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

Three days after the county magistrate's death.

It wasn't that nobody knew he was dead, but rather that nobody dared to be the first to say, "He is dead."

The gate to the inner courtyard of the yamen remained closed. Two old yamen runners stood guard at the entrance, neither speaking, only occasionally shifting their weight. The wind blew through the corridor, causing the flame in the lamp to flicker, and the shadows on the wall to lengthen and then shrink.

County Magistrate Xu Heng had been standing in front of his desk for a long time.

A blank official document lay spread out on the table.

The ink has been ground, but not a single word has been written.

He knew very well that this was no ordinary document.

How did the county magistrate die? How should it be written? And who should see it?

This stroke of the pen will not decide whether one person lives or dies, but rather which side Pingyu will stand on next.

He looked up and glanced out the window.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The city was no longer peaceful.

The news of the magistrate's death couldn't be suppressed. Neighbors, village heads, powerful figures, and outsiders would all soon know one thing—

Pingyu County is now empty.

It's not that there's no one to sit in the office, it's that no one dares to take responsibility.

Xu Heng took a deep breath and finally picked up his pen.

He wrote the first line very slowly:

"At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) the night before last, chaos broke out in the south of the city, with rioters gathering and storming the county government office..."

He paused for a moment.

These words are neither a lie nor the truth.

It's the safest one.

He continued writing:

"The county magistrate personally went to stop them, but unfortunately he was wounded by a flurry of blades and died in the line of duty in the yamen before he could receive medical treatment."

He wrote the words "died in the line of duty" very lightly.

It was as if he was afraid that if he pressed the pen too hard, he might wake something.

After writing it, he did not stamp it immediately.

Instead, he put down his pen, leaned against the desk, and closed his eyes.

He knew that once this document was sent out of the county, he would become the person "temporarily in charge of county affairs".

That is to say-

He's likely to be the next one targeted.

When Xu Heng opened his eyes again, the clerk was already standing outside the door.

"County Assistant Magistrate".

"explain."

"The county soldiers... are waiting outside."

Xu Heng did not respond immediately.

The county soldiers are in the most danger right now.

It's not about whether they will cause a mutiny, but rather—

They didn't know who to listen to.

The county magistrate died.

The chain of command has broken.

In such situations, the most likely source of trouble is not the enemy, but "misunderstandings".

"Tell them to wait at the drill ground," Xu Heng said. "I'll be there in a bit."

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the back office.

On the drill ground, more than a hundred county soldiers were already lined up, but they were noticeably scattered.

It's not that discipline is lax, but rather that minds are unsettled.

Some people whispered among themselves, while others glanced towards the south of the city from time to time.

Xu Heng walked up the steps, but did not stand in the center.

He was standing slightly to the left.

It was a very small action, but it was handled with great care.

—The magistrate's position is in the very center, although he is no longer here.

"The matter of the county magistrate's murder has been reported," Xu Heng said.

There were no grand pronouncements.

It was just one sentence.

The voices below gradually subsided.

"Until the new magistrate takes office," he continued, "everything in the county government will remain the same."

"As usual" is the most commonly used phrase in officialdom.

It said nothing, yet it contained everything.

"As for the county soldiers—"

Xu Heng paused for a moment.

Everyone looked up.

"Night patrols shall be temporarily placed under the command of Xu Huang."

After those words were spoken, the training ground fell noticeably silent.

It wasn't shocking.

Yes, it's confirmed.

Xu Heng noticed that someone nodded subconsciously.

Because it's not abrupt.

Xu Huang was originally sent out by the county government and had previously served in the county soldiers.

He knows the way well.

Also an acquaintance.

more importantly--

If military power were placed under the county government's control at this moment, but no one dared to issue orders, that would be the real source of trouble.

Xu Heng added:

"It's only a temporary measure."

"The military register, pay rations, and titles shall still be handled by the county government."

This is drawing a line.

Once the line was drawn clearly, no one objected.

"Yes."

The county soldiers responded in unison.

Xu Heng felt no relief whatsoever.

He knew very well—

From this moment on, it is a fact that the county soldiers obey Xu Huang's orders;

But what is written in the documents can only ever be "defense assistance".

Xu Heng did not return to the yamen.

He sent a message through his clerk:

"Please invite Young Master Lü to the yamen for a chat."

The tone wasn't commanding; it was "please."

This is the bare minimum he can do.

Lü Ding arrived very quickly.

They did not bring any guards.

He only brought Xu Huang with him.

This made Xu Heng feel slightly relieved.

They did not enter the main hall.

Instead, they sat down in a side hall.

Only one lamp was lit.

Xu Heng got straight to the point:

"I have already reported the magistrate's death."

Lü Ding nodded: "I know."

"It was characterized as 'mob violence'."

Lü Ding did not respond.

This is the default.

Xu Heng continued:

"The county troops will be temporarily under the command of Xu Huang."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang looked up at Lü Ding but remained silent.

"It's only temporary," Xu Heng added. "I've made it very clear in my writing."

Lu Ding looked at him and suddenly said:

"Xu, the county magistrate, doesn't really need an explanation."

Xu Heng was taken aback.

Lü Ding's tone was very flat:

"You've already done a great job of protecting people by doing this much."

These words made Xu Heng's throat suddenly tighten.

He was silent for a moment before saying:

"Young Master Lü, I am not on your side."

"I am Zhan Pingyu."

Lü Ding nodded: "Me too."

The two exchanged a glance.

No further words were needed.

But they all understood one thing—

In Pingyu now, no one can escape unscathed.

Xu Heng finally uttered the words he had been holding back:

"Yuan Shao's men will be here again soon."

Lü Ding responded.

"They have written to me asking to pass through, but I haven't let them into the village or replied to them. I'll just leave them hanging for now."

Xu Heng remained silent after hearing this.

After Xu Heng learned that Lü Ding had killed more than ten rioters in the street and quickly brought the situation under control, the people sent by Yuan Shao could no longer regard him as a "local lord".

In their eyes, whether Pingyu County responds or not is no longer possible without mentioning this name.

Xu Heng suddenly remembered that when he first met Lü Ding, he could still clearly see the proper measure in this person's every move.

But at this point, he had to admit—

There are some things that can no longer be said in the capacity of a "county magistrate".

Xu Heng stood up, his tone becoming extremely low:

"Young Master Lü, there is something I must clarify first."

"you say."

"You can keep watch."

"It can quell the chaos."

"Xu Huang can be put in charge of the troops."

Xu Heng said, word by word:

"But if you enter the city and station people—"

Lü Ding continued:

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you."

Xu Heng nodded.

"Then I guarantee that Pingyu County will remain a stable place in the prefecture."

This is a promise.

Lü Ding smiled.

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Xu Heng didn't say anything more.

Midnight.

The document regarding the county magistrate's murder was finally delivered out of the city.

There was no gong banging.

There were no ceremonial guards.

It was just two couriers, riding ordinary horses, heading towards the prefecture along the official road.

Xu Heng stood on the city wall, watching the torches gradually disappear into the distance.

He knew very well—

This is not the end.

This is the beginning.

The county will pretend not to hear.

The imperial court will pretend to be blind.

The ones who will actually move are those who can't wait any longer.

He turned and went downstairs.

From the training ground, the sounds of drills could be faintly heard.

When Lü Ding returned to the manor, it was already late at night.

The letter was still lying on the table as it was.

Blank paper, no seal, no signature.

"Now that the journey to the north is complete, may we request passage through your territory?"

The twelve characters were written perfectly.

It doesn't resemble a manifesto or a private message; it's more like a statement with a predetermined answer.