Lu Tu smiled knowingly: "Zhou Xiaowu, are you eager to make a name for yourself?"
Zhou Xiaowu was taken aback upon hearing this. After glancing at Xiang Ze and seeing him nod, he cupped his hands and said, "Yes, General Lü!"
Lu Tu nodded: "If you want to make contributions, that's fine. It shows you're very ambitious. Come here and let's have a chat."
Nie Yun, Tuoba Yue, and Liu Hong went straight up to select men, dividing the 4,000 soldiers into three teams for separate management.
Zhou Xiaowu gave Xiang Ze a look, signaling him to follow him. Xiang Ze had no choice but to go along, which put Zhou Xiaowu at ease.
After arriving at Lü Tu's side, Zhou Xiaowu kept his head down and dared not look Lü Tu in the eye.
Lu Tu dismounted and patted Zhou Xiaowu on the shoulder, saying, "I know you want to make a name for yourself. There's a great opportunity for you to do so. Can you seize it?"
Zhou Xiaowu's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Are there any benefits after making a contribution?"
Xiang Ze frowned: "Why are you talking about conditions before we've even started doing anything?"
Lu Tu waved his hand and laughed, "Hey! This just shows that Xiao Wu is honest. I like people who have a purpose. It's normal for him to want benefits. Tell me, what benefits do you want?"
"I want to be an official, and I also want to get married and have children. To be honest with you, General Lü, once the news of my surrender comes out, I guess my wife at home will probably be gone."
Lu Tu nodded: "If this matter is accomplished, I will promote you to the rank of Commandant of the Imperial Guard, give you fertile land and a house, and also help you find three beautiful wives!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaowu rubbed his hands excitedly at first, but then deflated: "General, the conditions you've offered are so generous, I'm afraid this matter will be very difficult to accomplish, and I may not be able to do it well."
Lu Tu laughed and said, "You're already worried before you even hear me about the mission?"
"Then you go ahead."
"I want you to go back and report to Zhang Chengyan that I led the army to fight you for a day and a night, and the entire army was wiped out except for you who escaped."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaowu shook his head vigorously, saying, "No way! If I go back and say that, given Zhang Chengyan's temper, he'll probably kill me on the spot. I'm not going to do that!"
Even Xiang Ze was a little puzzled. This kind of bad idea didn't sound like something Lü Tu would come up with. He didn't say anything and decided to listen to what happened next.
Lu Tu reached out and took a detonator from the small black saddle, handing it to Zhou Xiaowu: "What if you take this back and then detonate it in front of Zhang Chengyan?"
Upon hearing this, Xiang Ze's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. Only then did he understand why Lü Tu had asked Zhou Xiaowu to do this.
Zhou Xiaowu scratched his head blankly: "General, I still don't understand."
Lu Tu was somewhat helpless, but he still patiently continued to explain to him: "Just go back and tell Zhang Chengyan that you have discovered a secret in my army. With this thing, they can conquer Longcheng in no time! If they really don't believe you, just blow up a couple of detonators, right? Not only will he not punish you, he will also reward you!"
Zhou Xiaowu then understood what Lü Tu meant: "You want me to be an inside agent?"
Lu Tu bluntly stated, "That's right, he's an internal traitor! As long as you arouse his curiosity and then suggest that he bring his army to seize my detonators, your mission will be complete!"
"It's that simple?"
Lu Tu shook his head: "It's easy to say, but it depends on how convincingly you act."
Zhou Xiaowu paced back and forth hesitantly, his face filled with inner turmoil, clearly struggling with his inner conflict.
Finally, Zhou Xiaowu looked at Lü Tu with a solemn expression and asked, "General Lü, is it enough for me to just have Zhang Chengyan send someone over?"
Lu Tu nodded: "Yes! But there is one condition: you must tell them that we have stockpiled a large number of troops at the Luanshigang Pass."
Zhou Xiaowu's pupils dilated in shock, and after a moment he sighed softly, "General Lü, are you going to pull off the same old trick again, beating them half to death and then trying to persuade them to surrender?"
Xiang Ze laughed heartily: "Looks like you've learned this trick too. Just you wait and see if it works!"
Zhou Xiaowu gave Lü Tu a deep look and said, "General, why aren't you worried that I'll tell Zhang Chengyan about your whereabouts and then never return?"
But the next second, Lu Tu burst into laughter: "Whether Zhang Chengyan sends people or not makes no difference to the final result. They will all fail in the end because he will never be my match."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaowu was completely stunned by the domineering aura that Lü Tu unconsciously exuded. He had just seen that Lü Tu had only brought one or two thousand soldiers. Even though he had a deep foundation in Wuchuan, Zhang Chengyan had a full 500,000 troops!
"General Lü, are you aware that Zhang Chengyan has an army of 500,000?"
Lu Tu laughed confidently, "Let alone his 500,000 troops, what if he had a million? I don't even need to send out spies. I know that the Red Turban Army is already falling apart. Am I right?"
Zhou Xiaowu's pupils contracted sharply, and he asked incredulously, "How did you know?"
"Han Xin could command as many troops as possible. Throughout history, only a few capable individuals have been able to command large armies in battle. Given Zhang Chengyan's character, it's clear that his cultivation and abilities are far from sufficient. Just the daily needs of 500,000 troops for eating, drinking, and relieving himself would be enough to give him a huge headache."
Hearing this, Zhou Xiaowu sighed deeply: "General Zhou Xiaowu is completely convinced! You really are as Brother Xiang said, a hero rarely seen in the world. Perhaps following you will really allow me to live a good life."
Xiang Ze asked curiously, "So you're willing to do this?"
"I'm willing, but I can't say for sure that it will work out. If it fails, I hope that when Brother Xiang and General Lü return to my hometown of Fengcheng one day, they can kowtow to my mother on my behalf." After saying that, Zhou Xiaowu knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Lü Tu and Xiang Ze, as if to repay the favor in advance.
Lu Tu instructed, "If I ask you to come with the army, you only need to rush into the distant woods and hide for one night. I will quickly finish the battle and then send someone to rescue you!"
This scene took Xiang Ze by surprise. He quickly stepped forward and pulled Zhou Xiaowu up, saying, "Don't do this. According to what the general said, there shouldn't be any problems."
Zhou Xiaowu nodded: "Then I'll take care of it. If things go quickly, the army will arrive in two days at most. If they don't arrive in two days, then I'm dead."
Lu Tu said solemnly, "Brother Zhou, rest assured, whether you succeed or not, I will avenge you and ensure that the people of Wuchuan and Longcheng remember your achievements. I will do my best to take care of your family!"
Zhou Xiaowu cupped his hands to Lü Tu and said, "General, I'll be going now."
Xiang Ze pulled a wine flask from his pocket and handed it over: "Have a drink, brother."
Zhou Xiaowu mounted his horse, then shook his head and refused: "If I go back drunk, won't I give myself away? Let's wait until I luckily return before drinking. Giddy up!"
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