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

That night, the royal palace was brightly lit.

Lü Bu hosted a banquet to entertain the generals who had submitted to the four kingdoms. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Dian Wei, and Xu Chu were in attendance, as were the three kings, Hu Lan Di, Himita, and Du Lu Jian.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.

Qu Mi suddenly raised his cup and stood up, toasting Lü Bu: "Your Majesty, King of Jin, this sinful subject toasts you! I will never forget your mercy in sparing my life today!"

Lü Bu raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp: "General Qu, there's no need for such formalities. I have always been fair in my rewards and punishments; those who commit crimes will be punished, and those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded. Although you, the garrison commander of Zheliu Valley, were my enemies, that was because we were each serving our own masters, and I don't blame you. Now that you have surrendered, you are under my command, and you will be promoted and rewarded for your future merits."

And Qu Mi suddenly became so excited that his hands trembled: "This sinful subject, no, this humble general will surely give his life to repay the Prince of Jin!"

Seeing this, the other generals also raised their glasses in a toast.

The banquet lasted until late at night.

……

The ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, early morning.

The four gates of Nanhe City were wide open, and the people cautiously stepped out of their homes, only to find that apart from the patrolling Han soldiers, everything on the streets was as usual.

The Han army indeed did not loot, kill, or even disturb the people.

Some of the bolder ones approached the Han soldiers and asked, "Sir, are we really now under the control of the Han court?"

The soldier, speaking with a Liangzhou accent, grinned and said, "That's right, you're under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Prefectural Governor's Office. Your former king has fled, and from now on, Han officials will govern you, just like in the interior. Don't worry, the Han court won't rob or kill you. Just pay your taxes, and the rest is yours. If any Xiongnu come to plunder, the Han army will protect you!"

The people listened with some skepticism, but were somewhat reassured.

At the city gate, a notice was posted, and literate people read it aloud to everyone:

"The kingdoms of Yanqi, Weixu, Weili, and Shan are hereby abolished from this day forward, and their capitals are replaced by counties, under the direct jurisdiction of the Western Regions Prefectural Administration. The people of these four kingdoms shall be registered in the Han register and treated equally with the Han people. The soldiers of these four kingdoms who wish to join the army shall be incorporated into the Han army, and those who do not wish to join shall be given travel expenses and sent back to their hometowns. The Han army shall not commit any offenses against the people, and trade shall be fair, so that the people may live in peace and prosperity."

The people were abuzz with discussion after hearing this.

"Establish counties? Then there won't be any more kings?"

"The king has abandoned us and run away, what's the point of having a king?"

"That's true. Let the Han court govern. As long as they don't rob or kill, and give us food and a way to survive, that's fine."

"I heard that the Han army is also distributing food? Those who fled from Weixu said that as soon as the Han army arrived, they distributed food and relief, and the poor got a share."

"Really? Then we can get it too?"

"It wasn't mentioned in the notice, but it should be close..."

Just then, a group of Han soldiers pushed several large carts over, which were loaded with grain.

The leading officer announced loudly: "The King of Jin has decreed: This year, the Western Regions are suffering from drought. Now that the four counties of Yanqi have submitted, they are subjects of the Han Dynasty. Each person will receive one dou of grain to survive the winter! Line up to receive your grain; do not crowd!"

The Yanqi people were taken aback at first, then cheered.

"There really is food!"

"The Prince of Jin is benevolent and virtuous!"

"Long live the Great Han!"

The kingdoms of the Western Regions were constantly at war with each other, and dynasties rose and fell very quickly. The people had little sense of national identity or ethnicity; they were loyal to whoever fed them. When they heard that the King of Jin was distributing grain, the crowd immediately rushed to the wagons and formed long queues to receive their provisions under the command of the soldiers.

Then, for families so poor that even a bushel of grain per person was not enough to get through the winter, the government set up soup kitchens at various city gates. They cooked thin porridge without salt or meat using old millet, coarse millet, old wheat, and coarse wheat. Families that could not make ends meet could receive a bowl each morning and evening to survive, but they had to queue up to receive it.

In this way, the poor can survive, while the rich look down on it (they wouldn't even consider queuing up for coarse grains and thin porridge), which can quickly undermine and win over the hearts and minds of the common people in the Western Regions. Even if Long An and his men had already escaped, and even if they sent spies back to recruit more men, they wouldn't be able to gather many who would be willing to die for them; they might even be reported by the people themselves.

Anyway, Lü Bu has a system, so he won't lack food. It's perfect for winning people's hearts. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others might see these people as foreigners, but to Lü Bu, a time traveler, they are all compatriots from the Xinjiang region of later generations. As long as they aren't the ringleaders like Xubudanghe, Long'an, or the Xiongnu soldiers who participated in the killing of Han soldiers guarding the border, Lü Bu can forgive them.

……

In the royal palace, Lü Bu was discussing matters with Guan Yu, Hu Landi, and others.

A guard entered and reported: "My lord, a scout reports that Long An, Ju Chequ, and Chili have arrived at Wulei on the eastern border of the Kingdom of Kucha. The Kucha garrison commander has allowed them to enter the city. According to a soldier who missed his family and secretly escaped back, after entering the city, Long An and the others immediately sent someone to Yancheng, the royal court of Kucha, to request protection."

Lu Bu sneered, "As expected, he went to Kucha."

Guan Yu said, "My lord, it seems that Kucha is going to take them in."

Hu Landi said, "Although King Bai Ba of Kucha is a descendant of the king established by Ban Chao, the government has been controlled by anti-Han nobles for the past ten years or so. Bai Ba himself is nothing more than a puppet. It is probably the idea of ​​those nobles to take in Long An and the others."

Lü Bu nodded: "Regardless of whose intention it was, harboring Long'an is tantamount to making an enemy of the Han. Five days later, the army will march west and crush Kucha!"

He looked at Qiequmitu: "General Qiequ, are you familiar with the terrain of Kucha?"

Qu Mi suddenly clasped his hands and said, "My lord, when I was young, I traveled to Kucha several times with a merchant caravan. I have some understanding of the terrain along the way, the area around Wulei, and even Yancheng, where the Kucha royal court is located. I am willing to guide the army!"

Lü Bu said with satisfaction, "Very well, you will accompany the army. If you achieve merit, I will not hesitate to reward you."

And Qu Mi suddenly exclaimed with joy: "Thank you, my lord!"

……

The tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

In Nanhe City, the Han army rested and reorganized, while the surrendered troops from the four kingdoms began initial reorganization.

The Mountain Kingdom army was the first to complete its reorganization, totaling over 2,800 men. Of these, 2,000 were selected to continue serving and were incorporated into the 9th Army Reserve Battalion of the Western Regions Chief Administrator's Office. The remaining 800 men were given travel expenses and sent back to their homeland, the Mountain Kingdom.

The soldiers of the Mountain Kingdom received travel expenses and an extra three days' worth of rations. Overwhelmed with gratitude, they bowed and thanked the royal palace before returning home together.

The reorganization of the Yanqi army was somewhat slow, but progressed smoothly. Of the more than 10,000 men, 7,000 volunteered, and the rest were sent back.

The same applies to the armies of Weixu and Weili.

In just two or three days, the atmosphere in Nanhe City completely changed.

The initial hostility, fear, and suspicion gradually dissipated. In their place came awe of the new order and anticipation for the future.