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

On the fifth day after the military supervisor Cui Jun entered the city, a military order suddenly came from the prefectural government: a military drill will be held in the northern suburbs in three days.

The official name was extremely grand: "The military systems of Hebei are mutually referenced, and the troops in the prefectures are lined up together to practice battles and observe each other's strengths and weaknesses."

When the news spread, the city appeared to be operating as usual; the streets were open, salt carts were on the move, and county officials were on patrol as usual. But everyone knew that this was the first time the military supervisor had truly taken over.

Zhang did not make a public appearance, but someone had reserved a place to observe the battle in advance in a high-rise building in the north of the city; the Zhao family sent people into the city again under the pretext of delivering salt contracts, but they have not returned for a long time; the drumbeats at the drill ground in the north of the city were more frequent than usual, but also more profound.

The martial arts demonstration hadn't even started, but the wind had already risen.

Lu Ding did not stop him. He only replied with four words: "Since we are consulting each other, we should all be included." Upon hearing this, Cui Jun simply nodded slightly, his expression indifferent.

On the day of the martial arts exercise, the sky was slightly overcast, and the wind was strong in the open area of ​​the northern suburbs, with banners fluttering in the wind.

The Hebei military supervisor's flag was planted to the right of the main position, and the Runan prefecture flag to the left. The volunteer troops were in front, and the prefecture officers were behind, their formation orderly.

Xu Huang stood on the left side of the formation, his sword still sheathed, his gaze steady.

Cui Jun stepped onto the stage, his voice not loud, but extremely clear: "Today's mutual evaluation is not for victory or defeat, but only for the sake of standardization."

His tone was gentle, then he suddenly changed the subject: "Acting Manager Lü, could we re-arrange the formation according to the Hebei method?"

This sentence, however, is a test. By changing the formation and altering the rhythm, the morale of the troops can be tested.

The air in the arena seemed to freeze; the drummer dared not strike the drum, and all eyes were on Lü Ding.

Lu Ding stepped forward, his expression unchanged: "Since we are to consult with each other, we should obey your orders."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cui Jun gestured for the drum to be raised.

When the drums sounded, no one dared to move. Cui Jun raised his command flag, "Form ranks!" The Hebei command was short and sharp. The front ranks of the volunteer army did not move.

Xu Huang didn't look at the supervising officer; he only looked at Lü Ding. Lü Ding didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and pressed it down very lightly.

That pressure was like ripples on the surface of water. Only then did the formation advance. The formation unfolded, indeed arranged according to the three diagonal columns of Hebei, but the spacing between the inner layers remained unchanged, and the center of the formation did not shift. The rhythm of changing columns still followed the original breathing pattern of Runan. The surface followed orders, and the framework remained unchanged.

When the formation was complete, the wind blew past the corners of the flags, and dust and sand rose slightly.

Cui Jun stood on the high platform, his gaze calm. He could see clearly—the formation was Hebei's, but the rhythm was not.

He put away the command flag and suddenly said, "Adjust the troops."

"Shifting positions" is a wartime order, meaning a change of positions within the formation. If executed improperly, the formation will collapse; if the order is disobeyed, it is considered public disobedience. Xu Huang's fingers tightened slightly on the hilt of his sword. The county officials in the back row held their breath, and Zhang's men on the city wall whispered, "They're here."

Cui Jun's gaze remained fixed: "As you command." This time, he offered no further explanation.

There was a moment of silence in the arena. The next instant, Lü Ding spoke: "Act according to the rules." His voice was not loud, but it drowned out the sound of the drums.

Xu Huang moved. He didn't wait for the supervising officer to issue further orders, but instead advanced along the established rhythm. The vanguard moved inward, the flanks filled in, the rear guard remained intact, and the drumbeats continued even as the shifting was completed. The formation was now even more stable than before. Those observing the battle were speechless for a moment.

For the first time, Cui Jun's gaze darkened. He suddenly realized that this army obeyed orders not just by the verbal command from the platform, but by the gesture of a hand raised from the sidelines.

As the military exercise came to an end, darkness fell. Cui Jun said only one sentence: "The military system of Runan is open to discussion." There was no praise or criticism, but it left a lingering impression.

As he stepped down, he met Lü Ding's gaze and said calmly, "It's a good thing that the army's morale is stable." Lü Ding cupped his hands in greeting, "The supervising officer's instruction was strict." Both of them smiled, but their smiles were faint.

Unrest had already begun to stir within the city. One of the Zhang family members whispered, "If the military supervisor tries again, he'll have to arrest someone to establish his authority."

The Zhao family secretly sent a message to another county. In the lamplight of that county, Chen Su looked at the account books, but his mind was preoccupied with the rumors circulating in the northern suburbs. He received a brief, confidential report: "The supervising officer's trial of the troops failed to win his favor."

Chen Su closed the ledger and suddenly realized that this meant the military supervisor would not stop.

Sure enough, on the morning of the third day, Cui Jun issued another military order—"Resume the exercise tomorrow, and change to the Hebei Military Camp system."

This time, it wasn't just about comparing formations; it required the county officials and the militia to reorganize according to the Hebei military command structure. The military command system meant temporarily dismantling the original command structure and reorganizing the troops, which was clearly an attempt to intervene.

When the news arrived at the residence, Xun You was sitting opposite Lü Ding in the west wing. Xun You said in a low voice, "If the military camp system is established, the troops will be organized according to the Hebei regiment, and the morale of the troops will surely be stirred."

Lu Ding did not answer immediately, but looked at the military registers on the table and said slowly, "He wants to establish a name for the army camp, so let him. The organization can be written according to his specifications, and the training can be carried out according to his methods."

He looked up at Xun You, "But the command structure in the camp remains unchanged, the squad leaders are not moving, and the dispatching is still handled by the prefectural government."

The performance resumed the following day, with Cui Jun personally ordering the reorganization. The militia was broken up into several sections and mixed with the county officials. Xu Huang's expression remained unchanged as he awaited Lü Ding's command. Cui Jun's commands were steady, the Hebei drumbeats were heavy, and the reorganization proceeded on stage.

Just as the reorganization was about to be completed, Lü Ding suddenly stepped forward: "The supervisor's suggestion is that we first try it out with three sections. The Righteous Cavalry Battalion originally had six sections, so we will temporarily reorganize it into three sections, and the rest will remain the same." He said calmly, "If we change the entire battalion, it might mislead the mutual references' original intentions."

Cui Jun glanced at him and smiled, "Acting Manager Lü has thought things through thoroughly." So they tried the three songs first.

The troops changed formations, the drums sounded again, and the troops moved according to orders. The front camp changed positions three times as usual, and the county officials and militia advanced in mixed formation. The formations remained intact, and the steps were steady, but there was always a half-beat delay between turns and a breath's delay at handover.

Standing on the high platform, Cui Jun could see clearly. He pondered for a moment, then put away the command flag in his hand and said calmly, "Since it is a mutual consultation, there is no need to change everything in one day. We can proceed step by step."

On the third night after the martial arts exercise, Cui Jun sent someone into the mansion, speaking respectfully: "The military supervisor wishes to borrow Commander Xu for a day to discuss the detailed arrangements for the expeditionary force." The news reached the west wing of the courtyard as the night wind began to blow. Lü Ding neither immediately agreed nor refused, simply instructing the messenger to wait. He looked up at Xu Huang: "Go." Xu Huang bowed: "As you command."

Xu Huang entered the military supervisor's residence and they talked until late at night. Cui Jun spoke calmly, inquiring about battle formations, morale, and the administration of Hebei. Xu Huang answered neither servilely nor arrogantly, neither disobeying orders nor expressing his opinion. Before parting, Cui Jun said, "The Runan army is well-trained." Xu Huang replied, "The prefect's orders are in effect, and the regulations governing the administration are in effect."

The next day, rumors spread throughout the city: "The military supervisor has taken a liking to Xu Huang." Some whispered, "He may be transferred north," while others said, "The Runan army is about to disband." Lü Ding did not suppress the rumors, but simply ordered the patrols to continue as usual. The third night training session after the military exercises proceeded as planned, with steady drumbeats and the city gate formations remaining unchanged.

In the post station of Ye City, Han Zixiu's third letter still hadn't left the city. Standing by the window, gazing at the north wind, he knew that since the supervising officer had intervened, he would relentlessly press forward. If the morale of the Runan army wavered even slightly, Hebei would have a legitimate opportunity to seize power. Late at night, he murmured to himself, "Lü Yunzhong, hold on."

The winds from Hebei are still blowing south.