At this moment, through the narrow pass, one could already see flames shooting into the sky on the other side, and the number of people was estimated to be not much different from the reported 8,000.
However, Liu Hong and his men had already blocked them on the mountains on both sides. After all, they had detonators and explosives, and with the help of composite bows, their attack range had also increased significantly. For a time, only 500 men suppressed the 8,000 attackers to the point of immobility.
At that moment, Lu Tu waved his hand, and the 800 elite cavalrymen who had been following him rode up the hill at the same time, armed with composite bows. Meanwhile, Nie Yun and Tuoba Yue led the remaining 1,200 cavalrymen to block this side of the pass.
After killing the Red Turban soldiers who managed to cross the pass, Zhu Zhaozhou and the others drew their swords and charged forward.
But Lu Tu stopped him, saying, "Deputy General Zhu, you don't need to do anything in this operation. Just follow me and watch."
Pang Tianlei said excitedly, "General Lü, with so many Red Turban rebels around, don't you need our help?"
Zhu Zhaozhou glared at him and spat out angrily, "What kind of help do you think you can be here? Are you going to block the pass by yourself, making it impossible for ten thousand to pass, or are you going to go over and persuade the other side to surrender?"
This scolding made Pang Tianlei's face turn red, but he knew that what Zhu Zhaozhou said was true, so he had no choice but to follow Lü Tu and ride his horse to the mountainside.
Lu Tu dismounted and called over Liu Hong, who was some distance away: "How is the situation?"
Liu Hong was covered in the smell of gunpowder. Although he had heard that Lü Tu had integrated the Wuchuan border army, he did not recognize Zhu Zhaozhou and the others. He simply nodded slightly as a greeting: "Reporting to elder brother, we have repelled five of their attacks. They have retreated again. Judging from their attack pattern just now, they will attack again in an hour."
"What!?" Upon hearing this, Pang Tianlei and the other newly joined border army officers were all dumbfounded.
Although they initially had a general understanding of the fighting strength of Lü Tu's troops, they never expected them to be so fierce. Before Lü Tu and his men arrived, they had already launched four rounds of attacks, and now the fifth round has been thwarted.
Moreover, when they arrived here, they found no soldiers dead. In other words, Liu Hong led 500 men to fight against 8,000 without losing a single soldier!
Just how terrifying is this combat power? Of course, they weren't stupid. Even though Lü Tu hadn't explained it to them, after so many days of inquiries and observations, they knew that the detonators Lü Tu used were extremely powerful.
What amazed them even more was Lü Tu's dedication to ingenious and unconventional techniques. A general who led troops into battle was not only incredibly brave on the battlefield, but also managed domestic affairs in an orderly manner, ensuring that the people lived in peace and prosperity, and building a city even stronger than Wuchuan in a short period of time.
Most importantly, Lü Tu also equipped his entire army with explosives capable of unleashing divine power, demonstrating just how capable Lü Tu was and how many talented people he had under his command!
Pang Tianlei and the others stood frozen in place, like startled birds. Liu Hong, noticing his unusual expression, patted his arm and asked, "Brother?"
Pang Tianlei was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground, but luckily Liu Hong grabbed him quickly and prevented him from losing face.
"Brother Liu is truly valiant! I admire him!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong blushed and said, "Hey, what does this have to do with me? It's all thanks to my brother's excellent planning. Even if we tied a dog to this mountaintop, we could still win this battle!"
Everyone present was stunned by these words.
Zhu Zhaozhou looked at Lü Tu in disbelief and said, "So, those things that can unleash the might of heaven were invented by you, General Lü?"
Lu Tu waved his hand dismissively: "There's no need to say more about that. What I want to ask now is, which of you dares to go to the Red Turban Army and persuade them to surrender?"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone except Nie Yun and Tuoba Yue stepped forward, scrambling to say, "Big brother, let me go!"
This scene terrified Pang Tianlei and the others. In their conventional thinking, with such strong firepower suppressing them, why would they risk their lives to persuade them to surrender?
Are these guys not afraid of dying?
Lu Tu's gaze swept over everyone present, and just as he was about to speak, Zhu Zhaozhou interrupted him: "General, please allow this old man to go!"
"Huh?" To everyone's surprise, the veteran Zhu Zhaozhou actually had the courage to step forward.
Lu Tu nodded in satisfaction: "Tell me your thoughts."
Zhu Zhaozhou cupped his hands in greeting: "Among everyone here, I am the oldest, which is my first advantage. I think even if they don't surrender, they won't do anything to an old man like me. Compared to the others, I am safer!"
Everyone nodded in unison: "That's right."
"Secondly, I've been in Wuchuan for thirty years, so I have some reputation. If I go, the success rate will be higher."
"good."
Zhu Zhaozhou, with a solemn expression, clasped his hands in a fist salute, knelt down on one knee, and said sternly, "Third! I have been in Wuchuan for thirty years. Over the years, I have witnessed the deaths of countless clansmen, but I am truly incompetent and have been unable to make any achievements. I am fifty-two years old this year, and I want to do something for Wuchuan and for Dayu!"
Upon hearing this, those who wanted to compete for a spot were instantly silenced.
Everyone who saw the hot tears streaming from Zhu Zhaozhou's cloudy eyes felt his deep sorrow.
Lu Tu stood up and helped Zhu Zhaozhou up: "An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles. I promise you, whether you succeed in persuading him to surrender or not, you will be credited with the greatest merit!"
Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this, and no one felt that there was anything wrong with it.
On the contrary, they would rather see an old general shine in the last years of his life, and dying on the battlefield is the final glory of every true soldier of the Great Yu.
Zhu Zhaozhou wiped his eyes and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you, General!"
Lu Tu nodded and said, "But this time I need someone to go with you."
"Who?" Upon hearing this, the others craned their necks and asked eagerly.
"Xiang Ze!"
"Your subordinate is here!" Xiang Ze stepped forward. When everyone saw him, especially the veteran soldiers, they instantly understood the situation and felt that Xiang Ze was the most suitable person to go.
"You and Deputy General Zhu will go together to persuade this small enemy force to surrender. Whether they agree or not, you must make sure to bring Deputy General Zhu back with you!"
"Yes, sir!" Xiang Ze shouted sternly.
Zhu Zhaozhou hesitated for a moment before looking at Lü Tu, who shook his head slightly: "Xiang Ze will tell you on the way. Go and come back quickly."
Seeing that Lü Tu had said this, the two stopped arguing, mounted their horses, and galloped toward the pass.
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