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

Shen Wan looked at Lü Ding and remained silent for a long time.

The room was quiet, save for the occasional soft crackling of the oil lamp. She lowered her head and turned another page of the account book, as if confirming something. Her fingertips lingered on the paper for a moment before she slowly closed it.

"You're trying to gather all the ironworks from each battalion together," she said.

Lü Ding nodded.

"Right now, it's just that the patrol cavalry has suffered more losses. In another year or two, if the number of troops increases and each camp does its own work, the iron will become increasingly scattered. When we really need to repair a batch of weapons, we'll have to find craftsmen and source iron on the spot, which will be slow and chaotic."

Shen Wan thought for a moment, then asked, "What about Xun Heng?"

Lü Ding replied, "He is still in charge of the main camp. The amount of iron materials entering and leaving each camp, as well as the amount lost, are all recorded in the military register."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But you're in charge of the ironwork. How the iron is used, how the furnace is operated, and how the craftsmen are trained—it's all up to you."

Shen Wan frowned slightly: "Both the person and the iron are with me?"

"right."

"But people are harder to manage."

"I know," Lü Ding said, looking at her. "That's why I came to find you."

Shen Wan remained silent for a while, as if she were mentally reviewing the situation. Although there weren't many blacksmith shops in the village over the years, she had still witnessed the troubles of craftsmen vying for work, shortages of iron materials, and unclear accounts. With even more people in the army, things would only be more complicated.

"If I agree," she said slowly, "I need you to grant me three requests."

Lu Ding didn't interrupt, he just looked at her.

"First, collect the rosters of the blacksmiths in each camp. Make sure to distinguish who can forge weapons and who can only repair farm tools."

"Second, the design must be specified. The spearhead, lance head, and arrowhead must all have the correct dimensions. They must all be of the same thickness to be interchangeable."

"Third, iron recycling must be centralized. Broken spearheads and broken swords must be sent back to the furnace; individual camps are not allowed to melt them down privately."

She spoke calmly, yet it already sounded like she was making arrangements.

After listening, Lü Ding smiled and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Shen Wan glanced at him, but her tone remained cautious: "But the craftsmen might not listen. If the soldiers find it troublesome, they might outwardly comply but inwardly defy it."

Lu Ding nodded: "So this matter needs to be made public so that each camp knows that this is the rule, not something to be discussed."

She looked up at him.

"You will be in charge of the ironworks, Xun Heng will keep the accounts, and I will give the orders," Lü Ding said. "If there is any resistance, let them come to me."

Shen Wan pondered for a moment, as if she had finally made a decision.

"Then let's give it a try."

These words were spoken very lightly, yet they sounded like a decision had been made.

Lu Ding breathed a sigh of relief. He had only intended to ask for her opinion, but he hadn't expected that she had already sorted out most of her thoughts.

"How long will it take to gather all the craftsmen?" he asked.

"Send the roster first," Shen Wan said. "Within three days, I'll also call over the blacksmiths I know in the village. Let's explain the rules clearly first."

She paused, then added, "However, some people may not respect me."

Lu Ding looked up at her and said, "If anyone is dissatisfied, let them come find me."

Shen Wan smiled gently and said nothing more.

The night wind blew past the courtyard wall, and the distant barking of dogs could be faintly heard. The lights of Runan City flickered not far away.

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Lu Ding suddenly realized that things had changed far too quickly in the past year. At first, he was just guarding a manor, but now he had to manage the mountain range in the southern part of a prefecture. Many things had been forced upon him step by step.

"You've been very busy lately, haven't you?" Shen Wan suddenly asked.

"It's alright," Lü Ding said. "Now that the mountain line has stabilized, things have actually gotten more complicated."

"Only when things are stable will we have time to deal with these things." She nodded.

Looking at the account books on the table, Lü Ding suddenly remembered something: "How's the blacksmith shop in Shenjiazhuang doing lately?"

"It's relatively stable," Shen Wan said. "The southern mountain roads are open, and there are more merchants and travelers. It's just that iron prices are rising rapidly."

"With fighting in the north, iron is naturally in high demand," Lü Dingdao said.

She didn't reply, but simply reorganized the ledgers.

Lu Ding stood up and looked at the night outside. It was getting late, and the city gates would soon be rotated out.

"Then I'll head back to the city first," he said.

Shen Wan also stood up and saw him to the courtyard gate. The night breeze was much cooler than inside the house, and the lanterns outside the courtyard swayed gently in the wind.

"Lu Ding," she suddenly called out to him.

He turned around.

Shen Wan stood in the lamplight, seemingly hesitating for a moment before speaking: "The rent reduction you agreed to a few days ago... the Shen family has already complied with it on all their land."

Lu Ding nodded: "Spring plowing is approaching, and we need to ensure that people can plant the crops."

Shen Wan looked at him, as if she wanted to say something, but then paused.

Lu Ding thought for a moment and said, "There will always be people who find it difficult."

His tone was very casual, as if he had expected it all along.

"But as long as people cultivate the land, things will slowly return to normal," he said. "If the fields are abandoned, no amount of granaries can sustain it."

Shen Wan did not respond.

A night breeze blew through the lanterns outside the courtyard, causing their light and shadows to flicker. She looked away, as if unwilling to continue the conversation.

"It's nothing," she said softly. "I was just asking."

Lu Ding glanced at her but didn't ask any further questions.

He simply nodded.

"Take your time with the ironwork; there's no rush."

Shen Wan responded.

Lü Ding mounted his horse; the night was already deep. His hooves pounded the spring mud, and he quickly disappeared at the end of the village road.

Shen Wan stood in front of the courtyard gate, watching the light fade into the distance, before turning back after a long while.

The lights came back on, and she spread out the account books again.

As the pages turned, the top line read—

Rent reduced by 30%.

She looked at it for a long time, but finally closed the ledger.

When Lü Ding returned to the city, it was already late at night.

The spring mud was not yet dry, and the horse's hooves pounded on the official road with a low, steady sound. The lights of Runan City drew closer, and the city gate guards had already recognized him and hurriedly opened the gate.

He didn't stop and went straight back to the county office.

Only two lights remained in the courtyard. The soldiers on night duty immediately stood up and saluted when they saw him return. Lü Ding waved his hand, telling them to continue their watch, and went inside.

The map of Yuzhou was still spread out on the table.

Lutailing, Baimapo, and Xiling—a mountain line is clearly visible in the lamplight.

He wanted to take another look at the map of Yuzhou, but suddenly remembered the conversation he had just had in Shenjiazhuang.

When Shen Wan stood in the lamplight and said, "All the land belonging to the Shen family has been taken care of," her tone was a little off, as if she was deliberately suppressing something.

Lu Ding sat down and tapped his finger on the table.

He wasn't unaware of what a 30% rent reduction meant. The common people would naturally feel more at ease, but the accounts on the estates would definitely be strained.

The issue is--

Shen Wan didn't say anything.

There wasn't even a single complaint.

This is what makes people even more uneasy.

Lu Ding recalled the gesture of her closing the account book. For a long time, her gaze lingered on that page.

After a while, he got up, walked to the door, and said to the soldiers on night duty, "Go and call Chen Erhe."

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but immediately responded.

Before long, Chen Erhe hurriedly entered the courtyard, still carrying the chill of the night wind.

"Young master?"