Returning to Zhan

The group arrived at Zhan after traveling for a week. Yun knew that the pace was slow because of the horses pulling the carriage. Back then he had Thunder pulling the carriage shortening the time it took them from town to town.

Zhang He was holding the reigns as they entered the Zhan which was blooming now more than the last time Yun was there.

He looked at Rin who has her arm interlocked with Cao Tai when Yun sent them away to fulfill for what they came for in Zhan while the rest went for the inn while Yun followed the couple to the nameless grave of Rin's father.

They seemed to tell to the gravestone their adventure while Rin cleaned it making Yun happy before leaving them alone again. He strolled around the town when he came across a poem hanging from the town's board which was pretty old going by the color the paper was showing.

This embarrassed him a bit since the people of Zhan seemed to not have forgotten him nor his legend of defeating the Xiongnu all by himself.

His name was omitted in the poem but he knew that it was about him since it was spot on his armor and battle prowess from back then.

He only shook his head after reading the poem and left to join his grandchildren, son, and maybe future daughter-in-law who were waiting with Dian Wei and Zhang He at the inn.

"So we are almost there. There will be no way back once we cross the border to the north," says Dian Wei a bit nervous since he needed to protect not only Yun this time but also his grandchildren and Guan Feng.

The same could be said for Zhang He. He was worried about those three while Yang and the rest he didn't need to worry about since they know the battlefield or have entered a skirmish in the past and Yang was a beast in human form while Rin and Cao Tai could defend themselves.

"I know," says Yun joining them as he sits down at the table.

"But we need the Xiongnu to created an opening against Cao Cao which will weaken him drastically if not vanquish him from the map leaving only Liu Bei as our opposition in helping Sun Quan taking the throne," says Yun as Guan Feng looked at him confused.

"What do you have against my uncles?" asks Guan Feng confused while being curious at the same time.

"It began a long time ago when we first met and only got worse once they were placed under my watch by the former Emperor's order. Zhang Fei and Liu Bei would drink the whole day while your father would do the hard work. That is why Liu Bei and I can't be near each other," says Yun explaining it to Guan Feng when the servant places dishes on their table.

He also places a note to Yun without anyone noticing it except for Yang, Dian Wei, and Zhang He. Yun read the note the servant left and handed it over to Dian Wei without the others noticing it.

Dian Wei looked serious at Yun before giving it over to Zhang He who also turned serious after reading the note before passing it to Yang under the table whose expression didn't change after reading it.

"Why are you all so tense now?" asks Fang seeing Dian Wei and Zhang He like that curious about it.

"We don't have enough food on the table it seems. You and the young miss need to eat more so you can both grow tall and strong just like your father and grandfather," says Dian Wei trying to relax after hearing Fang.

Zhang He also tried to relax while Yun ordered more food to the table while thinking, 'It will get troublesome if we don't make it back before mid spring.'

The servant placed more food on their table while Yun was feeding Lin and Fang the food while training at the same time his control over his body.

Guan Feng didn't buy what Dian Wei said when she wanted to say something Yang stopped her and handed her over the note making her look a bit pale.

Soon Cao Tai and Rin joined them at the table as Yun asks, "How did it go?"

"Well, he didn't respond but I think he would have given us his blessing if you have," says Rin as she took one of the dumplings from Fang's plate and started to eat it.

"Hey!" pouts Fang cutely in everyone's eyes at his aunt who only pets his head.

"Don't sweat it, kid. You can eat from my plate later," says Rin as she steals another one while ordering more food and sitting down with Cao Tai.

"So what did we miss?" asks Cao Tai curiously as he looked in the group.

"Nothing important," says Yang sounding normal to Cao Tai and Rin as they finished their meal and retreated to their rooms.

Once in their rooms and away from Fang's and Lin's ears Yun looks at Cao Tai seriously before saying, "We have a big problem."

Cao Tai looked at him confused when he asks, "What is going on?"

"We thought wrong when we thought that Cao Cao was only going to attack the Xu Province. He is going after Jing as well splitting his army into four to defend against Liu Bei's approach over Hanzhong and Sun Quan's attack on the Yu Province while attacking the Jing and Xu Provinces," says Yun revealing what the note everyone read before had written on.

Cao Cao is still a old fox who isn't afraid to take some losses as long as his objectives are achieved. Cao Tai was holding his forehead while massaging his temples trying to get rid of this headache which was going to send his wedding back by another year or two since it would be a long war.

"What he isn't expecting are the Xiongnu since Gongsun Kang is the sole protector of the North holding them and the Goguryeo at bay. But Cao Cao would never expect the Xiongnu to attack over the Sili Province instead of the Bing or You Province. So we still have the upperhand if we are successful in recruiting the Xiongnu," says Yun putting more meaning in the last sentence.

"What if they don't retreat back to the north after raiding the Sili Province?" asks Cao Tai worried since they were inviting hungry and vicious wolves at the table.

"Then we will have to clean up after them once we have dealt with Cao Cao," says Yun coldly.

"What about Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang?" asks Yang since those two left some days earlier not joining the group to Zhan but going directly north.

They wanted to begin negotiations with the Xiongnu first or at least approach them on friendly terms to make the negotiations later on more smoothly between Yun and the Xiongnu.

"They will be fine," says Yun with a smirk on his face before he turns his back to them and says, "They might look weak but they can defend themselves better than you both think. I would worry more about their teamwork than about them being dead. They both have quite a silver tongue which should keep them long enough alive if they get taken prisoners."

"What if we get taken prisoners?" asks Cao Tai worried when an Qi begins to leak out of Yun's body.

"Before that happens they would all be laying dead on the ground and I with them giving you all a chance to escape. We might lose the Xu Province but our future is right here with us," says Yun in a cold tone while hinting at Yang, Fang, Rin, and Lin being the future of the Yun Clan.

"I am the old and you are the new. The old will always be replaced by the new that's why I am raising my replacement with Fang at the moment as I did before with his father where I wasn't successful enough," says Yun coldly adding to what he said previously.

"So if something goes south you will leave me, Dian Wei, and Zhang He behind. We will manage on our own while you go back to Jianye to take refugee with Mulan and Zheng," says Yun telling them what they should do if the worst case scenario were to happen.

"They won't be happy about it," says Yang indifferently as he sat down.

"I don't care if they will be happy. I want them to be safe," says Yun coldly with a smirk on his face.

Yun then turned looks out of the window and sees Shadow landing on the window frame holding a message for him.

He takes it and reads it before saying, "First contact with the Xiongnu could be called a success thanks to Shadow over here. The Xiongnu seem to think we know some of Xiongnu traditions because of Shadow."

"So Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang did it?" asks Cao Tai feeling a bit relieved since they wouldn't run into a trap when Yun looks at him seriously.

"Who said that they are safe? Going by the handwriting and the words written down it is obviously a trap since it isn't theirs. Maybe the descendant of a Han Princess that tried to learn our words," says Yun seriously as it wasn't in English just like every important report he receives from Pang Tong and the other strategists.

Pang Tong and the other strategists learned how to read and write English but not speak it since it was useless in this era but they wouldn't need to code their secret messages or reports by using English which was quite the advantage over everyone else.

The only other person that could read English was right now under the dead which was his son, Fang. Yun would need to teach his grandson, Fang, in English too if he was going to lead the clan.

"Then why send a letter if they have captured Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang?" asks Cao Tai feeling tense again.

"Ransom, maybe, or they want to see us personally but they sending Shadow back makes me feel hopeful since it was a good first contact with them," says Yun as he takes some dried meat out of his pocket and gives it to Shadow who eats it rapidly before Yun pets her.

"But we will find out soon," says Yun as he writes a message for Shadow to bring it to the Xiongnu while saying, "We will all need to be on guard once we cross the border."

He then lets Shadow fly away to deliver his message to the Xiongnu while he went to sleep with the others.