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

Xiangyang, Jingzhou, the governor's residence.

Liu Biao knelt in the hall, several scrolls of silk books spread out before him. To his left sat Liu Xian, the Chief Clerk, and to his right were the brothers Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue. Military generals such as Cai Mao, Huang Zu, and Wen Pin stood below the steps.

"When Lü Bu was granted the title of King of Jin, he established a cabinet and six ministries within his palace. His intentions are crystal clear." Liu Biao's voice was heavy. "A report came from Chang'an that the King of Jin's cabinet consists of nine people: Jia Xu as the chief minister, Chen Gong and Zhang Liao as the second ministers, and Guo Jia, Shi Sunrui, Xun You, Ju Shou, Zhang Song, and Cheng Lian as cabinet ministers. The cabinet and the six ministries have taken over the real power of the court from Lü Bu. All government affairs require the approval of the King of Jin's cabinet and the six ministries before they can be implemented."

Kuai Liang said, "My lord, Lü Bu's actions are actually paving the way for him to usurp the Han throne and establish himself as emperor. If the Six Ministries system is implemented throughout the country, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers will become mere figureheads."

"What's even more worrying," Kuai Yue added, "is that Lü Bu displayed his military might at the investiture ceremony, with his new ballistae, catapults, and heavy cavalry, none of which our Jingzhou can withstand. He also gave us six months to force the southern lords to submit..."

Liu Biao looked at Liu Xian: "You've returned from Chang'an and witnessed it with your own eyes. What do you think?"

Liu Xian bowed: "My lord, I have been in Chang'an for over a month, and what I have seen is appalling. The people of Guanzhong live in peace, the markets are prosperous, taxes are reduced, and the soldiers are paid. The people all speak of the benevolence of the King of Jin, and no one cares about the Han dynasty. Moreover, Lü Bu's civil and military officials are all highly intelligent, such as Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Chen Gong, while Zhang Liao, Huang Zhong, and Zhao Yun are all capable of defeating ten thousand men. Furthermore, the miraculous gift of the divine granary bestowed by heaven is indeed beyond human power to resist."

The hall was completely silent.

Huang Zu sneered, "Why does Governor Liu encourage the enemy? My Jingzhou has 100,000 armored soldiers, a navy that traverses the Yangtze River, and the natural barriers of the Han and Yangtze Rivers. How could Lü Bu's northern cavalry possibly cross them?"

Cai Mao replied, "General Huang's words are true, but Lü Bu has already taken Yizhou. If he goes down the Yangtze River from Yizhou, Jingzhou will be attacked from two sides. Moreover, his divine granary can take things out of thin air, and building bridges to breach cities is as easy as turning one's hand. Even Yuan Shao's heavily fortified defenses in Yecheng were breached, so the natural barrier of the Yangtze River may not be able to stop him."

Liu's expression changed.

His health was failing, and he had long lost any desire to contend for supremacy. But as a member of the Han imperial family, how could he face his ancestors if he submitted to Lü Bu?

"Has Yuan Shu's envoy arrived?" Liu Biao asked.

"We have arrived at the post station," Liu Xian said. "Yuan Shu wishes to form an alliance with Jingzhou to jointly resist Lü Bu."

"An alliance?" Liu Biao smiled wryly. "Yuan Shu is arrogant and conceited. After obtaining the Imperial Seal from Sun Ce, his ambition to become emperor is obvious to everyone. If we form an alliance with him, I fear it will tarnish my reputation."

Kuai Liang said in a low voice, "My lord, although Yuan Shu is incompetent, he controls Yuzhou, Nanyang, Jiujiang, and Lujiang, and has an army of 100,000. He can indeed restrain Lü Bu. We might as well feign an alliance, but in reality observe the situation."

"Zirou is right." Liu Biao nodded. "Let's meet with Yuan Shu's envoy first and hear his terms."

He then looked at Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, Huang Zu, and Wen Pin: "Gentlemen, prepare your troops and strengthen the defenses of Jiangling, Xiakou, and Xiangyang. Build more warships and stockpile provisions in preparation for unforeseen circumstances."

"promise!"

After everyone left, Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, and Cai Mao did not return to their respective residences, but instead tacitly went to Kuai Liang's residence.

After dismissing his attendants, Cai Mao said in a low voice, "Gentlemen, today in the hall, our lord still harbors the desire to restore the Han dynasty and wishes to resist Lü Bu. However, with the strength of Jingzhou, how long can he withstand Lü Bu?"

Kuai Yue shook his head: "We can't stop him. Lü Bu has already conquered the nine provinces, has 300,000 armored soldiers, and possesses supernatural abilities. Even though Jingzhou has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, it will be difficult for us to hold out for long."

Kuai Liang pondered, "What does De Gui mean?"

Cai Mao lowered his voice: "Although Lü Bu favors those from humble backgrounds and suppresses powerful clans, our Cai family members can also participate in his imperial examination system. If we resist to the end, our city will fall and our clan will be wiped out; if we submit to him as soon as possible, we may be able to preserve our family and even secure a place in the new dynasty."

Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue exchanged glances.

The Kuai family was a prominent clan in Jingzhou, with generations of officials who valued the continuation of their family line above all else. The decline of the Han dynasty was irreversible; to sacrifice the lives of the entire clan for a hollow title would be unwise.

"But..." Kuai Liang hesitated, "As subjects of Jingzhou, we fear that betraying our lord and defecting to the enemy will bring us scorn."

Cai Mao sneered, "A wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Liu Jingsheng is old and indecisive, and his two sons, Liu Qi and Liu Cong, are neither capable rulers. Jingzhou will be recovered by the court sooner or later. Rather than letting Lü Bu conquer it, it would be better to surrender the city voluntarily, and at least we would gain merit."

Kuai Yue stroked his beard: "De Gui's words are not without reason. However, we must be cautious in this matter. We can first secretly contact Lü Bu and sound him out. If Lü Bu is willing to guarantee the wealth and status of our three families, then we can plan our next move."

"Good." Cai Mao nodded. "My niece, Cai Yu, is already Lü Bu's concubine. We can use this channel to exchange information."

The three held a secret meeting until late at night and decided on a strategy of "outwardly resisting Lü while secretly communicating with her."

……

On the other side, at the Xiangyang Post Station.

Yuan Shu's envoy, Li Feng, was discussing matters with his deputy.

Li Feng was an important general under Yuan Shu, and this mission to Jingzhou was arduous.

"Liu Biao's attitude is ambiguous, and I'm afraid he's unwilling to form a genuine alliance," the deputy envoy worriedly said.

Li Feng sneered: "Liu Jingsheng is nothing but a dog guarding the gate. He fears Lü Bu, wants to maintain the dignity of the Han Dynasty, and doesn't want to form an alliance with my lord and be tainted. However, the situation is beyond his control. Lü Bu has given him a six-month deadline. If he doesn't form an alliance, he can't hold on alone."

"If Liu Biao does not agree, how should we report back?"

"He will definitely agree," Li Feng said confidently. "Although Liu Biao is loyal to the Han Dynasty, he values ​​his life even more. My lord has already promised that if we form an alliance, he will provide 100,000 shi of grain and 200,000 arrows to fight against Lü Bu together. He can hardly refuse such conditions."

Just then, the postmaster came to report: "Prefect Liu has arrived."

Liu Xian entered the hall, greeted Li Feng, and said, "General Li, my lord intends to form an alliance, but has three questions."

"Speaking."

"Question 1: After the alliance is formed, how will the two sides coordinate their military operations? Question 2: How will provisions and weapons be distributed? Question 3: If the war goes against us, who will be the leader and who will be the follower?"

Li Feng was prepared and calmly replied, "For the coordination, we can establish a joint military command, with each side sending a general to participate. Food and weapons will be distributed according to the proportion of troops contributed. My lord is willing to first donate 100,000 shi of grain as a sign of sincerity. As for the lord and the subordinate, Jingzhou is located by the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, so Liu Jingzhou should be the lord and my lord the subordinate."

Liu Xian nodded: "Envoy Li is straightforward. In that case, I can report back to my lord and give you a reply in three days."

After seeing Liu Biao off, the deputy envoy asked doubtfully, "General, is our lord truly willing to serve Liu Biao as his master?"

Li Feng scoffed, "It's just a delaying tactic. We'll first form an alliance to appease Liu Biao, and then we'll take Jingzhou after defeating Lü Bu. My lord is a man of great talent and ambition, holding the Imperial Seal of the State; how could he remain subservient to others for long?"

……

Wu County, Wu Prefecture, Yangzhou.

At Sun Ce's residence, Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and other civil and military officials gathered.

Sun Ce sat in the main seat, and although he was only twenty years old, he already possessed an air of authority.

"Gongjin, the envoy from Chang'an has returned. What was Lü Bu's response?" Sun Ce asked.

Zhou Yu bowed and said, "Lu Bu agrees to appoint you as the Governor of Yangzhou, but on two conditions."

"speak."

"First, relinquish military power. The Yangzhou army will be reorganized into the imperial army, commanded by generals appointed by the imperial court. The governor will only be in charge of civil administration. Second, send Sun Quan's son to Chang'an as a hostage."

The hall erupted in uproar.

Cheng Pu angrily retorted, "This is not submission, it's surrender! Hand over military power, and our lord will be nothing but fish on a chopping block!"

Huang Gai also said, "Sending Sun Quan's son to Chang'an as a hostage is a disgrace!"

Sun Ce, however, remained unperturbed and looked at Zhang Zhao: "What does Zibu think?"

Zhang Zhao pondered, "My lord, although Lü Bu's conditions are harsh, his power is immense, and we cannot resist him head-on. Perhaps we could send an envoy to negotiate further and try to retain some military power."

Zhang Hong added: "Regarding the matter of the younger brother, perhaps a younger person could be used to fill the position, as a sign of sincerity."

Sun Ce was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Do you all think I truly intend to serve Lü Bu?"

A strange light flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes: "What does my lord mean...?"