Yun Chang POV

I forced my eyes to stay open and kept my grip on the Green Dragon Crescent Blade tight as I stepped into the encampment filled with Cao army troops. I kept this up as I knew that the ones around me would be more cautious if they saw me being on guard.

But if something untoward were to happen later, would I really be able to break out of here alone?

No, I can’t. My stamina has been completely drained and there is no way I can make it out of here alive.

“Oi, Xu Chu. Why doesn’t Lord Cao Cao just overwhelm me with numbers? Does she intend to humiliate me before killing me?” I asked Xu Chu in front of me. She was both messenger and guide.

“How am I supposed to know what my lord is thinking!” Xu Chu seemed to not know what was going on as she exclaimed indignantly, “Death on the battlefield is the best ending for a warrior like yourself.”

We were on the same side once, and as warriors, our thinking is aligned. Though I don’t plan on dying here of course.

What I need to do know, is to try and think what Lord Cao Cao might say to me later.

“Go in. My lord ordered me to wait outside.” Xu Chu stood at the entrance of a tent as she looked at me with the eyes of a beast, “If you so much as touch a hair of my lord, I will rip you to pieces.”

… These eyes would probably give a horrible fright to most people.

“What happens will depend on what Lord Cao Cao has to say to me.” I returned her gaze and entered the tent without saying anything else.

As I parted the curtains, I saw a familiar figure sitting at the table inside. She looked at me, and gave her characteristic confident, unfathomable smile.

“You’re here.” She said, and continued her work without meaning to get up.

“Un?” I was about to speak to her when 2 other people in the tent came over. These 2, were very familiar people indeed, and I couldn’t help but to call out their names the moment I saw them, “Lord Lu Bu?! Wen Yuan?!”

Why? Why are the 2 of them here? Shouldn’t they have left Xiapi for Yuan Shao by now?

“Yo, Yun Chang. It’s been a while.” Wen Yuan ran over to me and grabbed and shook my hands affectionately the moment she saw me.

“W, why are you both here?” I didn’t bother with greetings and cut to the chase.

When she heard me ask this, Wen Yuan’s smile diminished somewhat.

“Hai, we were planning to leave yesterday morning but a scout told us that there was no movement from your side so we didn’t leave as we thought there might be some new developments.” Wen Yuan said and turned to look at Lu Bu, “We only received news today that your night raid failed and you were ambushed. When she heard this, my lord emptied the city and charged out to where you were but we were only a few miles out when the Cao army occupied Xiapi city.”

(TL: Some of you may recall that Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu in the Battle of Xiapi and had Lu Bu executed. That was supposed to happen a little while before this. Because Lu Bu in this series followed Liu Bei all along, Lu Bu never became the brash and foolhardy traitor the original was and never clashed with either Liu Bei or Cao Cao till now. If anything, I believe this is more than proof enough that history can be changed and have faith the author will deliver a fulfilling ending.)

Wen Yuan grew more and more despondent as she continued. And Lord Lu Bu, who was visibly enraged, continued from where Wen Yuan left off. “We had no way to retreat and so we could only continue to where you were. We were hoping to break through and at least escape with you 3, but we were surrounded before we could make it to where you were. Thereafter…”

“Thereafter, you both were ‘invited’ here by Lord Cao Cao just like I was right?”

Wen Yuan and Lord Lu Bu nodded.

Strange, why is Lord Cao Cao doing this for?

I directed my gaze to Lord Cao Cao and saw that she was still preoccupied with doc.u.ments and was not looking at us.

“Lord Guan Yu, where is Xuan De now? How is he?” Lord Lu Bu got up and walked over with a grave expression as she asked me.

“That’s right that’s right, is our lord is alright?”

…

I couldn’t help but lower my head at the sudden question. The hand which held the Green Dragon Crescent Blade also began to tremble uncontrollably.

“… It’s my fault,” I said falteringly, “When we were ambushed, I got separated from big brother and little sister. I’ve been looking all this while but I haven’t… Wu!”

“My lord!”

I was lifted forcefully by my armour to the point where my legs couldn’t even reach the floor and it became difficult to breathe.

“Lord Guan Yu, this is a joke right?” I looked down and saw Lord Lu Bu’s eyes wide open and bloodshot. Her expression right now, was like that of a bloodsucking monster, “Please don’t tell me Xuan De has…”

“Calm down,” Just then, a firm and calm voice along with a brush being placed down could be heard, “Xuan De has neither been caught nor killed by anyone on our side. Li Dian just delivered a report which said that Xuan De has escaped on Li Dian’s horse.”

The strength that held me up disappeared the moment Lord Cao Cao finished and the monster before me flopped to the ground as well.

“My lord!”

“Ah, that’s great.” Lord Lu Bu muttered softly, before softly snoring.

Looks like she hasn’t been sleeping…

But it’s good. Big brother is fine.

“Ah, what about Yi De?!”

“Lord Zhang Fei… Seems to have escaped, and was not captured.” Lord Cao Cao nodded and then smiled bitterly, “You lot are really difficult to deal with. Just a few thousand and you wrecked so much havoc in my tens of thousand strong force. If this happened with Yuan Shao, I would probably be wiped out within a few days.”

Hu~~ That’s great, everyone escaped.

“Alright, Lord Zhang Liao, help Lord Lu Bu to a seat and let her rest. Let’s start talking business.” Lord Cao Cao said as she got up and walked to the front of the table and smiled before she continued, “Do you all know why I invited you all instead of killing you all?”

“…” I looked back at Lord Cao Cao nervously and raised my blade to my chest, “If you wish to recruit us, then Lord Cao Cao’s efforts have been in vain.”

Hahaha. Lord Cao Cao guffawed the moment these words left my mouth.

“That is, of course, one of the reasons but not the primary one. If that was the case then I would definitely have had Hu Chi take away your weapons,” She said and stepped up to where I was, and continued in a very calm and quiet voice, “I have not killed you all because you all are Xuan De’s companions.”

Have I heard it wrongly?

“Because we’re big brother’s companions?”

“That is correct. That is why I cannot let you all die.” Lord Cao Cao nodded, “If you all are dead, Xuan De will never be able to rise again; if you all are dead, then that means that I can declare the conquest of Liu to be a success and the officials in Xuchang will begin to rebel and I probably have to kill them; if you all are dead then the Han will… Ah, you don’t need to pay too much attention to the last point.”

“…”

The more she said, the less I understood. I looked at Wen Yuan, and saw that she was just as bewildered as I was. But I do understand that it means we have a chance to see big brother again as long as we are still alive.

“It’s fine even if you don’t understand. In any case, you just need to interpret it as ‘If you 3 do not follow the will of the Imperial Court for now, then there are no benefits to Xuan De at all.'” Lord Cao Cao said as she pointed at my blade, “Of course, you could choose to kill me here and now and end yourselves as well. What say you?”

“Wu…” Lord Cao Cao said everything I’d been meaning to say and I was now at a loss as to what to do. She now stood in front of me, and did not intend on giving me too much time to decide.

I thought for a moment and looked at Wen Yuan, who nodded at me. Looks like they have entrusted me with the responsibility to make a decision.

Then…

“I have 3 requests.”

“Speak, I am willing to listen.”

“First, we have surrendered to the Han and not Cao Cao.”

“Deal.” Lord Cao Cao smiled.

“Second, Gan Qing and Mi Zhen, as well as Lord Hua Tuo, are to be treated well.”

“Deal.” Lord Cao Cao smiled as always.

“Third,” I took a deep breath and said the most critical condition, “If we should hear any news about big brother, we will immediately leave for him.”

“Hahahaha~~” Surprisingly, Lord Cao Cao seemed to be neither angered nor frustrated by this, and laughed instead. She patted my shoulders as she said, “This is the Yun Chang I know.”

At this, I finally relaxed.

(TL: In the original, as mentioned before, Lu Bu had died. Zhang Liao Zhang Wen Yuan had joined Cao Cao and was also the one who persuaded Guan Yu to surrender. Then, Guan Yu made almost the same 3 requests. The first was so that Guan Yu would not break the Oath of the Peach Garden. They had sworn to serve the Han so surrendering to the Han would not break the oath. The second related to Lady Gan and Lady Mi, who were staying in Xu state city then. Cao Cao was reluctant to accede to the third, but Zhang Liao persuaded Cao Cao to relent in the hopes of winning Guan Yu over.)

Meng De POV

“My lord, what is the meaning of this?” After the 3 left, Xun Yu’s voice came, “Those 3 are some of the strongest warrior generals of the land. If we cannot tame them, then we should kill them. Could it be that my lord still…”

“How can that be,” I said and sat back down on my seat behind the table and picked up a scroll, “No matter what, we are in dire need of talent now that we are about to face off against Yuan Shao. As you said, they are some of the strongest warrior generals. If we don’t use them, then who will? We will deal with what comes later. Just take them as temporary reinforcements.”

Xun Yu did not say anything to what I said which gave me some relief. I don’t know if I can keep my true thoughts to myself if she presses me further.

Hai~~

I leaned against my chair as the words in the scroll couldn’t enter my eyes which were begininng to close.

Whatever the case, it’s good that Xuan De is alive. Xuan De is another path for the restoration of the Han. He and his companions must not end here.

Gradually, I entered a much needed sleep.