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

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, when Lü Bu led his army to set off, the capital of Liangzhou was Guzang City in Wuwei Commandery.

The atmosphere in the main hall of the residence of Ma Teng, the General Who Conquers the West and Governor of Liangzhou, was oppressive.

Ma Teng sat on a tiger-skin chair, his face ashen, clutching a silk scroll in his hand, his knuckles white from gripping it so tightly.

Standing below were his second son, Ma Xiu, his third son, Ma Tie, and several trusted generals, including Pang De.

"Father, what did the court say?" Ma Xiu asked.

He had just returned from the border region, covered in dust, but in high spirits.

Ma Teng threw the silk scroll on the table and gritted his teeth, saying, "Lü Bu ordered me to lead my elite troops north along the Yellow River to attack the Hetao region and contain the western forces of the Northern Di allied forces."

Matthew was taken aback: "Marching north to fight the Hu? This... isn't this sending us to fight the Xianbei to the death?"

Young and impetuous, Ma Tie slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "On what grounds? The Xianbei raiding Bingzhou has nothing to do with us in Liangzhou! If anyone should fight, it should be the people of Bingzhou!"

An old general pondered and said, "My lord, this is a plan to use one tiger to devour another. Lü Bu wants to use the Hu people to deplete our forces."

"How could I not know?" Ma Teng sneered. "It must have been that old fox Jia Xu's idea! He saw that we were only superficially submitting, but in reality, we were holding onto our military power, so he wanted to use the Hu people to weaken us!"

Matthew frowned: "Father, should we obey?"

"Disobey orders?" Ma Teng glared at him. "Lü Bu now controls Guanzhong, possesses a divinely bestowed granary, and his food and military supplies are inexhaustible. His tens of thousands of troops are strong and well-equipped; even if we and Han Sui join forces, we might not be a match for them. If we openly defy orders, he will have an excuse to attack us!"

Ma Xiu said urgently, "But if we obey the order, we will have to fight a bloody battle with the Xianbei. The Xianbei cavalry are fierce, and even if we win, we will suffer heavy losses. At that time, our strength will be greatly reduced, and we will be no match for Lü Bu!"

Ma Teng paced back and forth in the hall, his brow furrowed.

He was forty-three years old this year. He had finally obtained the titles of Governor of Liangzhou and General Who Conquers the West, and was integrating the forces of various factions in Liangzhou when Lü Bu issued an edict to transfer him to fight against the Xianbei.

It feels like someone snatches your bowl away just as you're about to eat.

"My lord," Pang De suddenly spoke, "when I was on a mission to Chang'an, I heard that the soldiers in Guanzhong all regarded Lü Bu as the chosen one of Heaven, and were extremely loyal to him."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, Lü Bu is completely different from the reckless and impulsive man portrayed in rumors. He treats the virtuous with respect, upholds the law, and the people of Guanzhong all remember him well. Perhaps such a Lü Bu is worth following?"

Ma Teng whirled around, his eyes flashing with cold light: "Pang De, you've been bribed by him?"

Pang De immediately knelt down: "This humble general dares not! I am merely speaking the truth. My lord, Lü Bu's power is now overwhelming, and we cannot withstand him head-on. It would be better to obey orders for now, but we need not fight with all our might; preserving our strength is paramount."

Ma Teng stared at Pang De for a long time before slowly saying, "Get up."

He sat back in his seat and rubbed his temples. "Pang De is right, we can't fight them head-on. But we can't fight them with all our might either—my soldiers, Ma Teng's men, cannot shed blood for Lü Bu in vain."

He had an idea.

"Pound, listen to my command!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Go and muster five thousand cavalry. Tomorrow, we will set off with you, heading north along the Yellow River into the Hetao region. Our role is merely to contain the enemy; we will not engage the main Xianbei force in a direct confrontation. If we encounter small groups of Xianbei cavalry, we will attack; if we encounter a large army, we will retreat immediately. Our mission is to feign resistance against the Xianbei, not to fight them to the death."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, you two stay in Wuwei to continue integrating the various tribes and guard against Han Sui's rebellion. As for Han Sui, I will send someone to tell him to stay in Jincheng and not to act rashly—this is also a requirement of the imperial edict, and he dares not disobey."

Ma Teng sneered, "Lu Bu wants to wear down my forces? I'll not let him have his way. Five thousand cavalry will suffice as a show. If Lu Bu and the Xianbei fight to the death, perhaps we can even gain some advantage."

The generals understood and all smiled.

That night, Ma Teng wrote a reply and ordered a courier to send it to Chang'an, indicating that he would obey the order to send troops.

But in his heart, he had already made his plans.

On the sixth day of the first lunar month, Lü Bu's army had already crossed the Yellow River at Puban Ferry, where Zuo Fengyi and Hedong Commandery meet, and entered the territory of Hedong Commandery.

Ten thousand elite troops, each with two horses, traveled swiftly and lightly.

Because there were no logistical convoys to hinder them, crossing the river at the ferry was quick, and their marching speed was also astonishing.

Ordinary cavalry could only travel sixty li a day (because the horses needed rest), but Lü Bu's army could travel more than one hundred li a day, and the soldiers showed no signs of fatigue. The three-piece set of stirrups, saddles, and horseshoes made riding much easier. When resting, they could take out hot food and water from Lü Bu's storage space. Many heavy supplies were temporarily stored in Lü Bu's storage space, greatly reducing the weight carried by men and horses.

During the military campaigns of that era, soldiers mostly ate cold, hard dry rations and drank cold water.

But Lü Bu's army was different. Whenever they rested, Lü Bu would take out a large pot, firewood, grain, dried meat, bowls and chopsticks, and have the cooks start a fire to cook.

The steaming hot millet rice and the vegetable soup with salt and dried meat made the soldiers very satisfied.

"Fighting alongside the Great General is exhilarating!" a veteran sergeant exclaimed as he ate. "Back when I was in Dong Zhuo's army, we were lucky to get cold pancakes on marches. Now, we even have hot soup to drink."

A young soldier next to him asked, "Corporal, I heard we didn't bring any supplies; they were all carried by the General from the divine granary that day. Have you seen the General use them?"

"I saw it!" The veteran exclaimed, spittle flying. "I saw it with my own eyes! Right there at the Chang'an drill ground, the siege ladders and catapults, as high as mountains, were all taken away by the General with a wave of his hand! Just now, during our rest, the General also conjured up all sorts of bowls, chopsticks, pots, stoves, and grain out of thin air! What else could this be but a divinely bestowed granary?"

The young soldier's eyes lit up: "Without the worries of supplies and logistics, we're sure to win this battle against the combined forces of the Xianbei and Xiongnu!"

"Of course! The Great General is chosen by Heaven, what are those Northern barbarians compared to him!"

Similar conversations circulated throughout the military.

Lu Bu didn't need any deliberate propaganda; the soldiers' spontaneous discussions were more effective than any form of propaganda.

At the central command post, Lü Bu rode alongside Zhang Liao, Cheng Lian, Gao Shun, Xu Huang, and others.

"General, a scout reports that Wang Yi has led his army north and stationed himself in the three northern counties," Zhang Liao reported. "Yufuluo has also made a move; three thousand Xiongnu cavalry have left Jiguan Pass and are heading north along the Fen River. In Liangzhou, Ma Teng has personally led five thousand cavalry out of Wuwei and is following orders to advance north into the Hetao region."

Lü Bu nodded: "It's all as expected. Wang Yi will do his best to defend the city because he cares about the people. Yufuluo will fight desperately because he wants revenge and to seize the throne. Ma Teng will be perfunctory because he wants to preserve his strength."

Cheng Lian asked, "General, shall we head straight for Taiyuan?"

"No," Lü Bu shook his head, "Let's go to An'yi in Hedong Commandery first."

Everyone was taken aback.

Xu Huang asked, puzzled, "General, Anyi is in the south, while the main Xianbei force is in the north. What are we going to do in Anyi?"

Lü Bu smiled and said, "I want to personally meet with the officials left behind in Wangyi, take over the household registration records of Hedong Commandery, and officially bring Hedong under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court. At the same time, I will allocate a batch of grain and salary to Hedong Commandery—to show the world that following the imperial court will bring grain and salary."

Zhang Liao suddenly realized: "The General is setting an example so that other prefects can see the benefits of submitting to the court."

"That's right," Lü Bu said. "In chaotic times, loyalty and righteousness are empty words; only interests matter. If I give Wang Yi power and provisions, the other prefects who are still observing will be tempted. Once we take Bingzhou, they will come to surrender on their own initiative."

Gao Shun said in a deep voice, "The General has profound thoughts."

Lü Bu looked ahead and said, "We will stay in Anyi for one day, and then the whole army will head north. I will use the heads of the Xianbei to tell the world—those who invade my borders, no matter how far away, will be punished."