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

"Abandon the city for now," Long An said in a deep voice. "Take all the food and supplies in the city with you. Move what you can, burn what you can. Don't leave a single grain of rice for the Han army. Let the people who want to leave go. If they don't want to leave, tell them that the Han army will massacre the city and let them hide in the Gobi Desert or the mountains."

Ju Chequ's face turned grim: "This..."

Chili clapped his hands and said, "Good! Scorched earth! The Han army has come from afar, and their supplies rely entirely on rear transport. Let's seize all the grain we can along the way, leaving them without a single grain. How much do their four thousand cavalry consume in a day, man and horse? At most, their supplies will run out in half a month!"

Che Lu nodded: "This plan is feasible. No matter how strong Lü Bu is, his troops still need to eat. Without food and supplies, he cannot fight a war."

Ju Chequ was still unwilling to accept it: "But my Weixu City, is it really going to be lost just like that?"

Long An looked at him and softened his tone: "Ju Chequ, you and I have known each other for many years. Yanqi and Weixu have been linked by marriage for generations. Your sister is my queen, and you are my brother-in-law. Would I harm you? After we defeat the Han army, I will help you rebuild Weixu City, making it even bigger and more magnificent than it is now! At that time, your Weixu Kingdom will still be Weixu Kingdom, and you, Ju Chequ, will still be the king."

After a long silence, Juchequ finally gritted his teeth and nodded: "Alright, as Your Majesty wishes."

Long An then smiled and said to those outside the hall, "Send down the order to gather all the troops in the country, conscript laborers, and strengthen the city's defenses! After King Weixu returns to his country, quickly withdraw the troops and provisions to Nanhe City. Also, send scouts to closely monitor the Han army's movements and report back daily!"

"yes!"

With everything settled, the four kings discussed details such as troop deployment, grain allocation, and conscription of laborers until late at night before parting ways.

……

Two days later, in Weixu City.

Juchequ stood on the city wall, looking at the chaotic scene in the city, his face gloomy.

The people cried out in despair as soldiers drove them to gather their belongings, herd their cattle and sheep, and help the old and young as they surged out of the city. Some who refused to leave were punched, kicked, and even struck down with the back of knives by the soldiers.

"Hurry, hurry! The Han army is coming! If we don't run now, will we be slaughtered?" the soldiers shouted.

The city gate was crowded with people, and the sounds of crying, cursing, and the bleating of cattle and sheep mingled together.

The gold and silver utensils, silk fabrics, grains, dried meat, and salt from the palace were all loaded onto horse-drawn carriages and escorted by soldiers, heading towards Yanqi.

"Your Majesty, the granaries have been emptied," a leader reported.

Juchequ nodded: "What about cattle and sheep?"

"Those who could be driven away have been driven away. Those who could not be driven away, as you ordered, have all been killed. They must not be left to the Han army."

"Alright." Juchequ looked out into the distance beyond the city, where his scouts were stationed. They were to report back immediately if they spotted any trace of the Han army.

He turned to look at the city, where many people were still stranded on the streets, mostly the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled who could not walk.

"What should we do with these people?" the leader asked.

Juchequ was silent for a moment, then said, "Tell them that the Han army will massacre the city when they come, and tell them to hide in the mountains."

"They refuse to leave, saying they'd rather die at home."

Ju Chequ gritted his teeth: "Then let them be! Pass down the order: our army will withdraw in two hours. Those who wish to leave can leave on their own; those who do not wish to leave, their lives are none of my concern!"

The leader responded and left.

Two hours later, the gates of Weixu City were opened, and the last batch of cavalrymen sped out and headed west.

The city was deathly silent.

Broken pottery jars, torn cloths, and several corpses were scattered on the street—the civilians who had been trampled to death in the chaos.

The remaining people numbered less than three hundred, mostly elderly people with white hair, thin and sickly women, and a few infants crying for milk.

They huddled in their dilapidated houses, gazing at the empty city, trembling with fear, unsure of what awaited them.

……

On the first day of the twelfth lunar month in the sixth year of Chuping (195 AD), Lü Bu led four thousand elite cavalry to Weixu City.

The army halted three miles outside the city, while scouts went in first to investigate.

Before long, the scouts reported: "My lord, there is no one in the city, the city gates are wide open, and there are no guards in sight."

Zhang Fei asked in surprise, "No one here? Did they abandon the city and run away?"

Lu Bu spurred his horse forward, followed closely by the others, and slowly entered the city.

The streets were deserted, and the doors of the houses on both sides were wide open, some of the doors hanging crookedly and creaking in the wind. Scattered on the ground were broken pottery shards, torn furs, trampled cloth shoes, and several pools of dried, blackened blood.

A stench of decay permeated the air.

Guan Yu frowned: "It seems they left in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to clean up."

Just then, a low sob suddenly came from around the corner ahead.

The guards immediately went on alert, with Dian Wei and Xu Chu protecting Lü Bu.

"Let's go take a look," Lü Bu said.

Several guards rode over and returned a moment later with a group of people—three elderly men, two women, and two children, all emaciated, ragged, and trembling on the ground.

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!" The leading old man kowtowed repeatedly, and blood quickly seeped from his forehead.

Lü Bu dismounted, walked up to them, and said gently, "Get up and speak."

The old man dared not rise, but knelt and trembled as he said, "I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Weixu. The king said that the Han army would massacre the city when they came, and told us to flee. I am old and can't walk anymore, so I can only wait to die."

Lü Bu looked around and asked, "How many people are left in the city?"

"About two or three hundred people, all of them old, weak, sick, and disabled, unable to walk," the old man said. "Those who could walk followed the king and took all the cattle, sheep, and grain with them, saying... saying they couldn't leave any for the Han army."

Zhang Fei roared, "That dog of a king! He ran away and then tried to scare the people! My lord, let's chase after him and kill him!"

Lü Bu waved his hand and said to the old man, "Your king is lying to you. The Han army does not massacre cities, much less kill civilians. I only kill enemies, not the innocent."

He turned to his personal guards and said, "Order that notices be posted throughout the city: From this day forward, Weixu City shall be renamed Weixu County and placed under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Prefectural Governor's Office of Liuzhong. All former Weixu citizens, whether they remain in the city or have fled into the mountains, shall be pardoned as long as they submit to the Han court. Those who have fled may return to the city to live, and the Han army shall not commit any offenses against them, and shall also provide them with food relief."

"In addition, inventory the vacant houses in the city, count the population, and prepare for resettlement."

"promise!"

The old man was stunned, and after a long while, he stammered, "Your Highness, are you saying you won't kill us? And... you'll give us back our food?"

Lü Bu nodded: "You are innocent people abandoned by the king. Why should I kill you? Go and tell the people hiding in the mountains to come back. The Han army will not rob or kill; they will have food to eat and shelter to live in."

Although the number is small, it's better than nothing and can contribute to the population of his system's security zone.

Tears streamed down the old man's face as he repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness is so kind! Your Highness is so kind! I will go right away, I will go right away!"

He struggled to his feet and, carrying two women and children, stumbled and ran towards the outskirts of the city.

Lü Bu said to Ma Chao, "Send men to follow them, lest they run into trouble on the road."

"promise."