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

"The grain warehouse has been locked."

"Night patrols will be doubled."

"Keep people watching the outer village."

"Who asked—"

"Tell me about theft prevention."

This is not an order.

That sets the tone.

When the meeting adjourned, Lü Boshe was the last to arrive.

He walked to Lü Ding's side and whispered:

"Are you waiting?"

Lu Ding glanced at him.

"They're getting impatient."

"Who's in a hurry?"

"The one who borrowed the flag."

Lu Ding did not finish his sentence.

Lu Boshe already understood.

"You're gambling."

The old man's voice was somewhat complicated.

Lü Ding shook his head.

"It's not gambling."

"Yes, it counts."

"They are short of food."

"Name not available".

"We lack a place to stand firm."

"And now we—"

"It just so happens that it has a little bit of everything."

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

It's not chaos.

Someone is shouting.

"Young Master!"

"Someone's here again!"

Lü Ding looked up.

This time, he didn't go to see it immediately.

Instead, he reached out and gently pressed the wooden talisman at his waist that had not yet been adorned with a plaque.

That's the spot reserved for the "flag".

Empty.

But someone has already—

They started keeping an eye on it.

The commotion outside the courtyard grew closer and closer.

It's not running around randomly.

Someone was stopped outside the manor gate.

The guards neither drew their swords nor pushed or shoved; they simply kept the person a hundred paces away from the outer wall, as was customary.

Lü Ding then got up.

"Who's coming?"

The boy who reported the incident was panting: "Three people."

"horse riding."

"No flag."

Lu Boshe's brow twitched.

"Not bringing a flag actually makes things more complicated."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Walk."

Outside the manor gate, three riders stopped in the middle of the road.

The leader was in his early thirties. He was not wearing armor, but a worn-out leather robe. He had a knife at his waist, but no official seal.

He doesn't seem like an official.

They don't look like thieves either.

More like that—

In chaotic times, those who have just begun to rise above their circumstances.

When he saw Lü Ding come out, he first dismounted and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Lü Zhuangzheng?"

Lu Ding stopped, did not return the greeting, and only responded with a single word.

My surname is Du.

The man smiled and said, "I came from Liujiazhuang."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of several clan elders within the manor changed simultaneously.

Lü Ding remained calm.

"Who owns Liu Family Village now?"

The man surnamed Du was taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

"That's a straightforward statement."

"Now... it's on our side."

Who are you?

"To oppose Dong Zhuo."

These three words are spoken very smoothly.

Everything went too smoothly.

It was so smooth, as if he had practiced it beforehand.

Lu Ding looked at him but did not reply immediately.

The man surnamed Du felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, coughed, and added:

"Naturally, it is to rid the court of traitors."

"If Dong Zhuo is not killed, the world will be in turmoil."

It was very quiet inside the manor gate.

The wind blows across the flagpole.

There was nothing on it.

"What are you doing here?"

Lü Ding asked.

"I need to borrow something."

The man surnamed Du said, "Grain."

"borrow?"

"borrow."

He nodded. "Let's name it."

"This will be recorded in the future campaign against Dong Zhuo."

These words finally hit the nail on the head.

Lu Boshe sneered from the side.

"You're the ones who decide what's kept in the books?"

The man surnamed Du's face stiffened, but he still suppressed his anger.

"Mr. Lü, in chaotic times, accounts aren't written on paper."

"It's written on people's heads."

The guard's hand quietly tightened its grip on the gun barrel.

Lu Ding raised his hand.

How many do you want?

The man surnamed Du's eyes lit up.

"Three percent first."

Upon hearing this, a low gasp rippled through the manor.

%.

That's exactly the proportion of revenue that Lüjiazhuang is currently receiving from internal sources.

It's not a coincidence.

Yes, I've calculated it.

"Take 30%."

Lu Ding asked slowly, "How do you plan to leave?"

"Of course—"

The man surnamed Du smiled and said, "It carries the name of Lü Zhuang."

This time, he spoke even more bluntly.

"Hang the flag over our side."

"You don't need to provide the people."

"The grain, take a trip."

"People outside will find out—"

"The Lü Family Village belongs to the faction that opposes Dong Zhuo."

The air suddenly turned cold.

Lu Boshe's face darkened completely.

"You're trying to drag someone down with you."

The man surnamed Du did not avoid it.

"No, it's not."

"It's giving them a way out."

"Nowadays, villages without flags don't last long."

"The one with the flag—"

He paused for a moment, then added, "There are still some options."

Lu Ding suddenly laughed.

Not big.

This made the three people on the other side tense up at the same time.

"You stood outside the village for a long time last night, didn't you?"

The man surnamed Du was taken aback.

Lü Ding continued:

"You didn't move."

"It's not because I'm afraid."

"Because it's not worth it."

"You're calculating—"

"Can we take this village?"

"Would it cause serious damage if we managed to seize it?"

"Is it worth it? Dozens of people die for 30% of the grain."

The man surnamed Du's laughter slowly faded.

"Now you're here to talk again."

"That means you've already calculated it."

"It's not worth it to force yourself to eat it."

"So we switched to using flags."

"Use your name."

"They used the phrase 'oppose Dong' to pressure me."

These few words were spoken very slowly.

Yet he didn't miss a single word, hitting every nail on the head.

The man surnamed Du's face darkened.

"Lü Zhuangzheng".

"If you say things too clearly, it loses its charm."

The meaning has always been very clear.

Lu Dingdao said, "I won't give them any grain."

"I won't give you the name either."

"So you want to—"

"Are you forcing us to take action?"

Lü Ding shook his head.

"No."

"It's because you don't dare to move."

As soon as these words were spoken, the guards inside the manor walls stepped forward simultaneously.

It's not 沖.

It just stands more steadily.

One hundred and eighty wooden guns landed on the ground simultaneously.

The sound wasn't loud.

But it's like a wall.

Behind the man surnamed Du, two of his followers instinctively reached for the hilts of their knives.

But then it stopped.

They noticed it too.

This is not a motley crew that was pulled out all at once.

This is--

It can withstand the strong performance of the first round.

"Young Master Lü."

The man surnamed Du took a deep breath.

"You're not choosing now."

"In a few days—"

"Someone will choose for you."

Lü Ding nodded.

"I know."

"So go back and give me a message."

"What did you say?"

Lu Ding looked up at him.

"The flag can be borrowed."

"But not now."

"The grain can be distributed."

"But it's not free."

The man surnamed Du felt a jolt in his heart.

"condition?"

"wait."

Lu Ding only uttered one word.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait for the people behind you to show themselves."

This time, the man surnamed Du fell completely silent.

He stared at Lü Ding for a long time.

It's like a reassessment.

Finally, he nodded.

"I will pass on the message."

"but--"

He mounted his horse. "You'd better remember that."

"In this world, those who are too calculating—"

"They died quickly too."

Lu Ding did not respond to these words.

I just silently added in my mind:

"If he wasn't so clever, he would have died the night Cao Cao stayed at his place, becoming the person who would never let anyone in the world betray him."

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance.

The gate of the manor was closed.

No one cheered.

No one felt relieved.

Lu Boshe let out a long breath.

"They are not the most ruthless."

"The worst is yet to come."

Lu Ding looked down at the wooden talisman at his waist.

"I know."

"So this flag—"

"You can't just hang it anywhere."

He looked up at the road leading to Liujiazhuang in the distance.

People will soon come along that road.

Carrying different flags.

Different names.

Different prices.