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

The room fell silent.

It wasn't an interrogation.

But it's more serious than interrogation.

Because this question wasn't about distributing porridge or collecting donations.

But -

Do you want to come out into the open?

Lu Ding remained silent for a moment.

This moment was short-lived.

But it was enough for him to go through everything that had happened in the past few days from beginning to end.

A bonfire outside the village.

A wooden sign for night patrols.

The village road was repaired spontaneously.

And then there are those who have begun to learn to "wait for him to say something".

"Miss Shen, what do you think is the most appropriate step?" he finally spoke, his tone steady.

Miss Shen did not answer immediately.

She glanced at him, then asked:

What are you missing?

Lu Ding looked up and met her gaze.

"name."

Just one word.

It was said very softly.

But this made Miss Shen's expression become completely serious for the first time.

She lost some of her initial composure, as if she had finally confirmed that the person in front of her was not the kind who was being pushed around.

She nodded slowly.

"That makes things both easy and difficult."

She stood up and straightened her cuffs.

"Young Master Lü," she said calmly, "these days, there aren't many places that can keep people here."

Lü Ding looked up.

"You are here, and this is one."

After saying that, she left.

The carriage curtain fell, and the carriage shaft creaked softly.

The area outside the village quickly returned to its original quiet.

Lü Ding did not immediately return to the house.

Instead, he stood at the doorway, looking at the newly built village road.

The road is not wide, but it is very flat.

There were no paving stones, just repeatedly compacted new soil that didn't feel loose or sink when stepped on.

This road was originally used by grain transport vehicles.

Later, as more people patrolled at night, the people repairing the ditch dug open the sides, and the water stopped stagnating.

No one gave the order.

Some people saw others doing it and thought it was useful, so they continued to do it.

This was precisely what made Lü Ding feel uneasy.

Once people's hearts begin to spontaneously unite...

In terms of reputation, one will be pushed forward.

But reputation is never a good thing.

It never brings you any benefit once it happens to you.

Instead, there are three things—

Responsibility, constraints, and people watching you.

Night fell.

The bonfire outside the village was still not lit.

It's not that we're out of firewood.

No, it's not necessary.

The night patrolmen changed shifts on time, the wooden plaques were handed over under the lamp, and the roster was turned over inside the hall.

Everything is in order.

It was so quiet, like something that had already taken shape.

Lu Ding turned and went into the house, calling Chen Erhe over.

"Has anyone been secretly conspiring outside the village these past few days?"

Chen Erhe thought for a moment.

"have."

Lü Ding looked up.

"What did you say?"

"Ask about the rules," Chen Erhe said truthfully. "Ask if we need to establish a leader, ask if we'll be considered... 'following you' from now on."

That's a very straightforward statement.

Lü Ding nodded.

"What was your answer?"

"No answer," Chen Erhe said in a low voice. "I only said I'd wait for you to speak."

Lü Ding then smiled.

It's not easy.

Rather, it is a confirmation.

"Remember this," he said. "You can say it like this next time."

"The register is there, the grain scales are there, and the night patrols continue as usual."

"Don't answer any other questions for me yet."

"We don't accept pledges of allegiance here."

Chen Erhe was taken aback.

Lu Ding looked at him, his tone softening, but becoming more forceful.

"Anyone who tries to push me forward is just asking for trouble."

Chen Erhe nodded emphatically.

⸻

The next morning.

Two people arrived at the village entrance.

It's not the Shen family.

It wasn't the county government office either.

He is the village head.

One is in the south of the city, and the other is in the west.

The two arrived very early, but only stood at the entrance of the village and did not go in. They only asked the patrolmen to announce their arrival.

After listening, Lü Ding only said one sentence:

"please."

The village headman appeared reserved when he entered the house.

This wasn't their first time meeting Lü Ding.

But this was the first time I'd used this attitude.

"Young Master Lü," the village head of Chengnan spoke first, "we are not here to borrow grain."

"I know," Lü Ding nodded.

"I'm not here to cause trouble," Chengxi Lizheng continued.

"Then sit down and talk."

The two then sat down.

"The city... can't be defended anymore," Cheng Nanli whispered. "At night, people are sneaking into doors, and people are stealing grain."

There's been no movement from the county government office.

Lü Ding did not respond.

"We've discussed it among ourselves," Chengxi Lizheng continued, "and we're thinking of following the method used in your village."

Which one?

"Record your name."

"Patrol the road."

"Divide the work."

Lü Ding looked up.

"What you want, is a method, or people?"

The two village heads remained silent.

This is an unavoidable issue.

"The method," the head of Chengnan Village spoke first, "is to have someone from our village."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Can."

The two looked delighted.

But then he continued:

"If you follow my method, you must use my register."

"It's not about changing your nationality."

"only--"

He placed a booklet of papers on the table.

"Night patrols, road repairs, guard duty—follow this procedure in all things."

Something's happened—

He paused.

"It's from the village."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Both village heads understood.

This is not a loan.

It's just a nominal appointment.

After they returned, these people still went back to their neighborhoods.

But when something happened that night, the first person they contacted was—

It must be Lüjiazhuang.

Cheng Nanli stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, Young Master Lü."

Lü Ding stood up to return the greeting.

He did not try to keep them any longer, and politely saw the two village heads out of the village.

⸻

That afternoon.

No one from the Shen family came.

But word began to spread in the city.

It wasn't stated explicitly.

It was just a few seemingly casual words of conversation.

"That manor outside the city has already been brought under the jurisdiction of the neighborhoods."

"The county government didn't show up, but they managed to keep the night quiet."

"The village heads all followed that method at night."

Not a single word was mentioned about Lü Ding's name.

But every single sentence,

They're all making up his shadow.

⸻

evening.

The lights inside the hall were not yet lit, and the sky outside the window was already dark.

Lü Ding summoned Xu Huang and Xun Heng together into the hall.

"You've all heard about what happened today."

Xu Huang spoke first, his voice low and steady, but he did not immediately make a judgment.

"The village head is just a figurehead, seemingly going with the flow, but in reality, he's handing over the hilt of his sword."

He paused.

"If things really get chaotic, the first strike won't be against the village head."

"I'll only look for someone who can be in charge at night and has people listening during the day."

Lü Ding looked up.

"So they're after me."

Xun Heng then spoke, his tone slower than Xu Huang's, but colder.

"But if we don't accept it, the title won't remain vacant."

"It will fall into someone else's hands sooner or later."

"At that time, you will still be the one to lead the night patrols, and you will still be in charge of the roster."

He looked at Lü Ding.

"It's just that something happened, but the blame won't be placed on you."

Lu Ding remained silent for a moment.

"That's even more troublesome."

Xun Heng nodded.

"So in this round, it's not about whether or not you want fame."

He raised his hand and tapped it lightly in the air.

"But—whose name does this come from?"

There was silence in the hall.

The sound of the wind swept through the corridor.

⸻

Dusk had fallen.

A soft knock came from outside the door.

"Young master."

It was Lü Fu.

"Young master, someone has delivered a message."

"Whose?"

"The Shen family's."

The trust is not strong.

Only one sentence.

The handwriting is neat and elegant, yet extremely steady.

"Tomorrow afternoon, the county school's doctor will host a banquet."

"Not for official business."

Lu Ding closed the letter.

He is very clear.

—Names are such a thing.

Someone has already set the table for him.

And this time,

If he retreats again

That's not being cautious.

It was a missed opportunity.