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

Upon hearing the urgent military report from the courier, Wang Yi slammed his chopsticks down on the table, and the rice cake rolled onto the floor.

"What did you say?" He suddenly stood up, his expression changing drastically.

The courier, panting heavily, continued his report: "A combined Xianbei and Xiongnu army of about 20,000 cavalry has invaded southward, plundering Bingzhou, attacking every city and looting every village. Fushi County, the capital of Shangjun, has fallen, and Gaonu and Dingyang are in dire need of assistance; the northern part of Xihe Commandery has been completely lost, with its capital Lishi County and nearby Gaolang, Lin, and Zhongyang counties in dire need of assistance; all counties in Yanmen Commandery north of Taiyuan Commandery have fallen, leaving only Yanmen Pass and a few southern counties remaining, and Taiyuan is in grave danger! The magistrates of the three counties of Qu, Puzi, and Yong'an, north of Shangjun and Xihe in Hedong Commandery, have jointly petitioned for aid, requesting the governor to send troops immediately!"

Wang Yi quickly stepped forward, snatched the military report, and unfolded it for a closer look.

The handwriting on the bamboo slips was hasty, indicating that they were written in a hurry, but the content was shocking:

"Since the beginning of winter, heavy snow has raged in the northern deserts for two months, killing six or seven out of ten cattle and sheep. The Hu people are short of food, so they have come south to plunder. The Southern Xiongnu Chanyu's court, which was originally appointed by the court and held the title of Envoy to the Xiongnu, has also suffered severe damage this year. The Right Wise King Qubei, who controls the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu's court, has allied with the Xianbei Kebineng and joined forces to invade the south..."

Wang Yi's hands trembled slightly.

He is 47 years old this year and has served as county magistrate and prefectural assistant. Five years ago, he was appointed by the imperial court as the governor of Hedong.

When Dong Zhuo seized power, he secretly resisted him; when Li Jue and Guo Si were in power, he outwardly complied but inwardly defied him; when Lü Bu took control of Chang'an, he was even more disdainful.

Is a fickle military man worthy of controlling the court and using the emperor to command the feudal lords?

Therefore, he deployed most of the thousands of troops from Hedong Commandery along the Yellow River to prevent Lü Bu from crossing the river from Guanzhong and advancing eastward. On the northern border, he left only a thousand or so old and weak soldiers to guard various counties.

It was initially thought that although Bingzhou lacked a governor, the prefects, magistrates, and local strongmen of each commandery would unite and defend themselves, preventing the Xianbei from launching a large-scale southward invasion. However, this year's severe snowstorm forced the Xianbei in the northern deserts to fight desperately, and the Southern Xiongnu rebelled against the Han, leading to the fall of the north!

"Quickly!" Wang Yi shouted sternly, "Summon Prefect Wei Kai, Registrar Fan Xian, and Commandant Du Ji to a meeting immediately! Also, order the personal guards in the prefecture to prepare for battle!"

"Yes, sir!" The servant rushed out.

Within fifteen minutes, the three of them arrived in a hurry.

Prefectural Assistant Wei Kai was in his early forties, a local gentry from Hedong, wearing a thick cotton robe, and rubbing his hands as he entered; Registrar Fan Xian was over fifty, thin and shrewd, carrying several volumes of account books in his arms; Commandant Du Ji was thirty-five or thirty-six, burly, still in his armor, clearly having just arrived from the camp.

"Your Excellency, what is the matter that is so urgent?" Wei Kai asked, bowing respectfully.

General Wang Yi handed the report to the three men for them to read, and said in a deep voice: "The Northern Di have launched a major invasion southward. Several northern counties of Bingzhou have already fallen, and the southern counties of Shangjun, Xihe, and Taiyuan are in dire need of help. The three border counties of Beiqu, Puzi, and Yong'an in our prefecture are requesting assistance. Gentlemen, what is your plan?"

After reading the military report, all three men turned pale.

Du Ji spoke first, his voice rough and forceful: "The Xianbei cavalry are swift as the wind, the Southern Xiongnu are familiar with the terrain, and the Northern Di allied forces number twenty thousand. Each of the three northern counties has only three or four hundred garrisons, and the city walls are low; they will be extremely difficult to defend. We must send reinforcements immediately!"

Fan Xian shook his head: "Commander Du, most of the county's troops are on the western front defending against Lü Bu. If we withdraw troops north, the western front will be left undefended, and Lü Bu might take the opportunity to cross the river..."

"Lu Bu might not come," Wei Kai pondered. "According to intelligence reports from Chang'an, after Lu Bu took control of Chang'an, he governed with benevolence, provided disaster relief, and restored trade. He doesn't seem to be planning to wage war immediately. Moreover, this year's heavy snow has made the roads difficult to travel, so crossing the river to advance eastward at this time is not a good opportunity."

Wang Yi sneered: "Prefect Wei, you're a wolf in sheep's clothing like Lü Bu. How can we be sure you won't take advantage of our misfortune?"

"Precisely because he is a wolf, he understands timing better," Wei Kai said frankly. "If our army were to march north now and engage in a bloody battle with the Hu people, even if we could repel the enemy, we would suffer heavy casualties. If Lü Bu truly intended to advance eastward, he could wait until our army and the Hu people were both exhausted before reaping the benefits. Why risk crossing the river now?"

Wang Yi remained silent.

That makes sense. If Lü Bu truly had foresight, he wouldn't have acted now.

Du Ji said urgently, "Then we're just going to abandon the three northern counties? Let the barbarians plunder them? Beiqu County has granaries with 50,000 shi of grain; Puzi County has an ironworks that can forge weapons; and Yong'an County controls the vital Fen River. If these three counties fall, the barbarians can advance unimpeded and directly attack the prefectural capital, Anyi!"

Fan Xian opened the account book in his bosom, his fingers quickly moving the abacus beads: "The county treasury currently has 80,000 shi of grain, 300,000 guan of cash, and 2,000 bolts of silk. If we send troops north, we will need to mobilize at least 10,000 county soldiers and 5,000 laborers. Every day, the food and supplies for the people and horses will require 400 shi of grain and 500 guan of cash. If the war lasts for a month, we will need 12,000 shi of grain and 15,000 guan of cash—and this does not include compensation, rewards, or the loss of equipment."

He looked up at Wang Yi: "My lord, the county treasury cannot support a prolonged war. Unless, an additional grain tax is levied."

"Absolutely not!" Wang Yi categorically rejected the idea. "This year's heavy snow has already made life difficult for the people. Imposing additional taxes will only lead to unrest. Moreover, the counties of Bingzhou have been plundered by the Hu people, and refugees have fled south. Hedong has already received thousands of refugees, and grain prices are already rising. Raising taxes at this time would be tantamount to digging our own grave."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The charcoal fire crackled, and fine snow began to fall outside the window.

Wei Kai suddenly said, "My lord, I have a plan that may resolve this crisis."

"speak."

"Submit to the imperial court and request Lü Bu to send troops," Wei Kai said, enunciating each word clearly.

Wang Yi's pupils contracted: "What did you say?"

"Please allow me to finish, my lord." Wei Kai cupped his hands, his expression solemn. "First, our main force is stationed on the western front to defend against Lü Bu. If we surrender to the court, this defensive line can be dismantled, and thousands of troops from various counties can be transferred to the northern front, where we may be able to hold the northern border."

"Secondly, Lü Bu is from Jiuyuan in Bingzhou and has a long-standing reputation in Bingzhou. After Ding Yuan's death, Bingzhou was without a ruler and local warlords carved up the land. However, if Lü Bu personally led an expedition to Bingzhou as the Grand General of the Imperial Court and rallied the people of Bingzhou to fight against the barbarians, he would surely win their hearts and minds."

"Thirdly, Lü Bu has money and supplies—this is the most crucial point. Reports from Chang'an have repeatedly indicated that Lü Bu possesses a divinely bestowed granary, with inexhaustible supplies of grain and military provisions. He can support tens of thousands of troops in Guanzhong, provide relief to disaster victims, and win over Ma Teng and Han Sui, so he must have a strong foundation. If he is willing to send troops to Bingzhou, our county will not have to bear the burden of grain, supplies, and weapons alone."

Du Ji's eyes lit up: "Prefect Wei's words make sense! If Lü Bu personally leads the campaign, his martial prowess will surely boost morale. The powerful local strongmen throughout Bingzhou will undoubtedly rise up in response when they see Lü Bu leading the imperial army!"

Fan Xian frowned: "But Lü Bu is a usurper, holding the emperor hostage to command the other lords. If you, my lord, were to submit to him, wouldn't that be betraying the Han dynasty?"

Wang Yi's face was ashen; this was the source of his resentment.

Wei Kai sighed deeply: "Registrations Fan, I too am loyal to the Han Dynasty. However, the current situation is dire. The Han Dynasty is in decline, the Emperor is young and trapped in Chang'an, and his decrees cannot leave the palace. Hundreds of thousands of Han people in Bingzhou are being slaughtered and plundered by the barbarians. Should we uphold the empty title of loyalty to the emperor and sit idly by while the people suffer, or should we temporarily set aside our prejudices, borrow Lü Bu's power to drive out the barbarians, and protect the borders and the people—which is more important?"

He approached Wang Yi and bowed deeply: "My lord, the barbarians have come south not to seize territory, but to plunder. They will seize enough grain, cattle, and sheep, and kill enough Han people, and then return north when the weather warms. But how many people of Bingzhou will die in this calamity, and how many homes will be reduced to ruins! Even though Lü Bu is a powerful minister, he is still a Han Chinese. The Xianbei and Xiongnu, however, are foreign barbarians!"

Du Ji also knelt on one knee: "This humble general is willing to lead troops north to fight to the death, but I beg Your Excellency to make a swift decision! The military situation is urgent; every day of delay means the death of a thousand more on the northern frontier!"