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

Wei Xu and Song Xian left their tents to muster their troops and set off overnight.

Inside the tent remained Cheng Lian, Hou Cheng, Hao Meng, Meng Cheng, Zuo Feng, and others.

Lü Bu looked at Meng Cheng: "Chief Meng, there are many prisoners in this battle. Is there a lot of pressure in settling them down?"

Meng Cheng cupped his hands in greeting: "General, the pressure is indeed great, but the provisions you have provided are sufficient to feed these surrendered soldiers. It's just that a large number of people are needed to supervise and train them."

"Yes," Lü Bu nodded, "The surrendered soldiers will be dispersed and reorganized into various camps, led by veteran soldiers. Those who perform well can be promoted to regular soldiers after three months. Those who perform poorly will continue to serve as auxiliary soldiers. Those who have disloyal intentions will be sent to repair the city walls. Those who rebel will be executed on the spot."

"Understood."

"Zuo Feng, how is the inventory of the captured weapons and armor?"

Zuo Feng excitedly reported, "General, a preliminary inventory reveals that we have captured over 30,000 intact swords, spears, and halberds; over 20,000 sets of leather armor; over 1,000 sets of double-layered armor; over 100 sets of tube-sleeved armor; and dozens of sets of gleaming armor. We also have over 10,000 bows and crossbows, and over 200,000 arrows. We have over 3,000 warhorses, of which about 2,000 are in good working order. The grain and supplies have not yet been fully tallied, but they are enough to feed our army for at least six months!"

Upon hearing this, all the generals showed joy on their faces.

This battle really made us rich!

Lu Bu was not surprised.

The system rewards and battlefield spoils provided him with ample resources to continue expanding his army.

"Hao Meng, what is the damage to the defenses of Lantian County?"

Hao Meng clasped his hands in a fist and said, "General, there are several breaches in the city wall, but they are not serious. I have conscripted laborers to repair them overnight. In this battle to defend the city, our army suffered more than 200 dead and more than 500 wounded, while the enemy was estimated to have been killed by more than 3,000."

"Well done," Lü Bu praised. "The compensation for the fallen soldiers will be doubled, and the wounded will receive proper medical treatment. Each of the laborers who participated in the defense of the city will be rewarded with one shi of grain."

"Thank you, General!"

Lu Bu surveyed his generals and said in a deep voice, "This great victory is entirely due to your bravery. But we must not let our guard down. Although Li Jue and Guo Si are dead, Jia Xu escaped, and tens of thousands of remnants of the Liangzhou army are still scattered throughout Guanzhong. Next, we must strike while the iron is hot and expand our gains."

He walked to the map and pointed to Chang'an.

"With Li Jue and Guo Si's army of 100,000 defeated, Chang'an's defenses are undoubtedly weak, and the city is in chaos with no one in charge. I suggest we rest for the night, and tomorrow morning we should march on Chang'an, strike while the iron is hot, capture Chang'an, and reclaim our rule in the court!"

Having been driven out of Chang'an by Li Jue and Guo Si, only eight hundred men remained. Everyone was confused and uncertain about their future.

Unexpectedly, in just two or three months, Marquis Wen was about to lead everyone back to Chang'an.

Upon hearing this, all the generals perked up.

"Does the general intend to attack Chang'an?" Hou Cheng asked.

"It's not a direct assault," Lü Bu shook his head. "Chang'an is a fortified city; a direct assault would result in too many casualties. We're going to take over."

He looked at Meng Cheng: "Chief Meng, in the name of the Emperor of our Great Han, who has bestowed upon me the titles of General of Valiant Might, Marquis of Wen, and granted the authority to act on behalf of the emperor and the same rank as the Three Excellencies, issue another proclamation. Its contents are as follows: Li Jue and Guo Si have been executed, and their remaining followers should surrender immediately. All soldiers and officials in Chang'an who open the city gates and surrender, regardless of whether they are Li Jue and Guo Si's family members, subjects, former subordinates of Dong Zhuo, or soldiers of Liangzhou, will be pardoned. Those who stubbornly resist and refuse to surrender will be executed once the city falls."

"Make many copies of the proclamation, shoot them into the city with arrows, and send scouts to spread and post them everywhere so that everyone in Chang'an and the surrounding towns knows about it."

"At the same time, spread rumors that our army has obtained all of Li Jue's provisions and will soon besiege Chang'an. The city is short of food and will not be able to hold out for long even if it does not surrender."

Meng Cheng's eyes lit up: "General, this plan is brilliant! Winning hearts and minds is paramount; we can subdue the enemy without fighting and reduce our casualties!"

Lü Bu nodded and said, "Our Bingzhou army is small in number and should not fight any more tough battles or suffer bloodshed. After Li Jue and Guo Si died, the remnants of the Liangzhou army are leaderless. Even Jia Xu cannot unite everyone; he doesn't have the prestige. If we apply pressure and offer benefits, Chang'an may fall without a fight."

The generals nodded in agreement, deeply admiring Lü Bu's strategic vision.

"Furthermore," Lü Bu continued, "send an envoy to Hongnong to contact Zhang Ji. Tell him that Li Jue and Guo Si are dead, the Liangzhou army is doomed, and I, Lü Bu, will surely return to the court and control the eight hundred li of Qin Chuan. If he is sensible and leads his troops to surrender, I will protect his position as general and allow him to continue leading Hongnong. If he remains obstinate, once I enter Chang'an, I will deal with him next."

"General, will Zhang Ji surrender?" Cheng Lian asked.

"Not necessarily," Lü Bu said, "but at least we can keep him calm and prevent him from making any rash moves. We need time to capture Chang'an and consolidate our gains; we can't afford to fight on all fronts."

The generals wholeheartedly agreed.

All orders were implemented, and each department began to prepare for the next step of the operation in full swing.

Lu Bu stepped out of the tent, looked at the starry sky, and let out a long breath.

This battle was the most dangerous one he had faced since his transmigration, but also the one with the greatest rewards.

They shot and killed Li Jue and Guo Si, routed an army of 100,000, and captured countless spoils.

More importantly, this battle brought him to the pinnacle of prestige in both the enemy and our own armies.

The defeated soldiers from Liangzhou who fled back to Chang'an will not only fail to aid the city's defenses, but will likely disrupt the morale of the Chang'an garrison, making it easier for him to force Chang'an to surrender.

Next, we will take over Chang'an and truly control the Guanzhong Plain.

Then, emulating the powerful Qin dynasty, they used the Guanzhong Plain to conquer the world...

His gaze turned eastward.

There were Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Liu Bei, and Sun Ce.

The chaotic struggle for supremacy during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period had only just begun.

But at this moment, Lu Bu has elite troops and generals under his command, a systematic logistics system, foresight, and power and knowledge that transcend this era.

"I, Lü Bu, will also contend for this world."

August 29th, early morning.

The soldiers in the Bahe camp got up early and set up cooking.

Lu Bu slept soundly last night. Despite the great battle, his 102 points of physical strength allowed him to recover very quickly, and he was already full of energy at dawn.

He was dressed in gleaming armor and wore a helmet with plumes. He had breakfast served by his personal guards—millet porridge, dried meat, and pickled vegetables, simple but filling.

"General, all units are ready," Cheng Lian reported as he entered the tent.

Lü Bu nodded: "As we discussed last night, leave Hao Meng with two thousand men to guard the Bahe camp and the surrendered soldiers, and the rest of the troops will follow me."

"promise!"

At the beginning of Chenshi (around 7 a.m.), Lü Bu personally led 500 heavy cavalry, 1,000 archers, and 1,000 infantry, totaling more than 2,000 troops, out of the Bahe camp and headed north.

The procession also included dozens of large trucks carrying makeshift loudspeakers, surrender documents, and other items hastily produced by the quartermaster department the previous night.

Along the way, traces of the fleeing Liangzhou soldiers could be seen—abandoned weapons, tattered flags, dead horses, and occasionally groups of three or five emaciated soldiers kneeling by the roadside begging for surrender.

Lü Bu ordered his men to gather them and take them to the Bahe camp for unified custody.

The distance from Bahe River to Baling County is only about ten miles. Lü Bu's army, lightly equipped and traveling swiftly, arrived outside Baling City before noon.