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

That night, Ma Chao sat alone in his room, deep in thought by candlelight.

Several years ago, he was a young general in Liangzhou, fighting alongside his father. He allied with Han Sui and then turned against him, engaging in endless battles in Longxi.

Now, he is the Chief Administrator of the Western Regions of the Han court, concurrently in charge of military affairs and governing the various states in the Western Regions. Although he does not have the rank of governor, his combined military and political power is greater than that of a governor.

Currently, only a small number of kingdoms in the Western Regions have been recovered, including the six kingdoms of Cheshi, and the territory under his jurisdiction is still small. Once the entire Western Regions are pacified, and he controls the military and political power of dozens of kingdoms there, with kings having to defer to him upon their ascension to the throne, and he controls the trade and taxes along the Silk Road, he will truly be a regional lord!

Meanwhile, his father, Ma Teng, was still governing Liangzhou.

Both father and son were governors of their respective regions, and the power they held and the speed of their promotions left him somewhat dazed.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the tent. Su Yan called out from outside, "Chief Secretary Ma, have you rested yet?"

Ma Chao got up and opened the door: "Prefect Su, please come in."

Su Yan entered, and the two sat facing each other.

"Does the Chief Secretary have something on his mind?" Su Yan asked gently.

Ma Chao was silent for a moment, then said, "I have never been in command of a force on my own before. My lord has entrusted me with the Western Regions, and I fear I will fail to live up to your expectations."

Su Yan shook his head: "Chief Secretary is too modest. I have been in Liuzhong for twenty years and have seen envoys from the Western Regions, Xiongnu invasions, and merchant caravans, but I have never seen a general as brave and skilled in battle as you, Chief Secretary. In the Battle of Duixu Valley, you used 2,500 cavalry to hold back more than 4,000 Xiongnu troops, killed enemy generals in battle, and lured the enemy deep into your territory. This is not something that a brave but reckless person can do."

He paused, then said, "As for the affairs of the Western Regions, although I am not talented, I am willing to do my best to share the burden for the Chief Secretary. After two or three years, when the Chief Secretary is familiar with the situation, I can retire behind the scenes with peace of mind."

Looking at this old official with gray hair and beard who had been guarding the Western Regions for twenty years, Ma Chao felt a surge of respect.

"I am no match for the Prefectural Governor's twenty years of steadfast defense of the Western Regions," Ma Chao said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "From now on, I will rely heavily on the Prefectural Governor for the administration of the Western Regions."

Su Yan returned the greeting: "It is my duty."

The two discussed until late at night and agreed on several key tasks for the early days of the Chief Administrator's Office: reorganizing the troops sent by the six kingdoms of Cheshi, rebuilding the tribute and tax system of the Western Regions, restoring security to the northern route of the Silk Road trade route, and preparing for the establishment of military farms and grazing after the spring.

As they were about to part, Su Yan suddenly said, "Chief Secretary Ma, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

"Please speak, Prefectural Magistrate."

Su Yan said softly, "The Chief Secretary holds sole military and political power in the Western Regions, and his father, Ma Teng, is also the governor of Liangzhou. You and your son command tens of thousands of archers and control the Northwest. Chief Secretary, do you think the court in Chang'an and the Prince of Jin can rest easy if this continues?"

Ma Chao was shocked. After thinking about it for a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.

If Lü Bu hadn't possessed the divine granary bestowed by heaven, he might have had other thoughts. But having witnessed the various miraculous uses of Lü Bu's divine granary and Lü Bu's unparalleled martial arts, he would never dare to harbor any disloyalty. He could only wholeheartedly serve him and be content with the opportunity to contribute to the rise of the new emperor.

Therefore, one must not be blinded by the power before one's eyes and lose the trust of the Prince of Jin.

Seeing Ma Chao's expression, Su Yan knew he had come to his senses and continued, "Therefore, if you wish to preserve your family's wealth and prosperity, I suggest you write to your father, explain the reasons, and request a transfer from Liangzhou. This is the best way to preserve your family in the long run. In this way, the Prince of Jin will surely treat your family as a national treasure."

Ma Chao stood up and bowed solemnly: "Thank you for your guidance, Prefect."

Su Yan stepped aside to avoid it: "I am merely speaking my mind frankly. It is already kind of you, Chief Secretary, not to blame me for speaking so frankly despite our brief acquaintance."

Ma Chao shook his head: "The Prefect is truly thinking of me, how could I be ungrateful?"

Su Yan nodded and left happily, his last glance at Ma Chao filled with a sense of satisfaction that he was a promising young man.

That evening, Ma Chao wrote a letter and sent it to Ma Teng in Liangzhou, informing his father of his new position and concerns, and asking his father to request a transfer from Liangzhou for the sake of the family's safety and long-term future.

……

In reality, Lü Bu was not unaware of the potential danger posed by Ma Teng and his son Ma Chao's monopoly of power in the Northwest. However, since he was currently in the Western Regions, Ma Chao was under his nose and could not possibly cause any trouble.

He wanted to wait until the matters in the Western Regions were almost settled before transferring Ma Teng away, so he hadn't discussed the matter yet.

Two days later, Lü Bu summoned Ma Chao, Su Yan, Wei Bing, and the three kings Hu Lan Di, Bi Mi Duo, and Du Lü Jian to his residence.

"The establishment of the Chief Secretary's Office is now finalized. There are three things to do next," Lü Bu stated clearly at the outset.

Everyone focused their attention.

"Firstly, the troops of the six states of Cheshi were reorganized."

Lü Bu looked at the three kings: "I previously agreed with the three kings that the Western Regions countries would hand over their military power to the Chief Administrator's Office for unified training and command. This agreement should be implemented today."

Hu Landi was already mentally prepared. He stood up first, bowed, and said, "The Cheshi Front Command is willing to obey the King of Jin's order. After the battle with the Xiongnu, there are still eight hundred soldiers in the country who are ready to fight. They will all be handed over to the Chief Administrator's Office for deployment."

Himita said, "Dongqiemi has suffered heavy casualties from the plundering by the Xiongnu. We now have less than five hundred soldiers who are fit to fight, and we are willing to hand them over to the Chief Administrator's Office."

Du Lujian's voice was old: "The same is true for Beilu. He currently has more than four hundred soldiers, all of whom have been handed over to the Chief Administrator's Office."

Lu Bu nodded and looked at Ma Chao.

Ma Chao stepped forward and solemnly said, "Among the six kingdoms of Cheshi, the rear part of Cheshi has been submitted and established as a county. Its able-bodied men have been incorporated into the county soldiers and are responsible for local security. The soldiers from the front part of Cheshi, Dongqiemi, and Beilu, together with the soldiers from Yizhi and Pulei that are awaiting surrender, as well as the original cavalry division of the 9th Army, will all be reorganized into the standing army directly under the Western Regions Chief Administrator's Office."

He paused, then announced the organizational structure:

"The 9th Army retains its military designation and is expanded into a reorganized army with a strength of 12,000 men. It consists of three divisions: the 1st Cavalry Division, based on the original 9th ​​Army Cavalry Division, with 3,000 cavalrymen; the 2nd Infantry Division, based on soldiers from the six kingdoms of Cheshi, with 4,000 men; and the 3rd Infantry Division, which will be formed later when soldiers from Yanqi and other kingdoms arrive."

"The army speaks Chinese, follows Chinese laws, and uses Chinese-style weapons and armor. Food and provisions are collected by each country according to the number of troops it contributes and delivered to the Chief Administrator's Office, which then allocates them in a unified manner."

The three kings remained silent after hearing this.

Hu Landi cupped his hands and said, "The Chief Secretary's arrangements are thorough, and I have no objections. However, may I ask the Chief Secretary, how should we, the royal families of our various states, conduct ourselves from now on?"

Ma Chao looked at Lü Bu.

Lü Bu said calmly, "The king shall continue to govern his people, overseeing civil administration, litigation, and education. In accordance with Han custom, he shall report to the Chief Administrator's Office annually for evaluation. Those with outstanding achievements shall be reported to the court by the Chief Administrator's Office and awarded additional titles. The new king's ascension to the throne requires the approval of the Chief Administrator's Office of the Western Regions and a report to the court for investiture, only then shall he be considered legitimate."

Fox Orchid sighed inwardly.

In this way, although the throne remained, most of the real power was gone, making it even more humiliating than the Protectorate of the Western Regions established by the Han Dynasty at its peak. But upon closer reflection, it was still more dignified than the complete annihilation of the Cheshi Kingdom and its replacement with counties.

The three men had no choice but to bow again: "Your subjects obey your command."

……

The second thing was to conscript and transfer troops from Yizhi and Pulei.

Lü Bu said to Ma Chao, "The envoys from Yizhi and Pulei are still in Liuzhong. Summon them immediately."

A moment later, two middle-aged men entered the room.

The envoy from Yizhi was named Qiequ, over forty years old, with thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes, wearing a long fur robe. The envoy from Pulei was named Gudu, slightly younger, with a sharp and wiry face.

Upon entering the hall, the two men saw the three kings of Cheshi standing to one side, with Lü Bu seated in the main seat and Ma Chao, Su Yan, and Wei Bing on either side. The atmosphere was solemn, and they felt a chill run down their spines.

"Yizhi and Pulei, in previous years, were listed as Han vassals along with the former/rear parts of Cheshi, Dongqiemi, and Beilu." Lü Bu's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "It is fortunate that these two kingdoms escaped the ravages of war during this Xiongnu invasion. However, the six kingdoms of Cheshi are all of one mind. Although the Xiongnu have been defeated, the crimes of the four kingdoms of Yanqi in colluding with the Xiongnu have not yet been investigated, and the Western Regions are not yet pacified. How can these two kingdoms remain unscathed? Regarding the matter of the court consolidating military power in the hands of the Chief Administrator, which we discussed earlier, I presume the two envoys have already reported to their respective kings. What is their reply?"