We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1175 Celebrating Victory and Dividing the Money

That evening, Li Che ordered a victory celebration banquet to be held in an open space outside the military camp in Lanzhou.

Since it is wartime, there are certainly no delicacies to be found.

They slaughtered the cattle and sheep captured from Tibet, roasted them over a campfire, and served them with the dry biscuits and vegetable soup that were usually available in the army, as well as the strong liquor that was specially supplied that day.

While it may not be considered exquisite, it was more to the liking of these warriors.

Several more campfires were lit, illuminating half the camp as bright as day, with the firelight meeting the starry sky.

Li Che sat relaxed on a folding chair covered with animal skin.

Xiao Qing stood on the specially made crossbar on the back of his chair, occasionally tilting her head to preen her feathers.

The chubby panda Xiao Han suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was now lying on the thick felt not far from Li Che's feet, holding a fragrant roasted lamb rib and gnawing on it intently.

Its distinctly black and white body twitched as it chewed, causing nearby generals and soldiers to chuckle.

Wang Sanchun, carrying a rough earthenware bowl filled with sloshing wine, approached Li Che.

After tilting his head back and downing the liquor in one gulp, he wiped his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, this wine is really strong, much better than Tibetan barley wine!"

Li Che twitched the corner of his mouth: "Drink less, strong liquor is bad for your health."

If I'm not mistaken, the bowl he's holding contains high-proof liquor, which, after further purification, becomes pure alcohol.

Only Wang Sanchun, with his exceptional talent, could enjoy it; everyone else drank milder wines.

Seeing Wang Sanchun agree with a forced smile and then take another big gulp, Li Che didn't bother arguing with him and instead looked at the other people in the room.

Yue Yun sat a little further away, whispering something to several cavalry generals, holding a glass of wine in his hand, but drinking much more politely.

Yu Daliang had the loudest voice. He grabbed several generals from the Northwest Army and drank with them until their faces were red and their necks were thick.

He was still talking animatedly about his raid on the Uyghur king's camp, boasting about how he could take down Uyghurs one by one with a single blow, which drew cheers from the crowd.

Lu Dongzan sat alone by a slightly secluded campfire, with wine and meat laid out in front of him.

He slowly tore at the roasted mutton, his gaze drifting somewhat as he watched the leaping flames.

From time to time, generals would pass by and look at him with curiosity, this surrendered Tibetan official, to which he would only nod slightly.

Xu Jiezi sat down next to him at some point, handed him a bowl of hot soup, and whispered something to him.

Lu Dongzan was taken aback, took the soup bowl, and whispered a thank you.

Yelü Xian, holding Zhuoma's hand, walked over from the camp.

Yelü Xian was dressed in a grassland-style dress, with her hair braided in many small braids, and she had a bright smile.

Droma changed into a light and comfortable Tibetan noblewoman's everyday dress, applied a light layer of makeup to her face, and wore a smile as well.

The two women got along quite well, showing no signs of jealousy or rivalry, which put Li Che at ease.

Of course, this was true for most women in ancient times; being jealous was a serious crime, let alone for the emperor's women.

The kind of jealousy and scheming depicted on television is unlikely to occur openly.

"Your Majesty!" Yelü Xian pulled Zhuoma to Li Che's side and sat down next to him naturally. "Zhuoma and I have agreed that tomorrow she will teach me the Tibetan way of braiding hair. It's so interesting!"

“I taught her how to twist yarn with wool; our grassland method is faster!”

Li Che chuckled and pinched her nose: "You certainly know how to find companions. Zhuoma is new here, so you should take good care of her."

"Of course!" Yelü Xian puffed out her bulging chest.

Then he turned to Zhuoma and winked: "Sister Zhuoma, look at Xiao Han, it's so greedy! Last time it even stole some of my milk tea!"

Zhuoma looked in the direction she pointed and saw the red panda gnawing on a bone, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

Women of all eras have always loved furry little animals.

She walked over to Xiao Han, squatted down, and gently touched Xiao Han's furry ears with her finger.

Little Han was engrossed in gnawing on his food, only twitching his ears but ignoring it.

Zhuoma found it interesting and tentatively touched the smooth fur on its back.

“It’s not afraid of strangers,” Yelü Xian also came over and reached out to rub Xiao Han’s head. “It’s just a bit lazy; all it does is eat and sleep.”

She suddenly remembered something, looked up at the gyrfalcon on the back of Li Che's chair, and her eyes lit up: "Your Majesty, may Xiao Qing come down?"

Li Che chuckled and said, "Xiao Qing is not like Xiao Han. It is wary of strangers. Apart from me and a few guards who usually feed it, it is alert to anyone else who gets close."

Even so, he still made a gesture to the gyrfalcon on his shoulder.

Xiaoqing tilted her head and looked at Yelü Xian and Zhuoma, seemingly making a judgment, before suddenly spreading her wings and gliding down.

But the meat didn't fall on any of them; instead, it fell on the mutton in front of Li Che.

It lowered its head, swiftly pecked at a small piece of meat, tilted its head back, and swallowed it, completely ignoring the astonished gazes of the two concubines beside it.

"Wow!" Yelü Xian exclaimed softly, not daring to reach out, but instead leaning closer to examine it closely. "It really listens to His Majesty!"

Droma was also captivated by the sight and whispered, "In our Tibet, such a white eagle is considered a sacred bird... It's so beautiful."

Li Che watched as the two of them huddled together, observing Xiao Qing and Xiao Han. One was lively and bright, the other was calm and elegant. The atmosphere was harmonious and natural, and Li Che felt relieved.

He picked up his dagger, cut off a few slices of the best mutton, and placed them on the plates in front of Yelü Xian and Zhuoma respectively: "Don't just look, eat some too."

Knowing that the two women were here, Li Che knew it was inappropriate for anyone else to come over.

After exchanging a few words with them, I let them take the two little ones to play in the tent.

After the two imperial concubines left, the generals came over to toast the emperor.

Li Che didn't put on airs; after taking a sip of wine, he spoke with the generals in a gentle manner.

The banquet lasted until late at night, with everyone in high spirits, laughing and joking.

The older generals toasted each other, while the younger ones began to wrestle and sing around the campfire.

Even Lu Dongzan, at Yu Daliang's invitation, drank several bowls of strong liquor, his face flushed, and he became a little more talkative.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

An old general jumped into the field, picked up two wooden sticks, struck his shield, and roared out a desolate old border tune.

Several young officers joined in, singing along haphazardly and gesturing wildly.

Li Che leaned back in his chair, quietly watching the jubilation before him, and waved to Qiu Bai beside him.

The latter moved closer to Li Che, and Li Che whispered a few words to him.

Qiu Bai nodded and said loudly to the crowd, "His Majesty has something to say!"

The noise seemed to be cut off by a knife, and it quickly quieted down. All eyes were on Li Che.

Li Che stood up, his gaze sweeping over every face: "The war in the Northwest is now over."

No one spoke; only the sound of flames licking the firewood could be heard.

"The Tibetan army has retreated to the plateau in defeat, and the Western Regions have sent envoys to submit to the emperor. The land south of Qilian and the Hexi Corridor have all fallen into my hands."

"This battle is over."

Yes, the war is over.

The generals who came with Li Che were fine; to them, this was just another ordinary victory in the campaigns they had fought alongside His Majesty.

But for the Northwest Army, this was a bitter battle that had lasted for more than 20 years.

"We stood until the very end!" Li Che's voice rose, resolute. "It was Daqing that stood until the very end!"

After a brief silence, Wang Sanchun slammed his fist on the table in front of him and roared hoarsely:

"Long live Daqing!!!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!!!"

A roar like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami erupted instantly, countless arms were raised, wine bowls clashed, and hot tears mixed with wine were splashed.

The pent-up emotions of the Northwest Army generals, which had been building up for too long, were released without reservation at this moment.

Li Che let the sound waves crash over him for a moment before raising his hand again.

The noise gradually subsided.

“This victory,” he said, his eyes blazing and his words clear, “is inseparable from the efforts of everyone present, and from every soldier and laborer outside the camp.”

“You,” he said, tracing his finger across the crowd, “are all victors!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he nodded slightly to Qiu Bai, who was standing to the side.

Qiu Bai understood and turned to make a gesture towards the outside of the tent.

Heavy footsteps approached as squads of strong soldiers carried large boxes covered with thick felt into the open space in the center of the drill ground.

The box in his hand fell to the ground with a dull thud.

After the soldiers stepped back, Qiu Bai stepped forward and personally tore open the felt cloth covering the first box, lifting the lid.

The surrounding flames suddenly leaped.

Inside the box, gold ingots were neatly stacked, reflecting an alluring warm yellow luster under the light of the flames.

Then, the second, the third... the lids of the boxes were opened one after another.

Not only gold, but also bolts of shimmering brocade, large, perfectly round pearls, finely carved jade rough, jewel-encrusted scimitars and daggers, and many exotic treasures whose names were unknown to most, yet whose priceless value was immediately apparent.

The dazzling jewels even overshadowed the light of the campfire, making it difficult for people to open their eyes.

A collective gasp filled the air on the drill ground; many had never seen so much wealth piled up together in their lives.

Li Che stood up and walked to the center of the room. He casually grabbed a handful of pearls from the box and let them jingle and fall through his fingers.

"Tibet has been defeated, and this is compensation from their Zanpu to me."

He turned around and faced the assembled generals:

"My mind is made up. Seventy percent of the indemnity will go into the national treasury and be used entirely for the future development of the Northwest, including supporting the people, strengthening the army, building roads, and constructing cities."

"The remaining 30%..." He pointed to the boxes and crates scattered on the ground, "are all here."

"These spoils of war will be shared by every soldier who participated in this battle!"

"Not included in your salary, nor considered for regular military merit rewards," Li Che said, emphasizing each word. "These are gifts I bestow upon you personally."

The drill ground was deathly silent.

Immediately, an even louder roar erupted.

Wealth is a powerful motivator, and no one can escape its allure.

Li Che was always extremely generous when it came to rewarding his troops.

Although he is also good at giving pep talks, no pep talk is as sincere as being shocked.

Looking at the generals who had fought so hard for him, Li Che knew that from this day forward, the Northwest Army would entrust their lives and even their beliefs entirely to him.

He grinned, revealing an almost wild smile.

He then walked back to the table, picked up the bowl of wine that had been full, and raised it high:

"Gentlemen—"

All the generals simultaneously raised their wine bowls and stood up abruptly.

Li Che's resounding voice echoed throughout the arena: "Victory!"

"Cheers to victory!"

The wine poured out like a waterfall or rain.