Zheng's Return

Yun looked around searching for who called him and saw a young man standing beside a young woman. They were walking toward him while nobody seemed to have stopped them from his close circle when Yun took a closer look at the young man.

He stood up recognizing him as he looked a lot like his younger brother with that pretty face who only one of his child had inherited from the Zhao Clan.

"Zheng," says Yun as he takes his son into his arms hugging him tightly not wanting to let go of him thinking that he might lose him as well.

"Father," says Zheng returning the hug while feeling his father's strength who was crushing him a bit with his warmth.

"General Zhao," says Sun Ren who was standing behind Zheng a bit nervous because of what happened some minutes ago.

Yun let go of his son before looking at Sun Ren and taking her into his arms as he tries to suppress his depression with little effort since it was written all over his face.

"Did you had to kill the momentum of our army?" asks a man Yun knows too well.

"Cheng Pu, I should have known that you were still around," says Yun letting go of Sun Ren.

"Answer me," says Cheng Pu seriously as Yun just sat down again.

"I had to except you want to lose Zhou Yu or Ling Cao because of Zhou Yu's overconfidence," says Yun seriously as Cheng Pu sat down as well.

"I see, planning ahead again," says Cheng Pu as Yun nods.

"If I wanted to eliminate Cao Cao, I would have done so already. Cao Cao is still needed to control the North while we should focus on the south instead of Jing and let Liu Bei deal with it before claiming it as you had negotiated at the alliance assembly," says Yun already knowing the price Liu Bei had to pay for Sun Quan to enter this Alliance.

"But Cao Cao can just regain his strength," says Cheng Pu seriously seeing Cao Cao still as a threat.

"He will but Cao Cao is old. Did you know what brought down the Yuan Clan or do I have to remind you," says Yun hinting at something obvious.

"An Inheritance War between Cao Cao's sons. I see but what if he has decided on a successor before dying," says Cheng Pu seriously as Yun only smiled at him.

"Cao Cao does not only have enemies in the South but also in the North. They just haven't shown their teeth yet," says Yun hinting at another of Cao Cao's enemies.

"He might regain his former strength but he will need to be more reclusive not that he lost his shadow," says Yun pointing out that Cao Cao couldn't be careless any longer after losing Xu Chu today.

"Still he could order a counter-offensive and take the Xu Province from you," says Cheng Pu seriously as the Xu Province was one of the best entry points to get to Sun Quan when Yun shakes his head.

"If he tries he will only find death since Guangling is protected by my strongest General and his army," says Yun with a smile on his face showing his confidence in Lu Bu winning against anyone that tries to take Guangling and the Commandery from him.

Lu Bu must be the most pissed person behind Hua and Yun after Fang's death since he dotted on his son-in-law who now has left behind his daughter and their newborn children.

"Trust me if someone dared to attack Guangling they would die by Lu Bu's own hands since he must be as pissed as me after he saw Fang's body. He is itching for someone to attack him so he could release all of his rage," says Yun sure of it as he turned to Zheng and Sun Ren.

"But that doesn't mean that Zheng will be the next family head," says Yun seriously as everyone that heard him were shocked except for Hua, the Generals, and Zheng himself.

"What do you mean? Zheng should be the next in line," says Sun Ren a bit angry that Zheng was being ignored since he was the next heir in line.

"Fang fostered two children. One of the two will be the next head until then Yang will be a stand-in," says Yun seriously looking at Sun Ren before looking at Zheng.

"The Zhao Clan will have another duty to fulfill once the Empire is united under the Emperor again," says Yun ominously as he looked at Zheng who only nods.

"Anyway, Zheng, just like my brother, will be the head of his own family once he has children. We aren't defined by our status but by our deeds. If he can't get to my position on his own then he never deserved to have it," says Yun sounding now harsh in Sun Ren's ears but many saw through what Yun just said.

It reflected the whole history of the Empire at the latest stage with incompetent heirs taking over their father's position thinking that they are worthy of it without lifting a finger before.

"Anyway, there is still a long way to go until I die. So we should rather worry on our next move instead of discussing who will lead my Clan when I bite the dust," says Yun having talked about his family long enough as he now eyed Cheng Pu.

"If we were to help Liu Bei we will lose our current hold of the Yangtze River. I recommend that we should get a firm foot on this side of the river bank before trying to waste our time in attacking Cao Cao as Zhou Yu wants to die. I would rather focus on the wildlings in the south and how to gain them to strengthen our purpose against Liu Bei and Cao Cao," says Yun making Cheng Pu look at him confused.

"Liu Bei is our ally," says Cheng Pu seriously at Yun who only grins at him evilly.

"Do you really think he will surrender Jing willingly to us. Once he has a tight grasp over the west he won't let Jing go. He will fight us for it but I already have a plan for that and it will flourish at the given moment," says Yun as suddenly a man carrying a feather fan enters his view.

"Does that plan contain his wife and heir being returned safely?" asks Zhuge Liang who joined them.

He joined Zhou Yu's camp immediately after crossing the river sending his wife and the escort to Jianye to inform Sun Quan about everything.

"Yes, you might not know it but you must have seen them. The children of Guan Yu and his wives were between the servants of Lady Gan. One day he will have to return the favor since he hates to be indebted to someone even if it is the enemy," says Yun knowing Guan Yu's personal beliefs on that matter.

He slayed Yan Liang and took Bomi for Cao Cao in the history he knew thinking that ir was enough to clean his debt to Cao Cao before fleeing with Liu Bei and his family to the south.

In this timeliness however he was indebted to Yun instead of Cao Cao. He paid Yun once but now Yun saved not only his wife but also his children making the debt hang heavy over Guan Yu who doesn't like to be indebted to someone.

"Don't you place too much on a single man that fights for your enemy?" asks Cheng Pu seriously as Yun only shakes his head.

"No, I fought with him and beside him. I know what a man he is as I know what a man Sun Jian was. If both of them had fought together Sun Jian would never had died to Huang Zu but fate had other plans giving Liu Bei someone as loyal as Guan Yu," says Yun feeling a bit bitter now after mentioning Sun Jian a friend who he had lost because he didn't listen to his advice.

"Sun Jian and Guan Yu are made from the same wood. It is just a misfortune that my friend won't be able to share his wine with Guan Yu as I and Cao Ren did in the past," says Yun now feeling melancholic as he stood up and walks away as his depression resurfaces.

"I need some time for myself. I already said what I wanted to say but now I want to be alone," says Yun as they could feel the sadness in his voice while he stumbles away wanting to be alone.

"We sho-," says Zheng who gets stopped by Huang Zhong.

"No, young master, your father needs time for himself right now. Talking about dead friends seemed to have opened his still open wound again," says Huang Zhong seriously as he was feeling the same pain as well as everyone else that was around when Fang died.

"I will accompany him for now. You all should prepare to travel to Guangling. We might be fighting another war soon to reclaim Xiapi again," says Huang Zhong seriously as he is the oldest of them all.

He then left to join Yun while taking the jar hanging from Gan Ning's belt while saying, "Drinking while being on duty is a punishment in our army have you forgotten that?"

Gan Ning was scratching the back of his head with a obvious smirk on his face telling that he knew but didn't care as always while Huang Zhong left to talk to Yun.

He found Yun who was unstrapping his shoulderpads that landed on the ground creating cracks underneath them before the rest of his armor fell to the ground leaving only a man in black robes standing infront of the dawn which bathed them in its glory.

Huang Zhong approaches Yun who sits down looking at the scenery which was quite memorable if you don't count the corpses and the ships that were in or on the river.

"Do you want a drink?" asks Huang Zhong as he sits down beside Yun while taking a sip from Gan Ning's wine before stretching his hand out toward Yun.

"A drink would be nice right now," says Yun as he took the jar and drinks from it as they sat there not saying one word while drinking Gan Ning's wine.