Lu Tu waved his hand: "I'm too lazy to ask anymore. I don't have time to play with you. I'll just ask you one question: are you willing to surrender?"
Pang Wei shrugged: "At this point, what else can we do but surrender? It's just a pity that my wife, children, and elderly parents are still at home."
"In the city?"
“They’re not in Huai Shuo City, but in Pangjia Village, 80 li away. These are all our brothers from the same village. Please, sir, don’t kill them anymore.”
Upon hearing that it was 80 li away, Lu Tu, though unaware of the direction he was referring to, still asked the crucial question: "Does your village have any sulfur mines?"
Pang Wei's eyes widened: "Sir, how did you know? It seems we're the ones with the traitor!"
Lu Tu was overjoyed. It seemed that Deng Lang had indeed put a lot of effort into the topographical map he sent, otherwise Pang Wei and his men wouldn't have been guarding it.
"Besides you, how many border troops are guarding your Pangjia Village?"
"Besides us, there are 20 other men. Apart from me, the other brothers have only recently joined the army and have no grudges against you, Lord Lü."
Lu Tu nodded in satisfaction: "If I asked you to persuade those 20 villagers to surrender, could you succeed?"
Seeing that Lü Tu was not joking and seemed to genuinely intend to win them over, Pang Wei realized that as long as he could save his life, everything would be fine.
"It should be possible, but sir, if we betray Huai Shuo, they will capture our families and kill them."
Lu Tu patted him on the shoulder: "Have you heard about the treatment I receive over there?"
"Uh... I've heard about it, it seems to be very good."
"As long as you cooperate with me and mine the sulfur mine without losing a single soldier and transport it back, you and your families can come back to the village with me, and I will give you the same treatment."
Pang Wei took a deep breath and stared at Lü Tu in disbelief: "Is this really true?"
"really."
"really?"
Lu Tu kicked Pang Wei in the butt, sending him sprawling face-first to the ground: "Try babbling again? Haven't you heard what kind of person I, Lu Tu, am?"
Pang Wei nodded repeatedly, terrified. "Sir, could you give me a little time? I'll talk to the other brothers, and they can help persuade them."
"Okay, let's hurry."
Pang Wei jogged into the crowd and began to speak passionately, while the captured border soldiers looked resigned to their fate.
Joining the army is just about making a living. Now, not only have I been spared from death, but I can also take my family with me. No matter what, it's already the best outcome.
It must be said that Pang Wei was very efficient. Before long, he reported to Lü Tu: "Lord Lü, the matter has been handled. Let's get going."
Lu Tu mounted his horse and waved to Tuoba Yue and the others: "Let's go!"
They walked the 80-mile journey very steadily. Pang Wei led them past the checkpoints and villages along the way, and they arrived at Pangjia Village quietly.
With Pangjia Village in sight, Pang Wei cupped his hands to Lü Tu and said, "My lord, I will go and persuade them to surrender."
Lu Tu nodded: "Go, think of your brothers and family. If things are exposed and the army comes to kill you, don't worry, you won't survive."
Pang Wei trembled in fright and said with a wry smile, "I'm not that stupid, adult."
Nie Yun, standing nearby, asked curiously, "Big brother, do you think this guy is trustworthy?"
Lu Tu glanced at the remaining prisoners: "His men are all here with us. From what I've observed, they do have a very good personal relationship, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Sure enough, two incense sticks' worth of time later, Pang Wei sneaked out of the village entrance and waved to Lü Tu, saying, "Sir, it's all settled, all the brothers have agreed!"
Nie Yun took the lead and walked at the very front: "Big brother, I'll go ahead and scout the way."
Xiang Ze, who had remained silent throughout, gripped his broadsword and approached Lü Tu, his intention to protect him quite obvious.
Upon entering the village, I discovered that everyone, young and old, had arrived, and some were even packing things from their homes.
Lu Tu was taken aback: "What are you doing?"
"We'll go with you, Lord Lü! We've long heard that you love the people like your own children, and we've wanted to follow you for a long time!"
Lu Tu was speechless. He hadn't even dug up the sulfur mine yet, so where could he go?
He looked at Pang Wei and asked, "What about the sulfur mine?"
"Oh, it's right behind the village. Our village is poor because there are sulfur mines everywhere, and there's very little arable land. We're often encroached upon by other villages, and life is extremely difficult."
Lu Tu nodded: "Everyone, don't get excited. Let us dig up some things first, then follow us."
"Yes, sir, we'll do whatever you say." The villagers showed no sign of being prisoners, all grinning as if they were determined to follow Lu Tu to enjoy a life of luxury.
However, this idea is not wrong. At present, smallpox has broken out in various parts of Huai Shuo. According to those who escaped from the group of refugees who attacked Lü Tu, Lü Tu not only provides food and drink, but can even cure smallpox. For the villagers of Pangjia Village, it is simply a paradise.
Lu Tu ordered Nie Yun to lead men to guard the main road of the village, while he himself, along with Tuoba Yue and Xiang Ze, arrived near the sulfur mine with Pang Wei.
Lu Tu grabbed a shovel and casually dug at the edge of the hill, revealing a large chunk of sulfur ore, its entire surface a bronze-brown color.
With his knowledge, Lü Tu recognized that this was orpiment, a type of associated mineral, indicating that it was pyrite, containing not only sulfur but also iron. This was exciting news!
Previously, the iron ore that Hu Delu refined was obtained by seizing it from Huai Shuo in trade with the Wu Huan people, which was not a sustainable source of development.
Now that he has this good place, Pangjia Village, Lü Tu's confidence is even greater. After all, with control of the pyrite mine, Lü Tu can not only produce a large amount of gunpowder, but also solve the hidden danger of insufficient iron ore. It can be said to be killing two birds with one stone.
Seeing a hint of joy in Lü Tu's eyes, Pang Wei asked timidly, "Sir, is this the sulfur ore you're looking for?"
"That's right, that's it. Are there any more nearby?"
"Hey, we have as many as you want, this mountain is practically full of them!"
Lu Tu looked up and saw that there were no trees on this mountain, which covered several dozen acres. The soil was also different in color from other places. It seemed that Pang Wei was not lying.
He nodded and said, "Pang Wei, I plan to bring some people to stay with you for a few days."
Pang Wei was terrified upon hearing this: "Sir, didn't we agree that we would dig up a portion and then leave?"
Lu Tu shook his head: "If we only dig away a little bit, coupled with the disappearance of your entire village, it will definitely arouse the suspicion of your Huai Shuo Border Army. Then, if you want to come back and continue digging, it will be as difficult as climbing to the sky."
Xiang Ze chimed in, "Sir, you're right. Fortune favors the bold. Since we're already here, let's go all out and do something ruthless!"
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