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

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, at noon, in An'yi County, Hedong Prefecture.

In the main hall of the prefectural governor's mansion, the charcoal fire blazed brightly, yet it could not dispel the chill between the brows of the crowd.

Wang Yi sat in the main seat, below him were Prefectural Assistant Wei Kai, Commandant Du Ji, Registrar Fan Xian, and several representatives of powerful clans in the prefecture.

Just as everyone finished listening to the latest military report from the north—the main force of the Northern Di allied forces had approached Lishi County, the capital of Xihe Commandery, and Hu scouts had appeared on the outskirts of the three northern counties of Hedong Commandery.

"Report—"

A courier rushed into the hall, knelt on one knee, and held aloft a bamboo tube sealed with imperial wax: "The imperial edict from Chang'an has arrived!"

Wang Yi's spirits lifted: "Bring it here quickly!"

The attendant took the bamboo tube, checked that the sealing wax was intact, and then presented it to Wang Yi.

Wang Yi crushed the sealing wax, pulled out the silk book, and unfolded it to read it carefully.

The hall was completely silent, except for the crackling of the charcoal fire.

As Wang Yi read, his expression changed from solemn to surprised, and then from surprised to complicated.

Wei Kai asked cautiously, "My lord, what did the court say?"

Wang Yi handed the silk scroll to Wei Kai, leaned back in his chair, and sighed deeply: "The court has granted me the titles of General of Anbei, Prefect of Hedong, and granted me the authority to act on behalf of the emperor. I am ordered to integrate all the forces in Hedong, defend the northern border, receive the refugees, and await the general's personal expedition."

"General Anbei?" Du Ji's eyes widened. "That's a high-ranking general, comparable in rank to a governor or prefect!"

Fan Xian was also surprised: "Acting as a general, this gives you the power of life and death."

After reading the silk scroll, Wei Kai pondered and said, "Lu Bu, no, General Lu Bu's actions have given you great trust and authority. As General of Anbei, you can command troops to conquer, and as a general, you can execute those who disobey orders. In addition, you also have the duties of Prefect of Hedong. In Hedong, your word is law."

A representative of a powerful clan spoke up: "Lord Wang, this is a good thing! With the official appointment from the court, your troop deployment, grain requisition, and recruitment are now perfectly legitimate. Those powerful clans who previously paid lip service but resisted will no longer dare to shirk their responsibilities. If they dare to shirk their responsibilities again, they can be executed first and reported later."

Wang Yi smiled wryly: "A good thing? It certainly is a good thing. But have you all considered why Lü Bu is being so generous?"

He stood up, walked to the map of Hedong hanging in the hall, and traced the Yellow River with his finger: "Because Hedong is his springboard for going east out of Guanzhong and fighting for hegemony. Now he is giving me high-ranking positions and great power, firstly to use me to guard the northern border and fight against the northern barbarians, and secondly to use me to integrate Hedong, so that when his army marches east in the future, Hedong will already be in his pocket."

Wei Kai nodded: "Your Excellency sees things clearly. But even so, we cannot refuse. Firstly, this is an official imperial edict, nominally based on the greater good; secondly, with the Hu people at hand, Hedong truly needs a powerful figure to unite the forces of all sides; thirdly..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Lu Bu has the legend of the divine granary bestowed by heaven, and he was able to turn the tide from a defeated general to control Guanzhong in just half a year. His momentum is unstoppable. Rather than resisting stubbornly, we should go with the flow and at least find a way to survive for the people of Hedong."

Wang Yi remained silent for a long time.

He recalled the refugees who had fled from the north when he inspected the city's defenses the day before. They were ragged, emaciated, and some elderly people and children were shivering from the cold, yet they were still thanking the government for providing porridge.

He then thought of the families of the soldiers who died in the northern frontier and begged the magistrate to send troops to avenge them.

"Enough." Wang Yi finally spoke, his voice weary but firm. "Personal grudges can be set aside, but the nation cannot be abandoned. Issue this order: In the name of General Anbei, Prefect of Hedong, and Acting General Wang Yi, proclaim to the entire prefecture—from this day forward, all military and political affairs in Hedong shall be under my command. Anyone who disobeys this order shall be executed!"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd responded in unison.

Wang Yi continued to issue orders: "Du Ji, I hereby appoint you as the Commandant of the Expedition against the Di, leading 5,000 troops from the prefecture north to support the three northern counties. Upon arrival, join forces with the garrison and implement a scorched-earth policy. Within 30 li outside the city, leave not a single grain of food or a single blade of grass for the Hu people! I will come to join you after I have finished my current affairs."

"This subordinate obeys!"

"Fan Xian, you are in charge of allocating food, supplies and weapons to the northern front according to wartime standards. Also, set up a resettlement area for refugees south of Anyi City to receive people fleeing south from Bingzhou, and provide them with porridge twice a day."

"Your humble servant obeys!"

"Wei Kai, draft a proclamation to reassure the people and contact all the powerful clans, ordering them to deliver the promised grain, laborers, and soldiers to the prefectural government within three days. Tell them—this is the time to defend our homes and country; if anyone shirks responsibility or conceals anything, do not blame this general for exercising his authority!"

"Kai understands!"

The others obeyed and left, leaving only Wang Yi in the hall.

He walked to the window, gazing at the gray sky to the north, and murmured, "Lü Bu, you've won. I hope you are truly as the gods say, destined to save the people of Bingzhou from their suffering."

At the same time, the population under the jurisdiction of the Lü Bu system's security zone increased by more than 200,000.

After a moment's thought, he realized that Wang Yi had genuinely submitted, and the population of Hedong County under his jurisdiction had been included in the system's safe zone.

"Wang Yi is indeed a wise man." Lu Bu's lips curled up slightly. "Although he cherishes the Han Dynasty, he ultimately chose the right path in the face of righteousness."

He summoned his personal guards and ordered Jia Xu to allocate 20,000 shi of grain and 50,000 guan of cash to Hedong Commandery in the name of the imperial court to help Wang Yi resettle the displaced people.

"promise!"

The next afternoon, at the border between Hanoi and Hadong counties, a little further away, Wangwu Mountain, Jiguan Pass.

This is a strategic pass, now occupied by Yufuluo, the Left Wise King of the Southern Xiongnu, as a temporary residence.

The camps stretched out in a continuous line, with about three thousand cavalrymen stationed there. Warhorses neighed in the cold wind, and the Xiongnu soldiers, wrapped in fur coats, huddled around the fire for warmth, their faces not looking too good—this year's snow disaster had caused a shortage of food and fodder, and many had gone hungry for two or three days.

Inside the best house, Yufulo and his younger brother Huchuquan sat facing each other.

Both men were dressed as Xiongnu nobles, wearing wolf-skin coats, sable hats, and curved swords at their waists.

Yufuluo was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a rugged face and a full beard; Huchuquan was a little younger, only in his early twenties, and his eyes were more shrewd.

A roasted lamb sat on a fire in the center of the tent, its fat dripping into the flames and sizzling, filling the air with its aroma. But this lamb was their last remaining food.

"Brother, Zhang Yang is making excuses again." Hu Chuquan tore off a piece of mutton and chewed as he spoke, "He said that Hanoi County also suffered from a snow disaster, and the granaries are empty. He can only give us five hundred shi of millet, and it's old grain."

Yufuluo sneered, "Five hundred shi? Enough to feed our ten thousand soldiers and civilians for several days? Zhang Yang is treating us like beggars!"

He took a sip of mare's milk wine; it tasted sour and astringent, indicating it was of inferior quality.

"When my father was killed by the traitor Qubina, we fled to Luoyang, but the Han court ignored us. Later, we sought refuge with Zhang Yang and Wang Yi, helping them fight against the Black Mountain Army. How many brothers died in that fight? Now that we are in trouble, they all hide far away!" Yufuluo felt aggrieved when he thought of this.

Hu Chuquan sighed, "In chaotic times, human relationships are as thin as paper. Brother, we must find a way out. If things continue like this, we'll starve to death before the enemy even comes to fight us."

Hufro remained silent, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes.