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

The news that Lü Bu had been promoted to Grand Marshal, appointed to the Secretariat, given the position of Commandant of the Capital Region, enfeoffed as Duke of Jin, and granted the Nine Bestowments spread like wildfire throughout the land.

The various local warlords reacted differently.

Jizhou, Yecheng.

Yuan Shao slammed the bamboo slips to the ground: "That brat Lü Bu dares to presume to call himself a duke! Does he think that killing a few barbarians will make him the ruler of the world?"

The strategist Ju Shou advised, "My lord, please calm your anger. Although Lü Bu is arrogant, he now controls three provinces, holds the emperor hostage, and has a well-trained army and ample supplies. He should not be underestimated. The most urgent task is to consolidate Ji Province and unite with other warlords to resist Lü Bu."

Yuan Shao scoffed, "The other warlords? Which one has a better army and more provisions than me?"

Another strategist, Tian Feng, said: "My lord, Lü Bu's power is already established. If we allow him to grow stronger, he will become a major threat. We should take advantage of his recent conquest of Bing and Liang, when his foundation is not yet stable, and unite with Gongsun Zan, Cao Cao, Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, Liu Yan, Zhang Lu, and others to attack him from all sides."

Yuan Shao hesitated for a moment: "Let me think it over."

Yuan Shao had witnessed Lü Bu's bravery firsthand—back at Hulao Pass, Lü Bu single-handedly fought three heroes, and Yuan Shao was also present. Now, Lü Bu was rumored to have been granted divine assistance and was a master strategist, making him truly difficult to defeat.

However, if not stopped, Lü Bu will eventually attack Ji Province.

Just as he was hesitating, a scout reported: "My lord, Henan has been recovered by Hou Cheng and Zhang Ji, dispatched by Lü Bu, and Zhang Yang, the governor of Henan, has also submitted to Lü Bu!"

Yuan Shao's face darkened.

Hanoi borders Ji Province. Zhang Yang's surrender is tantamount to Lü Bu holding a knife to his throat.

"Send word to reinforce Wei Commandery and guard against Lü Bu!" Yuan Shao finally made up his mind.

Yanzhou, Juancheng.

Cao Cao was extremely troubled by the growing disloyalty of the gentry in Yan Province.

Upon hearing that Lü Bu had been promoted to Duke of Jin, he sighed, "Fengxian, you truly are a man of few words, but when you speak, you amaze everyone."

The strategist Xun Yu said, "My lord, Lü Bu is powerful and has seized the authority of the court, which is detrimental to our Yan Province. We should quickly quell the internal strife and then devise a foreign strategy."

Cao Cao nodded: "Wenruo is absolutely right. However, it is rumored that Lü Bu possesses a divinely bestowed granary with inexhaustible provisions. How can we possibly fight this battle?"

Xun Yu pondered, "The story of the divine granary bestowed by heaven may be an exaggeration. Even if it is true, it must have limitations. With Lü Bu's battle lines stretched thin, the logistical pressure will inevitably increase. I can send spies to infiltrate Guanzhong to investigate the truth."

Just then, Cheng Yu came to report: "My lord, Yang Chou of Hanoi wanted to surrender the city to us, but he failed and was killed. Zhang Yang has completely submitted to Lü Bu."

Cao Cao smiled wryly: "I've lost another arm."

He felt even more pressure.

With Lü Bu pressing in from the west, Yuan Shao eyeing the north, and Yuan Shu to the south, Yan Province was in grave danger.

Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

Looking at the intelligence report, Liu Biao shook his head and sighed, "The Han dynasty is in decline, and treacherous heroes are rising up everywhere. Although Lü Bu is brave, he has overstepped his bounds by claiming the title of duke; how is he any different from Dong Zhuo?"

Cai Mao said, "My lord, Lü Bu is very powerful. We should establish friendly relations with him to prevent him from invading the south."

Kuai Liang, however, said, "Lu Bu is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Today he calls himself a duke, tomorrow he will call himself a king, and the day after tomorrow he will ascend the throne and point his sword at the world. Making friends is useless. We should ally with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Yuan Shu to fight against him together."

Liu Biao hesitated.

He only wanted to protect the territory and its people, and did not want to get involved in the struggle for power.

However, if Lü Bu truly unifies the north, Jingzhou will certainly not be able to remain unscathed.

Just then, someone came to report: "Sun Jian's son, Sun Ce, has offered the Imperial Seal of the State as collateral to borrow 3,000 troops from Yuan Shu, intending to march on Jiangdong."

Liu Biao was astonished: "The Imperial Seal of the State has really been taken by Sun Jian?"

When Sun Jian captured Luoyang, he found the Imperial Seal of the State in a well and kept it privately. When others asked him about it, Sun Jian denied it.

Now that Sun Ce is getting old, he wants to raise an army to avenge his father, but he has no troops. So he uses the imperial seal as collateral to borrow troops from Yuan Shu, intending to first occupy Jiangdong and then go west to avenge his father.

Liu Biao lamented, "By the mandate of Heaven, and with a long and prosperous reign, Sun Ce has handed over the Imperial Seal to Yuan Shu. What a pity!"

Nanyang, Wancheng.

Yuan Shu, clutching the Imperial Seal, laughed loudly, "The Mandate of Heaven is on my side! The Mandate of Heaven is on my side!"

The jade seal is four inches square, with five dragons intertwined on the top knob. The front is inscribed with the eight characters "Received the Mandate of Heaven, May Your Life Be Long and Prosperous," which is the Imperial Seal of the State made by Qin Shi Huang.

The strategist Yang Hongdao said, "Our lord's possession of this national treasure is a blessing from Heaven. In the past, Emperor Gaozu rose up by slaying the white snake, and Emperor Guangwu established the Han dynasty with the red talisman. Now that our lord possesses the imperial seal, he is destined to replace the Han dynasty and establish his own!"

Yuan Shu was inherently arrogant, believing that the Yuan family had held high office for four generations, with disciples and former officials all over the land, and that it was right for them to replace the Han dynasty. He was the legitimate son, while Yuan Shao was an illegitimate son. Now that he had obtained the imperial seal, he felt even more that he had the mandate of heaven.

Yan Xiang advised, "My lord, you must not do this. Lü Bu has just conquered Bing and Liang, and has more than 100,000 troops. If you declare yourself emperor now, you will surely become a thorn in Lü Bu's side, and I fear that he will attack you."

Yuan Shu scoffed, "Lü Bu is nothing but a commoner who gained power by sheer luck. How can he compare to my family, which has held high office for four generations? I am the eldest son of the Yuan family, and my possession of the Imperial Seal is a sign from Heaven: the Han dynasty is about to end, and the Yuan family will rise!"

He grew increasingly excited as he spoke: "Send orders to intensify the attack on Huainan and prepare for my ascension to the throne. Once I'm on the throne, I'll first destroy Lü Bu, then pacify the entire land! Haha!"

Yan Xiang tried to persuade him again, but Yuan Shu refused to listen.

When the news spread, the world was in an uproar.

Chang'an, the Duke of Jin's residence.

Upon receiving the report, Lü Bu sneered, "Yuan Gonglu is truly a skeleton in a tomb. He dares to declare himself emperor just because he got an imperial seal? Fine, let him declare himself emperor. It gives me a reason to send troops."

Jia Xu said, "My lord, if Yuan Shu dares to declare himself emperor, he will surely lose the hearts of the people. At that time, if you punish him in the name of the court, it will be perfectly legitimate, and you can take back Nanyang and Yuzhou."

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Yuan Shu is courting death. However, my lord, Sun Ce borrowed troops with the Imperial Seal. This young hero should not be underestimated. If he takes control of Jiangdong, he may become a future threat."

Lü Bu nodded: "Fengxiao is absolutely right. Sun Ce is a tiger cub. However, we are too far away to deal with him right now. Let's deal with Shangdang first."

Luoyang, April.

Hou Cheng stood in front of the ruined Nangong Palace, directing the soldiers and civilians to clear the rubble.

Thousands of laborers, led by officials, moved bricks and stones and leveled the land. Grain and supplies transported from Guanzhong by the imperial court filled temporary warehouses. Craftsmen built workshops and began firing bricks and tiles.

Wei Kai rushed over from Hedong and, seeing this scene, exclaimed, "In the past, Dong Zhuo set fire to the capital, which had stood for two hundred years. Now, the Duke of Jin has rebuilt Luoyang; his achievement will last for generations."

Hou Cheng said, "The Duke of Jin has decreed that Luoyang must not only be rebuilt, but must be built even better than before. The construction of palaces should be postponed; first, the city walls, government offices, and residences should be repaired, and the displaced people should be resettled."

He pointed into the distance: "Over there is a newly built market. The imperial court has exempted it from taxes for three years to attract merchants. Over there is a school, recruiting students from poor families. There are also clinics and workshops. Duke Jin said that Luoyang should become the center of all nations."

Wei Kai exclaimed in amazement, "The center of all nations? Duke Jin's foresight is beyond our reach."

As they were talking, Zhang Ji brought a batch of timber from Hongnong, and the three of them discussed the reconstruction.

Hou Chengdao said, "The city walls should be repaired according to the old system, and made higher and thicker. The government offices should be built according to the regulations of the Ministry of Personnel and the offices of the Nine Ministers, and should be grand and practical."

Wei Kai added: "Residential houses are organized into neighborhoods, each with a well and a market for the convenience of the people. Roads should be wide and have drainage ditches to prevent flooding."

With the three working together, the reconstruction of Luoyang progressed rapidly.