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

Undercurrents surged in Shouchun, and the winds rustled along the Huai River.

While the snow on Lutailing Ridge had not yet melted, spring mud had already been trampled into the city of Runan.

Lu Ding inspected the military registers daily, no longer personally overseeing the troops, but only ordering Zhang Cheng to lead the deputy troop to relieve them.

That night, however, a private letter secretly entered the county government office with the merchants.

The envelope was thin and plain, sealed with no clay seal, and tied tightly with a thin string.

The messenger claimed to be a member of the Xun family of Yingchuan. He entered the city gate at night and dared not linger.

When Xun You received the letter, the candle had already burned more than halfway.

He looked at the familiar handwriting on the cover, and his heart sank slightly.

The letter stated that several hundred remnants of the Sili army had scattered south from Luoyang and were wandering through the valleys of western Yingchuan.

The three southern counties have been harassed twice; fields have been burned, manors have fallen, and the garrison is weak, leaving them with no choice but to close the city gates and defend themselves. Elders in the clan say: "If no one comes to our aid from the south, spring planting will be impossible."

The letter ended with just one sentence: "Yingchuan cannot continue to descend into chaos."

After reading the letter, Xun You placed it flat on the table and remained silent for a long time.

The wind rustled softly outside the window, but he had already laid out a map in his mind.

The remnants of the Sili army marched south from Luoyang, taking mountain paths and not attacking fortified cities, but only plundering farms and villages.

These scattered soldiers do not seek cities, but only food.

The garrison in Yingchuan was already scattered, and the landholdings of the gentry were spread all over the outside of the city. It was easy to defend the city, but difficult to protect the land.

This is not something that can be solved with a letter home.

If chaos breaks out in Yingchuan, it will affect far more than just one family.

That night, the lights in the prefectural office were still on.

Xun You sat quietly for a long time before finally getting up and leaving.

The night wind was cold, and instead of returning to his office, he headed straight for the military camp.

Lu Ding was looking through the patrol register when he saw Xun You arrive, but before he could speak, he was already there.

Xun You handed over the letter: "A letter from home in Yingchuan."

Lü Ding took it and slowly began to read it.

"The remnants of the Western Liang?"

"Most likely," Xun You said. "They are not organized into any unit, only three to five hundred people, and they harass the fields."

Lu Ding pondered for a moment: "Defending a city is easy, but defending fields is difficult."

"The gentry of Yingchuan will not openly ask for help," Xun You said slowly. "They may write that the situation is difficult, but they will not write the words 'requesting troops'."

The two locked eyes for a moment.

"We will discuss tomorrow morning," Lu Ding said.

-

The next day at the prefectural office, Han Zixiu finished reading the report and frowned slightly: "Have the remnants of the Sili tribe launched their southern invasion? Has Yingchuan reported this to the governor?"

"Reported," Xun You said slowly. "The governor can defend the city, but not the fields. The state troops can hold the city gates, but not the valleys."

Xu Huang said in a deep voice, "If we send troops north, we will enter Yingchuan territory."

The hall was quiet.

The soldiers of Runan were previously only guarding the border. The Southern Joint Defense was a mutual defense effort that began after the other side made its offer.

But Yingchuan was different. It was a key location in the prefecture and a gathering place for gentry.

Han Zixiu looked at Lü Ding.

Lu Ding did not answer immediately, but instead spread out the map.

Yingchuan is in the north, Runan is in the south, and the valleys in between are connected. If the remnants of the Sili tribe were to wander in the western border, they would only be a few days' journey from the northern border of Runan.

"They don't attack the city, they just target the grain," Lü Ding said slowly. "The city can be defended, but the fields cannot. The garrison goes out of the city every day to chase them, but when they can't catch up, they have to retreat back into the city."

Xu Huang asked, "How about closing the city gates?"

"Once the city gates are closed, no one will patrol the valleys anymore." Lu Ding pointed to the northern section of the map. "The mountain paths are also unguarded. If the bandits go south down the mountain, they will not only harass Yingchuan, but Liang and Chen will also suffer."

Xun You continued, "It's not difficult to guard one or two valley entrances, but it's difficult to keep guarding them indefinitely."

"Those people in Yingchuan won't ask for help unless they're absolutely forced to. By the time they actually send an official document, most of the fields will already be burned down."

Xu Huang hesitated: "If our army enters Yingchuan, it will be seen as interfering in the affairs of the state. What will the governor think?"

"Qinggu, do not enter the city," Lü Ding said in a deep voice.

Everyone looked at him.

"Deploy 1,000 troops, mainly light cavalry. Clear only the valleys and protect spring planting; do not enter Yingchuan city or engage with the prefecture's administration. Clear one valley in three days, and pacify three counties in ten days. Leave out sentries, but not camps."

Han Zixiu pondered for a long time. He knew that this step was extremely difficult to handle—if he didn't go, Yingchuan would remember it; if he sent too many troops, it would be tantamount to extending his reach into the prefecture.

"No troops have been mobilized in the state," he said.

Lu Ding pointed to the southern border of Yingchuan: "The state's troops are already few in number, and they are already struggling to defend the city. How can they possibly have anyone guarding the valleys every day?"

No one spoke again in the hall.

With spring plowing just around the corner, if the remnants of the Sili tribe were to cause trouble again, the gentry of Yingchuan would simply guard their own gates.

If Runan sends troops then, it will be considered an intervention; if it sends troops now, it will be to stop the chaos.

"Then let's send troops," Han Zixiu finally said.

That night, the Yi Cong Camp dispatched two thousand men, led by Xu Huang and accompanied by Xun You.

Three days later, news came from the southern border of Yingchuan. The two valley entrances on the southern ridge of Yangdi had been cleared, and the more than 300 soldiers ambushed in the mountains had been defeated. Most of them died in the valleys, and fewer than 50 men remained. They abandoned their weapons and fled into the deep mountains on the northern slopes of Songshan. After the valley entrances were cleared, that group of men never dared to return.

Two days later, patrols were set up between Nangou and Baimapo, taking turns day and night. The previously burned fields no longer caught fire, and the villages at the foot of the mountain gradually quieted down at night.

On the seventh day, all the fires in the three southern counties of Yingchuan were extinguished at night, and there were no more alarms outside the city.

At the gate of the Yingchuan gentry manor, I witnessed for the first time the changing of the guard by the Runan Righteous Cavalry.

No city gates were opened, and no prefect came out to greet them. After clearing the valley, the Yi Cong camp set up camp outside the Nanling Mountains, without entering the city or establishing an office.

No one posted the notice in the city, but the news had already spread throughout the countryside.

Between the fields, someone whispered, "That bandit-suppressing officer in Runan only clears the valleys and doesn't enter the city."

Someone else added, "As long as someone guards the valley entrance, the fields can be planted."

A few days later, merchants and travelers were seen again on the rural roads of the three southern counties. Some people passing through the southern ridge of Yangdi saw patrols changing hands in the distance, their military bearing impeccable.

"It's the Yicong Battalion from Runan," an old farmer whispered. "They don't take any grain, and they don't bother anyone."

Ten days later, the army withdrew to Runan. They did not collect a single bushel of grain along the way, nor did they enter a single city gate.

On the way back, Xun You rode on his horse, gazing at the distant, rolling mountains, before finally speaking.

"The people of Yingchuan will remember this."

A few days later, an official document arrived from the Yingchuan County government office.

The document was written with great restraint, only stating that "Southern Colonel Lü Dingqing had rendered meritorious service in the valley," without mentioning a request for reinforcements, but adding one more sentence—

"If there is any further disturbance in the valley, I am willing to discuss patrols with Runan."

A few days after the document from Yingchuan was delivered, the prefectural government received another official letter.

This time it wasn't a private message; it was sent personally by Chen Guoxiang Luo Jun.

The letter mentioned that spring plowing was approaching and the valleys had already been cleared. It suggested that the counties sit down and discuss patrol methods to avoid fighting each other.

The letter ended with an additional sentence: "State affairs are complicated, and matters in the south can be handled by the counties themselves first."

After reading it, Han Zixiu remained silent for a moment.

The meaning of this letter is very clear.

Kiyotani was the first time troops were dispatched.

The purpose of this inspection tour is to make it a regular practice.

Lu Ding stood in front of the map, looking at the mountain line where Chen, Liang, and Runan meet.

"If we go," he said, "the south will be connected."

"If we don't go," Xu Huang said in a low voice, "the last time we went was just to help out."

No one spoke again inside the room.

The patrol cavalry on Lutai Ridge are still changing shifts.

But this time, the problem is no longer whether there are thieves in the valley.

But -

In the future, will this line in the south be managed separately, or will it be overseen by someone?