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

The snow didn't stop at night.

The treeline in the direction of Xigang lay low in the wind, like a row of dark shadows with their spines bent under the weight.

"They can't hold on any longer."

After saying this, Xu Huang fell silent.

It wasn't because of hesitation in judgment, but because this statement was never meant to be said to anyone in the first place.

It's more like a conclusion drawn about this snow, about this road.

He didn't look at Lü Ding, nor did he look at the footprints again. Instead, he focused his gaze far away, on the darkest part of the treeline.

Lu Ding glanced at him in the direction of his gaze, but did not respond immediately.

There were footprints in the snow.

Not chaotic.

The heel landed firmly, the forefoot slightly angled, clearly indicating a deliberate choice to follow the old tracks. The edges weren't broken, suggesting the person wasn't walking fast or in a hurry.

These footprints weren't found by feeling around at night.

They arrived according to the exact time.

"They've been wandering around the area for more than a day," Lü Ding said in a low voice. "The snow is too heavy, the roads are blocked, and the village isn't in disarray. They won't be able to wait for a better time."

Xu Huang's lips twitched.

"So you can only gamble once."

Lu Ding squatted down and brushed the snow away with his hand.

Beneath the snow, the outline of the footprints had begun to collapse, indicating that they had stopped, but not for long.

These are the people who are scouting the way.

"There were at least five who went ahead to scout ahead," Xu Huang said. "There are more behind them, scattered around."

"They're not in a hurry to make a move," Lü Ding added.

Xu Huang then turned his head and glanced at him.

"You noticed it too?"

"Old bandit." Lu Ding stood up, brushing the snow off his hands. "Newbies are afraid of the dark, veterans wait for dawn."

As soon as it gets light, Zhuangzi will "come alive".

People need to clear the snow, livestock need to be fed, and granaries need to be opened.

At that time, the night patrolmen will leave and the gatekeepers will change shifts, making it the easiest time for a gap to be opened.

"There are more people when it's bright," Xu Huang said.

"That's also when things are at their most relaxed," Lü Ding added.

The two spoke in hushed tones.

The night patrol was nearby, but they couldn't hear what was going on. They could only see the patrolmen standing side by side in the snow, as if they already knew what was going to happen on this road.

The wind suddenly picked up.

Snowflakes were falling in the forest.

It did not fall naturally.

"Strike the bell a second time," Lü Ding suddenly said.

The night patrolman was taken aback.

"Still the third tone?" someone asked instinctively.

"Two taps," Lü Ding said. "Tap slowly."

A slow tap is a warning.

But it wasn't a mobilization.

The people in the village will wake up, but they won't all come out at once.

The door remains closed, the lights are off, but the night patrol continues.

It was as if they were startled, but hadn't had time to prepare.

Xu Huang's brows twitched slightly.

"You need to lure them closer."

"Make sure you look carefully," Lü Ding nodded, "otherwise this snow will have been for nothing."

The bells rang again.

This time, it was lower and slower than before.

The sound didn't travel far in the snowy night, but it was enough for people on the other side of the treeline to hear clearly.

Zhuangzi awoke, but not fully.

Sure enough, things changed in the forest.

The footprints that were originally close to the treeline moved forward a little bit.

not much.

But they had already entered the range of Zhuangzi's crossbows.

The other party is aware of this.

They weren't gambling on luck.

They are gambling—

Zhuangzi dared not make the first move.

Meanwhile, the group of people in the woods were also speaking in hushed tones.

"The door is not open."

"Don't rush."

"The person inside is awake, but there's no chaos."

"Closer."

"They'll panic as soon as there's bloodshed."

This is their usual method.

Forcing is not about rushing.

It's about making the other party panic first.

"They're here," the night patrolman whispered.

Lü Ding did not move.

He simply raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

At this moment, the village was eerily quiet.

The wind whistled across the rooftops, stirring up a thin layer of snow.

The next instant, a dark figure flashed out from behind the tree.

It's not a straight shot.

They skimmed along the ground, using the snow to glide, and headed straight for the side door.

The movements were extremely fast, clearly indicating that this wasn't the first time they'd done something like this.

The instant he raised his hand—

"when."

A very faint metallic clang rang out in the snow.

It wasn't a loud noise.

But it is clear enough.

The man's short knife was blocked horizontally, the force was neutralized, and his body was forced to pause.

He didn't have time to retreat.

A long sword was already held against his throat.

The blade was not attached.

But it sealed off all escape routes.

Xu Huang stood before him, the snow beneath his feet still intact, his breathing unchanged.

"Retreat," he said.

A ruthless glint flashed in the man's eyes.

This is the Zhuangzi he had seen.

They may have food and manpower, but they may not have a real knife.

He thought this would break the deadlock.

But the next moment, he realized he had miscalculated.

The short sword is reversed.

The movements were ruthless, and the angles were tricky.

Xu Huang did not retreat.

He only took half a step forward.

This strike did not cleave.

It's just pressure.

The blade slid past the side of his neck.

Blood immediately gushed out.

not much.

But it's hot.

In that instant, everyone in the forest saw it.

It wasn't killing.

It's to tell you—

I can kill.

"I said, retreat," Xu Huang repeated.

Chaos immediately broke out on the other side of the forest line.

It's not chaos that arises from a sudden outburst, but chaos stemming from a collapsed heart.

"There's a tough one."

"Not a farmhand."

"Walk!"

Someone muttered a curse.

The footsteps began to retreat.

The man who was restrained let out a short gasp, but dared not move again.

He knew very well—

If he had struggled just a little more, the knife wouldn't have stopped there.

Lü Ding then stepped forward.

He didn't look at the people on the ground, but looked at the treeline.

"Go back and tell your men," he said, "this village has no shortage of food."

A quiet moment in the woods.

"But life is lacking."

This statement is very straightforward.

But this caused the remaining people in the forest to retreat completely.

It's not because I'm afraid of dying.

It's because they know—

This is not a Zhuangzi that can be won through attrition.

In the snow, only a trail of blood remained, as if the body had been dragged away.

Soon, it was covered by newly fallen snow.

Xu Huang sheathed his sword.

The person on the ground was still alive, but his face was so pale that he didn't look alive at all.

"Take him away," Lü Ding said. "Bandage him."

The patrolman was clearly taken aback.

But no one objected.

They did so.

Only then did some people realize something—

There were murders tonight.

Instead, they deliberately didn't kill him.

As Xu Huang watched this scene, a thought suddenly struck him.

This was the first time he had ever seen someone voluntarily sheathe their sword after winning.

The sky gradually brightened.

The first ray of gray-white light after the snow fell on the gate of the manor.

The snow on the door panel, illuminated by the morning light, took on a cold, white hue.

The trampled snow has now been smoothed out again, and the bloodstains have vanished without a trace, as if nothing had ever happened.

Lu Ding stood in front of the door, looking at the ground that had been trampled and then smoothed over again by the snow, his voice soft:

"The first strike has already been made."

Xu Huang stood beside him without saying a word.

But he knew very well in his heart—

From that moment on, he was already involved.

The wind blew from the direction of Xigang, carrying the chill of the melting snow.

The people in the village began to go out to clear the snow; some carried water, others led livestock, and their actions remained orderly.

But Xu Huang's gaze lingered on the footsteps and positions of those people.

It's too scattered.

They were able to hold out last night.

If it were to happen again, things might not be the same.

He didn't say it aloud.

But for the first time, a thought clearly surfaced in my mind—

If this estate is to continue to survive, relying solely on this "stability" is not enough.

Lu Ding, on the other hand, seemed to be waiting for something as well.

He didn't turn around, but it was as if he knew what Xu Huang was looking at.

"The snow melts quickly," Lü Ding suddenly said. "When people get busy, they tend to forget things."

Xu Huang responded.

The next moment, he realized—

Some things can no longer be simply "watched".