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

After Chen Guang left, Lüjiazhuang did not immediately return to peace.

On the contrary, Lüjiazhuang was busier than usual.

The newly cleared wasteland outside the village was quickly filled with wooden stakes. The stakes were not tall, but they were driven very deep, and each one was weighed down by a stone with a simple mark carved on it—neither the character "Lü" nor the character "Chen".

Just numbers.

"Young master, why not use the name of the estate?" Lu Fu asked, looking at the wooden stakes.

"It's not the right time yet." Lu Ding glanced at it. "Writing your name will make people hold a grudge."

"Writing numbers only makes people keep accounts."

Lü Fu didn't ask any more questions.

He found that he was asking "why" less and less.

It's not that I don't want to ask, but I have a vague feeling—

The young master had already considered the consequences of every step he took.

In the afternoon, the first batch of people arrived from Chenjiazhuang.

Twenty.

He was strong, silent, and carried an air of ruthlessness honed from years of mingling. The one in the lead was one of the five men who had been with Chen Guang yesterday.

Lu Ding glanced at him, said nothing, and simply pointed to the roster.

"You, stay."

The man was startled and subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the Chen family.

But Chen Guang did not come.

The person who was given away was just a steward from the Chen family.

"Master Chen said so," the steward said with a fawning smile, "Since the person has been handed over to the Lü family, we will naturally follow Young Master Lü's arrangements."

He spoke politely, but his eyes flickered.

Lu Ding saw it all, but didn't say anything.

"Form three teams," he instructed Lü Fu, "with experienced members mentoring new ones."

"Weapons remain the same, duty shifts remain the same."

"Tonight, patrol the western route."

Lü Fu was startled.

"The western front?" he lowered his voice. "There was a disturbance there last night involving displaced people..."

"That's precisely why we have to go," Lü Ding said, his tone unchanged. "Rules aren't written for those who like them."

The man heard it clearly, and his face darkened, but he didn't say anything more.

When it got dark again, the patrol team left the village.

The torches stretched out in a line, winding down the hillside to the west.

Lü Ding did not go.

He stood on the gate tower, watching the firelight recede into the distance, his eyes calm.

Lu Fu stood to the side, hesitating to speak several times.

"What do you want to say?" Lü Ding suddenly asked.

"Those men... are Chen Guang's confidants," Lü Fu said in a low voice. "If something really happens to them, it will be difficult to handle."

"Something bad will happen," Lü Ding nodded.

Lu Fu was taken aback.

"Then what—"

"If nothing goes wrong," Lu Ding glanced at him, "they will never submit."

This sentence was said very softly.

But this sent a chill down Lü Fu's spine.

late at night.

Suddenly, urgent barking came from the western direction.

Then came a cacophony of shouts.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, a patrolman stumbled back to the village, covered in mud.

"Young master!" he gasped, "West Hill...someone is stealing grain in West Hill!"

Lü Ding immediately turned around.

"How many people?"

"Seven or eight of them, they don't look like vagrants... more like seasoned bandits!"

Lü Ding didn't ask any further questions.

"According to the rules."

As soon as those three words were uttered, Lü Fu immediately realized what was going on.

The bell was rung.

It's not an alarm bell, it's a gathering bell.

Three short sounds, one long sound.

This was the order that Lü Ding gave last night.

Torches were quickly lit in the village, and the guards assembled in groups. There was no noise, but the movement was surprisingly fast.

By the time Lü Ding arrived at Xigang, the battle was already over.

It wasn't a resounding victory.

But it was not a complete defeat.

Two bandits lay on the ground, one dead and one wounded.

On the Lü family's side, some people also got injured.

The Chen family confidant who had been left alone was kneeling on the ground, blood streaming from his shoulder, with his knife lying to the side.

"What happened?" Lu Ding asked.

The squad leader in charge immediately reported:

"This person pursued the enemy without authorization, broke away from the group, and was ambushed."

Lu Ding walked over and looked at the man.

"What did I say?"

The man gritted his teeth and remained silent.

"I told you, night patrols must not stray from formation," Lü Ding said calmly. "Didn't you hear me?"

The man suddenly looked up: "If I hadn't rushed in, they would have run away long ago!"

"They've run away, we can chase them," Lü Ding nodded, "but we have to go together."

"Are you charging in alone to try and make a name for yourself, or to show me how good you are at fighting?"

The man's face turned pale and then flushed.

Everyone around was watching.

This is the first case.

Everyone is waiting for the outcome.

"According to the rules," Lü Ding said.

"What rules?" the man sneered. "You dare kill me?"

Lü Ding did not answer.

He simply turned to Lü Fu and said:

Make a note of this.

"Violations of patrol regulations on the western front resulted in one injury and the formation becoming scattered."

"Grain will be withheld for three days."

The man was taken aback.

"that's all?"

"Otherwise what?" Lü Ding retorted. "Who do you think you are?"

"You are neither a prisoner nor a guest."

"You're someone who eats my food."

"If you eat my food, you have to live by my rules."

The man opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"Take them back." Lü Ding waved his hand. "Once the wounds are healed, continue forming up."

There was no beheading.

No severe punishment was imposed.

The news quickly reached Chenjiazhuang.

After listening, Chen Guang remained silent for a long time.

"Didn't kill him?" he asked.

"No one was killed," the steward nodded. "They only confiscated rations."

Chen Guang suddenly laughed.

There was no ease in that smile.

"He's not establishing his authority," Chen Guang said in a low voice. "He's... winning people's hearts."

That night, Chen Guang didn't sleep well for the first time. He vaguely felt that the choice he had made was pushing him in a direction from which there was no turning back.

Lu Ding had no idea that Chen Guang hadn't slept well that night.

He didn't care.

As night deepened, Lüjiazhuang returned to its usual tranquility. The footsteps of the night patrol echoed outside the courtyard, rhythmic and unhurried.

Lü Ding sat alone at his desk, where only an oil lamp was lit. The light was small, but enough to illuminate the register.

He turned the pages, one after another, each page filled with names. He read very slowly, as if confirming something, or perhaps memorizing something.

Most of these people were just vagrants, tenants, or even burdens that could be discarded at any moment yesterday. If it were before, he wouldn't have known them, and they wouldn't have known about the Lü family.

But now, they're all written into the same book. Not out of kindness or benevolence, but so they can survive in this chaotic world.

Lü Ding closed the register and gently pressed the cover.

He knew very well that what he had done tonight was hardly benevolent or righteous.

There is no hope whatsoever.

He simply forced everyone onto a single line. On this side of the line were rules, order, and the possibility of survival. On the other side lay chaos, a system of survival of the fittest, and a night where they could be swallowed up at any moment.

Those who have no other choice will grip the knife the tightest.

What he wanted to do was never to earn people's respect.

Just to let people know—

If you follow him, at least you won't die too quickly.

The oil lamp flickered slightly.

Lu Ding reached out and lifted the wick a little higher.

The light then stabilized.

He raised his head and looked out at the deep night, his expression calm.

Once you embark on this path, there's no turning back. But he doesn't regret it.

Because he understood very well that in this era,

Those who hesitate don't even have the right to regret.