Transmigrating to the Three Kingdoms as Lu Bu: I Have a Pseudo-Apocalypse System

The atmosphere in the camp completely changed when the fragrant cornmeal, along with a little salt and a hot soup made with dried meat, was distributed to each soldier.

The soldiers of Bingzhou were in high spirits, while the surrendered soldiers were moved to tears, many holding bowls with red eyes.

In these chaotic times, being able to eat one's fill is the greatest happiness.

"Following Marquis Wen, you'll have food to eat!"

"Lord Wen is benevolent and righteous; we are willing to serve him to the death!"

Such shouts could be heard from time to time in the crowd, and the morale of the troops was initially stabilized.

At 3:00 PM (15:00-17:00), Lü Bu personally led a group of guards and escorted a large cart loaded with gold, silver and copper coins to the Bahe camp.

Upon learning of Lü Bu's arrival, Zhang Liao led his generals out of the camp to greet him.

"Welcome, General!"

Riding Red Hare, Lü Bu's gleaming armor shone in the sunlight. He surveyed the newly renovated camp and the soldiers whose morale had clearly improved, and nodded with satisfaction: "Wen Yuan, you've worked hard. Everyone has worked hard."

Upon entering the central command tent, Lü Bu didn't engage in much small talk and immediately announced his first major piece of news.

"Since the breakout from Chang'an, my brothers have followed me through thick and thin, displaying unwavering loyalty. I, Lü Bu, am deeply grateful." Lü Bu's voice boomed, echoing throughout the tent. "Now, I declare that all the veteran soldiers from Bingzhou who followed me in the breakout from Chang'an, regardless of their original rank, will be promoted one rank, and their salaries will be immediately paid according to their new positions!"

There was a moment of silence inside and outside the tent, followed by a huge cheer!

"Long live Marquis Wen!"

"General, you are truly kind!"

Ordinary soldiers are promoted to corporals, corporals to platoon leaders, platoon leaders to squad leaders, and so on.

This means that everyone's treatment has been genuinely improved!

Lu Bu raised his hand to suppress the cheers and continued, "Furthermore, those who rendered meritorious service in yesterday's Battle of Ba Bridge, including killing enemies and capturing prisoners, will be rewarded separately!"

He had several large boxes brought in, and when they were opened, they found gleaming silver and strings of Wuzhu coins inside.

"Whoever's name is called, come forward to claim your reward!"

"Zhang Liao, who lured and killed the enemy's commander-in-chief and led the entire army to a great victory, is rewarded with fifty taels of silver and fifty strings of cash!"

"Hao Meng, who led his troops in a fierce charge and killed many enemies, is rewarded with thirty taels of silver and thirty strings of cash!"

"Cao Xing, for assisting in the defense of the bridgehead, shot and killed five enemy cavalrymen. A reward of twenty taels of silver and twenty strings of cash is hereby given!"

……

As names were read out one by one, the meritorious soldiers stepped forward in turn to receive the heavy reward money from Lü Bu. Each of them was so excited that their faces turned red, and they thanked him loudly.

For ordinary soldiers who made minor contributions, they were rewarded with several hundred to several strings of cash. If it was inconvenient to carry the money, Lü Bu had his clerks register it, stating that it could be withdrawn or deducted from their salaries at any time in the future.

The tangible promotions and wealth instantly boosted the loyalty of all the veterans from Bingzhou to its peak.

Their eyes were filled with fanaticism and a willingness to die for Lü Bu.

In chaotic times, many soldiers were content with just enough to eat and not starve to death; those who received their wages and bonuses on time were extremely rare.

Meanwhile, the surrendered soldiers watched with envy.

For the first time, they felt so directly that following this Marquis Lü Wen was truly a promising path, leading to promotions and wealth!

Many who originally harbored disloyal intentions or simply surrendered to the crowd now secretly resolved to perform well and strive for merit and reward.

Lu Bu took in everyone's expressions and knew that the army's morale was high.

He spoke again, his voice resounding throughout the hall: "Today's reward is solely for merit! From now on, all soldiers under my command, regardless of their origins, will be generously rewarded for their contributions! Promotion, wealth, and glory for their families are all possible!"

"I am willing to die for Marquis Wen!" Zhang Liao was the first to kneel on one knee, clasp his hands and shout.

"We are willing to die for Marquis Wen!" Generals Hao Meng, Cao Xing, Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng followed closely behind.

"We are willing to die for Marquis Wen!" Inside and outside the tent, all the veteran soldiers of Bingzhou and some of the more cunning surrendered soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the fields.

After rewarding his troops and stabilizing morale at the Bahe camp, and ordering Zhang Liao to continue monitoring the enemy situation in the Chang'an direction, Lü Bu returned to Lantian County in the evening.

Order has been restored within the city. Zuo Feng is strict in governing the army, and Meng Cheng is handling government affairs in an orderly manner.

Upon seeing Lü Bu's return, the two became even more respectful.

When Lü Bu returned to the backyard of the county government office, Yan Yuan, Diao Chan, and Lü Qiling greeted him upon seeing that he had returned safely.

Yan Yuan asked with concern, "Husband, what's the situation on the other side of the Ba River?"

"All is well. Li Jue and Guo Si haven't sent a second wave of pursuers yet." Lü Bu briefly explained the situation regarding the army's supplies, then changed the subject, "Now that we're temporarily based in Lantian, the management of the army's money, food, and supplies is of paramount importance. The original quartermasters have scattered, and I'd like to entrust this supply depot to you, my lady, and Diao Chan. What do you think?"

Yan Yuan nodded solemnly: "My husband is trustworthy, and I will certainly do my best to manage the supplies and live up to your trust."

Diao Chan said somewhat timidly, "General, I'm afraid I'm too inexperienced and might delay important matters."

Lu Bu waved his hand and said, "It's alright. You don't need to worry about putting things into the warehouse, and as long as you have my command token, you can take them out. You don't need to take inventory of the supplies in the warehouse. This involves logistics and military secrets, and you are all my closest people. I only feel at ease when you are in charge."

Thus, Lü Bu entrusted the management of supplies to his family.

He could use his authority to replenish the supplies in the storage space to the warehouse at any time, while Yan Yuan and Diao Chan were responsible for guarding it, reducing the chances of outsiders discovering the secrets.

After settling his family affairs, Lü Bu dealt with several government matters.

Meng Cheng came to report that, as instructed by Lü Bu, he had begun to count the refugees and able-bodied men who could be recruited in and around the city, but the results were mediocre.

After all, during times of war, the people were still in shock and fearful of the government's conscription and grain requisition.

Lü Bu instructed: "There is no need for forced conscription; we can provide work relief instead. We currently have a sufficient food supply, so we can recruit laborers to repair the city walls and roads, provide them with meals, and give them a small amount of grain as compensation each day. Those who wish to move into the city and cultivate the wasteland outside the city can be lent seeds and farming tools, and will be exempt from taxes for the first year."

Meng Cheng's eyes lit up: "General, this method is excellent! In this way, the people can live, and we can also use our labor to strengthen the city's defenses and restore production. It is a win-win situation. I will do it immediately."

Zuo Feng then reported on the city's defense arrangements and the training of the surrendered troops.

Lü Bu instructed: "The surrendered soldiers and newly recruited soldiers should be trained separately, with my veteran soldiers from Bingzhou as the backbone. Strict military discipline should be enforced, and rewards and punishments should be clearly defined. Anyone who disturbs the people should be severely punished without exception."

"Understood!"

On the third day of June, Lu Bu received another day's worth of supplies and added the two skill points he had accumulated to "Strength," bringing it to the maximum value of 100. Then, he received a message from Cheng Lian, delivered by someone from Yaoguan.

Cheng Lian has successfully taken over Yaoguan.

The pass is located on the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains, in a strategically important and easily defensible position.

However, the fortress had fallen into disrepair over the years, with some of the walls damaged and the defensive equipment severely lacking.

Cheng Lian is organizing security personnel to speed up repairs and cut down trees to make rolling logs and boulders.