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

Chang'an, Weiyang Palace, Chengming Hall, the Ministry of Personnel.

Minister Jia Xu placed a secret report on the table and said to Guo Jia, "Yuan Shu has made a move, launching an attack from four directions: Ji Ling is attacking Wuguan, Zhang Xun is attacking Henan, Qiao Rui is attacking Yanzhou, and Yue Jiu is attacking Xuzhou."

Guo Jia leaned back lazily in his chair, toying with a piece of amber in his hand: "Yuan Gonglu had calculated that the princess was in the north and wanted to take advantage of the situation. Unfortunately, he overlooked two things."

"Oh?" Jia Xu raised an eyebrow.

"First, he was unaware that Ye City had fallen and Yuan Shao had fled." Guo Jia flicked the copper coin up and caught it again. "Second, he was unaware that our lord had taken precautions."

Hao Meng, rubbing his hands together eagerly, said, "Strategist, let me lead the troops out of the pass to meet Ji Ling head-on! The Imperial Guards are elite; we'll leave him utterly defeated!"

Cheng Lian shook his head: "General Hao, don't be anxious. Before the expedition, our lord ordered that all places hold their ground and not fight recklessly. Yuan Shu's army has come from afar and is short of supplies. They are not truly committed to fighting to the death. If they cannot conquer the city after a long siege, they will retreat on their own."

Jia Xu nodded and unfurled a huge map. The map showed the troop deployments of each state, with dense markings indicating arrangements that had been made in advance.

"Wuguan Pass is garrisoned by two thousand soldiers," Jia Xu pointed. "Before our lord departed, he ordered the Ministry of Works to build three additional barbicans behind the pass walls, and to lay iron caltrops and pitfalls outside the pass. Inside the pass, there is a stockpile of one hundred thousand arrows and countless rolling logs and stones. More importantly—"

He paused, then said, "There are twenty-four ballistae hidden in the wall, with a range of over three hundred paces. They are new products manufactured by the Ministry of Works. There are also thirty catapults. If Ji Ling were to attack the pass with ten thousand men, it would only increase casualties."

Before leaving, Lü Bu also made arrangements for each of the other provinces, including Sun Ce, whom he was prepared to defend against.

Although Sun Ce sent his sister Sun Shangxiang as a concubine, the population of the three counties of Yangzhou under his rule was not included in the safe zone by the system, which proves that Sun Ce did not sincerely submit and still had the intention of maintaining his own independent regime.

Sending his sister as a concubine was merely a way to lull Lü Bu into a false sense of security, or to use him to help attack Jingzhou in order to avenge his father.

As long as Yuan Shu doesn't truly fight to the death, even if Lü Bu's current forces are divided into different locations, the pressure won't be too great.

Even when there is a shortage of troops, it is feasible to temporarily re-enlist the previously disbanded troops from various states to help transport equipment and defend cities. After all, Lü Bu is not short of food, pay, and military subsidies. His army's pay is high, timely, and without deductions, so there are plenty of people willing to serve him.

Therefore, after his death, he was not worried about being attacked from the rear by Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, and others, and could now focus on dealing with Yuan Shao.

Our gaze returns to Ye City.

Lü Bu said to Hou Cheng, "Gongming, Ye City is now in your and Gongda's hands. Reorganizing the surrendered soldiers, appeasing the gentry, and inventorying the treasury are all heavy tasks that require your careful handling."

Hou Cheng solemnly accepted the document: "My lord, rest assured, with Gongda's assistance, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Xun You cupped his hands in greeting: "I will do my utmost to stabilize Ji Province."

Lü Bu nodded and mounted his horse. Red Hare neighed and reared up.

Behind them, five thousand elite cavalrymen were already lined up. Zhao Yun, who had come from Yanzhou, wore silver armor and a white robe; Zhang Xiu wore black armor and a dark robe; Guan Yu wore a green robe and a long sword; Zhang Fei wore black armor and a serpent spear; and Yue Jin and Yu Jin each held their weapons. Among the civil officials, Xun Yu and Cheng Yu accompanied them on horseback.

"Let's go!" Lü Bu pointed his halberd forward.

The army marched out of the north gate and sped along the official road.

Lü Bu led the charge, his Red Hare galloping like the wind. Behind him were five thousand riders, each with two horses, lightly equipped—food, tents, and equipment were all stored in his storage space.

Xun Yu spurred his horse to catch up and rode alongside Lü Bu: "My lord, the cities of Ji Province are still in the hands of Yuan Shao's former subordinates. If we attack them one by one, it will be time-consuming and exhausting. Yuan Shao has already fled for two days, and I'm afraid we won't be able to catch up with him in time."

Lu Bu gazed ahead and said calmly, "There's no need to attack cities. Wherever Yuan Shao flees, I will pursue him. Among the cities along the way, those who know what's good for them will open their gates, and I will pardon them; those who resist will be destroyed, and their entire clans will be exterminated."

He paused for a moment: "Yuan Shao, with his family, advisors, wealth, and some provisions and supplies, can only travel less than a hundred li a day. Our army, lightly equipped and traveling swiftly, can cover two hundred li a day and will surely catch up within three days."

Xun Yu pondered, "However, if the cities along the way cannot be captured, it will waste time..."

Lü Bu sneered: "Wenruo, rest assured, I have my own way."

The army marched north, its iron hooves pounding the ground, raising clouds of dust like dragons.

They traveled over a hundred li that day and arrived at Zishan Valley, south of Liangqi County, at dusk.

Zishan is not high, but the valley is winding. Although the trees on both sides of the mountain are withered in winter, dead branches and fallen leaves can still be seen growing on the slopes, making it a good place to set up an ambush.

Lu Bu reined in his horse and raised his hand to stop the army.

"My lord?" Zhao Yun rode forward.

Lu Bu narrowed his eyes, activating his full sensory abilities. His 140 points in perception attribute made his five senses far superior to ordinary people. The sounds of the wind in the valley, the birdsong, and even the faint sounds of breathing and the rustling of armor all reached his ears.

"There's an ambush," Lü Bu said calmly. "About two thousand men."

Zhang Fei's eyes widened: "An ambush? Damn it, let me charge in and fight!"

Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly: "The valley is narrow, making it difficult for cavalry to maneuver. If we rashly enter the valley, we will surely be ambushed by a hail of arrows and rolling logs."

Zhang Xiu said, "Why don't we take a detour? There's a small path on the west side; it's rugged, but passable."

Lu Bu shook his head: "Taking a detour would take too much time. Yuan Shao has already fled for two days, so we can't afford to delay."

He spurred his horse forward, and when he was a hundred paces from the valley entrance, he called out loudly, "Listen up, you ambush in the valley! I am Lü Bu, the Duke of Jin! Now that you know of my ambush, why do you not show yourself?"

The sound echoed through the valley.

After a moment of silence, banners were raised on both sides of the hillside, and the ambush troops emerged. The leading general, with a dark face, short beard, iron armor, and a long sword, was none other than Qu Yi.

"Lu Bu!" Qu Yi shouted, "I've been waiting here for a long time. If you want to pass through this valley, you'll have to ask the sword in my hand first!"

Lü Bu sized him up: "Are you Qu Yi? Han Wenjie treated you well in the past, yet you betrayed Han and joined Yuan. Now that Yuan Shao is about to be defeated, why don't you lay down your arms and join me?"

Upon hearing Lü Bu mention that he had betrayed Han Fu and sided with Yuan Shao, leading to Han Fu's replacement by Yuan Shao, Qu Yi was immediately filled with shame and anger. He forced a smile and said, "A good bird will choose its tree to perch on; how can you call that betrayal? With me here today, you won't be leaving!"

Lu Bu said no more and turned his horse back to his formation.

"My lord, how do we defeat them?" Xun Yu asked.

Lu Bu glanced at the terrain of the valley and then at the height of the hillsides on both sides, and had already made up his mind.

"Building a platform."

Following the same pattern he had done outside Ye City, Lü Bu took out a huge stone from his storage space and built a stone platform.

Half an hour later, on the open ground south of the entrance to Zishan Valley, a stone platform more than thirty feet high with a wide and gentle top stood majestically.

Inside the valley, Qu Yi and his two thousand ambushing soldiers stared in disbelief.

"General," the lieutenant's voice trembled, "what...what should we do?"

Qu Yi's face turned pale. When he was in Ye City, he was responsible for guarding the north city. He had heard the rumors that Lü Bu had built a platform outside the south city and breached it, but he had never seen it with his own eyes and thought it was an exaggeration. Now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he knew that the rumors were true.

"Quickly, find a place to hide!" Qu Yi ordered urgently.

On the high platform, Lü Bu had already taken out fifty catapults and thirty ballistae, and the soldiers operating these machines had also climbed to the top of the platform and were ready.