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

It was before dawn.

The training ground of the Pingyu Righteous Cavalry Camp was already filled with people.

There were no drums, no horns.

The camp flag stood in the center, not unfurled.

Under the flagpole, a wooden box sat neatly on the table.

The box was not sealed.

The bloodstains were still fresh.

No one needs to be reminded.

Everyone knows what's inside.

Xu Huang stood in front of the flag.

They were not wearing armor.

Only the hair is tied up.

He raised his hand.

Two guards stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, and opened the wooden box.

The head of Captain Jiao lay quietly in the box.

Hair not disheveled, eyes not closed.

The blood had congealed at the cut below the neck, and its color had darkened.

The training ground fell silent for a moment.

It's not silence.

Even the sound of breathing was subconsciously suppressed.

Xu Huang spoke.

The voice was not loud.

Yet each word seemed to land on everyone's heart.

A few nights ago.

"Pingyu Village was attacked."

He paused for a moment.

"Two of us died."

In the training ground, someone subconsciously tightened their grip on the hilt of their knife.

Their knuckles turned white, but no one moved.

"This person."

Xu Huang raised his hand and pointed to the wooden box.

"They secretly led troops to launch a night raid outside the village, cutting off supplies and seizing the road."

He looked up at the camp flag that had not yet been unfurled.

"today--"

"As the leader of the rebels."

"Offering sacrifices to the dead in Pingyu."

The words fell.

Xu Huang drew his sword.

It's not about raising it high.

He simply placed the tip of the knife firmly on the ground.

The blade points downwards.

This is an old military custom.

"Festival."

Thirteen team leaders stepped out of the ranks at the same time.

There was no shouting.

There was no kneeling or bowing.

They stepped forward one by one and gently touched the ground with their scabbards.

It's not aimed at people's heads.

Instead, they pointed towards the camp flag.

this moment,

No one felt like they had just been temporarily brought in anymore.

⸻

Lü Ding stood at the back of the crowd.

He didn't say a word from beginning to end.

He looked at the wooden box, at the drooping scabbards, and at the tense but unyielding faces.

He understood.

From today,

The Yicong Battalion is no longer just a single organizational unit.

Military spirit is something like that.

They were born after the first blood debt could be repaid.

⸻

Runan Prefecture.

The side courtyard of the rear government office.

This place is not used on ordinary days.

The door will only be opened on three occasions.

First, there were cases that were too deeply involved; second, there were things that couldn't be publicized in the military; and third, someone had died but their name shouldn't have been recorded.

This time, it's the third type.

Twelve corpses lay across the wooden frame.

It has no head.

The cut is clean.

It wasn't indiscriminate cutting.

They were soldiers who did it.

The person who performed the autopsy was not a coroner.

He was a former military doctor in the county, surnamed Qin.

He was over fifty years old, but his hands were extremely steady.

I pressed my fingertips over the cross-section of the cervical bone and then traced my fingers down along the shoulder blade.

a long time.

He then looked up.

"It wasn't theft."

Three words, spoken very softly.

This caused the backs of several staff members inside the room to tense up simultaneously.

"Continue," the prefect said.

"They weren't bandits who robbed grain."

One of the staff members couldn't help but ask:

"What is its origin?"

Physician Qin did not answer immediately.

He walked to the body's feet and lifted a piece of cloth.

What's showing is the sole of the boot.

Not straw sandals.

They are leather boots.

The cleat pattern on the sole of the boot is very clear.

"These are private soldiers."

He raised his hand and pointed to the nail marks.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The prefect slowly sat up straight.

Are you sure?

Physician Qin nodded.

"This set of travel gear has not been available in the county for nearly three years."

He paused, then added:

"But I've seen it."

That's all for now.

But everyone inside understood.

⸻

An aide whispered:

"Yuan...over there?"

The physician Qin did not respond.

He simply lowered his head and covered the inspected cloth back up.

This is the default.

⸻

The prefect did not get angry.

No order was given immediately.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked at the wooden box on the table.

There is no head inside.

But there were a few things on it—

A broken bronze symbol.

A worn waist tag.

There was also a private seal, soaked in blood.

The inscription is blurred.

But the direction of that stroke at the corner—

Too familiar.

We know each other so well that there's no need to ask again.

⸻

"The corpses were entered into the case file under the name of 'mutinous soldiers'."

The prefect spoke.

"head--"

"There's no need to pursue it any further."

One of the aides couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"What about Pingyu...?"

The prefect raised his hand to interrupt.

"They did a very clean job."

"No boundary was crossed."

"Kill those who deserve to die."

"Everything that should have been kept has been sent back."

He paused and then chuckled.

That smile was very faint.

"and--"

"Show us your knives first."

Three days later.

The prefecture issued a secret order, which was then distributed to all counties.

It was not made public.

But the news spread extremely quickly.

Just one sentence:

"Recently, the roads have been in chaos, and each county is protecting itself; those who have taken on the responsibility of providing external assistance are not prohibited from recruiting soldiers."

The number was not written.

There is no upper limit.

This is releasing the sluice gate.

Pingyu.

Before dawn, the notice board in front of the county government office was already packed with people.

It's not about looking at the words.

Yes, etc.

Waiting for that piece of paper.

When the words "Recruiting Warriors" were pasted on—

There was no uproar among the crowd.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, someone took a step forward.

One more step.

Finally, the whole street came to a stop.

⸻

"I'll do it."

"Me too."

Nobody mentioned money.

No one asked, "Will meals be provided?"

They only asked one question:

"Which camp?"

⸻

"The Righteous Cavalry Camp".

The clerk replied.

These three words were spoken.

In the crowd, some people subconsciously straightened their backs.

⸻

Lüjiazhuang.

Training ground.

This time, there was no Night Summoning.

It is daytime.

noon.

The sun was blazing overhead.

Xu Huang stood in front of the stage, looking down at the densely packed crowd below.

He knew it at a glance—

This isn't just to make up the numbers.

Someone was frightened.

Some people were set on fire.

⸻

"Make things clear first."

Xu Huang spoke.

"Enter the Righteous Army Camp."

"Not a hospital nurse."

"Not a temporary job."

"He's a soldier."

"You're going to die."

No one is backing out.

"After you come in."

"The head of the household does not return."

"Not to be returned to the powerful and wealthy."

"Return to camp only."

Still no one has left.

"Let's go into battle."

"I'm in front."

"He's dead."

"I'll sign my name."

This time.

A response rang out from the crowd.

It wasn't a shout.

It's low:

"Here you are."

Then the second tone.

Third tone.

Until the entire training ground seemed to be pressed down by something.

⸻

Lü Ding stood to one side.

He watched this scene without saying a word.

He saw it very clearly—

Among these people are farmers.

There was a merchant's son.

Some of them escaped back from Xiping.

There were also those who were originally in the county army but quietly withdrew.

They stood together.

It's not about the food.

Rather, it was to stand among soldiers who wouldn't be easily discarded.

⸻

That evening.

The roster has been finalized.

New troop numbers:

One thousand one hundred and thirty-seven people.

No report was filed with the prefecture.

No one asked.

⸻

at night.

Prefecture.

An aide whispered:

"The expansion in Pingyu is very rapid."

The prefect grunted in acknowledgment.

"How many?"

"It's a little over a thousand."

The prefect did not frown.

"Relatively restrained."

The aide hesitated for a moment:

"But if this continues..."

The prefect looked up.

"Do you think they can stop?"

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside, it was night in the county town.

The lights are not disorderly.

However, it was clear that there were more patrols than in previous days.

"The world these days."

"Whose soldiers can hold their ground?"

"Whoever can speak."

He paused.

"And the one in Pingyu—"

"We've stopped."