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

Su Yan was dumbfounded as he watched the grain appear out of thin air with a wave of Lu Bu's hand.

Wei Bing rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.

Lu Bu said calmly, "This is 50,000 shi of grain, enough to feed 2,000 people for more than a year."

"Fifty...fifty thousand shi?" Su Yan's voice trembled. "Your Highness...this is..."

"This is the divine ability bestowed upon me by Heaven," Lü Bu explained. "I have been granted this supernatural power by Heaven, which allows me to store and retrieve supplies out of thin air. Not to mention 50,000 shi of grain, even 500,000 shi can be retrieved in an instant."

With another wave of his hand, dozens of boxes appeared in a corner of the treasury. The boxes were opened, revealing gleaming gold and silver ingots, as well as bolts of silk.

"These are rewards." Lü Bu looked at Su Yan and Wei Bing. "Chief Secretary Su has guarded the border for twenty years, and Colonel Wei's family has been guarding the Western Regions for three generations. They have made great contributions. Each of them is rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of silk."

Su Yan knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face: "Your Highness's reward is too generous; this old minister is unworthy of it..."

Wei Bing also knelt down, choking back tears: "This humble general was merely fulfilling his duty..."

Lü Bu helped the two men up: "You have guarded this remote region, yet the court has not provided you with provisions or pay for twenty years. The court owes you a debt. These rewards are compensation and also a reward for your service. Once the Western Regions are pacified, I will petition the court to rebuild the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and there will be promotions at that time."

Su Yan and Wei Bing were even more excited upon hearing this.

They had been abandoned by the court for twenty years and had long been disillusioned with the Liu imperial family. Now, the Prince of Jin not only brought them provisions to relieve their distress but also rewarded them handsomely with promotions, acknowledging their years of dedication. This act of kindness warmed their hearts.

Su Yan said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness... no, my lord! Your subject Su Yan is willing to die for you!"

Wei Bing clasped his hands and said, "This humble general, Wei Bing, swears to follow my lord to the death!"

The fact that the two men changed their address to "Lord" already indicated their loyalty to Lü Bu personally, rather than to the Han Dynasty.

Lü Bu was overjoyed: "Excellent! With your assistance, the Western Regions can be pacified!"

He ordered his personal guards to bring out gold and silk, which were then distributed to Su Yan and Wei Bing on the spot. He also ordered all Han Chinese officials, soldiers, and laborers in the city to gather at the drill ground.

On the drill ground, hundreds of Han people gathered. They looked at the Prince of Jin in his golden armor and black robes on the platform, and at the gold held in the hands of Su Yan and Wei Bing, and discussed among themselves.

Standing on the platform, Lü Bu proclaimed in a loud voice: "My comrades! You have guarded the Western Regions, far from your homeland, yet the court has not provided you with provisions or pay for twenty years, causing you great suffering! Today I have come for two reasons: first, to annihilate the Xiongnu, and second, to reward my meritorious officials!"

With a wave of his hand, dozens of catapults and crossbows appeared on the open ground of the training ground, along with mountains of arrows, armor, and swords.

"This is the divine power bestowed upon us by Heaven!" Lü Bu proclaimed. "I have been granted the mandate of Heaven to store and retrieve supplies out of thin air. From this day forward, the soldiers stationed in the Western Regions will have ample provisions and excellent weapons, and will no longer have to endure hunger and toil while guarding the border with rusty blades!"

He waved his hand again, and supplies such as grain bags, dried meat, and salt kept appearing, quickly filling half of the drill ground.

"This grain is enough to feed you for a year! These weapons are enough to arm a thousand men! What are these barbarian Huns worth mentioning!"

The Han Chinese audience fell silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Wow, Prince Jin has divine abilities!"

"Long live the Prince of Jin!"

"It is the will of Heaven!"

Many soldiers knelt down and wept bitterly; after years of hardship, they had finally seen hope.

Upon hearing someone shout "Long live the Emperor!", Lü Bu immediately stopped them, saying, "Don't shout like that! It will cause me great trouble. Don't let it happen again!"

After a pause, Lü Bu continued, "Chief Clerk Su and Colonel Wei have rendered meritorious service in defending the border; each will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold. All other officials and soldiers will receive rewards according to their rank. The families of fallen soldiers will receive double the compensation!"

His personal guards brought out several boxes of copper coins and distributed them on the spot. Officials and soldiers lined up to receive them, all beaming with joy. In many people's hearts, Lü Bu was destined to be the emperor forever. With such divine means, if not now, then certainly in the future.

The Western Region nobles, including Hulandi, Bimituo, and Dulujian, watched from the sidelines, deeply shocked.

To conjure things out of thin air, to amass mountains of grain, to bestow rewards of a thousand gold pieces… such methods are beyond the reach of ordinary people. No wonder the Prince of Jin was able to pacify the north, be granted a royal title, and wield power over the Han court.

Himido whispered to Hulandi, "With such divine power, how could the Xiongnu be a match for the King of Jin?"

Du Lüjian sighed, "Although the Han court is declining, the emergence of such a talent shows that the Mandate of Heaven still rests on the Han..."

Hu Landi's eyes held a complex mix of emotions: he was delighted by the strength of the Han army, which would allow him to avenge the destruction of his country, but he was also worried about the future situation of the various countries in the Western Regions.

After the rewards were given, Lü Bu summoned the three kings of the Western Regions to his chief secretary's residence for a meeting.

Inside the main hall, Lü Bu sat in the main seat, while the three kings sat below him.

Although in terms of real power, the kings of the Western Regions had kingdoms (equivalent to fiefdoms), people, soldiers, authority, and money and provisions, their real power far exceeded that of the marquises (county marquises, township marquises, and pavilion marquises) within the country, and were comparable to feudal lords.

However, according to the Han system, inner court officials were superior to outer court officials. Therefore, no matter how much real power the kings of the Western Regions had, their political status in the eyes of the Han court was lower than that of marquises.

At its peak, a Marquis of Wubu, whose rank was only equivalent to a county magistrate, could determine whether the kings of the Later Cheshi, Dongqiemi, and Beilu could successfully ascend the throne.

Therefore, even though Lü Bu was the King of Jin, and Hu Landi, Himido, and Dulujian were also kings, their status and aura were far from comparable.

"Three kings," Lü Bu began bluntly, "this time, the Xiongnu invaded the south, destroying the rear Cheshi kingdom, and also breaching the royal courts of the front Cheshi, Dongqiemi, and Beilu. Their people were slaughtered, and their wealth was plundered. Do you know why the losses were so severe?"

Hu Landi smiled bitterly: "The Xiongnu are powerful, with five thousand iron cavalry. Our small country has only a few thousand soldiers, a rabble, and our weapons are inferior to theirs..."

"No," Lü Bu shook his head. "The fundamental reason is that the various kingdoms of the Western Regions govern themselves independently, and their military forces are scattered. The Xiongnu, with a mere five thousand cavalry, could easily defeat any one of them. If the kingdoms of the Western Regions could unite their forces and unify their command, how could this situation have arisen?"

The three kings remained silent.

Lü Bu continued, "I have decided that after the Xiongnu are wiped out, the Protectorate of the Western Regions will be re-established to oversee the military and political affairs of the Western Regions. At that time, all the states in the Western Regions will have to relinquish their military power, which will be uniformly trained and commanded by the Protectorate. Each state will contribute military pay and provisions according to its population. The king will only be in charge of civil administration and will not be allowed to privately maintain an army."

Hu Landi's expression changed: "Your Highness... is this an attempt to seize military power from our vassal states?"

"It's not about seizing, it's about concentrating," Lü Bu said calmly. "The Western Regions are vast and sparsely populated, with various states scattered. Without unified command, how can we resist foreign enemies? The recent Xiongnu invasion is a lesson in this. If we had concentrated the forces of all the states earlier, sent scouts out in all directions, and discovered the Xiongnu's movements sooner, we wouldn't have been defeated one by one."

Himita hesitated and said, "If we hand over military power, how will we suppress any rebellions that may break out in the country in the future?"

"The rebellion will be quelled by the Protectorate General's troops," Lü Bu interrupted. "You only need to govern the people's livelihood, appease them, and ensure that taxes are paid on time. In this way, you can live as peaceful kings without worrying about foreign enemies or internal strife."

Du Lujian, being old, understood even better and sighed, "The Prince's intention is to completely bring the Western Regions under the rule of the Han court. Although we will lose our military power, we can retain our thrones and the wealth and status of our families. If we do not comply..."

A cold glint flashed in Lü Bu's eyes: "If you do not comply, I do not mind replacing the king. I may even abolish the kingdom and turn it into a prefecture, with officials sent directly from the imperial court to govern it."