Lu Tu had a backup plan: if the smallpox epidemic broke out in the six towns, there would be an inevitable number of refugees fleeing the disaster.
In today's world, only Lü Tu possesses the knowledge of smallpox treatment and vaccines.
If he can develop vaccines and antibodies, and combine them with antibiotics such as penicillin and allicin, it could serve as a way to absorb refugees.
Once the news gets out, won't all the refugees in the North flock to us?
No matter the era, population is always the most important thing!
The term "demographic dividend" is not just a figure of speech; moreover, the diverse composition of refugees makes the benefits far greater than simply accepting migrants.
With money and manpower, how could he not develop his power? Once he had 500 elite cavalrymen, he would even dare to attack Wuchuan!
I've disliked Yun Tian for a long time. This guy is a useless person who holds a position without doing anything. He has developed the entire population of Wuchuan to such a state, and he even condoned Zhou Taishan's transactions with Wuhuan and his collusion with Xu Jing of the White Lotus Sect. He is not worthy of his position!
After a moment of silence, Xiao Zhong cupped his hands and said, "Then are you not afraid that the plague will kill us as well?"
Lu Tu gave a wicked smile: "Mr. Xiao, are you aware that I have been seriously ill these past two days?"
"I know, but I see that apart from being a little weak, your complexion is fine."
"This is the effect of the medicine I developed! It helped me get rid of smallpox."
Upon hearing this, a look of surprise flashed in Xiao Zhong's eyes. After looking around, he whispered, "Is what you say true, sir? Does that mean we have the complete cure for smallpox?"
Lu Tu shook his head: "Everyone's constitution is different. Those who are destined to die will die. Whether we can help most people get rid of smallpox depends on my two patients."
As they walked towards the village, they soon came across a group of people huddled together, fighting over something, with more than a dozen naked corpses laid out in front of them.
Upon closer inspection, Lü Tu flew into a rage and shouted at the villagers, "Stop it, all of you!"
With this roar, the villagers who were scrambling for clothes and shoes stopped in their tracks and looked timidly at Lü Tu: "What is it, sir?"
Lu Tu strode forward and saw that the soldiers who used to sweat profusely on the drill ground every day had been stripped of their clothes. He slapped the villager across the face and said, "Who the hell told you to strip the soldiers of their clothes?"
The man was slapped so hard he rolled twice on the ground, then scrambled to his feet and knelt in terror: "I...I saw they were dead, so what? Their clothes were better than mine, so I..."
The noise also alerted the soldiers not far away. When they went forward and saw what was happening, they were just as furious as Lü Tu!
These fallen soldiers were all comrades who had spent every day with everyone. Unexpectedly, after their deaths, they were stripped naked by these greedy villagers, leaving them not even a shred of clothing to cover their shame.
Lu Tu's icy gaze swept over the dozen or so villagers present: "These are all brothers who died defending the village. They are my brothers, Lu Tu's brothers. How could you do this?"
Upon hearing this, the dozen or so villagers burst into tears, immediately kneeling down and kowtowing repeatedly, begging, "Sir, we were bewitched for a moment, we will never dare to do it again, please spare our lives!"
The villagers in the distance also looked over, and most of them spat at the person kneeling on the ground with disdain.
A few people were thankful that, although they had also thought of grabbing the slightly more convenient clothes, they had been more cautious and did not go, and were glad that they had escaped with their lives.
Lu Tu waved his hand and shouted, "Men, kill these bastards!"
"Sir, please don't! We really know we were wrong!"
Nie Yun, Liu Yang, and the others had been holding back their anger for a long time. They went up and killed them all, one by one, regardless of their origins!
Many of them were refugees, and some were also original villagers of Kuishan Village.
This matter has crossed Lü Tu's bottom line. Although dying on the battlefield is the final destination of every soldier, Lü Tu still wants to give every soldier who dies in battle a dignified ending.
Lu Tu stood amidst the soldiers and civilians, and shouted sternly, "From now on, if anyone refrains from doing anything that disrespects the fallen heroes, don't blame me, Lu Tu, for being ruthless!"
His voice echoed at the village entrance, and everyone held their breath, knowing that Lü Tu himself was a soldier.
Once he starts to disrespect his soldiers, it means his own position is no longer secure.
"Brothers who died in battle, if you have families, please step forward!"
A dozen or so women and children emerged weakly from the crowd. Among them were a few women whom Lü Tu had even seen before, who had once been the women of other soldiers.
The women immediately knelt on the ground, sobbing softly, "Thank you, sir, for standing up for my man."
Lu Tu shook his head regretfully: "From now on, you will come to the warehouse every month to collect your grain. I will support you for the rest of your lives! The families of the soldiers who died in battle will receive the same treatment!"
These words shocked everyone present, and all looked at Lü Tu with surprise and emotion.
"Your Excellency is righteous!"
"Thank you for the reward, sir!"
Liu Yang quickly stepped forward to register the names of these family members, while Lü Tu called on the others to bury the bodies of the fallen soldiers in the collective cemetery behind the training ground, so that they could watch their brothers train and wouldn't feel so lonely, and it would also serve as a warning to those who come after.
After doing all this, Lü Tu walked home in a terrible mood, with Liu Yang following behind, asking in a low voice, "Brother, these widows are having a hard time, why not give them some money?"
“I made a mistake before. Simply giving widows money will only allow them to use the money to find another husband, instead of letting them raise their children in peace.”
Liu Yang asked in confusion, "Brother, I still don't quite understand. Does that mean they won't raise the children after they've received the money?"
Lu Tu shook his head: "Giving them food every month is like giving them a job that guarantees them a lifetime of security. Even if they take their children to find another family, the new family will be willing to take the children in, considering that they receive food every month."
Even if they were unwilling, they would still feed the child and raise them. This would not only solve the livelihood problems of widows and orphans but also allow soldiers who chose to join the army to have no worries about their families.
The reason why Lu Tu made the mistake of only giving silver before was because he was too busy and ignored the inherent flaws in people. However, he has made amends in time and has managed to avoid making a big mistake.
"Brother, I understand! I'll go register it right away."
The next morning, Lü Tu and Xiao Zhong came to the village entrance again and checked on the condition of Huai Shuo's six men. They were barely able to stand, and half of them had started coughing.
Lu Tu ordered his men, "Give them two days' worth of rations and water, then let them get lost!"
The six men quickly kowtowed in gratitude: "Lord Lü is a man of his word and a true hero of our time! We are deeply grateful!" After saying this, they took the dry rations and water and hurried to Huai Shuo.
Lu Tu and Xiao Zhong watched their departing figures and shook their heads slightly: "The departure of these six people will surely bring mountains of corpses and seas of blood."
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