loyal subject of the Emperor not like the rest of the people that entered this Coalition with other intentions.

Also, you will be far away from the Central Plain. They won't be chasing after you and Yuan Shu is a weak Warlord compared to you," says Yun as Sun Jian was surprised by Yun's words.

"You have a too high opinion of me. I am just a simple man," says Sun Jian as he felt a bit embarrassed that Yun had such an opinion from him.

"Every other man would have already taken the seal from my hand which signalizes me that you are the right person to guard the seal. I can see the reverence and awe in your eyes.

I know that you won't use the seal for your own benefit since you have a heart beating in there," says Yun as he pushes his index finger against Sun Jian's chest.

"And it is beating not for ambition but order. You are a simple man like me without much ambition. Our only ambition is that our family are safe and that our children grow up to become great human beings once it is their time," says Yun as he then takes Sun Jian's hand and opens it before placing the Imperial Seal into his hand.

"You are perfect to keep the Imperial Seal safe from all those Vultures trying to pick their pieces before the Han Dynasty falls," says Yun as he let go of Sun Jian.

"Tell Yuan Shu that I want my money by the beginning of winter or I will lead my army to attack him directly," says Yun as he leaves Sun Jian behind.

"Wait!" says Sun Jian as he snapped out of everything that just occurred and he stops Yun.

"I heard that you have a daughter-," says Sun Jian when suddenly felt shivers all over his body as he looked at Yun's eyes which looked like the eyes of a person that was about to kill someone in cold blood.

"If you want to suggest to tie our family by a marriage between my daughter and one of your sons I have to disappoint you. My daughter will select her husband on her own," says Yun cold but Sun Jian didn't let go as he recovered from the stare of Yun.

"How about they meet each other once she is of legal age?" asks Sun Jian since the legal age for Sun Jian and Yun were different in mind.

For Yun, it was eighteen years since he was raised in the future, but for Sun Jian it was fifteen years and Yun seemed to think about it forgetting that legal age was different for a moment.

"Fine, when Mulan hits legal age you should get Sun Quan to me. They will meet and if my daughter doesn't like him there won't be anything you nor he can do. Do we understand each other?" says Yun as Sun Jian nods.

"Good, also you should inform your wife and Cheng Pu or Huang Gai about it in case you die prematurely. I will inform my brother and my wife about it as well," says Yun as he wanted to make sure that even if Sun Jian does his close ones will honor his promise.

"I will inform Cheng Pu about it," says Sun Jian as Huang Gai was much like Sun Ce at the moment not trusting Yun over the way.

"Right," says Yun remembering something.

"Don't cry when you met her in the future. She is quite feisty right now. So in the future, she will most likely be uncontrollable," says Yun warning Sun Jian upfront so he can't curse him from the grave for not warning him.

"My son should be a Tiger by then. So they will be able to understand each other plenty," says Sun Jian with a smile while Yun chuckles.

'If you knew that she can control the Tigers in my mansion with her fingers you wouldn't be that happy,' thinks Yun as he places his hand on Sun Jian's shoulder.

"I hope to meet you again then. I will be traveling home once the sun rises tomorrow," says Yun as Sun Jian laughs out loud.

"I will inform Yuan Shu about what you told me when he reaches Luoyang," says Sun Jian as Yun nods before leaving to the district his men were keeping order over.

He walks through the streets seeing some of his past memories which he shares with Diao Chan like the Inn with the Red Roof which was now ashes to be forgotten by time.

"I really loved the dumplings in this place," says Yun as he passed it.