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

That evening, in the study of the General's Mansion.

The charcoal brazier was burning brightly, and Lü Bu was reading the cavalry training report sent by Zhang Liao.

Jia Xu requested an audience.

"Wenhe, what urgent matter brings you here so late?" Lü Bu put down the bamboo slips.

Jia Xu glanced at the personal guards attending him on either side.

Lü Bu understood and waved for his personal guards to leave: "Speak."

Jia Xu hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking, "General, have you heard any of the rumors circulating in Chang'an recently?"

"Rumors?" Lu Bu shook his head. "I didn't pay attention. What are they saying?"

"Some say you possess sorcery, able to conjure food and military supplies out of thin air," Jia Xu said, staring directly at Lü Bu. "Others say you are the reincarnation of a celestial calamity, bringing disaster wherever you go. Still others say you are no longer the original Lü Bu, but a monster in disguise."

Lu Bu was taken aback at first, then laughed: "Sorcery? Monsters? These people certainly have a vivid imagination."

"General, this matter cannot be taken lightly," Jia Xu said solemnly. "Although the rumors are absurd, the people are ignorant. If they are spread for a long time, some people will inevitably believe them. If the people really think you are a monster, the morale of the army and the people will waver."

Lü Bu then realized the seriousness of the situation; people in this era were far more knowledgeable than those of later generations. He then suppressed his smile and asked, "What do you mean?"

"The root of the rumors lies in the fact that your source of funds and provisions is too strange," Jia Xu said bluntly. "When Dong Zhuo, Wang Yun, Li Jue and Guo Si were in Chang'an, they could not even maintain the daily expenses of the court, and officials' salaries were often in arrears. Li Jue and Guo Si even let their troops plunder and steal grain from the homes of the common people and wealthy families, but even so, they could not continue."

He paused, then continued, "And you, not only ensure that your own soldiers are well-fed and clothed, but also occasionally have extra meat. You also have surplus military supplies to win over Zhang Ji, Ma Teng, and Han Sui, stabilizing the border. You can also distribute rations and salaries to officials in various departments of the court and counties on time. Furthermore, you can allocate large sums of money and grain to provide disaster relief and to carry out work-for-relief programs."

"More importantly," Jia Xu emphasized, "the various prefectures and counties across the land have long since carved out their own territories and ceased paying tribute to the court. The tax revenue of the court in Chang'an is limited, less than one-tenth of what you've distributed. The rest you've raised from who-knows-where."

"The higher the level of a person, the more intelligent they are, the more they can sense this strangeness. People like Yang Biao, Zhao Wen, Zhang Xi, and Shi Sunrui, though they don't say it aloud, must have doubts in their hearts. Even ordinary merchants are wondering why, in this year of famine, grain prices not only haven't risen, but have been suppressed by you?"

After listening, Lü Bu fell silent.

He used to act according to modern thinking, and dared not expose the system and the source of military supplies, fearing that it would be difficult to explain to others, so he did some self-deceptive things.

But now, after hearing what Jia Xu said, he realized the problem was serious.

His self-deceiving tactics might fool ordinary people with limited knowledge and information, but they couldn't fool court officials or intelligent people.

You can fool people for a while, but you can't fool them forever.

"Wenhe, you're right," Lü Bu said slowly. "I was indeed negligent before."

Seeing that Lü Bu was listening, Jia Xu felt somewhat relieved and continued, "General, please forgive my bluntness. To stop the rumors, we must provide a reasonable explanation for the source of the funds and provisions. Otherwise, the rumors will only spread more and more fiercely, ultimately affecting your prestige."

Lü Bu looked at Jia Xu: "What suggestions do you have?"

Jia Xu did not answer directly, but instead asked, "General, may I ask a question?"

"ask."

"Where does your money and provisions come from?" Jia Xu looked directly into Lü Bu's eyes. "I need to know the truth in order to devise a plan for you."

Lu Bu's face turned cold as he stared at Jia Xu.

The atmosphere in the study instantly became heavy.

Jia Xu met Lü Bu's gaze without flinching: "General, now that I have pledged my allegiance to you, I am bound to you. If you do not believe me, I can move my entire family to the vicinity of your residence and have my personal guards supervise them daily. But I must know the truth—not to pry into secrets, but to help you."

The two stared at each other for a long time.

Lu Bu saw openness and determination in Jia Xu's eyes.

Finally, Lü Bu nodded.

"Alright, Wenhe, I believe you," Lü Bu said slowly. "You guessed right, I do indeed have extraordinary methods."

He stood up, walked to the center of the study, and a thought struck him.

The next moment, a pile of grain appeared out of thin air and was stacked on the ground. Then came a dozen suits of armor, dozens of swords, and chests of gold, silver, and copper coins.

Jia Xu's pupils contracted sharply, and he froze on the spot.

Although he had suspected it beforehand, he was still speechless with shock when he saw this unbelievable scene in person.

"This...this is..."

"As you can see, I can produce supplies out of thin air," Lü Bu said calmly. "After my defeat in Chang'an, I obtained a divine granary, from which I can collect countless military supplies every day. Food, weapons, armor, money—everything is available. Moreover, the gods enhance my strength every so often. My current martial prowess has surpassed that of mortals."

Jia Xu took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart.

He walked to the pile of grain and grabbed a handful of millet. The grains were plump and of excellent quality.

He touched the armor again; it was cold and hard, made of refined iron.

All of this is true.

"A divine granary bestowed by heaven," Jia Xu murmured, "so the rumors weren't entirely absurd after all."

"But the rumors are going in the wrong direction," Lü Bu said. "I am neither a monster nor a harbinger of disaster. This military supply depot was bestowed by the gods."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "General, you just said—it was bestowed by the gods?"

"good."

"Excellent!" Jia Xu suddenly exclaimed excitedly. "General, this is not a disaster, but a tremendous opportunity!"

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Jia Xu quickly organized his thoughts: "Since you truly possess a divinely bestowed granary, then we can actively guide the rumors, turning sorcery into a divine gift, and monsters into chosen ones!"

He grew more and more excited as he spoke: "We can spread rumors that the world is in chaos and the people are suffering, and that Lord Wen, Lü Bu, is a man chosen by Heaven, possessing a divinely bestowed granary filled with countless provisions and military supplies. As long as we follow Lord Wen, we'll never have to worry about a good life!"

"We can also have storytellers fabricate tales, saying that you received divine teachings in a dream, which bestowed upon you a divine granary, intended to help you quell the chaos and save the people. We can even fabricate some auspicious omens, such as the discovery of a strange stone in a certain place with inscriptions such as 'The Lü Clan Will Prosper.'"

Lu Bu's eyes grew brighter as he listened.

That's a great idea!

In later generations, this would be a laughing stock. But in this day and age, such rumors are perfectly timely.

Instead of passively debunking rumors, it's better to actively create momentum!

"Wenhe, I'm entrusting this matter to you," Lü Bu decided. "Whatever resources you need, just allocate them. All departments of the court and military generals can cooperate with you."

"Yes, sir!" Jia Xu bowed deeply. "I will certainly not fail in my mission!"