Drinking with Lu Bu

Yun gave his twins a big and long hug before kissing his wife and taking his youngest in his arms playing with him before asking, "Nothing happened to you and the kids, right?"

"I had them inside the mansion the whole time so no stray arrow gets near them," says Diao Chan as she was worried that something like that could happen.

"I meant, did someone dare to storm the mansion while I was away?" asks Yun as Diao Chan shakes her head.

"Your father and Huang Zhong prevented it before the riot even started," says Diao Chan relieved that Yun was back as Yun gives Zhang over to Xian before hugging his wife.

"I am happy that nothing happened to you and the children," says Yun as he kisses his wife before he turns to a servant to tell her to prepare a room for Lu Bu.

Yun knows that Lu Bu is playing around as if everything is normal to not unsettle his wife and daughter but some of his ribs must be broken from the duel they had some moments ago.

Yun let go of Diao Chan and takes Zhang out of Xian's hands before saying, "How about we enjoy today and tomorrow we deal with Lu Bu and the traitors."

"What do you have in mind for them?" asks Xian still angry that Yun allowed Lu Bu into the city.

"We will send them off to the east to fight Cao Cao. It will stop his advance since a bigger tiger appeared on his flank. It will force him to retreat since Cao Cao can't fight Lu Bu and Tao Qian at the same time," says Yun knowing that only Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, and Xu Chu combined would be able to stop Lu Bu and that only for a while giving Cao Cao the time to retreat.

"Aren't we working for Cao Cao at the moment, he will be suspicious of us," says Xian worried about his family.

"Why do you think I came alone and not with the whole army Cao Cao left in Xuchang? It is so nobody will find out except those loyal to us and not Cao Cao. A rumor or two will spread but there will be no evidence that we really helped Lu Bu," says Yun as he walked into the mansion with his family.

"So Cao Cao won't be the person you will follow in the end," says Xian not knowing what Yun told the others two days ago.

"The man marrying my daughter will have my support and army. Until then we will be mercenaries exchanging our loyalty for coin and food. Cao Cao might conquer the Northern Plains but he won't conquer the Empire," says Yun seriously as they arrived at the main hall.

The mansion was smaller than the one in Zhending but it was still big enough to house the whole family and their animals. Yun sat down at the table and gave Zhang over to his wife before looking at the twins to talk to them about their training.

Yun was trying to cultivate Qi in them since they are young but neither of them could manifest it yet like the high-ranked members of Yun's army which could manifest a small aura around them.

Soon Lu Bu and his family joined them as Yun looked at the servants to serve some food to everyone. The mood wasn't the best between the adults because of Lu Bu sitting with them at the table while the children were hanging from his arms not knowing what was going on outside the wall the last few days but Yun didn't care nor did Lu Bu since the battle was over for them.

After finishing the meal Lu Bu looked at Yun and asks, "So what are you going to do with the people that helped me?"

"I am still thinking about it but first we should deal with your wounds," says Yun as he stands up and signalizes to him to follow him.

Both leave the main hall going to Yun's office where Shadow was feeding Fenghuang at the moment when Yun says, "You will need a strategist and people when you face Cao Cao as well as a perfectly shaped body."

His hands began to get engulfed in light before he places one against his cheek making the scratch, Lu Bu gave him, disappear from his face.

"It's your turn," says Yun as he puts his hands against Lu Bu's back making Light Qi enters Lu Bu's body repairing his rib cage before the Light Qi dissipates and Yun removes his hands.

"Are you better now?" asks Yun as he looked at Lu Bu's back seeing no scar on it.

"Yes, it was hard to maintain my usual invincible appearance in front of the children. Huixiu grew a lot while I was gone as did your twins," says Lu Bu sad to have missed those years with his daughter and wife as Yun asks the servant to bring them something to drink.

"She was happy and sometimes sad since she wanted to see you but she had the broken tip of your halberd to remember you," says Yun as he sat down knowing why Lu Bu was sad he went almost through the same when he joined the Coalition.

Yun returned finding his children almost half a year older feeling bad that he had to leave them behind just to make sure that they are safe in this dangerous world.

Lu Bu gave him a sad smile before asking, "You said something about a strategist what do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I am thinking about giving you the people that tried to help you conquer Puyang. You will need them to fight against Cao Cao since you will be doing me a big favor by doing so," says Yun since he needed more years to make his army bigger and better as well as make his reputation soar and for that, he will need to defeat Lu Bu one more time in almost five years.

"When are we going to fight again?" asks Lu Bu knowing that they will be fighting each other again.

"Five years, I will make sure that nothing happens to your family and your two most important generals and friends when the time comes," says Yun as the servant arrived with the wine.

"So I could lose my life next time we fight," says Lu Bu knowing the truth behind those words.

"You could end up dead even before that which is why I am giving you those that colluded with you in taking Puyang. They will be more helpful to you than to me since I can't trust them to work for me loyally as do the others," says Yun as he began to pour wine into both cups.

He hands one over while he picks his cup up and they lift their cup up saying cheer before they drink the wine in their cups.

"So five years and my life will be over," says Lu Bu thinking back on everything when Yun smirks at him.

"Not if I can prevent it," says Yun seriously as he filled the cups again.

"Just be quiet when the time comes and join my side. We can't have Cao Cao too angry with you when the time comes but don't play cocky or even I won't be able to get you through this alive," says Yun before he empties his cup again.

"And what then?" asks Lu Bu knowing where it was leading while emptying his cup.

"You become one of my Generals I will need a second Cavalry General and you will keep all of your men that are still alive. Sooner or later we will have a place we can call our own in this Empire once it is reunited under the Emperor who will be standing over us," says Yun filling their cups again.

"And you won't be the Emperor?" asks Lu Bu curious about Yun's real objective.

"Do I look like a person that can be an Emperor? I am a General through-and-through, I am a person that only knows how to fight. I don't have the patience to deal with the affairs that an Emperor has to go through every day," says Yun as he empties his cup again.

"And the Emperor we will be serving will be a Liu, am I right?" asks Lu Bu as he glared at Yun.

Lu Bu even if depicted as a Traitorous Bastard was a loyalist of the Han Dynasty and the Emperor. He would never go against them. Yun knew that far too well since Lu Bu killed both his foster fathers to diminish the bloodshed that would have happened if he didn't assassinate them.

"It won't be a Liu, I can assure it to you. The Han Dynasty died the moment Dong Zhuo rose to power and made the Young Emperor his puppet. The current Emperor will continue to be used as a puppet until he is forced to abolish his power," says Yun seriously as Lu Bu hits the table with full force breaking it.

"Traitors! All of them!" shouts Lu Bu in fury as Yun looked at him furiously.

"That was my favorite table. I brought it with me from Zhending," says Yun cold as Lu Bu didn't care about that at the moment.

"You are in it as well!" shouts Lu Bu at Yun as he wanted to say more when Yun looks at him and the blue eyes Yun had become more intense making him look more powerful.

"I have nothing to do with what will happen but I will make sure that I am alive when the new Dynasty rises from the ash of this old and rotten Dynasty. Even if I have to give up my life to do so," says Yun seriously as Lu Bu got scared with how intense Yun's blue eyes became.

"I am doing it so my children and their children don't have to let their lives on the battlefield fighting their fellow Han Comrades because of the greed of some people thinking that they should rule the Empire. And I won't tire until the new Dynasty has a stable foundation," says Yun as Lu Bu's anger seemed to dissipate because of Yun's seriousness.

"I want you to see what is happening and will happen and tell me in five years if I am right or not to think of putting another person that isn't a Liu on the Dragon Throne and make him Emperor," says Yun as his eyes slowly lose their intensity.

"You will soon meet a Liu after all. Look at him and see if you really want one of them on the throne again before you judge me for trying to push another person on that throne," says Yun as he stands up and leaves the room.

Lu Bu didn't know what to do when he sees Shadow feeding a chick before he sees a crow at the window frame before it left making Lu Bu sigh before he began to hold his head to think clearly about what Yun said just some moments ago.