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

A ruthless glint flashed in Qu Bei's eyes.

If you can't hold on, then run.

We should run now while Lü Bu has just finished a battle and needs to rest; and before Du Ji and Yu Fuluo arrive, we still have a chance.

He immediately ordered: "Send word to all soldiers to the city walls to defend the city! Conscript all able-bodied men from within the city to help defend it! Tell them that Lü Bu will massacre the city after he breaches it; if they want to live, they must defend the city to the death!"

"promise!"

The order was given, and chaos erupted throughout Meiji City.

The Xiongnu soldiers drove able-bodied men from the city onto the city walls, distributing them rudimentary weapons—mostly sharpened wooden sticks, kitchen knives, and axes. The slightly more presentable weapons were all in the hands of Qu Bei's trusted confidants.

Qu Bei then returned to the palace and summoned his trusted confidants.

"Pack up the most valuable things: gold, silver, jewelry, jade, and anything lightweight and easy to carry," Qu Bei said hastily. "We don't need the bulky things like grain and cloth."

"Your Majesty, shall we leave?" a trusted aide asked.

"Are we just waiting to die if we don't leave?" Qu Bei glared. "We can't win in open battle, and we can't defend the city either. It's like that bastard Fuluona has arrived. There will definitely be people in the city who betray us and surrender! We might as well take this opportunity to leave through the west gate. The west bank of the Nan River is the grassland. Once we're on the grassland, Lü Bu won't be able to catch us!"

Everyone suddenly realized.

Outside the western city wall of Meiji County lies the Nan River, which flows from north to south and eventually merges into the Yellow River. The river is over ten zhang wide, deep, and has a rapid current, serving as a natural moat.

There is a drawbridge at the west gate, which is usually lowered so people can cross the river.

Lu Bu's personal guards can block the east, south, and north gates, but the west gate, separated by a river, is probably not yet possible to block.

Now, if we go through the west gate and cross the Nan River, we can escape to safety.

"Quickly, get it ready in a quarter of an hour!" Qu Bei urged.

He couldn't even care about his wives, concubines, and daughters, only taking his two sons, dozens of his most loyal bodyguards, and his most valuable possessions with him.

Fifteen minutes later, the group quietly arrived at the West Gate.

The officer guarding the gate was a close confidant of Qu Bei and had already received orders.

"Open the city gates and lower the drawbridge," Qu said in a low voice.

"promise."

Just then, a sentry on the city wall suddenly shouted in alarm: "There are people outside the city! Han soldiers!"

Qu Bei felt a pang of anxiety and climbed the city wall to look out.

Upon seeing this, he was terrified.

On the west bank of the Nan River, over a hundred heavily armored Han cavalry appeared outside the drawbridge. The leader, riding Red Hare and wielding a halberd, was none other than Lü Bu.

Why did Lü Bu come to the west?

Shouldn't he be cleaning up the battlefield in the south of the city?

And how did he cross the river? The Nan River is more than ten zhang wide, with no boats or bridges. How did he get across?

Qu Bei was unaware that Lu Bu's system storage space contained not only ships, but also pre-assembled makeshift bridges.

Lu Bu guessed that Qu Bei might flee to the west bank of the Nan River where there were no Han troops, so he led a hundred personal guards around to the shallows, took out a makeshift bridge, crossed the river, and blocked the west gate.

At this moment, Lü Bu also saw Qu Bei on the city wall.

He burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the river: "Qu Bei, where do you think you're going?"

Qu Bei's face turned deathly pale, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Lü Bu, don't be so arrogant! I have a fortified city to defend, and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians united as one. You cannot break through!"

"Defend the city?" Lü Bu scoffed. "My main force is at the east, south, and north gates. Why aren't you overseeing the defense of those three walls? What are you doing here at the west gate? Weren't you planning to escape?"

To overcome humility and speechlessness.

Lü Bu continued shouting, "You wretched fool! Surrender now and I might spare your life. But if you resist to the bitter end, once I breach the city, I will have you torn to pieces and your head hung at the city gate!"

These words were shouted once in Chinese and once in a foreign language, and the soldiers guarding the city walls heard them clearly.

Many Xiongnu soldiers looked at each other, their eyes darting around.

Knowing he could no longer delay, Qu Bei shouted sternly, "Lu Bu, stop spreading these lies! Men, follow me out of the city, kill this Han dog, and we can escape alive!"

He turned to his trusted generals and ordered, "Gather all the able-bodied soldiers, cavalry in front, infantry behind, and break out of the city! As long as we break through Lü Bu's hundred or so cavalry, we can enter the grasslands!"

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

In the recent field battle, five thousand against one thousand suffered a crushing defeat.

Now there are less than two thousand cavalrymen left in the city who can fight, and although there are four or five thousand infantrymen, most of them are civilians who were temporarily conscripted and are a motley crew.

Use these men to charge at Lü Bu's heavily armored cavalry?

Moreover, they were outnumbered—but Lü Bu also had nearly a thousand personal guards, who could arrive at any time should a battle break out outside the western city.

Can we break through?

A centurion, forcing a smile, said, "Your Majesty, Lu Bu's hundred or so cavalry are blocking the bridge. Lu Bu is also the famous War God of the Northern Plains, one man can hold off ten thousand. Even if we launch a full-scale attack, we'll just end up crammed together on the bridge, becoming sitting ducks."

How could he not know to abandon his lowly ways?

But he had no choice.

Defend the city? It's undefendable.

Waiting for reinforcements? Kebineng is already dead, and the main force of the Xianbei is wiped out. Who can he wait for to come to his rescue?

Even if someone comes, it will definitely be Yufuluo and Duji, who will be the ones to kill him.

Only by fighting to the death now might there be a glimmer of hope.

"Execute the order!" Qu Bei gritted his teeth and said, "Those who cower in battle will be executed!"

Military orders are absolute, and the generals had no choice but to assemble their troops.

At the foot of the city, Lü Bu saw the commotion inside and knew that Qu Bei was about to resort to desperate measures.

He immediately sent someone back to the south of the city to relay the order, instructing Cheng Lian and Zhang Xiu to lead the main force of their personal guard to move to the west of the city, while his own hundred cavalrymen also made preparations.

Lü Bu took out a simple tin megaphone from his spatial storage and shouted in the Xiongnu language: "Hunter soldiers inside the city, listen up! I, Lü Bu, will only execute the ringleader Qu Bei and his accomplices; the rest will be spared! Anyone who lays down their weapons and surrenders will be spared! Those who resist will be killed without mercy!"

These words spread across the river, and the soldiers guarding the city walls heard them clearly.

Qu Bei was greatly alarmed and hurriedly shouted, "Don't listen to his nonsense! The Han people are the best at deceiving people! Surrendering means certain death! Everyone, follow me and charge out, that's our only chance of survival!"

But people's hearts are already in turmoil.

Many soldiers whispered among themselves:

Is what Lü Bu said true?

"Qu Bei just locked hundreds of his brothers outside to die. What future is there in following such a king?"

"Yufuluo is the old Chanyu's legitimate son, why should we follow him in rebellion?"

Seeing that the morale of his troops was wavering, Qu Bei was both anxious and angry. He beheaded two soldiers who were whispering to each other before he could barely stabilize the situation.

But time waits for no one.

Smoke and dust rose from the south of the city—Cheng Lian and Zhang Xiu had led the main force of their personal guards toward the west of the city.

Knowing he couldn't wait any longer, Qu Bei ordered, "Open the city gates and attack!"

"Creak—"

The west gate opened, and the drawbridge was lowered.

The first group to leave the city consisted of five hundred cavalrymen, led by Hu Yanzhuo, a trusted general of Qu Bei.

Huyan Zhuo was the bravest warrior under Qu Bei, wielding a spiked mace and possessing the strength to withstand ten thousand men. He led his cavalry to charge across the drawbridge, heading straight for Lü Bu on the opposite bank.

"Lu Bu, prepare to die!" Hu Yanzhuo roared.

Lu Bu watched coldly until the cavalry charged to the middle of the bridge, then raised his halberd and shouted, "Release the arrows!"

One hundred guards simultaneously drew their bows, and a rain of arrows covered the bridge surface.

Although heavy cavalry are not known for their archery skills, they can still shoot at stationary targets at such close range.

"Puff puff puff—"

Dozens of riders at the front were hit by arrows and fell off their horses. Some fell into the river and were swept away by the current after a few struggles.

Hu Yanzhuo brandished his spiked club to block the arrows, but his warhorse was hit by an arrow, reared up with a mournful cry, and threw him off the bridge.

Before he could even get up, Lü Bu had already spurred his horse and charged onto the drawbridge.

The halberd transformed into a streak of cold light, slashing towards Hu Yanzhuo.

Hu Yanzhuo raised his stick to block.