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

The next day, just as dawn broke, the wasteland west of Lüjiazhuang was already filled with people.

It's not about being a bystander.

Instead, we wait.

The measuring rope was pulled taut, extending along the foot of the hill. Every ten steps, a wooden stake was driven into the mud. The stakes were not tall, but they were driven very deep, with stones next to them, their surfaces chiseled with shallow grooves.

It's not a surname.

It's not a dealer's name.

Just numbers.

one two Three……

Like an account book, it is clearly laid out, section by section.

Lu Ding stood at the edge of the field, watching the wooden stakes rise one by one, without saying a word.

The wind blows through the wild grass, the blades of grass lie flat against the ground, then slowly stand up again, as if testing that invisible line.

On this side of the line is Lüjiazhuang.

On the other side of the line lies a chaotic world that has yet to be brought under control.

"Young master," Lü Fu walked to his side and whispered, "The measurement is complete. It stretches from the old canal in the west to the ridge in the north, a total of forty-three mu."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Keep accounts."

"I've already noted it down." Lu Fu paused, then added, "However... there are more and more people outside."

Lü Ding looked up.

At the edge of the wasteland, dozens of figures had appeared at some unknown time.

Ragged clothes, disheveled hair, carrying a bag, clutching a broken bowl, a wooden stick, or sometimes just empty-handed.

Refugees.

They didn't get too close, but stood at a distance, watching the wooden stakes and the Lu family members coming and going.

His eyes were complex. There was wariness, greed, and an undisguised desire.

"It's 30% more than yesterday," Lü Fu said in a low voice. "If this continues, I'm afraid things will get chaotic."

"No," Lü Ding said.

"Once boundaries are established, chaos will not ensue."

Lu Fu was taken aback.

"The boundary is here," Lü Ding pointed to the muddy ground beneath his feet. "It's not for them to see."

"It's for our own eyes."

As soon as he finished speaking, some of the refugees couldn't help but take a step forward.

Soon, there was a second one.

The third.

When there are too many people, the formation becomes chaotic. Some people push to the front, while others are jostled and stumble.

"Back off!"

The guards on the Lü family's side immediately shouted to stop them, pressing forward with their spears, but their steps remained steady.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

The refugees stopped. They didn't rush. They didn't scatter.

They just stood there, looking at the line drawn with wooden stakes.

Watching the people on this side of the line, wondering if they will really make a move.

Lü Ding remained silent.

He simply raised his hand.

"Register."

This sound was not loud, but steady.

Lü Fu immediately understood and led his men to carry the table to the boundary, where a register was spread out and writing materials were arranged.

"Those who wish to enter, please register first."

"Those who register will receive their rations according to their assigned groups."

"Those who have not registered are not allowed to enter the area."

As soon as the words were spoken, an uproar broke out among the refugees.

"On what grounds?"

"We're just here to beg for food!"

"You're not the government!"

Some people shouted, and some people cursed.

Some people lowered their heads and moved forward silently.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.

Not tall, but clear.

"If someone commits a crime after registering, will they be punished?"

For the first time, Lü Ding's gaze fell upon the group of refugees.

The speaker stood at the back, his clothes old but clean. He was not tall, and his face bore the marks of travel, but he did not show the panic of an ordinary refugee.

He wasn't making a fuss.

It's a question.

"Punishment," Lü Ding replied.

"How should I be punished?" the man asked again.

"At best, they'll withhold our grain; at worst, they'll be expelled," Lü Ding said. "And at the very worst, they'll be treated like bandits."

The man nodded.

"What if someone from outside the boundary commits a crime and escapes into the boundary?"

This time, everyone around him looked at him.

The question is too detailed.

It was so detailed that it didn't seem like a casual question.

Lü Ding did not answer immediately.

He looked at the man for a moment before speaking:

"Those who commit crimes outside the boundary are not exempt from responsibility simply because they enter the boundary."

"Those within the system who commit crimes will not be given lenient treatment because of their status."

The man nodded again.

"Then who is this boundary established for?"

Even Lü Fu was taken aback by this question.

Lü Ding laughed.

"It's for the living to see."

The man fell silent.

After a while, he suddenly took a step forward.

They stood before the boundary line.

"Then I'll report first."

He gave his name, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

Xun Heng.

This name didn't attract much attention when it was written into the roster.

Because immediately afterward, the people behind rushed forward.

The team is finally starting to take shape.

Registration, grouping, and grain distribution.

Everything is progressing, but not quickly.

Some people were dissatisfied, some cursed and swore, and some even tried to cut in line.

But if you cross the line even one step, you will be forced back by the spearhead.

There was no explanation.

There was no room for leniency.

Rules, for the first time, are not just written down or spoken.

Instead, it was written on the ground.

As the sun rose higher, more than a hundred people had gathered inside the boundary line.

Standing on high ground, Lu Ding watched this scene, but felt no relief whatsoever.

He knew very well—

The problems only begin when there are too many people involved.

Just then, another group of people appeared on the ground below the western ridge.

They are not refugees.

They were men carrying knives and clubs.

They stood not far apart, but not close.

Just watching.

Lu Fu's expression changed, and he whispered, "Young master, they are bandits."

Lü Ding narrowed his eyes.

He saw it.

Those people remained calm, but were clearly counting heads.

They're calculating the grain.

"Continue registering," Lü Ding said. "Leave no one behind."

"Let them see."

"Let's see how we define the boundaries."

The wind blew down from the hill, causing the strips of cloth on the wooden stakes to flutter.

The strips of cloth fluttered in the wind.

It's like announcing something.

Meanwhile, Xun Heng had quietly retreated to the side of the crowd.

He didn't ask any more questions.

I just watched quietly.

Look at those people crossing the line.

Look at how those people are grouped up.

Look at those numbers, they're being filled in one by one.

For the first time, a genuine interest appeared in his eyes.

This is not charity.

This is order.

In this era, those who dare to write down order—

Either live a long time.

Either you die very quickly.

Xun Heng did not know which one Lü Dinghui would be.

But he knew.

I no longer want to leave.

By the time the register was closed at the registration site, it was already completely dark.

Torches lit up outside the village, lined up along the newly drawn boundary.

The marks on the wooden stake were stretched out in the firelight and projected onto the ground, clearly visible.

In the distance, another figure stopped in the darkness.

They dared not approach, yet they did not leave either.

Lü Fu followed his gaze and his throat moved.

"Young master," he said in a low voice, "there are still people coming from outside."

Lü Ding did not turn around.

He knew very well that this was not an accident.

Once rules are established, they will be like a fire, attracting all those groping in the dark.

"Count them," Lü Ding said, uttering only two words.

"After tonight, we'll come again—"

He paused for a moment, as if calculating something.

"Then they are no longer scattered refugees."

Lu Fu's heart tightened.

"What could that be?"

Lu Ding raised his eyes and looked at the undulating black shadows beyond the boundary line. His tone was calm, but it carried a hint of coldness that was almost imperceptible.

"It's a crowd."

"That's troublesome too."

The night breeze blew, and the wooden stakes creaked softly.

The boundaries have been established.

But what we really need to protect is never the land.

But -

How many people will follow this line and walk in?