She was surprised at how careful Cao Cao was with her. Then again.. she didn’t expect him to forcefully drag her up and treat her with ill manners. Still, it was a pleasant surprise at this kind gesture. Situating herself onto his horse, she waited to see if he would say anything else to her- maybe even another question. There was silence that surrounded them, but it was a nice one. It wasn’t forced, or awkward like the silences that she experienced when she had to speak with Yuan Shao in private when he first took her into his kingdom. It was, a lot different and so much nicer.

“Hm?” She blinked, coming out of her thoughts as he spoke up out of the blue. “Ah’.. If you say so. Still, I cannot help but apologize for asking you something after you had just found me..” She paused, looking down as she reflected upon this situation. He asked who she was and who she was related to, so .. he clearly had to know who her father was. Hopefully he was safe and was able to stay healthy.. She could already feel her anxiety rising up at the idea of her father possibly be a prisoner, or even a captive to someone and..

“A friend? Oh.. Lord Cao Cao, you have put me at ease with this news. I’m so relieved..” The musician gently said, smiling. Oh, thank the heavens, he was alright. He was a friend of Cao Cao’s and he was safe. “Thank you.” But he said nothing else to her, which she was fine with. She didn’t expect him to begin to engage in a huge conversation with her, but what little he said helped her. Cai Wenji didn’t even expect to see her father again, as dark and sad as that sounded, but she was prepared for that. Well, as best as she could, but hearing this news lifted a large weight off of her shoulders. It was like everything was going right now and all she could do was smile at this.

She looked over her shoulder, blinking at his statement. “Of course.. I will. Thank you for your kindness.” But he seemed to quickly back up his words with another phrase, causing her to laugh softly. “Mm’hm. I do not think my father would appreciate that, but regardless, you cannot control the weather or the conditions I have been in before you found me.” Cai Wenji noted, looking up at the darkened sky.

Her cheeks reddened at his words, smiling at how careful he was with his speaking. “You flatter me so, Lord Cao Cao. I cannot my believe my father has spoken so highly of me while in my absence. I hope he is doing well and has not talked your ear off with any other sorts of stories. If so, I apologize.”

So modest… Careful, delicate; yes, he could see why her father spoke so highly of her. She was definitely the diamond in the rough her father spoke of. A remarkable woman amongst this brutal hellhole of death and war, though it was these sorts of things that he needed to personally engage in order to bring a brighter, peaceful land to fruition—for people like lady Cai Wenji to enjoy and relish in. A sort of light feeling rose within his chest as he directed Shadow Runner accordingly and listened to the sweet, melodic sound of her voice. A beautiful woman indeed.

“Your father is in good hands and in fine health.” He assured her. The sudden drop in her voice gave her away, and the way she spoke so highly of him… He simply couldn’t allow such sadness. He, however, remained as firm as a mountain as he responded with a stable, unmoving posture. There was nothing for her to worry about now, and he would make sure of that in terms of both her own and her father’s happiness. It was what he was aiming for, wasn’t it? That was his ambition. Though it was something he viewed to be attained in a way much different than that of Yuan Shao and other corrupt warlords, he was consequently seen within a negative light. That would change… If not within his lifetime, then within his son’s, he predicted.

“It isn’t flattery when it’s spoken truth,” he commented, tugging at the reins to slow the horse’s gallop once they approached the coalition’s main camp. With this, however, his voice lowered as he spoke to her, finally pulling his mare to a total stop; speaking up before dismounting and offering a hand out to her: “he did not speak of anything I didn’t wish to hear. Your apologies are unnecessary, lady Wenji. You have not come to offend me in any way.”

Taking her hand behind the back of the horse, he aided in her decent by lifting his other to take her waist to avoid the usage of the stirrup. Once her feet came to touch the ground, however, he paused momentarily as if to make sure she was unaffected by the ride or the miserable weather, then released her and stepped aside. Extending an arm out towards that of his tent for the time being, at least until he could find appropriate arrangements for her with proper security. She was his priority now—at least until he could deliver her safely to Cai Yong.

“Under my protection, you will remain safe.” He assured her, matching her strides towards the shelter of his personal tent. With him, she would not feel the commanding, overwhelming hand of Yuan Shao, nor would she be snatched by rebels of the north. She was not only secure amongst the current Wei-Wu forces, but Cao Cao personally wouldn’t allow anything or anyone to bring harm to her. Perhaps the sense of protectiveness he felt over her was a bit overwhelming, but realistically, she was precious cargo that needed to be treated with care. Whether she was under the watch of himself, Xiahou Dun or Guo Jia, he would make sure that she remained protected.

Reaching towards the entrance of his tent, he pushed one of two flaps open to reveal the tidy setup within. Holding it open, he ushered her inside but remained out in the rain. With a politely bowed head, he stood back and kept his eyes low even as the rain began to fall more steadily; soaking his hair enough to send rolling droplets of water down the length of his face. 

The battle of Guan Du was coming to an end, and with that fear was ringing amongst the troops that Yuan Shao commanded. It was a sad sight to see the soldiers that had amazing vigor and optimism at the beginning, were faltering and failing toward the end. It wasn’t their fault thought. Engaging in battle meant that you had to be ready for any sort of situation to pop up and occur, unfortunately for them, Yuan Shao was hardly ready for anything that had came up in this battle. It seemed like all was lost at this point, and that surrender was the only peaceful option they could do for the sake of saving the remaining general and soldiers lives.

Cai Wenji was disappointed in the outcome of the battle. She thought that Yuan Shao could possibly do more, or at least lead his men a lot better than he did here; it was like a pitiful attempt to show that he was still a powerful figure within the central plains. It should have surprised her to see this, as he was the one that gave her refuge and welcomed her into his army with open arms, but..

Despite Yuan Shao having quite the military resume, he fell short of victory here. All the things Cai Wenji had heard of Cao Cao seemed to be true, and they were reflected in battle. He was able to lead an army into victory, despite the overwhelming numbers they faced. It was.. inspirational to see such talent, but she had come to figure it was due to his charismatic nature that she had heard about, along with having rather gifted officers.

As the battle came to a close, Cai Wenji could not help but let out a sigh of relief. It was.. nice to finally have this come to an end. Though there were few who wanted to continue on and try to win, there were so many who were tired. So much was already lost that it was pointless to continue, and she already knew that; it wasn’t so much that she had little faith, it was just that at this point, it was best to just accept what has happened and hope for the best outcome. The last of Yuan Shao’s officers had gathered around, having been left to be in a concentrated area with the remainder of his army. Her eyes squinted, seeing a figure coming toward them on horseback. What in the world..

Cai Wenji’s eyes widened as the person came closer toward them, studying the man’s form. He stood tall and proud on his horse, and as he came closer, his eyes were dark and demanded authority. His expression was.. so calm, that it was almost terrifying at first glance. Unsure of who he was, she received her answer as the soldiers whispered amongst themselves.

“It’s Lord Cao Cao!” “Why has he come this far in?” “Do you not see? He bears our flag in hand! He’s..” And all was cut off as he stopped right in front of the group. So, this was Cao Cao.. She had only heard about him through stories of his military valor, and almost had an encounter with him when she had escaped with the emperor, but she never actually got to meet him. Her eyes softened as he began to look around at who stayed, wondering what was even running through his mind. He could easily take them all prisoner, or even kill them if he had wanted to.

What was stopping him?

And then his eyes stopped on her.

She returned his gaze, focusing on only him. He.. really did hold himself up in high regard, and well, why not? He had defeated Yuan Shao, and had participated in other battles that spoke highly of him. There seemed to be something else within him though- not so much of his power, or pride, but.. There was something that she couldn’t quite place.. But all was lost as he asked her who she was. Cai Yong. Father. Her eyes lit up in an instant at that; she could feel herself instantly smiling at that, but she knew she had to keep her composure in front of the other.

Taking a few steps forward, she gently accepted his hand, finding herself hoisted up onto his horse. “Yes.. I am the daughter of Cai Yong..” She gently answered after she was helped up. “Do you.. know him?” Pausing, she shook her head as she realized how rude that must have sounded. “I apologize. Cai Yong is my father though, but I have not seen him for a very long time..” She looked down, feeling pained at the idea that she had no knowledge of where her father was at this point.

The moment her hand slid into his, Cao Cao gripped her much smoother palm tightly within his own in order to help her up onto Shadow Runner’s back. Once she was situated comfortably, he put his weapon away and slid both of his arms around either side of her body and tugged at the animal’s reins. She answered positively to him, however, which was to be expected, and when she had, he led the animal away from the crowd that was now cheering in victory. The battle was won here, which mean it would swiftly come to a close. He couldn’t very well keep a lady out in the rain, nor would he—especially with the confirmation that she was Cai Yong’s daughter. He came to Cao Cao about the issue involving his daughter, so it was ironic if not humorous to come across her here. It was almost as if their victory was written in the stars by fate itself.

“Your apology is unnecessary,” he commented idly, though his tone was still rather flat. Strong, but nearly emotionless. He needed to keep his wits about him. This was a favour, so to say, for that of the esteemed writer—a promise, really, as he told Cai Yong that he would ransom for her upon locating her,  however having her within Yuan Shao’s ranks and effectively defeating him made his own job a lot easier. Concentrating on the movement of the horse for a moment, he tapped the heels of his armoured boots into the stallion’s sides once again once the gallop back to home base began. The goal was initially to rally his own troops and fight with them—imbue them strength and vigour to boost their morale. Although he was a little sluggish, he was pleased to find a certain young woman when he arrived, so needless to say his short venture out into the dangers of battle weren’t for naught.

“Yes. He is a friend. He’ll be pleased to hear of your safety.” That was all she really needed to know. Her answered were asked, though he did not indulge in conversation. He couldn’t, really… Well, there was nothing preventing him from doing so, but for modesty’s sake, he wasn’t about to engage into a full-on conversation with her… Although he did indulge in what was technically prohibited, and vocally nudged her somewhat warmly. Strange for someone known to be so cold. Though friends were naturally closer to one another, and therefore so were those related to them… Usually. At the very least, they were to be treated with great respect, especially someone such as Cai Wenji.

“However, I would advise you to rest when we arrive,” he began simply, though it was more of a command rather than a request due to his words of haste. Cao Cao, however, immediately caught himself and took a light, subtle breath and furthermore explained his own situation, as well as her father’s in comparison.

“I do not wish to return you to your father ill.” Whether they had room or not within their encampment, Cao Cao would make sure there was. She was an important guest within the militia and she would be treated as such. Cao Cao had to handle everything with care—much like he would with the Emperor under his wing. Delicate and of utmost importance. Even if he needed to give up his own tent for the evening and retreat elsewhere, he would. Though of course, he assumed other arrangements had been made for expected captured soldiers… Although he had absolutely no intention of lumping her together with them.

“Formalities are unnecessary, lady Wenji. Your father has informed me countless times of your beauty and remarkable talents in poetry and music. I can see that he spoke truthfully.”

As Guo Jia followed Cao Cao, he noticed that he resumed his serious demeanor when the two were in the hallways. It wasn’t much of a change really. It was needed since Cao Cao’s public was one of the cold, hard-driving commander that everyone knew. As Cao Cao lead the way to the castle gardens where everything was being prepared for the party, Guo Jia just looked out of any windows or balconies they came across and looked at the sky with a glance. The sun’s rays were radiant and seemed like a blessing to all who were there.

Would this be the last beautiful sunshine that he would enjoy? Fate was often cruel to the young, fair looking man and many others. No one knew when their time would come. This was the cruel reality of the times they lived in, or for any for that matter. This fact would prevent great men from achieving their dreams by the means of death or underhanded political sabotage. Bah, this wasn’t the time to be debating the workings of the universe. 

As the pair of men arrived at the castle grounds, Guo Jia looked at the sky and felt the embrace of light. Maybe if these lights were not an omen of good lick and maybe instead of ill tidings. Today felt all too familiar for the callow advisor. It was at this time and the same feel when he came down with the illness. The sun was shining on his body when he first coughed that day in the northern provinces. When he saw the sight of his red claret in his hands, he trembled and had to ask for leave, despite the moment of victory. What did these rays mean?

This train of thoughts were broken by Cao Cao’s inquiry. Guo Jia just turned his head towards his lord and gave him the smile that never left Fengxiao’s face.

My lord, it has nothing to do with being social.

After speaking these words, there was a tint of sadness and despondency in his voice.

One never knows when his life is just suddenly going to end. It may be now, in a few minutes, the next week, or in a few years or decades. This is why I enjoy these parties. This is why I drink all the wine I can and seduce any of the alluring dancers that come close. This would be the last chance that I would be able to enjoy them if I could.

After saying these words, Guo Jia just turned back to look at the lavish decorations that covered the garden. He spoke again with a much more cheerful tone.

But come now, let that just be a mere way of life I have chosen to live. There is no need to worry about it.

Guo Jia watched as the sun started to set and the time is now moving into the afternoon. The party was on its way and it would be one hell of a good time.

His advisor was correct in many ways… But his morals and reasonings for his behaviour all but agreed with Cao Cao. He couldn’t idly sit back and just watch as things happened in the world around him. If everyone thought the same way, then it would still be in the sorry state it was in, and perhaps Dong Zhuo would have risen to power. Cao Cao’s personal morals would not allow for this, as he vouched to eliminate any and all warlords, and as a promise, he would keep it. Feeling the creep of a small smile, the Hero of Chaos repressed it and continued walking alongside his trusted advisor. Perhaps that is why he was able to envision things others could not—he saw many situations in a different light. With such a positive outlook on such a dark and gloomy time in history, he was able to look passed many things and learned from the mistakes of the past. Maybe that was where the answer lied… But without confirmation, Cao Cao let alone the rest of the world would never know.

His optimism, however, was twisted with something much darker. Something Cao Cao found himself relating more to than anything else. Although Guo Jia brushed it off easily, it stayed with the older man in indigo garbs—slightly disturbed by his strategist of many luxuries. He held most, if not everything he said close to heart. Everything had a certain weight, consideration, and nothing was left unnoticed. In respect, Cao Cao merely nodded in response. If he felt the need to question Guo Jia, he would, though it would be in private quarters to spare him any kind of embarrassment.  As a strategist and intellectual, and especially as a comrade, Guo Jia was important to him. Call it favouritism if you will, but it was esteem that he greatly deserved especially from Cao Cao.

“Hm…” He mused quietly to himself, eyes turning towards the dimming sun much like his advisor had been doing. Lifting a hand in inquiry, he ran his fingers along his chin and into the short, pointed beard. Words he certainly wouldn’t forget, and quite possibly take into consideration in terms of his own view of things. Sometimes indulging didn’t hurt—sometimes, but not always.

“As you wish, Guo Jia.” He voiced lowly and informally. Three little words many under his command rarely heard unless spoken sarcastically. Sarcasm was rare with him, of course, but it did happen to occur on the occasion, especially during lengthy war council meetings.  Extending an arm out before him and gesturing towards the celebratory grounds filling with bodies, he turned towards Guo Jia and nodded.

“As a king of celebrations, I will follow your lead.” More of a casual statement, yet still there was no smile from Cao Cao. They were out amongst public figures, after all. A grin of sorts ought not to appear, especially if he was to appear as a strong independent leader.

“I will ask that you guide me tonight.”

The morale of the Wei soldiers was soaring not only due to the battle that was rapidly coming to a close, but also due to the strength of experienced military generals on the field—important figures really, as Cao Pi took arms against Yuan Shao and personally took to the field to further Cao Wei’s goals. As the battle of Guandu curtailed, Cao Cao mounted his own dark steed and galloped out to battle. He would deal Yuan Shao his defeat by his own hands—their long-standing rivalry would be over.

Kicking his heels into Shadow Runner’s sides, Cao Cao galloped out into the field of battle with one arm down, fist locked tightly around the hilt of the Sword of Heaven, and the other grasping at his trusted stallion’s reins. While the western flank was no doubt secured by his son’s leading force, he pulled up on through the soldiers securing and fighting in the east. Indigo and crimson banners hung in the air due to flag carriers, and the clash of swords indicated the current skirmish. As he neared, however, more and more of the flashy golden banners representing the Yuan army fell as the Wei forces pushed them back. With the final yellow banner raised high, Cao Cao tugged Shadow Runner’s reins to bring her to an abrupt stop. Reaching for the flag, he pulled it out of the soldier’s hands and held it high for all in the near vicinity to see. Turning it upside-down, he dug the end of the flag into the ground, indicating the end of the battle, even for those who wished to go on fighting.

Impatient, the horse trotted in place and moved towards the Wei-Wu frontlines. With weapons lowered behind the body of the horse, Cao Cao’s eyes skimmed the Yuan Shao’s forces, although a face stood out from the crowd that he was uncertain of. Diao Chan? Ah… So many stories of her beauty and her rebellion… Indeed, she was youthful, and her features did pale in comparison to the moon. Certainly a beauty, however…

His eyes shifted again, only this time towards the face of another woman by her side armed with an intricate harp held to her hip. Blinking, he gazed at her face in curiosity and in interest. Was it women that Yuan Shao employed? Or was this some sort of tactic of his? It was a shame he insisted on placing such talented women within his ranks to fight abroad. Surely if this woman—who he had an idea of—was using a harp out amongst swords and spears, she was someone to be admired, if not feared. In all honesty, Cao Cao was drawn to her like a lure. Magnetised, almost… It was difficult to explain other than pure, raw appeal. Such things, however, sounded animalistic and were inappropriate—especially for someone in such a position himself. With an expression still tense and unchanging, his lips parted as he spoke out in inquiry. Her description was something… Similar to what he was once told—an air about her almost matching the exact words spoken by a close friend.

“Are you the daughter of Cai Yong?” His voice was steady and firm—strong as he clenched his jaw tightly, awaiting an answer from the musically-inclined woman. Amidst the abrupt silence, the sound of droplets drumming against the hard ground filled the air—the cool beads were thereafter felt against his exposed hands, cheeks and sloped nose. Rain… Cai Wenji or not, a storm of sorts was rolling in, and she was a captive—technically a prisoner of war belonging to the state of Wei. Lifting his head to stare at the dark sky, for a moment, he dropped his eyes towards the woman he assumed to be Cai Wenji and extended a hand to her—beckoning her forward to help up onto the horse in front of him regardless of who she was. Her answer, however, would ultimately determine any further actions in the near future.

The battle was over and won… Though, of course that was to be expected. It wasn’t that Cao Cao was over-confident, but with such capable soldiers under his command—as well as many more now with his victory—and his incredibly talented strategist, he had nothing to fear. He couldn’t afford to second-guess, nor would he with such gifted talent. Even the efforts of his own son were executed flawlessly. The battle was, nonetheless, a crushing loss for Yuan Shao and a beneficial victory for the building of Wei’s empire.

Averting his eyes amidst the celebratory he put out of mind, Cao Cao blinked his dark eyes and turned away from the back of his tent. Pacing towards the entrance, his expression remained stone-faced, and his expression remained placid. Like his soldiers, he could not respond to the victory over-confidently. He needed to remain calm and modest. Excessive amounts of pride went straight to the head, as it was Yuan Shao’s arrogance that granted him his whopping defeat. What he had wasn’t enough, and the clash of ideologies between Cao Cao and himself was no doubt inevitable.  

Pushing the flaps to the entrance of his tent aside, the Wei commander stepped out into the mixed crowd of indigo, emerald and reddish tunics. Among them, he immediately spied out the captured soldiers—Zhang He, Zhen Ji, Cai Wenji—in which his dark eyes paused and gazed upon for a short moment before turning to seek out his son. A congratulatory remark would no doubt boost his confidence, though not to the heights to be blinded by. No doubt Cao Pi knew his limits—no, Cao Cao was certain he recognized what they were. After all, they were morals specifically instructed to him. One day he would take the throne of the empire the Hero of Chaos was so sure of building, and when he did, he’d do it well.

Much like himself, Cao Cao did not find his son smiling, nor was he celebrating in the same manner the surrounding troops and lesser soldiers were. Instead, his expression was much like his own: stern, serious and all-seeing. While Mengde not necessarily capable of looking into his son’s mind and reading his thought-process, he could only assume that his ideas were similar to his own by the look on his face; to further plans for ambition and conquest. He did realize early on that his son’s ambitions were much different than his own, though he couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratification in his son’s intelligence and independence.

Meandering his way through chattering men, he moved to his son’s side. Lifting a hand to press his palm against his shoulder, he stared ahead of himself before nodding once and speaking a single, rare praise at his Cao Pi’s achievements.

“Well done, my son. I expected no less of you.”

Guo Jia greeted his lord with a nod as he entered the room. He accepted the cup from Cao Cao and sipped alongside with him. The wine was exquisite in its taste. For some reason, it didn’t taste as well as he thought it would. It wasn’t anything to be of concern. He decided it was maybe just that he wasn’t in the appropriate mood.

Guo Jia rarely saw this side of his lord. The more human side that not even his trusted bodyguards saw. Still there was that air of excellence and leadership around him. That aura never has left Cao Cao, even in the most dire of times back at Wancheng and during the Yuan War where he was surrounded. This was the strength that kept them all going.

As Guo Jia took a sip along with Cao Cao, he noticed how his lord wasn’t looking him in the eyes. Indeed, this type of praise wasn’t exactly his lord’s strong suit. Any praise that he gives usually would be more cryptic. Guo Jia sometimes wished that this side would be extended to all their comrades in arms. Still, it was probably best that Cao Cao kept his stern, cold exterior when in the presence of others. After another sip and hearing Cao Cao’s words, he just smirked. Surely, lord Cao would have been in the same position even without the young advisor’s aid.

When Cao Mengde finally looked into Guo’s eyes, he saw many things. Cao Cao’s human side which looked like it was collapsing from all the pressure that has accumulated over the years. Here, it could be seen that Cao Cao just wanted this chaos to end. So that no more will die and that people would live in peace. Was fate just having a field day with Guo Jia? Will it torture him even more now?

Guo Jia rose his cup along to compliment with Cao’s toast. Still, the burden of knowing the end is near, was nearly too much for and almost brought him to tears and Cao Cao’s kind words nearly pushed it. However, he fought them back. He would have to tell Cao Cao later but not now. This time of celebration would be ruined if it came to this. Guo Jia did not want to share his problems with everyone else since they had their share.

Yes, my lord. Maybe the path to unity and to the future be blessed by Heaven.

Guo Jia finished his wine, laughed and got up.

Should we head to the castle grounds now? We need to get everything ready for tonight’s event. Everyone’s going to be there. We shouldn’t miss out on this.  

Yet another rare smile graced Mengde’s lips with his strategist’s request. Ah, the banquet. Of course. How could he forget? He didn’t particularly enjoy such events as they took his one-track mind off of events he should be paying most attention to. They were also crowded and rowdy, and oftentimes that was a terrible mix for him, especially in terms of his throbbing migraines. Casting his eyes down into the now-empty dish that previously held his rice wine, Cao Cao closed them and nodded. If that’s what Guo Jia desired, then so be it. The evening was for Guo Jia, and him alone.

With a sound of approval, Cao Cao moved to stand. He truly wished to simply relax, however he’d have to try and do just that amongst the company of many others. Moving next to his trusted advisor, he plucked the shallow cup from his fingertips and set it aside with his own next to whatever remained within the short jug of wine. Tugging at his robes to smooth out whatever wrinkles had come to surface with his laxed posture and revealing conversation.

…Though he supposed he was right. The banquet would be important and he needed to make an appearance. Once his strategist was ready, Cao Cao took the initiative to step forward and take the lead.  Preparations were already underway as they spoke. His own presence would no doubt be a surprise to those who were told of his early retire that evening. He’d remain only a while for the festivities, and then some perhaps. After his conquest abroad for quite some time, nothing sounded nicer than a good sleep in a familiar bed. Perhaps he was just getting old…

As they arrived at the castle grounds, everything–as expected–was being pieced together. More  indigo banners were erected in light of the newest victory for Wei, tables brought out and pushed together with similar coloured cloths draping over them. The sun was falling behind the horizon, so surely everything was just about ready… Save for a few minor adjustments such as the lighting. Cao Cao sighed and turned towards Guo Jia, though once again, his eyes were elsewhere; watching everything like a hawk in search of any flaws or mishaps.

“Why is it that you enjoy these so much?” These referring to the parties of course. A serious question. Cao Cao more often than not just wound up sitting alone in silence with a goblet of wine, and like usual, retired early. He was curious, though he never asked his strategist why he was so fond of certain fruits of life. To the Hero of Chaos, some of them felt like a waste of time. To each their own though.

“Hmm.. I suppose if I were more social then I would as well.” Just a speculation… Then again, maybe not.

…I find this incredibly insulting.

Guo Jia got dressed as just Cao Cao left the room. Guo Jia smirked to himself. He walked toward the balcony and saw the crowds of people still partying. It was rather early in the day to do so. But he suppose it was the best that they could do. Still, tonight was one to look forward too. So many important guests, generals and many others will be attending. Guo Jia turned back and sat on his bed.

There were so many rumors about Cao Cao. While he has done some sordid deeds, such as the slaughters of thousands in Xu province, that doesn’t mean he was rotten himself. Those instigators are just naysayers who are hypocrites and nothing more. Cao Cao treated many of his subordinates like family. Guo Jia was no exception. However, it was this very reason why Guo Jia finds it hard to tell his lord the truth.

He remembers when lord Dian Wei died and everyone was despairing at the news. Cao Cao didn’t seem to of suffered too from then,  but that was only visible perceptive. Guo Jia knew that Cao Cao’s emotional state was only barely holding up then. Ever since then, Guo Jia has done what he could to make sure that the same thing didn’t happen again.

Despite all his efforts and work, fate turned out to be as cruel as ever. The illness he was inflicted in the north was now his undoing. For some reason though, it was fitting. He had received so much praise for his brilliance and foresight. One could say it would be better to end it now before he messed up along the line. Still, he didn’t want to be now. Just a little longer so that his lord could unite the land.

Guo pondered these thoughts and then casted them aside. Today was not to be that of brooding and regret. It would be one of celebration and happiness. He turned towards the door and waited for his lord to show with the of cup of sweet alcohol that he was getting.

Cao Cao made quick work of meandering through long corridors to acquire that bottle of aged wine. Sure, he had a taste in such thing, and thus he kept a few on reserve for special moments like this. Plucking up the bottle and a couple shallow cups along with it, he moved to return to his strategist’s side with an unusual soft smile on his face. No matter the victory, Cao Cao usually remained stoic in such events, but today, well… It was definitely something worth celebrating if not for himself, then for Guo Jia.

Approaching the doorway to his strategist’s quarters once again, the guards outside merely stood aside as the Hero of Chaos swept back in with the wine he had promised. Seeing as Jia was patiently waiting for his lord’s return, Cao Cao set the cups down before filling them. The bottle of rice wine followed suit thereafter as he set it down to pick up the cups again. Handing one of the two out to his tactician, he nodded respectfully before raising it in a toast, took a sip, then casually seated himself next to Guo Jia.

“I suppose a victory or two is sometimes worth celebrating,” he commented idly. Because of Guo Jia’s trusted presence, the solid, erect posture he usually held fell into a comfortable slouch, and the walls holding up that trademark stoic expression crumbled to reveal something much more neutral, and much more human.

“I am lucky to have someone so capable not only working towards my ambition, but also as a friend,” he commented again, however his eyes were cast forward as he spoke; scanning the room around him rather than towards his strategist. To be honest? He was a little awkward with this sort of thing, hence why he sort of avoided eye contact with him. Not with friends, but also with family. Cao Cao was terrible with praise—whenever he said it, it seemed the fate of that individual was put at risk. As such could be said with Dian Wei. The mere thought of him and his death to protect Cao Cao pained his heard even to this day. He couldn’t dare show it I fear of appearing weak, but it was places like this behind closed doors that he was allowed to live a little. Cao Cao chuckled softly beneath his breath to make his current circumstance with the mental torture his own thoughts were subjecting him to from sad memories a little bit more bearable. His was in the presence of a remarkable strategist—someone he put full trust and faith into. What more could he have asked for? Lifting his drink, he took a sip of alcohol before swallowing and continuing with his praise.

“What would I do without you?” He repeated himself as he slid one of his hands behind himself to lean back comfortably. Once again, he took a sip from his drink before lowering his hand containing it into his lap. Staring off still, he finally gathered the courage to turn his head towards Guo Jia, though this time he allowed a calm, pleasant smile to grace his face—one that was only seen by those Cao Cao put all of his faith within, but those people were very few.

“To you, Guo Jia,” he began as his lifted his drink again, “may fate grace you with good fortune.” Without him? Cao Cao wasn’t sure what he would do.

What irony.                                                            

(I'm not familiar with RPing in Tumblr format myself, so forgive me for any suckage; also no, I am not turning this into an RP account, this is only a temporary experiment and I assure you that your normal fuckyeahcaocao service will continue!)

"Poor man..." A voice, a familiar sounding one, came out of nowhere. "Just looking at you is enough to give me a headache over."

The sound from an unknown source clearly shook Cao Cao, who was starting to hesitantly look around the room. There seemed to be no presence of anyone else, yet the voice was coming from somewhere nearby and the lord was definitely not alone - unless the headache was driving him crazy to the point of hearing things.

"Come now, don't be frightened - I'm right in front of you."

The lord would then look into the mirror again, not noticing anything unusual. Except his own reflection, which would normally show a grand image of himself but this time it was clear just how sick he looked. Was he really going insane? The voice seemed eerily familiar, and now that he was looking into his own reflection, that voice seemed to belong to...

"BOO!"

Cao Cao jumped back as the mysterious figure popped out from the side of the mirror, who had been hiding behind the mirror all this time. It was enough of a scare for him to be taken by surprise after all the suspense of wondering just who it was talking to him, and surely things couldn't get worse here. Except the figure who had been pranking him throughout was none other than...himself. Almost nothing was possible to tell them apart - except perhaps this other body of Cao Cao had somewhat tidier hair and also had a hint of red on his cheeks. And he looked happier than the one suffering from the headache. 

"You look like a complete mess! Having another bad headache day? I would know what that's like - wearing that headpiece all day really does no favours, does it?"

He definitely sounded far more annoying too.

…Was he going insane? Clearly. He must have been. Not only was he talking to… Himself, but the figure in the mirror was moving differently than he was. Mirror was just heated sand, nothing more, and yet it seemed to be an opening to another dimension entirely… One in which he was much more chipper—strange, really, he couldn’t afford to be so… Bright and lively—and lacked the crippling migraine, or wait—…

He jumped back when the figure popped out from behind the mirror. It was times like these with such petty games of intimidation that he’d stand his ground however, this was somehow… Different. His usually cold, calculating eyes drifted back to the mirror where his own, sickly reflection stared back at him once again, then back to the man who… Looked like him.

…Clearly, he was going mad.

Was this what it was coming to? He needed medical assistance immediately if he was hallucinating this badly, let alone about himself. What was this? Some sort of prophecy? The ruler of Wei gritted his teeth as his brain continued to hammer away within his skull. And yet, despite his own condition, his double continued to talk… Like that was doing any good. Lifting a hand to grip the side of his head, Cao Cao snapped his eyes closed in pain. He needed to relax to stop hallucinating… To be alone in a dark and quiet place. Everything would pass, it always did. It had to if he wanted to carry on his ambitious dreams and desires of unification under an indigo banner. He could not let a silly migraine or this… This mirage before him slow him down, no matter how strange it was. For a moment, he nearly found himself blaming it on Zhang Jiao’s sorcery, however, said magic man had been dead for years now. There was no way this mirror image something produced  by him. Why would it be? How could it be? Why would it… Activate now of all times?

With the mention of the headpiece, Cao Cao merely groaned in response. Maybe if he ignored this person—this thing—it would go away. Clearly it would have no interest in him if he didn’t feed it the attention it so-craved and it would just disappear as quickly as it arrived, right? Right. So, with that in mind, Cao Cao turned from the mirror and his chatty replica and headed back towards the bed in attempt to lie down and relax again.

“I don’t have time for this…”

startegic-inventor:

Yue Ying is a cautious woman, almost always aware of her surroundings. Anytime she went anywhere, she kept her staff with her, just in case. Right now, it was on her back. She had her eyes glued to the ground, hand on her chin, lost in thought. She’d been trying to think of new improvements for the Juggernauts. While they may work well at the moment, adding new things to shock your enemy is never a bad idea…to the inventor, at least.

She was, however, surprised when she finally snapped out of her thoughts by a group of Wei soldiers surrounding her. Out of instinct, she reached for her weapon but stopped herself before she grabbed it. If the soldiers really meant her harm, she’d be dead by now. Instead of taking her weapon, she negotiated with the soldiers, requesting an audience with their lord. Yue Ying knew that she could be an asset to Cao Cao’s forces, if he were taking volunteers. And, while she may be sided against Wei eventually, she wouldn’t pass an opportunity to test her skills. Besides, the enemy of my enemy is my friend…especially if they don’t kill you.

Having reached the Wei encampment, she found herself intruding on a conversation between lords and their strategist. She waited by the gate so as not to intrude. Lord Cao Cao and a band of horsemen rode off like a gunshot, leaving the camp quiet. Yue Ying approached the young prince slowly, “Lord Cao Pi?” her voice was quiet, a little nervous seeing as she was technically in an enemy camp, but she strengthened her resolve, “I was found by a group of your soldiers and offered my aid, if you’ll have me.”

Xiahou Dun was in the stables, he fed his black horse, that he called him : “Death King”. He caressed it soft cloak and it mane.

He was worried for his cousin. He has saw him so frustrated, his eyes was so full of wrath, because the battle of Guan Du had been so bloody, violent and long that his lord had been lost too many men. The battle didin’t want to find an end.

Cao Cao had to consider himself very luck for finding an escape route.

Xiahou Dun came out from the stables and saw his young lord, Cao Pi. He was chattering with a young lady, with red hair. He got near them and said. “My lord, I would like to follow you in the battle. Please, allow me to do it”.

Xiahou Dun thought that someone had to protect the son of his leader!

[OCC: sorry if I don’t reblogged the post, but my pc is acting up ç_ç]

After he had escorted Cao Cao for his long transfert to Yuanjin, Zhang Liao saw with a little sigh of relief his personal tent. The travel was so hard, and he had to remain always awake to protect his Lord. He flopped down on his pallet, and started to sleep after a few minutes.
He slept for not many hours: he had to assist at Cao Cao’s tent. Liao was so tired that he slept with all his armour, with the only advantage to be ready for his Lord.
While he was walking in the camp, he saw Xiahou Dun talking to Cao Pi. He stroked his moustache and approached them: “What’s happening there? Aren’t you called up by the Prime Minister?”
“Sure” answered Dun, “but our Young Lord, Cao Pi, has an idea to terminate this battle once for for all. And, thinking well, you too could be important in this plan”.
“Me?” I asked. “In what way?”
“Let’s return to the Prime Minister’s tent. I think that there all would be more clear…”.
Intrigued, I follow the Young Lord and the One-Eyed general.

Battle of Guandu: Withdrawl at Yanjin

The recent news of a battle taking place had been brought to the attention of Zhuge Liang, who wondered just exactly he would do in this situation. The belligerents, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, were both powerful and forceful. The strategist would lend his tactics to the man who would have need of them the most. Cao Cao had more than enough help at his disposal. By aiming to align himself with Yuan Shao and his fighters, perhaps the Sleeping Dragon could even the numbers a little bit.

The man had traveled from his home on horse to the province in which fighting had broken out, hoping to examine the tactics and strategies of both commanders. There had been a few skirmishes and battles along the road Zhuge Liang had been traveling, according to rumor. Indeed, a few stray arrows littered the barren land, and residual bits of broken armor lined more areas. This area, certainly, had seen a bit of conflict recently.

Which direction would a winning set of warriors depart to? And how far would the defeated flee in order to maintain a safe distance away from a surprise attack? Questions like these began to race through the strategist’s mind, still traveling along the path to his destination. The idea was to make it to the nearest city, talk to a few of the citizens about the warfare, where they stood, who they supported and why, and make a decision on that. Instead, however, the man changed his direction, setting the horse off at a brisk pace. There had been word that two other military officers were on their way to his destination, as well. Perhaps the strategist could join those two, and assist with their campaign.

This will be a rather... interesting event, indeed.

Just as he was taking off! Did this vile wench want to make a mockery of him? Tugging at the reins to prevent his horse from trampling the woman in green—the hell was she? She stuck out like a sore thumb within the Wei forces clad in indigo garbs. What did she want and why was she here? The young lord successfully steadied his horse’s haste as the snowy stallion snorted and tapped its hooves against the ground impatiently. Did she not realize who he was? Cao Pi stared down at the woman over the horse’s head and flowing mane, jaw wired tight in irritation. She was getting in the way of his objective.

Hmph. Impudent woman. What use would she be?

“And just who are you?” He nearly spat as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. Surely his father only requested the assistance of men from the south-east whom the Prince of Wei identified to be dressed in plates of crimson… But this… Woman? The battlefield was no place for a woman to roam let alone provide military support. With his posture straight, he waited for an answer from the fiery-haired, tempered woman, though an unexpected commanding voice intervened.

“You are not to take Yanjun alone, my son.” Cao Cao called abruptly, although he made no physical movement to approach him or the delivered woman. A captive, one could almost dub her, however her co-operation was most convenient, and he would take use of it. It was one thing to defeat Yuan Shao’s forces, but another to crush him completely.

“A reliable, intelligent woman you must be,” he Cao Cao nodded, dark eyes pinned on the form of the woman dressed in layers of emerald clothing, “however, as wife of the Sleeping Dragon, I would expect no less.” Sleeping Dragon… So this was Kongming’s wife? Cao Pi’s eyes shifted back to Yueying for a mere moment, giving her a once over in attempt to catch any irregular signs that would assume her disloyalty.

“As you can see, my son is rather reckless. I trust that you will be able to escort him swiftly and safely to complete his objective.” And if not? As in, if she proved to be traitorous? She could always be cut down by none other than Guan Yu himself. Surely Yueying wouldn’t overstay her welcome, nor would she prove to be a disrespectful guest at any point in time, Cao Cao was sure. In response to this, however, Cao Pi’s brow arched in mild irritation, though an awkward grin lifted the corners of his lips. Fine, so perhaps she was worth something… She was capable, but he most definitely did not want her getting in his way.

“Hurry up, will you?” He hissed irritably, “you’re wasting my time.” And speaking of wasting time… A flurry of other voices called out to him. His uncle, Xiahou Dun, and a very capable soldier under his father’s wing, Zhang Liao. Talented, yes, but not necessarily assisting in the fight at the moment. If anyone wanted to join at his side, then fine; mount a horse and follow him into battle, but don’t stand around and talk about it.

“Fine with me.” He spat. With a wrinkled nose in irritation, Cao Pi sighed audibly and tugged at the reins to his white stallion whilst digging his heels towards its stomach again. Kicking off, he deserted the main camp and galloped off towards the destination his father set for him. Withdraw the forces? Fine. That was simple. If Yueying, Xiahou Dun or Zhang Liao decided to stay behind, then so be it. Cao Pi was not going to wait around for the battle to come to them. Instead, he’d go to it.