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

Upon hearing this, the tent fell silent!

Zhang Liao, Hao Meng, Wei Xu and the others were stunned at first, and then they couldn't help but show their joy!

Lu Bu's heart skipped a beat. Suppressing his excitement, he remained calm and instead sneered, "Oh? You think you can exchange some of my old men for the head of that old traitor Dong Zhuo? Li Jue and Guo Si have a good plan!"

Li Can's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Lord Wen, please calm your anger! There are still about two thousand soldiers and their families from Bingzhou in Chang'an. They all yearn for reunion day and night. If they can return, they will be grateful for Lord Wen's great kindness and swear to serve you to the death! Dong Gong's head is nothing but a dead object to Lord Wen. If it can be exchanged for many loyal subordinates, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing? The General of Chariots and Cavalry and the General of the Rear are also sincerely willing to reconcile. I hope Lord Wen will reconsider!"

Lu Bu did not answer immediately, but instead glanced at Zhang Liao and the others.

Zhang Liao immediately understood, stepped forward, and, suppressing his excitement, whispered, "General, this is a godsend! When we hastily withdrew from Chang'an, many of our brothers and comrades, along with their families, were trapped in the city, worrying day and night! If we can exchange them, the morale of the army will surely be greatly boosted!"

Hao Meng also said urgently, "Yes, General, Dong Zhuo's head is useless to us. If it can bring back more than two thousand brothers and their families, it's worth it!"

Wei Xu, Song Xian, and the others nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Many of them also had family members, former subordinates, or fellow villagers trapped in Chang'an.

Seeing this, Lü Bu knew that the time was almost right.

He already knew about the historical incident where the original owner of the body went to Yuan Shu with Dong Zhuo's head but was rebuffed. Now that he could make use of this useless person, he was naturally more than happy to do so.

He feigned a moment's hesitation before saying to Li Can, "What Li Jue and Guo Si said isn't entirely without merit. Dong Zhuo's head is indeed useless to me. If it can be exchanged for the soldiers and their families from Bingzhou who have been detained by you, it would be a waste of their resources. Very well, I agree to this!"

Li Can was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Lord Wen is truly wise and righteous. On behalf of the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the General of the Rear, I thank Lord Wen!"

Lu Bu waved his hand, his tone turning cold: "However, don't try anything funny, or don't blame my halberd for being merciless!"

Li Can quickly assured him, "No, no, I will definitely return it intact!"

The two sides then agreed on the details of the exchange: the time was set for two days later, the location was an open area between the Bahe River and Baling County, and each side would send 500 people to escort the exchange, with the items being counted and exchanged on site.

After Li Can left, an uncontrollable burst of excited discussion erupted inside the tent.

"Great, Wen Yuan, did you hear that? We can get more than two thousand brothers back!" Hao Meng patted Zhang Liao's shoulder hard.

Zhang Liao, his face beaming with joy, nodded emphatically: "Yes! And many of their families too."

His voice trembled slightly with anticipation, for many of his soldiers' families had not been able to be brought out with them.

Seeing the excitement on his generals' faces, Lü Bu felt quite gratified.

This move not only resolved the hot potato of Dong Zhuo's head, but also greatly enhanced the army's cohesion and loyalty to him, achieving two goals at once.

Two days later, on the north bank of the Ba River, at the agreed exchange location.

Five hundred soldiers from each side lined up two hundred paces apart, creating a tense and deadly atmosphere.

Lü Bu personally led Zhang Liao, Cheng Lian, and a troop of elite cavalry to the scene. He rode on Red Hare, holding a halberd, and stared coldly at the opposite side.

The opposing team was led by a captain under Guo Si, who was visibly nervous upon seeing Lü Bu.

Soon, a group of ragged, emaciated people were driven out from the opposite line.

Most of them wore tattered uniforms, which could be identified as the Bingzhou Army's standard uniforms, but they were already filthy and worn.

The crowd also included many women, children, the elderly, and the infirm, all of whom looked fearful and walked with difficulty.

Seeing the miserable state of his former comrades and their families, everyone on Lü Bu's side felt their hearts clench.

Zhang Liao, Hao Meng, and the others stared wide-eyed, eagerly searching for familiar faces in the crowd.

"Father!" A thin boy saw his father in the crowd and couldn't help but cry out. He tried to run over, but was stopped by Liangzhou soldiers with spears.

"Er Gouzi, is that you, Er Gouzi!" In the Bingzhou army formation, an old soldier shouted excitedly, tears welling up in his eyes.

A suppressed chorus of sobs and shouts immediately filled the air.

Lu Bu took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness and anger in his heart, and gestured to Cheng Lian beside him.

Cheng Lian, carrying a wooden box, rode forward a few steps and announced loudly, "Dong Zhuo's head is here! Release him immediately!"

The officer examined the head in the wooden box (although it had been treated with lime, the features were still roughly recognizable), and after confirming it was correct, waved his hand: "Release the person!"

The Liangzhou soldiers withdrew their obstruction, and the group of Bingzhou soldiers and their families, like a flood bursting its banks, staggered towards Lü Bu's army formation.

"Quickly, provide support for them!" Zhang Liao shouted, leading his men to rush forward and help the weak compatriots.

The scene was somewhat chaotic for a moment, filled with cries, shouts, and the joy of reunion.

Many people collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly after reaching safety.

Soldiers who had found their families hugged their wives and children tightly, as if they wanted to meld them into their very bones.

Some people looked around and called out the names of their loved ones, but received no response. In the end, they collapsed to their knees and wept bitterly.

Lu Bu watched all this silently, gripping his halberd even tighter.

In chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass. It is a stroke of good fortune that we were able to save more than two thousand people today.

He knew that the number of his former subordinates and their families trapped in Chang'an was far greater than these; the rest had probably already fallen victim to the treachery of Li Jue and Guo Si.

After the exchange was completed, the Liangzhou officer, under Lü Bu's intimidation, did not back down and returned to Chang'an with Dong Zhuo's head.

Lü Bu led his comrades and their families from Bingzhou back to the Bahe camp, where the atmosphere reached its peak.

The soldiers who had already received the news poured out of the camp to welcome their comrades and relatives who had been separated for many days.

"Brother! You're still alive!"

"Sister! I've finally found you!"

"Father! Mother!"

Inside and outside the camp, there were scenes of people embracing and weeping everywhere.

Laughter, cries, inquiries, and words of comfort mingled together, creating a bittersweet symphony of war.

Lü Bu ordered that pigs and sheep be slaughtered and fine wine be brought out. Tonight, the entire army would hold a banquet to welcome back the returning soldiers and their families!

The campfire was lit, and the aroma of meat filled the air.

Although the food wasn't particularly exquisite, it was undoubtedly the most delicious dish in the world for those who had just escaped from the den of demons and had been starving for a long time.

Many returnees held steaming hot meat soup and millet rice, tears streaming down their faces.

In Chang'an, they lived in constant fear of starvation and torment. They never imagined that they would have a day when they could eat their fill.

Lu Bu, carrying a wine bowl, walked to the area where the returning soldiers had gathered.

Upon seeing him, everyone stood up, excitedly preparing to bow down.

"No need for such formalities!" Lü Bu stopped them. "Today, there are no generals or soldiers here, only brothers who have shared life and death! It is I, Lü Bu, who have failed you all; I failed to bring you all out of Chang'an!"

An old soldier with scars on his face choked up, saying, "Lord Wen, please don't say that! The situation that day was sudden, caused by the mutiny of the Shu soldiers! Now, Lord Wen has not forgotten his old subordinates, exchanging us for the head of the traitor Dong Zhuo, a kindness akin to being reborn! We are willing to continue to follow Lord Wen and make contributions!"

"We swear to follow Marquis Wen to the death!"

"I am willing to die for Marquis Wen!"

Everyone knelt down and shouted.

Having endured hellish days in the enemy camp of Chang'an, they cherish even more the day they returned to Lu Bu's command.

Moved, Lü Bu downed the wine in his bowl and declared loudly, "Good! From this day forward, we will continue to fight side by side, sharing both good and bad times! As long as I, Lü Bu, have a bite to eat, you will never go hungry! From now on, together we will carve out a place for ourselves in this chaotic world, so that our families can live a good life!"

"I am willing to follow Lord Wen and carve out a new world for ourselves!"

That night, the Bahe camp was brightly lit, filled with laughter and tears of emotion.

The morale of the troops was boosted once again during this special reunion.