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

After a long while, Ma Teng stopped, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.

"Lingming, prepare pen and ink; I need to write two letters."

"My lord, please give your orders."

"A letter to Lü Bu, detailing the Emperor's secret edict, stating that I, Ma Teng, will follow the General's lead and will never obey such a reckless order. I also request the General's instructions on how my troops should proceed."

"What about the other one?"

"Give this to Han Sui," Ma Teng sneered. "Tell him that my troops have been ordered to jointly launch a major undertaking, to contain Lü Bu in the Hetao region, and wish him a resounding victory in his mission to rescue the emperor."

Pang De understood: "Is our lord trying to deceive Han Sui?"

"Yes." Ma Teng nodded. "It's a good opportunity to use Lü Bu to eliminate Han Sui, this potential threat, so that I can take full control of all military and political power in Liangzhou."

He looked out of the tent; it was getting dark.

"Lu Bu possesses divinely bestowed resources, unparalleled martial prowess, elite troops, and a strategist like Jia Xu to assist him. Sooner or later, the world will be his. A young puppet emperor can't cause any trouble. Once Lu Bu helps me eliminate Han Sui, I can dominate Liangzhou. It won't be a loss."

Pound bowed and said, "My lord is wise."

That night, two fast horses rushed out of the camp, one heading east towards Lü Bu, and the other heading south towards Han Sui.

Standing at the camp gate, Ma Teng gazed eastward and murmured to himself, "Mengqi, my choice was right, wasn't it?"

……

After capturing the Chanyu court and taking Qu Bei prisoner, Lü Bu also received military intelligence from Jia Xu, who sent a messenger from Chang'an. The intelligence indicated that Emperor Liu Xie was indeed secretly plotting something, sending several secret envoys to summon the princes of the land to come to the aid of the emperor and attack Guanzhong.

Fortunately, the general had anticipated this and made advance arrangements. Cao Xing had sent men to intercept and kill most of the secret envoys, and ordered their confiscation. Only the secret envoys sent to Han Sui and Ma Teng were allowed to pass through.

Next, it depends on the reactions of Ma Teng and Han Sui. If they obey the imperial edict to come to the aid of the emperor, Lü Bu will then annihilate them and seize Liangzhou.

In any case, Dazhen Pass had already made preparations. Wei Xu led the remaining troops of the Trapped Camp and tens of thousands of elite soldiers who were left in Guanzhong to defend the city. With Jia Xu and Guo Jia providing advice and Cao Xing providing support at any time, it would be difficult for Han Sui to break through Dazhen Pass.

On the first day of the second month, Lü Bu sat in the hall, listening to reports from various forces.

Xue Heng's messenger reported: All towns and cities in Taiyuan Prefecture have been liberated, refugees have returned home, and relief supplies are being distributed and spring plowing is being organized.

Gao Shun's courier reported: Yanmen County has been completely recovered, more than 300 Xianbei remnants have been killed, and more than 2,000 Xianbei soldiers and laborers have been captured.

Zhang Liao's courier reported: Most towns in Dingxiang and Yunzhong prefectures have been pacified by proclamation. After receiving news of the defeat and death of their king Kebineng, most Xianbei people have abandoned their cities and fled north, leaving empty cities to await the imperial army's takeover.

Zhang Xiu's messenger reported that most towns in Wuyuan County had been recovered.

A messenger from Du Ji reported: The entire territory of Xihe County has been recovered.

Yufuluo personally reported that various Southern Xiongnu tribes in Meiji County and the surrounding area had successively submitted, and they were currently taking stock of the population, livestock, and other resources to prepare for the redistribution of pastureland. Qubei was imprisoned, awaiting his fate.

Other Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu prisoners who had killed Han Chinese were sent to hard labor camps to do forced labor until their deaths if they killed fewer than one Han Chinese. Those who killed two or more Han Chinese were escorted to Shoujiang City north of Wuyuan Commandery to await execution, and their bodies were used to build a spectacle to deter the remnants of the Northern Di.

Although Lü Bu shouted during the siege that he would only punish the ringleaders and spare the rest, he actually determined who the ringleaders were. These Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu rebels who had slaughtered Han people were either forced into hard labor or executed; they were not spared lightly.

Only soldiers who had not killed Han Chinese were allowed to either join Yufuluo's army or retire to their fields as farmers or herdsmen, promising never to betray the Han.

After listening to the report, Lü Bu inquired about the casualties of his own troops and ordered: "The remains of the dead shall be cremated, their ashes sent back to their hometowns, a monument erected in their memory, and their families generously compensated. The wounded shall be properly treated, and those who do not wish to serve in the army again after recovery shall be provided with land and houses."

"promise!"

Lü Bu then looked at Yufuluo: "Remember, since the Southern Xiongnu are vassals of the Han Dynasty, they must abide by the laws of the Han Dynasty. Those who plunder Han people shall be executed; those who commit murder in private fights shall be executed; those who disobey orders shall be executed."

Yufuluo bowed and said, "This subordinate understands."

Just then, a personal guard came in to report: "General, Ma Teng's envoy requests an audience."

Lu Bu raised an eyebrow: "Let him in."

Soon, a travel-worn messenger entered the hall, knelt down, and presented a bamboo scroll: "Wang Zhuo, military commander under General Ma Teng of Liangzhou, pays respects to the Grand General. General Ma Teng has a personal letter to present!"

Lü Bu took the bamboo slips, unfolded them, and examined them closely.

In the letter, Ma Teng detailed how he received the emperor's secret edict and stated that he would never obey it and would only follow the general's lead. He also reported that Han Sui had raised an army of 50,000 and was advancing eastward to attack Dazhen Pass.

After reading it, Lü Bu handed the bamboo slip to Cheng Lian, his trusted confidant.

Cheng Lian glanced at it and laughed, "Ma Teng certainly knows how to seize the moment."

Lü Bu asked the messenger, "Where is Ma Teng now?"

Wang Zhuo replied, "General Ma has already divided his troops into two routes to enter Shangjun and Shuofangjun, and has wiped out more than a thousand Hu barbarians. General Ma's main force is now stationed at Linrong (the seat of Shuofangjun), awaiting the General's orders."

Lü Bu nodded: "Go back and tell Ma Teng to take 1000 personal guards to escort the Northern Barbarian prisoners to Shoujiang City to participate in the Jinglu ceremony."

"promise!"

After the envoy withdrew, Cheng Lian said, "According to Ma Teng's report, Han Sui has raised an army of 50,000, claiming to be 100,000, and marched eastward from Jincheng. According to the schedule, they should reach Dazhen Pass within ten days."

Lu Bu asked calmly, "Is Wei Xu at Dazhen Pass ready?"

"According to the report from Chang'an, preparations are already complete. There are currently 5,000 troops guarding Dazhen Pass, all of them elite, including 1,000 elite soldiers in the Trapped Camp. They have ample supplies and weapons. Inside the pass, there are also 50 ballistae, 30 catapults, and over 1,000 stone projectiles, all left behind by the General," Cheng Lian said with a smile. "Furthermore, Cao Xing, Song Xian, Hou Cheng, and others are ready to provide support at any time. If Han Sui dares to attack the pass, he will surely suffer a crushing defeat."

Lü Bu then asked, "What about the other secret edicts?"

"According to the plan, except for the two routes in Xiliang, the rest were to be intercepted and killed. Six secret edicts have been captured and handed over to Jia Pushe." Cheng Lian paused, then asked, "Should His Majesty deal with this?"

Lu Bu remained silent for a moment.

Liu Xie, this young emperor, had some courage, but that was all. He was a tragic figure in history, and now he is also his enemy. We cannot be soft-hearted towards him.

"Let's leave him alone for now," Lü Bu said. "We'll deal with Han Sui first, then return to Chang'an. However, we need to give those old ministers like Yang Biao and Zhao Wen a good talking-to."

Cheng Lian understood: "Understood."

Lü Bu got up and walked outside the hall.

Order is being restored in Meiji County. Yufuluo's Xiongnu soldiers are helping the people repair their houses and distribute food. In the distance, herds of cattle and sheep graze on the pastures, and wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys.

Bingzhou has been stabilized.

Next, we will hold a ceremony to appease the barbarians in Shoujiang City, build a Jingguan (a mound of skulls) to intimidate the northern barbarians, and then return to Guanzhong to deal with those unruly people.

Since Han Sui wanted to be the first to stick his neck out, then I'll show you what it means to be the first to stick your neck out.