“Turmoil”: Battle for the Han Empire sample -- TPMThorne.com

“I’m surprised that you have nothing to contribute, Mister Cheng,” Xun Wenruo said to the unreadable Cheng Yu; something was different about his appearance, but neither Xun Wenruo nor Xun Gongda could immediately identify what it was.
“Today is… not a good day for me,” Cheng Yu replied.
“Has there been some personal tragedy…?” Xun Wenruo asked.
“No, no, Wenruo, I am just… unable to show my usual resolve today,” Cheng Yu replied. “Every man has days where they are of little use to anyone, including themselves, and today is such a day. But I have taken in what has been said, and I will certainly put my ideas in writing if I cannot put them into words. Good day to you both.”
Cheng Yu walked away slowly and forlornly; Xun Gongda finally ascertained what was different about Cheng and said, “He’s put colour in his hair… to darken it…”
“…He is the last person that I expected to suffer from aesthetic vanity,” Xun Wenruo admitted. “Professional vanity, maybe, but… not his appearance… I suppose that his age worries him.”
“But then he has a toadying side that surfaces rarely as well,” Xun Gongda said as he and his uncle started to walk toward the main entrance to the audience hall.
“Oh, yes,” Xun Wenruo replied. “He refused a very respectable post from Liu Dai when offered and was rude to him in addition, but took a vastly inferior post from Lord Cao and was very humble about it. His ‘confidence’ comes and goes like the weather… as does his strange hatred of his fellow men. He’s very complicated.”
“Aren’t we all…?” Xun Gongda chuckled.

“Curses!” the warlord Yuan Shu screamed as he loomed over a terrified messenger. “Curse them, the defiant wretches!”
“My lord, the messenger has done no wrong,” the adviser Han Yin suggested.

“…You’re right,” Yuan Shu sighed; he turned his gaze back to the messenger, waved his hand dismissively and said, “Get out.”
The messenger bowed penitently, turned, and fled.
“…So Cao Cao defeated the bandits and Yufuluo, and chased them out of Yan Province, and he’s definitively defeated Lü Bu’s forces as well,” the adviser Yan Xiang mused.
“I can read!” Yuan Shu heckled as he waved the report angrily. “I do not need you to tell me what I already know!”
“At least the situation in Lujiang was resolved quickly,” Han Yin suggested. “When added to Jiujiang, it means that the whole of Northern Yang Province is now yours; Liu Xun and Chen Ji are both dependable administrators, and therefore cannot lose them. That means that you can finally consider moving south or north, Lord Yuan.”
“…Why not south and north…?” Yuan Shu retorted. “Hui Qu and Sun Ce will surely defeat Liu Yao and his allies, and Ji Ling, Lei Bo, Chen Lan and Liang Gang are all ready to march, are they not…?”
“They should rest after the exertions in Lujiang,” Yan Xiang suggested.
“Does Sun Ce rest…?” Yuan Shu heckled. “All of my officers are tigers! They should all bear their claws at the same time!”
“…But Lü Bu will be looking for a new sanctuary, most likely in Xu, with or without Liu Bei’s blessing; Liu Biao has strengthened Jing’s defences, and Cao Cao’s morale is peaked,” Han Yin replied. “We must be careful not to overextend, especially with the rumours coming out of Runan that Liu Pi and Huang Shao are-”

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