Upon hearing this, Lü Tu burst into laughter: "You, Ye Qingyu, you're just a mere second-rank Right Protector General, yet you dare to defy the Emperor Taizu's decree and try to directly interfere in the affairs of our Wuchuan border army. If you were to advance any further, wouldn't you become the emperor?!"
His voice was already loud, but now it was filled with fury as he shouted, the sound echoing throughout the entire village entrance, startling everyone who heard it!
Especially the soldiers of the Shence Army, they never expected that they were just following Ye Qingyu's orders to go through the motions, and how they would suddenly be led into a ditch.
Moreover, what Lu Tu said was actually about the national situation of the Great Yu Dynasty. If this matter were to reach the capital and be heard by Ye Qingyu's political enemies, they would definitely seize on it and not let it go!
At that time, Ye Qingyu, as a member of a family that has held high office for four generations, might only have to punish himself with three cups of wine, but those peasants who came along with him would be in big trouble!
Rebellion is not just a matter of being beheaded, but a crime that will lead to the extermination of the entire family!
Hearing this, even though Ye Qingyu wasn't particularly worried, his soldiers were already considering retreating.
Seeing this, Lü Tu sneered inwardly. This was the power of slogans. So what if Ye Qingyu came from a family of high-ranking officials? Could he possibly be better than someone like him, who used to watch movies and TV dramas a lot in his previous life, at shouting slogans and labeling people?
Even at the worst, Lü Tu still has an absolute advantage in numbers. If Ye Qingyu dares to go his own way and challenge him, then don't blame Lü Tu for being impolite and killing him without hesitation.
It's just that we'll be in a passive position then, but it's not like we're out of options! Even if Zhao Qingyao can't protect herself, it doesn't matter. At worst, we can just start a rebellion, attack Wuchuan, and capture Zhao Qingyao and Prince Duan.
Thinking of this, Lü Tu became more and more confident. His calm demeanor alone naturally exerted a strong sense of pressure on the soldiers of the Shence Army, making them feel even more guilty.
Once this emotion arises, it quickly spreads, and as one side gains and the other loses, the thousands of soldiers and civilians in Kuishan Village, united in spirit, glare at them menacingly.
Everyone was happily slaughtering cattle and sheep to prepare for a grand feast when these guys suddenly appeared, disturbing the peace of the village. If looks could kill, everyone, including Ye Qingyu, would probably be dead a hundred times over.
Even so, Ye Qingyu, as the commander of the Shence Army and a dignified second-rank general, would not easily submit in public. He pointed at Lü Tu from afar and rebuked him: "Do you really think I dare not kill you? You are just a sixth-rank Zhaowu Colonel with only 800 men under your command!"
As he spoke, Ye Qingyu took out a firework from his pocket and said, "Do you know how many people my 'Piercing Cloud Arrow' will attract? You are a Zhaowu Captain, with a regular force of no more than 800 men. If you exceed 800 soldiers, you will be disobeying the imperial edict of the founding emperor!"
Lu Tu smiled wickedly: "Eight hundred people have their own way of fighting. If you want to kill me, just try and see who kills whom!"
As Lu Tu finished speaking, the thousands of people behind him stepped forward in unison, forcing all the soldiers of the Shence Army to huddle together in fear.
He asked in a low voice, "General Ye, they have so many men, should we call for reinforcements?"
Ye Qingyu cursed himself as an idiot. He had only brought out fireworks to scare Lu Tu, and even setting off signal fires would not necessarily bring any strong support, since everyone knew the true strength of the Wuchuan border army.
Those good-for-nothings are no match for Ye Qingyu. How could they possibly stand against Lü Tu? Not to mention that if Lü Tu really gave the order to attack, even if Ye Qingyu considered himself invincible, he might not be able to break through!
Thinking of this, Ye Qingyu looked at Lü Tu again and found that Lü Tu was staring at him with a half-smile, as if he was deliberately teasing him.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger and making his voice sound calm: "Lu Tu, I have come here on the orders of the Second Princess to inquire about the matter of your Pang Family Village."
All eyes were now on Lü Tu. Ye Qingyu had already given him a way out, and the future situation and direction depended on Lü Tu's attitude.
After all, those who stood up at this moment, whether soldiers or villagers, were firmly on Lu Tu's side. Even if Lu Tu really wanted to rebel, they would follow suit, since no one would escape the reckoning afterward.
So the atmosphere at the scene was very tense, and everyone was afraid to even breathe.
Lu Tu snorted coldly: "I don't care what you're here for. I'm going to the Commandant's Office, and I'll abide by the rules of the Commandant's Office. Since I'm in charge of this area, you should also abide by the rules here. What right do you have to cripple my brother?"
Ye Qingyu and his group's eyelids twitched violently upon hearing this! That was just a lowly soldier guarding the city gate, yet Lü Tu would actually question Ye Qingyu for that man's sake, which was truly beyond everyone's expectations.
When had Ye Qingyu ever suffered such a loss in silence? He lowered his voice and asked, "What do you want?"
"Apologize and compensate all my injured brothers!"
Ye Qingyu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He nodded, took out a few gold ingots from his pocket, and threw them to Lü Tu: "Is this enough?"
Lu Tu weighed the value of the gold; it was about 30 taels, which would be equivalent to 300 taels of silver. He also checked the injuries of Jia Dazhuang and the others, and they weren't too serious.
"What about an apology?"
"You! Don't push your luck. Do you really think my family, which has held high office for four generations, is easy to bully?"
Lu Tu waved his hand: "Young Master Ye, you come from a military background, you should know what a crime it is to beat people at will in the army. If you just beat people and leave without saying anything, how am I supposed to lead troops in the future? How am I supposed to do things for the princess, Prince Duan, and the emperor?"
"Damn it!" Ye Qingyu cursed Lu Tu's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart!
He turned around abruptly, looked at Jia Dazhuang and the other soldiers lying on the ground, and bowed slightly, saying, "I'm sorry, everyone, I, Ye Qingyu, was reckless!"
Jia Dazhuang was a kind-hearted man. He was about to raise his hand to say that he was fine when Lu Tu glared at him and made him pull his hand back!
Since Ye Qingyu is willing to back down, then Lü Tu can't really go after him completely, and there's no need for him to embark on a path of no return now.
Lu Tu even took the initiative to applaud: "General Ye is a man of great principle and loves his soldiers like his own children. I, Lu Tu, truly admire him!"
Ye Qingyu took a deep breath and said, "In that case, I'll be leaving now. Goodbye!"
"Wait a minute, General Ye. Didn't you want to know about Pangjia Village?"
"Speak!" Ye Qingyu had no choice but to stop.
Lu Tu chuckled: "Zhao Wuyou of Huai Shuo deliberately opened the Great Wall pass at Huai Shuo Town, letting 1,000 Wuhuan cavalrymen in. He is a traitor who betrayed his country and should have his entire family executed!"
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