Dealing with the Prisoners

Yun returned to the middle of the city where Pang Tong was waiting for him with Zhang He and the prisoners that he took after taking the wall which were only civilians.

Yun looked at them and didn't know what to do with them. He knew that he had to punish them for standing in his way but he also knew that they were only defending the place they called their home.

Yun took a deep breath as he waited for Dian Wei and the others with their prisoners which gave him more time to think about what he was going to do.

It took some minutes and everyone brought the prisoners they have taken with Wei Yan having most of them. Yun looked at them all and saw only lambs sitting before their executioner as Yun looks at the soldiers who surrendered to Wei Yan.

He saw that they weren't equipped with the necessary armor or even weapons since they looked like they could fall apart easily in one contact with an ordinary weapon.

Yun only sighs seeing that and turns to Pang Tong before whispering, "How many people have we lost in this battle?"

"We lost around twenty men on the south gate, a hundred on the east gate, and only ten on the north gate. In total, we have lost a hundred and twenty-five men in only this battle," informs Pang Tong as Yun was thinking what to do now.

"I want the prisoner soldiers to join our ranks to replace the men we have lost but just looking at their armor I get the feeling that they will just die without a real chance," says Yun hinting at something that Pang Tong was thinking as well.

"We could equip them by using the equipment of the dead. They won't be needing them any longer. It will look disrespectful but we have to think about the future and they will need the equipment to survive the next battle," says Pang Tong seriously as he gave Yun a suggestion that will many people angry with what they are going to do.

"The soldiers won't like it," says Tang Shi in an angry tone since he didn't like it as well.

"I can take full responsibility for this matter and become the target of their anger," says Pang Tong wanting to shoulder the anger for Yun who just waves his hand from side to side.

"No, it is my decision so I will shoulder their anger. We will take their armor but we will give them a worthy burial and stay in Pingyuan for five days to show them the respect they deserve before continuing our march toward Nanpi," says Yun giving his final order before turning to his army and the prisoners.

"It seems that your master wanted you all dead by the look of yours. Just look at how well my men are equipped compared to you all. They send you to die if you ask me," says Yun pointing out the obvious before he stood before them and his tone as well as his face turned cold.

"I came to the decision to spare your lives in exchange for you joining my army. If you aren't going to join you will be executed and hanged from the walls of Pingyuan to show an example of what happens if you defy me," says Yun trying to coax the prisoners to follow him.

"You will be equipped with better armor and weapons if you join me be assured that I won't send you to your death without proper equipment, not unlike the Yuan Family that placed you at death's door just to gain more time which they won't be able to spend," says Yun trying his best when some of them mainly younger folk bowed their head to Yun before the older soldiers did the same.

It wasn't unheard of men changing lord to save their skin and this display before Yun showed it. Yun then turned to the civilians that tried to defend their city. They looked at him feeling fear for what was coming for them.

"The civilians will be left alone since they only tried to defend the place they call home. We can't hold it against them since we would do the same if someone were to attack our city, isn't that right?" says Yun pardoning the civilians that survived while defending Pingyuan.

"You all are brave people for picking up a weapon to defend your homes and that is why I will pardon your resistance against my army. But I will give you all a task to accomplish to pay your debt by opening tombs for the people that have fallen today in Pingyuan so they may rest in peace," says Yun showing his mercy to the civilians by giving them a small task.

The civilians sighed in relief thankful that Yun wasn't going to kill them as they feared he would for standing against him. They also began to work immediately with the help of the soldiers to shovel some mass tombs in which they separated the dead with every tomb receiving a different tombstone.

The only special one was the one for Yun's soldiers on which he engraved, 'Here lie my brothers and sisters who fought for a better future with me, General Zhao Yun.'

It was to scare tomb raiders from opening the mass grave to let his soldiers rest in peace before he took his praying beads out and gave them a final prayer so they could find eternal peace on the other side.

They stayed for five days as planned and Yun also equipped the soldiers that joined his army which didn't sit well with most of his men but they didn't voice their rage since they could see that if the recruits weren't armed correctly they wouldn't survive a battle.

Yun gave fifty of the recruits to Zheng making him a hundred-man captain while giving a hundred to Lu Bu so he could replenish his ranks and the rest were given to Lu Meng for helping Wei Yan in taking the north gate.

Lu Meng became a fifty-man squad leader after this battle making him feel great since he was moving up after studying under Guo Jia for a long time. Yun was standing on the south wall fo Pingyuan when he saw Xiahou Dun's army approaching from the south.

Cao Cao's and his banners are waving on Pingyuan's walls making showing that Pingyuan was taken by Yun already. But Yun was still ready to fight should Xiahou Dun try something funny.

Yun trusts Cao Cao as much as a baby can throw a rock which means that he didn't trust Cao Cao at all. It seems mutual going by how guarded Cao Cao was the last time he visited Xiapi for Yun's wedding.

Xiahou Dun approached the city and Yun could see that he wasn't going to attack as the army continued marching northwest when Xiahou Dun arrived at the hate which opened for him. He entered the city as Yun left the wall to meet with Xiahou Dun.

"I can see that you are still working," says Xiahou Dun talking about the mass graves being shoveled.

"I will be staying for another five days here before marching to Nanpi. Where are you going to go?" asks Yun curious since Xiahou Dun wasn't going directly north.

"I am going for Xindu while taking the small cities on the way to it. My cousin should already be standing before Ye with Ma Tang and his army," says Xiahou Dun sounding proud of what they are doing at the moment.

"That explains why only a handful of soldiers were defending Pingyuan," says Yun as his anger for the enemy commander only grew for leaving the city defenseless back.

"I will be going to Nanpi next taking most likely Dongguang on my way," says Yun to Xiahou Dun telling him his plan.

"I think that this Campaign will be over in a month or two if we keep up this speed," says Xiahou Dun bragging about how fast they are.

"I am not so sure about that," says Yun not sure of it since Yuan Tan would still be an obstacle to remove and he wouldn't go down quietly.

"Trust me on this. Soon the whole Empire will be following my cousin's command," says Xiahou Dun sure of what he just said which made a smile appear on Yun's face.

"We will see about that in the future," whispers Yun to himself as Xiahou Dun seemed to haven't heard that.

"What did you say?" asks Xiahou Dun confused since he hadn't understood Yun.

"I said that I hope so. All those wars for nothing but what. Glorification?" says Yun trying to sound supportive of Cao Cao's cause while keeping his agenda secret.

"I should return to my troops. We will meet again once this is over," says Xiahou Dun as he leaves right away to catch up with his army while Yun just waves him goodbye.

"I will have to change plans and send Lu Bu to take Lecheng while Wei Yan takes Dongguang and I take Nanpi to end this campaign even earlier so I can return home," says Yun to himself adjusting the old plan to a newer one which won't consume much time since he wanted to return to Xiapi before he gets the order to take down Yuan Tan and lose men in the process of it.

Yun returned to inform Pang Tong and the others of the new development so they would be prepared for what was to come since Yun wouldn't take the front in the next battle but Zheng and Fang would.

He wanted to see how his sons will deal in an actual battle instead of just a sparring. Yun soon found his Generals and strategist and informed them about it before telling Pang Tong and Tang Shi to stay behind to inform them of letting his sons take over for a change of pace.