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

Dawn is breaking.

Outside Lüjiazhuang, the newly erected boundary line appeared exceptionally clear in the morning mist.

Rows of wooden stakes were driven into the soil, with stones engraved with numbers beside them. There were no flags, no surnames, only cold, hard markings. From a distance, they didn't look like the boundary of a village, but more like the border of some kind of military camp.

The night patrol has changed to the third shift.

The footsteps, initially chaotic, became rhythmic. The torches flickered, illuminating tired yet vigilant faces.

This wasn't achieved overnight. It took several nights without incident. The absence of incidents is itself a deterrent.

Lu Ding stood on the gate tower, wearing an old cloak, his gaze passing over the official road and landing on the distant hill where the mist had not yet dissipated.

He knew very well that the real danger was not within this territory, but further away.

"Young master."

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Lu Fu stepped forward and whispered, "Nothing happened on the western front tonight. The Chen family's men have all finished their patrols as assigned."

"Is anyone throwing a tantrum?" Lu Ding asked.

"Yes," Lü Fu nodded. "There's a lot of talk about it in private, but no one dares to bring it up in public."

Lu Ding hummed in agreement.

Whether he dares or not is what he cares about most right now.

"Where is Xun Heng?" he asked again.

"In the accounting office," Lü Fu said. "I didn't sleep all night. I copied the list of new refugees from last night again and reclassified it according to your instructions."

Lu Ding's eyes flickered slightly.

He didn't ask any more questions and turned to go downstairs.

The lights in the accounting office were still on.

Under the oil lamp, Xun Heng sat behind his desk, several registers laid out before him, their pages slightly curled from being turned over. His fingers were stained with ink, and his cuffs were also marked with black ink, but he didn't seem to care.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, as if he had anticipated the timing.

"The western front is fine," he said first, "but on the southern slope, there are starting to get more people."

"How much?" Lu Ding asked.

"Forty more than last night," Xun Heng answered quickly. "And they didn't come all the way here; it's as if they were led here by a tip."

Lü Ding nodded.

The spread of the news was inevitable.

"What do you think we should do to recruit this group of people?" he asked.

Xun Heng did not answer immediately.

He looked down and flipped through a page of the roster, then another, as if confirming something.

"We should accept it," he said, "but we can't accept it like we did before."

"How is it different?" Lü Ding pressed.

"Divide them into layers." Xun Heng looked up. "The elderly and weak will be in one layer, the able-bodied men in another, and those with skills will be in a separate layer."

"So that as soon as they enter the village, they know which section they belong to."

"Standing in the wrong spot will cost you your life."

These words were spoken with extreme coldness.

Lu Ding, however, did not show any surprise.

"Aren't you afraid I'll think you're heartless?" he suddenly asked.

Xun Heng glanced at him and said calmly, "If you think it's too ruthless, then you shouldn't have handled it that way last night."

This is a rhetorical question.

It's also a form of retaliation.

Lü Ding smiled.

"You see things quite clearly."

He didn't continue the topic, but suddenly changed the subject.

"Of the group on the south slope, who do you think should be the first to stay?"

Xun Heng was taken aback.

This question is clearly not about "whether or not to collect it," but rather "how to use it."

He was silent for a moment before saying:

"In the third volume, there is a character named Wang Jian."

"She can do accounting, her handwriting is decent, and she's clean and tidy."

"But I didn't put him in the skills category."

"Why?" Lu Ding asked.

"Because he looks at people too quickly," Xun Heng said. "If you don't give someone a position, he's likely to cause trouble."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Get him out of here."

Xun Heng looked up.

"What are you doing?"

"Let him follow you," Lü Ding said. "Don't register his name, just his duties."

This is not a reward.

It is a test.

Xun Heng understood this.

He didn't refuse, he just nodded: "Okay."

"There's one more thing," Lü Ding continued, "From today onwards, you will be in charge of registering refugees."

Three copies of the roster.

One copy is with me, one copy is with you, and one copy is sealed away.

This statement, though not grand in its wording, is clear enough. This is the first time that "power" has been handed over to someone's face.

Xun Heng did not respond immediately. He looked at Lü Ding, as if to ascertain the weight of his words.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tamper with it?" he asked.

"I'm not afraid," Lü Ding replied quickly. "If you move, I'll know."

"If you hadn't moved, I would have known sooner."

Xun Heng was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands in greeting.

"I see."

When the meeting was held in the main hall, Lü Boshe was already sitting in a side seat.

The main seat is empty.

It's not that no one is sitting there.

Nobody dared to sit there.

The clan elders all bowed their heads, and spoke in a softer tone than usual.

"From today onwards, Mr. Xun will be in charge of registering the refugees," Lü Ding said. "All registers will be executed as I just stated."

The hall became noticeably quiet.

This was the first time roll call had been conducted in front of everyone. Lü Boshe did not object. He simply sat quietly and watched it all unfold.

"The patrols will still proceed according to the established groups," Lü Ding continued, "but there's one thing."

"Those who newly enter the village shall not be given a knife for the first three days."

"Anyone who makes an exception will be given a demerit."

"Whoever grants the gift privately will be punished along with their family."

Once the rules were set in motion, no one spoke.

This is no longer a matter for discussion.

It is an order.

After the meeting adjourned, Lü Boshe stayed behind.

Only the father and son remained in the main hall.

"You've pushed Xun Heng to the forefront," Lü Boshe said.

"Yes." Lü Ding did not deny it.

"Aren't you afraid he'll achieve great merit?" Lü Boshe asked again.

"I'm afraid he won't study hard enough," Lü Ding replied quickly. "If the accounts aren't clear, people will get into trouble."

Lu Boshe remained silent for a while.

"I'm going to the county town today," he said.

Lü Ding looked up.

"I know."

"I'm not going to sue you," Lu Boshe smiled, "I'm going to tell them—"

"Lu Family Village is still in my hands."

Lü Ding remained silent.

He knew this was the last thing his father could do for him, to protect him.

"Give some people along the way," he said.

"I brought some," Lü Boshe nodded. "Not much, just enough."

Before getting up, Lü Boshe suddenly paused.

"Ding'er".

"Um?"

"My trip might not go smoothly," Lu Boshe said, looking at him. "If I'm slow to get back, don't wait for me."

This sentence was said very softly.

But it's like giving prior notice.

Lü Ding cupped his hands in a salute.

"I understand."

After Lü Boshe left, the center of power in the manor completely shifted to Lü Ding.

There was no ceremony.

No announcement was made.

While waiting for orders, everyone subconsciously looked in the same direction.

evening.

Xun Heng sent over a new list.

"Among the group on the south slope, there were a few who weren't very clean," he said.

"How did you handle it?" Lu Ding asked.

"I wrote them down separately," Xun Heng replied. "They haven't been touched."

Lü Ding nodded.

"Keep it."

"It will come in handy in the next step."

Night fell again.

The torches in Lüjiazhuang were still burning, but the panic had subsided.

Lu Ding stood on the gate tower, looking steadily toward the distant county town.

When a father is away from home, he is a shield from the wind.

And he is here, anchoring.