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

"Outside the city... are they still issuing them?"

The clerk did not answer immediately.

He stood outside the curtain, unable to see the magistrate's expression through the old cloth, only able to hear the soft popping of the lamp oil inside.

"exist."

He paused, lowering his voice slightly.

"Moreover, it's much more organized than it was a few days ago."

The magistrate looked up.

"What's the method?"

"Newcomers won't be given rations immediately," the registrar whispered. "They'll be assigned tasks first. There are rosters for digging ditches, repairing roads, and keeping watch. Last night, someone complained about receiving more than they were entitled to, so their name was written down, and they'll be transferred to the most strenuous section the next day."

The magistrate tapped his finger lightly on the table.

It's not dissatisfaction.

It is vigilance.

"What about night patrols?"

"Still on patrol."

"Going into the city?"

"No," the clerk shook his head. "We only guard the crossroads, the grain routes, and a few water sources."

The magistrate leaned back in his chair and looked at the old oil lamp.

The fire wasn't big, but it was very steady.

"What is he doing...?"

He spoke slowly.

"Fill in the empty spaces left by the county government office, little by little."

The registrar did not respond.

There were some things he dared not say aloud.

The county government was out of grain, so he distributed it.

The county soldiers didn't patrol; he patrolled the roads.

He did everything the government was supposed to do.

But—none of them went into the city.

"How long can the porridge distribution continue?"

The magistrate suddenly asked.

The registrar was taken aback.

"I am unaware."

"Then go and ask." The magistrate looked up, his tone not harsh, but brooking no excuse. "Don't wear your official robes, just ask for the truth."

⸻

The next morning.

The roads outside the city are now passable by vehicles.

It wasn't wide, but it was flat, and the new soil had been compacted.

When the registrar reached the outside of the village, his pace unconsciously slowed down.

He carried no documents, did not reveal his identity, and only said one sentence:

"The county asked me to inquire about something."

Lu Dingzheng stood by the roadside, watching people divide the work.

After listening, he did not answer immediately, but handed the wooden stick in his hand to the person next to him, whispered a few instructions, and then turned around.

"ask."

The registrar cleared his throat and asked in a low voice.

"Distributing porridge outside the city... how long do you plan to continue?"

Lu Ding glanced at him.

"Has the grain arrived in the county?"

The registrar was delayed.

"...Still in the planning stages."

"Then we'll still send it."

His tone was calm, without hesitation.

The registrar breathed a sigh of relief and was about to reply.

But then Lü Ding continued:

"However, there is something I would like to ask you, sir."

The registrar's heart tightened.

"Last winter, a group of people were conscripted to repair the river, transport grain, and escort military supplies."

Lu Ding's voice was unhurried, yet every word was clear.

"Among them were people from Lüjiazhuang."

The registrar subconsciously said:

"That was a routine conscription—"

"I know."

Lü Ding interrupted him.

"As is customary, the transfer period is three months; he should have been released long ago."

The registrar remained silent.

Lü Ding continued:

"Now everyone works for me."

"Without understanding and harmony, people's hearts cannot be at peace."

He paused for a moment and looked at the other person.

"If the county is worried, I can stop providing food supplies one day—"

The air grew still.

"That person's heart is probably not at peace either."

The registrar's throat tightened.

"you mean……"

"demodulation."

Lü Ding answered decisively.

"The person is to be returned to their place of origin."

"Do the work here."

"I will distribute the grain as usual."

His tone was calm, but there was no way out.

"If the county needs personnel in the future—"

"Adjust it again."

The registrar opened his mouth.

However, it was discovered that there was no other version of events.

He walked very slowly when he returned to the city.

The road outside the city was flat, yet each step made one feel heavier than the last.

⸻

Three days later.

The release order was issued, but it was neither posted nor read aloud.

They simply handed the food out to people one by one.

Chen Erhe's fingers trembled slightly as he took the paper.

The seal was not large.

It was as if it had pulled him back from some bottomless abyss.

He looked up and saw Lü Ding standing not far away.

He didn't say another word.

He simply nodded.

That night, several more fires were lit outside the village.

It wasn't for lighting.

It's for the purpose of gathering people.

The firelight illuminated tired yet quiet faces.

Someone asked in a low voice:

"What do we do next?"

Chen Erhe thought for a moment and only said one sentence:

"From now on, I will follow the arrangements made by the village."

"Fame, food, and life."

"Secure these three things first."

After these words were spoken, the area around the fire fell silent.

No grand pronouncements.

But it calms the mind.

Only Chen Erhe remembered a sentence that Lü Ding had said to him alone back then.

"Save your life and hold on until next spring."

⸻

The county town, however, was even quieter.

It's not that there's no one.

No one is waiting anymore.

Those waiting for government grain supplies have already left.

Those waiting at the county government office also began packing their luggage.

The magistrate sat at his desk and finally turned to the last page of the account.

He didn't sigh when he closed the book.

But then I suddenly realized something—

Pingyu County still exists.

The seal is still there, the sign is still there, and the notice is still posted.

But he doesn't have many things left to use.

And that village outside the city—

Little by little,

They steadily took over the order that originally belonged to the county.

It wasn't robbery.

It was when the county government backed down that...

Someone took a step forward.

The lights gradually went out.

The night was deep.

The name Pingyu County is still in the city.

But the truly living things have already gone outside the city.

On this day, a car arrived outside Lüjiazhuang.

It's not an official vehicle.

It wasn't a caravan either.

The carriage shafts were old, but they were kept clean. The curtains were drawn low, and the carriage moved slowly. It stopped at the entrance of the village and did not go any further.

The patrolman approached and asked, but the other person only offered one sentence:

"The Shen family has something to ask you."

This statement did not reveal his official position or identity.

Yet, it commands respect and respect.

Lü Ding received the news while listening to someone recount the numbers.

He listened and simply nodded.

"Please come to the outer hall."

I didn't ask a single question.

⸻

When the carriage curtain was lifted, the first thing to touch the ground was an embroidered shoe.

The colors are not vibrant, but the stitches are fine.

When Miss Shen got out of the car, she didn't look at the people around her, but only glanced at the newly built road outside the manor and then at the team distributing work not far away.

Her gaze was quick.

But I could see it very clearly.

"It's quieter here than I expected, Mr. Lü," she said.

Lü Ding bowed.

"There are many people in the village, so we dare not cause any trouble."

Miss Shen smiled gently.

"When there are too many people, things can easily get chaotic."

She did not continue on this topic, but followed the guide into the outer hall.

Along the way, she saw rosters, wooden signs, grain scales, and the night patrolmen changing shifts.

She didn't ask anything.

But I saw everything.

⸻

After she was seated, she began to explain her purpose.

"It's not a matter for the government."

Let's put this sentence down first.

The room suddenly felt a little more relaxed.

"It's a matter concerning the Shen family," she continued.

Lü Ding looked up.

"Things have been unsettled outside lately," Miss Shen said calmly. "There's been a lot of movement of refugees, trade routes are disrupted, and even the Shen family's several estates are starting to struggle to accommodate their inhabitants."

She paused.

"I heard things are relatively stable here."

Lü Ding did not respond immediately.

"However, distributing grain is a temporary matter."

She looked at Lü Ding, her tone unhurried.

"But what you're doing here doesn't seem like a temporary solution."

"So, I wanted to ask," she looked at him, "how far do you plan to take this?"