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

The 23rd day of the 11th lunar month, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).

On the south bank of the Zhang River, more than ten simple wooden platforms were erected in front of Lü Bu's army, each with a copper trumpet on it.

Lu Bu, clad in golden armor and a black robe, rode Red Hare to the front of the battle, with Zhang Xiu leading five hundred personal guards to protect him on either side.

On the opposite bank of the city wall, Yuan's soldiers were on high alert, with bows and crossbows nocked and operators standing around the catapults.

Lü Bu took the trumpet, took a deep breath, and his voice, like thunder, traveled across the river to the north bank:

"Governor of Ji Province, Yuan Shao, and all civil and military officials of Ye City, listen to my decree: I am Lü Bu, Grand Marshal, Registrar of the Imperial Secretariat, Commandant of the Capital Region, and Duke of Jin, hereby ordered by the Emperor to punish the rebels!"

A commotion broke out on the city wall.

Yuan Shao did not appear, but several figures could be vaguely seen through the windows of the arrow tower on the city wall.

Lü Bu continued shouting, "Yuan Shao, you have committed thirteen major crimes: first, you coerced Han Fu and usurped the throne; second, you took the position of governor and established your own independent regime; third, you forged official seals, appointed officials, and treated the court as nothing..."

With each charge he read out, his voice rose a notch.

The river breeze carried his words clearly to the ears of the soldiers guarding the north bank.

"...He levied exorbitant taxes and forcibly conscripted able-bodied men, causing the people of Ji Province to suffer greatly; this is the fifth crime. He allowed his troops to plunder and kill indiscriminately; this is the sixth crime. He secretly colluded with the Wuhuan and allowed the Hu people to spy on the Central Plains; this is the seventh crime..."

On the city wall, soldiers were whispering among themselves.

"What Lü Bu said seems to be true."

"I was forcibly conscripted into the army, and I don't know how my parents are doing at home."

"I've heard that the Wuhuan people did indeed come to the Central Plains..."

Upon seeing this, Yuan's general sternly rebuked them: "Don't believe the rumors! Focus on defending the city!"

After reciting the thirteen major crimes, Lü Bu concluded, "I am now acting on the Emperor's decree to lead the royal army to mourn the people and punish the guilty. If Yuan Shao surrenders, his previous crimes will be forgiven, and he can still keep his family and live a wealthy life. If he resists to the end, on the day the city falls, the Yuan family and all those who aided the rebellion will be exterminated! Any soldier or civilian in Ye who captures Yuan Shao and surrenders him will be ennobled; any who surrenders will be promoted three ranks!"

The sound echoed across the Zhangshui River, lingering for a long time.

A moment later, loudspeakers were also erected on the city wall.

A middle-aged scholar's voice rang out: "Lu Bu, you traitor! You have presumptuously proclaimed yourself Duke, received the Nine Bestowments, and entered the palace with a sword and shoes, receiving homage without being named. How are you any different from Dong Zhuo? Lord Yuan, whose family has held high office for four generations and has received imperial favor for generations, punished the traitor and restored order! The soldiers and civilians of Ye City all understand righteousness; how could they be misled by you?"

Lü Bu recognized Ju Shou's voice and sneered, "Lord Ju, you call yourself a scholar, yet you aid and abet tyranny. When Yuan Shao forcibly conscripted men, did you offer any advice? When Yuan's army plundered the people, did you stop them? Now, trapped in this isolated city, facing certain death, you still want to drag the entire city's inhabitants down with you. Is this the benevolence of your noble families?"

Ju Shou remained silent for a moment, then spoke again, his tone even more stern: "Stop trying to sow discord! Ye City is well-fortified, with deep moats, ample supplies, and our soldiers are fighting with their lives. Even if you were granted a divine granary by heaven, you would find it difficult to breach this city! If you know what's good for you, retreat immediately, and perhaps Lord Yuan can petition the Emperor to spare your lives!"

"Hahaha!" Lu Bu laughed loudly, "Then let's see who's the real deal!"

After exchanging words, both sides knew there was no room for negotiation.

Lü Bu returned to the main camp and summoned his generals for a meeting.

"Yuan Shao refuses to surrender; our only option is a direct assault." Lü Bu looked at the crowd. "What suggestions do you gentlemen have?"

Xun You said, "Yuan's army is well prepared, and a conventional siege would likely result in heavy casualties. However, since our lord possesses the divine ability to store grain, we can repeat our previous tactics by setting up catapults on the riverbank to bombard the city walls, suppress the defenders, and then build a bridge to cross the river."

Cheng Yu said, "I'm afraid Yuan Shao also anticipated this move. I observe that there are no fewer than a hundred catapults and ballistae on the city walls. If our catapults are deployed and then counterattacked, it will be difficult for them to be deployed."

Zhang Fei slammed his fist on the table: "Then let's smash their catapults first!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard: "How can we launch a bombardment? Our catapults are on the ground, while Yuan's army is on the city walls. The range is roughly equal, and the enemy has the advantage of higher ground. If we were to engage in a direct confrontation, the outcome would be unpredictable."

The generals discussed amongst themselves, but eventually all their eyes turned to Lü Bu.

Lu Bu pondered for a moment and said, "Let's try one round tomorrow. If Yuan's army is indeed well-prepared, then we'll think of another way."

The 24th day of the 11th lunar month, early morning.

On the south bank of the Zhang River, a large open space was cleared in front of Lü Bu's army.

Lu Bu rode his horse to the riverbank, a thought suddenly forming in his mind.

In an instant, fifty catapults appeared out of thin air, arranged in neat rows. Each catapult was about two zhang tall, with its counterweight box filled with stones, its launch bar raised, and its rope taut.

Almost simultaneously, urgent bugle calls sounded from the city wall.

"Waaaaah—waaaah—"

On the city wall ramp, Yuan's soldiers lifted the straw mats and tarpaulins covering the catapults, revealing a dense array of machinery beneath. These catapults were smaller than Lü Bu's, about fifteen feet tall, clearly specially made to fit the dimensions of the city wall ramp.

"Release!" The general on the city wall waved down the command flag.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Dozens of stones flew from the city wall, skimmed across the river, and hurtled toward the south bank.

The stone projectiles were small, each weighing about ten or twenty pounds, but because they were launched from a high vantage point, their launching distance was comparable to that of the large catapults that Lü Bu's army had meticulously improved on the south bank.

"Get out of the way!" Zhang Xiu shouted.

Lu Bu's soldiers raised their shields or hid behind catapults.

The stones landed, some hitting empty spaces and splashing up dirt; some struck Lu Bu's trebuchets, sending wood chips flying; and two even rolled towards the army formation, causing the soldiers to scramble to avoid them.

Lu Bu frowned.

He hadn't expected Yuan's catapults to have such a long range.

Although the catapults were small, there were many of them, and there were shelters on the city walls where soldiers could quickly take cover after operating the catapults, making them less vulnerable to counterattacks.

"My lord, the bombardment is not going well!" Xun You said urgently. "Yuan's catapults are on the city wall, giving them a commanding position. Our army is on the south bank, which is a disadvantage. Moreover, although the enemy's stones are small, they are densely packed like rain. If the bombardment continues for a long time, our equipment will be exposed in the open, and we may suffer heavy losses."

Lu Bu looked up and saw another wave of stone projectiles flying towards him.

He spurred his horse forward, brandishing his halberd.

"Clang!" A stone bullet was struck by the halberd blade, deflected to the side, and smashed into the ground.

But Lü Bu's arm trembled slightly—although the stone projectile weighed only twenty pounds, it had considerable impact from the inertia and gravity of its flight from several hundred paces away. An ordinary soldier would either die or be maimed if hit by it.

It seems that the only way forward is to first eliminate the catapults and ballistae of Yuan's army on the walls of Ye City. Otherwise, even if they launch a strong attack, the casualties on their side would be too great, and Lü Bu would not be willing to do so.

"Retreat!" Lü Bu ordered his soldiers to retreat, and he put all the intact and damaged catapults and crossbows back into his storage space.

Cheers erupted from the city walls.

"Lu Bu has retreated!"

"Our catapults are amazing!"

"General Yuan was wise; he manufactured a large number of catapults and ballistae in advance and installed them on the city walls, and they proved effective!"

The morale of Yuan's army inside the city soared, and Yuan Shao, Ju Shou, and others breathed a sigh of relief.