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

Jia Xu took it, quickly glanced at it, and his expression became serious.

He cleared his throat and repeated the contents of the silk scroll in a steady but clear voice.

The hall erupted in uproar.

"How dare these barbarians!" Zhang Liao slammed his fist on the table, his eyes wide with fury. "Bingzhou is the territory of our great Han Dynasty; how can we allow foreign tribes to trample upon it!"

Although the others did not speak, their fists were clenched so tightly they turned white.

Young and impetuous, Ma Chao sneered, "Twenty thousand Northern Di allied troops? Give me five thousand iron cavalry, and I'll slaughter them without leaving a single survivor!"

Xu Huang, more composed, frowned and said, "The Xianbei cavalry are swift as the wind, and the Southern Xiongnu are familiar with the terrain. Bingzhou is without a ruler, and the various counties cannot unite to resist the enemy; this is the crux of the problem."

Jia Xu raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and looked at Lü Bu: "General, Wang Yi stated in his document that he is willing to submit to the court and obey orders. This is a good opportunity to subdue Hedong."

Lü Bu nodded: "Wang Yi was previously outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, refusing to obey orders. However, this time he has set aside his prejudices and taken the initiative to submit, joining forces to resist the Northern Barbarians. This shows that he still possesses a sense of righteousness. What do you all think we should do with him?"

Meng Cheng said, "Since Wang Yi is willing to submit, the court should recognize him and grant him an official position so that he can rightfully lead the army and people of Hedong to resist the Hu."

"What position will you be given?" Lü Bu asked.

Guo Jia pondered for a moment: "We can grant him the titles of General of Anbei, Prefect of Hedong, and Acting General. The title of General of Anbei allows him to command troops in campaigns; the title of Prefect of Hedong allows him to manage the administration of his prefecture; and Acting General gives him the authority to execute those who disobey military orders. In this way, Wang Yi can integrate all the forces of Hedong and hold the northern border of Hedong, buying time for our army to advance north."

Lü Bu nodded: "Alright, then who will lead the army north to resist the Hu? How many soldiers will they bring?"

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Zhang Liao rose and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This humble general is willing to go! I will lead ten thousand light cavalry and will arrive in Bingzhou within ten days!"

Wei Xu also stood up: "The Trapped Camp requests permission to fight!"

Ma Chao, Gao Shun, Zhang Xiu, Xu Huang, and others volunteered for the mission.

After thinking for a while, Lü Bu said, "I must go to this battle myself."

Everyone was taken aback.

"General, your status is now of utmost importance; you must remain in the capital region. Why must you personally lead the expedition?" Cao Xing said anxiously. "We, your humble servants, will certainly do our utmost..."

Lu Bu raised his hand to stop them: "Let me finish. Bingzhou is my hometown. After Ding Yuan's death, Bingzhou is without a ruler, and the garrisons and local strongmen of each county are not under each other's command. If I don't go, who can keep order? Who can unite the scattered forces of Bingzhou?"

He stood up, walked to the sheepskin map hanging in the hall, and pointed to the location of Bingzhou: "This battle is not only about repelling the Hu people, but also about taking the opportunity to integrate Bingzhou and bring it under the actual control of the imperial court. As the Grand General, I will personally lead the royal army to fight against the foreign invaders and call on the people of Bingzhou to fight together. Many local garrisons and powerful landlords will surely respond. After the battle, Bingzhou can truly be brought under the control of the imperial court."

A look of approval flashed in Jia Xu's eyes: "General, your thinking is far-sighted; you should indeed lead the expedition yourself."

Guo Jia also said, "The people of Bingzhou are known for their fierce and brave nature, and they produce many elite soldiers and generals. If we can acquire Bingzhou, our army's fighting strength will increase greatly. Moreover, Bingzhou produces horses, and we can obtain fine horses to supplement our cavalry."

Lü Bu returned to his seat: "Since I am personally leading the campaign, how many troops should I bring?"

Zhang Liao thought for a moment: "The barbarian cavalry number 20,000, all of them elite, and they live on horseback year-round. Our army needs at least 30,000 infantry and cavalry to ensure a victory."

"No need for so many," Lü Bu waved his hand. "I have the Heavenly Granted Granary, so the supply of food and military provisions is not a problem. There is no need for a large logistics convoy to slow down the march. I only need to bring eight thousand light and heavy cavalry and two thousand heavy infantrymen of the Vanguard Camp, for a total force of ten thousand."

"Ten thousand?" Hao Meng exclaimed in surprise. "General, the Hu people have twenty thousand cavalry!"

"The quality of an army is more important than its quantity," Lü Bu said calmly. "Eight thousand cavalrymen, each with two horses. Two thousand elite troops will also be equipped with warhorses. In this way, the entire army can march on horseback, covering hundreds of miles a day, and we can reach Bingzhou in a few days. All provisions, weapons, armor, arrows, and siege equipment will be stored in my Heavenly Treasury, ready for use at any time."

Everyone recalled Lü Bu's miraculous divine granary bestowed by heaven. Those who had witnessed it, such as Jia Xu and Guo Jia, nodded in agreement. Even those who had not witnessed it felt a novel logistical experience at this moment.

Jia Xu stroked his beard: "If there is no need for a logistics convoy, and the weapons, armor and siege equipment are all carried by the general Shen Cang, the entire army can advance lightly on horseback. This will certainly be a surprise attack, and the Hu people will never expect that our army can arrive so quickly."

Guo Jia's eyes lit up: "General, this strategy is exactly what we call a surprise attack! The Hu people must be scattered and looting all over Bingzhou right now. Our light cavalry can advance and strike directly at their main force, which can decide the outcome in one battle!"

Lü Bu nodded: "Then, how should the personnel left to guard Guanzhong be allocated?"

The group began to discuss the matter in detail.

The final decision was made: Cao Xing, the General of the Capital Region, would be the commander-in-chief, while Hao Meng, Wei Xu, Song Xian, Hou Cheng, and others would remain in Guanzhong to guard various passes and prevent Liangzhou, Hanzhong, Nanyang, and other places from taking advantage of the situation to invade.

"Wenhe will be in charge of the court's administration, and Fengxiao will be in charge of oversight." Lü Bu looked at the two strategists, "You two will be stationed in Chang'an to ensure the stability of the rear."

Jia Xu and Guo Jia bowed and said, "We will certainly not fail your trust."

Lü Bu then named Zhang Liao, Cheng Lian, Gao Shun, Ma Chao, Zhang Xiu, and Xu Huang, ordering them to accompany him on the expedition.

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Liao and the others responded in unison.

With the general strategy settled, Ma Chao, Zhang Xiu, and others withdrew to prepare for battle at the military camp, leaving only Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Meng Cheng, Zhang Liao, and a few trusted confidants to finalize the details.

Jia Xu then said, "General, I have two more strategies."

"speak."

Jia Xu walked to the map and pointed to the location of Liangzhou: "Although Ma Teng and Han Sui have outwardly submitted, they have always harbored ulterior motives. This time, we can take advantage of the opportunity to resist the Hu to test their loyalty and keep them in check."

Lu Bu became interested: "How exactly?"

"Ma Teng is stronger than Han Sui," Jia Xu said. "We can order Ma Teng to lead his elite troops through the three prefectures of Wuwei, Anding, and Beidi, northward along the Yellow River, into the Hetao region, and fight against the western army of the Northern Di."

Guo Jia interjected, "At the same time, Han Sui can be left to guard Liangzhou to prevent trouble from the Western Regions and the Qiang and Hu tribes. Han Sui is relatively weak and dares not disobey orders. If Ma Teng is willing to send troops, it will show his loyalty; if he is unwilling, his food and supplies can be reduced after the war, or even used as a pretext to launch a campaign against him."

Lü Bu clapped his hands: "Excellent plan! It can mobilize the Liangzhou troops to resist the Hu and contain the Northern Di's western army, while also testing Ma Teng and Han Xin. If Ma Teng follows orders, we can also use the Hu cavalry to weaken his forces."

Jia Xu continued, "The second strategy concerns the Southern Xiongnu."

He pointed to the Hetao region: "Although the Southern Xiongnu have rebelled, they are not a monolithic entity. The current ruler of the Chanyu's court is the Right Wise King Qubei, who ascended to the throne after killing the old Chanyu. The old Chanyu's son, Yufuluo, has been in exile and is currently roaming the border area of ​​the three commanderies of Hedong, Henan, and Henan Yin, with several thousand cavalry under his command."

Lü Bu's eyes lit up: "You mean, to take advantage of Yufuluo?"

"Exactly." Jia Xu nodded. "In the name of the Han Dynasty, we can officially appoint Yufuluo as the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu and the General of the Xiongnu, ordering him to lead troops north to attack Qubei. We will also promise him that if he can defeat the rebel army under Qubei, the court will grant his people the county of Tingmeiji (northwest of present-day Jungar Banner, Inner Mongolia), so that they will no longer have to wander."

Guo Jia added: "Yufuluo will return to the Chanyu's court to avenge his father and reclaim the Chanyu's position. He will fight desperately. In this way, the Southern Xiongnu will fight amongst themselves, and our army can concentrate on dealing with the main force of the Xianbei."