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

Jiangxia, or Xiazhi County, was occupied by the Jiangdong army at this time and belonged to Sun Ce. Sun Ce used it as a base to confront Huang Zu along the Yangtze River.

Sun Ce sat in the main seat, his expression shifting between light and shadow. Below him, Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao, Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and other civil and military officials sat on either side.

A scout has just reported the battle situation in Nanyang and Xiangyang. Ji Ling surrendered to Lü Bu, and Nanyang came under his control; Cai Mao, Kuai Liang, and Kuai Yue offered up Xiangyang. Although Cai Mao and Kuai Yue were killed, Xiangyang was now in Lü Bu's hands. Lü Bu has incorporated 40,000 to 50,000 troops from Xiangyang's land and naval forces, and is now joining forces with Zhang Yun's navy to advance towards Jiangxia.

Sun Ce remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "As you all have heard, Lü Bu's five armies marched south, and in less than a month, both Nanyang and Xiangyang fell. Liu Biao fled to Jiangxia, merely clinging to life. Next, Lü Bu will deal with Jiangxia."

Zhou Yu stroked his beard and said, "My lord, this is both a bad thing and a good thing for us."

Sun Ce asked, "What does Gongjin mean?"

Zhou Yu said, "The good thing is that Huang Zu, tied down by Lü Bu, will inevitably withdraw his troops. Zhang Xian, upon learning of the fall of Xiangyang, will also retreat from Yuzhang. The siege of Jiangdong will be lifted without a fight. The bad thing is that after Lü Bu takes Jingzhou, his next target will undoubtedly be my Yangzhou and Yuan Shu's Yuzhou. At that time, will Jiangdong still be able to remain unscathed?"

Zhang Zhao said in a deep voice, "Gongjin is absolutely right. Lü Bu's momentum to unify the world is already established. If we were to establish our own independent regime again, it would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock."

Huang Gai rose and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "My lord, this humble general is willing to die for you! Just give the order, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Cheng Pu also stood up: "My lord, so it is! Although Lü Bu is strong, we Jiangdong men are not to be trifled with!"

Sun Ce waved his hand, gesturing for them to sit down. He looked at Zhou Yu: "Gongjin, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "My lord, I dare to speak frankly. In the current situation, continuing to establish our own independent regime and disobey the court's orders will only lead to our demise. Lü Bu possesses divine power and is invincible in battle; he has destroyed the Xianbei, Xiongnu, and various kingdoms of the Western Regions. Even Liu Biao, with his fortified city of Xiangyang, could not hold it. Can our Jiangdong hold it?"

Sun Ce remained silent.

Zhou Yu continued, "However, if you surrender to Lü Bu, there will be three major benefits. First, you can use Lü Bu's power to avenge your father's death. Huang Zu killed your father, and if you can join forces with Lü Bu to attack Jiangxia, capture and kill Huang Zu, and even capture and kill Liu Biao, you will avenge your great grudge and achieve great merit. Second, Lü Bu is trustworthy in his subordinates. Ma Teng, Ma Chao, Zhang He, Gao Lan, Yu Jin, Yue Jin, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others have all surrendered and been highly valued, either governing a province or leading an army. If you surrender, with your abilities, you will surely be given important positions. Third, you can protect the gentry and common people of Jiangdong from the ravages of war. Under Lü Bu's rule, taxes are reduced, agricultural tools are distributed, and the people live in peace and happiness. If Jiangdong is returned to Lü Bu, the people will also enjoy peace and prosperity."

Zhang Zhao nodded: "Gongjin's words are all reasonable. My lord, I also believe that a decision should be made as soon as possible, otherwise things may change."

Sun Ce looked at Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, and the others: "What do you veteran generals think?"

Huang Gai remained silent for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "My lord, we swear to follow you to the death. If you fight, we will fight to the death; if you surrender, we will have no objections."

Cheng Pu also said, "We will only obey our lord's orders."

Sun Ce sighed deeply, got up and walked to the window, gazing at the distant river, remaining silent for a long time.

After a long silence, he turned around and said, "Gongjin, you are right. Although I want to carve out my own territory and be independent, the current state of the world is beyond human control. Lü Bu has the divine assistance of a granary bestowed by heaven; what can I use to fight him?"

He paused, then said, "Send an order to send an envoy to meet with the King of Jin. Tell him that I, Sun Ce, am willing to sincerely submit to the court and obey the King of Jin's commands. Furthermore, assemble a large army by land and sea, prepare to attack Jiangxia, and join forces with the King of Jin to attack Huang Zu and avenge my father!"

Zhou Yu was overjoyed and rose to his feet, clasping his hands in a fist salute: "My lord is wise!"

Zhang Zhao also stood up: "My lord is wise!"

Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, and the others exclaimed in unison, "Our lord is wise!"

……

Xiazhi Wharf.

A fast ship was ready to depart, carrying Sun Ce's messenger—his cousin Sun Ben—and a letter written in Sun Ce's own hand.

Sun Ce personally escorted Sun Ben to the dock, took his hand, and said, "Boyang, this journey is of great importance. When you meet the Prince of Jin, you must convey my sincerity. I, Sun Ce, am willing to wholeheartedly submit to the Prince of Jin and obey his orders from now on, without any disloyalty."

Sun Ben clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will do my utmost and live up to your trust."

Zhou Yu also said, "Boyang, if the King of Jin asks about the military strength, provisions, and household registration of Jiangdong, you can tell him the truth. Since we are going to surrender, we must show our sincerity."

Sun Ben nodded: "Don't worry, Gongjin, I understand."

With the sails raised, the speedboat slowly left the shore, heading upstream towards Jiangxia.

Sun Ce stood on the dock, watching the ships sail away, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Huang Gai stepped forward and whispered, "My lord, are we really going to surrender?"

Sun Ce sighed, "Gongfu, tell me, if I don't surrender, can I hold onto Jiangdong?"

Huang Gai remained silent for a moment, then said, "We can't hold out. Lü Bu is too strong, and he has divine assistance. Although our Jiangdong navy is powerful, Lü Bu has incorporated the Xiangyang navy and has a naval warfare talent like Zhang Yun. We have no chance of winning."

Sun Ce nodded: "So, not surrendering means death. Surrendering means life, avenging your father, and ensuring your family's safety and prosperity. I can see the numbers clearly."

He paused, then said, "Send down the order to assemble the land and naval forces and prepare to march on Jiangxia."

Huang Gai clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

……

Jiangxia Prefecture, Anlu County.

Lü Bu, leading an army of 20,000, had just captured Anlu. This city was an important town in northern Jiangxia. The defending general, Zhang Hu, led 3,000 men to defend the city. Lü Bu bombarded the city with stone platforms for half a day, causing a section of the city wall to collapse. Zhang Hu had no choice but to surrender.

Inside the county government office, Lü Bu was discussing matters with his generals.

Xu Shu said, "My lord, now that Anlu has been captured, the county seat of Xiling is just southeast of here. Huang Zu's main force is concentrated here, with a total strength of about 30,000 men by land and sea."

Lü Bu nodded: "Yuanzhi, tell me your opinion."

Xu Shu said, "I believe that although Jiangxia has 10,000 infantry and 20,000 naval troops, their morale is low and they are filled with anxiety. Liu Biao has just suffered a defeat, and although Huang Zu is brave, he cannot hold the line alone. If we can wait a few more days, and wait for Zhang Yun's navy to enter the Yangtze River from the Han River to contain Huang Zu's navy from the west, we can then attack from the north by land. Xiling will surely fall, and we can also keep an eye on Liu Biao to prevent him from escaping by water again."

Lu Bu asked, "Where is Zhang Yun now?"

A scout entered and reported: "Your Majesty, Commander Zhang reports that the navy has left the Han River and entered the Yangtze River. They have incorporated various naval camps along the way and now have over a thousand warships and more than 30,000 naval troops. They are expected to reach Xiling in two days."

Lü Bu laughed and said, "Good, once Zhang Yun's navy arrives at Xiling, we will launch a combined land and sea attack and take Xiling in one fell swoop."

The scout clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

At this moment, another guard entered and reported: "My lord, Sun Ben, the envoy from Jiangdong, requests an audience!"

Lu Bu was taken aback: "An envoy from Jiangdong? Sent by Sun Ce?"

Xu Shu's eyes lit up: "My lord, it seems Sun Ce is getting restless."

Lü Bu nodded: "Please invite him in."