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

"put!"

At Lü Bu's command, the soldiers operating the catapults and ballistae expertly hurled stones and bolts into the valley.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The first wave of stones landed on the hillside, snapping trees and sending dirt and rocks flying. Dozens of Yuan's troops who were lying in ambush were killed or wounded, and screams of agony filled the air.

The second wave was even more accurate, hitting the array directly.

A stone hit Qu Yi's personal guard, killing him instantly and leaving him covered in blood.

In addition, Lü Bu stood on the high platform, continuously using his powerful bow to shoot down Yuan's ambush troops in the valley.

"General, this valley cannot be defended!" the lieutenant cried out. "Lu Bu has the high ground above us, and our entire army is within his firing range!"

Qu Yi gritted his teeth and looked at the soldiers around him. Most of these soldiers looked terrified, and some had already quietly retreated. He knew that the morale of the army had collapsed.

Continuing to resist would only result in the needless deaths of these two thousand men. Yuan Shao has already been defeated, and Ye City has fallen. What is the point of holding out here and buying Yuan Shao time to escape?

Even if they retreat to Handan in the rear, with Lü Bu's divine granary, how long can they hold out?

Yuan Shao's defeat was irreversible.

"Raise the white flag," Qu Yi said dejectedly.

"What?"

"Raise the white flag and surrender." Qu Yi repeated, his voice hoarse. "Order the entire army to lay down their weapons, leave the valley, and surrender."

The lieutenant breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered his personal guards to raise and wave the white flag.

On the high platform, Lu Bu was about to order a continued attack when he saw what was happening and was taken aback.

"My lord, Yuan's army has surrendered," Zhao Yun reported.

Zhang Fei shouted, "They've surrendered already? I haven't even laid a hand on them yet!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard: "Qu Yi is pragmatic; resisting will only lead to his death. He betrayed Han Fu and joined Yuan Shao before, so it is only natural for him to betray Yuan Shao and join our lord now."

Lü Bu nodded: "As he said, a wise bird chooses its tree to perch on, that's normal. Since we've surrendered, let's accept it and save some lives!"

A moment later, Qu Yi led his remaining troops out of the valley and knelt down to surrender. Of the two thousand Yuan soldiers, more than three hundred were killed or wounded, and the rest surrendered.

Lü Bu dismounted and walked up to Qu Yi: "Why did you surrender?"

Qu Yi prostrated himself on the ground: "The might of Duke Jin is beyond human resistance. This humble general is willing to surrender."

"Yuan Shao treated you well, so why did you surrender so readily?"

Qu Yi looked up and said with a bitter smile, "Lord Yuan has indeed treated me well. However, Ye City has fallen, and the situation is hopeless. My soldiers all have families to support, and I cannot let them die in vain."

Lu Bu sized him up for a moment: "That's the truth. Get up."

Qu Yi stood up and stood with his hands at his sides.

Lü Bu said, "Since you have surrendered, I will not kill you. Those soldiers under my command who wish to join the army will be incorporated into the auxiliary troops, and those who do not wish to join will be paid and sent back. As for you, are you willing to follow me in pursuing Yuan Shao? You are familiar with Ji Province and know Yuan Shao's old subordinates, so you may be able to persuade the cities along the way to surrender."

Qu Yi cupped his hands and said, "This humble general is willing to serve as a dog or horse and atone for my crime by performing meritorious service."

"Alright." Lü Bu mounted his horse. "Form ranks and continue north!"

With Qu Yi by their side, the journey went smoothly as expected.

The magistrate of Liangqi County opened the city gates and surrendered. The general defending Handan City was an old acquaintance of Qu Yi. After being persuaded, he also surrendered. The magistrate of Yiyang County even opened the gates to welcome him directly.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the army arrived at Guangnian County, Julu Prefecture.

Chen Dong, the magistrate of Guangnian County, was an old friend of Qu Yi and personally went out of the city gate to greet him.

"Your humble servant Chen Dong pays his respects to Duke Jin."

Lü Bu raised his hand: "Has Yuan Shao ever been here?"

Chen Dong said, "Two days ago, Lord Yuan led several thousand cavalry through Guangnian, but did not enter the city and went directly east. I went out of the city to pay my respects, and Lord Yuan said that he wanted to go to Qingzhou to meet his eldest son, Yuan Tan."

"Eastward?" Lü Bu frowned. "Not northward to Julu Commandery, where the capital is located?"

Xun Yu interjected, "My lord, the generals Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Zhang Yan of Bing Province have already marched east out of the Taihang Mountains and attacked Zhao and Changshan. If Yuan Shao goes to Yingtao, he may be attacked from both sides. Heading east to Qing Province to join forces with Yuan Tan may offer a glimmer of hope."

Chen Dong nodded: "That's right. Lord Yuan and his entourage have family carriages, so they are not traveling fast. If Duke Jin pursues them quickly, he might be able to catch up with them before they cross the Yellow River."

Lü Bu asked, "Which road should we take?"

"Passing through Guangping and Quzhou, crossing Jieqiao, we enter Qinghe Kingdom, and then head to Pingyuan County," Chen Dong said. "Jieqiao is a crucial point on the Qingshui River. If we cross this bridge, we will enter Qinghe."

Lü Bu immediately ordered: "The entire army must march at full speed, straight to Jieqiao!"

The five thousand cavalrymen sped up again and galloped eastward.

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, at Shenshi (3-5 PM), on the south bank of the Qingshui

Wen Chou stood on the riverbank, gazing solemnly at the demolished boundary bridge. The wooden planks of the bridge had all been removed, leaving only stone piers standing in the river, where the water was icy cold and waist-deep.

Behind him, two thousand Yuan soldiers lined up along the river. Spearmen were in front, and archers were behind, their formation impeccable. These were the elite troops left behind by Yuan Shao. Although they knew the situation was hopeless, Wen Chou was still willing to fight to the death, holding the river to block the enemy and buy time for his lord.

"General," the lieutenant whispered, "if Lü Bu can build bridges out of thin air and cross rivers like he did at Anyangjin and Zhangshui River, we simply cannot hold out."

Wen Chou interrupted, "Then let us fight to the death. My lord has entrusted me with the task of covering the rear, and I can only repay him with my life."

He paused, then looked at his soldiers: "Gentlemen, our lord is dissatisfied with us. Today's battle is a fight to the death. If any of you are afraid, you may leave now, and I will not stop you."

The soldiers, all elites he had personally trained, remained silent and motionless.

A flicker of emotion crossed Wen Chou's eyes: "Very well, then let us fight Lü Bu to the death!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cloud of dust rose up in the north.

"They're here!" the sentry shouted.

Wen Chou drew his sword and mounted his horse: "Prepare to meet the enemy!"

Lu Bu's army arrived at the north bank and reined in their horses to observe the battle.

Seeing that the bridge was destroyed and Yuan's army on the south bank was ready for battle, Zhang Fei roared, "That scoundrel Wen Chou destroyed the bridge and blocked the way! Wait until I cross the river and take his head!"

Guan Yu squinted: "The formation on the south bank is well-organized; a forced crossing will only result in being attacked while the enemy is still crossing."

Lu Bu scanned the opposite bank and saw Wen Chou. Wen Chou stood on horseback, sword in hand, before the enemy lines, his spine straight despite the dire situation.

"He's quite a man," Lü Bu muttered to himself.

He picked up the brass megaphone and proclaimed loudly, "Wen Chou, Yuan Shao is about to be defeated and killed. Why must you be buried with him? If you are willing to surrender, I will certainly give you an important position!"

Wen Chou laughed loudly: "Lü Bu, I have received great favors from Lord Yuan, how could I surrender to you? With me here today, you can forget about crossing the river!"

Lu Bu shook his head: "Stubborn to the end."

He put down the horn and began building a platform on the north bank.

Half an hour later, a stone platform more than twenty feet high was erected on the north bank of the river, with catapults and crossbows in place on it.

On the south bank, Wen Chou urgently ordered: "Spread out and take cover!"

But the stones had already arrived.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The first wave landed on the formation, killing and injuring dozens. The second wave was even more accurate, one bullet heading straight for Wen Chou.

Wen Chou pulled hard on the reins, and the warhorse reared up. A stone whizzed past him and struck his personal guards behind him.

"General, this passive defense is not a solution!" the lieutenant cried out.

Wen Chou gritted his teeth: "Archers, fire upwards!"

The arrow flew toward the high platform, but by the time it reached a height of more than twenty feet, it was already at the end of its power.

After bombarding the south bank with catapults and ballistae for a while, forcing Yuan's army on the south bank to retreat and disperse, Lü Bu began to build a bridge in the river.

The specially made bridge piers, weighing tens of thousands of kilograms, were thrown into the river and sank immediately upon entering the water. Bridge planks were then laid one by one, extending from the north bank to the south bank.

Wen Chou's eyes widened in fury: "Daredevil squad, advance! Stop him from building the bridge to cross the river!"