At this moment, the military slaves in charge of mining coal in Luzhuang Village also arrived at the scene. When they saw Lü Tu, they immediately stepped forward excitedly and looked at Lü Tu with fervent eyes.
Being stared at like that by so many rough men made Lü Tu feel a little uneasy.
The leader, a burly man with a thick beard, said loudly, "Greetings, Captain!"
Lu Tu asked curiously, "Who are you?"
"I am Liu Hong, a military slave from the Luzhuang Village Coal Mine! These are all military slaves from our village behind me, responsible for mining coal. We have come to support the Captain!"
Lu Tu's gaze swept over them one by one. Strangely, he didn't see the inferiority complex that other military slaves had in them. On the contrary, their eyes were much more resolute.
He couldn't help but wonder why other military slaves, even if they saw him fighting the Wuhuan people, might not have dared to come forward to help.
But how dare these military slaves responsible for mining coal come here?
"Do you know how brave the Wuhuan people are?"
"We understand!"
“A military slave can introduce himself with neither humility nor arrogance, and say what mistakes you have made to be demoted to slavery.”
Upon hearing this, the 200 slave soldiers present tensed up, a feeling of grievance welling up in their hearts, and they all immediately knelt down in front of Lü Tu.
Liu Hong, who was leading the group, said loudly with a sob in his voice, "Lord Lü is truly insightful and discerning; he is indeed a hero who commands respect throughout Wuchuan!"
Lu Tu waved his hand impatiently: "Let's get down to business."
Liu Hong glanced warily at Sun Meng and the others beside him. Seeing that Lü Tu remained unmoved, he said in a deep voice, "We... come from the Southern Imperial Guard. We were implicated in General Song's rebellion and were thus demoted to the border as slaves!"
Upon hearing this, Lü Tu's eyes narrowed slightly. The Southern Imperial Guard was composed of soldiers from various prefectures who came to serve in the capital. It was a force that protected the capital.
General Song? Could he be Song Yuxi's father, her father-in-law?
Lu Tu glanced at them with suspicion. Although Liu Hong and the others had sallow complexions and thin figures, the firm will they exuded was not feigned.
This is absolutely not comparable to the bunch of useless soldiers in Wuchuan Border Army. No wonder they dared to come to our aid while armed with mining picks.
"Now that Karasuma is dead, you can go back to work."
But Liu Hong and the other military slaves remained kneeling on the spot, so anxious they were almost crying.
"My lord, we also have a request!"
"You want me to free you from slavery?"
A glimmer of hope flashed in everyone's eyes! "We beg you, my lord, to grant our request! We will swear to serve you to the death!"
Even Sun Kuang and Sun Meng, who were standing to the side, were somewhat excited. Judging from their appearances, these guys were clearly skilled, and if they were to join, it would definitely make their forces stronger.
But Lu Tu shook his head and said, "Why should I help you? Just because of your word?"
The situation in the six border towns is too complicated right now, and every decision he makes is crucial. In particular, his current performance in Wuchuan is too conspicuous, and countless eyes are watching him in the dark.
“Lord Lü, we understand your concerns, but our brothers simply cannot hold on any longer. Of the 2,000 brothers who were exiled here, only 200 of us remain. Moreover, most of our brothers have been infected with the plague. If they do not receive treatment soon, they will all die in the mine!”
Mining coal is inherently very harmful to miners. In his previous life, he had seen many patients suffering from pneumoconiosis who could only kneel on their beds and breathe with the help of oxygen machines in their old age.
That was in the technologically advanced previous life, let alone these people who had no protection and limited medical care.
Lu Tu was in a dilemma. He was willing to believe Liu Hong and the others, after all, the name of the Southern Imperial Guard was not something that ordinary people would know, but he was indeed short of people at the moment.
If we don't let the military slaves dig, then who will dig? Are we supposed to dig it ourselves?
Thinking of this, Lü Tu slapped his thigh. Why was his mind so blank? Wouldn't it be enough to just take proper precautions?
By sewing several layers of cotton cloth together, most of the coal dust can be prevented from entering the lungs.
To find out if Liu Hong and the others were telling the truth, all they had to do was go back and ask Song Yuxi. As a member of her father's unit, she should know something.
Just then, a cloud of dust rose in the distance as a large group of people rushed in from the direction of Daozhuang Village. Nie Yun could be vaguely seen riding his horse at the forefront, shouting from afar, "Brother, we're late!"
When Nie Yun arrived with a large group, he immediately surrounded Liu Hong and his men, since they were the only strangers there.
"Brother, who are they?"
"The coal-mining slaves of Luzhuang Village."
Upon hearing the words "military slaves," a hint of shame and indignation flashed in Liu Hong and the others' eyes, but they had no choice but to lower their heads helplessly.
Lu Tu pointed to Chai Yong and the others who came behind Nie Yun and said loudly, "They were also military slaves before, but they gained my trust, so I can abolish their slave status!"
"You want my approval? Words alone won't do. Don't think that just because you were once part of the Southern Imperial Guards, or even the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards, you can't earn it. Show me your true abilities! I, Lü Tu, will never tolerate idlers!"
These words thoroughly ignited the fighting spirit of Liu Hong and the others. They also knew that what Lu Tu said was true. No matter where you are, the only way to gain respect is to show your ability.
Liu Hong led the way, clasping his hands in a fist and bowing, saying, "Yes, sir! Then we'll go back and continue digging." Upon hearing this, the 200 slave soldiers knew it was hopeless, and they all hung their heads dejectedly, as if they had foreseen their tragic future.
"Wait! You all come back to the village with me first, the Wuhuan people might come back again."
Liu Hong and the others' eyes lit up. If they could go back with Lü Tu, they might be able to get a full meal. The main problem was that Luzhuang Village had long been out of food, otherwise they wouldn't be so hungry that they were too weak to resist the Wuhuan soldiers.
He instructed Sun Kuang, "Take them back to the training ground and give them some food."
"Yes, sir!"
The battlefield here has been cleaned up, and more than 20 Wuhuan warhorses have been captured, which are top-quality spoils of war. There are also 20 sets of leather armor and weapons, which Lu Tu naturally had taken away to replenish the armory.
Lü Tu led Nie Yun and the others at full speed to Daozhuang Village, only to find it deserted.
He went to Banwei's house again and found that Ban Yingying was not there either. Just as he was wondering where Banwei had taken her, Banwei crawled out of a doghouse.
"Lord Lü, are you looking for me?"
Where are the villagers?
"Hey, here it is." With that, Banwei ripped off the roof of the doghouse, revealing a dark tunnel entrance, and shouted inside, "Yingying, bring everyone out, Lord Lü is back!"
As the villagers from the two villages emerged from inside, Lü Tu and Nie Yun exchanged a glance, surprised that the tunnel could accommodate so many people!
Moreover, the fact that they stayed inside without experiencing oxygen deprivation demonstrates the boundless wisdom of the people. Knowing that their village lacked able-bodied men to resist the invasion of the Wuhuan soldiers, they simply adopted the most basic method—digging tunnels.
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