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

On May 16th, before dawn, a thousand horsemen set out from the east gate of Chang'an.

The personal guard battalion consisted entirely of elite soldiers, without the burden of ordinary troops. Each soldier had three horses in rotation, and they could travel more than two hundred li a day.

If it weren't for the fact that his men and horses needed rest, Lu Bu's storage space would have allowed him to march even faster.

Huang Zhong, having long served in Jingzhou, had never witnessed such a military march. On the way, he asked Zhao Yun, "Zilong, with the Duke of Jin marching so hastily, can the soldiers hold out?"

Zhao Yun said, "General Huang, rest assured, the personal guards are all elite soldiers who have fought countless battles. They can easily cover two hundred li a day. Moreover, Duke Jin has a divine granary bestowed by heaven, so there is plenty of meat. The brothers are full of energy."

Sure enough, whenever they rested, Lü Bu would take out cooked meat, bread, and water from his spatial storage. After the soldiers had their fill, they would fall asleep immediately and be refreshed the next day.

On May 19, the team arrived in Anyi.

Wei Kai had received the news in advance and was waiting at the city gate.

"Lord Jin, Du Ji is currently stationed at Qi Shi, but is blocked at Fa Jiu Mountain. I have prepared provisions, enough for the army for three days," Wei Kai reported.

Lü Bu waved his hand: "I've brought enough provisions. You keep them to appease the local people. How's the situation in Du Ji's territory?"

"Li Damu guarded the pass very well, and Commandant Du failed to break through it twice. However, the Black Mountain Army is short of food and morale is low. Recently, a small group of men has sneaked down the mountain to surrender."

Lu Bu nodded: "It seems Zhang Yan won't last much longer."

After resting for half a day on the east bank of the river, we continued eastward.

On May 23, we arrived in Weishi County.

When Du Ji heard that Lü Bu had arrived in person, he led his men out of the city to welcome him.

"This humble general, Du Ji, pays his respects to Duke Jin!" Du Ji knelt on one knee.

Lu Bu dismounted and helped him up, saying, "Commander Du, you've worked hard. Please get up and let's talk."

The group entered the city.

The county town of Qishi was small, with low city walls and deserted streets. Most of the original inhabitants had fled, and now the town was filled only with county soldiers and the Black Mountain Army soldiers and their families who had recently surrendered.

Du Ji reported: "I have received the surrender of about three thousand soldiers and civilians, and they have all been settled in the city and surrounding villages. However, food supplies are scarce, and we can only provide two meals of thin porridge each day."

Lü Bu asked, "Are the surrendered soldiers behaving themselves?"

"Most of them are well-behaved. They are all poor people who were forced to become bandits in the mountains. Now that they have food to eat, they are unwilling to fight anymore. Only a few former leaders' confidants need to be guarded against."

Lü Bu nodded and said to his personal guards, "Take 50,000 shi of grain and store it in the county granary."

The group arrived at the open space behind the county government office. Lu Bu waved his hand, and a mountain of sacks appeared out of thin air.

Du Ji had accompanied Lü Bu on his northern expedition against the Di people, so he was not surprised. However, the newly recruited soldiers from the surrounding counties, especially the soldiers of the Black Mountain Army, were dumbfounded and knelt down, calling him a god.

Lü Bu proclaimed loudly, "This is a divine granary bestowed by Heaven, a gift from the heavens to aid the Han and bring peace to the people. All those who submit to the court will be able to eat their fill. Du Ji, distribute this grain among the surrendered soldiers and the local troops. Only when they are well-fed can they fight well."

"Yes!" Du Ji replied.

When the news spread, the whole city rejoiced.

The surrendered soldiers received white rice and dried meat, their eyes filled with tears, and they were completely devoted to Lü Bu.

That night, Lü Bu summoned Du Ji, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, and Cheng Lian to discuss matters.

"What's the situation at Fajiu Mountain?" Lü Bu asked.

Du Ji spread out the map: "Fajiu Mountain, also known as Lugu Mountain, is a branch of the Taiyue Mountains. There is a valley in the mountain that leads to the Shangdang Basin. Li Damu built a pass at the narrowest point of the valley. The pass walls are two zhang high, and the cliffs on both sides are steep, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. I attacked the pass twice, but both times I failed because the terrain was too narrow and my troops could not be deployed."

Lu Bu examined the map closely: "What's the situation beyond the pass?"

"After passing through the pass, the valley road gradually widens. After traveling thirty li, you will emerge from the mountains and reach the Shangdang Basin. Traveling another thirty li east will lead to Changzi County, the county seat. Li Damu has two thousand soldiers inside the pass, but there are several other camps behind the pass that can provide mutual support. Zhang Yan has thirty thousand main forces in Changzi County. Once the pass is attacked, he can come to our aid in as little as one day."

Cheng Lian said, "My lord, why don't I lead my personal guard in a night raid? With heavy armor, we can break through the pass in one fell swoop."

Lu Bu shook his head: "A strong attack will inevitably result in casualties. The Black Mountain Army can be subdued anyway, there is no need to cause more bloodshed."

He thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, I will personally go to the pass to persuade him to surrender. If Li Damu does not surrender, it will not be too late to attack again."

May 24th, early morning.

Lü Bu led his personal guard and troops from Duji County, totaling more than 3,000 men, eastward from Qishi.

The mountain path through Fajiu Valley is winding, its widest point no more than ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), and its narrowest point only wide enough for two horses to walk side by side. After traveling twenty li (approximately 10 kilometers), a pass appeared ahead.

The gate was built of bluestone, over two zhang high, spanning the valley and flanked by cliffs. There were crenellations on the gate, and the figures of the guards could be vaguely seen. The gate was tightly closed, and a moat served as a defensive line in front of it, with a drawbridge suspended high above.

A hundred paces from the pass, the bloodstains left by Du Ji during his previous attack on the pass had not yet been washed away.

Du Ji stepped forward and shouted with all his might, "Where is the garrison commander of the pass? Come out and answer me!"

The sound echoed through the valley, causing a stir among the guards at the gate.

A moment later, a burly man appeared behind the battlements; it was Li Damu. He was about thirty years old, with a leopard-like head and bulging eyes, and a scar on his face that made him look fierce.

"Du Ji, are you here to die again?" Li Damu laughed loudly. "I've said it before, don't even think about passing through without ten times the troops! Even if you have ten times the troops, my commander's reinforcements will arrive in a day, and you'll only be able to flee in a sorry state!"

Du Ji shouted, "Li Damu, stop your arrogance! The Duke of Jin has come in person today, why don't you open the gates and surrender immediately?"

Li Damu squinted at the man beside Du Ji. Seeing that the man was nine feet tall, riding Red Hare, wielding a halberd, and exuding an imposing aura, he was already seven or eight parts convinced. But he remained defiant: "Duke Jin? I, Li Damu, only acknowledge Commander Zhang Yan! Lü Bu, if you have the guts, then attack the pass and see if I'm afraid of you!"

Lu Bu said calmly, "Li Damu, I know you're a man of honor. But the Black Mountain Army has been starving for a long time. Why must your brothers guard the pass on empty stomachs? If you surrender, I will guarantee your men food and clothing, and employ them according to their abilities. If you resist—"

He paused, then waved his hand.

On the open ground in front of the pass, twenty catapults and ten ballistae appeared out of thin air. Then came mountains of stone projectiles and crossbow bolts, as well as dozens of siege ladders and battering rams. If the pass hadn't been so narrow that there wasn't enough room to store them all, there would have been even more in Lü Bu's storage space.

The garrison at the pass was in uproar.

"The Heaven-Given Granary! This is the legendary Heaven-Given Granary of Lü Bu!"

"So many devices appeared out of thin air..."

"How can we defend like this?"

Li Damu's expression changed drastically, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Lu Bu, so what if you have the Divine Warehouse? This pass is dangerous; no matter how many weapons you have, you can't use them effectively!"

Lu Bu sneered, "I once breached the world-renowned Yanmen Pass in an hour. How long can your nameless pass hold out? If I were to launch a full-scale attack, I could break through in less than an hour. But I do not wish to inflict further casualties. I will give you one day to consider. If you do not surrender by tomorrow, I will then launch my attack."

Having said that, he turned his horse around and led his troops back three miles to set up camp.

Li Damu was sweating profusely as he stood on the wall.

The lieutenant said in a trembling voice, "Chief Li, what should we do? If Lü Bu truly possesses a divinely bestowed granary, who knows how many catapults and stone projectiles are inside? We simply cannot withstand his bombardment with catapults!"

Li Damu gritted his teeth: "Send a messenger on horseback to Changzi County to report to the Commander-in-Chief! Tell him that Lü Bu has personally arrived and that a divine granary has been bestowed by heaven. Please make the decision, Commander-in-Chief!"

"promise!"

A fast horseman rode out of the back gate and galloped eastward.