He had considered everything, even hygiene, but he completely overlooked the fire hazard.
Previously, there weren't many villagers, and the surrounding snow hadn't melted yet. If there was any fire, the melted snow from the roof would quickly extinguish it.
But the fire is currently burning in a refugee settlement, which is very troublesome. The area was not properly planned when it was built, and the simple wooden houses are almost connected in one piece.
The fire raged fiercely, engulfing everything around it, and thick black smoke was already shooting straight into the sky.
Knowing that it was almost impossible to put out the fire at this point, Lü Tu immediately went to the warehouse, took out a horn, and began to blow it.
The fire scene, which had been in complete chaos, calmed down as the horn sounded, and everyone anxiously looked in the direction of the sound.
Nie Yun, Liu Yang, Liu Hong, Sun Kuang, Sun Meng, and others also quickly gathered their soldiers.
"Big brother!"
Lu Tu shouted, "There's no time to put out the fire! Nie Yun, take 50 men to the scene to rescue people. Wet blankets beforehand and put them on your bodies. Be quick!"
"Yes, sir!" Without saying a word, Nie Yun selected 50 people and rushed towards the fire scene.
"Liu Hong! Take 50 men and kick down the houses around the fire, then pour strong liquor on them and burn them down before they get too hot!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Sun Kuang, Sun Meng! You take 50 men and evacuate all the villagers to the center of the drill ground. Don't let them cause trouble!"
"Yes, sir!"
"The rest of the men, led by Liu Yang, will guard all the entrances to the village, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. If any suspicious individuals are spotted, they will be killed on the spot! The more chaotic the situation, the more vigilant we must be!"
"Yes, sir!"
Lu Tu issued four death orders in a row, the last one being the one he was most worried about.
If this fire was an accident, then everything is fine. The real fear is that it was not an accident, but a premeditated act by someone with ulterior motives!
At this time, the effects of Lü Tu's usual training became apparent. All the villagers who originally wanted to save their homes were told that it was all Lü Tu's order, and no matter how reluctant they were, they could only be evacuated to the training ground.
Lu Tu knew that it was precisely at times like these that he had to remain calm and keep the villagers' minds at ease.
He rode his horse to the high platform in the center of the training ground and shouted to the noisy crowd below, "Everyone, listen to me, sit down!"
"Huh?" The villagers present watched as their homes, which they had worked so hard to build, burned down. Instead of helping to put out the fire, they were being told to sit down.
But Lu Tu's powerful prestige in their hearts forced them to obediently sit down, looking at Lu Tu with helpless expressions: "Sir, why won't you let us go put out the fire?"
"Yes, sir, my son is missing, I'm worried about him..."
Lu Tu waved his hand to interrupt everyone: "I've already arranged for Nie Yun to go rescue them. You're all crowding around there, you'll only cause trouble!"
"But sir, even if we only pour one more bucket of water, we can still do our part. Are we really going to let the fire burn the whole village down?"
Lu Tu was too lazy to explain the principle of the firebreak to them anymore, so he simply shouted, "This is my order! Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time and affect the efficiency of firefighting will be executed without mercy!"
By saying these words in public, he was taking on greater risks. If he could put out the fire, all would be well, but if he couldn't, even if people feared his status, they would become disaffected.
At this moment, Song Yuxi and Nangong Huiyu also arrived. They had heard what Lü Tu had just said. Song Yuxi came to the stage, held Lü Tu's hand tightly, and said loudly to the crowd below: "Please believe my husband's judgment. It's better to have a short pain than a long one. The most important thing is that everyone is alive. A home can be rebuilt even if it's gone!"
Nangong Huiyu, with her fiery temper, was extremely dissatisfied with the villagers' reaction. With her hands on her hips, she pointed at the crowd below the stage and said, "I always tell you to fetch more water at your doorstep, but none of you listen to me. Now you dare to challenge my husband? So what if the house is damaged?"
"Weren't these houses built for you by my husband through a work-for-relief program, with him providing money and food? We didn't start the fire, so how dare you complain about my husband? Let me see who just spoke! Step forward, you old hag!"
The two men, one reasoning and the other hurling insults, stood on either side of Lü Tu, firmly supporting him, which warmed Lü Tu's heart.
After Nangong Huiyu's tirade, no one in the audience dared to utter a sound. All they could hear was the howling north wind and the crackling sound of burning wood in the distance.
After a busy night, the fire was finally extinguished. All 1,800 people in the village stayed up all night.
As the first rays of dawn appeared, they slid across the tired faces of the crowd.
Three hundred soldiers, covered in soot, stood on the edge of the platform. Nie Yun reported, "Brother, three people were burned to death in this fire, and 118 wooden houses were damaged."
Lu Tu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The loss far exceeded his expectations. He had thought that hundreds of people would die. Fortunately, the outside world was calm that night, and no thieves broke in as Lu Tu had guessed.
Many villagers, who were immersed in the joy of spring plowing during the day, lost their homes at night.
Lu Tu knew that this was their place of refuge and livelihood. Once people have something and then lose it, they will not be able to accept the psychological gap. He had to rebuild these wooden houses as soon as possible to stabilize people's hearts.
"Don't be discouraged, everyone. As long as you're alive, that's all that matters. Starting today, those who have lost their homes should squeeze in with others. In the next few days, everyone will work together to rebuild their homes!"
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Everyone responded listlessly, a stark contrast to their spirits the day before.
Lu Tu instructed Nie Yun to lead the soldiers to rest in shifts, emphasizing that they could not let their guard down, while leaving Xiao Zhong behind to boost the villagers' morale.
Only then did he bring Song Yuxi and Nangong Huiyu back home. His house hadn't been burned down, but this made it even harder for him to explain.
After all, when I passed by earlier, I heard many villagers saying that Lu Tu burned down the nearby houses in order to protect his own home.
If Lü Tu hadn't held Nangong Huiyu back, she would have started arguing with someone right then and there.
"Husband, are you just going to let them talk about you like this?"
Lu Tu laughed and said, "Everyone else's houses are gone, so what's wrong with complaining a bit?"
Song Yuxi brought hot water to wipe the dust off Lü Tu's face: "Husband, if we continue to build houses in the future, we need to plan ahead. We can only separate the houses a little distance apart, but this will make the living space even narrower."
Nangong Huiyu also sighed softly: "If only we could build houses with bricks like in Wuchuan City, then we wouldn't be able to burn them down in large areas."
Upon hearing this, Lü Tu had a sudden inspiration: "That's right!"
He had a map of Huai Shuo left by the White Lotus Sect. He remembered that there was a large area of clay at the junction of Wu Chuan and Huai Shuo, which could be used to make red bricks!
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