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

When Yuan Shao saw that his last general, Gao Gan, had died in battle, he knew that all was lost. He raised his sword and held it to his own neck.

"The descendants of the Yuan family would rather die than be humiliated by the enemy!"

"Want to die?" Lu Bu sneered, instantly putting his halberd into his storage space, replacing it with a bow and arrow, and firing a shot.

"Whoosh—"

The arrow struck the sword precisely, and the sword flew out of his hand.

"Tie them up!" Lu Bu ordered.

The guards rushed forward, pinned Yuan Shao to the ground, and tied him up tightly with ropes.

"Lu Bu, kill me, kill me!" Yuan Shao roared.

"It's easy to die," Lü Bu said calmly, "but I'm going to take you back to Chang'an for a public trial. I'll let the whole world know how you, Yuan Shao, earned your reputation of being from a family that has held high office for four generations."

He then looked at Madam Liu, Yuan Shang, and the others who were trembling to the side.

"Tie them up together and keep a close watch on them."

"promise!"

The sky gradually brightened.

Inside Ganling City, the shouts of battle had ceased.

The west, north, and south gates were opened in succession, and Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei led their troops into the city to take over its defenses. Seeing that Yuan Shao, Yuan Shang, Ju Shou, Tian Feng, and others had all been captured, the remaining Yuan troops lost all will to fight and surrendered en masse.

In the main hall of the prefect's mansion, Lü Bu sat in the main seat, while Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Zhang Xiu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Xu You, Han Meng, and others stood below him.

"Report—" A personal guard entered and reported, "The count is complete. In this battle, our army suffered fewer than ten casualties, killed eight hundred enemies, and captured over four thousand. Yuan Shao, his family, and advisors Tian Feng and Ju Shou have all been captured."

Lü Bu nodded: "Where are Tian Feng and Ju Shou?"

"He's being held in the side room."

"Bring it up."

A moment later, Tian Feng and Ju Shou were brought into the hall. Although they were bound, their backs were straight and their faces showed no fear.

Lu Bu sized up the two men.

Tian Feng was about fifty years old, with a thin face and sharp eyes. Ju Shou was slightly younger, about forty years old, with a calm and composed demeanor.

"Tian Yuanhao, Ju Gongyu," Lü Bu spoke, "you are both renowned scholars of Hebei, why do you aid Yuan Shao in his evil deeds?"

Tian Feng sneered: "Lord Yuan's family has held high office for four generations, enjoying imperial favor for generations. How can you call it evil when he's punishing a traitor like you?"

"Traitor to the country?" Lü Bu raised an eyebrow. "How can I be a traitor to the country when I am loyal to it? What about Yuan Shao, who took office as governor of Ji Province, forged official seals, and forcibly conscripted men, causing widespread suffering among the people of Ji Province? What about him?"

Tian Feng was speechless.

Ju Shou sighed and said, "Duke of Jin, the victor is king and the vanquished is villain. Why say more? Kill me or torture me, it is entirely up to you."

Lu Bu remained silent for a moment, then said, "If you are willing to surrender, I may spare your lives."

Tian Feng shook his head: "A loyal minister does not serve two masters."

Ju Shou also said, "I have received great favors from Lord Yuan; how could I surrender to the enemy?"

"Alright." Lu Bu waved his hand. "Take him away and keep a close watch on him. Do not mistreat him."

The guards took the two away.

Xun Yu said in a low voice, "My lord, Tian Feng and Ju Shou are both very talented. It would be a pity to kill them."

"I know," Lü Bu said, "but it's not advisable to force it now. We can persuade them to surrender slowly after Hebei is pacified."

He then looked at Xu You and Han Meng: "Ziyuan and Wenwei have rendered meritorious service in surrendering the city. Each of them shall be rewarded with one hundred catties of gold and one thousand bolts of silk. We will discuss the rewards further upon our return to Chang'an."

Xu You and Han Meng were overjoyed and knelt down to express their gratitude: "Thank you, Duke Jin!"

"Get up," Lü Bu said. "Ziyuan, you know the situation in Hebei best. Although Yuan Shao has been captured, there is Yuan Tan in Qingzhou, Yuan Xi in Bohai, and Zhang He and Gao Lan on the border of Bingzhou. What do you think we should do to pacify this region?"

Xu You stood up, thought for a moment, and said, "Duke Jin, I have three strategies."

"speak."

"The best course of action is to issue an order in Yuan Shao's name to summon Zhang He, Gao Lan, and other generals back to Ganling to regroup. They are unaware that Yuan Shao has been captured and will surely come to obey the order. At that time, we can ambush and capture them, thus taking control of their troops without bloodshed."

Lü Bu nodded: "What about the middle strategy?"

"The best course of action is to send envoys with Yuan Shao's tokens to persuade the various armies to surrender. Zhang He and Gao Lan are both reasonable men. Seeing that Yuan Shao has been defeated and the situation is hopeless, they will most likely surrender."

"A poor choice?"

"The worst option is to send troops to conquer them. But that would be time-consuming, laborious, and result in heavy casualties."

Lü Bu looked at Xun Yu: "What does Wenruo think?"

Xun Yu said, "Ye City has been captured for several days, and Zhang He and Gao Lan should have already received the news. Therefore, the middle strategy is the best. We can send Zhang He's elder brother, Zhang Lan, to persuade them to surrender, appealing to their emotions and reasoning with them. If they do not comply, we can send troops to attack them again."

"Alright." Lü Bu made the decision. "This matter will be handled by Ziyuan and Wenruo."

"promise!"

Lü Bu then said to Cheng Yu, "Zhongde, you are in charge of inventorying the treasury and pacifying the people. Those soldiers forcibly conscripted by Yuan Shao who wish to return home should be given travel expenses, and those who wish to join the army should be incorporated into the auxiliary troops."

"Yes, ma'am."

With a series of orders issued, Ganling City quickly returned to order.

At noon, Lü Bu held a banquet at the governor's mansion to reward his generals.

During the banquet, Zhang Fei raised his cup and said, "My lord, Yuan Shao has been captured, and Hebei will be pacified in no time. However, Yuan Shu is still causing trouble in Huainan. Why not take advantage of our victory and march south to wipe him out in one fell swoop!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard: "Third brother, don't be impatient. Ji Province has just been pacified and needs time to consolidate. Our lord has his own plan."

Zhao Yun said, "Brother Yun is absolutely right. The most urgent task is to stabilize Ji Province, incorporate the surrendered soldiers, and then plan to march south again."

Listening to the discussions among his generals, Lü Bu had already made up his mind.

With Yuan Shao defeated, the greatest power in Hebei has been eliminated. Yuan Tan of Qingzhou has only 30,000 troops, and Yuan Xi of Youzhou is even weaker. If generals such as Zhang He and Gao Lan can be persuaded to surrender, Bingzhou and Jizhou can be swiftly pacified.

"Gentlemen," Lü Bulang said, "Although Yuan Shao has been captured, Hebei is not yet pacified. We should wait until Zhang He, Gao Lan, and other generals surrender, then eliminate Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi, and completely pacify Ji and Qing provinces before discussing the matter of marching south."

He raised his glass: "Today's great victory is entirely due to your hard work and dedication. I toast you all!"

"Respect to Duke Jin!" the generals shouted in unison.

After the banquet, Lü Bu climbed the city wall alone.

The winter sun shone on the walls of Ganling City. In the distance, the fields lay barren, while nearby, people began cautiously venturing out of their homes. News of the opening of the granaries and the distribution of grain had spread, and many emaciated people were queuing to receive their share.

"My lord," Xun Yu said as he walked up to the city wall, "Cheng Yu has drafted a document and sent it to Ye City, ordering Zhang Lan to go to Changshan to persuade Zhang He and Gao Lan to surrender."

"Alright." Lü Bu nodded. "Wenruo, do you think Zhang He will surrender?"

Xun Yu pondered, "Zhang He and Gao Lan are good generals, not blindly loyal men. Seeing that Yuan Shao has been captured and the situation is hopeless, and with Generals Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Zhang Yan marching east out of Taihang to threaten them, they should surrender."

"I hope so." Lü Bu looked north. "Once Hebei is pacified, we can focus all our efforts on the Central Plains. When we have sufficient supplies and our troops are well-trained, we can march south to destroy Yuan Shu, and the world will be at peace."

Xun Yu's eyes flashed with emotion: "Since the counterattack on Chang'an began, it has only been a little over two years, and you have already gained control of seven provinces: Sili, Bingzhou, Liangzhou, Yanzhou, Yizhou, Xuzhou, and Jizhou. Such speed is unprecedented in history."

Lu Bu smiled but didn't say anything.

He knew in his heart that without the help of the system, how could he have risen so quickly?

"Let's go." Lu Bu turned and descended the city wall. "There are still many things to take care of."