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

Lu Ding spoke very softly.

But Chen Erhe couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.

A breeze, carrying a hint of dampness, was blowing from the east of the city outside the courtyard. In the distance, the sky was heavily overcast, with dark clouds pressing down on the city walls, as if another rainstorm was imminent.

Chen Erhe looked in that direction and said, "If they really come to sell, the price will be easier to negotiate."

Lu Ding smiled faintly and did not respond.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Only the wind rustling through the locust tree leaves made a soft sound.

East Street intersection.

The shopkeeper from Huainan had been standing for the entire afternoon.

When the man ran back, his face looked even worse than before.

"I've already asked."

The shopkeeper looked up at him.

Still nothing?

The man nodded.

"Several grain shops still said their warehouses were full and they had not yet distributed any grain."

The shopkeeper remained silent for a while.

He turned to look at the line of cars on the street.

More than three hundred oxcarts were lined up one after another, their straw mats damp and darkened by the rain. The porters were busy adding straw to the carts, and some were even retying the ropes.

The cattle swished their tails restlessly, occasionally letting out low mooes.

The shopkeeper looked around for a while, then suddenly asked, "What about the city gate?"

The man gave a wry smile.

"Still under investigation."

The shopkeeper's face slowly darkened.

For the past few days, they've sent people to inquire about the city gates almost every day, but each time they return with the same answer—

Military rations inventory.

Check each vehicle one by one.

Release it slowly.

But if they release these 300-plus cartloads of grain at this rate, they probably won't be able to leave the city for half a month.

But the sky grew increasingly overcast.

The shopkeeper looked up at the sky.

Another muffled rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.

The porters on the street were clearly uneasy.

"What if it really rains heavily?"

"This mat won't hold it up."

"If the grain gets damp, it's all ruined."

These words reached the shopkeeper's ears, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

He suddenly had a feeling, as if he was being cornered little by little.

But he couldn't figure out who was behind it all in the city.

As darkness fell, the second rain indeed began.

This time, it wasn't just a few scattered drops, but a torrent of water poured down.

The porters on the street were thrown into chaos.

"Press down the mat!"

"Cover it with more straw!"

"Don't let the water get in!"

Some people climbed onto the cart, some used wooden sticks to support the mats, and some simply lay down on the grain stacks to weigh them down.

The rain pattered against the straw mat.

The muddy water on the street quickly spread.

The cattle were startled by the rain and became restless; several even struggled to break free from their ropes and try to get away.

The shopkeeper stood at the street corner, raindrops dripping down the edge of his straw hat.

He didn't move, he just stared at the line of cars.

After a long pause, as if he had made up his mind, he suddenly said:

"Prepare the car."

The man was taken aback.

"Where to?"

The shopkeeper was silent for a moment.

"Prefectural Office".

⸻

Night had fallen, but the lights in the prefectural government office courtyard were still on.

When Chen Erhe entered the courtyard, he already had a smile on his face.

"They're here."

Lü Ding raised his head.

"How many people?"

"Three," Chen Erhe said. "The manager from Huainan came in person."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Let him in."

Before long, the shopkeeper was led into the courtyard.

His cloak was still wet, clearly indicating that he had just come from the rain.

He walked to the corridor, glanced at Lü Ding, and then at the courtyard.

Then he bowed.

"Greetings, Young Master Lü."

Lü Ding raised his hand in greeting.

"sit."

After the shopkeeper sat down, he didn't beat around the bush.

"Young Master Lü."

"I came to Runan this time just to do grain trading."

"The grain is currently in the city, but it's being held up by grain inspections. We don't know when it will be released."

Lu Ding picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then said, "Inspecting military rations is official business."

The shopkeeper paused for a moment.

"I know that."

Lü Ding looked at him.

"Since you already know, why ask?"

The shopkeeper gave a wry smile.

"We are just businessmen."

"Now that the grain has been purchased, it will eventually need to be transported away."

Lü Ding did not answer, but slowly took another sip of tea before speaking:

"There are people in the city who need grain. Let's see if the shopkeeper is willing to help."

The shopkeeper was slightly taken aback.

"Who?"

Lü Ding said:

"The Shen family."

⸻

Not long after.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate.

Shen Wan walked into the courtyard.

She was wearing a dark blue cloak that was still damp from the rain.

She first bowed to Lü Ding.

Then he looked at the shopkeeper from Huainan.

The shopkeeper had obviously heard of the Shen family's reputation.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Miss Shen."

Shen Wan skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: "How much grain do you have?"

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment.

"Around five thousand shi (a unit of grain).

Shen Wan nodded.

"I want them all."

The shopkeeper's eyes immediately lit up.

"What's the price?"

Shen Wan glanced at him. "Sixty percent."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

The shopkeeper's expression immediately changed.

"Miss Shen, this price is far too low."

Shen Wan didn't rush to speak. She turned her head and glanced outside the courtyard, where the sound of rain was still falling in the distance.

After a while, she said:

"Then let's wait until the rain gets heavier."

"By tomorrow, the price will only be 50% of what it was before."

The shopkeeper's face slowly darkened.

Shen Wan continued:

"You have over three hundred cartloads of grain."

"If it rains for two more nights, how much will be left?"

The shopkeeper didn't speak; only the sound of rain remained in the courtyard.

After a long while, the shopkeeper finally said in a low voice:

"Seventy percent."

Shen Wan shook her head.

"Sixty percent."

The shopkeeper gritted his teeth.

"Six and a half percent."

Shen Wan looked at him without saying a word.

The rain grew louder, and then a clap of thunder suddenly rang out in the distance.

The shopkeeper remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long breath, as if all his strength had been drained, and said in a low voice, "Sixty percent complete, sixty percent complete."

Shen Wan nodded. "Deal."

⸻

The next morning.

A convoy of cars lined up on the official road south of the city.

One after another, oxcarts were driven out from the streets and alleys of the east of the city.

Bags of grain were unloaded from the oxcart, weighed again, and loaded onto the cart.

Before long, the Shen family's caravan gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only tire tracks in the mud on the official road.

After watching for a while, Chen Erhe suddenly said, "The Shen family has made quite a profit on this trip."

Lü Ding did not answer, but just looked into the distance.

After a while, footsteps suddenly came from behind.

Shen Wan is back.

She had changed into dry clothes, though her cloak still held a trace of moisture. Reaching the veranda, she first bowed to Lü Ding.

"Thank you, brother."

Lu Ding looked up at her.

"What are you thanking me for?"

Shen Wan smiled.

"If it weren't for your suggestion, young master, I wouldn't have been able to eat so much food."

Lu Ding said calmly:

"You pay."

"I just did it on a whim."

Shen Wan shook her head.

"Grain prices in the city were already in chaos. If it weren't for the young master stabilizing the situation first, this batch of grain might not have ended up in the Shen family's hands."

She paused, then said:

"I got the better deal this time."

Lü Ding did not respond.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

A breeze rustled the locust tree leaves as it blew under the eaves. The clouds in the distance hadn't yet dispersed, and the post-rain air carried a slight dampness.

Shen Wan looked at him.

The wind blew through the courtyard after the rain.

She suddenly realized that the most unfathomable person in Runan City was probably the one standing right in front of her.