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

Because secret envoys could not openly use post stations, horses, and messengers, and dared not enter post stations to rest, their journey was much slower than that of ordinary post riders.

It wasn't until more than ten days later that Han Sui received a secret edict from Emperor Liu Xie.

In the main hall of the Prefectural Governor's Mansion in Jincheng County, Han Sui looked at the bamboo slips in his hand, his breathing rapid.

The bamboo slips bear neat handwriting and are stamped with the emperor's seal. The contents are a scathing denunciation of Lü Bu's control of the court and the presence of treacherous officials. Han Sui is specially promoted to Governor of Liangzhou, General of the Guards, and given the title of Imperial Insignia (third-class), and ordered to lead his army eastward to attack Dazhen Pass (Long Pass) and join forces with other lords to defend the emperor.

The assassins who delivered the imperial edict were exhausted and were helped away to rest.

Han Sui's generals gathered around, their eyes gleaming.

"My lord, this is a golden opportunity!" the strategist Cheng Gongying exclaimed excitedly. "The emperor's secret edict makes our actions perfectly legitimate! If we march into Guanzhong, we'll be heroes who have served the emperor, and being ennobled and appointed generals will be a piece of cake!"

Another general, Yan Xingdao, said, "Lu Bu is not in Guanzhong. He has taken most of his light and heavy cavalry and the elite Trapped Camp with him, and they are also sent to defend Chang'an and various passes. We have 30,000 elite troops. It will be a piece of cake for us to concentrate our attack on Dazhen Pass!"

Han Sui was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about Ma Teng? The Emperor wants to promote him to General of Chariots and Cavalry and Governor of Liang Province, to keep Lü Bu in check. If he doesn't obey the imperial edict and lets Lü Bu return to Guanzhong, our army will be too risky to advance deep into enemy territory alone, and we could easily be cut off by Ma Teng."

Cheng Gongying laughed and said, "My lord, rest assured. Ma Teng is ambitious and will not let this opportunity pass. Even if he does not obey the imperial edict, as long as we enter Guanzhong, seize Chang'an, and take the emperor hostage, what is there to fear in failing? Besides, the emperor has also secretly ordered Yuan Shao to advance westward from Ji Province into the Taihang Mountains to contain Lü Bu. It will be difficult for Lü Bu to return to Guanzhong. In addition, there are Liu Yan, Zhang Lu, Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and others. With all the warlords attacking together, even if Lü Bu returns to Guanzhong, he will find it difficult to turn the tide."

Han Sui was tempted.

Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, and Guo Si, all fellow townsmen from Liangzhou, were able to conquer Guanzhong and control the court. Why couldn't Han Sui do the same?

Besides, Lü Bu was indeed not in Guanzhong, so his fear was not that serious.

"Send the order!" Han Sui abruptly stood up. "Assemble the entire army: 10,000 cavalry, 20,000 infantry, and 20,000 laborers—a force to be called 100,000! Depart in three days and march east to defend the emperor!"

"promise!"

The generals responded in unison, their shouts shaking the roof tiles.

Han Sui added, "Furthermore, send someone to deliver a letter to Ma Teng, explaining the advantages and disadvantages to him and inviting him to join us in this important undertaking, urging him not to make a mistake. If he agrees, I can become sworn brothers with him and share life and death."

Cheng Gongying said, "My lord, Young Master Han Ping is still in Chang'an..."

A look of painful struggle flashed in Han Sui's eyes. After a long silence, as if he had made up his mind, he said, "I can't worry about that now. How can a man who aspires to great things be held back by matters of the heart? If Lü Bu dares to kill my son, I will slaughter his entire clan the day the city falls!"

He spoke harshly, but a hint of pain flashed in his eyes.

Han Ping was, after all, the eldest son.

But compared to the temptation of conquering Guanzhong and holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, a son had to be sacrificed.

On the 22nd day of the first lunar month, Han Sui's army set off.

Fifty thousand men marched eastward from Jincheng, their banners obscuring the sun, their swords and spears like a forest, and the sound of their hooves shaking the earth.

The counties along the way were terrified at the mere mention of his name. Some closed their cities and held out to the death, while others offered grain to support the army. Han Sui was acting under the banner of obeying the imperial edict to defend the emperor, so local officials dared not and had no power to stop him.

Han Sui, riding on his horse, looked eastward, feeling smug and self-satisfied.

Guanzhong, here I come!

Chang'an, here I come!

Emperor Xie, you wait, I, Han Sui, am here to "rescue" you!

Due to the distance, Ma Teng received the secret edict later than Han Sui.

Several days later, in the Hetao Plain, in Shuofang County.

Ma Teng's army is resting.

He had just annihilated a combined Xianbei and Xiongnu army of over a thousand men, beheading eight hundred, capturing five hundred, and seizing thousands of cattle and sheep.

But Ma Teng showed no joy.

He was sitting in a makeshift military tent with three documents spread out in front of him.

The first document was a secret imperial edict, promoting him to General of Chariots and Cavalry, Governor of Liangzhou, Marquis of Huaili, and Imperial Envoy (Second-Class Imperial Envoy), ordering him to restrain Lü Bu in Bingzhou, preventing him from returning to Guanzhong, so that other warlords could attack Chang'an to rescue the emperor.

The second document was sent by Han Sui, indicating that he was ready to attack Dazhen Pass by imperial decree, advance eastward to Chang'an, and rescue the emperor. He sincerely invited Ma Teng to join him in this great undertaking and offered to become sworn brothers, sharing life and death.

The third report was an urgent military intelligence report from various parts of Bingzhou, delivered by scouts. It detailed how Lü Bu used the Heavenly Gift Granary to store provisions and supplies, how he traveled over a hundred li a day, how he killed Kebineng and annihilated the main force of the Xianbei, how he captured Meiji County, the court of the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, and captured the Right Wise King Qubei, how he and Zhang Liao divided their forces to recover various counties in Bingzhou, and that Lü Bu's campaign against the Di was basically over.

Pound stood to the side, his face grave.

"Lingming, what do you think?" Ma Teng asked, looking up.

Pang De was silent for a moment, then said, "My lord, Lü Bu is no ordinary man who can withstand him."

Ma Teng: "What makes you say that?"

Pang De: "For ordinary generals, logistics are a major problem when they launch a thousand-mile raid. Even cavalry can only travel fifty or sixty li a day. But Lü Bu has a divine granary bestowed by heaven, so he doesn't need any supply wagons. He can travel a hundred li a day as if walking on flat ground. When attacking a city, he can conjure catapults, ballistae, and siege ladders out of thin air. When crossing a river, he can conjure boats and makeshift bridges. In less than a month, he has raided over a thousand li and has basically recovered all of Bingzhou. Such methods and results are unheard of."

Pang De paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, Lü Bu himself is the most valiant warrior in the world, and his subordinates Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Cheng Lian, Zhang Xiu, and others are all capable of defeating ten thousand men. His personal guard, the heavy cavalry, is fully armored, and his elite infantry camp is an impregnable fortress. Ten thousand of his troops are equivalent to one hundred thousand elite soldiers. Kebineng and Qubei's defeat was not unjust."

Ma Teng smiled wryly: "So, this secret edict from the emperor..."

"A death warrant," Pang De bluntly stated. "If Han Sui truly obeys the imperial edict and raises an army to attack Dazhen Pass, he will undoubtedly be defeated. Jia Xu is incredibly wise; how could Lü Bu not be wary of the emperor before his campaign? The fact that the secret edict was delivered to Han Sui and our lord suggests that Lü Bu deliberately allowed it to pass."

Ma Teng's heart skipped a beat: "You mean, Lü Bu is testing me?"

"Exactly," Pang De said. "Lu Bu is keeping Prince Ma Chao in his personal guard camp as a hostage. If you obey the imperial edict to defend the emperor, Ma Chao will surely die. If you do not obey the edict and instead surrender to Lu Bu, you will surely be highly valued and may even be able to contribute to the succession of the emperor in the future. Prince Ma Chao will also be safe."

Ma Teng got up and paced around, while the charcoal fire inside the tent crackled.

The two analyzed the situation further and concluded that Liu Xie was a complete puppet, that the loyal old ministers had no real power, that the military and political power of the court was in the hands of Lü Bu, and that with Jia Xu filling in the gaps, it would be difficult for the secret edict to be sent out. They believed that the secret edict that he and Han Sui received was probably deliberately released by Lü Bu's subordinates.

The other warlords probably wouldn't receive the secret edict at all. Even if they did, they would find it difficult to conquer Guanzhong.

After all, Lü Bu only took 10,000 troops with him, while there were still tens of thousands of elite soldiers in Guanzhong, and Wang Yi and Zhang Ji had also joined him. In addition, Zhang Yang, the governor of Hanoi, was also a fellow townsman and old friend of Lü Bu, making it difficult for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao to advance westward into Guanzhong.

Being ordered to defend the emperor is doomed to failure. Given Lü Bu's extraordinary abilities in his counterattack on Chang'an and pacification of Bingzhou, any attempt to defend the emperor is doomed to failure.