Lu Tu listened calmly without immediately expressing his opinion. How could he lower his guard just because of Zhou Taishan's words? He believed in the possibility of a wicked father and a wicked son, but he was not sure if Zhou Taishan could be so impartial.
Seemingly sensing Lü Tu's thoughts, Zhou Taishan showed no anger. He gently placed his hand on Lü Tu's arm, urging him to put the dagger down.
Lu Tu did not resist. If Zhou Taishan really wanted revenge afterward, he would not mind eliminating Zhou Taishan as well. At worst, he would just move to another place to live. In any case, he did not believe that there was no place to live in the vast Northern Border Six Towns!
Wu Lao Er and the others behind were about to loudly remind Lü Tu not to put down his knife, but Song Yu Xi stopped them. She shook her head slightly and said in a low voice, "Trust your husband's judgment and don't lose your composure."
This one sentence alone shocked Wu Lao Er, Zhao Lao Wu and the others. In this era, women with such courage were extremely rare.
Lu Tu, who had only been married to them for less than a day, showed no fear in such a grand occasion, remaining even more composed and calm than they were. This made the two of them feel a chill in their hearts, thankfully they had never harbored any ill intentions towards her before.
Everyone present held their breath, because no one could say for sure whether the next second would end peacefully or erupt into a massacre.
The veteran among the soldiers couldn't bear to look around. In his mind, any villager who dared to rebel and take hostage the soldiers would be executed on the spot without even asking why, and their relatives would be reduced to slaves.
Zhou Taishan slowly lowered Lü Tu's knife-wielding hand, and then, to the collective shock of the crowd, slapped Zhou Yabing across the face, sending him flying backward and crashing into the dust.
"ah!?"
Everyone present was dumbfounded. Zhou Taishan was quite prestigious in the army and was considered fair. However, Zhou Yabing was his son who was born late in life. How could he make such a fair judgment when he saw an ordinary person holding his son at knifepoint?
Zhou Yabing was stunned by the slap. He covered his face and asked in confusion, "Father, why..."
Zhou Taishan roared, "How could I have given birth to such a useless piece of trash! With frequent battles in the six border towns, the Wuhuan army's power is at its zenith, and our army is suffering heavy casualties and retreating in disarray. How dare you still try to take credit and slander talent? I'll beat you to death today!"
As Zhou Taishan grew angrier, he went up and started punching and kicking Zhou Yabing, making Zhou Yabing scream in pain.
The soldiers beside him repeatedly advised, "Sir, let it go!"
Zhou Taishan was furious: "That doesn't count! If he dares to take credit today, he'll dare to kill his father tomorrow! I'll beat this unfilial son to death!"
Lu Tu almost burst out laughing when he heard this. Zhou Taishan may look like a rough and uncultured man, but he's actually quite good at acting.
From the fact that he would occasionally steal glances at him out of the corner of his eye, it was clear that Zhou Taishan was putting on an act for him.
Lu Tu simply pretended not to understand and let Zhou Taishan perform to his heart's content.
After fighting for a while, Zhou Taishan really couldn't bring himself to do it. He originally planned to put on a show of sacrificing family for the greater good, firstly to consolidate his prestige among the Wuchuan army, and secondly to retain Lu Tu as a talent for his own use. However, he did not expect that this guy's emotional intelligence was so low that he did not even stop him at this point!
Fortunately, he controlled his strength and kicked Zhou Yabing in the buttocks, causing him only minor pain without damaging his internal organs. Even so, Zhou Yabing's delicate skin could not withstand the blows from Zhou Taishan's old feet.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Yabing's skin was torn and bleeding, and even his cries had become much quieter.
Lu Tu then feigned being moved and quickly grabbed Zhou Taishan, saying, "Lord Zhou, please stop hitting Young Master Ling!"
Zhou Taishan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but pretended to still be angry: "No, it's the father's fault if the son is not taught properly. Today I will teach him a lesson!"
Lu Tu lowered his voice and said in a tone that only the two of them could hear, "Lord Zhou, if you keep acting like this, I won't stop you."
Zhou Taishan suddenly broke out in a violent coughing fit, coughing so hard that his face turned red. Lü Tu quickly helped him up and said with concern, "Lord Zhou, please calm down!"
With Lü Tu's help, Zhou Taishan finally sat down on a stone stool. After drinking a ladle of well water, he recovered and sighed softly, "What a misfortune for my family!"
Lu Tu advised from the side, "Zhou Yabing is still young and has a lot of potential. Lord Zhou should give young people more opportunities."
How could Zhou Taishan not understand the underlying meaning in Lü Tu's words? He gave Lü Tu an appreciative look: "Alright, I didn't expect that you, at such a young age, not only possess such superb martial arts skills, but also have such a broad mind. It's truly commendable. Do you want to join the army?"
Lu Tu immediately clasped his hands in a sincere gesture and said loudly, "Why shouldn't a man carry a Wu hook and take over fifty states beyond the passes? Lu Tu is willing to join the army to avenge the country and his family. I hope that you, Captain, will grant my request!"
Zhou Taishan stood with his hands behind his back and shouted, "What a fine man! Why don't you carry a Wu hook? You're a real man! Lu Tu, listen to my command!"
"exist!"
"Lu Tu single-handedly killed three Wuhuan cavalrymen. He is rewarded with 30 taels of silver and is exceptionally promoted to the position of squad leader in Wuchuan Prefecture with a monthly salary of two strings of cash. You are free to choose 10 men to become your soldiers, who will receive a monthly salary of one string of cash from Wuchuan Prefecture! You will be responsible for the security of Kuishan Village and the neighboring Songshan Village. See you on the battlefield against the Wuhuan next spring!"
In places like Wuchuan, the military system of the garrison was implemented. The military ranks from top to bottom were Wuchuan Garrison General, Captain, Colonel, Captain, Captain, Sergeant, Platoon Leader, Platoon Leader, and Soldier.
Once you become a soldier, you can receive a monthly salary from the capital. This is a way to encourage people to join the army. Moreover, the conditions for promotion are extremely strict, requiring the killing of a certain number of Wuhuan soldiers.
Of course, rules are rules, but people are flexible. Otherwise, Zhou Yabing wouldn't have become the head of the gang. Where there are people, there are cliques, and it's an unspoken understanding that everyone takes care of their own members.
But for a transmigrator like Lü Tu, joining the army is the best way to rise quickly in this world! Not to mention that this is his area of expertise. Although he was only promoted to the lowest rank of squad leader this time, it also indicates that Lü Tu's future will be as smooth as the Yangtze River flowing into the sea!
"Thank you, Captain Xie. I will certainly kill as many enemies as possible and live up to your expectations!" Anyone can say such polite words.
Since Zhou Taishan was able to save face for me in front of so many people, I naturally had to save face for him as well, so that everyone could accept it.
“Well done, keep it up! If the Wuhuan soldiers attack again, you can light a signal fire to notify all areas, and we will come immediately. If you see signal fires lit in other places, you must provide support immediately! If you have any more military merits, just send someone to deliver their heads to the prefecture!” Zhou Taishan waved his hand, and someone immediately handed him 30 taels of silver and a wooden waist tag with the character “十” written on it.
Lu Tu cupped his hands and said, "Please take care, Captain!"
Turning to face the villagers of Kuishan Village, everyone shouted in unison, "Greetings, Squad Leader!"
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