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

May 30th, the day before the investiture ceremony.

Lü Bu summoned his core advisors to the Duke of Jin's residence.

Important civil and military officials such as Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei gathered together.

Lu Bu sat in the main seat, his expression calm: "Is everything ready for tomorrow's ceremony?"

Jia Xu bowed and said, "My lord, the Taichang Temple, the Shaofu Temple, and the Guanglu Xun Temple have all made preparations. The ceremony will proceed according to the highest standards for a royal noble: the emperor will personally bestow the imperial seal and crown, officials will pay homage, envoys from various countries will present gifts, and finally, there will be a military review."

Guo Jia added: "The military parade will be presided over by General Cheng Lian, with 3,000 elite troops from the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Household Department participating to demonstrate military might. In addition, new types of crossbows, catapults, armor, and other equipment will be displayed to intimidate envoys from other countries and those with ulterior motives."

Lü Bu nodded: "Very good. Wenhe, Fengxiao, after the ceremony tomorrow, you will meet with the envoys from the southern lords separately and try to get their opinions."

"promise."

Lü Bu then looked at Xun Yu: "Wenruo, what's the situation in Youzhou?"

Xun Yu reported, "My lord, Youzhou has been initially stabilized. General Gao Shun has reorganized the surrendered soldiers, selected 20,000 elite troops to be incorporated into the Youzhou Army Group, and the rest have been released to return to their fields. Spring plowing has begun, and agricultural tools such as curved plows and waterwheels are being promoted."

"What about Qingzhou?" Lu Bu asked Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu: "The counties of Qingzhou have been pacified. General Zhang Xiu has incorporated 20,000 surrendered soldiers into his own army, and the rest have been dispersed. Spring plowing has also begun. However, due to the war last year, some counties are short of food, which has been transferred from Xuzhou."

Lü Bu said with satisfaction, "The north has just been pacified, and the people's livelihood is of utmost importance. After the autumn harvest, when the people are settled and living in peace, we can consider moving south."

A glint of light flashed in everyone's eyes; this was the prelude to unifying the world.

Zhang Fei shouted, "My lord, let me be the vanguard! I'll definitely take Yuan Shu's head!"

Guan Yu narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly: "Yuan Shu is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb, easy to take. It is Liu Biao of Jingzhou who has a strong navy, we need to plan this carefully."

Lü Bu waved his hand: "The matter of marching south can be discussed later. Tomorrow's ceremony, everyone should perform their duties and ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"promise!"

On the first day of the sixth lunar month, the sky was clear and blue.

The city of Chang'an was deserted as people flocked to the main street and square in front of Weiyang Palace to witness the grand ceremony of bestowing the title of king.

At dawn, the emperor's imperial carriage left the palace and arrived at the high platform in front of the Weiyang Palace. Liu Xie, dressed in imperial robes, sat on the throne, his face expressionless.

The officials lined up, standing solemnly according to their rank.

Envoys from various countries stood in a specially designated area on the right. The envoys from the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu wore fur clothing, while the envoys from the Western Regions had high noses and deep-set eyes, and the envoys from the South were dressed in fine clothes, creating a stark contrast.

At the third quarter of the hour of Chen (7:45 AM), ceremonial music was played.

Lu Bu, dressed in a black royal robe and with a long sword at his waist, walked steadily up the high platform.

Lu Bu stopped before the imperial steps.

The eunuch held the imperial edict and read it aloud:

"Imperial Edict: Lü Bu, Duke of Jin, Grand Marshal, Recorder of the Imperial Secretariat, and Commandant of the Capital Region, courtesy name Fengxian, is endowed with martial prowess and is loyal, upright, and trustworthy. Since receiving his mandate, he has upheld the state and quelled rebellions. He pacified Guanzhong by defeating Li Guo, subdued Ma Han to secure Xiliang, subdued Zhang Lu to take Yizhou, defeated Cao Cao to take Yan and Xu, captured Yuan Shao to pacify Hebei, and destroyed Gongsun Zan to unify You and Yan. His achievements surpass those of Yi Yin and Huo Qubing, and his virtue surpasses that of Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun. Now, the four seas are united in his loyalty, and the eight directions admire his virtue. Therefore, he is specially promoted to the title of King of Jin, with the fief of the five commanderies of Wuyuan, Shuofang, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, and Xihe in Bingzhou, and granted the Nine Bestowments. He is permitted to wear a sword and shoes in the imperial court, enter the court without hastening, and be honored without being named, in recognition of his great achievements. This is hereby decreed!"

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the eunuch presented it to Lü Bu.

According to etiquette, Lü Bu should kneel to receive him.

But Lü Bu simply bowed and accepted the imperial edict with both hands, saying, "Your subject accepts the decree and thanks you for your grace."

His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the entire venue.

Next came the bestowal of the imperial seal and crown.

Liu Xie personally bestowed upon the King of Jin a gold seal and purple ribbon, which Lü Bu accepted and wore at his waist. He then presented the King of Jin's crown (with nine tassels, while the emperor had twelve), and personally placed it on Lü Bu's head.

The ceremony is now complete.

"All officials pay homage—" the master of ceremonies shouted.

Jia Xu stepped forward first, knelt down, and said, "Your subject Jia Xu pays respects to Your Highness, the Prince of Jin!"

Next, Guo Jia, Cheng Lian, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun...

All the civil and military officials knelt down in unison: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Jin!"

The sound shook the heavens.

The envoys from various countries also bowed in respect.

From the crowd of people, someone shouted first, "Long live the Prince of Jin!"

Immediately, a deafening roar erupted: "Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin! Long live the Prince of Jin!"

As Liu Xie sat on his throne, looking at the kneeling officials below and hearing the deafening cries of "Your Majesty," he felt dizzy and disoriented. He knew that from this moment on, the Han dynasty existed in name only.

Next, envoys from various countries presented gifts.

The Xianbei envoy presented a hundred fine horses, the Wuhuan envoy presented a thousand sable pelts, the Xiongnu Yufuluo personally presented a precious sword from the grasslands, the Western Regions kingdoms presented jade and spices, and the southern lords presented precious treasures and specialties...

Lü Bu accepted them all and ordered the Grand Herald to record them.

Finally, there was the military parade.

Cheng Lian rode a white horse, wearing silver armor, and led three thousand elite Imperial Guards and Imperial Assault Team soldiers, passing in formation before the high platform.

These soldiers were all dressed in new armor, carrying long halberds and strong bows, marching in unison, exuding a murderous aura.

Even more eye-catching was the equipment display at the rear of the army formation: a giant ballista requiring ten men to operate, with a range of up to four hundred paces; a counterweight catapult capable of launching thirty-pound stones; and new-style horse armor covering the entire warhorse, leaving only the eyes, nose, mouth, and hooves exposed…

The envoys from various countries were terrified.

The Xianbei envoy whispered to his companion, "With such weapons, how can we possibly resist?"

The Wuhuan envoy smiled bitterly: "No wonder Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan were defeated so quickly."

The envoys from the southern vassal states looked particularly grave.

Liu Xian, Zhang Hong, and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the worry in each other's eyes—with this military might, how could the southern lords resist?

The parade lasted for half an hour.

After the ceremony, Lü Bu ascended the front of the high platform and faced the officials, envoys, and common people.

His gaze swept across the entire room, and he slowly began to speak, his voice amplified through a loudspeaker, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Today, I am bestowed the title of Prince of Jin, not for my own personal glory, but for the sake of all the people under heaven!"

"Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo's usurpation, and the subsequent fragmentation of the empire by warlords, the world has been in turmoil for over a decade. The people are displaced, fields lie barren, bones lie exposed in the wilderness, and for miles around, not a rooster crows!"

"I rose from humble beginnings, and by the mandate of Heaven, I vowed to sweep away all the heroes and restore peace to the world! Now the North is pacified, and the hearts of the nine provinces are with me, but the South has not yet submitted, and the four seas are not at peace."

He paused, his gaze sharp as lightning, shooting towards the southern envoy region:

"I hereby solemnly warn Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Sun Ce, and Shi Xie: You have six months to submit a memorial of surrender, relinquish your military power, and await the court's arrangements. If you remain obstinate and stubbornly resist..."

Lü Bu pointed to the military parade formation:

"The day the royal army marches south will be the day you are all reduced to ashes!"

The entire room fell silent.

The envoys from the southern vassal states turned pale.

Lü Bu withdrew his gaze, his voice softening: "However, if you can obey the will of Heaven and submit to me soon, I will treat you with courtesy and guarantee you wealth and peace. After unifying the world, I will reduce taxes and corvée labor, allow the people to rest and recuperate, ensure the elderly are cared for, the young are educated, the farmers have land, and the warriors have purpose—creating an era of lasting peace!"

"The King of Jin is wise!" Jia Xu shouted first.

"The Prince of Jin is wise!" the officials exclaimed in unison.

"The King of Jin is wise!" the people cheered.

The sound of the applause rose higher and higher, shaking Chang'an.

Sitting on his throne, Liu Xie looked at Lü Bu, who was cheering in the crowd below, at the ashen-faced envoy from the south, and at the murderous army. He finally understood that this world no longer belonged to the Liu family.

He closed his eyes, and two lines of clear tears silently slid down his cheeks.