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

In a teahouse in the eastern part of Chang'an, the old scholar Zhang Bai recited in a melodious and rhythmic tone:

"In the ninth month of the sixth year of the Chuping era, Xubu Danghe, the Left Dulu King of the Northern Xiongnu, led 5,000 cavalry to raid the rear of Cheshi, massacred Wutugu, and killed 87 of our Han soldiers. Huo Gu, the Marquis of Wubu, led his people to defend Jinman City to the death, preferring death to surrender, and died a heroic death for his country."

"Upon hearing the news, King Lü Bu of Jin was furious, declaring, 'Those who offend the Han, though far away, shall be punished.' He then personally led four thousand elite cavalry on a western expedition, and ordered Ma Chao of Liangzhou and Yufuluo, the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu, to send troops to assist in the battle. After half a year and a journey of ten thousand li, they successively defeated the Xiongnu, conquered Cheshi, subdued Yanqi, pacified Kucha, captured and killed Xubu Danghe, and destroyed the residence of the King of Xihai. Outside Jinman City, a Jingguan (a mound of statues) was built to worship Huo Gu and the soldiers guarding the border."

"The Western Regions Chief Administrator's Office was moved back to Taqian City, overseeing all military and political affairs in the Western Regions. The four commanderies of Kucha, Yanqi, Cheshi, and Xihai were newly established, abolishing the kingdoms and establishing counties, directly under the Han court. More than fifty kingdoms, including Loulan, Shanshan, Jingjue, Yuzhi, Shule, and the Pamir Mountains, all sent envoys to submit memorials of allegiance. The Great Kunmi of Wusun offered his sister in marriage to establish a permanent vassal state of Han."

"From this point on, the northern and southern routes of the Silk Road will be unimpeded. Merchants will travel freely, protected by Han troops along the way. Princes and nobles of the Western Regions will be sent in batches to study at the Imperial Academy in Chang'an, learning Han etiquette and language, and associating with Han youths..."

At this point, thunderous applause erupted in the teahouse.

"good!"

"The Prince of Jin is mighty!"

"Those who offend the Han, though far away, shall be punished—this saying is inspiring!"

An elderly man in plain clothes stroked his beard and sighed, "It took Ban Dingyuan thirty-one years to pacify the Western Regions. The Prince of Jin accomplished this in just half a year. He's truly a divine being sent down from heaven!"

The young man beside him said, "The Prince of Jin possesses a divinely bestowed granary, allowing him to conjure things out of thin air. He need not worry about provisions, can travel light and swiftly, covering a hundred li a day. Those small kingdoms of the Western Regions were terrified when they saw the royal army descending from the heavens!"

The old man nodded: "That's right!"

At another table, merchants exclaimed excitedly, "With the Silk Road open, our silk, porcelain, and tea can be sold westward again! Jade, spices, and fine horses from the Western Regions can also be brought in, generating huge profits. This is fantastic news!"

"That's right! I heard that the imperial court plans to expand the East and West Markets in Chang'an, and add more trading posts and warehouses. Merchants from the Western Regions, Wusun, Dayuan, Kangju, and other countries will be welcome, and will receive preferential tax treatment!"

"That's great! The Western Regions have been cut off from contact for many years, so there must be a huge shortage of goods there and further west. I'll go home and discuss it, and maybe we can venture into the Western Regions!"

……

In a schoolhouse in the west of the city, a dozen or so impoverished scholars sat around, passing around the same newspaper.

One person exclaimed in admiration, "What a brilliant 'Those who offend the Han, though far away, shall be punished!' The King of Jin truly put Chen Tang's words, 'Those who openly offend the mighty Han, though far away, shall be punished,' into practice. This saying should be passed down through the ages!"

Another person sighed, "More than fifty kingdoms in the Western Regions have all come under the rule of the Han court, and the Silk Road has been reopened. This achievement is no less than that of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. The Prince of Jin has repeatedly performed extraordinary feats; truly... truly..."

He couldn't continue. After all, Lü Bu came from the border region of Bingzhou and was not from a family of scholars. He felt a little awkward praising him in front of these scholars.

An elder standing nearby said calmly, "What does one's background matter? Wei Qing was a stable boy, and Huo Qubing was an illegitimate child, but that didn't stop them from achieving their legendary feats. The Prince of Jin was a skilled warrior, and with the divine assistance of the granary bestowed by heaven, he pacified the Western Regions, conquered the Northern Frontier, and unified the Central Plains. These are unparalleled achievements. When you study, you should learn practical knowledge for governing the world, rather than being preoccupied with the status of your social class."

The scholars all nodded in agreement: "Senior brother is right."

……

At the Imperial Academy, dozens of students were studying newspapers under the supervision of Sima Hui, the Imperial Academician.

Sima Hui was about fifty years old and was a famous scholar of his time. At the beginning of the year, he was invited by Lü Bu to teach at the Imperial Academy.

He stroked his beard and said, "The King of Jin has pacified the Western Regions, established four commanderies, abolished kingdoms and established counties, and taken away their military power. This is a move that far surpasses that of previous dynasties. Although Emperor Xiaowu established four commanderies in Hexi, the Western Regions were still mainly controlled by the Han government, and each kingdom retained its own army. Now, the King of Jin has directly established counties in Yanqi, Kucha and other kingdoms, and taken away the military power of dozens of other kingdoms and returned them to the Han court. From now on, the Western Regions will forever be Han territory, and there will be no more trouble of rebellion."

A student from the Imperial Academy stood up and said, "Sir, isn't the Prince of Jin's move too domineering? The kingdoms of the Western Regions have existed for hundreds of years. If they are abolished in one day, I'm afraid they will harbor resentment."

Sima Hui shook his head: "No. The newspapers clearly state: those willing to join the army will be incorporated into the Han army, while those willing to return to farming will receive travel expenses. Most of the surrendered troops from Cheshi, Yanqi, and Kucha have been reorganized and employed, receiving the same pay as the Han army. The princes and dukes of various states who have submitted have retained their family wealth, and have been appointed as county magistrates or prefectural assistants, or have entered the court as officials. Wusun has even retained its throne and military power, only acknowledging its vassalage through marriage alliances. The King of Jin has used both kindness and force, and the various states are convinced of his authority. What resentment could they possibly have?"

The student suddenly realized, "So that's how it is!"

Another student said, "Sir, the newspaper says that the sons of kings and princes from the Western Regions are coming to study at the Imperial Academy. Won't we be classmates with them then?"

Sima Hui laughed and said, "Exactly. You must teach them Chinese language and etiquette, and let them know what Chinese clothing and customs are. After these people return, they will become the foundation of the Han court in the Western Regions. When they take charge of the government, the Western Regions will forever be a vassal state of Han."

The students all nodded in agreement.

……

The Prince of Jin's Mansion in Chang'an.

Jia Xu, holding a newspaper, slowly walked into the cabinet council chamber.

In the hall, Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, Guo Jia, Xun You, Ju Shou, Shi Sunrui, Zhang Song, Cheng Lian, Zhong Yao, Zuo Feng and others had already arrived.

Jia Xu placed the newspaper on the table and smiled, "Have you all read it? This issue has generated quite a buzz; everyone's talking about it on the streets."

Chen Gong nodded: "I went out for a stroll this morning, and everywhere in the East and West markets, teahouses and restaurants, people were praising the achievements of the Prince of Jin. The people are excited to hear that the Silk Road has reopened, and the merchants are even more excited, already making preparations to go to the Western Regions to trade."

Zhang Liao said, "I also had the newspapers read to me in the military camp. The soldiers heard that the Western Regions have been pacified and the 9th Army has been expanded to 20,000 men. They are all eager to try their luck, and many want to be transferred to the Western Regions to fight alongside General Ma Chao."

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Ma Mengqi is really powerful this time, in charge of the military and political affairs of the Western Regions, with 20,000 elite cavalry under his command. He and his son are in charge of the Northwest. Ma Teng took the initiative to request a transfer, and the lord approved the transfer of Wang Yi to Liangzhou and Ma Teng to Bingzhou. This arrangement is very appropriate, which not only puts the Ma family at ease, but also ensures that the Northwest has no worries."

Lu Bu sat in the main seat, listening to everyone's discussion, and nodded slightly: "Although the Western Regions have been pacified, there are still many things to deal with afterward. Ma Chao is young, and although he is brave and resourceful, he ultimately lacks experience. Wenhe, draft a report and have Ma Chao submit a summary of the military and political affairs of the Western Regions to Chang'an every month, so that the court can keep abreast of the situation."

Jia Xu clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

Ju Shou said, "My lord, after the newspaper is published, I am worried that it will cause a stir among the southern warlords. Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Sun Ce and others will surely be afraid when they see your achievements in pacifying the Western Regions. Under such fear, they may either collude more closely or become suspicious of each other. I think we should send spies south to spy on the movements of the various warlords so that we can make preparations in advance."

Lü Bu nodded: "What you say makes sense. You shall handle this matter."

Ju Shou said, "Yes."

Xun You said, "My lord, I have another matter to discuss. The newspapers have detailed the story of Huo Gu and eighty-seven Han soldiers who refused to surrender and chose death over surrender. Such integrity should be commended to inspire future generations. I suggest that a shrine to the Loyal Martyrs be built in Chang'an to enshrine the memorial tablets of Huo Gu and other martyrs, and that annual sacrifices be offered to them to commemorate their loyalty and righteousness."

Lü Bu praised, "Gongda's suggestion is excellent. However, not only Huo Gu and others, but all soldiers who died fighting for the country should be enshrined in a shrine and receive sacrifices. You will take the lead in this matter and work with the Grand Master of Ceremonies to handle it."

Xun You clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

The scholar Sun Rui, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "My lord, if I may be so bold as to ask, what are your plans for the next step?"

Everyone in the hall looked at Shi Sunrui.

The question was phrased subtly, but the meaning was clear to everyone: Lü Bu's achievements were already so great, shouldn't he take another step forward?

Lu Bu glanced at Shi Sunrui and said calmly, "Next step? After the autumn harvest, we'll launch a southern campaign against Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Sun Ce, and Shi Xie, and unify the world. As for what comes after that, we'll talk about it then."

Shi Sunrui remained silent for a moment, then bowed his head and said, "Yes."