As the crowd's enthusiasm surged, the 3,000 taciturn military slaves seemed to be infected by the emotions and roared, "Kill the rebels, save the Great Yu!"
Seeing the renewed fighting spirit in their eyes, Zhao Qingyao glanced at Lü Tu with a sharp look. She finally understood how Lü Tu trained his troops and how he rose so quickly and decisively in Wuchuan, surrounded by enemies.
Lu Tu then waved his hand and said, "Since Prince Duan and Her Highness the Princess have pleaded for you, I hereby declare that, effective immediately, you are freed from your slave status and restored to your commoner status. From now on, you will be one of my subordinates!"
This is the real highlight! When all the military slaves heard this, the tears they had been holding back for so long burst forth instantly, and they could no longer hold back.
Although many of them were once supporters of Ye Qingyu, the situation was beyond their control, and they had no choice but to surrender and become the lowest-ranking military slaves.
Before this, the best outcome they could imagine was that they would be military slaves for life, while their families would be spared.
Unexpectedly, after Prince Duan had clearly made them pledge allegiance to Lü Tu, Lü Tu actually released them from their slave status in public!
Although they were not from Wuchuan, they knew how miserable the treatment of military slaves was in the six border towns.
Not to mention doing the dirtiest and most tiring work on weekdays, when there is a battle to be fought, they will definitely be pushed out to resist cavalry charges or to be cannon fodder to wear down the enemy's morale.
But now, not only have they been exonerated from the crime of rebellion, but they have also regained their freedom, which makes the 3,000 soldiers present realize how difficult it is.
In an instant, the entire training ground was filled with the wails of rough men: "General Lü, you're my father from now on!"
"No, General Lü, you are my grandfather. Even my father, that gambling addict, has never been this good to me. I will follow you from now on!"
Lu Tu was both amused and exasperated. He waved his hand and said, "Stop crying and whining like a woman. From today onwards, you don't need to go dig coal anymore. Go find your respective captains, wash yourselves properly, and then come here for training!"
...They can even take a shower? Some of them have served in the military for over ten years, and they've never seen such comfortable conditions before. Aren't they being a little too considerate?
"Yes, sir!"
Lu Tu looked at Nie Yun and said, "These guys are in your hands now. Starting today, give them two meals a day, but the training intensity can't be changed!"
Upon hearing this, Nie Yun's expression hardened: "Yes!"
After everyone dispersed, Zhao Qingyao cast an approving glance at Lü Tu: "Congratulations, General Lü! In just over half a year, you have risen rapidly from a lowly soldier to a fifth-rank captain."
Lu Tu cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your trouble, Princess and Prince Duan. There's no need for such formalities between the three of us."
Then Lü Tu turned to Prince Duan and asked, "Prince Duan, where did you get the seal you just gave me?"
A confident smile appeared on Prince Duan's face when he mentioned this: "Qingfeng Yayuan? Hehe, that's the number one brothel in Longcheng. I personally founded it. I'll invite General Lü to have a few drinks there sometime."
Lu Tu chuckled: "I appreciate the favor, but I won't drink the wine and flowers."
Prince Duan reached out to take the seal from Lü Tu, but Lü Tu calmly put it into his pocket and said to himself, "Training will begin soon, and I'm afraid someone might offend you two. Why don't you go home and rest?"
Upon hearing that they had to go home again, Prince Duan and Zhao Qingyao both shook their heads: "No! It's perfectly fine to just inspect General Lü's training methods outside."
Lu Tu nodded, then beckoned to a soldier beside him: "Come, bring me two chairs, and some tea for the princess and Prince Duan."
Soon, fruits and tea were prepared, and even the palace maids accompanying Zhao Qingyao brought a canopy to hold over Zhao Qingyao and her companion's heads to shield them from the sun.
Before long, 3,000 soldiers and the original 800 elite cavalry were in position, standing on the field in two lines. Lu Tu did not say a word throughout the whole process. He just stood there in the fierce wind, his eyes flashing with a compelling aura, displaying his majestic demeanor.
Nie Yun began to lead the newly joined 3,000 soldiers into formal training. Even Zhao Qingyao and Prince Duan, who had never seen military training before, couldn't help but marvel at the intensity of the training.
Seeing Lü Tu's skin tanned dark by the sun, Zhao Qingyao's heart softened, and she said softly, "General Lü, why don't you come down from the canopy and rest in the cool?"
Upon receiving Zhao Qingyao's instructions, a soldier stepped forward and brought a chair, placing it behind Lü Tu.
Lu Tu kicked Zhao Qingyao over immediately, a move that caused Zhao Qingyao's expression to change drastically.
Zhao Qingyao's personal maid, Xiao Huan, muttered unhappily, "You are so rude. No one in the entire Great Yu Dynasty has ever dared to disobey the princess's orders."
Lu Tu turned around and glared at the soldier who had brought him the chair, without even glancing at the palace maid Xiao Huan.
He said unhappily, "You've got some sense, huh? Go down and join the training. If you don't finish in the top 1000, you'll be feeding the cows!"
Seeing that the soldier had been punished by Lü Tu for her casual remark, Zhao Qingyao felt a pang of pity and advised, "General Lü, he only cares about you as a general. Why bother?"
Lu Tu, abandoning his previous joking demeanor, said seriously, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I am currently training the troops. How can I, a soldier, be hiding under the canopy to eat melons and drink tea while the soldiers are training? He is trying to harm me!"
"You!" Before Xiao Huan could speak, Zhao Qingyao slapped her across the face and scolded, "No manners! You're punished to help the villagers wash clothes, and you're not allowed to come back until dark!"
Xiao Huan was Zhao Qingyao's personal maid; she had never done such rough work before. But seeing Zhao Qingyao get angry, she was so frightened that she fell silent and hurriedly apologized before running away into the distance.
Lu Tu turned around and continued to face the audience, shouting at the soldiers, "Give it your all! Don't you dare act like cowards and make me look down on you!"
As he was talking, he suddenly felt a fragrant breeze beside him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that Zhao Qingyao was standing next to him, under the blazing sun.
Lu Tu wasn't so pretentious as to offer any advice; he simply stood there and continued working.
The one who was most angry right now was Prince Duan. He glared at Zhao Qingyao's back and could only quickly finish his tea before getting up and going to Lu Tu's side.
In an instant, all the soldiers on the training ground witnessed this scene: Lü Tu was in the center, with the princess and Prince Duan on either side, their expressions full of encouragement as they looked at him.
In this situation, everyone's legs, which were originally heavy as if they were made of lead, were filled with strength, and they gritted their teeth and continued to rush forward!
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