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

That evening, a grand banquet was held for the officials at Weiyang Palace.

Liu Xie presided over the ceremony, with Lü Bu seated at the head of the table and the other officials seated on either side.

After several rounds of drinks, Lü Bu stood up, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, the Western Regions are now pacified. From this day forward, the northern and southern routes of the Silk Road in the Western Regions are once again under the control of the Han Dynasty. Merchants can travel freely, and tax revenue can flow continuously. This is all thanks to the bloody battles fought by our soldiers, and also to the support you all provided from the rear."

He paused, then continued, "But the world is not yet settled. Yuan Shu is carving up a territory in Huainan, Liu Biao is observing the situation in Jingzhou, Sun Ce is stirring up trouble in Jiangdong, and Shi Xie is defending his position in Jiaozhou. These people either overstep the established rules or hold military power, and they are all enemies of the Han Dynasty."

"My mind is made up. After the autumn harvest, I will raise an army to march south and unify the world!"

The ministers exclaimed in unison, "The Prince of Jin is wise!"

Liu Xie sat on the throne, his face pale. He knew that once Lü Bu unified the world, he would not be far from abdicating the throne to Lü Bu. He could only agree: "What the Prince of Jin said is very true. I support the Prince of Jin's southern expedition."

Lu Bu glanced at him, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.

……

March 25th, Prince Jin's residence.

Lü Bu sat in the main seat, with Jia Xu, Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, Guo Jia, Xun You, Shi Sunrui, Ju Shou, Zhong Yao, Zuo Feng, and others sitting on either side.

Jia Xu spoke first: "My lord, although the Western Regions have been pacified, the aftermath still needs to be handled properly. I have drafted a few points, please take a look."

Lu Bu took it, glanced at it, and said, "Wenhe, tell me."

Jia Xu said, "Firstly, the Western Regions Chief Administrator's Office has been upgraded to oversee all military and political affairs in the Western Regions. Ma Chao is the Chief Administrator, Su Yan is the Assistant Administrator, and Wei Bing is the Advisor. It is divided into four commanderies: Kucha, Yanqi, Cheshi, and Xihai. Each commandery has a Prefect and a Commandant, who are Han officials. Each county has a Magistrate and a Commandant, who can be selected from the surrendered troops."

Lü Bu nodded: "Agreed."

Jia Xu continued, "Secondly, the best soldiers from the armies of various states will be selected and incorporated into the Han army. The 9th Army will be expanded to 20,000 men and will be commanded by Ma Chao. The remaining princes and nobles of various states who wish to join the army can become generals in the 9th Army, while those who wish to return to farming can live and work in peace. The Han court will provide them with resettlement allowances as a sign of benevolence."

Lü Bu said, "Alright."

Jia Xu said, "Thirdly, there are checkpoints along the northern and southern routes of the Silk Road to collect taxes. Merchants traveling to and from the Silk Road must carry a travel document issued by the Western Regions Prefectural Governor's Office and will be protected by Han troops along the way."

Lü Bu said, "Yes, this matter shall be handled by the Ministry of Revenue in conjunction with the Western Regions Prefectural Administration."

Chen Gong replied, "I have already drafted the detailed rules, and I will discuss them with Ma Chao later."

Jia Xu continued, "Fourth, the governor of Xihai Commandery will be temporarily appointed as the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu, Yufuluo. All the Northern Xiongnu, Dingling, and Jiankun tribes around Jinwei Mountain will be incorporated into the army, leaving no future troubles. Yufuluo has made great contributions this time, and the lord should reward him accordingly."

Lü Bu nodded: "Yu Fuluo has indeed made contributions. He will temporarily govern Xihai Commandery, and a Han official will take over in the future."

Guo Jia laughed and said, "With this letter from our lord, Yufuluo will be even more devoted to us."

Lü Bu said, "If he is willing to serve me, I will certainly not treat him unfairly."

Jia Xu further stated, "Fifthly, since the Western Regions have submitted, they should send envoys to the court to pay homage and show their submission. I suggest that the kings and nobles of these countries take turns coming to Chang'an to pay homage and learn Han customs. Their sons and daughters can enter the Imperial Academy to study and associate with Han scholars, thus subtly influencing them until they naturally submit to the Han."

Lü Bu's eyes lit up: "Excellent, let's do it that way. Order Ma Chao to send ten sons of princes from various states to Chang'an each year to study at the Imperial Academy."

Jia Xu nodded: "Yes."

Lu Bu looked at everyone: "Does anyone have anything to add?"

Zhang Liao said, "My lord, we still need to send envoys to Wusun to maintain contact. Now that Princess Dielanzhu has married you, Wusun is a relative by marriage, so we should try to win them over."

Lü Bu nodded: "Wen Yuan's words are absolutely correct. Issue an order to establish a Wusun embassy in Chang'an and send a Han envoy to reside permanently in Chigu City. The envoys of the two countries shall exchange visits once a year. The horses, cattle, and sheep presented as tribute by Wusun shall be inspected and registered by the Ministry of Rites."

Zhang Liao clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

Guo Jia said, "My lord, there is one more matter. After the Western Regions are pacified, the Silk Road will be open, and the number of merchants will surely increase. Chang'an is the starting point of the Silk Road, so we should strengthen the management of the markets and expand the trading posts to accommodate merchants from all directions. This matter can be handled by the Prefect of the Capital."

Lü Bu nodded: "Fengxiao is right. Order the Prefect of Jingzhao to expand the East and West Markets of Chang'an and add more trading posts and warehouses. Merchants from the Western Regions, Wusun, Dayuan, Kangju and other countries should be welcomed and treated equally. Taxes should be generous to attract merchants and promote the prosperity of the people."

Ju Shou said, "My lord, I have another matter to discuss. With the pacification of the Western Regions, the court's prestige has greatly increased. Shi Xie of Jiaozhou will surely be filled with awe and respect upon hearing the news. My lord could send an envoy to persuade Shi Xie to surrender. If we can subdue him without a fight, it will save us a great deal of effort."

Lü Bu pondered for a moment and said, "What you say makes sense. Send an order to send an envoy to Jiaozhou to persuade Shi Xie to surrender. Tell him that if he submits to the court as soon as possible, he can ensure his wealth and honor. Otherwise, when the court's army arrives, it will be too late to regret it."

Ju Shou clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

……

After the meeting concluded, everyone dispersed.

Lu Bu sat alone in the hall, gazing at the mountain of documents piled on his desk, and sighed softly.

The Western Regions have been pacified, but Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Sun Ce, and Shi Xie remain unconquered within the country. Each of these figures has their own agenda and their own power base. Unifying the entire country will take some time.

However, with the system at his disposal, the assistance of Shen Cangzhi, and the help of Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Zhang Liao, Chen Gong, and others, he believed that this day was not far off.

……

On the first day of the fourth month of the seventh year of Chuping (196 AD), in the early morning.

Before dawn, the bookstores in the East and West Markets of Chang'an were already crowded with people buying newspapers. Many had already received word that this issue would be a summary report on the achievements of the Prince of Jin's expedition to the Western Regions.

Since its inception, the Da Han Xun Bao has become an important source of information for everyone in the public.

The newspaper, published every ten days, was not only sent to government offices and schools in Guanzhong, but also delivered to the prefectures, counties, and bookstores through post stations for sale.

This issue of the newspaper is unusually thick, with several additional pages.

Newsboys' cries echoed through the streets and alleys: "Newspapers for sale! The Great Han Ten-Day Report, early April issue! The King of Jin has pacified the Western Regions, destroyed the Xiongnu, subdued Cheshi, conquered Yanqi, and pacified Kucha! The Western Regions Prefectural Governor's Office has been upgraded, Ma Chao has been appointed Prefect of the Western Regions and Commander of the 9th Army, Wusun has sent a princess to marry a Han princess, and the Silk Road has returned to the Han Dynasty!"

"Give me one!"

"Me too!"

"Don't push, there's enough for everyone!"

The coins jingled as newspapers were snapped up one after another.

In teahouses and restaurants, literate people read aloud, while illiterate people sat around listening.