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

When the imperial edict arrived in Pingyu County, the city gates had just opened.

The streets were still mostly deserted, the pancake vendors had just lit their ovens, and the bells from the county school had not yet rung. But the back hall of the county government office was already bustling with activity.

It wasn't a clamor, but a hurried, suppressed activity.

Two fast horses, one in front and one behind, entered the city almost simultaneously.

The first horse belonged to the official post station. It was weary, its mane damp and matted, but the rider was impeccably dressed, his boots still damp with mud from the previous night. He dismounted without even daring to catch his breath, holding a document in his hands. It had three layers of sealing wax, and four characters were neatly written on the cover—

By imperial decree.

The second horse, however, seemed out of place.

The rider wore no armor, only an old blue robe, and his face was covered in dust. The wooden box in his arms was bound with hemp rope, the knots tied haphazardly, without even a seal. The man did not enter through the main gate, but dismounted at the side gate, handed the wooden box to the county magistrate, whispered "Please pass this on," and then led his horse away.

The county magistrate's expression changed the moment he took the wooden box.

He didn't dare to elaborate in court, but simply said in a low voice, "Please, Your Excellency."

The magistrate arrived very quickly.

He had been in Pingyu for many years and was used to seeing countless official documents, including orders from the prefectures and counties, proclamations for grain transport, and lists of soldiers. But this time, his steps were a fraction faster than usual, and before he could even straighten his clothes, he had already entered the hall.

The first document was delivered by the official post station as usual.

The sealing wax was intact.

The magistrate took a deep breath and opened it himself.

The edict was short, but every word was cold and hard.

"The order is issued to all counties and prefectures to strictly prohibit the establishment of private armed forces, to strictly investigate night curfews and gatherings in villages and towns, and to punish anyone who establishes rules without authorization or acts on behalf of officials."

The last sentence was written with particularly heavy strokes, the ink almost pressing through the back of the paper:

The task is to thoroughly clean up the local area; there must be no delay.

No one spoke in the hall.

Even their breathing became softer.

The magistrate placed the imperial edict on the table, but his hand did not leave it. His gaze slowly shifted to the wooden box beside the table.

"What about the other one?"

The county magistrate's throat tightened: "We didn't go through the official post station."

"Who sent it?"

"I don't know. They only said... it was a 'proclamation'."

The magistrate paused for a moment.

"Give it to me."

The wooden box was opened.

Inside was a stack of manuscripts; the paper wasn't new, but it was neatly cut. The handwriting wasn't ornate, but it was very steady. The first line didn't contain the words "By Imperial Decree," only a single sentence:

"Scholars throughout the land, I dare to appeal to the prefectures and counties."

The magistrate glanced at it and already knew—

This is Yuan Shao's style of writing.

It's not an official document, but it's even more ruthless than official documents.

The entire text does not criticize the emperor, but only points to Dong Zhuo;

Instead of appointing feudal lords, they called them "righteous men";

Throughout the text, leeway is left for the local area.

"If officials cannot protect the people, the people should unite to uphold them; if the law cannot reach far, the villages can work together to ensure peace at night."

The magistrate closed the document.

The room was deathly silent.

This is not a multiple-choice question.

These are two paths, both laid out on the table, but neither is allowed to exist simultaneously.

⸻

"Suppress it for now."

The magistrate finally spoke.

"Official documents shall be proclaimed as per usual procedure."

"This document—will not be distributed for now."

The county magistrate hesitated: "But what if word gets out—"

"That's precisely why we need to slow down, because it will be reported."

The magistrate's voice was not loud, but extremely steady.

"Dong Zhuo's edict is a sword."

"Yuan Shao's proclamation was fire."

"When the knife falls, blood flows first; when the fire starts, no one can extinguish it."

The county magistrate asked in a low voice, "What about... Lü Family Village?"

The magistrate did not answer immediately.

He recalled those three words from the county school banquet—

Lü Yunzhong.

A name that shouldn't have been involved.

"Let's take a look first."

⸻

The official statement was posted that afternoon.

It wasn't announced throughout the city; only a notice was posted in front of the county government office.

But as soon as the list was set up, there were more people than usual.

"No private soldiers?"

"Current curfew?"

"Does that include rural villages?"

People in the crowd were whispering among themselves.

No one dared to criticize, but every question was tinged with unease.

Suddenly, someone whispered, "What about the manor outside the city...?"

This sentence is like a pebble thrown into water.

The ripples spread out in concentric circles.

It's no secret that there's a village outside the city, and a peaceful place within that village.

What was originally "self-preservation" has now been written as "illegal".

As evening approached, people began to gather at the city gate.

It's not about causing trouble; it's about standing there with a burden on your shoulders.

Some people said, "I dare not stay overnight."

Some say, "The Lü Family Village outside the city is still under defense."

The county government sent people to persuade them, but they couldn't convince them.

Standing before the court, watching the twilight descend upon the city, the magistrate felt a sense of loss of control for the first time—

It's not that the situation is chaotic, but rather that the order has shifted.

⸻

That night, more people gathered outside Lüjiazhuang.

They didn't knock on the door, but simply lit a small fire by the roadside.

The child's cries were muffled, and the old man sat down, leaning against the bundle.

The firelight reflected on every face, and they all wore the same expression: they didn't ask for shelter, they only asked for peace and quiet.

When Chen Erhe walked over, his heart sank.

"Master of the Manor".

Lü Ding is already there.

He stood in the darkness, looking at that single light, but did not approach.

"The notice has been posted in the city," Chen Erhe said in a low voice.

"I know."

"Some people say that the night patrols in the village... are against official orders."

Lu Ding remained silent for a moment.

"According to the rules of the manor, we shall not move for now."

"Can--"

"They didn't come to cause trouble."

Lu Ding looked at the shadows. "They were forced into it."

This statement contained no anger, only confirmation.

⸻

The next morning, before the bells rang, everyone had already gathered in the village.

This was the first real meeting of the Lu family village.

This wasn't just a casual discussion, but rather—

Sit down, take attendance, and make notes.

Lü settled down in the city.

Xun Heng stood to the side, spreading out paper, his brush already prepared before he even put pen to paper.

Xu Huang stood at the end of the table, yet he was more composed than anyone else.

Lü Fu and Lü Boshe sat to one side, their expressions solemn.

"We're short-handed," Xu Huang said first.

"A hundred people were evacuated from Shenjia Grain Road."

"Ye An is expanding its network. We mentioned last time that we'd expand to 500 people, but we're still short 200."

Lu Boshe frowned: "Expanding the manpower means establishing influence."

"The momentum is already there," Xun Heng replied.

He looked up and gazed at Lü Ding.

"It's not a matter of whether we want it or not, it's about whether outsiders will accept it."

Lü Ding did not give the order immediately.

He only asked one question:

"Who's holding the city together now?"

No one answered.

Because the answer is very clear—

It's not the county government office.

They are not powerful figures.

They are those people outside the village who have nowhere else to go.

"Expand," Lü Ding finally spoke.

"The guard team, quickly replenish it to five hundred men."

"First keep watch, then discuss names."

Xu Huang clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Understood."

⸻

That afternoon, the county government did not send any officials.

The person who arrived was a familiar face.

Village head.

He stood outside the gate of the manor and did not go in.

"Young Master Lü."

Lü Ding walked out.

"The county... has a question."

"Should you preserve or establish your estate?"

Lü Ding looked at him.

It took a long time before I answered:

"Guard."

The village head breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

He turned and left, but after taking a few steps, he added in a low voice:

"But if someone pushes you to stand... can you still hold on?"

The wind blew across the village road.

Lü Ding did not turn around.

⸻

Late that night, Lü Ding sat alone under the lamp.

A copy lay on the table.

Lu Ding slowly opened the book and read it line by line.

Then close it.

Dong Zhuo's edict was intended to paralyze the local areas;

Yuan Shao's proclamation was a call for local authorities to step forward.

Pingyu, however, will not wait.

If he doesn't answer.

Someone will answer for him.

The light flickered.

Lu Ding looked up at the night outside the window.

⸻

The imperial edict and proclamation arrived in Pingyu County on the morning of the third day.

People came to the outside of Lüjiazhuang again.

This time, it wasn't the village head.

He was a close associate of the county magistrate.

In just one sentence:

"The magistrate invites Young Master Lü to meet him tonight."