The old woman stopped crying abruptly. She dusted herself off and glared fiercely at Zhu Youjian.
"You old woman, you're being unreasonable! I was just trying to help you, and you're turning around and accusing me. They only gave you this little bit of silver for this basket of chickens; you've been cheated without even realizing it."
With a soft chuckle, Lu Xuan finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Please don't laugh at me, old man. He's a rich young master and doesn't know the prices outside. Young Master Zhu, tell me, how much silver is this basket of eggs worth?"
“One egg costs one tael of silver, so this basket must cost at least fifty taels! The little bit of silver you gave me is not even a fraction of it.”
"Hahahaha." This time, Lu Xuan couldn't hold back any longer.
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Chapter 172 Welcoming the New Emperor (Fourth Update, Please Subscribe)
Lu Xuan had long known that emperors in the palace were mostly detached from worldly affairs. Their procurement was often based on the whims of the eunuchs. But such an outrageous price difference was something he had never heard of before. No wonder, historically, he had worked so hard to raise funds for Liaodong's army! Perhaps in his eyes, that was the only way to spend that much money.
However, in reality, the Liaodong military pay for the last ten years or so amounted to tens of millions of taels of silver annually. In total, at least hundreds of millions of taels of silver were distributed to the Liaodong faction.
How many people did the Qing Dynasty have at that time? About 500,000. One hundred million taels of silver to fight 500,000 Manchu Tartars? And in the end, they were invaded? If that one hundred million taels were distributed among the people to buy Tartar heads, wouldn't the people of the Ming Dynasty include the surrounding Mongols and Koreans, cutting off their heads for the reward?
But no, Zhu Youjian had no idea what this amount of money truly meant. He didn't know what kind of army would be built if it were all spent on military affairs. He only knew that the front lines were barely holding on, and he was desperately raising money to maintain peace on the border.
Little did people know that of the tens of millions of taels of silver allocated to military pay each year, less than ten percent actually reached the army. The bureaucratic system in the capital, local areas, and even Liaodong intercepted and exploited the soldiers at every turn. Okay, let me correct that. The soldiers never actually received a single penny. The vast majority of soldiers received absolutely nothing.
They could barely get enough to eat, or receive a meager amount of coarse food as payment. In contrast, Lu Xuan's army received three times the pay of the Ming dynasty, with no delays. They had at least one meal of meat daily, and their rations were plentiful. Based on these basic benefits alone, the Ming army had no chance of winning. Even towards the end of the Ming dynasty, with two hundred years of accumulated strength, defeating the Jurchens should have been a piece of cake. However, Lu Xuan sensed that by this point, some people simply didn't want to win anymore.
Or rather, that corrupt system is deeply entrenched. Countless people are waiting to reap the benefits along this path. Even if one or two people sense something is amiss, they are powerless against the entire system.
After a long while, Lu Xuan, having finished laughing, finally came to his senses.
"Your Majesty, you really are..."
Lu Xuan felt both amused and saddened. To be emperor in this state, Zhu Youjian was truly pitiful.
Zhu Youjian himself realized that he seemed to have said something foolish. He asked in disbelief.
"How much does this chicken cost?"
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure either. But what I'm offering here should be twice the market price."
The old woman also spoke with a look of disdain.
"Where did this rich young master come from? How could someone like him become a soldier? Come on, go get some medicine for the old man." After saying that, he ignored Zhu Youjian and turned to leave.
Zhu Youjian stood there, dejected, feeling as if the whole world was mocking him. Suddenly, he rushed towards a soldier, trying to snatch his waist knife. But the soldier overpowered him and pinned him to the ground. The soldier didn't recognize him. Seeing him with Lu Xuan, he dared not harm him and could only subdue him. Unexpectedly, Zhu Youjian suddenly broke free and crashed into a tree. He was attempting suicide. Lu Xuan, who was prepared, grabbed him by the back of the neck and saved him.
"Why does Your Majesty do this?"
"Let me go! I am a member of the Ming Dynasty royal family. I would rather die than suffer the slightest humiliation again."
"Disgraceful, Your Majesty. Do you think I have humiliated you?"
"You..." Zhu Youjian was speechless. All the humiliation he had suffered today stemmed from Lu Xuan, but if one traced it deeper, one would find that the root cause was the Ming Dynasty he ruled.
Of course, "rule" is not the right word. He has only now realized that he has never ruled this country. He is merely a mascot, held in high esteem.
His ministers treated him like a fool, and his people risked their lives to supply his enemies with provisions. He was a worse emperor than dead. And historically, he actually did just that. After being rescued by Lu Xuan, he thought for a moment, then stood up and said to Lu Xuan.
"Lu Xuan, although I am now your prisoner, I am still a member of the Ming Dynasty royal family. Do you acknowledge that?"
"Of course I admit it."
"Very well! Lu Xuan, I have lost today. You, Lu Xuan, are both exceptional in both literary and military affairs. I am convinced of my defeat. However, I have one request that I hope you will grant."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
"I now understand that you have refrained from a full-scale attack these past few days because you are concerned for the people in the city. Zhu Youjian thanks you for that. But the people are innocent, while those others are not. I want you to enter the city and kill those traitors who have betrayed the Ming Dynasty."
"Okay." Lu Xuan agreed so readily that Zhu Youjian could hardly believe it.
"You... you agreed? Do you know that if you kill those people, you will be breaking your promise?"
"What do you mean by betrayal? I've never promised them anything! In fact, whether His Majesty asks or not, I will do it anyway. They always think that the world can't turn without them. But unfortunately, I don't think so. And, I've suddenly had an interesting idea. I wonder if His Majesty would be interested in personally dealing with those traitors?"
Zhu Youjian's expression changed slightly. After his suicide attempt, his mood had calmed down, and his intelligence was beginning to return to normal. Lu Xuan's suggestion perfectly suited his current state of mind. However, he was also able to think of other things as well.
For example, Lu Xuan didn't say anything, but he didn't actually want to kill the traitors who opened the city gates for him. He handed the knife to himself. This way, he could fulfill his own wish, eliminate those he disliked, and remove the stigma of betrayal. Even though Zhu Youjian guessed Lu Xuan's intentions, he still agreed without hesitation. He had nothing left to lose.
It was like his dying accusation in history: all the officials in this court could be killed. In that life, he couldn't kill them. In this life, Lu Xuan decided to grant him that wish.
The army finally entered the capital. Countless people lined the streets to watch the army's entry ceremony. They had already learned from people in other towns that this army had never harmed the people, so they came out to watch without worry.
Most people didn't have a direct experience of this dynastic change because it was almost bloodless. This only fueled the curiosity of the city's inhabitants. What kind of person was this new emperor who had seized power without firing a shot?
Before Lu Xuan could greet the people, he saw a large group of people dressed in the official robes of the Ming Dynasty waiting in front of him. Led by an unknown old man, ninety percent of the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty knelt and bowed to Lu Xuan in the street.
"Welcome the new emperor to the city..."
Looking at the kneeling officials who refused to rise, Lu Xuan's face revealed a strange smile. Was this also the scene when the Qing army entered the city in history?
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Chapter 173 A Little Bit of Injustice for the Neighboring Countries (First Update, Please Subscribe)
This was perhaps the most peaceful transfer of power in history. At least, it appeared to be at first. The entire court knelt at Lu Xuan's feet, dreaming of continuing their rule and maintaining their power.