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

The snow melted faster than I expected.

As soon as the sun came out, water began to drip from the eaves. At first, it was just a few scattered drops, but soon it formed a continuous stream that fell to the ground, completely washing away the traces of last night.

The people in the village got busy.

Clearing snow, fetching water, feeding livestock, repairing fences—everyone was busy with their own tasks, and no one was idle. It seemed that everything was returning to normal, as if the scene in Xigang was just a minor episode buried by the wind and snow.

Xu Huang stood under the outer courtyard corridor and watched for a long time.

He didn't look outside the village.

Instead, they were looking at the people in the village.

These people walked in an orderly fashion, spoke little, and when they saw him, they simply nodded in greeting, without giving way or trying to curry favor with him.

If placed elsewhere, this would already be considered a rare example of "perfection".

But in his eyes, there were flaws everywhere.

They're standing too far apart.

When busy, everyone is looking down and doesn't look out for each other;

They went too straight, following a single path to the very end, never leaving themselves any room to turn back;

More importantly—

No one is used to looking "behind them".

This is not laziness.

They have never fought a real war.

If those bandits hadn't been testing us last night, but had instead pressed forward directly, the "stability" would have immediately turned into chaos once just two of them were allowed into the village.

Xu Huang withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to stroke the gun barrel.

The gun was old, but well-maintained.

He suddenly understood the county's intention.

It's not about sending him to kill someone.

It depends on whether he can cover up the matter without killing anyone.

"What are you looking at?"

Lu Ding's voice came from the side.

Xu Huang turned around and saw him standing at the bottom of the steps, holding a roll of account books in his hand, as if he had just come from the warehouse.

"It depends on the person," Xu Huang replied.

"What did you figure out?" Lu Ding asked.

This time, he asked very casually.

It didn't seem like a test, much less a request for advice.

Xu Huang remained silent for a moment.

This was the first time he had seriously considered whether or not to speak.

In the military, these questions are unnecessary.

He wouldn't have said it elsewhere.

But it's different here.

That stab last night taught him—

This young master is not afraid of others disrupting his plans.

"We can defend," Xu Huang said.

Lü Ding nodded.

"But we can't hold out a second time," Xu Huang continued.

Lü Ding then looked up at him.

"What do you think is the problem?"

"It's not that the person is incompetent," Xu Huang said, "it's that their stance is wrong."

This was said very softly.

But it hit the nail on the head.

Lü Ding did not respond immediately.

Following Xu Huang's gaze, he looked again at the busy figures in the courtyard, as if he were re-examining his estate from a completely different perspective.

"How do you want to change it?" he asked.

This time, he didn't say, "Go and try it."

Instead, they asked – how do you want to change it?

Xu Huang felt a slight jolt in his heart.

This is the next step that's been passed on.

It is not an order.

It's about stepping down.

"Let's not practice yet," Xu Huang said.

Lu Ding was slightly taken aback.

"The moment the gong sounds for drills, people's hearts change," Xu Huang continued. "They'll feel like they want to join the army."

"But they are not soldiers now."

Lü Ding understood.

"What do you want them to learn first?"

"Learn to stand," Xu Huang said.

"How should we stand?"

"Even when we're busy, we still have to form a network."

Lü Ding smiled.

It's not because it's funny.

It's because he understands what he's saying.

"How long will it take?" he asked.

"Three days," Xu Huang replied.

"Three days later?"

"Let's see."

Lü Ding closed the ledger and nodded.

"Then three days it will be."

Not a single extra word was said.

They didn't ask for details.

This made Xu Huang truly realize something for the first time—

The person in charge here doesn't need to prove himself.

In the afternoon, a quiet change began to occur in the village.

There is no set.

There was no order.

The night patrolman simply took a few extra steps during the day;

The person carrying water will slow down when they reach the corner;

The people repairing the fence no longer turn their backs to the gate.

No one was told why.

But some people began to realize—

The location where I was standing seems to have changed.

Some people don't adapt well.

Some people find it awkward.

But no one objected.

Because these changes do not hinder their work.

Until evening.

A young, strong man was drawing water from the well. He had just lifted the bucket halfway when he suddenly heard footsteps behind him and instinctively turned around.

It was at that moment that he realized—

Sometime later, someone had already stood behind him in a place where he couldn't see them.

It's not that we're too close.

But it was just enough to make up for the glance he gave when he turned around.

The man nodded at him.

He didn't speak.

The young man paused for a moment, but then his heart calmed down.

This feeling is strange.

It's like someone suddenly telling you:

You are not standing alone.

As night fell again, Xu Huang stood under the eaves, watching everything unfold.

He didn't laugh.

It was not satisfied either.

Because he knew—

This is just the first step.

But that's enough.

Lu Ding walked up to him without him noticing.

"They've started memorizing locations," Lü Ding said.

"In two more days," Xu Huang replied, "they'll remember who I am."

Lü Ding nodded.

He suddenly realized—

I'm not borrowing a knife.

Instead, it is about letting this knife slowly grow bones for Zhuangzi.

The wind swept across the snow.

It's very light.

But they already have a direction.

Just as Lü Ding was focusing his attention on the estate, the world was giving him no room to breathe.

The first thing that came was news about the trade routes.

On the third market day after the start of winter, a traveling merchant took a detour to enter the village, saying that the official road was difficult to travel on.

It's not a problem with the snow.

The investigation is very thorough.

There are more checkpoints in the county now, and the questioning is more thorough than in previous years; even salt packages are searched. They ask not only about the goods, but also about the people—where they came from, where they are going, and how many people are traveling with them.

Someone has been detained.

The reason is simple: the place of origin is unclear.

Later, it was a courier who brought the message.

The county posted a new notice to conscript young men, saying it was for "dike repair" or "military service." The name sounded very legitimate, but no one really believed it was for dike repair.

The remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion had only been quelled a few years ago, and the local troops were never enough.

Now they need more people.

And it needs to be done urgently.

The third thing came back from even further away.

The north is not peaceful.

In the Hanoi and Shangdang areas, there were troop movements, ostensibly for "anti-theft" purposes, but some people witnessed that the military flags had changed. They were not the old flags commonly used by local armies, but newly made ones.

This means that the leadership has changed.

Further south, refugees began to return north.

This is wrong in itself.

In chaotic times, refugees will only wander further and further away; there's no way they'll turn back.

They said there was even less food in the south, the land had been fenced off, and there were more soldiers than people.

If you walk too slowly, you'll be arrested.

No one dared to ask what they were taken away for.

These words were all fragmented.

None of them could be included in official documents.

But when put together, they are enough to make one feel heavy-hearted.

The people in the village also began to realize that something was wrong.

First and foremost, it's grain.

Grain prices on the market began to soar.

Merchants are unwilling to sell more, only willing to sell in small quantities.

Next came ironware.

Iron prices have gone up.

Knives, hoes, and axes—the prices have all gone up.

It was said that the mine had stopped operating, but everyone knew that the real reason was not at the mine.

By the twelfth lunar month, the number of night patrols was "suggested" to be reduced by the county.

The reason is——

Troops should be concentrated.

The location for the group meeting was not specified.

But the less they say, the more uncertain people feel.

Lü Ding wrote down these messages one by one.

It is not written in the ledger.

Instead, they kept it in their hearts.

He noticed a very clear trend—

The world is tightening its grip.

Not just one place, but all places;

It didn't happen suddenly; it happened step by step.

It's like an invisible net, slowly spreading downwards.

Zhuangzi is merely a small, yet unnoticed knot in this web.

But as soon as it starts to be able to "defend, fight, and support its people," it will definitely be noticed.

Xu Huang realized this earlier than he did.

"After that," Xu Huang said in a low voice after one night patrol, "it's no longer a matter of bandits."

Lü Ding did not ask what it was.

Because he knew what he was doing.

Bandits are on the fringes of a chaotic world.

Soldiers are the backbone of a chaotic world.

And now-

The skeleton is gradually taking shape.

Lü Ding stood under the eaves, watching the night descend upon the manor.

He suddenly realized something:

What I'm doing now—

Training personnel, establishing order, ensuring stable food supplies, and setting rules.

It wasn't to stop a gang of habitual thugs from Xigang.

Rather, it was for—

When the world really starts to collapse

His estate will not be the first place to be crushed.

The wind blew through the courtyard.

The torch flickered for a moment, then steadied itself.

Lü Ding did not back down.

He simply understood more clearly—

The issue of training troops is no longer a matter of "whether or not to".

But -

Is it too late?