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

After reading it aloud, Yang Biao presented the silk scroll to Liu Xie.

Liu Xie accepted the document, his hand still trembling slightly. He looked at Lü Bu below the altar, took a deep breath, and proclaimed loudly, "Duke Lü Bu of Jin, step forward to receive the investiture!"

Lü Bu stepped onto the altar, and Liu Xie personally handed Lü Bu the imperial edict.

Lu Bu took it, unfolded it, glanced at it, and put it into his pocket.

"Awarding the seal and ribbon—" the official in charge of ceremonies announced loudly.

The Minister of the Imperial Household presented a golden tray containing a golden seal and a blue ribbon.

The seal was cast in gold, measuring 1.2 inches square, with a tortoise-shaped knob, and engraved with the four characters "Seal of the Duke of Jin". The ribbon was blue, 12 feet long, and woven with cloud patterns.

Liu Xie personally bestowed the seal of office upon Lü Bu.

Lu Bu took it with both hands and tied it around his waist.

"Bestowed with the Nine Bestowments—"

This is the main event.

Nine items were presented by nine officials, and each time an item was bestowed, the master of ceremonies would announce its name and meaning.

The first tin: carriages and horses.

The newly appointed Grand Master of Ceremonies presented models of a golden chariot and a magnificent horse (the actual objects were too large, so the models were used as a symbol). The official in charge of ceremonies announced: "A golden chariot and a military chariot, each with two black horses. These chariots and horses are bestowed upon you, Your Excellency, to signify your ability to bring peace and security to the people!"

The second tin: clothes.

The Imperial Household Department presented a complete set of imperial robes and ceremonial attire. The official in charge of ceremonies announced, "This set of imperial robes and ceremonial attire, paired with red shoes, is bestowed upon you, Your Excellency, to signify your virtuous character!"

The third Xi: Le County.

The Grand Music Master presented a set of designs for both the chime bells and the chime stones. The official in charge of rites announced: "The music of Xuanxian, the dance of the six rows of dancers. We bestow upon you, Your Excellency, the music of Xuanxian, to signify your ability to educate the people!" (Note: Xuanxian refers to musical instruments suspended on three sides, a system used by feudal lords; the six rows of dancers refers to a dance performed in six rows and six columns, also a system used by feudal lords.)

Fourth Xi: Zhu Hu.

The master craftsman presented a model of a vermilion gate. The official in charge of ceremonies announced, "A vermilion gate is bestowed upon you, sir, to signify your ability to serve the people!"

Fifth tin: Na Bi.

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Household presented the model onto the steps. The official in charge of ceremonies announced, "Prepare it for ascending the steps. This gift is bestowed upon you to present it, signifying your ability to promote virtuous individuals!"

The sixth tin: Tiger Guard.

General Cheng Lian, the Tiger-Bodyguard Commander, presented the Tiger-Bodyguard Commander's insignia. The official in charge of ceremonies announced: "Three hundred Tiger-Bodyguards. This Tiger-Bodyguard Commander is bestowed upon you, signifying your ability to eradicate evil!"

The seventh item: Axe and halberd.

Minister Jia Xu presented the axe and halberd—the very same one used yesterday to behead Han Rong. The official in charge of ceremonies announced, "One axe and one halberd. We bestow these upon you, Your Excellency, to signify your ability to punish the traitor!"

The eighth tin: bow and arrow.

The strategist Guo Jia presented a red bow and a red arrow. The official in charge of ceremonies announced: "One red bow, one hundred red arrows; ten black bows, one thousand black arrows. We bestow these bows and arrows upon you, Your Excellency, to signify your ability to wage war!"

The ninth type of tin: black millet wine.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies presented a pot of fragrant wine brewed from black millet and a jade tablet. The official in charge of rites announced, "A pot of black millet wine, accompanied by a jade tablet. This wine is bestowed upon you, Your Excellency, to signify your reverence for the gods!"

After bestowing the Nine Bestowments, Liu Xie, forcing himself to remain calm, announced: "A temple dedicated to the Duke of Jin will be built in Jiuyuan County, Wuyuan Commandery, to honor the ancestors of the Lü clan. A general amnesty will be granted in Bingzhou; except for serious crimes such as treason, patricide, and the massacre of Han people by foreign tribes, all others will be pardoned!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lü Bu then stood up and bowed in thanks.

All the officials bowed in unison: "Congratulations, Duke Jin!"

The sound shook the surrounding area.

Lü Bu turned around, facing the thousands of soldiers and civilians below the altar, and raised the axe in his hand.

"Victory! Victory! Victory!"

The soldiers roared like a tidal wave, and the people cheered in response.

Liu Xie felt a chill run through him as he watched this scene.

He knew that from this day forward, the Han Dynasty would be almost entirely irrelevant to him.

Not to mention ruling over all directions, he didn't even have a single eunuch or palace maid by his side. They were all replaced by trusted men by Lü Bu. His every word and action was under Lü Bu's control.

Lü Bu truly achieved absolute power over the court.

The ceremony lasted until the afternoon.

Lu Bu returned to the Duke of Jin's mansion—in the midst of chaos, everything was kept simple. He simply changed the plaque of the former General's mansion and erected twin towers in front of the gate to serve as the Duke of Jin's mansion.

The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and a grand banquet was held.

All the civil and military officials came to offer their congratulations, and gifts piled up like mountains.

Lu Bu sat in the main seat, accepting toasts from everyone.

Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Cao Xing, Cheng Lian, Hao Meng, Song Xian, Hou Cheng, Zhang Xiu, Ma Chao, Xu Huang and other trusted generals sat on the left and right, all beaming with joy.

Yang Biao, Zhao Wen, Zhang happy, and others also arrived, but they sat on a side seat with complicated expressions.

After several rounds of drinks, Lü Bu put down his wine cup and looked at Yang Biao: "Lord Yang."

Yang Biao quickly stood up: "What are your orders, Duke Jin?"

"No need for formalities," Lü Bu waved his hand. "If Lord Yang wishes to retire and live out his days in peace, I will not stop him. If he wishes to remain in the court, he is also welcome."

First, he conspired with the emperor to eliminate Lü Bu, and then he conspired with Lü Bu to force the emperor to abdicate. Naturally, Yang Biao had no face to remain in the court, so he bowed deeply and said, "This old minister is old and his energy is failing. I humbly request to retire and return to my hometown."

There is no place for him in the court anymore, so he should retire gracefully and preserve his family.

Lü Bu nodded: "Granted. Grant him one hundred catties of gold and one thousand bolts of silk, and send him back to his hometown of Hongnong in a carriage."

Yang Biao bowed again: "Thank you, Duke Jin."

Upon seeing this, Zhao Wen, Zhang happy, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and others also resigned one after another.

Lü Bu approved all of them and rewarded them accordingly.

For other officials, Lü Bu appointed them according to their abilities, and did not make things difficult for those who wanted to leave.

Only Han Rong's family received drastically different treatment.

The following day, the Sili Xiaowei Office issued a notice:

Han Rong's son, Han Yan, embezzled grain and salary. The evidence against him was conclusive, and he was sentenced to immediate execution, with his family property confiscated.

Seven of Han Rong's close relatives were suspected of protecting and condoning him. They were dismissed from their posts, stripped of their titles and land, expelled from the capital, and permanently barred from holding office.

More than thirty of Han's distant relatives, students, and former subordinates were severely punished according to the law if they were found guilty; those who were innocent were also dismissed from their posts.

Several of Han Rong's old friends privately discussed politics and insulted the Duke of Jin. They were arrested, imprisoned, flogged fifty times, and exiled to the frontier.

His swift and decisive actions intimidated both the government and the public.

From then on, no one dared to openly criticize Lü Bu.

On the tenth day of the third month, Lü Bu, in his capacity as Duke of Jin, presided over the court assembly for the first time.

Liu Xie remained seated on the throne, still nominally the emperor, but everyone knew who truly held the power.

The main purpose of this court assembly was to confirm Lü Bu's new position, his resignation as Grand General, the formal appointment of Ma Teng as Governor of Liang Province, and the retirement of Yang Biao, Zhao Wen, and several others to their hometowns.

None of the officials dared to object, and the court session quickly came to an end.

Lü Bu returned to the Duke of Jin's residence, followed by Jia Xu and Guo Jia.

"My lord now has complete control of the court," Guo Jia said with a smile. "Next, it's time to plot for the world."

Lü Bu walked to the map and pointed to Henan, Hanoi, and Shangdang: "The others can wait. We should first bring the Governor of Henan, Hanoi, and Shangdang under the control of the court. Especially Shangdang. Now that I am the Duke of Jin, how can I let Shangdang remain isolated?"

"Henan is without a ruler; our lord can easily occupy it by sending troops," Jia Xu nodded. "Zhang Yang, the governor of Henan, has a past relationship with our lord. He probably didn't submit before because he didn't want to be subordinate to our lord. Now that our lord has killed the Northern Di, annexed Liang, been promoted to Grand Marshal, taken charge of the Secretariat, become the Commandant of the Capital Region, and been promoted to Duke of Jin, his prestige is unparalleled. Governor Zhang should no longer refuse."

Lü Bu nodded: "What Wenhe said is exactly what I wanted to say. I will also write a letter to Zhang Yang, expressing my feelings and reminiscing about the past, and inviting him to help me to restore order to the world and secure the country."

"Yes," Jia Xu noted.

Guo Jia added, "After Zhang Yang surrenders, we can have Zhang Yang, Wei Kai, and Wang Yi surround him from three sides and offer amnesty to Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army who occupies Shangdang County. If Zhang Yan is willing to surrender, that would be best. If he is not willing to surrender, we should force him to retreat to Ji Province, which will be a good opportunity to attack Yuan Shao in the future."

Lü Bu nodded: "That's right, but attacking Yuan Shao is a matter for later. After taking over the three commanderies of Henan Yin, Hanoi, and Shangdang, it's better to deal with Hanzhong and Yizhou first."

Jia Xu and Guo Jia both nodded in agreement.