Siege on Pingyuan

Xiahou Dun's and Yun's armies began to march a week after the meeting, Yun was sitting on Thunder looking ahead of him seeing Zheng beside Fang who would get married the next year since Huixiu would reach adulthood in Yun's eyes.

Yun was quite happy to not see Mulan between his men since he was always worried something might happen to her or that she could be captured. Now she was Sun Quan's problem and not his.

But soon the next generation will be standing up with Rin maybe following him into the battlefield which would still take some years but Yun will be ready for when that happens since the Zhao Clan seems to bring forth only warriors forward.

"So what do you think about everything?" asks Yun to his right-hand man as he looked forward.

"That Yuan Shang and his older brother will flee north when they hear about Cao Cao and Yuan Tan entering into an alliance," says Pang Tong not joking around as Yun could see in the distance their first target.

"What if we take them by surprise?" asks Yun just rhetorically since the impossible could happen and they might not anticipate it or ignore their advisors' suggestions for one last stand against Yuan Tan.

"Either they are as arrogant as Yuan Shao was when he tried to take over Xu or they receive false information and see the army standing before them at the last moment which will force them to a last stand," says Pang Tong as they advance toward Gaotang while Yun was hoping that the war wouldn't reach Zhending.

They reached the perimeter of Gaotang and Tang Shi looked toward Yun wanting to know his orders when Yun says earnestly, "We are moving directly to Pingyuan. Let Xiahou Dun deal with Gaotang since there is no honor in it to attack a small city we want Pingyuan which will make us look better."

They continued marching north ignoring Gaotang while Xiahou Dun wasted his time by laying siege on Gaotang which surrendered immediately to him since they already swore fealty to Yuan Tan.

Yun had his eyes on Pingyuan which would bring him more merit compared to taking Gaotang they continued marching when Tang Shi says, "What if we are running into a trap right now?"

"What are you talking about?" asks Pang Tong confused when Tang Shi looks at Yun and him.

"About earlier when you were talking about the brothers running north or making a last stand. But what if Yuan Tan is playing Cao Cao to lay a trap for him to eliminate him completely," says Tang Shi waking up Yun and Pang Tong to the possibility of Yuan Tan playing them only for him to attack us when they are the most vulnerable.

"It would be a possibility that Yuan Tan is playing us but I don't think so," says Yun having a slight feeling that Yuan Tan wasn't playing them.

"But let us keep that possibility in the back of our heads just in case he turns against us once we stand before Ye and he grows a conscience. It would be careless if he falls into our back or flank," says Yun acknowledging the possibility as they marched toward Pingyuan.

They arrived at the outskirts of Pingyuan after four days of marching seeing the yellow flags hissing from the city which represented Yuan Shao and now his sons.

"What do you think, are they going to surrender or fight?" asks Yun looking at the flags that were hissing on the walls.

"If they know the past between you and Yuan Shao, they might try to fight us even if it is pointless since we have the numbers on our side," says Pang Tong seriously as he places his hand on his chin to think about how they should enter this fight.

How about we let Wei Yan attack from the north while Lu Bu attacks from the east? We will be at their south giving them only one way to flee the city and showing our goodwill," says Pang Tong having a quick and rough strategy for the upcoming battle.

"We should send Sima Yi with Lu Bu and Zhuge Liang with Wei Yan to give advice," suggests Tang Shi when Yun shakes his head.

"No, I want Sima Yi beside Fang while Lu Xun will be with Zheng. Xu Shu will be going with Guang Jia to Lu Bu since it worked out once between them and Chen Gong before," says Yun agreeing partly with Tang Shi before he adds, "I also want Guo Jia with Wei Yan since I could feel quite some tension between Wei Yan and Zhuge Liang lately."

Yun didn't need history to repeat itself with Zhuge Liang and Wei Yan not understanding each other just because one is elusive while the other is straightforward having Guo Jia with them could mend or break the teamwork between both and Yun wanted Guo Jia to show his potential once again after recovering from his illness.

"I will tell the men to inform them immediately," says Tang Shi leaving Yun and Pang Tong to inform the messengers to spread the plan of battle to the others.

Guo Jia only sighed after hearing his orders since he knew about the tension between Zhuge Liang and Wei Yan but now he also had to make them work together while looking after his student who was Lu Meng which Yun left in his hands.

'*sighs* How am I going to do this,' thinks Guo Jia while holding his head while Lu Meng was standing behind Guo Jia.

"Master, are we going to fight or just give advice since we are strategists at the moment?" asks Lu Meng curiously while carrying his weapons on his belt.

"Of course, we will be joining them in battle. General Zhao isn't someone who would let us rest while everyone else fights," says Guo Jia seriously since his sword was strapped to his belt.

He began his training in swordsmanship after he completely recuperated. He wasn't an expert but he can defend himself long enough until someone to help him.

"So we are going to fight finally," says Lu Meng as he felt quite bored the last few months with Guo Jia only shoveling books into his face.

Lu Meng pulled out his two one-handed pikes ready for battle when Guo Jia sighed again before saying, "Now I have three troublemakers to worry about."

Lu Bu on the other hand was quite open to welcome Xu Shu and Guang Jia again to his rank since they worked well together with Chen Gong making it possible for him to take more merit in taking Pingyuan than anticipated before.

Fang, on the other hand, was confused that Sima Yi was placed beside him with him being only a five-hundred-men commander. He didn't see himself that important since his father didn't have one until he was made a General who commanded five thousand men into battle which was ten times his current size.

Zheng was surprised as well since he was only a Squad Leader of fifty men who stood under his command and now he has Lu Xun join him. Lu Xun wasn't surprised that he would be beside Yun's son the only surprise to him was that he was beside Zheng and not Fang since Fang is the next master of the Zhao Household.

Sima Yi on the other hand was quite pleased with standing beside Fang since Fang was the future of the Zhao Family. It would solidify his position in Yun's army only more with him serving the next head of the family.

They went all into their corresponding position as they raised the black banner which read Zhao on it making them know that not some runt of a General was standing before Pingyuan but General Zhao, the current God of War.

The people inside the city were in panic while the soldiers seemed drained of all color on their faces as they saw the black banners hissing through the wind showing that they surrounded Pingyuan leaving them only one way to leave through the west gate.

Yun breathes the air in through his nose before he says, "I almost forgot the smell of war."

"Really?" asks Dian Wei not believing Yun at all.

"Yes, that is why we will be standing in the front together, Dian Wei," says Yun with a grin on his face while Dian Wei only sighs while shaking his head.

"I shouldn't have asked," says Dian Wei in defeat when Yun turns to Zhang He.

"You are coming as well, Zhang He. I will need more hands in taking Pingyuan," says Yun as he goes for his shield that was hanging from Thunder's saddle and turns to Tang Shi and Pang Tong.

"What are the possibilities of us getting through the south gate?" asks Yun wanting to know how many men he might lose in this siege.

"The possibilities are over seventy percent of taking the city since they will have to defend themselves on three walls and Yuan Shao's former army is split in two or at least the remains of his army. We might face at minimum five hundred men or at maximum a thousand men," says Pang Tong since the main army was stationed across the south gate.

He would place half of the army at the south gate while splitting the remaining men in two to defend the other gates.

"Do you think they have skilled archers?" asks Yun as he dismounts off Thunder.

"I don't think so or they would already be standing on the walls ready to pull their strings at any moment. I think that they are trying to barricade the gates and try to defend them once we enter the city," says Pang Tong as Yun puts his helmet on.

"Then they have already lost," says Yun seriously as he grabs his spear and walks to the front to join the first line with Dian Wei and Zhang He.

"So what is the battle plan?" asks Zhang He worried since Dian Wei wasn't happy at all to stand at the frontline.

"We are going to charge them directly as we always do. Hold your shield in front of you protecting yourself and the men beside you as they will do for you. The second line will keep our heads safe with their shields in case they attack us with arrows. Just because they don't have archers doesn't mean that they won't send their soldiers on the wall to aim at us. They only need luck to kill one of us so keep your shield up at any moment," says Yun warning Zhang He as they arrived at the front.

"Men, let us show them how an army really fights and take Pingyuan before Xiahou Dun catches up to us!" shouts Yun to his men as he raises his shield before taking the first step showing them that he is the first man to enter the battlefield.