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

Lü Bu dismounted, walked to Zhang Lu, helped him up, and untied the thorny branches from his back, throwing them to the ground: "Zhang Gongqi, you have ruled Hanzhong for many years, which is a crime. However, you have protected the territory and its people, sparing Hanzhong from war and allowing the people to live in peace, which is one merit. Now you have opened the city gates and surrendered, saving the city from casualties and protecting the lives of the people of Nanzheng, which is a second merit. These two merits offset your crimes, and the court pardons you."

Zhang Lu, with tears in his eyes, said, "I thank Duke Jin for his magnanimity, but my mother..."

Lu Bu said, "The old lady has been rescued and is resting at Yangping Pass. She is safe and sound. I will send her to Nanzheng to reunite with you later."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu bowed to the ground again, choked with sobs and unable to speak.

Lü Bu addressed the officials, saying, "You have all wisely followed the will of Heaven and submitted to the court. Officials at all levels in Hanzhong will remain in their original positions for now, each performing their duties. A final decision will be made after the court sends officials to assess them."

The officials all breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in gratitude.

After entering the city, Lü Bu stayed at the former governor's residence. Zhang Lu personally led the way for Lü Bu and reported on the population, land, and granaries of Hanzhong.

Currently, Hanzhong Commandery has over 20,000 households, over 100,000 people, over 400,000 mu of farmland, over 200,000 shi of grain, and over 50,000 guan of cash. The commandery originally had 25,000 soldiers, but over 10,000 were lost at Jitou Pass, and 5,000 of Yang Ang's troops at Yangping Pass have surrendered to the imperial court. There are still several thousand soldiers in Nanzheng, all of whom have been disarmed.

After listening, Lü Bu said, "Gongqi, you will temporarily serve as the Prefect of Hanzhong to maintain local order. However, the county's troops need to be reorganized. Those soldiers who wish to return home should be given repatriation funds, while those who wish to join the army should be screened and incorporated into the imperial auxiliary military camp. Officers need to study at the Chang'an Military Academy and pass the examination before they can be reused. Can you handle this?"

Zhang Lu bowed and said, "I will do my utmost! However, I am a convicted criminal, and I fear that people will not accept me as governor again."

Lü Bu laughed and said, "You have governed Hanzhong well and the people trust you. The Five Pecks of Rice sect can be preserved, but it must be stripped of its military and administrative powers and become purely a religion. You can focus on civil administration, and the military power will be directly controlled by the imperial court."

"Lu understands!"

In the afternoon, Zhang Lu's mother, née Lu, was sent to Nanzheng. Mother and son were reunited and embraced, weeping bitterly.

Lady Lu said to Zhang Lu, "When I was in the Shu army camp, I saw that Duke Jin was a brilliant strategist, defeating tens of thousands of Shu soldiers with only a few thousand cavalry. He also cherished his soldiers, immediately ordering the wounded to be treated after the battle and not killing the surrendered prisoners. He is a benevolent ruler. It is truly a blessing that my son has been able to serve such a wise ruler."

Zhang Lu said, "Mother is absolutely right. I have made up my mind that I will dedicate the rest of my life to assisting Duke Jin and establishing meritorious achievements."

Now that Zhang Lu has surrendered, the other towns will likely not put up a stubborn resistance, so this matter will be left for Zhang Lu to handle.

If he handles this well, he can enjoy wealth and honor under Lü Bu's command. If he doesn't, he'll be sidelined.

On the 23rd of the third month, Lü Bu convened a military meeting at the governor's mansion, with generals such as Cao Xing, Zhang Xiu, Xu Huang, and Yang Ang in attendance.

Xu Huang reported: "My lord, the spies have sent word that after Wu Yi fled back to Jianmen Pass, he closed the pass and is holding it at all costs. He has also requested reinforcements from Chengdu. It is estimated that Liu Zhang will send troops to reinforce Jianmen Pass."

Yang Ang said, "Jianmen Pass is a natural fortress. There is no flat ground in front of the pass to place catapults, crossbows, etc., making an uphill attack extremely difficult. The Yinping Trail that Zhang Rensuo suggested may be worth a try. However, this trail is treacherous and requires elite troops and light equipment to cross mountains and valleys and go straight to Jiangyou to cut off Jianmen's rear route."

Lu Bu looked at the map and pondered, "The Yinping Trail is seven hundred li long and uninhabited, with high mountains and deep valleys. Even if I personally go there with the Heavenly Gift Granary carrying provisions and military supplies, it will take a long time. Moreover, Liu Zhang and Wu Yi are already on guard, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to succeed."

Cao Xing said, "My lord, it would be better to besiege them without attacking. The 10,000 troops defending Jianmen Pass are consuming huge amounts of food every day. Our army can cut off their supply lines and wait for them to collapse on their own when their supplies are exhausted."

Zhang Xiu suggested: "Perhaps we could send an army to feign an attack on Jiameng Pass, drawing the Jianmen garrison into a separate force, and then launch a strong attack with our main force."

The crowd discussed amongst themselves, and Cao Xing finally asked, "What is the lord's opinion?"

Lu Bu raised his head and glanced at his generals: "What you all say makes sense, but you have overlooked our army's greatest advantage."

Everyone looked at Lü Bu.

"What are our army's advantages?" Lü Bu stood up and walked into the hall. "First, we have the Heavenly Granted Granary, where we can carry our own food and supplies without the need for laborers to transport them. Second, we can march swiftly, with cavalry able to travel 200 li a day and infantry 50 or 60 li a day. Third, we can readily use siege equipment, so we are not afraid of difficult mountain roads."

He turned and pointed to Jianmen Pass on the map: "Bsieging without attacking, and dragging it out for a long time, will give Liu Zhang ample time to deploy troops and fortify the city's defenses. Detouring through Yinping is a treacherous 700-li route; even if I use the Divine Granary to carry provisions, it will take several days to reach Jiangyou. By the time our army circles around to the rear of Jianmen Pass, Liu Zhang's reinforcements may have already arrived."

Zhang Xiu suddenly realized: "My lord means..."

"Let's attack directly." Lü Bu said decisively, "While Liu Zhang's reinforcements haven't arrived yet, and while the defenders of Jianmen Pass are still recovering from their recent defeat, let's break through the pass in one fell swoop! By the time I break through Jianmen Pass, Liu Zhang's reinforcements will probably still be on their way."

Xu Huang frowned: "But Jianmen Pass is a natural fortress, with no flat ground in front of it, so catapults and ballistae cannot be set up for an uphill attack. If we launch a direct assault, our soldiers will have to climb steep slopes, and logs and rocks will rain down from the walls, resulting in heavy casualties."

Yang Ang's eyes suddenly lit up: "My lord, I have an idea, but I don't know if it's feasible."

"speak."

"Since our lord possesses divinely bestowed siege weapons such as catapults and giant crossbows, there's no need to limit ourselves to attacking the main gate!"

"Jianmen Pass is flanked by high mountains," Yang Ang said, walking to the map and pointing to the mountains on the east and west sides of the pass. "If our lord could climb the mountain peaks on the sides and place the catapults there, we could attack the pass from the side, turning an uphill attack into an downhill one. However, I wonder what the terrain of the mountains on both sides is like, and whether there are places where we can place the equipment."

A glint of light flashed in Lü Bu's eyes: "Excellent idea! If we can find such a hilltop, my granary is stocked with hundreds of catapults and ballistae, and countless stones and arrows. Attacking the fortress from above will be a piece of cake!"

He paused for a moment, then added, "However, Zhang Ren should know the details of the terrain on both sides of Jianmen Pass."

Cao Xing said, "Zhang Ren is currently imprisoned in the prisoner-of-war camp. I will go and bring him here for questioning."

"No," Lü Bu waved his hand, "I will go myself. His condition should not be known to outsiders. You all wait here and continue to discuss the details of the attack."

The prisoner-of-war camp was set up in the former military camp west of Nanzheng City, and was guarded by a regiment of the First Army.

Lü Bu arrived on horseback with only a few personal guards. The camp commander, recognizing the Duke of Jin, hurriedly bowed and said, "My lord!"

Where is Zhang Renguan located?

"Barracks No. 3, Class A, solitary confinement."

"lead the way."