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

Qu Bei scratched his head in frustration; he really couldn't bear to part with Bingzhou, this lucrative prize.

During their journey south, they plundered grain, cloth, gold, silver, and women, which piled up like mountains.

If he brought them all back to the grasslands, it would be enough for his tribe to enjoy for several years.

But if we run now, we'll have to abandon many of the bulky and cumbersome items we've stolen, and only take the light and valuable things with us, which would be a huge loss.

Just as they were hesitating, another scout rushed in.

"Report! Commandant Du Ji of Hedong Commandery has led 2,000 troops and joined forces with Yufuluo! The two armies together number over 5,000 and are heading towards Lishi!"

Qu Bei's heart tightened: "How much further?"

"The vanguard has reached Zhongyang County, less than fifty li from Shi!"

"So fast?" Qu Bei suddenly stood up.

Liu Gui said urgently, "Your Majesty, we can't hesitate any longer! Although Du Ji's Han army is infantry, they are well-equipped and have support from Hedong Commandery. There might even be reinforcements coming. Yufuluo's Xiongnu troops have received supplies from Lü Bu and their morale is high. If we get bogged down by them and can't escape, and Lü Bu presses down from the north, we'll all be finished!"

Sweat beaded on Qu Bei's forehead. After a long pause, he slammed his fist on the table: "Issue the order! Assemble the entire army, abandon Lishi, and retreat to Meiji! Take all the valuables you can carry, and burn what you can't!"

"promise!"

The order was given, and chaos erupted in Lishi City.

The Xiongnu soldiers, having been defeated, began a frenzied looting of the last valuables, then set fire to government granaries and the homes of wealthy families. Thick smoke billowed into the air, and cries of agony filled the air.

Two hours later, Qu Bei led more than four thousand cavalrymen and drove hundreds of carts away from Lishi, fleeing northward.

The caravan stretched for miles, loaded with grain, cloth, bronzeware, and kidnapped women and children.

Before leaving, Qu Bei also ordered the destruction of houses and wells in Lishi City to cause trouble for the pursuers.

On the 20th day of the first month, when the allied forces of Yufuluo and Duji entered Lishi, they found a city in half-ruins.

Yufuluo—the former wandering leader who was officially appointed by Lü Bu as the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu and the General of the Xiongnu—now wears Han-style armor and a long sword at his waist, and has a bit of the air of a general.

He frowned as he looked at the still-smoking street and said to Du Ji beside him, "Commander Du, that scoundrel Qu Bei ran away quickly and even set a fire."

Du Ji, a capable general in his early thirties, said in a deep voice, "He can't have gone far. With so much wealth, women, and children, he can only travel thirty or forty li a day. You lead your cavalry in a light pursuit, and you will catch up within three days."

Yufuluo nodded, but then worried, "However, Qubei has four or five thousand cavalry. Even if I catch up, without your infantry's support, I might not be able to defeat him. Once Qubei retreats to Meiji, if he defends the city to the death, it will be difficult to attack. Although Meiji is not a large city, it is, after all, the Shanyu's court. The city walls are sturdy, and there should be a lot of grain stored there."

Du Ji sneered: "He can't hold out. The Grand General has already annihilated the main force of the Xianbei and will soon advance westward. At that time, they will attack from both the north and south, and the Xianbei will have no chance to escape."

Just then, a fast horse came from the east; it was Lü Bu's messenger.

"Report—A command from the General!"

Du Ji took the bamboo slips and read them with Yu Fuluo.

The letter stated that Lü Bu had divided his troops, with Zhang Liao heading north to recover various counties, and Lü Bu personally leading a thousand personal guards westward, expected to arrive at Xihe County within three days. He ordered Yufuluo and Duji to advance steadily, restrain Qu Bei, and join forces to attack Meiji after Lü Bu's arrival.

"The General himself has arrived!" Yuvro's spirits lifted.

Du Ji smiled and said, "With the General here, we are sure to win this battle. Order the entire army to rest in Lishi for a day, repair the city walls, and appease the people. We will set off tomorrow, advancing slowly northwards, keeping an eye on Qubei. There is no need to rush into battle."

"promise!"

On the 21st day of the first lunar month, on the east bank of the Yellow River.

The wind was biting cold, and the river was not yet completely thawed, but broken pieces of ice were already drifting downstream.

This section of the river is located at the border of Xihe County and Yanmen County. The terrain on both sides is relatively flat, and it was originally an important crossing point. However, not a single boat can be seen at this moment. When they fled to Beibei, they confiscated or burned all the boats at the ferry crossings along the river.

When Lü Bu arrived at the riverbank with his 1,000 personal guards, it was already afternoon.

Cheng Lian frowned as he looked at the empty riverbank and said, "General, without boats, how are we, a thousand men, going to cross the river? There's no time to build them now, and if we take a detour, we'll have to go at least a hundred miles south to find a ferry."

Zhang Xiu also said, "Moreover, there must be scouts from Qubei monitoring the ferry crossing. If we make a big fuss and take a detour, the news will definitely be leaked."

Lu Bu remained calm, as he had anticipated this situation.

"No need to take a detour." He rode his horse along the riverbank for half a mile and found a bend in the river. The current was gentler here, and there were shallows on the riverbank, making it suitable for crossing the river, but because it was off the main road, there were no ferry facilities.

"Cross the river here."

Cheng Lian and Zhang Xiu exchanged bewildered glances. There wasn't even a small fishing boat here; how were they going to cross?

Lu Bu laughed and said, "Did you think I only brought siege equipment? Actually, I also brought ships."

Cheng Lian, Zhang Xiu, and the others were overjoyed.

Then, Lü Bu had a thought and opened the system storage space.

Lu Bu scanned the area with his mind and found the river-crossing boat that he had had craftsmen build and store in his space when he was in Guanzhong.

There were thirty flat-bottomed ferries, each carrying twenty people and horses. There were also five slightly larger warships, each carrying fifty people. They were all standard-issue and solidly built.

"take out."

The next moment, thirty-five boats appeared out of thin air on the river bend, lined up neatly. They were fully equipped with oars, ropes, and even a dozen bundles of spare planks.

Cheng Lian, Zhang Xiu, and the soldiers of the personal guard were overjoyed to see the ships appear out of thin air.

Cheng Lian laughed loudly, "The General is truly amazing! Everyone, board the boat immediately and cross the river!"

"Yes, yes!"

The guards suppressed their shock and began to board the ship in an orderly manner.

Each boat carried twenty people, plus warhorses—the horses were blindfolded and led onto the boat by soldiers, so it wasn't chaotic.

Lü Bu boarded the largest warship, with Cheng Lian and Zhang Xiu following closely behind.

The fleet left the shore and rowed towards the opposite bank.

The river was more than a mile wide. Although there were some ice floes, the boatmen were skilled. These "boatmen" were actually soldiers selected by Lü Bu from his personal guards who were familiar with the water. At this moment, they were rowing with great skill.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Zhang Xiu watched the fleet sailing steadily forward and whispered, "General, with this divine technique, no river can stop our army anymore. We can cross the river wherever we want, and the enemy will have no chance to defend against it."

Lu Bu gazed at the opposite bank and said calmly, "Speed ​​is of the essence in war, and surprise attacks are the key to victory. Qu Bei thought that taking over the ferry boats would stop me, but he doesn't know that I don't need civilian boats at all."

Cheng Lian exclaimed, "Fighting alongside the General is truly... exhilarating."

After several trips, in less than half an hour, the entire fleet arrived at the west bank. Lü Bu waved his hand and put all the ships back into his spatial storage—these ships could still be used later, so they couldn't be wasted.

The thousand-strong personal guard battalion was assembled without casualties, and even the warhorses were unharmed.

Lu Bu mounted his horse, pointing his halberd forward: "Target: Meiji! Full speed ahead!"

"promise!"

The horses' hooves thundered as they galloped westward.

Along the way, they encountered several Xiongnu herdsmen who were terrified when they saw the suddenly appearing Han heavy cavalry. Some knelt down and kowtowed, while others rode off at full speed to report the news.

But Lü Bu didn't care at all.

Speed ​​is everything; before Qu Bei can react, he must be at the city gates.