Lu Tu was naturally happy to accept such a good thing, and immediately said solemnly, "General Zhu is very righteous. On behalf of the people of Wuchuan who have suffered from the war, I thank General Zhu!"
Zhu Zhaozhou laughed loudly upon hearing this. How could he not understand the purpose behind Lü Tu's words?
But all of this was originally intended to show goodwill, and it also gave the old man enough face, at least allowing Zhu Zhaozhou to feel that Lü Tu had a temperament and style that was completely opposite to Yun Tian's before.
Furthermore, recalling Lü Tu's previous achievements, a long-lost sense of pride rose within Zhu Zhaozhou. Perhaps by following this young general, he could truly achieve great things and realize the pinnacle of his life?
To the other generals, the outcome was already very clear. If they hesitated any longer, their fate would likely be extremely tragic.
The other generals quickly echoed, clasping their fists and saying, "This humble general is willing to pledge allegiance to General Lü and restore the glory of our Wuchuan border army!"
After gaining the allegiance of his officers and generals, the next step should be to control the border troops.
Lu Tu nodded solemnly, then raised the halberd beside him high into the air and shouted: "The Wuhuan dogs are like jackals, staring at us like we're easy prey. Even Huai Shuo, our neighbor and fellow border troops, are eyeing us covetously. To the south, the Red Turban Army has surrounded Longcheng, blocking our roads and preventing letters from reaching the court! But do all this matter to us, the men of Wuchuan?"
As Lu Tu roared out his impassioned words, a chilling atmosphere slowly spread across the scene. Everyone's expression was solemn. Although it was dark and their specific expressions were not visible, the occasional firelight illuminated their faces, and everywhere one looked, there were pairs of red eyes, an expression of extreme anger.
Lu Tu continued loudly, "You all know how people outside talk about Wuchuan. They call us cowards, good at internal wars but bad at external ones! But touch your own crotches and tell me loudly, aren't we trash!"
"No!" Ten thousand soldiers roared in unison, their hoarse voices adding to their imposing presence.
Lu Tu waved his hand: "Shouting won't work. I believe that the men of Wuchuan are not useless. Since the enemy has taken us as prey, wants to divide up Wuchuan, wants to enslave us, bully our wives, kill our children, and seize the land and food that our ancestors have passed down for generations, what should we do? Tell me loudly!"
Nie Yun raised his arm and shouted, "Kill that damn bastard!"
Ten thousand soldiers roared in unison, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The shouts of battle soared into the sky. Everyone was ignited by Lu Tu's rage. At this moment, their backs, which had been bent for decades, straightened up under the stimulation of Lu Tu's words.
These principles are simple to explain, and are things that everyone present could easily understand in their daily lives. However, these unchangeable realities can be very impactful.
However, when Lü Tu brought this matter up in the open, the effect was completely different. Because Lü Tu had a record of victories and the strength to say these words, he could support all the Wuchuan border soldiers present. Everyone believed that this Wuchuan War God could keep his word and would at least not be as cowardly as he had been when he followed Yun Tian before.
The shouts of battle continued for several minutes until everyone cried out for a halt. Only then did Lu Tu raise his arms and shout, "If the enemy wants to fight, then we'll fight them! We'll fight until they cry, until they're terrified, until the mere thought of us makes them wet their pants, until they never dare to have any thoughts about us again!"
At this point, Lu Tu felt something was missing from the main point. Just then, Zhao Qingyao whispered a reminder to Lu Tu: "Husband, drive out the bandits and revitalize China!"
Lu Tu was overjoyed. He hadn't noticed before that what he was missing was a simple and clear slogan.
He immediately shouted: "Drive out the traitors and revitalize China!"
These simple yet profound words, imbued with a strong sense of national pride, brightened the eyes of the soldiers present. At that moment, they seemed to have found the meaning of life, a loftier ideal beyond mere eating, drinking, and making a living.
Zhu Zhaozhou mounted his horse and shouted passionately, "Drive out the bandits and revitalize China!"
All the soldiers raised their swords and spears in unison, shouting this slogan. Unbeknownst to them, the Wuchuan border army, which had been a disorganized mess, had gradually coalesced into a community of shared destiny, because everyone shared the same firm and unwavering goal.
Protecting one's home and country is a belief engraved in the hearts of every Chinese man. Although people are often burdened by the trivialities of life or feel that reality is too unbearable and they are powerless to change it, when an opportunity is presented to them, the vast majority of people will not be cowardly or run away. This is also an important reason why the Chinese nation has stood tall among the nations of the world for thousands of years.
Lu Tu announced loudly, "Everyone, follow me to Kuishan Village in the east and set up camp here, Nie Yun!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Take your men to Wuchuan City and collect grain and military pay from the wealthy households in the city. Tell them that with the enemy at hand, those with money can donate money and those with manpower can donate men."
Having followed Lü Tu for so long, how could Nie Yun not understand Lü Tu's style? He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys orders and will certainly complete the mission!"
Lu Tu then turned to Zhu Zhaozhou: "I would like to trouble Vice General Zhu to count and verify the number of people and supplies for me."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Zhu Zhaozhou accepted the task without any hesitation. For him, this was nothing more than informing his subordinates, but agreeing to it would ease the tension between him and Lü Tu, and it was a way for them to save face.
Lu Tu then ordered everyone to make repairs there, mainly to wait for Nie Yun to go inside and collect money and provisions from the wealthy households in Wuchuan, and then bring them back together. After all, the daily consumption of so many troops is astonishing, and if we don't make plans in advance, it will inevitably create hidden dangers for the future.
Zhao Qingyao returned to the carriage and chatted casually with Lü Tu through the window. Soon, Zhu Zhaozhou came over to report: "Reporting to the Commandant, the border troops that have arrived this time total 30,000. I have calculated that the food and supplies can feed 30,000 people for about 10 days."
Lu Tu nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Deputy General Zhu."
Zhu Zhaozhou rode forward and reminded him, "General Lü, since the princess is here, tell me the truth, do you really want to fight, or do you just want to consolidate your position in Wuchuan?"
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere between the three became extremely cold. Lü Tu had not expected that the old man Zhu Zhaozhou would speak so bluntly.
"If the captain finds it difficult to explain, then I understand."
Lü Tu laughed and said, "Deputy General Zhu, I, Lü Tu, have always been true to my word. If I say we're going to fight, then whoever poses a threat to us, we'll fight!"
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