War Preparations

Two weeks passed and Yun was training with his troops when Xiahou Dun returned from his skirmish. He looked at him and knew that he was defeated badly by the enemy going by the number of men that returned to the camp and his new injury that wasn't missable since it was his left eye that was missing.

Yun only looked at him seriously knowing that Xiahou Dun must have underestimated the enemy because of his hot temperament running into an ambush without knowing it.

Lu Bu has a lot of capable Generals by his side not counting Gao Shun and Zhang Liao who are his right and left hands. They are the best under his command and far better than him when it comes to planning on the battlefield while Lu Bu is an instinctual General that runs it first and changes his strategy on the wimps of his guts.

Soon a messenger arrived which called Yun as well as all the other Generals inside Xiaopei to talk with Cao Cao. Yun took Dian Wei and Guo Jia with him as they entered Xiaopei they see Cao Ren with his younger brother Cao Chun.

"General Zhao, it is hard to catch a glimpse of you lately since you are training with your troops daily preparing for the war. But shouldn't you let them rest for a while? They should be able to fight once the war starts," says Cao Ren as he looked at the two people behind Yun.

"Their profession is soldier before they are something else. They might be smiths or shipwrights but in the end, their first profession is being a soldier. They need to be fit and strong to be able to serve with their bodies. They also need to have a cold mind and a brave heart when they face the enemy. All that is accomplished through a lot of training," says Yun explaining to Cao Ren why he trained his men even in those moments.

"That explains why your men don't ask the local blacksmiths to maintain their weapons. Your army already has blacksmiths in its ranks," says Cao Ren holding his chin as they walked towards the manor Cao Cao was living in at the moment.

"They are soldiers that are paid a bit more than normal soldiers since they maintain the weapons of their comrades while being at the front but they fight as ferocious as any other man in my army," says Yun in a proud tone since they don't slack off as most would think.

"Still wouldn't it be better to ask a local smith since he has all his tools while your smiths only have the basic tools with them," says Cao Chun from behind Cao Ren as Yun smiles and looks around the city seeing poverty wherever he looks.

"If we ask a smith in this city to look after our equipment he will do it mostly for free since he doesn't want to offend us by asking for money.

Take a look around us. The city's main street just tells us that the city is poor and now tell me will the smith survive this year if he works for free just so our soldiers are pleased," says Yun not looking at Cao Chun as he continued walking beside Cao Ren who also noticed the poverty on the main street.

"We are a burden for the city at the moment is what you are saying," says Cao Ren seeing through Yun's words.

"That's right and wrong at the same time. We are weakening Liu Bei at the moment by using his provisions making it easier to defeat him once we are done with Lu Bu and Yuan Shu," says Yun knowing that Cao Cao isn't dumb and must have delayed the Campaign against Lu Bu because of this.

"Have you seen Xiahou Dun? I heard he was defeated badly," says Cao Ren trying to change the topic since he knows that his cousin was doing exactly what Yun just said.

"I have seen a glimpse of him and his men. It seems he was defeated badly by Lu Bu and his men," says Yun since he didn't know who defeated Xiahou Dun he could only rely on what he learned and that could have changed because of him.

"The men that returned said it was the Camp Crusher that assaulted them on the first night forcing the exhausted army to fight. It was a crushing defeat from which Xiahou Dun might not recover from," says Cao Chun worried making Yun, as well as Cao Ren, laugh hardly confusing the others.

"You don't know Xiahou Dun as good as I do then. He will come back stronger than before," says Cao Ren who looked at Yun suspiciously since he almost doesn't interact with the other Generals except for Li Qian who isn't with them because he is needed to guard the west against Zhang Xiu at the moment.

"How did you know that Dun wouldn't break on this?" asks Cao Ren who seemed to not know under which conditions Yun lives at home.

"When he first visited me for the Coalition against Dong Zhuo he had to enter my manor. Everyone that enters it will be faced with the truth about themselves as they will be face to face with beasts that could tear them apart easily.

Xiahou Dun stayed strong back then in the face of my feline friends showing that he has a strong will to fulfill what Cao Cao asked from him," says Yun as he looked ahead when he sees a familiar face.

"Guan Yu, it has been a long time," says Yun waving his hand at Guan Yu who looked at him neither angry nor happy to see.

"Lord Zhao, it has been long," says Guan Yu with exhaustion in his voice making Yun smile since this could play into his hands later on.

"You seem exhausted, are you still regretting that you left Zhang Fei behind back then?" asks Yun as Cao Ren and Cao Chun were surprised that Yun knows Guan Yu.

"I am, we could have been in a different position if we had left another person to govern in my oldest brother's absence. But my brother...," says Guan Yu as he stops talking closing his eyes before using his fingers to massage his eyelids and the side of his nose.

"*sighs* Let us just say that my youngest brother is a handful like you always said before," says Guan Yu as he didn't have a bad relationship with Yun compared to Liu Bei and Zhang Fei.

He was quite grateful that Yun helped him surpass his limit over and over again while they were still under his command.

"Will Inspector Liu join the gathering as well?" asks Cao Ren curious as Guan Yu nods.

"Yes, I am just catching some fresh air before I join as my brother's escort," says Guan Yu a bit angry since Cao Ren called Liu Bei 'Inspector Liu' instead of 'Lord' or 'Governor Liu' as he should making Cao Ren and Cao Chun become tense as well.

"Now now, don't fight yet, we still have a war to fight against Lu Bu. We can resolve those things after the war is over with a drinking competition without sheathing blood," says Yun trying to calm them down since it doesn't help their cause to fight against each other.

"Infighting will only lead to us losing more men than needed and in the worst case our defeat," says a pale Guo Jia in a calm tone trying to help Yun.

Guo Jia was beginning to show signals of his leukemia which would take him in a few years. Yun hasn't treated him yet because he wasn't sure yet how since Guo Jia's illness is vastly different compared to Huang Xu who he just needed to clear his lungs and remove all impurity from his body to heal his pneumonia.

"He is right we shouldn't fight, but I would accept a drinking competition to strengthen our bond so we can reinstall trust in each other since we need to trust each other to win this war," says Cao Ren making Yun shake his head in his mind.

'If he only knew that this war is raging since the Yellow Turbans rose up to challenge the Heaven's Will and won't end until the Empire is united again,' thinks Yun as he looks at Guan Yu talking with Cao Ren accepting to drink with him later to make peace between each other.

"I will join you as well. It has been a long time since we talked to each other more profoundly," says Yun to Guan Yu who nods rapidly since he needed some dire help at the moment with his Qi training since he seemed to not improve any longer and needed advice.

"Then we shall drink after this gathering is over," says Yun to them before entering the manor with Dian Wei and Guo Jia.

The hall was clean making Yun wonder if Liu Bei gave Cao Cao his own manor at first since it was too clean compared to the other buildings on the main street.

They soon arrived at the main hall where some of the Generals were already waiting for Cao Cao sitting on upside-down buckets since the manor didn't have enough chairs for everyone.

Yun walked toward one of the buckets that still hadn't an owner before sitting down when he looks around seeing only three chairs. One was empty with Xu Chu standing behind it making it obvious that Cao Cao would sit there.

The other was beside Xiahou Yuan which means that it is Xiahou Dun's seat since he needed rest after losing his battle and a bucket won't help him. And the last was already occupied by Liu Bei with Zhang Fei standing behind him.

Soon Xiahou Dun arrived having an improvised eye patch to cover his left eye because of the missing eyeball while his chest was bare with bandages that were still being wrapped around it after he sat down.

Cao Ren sat down beside Yun while Cao Chun was standing behind him and Guan Yu was standing behind Liu Bei when Cao Cao entered the room stomping on the ground with every step he took while Xun Yu was following behind him.

Cao Cao sits down on the chair provided to him while Xun Yu stood behind him when he says, "I have received good news and bad news in the last few hours."

Everyone looked at him attentive except for Xiahou Dun since he is the bringer of those news when Cao Cao continues, "The bad one is that we have underestimated Lu Bu's capability of recruiting men during the last year. He must have conscripted every able man into his army. His General Gao Shun and Cao Xing have led around fifty thousand men in the skirmish and have defeated Xiahou Yun badly."

Cao Cao looked at Yun for a moment since Yun warned him before about it as did Xun Yu who was standing beside him when he hears Yun ask, "And what is the good news?"

"The good news is that Xiahou Dun is still alive and that Gao Shun and Cao Xing have retreated," says Cao Cao convincing as Yun didn't believe that but he let it slide since it wouldn't help him to argue with Cao Cao at the moment.

"Also I have to apologize to General Zhao and Strategist Xun. You warned me about this and I didn't listen to your warnings making us now sit in an uncomfortable situation," says Cao Cao apologizing to them before he continues, "But I think that we will pull through this situation if we all work together."

"So what is the plan, cousin?" asks Xiahou Yuan curious about what will be happening now.

"We will march towards Xiapi when summer begins and the path isn't tricky enough to reduce our troops in half because of someone misstepping," says Cao Cao when he looks at Yun and says, "General Yun, I want your troops to control the rivers while we lay siege in Xiapi. Also, I want you to lead the remains of Xiahou Dun's troops and lead them as the vanguard. There are twenty thousand men that will be under your command until the war against Lu Bu is over."

This took everyone by surprise even Yun who looked at him confused since he can't split himself in two to lead the vanguard as well as taking control of the rivers at the same time.

"Cousin, how is he supposed to lead the vanguard as well as conquer and control the rivers around Xiapi?" asks Cao Ren confused asking what everyone was thinking at the moment.

"I think that General Zhao has capable people under his command that can lead his troops even in his absence. If General Zhao isn't in the vanguard to stop Lu Bu we will lose this war even before we laid siege on Xiapi," says Cao Cao telling his reason for letting Yun lead the vanguard with Xiahou Dun's men.

"Also, Xiahou Dun will be leaving for Qiao to recuperate from his wounds in the meantime escorted by two hundred of his men," says Cao Cao explaining why Xiahou Dun didn't have a say in this.

"Can I take two of my Generals and two Strategists with me to the vanguard?" asks Yun curious as Cao Cao nods.

"Yes, we need to win. Do you understand, General Zhao," says Cao Cao seriously making Yun smirk.

"So be it then," says Yun seriously while two people closer to Cao Cao had complete red faces because they were skipped completely in this conversation of leading the vanguard who are Liu Bei and Zhang Fei.