Lu Tu's gaze swept over Xiang Ze and the other two. To be honest, he quite admired Xiang Ze. Firstly, Xiang Ze had a chivalrous heart. Back in Baoma Village, he had fought against a group of bullies to help the weak and almost lost his life.
Secondly, after experiencing the failure and gloom of his time with the Red Turban Army, Xiang Ze still chose to pursue another career. This sounds simple, but what truly gave him the conviction to continue was courage.
How far a person can go sometimes depends not on their actual abilities, but on their character and whether they have the courage to start over when they hit rock bottom. This is what divides people into different classes.
Seeing that Lü Tu remained silent, the Feng Xiao and Feng Lie brothers, of course, knew that their identities were sensitive, and they were also newcomers. It was normal for Lü Tu to be wary of them.
At this moment, he knelt on one knee, clasped his hands and said, "Feng Xiao and Feng Lie are willing to join Lord Lü's command. We do not expect to join the army immediately. We have also inquired about Lord Lü's strict requirements for his soldiers. We hope that you can give us the dirtiest and most tiring work so that we can follow you!"
Seeing this, Xiang Ze also knelt down on one knee and clasped his hands in greeting: "Sir, you have allowed me to stay here, I hope you will also take in these two."
Lu Tu chuckled after hearing this: "I've taken in even refugees, so why wouldn't I take in the two of you?"
Unexpectedly, Feng Xiao and Feng Lie firmly shook their heads: "Sir, you know that's not what we meant. We don't want to be treated as refugees by you. Please test us!"
Lu Tu looked at Xiang Ze with his eyes and saw Xiang Ze nod slightly to him. Lu Tu had only called Xiang Ze over out of interest, wanting to help them meet as acquaintances. He hadn't expected the two of them to be so ambitious.
"I didn't realize you two brothers were so ambitious."
Upon hearing the word "ambition," Feng Lie quickly waved his hand: "My lord, we have no ill intentions towards you. If you are truly concerned about our origins, we can leave and promise not to utter a single word about it!"
Upon hearing this, Lü Tu burst into laughter: "You underestimate me, Lü Tu!"
Liu Hong and the others around him laughed: "In our eyes as adults, we'd love for you to have ambitions!"
Nie Yun nodded and said, "That's right. As the master said, ambition is the foundation for a man's success. If you two are mediocre and lazy, then you don't even deserve to join my brother's ranks!"
Upon hearing this explanation, Feng Lie and his brother became solemn, their eyes filled with shock and admiration as they looked at Lü Tu: "Please, sir, give us your orders!"
This sudden assignment of a difficult task to them by Lü Tu really stumped him. Then, a thought struck him: "Where did you two come from?"
"Yanzhou in the south, and Huai Shuo in the north, which is reached by following Longcheng."
Can you read?
"I studied it for a few years."
Lu Tu nodded: "You two should stay in the village for now. After a while, you will go to Longcheng. I will tell you the specifics of what to do then."
"Yes, ma'am!" The two exchanged a delighted glance and replied loudly, clearly showing that they really wanted to stay.
Lu Tu asked Xiang Ze to take the two of them back. After the three of them left, Xiao Zhong came to his side and asked in a low voice, "Sir, are we going to Dragon City to make arrangements?"
Lu Tu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I do want to go to Dragon City to make plans, but I don't have the ability right now. With just the two of them, let alone making plans, it would be good enough if they could even make it to Dragon City alive."
"Then why does Your Excellency still want them to go to Dragon City?"
“Draw a topographic map.”
Xiao Zhong instantly understood Lü Tu's intention and nodded, saying, "Yes, drawing up the terrain map along the way in advance is a good way to prepare for the future, and it will also reduce unnecessary losses when we reach Longcheng."
Lu Tu looked at Xiao Zhong with a puzzled expression: "Why are you all more eager to rebel than I am? Our swords are not sharp and our horses are too weak. We can't fight the government troops at all. I plan to establish a trade route with Longcheng."
"Trade routes? Sir, you know how to do business?"
Lu Tu smiled knowingly: "I might not be able to, but don't forget what my wife, Wang Jia, started out doing."
Xiao Zhong understood: "Then what should we sell over there?"
"The soap I asked you to distribute to everyone that day."
Xiao Zhong nodded: "I understand. The lord doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket, lest he be held hostage by Wuchuan's economy."
"That's only one aspect. More importantly, Wuchuan is running out of food. Even if we have silver in our hands, we can't buy much food. Everyone is running out of food. Moreover, since the old lady of the Wang family was killed, the connection between Wuchuan and Longcheng has weakened considerably!"
Without economic activity, resources become scarce and expensive, which we cannot afford. Therefore, I must reopen this trade route for the Wang family, sell our soap, and exchange it for grain to bring back!
Xiao Zhong listened with amazement. He was originally in charge of internal affairs, but there were too many things to do in the village at the moment, so he didn't have time to think about things as far-reaching as the economy.
Xiao Zhong was quite surprised that Lu Tu, a military general who only knew how to ride into battle, could have such foresight.
Chonglu Tu solemnly said, "Your Excellency's foresight is truly admirable! In this way, we can not only solve our urgent food shortage, but also avoid being constrained by the Wuchuan government. I was not thinking far ahead enough."
Lu Tu patted his arm reassuringly: "Mr. Xiao, please don't blame yourself. You have already helped me a lot. You have done everything, big and small, in the village. I have seen it all. You are not a god. This is normal."
"Thank you for your understanding, sir. I will work even harder in the future."
After saying that, Xiao Zhong turned to go about his business, but was stopped by Lü Tu: "Mr. Xiao, please listen to me."
"Please speak, sir."
"The flowing water doesn't compete for the lead, but for its continuous flow. What we are doing now is a long-term undertaking, so remember not to overexert yourself and take care of your health."
Xiao Zhong trembled. Hearing Lü Tu's profound words, he was overwhelmed with emotion and his eyes reddened. "My lord, Xiao Zhong understands."
"Go and rest, I'll keep watch here."
"good."
When Lü Tu heard Xiao Zhong address him as "Lord" again, he naturally understood Xiao Zhong's intentions.
His concern for Xiao Zhong was genuine. Without Xiao Zhong, it would have been very difficult for Lü Tu to manage such a large operation on his own. Even if he tried to manage it, many problems would have arisen.
Just like the time when Xu Jing used a trick to ambush him and almost raided his home, Lü Tu vowed never to let such a thing happen again.
Lu Tuyao looked north: "Xu Jing, even if you escape to the Wuhuan royal court, I will still take your head!"
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