Overthrowing Wei: Starting with Cao Cao's "I'd rather betray the world than surrender

In the silence, the real bamboo tube had been dismantled. The man in the straw raincoat read the words on the silk paper by the dim firelight, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

He did not destroy the original letter, but simply put it into his pocket. Then he took out another piece of silk paper that he had prepared beforehand and added a few more lines of more meaningful words in the predetermined handwriting and wording.

"The situation in the prefecture is still unsettled, so we can test their troops; the Chen family is under pressure, and the people's hearts are wavering. If we press the border camps, we will see their true strength and weakness."

The handwriting is identical to the original text.

The bamboo tube was resealed and handed to the other party.

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, and night once again enveloped the forest.

-

Nanyang.

The side hall was brightly lit.

Yuan Shu unfolded the silk scroll from the bamboo tube, his gaze lingering on those few lines of text for a long time, his expression gradually turning cold.

"The prefecture is not yet settled; we can test its troops."

He placed the silk scroll on the table and tapped it lightly with his knuckles: "Runan is indeed still wavering."

An advisor whispered, "My lord, you could order the states of Chen and Liang to travel to the border of Runan under the pretext of border patrol."

Yuan Shu did not answer immediately, but stood up and walked to the map. The states of Chen and Liang were both located northeast of Runan. Although their military strength was not formidable, it was enough to affect the nerves of an entire prefecture.

"You can patrol the border, but don't cross the line," Yuan Shu said calmly. "Let's see how Runan reacts."

Moments later, two military orders were issued from Nanyang, heading to Chen and Liang respectively.

-

Several days later, tensions rose sharply at the border.

Chen's eastern camp was the first to rotate its troops, with armored soldiers arrayed north of the boundary marker, and twice as many banners as usual. Liang, on the other hand, lit long rows of torches at night, opened its camp gates wide, and heard the neighing of horses everywhere.

The official name remains "routine patrol".

But patrols have never been so blatant.

The news quickly reached Runan.

In the back hall of the prefectural government, urgent reports were spread out on the table.

Xun You remained calm: "Chen State has reinforced its troops by 800, and Liang State has rotated its defenses by over 1,000, pushing the line to one mile north of the boundary marker."

Lu Ding's gaze fell on the map, without a trace of panic: "Did we cross the border?"

"Wei Yue."

A breeze blew in through the window cracks, causing the candlelight to flicker gently.

"Order all subordinate areas to prepare for defense, but do not close the markets," Lü Ding said slowly. "Keep the city gates open as usual, double the patrols, and do not disturb the people."

"What about random inspections of the salt warehouses?"

"Continue," Lü Ding said. "The more critical the moment, the less we can afford to stop."

Xun You remained silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Young master, should we also go on patrol?"

Lu Ding smiled faintly: "It was already arranged."

-

West Market.

"Chen Liang has mobilized his troops!"

"Should we fight?"

Will the prefecture government conscript soldiers?

There was a great deal of discussion.

However, the city gates remained open on time, and merchants and travelers continued to come and go as usual. The prefectural government only added a few squads of archers to the city walls, and the streets and alleys were not under martial law.

This "normality" only fueled people's suspicions.

The second branch of the Chen family's residence.

Chen Ji's face darkened after hearing the report. He had assumed that Nanyang would act according to the letter's advice to "take it slow rather than rush," but he hadn't expected Chen Liang to suddenly cross the line.

"Why the sudden mobilization of troops?" the aide whispered.

Chen Ji shook his head: "I don't know, there's no new information yet."

"And what about us?"

After a long silence, Chen Ji finally said, "The more critical the moment, the calmer we need to be. Tell everyone to hold back for now."

Once the border troops move, who in the city would dare to mention "going to Nanyang to discuss poetry" in the hall?

He suddenly realized that the Chen family had reached a critical juncture in their decision-making.

-

Inside the cloth merchant's courtyard in the east of the city.

When the man heard the news that Chen Liang's army was approaching, his teacup paused slightly.

"It's only one kilometer past the boundary marker?"

"Yes."

He was silent for a moment, then his gaze darkened: "The letter has been moved."

The servant was startled: "It's been moved?"

"What I wrote was 'It's better to proceed slowly than hastily,'" the man said in a low voice. "Now that the border troops are pressing in, it means that Nanyang has not obtained this."

He slowly stood up and paced around the courtyard.

"Who is it?"

The servant dared not respond.

The man suddenly said, "It seems we've already fallen into someone else's eyes."

"Burn all letters and evacuate immediately. No, wait, we can't evacuate yet, we're being watched."

"Keep everything as usual, pretend you know nothing about this."

-

Bordering Runan County.

Chen Guoying.

The general gazed at the distant flags of Runan, his brows furrowed.

"Runan is not closed," the deputy general said.

"Not closed."

"No troops were mobilized out of the city."

The general pondered for a moment: "They don't seem afraid of us at all."

"Should we take it a step further?"

"No," the general shook his head. "The magistrate only mentioned patrolling."

The same situation applies to Liang Guoying's camp.

Moving troops without fighting only breeds anxiety and restlessness.

-

The city walls of the prefecture.

Under the cover of night, distant firelight formed a line.

Han Zixiu, clad in armor, stood on the city tower and asked, glancing sideways, "What if Chen Liang takes another step forward?"

Lu Ding said calmly, "Then let them take another step forward."

Aren't you afraid of things getting out of control?

"They're afraid," Lü Ding said, "but they don't dare."

Han Zixiu glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.

-

Day two.

The prefectural government suddenly posted a public notice—

"Anyone spreading rumors that disturb the peace recently will be investigated and dealt with."

After the notice was posted, the discussion in the West Market gradually subsided.

The drums on the city wall had not yet sounded, and the city gates were not yet closed.

On the morning of the third day, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from the north gate.

It wasn't fleeing; it was leaving the camp.

Dust rose from the drill ground north of the city as a cavalry contingent marched out in formation, their armor impeccable and their horses uniformly colored. The procession moved at a steady pace, yet exuded a composed and unwavering presence.

The leader of the army was none other than Xu Huang.

Xun You stood on the city wall, watching the cavalry slowly leave the city, and whispered, "The Righteous Cavalry Camp."

Lü Ding nodded: "Let them go."

"Patrol?"

"Patrol," Lü Ding said calmly, "Let them also take a walk around the border."

-

Northern suburbs.

After leaving the city, the Yi Cong Camp did not head straight for the boundary marker, but instead patrolled between the two boundaries, organized their troops, and practiced archery and horsemanship.

From the distant hillside, Chen Guo's scouts could see it clearly.

"Runan has also sent troops."

"How many?"

"About three hundred riders."

"Judging from the setup, it doesn't seem like a hastily assembled group."

The news quickly reached Chen Guoying's camp.

The general paused for a moment, then asked, "Are they preparing for battle, or on patrol?"

The lieutenant replied, "The flags have not been changed, and no battle formation has been established; it is merely a drill."

The general snorted coldly: "Perform a drill for us."

-

afternoon.

The Yicong Battalion finally moved slowly toward the boundary marker.

No rush, no impatience, stop one kilometer south of the boundary marker.

Xu Huang dismounted, personally surveyed the terrain, and ordered his men to plant flags.

The flags are raised high, but the drums have not yet sounded.

The two armies were only two miles apart, their banners fluttering in the wind.

Chen Guo's deputy general couldn't help but say, "General, they are setting up a battle formation."

"Who are we putting this up for?" the general whispered.

The lieutenant remained silent.

-

Liang Guoying.

A scout reported: "The Runan cavalry has reached one li south of the boundary marker."

Liang frowned: "Form ranks?"

"No battle formation was set up, only flags were raised."

Liang looked at the newly erected flag on the south side, remained silent for a moment, and slowly said, "They are not afraid of being fought."

A subtle atmosphere suddenly filled the space between Chen and Liang's camps.

If we take another step forward, friction will occur.

However, if they continue to hold the line and refuse to back down, they will find themselves in a difficult situation.

However, the state magistrate did not grant them the right to wage war.