Xiao Zhong quickly stepped forward to help Lü Tu up, his face flushed with embarrassment, and said, "My lord, you have truly shamed me, Xiao Zhong. You and the soldiers are fighting outside, while I have done nothing!"
Lu Tu shook his head and said seriously, "Mr. Xiao is too modest. Even if no one told me, I know that it was you who made Liu Hu do such a thing and mobilized a large number of people to help."
Xiao Zhong was deeply moved. Looking at Lü Tu's face, which was much more mature than before and tired, he said solemnly, "My lord, with your words, Xiao Zhong is willing to go through fire and water without hesitation!"
As Lu Tu had guessed, Xiao Zhong was involved in all of this planning. This time, he had truly solved his immediate crisis. If any link in the chain had gone wrong, he could have been doomed.
"Mr. Xiao, thank goodness for you. From now on, our Kuishan Village will no longer be bullied!"
Xiao Zhong was also moved by the boldness in Lü Tu's words. His eyes reddened slightly, and he nodded, saying, "No matter what you want to do, my lord, I will do my best to assist you, even if it costs me my head."
Xiao Zhong had expressed his loyalty to Lü Tu many times before. Lü Tu's actions this time were not because he wanted Xiao Zhong to be more grateful to him, but because he genuinely wanted to thank him.
The two men, one old and one young, grabbed each other's arms, exchanged a glance, and then burst into hearty laughter.
The laughter grew louder and louder, showing no signs of stopping, which also infected the people not far away.
The joy of the harvest, the bonds of friendship, and the victory achieved through everyone's united efforts filled everyone's hearts with pride and a sense of honor.
A feeling called solidarity filled the emptiness in everyone's hearts.
It turns out that you and I are not a mob; by joining hands and uniting, we can accomplish such a great thing!
This event has become a landmark milestone, the biggest victory since the village was founded, and it inspires everyone.
At this moment, Nie Yun shouted to Lü Tu, "Brother, say a few words to everyone!"
"Yes, brother, say a few words to everyone!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhong nodded to Lü Tu. Both of them were intelligent men, and there was no need for further words at this time. They naturally wanted Lü Tu to seize this good opportunity, firstly to boost morale, and secondly to enhance Lü Tu's own prestige.
Lu Tu wasn't stupid, so he naturally wouldn't refuse at a time like this. A man can choose to stand behind the scenes most of the time, but he must stand up at crucial moments!
This applies to battles between armies, and it should also be applied to inspiring people.
Lu Tu said loudly, "Good!"
He then stepped into the village, and everyone spontaneously made way for him in a circular open space.
Lu Tu glanced around, seeing the excited and eager eyes of everyone, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Today, it is all thanks to everyone's united efforts that we have achieved such success!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a long time. Lu Tu pressed his palm down, silencing the crowd.
He spoke again, "I know that everyone has many complaints about me, thinking that I, Lü Tu, am autocratic and domineering, and that I never give people a chance to complain!"
At this point, someone in the crowd wanted to explain, but Lu Tu interrupted them and continued, "There's no need for you to explain. If I were in your position, I would have the same thoughts. But you can all see our situation. I can only keep the village running by using this method."
Whether you're a newcomer or an elder of our village, I, Lü Tu, have always treated everyone equally. Anyone who contributes to the village will be rewarded! And from now on, I announce that everyone's daily wages will be doubled! Because of your courageous help, we have been able to protect our village!
The common people have become pragmatic. No matter how flowery Lu Tu's words were before, they were far less practical than the last sentence that the food and pay would be doubled. This swept away the fatigue of everyone who had worked hard all day, and even the strong smell of sweat in their nostrils seemed sweet.
"Long live the Emperor!" Someone with audacity shouted this, and thousands of villagers present excitedly joined in the shout.
The shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" echoed throughout the village. Surrounded by the crowd, Lü Tu felt a sense of elation and his heart was pounding with excitement.
But he quickly regained consciousness and raised his arms, shouting, "Long live the people!"
When the shout of "Long live the people!" came out, all the people who had been shouting before were stunned and froze on the spot!
They had lived on this land of the Great Yu Dynasty for generations, and the wheat had ripened thousands of times, but they had never heard anyone shout such a slogan.
A child's innocent voice came from the crowd: "Sir, can we really live forever?"
The little girl's mother quickly hugged her and covered her mouth, saying, "Don't talk nonsense!"
Lu Tu laughed loudly, "Life expectancy is rare at seventy, and one day we will all die. But our will can live on in our place. The people are the masters of this land. As long as we unite as one, there is nothing we cannot accomplish!"
He shouted it out in one breath, but the entire place remained silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one dared to speak, but there seemed to be some unspeakable emotion in their eyes, as if they had been ignited.
These words were so inspiring that if the previous increase in food and pay had solved the people's basic needs, then this was a great relief.
The phrase "Long live the people!" gives everyone a sense of value, making them vaguely realize that what they are doing seems to be the right thing to do.
Don't underestimate this idea. People not only need to seek external things to obtain a lot of material conditions or the recognition of others.
We need to look inward even more to find our own value in life and self-affirmation.
Lu Tu's words clearly made everyone realize their self-worth. Once people feel that what they are doing is righteous, they are even willing to pay the price with their lives!
At this moment, Lu Tu, who was standing among the crowd, was actually a little embarrassed. He had just blurted it out without thinking too much about it. His explanation was just to make sure that everyone would not deny their contributions.
But at that moment, he seemed to be stuck on the spot, wondering how to end his speech, when a familiar female voice suddenly came from afar: "Long live the people!"
In an instant, all the people who had been silent before were once again ignited with emotion, raising their arms and shouting, "Long live the people!"
Everyone's eyes were filled with sincere enthusiasm, and some were even emotionally agitated, with tears of passion glistening in their eyes!
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