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

The second military report from Yecheng was on its way, while the three-day deadline in Runan weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Lu Ding did not rush to find Chen Fang, nor did he immediately overturn the case following the lead of the "deputy battalion commander's order".

He knew very well that if this lead was real, the person behind it must have another cover; if it was fake, following the trail would mean stepping into a trap that someone had already set up.

On the first night, the lights of the West City Camp remained on all night. Lü Ding personally entered the Three Curves Camp, without setting up a hall or sitting at a table, but simply walking through each tent.

He did not question the guilty or the confession, but asked only one question: "Whose orders do you believe?" Some answered the prefect, some answered the military camp, and some remained silent.

He didn't press further, only saying calmly, "Three days later, your military registration will still be with the prefecture." This one sentence carried more weight than any reassurance.

The next morning, Lü Ding suddenly ordered an additional 30% of the drills to be conducted, with the drumbeats brought forward by half a quarter of an hour, and the formations to be practiced an extra round. The Yi Cong Battalion and the San Qu were placed in the same formation, without distinction between the field army and the county army.

Cui Jun arrived upon hearing the news, expecting Lü Ding to reduce his troop strength due to the investigation. However, the training intensified instead. Soldiers, sweating profusely, had less energy to discern rumors. Exhaustion was the most direct way to suppress unrest. If the morale of the army is low, suspicion will arise; if the morale is low, only breathing and marching remain.

In the afternoon, Lü Ding summoned Chen Fang to the west wing. Chen Fang was pale, clearly aware of the deputy battalion commander's order.

Lu Ding did not question him, but handed him the unfinished family letter, pointed to the three words "Brother Lu said" and asked, "Do you know who Lu is?" Chen Fang shook his head.

Lu Dingdao said, "Lu Wei is a new officer in the military camp, and he is from the same hometown as the deceased. If you truly had ulterior motives, he wouldn't need to use your name."

These words were tantamount to clearing Chen Fang's name to his face. Chen Fang knelt down to beg for forgiveness, but Lü Ding only allowed him to return to camp and continue to hold the title of Deputy Commander of the Expeditionary Army.

That night, Xu Huang secretly checked the records of the military officers in the camp and found that an officer named Lu Wei had entered the Sanqu camp the day before the night's escape without reporting it.

More importantly, the token had no bloodstains on its edges, but there were new wear marks on the buckle.

On the morning of the third day, Lü Ding took the initiative to invite Cui Jun to the prefectural government for a military meeting.

Before the military council convened, he had already ordered Lu Wei to be temporarily detained in a side hall, but did not announce his crimes.

When Cui Jun took his seat, his gaze swept over the half-closed door on the side of the hall, but his expression did not change.

Lu Ding did not immediately present the credentials, but first asked, "Supervisor, are military officers allowed to enter the camp beyond the permitted watch?"

Cui Jun said calmly, "Military officers can investigate each other, which is how inspections are conducted."

"Inspection is permissible," Lü Ding nodded. "Then why did Lu Wei enter the Sanqu camp twice the day before the night escape, but not leave his name in the duty log?"

The duty roster was handed over.

The blank space above clearly contrasts with the records before and after it.

Cui Jun's gaze darkened slightly, but he still said, "Perhaps it was an oversight."

Lu Ding did not argue, but ordered his men to bring the second item—the camp token.

"The token number matches the one Lu Wei received."

There was a moment of silence in the hall, and Cui Jun did not respond.

Lü Ding then spoke: "Summon Lu Wei."

When Lu Wei was brought in, his face was already pale, but he still tried to remain calm.

Lu Ding didn't press for details, only saying calmly, "Of the three who fled last night, two were from your hometown. Were you present when the rumors started?"

Lu Wei gritted his teeth: "This is just a rumor."

"Whose word is this?" Lu Wei remained silent.

Lu Ding suddenly said, "Chen Fang." Chen Fang responded and entered.

"Did you order Lu Wei to convey the message that 'the deputy commander will be replaced by a man from Hebei'?"

Chen Fang denied it on the spot.

Lu Ding looked at Lu Wei again: "If you are acting under orders, then this is the time to speak."

Cold sweat began to bead on Lu Wei's forehead, and his voice trembled:

"I... merely saw the army's morale wavering and wanted to share the burden for the headquarters... so I acted on my own initiative... without any orders from anyone..."

Lü Ding said slowly:

"You acted on your own?" "Then, did you forge this token yourself?"

Lu Wei's face turned deathly pale, but he couldn't utter a word.

Cui Jun did not defend Lu Wei.

He had originally intended to use the nighttime escape incident to forcefully push for the takeover of military personnel, but now the situation had shifted to a loss of control within the military command system. If he admitted that the military officers in the command had spread rumors, the command's prestige would be damaged; if he denied it, the evidence was right in front of him.

Lu Ding did not press him, only saying, "The military camp operates on a system of mutual consultation. If rumors arise due to eagerness to establish a reputation, how can the morale of the troops be maintained?"

"If it is the fault of the military officer, then the military officer shall bear the responsibility."

"The name of the camp should not be ruined because of one person."

After a long silence, Cui Jun finally said, "Lu Wei has misspoke and should be dealt with according to military law."

Lu Ding followed up smoothly: "The proposal to take over the military registers will be postponed for three weeks. During these three weeks, the prefecture will rectify the three sections, and the military camps will only observe and not enter." This statement, seemingly a request, was in fact a definite decision.

If Cui Jun refused, it would be tantamount to continuing to oppose the morale of the army; if he agreed, the campaign would lose all initiative. All the generals in the hall were focused on him. Finally, Cui Jun slowly nodded: "Thirty days."

With this nod, half the battle is won in three days.

However, Lü Ding did not stop. He ordered Lu Wei to be escorted to the drill ground in front of the soldiers of the Three Qu Army and read his confession aloud in front of them. The confession, which came from the mouth of the camp officer, was "the military registration will be changed and the prefectural magistrate will not count." He then sentenced him to only one sentence: expel him from Runan and send him back to Hebei for trial.

There was no execution, no severe punishment. This action established authority without embarrassing Cui Jun. What the soldiers saw was that the source of the rumors had been cut off, and the magistrate remained in power.

That evening, another round of drills was conducted, with Xu Huang personally leading the troops. Chen Fang, bearing the banner of the Deputy Commander of the Expeditionary Army, claimed to be "following the orders of the prefecture." This subtle change in command made it clear to everyone: the title could be borrowed, but the orders remained unchanged. The army began to re-unify its command system.

At the same time, Lü Ding secretly adjusted the command structure of the three tribes, replacing several detachments that were originally scattered on the periphery of the military system with the old Yi Cong troops, and the deployment was still registered with the prefectural government.

On the surface, the military camp remained operational, but in reality, it existed only in name. Cui Jun tried several times to enter Sanqu to observe the training under the pretext of "mutual reference," but found that every military register and every dispatch was submitted flawlessly, as he had requested, "once every three days." He had no more leverage.

On the third night, Lü Ding entered the Sanqu Camp Gate again.

This time, he didn't say "those who clear their names are innocent," but only said, "The Runan Army will not change its registration within three weeks." The soldiers responded in unison, their voices even more synchronized than the sound of drums.

The military report from Ye City, which had added "internal strife has broken out in the military camp," was overtaken by fast riders on the evening of the third day and rewritten as "rumors have been cleared up, morale has been restored, and mutual consultations within the military camp are proceeding as usual." This change meant that the reason for changing the prefect was temporarily invalid.

Cui Jun stood under the eaves of the military governor's mansion, watching the night gradually fall.

He understood that he had not won within three days. The name of the camp remained, but its former glory was gone. To push forward further would only fuel more rumors; to not push would mean gradually losing the initiative.

Lu Ding stood outside the west wing, gazing at the north wind. He understood that this was not the end. Cui Jun had retreated a step, not the entire game. But at least for now, the Runan army was in his hands.

Three days later, the drills continued as usual. The militia and the county officials were in the same ranks, and the camp flag was still there, but no one could distinguish between the "camp commander" and the "county magistrate" anymore. They only listened to the rhythm and only looked at the side of the field.

The person standing on the side of the field was Lü Ding.

The camp flag is still in the wind, but it no longer determines the direction.

When the soldiers looked up, there was only one person watching.

Cui Jun stood under the corridor, and for the first time, he did not issue any more military orders.