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

Lü Bu continued, "There's also the issue of era names. Every emperor who ascends the throne changes the era name to signify a new dynasty and a fresh start. But this makes the dating system chaotic. Jian'an, Chuping, Yonghan, Zhongping—how can the common people remember all that? I'm thinking, why not simply take the year that Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, founded the dynasty as the zeroth year of the Han calendar? This year is the seventh year of Chuping, which, according to the Han calendar, is the 397th year. From now on, we won't create new era names for each emperor; we'll always use the Han calendar as the dating system. It's simple and clear; everyone can tell at a glance how many years the Han dynasty has been established."

After Lu Bu finished speaking, he turned to look at the two of them.

Jia Xu and Guo Jia were completely stunned.

They never imagined that a change of dynasty could be carried out in this way.

After a long while, Jia Xu finally came to his senses and said in a trembling voice, "My lord, your proposal is truly earth-shattering!"

Guo Jia also said, "My lord, if that is truly the case, then the scholars of the world will have no reason to object!"

Lü Bu nodded: "That is exactly what I mean. The world belongs to all people, not to one family or one clan. Now, the descendants of the Liu family are incompetent, the world is in chaos, and the people are displaced. As a descendant of the Lü family, I have restored order and revitalized the court, but I will still use Han as the name of the dynasty, to show that the country remains unchanged, only the leader has changed. In the future, if the descendants of the Lü family are incompetent, the capable shall rule the country, but the name of the dynasty and the calendar shall not be changed. The name of the Great Han dynasty will continue forever, and the Han calendar will continue forever."

He paused, then emphasized, "Han will always be Han. Han people will always be Han people. The Han ethnicity will always be the Han ethnicity."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu and Guo Jia immediately stood up, knelt down, and kowtowed.

"Your Majesty is wise! We are in awe!"

Jia Xu's voice trembled, and his eyes were slightly red. He had spent his life strategizing and had seen countless ingenious plans and schemes, but he had never seen such a grand and far-sighted strategy.

This is no longer about scheming for a city or a country, but about scheming for eternity!

Guo Jia's voice trembled with excitement: "My lord, if this strategy is implemented, the hearts of the people will be won over! Those scholars who are devoted to restoring the Han dynasty will have nothing to say! Xun Yu, Xun You, Ju Shou, and Shi Sunrui—these people will not only not oppose it, but will wholeheartedly support you!"

Lu Bu helped the two men up and laughed, "Alright, stop kneeling. This is just an idea; how to implement it will depend on your help to refine it."

Jia Xu took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "My lord, I believe this strategy can be implemented in three steps."

Lü Bu said, "Speak."

Jia Xu said, "The first step is to make it public that our lord is a descendant of the Lü clan, so that the world knows that our lord is a descendant of Lü Ze and has a history with Emperor Gaozu. The second step is to propose the theory that the world belongs to all people, thus laying the theoretical foundation for changing dynasties. The third step is to announce the policy of not changing the dynasty name or the era name, so that the world knows that our lord's ascension to the throne is not for usurpation, but for restoring order and continuing the Han dynasty."

Guo Jia added, "Wenhe is right. In addition, I believe we can add one more point—after Emperor Xie abdicates, he should be enfeoffed as the King of Hanzhong, to demonstrate the virtue of the Han Dynasty. Hanzhong is the place where Emperor Gaozu rose to power. Enfeoffing Liu Xie as the King of Hanzhong is both a sign of respect and a continuation of the legacy."

Lü Bu nodded: "Alright, let's do it that way. You draft a plan first, and then I'll discuss it with the cabinet ministers."

"promise!"

In early November, the first snow fell in Chang'an.

Snowflakes fluttered down, turning the entire city white. Inside the council hall of the Prince of Jin's residence, several braziers burned warmly.

Lü Bu summoned all the cabinet ministers and the six ministers to discuss the matter of changing the dynasty.

In the hall, Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, Shi Sunrui, Ju Shou, Xun You, Zhong Yao, Zhang Song, Cheng Lian, Zuo Feng, and others sat on either side. Everyone had a solemn expression, knowing full well the important matter to be discussed today.

Lu Bu sat in the main seat, looked around at everyone, and slowly said, "I have called you all here today because there is an important matter to discuss."

Everyone held their breath and listened intently.

Lü Bu said, "If I were to ascend the throne, according to custom, I should use the title of King of Jin as the name of the state and change the era name to Jianxin. But after much thought, I feel that this is not quite right."

He repeated in detail what he had said to Jia Xu and Guo Jia earlier.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Everyone was stunned.

Like Jia Xu and Guo Jia, their initial reaction was that they never imagined that changing dynasties could be done in this way.

After a long while, Chen Gong was the first to stand up, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord's wisdom and foresight are truly admirable!"

Zhang Liao also rose: "My lord, I am a rough man and do not understand these grand principles. But I believe that if you do this, the people of the world will submit!"

Cheng Lian grinned and said, "Me too!"

Shi Sunrui sat there, dumbfounded, motionless.

Lü Bu looked at him: "Minister Shisun, what do you think?"

Shi Sunrui slowly got up, walked into the hall, and suddenly knelt down and kowtowed.

His voice trembled slightly: "My lord, I... I have studied the classics since childhood, and all I have learned is loyalty to the emperor and serving the country. Over the years, I have been secretly protecting the emperor, believing it to be my duty. But after hearing your words today, I realize that I was wrong."

He raised his head, his eyes slightly red: "The world belongs to all people, not to one family or clan. The incompetence of the Liu family's descendants has led to chaos and displacement. Your Majesty, with your own strength, has swept away all rivals, unified the world, and brought peace to the people. Such achievements are unprecedented. Your Majesty's ascension to the throne is in accordance with Heaven and the people's will. Furthermore, your continued use of the Han dynasty as the name of the state, and the designation of the founding emperor Gaozu as the Han calendar's zeroth year, is an unparalleled virtue. Your subject... Your subject is willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and diligence, to create a prosperous era!"

Having said that, he kowtowed deeply.

Lü Bu rose, walked to him, and helped him up: "Please rise, Shisun Qing. I know you've been suffering all these years. But I can assure you, after Liu Xie abdicates, I will enfeoff him as the King of Hanzhong, with a fief of ten thousand households, ensuring he will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of his life."

Shi Sunrui said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty's kindness is beyond compare. On behalf of the Emperor, I kowtow to thank Your Majesty!"

Lu Bu patted him on the shoulder and returned to his seat.

Xun You stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, I have a question."

Lü Bu said, "Gongda, please speak."

Xun You said, "Your Majesty ascended the throne as a descendant of the Lü clan, and still uses Han as the name of the dynasty, without changing the era name. This is an unprecedented achievement. But I would like to ask, what will happen to the ancestral temple after Your Majesty's ascension? Will it continue to enshrine the ancestors of the Lü clan, or will it continue to enshrine the ancestors of the Liu clan?"

This was a pointed question, and everyone in the hall looked at Lü Bu.

Lü Bu had already thought it through and said, "From now on, the Imperial Ancestral Temple will be the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Great Han Dynasty, not the ancestral temple of the Liu family. It will still be dedicated to Emperor Taizu Liu Bang. Without Emperor Taizu, there would be no four-hundred-year foundation of the Great Han Dynasty. Although I am a descendant of the Lü family, the merits of Emperor Gaozu cannot be neglected. As for the ancestors of the Lü family, they can be enshrined in a separate ancestral temple for worship. If there are any sage emperors of the Lü family, they can be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Great Han Dynasty for worship."

Upon hearing this, Xun You bowed deeply and said, "I am deeply impressed by your magnanimity, my lord."

Ju Shou also stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, I have another question."

Lü Bu said, "Then please explain."

Ju Shou asked, "After our lord ascends the throne, what will happen to the reign title? If we don't use reign titles and only use the Han calendar, how will court documents and contracts for the people be written?"

Lü Bu said, "It's simple. From now on, all documents and contracts shall be dated according to the Han calendar. For example, if this year is the 397th year of the Han calendar, then write the 397th year of the Han calendar. If that's too long, you can shorten it to the 397th year of the Han calendar. That way, everyone can see how many years the Han Dynasty has been established. It's simple and clear."

Ju Shou thought for a moment and then asked, "Then let me ask again, what if a future emperor wants to change the era name?"

Lü Bu said, "It must not be changed. The name of the Han Dynasty and the Han calendar shall continue forever. No matter who becomes emperor in the future, the name of the dynasty and the method of reckoning shall not be changed. This shall be written into the ancestral precepts, and future generations shall not disobey it."

Ju Shou bowed deeply: "Your Majesty's proposal is truly a strategy for all ages. I am deeply convinced."