A wave of embarrassment washed over everyone. Li Rubai nearly fell off his horse.
"Quick, quick, quick..." he urged the eunuch supervisor accompanying the army to step forward to verify. The eunuch also rushed forward, tumbling and crawling.
A moment later, he shouted with a look of wild joy.
"Heaven blesses the Ming Dynasty, the Manchu Emperor is here."
After a moment of silence, a deafening roar erupted from the entire Ming army. Having captured the enemy emperor and prince, the war was already a resounding victory in every sense. The only problem was that a horde of enraged Qing troops might be on their way.
After a long while, Li Rubai finally snapped out of his shock. He looked at Lu Xuan with a complicated expression, somewhat at a loss for what to do.
How are we supposed to play this game? Your arrogance only proves one thing: we're all idiots. If possible, killing Lu Xuan now would be in the minds of most Ming generals. Because as long as Lu Xuan exists, they can never hold their heads high.
However, behind their enemy stood a group of fierce soldiers who had just captured the Qing emperor. Li Rubai truly lacked the courage to turn against them. Although this was a tradition in the Ming Dynasty, the enemy was too powerful; he dared not. (It is said that this is how Qi Jiguang's army was wiped out...)
"How was it, Lord Li? How was my battle?"
"Yes, yes. General Lu deserves the greatest credit for this battle. I will definitely report to the Emperor and have you recognized for a great achievement."
"Capturing an emperor is considered a great achievement? The emperors of the Qing Dynasty are worthless. Give me something more substantial. Otherwise, I might as well take the Qing emperor back with me."
"General Lu, wait!" Li Rubai immediately dismissed his subordinates, hastily set up a tent, and invited the high-ranking officials inside to discuss the matter. He could tell that Lu Xuan had no designs on the emperor and wanted to sell him for a good price. This kind of credit, of course, couldn't be let slip away. Whoever got it would be remembered for eternity. It was only this barbarian who didn't know how to cherish it.
"General Lu, speak. What do you want?" Not only Li Rubai, but all the other generals held their breath, waiting for Lu Xuan's terms. The Ming army was now clearly divided into two groups: Lu Xuan's group and the rest of the Ming troops. The two sides sat formally, like business negotiators, discussing how much a Qing emperor was worth.
"The Liaodong military pay should be coming soon." After the autumn harvest, the grain and military pay will naturally arrive. Moreover, in order to cope with the rise of the Qing Dynasty, the Liaodong military pay has been increased to an unprecedented twelve million taels of silver this year.
Upon hearing Lu Xuan's words, the expressions of all the generals in the tent immediately changed. The Liaodong military pay was their lifeline. This man surnamed Lu was probably going to make exorbitant demands.
"You, General Lu, will certainly not be shortchanged by a single penny of the Liaodong military pay."
"Heh, this is an emperor. Li Rubai is offering what originally belonged to me in exchange for my spoils of war?" Li Rubai's face paled slightly.
"Tell me, how much do you want?"
"Don't worry, I won't take it all. You can keep a small portion, and I'll keep the rest."
With a whoosh, an excited general drew his sword. However, after drawing it, he awkwardly realized that everyone around him was looking at him like he was an idiot. He immediately and sheepishly sheathed his sword. In reality, it was just a momentary impulse; he didn't have the guts to actually turn on them.
"General Lu, the Liaodong military pay is not that simple..." Li Rubai wanted to explain the complexity of the Liaodong military pay to Lu Xuan. However, Lu Xuan simply got up and left.
"Ten million taels of silver to buy the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. If you don't buy it, I'll personally present him to His Majesty. Perhaps His Majesty will appoint me as the Liaodong Military Commissioner?"
------------
Chapter 150 Nighttime Murder (Third Update, Please Subscribe)
Li Rubai hesitated, and everyone in the tent hesitated. Lu Xuan's meaning was clear: you people should pay ten million taels of silver to buy the credit for capturing the emperor alive.
Is this price expensive? Of course it is. Is it worth it? Absolutely. A mere ten million taels of silver isn't even enough for a year's salary in Liaodong. Buying the emperor of an enemy state—this deal is definitely profitable.
It's important to understand that these people in the tent weren't some powerless country bumpkin like Lu Xuan. Apart from Lu Xuan, every one of them who had risen to the position of Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong undoubtedly had considerable support in the court. Therefore, they were determined to seize this merit at all costs. Because in their hands, this merit could be exchanged for twenty million, even thirty million taels of silver. Putting aside everything else, obtaining a noble title to pass down to their descendants wasn't impossible.
The fundamental reason for their hesitation lies in how to divide the credit and how to allocate the money.
As for why they had to pay for it themselves, the reason is simple. Twelve million taels of silver, before even leaving Beijing, would amount to eight million taels. Various 'losses' along the way would then consume several million taels. By the time they reached Liaodong, the so-called twelve million taels would only amount to five million taels. They would have to make up the remaining half themselves.
Lu Xuan didn't join their discussion and went out for some fresh air by himself. Lu Wenzhao and Zhao Jingzhong, who were standing nearby, quickly came over.
"My lord, are we really going to hand over the emperor of the Qing Dynasty?"
"Nonsense, that's called selling it. Ten million taels, if you can get it for me, I'll give you all the credit."
Lu Wenzhao chuckled awkwardly, not daring to reply. Zhao Jingzhong, standing to the side, subtly changed his expression. This essentially meant that Lu Xuan didn't care about official positions in the court, only about practical benefits. It seemed his earlier guess was correct. Thinking this, Zhao Jingzhong's face couldn't help but show a hint of excitement.
Lu Xuan's scouts reported every half hour. Soon, a scout reported.
“A large number of enemy troops have been discovered eighty li to the northeast.”
"Eighty li, it seems we can't engage in battle today. Even if the Qing army is in a hurry, they can't possibly launch an attack immediately after marching a hundred li. Order all soldiers to choose advantageous terrain, construct positions, and set up camp to rest. We will wait for the enemy to tire themselves out. However, although the possibility is slim, we should still guard against a night attack from the enemy."
"clear."
At a single command, tens of thousands of troops immediately set off, with firearms battalions, cavalry battalions, and infantry battalions providing mutual cover and constructing a complete defensive position and camp.
The rest of the Ming soldiers just stared blankly as Lu Xuan's subordinates busied themselves.
A large number of trees in the surrounding area were felled and quickly used to build fences and barricades. Another group of people were frantically digging on the flat ground around the camp, creating a network of crisscrossing ditches, seemingly to guard against cavalry attacks.
Lu Xuan looked at the unmoved Ming soldiers with a helpless expression. He had clearly revealed the enemy's situation, yet these idiots hadn't reacted at all.
Nearly 100,000 troops were concentrated in one place. If the enemy cavalry broke through, only 5,000 men could easily rout them. It seemed their warfare was simply a matter of a group attacking in waves; victory was victory, defeat was defeat…
Unable to even complain about this mess, Lu Xuan decided to ignore it and avoid the idiots altogether.
As night fell and the Qing army was less than ten li away, the soldiers began to move, hastily constructing a poorly built camp. They seemed to know that a night attack by the enemy was unlikely, so they were all listless and looked dejected.
Not all soldiers were like that. Among these Ming soldiers were some capable and strong outcasts. They seemed to form their own faction, quite different from the surrounding thin soldiers.
These men were the personal guards of the various generals. They were the force the generals had painstakingly trained to ensure their safety. Otherwise, they would have felt guilty for receiving so much pay without working.
As night fell, Li Rubai and his group seemed to have finally reached some kind of consensus.
"General Lu, we have considered it carefully and agree to your terms."
“Very good. After the war is over, we will exchange money for goods.”
"Do we have to wait until the war is over?"