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

Before the morning fog had completely dissipated, Lüjiazhuang had already awakened.

I wasn't awakened by the sound of bells, but rather by the gradual waking up of human voices.

Outside the shacks on the east side, the line was much longer than usual. The refugees stood in neat rows, but were not quiet. Quiet conversations drifted through the mist, like suppressed water, unseen yet surging.

Xun Heng stood to the side, holding the roster in his hand, but did not call out names immediately.

He was listening.

It's not about listening to what they're saying, but about listening to the direction of their voices.

In some places, the sound kept repeating; there were a few people who always stood at the edge of the line, yet made those around them subconsciously move closer to them.

"There's a crack," he thought to himself.

It's not about causing trouble.

It's about going against the rules.

Food rations are still being distributed, and people are still working, but some people have begun to learn to avoid the positive aspects of the system and look for loopholes.

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Xun Heng closed the register without making a sound.

He did not go to find Lü Ding immediately.

—It wasn't because he hesitated, but because he wanted to confirm something.

Before noon, the patrol shifts change.

Two people from the Chen family were transferred to the east side. Ostensibly, it was to fill vacancies, but in reality, they were temporarily assigned to additional posts.

When Xun Heng saw this scene, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He didn't issue the transfer order.

But he didn't stop him.

Because he knew very well that this step would come sooner or later.

The incident occurred in the afternoon.

It's not about hoarding food.

Instead, it was about allocating grain.

A bag of grain that was supposed to be distributed to the south shed was quietly moved to the west side. The movement was subtle, but extremely methodical, as if it had been rehearsed beforehand.

The young man in charge of registration noticed something was wrong and went to find the patrol officer.

The patrol did not move immediately.

Because "someone said this is a temporary adjustment."

That person was wearing an old robe from the Chen family.

By the time the news reached Lü Ding, it was already evening.

"The grain wasn't lost," Lü Fu said in a low voice, "but someone has taken it."

"Who moved it?" Lu Ding asked.

"There are a few among the refugees, and someone from the Chen family's side... has struck up a conversation with them," Lü Fu said cautiously.

Lu Ding nodded, but did not immediately react.

"Where is Xun Heng?"

"In the accounting office." Lü Fu hesitated for a moment. "He should have known long ago."

Lü Ding got up and went to the accounting room.

Inside the accounting room, Xun Heng was recopying the roster. When Lü Ding entered, he didn't get up, but simply put down his pen.

"You know," Lü Ding said.

"I know," Xun Heng nodded.

"Why didn't you report it?"

Xun Heng looked up at him: "Because this is the first time."

Lü Ding remained silent.

"If we nip this behavior in the bud the first time," Xun Heng continued, "then only clandestine actions will remain."

"What's showing now is a crack."

"If you don't mend a seam, it will crack; if you mend it too much, it will collapse."

He spoke these words very slowly.

Lü Ding looked at him for a while.

"What do you think we should do to replenish it?"

Xun Heng did not answer immediately.

He stood up, pulled a page from the roster, and handed it over.

"These three people are here to exchange grain."

"These two are the ones who struck up a conversation."

"There's one more," he paused, "who didn't show up, but said to the Chen family, 'Rules are rigid, but people are flexible.'"

Lü Ding took it and glanced at the name.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You should personally intervene," Xun Heng said. "Do not punish the displaced people."

"Who should be punished?"

"Punish the middleman."

Evening, the open space on the east side.

The people were called together. There was no drumming, no shouting.

Lu Ding stood at the front, with only Lu Fu and two patrolmen behind him.

Those who were named were brought out. They weren't tied up. Nor were they forced to kneel.

"Who ordered you to switch the grain?" Lü Ding asked.

No one spoke.

Lü Ding nodded.

"it is good."

He turned around and looked at the former Chen family soldier standing at the edge of the crowd.

"You tell me."

The man's expression changed, but he still forced a smile and said, "It's just a matter of allocation; no one will survive—"

"Shut up," Lü Ding interrupted him.

He raised his hand, gesturing to Lü Fu.

A bag of grain was taken out and put down in front of everyone.

"This is the village's grain," Lü Ding said. "It doesn't belong to me, Lü Ding; it's the lifeblood of everyone in this village."

"You can go hungry."

"But you can't switch them secretly."

He turned his head and looked at the Chen family member.

"You're the one who started the rule-breaking."

"According to the rules, what should the punishment be?"

The man was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "Withhold rations..."

"Wrong." Lü Ding shook his head. "You are not a refugee."

"You're on patrol."

He paused.

"Remove your armor."

The moment those two words were uttered, the surroundings fell silent. "Removing armor" wasn't a punishment; it was stripping away one's identity. The man's face turned completely pale.

"From this day forward," Lü Ding continued, "you will no longer be on patrol."

"Go to Nanpeng and follow the rations for displaced people."

"If it's still there in three days—"

He didn't finish speaking.

But everyone understood. Some people in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief. Others realized for the first time that these rules weren't meant to scare people.

After the event was over, everyone dispersed.

As night fell, Lüjiazhuang returned to peace.

But everyone knows that something has changed.

Xun Heng stood under the gate tower, watching the torches dissipate in the distance, remaining motionless for a long time.

"You expected this to happen." Lü Ding stood beside him.

"Yes." Xun Heng nodded.

"Then you also know that you'll offend Chen Guang."

"He'll be offended sooner or later," Xun Heng said. "The only question is when."

Lu Ding remained silent for a while.

"The crack has been patched up," he said.

"But there will be new ones," Xun Heng added.

Lü Ding smiled.

"Then we'll fix them one by one."

A night breeze blew by, and the torches swayed gently.

At this moment, Lüjiazhuang was still unstable. But it would no longer collapse entirely because of the first crack. Because someone was standing on the crack. And they had no intention of retreating.

By the time the news reached Chenjiazhuang, it was already completely dark.

This is not an official announcement.

Instead, the sound came in from two different directions at the same time.

One was a former soldier who had been stripped of his armor and reorganized into a rationed refugee, and was secretly sent back to the gate of Chenjiazhuang; the other was a spy planted by the Chen family in Lüjiazhuang, who sent back a message through a messenger.

"No grain was lost."

"But people have had a layer of skin peeled off."

After listening, Chen Guang remained silent for a long time.

He sat in the hall, the lamp oil on the table burning very low, yet the flame was remarkably steady.

"Who gave the order?" he asked.

"Lu Ding," the steward whispered.

Chen Guang nodded.

This was what chilled him to the bone. Lü Ding's personal intervention was setting the tone.

"Remove armor?" Chen Guang repeated.

"Yes." The steward swallowed hard. "In front of everyone."

Chen Guang suddenly laughed. It was a very soft laugh, but there was no trace of relief in it.

"He's not punishing anyone," Chen Guang said slowly. "He's telling everyone—who truly controls this line of work."

He stood up and walked to the window. In the darkness, the lights in the direction of Lüjiazhuang were sparse, but none were extinguished.

"He didn't kill me; he spared my dignity," Chen Guang said in a low voice.

"But he touched my people, which is to tell me—he can tear my face off at any time."

The person in charge dared not respond.

Chen Guang, however, had already figured it out.

This strike wasn't aimed at those few refugees.

It was aimed at Chen Guang.

It was also a test for him—

Test whether he will turn on you, whether he will break the veneer of "cooperation".

"Tell them over there to behave themselves," Chen Guang suddenly spoke up.

"Everyone."

"If anyone dares to try to take advantage of me again, I'll personally deliver it to them."

The steward was taken aback: "Master?"

Chen Guang turned around, his gaze gloomy, yet unusually clear-headed.

"This line is not on my side right now."

"If I panic first, he will have a reason to take over directly."

He paused for a moment, then added:

"Besides, it's not that he's afraid to touch me."

"It's not needed for the time being."

At this moment, Chen Guang finally understood one thing completely.

He thought he was using someone else as a shield.

But in reality—

He walked into a net that had already been drawn.

The lights flickered gently.

Chen Guang reached out and pressed down on the table.

For the first time, he felt genuine fear of that young man's name.

It's not because of ruthlessness.

Rather, it's because—

The other party knew exactly what they were doing from beginning to end.

Moreover, it moved extremely steadily.