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

After several hundred Yellow Turban soldiers were persuaded to surrender, strange things began to happen outside the camp.

At first, only three or five people would arrive at the sentry post at night, drop their weapons, lie down, and whisper that they were willing to surrender. The sentry did not dare to make a decision on their own, but simply took their weapons and escorted them into the camp.

The next day, more than ten people arrived, and on the third day, nearly a hundred people emerged from Nanlin, their arms bound with white cloth, raising their spears to surrender.

When Zhang Cheng saw those familiar faces in the distance, he felt both ashamed and afraid, but he stopped shouting for battle and simply lowered his head to await orders.

The original Yicong Battalion had more than 8,000 men and had already formed a well-organized formation. However, with the increasing number of outsiders, the formation is becoming increasingly unbalanced.

The surrendered soldiers were temporarily organized into "outer ranks" and led by Zhang Cheng to accompany the army. In less than half a month, their numbers had approached eight hundred. If they were to be recruited again, they could neither be completely disbanded and integrated into the old ranks, nor could they be allowed to huddle together, otherwise the morale of the army would be thrown into chaos.

The number of soldiers in the camp was approaching nine thousand, but the amount of grain and fodder had not increased by a single bushel. The supply battalion calculated overnight that if another thousand men were added to the outer ranks, the monthly consumption would increase by 20%. The military situation was not chaotic, but morale was already running high.

That night, the lights in the inner hall of the prefectural government were still on. Han Zixiu sent someone to invite Lü Ding, Xun You, and Xu Huang inside to discuss matters. All the attendants withdrew, leaving only the military registers and grain registers on the table.

The wind outside the window grew stronger, and the eaves bells tinkled softly, but the hall was utterly quiet.

Before even mentioning the bugle call, Han Zixiu first pushed the ration book onto the table: "If the outer ranks break through a thousand men, our monthly rations will be tight. If we encounter further rain, the supply lines will be difficult to traverse, and how will the army continue its march?"

Xu Huang spoke first: "The existing grain can last for a month. If we add another thousand men, we must open the southern granary. Once the southern granary is opened, spring will be a critical time." He paused, "The army can be expanded, but it must be organized into a cohesive unit. If we only recruit without organizing them, morale will inevitably decline."

Xun You opened the military register and said, "Both accepting them and not accepting them are risky. If we refuse them, they will revert to the Yellow Turbans; if we accept them without any control, the morale of the army will be unbalanced." He looked up and said, "The key is not the number of soldiers, but the organization. If we continue to use the old three-part system to accommodate them, the surrendered soldiers will surely form their own group; if we use this to rearrange the military system, we can actually resolve the old hidden dangers."

Han Zixiu's gaze sharpened: "Rearrange?"

Lu Ding then spoke: "The old system consisted of three divisions, each forming its own system. If the commander moved, the entire camp would be shaken. If we were to accept surrendered soldiers, it would only create a fourth force. Rather than passively adding more troops, it would be better to proactively dismantle the camp and reorganize it."

Xu Huang frowned: "Dismantling the camp will inevitably scatter our fighting strength."

"If the fighting force is concentrated in one battalion, and that battalion collapses, the entire formation will fall into chaos," Lü Ding said calmly. "When veteran soldiers are reassigned to new battalions, the formation will be more stable."

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

Han Zixiu suddenly asked, "What is the name of the new camp?"

Lü Dingdao: "Pingjin."

There was a slight commotion in the hall.

Han Zixiu repeated in a low voice, "Suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion... suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion." He raised his eyes, "Now that the military horn has been raised, the prefectures and counties will surely hear of it. If Lord Yuan asks, how will you answer?"

Xun You said, "The military register will still be recorded in the prefecture's register, not as the state's army. The status belongs to the prefecture, not the state. It can be said that this is a temporary measure to stabilize the southern front, not an expansion of the army to establish itself." He paused, "If we can delay for one season, we will stabilize for one season."

The sound of wind enters through the window.

Han Zixiu then asked, "If the number of surrendered soldiers increases daily, and the army grows beyond just one battalion, what should be done?"

Looking at the military register, Lü Ding said, "A large army is not scary; chaos is. If we keep them in the register and establish regulations, we can control them. If the number truly reaches ten thousand, we can then discuss dividing them into camps."

Han Zixiu nodded, then changed the subject: "The camp can be established, but who will command it?"

Xu Huang said, "When old generals leave, the old camps become empty; when new surrendered generals take command, the army's morale plummets."

Xun You said, "If the Pingjin Camp is entirely composed of surrendered soldiers, then a single lineage will emerge; if it is entirely led by former soldiers, then it will also be unstable."

Lu Ding was silent for a moment, then said, "Pingjin Camp is not independent."

All three looked at him.

"It's called a battalion, but it's actually a deputy battalion," Lü Dingdao said. "It's still under the command of the Central Army. Veteran soldiers are drawn from among the core members, with new recruits interspersed. The battalion commander is a former general, and the deputy commander is Zhang Cheng."

Han Zixiu's eyes flickered slightly: "Zhang Cheng?"

Xu Huang frowned: "He won't be subdued for more than a month."

Lü Dingdao said, "The surrendered soldiers should listen to him. If we replace them with old generals and force them, they will only harbor resentment; if we hand them all over to him, the old soldiers will be uneasy. Let him lead the troops, but the military orders will remain in the central army, and he will be able to advance and retreat as he sees fit."

Xun You nodded: "In this way, the new soldiers will have someone to rely on, and the old soldiers will not doubt. With the distinction between title and power, there will be no complications."

Han Zixiu pondered, "Who is the camp commander?"

Lu Ding slowly said, "I will take it for now."

Han Zixiu pondered for a moment and said, "Since Yunzhong is personally in charge, there must be rules to follow."

The next day, the military order was issued.

There was much discussion within the old camp at first, with some dissatisfied with the dismantling and others worried about the weakening of their fighting strength.

Zhang Cheng was summoned to the central command tent and, in front of Xu Huang and the other officers, listened to Lü Ding announce the organizational structure. He did not kneel, but stood to the side, his palms slightly sweaty.

"You are the deputy commander," Lü Dingdao said. "Lead the surrendered soldiers to form ranks and do not move without authorization. Anyone who disobeys military orders will be punished according to military law."

Zhang Cheng responded, "Yes."

As he stepped out of the tent, the people in the outer ranks were looking at him.

Those men who had once fought alongside him in Nanlin now stood under the banners of the Righteous Cavalry, their armor disheveled, but their eyes filled with hesitation.

Zhang Cheng said nothing more, only stating, "Once you enter the camp, you are an army. Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed."

Some bowed their heads, some nodded.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he was no longer just a subordinate, but also felt trusted.

In the Kingdom of Liang, the night wind swept through the city.

Flames were visible thirty miles south of the city, not yet reaching the city walls, but already approaching the grain route.

Zhao Yan, the prime minister of Liang, stood under the corridor, wearing only a deep robe and no outer robe, his gaze fixed on the southern night.

The mansion was brightly lit, and three urgent reports were laid out side by side on the desk—

One of the county granaries was burned down, more than forty members of the grain escort team went missing, and the postal relays were cut off at Nanling.

"They're just ruthless bandits," a junior officer whispered. "Without banners, they're no threat."

Zhao Yan slowly turned around, his voice not loud: "Anyone who dares to burn down the government granary is not a tyrant."

There was silence in the hall.

The Liang Kingdom's military strength was not insufficient, but it was divided among four borders, each with its own constraints.

To the east, we must guard against Cao Cao's army spying on our territory; to the west, we must prepare for the bandits of Chendi; and to the north, we still need to leave troops to suppress old troubles.

The southern front was already weak, and patrol teams were set up at the border of Runan, ostensibly for mutual defense, but in reality, they dared not withdraw completely.

After the main force of the Yellow Turbans retreated, it was thought that they could have a respite for a season. However, the remnants broke into smaller units and began to harass supply lines and agricultural settlements. When pursued, they scattered into the mountains and forests; when retreated, they gathered in the wilderness. Although their numbers were small, they caused trouble every day. The defending troops were constantly on the move, exhausted from dealing with the situation, and over time, their morale began to decline.

A captain clasped his hands in a fist salute: "We can send heavy cavalry south to suppress them."

Zhao Yan said calmly, "You'll suppress them for three days, and then leave the northern border deserted for three days. If Lord Yuan's envoy from the south enters the country, how will you explain that?"

The captain lowered his head and remained silent.

Finally, someone in the hall suggested, "We could borrow troops from Runan."

The air suddenly tightened.

Liang and Runan have always guarded their own territories and refrained from interfering with each other. Moreover, Runan's military strength has recently grown, and the reputation of its Righteous Cavalry Camp has spread far and wide, already reaching the ears of merchants. If they were to request aid now, it would be tantamount to admitting that Liang could not hold out.

Someone whispered, "Once they borrow troops to enter the country, it might not be easy to send them back later."

Zhao Yan did not answer.

He walked to the desk and slowly opened the border report. The remnants of the Yellow Turbans had gathered nearly a thousand men, specifically targeting supply routes and military farms. If the Liang Kingdom launched a forced attack, it would need to divide its forces to pursue and annihilate them; if it held its cities, all the farmland within its borders would be destroyed.

This is not the imminent danger of breaching a city, but rather a slow, agonizing process that will eventually kill an entire nation.

Another rider rushed into the mansion, and before the dust had settled, he knelt on one knee: "The garrison at Nanling has been defeated, and the grain carts have been hijacked."