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

The grain market gradually became lively in the early morning.

Outside the east gate of Runan City was originally just a small market, with a few rows of earthen sheds and a few stone scales.

However, in the past two years, the mountain roads have been stable, and there have been more and more merchants and travelers from the north and south. Grain carts have been coming and going frequently, and it has gradually become the largest grain market in the city.

One oxcart after another came in, their axles creaking and groaning on the muddy ground. The porters unloaded the grain sacks from the carts and stacked them next to the scales, while the shopkeepers gathered around the scales to negotiate prices.

The abacus rattled and clicked.

A tall, thin grain merchant squatted beside the scale, watching the weight fall, and frowned.

"It's gone up again?"

The shop assistant next to the scale chuckled, "It went up yesterday."

"Only one night has passed."

"With war raging in the north, how can the grain supplies remain untouched?"

The grain merchant didn't say anything more, but simply lowered his head, opened a bag of grain, grabbed a handful, and rubbed it between his fingers. The grains were quite plump, clearly new grain.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why are there fewer grain carts these days?"

The person next to him was taken aback.

"few?"

"Didn't you notice?" The grain merchant pointed to the yard. "Normally at this time, thirty or forty carts would arrive from the south. Today, only about twenty."

The waiter looked up and frowned.

"That's true."

Someone chimed in from the side, "It's not that there's too little, it's that someone collected it in advance."

The grain merchant looked up: "Who?"

The man shrugged.

"Who knows? I heard there are wealthy families in the city hoarding them."

After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent for a moment.

This is the kind of thing that's most feared in the grain market. As long as someone buys a large amount of grain, the price will quickly rise.

The tall, thin grain merchant thought for a moment, then suddenly pushed the weight to the side.

"We're not selling today."

The shop assistant was taken aback: "Not for sale?"

"Let's take another look."

After he finished speaking, he retied the grain sacks and told people to load them onto the truck.

Not far away, a porter-like man was helping someone carry grain. He had his head down and looked no different from the people around him, but he had heard those few words clearly.

After carrying all the grain sacks, he slowly left the grain market.

An hour later, the news had reached the fox camp.

Chen Erhe was sitting in the courtyard drinking water when the porter came in and briefly explained what had happened.

"Are there fewer grain carts?"

"Yes."

"Is someone buying them?"

"It seems so."

Chen Erhe did not speak immediately.

It's not surprising that grain prices are rising, but it's different if someone buys grain ahead of time.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Who's collecting them?"

The porter shook his head.

"I can't tell. They're not from the same company."

Chen Erhe frowned.

That's even stranger.

If it were a wealthy family in the city buying grain, their caravans, warehouses, and shops would always leave traces. But now it looks like several groups of people are buying it together.

He suddenly remembered something.

Are there many caravans in the southern region lately?

The porter thought for a moment and said, "A little more than usual."

"Where did you come from?"

"Huainan".

Chen Erhe's fingers paused on the table for a moment.

Shouchun is over there.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply stood up and picked up his cloak.

"I'm going to see the young master."

The prefectural government compound was now fully awake. Soldiers were changing shifts in the courtyard, and clerks were moving back and forth carrying scrolls and books. As Chen Erhe walked into the inner courtyard, Lü Dingzheng was standing under the eaves, looking at the sky outside.

"There's some activity in the grain market," Chen Erhe said.

Lü Ding turned around.

"It went up?"

"It's gone up," Chen Erhe nodded, "but it's not just gone up."

He briefly explained the situation at the grain market.

After listening, Lü Ding did not speak immediately.

A gust of wind blew through the courtyard, and the corner of the flag under the eaves swayed slightly.

After a while, he asked, "Where is the Southern Route caravan?"

Chen Erhe looked up at him.

"A bit more."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Huainan?"

"Yes."

The two exchanged a glance.

Lu Ding suddenly smiled.

"It seems it's not just about fighting."

Chen Erhe asked, "What does the young master mean?"

Lü Ding did not answer immediately, but slowly walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down.

"Food prices will rise during wartime."

He said.

"But not so soon."

Chen Erhe was slightly taken aback.

Lu Ding continued, "The north hasn't even reached the point of running out of food yet, but the price of grain has already started to fluctuate, which can only mean one thing."

He looked up and gazed south.

"Someone is collecting them in advance."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

After a while, Chen Erhe asked, "Who would do that?"

Lü Ding did not answer.

His gaze fell on the official road outside the courtyard, where several oxcarts were slowly passing by, covered with straw mats, so it was impossible to see what was inside.

He watched for a while, then suddenly asked:

"What kind of business are the caravans that have recently come from Huainan doing?"

Chen Erhe thought for a moment and said, "It's mostly grain."

Lü Ding nodded.

Then he said softly, "That's interesting."

Lu Ding didn't say anything more, but simply asked Chen Erhe to investigate the Huainan caravan.

The Fox Camp's men were widely dispersed, with informants stationed everywhere—at the city gates, cart shops, grain stores, and ferry crossings. Investigating the caravans wasn't actually that difficult. Two days later, news began to trickle back.

The first to return were the guards at the east gate of the city.

"There have been more caravans from the south entering the city these past few days than usual," the guard said. "Most of them have signs indicating they are from Huainan."

Chen Erhe asked, "What are you storing?"

"grain."

"Sell?"

The guard shook his head: "Some were sold, and some were taken directly into the warehouse."

"Whose warehouse?"

The guard thought for a moment and said a name: "Wang's Grain Shop in the west of the city."

Chen Erhe nodded, asked a few more questions, and then dismissed the others.

Wang's Grain Shop wasn't a small shop in Runan, but it wasn't a large one either. In previous years, it mainly engaged in reselling grain, transporting grain from the south to the north and making a profit from the price difference.

But in the past few days, the people of the Fox Camp have discovered something strange.

Wang Ji was not only buying grain, but he was buying it very quickly. He would buy almost any grain that came into the city, regardless of the price.

On the evening of the third day, more news arrived.

This time it's people from the car dealership.

"Wang's caravan has been heading south quite often lately," the driver said. "They go out empty and come back full."

"Where to?"

"Huainan".

Chen Erhe frowned.

"Huainan?"

"Shouchun".

When those two words were uttered, everyone in the room fell silent for a moment.

Shouchun was Yuan Shu's territory.

Chen Erhe noted down the information and then ordered others to continue the investigation.

The next day, more news arrived.

This time, the one who returned was an informant planted by the Fox Camp in the tavern.

"The people from Shouchun don't sound like businessmen," he said.

"Like what?"

"Like soldiers."

Chen Erhe looked up at him.

How did you figure it out?

The man chuckled. "I used to serve in the army. Merchants speak indirectly, soldiers speak directly; I can tell the difference. When those guys were drinking, all they talked about was grain."

"What did you say?"

"They said they wanted to collect as much as possible."

The Huainan caravan entered the city.

Wang's Grain Shop buys large quantities of grain.

The convoy traveled to and from Shouchun.

Add to that those who don't seem like businessmen.

Several lines slowly connected in Chen Erhe's mind.

He didn't delay any longer and went to the county office that very night.