Lu Tu also whispered, "My lord, those who died this time were all my brothers!"
Yun Tian frowned and said, "Then what? Should I go and take care of Xu Jing for you?"
Lu Tu slowly shook his head: "It will cost more money."
"Kid, don't get too cocky. You're the first person in all these years to dare to bargain with me! Isn't a three-year exemption from corvée labor and taxes enough?"
Lu Tu feigned a bitter expression, as if he was about to burst into tears again. Seeing this, Yun Tian grabbed his sleeve and said, "I have intercepted several secret strongholds of the White Lotus Sect. They should be where they hide their ill-gotten gains. I will send 300 military slaves to you. You can take your men and wipe them out. How about it?"
"Thank you, Lord Xie Yun, for standing up for this humble general. It is a blessing for the people to have Lord Xie Yun!"
Yun Tian's brow twitched, and he waved to all the civilians and soldiers present: "In that case, I will take Yuan Lang away. This man cannot die for the time being; I need to escort him to the capital!"
"Understood! Nie Yun, release them!" Lu Tu Chong waved his hand behind him.
Although Nie Yun and the others wished they could tear Yuan Lang apart on the spot, since Lü Tu had already spoken, they could only reluctantly hand him over to the border troops to take away.
Unfortunately, Yuan Lang, though he had miraculously survived, had already lost all four limbs and was now weak and limp. Even if he didn't die, he would be a cripple. Moreover, Yun Tian intended to send him to the capital for trial as evidence to punish Huai Shuo Town, so his fate was predictable.
Yun Tian patted Lü Tu on the shoulder with great respect: "Work hard, your future is limitless, I have high hopes for you."
"Thank you for your high regard, sir. I will certainly not let you down."
Yun Tian didn't linger any longer and waved to the crowd: "Back to Wuchuan!"
As the soldiers left, they all smiled and nodded at Lü Tu, seemingly already foreseeing that Lü Tu's future in Wuchuan would surely rise. In particular, Lü Tu's kindness to his soldiers was truly enviable to the border troops, and it would be best to become familiar with him at this time.
Bian Wei wanted to follow, but when he thought of Yun Tian's orders, he froze in place, at a loss for what to do.
Lu Tu glanced at him disdainfully and said, "Don't fucking stand there like an idiot. How could someone with a brain like yours possibly survive?"
Upon hearing this, Bian Wei's face turned bright red with embarrassment, and he glared at Lü Tu, saying, "You're insulting me?"
"Fool." Lu Tu ignored him and went straight back to the pot. He tore off a piece of meat with his dagger, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it heartily.
After being reminded by his subordinates, Bian Wei realized that it was more important to return to the city with Yun Tian. After all, everything here had been settled, so did the true identities of those corpses still matter? Having just figured this out, Bian Wei couldn't help but slap himself, cursing himself for being incredibly stupid for questioning Yun Tian in front of everyone.
After everyone had left, Lü Tu stood up with a bowl of wine in his hand: "Gentlemen, thanks to everyone's bloody battle today, the fruits of this victory belong to all of us present, and also to the brothers who died in battle. Let's all join together and toast the fallen brothers with a bowl of wine!"
Everyone stared solemnly at Lü Tu. The tragedy was unbearable for everyone, with many losing loved ones. But life had to go on. Fortunately, Lü Tu had secured many benefits for everyone, giving them hope for the future. For the villagers who were barely able to get enough to eat, this was enough.
Clang! Having learned from his previous lesson, Lü Tu took the lead in smashing the earthenware bowl in his hand to pieces this time in order to further boost morale. The other villagers and soldiers followed Lü Tu's example and also vented their pent-up resentment. After this smashing, everyone felt much better.
Lu Tu continued loudly, "Anyone whose family members died in battle, come to me tomorrow to collect 30 taels of silver! Now, those who are wounded, check on your wounds; those who are not wounded, help dispose of the bodies!"
"Thank you, Lord Lü!" Upon hearing this, the villagers immediately felt the shadow of their loved ones' deaths lifted.
Although the families of fallen soldiers were given 30 taels last time, this time Lu Tu did not say that it was only for soldiers, but that ordinary people who died in battle could also receive 30 taels!
This is a considerable income. You should know that the average family of three in Kuishan Village only spends 10 taels of silver a year. This is enough for them to live on for three years. How could they not be excited?
Lu Tu looked at Nie Yun beside him: "Come home with me to get bandaged up, and then you can distribute the medicine to all the injured people."
"clear!"
Lu Tu waved to the crowd and left the training ground under everyone's eager gaze. Liu Hong and the other 200 people suffered the fewest casualties. If he couldn't even clean up the battlefield, then he shouldn't follow him into the army anymore; he might as well go back to mining coal.
I found Qin Qianqian fast asleep as soon as I got back, but the little girl was sleeping very restlessly, her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat and her brows were constantly furrowed.
Song Yuxi nodded to him: "As long as Miss Qin's fever subsides, she should be fine."
At this moment, Nangong Huiyu had finished bandaging the wound on her arm and handed a pot of garlic extract that she had prepared in advance to Nie Yun: "Thank you for your trouble."
Nie Yun took the large pot and lowered his head in trepidation: "Thank you very much, elder brother and sister-in-law. I shall take my leave now."
Lu Tu didn't try to keep him. He had witnessed Nie Yun's growth today. After two intense battles, he was exhausted. He had only relied on adrenaline to stay energized earlier, and he believed that Nie Yun would soon collapse.
"Go back and get some rest. I will personally keep watch tonight."
"I understand, brother!"
Song Yuxi, her handkerchief damp with worry, wiped the bloodstains from Lü Tu's face: "Husband, are you really going to keep watch tonight?"
Lu Tu nodded, then recounted the events of the day and his analysis: "I bear an unshirkable responsibility for what happened today. Some of our brothers are dead, and some are wounded. Let them get a good night's sleep."
Nangong Huiyu gritted her teeth, her jaw clenching. "Husband, who do you think this traitor is?"
Song Yuxi glanced at Nangong Huiyu, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Upon seeing this, Nangong Huiyu suddenly widened her eyes: "Could it be my junior brother?"
Song Yuxi shook her head: "I haven't seen Mr. Xiao since Xu Jing brought his assassins here."
Upon hearing this, Nangong Huiyu became anxious, grabbed the sword on the table, and was about to rush out of the room: "If it really is him, I will clean house for my master!"
Lu Tu stopped her: "Maybe Xiao Zhong is just out of town for some reason. Let's find him and ask him first."
"He never leaves the village normally, but we haven't seen him all day. There's no need to ask him!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a familiar voice came from outside. Xiao Zhong appeared at the door with a helpless, bitter smile: "Senior Sister Nangong, do you really think I'm such a disloyal and treacherous person?"
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