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

In fact, not long after Liu Zhang surrendered, Lü Bu set off to return to Chang'an.

After all, he feared that if he were away for too long, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others would take the opportunity to launch an attack. Therefore, after Liu Zhang surrendered, he left the remaining matters to Liu Zhang and Cao Xing to handle, while he still had to return to oversee the capital region.

Because they could not utilize the imperial postal system, the spies sent by warlords such as Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were much slower than the imperial postal courier in transmitting military intelligence, resulting in delays in communication.

The feudal lords of the land were still unaware that Liu Zhang had surrendered and that Yizhou had changed hands; their knowledge was still stuck on the time when Lü Bu led his army out of the capital to attack Yizhou.

Early May, Jizhou, Yecheng.

Inside the governor's mansion, Yuan Shao sat in the main seat with a gloomy expression, the bamboo slips in his hands creaking under his grip.

Below the hall, strategists Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Shen Pei, and Feng Ji, and military generals Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan stood on either side, creating a solemn atmosphere.

"That scoundrel Gongsun Zan!" Yuan Shao slammed the bamboo slips to the ground. "I kindly sent someone to mediate his conflict with Liu Yu, offering to lend him a hand in attacking Lü Bu. But he thinks I'm joining forces with Liu Yu to plot against him, and instead intensifies his attacks!"

Ju Shou bent down to pick up the bamboo slips and said in a deep voice, "My lord, Gongsun Zan is stubborn and has always been suspicious. Although your previous show of attacking him was out of caution, how could Gongsun Zan have believed it? Now he has gone all out, first defeating Liu Yu and seizing Youzhou for himself, and has become a major threat."

Tian Feng stepped forward: "My lord, the most urgent task is to appease Gongsun Zan. We can send another envoy to explain the advantages and disadvantages. Lü Bu controls four provinces, with well-trained troops and ample supplies, and he even possesses the divine ability to store grain. If we do not unite against him as soon as possible, who in the world can stop him once he conquers Yi Province? At that time, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun of Bing Province will lead their army eastward through Jingxing Pass and strike directly into the heart of Ji Province. Will You Province be able to remain unscathed then?"

Yuan Shao frowned: "Would Gongsun Zan listen to that?"

"We must give it a try," Shen Pei said. "At the same time, our lord can deploy troops to Julu and Hejian to make a defensive posture, showing that he has no intention of being enemies with Gongsun Zan. Then send an envoy with generous gifts to express our willingness to temporarily place the land north of Bohai Commandery under Gongsun Zan's control in exchange for Gongsun Zan and Liu Yu ceasing hostilities and jointly resisting Lü Bu."

Feng Ji shook his head: "Gongsun Zan has just been appointed Governor of Youzhou, and his momentum is at its peak. I'm afraid he won't give up easily. In my opinion, it would be better to attack Lü Bu first. Lü Bu is leading his army to attack Yizhou, while Bingzhou only has three generals—Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Zhang Yan—with no more than 30,000 troops. If our lord personally leads a large army out of Fukou Pass and directly takes Shangdang, while simultaneously ordering Cao Cao to attack Yanzhou from Xuzhou, Tao Qian to attack Taishan, and Yuan Gonglu to attack Sili from Shouchun, then with three routes attacking simultaneously, Lü Bu's remaining generals will be unable to defend both ends and will surely be defeated!"

Yan Liang clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, leading 30,000 elite troops, and will surely capture Shangdang within ten days!"

Wen Chou also said, "I am willing to go with General Yan!"

Yuan Shao hesitated.

At that moment, a messenger outside the gate urgently reported: "My lord, urgent news from Youzhou!"

"speak!"

On May 3rd, Gongsun Zan personally led 3,000 White Horse Cavalry and 20,000 Youzhou soldiers in a fierce attack on Ji County. Although Liu Yu's generals Xianyu Fu and Qi Zhou fought desperately, most of the city's grain and fodder had been burned by Gongsun Zan's spies, and the army's morale collapsed. On the night of May 5th, the south gate of Ji County was opened by an inside agent, and Gongsun Zan's army poured in. Liu Yu led his personal guards in street fighting, but was hit by several arrows and captured alive by Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan publicly beheaded Liu Yu and more than 30 family members, including his sons Liu He, Liu Xi, and Liu Sui, and hung their heads on the city gate. Seeing that Liu Yu was dead, the various counties of Youzhou all submitted to Gongsun Zan. Only Gongsun Du of Liaodong refused to submit, proclaimed himself Governor of Pingzhou, and established a separatist regime in Liaodong.

The hall was completely silent.

Yuan Shao slowly sat down, and after a long while said, "Liu Bo'an is dead just like that..."

Ju Shou sighed, "Gongsun Zan is ruthless and leaves no room for maneuver. Now he occupies Youzhou alone, and his White Horse Cavalry is already elite. He has also incorporated Liu Yu's old troops, so his strength probably exceeds 50,000. It will be difficult to join forces with him to attack Lü now."

Tian Feng urged, "My lord, we should unite as soon as possible! Gongsun Zan has just acquired Youzhou and needs time to consolidate his power. At this time, he is most afraid of fighting on two fronts. If you promise to cease hostilities on the border between Youzhou and Jizhou and provide him with provisions and weapons, he may be willing to temporarily set aside his prejudices and join forces to attack Lü Bu. It will not be too late to plan for Youzhou after Lü Bu is defeated."

After a moment's thought, Yuan Shao finally made his decision: "I will follow Yuan Hao's advice and send Xun Chen as an envoy, carrying 50,000 shi of grain, 1,000 taels of gold, and 3,000 bolts of silk, to Ji County to meet Gongsun Zan. At the same time, I will send letters to Cao Cao, Tao Qian, Yuan Shu, and Liu Biao, agreeing to launch a four-pronged attack on Lü Bu on June 15th!"

"promise!"

At this time, Yuan Shao was unaware that Yizhou had changed hands and that Lü Bu had begun his return to Chang'an.

In mid-May, in Shouchun, Huainan.

When Yuan Shu received Yuan Shao's letter, he sneered after reading it and casually tossed it onto the table.

Below the hall, strategists Yang Hong and Yan Xiang, and military generals Ji Ling, Zhang Xun, and Qiao Rui were all present.

"Yuan Shao wants me to send troops to fight Lü Bu?" Yuan Shu scoffed. "Why doesn't he strike first himself? Although Lü Bu is in Yi Province, he still has tens of thousands of troops in Sili and Yan Provinces. Moreover, that brat Sun Ce is still eyeing us from Jiangdong. If I go north, Shouchun will be undefended, and Sun Ce will surely launch a surprise attack. Does he think I'm a fool?"

Yan Xiang advised, "My lord, what Yuan Shao said makes sense. Lü Bu is powerful and has already occupied four provinces. If we do not contain him as soon as possible, once he conquers Yizhou and consolidates his power, no one in the world will be able to control him. Although Sun Ce occupies Jiangdong, his army is only 20,000 strong, and he needs to divide his troops to guard various counties, so he is temporarily unable to advance north. My lord, you can leave General Ji Ling with 10,000 troops to guard Shouchun, while you lead 30,000 troops out of Yingchuan to attack Henan and threaten Sili. In this way, we can both fulfill Yuan Shao's agreement and prevent our rear from being left empty."

Ji Ling, however, said, "My lord, I think it is not advisable. Although Sun Ce is young, he is brave and skilled in battle, and he is also assisted by generals such as Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu. If he knows that you are heading north, he will surely attack with all his might. Although Shouchun is fortified, if the defending troops are few, I fear it will be difficult to hold out for long."

Zhang Xun echoed, "General Ji is absolutely right. Moreover, Lü Bu has generals like Hou Cheng and Song Xian in Sili, as well as troops from Guanzhong and Liangzhou who can provide reinforcements, totaling tens of thousands of soldiers. If our lord leads 30,000 troops to attack Yingchuan, the chances of victory are slim, and he may even suffer heavy losses."

Yuan Shu, growing impatient, waved his hand and said, "Enough, let's observe first. Order Qiao Rui to lead 5,000 troops to Yingchuan, making an offensive posture, but he must not move without my order. Let Yuan Shao and Cao Cao engage Lü Bu first, and then we'll see how things develop."

"promise."

Around the same time, in Pengcheng, Xuzhou.

Inside the governor's mansion, Cao Cao discussed matters with his strategists Xun You and Xi Zhicai, and his generals Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Yu Jin, Li Dian, and Yue Jin.

Cao Cao circulated Yuan Shao's letter to everyone and said in a deep voice, "Yuan Shao plans to attack Lü from four directions on June 15th. What do you all think?"

Xiahou Yuan, his eyes bloodshot, clasped his hands and said, "My lord, this is a godsend! Lü Bu killed my elder brother Xiahou Dun in Juancheng; this is an irreconcilable hatred! Now Lü Bu's main force is in Yizhou, while Yanzhou only has generals like Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun, with no more than 20,000 troops. I am willing to be the vanguard, leading 10,000 troops to directly attack Lu, clearing the way for your attack on Juancheng!"

Cao Ren calmly replied, "Miao Cai is eager for revenge, which is understandable. However, although Lü Bu is not in Yanzhou, Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun are not easy opponents. Moreover, Chen Gong has been managing Yanzhou for half a year, reforming the civil administration and winning the hearts of the people. If our army attacks Yanzhou, I fear it will be difficult to achieve a quick victory."

Xun You, who had recently been introduced to Cao Cao by Xi Zhicai, said: "What Zixiao said is absolutely right. Moreover, Tao Qian's attitude is ambiguous. Even if he joins the lord in attacking Yanzhou, he is indecisive. If the battle goes against us, he will surely retreat to Xuzhou. At that time, our army will be facing the Yanzhou army alone, and we will be in danger."

Xi Zhicai coughed twice, his face pale, but he still forced himself to say, "My lord, I believe that Lü Bu's power is great, and this battle is worth fighting. The opportunity is rare, but we must be cautious. We can first make an agreement with Tao Qian: our army will attack Lu, and Tao Qian will attack Taishan. If Tao Qian launches a full-scale attack, our army will advance with all its might; if Tao Qian hesitates and observes, our army should not venture too far alone. At the same time, we must guard against Yuan Shu's sneak attack on our territory from Pei."

Cao Cao pondered for a long time and said, "Zhi Cai's plan is sound. Issue the order: prepare an army of 20,000 and station it in Pengcheng. Send another envoy to Tan County to confirm the matter of sending troops with Tao Qian, and demand that he send at least 20,000 troops to attack Mount Tai, otherwise we will also hold back and not take any action."

"promise!"