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

The door to the granary was closed again.

The sound of the wooden latch falling wasn't loud, but it echoed in the room, like a weight pressing on one's heart.

Lü Ding did not leave.

He stood before the storeroom, watching as the planks were lifted onto the table, and then as another lamp was added. The wick was raised, the flame flickered briefly, then settled, illuminating the tabletop brightly.

The words on the account book were arranged in rows.

He has already watched it three times.

But now, he wants to watch it again.

"Guard Battalion".

The old manager announced this beforehand, deliberately keeping his voice steady.

"One hundred and eighty full-time employees."

"Three liters of rations per day."

"On training days, add half a liter."

He paused, pressing his fingertip against the edge of the tent panel.

"That works out to six shi and one dou per day."

Someone inside the room subconsciously gasped.

Six stones and one bucket.

Not the number of months.

It's one day.

"This is not a waste of money."

The old steward added, "It's already been pressed down to the limit."

Lü Ding nodded.

If you reduce it any further, the people will scatter.

What was scattered was not the guards, but Zhuangzi's confidence.

"Outer Village".

Turn the page on the ledger.

This page does not contain large numbers in entire lines.

It was all just random, fragmented markings.

"Yesterday, seven households."

"The day before yesterday, twelve households."

"The day before yesterday, five households."

"Some asked to borrow grain, some to borrow the night, and some just wanted a hot meal."

"That works out to about three shi (a unit of dry measure) a day."

"Sometimes it's four shi (a unit of dry measure), sometimes it's two and a half shi."

"but--"

The old steward paused.

"It's never stopped."

The room fell silent.

Three stones, that's not much.

But these are people who are not registered.

If you don't give it to them, they'll leave.

They came once it was given to them.

Moreover, they will bring others along.

"so."

Lu Ding spoke, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Now, the grain from the village is being sent out at a fixed rate every day—"

He stretched out his finger and tapped it lightly twice on the table.

"Nine stones".

"Not even one day less."

No one objected.

"What about the grain reserves?"

Someone asked in a low voice.

The old steward glanced at Lü Ding before continuing:

"This only considers what we ate, not accidents."

"We can hold on for another fifty-seven days."

After those words were spoken, the room fell completely silent.

Spring plowing has not yet begun.

New grain has not yet been harvested.

Fifty-seven days is not a long time.

It's short, but it's definitely not safe.

"What if more people come?"

Lü Ding asked.

No one answered.

"What if one of the villages outside collapses faster?"

Still no one answered.

Because everyone knows the answer.

Lüjiazhuang is now like a magnet.

In chaotic times, one must stand firm without resorting to robbery.

In places like this, there will be no shortage of people keeping an eye on things.

"so."

Lü Ding closed the curtain.

"The food shortage isn't new."

"It was our decision—"

He paused for a moment.

"We've been short of guards ever since we started supporting nearly two hundred."

No one spoke.

This is not wrong.

This is a choice.

"The number of guards cannot be reduced."

"The outer villages must not be cut off."

Lü Ding spoke in a very steady tone.

"If either of these two things stops, the other will be lost."

"What should we do then?"

Finally, someone asked that question.

Lu Ding raised his eyes and looked outside.

The night is dark.

The lights outside the village were on, one by one.

Some of them are old lamps.

Some are newer.

"borrow."

He said.

A slight commotion arose inside the room.

"Borrow from whom?"

"How much do you want to borrow?"

"Why should they lend it to us?"

Lü Ding looked at them.

"so."

"This is not a trip to beg for food."

"To—"

He tapped the table lightly with his knuckles.

"Give me a question."

Everyone was taken aback.

"Runan has no shortage of grain."

What's missing is—

Lü Ding slowly said:

"Those who dare to release the grain."

"Also lacking—"

"The person who can deliver the grain."

Only after these words were spoken did the people inside the room realize what was happening.

Where is the grain?

Not in the village.

In business.

In large households.

In those places where there are warehouses and roads, but no one dares to act rashly.

"Guard Battalion".

Lü Ding turned his head.

"Choose twenty people."

"Change into casual clothes."

"No flag."

"Do not display your military strength."

"Come with me."

"Where to?"

"Borrow grain."

Lü Ding said.

"By the way—"

He lowered his voice.

"Who dares to lend it?"

The light flickered.

The numbers on the ledger are still there.

But everyone understood that from this moment on—

Grain is no longer just grain.

It's a bargaining chip.

It's also a threshold.

Spring has not yet arrived in Runan.

Lü Ding was already prepared to hold the pre-spring grain ceremonies—

It understands people's thoughts perfectly.

⸻

The first house Lü Ding visited was the Zhao family.

The Zhao family was a prominent family in Pingyu County.

The house is a three-courtyard complex built along the river, with the rear warehouse directly connected to the waterway.

The grain ships docked at night, unloaded their cargo, and left without attracting attention.

When Lü Ding arrived, the Zhao family's door was already open.

It's not a welcome.

There were already people waiting.

"Young Master Lü."

The Zhao family steward stood inside the door, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

"The head of the family is in the inner hall."

"please."

The inner hall is not large.

There was no banquet, nor was there any hot tea.

There was only a low table, with a seat on each side.

The head of the Zhao family sat at the head of the table, his beard and hair neatly trimmed.

He spoke first:

"I've heard about what happened in Lüjiazhuang."

"The guards are well trained."

"The rules are also valid."

This is not an exaggeration.

It's a prelude.

"You've come today for grain, haven't you?"

"Yes."

Lü Ding spoke frankly.

"borrow?"

"borrow."

The head of the Zhao family nodded.

"Then I'll be frank."

He looked up at Lü Ding.

"I can't lend it."

The room fell silent for a moment.

The guard's hand tightened subtly.

Lu Ding, however, remained expressionless.

"reason?"

The head of the Zhao family sighed.

It's not that I don't think you have a good chance.

"It's because I don't dare."

He spoke very slowly.

"You're capable of not hanging a flag."

"But precisely because you don't have a flag—"

He looked at Lü Ding.

"What you borrowed was not grain."

"It's fate."

If I lend it to you.

"You can eat today."

"Tomorrow, all of Runan will know—"

"The grain from the Zhao family fed the people of the Lü family."

He tapped the table lightly.

"Then my Zhao family—"

"Which side should we stand on?"

This is the truth.

That's a dead end.

After a moment of silence, Lü Ding bowed and took his leave.

In the darkness, the group turned onto another road.

The sound of horses' hooves stopped in front of the Shen family's gate.

In Pingyu County, there are actually not many families that can truly be considered "of high social standing".

The Shen family is one example.

They did not start their business by relying on river transport.

Get rich quick without speculation.

It relied on three generations of grain merchants, more than a dozen trade routes, and one more layer—

Relationships not written down in the books.

Several county magistrates came and went, but the Shen family's house was never deserted.

Before leaving, the chief clerk and the clerk from the prefecture would always stop by the Shen family for a meal.

So all these years, even when things were chaotic outside—

No one dared to make a move against the Shen family first.

Lü Ding knew very well what was going on.

This trip is not for "borrowing grain".

It was a test of the toughest piece of land in Runan.

The Shen family's house was quieter than the Zhao family's.

It's not empty.

It is still.

There was no steward waiting at the gate, nor any servant deliberately avoiding him. The two gatekeepers stood ramrod straight, and upon seeing someone arrive, they simply bowed and announced his arrival according to protocol.

Lu Ding dismounted and straightened his clothes.

"Lu Ding from the Lu family has come to visit."

After listening, the doorman paused slightly before turning and going inside.

This wait lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Lu Ding stood outside the door, neither urging him nor leaving.

The guards stood scattered, seemingly casually, yet always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Footsteps sounded from inside the door.

But the one who came out was not the head of the family.

He was a middle-aged deacon.

"Young Master Lü."

"The head of the household is receiving guests."

"Please wait in the side hall for a moment."