When He Haikui saw Lü Tu nod and smile at him, the exhaustion he had endured to the extreme finally overwhelmed him, and his eyelids closed heavily.
The people nearby immediately went up and lifted him up, then put him on the oxcart. With the prey on his back, he finally felt a little better.
Lu Tu stepped forward and examined the wounds on his back. They weren't too serious; none of them had damaged any bones or tendons. They were all superficial wounds. It was just that He Haikui's constitution was too weak. Then he said in a deep voice, "Let's go back to the village!"
After the commotion, the team's morale seemed to have returned. Previously, they had been spending their days either training or helping to carry bricks because they hadn't fought in a long time. As a result, they had become somewhat lax.
In particular, the other soldiers' views on Tuoba Yue had changed drastically after witnessing his heroic spirit and righteousness. They had even begun to accept him.
At this moment, Tuoba Yue rode his horse quietly to Lü Tu's side and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "Thank you, sir."
Lu Tu waved his hand: "No need, this is what I should do, it will make things easier for you in the army in the future."
"I still have to thank you, sir. If it weren't for you, others would still look down on me."
Lu Tu shook his head: "Capable people don't care about their background. What you lack is just an opportunity, and your ability is enough for me to give you that opportunity. You deserve everything you have now!"
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Yue froze on the spot, watching Lü Tu's receding figure. His vision blurred slightly; he had never heard anyone else affirm him like this before.
When people saw his heterochromatic eyes, they would immediately assume that he was the lowest of servants. After all, in the common understanding of the Great Yu Dynasty, the saying "those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts" was deeply ingrained.
Since joining Lü Tu's ranks that day, he had experienced a different kind of treatment than before. This treatment was not preferential treatment, but rather that Lü Tu treated him as an ordinary border soldier, without discriminating against him because of his Xianbei bloodline, nor giving him any special care because of his past merits.
Tuoba Yue wanted this kind of equal treatment. Lü Tu's current treatment of him only strengthened his resolve to perform well and prove with his actions that Lü Tu's judgment was correct!
Proving one's background does not negate a person's achievements!
On the way, Liu Hong stepped forward and reported, "Sir, the total amount of prey captured this time was 2,100 catties! Among them were three male deer. I have already cut off the deer penises in advance. Sir, you have four wives at home, so this is the time to use them."
Lu Tu was overjoyed upon hearing this, never expecting that Liu Hong, who usually kept a low profile, could have such a delicate mind.
He patted Liu Hong on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Thanks, Lao Liu, but I don't need this thing for the time being. You can take it and use it to repair your equipment."
For the first time, Liu Hong defied Lü Tu's wishes and stuffed a long, narrow cloth bag into Lü Tu's arms: "Lord Lü, don't blame me for being nosy, but although I am your soldier, I was once a soldier under the old general's command. You can't neglect my princess just because of your new wife!"
Lu Tu was taken aback upon hearing this, clearly not expecting that Liu Hong, who was usually honest and unassuming, could say such affectionate and righteous words.
It is a taboo for a woman to serve two husbands. Liu Hong brought up the old general in front of Lü Tu, which was a major taboo in terms of personnel matters.
Liu Hong naturally realized that he seemed to have said something wrong. He had been so focused on expressing his thoughts that he felt an unprecedented embarrassment and was about to speak when he felt embarrassed.
But then they heard Lu Tu laugh loudly: "Loyalty and righteousness are more important than anything else. If my father-in-law could see how loyal you are, he would be able to die with a smile on his face. I accept your kindness. And let me tell you, I will not neglect Yu Xi or any of my wives. Old Liu, you really look down on people!"
Seeing Lü Tu's state, Liu Hong visibly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lü Tu, saying, "My lord, please don't be offended. I'm not saying you're incapable in that area, but rather that you're young and carefree, and the more you're like this, the more you need to nourish yourself, which will greatly benefit your health in the future!"
"Well said! I will pass your words on to your princess."
Liu Hong chuckled and quickly retreated to the back. Lü Tu stuffed the limp packet of deer antler velvet into his chest, pondering how to consume it, since he had never used it in his two lifetimes.
Should it be stewed directly, dried and sliced, or used to make medicinal wine?
In the end, Lu Tu rejected all of them, suggesting that they consult Physician Zhang Miao instead, as he should be considered the leading authority in this field.
The group quickly returned to the village, where villagers who were building a wall spotted them from a distance and cheered, "Lord Lü is back from hunting!"
To the villagers, all they could see was Lü Tu pushing various kinds of prey, big and small, behind him. They all knew that Lü Tu was never stingy with sharing. Even if each person didn't get much meat, just being able to drink a sip of meat broth was enough to soothe their parched taste buds.
Lu Tu ordered Liu Hong to take men to cut up the game, prioritizing the soldiers' consumption, and then cut off the animal fat and sent it to his courtyard. Afterward, he had Tuoba Yue take He Haikui back to his home.
"Cuiguo, bring the medicine!"
Cui Guo came running out, and when she saw He Hai Kui lying on the cart with his skin torn and bleeding, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Young master, have you encountered the Wuhuan cavalry?"
After she shouted, the four women inside the house quickly came out. They came to Lu Tu and carefully examined him. Only after finding that he was not injured did they feel relieved.
"Cuiguo, what are you shouting for? Your husband told you to get the medicine, so hurry up and go!" Wang Miaoling ordered first.
"Miss, what medicine? We don't have any." Cui Guo lowered her head timidly.
Lu Tu slapped his forehead: "I forgot, you didn't know."
At this moment, Nangong Huiyu had already had Lingdang bring out the garlic extract. Lü Tu invited them inside, as what was about to happen was a bit cruel, and Lü Tu didn't want to disgust them.
Lu Tu pulled a dagger from his pocket and tossed it to Tuoba Yue: "Here, I'll teach you!"
Upon hearing that Lü Tu was going to teach him how to heal people, Tuoba Yue was overjoyed and readily agreed.
"First, put the dagger over the fire and heat it until it turns red."
Tuoba Yue did as he was told without raising any questions. Lü Tu was quite satisfied with him in this respect, at least he wasn't like that stubborn Hu Delu, who insisted on understanding the principles behind everything.
"Cut off the rotten flesh from his body and wash the wounds with strong liquor!"
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