Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned. Clearly, they never expected that Lü Tu's ambitions were so great that he dared to extend his reach directly to Huai Shuo next door.
It should be noted that although the six towns ultimately obey the Ministry of War, they are managed independently and do not interfere with each other. Even though Prince Duan's fiefdom is in Longcheng, he cannot make the decision.
Ye Qingyu astutely seized upon the flaw in this statement: "Lu Tu, how did you know there were iron ore resources in Huai Shuo? You should know that only merchants are allowed to travel between the two towns; even ordinary people are prohibited from going there. As a member of the Wu Chuan border army, you knowingly broke the law. What is your punishment?"
Yun Tian chimed in, "That's right! Since I've given you so much fertile land and jurisdiction, why aren't you properly guarding Aiying Mountain and Gubei Peak Pass? What are you investigating in Huai Shuo for? Do you have ulterior motives?"
Even Zhao Qingyao felt that Lu Tu's words were rather unsophisticated, as if he had simply exposed his true colors to others. If Lu Tu was the kind of person who would become arrogant and complacent, then she would really have to think twice.
Prince Duan frowned as he looked at Lü Tu: "Do you know what your words mean? From the very beginning when Emperor Taizu established the Six Garrisons on the frontier, it was stipulated that even the royal family must not interfere with the balance of the Six Garrisons!"
At this moment, everyone present stared intently at Lü Tu, waiting for his explanation. The Jinyiwei guards around him also secretly placed their hands on the hilts of their embroidered spring knives. If Lü Tu failed to explain himself clearly, they might take action the next second.
After all, this is no small matter; it's an attempt to shake the very foundation of the nation!
Even the weakest of the six border towns, Wuchuan, had 100,000 able-bodied men who could cultivate wasteland in peacetime and become soldiers when they were in wartime.
Surrounded by onlookers, Lü Tu waved his hand, his expression changing, and said, "Yun Tian, even if you want to pin a label on me, can you at least think it through? If I have a way of finding out, it must be through legitimate means. Otherwise, would I tell you so openly? Do you think I'm as stupid as you?"
Since he couldn't insult Ye Qingyu, he could only insult Yun Tian. Just as Yun Tian found a point to refute, Lü Tu insulted him so badly that he was furious. He bowed to Prince Duan and said, "Your Highness, please order the arrest of this madman Lü Tu immediately. He has violated the rules set by our ancestors and deserves to have his entire family executed!"
Prince Duan glared at Yun Tian with displeasure. Even if Lü Tu's words were somewhat problematic, he had just achieved great merit, and there was no way he could be killed. This old good-for-nothing Yun Tian dared to use him as a pawn. If Prince Duan hadn't considered that there was no one else in Wuchuan besides Yun Tian who could restrain Lü Tu, he would have really killed Yun Tian.
Ye Qingyu frowned and said, "Lu Tu, don't blame me for not giving you a chance to explain. Now tell me, why do you know so much about Huai Shuo Minerals?"
Lu Tu smiled coldly: "Have you all forgotten? My wife is Wang Miaoling from the Wang family of Wuchuan."
"The Wang family..." Upon hearing this name, Zhao Qingyao's gaze became somewhat distant, as if she were recalling something.
Yun Tian's expression changed: "So what if it's the Wang family? Their caravan disbanded a long time ago."
Lu Tu sighed softly, "Commander Yun, with your intelligence and talent, I don't know how you managed to become a commander. Did your ancestors have some wealth?"
“It’s true that the caravans disbanded when my wife took over the Wang family, but that doesn’t mean the previous caravans didn’t go to Huai Shuo. It’s obvious that this is intelligence accumulated by the previous caravans. You can use such a trivial matter to attack me? Yun Tian, you should retire and go back to your hometown. You’re not suited to be an official.”
Lu Tu's sarcastic words had completely torn off all pretense of civility; they were extremely vulgar, practically calling Yun Tian a useless, stupid pig.
Ye Qingyu continued, "Since you know everything, how dare you ask Huai Shuo to give you part of its territory? Do you know what price you will have to pay for making this decision? It will mean instability in the six border towns!"
Upon hearing this, even Zhao Qingyao and Prince Duan nodded in agreement.
Lu Tu laughed loudly: "General Ye, let me ask you this: even if I didn't make any demands to target Huai Shuo, would Zhao Wuyou of Huai Shuo let me go? You can ask around; Zhao Wuyou has sent troops to harass the people under my jurisdiction more than three times already!"
Ye Qingyu was about to speak when Lu Tu interrupted him again: "Every time he comes over and kills some of my people, he runs away. Does he think Zhao Wuyou is the only human being, and the people of Wuchuan aren't? Besides, I have evidence that Zhao Wuyou of Huai Shuo is a traitor who colludes with the enemy and sells salt and iron with the Wuhuan people!"
hiss!
A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd, even the Imperial Guards were taken aback!
Smuggling salt and iron, especially targeting the Wuhuan tribe, if this is true, it's not just a matter of beheading, it's a serious crime that would lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!
If this causes serious consequences, it could even lead to the extermination of nine generations of one's family!
Upon hearing this, Prince Duan and Zhao Qingyao sat up straight, their gazes turning icy. If the previous actions were merely violations of regulations, then trading salt and iron with the Wuhuan tribe was an act of defying the Great Yu royal family!
"Is that true? Can you produce any evidence right now?"
Lu Tu nodded: "Of course I can produce it, but I cannot produce it for the time being!"
"Why?" the people present asked in unison.
"Because this is the intelligence that my good brother, who sent me to spy, obtained at the cost of his life, I must ensure his safety. If I hand it over now, won't my brothers all be doomed?"
Prince Duan roared, "Outrageous! If Zhao Wuyou continues to trade with the Wuhuan people, it will be a catastrophe for the Great Yu Dynasty! When faced with matters of principle, do you care about a few lives?"
Zhao Qingyao glanced sideways at Prince Duan and said, "Let's hear what Lu Tu has to say."
Lu Tu said loudly, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but in my eyes, everyone's life is equally important. Moreover, these brothers risked their lives to help me gather intelligence. If I were to use their lives to exchange for my own future, would I, Lu Tu, still be human? Therefore, I must rescue them first before I can hand over the evidence!"
Ye Qingyu said in a deep voice, "You'd better be telling the truth. You should know that if even one of these words is false, you will be sentenced to death!"
Zhao Qingyao, who had remained silent until now, spoke up: "Prince Duan, I think we should follow Lü Tu's plan and have Huai Shuo allocate those mining areas to Lü Tu, and see how he reacts."
"Second sister, you mustn't! Even a cornered dog will jump over the wall. Aren't you just forcing Zhao Wuyou to rebel?" Prince Duan whispered, trying to dissuade her.
Zhao Qingyao nodded solemnly: "With General Ye of the Shence Army here, are we afraid of Zhao Wuyou?"
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