Lu Xuan got up and left, leaving Zhao Jingzhong completely bewildered. He looked up at Wei Zhongxian and Guo Zhen, but the two of them acted as if they hadn't seen anything and turned to leave.
Seeing these dancers made Lu Xuan feel uneasy. His first woman in his previous life, Xu Hezi, was also a dancer. Perhaps because of this, Lu Xuan harbored some feelings for these dancers that went beyond reason.
Unlike Xu Hezi, the dancers of the Tang Dynasty still had a glimmer of hope. But in this era, they had no hope at all.
Many people deserved their fate, while many others suffered undeserved misfortune. Lu Xuan didn't want to delve into the details; he was simply seized by a sudden urge to indulge himself.
Moreover, from every perspective, he absolutely had to indulge himself a bit. He single-handedly slew the enemy chieftain, turning the tide of battle. He single-handedly saved the Battle of Sarhu. He was appointed General of Liaoyang, and the Emperor bestowed upon him the Sun and Moon Sword. Funds were allocated from the Imperial Treasury to rebuild his military expenses. The Emperor's favor towards him was among the top three in the Ming Dynasty. Furthermore, Lu Xuan was so young; naturally, he needed to indulge himself a little.
Lu Xuan rarely used such methods. In his previous life, he didn't need to because he was too close to Li Heng and Li Bi. They were well aware of Lu Xuan's ambitions. However, this life was not the Tang Dynasty. There was no Li Bi to act as a bridge between Lu Xuan and the emperor. Lu Xuan planned to remain inactive for a while longer, so naturally he needed to abide by the rules to some extent.
Zhao Jingzhong stared blankly as the leaders left. Fortunately, the swordsmen Lu Xuan had just recruited were still there. At this moment, a group of people, including Ding Baiying, were watching him. Clearly, they were making him the scapegoat.
The eight dancers huddled in a corner, trembling with fear, unsure of their fate.
Meanwhile, the people of the Jiaosifang also heard about this.
Every dancer at this banquet was of exceptional quality. They were the cash cows of the entertainment district; letting even one leave was out of the question, let alone eight at once. And the other party hadn't paid a single tael of silver. It was clear they were there to cause trouble.
As Zhao Jingzhong heard the large number of thugs surrounding him, his expression changed several times before finally settling into a silent, ruthless look.
"Commander Ding, take them away. The rest of you, follow me."
...................
The story of Lu Xuan, the general of Liaoyang, causing a ruckus in the Jiaosifang last night and abducting eight dancing girls has spread throughout the capital overnight. The onlookers are speculating wildly.
Some say that General Lu was exceptionally gifted, able to sleep with seven women in one night and still maintain his erection.
Some say that General Lu is a pervert by nature, needing to torture a dancer to death every night before he can fall asleep. Therefore, he robbed eight at once. He even confidently stated that the other party would definitely rob another one eight days later.
Some people also said...
In the imperial court, countless impeachment memorials flew like snowflakes onto Zhu Changluo's desk.
"Your Majesty," the Minister of Rites declared righteously in court, "I believe these villains should be stripped of their official positions and brought to justice immediately." His tone was one of absolute vengeance towards Lu Xuan. However, Zhu Changluo merely offered a perfunctory reply.
"Bring them to justice? They're just some children of convicts, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?"
"Your Majesty, in broad daylight, someone committed violence and assault..."
"In broad daylight? Isn't it nighttime?"
The Minister of Rites said, "...The key issue is that the other side disregards the law. Even a prince is subject to the same laws as a commoner. What merit does a mere general have to be above the laws of the Ming Dynasty?"
“That makes sense. However, Lu Xuan already rushed back to Liaodong last night. To arrest him would be making a mountain out of a molehill. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll give you an imperial edict. Go to Liaodong and bring those dancers back.”
Minister of Rites: "..."
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Chapter 128 Lu Xuan is very angry
Lu Wenzhao's recruitment efforts went very smoothly, but precisely because it went too smoothly, he soon discovered that there were simply too many people...
Recruiting a large number of artisans for Liaodong in the north would require a significant financial investment. Most artisans would also need to bring their families along. This was necessary to ensure they could settle in Liaodong and become part of Lu Xuan's forces.
In the past few days, taking advantage of the imperial edict, he recruited hundreds of craftsmen of various kinds. Including their families, the total number reached nearly three thousand. Adding the five hundred Liaoyang Guard soldiers that Lu Wenzhao himself brought, the total was three thousand five hundred.
Lu Xuan left early, taking another ship with him, leaving Lu Wenzhao with a severe shortage of vessels. He had to temporarily requisition more. The good news was that Lu Xuan never skimped on his men's finances; he still had a considerable amount of silver, but gathering enough ships would take some time.
The turmoil in the imperial court lasted only a very short time before completely dissipating. The Minister of Rites naturally wouldn't go to Liaodong to demand the people back from Lu Xuan. He wasn't stupid; going to a general's territory to cause trouble was simply not something a normal person would do. Especially since this general was a rising star, the kind who hadn't been tested by the court. They were just a few dancers anyway; he could just take them.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan returned to Liaoyang with his six newly recruited subordinates and his own one million taels of silver.
Of the original twelve martial arts experts, two were sent home by Lu Xuan. These were the two who lacked decisiveness in their attacks. Lu Xuan wanted soldiers who obeyed orders without question, even if they couldn't initially meet that standard. They still needed to understand the rules of getting paid and carrying out tasks. Those two were too 'clever' and didn't fit his requirements.
The remaining four were also sent out again. These twelve were all from the sects of Ding Baiying and Lu Wenzhao. Lu Xuan wanted more than just these people. He needed to assemble a small army, requiring a large number of skilled fighters, who would then be trained to form a special army capable of keeping pace with his methods.
The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are simply too incompetent. They won't achieve this level of performance for at least three to five years.
The four of them were responsible for contacting various sects and factions in the Ming Dynasty, offering generous rewards to help Lu Xuan recruit martial arts masters.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan was on a ship sailing at sea. The first day was calm and peaceful, but on the second day at noon, Lu Xuan, who was meditating on the ship, was startled by the shouts outside.
Pushing open the door, Ding Baiying was already waiting outside.
"Sir, we've probably encountered pirates."
"Pirate, my commander's flag should still be hanging there, right?"
"We only have one ship, while they have six."
Lu Xuan immediately became interested.
Six ships, a single raid. For pirates of this era, this was quite extravagant. Under normal circumstances, they would likely have lost everything. But Lu Xuan's ship was a prime target. It carried a million taels of silver.
The key issue is that there aren't many people on board. The majority of the crew is with Lu Wenzhao. He needs people to maintain order on his side. On Lu Xuan's ship, there's only himself, his four personal guards, six swordsmen including Ding Baiying, and some crew members who aren't particularly combat-capable.
Six pirate ships, seemingly prepared in advance, blocked all of Lu Xuan's ships' routes and brazenly surrounded him. Lu Xuan looked up at his own general's flag on the ship and shook his head speechlessly.
As they drew closer, Lu Xuan could already hear the sounds coming from the ships.
"Since we encountered the pirates, our ship's speed has not increased at all. On the contrary, it seems to have slowed down, as if we are waiting for them to come. Ding Baiying, go to the cabin now and gather all the crew members together."
The trap was far too obvious. The other side made no attempt to conceal their intention to kill him right there. These days, encountering problems at sea is all too common.