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

At the city gate, Xue Heng took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and quickly went to greet them.

Ten paces from Lü Bu, he stopped, bowed deeply, and said, "Xue Heng, the Prefect of Taiyuan, along with the officials and people of the prefecture, respectfully welcomes the Great General! Great General, you have saved Jinyang and rescued the people from dire straits. Please accept this bow from Xue Heng!"

The crowd behind him bowed in unison.

Lü Bu dismounted and helped Xue Heng up: "Lord Xue, please rise. Defending the land and resisting the Hu is my duty. Lord Xue's steadfast defense of Jinyang and protection of the city's people is a meritorious deed."

Xue Heng looked up and finally saw Lü Bu's appearance clearly.

Standing nine feet tall, with a broad back and thick waist, a resolute face, and eyes as sharp as an eagle's, he exuded an imposing aura despite his weariness.

He truly is the Flying General of Bingzhou.

"General, you flatter me," Xue Heng said. "I was merely fulfilling my duty to defend the territory. If it weren't for the divine intervention of your troops, General, Jinyang would likely have been difficult to hold for long. Please, General, enter the city!"

"Please invite the General into the city!" the crowd shouted in unison.

Lü Bu nodded and remounted his horse.

The procession slowly entered the city.

The streets were packed with people. There were old people, children, and women, all dressed in rags and with pale faces, but their eyes were shining.

"The imperial army is here!"

"The Xianbei king Kebineng has been killed!"

"The Great General is mighty!"

Someone shouted first, and soon the whole street echoed with shouts:

"The Great General is mighty!"

"The Great General is mighty!"

The sound was like a tidal wave.

An elderly woman with white hair knelt tremblingly by the roadside, tears streaming down her face: "Heaven has eyes... Heaven has eyes... My son, my son can rest in peace now..."

Her son went out of the city a few days ago to look for food and was shot and killed by the Xianbei people.

A middle-aged man beside her helped her up, his eyes also reddening: "Mother, the Xianbei king has been killed by the general, things will get better from now on."

Lu Bu, mounted on his horse, watched all this with mixed feelings.

These people genuinely welcomed him.

It wasn't because he was Lü Bu, but because he was from Bingzhou and came to fight the Hu people.

Since his time travel, he has killed Dong Zhuo, fought Li Jue and Guo Si, and conquered Guanzhong, but those battles were somewhat driven by his selfish desire to dominate the world.

This time, however, it is a true protection of the territory and the people.

The procession arrived in front of the prefectural governor's mansion.

Xue Heng had already ordered people to prepare food and wine—although there was a shortage of food in the city, they would do their best to prepare a banquet to welcome the general.

Lü Bu waved his hand, saying, "The banquet is not urgent. First, arrange for our soldiers to rest and recuperate, and treat the wounded. The bodies of the fallen should be properly collected, registered, and generously compensated."

Xue Heng was taken aback, then immediately became respectful: "General, you are kind and benevolent. I will take care of it immediately."

"Furthermore," Lü Bu said, "the people in the city are short of food, so I brought some provisions. Cheng Lian, go and arrange for three days' worth of rations to be distributed to the people to alleviate their immediate crisis."

"promise!"

Upon hearing this, Xue Heng was even more moved: "General, this, this is unacceptable..."

"Very well," Lü Bu said calmly. "How can we, the sons of Bingzhou, starve to death in our own hometown?"

Upon hearing this, several local generals around, such as Zhang Liao and Xue Heng, felt a surge of warmth in their hearts.

The following afternoon.

After a day of rest, Jinyang City regained its vitality.

Lü Bu ordered a victory banquet to be held at the drill ground in the city, so that soldiers and civilians could celebrate together.

It was called a banquet, but it was actually very simple: meat cooked in a large pot, steamed buns, and cloudy wine. But for these people who had suffered through war, it was a rare delicacy.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians gathered on the drill ground.

Lu Bu sat in the main seat, Xue Heng sat beside him on one side, and the generals lined up on the left and right.

After several rounds of drinks, Xue Heng raised his cup and stood up: "Gentlemen! We are able to enjoy this feast today entirely thanks to the Great General's divine might and the valiant efforts of the imperial army! This cup is a toast to the Great General and to all the soldiers!"

Everyone raised their glasses in unison: "To the Great General!"

Lü Bu raised his cup in acknowledgment and drank it all in one gulp.

Setting down his wine cup, he surveyed the scene and said, "Today's victory is not my achievement alone. It is due to the valiant efforts of the entire army, the meritorious defense of the city by Lord Xue, and above all, the unwavering resilience of the people of Bingzhou!"

He paused, then raised his voice: "The Xianbei barbarians have invaded our territory and slaughtered our people; this enmity is irreconcilable! Although Kebineng is dead, the northern border is not yet pacified. I hereby swear: I will not withdraw my troops until the barbarian dust is swept away!"

"The Great General is mighty!"

"Sweep away the dust!"

The crowd was in high spirits.

During the banquet, people kept coming up to offer toasts.

An old, burly man approached, leaning on a cane, and said shakily, "General, my surname is Wang, from the Wang clan of Jinyang. When the Xianbei came, my three sons led our family troops to defend the city, and two of them died in battle. Today, the royal army has slain the enemy chieftain, and I... I can die in peace!"

He was about to kneel down as he spoke.

Lü Bu helped him up: "Please rise, old man. Your son sacrificed himself for the country; he is a hero. The court will not forget them."

Old Wang was in tears.

Another middle-aged merchant stepped forward: "I am Zhao Si, a commoner in the fur trade. The Xianbei raided my shop, burned it down, and looted all my goods... I thought my life was over, but then the General came... I have no way to repay you, so I am willing to donate three hundred taels of silver from my savings to help the army suppress the barbarians!"

Lü Bu nodded: "Manager Zhao is very kind. I will accept your silver, but it will not be considered a donation, but a loan. Once the northern border is pacified and the trade routes are reopened, I will help you rebuild your business."

Zhao Si was so excited that he bowed repeatedly.

A young soldier squeezed through the crowd, his face flushed, clearly having been drinking: "General! My name is Li Gou'er, from Qixian! My whole family was killed by the Hu people, I'm the only one left... I want to join the army! I want to fight the Hu people with you, General, and avenge them!"

Lu Bu looked at him: "How old are you?"

"Seventeen!"

"Alright." Lü Bu patted him on the shoulder. "Report to the military camp tomorrow. But being a soldier isn't just about revenge; it's also about protecting the land and its people."

"I understand!"

The banquet lasted until evening.

At the end, Lü Bu summoned Xue Heng.

"Lord Xue, these are for you."

He handed over a list.

Xue Heng took the documents and his eyes widened: 50,000 shi of grain, 100,000 guan of cash, 5,000 sets of winter clothing, 2,000 sets of leather armor, and a number of weapons…

"General, this..."

"Keep it," Lü Bu said. "Taiyuan County has suffered a great calamity, and everything is in ruins. Distribute these funds, grain, and supplies according to the situation in each county to help the people resume production. Spring planting is just around the corner, and we cannot delay."

Xue Heng bowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion: "On behalf of the people of Taiyuan, I thank the General!"

"No need to thank me." Lü Bu looked north. "Bingzhou is my hometown; this is what I should do."

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month, early morning.

Lü Bu's army assembled outside Jinyang City, preparing to continue their northward march.

Xue Heng led the crowd to see them off.

"General, the journey to the northern frontier is long and arduous. Please take care," Xue Heng said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Lü Bu nodded: "I'm entrusting Jinyang to you. Take good care of the people and restore production. If you encounter any difficulties, send a message to Chang'an, and Jia Wenhe will provide assistance as appropriate."

"promise!"

The army set off.

As always, Lü Bu led his personal guards to clear out the scouts, followed by the main force.

On the way, Lü Bu summoned his generals for a meeting.

"According to the prisoners' confessions, when Kebineng marched south, he left a small number of troops to garrison key locations such as Yanmen, Yunzhong, and Dingxiang to prevent his retreat from being cut off," Lü Bu said. "What our army needs to do now is to recover these lost territories."

Zhang Liao asked, "General, what should we do with the cities after we've recaptured them?"

"Simple," Lü Bu said. "Those who surrender will have their weapons confiscated, and after screening, they will be assigned to hard labor camps to atone for their sins. Those who resist will be killed without mercy."

He paused, then added, "But there's one condition: the people must not be disturbed. Our army is a royal army, not bandits."

"promise!"