Changing the Plan

The moment Yun returned from playing doctor he was ambushed by Dian Wei because of what he saw Rin perform when Dian Wei says still in shock, "I now know why you adopted Rin."

"It wasn't because she can deal with Thunder. It was because of what she did while I was passing through Zhan that I made her my daughter," says Yun seriously seeing Rin being able to deal with Thunder as a bonus.

"So you will raise her like Mulan?" asks Dian Wei curiously as Yun shakes his head.

"No, she will be trained in the way of the spear instead of the whip and bow," says Yun surprising Dian Wei since the women of the Zhao Clan would learn how to fight with a whip as did Yun's mother and sister before Mulan.

"Are you sure about that?" asks Dian Wei worried seeing how serious Yun was about training Rijnin the way of the spear.

"Yes, I will train her myself not like with Fang and Mulan. She will inherit my way of fighting," says Yun surprising Dian Wei even more since Yun didn't teach Fang or Mulan the way of the spear.

Yun only trained them in the way of Qi but never on how to wield a weapon leaving that to his Generals. Rin rushed at Yun when she saw him before hugging onto his leg.

"How was your day?" asks Rin in an adorable way making Yun smile at her before picking her up and placing her on his shoulders.

"It was tiresome but fun not like when I am at home," says Yun to Rin who looked at him confused since she didn't seem to get what Yun meant with that.

Dian Wei on the other hand was hiding his smile with his hand knowing that Yun would be chained to his desk once he arrived at Xiapi to deal with everything that happened since his absence.

"Your father really hates it to be chained to his desk looking over documents," says Dian Wei looking at the puzzled Rin.

"What do you think of Yao and Tao?" asks Yun out of nowhere making Dian Wei look at him confused when Yun continues, "I want to know if I should employ them?"

"Yao is young and can be trained to become a soldier. The problem is Tao since he is quite old. He must be a bit older than us and it will be hard for him to fit in with the other veterans since they already know the routine while Tao would need to go through with becoming a recruit," says Dian Wei giving Yun his honest opinion when Rin hits Yun's forehead lightly to gain his attention.

"You can't throw away old man Tao. He is one of the friendliest people I have ever met," says Rin thinking that Yun would throw her also away if she isn't of use any longer.

Yun only smiled at his daughter and he says, "If that is so he will become your bodyguard like Dian Wei is mine."

Rin looked at him confused not understanding what Yun meant when he says it in simpler words making Rin happy that Yun would employ Tao to protect her after they reached Changlu.

"But he must accept the employment. If he doesn't want to become a guard I won't be able to force him to stay since he is a mercenary," says Yun telling Rin that if Tao refused he couldn't force him to become her protector.

'Thinking about it Fang and Mulan have a protector each and Zheng has Dian Man by his side. Yang is still too young as is Rin but Tao could be placed under Dian Wei to be trained to become one of the Protectors of the Clan,' thinks Yun looking at Dian Wei who looks seriously at him.

"You know very well that I only accept those that are fully loyal to you and your family in my army since they are the ones protecting them at all times," says Dian Wei seriously as they don't know anything about Tao making him a possible risk in the future.

"I can make Rong gather everything on Tao since his sister will be too occupied with her upcoming wedding," says Yun holding his chin with one hand while thinking about something else when they entered the inn.

Yun ordered some dumplings for the three of them when Zhen Luo joined them and he gestured to add another serving for her when Zhen Luo sighs and says, "I really hope we arrive at Xiapi soon. All this traveling is getting to my sisters. They are complaining all the time about it taking too long and that camping outside is making their skin get grumpier."

"Well, we are almost there it should take at least two more weeks to reach Changlu if we go at this tempo," says Yun when he remembers something and he turns to Dian Wei and asks, "Could we use the ferry in Kaiyang to get to Xiapi?"

"We could it should shorten our travel depending if the ferry travels up the river," says Dian Wei since it would shorten their trip by a week and a half if they travel with the ferry from Kaiyang to Xiapi instead of traveling on a carriage which would take them a month from Lu.

"If we are lucky I can even meet with Zang Ba to deal with something while on the way," says Yun since he needed to find out who Zang Ba was loyal to if it was him or Cao Cao to see if he could include him in his schemes for the future.

"Is it wise to visit Zang Ba alone? He could try to kill you for what happened back in Xiapi when you threatened him with wiping him and his army out," says Dian Wei a bit worried when Yun looks at him with confidence.

"Who said that I am going alone? I have the right man to follow me into that Den of Bandits," says Yun as a grin appears on his face while Dian Wei only sighs in defeat knowing that one day Yun would be his death one day.

They finished eating and Yun went to inform the group that they will be changing their route with their destination now becoming Kaiyang instead of Changlu which displeased Zhen Luo's sisters before they heard that their travel would be shorter by a week if they go to Kaiyang.

Yao didn't have anything against it since Yun raised the reward he would receive for taking them to Kaiyang but Tao wasn't pleased at all as he says, "We are going to enter bandits' territory on our own instead of evading it by going to Kaiyang."

This opened not only Yao's eyes but also the Zhen family's eyes wide when Yun says, "They aren't bandits any longer since they joined Cao Cao after he took over the Xu Province."

"And how would you know that?" asks Tao nervous since he felt like they were walking into a trap if they travel to Kaiyang.

"Because Kaiyang as well as the whole Xu Province is in control of Cao Cao. But the person taking care of the Xu Province for him is a man who brings fear to any bandit since he is known to take care of them in the territory under his protection," says Yun to Tao trying to not blow his cover.

"It is said that General Zhao was a peacekeeper while he stayed in Zhending keeping it and the whole Changshan Commandery safe from bandits. Now he should be doing the same in the whole province," says Madam Zhang knowing what Yun did in the past since his influence back then reached the bordering Commanderies without being a Warlord.

"And you think just because of some General that Zang Ba will stop plundering the people going through the Langya Commandery? Don't fool yourself, Zang Ba is someone that won't change even with General Zhao now in charge of the Xu Province," says Tao seriously as if he had some history with Zang Ba.

"Zang Ba wouldn't dare to attack us unless he has a death wish," says Dian Wei still hiding his face under the hood.

"And why would that be?" asks Tao getting angry because of the group taking this situation lightly when Yun sighs.

"Zang Ba won't attack us since he is too busy keeping the enemy from the North in check," says Yun seriously since that was the last order he gave Zang Ba before leaving to help Cao Cao.

"And how would you know that?" asks Tao now frustrated since his employer seemed to have made a decision already.

"Because I gave him the order to guard the North and retake Dongguan before I left to help Cao Cao to win at Guandu," says Yun revealing to the two mercenaries who he really is as he says, "I am Zhao Yun better known as the General that Pacified the North or the Undefeated General."

This made the two mercenaries to take some steps back from the shock of hearing who was standing before them when Yun continues with, "Wei is one of my generals and is better known as Dian Wei. He is something like my shadow standing always behind me."

Yun then looked at the two mercenaries and says, "I was talking about you two with Dian Wei and he said that you two might have potential and I see that as well. So I want to offer you a place in my army. I will give you time to think about it until we reach Kaiyang."

Yun then left the two mercenaries as well as the Zhen Family since they now knew who Dian Wei is making them change their attitude toward him since he was not a nobody as they thought before while Zhen Luo only sigh because of her family's reaction.

They left the same day in the direction of Bo with two mercenaries thinking about their future while Yun was thinking about what to do about Zang Ba and if he could get him to join him and if he didn't join him he had to remove him before he gets stronger and a possible danger to him and his plan.