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

The third item: Paying tribute to the fallen heroes.

Soldiers carried up dozens of wooden plaques, each bearing a name—representing the Han soldiers who died in this battle.

Lü Bu, holding incense, bowed three times: "You gentlemen sacrificed your lives for the country, and your souls have returned to your homelands. Now that the great revenge has been avenged and the northern border has been pacified, you may rest in peace. Your parents, wives, and children will be cared for by the court; may your descendants enjoy eternal peace."

He paused, his voice slightly deep: "When the world is at peace and the four seas are united, I will surely inform your spirits again."

The generals behind him bowed in unison, crying out, "O soul, return! Protect our great Han!"

The sound shook the surrounding area.

"Fourth item: Execution as a clear punishment."

The master of ceremonies announced loudly: "Prisoners brought with them—!"

Qu Bei and the others were taken to the earthen platform.

Lu Bu stepped down from the high platform and came to Qu Bei.

Qu Bei raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: "Lu Bu, if you want to kill me, then kill me. Why bother with all this formality!"

Lü Bu said calmly, "Killing someone is easy, but destroying their spirit is difficult. Today I will let you die knowing why, and let the Northern Di tribes see clearly—those who offend our Han Dynasty, no matter how far away, will be punished."

He waved his hand: "Execute!"

"promise!"

Twenty executioners stepped forward, two in a group, and restrained the prisoners.

The first is to eliminate inferiority.

The executioners forced him to his knees, and Qu Bei struggled and roared, "Lu Bu, I will haunt you even as a ghost! The warriors of the grasslands will avenge me..."

Before he could finish speaking, a blade flashed.

"puff--!"

The head fell to the ground, rolled several feet, and blood splattered three feet high.

The headless corpse swayed and collapsed to the ground.

The Hu leaders below the stage all trembled.

A few timid ones almost collapsed to their knees because their legs went weak.

Immediately afterwards, Qu Bei's trusted generals were dragged up one by one and beheaded.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

The knife rises, the head falls, blood stains the yellow earth.

More than twenty people were all executed in less than a quarter of an hour.

Next came the more than three hundred prisoners who had slaughtered two or more Han Chinese.

These people were brought in in batches of ten.

"cut--!"

"cut--!"

"cut--!"

Commands were given one after another, and flashes of swords followed one after another.

Screams, cries for help, and curses mingled together, but soon all fell silent.

Corpses piled up like mountains, and blood flowed into streams that meandered across the frozen ground and seeped into the ground.

A strong stench of blood filled the air, and many of the Hu chieftains turned pale, some even gagging.

Yufuluo stood at the front, his hands clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms. Although he had a grudge against Qubei, he was still shocked to witness his people being executed on such a large scale.

Ma Teng also had a solemn expression.

He was a seasoned warrior who had killed countless people, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a ritualistic mass execution.

This is not just about killing people, it's about establishing authority.

Pang De whispered behind him, "My lord, Lü Bu's move is intended to thoroughly intimidate the Northern Di tribes."

Ma Teng nodded: "From now on, the Hu people will no longer dare to easily plunder Bingzhou."

"Fifth item: Record the construction of the temple."

After the execution was completed, the soldiers began to move the body.

They piled up the corpses of Qubi and Kebineng's subordinates—including more than 300 people who had just been executed, as well as the corpses of Hu people collected in previous battles, totaling more than 4,000 bodies.

First, a frame was built with rough timber, then the corpses were placed on it, and the gaps were filled with mud.

Building the Jingguan (a mound of human remains) was physically demanding, requiring thousands of soldiers and prisoners who had not been executed to work in shifts from dawn till afternoon.

A giant mound of Jingguan, about five zhang high and with a base twenty zhang in circumference, gradually took shape.

On the top shelf were two wooden boxes: one containing the head of Kebineng, and the other containing the head of Qubei. The boxes were uncovered, and the two heads faced north, their eyes wide open and mouths agape, looking extremely ferocious.

Finally, the soldiers erected a monument in front of the Jingguan (a mound of corpses).

The inscription was personally drafted by Jia Xu and engraved in both Han and Hu scripts:

"In the fourth year of the Chuping era of the Han Dynasty, General Lü Bu campaigned against the Northern Barbarians, beheading the Xianbei king Kebineng and the rebellious Southern Xiongnu king Qubei, annihilating 20,000 enemy troops, and building this Jingguan (a mound of skulls). Those who dare to invade the Han territory will all be punished in the same way!"

After the monument was completed, Lü Bu led his generals to pay homage again.

With this, the Jinglu sacrificial ceremony came to an end.

The Hu leaders below the stage were already terrified.

A chieftain of a small Xianbei tribe trembled as he said to his companion, "More than four thousand corpses are piled up there."

His companion's face turned pale: "When we get back, we must warn our people never to provoke the Han people; they are too terrifying."

Another Xiongnu chieftain whispered to Fuluo, "Chanyu, will General Lü Bu also attack us?"

Yufuluo took a deep breath: "As long as we behave ourselves and don't harbor any disloyal thoughts, the General won't make things difficult for us. Today's action is precisely to make us understand: those who obey prosper, and those who resist perish."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "From now on, let's just focus on farming and herding, pay tribute on time, and stop thinking about things we shouldn't be thinking about."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Lü Bu stepped down from the earthen platform and approached the Hu chieftain.

More than twenty people hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, General!"

Lu Bu scanned the crowd and slowly said, "I have invited you all here today to witness this ceremony so that you may understand three things."

Everyone held their breath and listened intently.

"First, the territory of the Han Dynasty is inviolable. Anyone who dares to plunder even a needle or thread from the Han people shall be executed."

"Secondly, as vassals of the Han Dynasty, we must abide by the laws of the Han Dynasty, pay taxes, perform military service, and obey orders."

"Third, those who are law-abiding will be granted pastures by the court for their safety; those who harbor rebellious intentions will have their heads left on a mound of skulls."

With each sentence he spoke, the Hu leaders nodded.

Finally, Lü Bu said, "From today onwards, all the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes in the Hetao region and southern Gobi Desert will be under the jurisdiction of the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu, Yufuluo. He will compile and report their annual tributes. He will also mediate any disputes among the tribes. Those who disobey orders…"

As he spoke, he looked at the mound of Jingguan (a type of pile of stones), as if he were referring to something.

A chill ran down everyone's spines, and they all said in unison, "We will obey the General's order and dare not disobey!"

Lü Bu nodded: "The banquet is ready. Please follow me into the city."

It was called a banquet, but it was actually very simple: roasted mutton, millet rice, and cloudy wine.

But in this kind of setting, who would be in the mood for eating and drinking?

The Hu chieftains had no appetite and barely managed to eat. During the banquet, Lü Bu inquired about the population, livestock, and pastures of each tribe. The people answered cautiously, daring not to conceal anything.

After the banquet, Lü Bu said to Ma Teng, "Shoucheng, Lingming, come with me."

Ma Teng's heart tightened, and he and Pang De got up and followed.

The three arrived at the city gate.

It was already evening, and the setting sun cast a blood-red hue over the Jingguan (a mound of stones), making it appear even more eerie.

Lü Bu leaned on the railing, gazing into the distance, and suddenly said, "Shoucheng, how long do you think this northern frontier can remain peaceful?"

Ma Teng cautiously replied, "With the General's power today, we can maintain peace for decades to come."

Lu Bu shook his head: "Power can only intimidate for a time, not subdue forever. If we want long-term peace and stability, we need three things: a strong army to defend the borders, a wealthy population to consolidate the foundation, and education to win people's hearts."

He turned to look at Ma Teng: "You are in Liangzhou, you must know that the Qiang and Hu tribes are unpredictable, how do you control them?"

Ma Teng pondered for a moment and said, "We should use both suppression and appeasement, and employ both kindness and severity."

"That's not enough," Lü Bu said. "I intend to establish military settlements in the northern border of Bingzhou, relocate Han people to populate the border, cultivate farmland, and build cities and fortresses. The Hu people are good at herding, and the Han people are good at farming; each can take advantage of their strengths. We will also set up a trade market to exchange tea, salt, and cloth for their cattle, sheep, and hides. In time, the Hu people will depend on Han land for their food and clothing, and they will naturally submit."