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

Some pointed to another aristocratic family.

Some pointed to former military subordinates.

Others simply point to someone who is already dead.

Dong Zhuo's men began to grow impatient.

"Was Xun You the mastermind?"

No one dared to answer.

Because there is insufficient evidence.

On the fourth night.

Xun You sat alone in the courtyard.

The lights were not turned on.

He suddenly chuckled softly.

It's not a matter of being fortunate.

Instead, he finally admitted to something—

Lu Ding's words were not meant to discourage people from leaving.

It is telling him:

The real danger isn't whether you choose to take the shortcut.

But -

Have you left yourself room to "take a step back"?

The extra step he left behind back then.

He was not exonerated.

But this prevented Dong Zhuo from killing him immediately.

And in this situation—

As long as you don't die immediately, there's still a chance for things to change.

Finally, a message came out.

Dong Zhuo proposed moving the capital.

The situation is beginning to ease.

Power is shifting.

People's hearts are re-aligning.

Xun You was not released.

only--

There's one less layer of guard.

One night, the gate to the courtyard was not bolted again.

Xun You stood in front of the door, pausing for a moment.

He got it.

This is to let him go on his own.

It is not a pardon.

It's not a release.

Rather, the wind has shifted, and he is no longer worth expending energy on.

Xun You did not go out immediately.

He stood inside the door for a long time.

The courtyard was very quiet, so quiet that you could hear the echo of the watchman's clapper in the distance. The sound came through the layers of courtyard walls, one beat after another, as if counting for the city.

Luoyang still exists.

Dong Zhuo is still alive.

However, in some places, it has already begun to loosen.

He knew very well that stepping out of that door at this moment would be tantamount to accepting an identity—

Those who are abandoned by the situation.

But he also knew that staying here would only lead to the next purge.

Xun You lowered his head and straightened his sleeves.

They did not bring any documents.

They did not bring any tokens.

They didn't even leave a single word.

He walked out like that.

The night wind was cold.

The streets of Luoyang were emptier than usual, with fewer patrols and more wagons carrying supplies.

Some people were moving overnight, some were transporting valuables, and others were quietly withdrawing their trusted confidants who were supposed to be stationed there permanently.

The rumors of moving the capital are no longer just rumors.

Xun You walked very slowly.

It's not fear.

It's about looking.

He was watching how the city became unfamiliar overnight.

As he walked out of the last gate, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Xun You did not turn around.

He is very clear.

He may still be in Luoyang after he leaves. But he may never come back.

On the first day after leaving Luoyang, Xun You did not head south, but stopped near the Yi River.

There was an inconspicuous little inn there, originally only for traveling merchants to rest, but now it was crowded with people of unknown origin.

Some said they were going to Guanzhong, some said they were going back to their hometowns, and others lowered their voices to inquire about news from various places.

Xun You sat in the corner, listening very carefully.

The noise was chaotic.

Suddenly, a discussion in Runan accent caught his attention.

"In our Runan, there is a Pingyu County, where there is a troop that is quite different."

"Not a county soldier."

"It doesn't belong to any particular powerful family."

"It's a young person who's carrying the company."

Xun You held the teacup, his fingertips pausing slightly.

He didn't interrupt.

Just keep listening.

Later, someone brought up the details.

"That army killed someone in Xiping County a few days ago."

"Rumor has it that the killers were private soldiers with connections."

"The county didn't hold them accountable; instead, they were given more responsibility for two more counties."

"So who's in charge now?" someone asked.

"On the surface, he's still an official in the county."

"But if something really happens, the first thing that comes to mind is that volunteer battalion."

This time, Xun You put down his teacup.

He didn't laugh.

But she slowly began to make a plan in her heart.

He knew better than anyone what this meant.

This means that the person is no longer just "needed by the situation," but has begun to be depended upon by the situation.

Once dependence is established, power will grow on its own.

Day three.

Xun You began his journey south.

He did not go directly to Pingyu, but instead detoured to the vicinity of Runan County.

There, he deliberately stayed for two days, chatting with several local scholars and retired military officers in a very ordinary capacity.

The discussion wasn't about military affairs or politics; the question was simply: "In Runan today, which place is the most dangerous to deal with?"

The answers were surprisingly consistent.

No one mentioned names.

I'll just talk about one place.

Pingyu.

That night, Xun You sat alone in the inn, without lighting a lamp for a long time.

On the morning of the fifth day.

Xun You finally turned to Pingyu.

It's not the official road.

Instead, they took an inconspicuous side path.

He didn't want anyone to know who he was going to see at that moment.

But when the outline of Pingyu City came into view, he paused slightly.

Outside the city, it was more lively than he had expected.

Not a merchant.

are people.

Someone is setting up a shed.

Some people just stood at a distance, staring blankly at the camp outside the city.

Xun You stood at the edge of the crowd and watched for a long time.

He saw that the soldiers patrolling the camp no longer looked like they were just temporarily put together.

The grain trucks were being dispatched in an orderly manner.

I also saw several young people who were clearly scholars, quietly taking notes.

Xun You stood there for a while, then bypassed the city gate and went to Lü Family Village along the old road outside the city.

When he saw the manor gate in the distance, he slowed his pace.

They didn't approach, but stopped outside the manor and had the gatekeeper pass in a message: "An old friend is passing by and would like to borrow a cup of tea."

No signature.

Their identity was not identified.

When the doorman took that sentence, his expression did not change.

He glanced at Xun You once more, and it seemed like he had seen him before.

Then he nodded.

"Wait a moment."

Xun You didn't have to wait long; before a cup of tea had even cooled down, there was commotion inside the manor.

It wasn't the sound of drums.

It's not a human voice.

It's the footsteps.

It is very light, yet pure.

Xun You looked up and saw Lü Ding walking out from under the corridor.

They were not wearing armor.

He was dressed in ordinary dark-colored casual clothes, with the cuffs tightly bound, and he walked with a swift and graceful gait.

He didn't walk too fast.

There was no deliberate slowing down.

It was as if they knew all along that someone would come, but they didn't know it would be today.

The two stared at each other for a moment outside the manor gate.

There was no small talk.

There was no further scrutiny.

Lü Dingxian spoke first.

"The road is difficult to travel."

This is not just polite talk.

It is a judgment.

Xun You smiled slightly.

"We took a longer route."

Lü Ding nodded.

They didn't ask "Where did you come from?" or "Where are you going?"

He simply stepped aside, making half a step back.

"Please come in."

When Xun You entered the manor, he noticed something: the manor was not lively, but there were people everywhere.

It wasn't like they were watching him; it was more like everyone was busy with their own things. No one was specifically looking at him, yet there wasn't a mess in any place.

"You were one step ahead of me," Lü Ding said as he walked.

"It wasn't early," Xun You replied, "it was pushed out."

Lü Ding understood.

But he didn't respond.

We walked all the way to the side courtyard.

The courtyard is not large.

It was very quiet.

The tea had already been prepared.

The water is still hot.

It was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Lü Ding then turned around and looked at Xun You.

"The fact that you've made it this far means you've given up on continuing the game in Luoyang."

Xun You sat down.

No denial.

"Too many people made moves in that game of chess."

"And I was only borrowed once."

Lu Ding looked at him, his gaze steady.

"So, what game are you planning to play here?"