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

A moment later, five middle-aged men dressed in deep robes and wearing scholar's caps entered the hall and knelt down to pay their respects.

"We, your humble servants, pay our respects to Duke Jin."

Lü Bu raised his hand: "Please rise, everyone. What brings you here so late at night?"

The leading, lean scholar said, "Your Excellency, Duke Jin, I am Cui Yan of Qinghe, and these gentlemen are Zhang Lan, the elder brother of Ju Hu of Guangping, Gao Rou of Bohai, and Zhang He of Hejian..."

"Zhang He's brother?" Lü Bu interrupted. "Where is Zhang He now?"

Cui Yan said, "General Zhang is ordered to guard Changshan and is not in Ye City. His elder brother, Zhang Lan, is currently a clerk in Ye City."

A slightly overweight man stepped forward: "I am Zhang Lan, and I pay my respects to Duke Jin. My younger brother, Zhang He, was forced to serve Yuan. If Duke Jin would show mercy, I am willing to write a letter to persuade him to surrender."

Lü Bu nodded: "Alright, if Zhang He is willing to surrender, I will certainly give him an important position."

Zhang Lan was overjoyed: "Thank you, Duke Jin!"

Cui Yan continued, "We are all from the gentry families of Hebei. We originally did not wish to follow Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao's power is too great, and we have been coerced into this situation. Now, the Duke of Jin has come to the aid of the people and punish the guilty, and the city has been captured in a single day. This is truly the will of Heaven. We are willing to lead the sons and brothers of our clans to serve the court and help the Duke of Jin to pacify Hebei."

The others also expressed their opinions.

Lu Bu understood perfectly.

These aristocratic families are simply opportunists. When Yuan Shao was powerful, they sided with him; now that he has arrived with the imperial army and used the divine power of the granary to capture the city in a single day, these people immediately switched sides.

But this is normal in chaotic times. To quickly stabilize Ji Province, it is necessary to rely on these local strongmen.

"Since you are all willing to submit, you are now subjects of the court," Lü Bu said. "Once Hebei is pacified, the court will reward those who have contributed. Now that Ye City has just been pacified, I hope you will assist in pacifying the local area and maintaining order."

"We will do our utmost!" The crowd bowed.

After seeing off the representatives of the gentry, Lü Bu said to Xun Yu, "These gentry can be used, but they cannot be trusted entirely. With the implementation of the new policies in Ji Province, a certain number of scholars from humble backgrounds will be selected to act as a check and balance."

Xun Yu nodded: "I understand."

Huainan, Shouchun.

Inside the governor's mansion, Yuan Shu, wrapped in a thick fox fur coat, leaned back on a soft couch covered with brocade, playing with the warm and lustrous Imperial Seal in his hand.

The attendant carefully sliced ​​the slightly charred venison into thin pieces and served it on a jade plate.

Below the hall, Chief Secretary Yang Hong, holding the "Great Han Ten-Day Report," was reporting news to Yuan Shu.

"On the first day of the eleventh month, Lü Bu issued a proclamation in the Great Han Ten-Day Report to denounce Yuan Shao. He swore an oath in Chang'an before setting out on the expedition and ordered several armies to advance in a coordinated attack on Ji Province. He himself led the Imperial Guard and elite cavalry from Guanzhong, while generals from various provinces, including Hou Cheng, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, and Song Xian, led their troops, claiming a force of 100,000, to besiege Ji Province."

Yuan Shu chewed on the venison, grease dripping from the corner of his mouth. He casually wiped it with a silk handkerchief and sneered, "Lu Bu is certainly impatient. He just finished dealing with Cao Cao and Tao Qian, and now he's turning his attention to Yuan Shao. A hundred thousand troops? It's just a bluff. His total strength is only a few hundred thousand."

Chief Clerk Yan Xiang bowed and said, "My lord, it's a matter of mutual dependence. If Lü Bu truly conquers Ji Province and takes over all of Hebei, his army will number over two hundred thousand. At that time, riding the momentum of a great victory, how can Huainan possibly resist?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Yuan Shu said dismissively. "Ji Province is well-fortified and has ample supplies. Yuan Shao has Ju Shou and Tian Feng as his civil officials and Yan Liang and Wen Chou as his military commanders, with over 100,000 armored soldiers. Even if Lü Bu has 100,000 elite troops, it will take him at least a year or two to take it down."

Ji Ling said in a deep voice, "My lord, while that is true, Lü Bu has been using unconventional tactics in recent years. Yizhou is a natural stronghold; Hanzhong, Jianmen, and Mianzhu all fell in a single day. Cao Cao, a formidable figure, captured Pengcheng in half a day. If Jizhou falls, we will be left to fend for ourselves!"

"Then let's support Yuan Shao and relieve some of the pressure on him." Yuan Shu put down the imperial seal, sat up straight, and said, "If Yuan Shao is defeated, I will be next. If Yuan Shao can hold off Lü Bu and both of us will be severely injured, then it will be a golden opportunity."

He paused, a glint of fanaticism flashing in his eyes: "What did the first letter from Japan say?"

Yang Hong hurriedly said, "In his letter, Lord Yuan said that he was willing to support you as the head of the Yuan family and to support you... He has received the mandate of Heaven."

The words "By the Mandate of Heaven" ignited a flame in Yuan Shu's eyes. He stroked the Imperial Seal of the State, murmuring, "With the Imperial Seal of the State in my hand, the Mandate of Heaven is mine. If only I could have Yuan Shao's support..."

Zhang Xun nodded and said, "My lord, Lord Yuan's letter is clearly a request for help. Lü Bu's armies are pressing in from multiple directions, putting immense pressure on Ji Province. If our army does not send troops to contain them, I fear Lord Yuan will be unable to hold out alone, and Lü Bu will then turn around and attack us."

Qiao Rui analyzed: "Although Lü Bu's troops are numerous, they are scattered across several provinces, leaving his rear vulnerable. Our army only needs to send troops to harass him, forcing him to divide his forces and return to defend, thus relieving Yuan Shao's siege."

Le Jiu hesitated, saying, "But what if Lü Bu is enraged and abandons Ji Province to attack us with all his might? We must learn from Cao Cao's example!"

These words silenced the room.

Yuan Shu's expression changed. He couldn't help but feel a chill when he thought of Cao Cao's predicament in Pengcheng, where he was eventually besieged and committed suicide.

Seeing this, Yan Xiang slowly said, "General Yue's concerns are reasonable. Therefore, our army's deployment should focus on containment rather than a fight to the death. Let Lü Bu think that Huainan is just a minor ailment, while Jizhou is the real threat. In this way, he will not turn his army to attack us."

"How can we restrain him?" Yuan Shu asked.

Yang Hong had already planned ahead and unfolded the map: "We will launch a four-pronged attack. General Ji Ling will lead 10,000 troops out of Nanyang to attack Wuguan Pass to the west and threaten Chang'an—Lu Bu's family and the court are all in Chang'an, so this route will be the most effective way to distract him."

"General Zhang Xun led 10,000 troops out of Yingchuan and headed north to attack Sili and Henan, threatening Luoyang. Luoyang is the former capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty. If it is lost, the court will lose face."

"General Qiao Rui led 10,000 troops out of Pei State to attack the border of Yan Province. Yan Province is newly annexed and has few garrison troops. If the garrison commander Huang Zhong hears the news, he will certainly not dare to fully assist Zhao Yun in attacking Ji Province."

"General Yue Jiu led 5,000 troops out of Jiujiang and eastward to Guangling in Xuzhou. Xuzhou has just been pacified and its troops are limited, so it will not dare to attack Qingzhou with all its might, which may reduce the pressure on Qingzhou."

Yuan Shu looked at the four arrows on the map and pondered, "If all four advance simultaneously, and Lü Bu divides his forces to come to the rescue, Yuan Shu's pressure will be greatly reduced. If Lü Bu doesn't divide his forces, and Yuan Shu stabilizes his position, and the two armies reach a stalemate, then I can..."

A calculating glint flashed in his eyes: "Then we can sit back and watch the tigers fight, wait until they are both exhausted, and then reap the benefits."

"Our lord is wise!" the crowd exclaimed in unison.

Yuan Shu frowned again: "However, if Lü Bu is truly as miraculous as the rumors say, possessing the divine ability to conjure things out of thin air and breach city walls, then..."

Yan Xiang laughed and said, "My lord, many of the rumors are exaggerated. Lü Bu may have a secret method for storing and transporting grain, but taking things out of thin air is too absurd. Even if he has extraordinary skills, there are limits. Otherwise, why would he need a large army? He could have pacified the world by himself."

These words reassured Yuan Shu considerably. He had never witnessed Lü Bu's abilities firsthand and always felt that the rumors were exaggerated.

"Good!" Yuan Shu slammed his hand on the table. "Let's proceed with this plan. But remember: focus on containment. Do not launch a full-scale attack on a fortified city, and retreat quickly when facing a strong enemy. Preserve our forces and watch Lü Bu and Yuan Shao fight each other. That is the best strategy."

"Yes, sir!" the four generals replied in unison.

Yang Hong added, "We still need to send envoys to Jiangdong and Jingzhou. Although Sun Ce has sent his sister to Lü Bu for a marriage alliance, his ambition remains undiminished and his aspirations are not small. We can offer him the position of Governor of Yangzhou to keep him from making any moves. As for Liu Biao, we can explain the advantages and disadvantages—if Lü Bu gets Jizhou, Jingzhou will be next."

"Granted." Yuan Shu waved his hand. "Go and make the arrangements immediately."

After everyone left, Yuan Shu played with the imperial seal alone, his eyes flashing with ambition.

"Benchu, you must hold on..." he murmured. "Once you and Lü Bu have fought to the death, the world will be mine."

What he didn't know was that the information he received was old news from more than half a month ago.

His plan to see Lü Bu and Yuan Shao fight each other while he, Yuan Shu, profited was thwarted; Ye City had already fallen to Lü Bu.