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

The music started again.

Lü Bu remounted his horse and led his army onward. When they passed the high platform, he didn't even glance at Liu Xie, only nodding to Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and others.

Jia Xu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Guo Jia blinked, his meaning clear: everything is arranged.

The army slowly passed by.

The heavy cavalry's iron armor, the light cavalry's ferocity, the infantry's discipline, and the lingering stench of blood and killing intent sent shivers down the spines of the officials on the platform. Many secretly wiped away sweat, their legs trembling.

The people cheered.

"The Great General is mighty!"

"May the Han army be victorious!"

"Kill the barbarians! Protect our homeland!"

The shouts grew louder and louder.

As the prison cart passed by, the people picked up clods of dirt and rotten vegetable leaves and threw them at Han Sui and his men.

"Traitor! He deserves to die!"

"You traitor!"

"Pooh!"

Han Sui huddled in the prison cart, not daring to raise his head. Clods of dirt pelted him, and vegetable leaves clung to his hair, leaving him looking utterly disheveled.

The Hu (non-Han) war criminals were terrified. Some cried out for mercy in Hu language, but no one could understand them, which only attracted more beatings.

The spoils in the convoy dazzled the people.

"Look at all that gold!"

"Those furs could make so many fur coats!"

"The Hu people's knives are really strange, they're all crooked and twisted."

"Is that a Huqin? I've heard that the Hu people play it."

Amidst the lively discussions, a sense of pride welled up within them. The Han army had won, and they had plundered so many good things—it proved how powerful they were!

Liu Xie watched all this with mixed feelings.

On the one hand, he was indeed proud of the Han army's great victory—after all, it was the sons of Han who defeated the barbarians and protected the borders and people. As the nominal emperor, he shared in this glory.

On the other hand, this further consolidated Lü Bu's power. Military achievements, prestige, and popular support all went to Lü Bu. His position as emperor became completely nominal.

Even more terrifying is that Lü Bu possesses those secret edicts...

Liu Xie dared not think about it anymore.

After the entire procession had passed, the master of ceremonies announced loudly: "Your Majesty, please return to the capital, with all officials following, and enter Chang'an together!"

Liu Xie, supported by eunuchs, descended the high platform and ascended the imperial carriage. The carriage slowly started moving, following behind the army.

Yang Biao, Zhao Wen, and others got into their respective cars, and the convoy stretched for several miles.

From Shili Pavilion to the gates of Chang'an, people along the way knelt and cheered. Many had come from all over Guanzhong just to catch a glimpse of the triumphant army.

The gates of Chang'an were wide open, and colorful flags were planted all over the city walls.

Cao Xing had already made arrangements. The main streets in the city were cleared, and the people could only stand on both sides to watch. A three-zhang-wide road was left in the middle for the army and the emperor to pass through.

When Lü Bu led his army into the city, cheers shook the heavens and the earth.

"General! General!"

"Flying General! Flying General!"

Many people were moved to tears.

They had experienced the chaos of Dong Zhuo and the calamities of Li Jue and Guo Si, both of which were civil wars where people killed each other. Now that they finally saw the Han army triumphing beyond the Great Wall, how could they not be excited?

Lu Bu, mounted on his horse, waved to the people on both sides.

This action drew even louder cheers.

Jia Xu and Guo Jia rode behind on horseback, watching this scene, and smiled at each other.

"Fengxiao, what do you think?" Jia Xu asked in a low voice.

"The tide has turned," Guo Jia smiled. "After this battle, the General has won the hearts of the people in Guanzhong. Next, it's time to..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Jia Xu understood.

As Liu Xie sat on his imperial carriage, listening to the deafening cheers and watching the people's heartfelt worship of Lü Bu, his heart turned cold.

He knew that from this day forward, in Chang'an, in the entire Han Dynasty, no one would ever truly regard him as emperor again.

After the army entered the city, they were first settled in their camps according to regulations.

Lü Bu handed over command to Zhang Xiu, Ma Chao, and others, and led his main generals to accompany the imperial entourage to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

When Liu Xie alighted from the imperial carriage, his legs felt weak and he almost fell. The eunuch next to him quickly helped him up.

Lu Bu watched this unfold, a cold smile playing on his lips. This little emperor was, after all, just a child.

The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices stepped forward and led the crowd into the temple.

According to the established rites, the emperor presided over the ceremony, the three highest officials accompanied him, and the remaining officials knelt in worship outside. However, today was special, as Lü Bu, as the meritorious minister, was granted special permission to enter the temple to participate in the ceremony—this was also arranged in advance by Jia Xu.

The main hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple housed the ancestral tablets of the emperors of the Western Han Dynasty, from Emperor Gaozu (Liu Bang) to Emperor Ping (Liu Kan), a total of eleven emperors. After Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang, he built a separate Imperial Ancestral Temple in Luoyang, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Chang'an was only used for worshipping the ancestors of the Western Han Dynasty. However, since Emperor Xie (Liu Xie) was in Chang'an at this time, it was used as a substitute.

The hall was filled with the aroma of incense and the sounds of bells and chimes creating a solemn atmosphere.

Liu Xie stood at the chief officiant's seat, his hands trembling as he received the sacrificial text from the master of ceremonies.

That was Jia Xu's "Victory Report on Pacifying the Barbarians," written in advance. It was written in ornate language and detailed how Lü Bu attacked the Xianbei and the Southern Xiongnu, how he killed Kebineng and captured Qubei, how he built a Jingguan (a mound of statues) to intimidate the northern frontier, and how he quelled Han Sui's rebellion.

"On the third day of the third month of the fourth year of the Chuping era, the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty respectfully reports to the spirits of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Taizong, Emperor Shizong, and all the ancestors: Now, General Lü Bu, by the mandate of Heaven, is here to punish the rebellious and strike the northern barbarians..."

Liu Xie began to read aloud, his voice trembling, and he almost mispronounced a word several times.

Below the stage, Yang Biao and the others knelt with their heads bowed, not daring to raise their heads. They knew that with each word of this victory report read aloud, Lü Bu's merit would increase, and their situation would become more dangerous.

Lü Bu stood calmly to Liu Xie's side and slightly behind. He didn't care about such formalities, but they were necessary—to let the whole world know that his achievements were personally acknowledged by the emperor and a tribute to the imperial ancestors.

After reading the good news, Liu Xie placed the silk scroll on the incense table and burned incense to worship.

The master of ceremonies announced loudly: "Present the captives—"

Outside the hall, soldiers escorted Han Sui and several leaders of the Hu nobles into the hall. These people were forced to kneel before the hall, facing the memorial tablets.

"The traitor Han Sui, misled by a false edict, rebelled against the Han Dynasty. His crimes are unforgivable!" the official of rites proclaimed loudly. "The Xianbei, Southern Xiongnu, and other barbarian tribes, including Kebineng and Qubei, invaded the south and slaughtered Han people. Their crimes deserve ten thousand deaths! Now they have been captured and presented to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for our ancestors to witness!"

Following procedure, Liu Xie ordered: "Take him to the imperial prison and await execution in the autumn."

"Present the victory report!" the master of ceremonies announced again.

Lü Bu presented a scroll to Liu Xie.

Liu Xie took it, unfolded it, and his expression changed instantly.

It was a large picture album in which the artist used realistic brushstrokes to depict the mound of corpses of the barbarians outside the surrendered city.

The mountain of human heads, five zhang high, piled up like mountains of corpses, with close-ups of the heads of Kebineng and Qubei at the top, along with inscriptions and blood-stained soil, created a scene so realistic it was terrifying.

"This is a picture album of the corpses of the barbarians outside the city of Shoujiang," Lü Bu said calmly. "I ordered an artist to paint it to commemorate this battle. I request Your Majesty to view it and then place it in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Liu Xie was so frightened that he almost dropped the picture book.

That wasn't just a few hundred people, it was a mountain of corpses piled up from thousands!

This was a silent warning, both to the Northern Barbarians and to Liu Xie.

"Your Majesty?" the master of ceremonies whispered.

Liu Xie came to his senses and said in a trembling voice, "Enshrine this album in a side hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

The official in charge of ceremonies took the album and carefully carried it to a side hall for placement.