My son, how could you be Lü Bu?!

Chapter 42 Lu Ping Debo

It's very early in the morning.

Lü Ping headed towards the recruitment pavilion as usual.

After a day of hard work yesterday.

The recruitment point in the south of the city where he was located, along with the recruitment points at the other city gates, recruited a total of nearly a hundred men.

certainly...

The recruitment point in the south of his city alone can occupy most of the troops.

At this rate, if we recruit soldiers for another two days, we should be able to gather about five hundred men.

at this time.

It was still early, and there were very few pedestrians passing through the city gate.

Lu Ping was sitting at his desk, his brow relaxed, looking at a land deed that Shen Pei had brought over the night before when he came to capture Lu Bu.

Yes.

Just two days ago, he mentioned that his family didn't have a proper residence in the city.

They had just wiped out the Zheng family and investigated the spoils.

Wang Yun then entrusted Shen Pei to help him choose a private residence belonging to the Zheng family.

Jiuyuan City, being the seat of Wuyuan County, is known for its high property prices. While not as expensive as Luoyang, it is still enough to consume most of an ordinary family's life savings.

Although Lü Ping didn't have time to visit the private residence, he figured that the best match he could find couldn't be too bad.

He was thinking about it.

And his surroundings.

The group of clerks he had summoned to work with him, because of Lü Ping's gentle nature, used to often gather around him and talk about things.

Today, news of the Zheng family's annihilation has spread.

This group of civil officials, unusually, gathered together, looking at Lu Bo in front of them, listening to the rumors, timidly not daring to step forward.

after all.

Rumor has it that this seemingly kind-hearted Uncle Lü was the first to storm into the Zheng family mansion that night! It's said he killed more than a dozen people!

Let's also consider Lu Bo's previous deeds.

Lu Bo has taken the lives of dozens of people!

These clerks, who were from collateral branches of aristocratic families, had never seen blood in their lives, and even if they were all together, they wouldn't be enough for Lü Ping to kill alone.

at this time.

Faced with Lü Ping, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive and dared not approach him. Some even felt that Lü Ping was more or less covered in the smell of blood.

Lu Ping, however, didn't care at all. He played with the land deed in his hand, waiting for time to pass and for the flow of people to increase.

only...

The villagers who came to apply for the job have not yet arrived.

An unexpected, slightly displeased voice rang out first.

"Brother Lü!"

"It's just recruiting soldiers, it's not like there's anything to compare ourselves to..."

"Why do you need to send people to do this?"

"Huh?!" Lu Ping looked bewildered and subconsciously looked up.

Why would you do that?

All I can see is that...

The scholar-like man, with a sword at his waist, had a solemn expression and slightly furrowed brows. He was leading a hunched-over man whose figure looked strangely familiar as they strode towards them.

It seemed that Lü Ping was pretending to be stupid.

The brows of the man who was pulling the strings furrowed even more deeply.

He originally had some admiration for Lü Ping, who had killed more than a dozen Xianbei cavalrymen to avenge his friend. However... his feigned ignorance after doing the deed was inevitably displeasing.

Qian Zhao pointed at the man who stubbornly refused to straighten up and face Lü Ping, his displeasure growing.

"Zhao explained the recruitment strategy at the front, while this person was at the back, pulling each person who wanted to join the army and persuading them to come to Brother Lü's recruitment pavilion."

"What are you saying? We are all heartless. If you follow us, you might not even get your salary."

"Only you, Lü Ping, Lü Zizhi, are truly conscientious. Not siding with you, Lü Zizhi, would be an absolute injustice!"

This is what the "Guan Zhao Lian Zi Jing" (a classic text on attracting and retaining children) says.

The bewilderment on Lü Ping's face grew even more intense.

He recognized the man and, as if remembering something, straightened up, walked up to him, bent down, and tried to see his face clearly.

Just one glance.

He recognized the man; he was a villager from the village where he lived outside the city!

His face was full of astonishment!

Before Lü Ping could say anything...

Another slightly rough voice responded.

"Absolutely!"

"You Han Chinese are always playing these kinds of tricks!"

"There are quite a few Han Chinese here who say I'm a Xiongnu. If they follow me, they'll only end up filling ditches and suffering misery if war breaks out!"

Everyone turned to look.

Then, Hu Chuquan, who was recruiting soldiers in the north of the city, also rushed over here in a huff.

Behind him.

Several Xiongnu attendants surrounded a group of men and women who looked terrified, following them closely.

When Lü Ping heard the voice, he turned his head and exchanged a glance with Hu Chuquan.

Hu Chuquan's anger immediately subsided, and his earlier shouts subsided considerably.

only.

When Hu Chuquan saw Qian Zhao, who had come over with an unfriendly expression, his voice suddenly rose a few decibels.

It has a certain air of being a fox borrowing the tiger's power.

Seeing that these two colleagues, who were somewhat famous in the government office and well-known to the officials, were now coming to the door with witnesses, he noticed that they had come with witnesses.

The group of minor officials, who had just become somewhat distant from Lü Ping because of the Zheng family's affair, were once again filled with shock and began to chatter in hushed tones.

"No wonder they always recruit so few people when I go back to the government office at night. I thought they were just being lazy!"

"I see!"

"So, Uncle Lü is actually this kind of person? So cunning?"

"To gain favor with Fang Bo, he actually resorted to such a blatant act of pulling people along?!"

"..."

The scene became extremely chaotic.

Even... the number of villagers watching is increasing.

Lu Ping did not immediately explain. He simply looked at the group of men and women surrounded by the Xiongnu, their faces filled with fear yet trying to hold on. He then pulled the villagers beside him and forced his way through.

He was faced with a slightly elderly farmer and a middle-aged woman whose face had turned pale from fright at the Huns.

Lü Ping's expression was somewhat complicated.

As intelligent as he was, how could he not understand the reason why his recruitment of soldiers had been so smooth these past few days?

Seeing that Lu Bo had finally turned his life around and become a high-ranking official, and noticing that so many people had gathered outside, including many officials like Lu Bo, they realized that Lu Bo was a powerful figure in the political arena.

The slightly elderly Uncle Li looked particularly flustered. He looked up at Hu Chuquan, who had just pulled him over, and Qian Zhaoqianzijing, who was a little further away, and wanted to defend Lü Ping.

He was clearly anxious, but for some reason, his dry lips moved again and again, and he didn't know what to say.

The mocking laughter from outside grew louder and louder.

"Look! It's finally done!"

"This old man was clearly ordered by Lu Bo. He didn't even know what to say to defend himself."

"That's right! That's right!..."

The words of others were like blades, piercing the old man's heart.

Uncle Li was almost in tears from worry.

He looked left and right, stamping his feet anxiously, wanting to say something, but he just couldn't get anything out.

At a loss.

He could only hold Lü Ping's hand tightly, look up at Lü Ping, and say something with extreme self-reproach.

"Uncle Lü".

"We...we just wanted to help you, we never expected it to turn out like this..."

"Please don't blame us, okay?"

Faced with such a simple and honest old man, he had only given him a little money and goods, and now he was going to go into the city to spread his reputation.

Lu Ping's expression grew increasingly complicated, and his throat became slightly dry.

He spoke in a hoarse voice.

Uncle Li.

"How could Lü Pingde be so wicked?!"