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

The seat of Hanoi Commandery was Huai County, the prefectural capital.

Zhang Yang held Lü Bu's letter, his brows furrowed.

This is the second letter.

The first time was after Lü Bu had just counterattacked Chang'an and killed Li Jue and Guo Si, when he wrote a letter to recruit him, but he did not reply.

At that time, he felt that since they were both from Bingzhou and came from similar backgrounds, and when they first entered the capital, his official rank was even slightly higher than Lü Bu's. He also controlled Hanoi and commanded nearly ten thousand troops, so why should he submit to someone else?

Moreover, at that time, Hanoi and Guanzhong were separated by the three prefectures of Hedong, Henan, and Hongnong, and were not connected at all.

But this time, it's different.

Hedong and Hongnong have been brought under Lü Bu's control. It is also said that Lü Bu has sent Hou Cheng and Zhang Ji to recover Henan. Lü Bu has also been promoted to Duke of Jin and given the titles of Grand Marshal, Grand Secretary, and Commandant of the Capital Region.

The position of Commandant of the Capital Region was responsible for the military and political power of the entire capital region, and also supervised all officials of the court. He was the superior of the commander.

More importantly, within a month, Lü Bu destroyed the Xianbei, pacified Han Sui, and annexed Liang, ascended to the title of Duke of Jin, and commanded more than 100,000 troops, making him extremely powerful.

He could no longer ignore this letter.

"Summon all civil and military officials for a meeting," Zhang Yang ordered.

Soon, all the civil and military officials under his command gathered in the main hall.

Zhang Yang circulated Lü Bu's letter among the crowd, saying, "Lord Lü Bu of Jin has invited me to join him in supporting the state. What do you all think?"

There was a moment of silence in the hall.

General Yang Chou spoke first: "My lord, although Lü Bu is strong, he is also tyrannical. He killed Ding Yuan, executed Dong Zhuo, and beheaded Han Rong all at his own will. If we surrender today, we may be slaughtered if things go wrong in the future. It would be better to maintain the status quo, hold Hanoi, and observe the world from there."

He was a member of the faction that surrendered to Cao Cao and had secret contact with Cao Cao, so naturally he was unwilling to publicly declare his allegiance to Lü Buwei.

Another general, Sui Gu, retorted: "General Yang, you are mistaken. Duke Jin killed Ding Yuan because he was forced by Dong Zhuo; he executed Dong Zhuo to rid the country of a scourge; he beheaded Han Rong because Han Rong slandered Duke Jin. All of these actions had their reasons; how can they be considered tyrannical?"

Sui Gu was from Bingzhou and shared a hometown with Lü Bu, so he advocated joining Lü Bu's forces.

Bai Yue, the commander of the personal guards, also said, "My lord, the world is in chaos now. The Duke of Jin has already occupied three provinces, holding the emperor hostage to command the other lords. He has a well-trained army and ample supplies. Hanoi is caught between the Duke of Jin, Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao. If we do not make a decision soon, it will be swallowed up sooner or later. Rather than waiting for the Duke of Jin's army to besiege the city, it is better to take the initiative to surrender and we can still preserve our wealth and status."

Prefect Chang Lin pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, what Commander Bai said makes sense. Lü Bu is now very powerful and represents the court. It is perfectly legitimate for us to submit to him."

He was a representative of the local gentry in Hanoi, concerned with the survival of his family. Lü Bu was powerful and held official authority in the court, so siding with him would be more advantageous for them.

Chief Clerk Wang Xiang nodded: "Prefect Chang is right. Duke Jin is not only a military hero, but also cares about the people's livelihood, and the people of Guanzhong have benefited greatly from him. Now he has opened his own government to recruit talents and uses people based on their abilities, which is incomparable to Dong Zhuo and Li Guo. If our lord submits to him, we will surely be given important positions because of our shared hometown."

Zhang Yang looked around at the crowd: "So, you all advocate surrendering?"

Yang Chou urged, "My lord, please reconsider! Cao Cao, Cao Mengde, is a man of great talent and strategy, and treats people with kindness; he is a wise ruler. Lü Bu is merely a brave warrior; how can he last long?"

Sui Gu sneered: "Cao Cao? He's the descendant of a eunuch, now caught between Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, and Tao Qian, and without the support of the gentry of Yan Province, he can barely protect himself. How can he be considered a wise ruler?"

Zhang Yang weighed the options in his mind.

He had already secretly discovered that Yang Chou was in contact with Cao Cao.

However, Sui Gu and Bai Yue were both from Bingzhou, while Chang Lin and Wang Xiang were local gentry. They had more people and their opinions were more important.

Moreover, Lü Bu is now powerful and holds a nominal position in the imperial court, making him truly difficult to resist. Furthermore, serving him out of kinship with someone from the same hometown would undoubtedly bring many benefits.

He recalled what Lü Bu had written in his letter: "Brother Zhishu, I have never forgotten our camaraderie when we were in Bingzhou. Now the Han Dynasty is in decline and heroes are rising up everywhere. I wish to restore the state and bring peace to the people, but this cannot be accomplished by one person alone. If you were to return to me, I would be overjoyed to see you join me in this great undertaking."

These words were polite, but Zhang Yang understood the underlying threat.

If they do not submit, after Lü Bu takes over Henan, his next target will be Hanoi.

Finally, Zhang Yang made up his mind.

"My mind is made up." He stood up and said solemnly, "The Duke of Jin is a pillar of the court, and we Han officials should naturally submit to him. We will submit a memorial today, willing to obey the Duke of Jin's orders and lead the people of Hanoi to submit to the court!"

Yang Chou's expression changed, and he wanted to say more, but Zhang Yang waved his hand to stop him.

"General Yang, there's no need for further words; my mind is made up." Zhang Yang looked at everyone. "Sui Gu, you will lead a hundred cavalrymen to Chang'an to present the petition of surrender. Bai Yue, organize the troops and prepare to welcome the Duke of Jin's reorganization. Prefect Chang and Registrar Wang, pacify the people of the prefecture and prevent any unrest."

"Yes!" the crowd responded.

Yang Chou lowered his head, a shadow passing over his eyes.

That night, Yang Chou secretly met with his confidants.

"The governor has decided to surrender to Lü. What should we do?" his confidant asked.

Yang Chou gritted his teeth: "Lü Bu is cruel and not a wise ruler. Cao Cao is the true hero. I have already made an agreement with Cao Cao that if Zhang Yang surrenders to Lü Bu, I will surrender the city to Cao Cao."

He paused, then said in a low voice, "Go and contact Cao Cao immediately. Tell him that Zhang Yang of Hanoi intends to surrender to Lü Bu, and ask him to send troops to meet him. I will find an opportunity to kill Zhang Yang and surrender the city to gain merit."

The trusted confidant accepted the order and quietly left the city.

But Yang Chou was unaware that his every move was being secretly monitored by Zhang Yang.

Bai Yue had been on guard against him for a long time, and had his personal guards keep a close watch on him day and night. As soon as the confidant left the city, Bai Yue led his men to capture him and find the secret letter.

The letter was delivered to Zhang Yang, who, after reading it, flew into a rage.

"That Yang Chou! He actually dares to betray his master for personal gain!" He slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Guards, arrest Yang Chou!"

Bai Yue led his troops to surround Yang Chou's residence.

When Yang Chou saw that his plan had failed, he led his personal guards and servants to resist with knives, but was hacked to death by a hail of knives.

Zhang Yang issued the order: "Yang Chou plotted rebellion and has been executed. His accomplices must be arrested and interrogated. Anyone who secretly colluded with Cao Cao must be beheaded!"

A purge brought Hanoi to complete stability.

When Hou Cheng successfully recovered Henan, Zhang Yang's envoy, Sui Gu, also arrived in Chang'an at full speed, presenting a petition of surrender.

Lü Bu was overjoyed and immediately issued an edict: appointing Zhang Yang as the Prefect of Hanoi, General Who Pacifies the East, and granting him the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, allowing him to remain stationed in Hanoi and defend against Yuan Shao and Cao Cao in the east. He was also awarded 100 catties of gold and 1,000 bolts of silk to recognize his merits. He was also granted 50,000 shi of grain and 100,000 strings of cash to reward his soldiers.

He then ordered Wei Kai of Hedong, Wang Yi of Bingzhou, and Zhang Yang of Henan to send troops from three sides to besiege Shangdang County and force Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Army to surrender.

With the surrender of Hanoi and the recapture of Henan, Lü Bu's territory expanded by two more commanderies.