Cao Cao's Plan

Two months passed by, and Yun received a letter from Cao Cao ordering him to move his army to Xuchang. This was the order Yun had been waiting for since it told him that soon the war between Cao Cao and Liu Biao would begin.

Yun knew that he would most likely not be involved in it until the late phase of the war since Cao Cao didn't want him to gain more glory, but Yun knew what he had to do.

He wrote a letter and gave it to Shadow to deliver while ordering her to go to Guangling afterwards in case something happens while he isn't in Xiapi.

He then leaves his office to inform Pang Tong and Tang Shi about it to gather the army since they will be marching in two months while taking enough provisions with them to fight if they are ambushed by Cao Cao.

Yun prepared himself by cleaning his armour while getting his greatsword out of his ring. It was completely black with two golden dragons curling on the blade while the edge was white with a blue wave pattern on it.

"It has been long since I swung you," says Yun, feeling the weight difference between his greatsword and the greatsword he used to train with.

He placed the greatsword against the wall beside his armor while preparing the robes he would be using in this war underneath his armor knowing full well that he would throw them away once the war was over because of the stench they give off.

The two months passed quickly for Yun, who got adjusted to his new weapon before they marched toward Xuchang. Yun looked at Pang Tong when a messenger arrived at their footsteps.

Everyone drew their weapon out as they aimed at the messenger who held his hands up, surrendering while holding onto the message he had to deliver in person.

Yun looked at the messenger and knew why everyone drew their weapon out since he was clad in green, which stance for a member of the Liu family with which Cao Cao was at war at the moment.

Yun stepped forward toward the messenger, grasping his greatsword before stopping in front of the messenger while asking, "Are you crazy to show up before me?"

The cold voice of Yun made the messenger feel shivers pass all over his body before putting one hand down, trying to get something out of his pocket.

Yun moved his greatsword, which now pointed at the throat of the messenger who at the same time pulled at a piece of a green banner that read Guan on it instead of Liu. This stopped the sword from penetrating his throat.

Yun puts his sword down before taking the latter out of the messenger's hands while saying, "You shouldn't wear green if you come to bring me a letter since the enemy has eyes and ears everywhere."

Yun reads the letter before smiling and saying, "Zhuge Liang, it seems your invention against arrows worked like a charm against Cao Cao."

Everyone looked at Zhuge Liang as they wanted to hear what Yun meant with that before hearing, "Don't look at him like that. I only asked him to create something that can block arrows while they are in mid-air."

Yun then looked at the messenger and says, "Rely this message to Guan."

He stopped for a moment as his expression turned cold as well as his voice before saying, "When we meet on the battlefield, don't expect mercy from me."

The messenger was frozen in place because of what Yun just said when he hears, "Come on, move now. I don't have the whole day to entertain you."

Yun then turned back to his men before ordering them to begin their march to Xuchang as ordered to him.

They begin to move while the messenger still was standing around stunned when Yun suddenly hit the arse of the horse he was sitting on, which brought him back in a panic.

Yun just laughed his ass off from seeing the spectacle before mounting Thunder to join his army in the march to Xuchang. The march took one and a half months as they now stood before Xuchang.

"So, do you expect an ambush?" asks Tang Shi having a bad feeling about this situation.

"I wouldn't expect an ambush at this moment since most of Cao Cao's troops are fighting in the south against Liu Biao. He needs us to keep himself safe from the armies in the west, which didn't swore loyalty to him," says Pang Tong, hitting the right nail.

Cao Cao was suspicious of the people in the west, which didn't help him against the Yuan Clan who had fallen from grace. Yun was the perfect person to strike fear in their heart since he was known as the God of War.

Yun is known for his flawless record of winning every battle in which he participated in and losing only a handful of men compared to his enemies who lost armies of men. This was a big weapon that could intimidate a lot of people in going against Cao Cao.

As they reached Xuchang, Yun ordered his men to open camp near the west side of Xuchang since it gave them a strategic advantage should Cao Cao try to ambush them.

Yun might have come to help Cao Cao, but that doesn't mean that he will leave himself open again after the last time he was in Xuchang.

He prepared to enter the city with Dian Wei when he says to Pang Tong, "If I am not back by tomorrow, you can see it as I died with Dian Wei and you shall return to Xiapi before moving to Jianye."

"I will keep it in mind," says Pang Tong seriously as Yun departed for Xuchang with Dian Wei.

"What should I do if you are killed in front of me?" asks Dian Wei seriously as Yun turned to him.

"Try to take as many as possible with you if you can't escape the city. But if you can escape try to get to Pang Tong so that you can see your wife and child again," says Yun not wanting Dian Wei to die if it was possible for him flee the city.

"And be branded a coward? Never! If you are going to be killed, I will take the blade for you so that you can keep going. I am not as important as you are, I would be dead if you didn't recruit back then in Suiyang," says Dian Wei seriously showing that he meant what he said as his aura manifested around him.

"Well, then we both are going to die if worst comes to happen since I won't leave your body behind," says Yun as they reach the gate of Xuchang.

They entered the city and went directly to the Cao Manor or better said the current Imperial Palace as they were about to be stopped again because of their weapons when one of the guards remembered what happened last time Yun was there.

They let him and Dian Wei enter without even trying to take the weapons from them as they waited for their guide, who is a servant of Cao Cao.

The only Generals of Cao Cao in Xuchang at the moment are Xu Chu and Lian Qian, while the rest was either fighting in the south or holding their position in the north and west.

Yun was placed in a room with Dian Wei as they waited since Cao Cao was playing Prime Minister at the moment before the Emperor trying to get the Emperor to sanction the war against Liu Biao.

A servant brought fresh tea, which Yun tasted before giving Dian Wei the signal that it was safe. They enjoyed the tea while waiting, knowing that it could take some hours while Yun was thinking about his next move.

"So, what are we going to do after this war is over?" asks Dian Wei quietly, knowing that the walls have eyes and ears.

"The future will tell us, but for now, we should enjoy the moment since it can be quite short sometime," says Yun when another servant appears serving some snacks that suited the taste of the tea.

They waited until it was almost dusk when Cao Cao finally joined them. Yun could see that Cao Cao wasn't in a good mood going by the rant he was talking to himself on his way to the room.

Cao Cao entered the room with Xu Chu beside him as he sat down across of Yun while Xu Chu sat across of Dian Wei when Yun says, "It seems the Emperor is still against your war with Liu Biao."

"For now at least, but sooner or later he will authorise it to unify the land again," says Cao Cao holding back his anger since Yun didn't have anything to do with that matter.

"It can't be helped since Liu Biao is a relative of the Emperor, but you should try to forge some evidence that he is plotting of taking the throne for himself or wait for him to die," says Yun giving Cao Cao some suggestion.

"Xun Yu said the same, and I have heard rumours that Liu Biao is getting weaker with every passing day. Soon, one of his sons will inherit his position, and that's when I will strike," says Cao Cao, telling Yun about Xun Yu's plan.

"And that is when we will march south?" asks Yun curiously, since Cao Cao will need him to keep the moral high.

"That's right, but tell me, how are you feeling after what happened to your daughter?" asks Cao Cao, trying to strike a sore point of Yun not knowing that the marriage between Sun Quan and Mulan was out of love and not a forced one.

But Yun played his part as he radiated a cold aura from himself while saying in a cold tone, "If I get my hands on Sun Quan, he will wish he never had touched my daughter."

"Then your wish could become reality quite soon since we will go to war with Sun Quan as well if he doesn't surrender once we are done with Liu Biao," says Cao Cao trying to gain Yun's trust again after the fiasco some years ago.

"I will look forward to it. But why have you called me to Xuchang it isn't to only guard the city while everyone is fighting in the south?" asks Yun curiously as Cao Cao only smirks at him.

"I want you near for when we march south which can happen any moment going by Liu Biao's health. I don't want to wait for you too long since it is quite a march from Xiapi to Xiangyang. It already takes an army a month to march from here to Xiangyang so it would take at least three months from Xiapi. I am rather prepared than wait that long for reinforcements which could delay our advancements," says Cao Cao openly, revealing why he really wanted Yun at Xuchang now as they continued enjoying the tea.