Lu Tu carried the slaughtered lamb home, took the radishes that Ban Yingying had dug up earlier, and cooked them himself.
Ban Yingying and Qin Qianqian wanted to help when they saw this, but Song Yuxi stopped them with a look.
After the lamb was tender, they ate it with a clear conscience, and each of them drank a bowl of lamb soup. In the end, they couldn't eat anymore and lay on the chair, unable to move.
"Husband, I never expected your cooking skills to be so good! The mutton soup is even more delicious than usual!"
Nangong Huiyu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, if I had known that my husband's cooking was so delicious, why would I have bothered working so hard before?"
Seeing that they were eating to their heart's content, Lu Tu smiled with satisfaction and said, "As long as you want to eat, I will make it for you whenever I have time."
"No! A gentleman stays away from the kitchen. My husband is a pillar of society and should prioritize his career!"
"Yes, my husband, why don't you teach Qianqian how to do it? Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
Lu Tu gently stroked Nangong Huiyu's pert nose: "What a gluttonous girl. I'll send some over to Qianqian and Ban Yingying, and teach them how to cook it."
After saying that, he carried out the door with a large pot of mutton soup that hadn't been stirred with chopsticks, and called Qin Qianqian, Ban Yingying, and Jiang Wanyu over, and taught them how to make mutton soup.
Lu Tu's culinary skills were entirely due to his experience as a new recruit working as a cook in the mess hall for half a month. However, in this remote northern region, his skills stood out exceptionally well.
Another half month passed peacefully, and Hu Delu excitedly found Lü Tu: "Sir, 400 spears have been completed. Go and inspect them."
"Good!" Lü Tu has been bored out of his mind these days. He spends his days either directing the villagers to weed and fertilize or checking on the progress of the blue brick construction.
With the Wuhuan people having disappeared and not having had a chance to exercise for a long time, it's a good time to get all the soldiers up and train them. It's also about time to select new soldiers.
Picking up his golden spear, he followed Hu Delu to the blacksmith's shop, where 400 spears had already been bundled together and hoisted onto an oxcart by a crane.
Lu Tu summoned Liu Hu: "Sound the horn and call everyone over!"
"Yes, sir!"
A deep, somber bugle call echoed across the sky, and everyone looked nervously toward the drill ground. Villagers who were working also carried hoes and axes and hurried toward the drill ground.
"My lord, what has happened? Have the Karasuma dogs attacked?"
Lu Tu remained silent, his face grim as he lit an incense stick and held it in his hand. He planned to take advantage of this training camp to see which people were being too lax.
Soon, Banwei's patrol team, who was patrolling the village, and Liu Yang, who was in charge of guarding the warehouse, arrived with their men. Then came Nie Yun and Chai Yong, and finally Liu Hong's 200 men.
Lu Tu estimated the distance between them and calculated that the time was about right, so he nodded to himself.
The villagers spontaneously cleared the space in front of them, and Nie Yun, Liu Yang, and Liu Hong stood at the front, with 350 soldiers and 300 slaves behind them.
"My lord, everyone has arrived!" Xiao Zhong said in a low voice.
Lu Tu took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. Those whose eyes he swept over straightened their chests and met Lu Tu's gaze with unwavering determination, showing no fear whatsoever.
He then threw away the incense that had just burned out and said loudly, "Very good! Everyone arrived within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn after the horn was blown. We must maintain this vigilance and preparedness in the future, and then we will have nothing to fear!"
Hearing Lu Tu's words, the villagers secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Half of them had never seen Lu Tu fight the Wuhuan, so they were naturally terrified of the Wuhuan people.
The soldiers at the front shouted in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Lu Tu continued loudly, "Very good! In three days, I will hold a grand competition for all citizens. All villagers and military slaves can participate. Whoever can enter the top 50 in the competition will be stripped of their slave status, join my ranks, and receive one string of cash per month!"
These words excited the 300 military slaves the most, who were constantly thinking about getting rid of their status as military slaves.
Moreover, they had seen Lu Tu's character firsthand. Once they became commoners, they would have the opportunity to marry, have children, and continue their family line within Lu Tu's jurisdiction, thus starting a new chapter in their lives. This was something they had always dreamed of!
Many men in the village were also eager to try, since although they received food for their daily work, a month's worth of food wouldn't even earn them a single coin.
"Thank you, sir! We will definitely do our best!"
Lu Tu nodded: "Since we're already here, let's sing a song before we leave!"
Then he turned to look at Liu Yang, who cleared his throat and shouted, "Facing countless waves with heroic spirit..."
More than 1,800 people at the scene sang this song, which is full of pioneering and enterprising spirit, once again stirring up everyone's emotions, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
After the song ended, the villagers and slaves dispersed and went back to work. Lü Tu ordered 350 soldiers to come forward and take a long spear.
"Starting today, I will begin training you in how to charge into battle!"
Liu Hong stepped forward from the crowd, cupped his hands, and said, "Sir, are we practicing cross-cover?"
Lu Tu shook his head: "It's not very effective against the Wuhuan people. What we need to practice is coordinating with the cavalry!"
He then mounted his horse first: "All cavalry, mount your horses!"
Thirty-five people, including Nie Yun, Liu Yang, and Liu Hong, mounted their horses and followed behind Lü Tu, each holding a long spear.
Lu Tu looked at Chai Yong: "You take 30 men back to the Gubei Peak Pass to guard it. You don't need to participate in this exercise."
"Yes, sir!"
Then, leading the rest of the group, they ran towards Eagle Mountain. Soldiers' training required bloodshed; this was an ironclad rule.
A lifetime of training on the training ground is not as meaningful as killing two lives, so Lu Tu led them to hunt in Eagle Mountain.
At this time, Aiying Mountain was no longer as difficult to traverse as it had been a few months earlier. The snow had melted and everything was reviving. Even before entering the mountain, one could see the activity of many animals, making it the perfect season for hunting.
Lu Tu began to formulate tactics: "Listen up, everyone! Cavalry will pursue, archers will wait for their chance, and spearmen will surround and intercept. If the prey escapes from any direction, the offender will be punished with 30 lashes. No one is exempt!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present gasped in shock!
Being whipped for a hunting mistake? There has never been such a precedent, even among the border troops.
The soldiers shuddered at the mere thought of those barbed whips!
But soon a resolute spirit erupted, and they shouted in unison, "Yes!"
Lu Tu waved his hand and said, "Nie Yun, Liu Yang, and Liu Hong, each of you will lead 100 men. The time limit is four hours. Whoever hunts the fewest animals will not get dinner! It will be decided by weight!"
The three men were terrified upon hearing this. They then mustered their men and roared, "Brothers, anyone who dares to cause us to go hungry will receive an additional 20 lashes!"
"kill!"
A surge of high morale erupted from the 300 soldiers present, and they charged toward Aiying Mountain in three directions!
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