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

This reward greatly alleviated his current predicament of material shortage and made him even more determined to fight to sustain the war and launch a counterattack on Chang'an!

With this purification reward mechanism, he can rapidly expand his strength like a snowball by constantly fighting and recruiting traitors!

Of course, he also knew that these thousand-plus new recruits could not be immediately incorporated into the core forces.

He selected dozens of veteran soldiers from his Bingzhou troops and appointed them as military commanders, squad leaders, platoon leaders, and corporals, instructing them to manage these newly surrendered soldiers. They were temporarily organized into a separate battalion under Zhang Liao's overall command, and were strictly supervised and trained.

Not everyone is willing to surrender.

There were also dozens of Zhong Huan's personal guards or die-hards, who stubbornly refused to surrender, preferring death to surrender.

Lü Bu did not kill these people either.

Killing prisoners is considered unlucky and a waste of manpower.

He ordered these people to be organized into a separate hard labor camp, disarmed, and guarded by his personal guards. They would be responsible for hard labor such as building camps and transporting supplies.

Letting them go is impossible; if these die-hards go back and pick up weapons, they'll become the enemy.

After dealing with the surrendered soldiers and prisoners, it was already completely dark, and night had enveloped both banks of the Ba River.

Lü Bu led his victorious army back to the south bank of Ba Bridge, carrying a large amount of spoils of war, surrendered soldiers, and prisoners.

Standing at the bridgehead, gazing at the dark Ba ​​Bridge, Zhang Liao once again offered his suggestion: "General, now that our army has won, should we destroy this bridge to block the pursuing troops? If Li Jue and Guo Si know that Zhong Huan's army has been defeated, they will surely send a large army to attack."

Destroying bridges and holding them is a common tactic.

However, Lü Bu shook his head and rejected the proposal.

"Wen Yuan, destroying the bridge may seem like we're blocking the enemy, but it actually puts us at a disadvantage." Lü Bu pointed to the dark north bank. "Although the Ba River is wide, it's not an insurmountable barrier. If we destroy this bridge, the enemy can find shallower areas to cross or requisition boats. At that time, our defenses will have to be spread out along the river, and our forces will be dispersed, making us easier to defeat piecemeal."

He paused, then continued his analysis: "If we preserve this bridge, the enemy's main force will inevitably cross it! We can then concentrate our forces, guard the south side of the bridge, and wait for them to tire themselves out. This bridge is not only a passage for the enemy, but also a strategic location for us to lure and annihilate them!"

He had another thought in mind that he didn't say aloud: by guarding this bridge, he could continuously "swipe" the "zombies" sent by Li Jue and Guo Si to gain experience and loot rewards!

Destroy the bridge? That would be cutting off your own source of income!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao thought about it carefully and immediately realized that what Lü Bu said made a lot of sense, and that it went deeper than he had thought.

He clasped his hands and said, "General, your insight is profound; it was my oversight that led to this."

Hao Meng, Cao Xing, and others nodded in agreement, expressing their admiration for Lü Bu's strategic vision.

"Wen Yuan, Hao Meng, Cao Xing," Lü Bu began assigning tasks. "You will lead the main force to a strategic location on the south bank of Ba Bridge, dig deep trenches, set up numerous chevaux-de-frise, and establish a tight defense. Send out many scouts to patrol the north bank at a distance, and report immediately upon any movement of the enemy!"

"Yes, sir!" the three generals replied in unison.

"Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng, the three of you will assist Wen Yuan in reorganizing the surrendered troops, inventorying and distributing the grain, fodder, and weapons captured today. You must ensure fairness and maintain morale. Any instances of embezzlement or misappropriation will be dealt with according to military law!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Wei Xu and the other two were startled and quickly agreed.

Having settled matters within the camp, Lü Bu did not linger.

He changed back into his gleaming armor, mounted his magnificent Red Hare, raised his halberd, and called upon fifty elite guards: "Follow me to Lantian County!"

He needed to reunite with his family as soon as possible, and more importantly, he needed to use Lantian as a base to begin implementing the first step of his plan to counterattack Chang'an.

The system gave him confidence, and history gave him foresight. He could no longer flee south in panic like the original owner, like a stray dog.

In the darkness of night, Lü Bu led the way, followed closely by fifty personal guards. The sound of hooves pounded the official road as they galloped southeast toward Lantian County, their figures gradually disappearing into the deep darkness.

More than an hour later, Lü Bu, with fifty personal guards, finally arrived at the north gate of Lantian County under the dim moonlight.

At this time, the city gates of Lantian County were tightly closed, and there were scattered torches and the figures of night watchmen moving back and forth on the walls, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Who goes there? State your name immediately! If you come any closer, we'll fire arrows!"

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves outside the city, a wary shout came from the city wall. The voice was tired but strong. Lü Bu recognized it immediately; it was Cheng Lian, the commander of his personal guards.

Lu Bu reined in his Red Hare, raised his head, and shouted, "Cheng Lian, open the gate!"

Upon hearing Wen Hou's voice, Cheng Lian on the city wall was first taken aback, then overjoyed: "It's the general! It really is the general! Quickly, open the city gates!"

The heavy city gate creaked open slowly, and Cheng Lian, accompanied by a troop of personal guards, hurried out to greet them. Seeing Lü Bu unharmed, he excitedly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and exclaimed, "General, you've finally arrived! I was so worried!"

Lu Bu dismounted, personally helped Cheng Lian to his feet, patted his sturdy arm armor, and laughed, "I'm fine, and I've brought you some good news."

As he led his horse into the city, he briefly informed Cheng Lian of the outcome of the Battle of Baqiao.

When Cheng Lian heard that Lü Bu had shot and killed Zhong Huan, the commander of the pursuing troops, with an arrow, and then led his army to a great victory over two thousand pursuers and captured more than 1,500 of them, Cheng Lian and the personal guards and soldiers who heard the news widened their eyes and then burst into uncontrollable cheers!

"The might of Lord Wen!"

"May the General be victorious!"

The gloom of defeat in Chang'an seemed to have been largely dispelled by this resounding victory.

Cheng Lian, in particular, thought that Lu Bu's decision to let him go first meant that he would have to fight a tough battle to cover the rear, and that he might even be injured or killed. He never expected such a great victory!

The news spread like wildfire.

The magistrate of Lantian County, Meng Cheng, and the county lieutenant, Zuo Feng, who had already been alerted, also rushed over.

Meng Cheng was a middle-aged scholar in his forties from Bingzhou. He wore a faded Confucian robe and had a lean face. At this moment, his face was full of surprise.

County Commandant Zuo Feng, dressed in full armor and possessing a robust physique, was a former personal guard of Lü Bu and held Lü Bu in the highest esteem.

"Your humble servant Meng Cheng (subordinate Zuo Feng) congratulates the general on his great victory!" The two bowed in unison, their voices filled with excitement.

This victory was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the Bingzhou army, which had just suffered a crushing defeat in Chang'an and was in a state of panic.

"No need for formalities," Lü Bu waved his hand. "Are your family members well?"

Cheng Lian quickly replied, "The two ladies and the young lady have been settled in the backyard of the county government office, and the families of the other generals have been settled in their residences in the city. Everything is fine."

As they were talking, Yan Yuan, Diao Chan, and Lü Qiling, who had received the news, came out of the county government office accompanied by their maids.

Although Yan Yuan was thirty years old, she was still beautiful and had a heroic air about her. When she saw Lü Bu return safely, all her worries disappeared and were replaced by joy. She quickly stepped forward and gave a slight curtsy: "I am relieved that my husband has returned safely."

Behind her, the seventeen-year-old Diao Chan was even more stunning. Even in the darkness of the night, her radiant beauty could not be concealed. She softly called out "General," her beautiful eyes glistening with concern.

Twelve-year-old Lü Qiling was much more lively. Dressed in a neat short-sleeved outfit, she ran to Lü Bu's side like a little swallow, tugging at the hem of his armor: "Father, I heard you defeated all the pursuers?"