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

As Zhang Xiu dropped his spear and was knocked to the ground by the shock, the entire arena fell silent.

Three tricks.

Zhang Xiu, the spear king of the North, only lasted three moves against Lü Bu.

Zhang Xiu sat on the ground, staring blankly at his trembling hands, the tiger's mouth already split open, blood flowing freely.

Lu Bu sheathed his halberd, walked up to him, and extended his hand: "Captain Zhang, are you alright?"

Zhang Xiu looked at Lü Bu's outstretched hand, grasped it with a wry smile, and used it to stand up: "This humble general has lost."

"You've done quite well to withstand three of my moves," Lu Bu said earnestly. "My strength has improved over the past few months; ordinary generals can't even withstand one of my moves. Your spear technique is indeed exquisite, but your strength is lacking."

Zhang Xiu shook his head: "General, there's no need to comfort me. A loss is a loss; it's my fault for not being skilled enough."

He meant it sincerely.

Those three moves just now made him fully realize the gap between himself and Lü Bu.

That wasn't a difference in skill, but a complete and utter domination—in strength, speed, reaction time, and experience, Lü Bu was far superior to him.

No wonder Lü Bu was able to kill Li Jue and Guo Si and regain control of Chang'an.

With such military strength, it is no exaggeration to say that they could take the head of a general amidst a vast army.

Lü Bu laughed and said, "Captain Zhang, there's no need to belittle yourself. You're still young, and given time, your martial arts will improve. How about this, from today onwards, you'll come to my courtyard every morning to practice together, and I'll give you some pointers. I can also give you some advice on how to use your strength."

Zhang Xiu was taken aback, then overjoyed: "Thank you, General!"

To be personally instructed by the greatest warrior in the land is an opportunity that many people would rather die for.

On the sidelines, Cheng Lian whispered to Zhang Liao, "It seems the General values ​​Zhang Xiu highly."

Zhang Liao nodded: "Zhang Xiu does indeed have potential. Moreover, his uncle Zhang Ji holds considerable military power, so winning over Zhang Xiu is also a way of winning over Zhang Ji."

At this moment, Lü Bu looked at Zhang Xiu: "Captain Zhang, I've heard your archery skills are quite good?"

Zhang Xiu came to his senses: "I know a little bit, but I dare not embarrass myself in front of the General."

"Let's go check out the archery range," Lü Bu said enthusiastically.

The group moved to the archery range.

The field is set up with targets, ranging from fifty paces to three hundred paces.

Lü Bu ordered someone to bring him a bow and arrows.

He used a powerful bow with a ten-stone capacity; the bow was dark black, and the bowstring was as thick as a thumb.

What Zhang Xiu received was a three-stone bow, which was already a powerful bow used by elite archers in the army.

"Lieutenant Zhang, please go first," said Lü Bu.

Zhang Xiu accepted the three-stone bow without hesitation and tested the string.

He walked to the hundred-step mark, nocked an arrow, and drew his bow.

The bow is as full as a slew of moon, the arrow as swift as a shooting star.

"Whoosh—"

The arrow hit the bullseye of the target a hundred paces away.

"Good!" the onlookers cheered.

Zhang Xiu fired three more arrows, each hitting the bullseye, demonstrating his solid archery skills.

Lu Bu nodded: "Not bad, that's already at the level of hitting a willow leaf from a hundred paces away."

He walked to the 300-step mark.

At that distance, an ordinary person can't even see the target clearly, let alone hit it.

Zhang Xiu held her breath and stared intently.

Lu Bu picked up the ten-stone bow with one hand and drew three arrows from the quiver with the other.

Nock the arrow and draw the bow.

The powerful bow, which required several strong men to draw, was pulled open by Lü Bu as easily as an ordinary bow and arrow, the bow making a creaking sound.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The three arrows were fired in quick succession, so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

In the distance, three hundred paces away, three targets each had an arrow stuck in the bullseye.

The audience was silent.

Three hundred paces, and all three arrows hit the bullseye!

This is no longer archery skill, it's a miracle!

Zhang Xiu stared in disbelief, and after a long while, he murmured, "General, you are truly a divine being."

Lu Bu lowered his bow and said calmly, "If Commandant Zhang wants to learn, I can teach you."

Zhang Xiu bowed deeply: "This humble general is willing to learn!"

At that moment, all the resentment and frustration in his heart vanished.

It's not shameful to be a subordinate of such a strong person.

On the contrary, it was his honor.

In late September, Chang'an gradually came back to life.

More than half a month has passed since Lü Bu took control of Chang'an, and this capital city, which has suffered from war, is finally showing signs of recovery.

Early in the morning, as soon as the West Market opened, vendors began displaying their goods.

At the entrance of the grain store, the shopkeeper, Wang Laowu, was directing his employees to unload the goods.

The truck was loaded with bags of millet, the grains plump and full.

"Shopkeeper, how much is rice today?" a neighbor asked cautiously.

Wang Laowu laughed and said, "The usual price is two thousand coins per shi of millet. It's the price set by the General, who dares to raise it?"

"Two thousand coins," the neighbors calculated. "It's much cheaper than when Li Jue and Guo Si were in power. Back then, a shi (a unit of dry measure) cost two thousand five hundred coins, and you often couldn't even buy it."

"That's right." Wang Laowu lowered his voice. "I heard that the General has transferred a large amount of grain from other places, and now the granary is full. The government has also set up stabilization offices in the East and West Markets. They sell off grain when prices rise and buy it when prices fall, keeping the price stable at around two thousand coins."

Neighbors exclaimed, "This is a truly benevolent policy. In previous years, grain prices would drop after the autumn harvest and skyrocket during the lean season, causing countless people to starve. Now, things are much better; grain prices are stable, and we feel more at ease."

"That's right," said Wang Laowu. "Moreover, the general recruited workers to repair the city walls and clean the streets, providing meals and wages. A young man from my neighborhood worked there for three days, not only eating his fill and enjoying good food, but also earning sixty coins, enough to buy three liters of rice for his family."

Similar conversations could be heard all over Chang'an.

In the south of the city, a dozen or so people were working in front of a house that was under renovation.

They were repairing houses damaged by the war.

The government provides the materials, and they provide the labor. After the repairs are completed, the houses can be rented at a low price, and the wages for the workers will be calculated separately.

A middle-aged man, while building a wall, said to his companion, "Old Li, what's this Lü Bu—no, I mean, General—getting? Stabilizing grain prices, building houses, and even paying workers. Where does he get so much money and grain?"

Old Li wiped his brow: "Who knows? But I heard that the General has secret granaries in Lantian and Shangluo, storing a huge amount of grain. Moreover, he does business with wealthy merchants from all over the country, exchanging silk, salt, and iron for grain at very fair prices, so the reserves are extremely large."

"No matter what, it's a good thing for us ordinary people," the middle-aged man said. "As long as he doesn't let his troops plunder grain like Li Jue did, I'll acknowledge him as a great general."

"Yes, what do ordinary people ask for? Just a peaceful life with enough to eat, right?"

The Imperial Palace, the Secretariat.

Jia Xu was handling government affairs. The injury to his left arm had almost completely healed, but he still couldn't exert himself too much.

Meng Cheng entered carrying a scroll of bamboo slips: "Mr. Wenhe, this is the population statistic reported by the various counties of Jingzhao Prefecture. Chang'an City currently has 53,000 registered households, approximately 280,000 people. That's nearly 50,000 more than when Li Jue was in power."

Jia Xu took the bamboo slips, looked at them, and nodded: "The return of the refugees is faster than expected."

"It's all thanks to the General's excellent policies," Meng Cheng exclaimed. "He reduced taxes, provided work relief, stabilized grain prices, and even lent money and grain to displaced people to reclaim wasteland. With such conditions, who wouldn't want to come back?"

Jia Xu put down the bamboo slips, seemingly lost in thought: "Chief Clerk Meng, you've served the General for a long time, do you know where all this money and provisions come from?"

Meng Cheng smiled wryly: "To be honest, sir, I don't know either. When the General was in Lantian, the warehouses were always full. When I asked him, he just said he had his own way of doing things. But one thing is certain: the General never withholds military pay, never delays wages, and always pays the money and provisions he promises on time."