Light and Shadow

Chapter 1 - Reunion

Xun Yu made his way to his Lord's room like he had done many times before; however, this visit was different from his previous visits, and caused him to feel uneasy. In his previous visits, he was on good terms with his Lord; however, this was the first time that his Lord requested to see him after their argument three weeks ago. He was still in a state of shock and disbelief over what occurred, and he found it hard to believe that the man would forgive his bold claims in such a short amount of time.

As he approached the entrance to Cao Cao's quarters, two guards were positioned outside in full armor. One of the guards took a step forward and asked who he was and what his business with their Lord was. Xun Yu replied to the man and told him his name and that their Lord had requested his presence. Before the guard could reply or ask Cao Cao to make sure that this was true, Cao Cao yelled to send him in. The guard stepped back to his position beside the wooden door frame, and Xun Yu breathed in nervously as he braced himself for whatever was about to occur. He walked up the three wooden stairs and through the plain doorway of the establishment. He walked one meter into the room, stopping a little less than a meter away from the small table that was in front of him, before getting on his knees and bowing deeply, touching his forehead to the floor.

Xun Yu sat bowed on the floor of his Lord's room. The man was seated behind a small rectangular wooden table that was facing the door and was at least a meter from Xun Yu. Although the two were rather close at one point, that bond now appeared to be nothing more than a distant memory. It was like that of a dream when compared to the aloofness that the ruler before him currently radiated. The room still housed the same three plants, the small wooden desk with several bamboo scrolls stacked on top, four bookshelves that were filled with scrolls, and the walls were decorated with the same landscape paintings that he had seen many times before; however, the familiarity of the room was snuffed out by the newfound coldness that chilled him and filled him with unease.

"Xun Yu, please tell me. Why do you choose to remain entirely loyal to the Han? Surely you also see that the Han cannot hope to fully recover after all that has happened," The man asked with a tinge of pain in his voice. "I am only doing what needs to be done so that this land can know peace once again."

The last encounter that he had with Xun Yu plagued his mind, and he felt ashamed for how things played out between them. If he could find a way to rewind time and make it so that he never said those things, then he would happily do so. The last things that he said to Xun Yu echoed in his mind: You were the one person that I thought I could trust unconditionally. When we set out together twenty years ago I gave you my unconditional trust, hoping that you were the one who I could count on for support and guidance. Today, seeing your disappointment fills me with shame for myself, and I don't know if I can continue to have you near me. It is clear that you no longer support me. He recalled how, for the first time, he saw a tear trickle down Xun Yu's cheek, and he bowed again before leaving him there to sit in regret.

Cao Cao vowed not to say something like that again, and, with this meeting today, he hoped to apologize to Xun Yu for his words and actions. The look of disappointment and sadness that Xun Yu gave him before his departure had haunted his mind for weeks, and he desperately hoped that he could repair their friendship. To that end, it was Xiahou Dun who helped arrange this meeting with Xun Yu for him. Cao Cao was relieved to see that Xun Yu was alive and well after the strange dream that he had, and he was grateful that he had this time to spend with him, although he wished that it was under better circumstances. Maybe he could right his wrongs, or at least lessen Xun Yu's disappointment toward him.

"Although it may appear foolish to you and others, I have hope that the Han will return to its former glory. This nation has 400 years of Han tradition, and the people are used to the customs of the Han. Introducing something new would lead to confusion among the population, as well as people detesting the new order of things. Regarding our last meeting, I still stand by my belief that you should refuse to accept additional titles because a ruler should not have power that is equivalent to, if not greater, than that of the Emperor, and those who steal their way to power will one day have that power stolen from them. Maybe not now, but someday in the future." Xun Yu replied as calmly as he could manage while feeling as though he was being scrutinized by the man.