Lu Fei turned his head and pointed to the prisoners tied up in a string at the back of the group.
The tone was so flat, it was as if he were just saying the weather was nice today:
"They've been wiped out. Look, the prisoners are all here."
Looking at the dejected, ragged prisoners, Li Mu felt a surge of turmoil in his heart:
Lu Yan's soldiers are so powerful?
This...this is just too unbelievable!
He originally thought that his visit would be a timely help, but it turned out to be unnecessary!
He coughed lightly to cover his shock.
"It's alright, it's alright..."
Lu Fei waved his hand impatiently.
"Alright, the muskets have arrived. You can take them now. We're heading back to Shannan Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu quickly tried to persuade him to stay:
"General Lu, General Zhang, let's go into the city and rest for the night!"
"This journey has been tiring, so I'd like to do my part as a host."
Zhang Xun chimed in from the side:
"Yes, Lu Fei, it's not too late to rest for one night before leaving."
Lu Fei initially wanted to refuse, but then he thought that he hadn't been to the brothels in the capital for a long time.
So he nodded in agreement:
"Alright then, I'll trouble General Li for one night."
The three of them entered the city, and Li Mu hosted a banquet for Lu Fei and Zhang Xun.
During the banquet, glasses were clinked and toasts were exchanged.
Li Mu subtly probed into the true situation of Shannan Prefecture.
Lu Fei and Zhang Xun, however, kept talking about other things, focusing only on drinking, eating meat, and joking around.
After several rounds of drinks, Li Mu, emboldened by the alcohol, tentatively asked:
"Lord Lu, I've heard that the musketeer battalion of Shannan Prefecture is composed of elite soldiers, each capable of taking on a hundred men?"
Lu Fei let out a hiccup, and chuckled through his drunken eyes:
"Not at all, General Li, you flatter me. We are just country bumpkins with trivial skills, nothing to brag about."
Li Mu thought to himself:
A country boy? A little trick?
That's such an insincere display of humility!
His eyes darted around, and he asked again:
"I wonder how General Lu trained such elite troops? Could you perhaps share some of your secrets?"
Lu Fei glanced at him sideways, his tone playful: "General Li really wants to know?"
Li Mu nodded vigorously, "I'd like to hear the details!"
Lu Fei smiled mysteriously, leaned close to Li Mu's ear, and whispered:
"Actually, there's no secret, it's just..."
"Every morning I have to yell at the blazing sun. The louder I yell, the more like a pig being slaughtered, and the stronger I become!"
"Practice shooting at night under the moon; the brighter the moon, the better your marksmanship!"
Li Mu was stunned, though he found the statement somewhat absurd.
But looking at Lu Fei's drunken, dazed appearance, it didn't seem like he was lying.
He quickly raised his glass:
"General Lu, your insight is truly remarkable! Come, let me toast you!"
Lu Fei snatched the wine glass, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. Then he wiped his mouth and laughed heartily.
"General Li, you're too kind! These are just trivial skills, not worth mentioning!"
Zhang Xun, standing nearby, joined in the commotion, raising his glass to Li Mu and saying:
"General Li, the soldiers of our Shannan Prefecture are all handpicked from among the best!"
"They're all born sharpshooters!"
"If you want to learn, we can teach you a few tricks!"
Upon hearing this, Li Mu immediately became interested and quickly pressed for details:
"Is that so? I wonder if the two generals could offer some guidance?"
Lu Fei and Zhang Xun exchanged a glance, giving each other a sly look.
Then they said in unison:
"Of course! But..."
The two deliberately dragged out the last syllable, whetting Li Mu's appetite.
Li Mu quickly filled their cups with wine and asked expectantly:
"But what?"
Lu Fei coughed twice, feigning profundity, and said:
"However, this secret is a closely guarded secret of our Shannan Prefecture and cannot be easily passed on to outsiders!"
Zhang Xun also chimed in:
"Yes, General Li, this is a military secret concerning our Shannan Prefecture, you must keep it a secret!"
Li Mu nodded repeatedly, patting his chest as he assured him:
"Generals, rest assured! I, Li Mu, will absolutely keep my mouth shut!"
Seeing that Li Mu had taken the bait, Lu Fei and Zhang Xun chuckled inwardly.
He continued to drink and joke with Li Mu, getting him completely drunk.
After several rounds of drinks, emboldened by the alcohol, Li Mu finally revealed the true purpose of his trip:
"Generals, as you know, we Imperial Guards are His Majesty's personal guards, and our treatment is exceptionally good!"
"Why don't you join our Imperial Guard? His Majesty will definitely give you better treatment!"
Lu Fei sneered inwardly:
Trying to poach our employees? Humph!
I really look down on your lousy Imperial Guards. Only by following my Lord Lu can we create legends!
He remained outwardly calm and asked with a smile:
"Oh? General Li, tell me, what are the benefits?"
Upon hearing this, Li Mu immediately perked up and began to give a long and detailed introduction:
"The monthly military pay is two taels of silver. As for you, His Majesty will probably give you three taels a month!"
"We also offer various benefits to ensure your satisfaction!"
Lu Fei smiled dismissively:
"Oh? Our Shannan Prefecture's military pay is ten taels a month."
Li Mu was stunned for a moment, cursing inwardly:
Is Shannan Prefecture really that rich?
How could a lowly soldier in the Imperial Guard receive a higher salary than the Imperial Guard?
Not to be outdone, he continued:
"We not only have military pay, but also two shi of grain per month!"
Lu Fei's answer this time was even simpler:
"We are Wushi."
Li Mu was completely dumbfounded; he felt that his worldview had been shaken.
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